The Blackwall Barn & Lodge — Restaurant in Odenton

Heard about this restaurant from a friend and found out that they were starting to do a buffet brunch at their Columbia location. I'm a sucker for a good brunch so booked reservations for today, which happened to be their first brunch day. I'd rate this experience an 8/10.

Atmosphere and First Impression: Got seated right away and the place is very pretty. It's called a Barn and Lodge and honestly looks like a high end "country style" restaurant. Beautiful chandeliers, a few private rooms, fire places, pictures of deer and other wilderness animals. The space looks like it is separated into a more formal room with a bar area and a more casual side, they call the Barn. Honestly everything was very lovely. The brunch buffet was located inside the Barn area along with large group tables and the Lodge area had smaller booths and 4 top tables.

Food: The food was laid out very nicely in different stations. I was pleasantly surprised with the freshness of the selection. The carving station was perfect as was the seafood bar. I didn't have an omelet but my daughter said it was prepared and seasoned well and the toppings looked very fresh (her only criticism was that the pan they used wasn't cleaned thoroughly and although she just got cheese on her omelet there were a few pieces of stray bacon in her omelet... a huge issue had she been a vegetarian) Also, thought it was a bit odd that they had home fries in two of the chaffing dishes, I think it would have been nice if there was a vegetable there or maybe something like eggs benedict but honestly, it was absolutely not a big deal. I think they are known for their chicken and waffles and I have to say the chicken was crispy and moist but could have used a bit more salt and was slightly burnt on the outside (I had 2 pieces from different times so guessing it wasn't just a one off batch). Oh, and the shrimp and grits while watery were delicious but spicier than expected for a buffet.

Drinks: I did not get any alcohol but for a set price you could get bottomless mimosas or champagne. I'm a bloody mary girl but since I was driving didn't get any. My HUGE issue is that every soda and ice tea was per cup. I don't drink coffee so not sure about that but I personally find it very annoying when restaurants don't have soda & tea as free refills. I get things get expensive but I'm sure they are making a huge mark up on these drinks... IMO non alcoholic staple drinks shouldn't be per can/cup.

Service: We were greeted right away by a very friendly and large staff at the entrance and sat right away. Our reservations were for 1030 so slightly early for a brunch (it was time change so felt like 1130). However, we didn't see our waitress for about 15 minutes. My daughter and I sat at our table for at least 5 minutes waiting for someone to greet us and take a drink order but nobody arrived. We finally decided to head to the buffet, yet even once we returned nobody acknowledged us until a few minutes after we sat down. There was certainly plenty of staff milling around so I found it odd that nobody said anything, offered us water for the glasses at the table, or that our waitress didn't acknowledge us and let us know she'll be with us shortly. Once we received our drinks we also didn't see much of her throughout the meal. Maybe if we had gotten the unlimited mimosa/champagne option we would have seen her more often... but I'm glad we didn't because I would have been highly upset if I paid money for it and wasn't able to get the refills I wanted because the waitress wasn't around. It is the first brunch at this location and she was absolutely pleasant when we did see her so I'm chalking it up to first day issues.

Overall I absolutely would go back for brunch and would certainly try it for dinner, as the menu...

My husband and I were engaged January 30th, 2024 and were married May 18th, 2024. We had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception for about 110 people at the Blackwall Barn & Lodge in Gambrills, MD. We worked closely with their event planner/coordinator, Allison, who was absolutely amazing! I would love to take all the credit for being able to plan such a beautiful wedding in just 3 ½ months, but I can’t, I really owe so much of that credit to Allison. The wedding industry is already outrageously overpriced, but what we spent here was more than reasonable. This place is a hidden gem. Our friends and family are still raving about it. Everything was absolutely perfect!

The Event Planner & Staff (AMAZING) From the first email, Allison was responsive, providing all the necessary details on availability, packages, pricing, etc. She met with us multiple times to customize and refine our proposal, discussing every detail from color schemes to the wedding timeline. Being familiar with the space, Allison offered valuable advice on photo spots, floor plans, and more. She was honest, transparent, and incredibly accommodating, making everything work for us. She balanced professionalism with a personal touch, genuinely caring about making our day perfect. Allison also served as our day-of coordinator, and we additionally hired LoKel Weddings & Events one month out because our wedding had a lot of moving parts and we knew we would need more hands. These ladies worked seamlessly together, taking so much stress off our plate. Customer service is crucial to us, and Allison’s staff was incredible. They were engaging, attentive, and went above and beyond. One bartender even brought us drinks on the dance floor at last call so we wouldn't have to stop dancing to go get drinks.

The Space (BEAUTIFUL) The Cottage: A private room with a bathroom used for getting ready. Spacious enough for our 15 people, it also served as a retreat after the ceremony and a place to store our belongings. Ceremony Space: A stunning outdoor area with large trees, a green lawn, and a brick aisle leading to a white arch. Easy to transform based on your style. Barn: A versatile, neutral space with chandeliers and string lights, rustic tables, and chairs. Our décor was mostly white and green, but other color schemes also look great. Patio: Open, but covered and attached to the barn, it has a full bar, cocktail tables, comfortable seating, a fireplace, and fire pit tables. It rained on our wedding day, but the patio’s setup kept our guests comfortable. We had an acoustic set during the cocktail hour, which our guests loved.

The Food & Drinks (DELICIOUS) Blackwall Barn and Lodge is a full-service bar and restaurant with a dedicated kitchen for events. We ordered plenty of food, and it was all fantastic. Hors d'oeuvres/Grazing Table: We had five passed apps and a grazing table. The tuna, lamb, and veggie spring rolls were crowd favorites. Entrées: We chose family style, which added intimacy and enhanced the dining experience. Guests with dietary restrictions had their meals separately plated and served. Late Night Snack: Soft pretzels and sliders were a hit, with cute displays both of which they refilled as they were removed. Also very tasty. Signature Cocktails & Open Bar: Customizable bar packages with plenty of alcohol and mixers. We had our own signature cocktails and the venue accommodated special requests.

10/10!...

I had Red Barn Chicken and imho it was unremarkable. My wife had an excellent Scallop dish. Huge scallops and portion, beautifully cooked.

*Update Lunch Sunday 8/18/23. Much better imho. There is a lot to like about Blackwall. No wait to sit at peak time on Sunday. The menu is large and has a wide variety of cuisine and also prices. It is the only place I know that gives free refill, and a very reasonable priced, for fruit juice. Everyone should find something. We sampled the Brussel Sprouts to start with. Very nicely done with dijon mustard and bacon. I had a 12oz New York Strip and it was perfectly cooked to Medium. The vegetable medley and potatoes were all really perfectly cooked. My wife and daughter had home made pasta dishes; Lemon Chicken & Snakebite, which were really nice too. We also had Chocolate Cake, Smith Island cake and Apple Bread Pudding for desert. All very good and everything very good portions. Not a single complaint about the food which was really very good indeed. Having said that we did not find the food exciting. I asked and not one of us felt impelled enough to come back for any particular item, even though it was plentiful, all really well cooked and presented. The kitchen was fast. No waiting time, considering how busy they were. Service with Joe was exceptional, highly professional and perfect. His observation and timing on table was brilliant. Not too much attention and not too little. It was the atmosphere that very nearly spoiled the whole experience. Sunday brunch time true, but the general ambience must have been about 85db. It was close to being in a night club. Good to hear folks enjoying themselves, but at times it was impossible to have any conversation at all with my daughter who sat 12" to my right. Incredibly noisy, so suggest you avoid busy times, like Sunday Brunch time here. Otherwise definitely recommended.

*Update Thursday 7/31/25 lunch for 3. We wanted to try again for a quieter mid week lunch, but it was still too noisy and despite several requests the music stayed too loud (for both tables) in the "quiet" area outside the restrooms. Unplug the speaker! Our orders for Onion Soup, Chicken Pot Pie, NY Strip and where appropriate their sides were exceptionally good. I ordered a "House Special" of ham in a maple syrup. This was $22 without sides. I ordered fries which were OK and mixed veg's which were exceptional. $9 each. A $40+ meal. What came for ham was a thick cut of unsliced very fatty (streaky?) bacon. There was over 50% thick of veinless fat. The cheapest port belly or streaky cut, and I am not impressed. Half of the meat, sorry 80% of the fat, was returned to the kitchen for comment, and the server indicated they had nothing to say... If they used a couple of leaner gammon steaks and some pineapple instead, that could have been a very good dish indeed. So I am disappointed, even though just about everything else was very good indeed. Service by Ben was 5, but because he did not get the support he needed behind him I have taken a star of from (overall) Service, but still left the 4 overall rating. Still well recommended if you can stand the poor ambience of this "Barn" of a place. If, like us you want to hear yourself speak, try another one of their restaurants; The Firehouse in Waugh Chapel instead...