After a morning spent visiting a museum in Annapolis, we were looking for a place to have lunch. A friend took us to a local coffee shop. The place we went to, 49 West, has been a beloved local institution for decades.

Sarah and Brian Cahalan founded 49 West back in 1995. The couple had worked at a restaurant in Chicago that combined a coffeehouse with a gallery, and they want to bring that sensibility to Maryland. Recently, the Cahalan’s sold 49 West to the owner of McCormick Bakery & Chocolate Factory, Myriam Osorio McCormick, a native of Honduras, learned chocolate making in Argentina. She started her own chocolate business in Honduras in 2011. In 2023 she moved to Maryland, continuing her trade as a chocolatier. As of September 2026, she became owner of 49 West. From what I can tell, she has kept the nature of the restaurant the same.

The Menu

49 West’s menu consist of Starters, Salads & Bowls, Handhelds (sandwiches) and Flatbreads. There is also a breakfast menu which is served until 11:00 AM.

Starters include Soup of the Day, Quiche of the Day, and the two items featured below. The salad options are Curried Chicken Salad, Caesar, and the 49 West Salad. The 49 West is a mixed green with fruits, vegetables, and cheese. Bowl options are Sarah’s Bowl (rice mixed with vegetables and eggs) and a Poke Bowl.

Sandwiches include some common options: Grilled Cheese, BLT, and Cold Cut. Specialty items include Rosemary Chicken and the Curried Chicken Salad in sandwich form (which a friend remarked was excellent). There is also a Soup & Sandwich option. Flatbread options include Chorizo and Margherita.

Drinks

49 West has a full coffee menu, including Expresso, Cappuccino, Cafe au Lait, and Green Tea Matcha. The coffee is an organic blend from Honduras. My friends ordered several of the coffee drinks and gave them good reviews.

Other drink options include: in house made lemonade, sodas, freshly squeezed, and juices. The orange juice is freshly squeezed. The soda options include Ginger Beer, although they were out of it that day. The Iced Tea is brewed in house. There are two flavors of iced tea: regular and spiced. I choose the spiced, which is brewed to order. As such, it takes longer to come out. But it is worth the wait.

Appetizers

We ordered two appetizers, Warmed Brie and Hummus. My table had the Brie, so I will review that. My friends who had the hummus said it was very good. The Brie comes with a baguette, crackers, fresh fruit, mustard, and a small pitcher of warmed honey. It was fabulous. The brie was warm and tasty, and the accoutrements complemented it well. There is plenty for sharing.

Entrees

Several of our group went with the Soup & Sandwich deal. This is a full sized soup with half a sandwich. The soup of the day was Tomato Rosemary Bisque. Most agreed that it was excellent. A couple noted that it is very salty. Overall, people were happy with the soup.

I ordered a full size sandwich, Brian’s Steak & Cheese. All sandwiches come with a choice of potato salad, green salad or chips. I chose the salad.

Brian’s Steak & Cheese is a cheesesteak sandwich with mushrooms, onions, and provolone cheese. I was a little disappointed by it. The bun was a little burnt on the edges, and the mushrooms were not sauteed. The steak itself was fine. On the other hand, I was quite happy with the side salad: plenty of fresh greens and vegetables, served with a tasty balsamic.

Desserts

49 West has a display case showcasing their desserts.

There are plenty of pastries, both sweet and savory, plus cakes, tarts, and Creme Brulee. The cake options were: Raspberry Amaretto, Red Velvet, Triple Chocolate, and Pumpkin Smith Island.

As soon as I saw the Pumpkin Smith Island I knew I had to have it. The Smith Island Cake is the official dessert of Maryland, and I order it whenever I see it on the menu. I have never had a pumpkin one before.

Like all Smith Island Cakes, this one had many layers with icing in between. Here, the icing was a cream cheese frosting. The cake itself was moist and dense. I loved it. But it is very big. Fortunately, I had plenty of friends around to share it with.

Ambience

49 West has a casual ambience, as you would expect from a coffee house. We had no difficulty getting seated, but as the place got quite crowded during the course of our meal. The service was relatively quick, considering we were a big group, and our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.

We were there for lunch, but in the evenings 49 West has live music. It also functions as an art gallery. The paintings on the walls are by local artists and change every few months. Receptions are held when new exhibits open up. It’s easy to see why 49 West has been “Annapolis’s Living Room” for 30 years.