Hen House Restaurant — Restaurant in Maryland

Made reservations for 6PM on a Saturday. Arrived at 6PM to find about 5 families waiting outside. Stood at the reception for a few, waiting to be acknowledged, while multiple servers/hostesses came to grab menus and other items. Noticed that there were 7 dirty tables waiting to be cleared/reset. We asked to be seated outside as the music was too loud inside for conversation; no band, just music thru the house speakers. We were given menus that were a paper menu on a clipboard. Our waitress came over to get our drink order. My wife asked for a glass of wine, I asked about their beers. Waitress noticed that we weren’t given drink menus. I was already curious as to why we we given clipboard menus when I had seen other customers getting regular restaurant menus (were you guys out of normal restaurant menus?) Meh, no big deal. Wife and I decided on Crab Fries as an appetizer, and we both wanted the surf and turf, steak with a crab cake. Waitress bring us our wine and beer; and wife and I are enjoying conversation. A bit of time goes by and I’m wondering about our appetizer after seeing the couple next to us being served their appetizer, even though they were seated about 10 minutes after we were. I wasn’t able to grab the waitress’s attention, she never told us her name. A little while later the waitress is back, but with our appetizer and entrees. She mumbled something about the food was ready so she just brought it all. She asked if we needed anything, I quickly looked around and said Ketchup, salt and pepper. She grabbed them from the just left table behind us, sat them on the table and hurried off as I was trying to ask for another beer. She never once came back to check on us during the meal. At least I had a water to drink.

The crab fries didn’t have any crab mixed into the cheese, only a tiny sprinkle of crab on the very top of everything seemingly as an afterthought. Maybe rename them cheese fries with a sprinkle of crab?

The crab cake was bland, but it was mostly crab with little filler. Not bad, but missing the flavor you’d expect.

Steak was good.

No vegetable side for my wife.

After we’d finished our meal and were waiting for the check, the waitress comes and apologized for it being chilly out (it was a nice fall evening, no need for apologies for that) and asked if I wanted another beer. The time for a refill would’ve been when our appetizer and meal came out. I was ready for the check.

I knew what to expect as far as the check, and my wife and I started discussing the tip. She said to do 18% which I immediately laughed at. I said no service, no tip. Total came to a little over $115. Wife won the tip discussion, but yes it got knocked down a little. Our waitress may have spent a total of 10 minutes with us, being generous.

This was us giving hen house a second chance after a similar experience there years back. I don’t put all of the blame on the waitress, from our arrival and seeing people waiting to be seated and 7 tables waiting to be cleared with no one seeming to care…

We will...

First of all let me start by saying I don’t give reviews very often, but after hearing about the Hen House for the last 2 months, I had to give it a try. I travel to Maryland every month for a 3 to 4 day stay for work. A few months ago I was told I had to try the Hen House, but very time I tried something came up, until today, a coworker and I decided to go for it and I am so glad we did. The place is spacious and beautiful with a large fireplace in the middle. It was clean and the staff were great especially TJ, she was friendly, helpful and has been there for 20 years so she told us about its history. Our appetizers were crab dip and crab soup, both creamy and delicious, but the main dishes were phenomenal I had the hen house special which was an 8 oz steak tender and cooked perfect, 2 pieces of fried chicken, crispy not greasy, 4 jumbo peel n eat shrimp, and about a half rack of ribs, Smokey and sticky and awesome. Oh ya plus a salad and one side. My coworker had the seafood platter which was a giant piece of fish with a crispy light batter, a crab cab cake, giant shrimp lightly battered and fried, and peel and eat shrimp also, with mixed veggies and salad. Needless to say when TJ brought out our platters we both looked at each other and started laughing, how in the heck are we going to eat all of this. It was like she brought us a whole buffet to our table. First we were tough and thought we could do it, but then we realized there was no way, so we started to strategize. Something was definitely going home with us, but what, everything was so good, so I ended up taking half my steak and my buddy half his fish. If you are traveling within 25 miles of the Hen House and you don’t stop, you are doing yourself a terrible injustice and missing out on one of the best damn meals you will ever have. I cant wait till I come back next month, I’m already studying the menu to try...

We recently visited the Hen House restaurant over the weekend. We have been there before few years ago and noticed the servings where shrinking but wanted to give it another try, how ever our last experience will be our last ! We had a group of 10 , we arrived early the restaurant was empty and the normal "cold" temperature ", we quick sat down and gave our orders. Then we waited for well over 45 minutes almost a hour for food, I ordered an appetizer that didn't come out until seconds before everyone's meal, then a few of our orders were incorrect, some had to be sent back. I ordered the half chicken with ribs, only chicken was served to me, I asked about the ribs ? Our waitress looked at me like a deer in the head lights , she went to the back came out and said they made a mistake and ribs will be ready soon .. well 20 minutes later she brought out a unrecognizable plate of individually breaded meat that's was all fat and disgusting with no BBQ sauce . I just thanked her and thru them all into the trash can , especially since everyone had been done eating long ago..

The portions are steadily shrinking, and very expensive. $10 kids meal plus cost of drink is a little expensive compared to others, I also asked for a side of crab legs that evening, the young waitress told me "they don't have crab legs ". Ok no problem I replied.. well later that same evening, my phone had an alerted that the hen house special meal that night was being served with a side of crab legs ! ...WTH

To summarize : Our service was terrible, very long for food to be served, most of the orders wrong.. With expensive prices, and tables set with dirty dishes..

No, we didn't ask to speak with management, simply paid our tab and moved on ..

This Definitely is Not the Hen House restaurant it once was , and at this rate can't imagine it lasting much into...