MIDDLE RIVER STATION

Orems and Middle River roads. Hours: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. (410) 686-3360. There really used to be a railroad station "just a stone's throw across the Pennsylvania Railroad Tracks" in Middle River, informs the menu of this pleasant namesake eatery. But railroad activity dwindled to occasional freight traffic in the 1950s, and the original station was finally demolished in the mid-'60s.

Trains form the decorative motif of the current food station, with locomotive pictures on the walls. Actually, Middle River Station now provides a convenient food supply depot for people bound for a different kind of conveyance: those heading for a weekend on their boats docked at the area's many marinas.

The sandwich list runs from a quarter-pound burger ($2.50) to a shrimp salad ($5.50) that promises "you'll find no little shrimp here."

Given the proximity to the Chesapeake, fish and other seafood items are numerous, including a good fish sandwich ($2.50), a soft crab sandwich ($3.50), a fried sea scallop platter ($4.95) and even an orange roughy platter ($5.95).

But while the menu promises "some of the flavor of Old Middle River," it does omit one authentic item of old-time, bay-side dwellers: "Sorry, we won't be serving muskrat!"

Here's a tip: If you have the time to eat inside, the restaurant has a super breakfast buffet on Saturdays and Sundays.

A well-maintained array of items includes scrambled eggs, hash browns, pancakes, buttermilk biscuits (made by the restaurant) and gravy, plus a fresh fruit selection. The cost is $5.99; $3.50 children 6 to 12; and free for kids 5 or under.