Beale Street Grill

Friday the 13th did not bode well for us as new customers at the newly opened Beale Street Grill in the Traville Center in North Potomac. We arrived at 7pm to a mostly full house of patrons eating, or better said – waiting to eat. The hostess and staff seemed to be very friendly and we were seated promptly at the last table available – in a corner with a chilling a/c vent blasting us from above. The menu looked appetizing from both a description and price standpoint. We ordered and waited. and waited. and waited. While we were waiting we had a chance to look around the restaurant and discovered, (too late), that others were waiting, and waiting. We had to ask for bread, which showed up promptly after asking, but no attempts were made to take care of the patrons that were waiting without food. It took nearly an hour and 10 minutes to be served. While it is true that the restaurant was full, only 30% of the patrons we saw were eating. When the food did arrive, after we had to impress upon the floor manager that it had taken entirely too long to be served, it did look appetizing but maybe that was due to the extreme hunger we had built up. While the presentation was pretty, the chciken breasts were flat and overcooked, the potatoes warm, the spinach and cheese made a nice combination. For such an experienced chef (formerly of Agrodolce in Germantown) this was a lackluster performance and not up to Agrodolce’s benchmark. A chef has multiple jobs in the kitchen – besides creating dishes he must organize and run an efficient kitchen. The former he is good at, the latter – not so much.

This new spot popped up and we were anxious to try it out. We have since been back 4 times. Between our family and friends we have tried what feels like the entire menu! The place isn’t large, but doesn’t feel over-crowded ever. The staff was on the younger side- but we’ve had three different servers (two guys, one younger woman)- all polite and very knowledgable about the menu. Friday night the restaurant was packed- we ordered an appetizer, because, like most places on a Friday, we knew the food might take a bit. While we waited for our app (the onion rings and wings- yum) – the server kept our appetites satiated with their delicious soft pretzles provided complimentary to every table. No fatty white bread served here. The menu also offers an alternative of whole wheat pasta and Boca burgers if you choose. When we had a member of a party with dietary restrictions the chef worked with us to ammend one of the menu items to suit his needs. The beer on tap offer a wide selection and the local ‘Old Scratch’ was wonderful. I enjoyed the wine selection. The prices were really reasonable. The liquor license is said to be coming soon. Our family will definitely continue to frequent this establishment. A welcome addition to the neighborhood.