Valley Inn

My favorite aspect of They Valley Inn is the new outdoor bar area with fire pit – job well done.
The interior bar is spacious and a great semi casual atmosphere. The dinning room makes for a nicer meal in what feels like a private area – tables nicely spaced apart. Service can be a little slow, but always friendly.
I have eaten here 3 times – once in the dinning room, once in the bar with service, and once in the bar at the bar. All 3 times I dinned with groups of friends and the food was great for everyone involved – no complaint. Both pasta dishes are delicious and huge portions. Burger is great and seafood fresh and tasty. Not sure what all the complaining is in other reviews, there are little to no bar/​food options in this area, and this one is well above the rest. Mt Washington tavern is literally garbage food, and poorly (re)designed. The Valley Inn is what the Tavern should have been.
Mostly importantly – they have prosecco on tap!

Awful experience. Stuff and managers were obnoxious. Completely screwed up our Christmas Eve. We have made a reservation two week in advance, and they were trying to put us in the bar saying that they were all booked. Not recommended to visit. At all.

Horrendous service, mediocre food. We waited 30 minutes for someone to come to our table to take our drink order or greet us. When the server arrived, he was rude (at best). Then another 15 minutes for drinks to arrive. When we ordered, the server pressured one guest into ordering more food. My meatloaf was luke warm, but the meat was dry. Then we had to wait another 30 minutes for the check and 15 minutes for him to process the payment. One of the worst restaurant experiences I have had in awhile. With so many choices for great restaurants in Baltimore, Valley Inn needs to do better. This is my second poor experience here, and as much as I want to like it given the cozy vibe, I just don’t think I’ll be going back.

I hope the food is good because the service is horrendous!!! We sat for 20 minutes before someone bothered to come to our table. 45 mins later we are still waiting for our hours devours as the tables around us arrived later yet are finishing their dinners. We are ready to walk out…
Food eventually came; it was mediocre at the best. Very disappointing meal and experience. The manager Chris was ambivalent about our experience. After reading other diners’ reviews it’s hard to believe we were in the same restaurant.
I’ll spend my hard earned dollar elsewhere in the future!

Shout out to Molly for doing such an awesome job with our large obnoxious group! Service was on point. Total bummer they were out of guacamole but guac happens.
House Salad and Meatballs were the talk of the table. Overall, a better experience than last year.
Bathrooms, however, remain inaccessible for those who are wheelchair bound. Not cool.

The positives are the location and the bar staff. The building is pretty modern, but it has a rustic feel inside, and it sits in a nice green valley. It would be a casual but classy place to sit at the bar and watch a game with friends. But the food is most important for a restaurant, and this place is caught in a middle ground. The bar foods– burgers, appetizers, etc– weren’t good. The fancy stuff– seafood and steaks– are decent, but too expensive for the quality and locale– I’d be more willing to pay at the Oregon Grille for a high quality steak. I probably won’t go back, because I wouldn’t count on a great meal for a good price.

Unfortunately the food here is frequently not just fair but bordering on the inedible. For example the meatloaf I ordered today was so salty I could barely get it down but as it was a birthday celebration I did not want to say anything to spoil the mood. I’ve been here several times always at others suggestion and the food except perhaps for their crab cake is always a disappointment. If you want a drink they seem to have a popular bar but if you want a good meal best to go on up the road!

Pleasant brunch. Fantastic renovation of the outdoor bar and patio. I had never been here but had driven by this establishment MANY times. The food was comfort food american fare. They have about 20 beers on tap. I dined in the ‘equestrian’ room which was «old world» but the nice leather seats and decorum made it very cozy, kind of a speakeasy feel. I will be back

I don’t think it’s Towson. But I could also be wrong as I didn’t look at navigation. Overall the food, the staff and the atmosphere are all great. Another huge plus is the fact they actually have an ample parking lot which is rare around here. The only negative is they’re a little pricey.

First time at the Valley Inn Saturday Night before the Billy Joel concert. Great throwback, warm atmosphere. Service was quick, knowledgable and personable. We shared ½ dozen blue point oysters, tuna tostadas and calamari for apps. All were very good but definitely recommend the tostadas. My scallops were a bit overdone but otherwise tasty. My wife’s seafood coob salad looked amazing. All-​in-​all a good time and definitely recommended.

Nice environment. Staff was attentive especially given we had a large group.
Oysters on the half shell were tasty, but ridiculously overpriced for the size. Guacamole and chips were very good. Unfortunately, that was about it. The seafood was all terrible. Being this close to Baltimore, it’s a real shame. I had the Mahi Mahi, which was the most overcooked piece of fish I’ve ever eaten. I could have done a better job in my half broken oven. It was inedible. All the other seafood ordered in our group was also overcooked, dry, and not very tasteful. Silver lining — My dad had the lobster burrito, which the waitress highly recommended as her favorite item on the menu. He enjoyed it and gave it a B+.
Overall, would definitely not recommend, and would definitely not return.

One star because they pour a nice sized drink. The service is awful. The menu is limited. The food is somewhat inedible – shrimp bisque is thick and gooey and tasteless, hints of shrimp. Crab soup beware has bacon (!!). Chicken boodle soup has cheese (!!). Crab cake fair, served on a stale burger roll, enchiladas is alpo, salsa are unimaginative. Expected more from the owners of other good restaurants. It’s been open long enough to fix these issues. Its shameful and expensive!

Our server Joe was great. Friendly and just the right amount of attentiveness. Nice, cozy atmosphere. Nice bar area. But the food… I got a crab cake and side of slaw for $ 18. I have no idea if that’s the going rate for a single crab cake but it seemed like a lot. The crab cake was tasty with minimal filler. I even thought the tartar sauce was good and I normally don’t even taste it but I thought it might have been made in house. If they had some happy hour specials I might go back but it just seemed overpriced in general for what it was.

A friend brought me out here– outside my comfort zone within the beltway– two weeks ago for dinner. The atmosphere is pretty cozy, yes, and service was fine. The food however was not worth the price I thought. Started with the charbroiled oysters which were pretty tasty. My friend then had the ahi tuna and I had the salmon. The tuna was delicious– seared perfectly and the rub on it was really tasty. The salmon: way overcooked and the dish as a whole had very little flavor. I was really disappointed in that, and in the bread pudding dessert we got as well. It was really firm and lacked flavor or good texture– reminded me of what you’d get in a random cafeteria.
So honestly, this place is a toss up and certainly not somewhere I’d go out of my way to eat again. Again, it was a pretty pricey meal for what it was.

I have been there twice since it reopened, but have only eaten in the bar area, not the dining room. The bar area is decorated with a hunting theme. Each time I have had a hamburger and fries and a beer. That is because I enjoyed it so much the first time I ate there. The fries are some of the best I have had anywhere. Price is reasonable for what I had. Service was good.

Mini jockey lights at the tables, ratty menus, is this a five or a casual dining place? Prices are fairly reasonable for an unimaginative menu. Kind of a hodge-​podge of bar food and sort of eclectic American regional reminiscent of early 2000’s, it’s eh… I would come back but not expecting anything special… Here’s a tip forget the edible flowers and focus on not over cooking the meats

OK, I’m going to be as objective as I can, stating Pros & Cons of this restaurant. I’ve written a few bad reviews in the past & don’t want to seem always critical.
The Valley Inn is starting fresh with new ownership. I was told the owners are the same as the Oregon Grill so there’s plenty of experience here. Renovations are very well done, homey look, hunting lodge effect in the bar area. Four of us went to dinner and chose the bar setting for a bit more informality. My wife and her friend peeked in on the restaurant and were impressed even though they said the tables were very close together.
Our server came up shortly after we sat down and we ordered drinks. My wife had a glass of white wine ($ 10), about 3 fingers tall so not quite a bargain. We sat and chatted a while and when the server came back we asked a few questions and ordered. Our friends ordered a small salad and 6 oysters on the ½ shell, very tiny and pricy. My wife ordered a standard (large) salad and said we would share it. The server stated that we could not share it, we had to order 2 small salads. My wife got a little annoyed and ordered the standard salad (what could they do to us?)
The salads (chopped) were delicious. There is no bread served at the table. Dressing hinted blue cheese and vinegar. We couldn’t tell much difference between the small salad our friend got and ours which we planned to (cheat) share.
We ordered entrees. I asked how the shrimp salad was served. She said it comes on a bed of lettuce, with sliced tomato, and a side of cole slaw. I considered ordering a side of steak fries at $ 7.00 but didn’t. I asked if I could have the shrimp salad on rye. She said they have to charge extra for the 2 pieces of bread. I was a bit annoyed but didn’t say anything other then ordering it on bread.
After she left we heard a new song being played in the bar area, so loud that we could hardly talk across the table. When the server came back I asked if she could request the volume to be turned down a little. She returned and stated that the manager said they would not turn down the volume.
The shrimp were large and the quantity was excellent. The seasoning was poor. Where was the Old Bay or some facsimile? My friend also had shrimp salad which he said was «OK». My wife and her friend had crab cakes which they said were excellent.
We split the check and our portion came to $ 72.00 without tip. Our drinks were iced tea for me & two glasses of wine for my wife. I think we would go back but not sure.

This is what I call lunch! When you walk in here, it’s like another world. It’s decorated like a hunting lodge and it’s so cozy and relaxing. I’ve been here twice and both times I’ve had the same waitress, Caitlin, so I can’t speak to the service as a whole, but she is delightful. She got my order sort of wrong (mayo was on the sandwich, not on the side, as ordered, but I don’t even care. She took it back with a smile. I can be picky about crab soup, but theirs is good, could be spicier for me, but I know they serve a lot of older people, so I just added pepper. There was plenty of crab and it wasn’t watery or taste of canned, cubed veggies. I have also had the chicken Caesar and it is amazing. The romaine is left whole, the chicken is tender and well seasoned, and there is plenty of it. I have had the TABLT and the grilled cheese, both are great. If you want to share, they will put it on two plates with separate sides and pickles. (Both steak fries and kettle chips are yummy). If you take half home, they box it nicely. Yes, it’s expensive, but if you want to treat yourself to a nice leak surely lunch, this hits the spot.

I have eaten at the Valley Inn twice and both times walked away disappointed. The renovation is very nice, although I prefer the bar to the dining room. The décor is a little old school but it works.
My first experience was with their crab soup and a salad with grilled chicken. The soup was more vegetable beef than crab and tasted as though the bottom of the pan has overheated and the burned residue had been scraped back into the soup. The salad was poorly mixed and the shrimp was overcooked beyond belief.
My husband and I popped into the bar the other night for a quick bite. The service was fabulous and the bartender had a great knowledge of spirits and wine. It was enjoyable talking to him. Sadly, that was the highlight of the night.
We ordered a half dozen oysters to start. They came out warm. OK, on to the entrees. My husband ordered steak and was not permitted to swap out the potatoes for fries. OK, I get it. But the potatoes were as hard as a rock. They were completely under-​cooked. The steak was meh at best. No flavor and not the best cut. I ordered the tuna. I felt like it didn’t know what it wanted to be when it grew up. The fish has a rub on it that was so salty my tongue hurt. Then it was floating in a citrus broth and topped with an avocado salsa. The flavors were all competing with one another. It felt over done and could have been much better if they had selected a flavor profile and stayed with it.
to top it all off, it was VERY expensive. We had a couple of cocktails no doubt but $ 150 for a couple of drinks, 6 oysters and two entrees felt really excessive. We eat out a lot and I am not afraid to spend money but this seemed excessive.
Overall, not someplace I am inclined to visit again. It’s a shame because we as so close but unless something changes I can get better meals elsewhere.

Soft opening of newly renovated Valley Inn. Bar and dining room now open for dinner. The guys behind Oregon Grill have renovated one of the oldest restaurants in Maryland, dating back to the 1800’s, into a modern pub/​bar/​restaurant while preserving the historic original outside.
Only the pub and restaurant were opened on my visit. The bar is still under construction as of this writing. The pub features a fish and game motif while the dining room is decorated with a horse and jockey theme. The dining room still smelled of fresh paint it’s that new. But the clientele was mainly folks who had been eating here for very many years before the Valley Inn shut down several years back. If you’re under 60, you’ll be part of the younger crowd here.
Food was good but uninspired. I had the chicken soup with Gruyère cheese. The stringy, melty cheese added nothing to the very good chicken soup. The wife had the shrimp salad which was full of large chunks of jumbo shrimp. Unfortunately that plate was marred by a huge heaping mound of slaw that was just not that tasty. The 10 oz cheeseburger was very good and the steak fries exceptional. Unfortunately, the kitchen was very slow this evening. But the waitress comped us a glass of wine.
The bill for the above described orders with two glasses of wine was $ 60. I felt it was a bit steep for the meal. But this is the soft opening. The parking lot has been packed whenever I drive by the place. I hope they work out the kinks and this place becomes a better value. This place was a favorite growing up and I’d like be able to put it back on my favorites list once again.