Fair Hill Inn

I love their new greenhouse «the biergarten» for a more casual dinner. They have a brick oven and make delicious pizzas among other more casual bites. I just love the atmosphere and the service was great. Definitely will come back and highly recommend.

We have been once before and had great drinks In a great atmosphere. Tonight however was shockingly awkward. We wanted some pre dinner drinks and stopped by the bier garden for the ambiance. The server made it clear from the beginning that she thought we would be ordering food. After telling June we would just have drinks, she came by to set down silverware for «when you are ready to order.» When we tried to cash out without ordering and she seriously laughed in my husbands face and said «okay, maybe you will come back and actually order food next time.» …I don’t know where it is acceptable to say that. I enjoyed our treatment the first time we were there, but tonight has made me not want to return. If you don’t want people to come to drink than don’t have a Bier garden. This was just hilariously awkward and I feel torn about returning, which I would like to do.

Quiet spot for a nice dinner. Service was a little slow, but it was Valentines night. Food was very good, I would return just to see if service is faster on most nights. The food though was very fresh, and high quality and I will take that or fast service any day! The Lamb was really good, and my wife got the mushroom pasta which was also really good!

Went on 1-​2-​2016. We made reservations and arrived to find a propane truck idling in the lot. After being seated we realized they were having problems with the heating although no one told us that. We had to eat with our coats on. It was pretty quiet with two other couples in our room and a few other couples we could see in another room. Apparently that was too much of crowd as it too a long time for anyone to serve us. In fact, a couple there before us had their order taken after ours. We ordered drinks and received two gin and tonics that were not very good. A half hour later a woman, not our waitress, asked for our food order. My wife wanted shrimp risotto but a few minutes later we were told shrimp was off due to «the propane problem» (why everything else could be cooked was not explained). Fifteen minutes later we got some bread (cold with a frozen pat of butter). Another fifteen minutes to bring out appetizers of soup for my wife and salad for me. My wife liked the soup but it was not very hot. My salad was OK.
My entrée of trout arrived much later, I think it was close to an hour after ordering. It was good, flavorful and cooked just right. My wife settled for a pork dish she liked but was not wowed by. We ordered dessert that did not take as long. I got a walnut pie that was cold and dry, and strangely served with banana ice cream. Again, fine but not something I need to have again.
The restaurant itself is in a 18^th century farmhouse and is lovely. The lack of heat almost made it feel like 1776. We could see into the biergarten greenhouse next to the parking lot. It looked more fun and has a different, more casual, menu.
Overall, the entrees were good but the slow service and cold room detracted from our experience. We have had better meals at that price range in the area. I will try the biergarten sometime but I think it will a long time before I feel compelled to go back to the main restaurant.

Really cute place. We went there for Thanksgiving. The had a prefix menu. You could choose from a starter of salad, soup and sausage stuffing. I had the salad, beets, radishes, field greens and goat cheese dressing. The hubby had the soup it was a pumpkin crab. Both ridiculously good. The turkey was done 3 ways and paired with oyster dressing, cornbread dressing, Mushroom pan gravy. The sides were family style which consisted of Brussels sprouts, greens, candied yams, mashed potatoes. All were scrumptious. Desert was pumpkin pie and some kind of sorbet. Very good as well. Service was very good and attentive… Why only the 4 stars? It was expensive. Well at least by my standards. My hubby had 2 mixed drinks, I had 2 glasses of wine. With tip the bill was just shy of $ 200! While everything was great! Food, service, atmosphere. I thought the bill was a little excessive. Would we go back? Probably for a special occasion.

Good not great. I enjoyed my duck, wife’s lamb was high quality but prep was not what she had hoped for. I get the wine list challenge… do you have lots of good foreign wine most people don’t understand, or do you have basic varietals which need no explanation? Result: 3 California Cabernets, 70 — 110 $ per bottle, I’ve never heard of, and I drink French and Italian wines every week.
I hope they find something that works. I accept that it will never be either of the last 2 incarnations of the Fair Hill Inn with which I fell in love. I’ll be back in a year.

I made reservations same day. I asked if we could bring in our own wine and they said no, which isn’t a big surprise since most places in Maryland abide by this rule.
It took 5 minutes before a hostess even noticed we had arrived and another 5 minutes to be seated despite a reservation and ample seating available. It was another 5 minutes before we were seen by a server with a cocktail list and menus. I ordered a $ 70 bottle of wine and we were asked for our ID’s… Not a big deal, we both look young. She looked them over and handed them back. Five minutes later the waitress asked to see my license again, stating she wasn’t familiar with California licenses. She took it away and didn’t return for another 5 minutes.
That was enough for me. I walked out and told her I wasn’t impressed with the service thus far. She didn’t even try to make amends for her lack of service

This place is a jewel tucked away! My family has been in the restaurant business for a long time, and I can say this establishment has a quiet, elegant country feel with a fine dining creatively unique menu. Portions are generous, service is top notch, and prices are average for its class. If you are looking for a treat, want to take your time and have a wonderful experience this is a place to check out.

I recently went to the Fair Hill Inn with friends. I was a good meeting place for people coming from different towns. I thought the food and service were outstanding. There were only 2 servers, and I could tell that they were busy. But, we felt relaxed and unrushed. We had 3 – 4 courses each. A very tasty experience. The food had the right combination of rustic and refined food. The atmosphere was historic and romantic. We look forward to going agin soon.

I was very surprised by the quality when compared with price. This is a hard area for a high class restaurant to stay around, but they’ve found the happy medium. I would’ve happily paid twice what I did.
To top it off, the option of local wine (Virginia) is a very nice touch. The only complaint I have is that the wine was so good it should have came in gigantic bottles, ha! They plan on expanding the bar to a high larger high class wine bar and lounge. We’ll be regulars if/​when that happens!

New owners have done an outstanding job raising the bar on an already outstanding dining experience.
Very friendly and portions are larger and even better than ever.

What a gem. Had dinner here last night, prepared by new chef/​owner. The food was outstanding. Best martini I’ve ever had. Perfectly prepared steak. Service was attentive and friendly. And of course, the intimate, well appointed dining rooms are lovely. Can’t wait to return.

New ownership?
Very limited menu — 5 items?
Half hour to get a drink, and it wasn’t busy.
Only small batch bourbon? Ordered an old fashion for $ 12.00 and it was that good.
We were going to try dessert, but it took to long to get the waitress back.
Watched another couple walk out after appetizers… never saw that in the past.
We will try and see if they work the bugs out in a few months. Food was good.

Have eaten here greater than ten times. I am embarrassed that it has taken me so long to write this review. This has been our special go to place for years, partly because we live nearby but truely because of the food. The staff are a skilled part of the culinary team. The chefs/​owners are as passionate about the ingredients as their recipes. It is a destination for «foodies» and not an experience for anyone in a rush. They have done a great job also accommodating the Gluten-​Free, Dairy Free needs of our daughter especially when we notify them with our reservation.

Was there on Sunday evening. On Sunday they only offer a four course meal for $ 30 (good price compared with their regular menu prices) with only two entrée choices. They were out of one of the entrée choices. BBQ sauce was very spicy. The chef did accommodate a shrimp allergy and substituted salmon in one course. Also had a selection of local cheeses which were very good.
Biggest issue was that there was a large party in the same room which was VERY loud making it difficult to talk across the table and at times even hear the waitress.

Living in New England, I didn’t think many places south of NJ had historic inn-​restaurants with charm, class, and amazing food. Fair Hill Inn blows away any food I’ve had at a historic in before. We had the five course tasting menu and plenty of wine. The portions were just right and the service was spot on. Though we live far away, I want to come back to this place time and time again! We’ll just have to keep visiting our friends who live nearby.

Stuck out in the Wilds of Cecil County, it would be understandable if you never made it here. That would be a bloody shame. From the in house made salumi and cheeses, to the fresh from the garden veggies and herbs, to the organic game and meats, this really is about as good as it gets. This is not a cheap place to eat, but I’ve never walked away feeling like I didn’t get what I paid for. The service is above average, but not exceptional. The wine selection is phenomenal, and the bartender has a rather extensive selection of cocktails, going back to the 1920’s. Speakeasy nights are a blast. For most people this will not be an every day place to go. But if you want a real treat, or for a special occasion, put this on your list.

The Fair Hill Inn is our go-​to restaurant when we are looking for an talented bartender, interesting and delicious cheeses and homemade sausage (salumi), a great wine list, and excellent food. If I could change any thing, it would be to just *tweak* the ambiance a bit toward the cozy side. Still, my wife and I have become regulars (at 3 – 4 times a year) in the last few years, and have never been disappointed.
I think the description of the fare as American is about right. The key to the FHI is that they grow and prepare as much of their food as they can. In the summer, the greens are all grown on site. In the winter months — not as much greenery on the plate. They make all sorts of delicious air-​cured sausage, serve local cheeses, and get much of their meat from nearby farms. The wine list is excellent, and if you liked classic cocktails, you just need to stop reading now and go. Excellent service and a farmhouse-​setting round off a dining experience worthy of a special occasion, anniversary, or just a night away from the kids.
Highly recommended.
Update, 6÷18÷12: Had to drop my rating by 1 star because the awesome bartender has moved on. The food is still excellent, and our waitress did a good job making the cocktails we ordered during our most recent visit, but it is not the same experience unfortunately.
Update, 3÷23÷13: Despite the lack of a full-​time bartender, the waitstaff take their classic cocktails seriously. I haven’t yet asked for anything they didn’t know how to make. Unlike most places, where they have never heard of a Sidecar, Vesper, or Negroni. Here, you won’t find 10 «martinis» that are really just dessert in disguise. Back to 5 stars!

Ditto to the previous reviewer. I can’t believe this place only has 1 review — the 2^nd is on the way…
The food is plain amazing, the resto is definitely a special occasion place. We went with their 5-​course dinner with a wine pairing option. The pace (it took 3.5 hours for our group of 4 people to get though it), the portions and wine amount were just right. At first I wished that we had a little more food on the plates and more wine in our glasses but at the end of the evening I realized that I was neither super full nor drunk so the menu planning turned out to be genius.
For my selection I had a salad, lobster/​cauliflower soufflé (super!), fois gras, antipasti and a grilled boar chop. Everything was extraordinary good. I did enjoy wine selection as well. Italian white that was served with a salad wasn’t anything to write home about, the same with Merlot that was offered with the main course (boar), but the other three wines were great (I think it was South African Chenin Blanc with lobster, Alsatian Gewur with fois gras and some Italian red with antipasti).
The location amused me, it’s literally in the middle of the nowhere. We had to cross over 2 state lines to get there but it was definitely worth an hour and 15 min drive. Wish they were closer to us but we will be back.

Could it really be that nobody has yet submitted a Unilocal review for this fine dining establishment here in northeast Maryland? I have been to the Fair Hill Inn perhaps a dozen times over the past ten years, (most recently in attendance at a catered dinner this past week) and have been repeatedly impressed by the ambiance of simple elegance and the creative menu that never fails to dazzle and amaze the most sophisticated palette!
This time, my appetizer was a sort of lobster-​cake in a (spinach?) cream sauce, followed by the beef entrée in two cuts, each perfectly tender and flavorful. Excellent though it was, I think I was even more taken of my wife’s salmon; amazingly moist and of a melt in your mouth consistency.
Located in an old farmhouse in the booming metropolis of Fair Hill Maryland (translate: a stoplight, gas station, and video store) there are several different dining areas in the various downstairs rooms, with a long bar center-​stage that looks to be amazingly well stocked. We have yet to do one of their wine flight dinners, but the wine list is impressive and lengthy. This is definitely a $$$$ establishment, and most definitely NOT a BYOB, which elevates it on our scale to a ‘special occasion’ kind of place. Much quieter than so many commercial eateries these days, the calm ambiance lends itself well to special gatherings where conversation and conviviality are the top priorities.