Susan's on Smith Island Bed & Breakfast
Stay at this quaint, bungalow-style house owned by a thirteenth-generation Smith Islander whose family is still living and working on the island. Guests can make themselves at home in Susan's Bed and Breakfast. There is a shared living room, dining room, and big screened-in porch overlooking the Ewell harbor. There are two rooms available to guests with beautiful views of the water. A gourmet breakfast is served each morning on the porch for guests to enjoy while watching local watermen working on the bay. Guests can also dine in for dinner and enjoy the sunset views. The menu includes local, fresh seafood like Susan's special crab cakes, fresh flounder, or rockfish. Soft crabs or steamed crabs are also available depending on the season.
Recent Reviews
Susan's on Smith Island Bed & Breakfast
Nikhil Dutta-Roy : 5 on 7/16/2025 3:39 pm
My girlfriend and I had a great stay at Susan's place. She arranged our ferry from Crisfield to Smith Island and she was herself on the ferry to pick us up, which I thought was very hospitable.
She gave us access to her bikes and kayaks and we used them as this was a great and effective way to move around the island. She also does not stay at the bnb during the weekend but she is close by! We had the entire place to ourselves(there were 2 empty rooms) and we were genuinely shocked that no one else had booked for the weekend.
Every morning, she made us homemade breakfast(part of the lodging price) and this was immaculate(quiches, homemade French toast, fresh fruits). For an additional 45 dollars per person, she made us dinner one night. I know this seems somewhat steep, but this was an incredible dinner and worth the money. She made us fresh crab cakes, sides, bread and to top it off, she made her own version of the Smith Island Cake. I'd recommend checking out the other restaurants for your other night there but to me, Susan's dinner was by far the best. She also created an almost fancy restaurant type of atmosphere in her home.
Susan herself is great. She arranged our ferries from the mainland to Smith Island. She was readily available to answer all of our questions about the island.
The island itself is great. It's obviously small but the best way to enjoy it is by soaking in the island life for the weekend. We went biking to Rhodes point, got coffee at the Roost, talked to the locals, tried Smith Island cake from every place that sold it(Susan's was our favorite), kayaked to the small islands to see pelicans and goats and sat back and enjoyed the scenery at Susan's place.
If you enjoy this kind of vacation, I'd highly recommend Smith Island. I feel like I have a personal obligation to get as many people to visit the island as this was one of my favorite trips that I have been on. If anyone reads this review, feel free to reach out to me and I am happy to share my experience on the island.
In terms of lodging, I can't recommend Susan's place enough. There are other places on the island and I am sure they are as great as hers but I do want to point out that I think her place is the only one that has a waterfront view if that sweetens the deal :)
Tips:
Bring bug spray. As I am writing this review, I am still scratching myself from all the bug bites I got haha(my fault).
Bring CASH(the parking in Crisfield is cash, the lodging costs are cash). Most of the restaurants take card but anything related to Susan's cost is cash or check as of July 2025
If you like alcohol, bring your own(dry island). I'd recommend bringing a bottle of wine to share over dinner at Susan's
Don't treat Smith Island as a check box to do all of these activities. This is not NYC. Live the island life for the weekend. Kayak a little slower, enjoy the sun and the pelicans. Enjoy every bite of Smith Island cake, don't just scarf it down so you can get to the next activity. Talk to the locals and take a genuine interest in their lives. Come in with that attitude and I guarantee that you will love Smith Island. Also, respect the island(i.e don't be a jerk)
She gave us access to her bikes and kayaks and we used them as this was a great and effective way to move around the island. She also does not stay at the bnb during the weekend but she is close by! We had the entire place to ourselves(there were 2 empty rooms) and we were genuinely shocked that no one else had booked for the weekend.
Every morning, she made us homemade breakfast(part of the lodging price) and this was immaculate(quiches, homemade French toast, fresh fruits). For an additional 45 dollars per person, she made us dinner one night. I know this seems somewhat steep, but this was an incredible dinner and worth the money. She made us fresh crab cakes, sides, bread and to top it off, she made her own version of the Smith Island Cake. I'd recommend checking out the other restaurants for your other night there but to me, Susan's dinner was by far the best. She also created an almost fancy restaurant type of atmosphere in her home.
Susan herself is great. She arranged our ferries from the mainland to Smith Island. She was readily available to answer all of our questions about the island.
The island itself is great. It's obviously small but the best way to enjoy it is by soaking in the island life for the weekend. We went biking to Rhodes point, got coffee at the Roost, talked to the locals, tried Smith Island cake from every place that sold it(Susan's was our favorite), kayaked to the small islands to see pelicans and goats and sat back and enjoyed the scenery at Susan's place.
If you enjoy this kind of vacation, I'd highly recommend Smith Island. I feel like I have a personal obligation to get as many people to visit the island as this was one of my favorite trips that I have been on. If anyone reads this review, feel free to reach out to me and I am happy to share my experience on the island.
In terms of lodging, I can't recommend Susan's place enough. There are other places on the island and I am sure they are as great as hers but I do want to point out that I think her place is the only one that has a waterfront view if that sweetens the deal :)
Tips:
Bring bug spray. As I am writing this review, I am still scratching myself from all the bug bites I got haha(my fault).
Bring CASH(the parking in Crisfield is cash, the lodging costs are cash). Most of the restaurants take card but anything related to Susan's cost is cash or check as of July 2025
If you like alcohol, bring your own(dry island). I'd recommend bringing a bottle of wine to share over dinner at Susan's
Don't treat Smith Island as a check box to do all of these activities. This is not NYC. Live the island life for the weekend. Kayak a little slower, enjoy the sun and the pelicans. Enjoy every bite of Smith Island cake, don't just scarf it down so you can get to the next activity. Talk to the locals and take a genuine interest in their lives. Come in with that attitude and I guarantee that you will love Smith Island. Also, respect the island(i.e don't be a jerk)
Nikhil Dutta-Roy
1752680360
5
5
Susan's on Smith Island Bed & Breakfast
Stephanie Blanco Gress : 5 on 5/13/2024 4:38 pm
If you want to stay overnight on Smith Island you can’t go wrong staying at Susan’s. Our family group of 5 rented the whole house for a long weekend and found the house to be very clean, well appointed, comfortable and the location could not be better. It’s located on a quiet street minutes from everything in Ewell and facing the water for beautiful sunsets. Susan is an incredible cook. Her crab cakes, veggies and baked goods were all excellent. Her Smith Island cake is my favorite. If you have binoculars, bring them for great views of various birds, boats and goats since you have a fantastic view of Goat Island.
Stephanie Blanco Gress
1715618316
5
5
Susan's on Smith Island Bed & Breakfast
Michael Bartolone : 5 on 8/23/2024 1:40 am
Highly, highly recommend staying at Susan's. She is a wonderful, friendly, and informative host. I went with my wife and son. The rooms are small but comfortable, and I absolutely loved the front room with the breeze blowing in off the bay at night. The views from the porch where you take meals are gorgeous. Susan is also a great cook, and I recommend having her cook you dinner. (The restaurants on island close at 4 p.m.). There are also other island residents that will prepare meals and deliver them to you - we absolutely loved the meal Donna made for us. Her info is in the guide book in the house. All meals come with amazing Smith Island cake desserts!
Michael Bartolone
1724377224
5
5
Susan's on Smith Island Bed & Breakfast
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