This bar and restaurant in the corner of Enchanted Forest Shopping Center is not new. But it is new to me! Although I remember reading it won Best Burger in Howard County several years ago, for some reason back then I decided against trying it.
A couple of days ago, I saw the latest (2017) Best of Howard County Restaurant Awards were announced. I am still mourning the loss of my most favorite place to get a PHENOMENAL burger: Bistro Blanc. (Biggest bummer EVER when they closed!) Sure, Victoria's Gastropub is a pretty close second, but more expensive, less convenient, often crowded, noisy, and just not my favorite place. So when I read that White Oak Tavern won Best Burger, as well as Best Chef, I thought it might be time to finally give this place a chance.
Unfortunately, I did not have my thinking cap on when we left the house. I neglected to bring my phone, so no camera and no photos of our meal. Sorry! I also forgot my glasses so my husband had to read everything to me. He refused to tell me the beer prices because he wanted me to get whatever sounded good. (Check out their menu and photos here: http://thewhiteoaktavern.com/.)
On the positive side, White Oak Tavern is unbelievably convenient for us. Maybe a 10 minute drive, at the most. We arrived Sunday, at about 4 pm, and the place was practically empty. (For me, a hater of crowds, this is another plus.) The staff are all young and friendly. Our waiter was overjoyed to discuss the various stouts on the LONG (full page, tiny writing!) beer menu. (MANY beers, ales, lagers, and stouts are available on tap.) I ordered the Brooklyn Black Stout, with dark chocolate notes. (Not too surprising, right?) I received a 6 ounce pour, the perfect amount for a lightweight like me. I still have no idea what it cost!
To start, we shared an order of Fried Cheese Curds ($6). This was a small serving, which was fine because, as you might imagine, fried chunks of cheese are pretty darn rich. They came with ranch dressing for dipping, which I think is house-made. I say this because it tasted less salty than the usual, store-bought stuff. The curds were super hot and completely melted on the inside. I was a bit disappointed about this, because one of the things I love most about cheese curds is the squeaky texture when you chew them. (Maybe we should have waited for them to cool a bit...) The flavor was rather bland, and the less salty ranch didn't spice them up much. Not something I'd order again.
We both followed up with the White Oak Burger ($15), topped with caramelized onions, arugula, and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. My hubby got a side of fries, while I went for the salad with champagne vinaigrette. We ordered our burgers medium. I thought mine came out much closer to medium well, with just the tiniest bit of pink in the center. The patties are shaped like baseballs, not flattened much at all, so way too thick in the middle. Even so, mine was almost well done throughout. The meat is grass-fed local beef and has a good flavor. The bun is fairly sturdy. The toppings are fine, but not super exciting. The ketchup on the side is house-made and quite good.
My hubby's fries were piled high, and thin, maybe a tad thicker than McDonald's. I prefer fat ones, but I forced myself to taste a few in order to write this blog. What won't I do for my readers? Again, the fries were decent enough, but nothing out of this world. They left me longing for the fabulous rosemary and parmesan cheese fries at Bistro Blanc. (Sad face.) My salad was simply frisee with dressing. Fine, but not special.
Tuesday is Burger Night at White Oak Tavern, so you get $2 off the regular price. Not quite the same as the Half Price Burgers and Brews every Wednesday at my old favorite, Bistro Blanc.
I guess I'd give the White Oak Tavern burger a solid B. It's good, but not stellar. And at $15, not a bargain.
#hocofood
hocofood@@@
A couple of days ago, I saw the latest (2017) Best of Howard County Restaurant Awards were announced. I am still mourning the loss of my most favorite place to get a PHENOMENAL burger: Bistro Blanc. (Biggest bummer EVER when they closed!) Sure, Victoria's Gastropub is a pretty close second, but more expensive, less convenient, often crowded, noisy, and just not my favorite place. So when I read that White Oak Tavern won Best Burger, as well as Best Chef, I thought it might be time to finally give this place a chance.
Unfortunately, I did not have my thinking cap on when we left the house. I neglected to bring my phone, so no camera and no photos of our meal. Sorry! I also forgot my glasses so my husband had to read everything to me. He refused to tell me the beer prices because he wanted me to get whatever sounded good. (Check out their menu and photos here: http://thewhiteoaktavern.com/.)
On the positive side, White Oak Tavern is unbelievably convenient for us. Maybe a 10 minute drive, at the most. We arrived Sunday, at about 4 pm, and the place was practically empty. (For me, a hater of crowds, this is another plus.) The staff are all young and friendly. Our waiter was overjoyed to discuss the various stouts on the LONG (full page, tiny writing!) beer menu. (MANY beers, ales, lagers, and stouts are available on tap.) I ordered the Brooklyn Black Stout, with dark chocolate notes. (Not too surprising, right?) I received a 6 ounce pour, the perfect amount for a lightweight like me. I still have no idea what it cost!
To start, we shared an order of Fried Cheese Curds ($6). This was a small serving, which was fine because, as you might imagine, fried chunks of cheese are pretty darn rich. They came with ranch dressing for dipping, which I think is house-made. I say this because it tasted less salty than the usual, store-bought stuff. The curds were super hot and completely melted on the inside. I was a bit disappointed about this, because one of the things I love most about cheese curds is the squeaky texture when you chew them. (Maybe we should have waited for them to cool a bit...) The flavor was rather bland, and the less salty ranch didn't spice them up much. Not something I'd order again.
We both followed up with the White Oak Burger ($15), topped with caramelized onions, arugula, and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. My hubby got a side of fries, while I went for the salad with champagne vinaigrette. We ordered our burgers medium. I thought mine came out much closer to medium well, with just the tiniest bit of pink in the center. The patties are shaped like baseballs, not flattened much at all, so way too thick in the middle. Even so, mine was almost well done throughout. The meat is grass-fed local beef and has a good flavor. The bun is fairly sturdy. The toppings are fine, but not super exciting. The ketchup on the side is house-made and quite good.
My hubby's fries were piled high, and thin, maybe a tad thicker than McDonald's. I prefer fat ones, but I forced myself to taste a few in order to write this blog. What won't I do for my readers? Again, the fries were decent enough, but nothing out of this world. They left me longing for the fabulous rosemary and parmesan cheese fries at Bistro Blanc. (Sad face.) My salad was simply frisee with dressing. Fine, but not special.
Tuesday is Burger Night at White Oak Tavern, so you get $2 off the regular price. Not quite the same as the Half Price Burgers and Brews every Wednesday at my old favorite, Bistro Blanc.
I guess I'd give the White Oak Tavern burger a solid B. It's good, but not stellar. And at $15, not a bargain.
#hocofood
hocofood@@@
Comments
Post a Comment
Please share your helpful questions and comments here! Thanks for being part of this balanced community!