Ram & Bull — Restaurant in Brunswick

We visited for lunch on their 3rd day open. Walked right in, no wait. The renovation looks nice but it also leans hard into the "millennial hipster" vibe in a way that feels generic and impersonal - obviously AI generated wall art and that combo of vaguely industrial/distressed metal and wood with glam accents. The menu calls sandwiches "handhelds." There is a super cute kids menu.

We sat up front which is great for people watching out the windows, but there is no acoustic muffling in the decor at all so conversation for the hard-of-hearing was a little difficult at times. In other accessibility notes - there is a step up at the front door but there's a mix of high top and standard height tables and the floor space isn't too crowded. The ladies restroom was a little tight to maneuver and the sink/soap could be hard to access for shorter people.

Service was lovely and attentive, and our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu for only being open three days so far.

Food wise, it was pretty decent. We had the fish & chips and the juicy Lucy. They both came out fast and hot. The fish and chips portion size was quite large (we boxed half up for home) and the house made tartar sauce was very tasty. The fish was maybe a little bit under seasoned, but that was okay with the sauce. Fries were crispy for both meals. The burger was very large (8oz patty) and in fact a little oversized for the bun, which made eating it a bit of a challenge. The onions were nicely browned and tasty (not all the way to truly caramelized, which I'd say was preferable here), the lettuce was shredded, not a whole piece, which means it did wilt immediately (I like this on a burger but I know some do not). The patty was well seasoned and the white American cheese inside melted and in a well-distributed layer. Overall, it was good but honestly felt it was missing something from being great; I think an acidic/brightening element like a tomato jam or a brown onion relish instead of just browned onions could have elevated it to something memorable.

For drinks we stuck to unsweetened ice tea and coke, but next visit I'd like to try some of their mocktails, as...

For some reason five people including my 87 year old mother were given a cramped table in the front window despite the fact that I made a reservation in advance. They have not managed to put shades of any kind up so since it was dinner time we sat in the blazing sun for the entire meal. The acoustics in the front room are terrible due to the tin ceiling so it is extremely hard to carry on a conversation without yelling, so...not relaxing. The service was fine. It was packed, especially for a Thursday so the whole staff seemed to be in the weeds despite their best efforts. The food is good although not very refined. French onion soup typically has a good crusty bread on top of the soup and then Gruyere cheese browned in the salamander on top of that. This version basically had an open-faced grilled cheese lying across the top of the bowl. So, to me, a bit much. The soup was very good. Well balanced and not salty at all. Which is a common problem with French onion soup. The elote dip while quite tasty was a bit gloppy in texture. The house potato chips dusted with tajin that accompanied it were excellent. Here's my pet peeve: one of my party ordered the blackened haddock with a crab cake on top all of which I was told was delicious. So why they thought they needed to put these lovely proteins on top of a large mound of the elote dip I can't imagine. Do not take an appetizer and incorporate it into an entrée. Ever. It makes it seem like you are serving your guests leftovers and it takes the refinement right out of the dish. I will give Ram and Bull one more chance. Hopefully I will get a better table or, at least, they will have gotten a chance to put up...

Went there for about an hour or two and here’s what I thought of the food my table ordered:

Chicken fingers: Tasted spectacular!!! They were not overcooked and dry, the breading stayed on and was not too crispy but not too wet, perfect in my opinion… I absolutely loved the honey mustard and the sweet potato fries were the right texture and I love the waffle cut.

Sticky Ribs: Cooked to perfection! They were not too too sweet, melt in your mouth, and juicy. Presentation of these was my fav!!

NY Strip: Steak was slightly overcooked but still on the verge of medium in most parts, the crispy onions some how stayed crispy even after getting wet from the pesto and blood, the green beans were lovely, great texture and I love the slight grilled taste. The chimichurri was good, sort of tasted like stuffing (not in a bad way). - super filling but it did take up most of the room for dessert… good for the $ on my part, but it was a lot

Fish and Chips: Super good and absolutely adored the fries, they had the perfect amount of salt and fried wonderfully as well

Chocolate Cake: Devoured it!! So good, loved the toasted meringue and the presentation was beautiful.

Orange Marmalade Cake (is that the name?): This is really good, but I don’t know if they soak it in a simple syrup or something, but it was extremely extremely juicy, it felt like it was missing something…

Overall, I absolutely love the decor, food, service, and atmosphere. And I’m definitely coming back with family and friends...