The Grilled Oyster Company — Restaurant in Gaithersburg

When we arrived a bit after 5pm on a Friday, the outdoor seating and the bar were full. The dining area was mostly empty but filled up quick. We ordered the oyster trio, crab hush puppies, seared sea scallops with lobster and kale risotto, and a soft shell crab bowl. While I understand that happy hour specials are for the bar, given how small the bar is in relation to the rest of the seating area, I'm not sure why diners aren't offered the same specials. King Street Oyster Bar has a similar set up and they don't make you sit at the bar to order happy hour specials. The highlight of the meal was the appetizers. The hush puppies are delicious and the oyster trio was phenomenal. The servers and staff are all friendly and the mains came out quick once we ordered. With that said, the kale risotto was bland and I'm not sure that kale should be in risotto now that I've eaten it. It gave it a strong, yet still bland, flavor. It took far too long to seat us when we arrived. We were standing beside the doorway for at least 5 minutes before someone came to offer us a seat. Given that there is no host stand and the cramped and busy nature of the entryway, one would think that someone would be on watch. About six staff were around us at all times going in and out busy serving tables or standing behind the bar focused on their patrons. Table service was decent but you could tell that if you were a regular, you'd be good to go. I get that, but not when the place is filled up. At one point a server gave every table water and then walked by me, made eye contact with me, and left me with my empty glass. I eventually had my glass filled when she came back to get our mains ordered. We ordered apps first and were already finished with one and waited a bit for the other to arrive (crab hush puppies) after ordering our mains. I recommend the appetizers but can't recommend the entrees that we ordered. The soft shelled crab was good but underwhelming compared to the appetizers. One last thought, BYOB (Bring Your Own Bread). The oyster trio would benefit from bread to mop up all the...

Tl;dr: poor service, took too long, careless waiter (who is not new).

First time trying the restaurant and we won’t be returning. Myself and two friends arrived to the outdoor venue at 6:56pm and ordered at 7:15pm. I ordered two appetizers to try and would’ve ordered more dependent on what I liked. One friend ordered pasta and the other wanted a Soft Crab Sandwich. Our waiter mentioned he needed to check the kitchen to confirm that they still had the ingredients to complete the order and that if they didn’t he would come right back to confirm so she could order something else. My friend said that was fine and he walked away. About 30 minutes passed before he came back out to check on us at which point my friend had to remind him about the sandwich. He shook his head and said they didn’t have it. At this point not only have we not gotten our appetizers, she hasn’t been able to place an order and he had no apology or remorse for the delay. About 45 minutes in he finally brought out the pasta and appetizers. My friend, however finally put in an order and was told it would only be a few dollars more than her original request and would only be ten minutes. I suggested some sort of compensation because now it would take over an hour for her food. He said he’d comp her drink to which I said what about the food, since that was the issue. He had to be prompted to comp the food, which is odd considering the ratings this place has. Mind you, other tables (with a different waitress) were being served quickly and efficiently. We wish she was our server.

About 20 minutes later, her order comes out and we immediately ask for the checks (her order was to go) since at this point we’ve been here an hour and twenty minutes. (8:20pm). We pay and even tip, only to see on our way out the waiter behind the bar laughing and drinking carefree as if he didn’t have an upset table leaving.

Very disappointed in the service. We understand COVID and potential understaffing, but when every other tables have their orders, the excuses...

It was my 79th birthday so we wanted a special place to celebrate. Our nephew is a young producer and knows good places. He recommended The Grilled Oyster Company in thr Kentlands. We found it located at the correct of a small street across the traffic circle from Whole Foods. The entrance 😍 charming, encouraging you to imagine the good experience you are about to have. Inside it is small and cozy, but not crowded, except for the bar area which is full of people in a happy social event. Opened door we were greeted by 4 smiling faces and welcomed. Entering the dining area we found it to be cozy, with art on the walls. We were seated at a table for 4 next to the window where we could watch the rain from trophy storm Debby. I started with a bloody Mary which was quite good and ordered a dozen oysters. My wife had the Maryland burger. Our friends had the Angus burger and the salmon. All dishes were excellent. We ordered 2 creme brules for dessert when were also above par. There are 2 unique features of this place, one good and the other questionable: 1. They do not have a freezer. This means everything is fresh and you not be served warmed frozen food. 2. They do not serve hot tea which would go well with seafood. I wonder what would have if the customers brought their own tea bags and asked for hot water.

Over all, however, I have to give them 5 stars for excellent service, food, ...