Jefferson Ruritan Community Center

The Ruritan Community Center is contiguous with the volunteer center and the carnival grounds. Throughout the year it hosts local church groups’ oyster dinners, which is what I am primarily reviewing. You can check out the upcoming schedule here:
. The tend to be in October/​November and February. The carnival is also in July. The oyster dinners are highly worthwhile, despite a few annoyances. They tend to attract quite a few seniors, often by the busload. The downside is that you must purchase a number ticket and then wait until your number is called. This can sometimes take a while. You also eat family-​style at a communal table, which can be irksome or a delight, depending on how much you like other people (it’s irksome for me). Nevertheless, I would wade through a swamp of seriously grumpy gators to savor the oystery goodness that these church folk serve up. They are all good, but my favorite is the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church’s. They all also serve ham and turkey generally, along with traditional sides. They also tend to be «all-​you-​can-​eat.» Visiting New Orleans last week and sampling some quite good oysters only reinforced my notion that Maryland oysters are the best. Short of my mom or grandma’s oysters, the oysters that I have had here have been the absolute best. Big, flavorful and plentiful. And fried just right. There is generally a bake sale out front too, not that you’ll have any room! Check the calendar or call to find out about upcoming events. Generally from noon till 4 on Saturdays in the fall and winter.