Manor Tavern

Loud, full of kids, way more casual for its own good, server was horrible, older white haired lady. Didn’t even look at me when talking to me, had to ask her to tell me the specials, 10 min. for first visit to the table, 20 min later for our champagne, finally left. She knew it was our anniversary too. Sorry you hate your life lady. Absolutely don’t waste your time here. Picked up and left and went to libertories and was treated like gold, that place rocks, manor tavern does not!

A lifelong favorite… been going there for decades and will continue to go. One of the great aspects of the Manor Tavern has always been the perfect blend of casual country folk and fine diners… but it’s gotten just a little too «down home» for my taste in recent years. The good: everyone who works there is incredibly nice and very attentive. Most of the casual food they serve is quite excellent such as the bison burger. I absolutely love the gardens they’ve grown in recent years, the live music they host occasionally, and their annual Oyster and Maryland Festivals are not to be missed… great times. I just wish they’d make available a little more of the fine dining experience they had many years ago… whatever happened to the side of the restaurant with a la carte steaks, high-​end wines, etc? If the Manor Tavern would get a little bit more of a Milton Inn vibe and serve some higher end food and wine… I would literally eat there three times a week and this review would go to five stars real fast. Nonetheless, I will definitely keep going… this is a constructive critique… plenty of good here!

Let me begin by conveying my previous experiences at this establishment were stellar. Recently however, visits have been disappointing at best.
My better half and I made reservations for a Saturday evening, requesting our favorite
server –Andy S.
Upon arriving, the hostess informed us Andy had no available tables and that we had the option of being seated at the bar where he would be available to serve us. To this, we agreed and followed the hostess to the designated seating.
Soon after taking our places at the bar, Andy appeared and greeted us. At about the same
time, a portly man, about 6′ 2″/bald (I describe him to allow you to avoid him if at all possible)
appeared, who we later learned was the «manager». Andy, addressing the man, said «I’d like to introduce you to two of my dear customers from (Andy’s former work place in Baltimore)». To which the he exclaimed «Not necessary, I’ve already met them!». This took us by complete surprise, as we had never seen this man before and thought his response extremely rude. We took this in stride, anticipating a nice evening, regardless of this buffoon.
We browsed the menu – not much has changed in the four years we have been frequenting
this establishment. Nothing in particular caught our eye so we inquired about the specials. Andy told us of same, and we decided to go with the blackened rock fish.
As this was a Saturday evening, the place was packed – there was a party of 24 and approximately 10 additional tables in the section where we were «seated». Our entrees arrived roughly 30 minutes after placing the order.
My rockfish ($ 36.00!! – that’s surely special) was absolutely amazing – perfectly prepared. As for my better half – she made her first cut only to find the fish was raw. It was thoroughly pink and inedible. Knowing how these things happen, we calmly presented this to Andy who immediately addressed the issue. After approximately 45 minutes, Andy appeared with the replacement entrée which had to be prepared a third time as the second preparation was not prepared as ordered (she ordered it sans blackened).
This restaurant appears to be poorly managed – I say this not because of our experience with the fellow identified as the manager, but due to the overall appearance of the staff and their state of mind. Each looked as if they were at their breaking point – clearly a sign of inadequate preparation for the volume of business a Saturday routinely brings.
To make a long story short – avoid this restaurant on Saturday – they are woefully under staffed – the servers have to perform double duty as bar tenders – ridiculous!
The entire experience is one of disorganized chaos. Get it together Manor! Your service most certainly does not justify the cost. $$$$
Just my humble opinion. Thanks for reading.

We have eaten at the Manor Tavern many times, but this is the first time we ate on a holiday. We went on Valentine’s day for brunch and there was a limited menu. The meal was okay, but I have had better there. I look forward to going again for dinner and enjoying a wonderful meal. Valentine’s Day menu was not expansive enough and the taste of the shrimp fritatta was ordinary.

Omg how old is this place? Our chairs were a little unstable and the place is just dingy. The food was OK, but the manger couldn’t explain the menu. I’m allergic to mushrooms. Asked the manager if my dish had mushrooms and she said, we can pick them out. We only ordered for my husband so he could taste it before I died by an allergic reaction. If they read this I do suggest to clean up all the old trash outside. There are literally old furnishings throw on the side.

As an addendum to my earlier review. We just went back to the Tavern after nearly 2 years of staying away. It was delightful. The food has greatly improved and service is still good– although weekend nights are mobbed but that is not their fault. Our waiter was also the bar tender and he was amazing beyond words. The menu seems to have been reduced to less items with a focus on quality. Prices are still on the high end but more justified by better quality food. Portion sizes are generous. A lot of attention to detail. We will be going back more frequently.

Had dinner here the other night with my father and husband. When i called to make a reservation a young man answered and was not the most pleasant to speak with. He asked what time my party would like to dine, I gave him the time and he said they were all booked, and that was the end of the conversation, he didnt suggest any other time or ask if I would be willing to dine with them slightly later or earlier. So I had to ask if there was anything else available for that evening. He was rather pretentious sounding on the phone which was a turnoff. But I pushed it off and was hoping atleast the food would be better when we arrived. We ended up coming earlier then our reservation and hoping to sit at the bar, but we were seated right away so that was nice. I had a cup of the seafood gumbo and it was delicious, perfect amount of heat/​spice. For dinner I had the bison burger with coleslaw and it was also delicious, I would come back just for that. My dad was not pleased with his dish, the cauliflower steak. The cauliflower itself was too thick and almost raw, the butternut squash that was on the side was also raw and undercooked. The manager walked by asking how our night was and my dad had to explain to him that his dinner was just not cooked well. The manager was so very nice and had a whole other plate made for him, he really didnt have to do that but it was a great gesture. Im sure we will be back to try again and maybe have a higher rating then.

Very overpriced! Traditional buffet Thanksgiving dinner $ 105,30, with no alcohol.
Shocked to say the least, seafood or steak you would expect those prices.

Worst meal ever: cold, burnt dry turkey drumstick, cold congealed lumpy, tasteless gravy, cranberry sauce with so much sugar and so gelatinous that there was no cranberry flavor or texture left. Sweet potatoes were cold and sitting in a pan of water on the buffet. Salad was just chopped romaine with tasteless, over-​sized croutons. Husband’s vegetarian plate was a half of a head of barely cooked cold cauliflower with greasy herbed butter (passing for a sauce?) and some toasted pine nuts and a pile of over cooked soggy spinach. The whole meal was disgusting. It was overpriced
at $ 39 per person. I will give it one star for the décor– nice room, nice fireplace.

Good food but can be pricey. Daily specials are actually special. Love crab cake night, and of course half price bottle of wine night.
Staff is usually friendly. If you’re going during peak hours, reservations are recommended.

Very cozy atmosphere and the food, service and drinks are always very good. I like the formal atmosphere and country setting as it reminds me of my childhood. I usually get the prime rib sandwich and the wife gets a salad and with drinks the bill is not terrible for such a hidden gem.

We made the mistake of going on father’s day. We sat 2 hours and never saw our food. We were told it was coming I asked if I was coming ups or fed x.
You would think that a business would prep for these holidays. It was a joke we left and will never go back again

Brussel sprout appetizer and Beer can chicken are both fantastic. Would have rated 4 stars but still no draft beer after new owners. They need to get some decent craft beers on tap before I frequent on a regular basis.

(8÷11÷2015) The Manor Tavern has been a long standing tradition in the family, we saved it for celebrations. It was formal, yet still cozy, out in the country, secluded, some place special. At least that was my memory of it. In 2011 the tavern was sold and the new owners revamped the place, it still has a somewhat pastoral feel (ersatz fox and hound décor, to be expected by dilettante restauranteur dentists, the Mitcherling twins who also own An Poitin Stil) and a decidedly hipster update to the menu. Guess what they’ve got now… roasted brussels sprouts, truffle fries, kale chips, cocktails in mason jars, «provisions», and a farm named for every piece of food you can describe on a menu.
Per tradition, we came to celebrate a birthday, and it happened to be Baltimore County Restaurant Week. I made note when I booked the reservation we were there for a celebration, but no one heeded it, had to point it out blatantly. The bar was bustling on a weeknight (so much so that someone passed out in the hallway). We were promptly greeted and seated, but the remainder of service was painfully slow and inattentive. Two of us had essentially the same meal with uneven results. Grilled Lamb Lollipops were well-​seasoned, marinated, scented with rosemary and came with a nice chimichurri-​like herb sauce, on tartly dressed greens and cherry tomatoes as a good foil. Lamb was rare and rather sinewy, but savory and with good flavor. The Center Cut Pork Chop entrees were less successful. The portion sizes of the chops differed significantly, but luckily for my dining companion, his was smaller and better cooked. My chop, while very large, was raw throughout. I do like a medium rare beef steak, and although I know the FDA lowered the intact pork muscle guidelines to 145 °F, that temp puts it at a little pink, not raw. I waited for an eternity before our server checked on us again to send it back for more heat, by that time, most of my table was done eating when I got my plate back with a tepid, condescending apology from the manager. If you’re into having pork at some temp that oozes blood, be my guest, but I wasn’t given the option, would rather have been warned or asked how I wanted my chop if it’s the standard here to serve pork underdone. The apple, raisin, and bourbon chutney was a good try, but overly sweet and lacked the pungent tartness of a really good chutney and could’ve given the chop some zip. The birthday girl thoroughly enjoyed the Rainbow Trout Almondine, that seemed to be very well cooked (overdone for fish, rather dry and chewy for my tastes). The accompanying pilaf made for a rather wan plate, but she was happy with it, and that’s all that matters. The burger was deemed «very good,» but the fries not worth the calories.
Desserts were really an afterthought, and lacked much effort. The upcharge for a regular crème brûlée over the RW Chocolate Raspberry hardly seemed worth it at this point. We went with chocolate. It was tasty, not too sweet, undercurrent of bittersweet and hint of raspberry flavoring. It was the least offensive of the desserts. The Lemon Cheesecake was dry and pasty, lacked good lemon flavor (if you would’ve said regular cheesecake, I’d believe you). The Strawberry Shortcake was a very cold, very stale, dry salty biscuit with macerated, overripe, bruised, quartered berries (this must be where they put the leftovers) and a stingy dollop of whipped cream. I barely choked down a few bites before giving up. We did eventually get a birthday bonus, very cold, very stale, very commercially bought yellow cupcake with that sugary whipped shortening frosting you find at the grocery store bakeries, but it was festive and had a candle. The birthday girl was delighted, all that matters.
Only saving grace for us for a return visit is Thursday Crab Cake Night ($ 16/​$ 30 single/​double). They do make a damn fine crab cake, and this being Maryland there’s some stiff competition. Overall, though, on any other night, not worth the money. NOTE: weirdly, we were bombarded by a swarm of gnats throughout our time at the tavern, I killed at least 5 that landed on me and swatted away several that hovered. Same for the dining companions. And there were houseflies around. Eww.

Brunch was fantastic. Got the southwestern omelet with potatoes and a side of fruit. Took leftovers home for the next morning.

Heard nothing but rave reviews from friends about this place, and was told to check it out as a potential wedding reception space. The service and event management staff was very accomodating and attentive to my needs, but the space was just a bit too small for our wedding capacity. We decided to stay and try the food anyway because it came highly recommended. It was traditional bar food, with some entrée dishes thrown in. However, my entire family found the food to be pretty bad actually. It was a super disappointing let down since we had high expectations. The pork chop that we asked to be cooked well-​done, against the chef’s suggestion, was cooked medium that my fiancé didn’t even half eat it. Thankfully the bartender comped that item for us. But the calamari batter was half undercooked, and the rest of the food bland and flavorless. It was also a super pricey bill for the bar food that we consumed. Overall, its not my favorite place but I understand the locals love it because its the only place in the area and its got a pretty decent view.

We found this place while researching local wineries. Let me tell you that well be back again and will bring friends. Our waiter Alec was simply amazing. He may not have been completely polished but he was sincere and not overbearing. The food choices were great. I’d loved to see the kitchen be a little more adventurous but solid choices were offered. The wine menu was above part and the atmosphere simply amazing. Currently waiting on dessert. I’m confident it’ll blow my mind.

Was back in Baltimore to visit family and was blown away how good this place has gotten… Eclectic mix of regulars and people celebrating a night out… Food was wonderful and the whole farm fresh concept is delivered upon… had the best kale chips ever followed by seared ahi… followed by a great crème desert… Service was way above par as both friendly and responsive. kudos to David and Alec and of course Angela the bartender who has her own signature drink

A good friend of mine recommended we check this place out for brunch as he was such a huge fan. We made the long trek in the freezing pouring rain through windy roads for about 40 minutes (from Baltimore) through the middle of nowhere MD until we arrived… luckily I was so in love with the ambiance here, so I excused the treterious drive. Overall, I did think it was bit hard to find though…
Anyway, upon arriving at the adorable tavern, I felt like George Washington walking into an old colonial like tavern, I was a huge fan. They sat us down right next to a beautiful, just lit fireplace informed us of $ 4 mimosas and $ 4 bloody mary’s. We ordered some freshly made coffee and then I ordered the sandwich of the day, which was rockfish on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, and fries (I substituted veggies for the fries at no extra cost). My friends ordered omelets and pancakes for the most part. The food itself was decent in my opinion, very homemade, but nothing I would rave about. I did think all of the ingredients were fresh (we were on a farm), My aioli was heavy on the mayo, but the fish was good. My mimosa was well worth the $ 4, huge glass, homemade orange juice. Our waitress was awesome, very attentive, fun, easy going, and made sure we were completely satisfied with our food and our time at the Manor Tavern.
Before leaving I excused myself and walked around the Tavern for a bit… they have a really cool side room (hold 50 – 100 people) that you can rent out for parties, with a bar, and old colonial tables and chairs, and they also have a cute bar in the front that reminded me of when I go skiing. Overall, very quaint, local, comfortable, cozy, and filled with history, it was perfect for a cold, dreary January day.

Great restaurant in Harford County! Hubby and I were visiting the fam this weekend, and we decided to go out for a nice dinner on Saturday night. I was able to quickly make some OpenTable reservations and request seating outside. While this was about an hour before our desired reservation time, I did not expect our request to be accomodated if the restaurant was full.
We arrived and noticed that it was indeed restaurant week at Manor Tavern. They did not accommodate our request to sit outside but after about five or so minutes of sitting inside (at a lovely table), the Manager told us to hang tight and he would arrange our table for us outdoors, and voila, magic! We were seated outside on the beautiful night in their peaceful patio.
We had a very relaxed dinner — given that it was restaurant week, the kitchen was running a bit slow, but it didn’t matter, the weather was gorgeous and we were not in a hurry. We ordered crab dip, 2 beer can chicken sandwiches, one salmon fillet, and one restaurant week menu of the BBQ pork tower, steak and onions, and chocolate and almond dessert. To wash it down we had the peach sangria and a bottle of the bo-​dacious wine. It’s actually bo-​dacious. No, I’m serious, that’s the kind of wine it is…
Anyway, it was ALL delicious! the chicken was moist, the crab dip hot and gooey, the fried green tomato on the BBQ tower was UH-​Mazing (coming from a Southern girl) and the pork itself was tender and well seasoned (WOW!!!). To top it off, the dessert was great and the drinks were fabulous. Peach sangria has big chunks of mango in it, and I highly recommend it!
Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner at Manor Tavern, and I definitely will go back!