The Westlawn Inn

Enjoyed a lovely Late Sunday afternoon lunch/​early dinner. We loved the atmosphere. The food was good and the service was great. 4-​stars based on price only– a little high.

A group of us come into the area once a year for a conference prepared for dining humdrum. The Westlawan Inn was recommended as a newer choice in the area to try. A small group of us arrived around 7:45pm on a weeknight and were able to obtain seating on the front porch of the restaurant, which was previously a residence. The table and chairs were the black, metal mesh you should be accustomed to seeing at other outdoor settings. They did cover the table with a white linen tablecloth but the back of the chairs allows you to rock in your seat, not preferred by me.
The service was very good and I am particular. The food quality was good and far above anything I have ever had in the area. If you have not been to the area, it is cluttered with the typical waterfront restaurants with mediocre food and higher than normal prices due to the ambiance (tongue and cheek). Then there are some really bad choices including some that use Styrofoam plates and plastic flatware. The Westlawn is not on the water or have a view of the water, but has the higher prices. The food quality and preparation along with the service are worth it. If I were to point out a few issues with the food, it would be that the duck did not have a crispy exterior as promised and the parmesan cheese shell that the Caesar salad came in was overcooked and had too much flour in it. Overall, it is nice to be able to find somewhere to enjoy a nice evening out at when visiting the area.

My husband and I have found our regular date night spot !
The food was awesome, the service was great and the entertainment was the best treat of all!
We also had the opportunity to meet the owners Jan & Lee, truly a delight to speak with. They had a wealth of knowledge to share about the community, which was helpful since we just moved back to the area just over a year ago.

My wife and I decided to try the Westlawn Inn, heavily advertised as the best restaurant in North Beach, and chosen as the best new restaurant in Maryland a few years back. We went for a Sunday brunch, parked across the street, and the first thing we noticed was a job vacancy sign for a line cook in the front window. Never a good sign.
We were quickly met by the owner, who cheerfully checked our reservations and escorted us to our seats. Most of the windows were drawn so the dining room was dark; my wife commented it was as if the place was still set up for last nights band.
The waitress was pleasant and asked for our drink orders (coffee and water) which she promptly brought. We ordered the crab soup and the Westlawn salad as appetizers; the crab soup was flavorful with maybe a bit too much flour and drizzled with a bit of sherry vinegar, but the Westlawn salad was hardly large or special enough to warrant the $ 7 price tag.
We ordered the Chesapeake Eggs Benedict and the Crab Omelet between us, and waited for about 45 minutes. Now, the dining room has about a dozen tables, and only two of the others were filled when we arrived. I started thinking about that job posting outside…
When the orders arrived, we were underwhelmed. The eggs in the Chesapeake eggs Benedict were overdone, the yolks not at all runny like they should be, and the English muffin was already getting cold. The hollandaise sauce and crab meat were very flavorful, but neither were substantial. The hash browns were barely warm and too salty.
The crab omelet was a mess. The eggs were rubbery, essentially poorly attempted scrambled eggs. The crab was notional, with only a couple of bites detected. My wife asked for a slice of toast after our breakfast was delivered, but the kitchen only had muffins; that took another 20 minutes to arrive.
All told, we spent 90 minutes at the restaurant, spent $ 50 and decided we weren’t interested in coming back.
So, how to approach this restaurant? It looks like it wants to be a nice place. The drawn shades make it a bit dark for my tastes, given that it is near the ocean this is a shame. But the food and service really bring it down. Does the owner want this to be a fine dining establishment? The prices indicate this, but the food selection and quality don’t reach the standards of a halfway decent diner. For $ 20 we could have had a more satisfying brunch at JTs or St Mary’s Landing.

My husband and I traveled to North Beach for the day and wanted to have a wonderful meal in a beautiful restaurant. We made an early reservation and we’re the first people seated in the dinning room. When we walked in first thing we saw was a wonderful old fireplace, a room with a beautiful wooden bar, and a wall of glass doors that ables people to feel a warm and quaint historical establishment and dinning room. We were seated to a nicely set table with white clothes and stemware that sparkled in the day light. We started with the Tempura Fried Asparagus served with a peppercorn & parmesan dip. Unusual combination but tasty just the same. I ordered Stuffed Veal which was stuffed with a blend of cheese, smoked prosciutto and herbs. Served with Basmati rice and spinach. When it was served I was a little thrown by how small the veal roll was (perhaps the size of a magic marker and not the really big ones either). It was prepares very well and had a wonderful flavor. The rice and the spinach complemented the veal perfectly. The waitress was sweet and provided wonderful service… but the food dribbled out of the kitchen making our dinner take nearly two hours (a bit long considering we were the first ones and only one there for a while.) My husband loved his shrimp dinner with the melon. It was overall a wonderful dinning experience. There is only one thing that really took away from the upscale dinner and the abbeunce of the room… the band stand country hoe down sectioned off area within the dinning room. It was with a lack of the same style and beauty for which the rest of the main floor holds. To top it off country/​cowboy Joe walked in with his boots and jeans to round off the poor decision the owner has made incorporating this shindig into the room. It’s either the restaurant is a elegant dinning experience or you local saloon with loud music and a tacky stage for the performances. The classical music piped in certainly completes and rounds off the experience one would expect till the hoe down begins.

Went for dinner Friday night at 1930 and was turned away because we didn’t have reservations, there were empty tables outside and inside. We eat brunch here occasionally and it’s pretty good. I would usually be pissed for being turned away but the owner did explain that there were tickets lined up in the kitchen and he didn’t want people to have to wonder how long before getting there food. Thanks! We will retur.

I’ve been to The Westlawn twice for Brunch. Both times were pretty much the same as far as experience goes, terribly long wait and mediocre food. This most recent visit, our family was one of maybe 3 other tables being served, the rest of the place was empty. We waited over an hour for Omelettes and two crab cakes. really? The food was just ok. It looked and tasted like something I could have made at home. Ambiance is nice but that’s about it.

Always wonderful food, ambiance and experience. Recently moved to the neighborhood and this is the only place truly worth spending your money, compared to the other eateries in the area.
Be sure to make reservations! They fill up quick, especially when there is live music. Love supporting this business and the people who work here.
Being in a similar industry and always «judging», it’s great to have faith knowing that when you sit down that everything will be wonderful!

Westlawn is a nice white tablecloth restaurant located just a block from the boardwalk. The proprietors are very friendly and the atmosphere is great, especially on the weekends when they have a live band. In warmer weather you can also eat outside on the porch and enjoy a water view. The service is good but sometimes the kitchen can be a little slow getting food out.
My wife and I particularly enjoy their Sunday brunch, which is reasonably priced and tastes great. Definitely recommended for a nice night out or a lazy Sunday morning.

We love Westlawn for a quality meal without having to leave town! The owner is very nice and treats us well. Plus live music on weekends.

I just wanted to go to the beach for the day and eat some seafood. Living in DC, you don’t getting do either of those things frequently. The food was fine, but I made the mistake of getting it to go, which resulted in a 35-​minute wait (after the person who took my order told me 15 minutes). When I asked for a refund, the restaurant assured me the food was coming and basically refused to refund my money. When I respectfully voiced my complaint to the owner, he interrupted me repeatedly and then told me «this isn’t fast food.» I will come back to north beach, but the westlawn inn will not get my business again. I don’t mind waiting for my food, but I do mind being talked to as if I am a nuisance rather than a paying customer.

I am a DC transplant who just moved to North Beach, and I am so happy I discovered the Westlawn Inn. Every single time I’ve gone, I’ve found the service exceedingly hospitable and the food absolutely delicious. I can assure you that for the quality, the price is right, and anyone complaining about serving size would probably be better off eating at Applebee’s. So far I’ve tried the filet and the scallops and they were both amazing. The flourless chocolate cake is to die for.

This area doesn’t really have a restaurant that tries to step out of the ‘quo’, except this place.
Owned and operated by an aging ex-​hipster from the ’60’s who is hard not to recognize, there is a lot of goodness to be considered in this place.
It is a thinking man’s restaurant in an area that could do some greater thinking.
They have a funny schedule and I have arrived many a time to a dark, shuttered place, but call ahead or check their website.

This one is a mixed experience. I’d give it three stars for food, not bad, but not great either. But I’d give it four stars for atmosphere. It’s a little classier than other places in the area, and it’s very intimate and relaxed. Good for a night with the wife; less good for kids. The night I went, they had live music (jazz). I like the place. I’m torn between three stars and four. Benefit of the doubt: four.

Saw the brunch sign, and it looked like a really nice place. We arrived 15 min before they opened and were looking at the menu on the door when the owner came out to greet us and told us if we were hungry to take a seat, that they would be more than happy to get started. Server was very sweet, outdoor seating was beautiful. And the eggs Benedict was delicious and priced reasonably. Over all very nice place will return if I’m ever in the area.

Food was quite good, but not spectacular. Service slow and uneven. Jazz quartet was excellent. But the 20% tip PLUS 20% service charge on an already expensive meal was both unanticipated and insulting. The place also smells bad (a permeating bathroom odor) and the chairs were very uncomfortable.

Along with an earlier reviewer, we made the mistake of hoping that things had improved from a very lousy brunch experience 5 years ago (yes, it takes me that long to forget about something that bad). Under encouragement from friends to try something new, we ventured back hoping for vast improvement. Unfortunately, it was only worse than the prior visit. The food is expensive and tasteless to the point of being inedible, the service was lackluster — slow and non-​apologetic. Agree with Laurie C – we were victims of a similar evening. I won’t be making this mistake again ever. Adding it also to our Southern MD boycott list.

Horrible experience — after over 1−½ hour wait for food, half of the entrees arrived cold and inedible — twice — which led to us leaving the restaurant with only half of our party having eaten after waiting for two hours. Not sure which half got the worst of it. Owner’s remedy was to not charge for the cold inedible portion of the dinner — needless to say, would never recommend nor will we ever return.

My wife and I have been here for a Sunday morning brunch and twice for dinner. For the area we highly recommend it. The owner is very attentive and always on site. On Saturday nights they feature music in the main dining room and the acts are excellent. On one evening we heard a jazz /​dixie land jazz band that was excellent. They put a smile on everyone’s face. We tend to dine at 4 – 5 star restaurants on occassion and have done so all over the DC area and the world for that matter. We recommend the Westlawn. I also particularly recommend their steaks.

My husband and I enjoyed a very quiet Sunday night dinner at the Westlawn Inn. There were several people in the bar, a couple parties on the porch, and a couple in the dining room with us. The service was attentive and pleasant, and the food was quite delicious, though the blueberry pound cake we had for dessert should have been fresher. The food was pricier than it should have been, and the sound system in the dining area is horribly blown, causing an obnoxious hiss to drown out the music. Nonetheless, our experience was wonderful and we would return again the next time we visit the Chesapeake Beach/​North Beach area.
We ordered:
Oven-​roasted rainbow trout over red rice with spinach and caramelized onions. Chef special of sesame tuna with red pepper rice. Westlawn salad (tomatoes, feta, dried cherries, pecans, orange-​thyme vinaigrette). Blueberry pound cake.