Lost Lion — Restaurant in Westminster

We stopped in here on the recommendation of a family member. It’s been a long time since we visited the area, so we figured we would give it a try, and to our surprise the Lost Lion is a diamond in the rough! WOW, what an amazing experience and the food is exceptional. It’s situated behind a retail complex on Main St in downtown Westminster, so don’t rely on your GPS to get you there. The entrance is on the back of the building, but their signage made it easy to locate. There is ample parking directly adjacent to the restaurant, which is nice because on-street parking in Westminster can be an issue at times.

The best way to describe the Lost Lion is “cozy”. It’s a quaint space with outdoor seating for warm weather months, which we definitely look forward to this summer. The menu is very eclectic and not what we expected. The appetizer portions are very generous, so plan accordingly when ordering. We had the Meatballs, Scooby Snacks, Grilled Cheese Popper and oysters. Apparently, the menu changes based on the season so be prepared for specials throughout the year. The meatballs are the size of a lacrosse ball and very filling, and the Grilled Cheese Popper was a meal in itself. Our entrees were tuna tacos, grilled chicken arugula salad, and burgers. All of them were amazing and worth every penny. One thing to note – the meals are prepared “as is”, so there are no substitutions or special orders. Normally, I tend to shy away from establishments like this, but the chef here knows what he is doing because all the meals were prepared to perfection.

The most impressive thing about the Lost Lion was the selection of bourbon they offered. If you are a bourbon drinker, you will find one of the best selections of bourbon in the area. I have been to four and five star restaurants that didn’t have the selection the Lost Lion offered. I was shocked at the diversity of brands they stocked, so if you like bourbon, you are going to love this place!

The service in smaller establishments is always an issue, but the staff at the Lost Lion was the best I’ve experienced in a long time. Every beverage was refreshed regularly, food orders were prepared in a timely manner and the table was cleared after each course. There isn’t much more you can ask for from a staff and you can tell they are very experienced in the hospitality industry. More importantly, everyone was so friendly!!!

Apparently, this location has gained a large following recently, so call ahead for reservations. Make sure to put this on your “Hit List”, it’s...

Fully intended to check it out. But before you walk in the door, the website menu, as of this writing, submits: "ALTERATIONS TO THE MENU AS IT IS PRESENTED ARE NOT PERMITTED."

Huh? Permitted? As in "you're not allowed to even ask us." The menu goes on to submit: "TRUST WE HAVE CREATED A MENU PAIRING COMMON INGREDIENTS IN UNCOMMON WAYS TO PLEASE," and "THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING."

Uh, okay. Interesting. And when i say interesting, I kinda mean the opposite. As someone who ran restaurants within location-based entertainment venues in major cities across the U.S.A., I could never have imagined beginning my relationship with a potential customer by telling them first and foremost what I won't do for them.

I can't imagine the type of pressure that puts on servers and wait staff engaging a hungry public in 2022 who has more optionality and customization options in their food choices that they've had in the history of history.

Customer: "Can I get those street fries without bacon?"

Server (nervously): "...no."

Customer: " Can I get the simple salad without tomato? I'm allergic to tomato."

Server (sweating): "...no."

Now, to be fair, it may in fact not go down at all like how I imagine it above (I have not been there because I'm not willing to read something like that on the menu and test how broken an approach this might be for our valuable and rare evenings out), but the social gymnastics a server must go through in order to try and stand by this approach must qualify them for Cirque du Soleil!

And while I individually am kinda willing to sort of lean in and try something like this, to take the owner's challenge to just trust that he knows best, I tend not to go out to dinner by myself; I tend to go out with a larger group and THAT group has a variety of dietary needs and restrictions that keep them healthy and out of the hospital...so in the course of culinary discourse they might ask for a modification or two, lol!

I hope that the lead host who is seating people, the outside expo and/or the floor manager is constantly roaming the floor to field questions on this and to take the heat off of those who live off their tips regarding this approach to service.

Yet, for me, they get 3 stars anyway - and not 0 or 1 - because at a minimum I actually do appreciate the clarity and honesty prior to me ever making plans and sitting down to eat. You've effectively told us not to come, and...

My wife and I went there on date night. It is tucked into a backside nook of a business building which is a shame that it isnt more publicly advertised. I heard reviews from friends but was blown away by the actual experience. We sat outside which was pretty, quaint, and nicely lit. Our server, Emily was very attentive, friendly, professional, and offered insight to dishes and drinks. We had a couple alcoholic drinks which were very well poured and balanced in flavor. For app, we got the fried pickles spears with what I believe was rice flour for an extra crunch and it came with a demi glace and ranch which was genius for the flavor profile and plated beautifully. best fried pickles I've ever eaten, hands down. Entrees for us consisted of crispy shrimp tacos, cajun steak tacos, and rockfish tacos. Shrimp tacos were asian based with hoisin sauce, pineapple salsa, asian cabbage, and a thai chili mayo. Beautifully seasoned and perfectly balanced and light, shrimp breaded in a rice flour (gluten free) for extra crunch. 10/10! Steak tacos had pico, pickled onions, sweet cabbage, and sriracha mayo. Again, perfect seasoning, great heat, and a harmonious balance of flavors 10/10! Their special was the rockfish tacos with cabbage, a pico, remoulade, and i believe a sriracho mayo. The hand breading was extra crispy, probably the rice flour, and was bursting with incredible flavor 10/10! I was sad that the meal ended it was so good. Also, they have half price tacos from 9pm-10pm Friday and Saturday. Prices for apps were $8-$17 and $14-$25 a plate for entrees. Worth. Every. Penny. Hats off to the chefs for that delicious meal and staff (server, food runner, and bar tender) alike who all made us feel cared for. The restaurant was packed and we still got our food, drinks, and bill in less than an hour. We cant wait to go back and try the other items on the ever evolving menu! The only negative was that I didn't come here sooner. Will try to post pics...