Ruke's Seafood Deck on Smith Island

Ruke's is not currently open for business as the 2015 season gets underway.

Ruke's is a popular local establishment in Ewell, the largest community of three on Smith Island, located 12 miles off-shore from Crisfield on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Ruke's celebrated 50 years of service to the community in 2010, having opened in 1960 as Middleton & Dize, but known locally as Ma Willie's, originally providing groceries.

While on the mainland during a hurricane evacuation, Chart learned to make submarine sandwiches at a sub shop in Marion, Maryland. She returned to Ewell and began serving subs at the store. After that, the place was known as "Ma Willie's and Chart's Subs." Ma Willie was Chart's mother.

Chart and Ruke continued to add more freshly prepared fare to the menu and it eventually evolved into a popular restaurant. Even though the name changed to "Ruke's," many of the locals continued to refer to it as Ma Willie's.