Crofton Restaurant Tips by grandmaR

Jasper's: CLOSED

This restaurant was a very popular one locally. It is now (2011) closed and for sale.

Favorite Dish: We stopped here for dinner on the way home in 2006 I decided to have an Arnold Palmer to drink (half lemonade and half iced tea $2.29), a cup of lobster bisque ($4.79 - which was OK), and the black and blue 8 oz. sirloin which marinated overnight in spices, and covered with blue cheese $11.59. It came with the creamed spinach which was covered with melted provolone cheese and was excellent, and a baked potato (2nd picture). I asked for my steak to be medium rare, but it was hardly pink at all.

Bob had the meatloaf dinner, which was served with mashed potatoes, brown gravy and fried red onions (last picture)

Other possibilities were:
Two crab cakes $16.99
Shrimp Jasper's $12.59
Sizzling Beef Fajitas $13.19
Blackened Catfish $13.59
Pork Chops $12.39
Spicy Orange Chicken $12.49
Rack of BBQ ribs $17.99

The prices weren't bad although they have increased $3-$5 since I last looked, but in addition to my steak being overcooked, the service wasn't too swift. Bob was drinking water, and he ran out. It was a long time before the waiter even noticed, and after that he didn't come back to fill the water for quite awhile. We didn't get any bread.

We didn't get dessert because they didn't look that appetizing on the display table and also looked like they were too big for one person to eat. (They included cheesecake $4.99; Key Lime pie $4.79, Strawberry shortcake $5.79 and it wasn't really shortcake it was yellow cake, Apple Pie $4.59, Peanut Butter pie $4.69, Chocolate Obsession $4.99, Carrot Cake, a Brownie Sundae or a regular sundae - 4th picture).

Address: 1651 Route 3 North

Comparison: about average

Directions: Just after the intersection with MD 450 on the northbound side

Phone: 301-261- 3505

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 2

Theme: American

Website: http://www.jaspersrestaurants.com/FAQ/body-Main.cfm

Friendly’s: Ice Cream

Friendly's started out as an ice cream parlor in 1935. Now they have regular meals - burgers, soup, fajitas, supermelts, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and things like pot roast, and meatloaf for dinner. They have a seniors menu and a children's menu as well.

Their ice cream is their feature thing of course, and you can buy it in bulk or in individual sundae cups to take home. You can also walk up to a takeout window for cones or sundaes etc.

Their food is pretty ordinary American food. The one problem I've found with Friendly's is that the service is often slow, inefficient and disorganized. So don't go if you are in a hurry or at the peak meal times.

Favorite Dish: A bacon cheeseburger with a happy ending sundae. I also like the various wraps and the individual sundae cups that you can get to go.

You can get sundaes, banana splits and other ice cream desserts, but you can also get what they call a Happy Ending with most of their meals. This is a small sundae (which is pictured) rather than the extravaganza sundae that you get when ordered separately

Address: 1673 Crofton Pkwy Crofton, MD 21114-2039

Comparison: about average

Directions: On the northbound side of Maryland Route 3 just south of Maryland 424

Phone: 410-721-3007

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: American

Nautilus of Crofton: Shiny New Diner

We first went to a Nautilus in Timonium for lunch back in March 2006. We've seen this one being built in Crofton on our trips back and forth to Baltimore, so when wanted dinner at the end of November 2006, we stopped here. I thought it was a chain, but I can't find any website to that effect.

It was difficult in the dark to figure out how to get to the restaurant, as there is no direct on-off into the parking lot, and it is down a little bit below the level of the road but we did manage it.

This is a highly reflective environment with lots of stainless and chrome in the decor. There is the diner part where there is a small counter with stools, and booths with juke boxes in addition to a restaurant section. There are glass partitions between various sections. There's also a big bakery case with a lot of desserts by the entrance (photo 5).

Servers (men and women) wear white shirts with a black vest.

Bob thought the prices were very expensive but there ARE less expensive things to order.

Favorite Dish: They have breakfast all day, and they also have a specials menu (photo 4). We were only given one of them for the two of us.

They do have a drinks menu which is repeated on the place mat (photo two), but we drank water, and the server was very quick to give us additional water when I caught her eye and indicated that we needed more.

We got rolls with seeds on them and crackers and bread sticks right away, but I thought the rolls were a bit stale.

Bob got pancakes and scrapple from the breakfast menu. I hadn't considered doing that and maybe I should have done.

I got one of the specials which was pot roast with purple cabbage and potato cakes. This special included soup or salad, and they had matzo ball soup as the soup of the day so I ordered that. It was very good. On looking back at our previous lunch, I found that I ordered matzo ball soup then too.

The potato cakes were OK although they were quite uniformly brown (maybe had been deep fried), and the shreded purple cabbage was also OK. There was a lot of pot roast in gravy - tasted like saurbratten to me, but it wasn't called that. I couldn't eat it all and brought some of it home.

I asked about the egg cream and when I found out it didn't have any egg in it (I was thinking about frozen egg custard I guess), I decided to get the fruit sundae (photo 3) which was very good.

The whole dinner including tax and tip was only a little more than $25.00.

Address: 1709 Transportation Blvd

Comparison: about average

Phone: 410-451-8515

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Diner

Crystal Hunan Restaurant: Elegant Oriental

We've eaten here a couple of times and if you want Chinese and you are in this area, this is a nice place to eat. Service is quick, and pleasant, and it is a nice airy place. This is not your 'pick one from column A' type Chinese restaurant. They have a semi-private room and a main dining room decorated with mirrors and fish tanks. Entrees range between $9 and $14.00

Favorite Dish: We both had our usual thing that we order in a Chinese restaurant. I had General Tso's chicken and Bob had Sweet and Sour Chicken. Each one came with a serving of rice. They gave us a small dip of orange sherbert and a fortune cookie for dessert.

The bill before tip (but after tax) was only $20.95

Address: 2225A Defense Highway

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: In the shopping center at the corner of MD 450 (Defense Highway) and MD 3 (Crain Highway)

Phone: 301-261-3888

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Cluck-U-Chicken: Formerly Lucky Luciano's Ristorante ?

Lucky Luciano's Ristorante is no Longer Extant - Gone, Gone, Gone

When we went in 2006, Luckys at 2205 had been replaced by some other business (maybe ASI). Cluck U Chicken (at 2219) is a chain and looked like a mostly take-out operation. We didn't eat here, we went to the Crystal Hunan restaurant which was next door. There is also a Blimpie and a hamburger type fast food place in this shopping center.

The second picture is of the former Lucky Luciano's. When I went to take a picture it looked a bit boarded up. The reviews below are all from 1998 or prior.

The Cluck U Chicken obviously serves mostly chicken but they also have salads, bisquits and things such as

Fresh Breaded Mushrooms
Mozzarella sticks
Spicy Red Beans and Rice
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Potato Salad
Coleslaw
Celery & Bleu Cheese

Favorite Dish: We went here once or twice on a coupon. This is a 'nice' restaurant. IIRC the food was a bit expensive. They had a cappucino machine which was one of the first I had ever seen.

Reviews from the internet:

"Mario Puzo fans, Lucky Luciano's is your joint! The menu opens with "Initiation" to drinks like Strawberry Valentine Massacre (strawberries and rum) and Joe Bananas (banana liqueur, apricot brandy, rum and o.j.), followed by less threatening appetizers: cold antipasto; fried calamari, zucchini and mozzarella; and minestrone. Everything here is old-school Italian, perfect for the '20's gangster motif: pastas; veal, chicken or eggplant parmagiano; saltimbocca and veal marsala, finishing with cannelloni, spumoni and tortoni. "

"Outstanding food and service. The secret of good Italian cuisine is the sauces, and Lucky's chef is an artist. After dinner, have a "cafe d'amore"--a cappuccino using a secret recipe known only to Lucky. "

Address: 2219 Defense Highway

Directions: In the same shopping center as the Crystal Hunan, south of Jaspers

Phone: (410) 451-3302

Rating: 0

Theme: American

Website: http://www.cluckuchicken.com/locations_view_store.htm?id=48

The Big Fish Grille Steak & Fish House: Formerly The Dough Roller

The Dough Roller has been transformed into the Big Fish. I don't think this has anything to do with the Snakehead Fish which was first found in a pond here in Crofton. The Big Fish recently paid $15,291 to put up their sign according to the building permit.

This place used to be a Dough Roller, which according to their literature, was originally on the Eastern Shore in Ocean City. For some unknown reason, they decided Crofton would be a good place to open another restaurant.

I haven't been to the one of the Eastern Shore, but I wasn't too impressed with this one. We've been a couple of times. The food was ordinary (pizza, pasta and middle American type food), and the prices and service were also sort of middle of the road. There were a lot of families with children there. We haven't been tempted to make this one of our regular stops.

The Dough Roller was a grey and white beachy sort of place. The Big Fish is a bright neon color type place with Happy Hour and sports TVs

Favorite Dish: We stopped here on our way home in April 2006. The food was good, but more expensive than we are accustommed to getting.

Address: 1260 MD Rte. 3 South, Crofton

Comparison: about average

Phone: 410-451-3133

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 3

Theme: Steakhouse

LA Fiesta Restaurant: Former Drive-in Restaurant and Bank

This building was originally either a drive-in restaurant or a drive-in bank and the restaurant was back in the shopping center. After the original tenant left, the restaurant moved over to the drive-in building.

It's been redecorated with the usual Mexican type decor and the drive in window has been taken out, but the rest rooms are still off the entrance.

For 8 years, we drove back and forth between Leonardtown and Baltimore almost every weekend. This was one of our favorite places to stop and eat.

Favorite Dish: Bob usually gets the taco platter. I usually get quesidillas or Mexican pizza or chilies rellino. And I almost always get fried ice cream.

On our last visit, I had the Mexican pizza to leave room for the fried ice cream, and our total bill for dinner including tip was $29.42

Address: 1149 Maryland Route 3, Crofton, MD 21114

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: In the shopping center in Crofton on the northbound side - north of the Giant

Phone: (410) 721-3342

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Mexican

Boston Market (Express): Better than the average drive-through

This is the only drive-in Boston Market that I have ever seen. It used to be a Roy Rogers.

Favorite Dish: I ate there this past Sat. and I got meatloaf (which I love but very seldom get), mac and cheese (sort of gouey here), and creamed spinach (which I don't make because it is too much trouble, but reminds me very much of my mom's homemade spinach soup).

I love all the vegetables that are available here - it is hard to choose.

I got lemonade to drink.

If there is a weakness in the menu it is in the dessert end. I like my desserts.

Address: 1070 Maryland Route 3 N, Gambrills, MD 21054

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Center of the highway - part of the fast food row that starts on the south end with McDonalds. Sign is hidden in the trees from the south

Phone: (410) 451-8390

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: American

Chesapeake Bagel Bakery: Bagels and Sandwiches

In the same shopping center with La Fiesta and Hunan Express is an outlet of the Chesapeake Bagel Bakery. I have not been to this particular one.

I think it interesting that both Jaspers, La Fiesta and Hunan Express all are in Crofton, that this that is in the same shopping center is in Gambrills. So I've put it in Crofton.

Favorite Dish: I like the bagels and the bagel sandwiches but I think they are right expensive for the amount of food you get. You can eat outside here if the weather is good enough.

Address: 1151 Maryland Route 3 N # 1800, Gambrills, MD 2105

Comparison: about average

Phone: (410) 451-1300

Rating: 0

Theme: Deli

Website: http://www.chesbagel.com/

Hunan Express: Take-out Chinese

This was the original location of La Fiesta. We ate here once when it was so late that almost everything else was closed. You can eat there, but most of their business is take-out.

This section of the shopping center allows only northbound traffic right in front of the restaurant. You have to go south and then turn around the center divider to get in.

Address: 1153 N Route 3, Crofton, MD 21114

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: In the shopping center behind La Fiesta on northeast side of intersection.

Phone: (410) 721-1199

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 0

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum