Caribbean Joe’s now open in WOC near Alamo Motel

Large helpings and a casual beach atmosphere are just two of several selling points at Caribbean Joe’s Bar and Grille in West Ocean City, on 12614 Ocean Gateway.

Joe Albero opened the beach-themed bar adjacent to The Alamo Motel well into the offseason in late January, a bold move for a restaurant in the resort town.

“Everybody said, ‘Don’t open up in the winter … you’re going to lose money,’” Albero said. “We didn’t care about that. We wanted to open up before we hit the heavy season and make sure that we’ve got all the kinks taken care of before we do hit the heavy season. We’ve swung the doors [open] here in the wintertime and we’re in the black. It says a lot to be able to open up a business and not be digging into your pockets real deep to survive.”

Albero first took over the restaurant portion of the motel when the owner of The Alamo, Mark Odachowski, asked him to participate in a partnership with him. The two-acre property began undergoing renovation last August.

“We wanted to network together because we really believe a lot of people in Ocean City don’t want to come over the bridge to West Ocean City – and people from West Ocean City don’t want to go over the bridge into Ocean City – and that’s part of the impact of why you’re seeing so much growth here,” Albero said.

“Everything I’ve done business-wise has always been from the ground up … and I’ve been really good and successful at it,” he continued. “Here was the biggest challenge. This place was really, really bad.”

More