Roasthouse Pub — Restaurant in Frederick

I picked this place to have a first date. What a serious disappointment. Their attempt at “upscale” pub food is an epic fail. My date loved the beer….and that’s as far as the love went for this place. My date ordered a Hawaiian Burger (comes with mash), and I ordered bangers and mash with a side salad. The salad was pretty good - very fresh spring mix from a bag, with walnuts and feta (and a decent house dressing).

Then everything went downhill from there. Our entrees were absolute șhītê. Date got an Hawaiian Burger, which contained anemic tomatoes and pineapple from a can. The burger itself was cooked within an inch of its life, then another inch and a half. The tiny ice-cream-scoop full of lumpy, completely unseasoned potato ‘mash’ didn’t provide any relief.

My bangers and mash would have caused Gordon Ramsay to have a cussing apoplexy. What I received was a plate with 4-5 thin SLICES of super dry kielbasa (no actual bangers were used in this meal), with a slightly larger scoop of the terrible “mash” potatoes, and a few strands of (at least) 2-3 day old blanched cabbage, the “carmelized onions” were not cooked in the sauce, but they were so kind as to give me a whole 2 TBSP of the ‘brown sauce’ (which I am pretty sure was from a can or packet).

And they had no shame. They prepped and sold the dishes without a care. Completely disrespecting the food (that didn’t come from a box or a can), and disrespecting their own abilities as cooks.

If your theme is REALLY upscale pub food, then make sure it’s UPSCALE! Watch a few Kitchen Nightmares to help give you ideas to upgrade your menu. I’ve been in dive bars that have more respect for the food.

Bottom line: Go for the...

I have the weirdest love hate relationship with this place, sometimes the food is really good, sometimes really not so much out of the 10 or so times I've been here, its always been marred by something. At least half of these times the food has been cold, and although I didn't experience that really on my most recent trip, we did wait 20 minutes from sitting down to even get a drink order taken, and then probably another 10-15 before the beers showed up, so service was slow, food took an exceptionally long time to leave the kitchen too, overall we probably spent two and half hours for 6 people to finish due to the service. As it stands im still waiting for it all to come together. I could comfortably give this place a perfect rating if the stars were to align, but alas I can't remember a time when something wasn't off. Most of the time (for me) the food comes out at room temp which isn't super appetizing. One time i had a pork shank that had the texture of something that was microwaved in a bag (also barely lukewarm, only time the food was outright bad). Now once I finally get something that's hot and tasty I wait half an hour for a single beer or never see the water that I requested when I sat down. I'll keep coming here because I love the beer selection, but I'd really just like to have everything go right for once. Judging by the other reviews here some people adore this place, but the best way I can put it after repeated patronization since this place opened, is ever so slightly above average.

TLDR: Amazing beer selection. Food usually tastes good, but is hit or miss on temperature, service can be slow on certain nights.

I want to give more stars, but can't...

What an amazing experience. To start with, the smells that hit you upon entering are like going home. The staff was incredibly warm and hospitable. Seating was available immediately, even though the tiny parking lot was at capacity plus a few. The selection of beers and ciders, a lot/most of them local was exceptional with the selection exceeded by the nectars themselves. The selection board not only showed the details of the brew, but also the current state of the kegs. That's cool because those who know will be able to easily identify when something should be given another chance because the keg was almost dead etc. The service was attentive while not overbearing. Anytime I am at a new eatery, if French Dip is on the menu, I always order it. It's an extremely simple sandwich but tells you everything about the kitchen. In this instance - simply exquisite. When your first bite presents you with the dichotomy of a roll soggy with scrumptious aus jous, rich and smokey without being fatty, and a crisp crunch from being freshly toasted you know your in for something truly special.

This place doesn't need an extensive review, dissecting all the nuances. It only needs 3 words: JUST TRY IT The only down side to this place is the location and it's only a downside for them. Reason being is there will only ever be enough parking that, even fully packed, there is still room inside.

Thank you Roasthouse Pub - THIS is a place you need to make a weekly...