pras Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Stanford Grill to Open on Tower Oaks Boulevard in Rockville. Per Bethesda Magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Stanford Grill to Open on Tower Oaks Boulevard in Rockville. Per Bethesda Magazine. They still may be hiring, so interested applicants should get in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Think this one is interesting - my parents live in the area, and I showed them the menu, and their first impression was "Why?" Both serve similar "Americana" options - Clyde's having more options and somewhat lower price points. None of that inherently speaks to a comparison in quality (a place like Clyde's probably has too big and staid of a menu, in some respects) - but for those in the area, especially who tend to be older or more family-oriented and perhaps less adventurous or more loyal to their "spots", Stanford is going to have to a bit of an uphill climb. The association with Copper Canyon doesn't help much in my mind either. I think it's particularly interesting considering that area off of Wootton Parkway/Tower Oaks is somewhat of a restaurant desert - nothing notable between Park Potomac and Rockville Pike besides these two, that I'm aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantjosh Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I think it's particularly interesting considering that area off of Wootton Parkway/Tower Oaks is somewhat of a restaurant desert - nothing notable between Park Potomac and Rockville Pike besides these two, that I'm aware of. Agreed, and I think it will get even more interesting if this "death of the office park" continues as many around the area (country) presume it will. Right off 270, it could be an attractive location for a developer, but with Park Place so close, the distance from metro, and the mass that is Rockville Pike on the other side, I don't know that developers would be fighting over that land any time soon. I would guess that vacancy rates in the office buildings will determine whether or not more restaurants see it as a viable location as is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinwiddie Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I drove by a couple of nights ago (after dining at Founding Farmers) and saw the sign. Does that building have any occupants? It looks empty and I have never seen any cars in the lot or garages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schulju Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 A group of five of us had brunch at the Stanford Grill this past Sunday, sister restaurant to the Copper Canyon Grill in Gaithersburg. I really like the space, it feels very open with lots of long sight lines and modern furnishings. There was a piano and base duo between the hostess stand and bar, but the space is small enough that the music could be heard throughout the restaurant. It may have been a bit overwhelming if you were eating at the bar, but in no way impeded our table conversation from the other side of the restaurant. They seemed a bit slow this Saturday, compared to previous weekends where I couldn't even get a reservation. We arrived at 1pm (brunch here ends at 2pm) and the restaurant was about 1/3 filled. The menu is typical brunch/lunch fare which attempts to appeal to the masses. The ubiquitous chicken and waffle that seems to be a required menu item in DC these days in included. But the menu attempts bits of originality here and there with buckwheat pancakes and brunch sliders (a trio of bennie, bacon, egg& cheese and bbq sliders served on brioche buns). Everyone in our group tried something different. The standout, frankly were the sweet potato french fries that were served alongside most of the egg-centric dishes. Shoestring and crispy outside, creamy inside. Absolutely the best rendition of a sweet potato fry that I've ever had. I ordered the brunch sliders which were probably better in concept than execution. I found the buns overwhelmed whatever was served in them. I gave one of the trio to my husband, ate half of one of the others and most of the fries that came piled on my plate and I was over-full. Also making an appearance were the aforementioned buckwheat pancakes, which didn't garner any rave reviews; the breakfast burrito, which was huge and seemed to be enjoyed; traditional eggs Benedict and a spinach omelet. Walking away impressions were that the food is all at least "good" if not excellent. The service was good. The space very nice. Given MoCo doesn't have the greatest selection of lunch locations I'm sure this will make it into our rotation again. Although I expect it will happen the next time that neither Sugo nor Founding Farmers can accommodate our reservation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 There was a piano and base duo between the hostess stand and bar, but the space is small enough that the music could be heard throughout the restaurant. It may have been a bit overwhelming if you were eating at the bar, but in no way impeded our table conversation from the other side of the restaurant. You must have only seen the front room - the restaurant seats 400, and if I remember the layout, there are at least 3-4 dining rooms in the place. We were there a few weeks ago, and had a decidedly mediocre meal. Nothing offensive, nothing memorable. If I was dining with picky or unadventurous eaters, I'd put this in the mix along with Tower Oaks Lodge, but there's nothing drawing me back, and it's 5 minutes from my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkS Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I drove by last Friday night and Stanford Grill appeared empty looking at a few folks at the bar. Compare that to Clydes at 6pm where the lot was full and cars were parked down the street. I think Stanford Grill may fail because of marketing. I live near enough that I would have expected a mailer with an incentive to pay a visit and give them a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pras Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 I went for a private party several weeks back and thought it was pretty decent. I didn't order off the menu, but I thought it was a nice space and the service was good. Parking is in the underground garage, so a drive by will never give you the full picture of what's going on. Several friends have eaten there and generally like it. I agree with Daniel that it is a good spot for the less adventurous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 When I went, at 8p on a weeknight, it was not completely full but very busy, and the bar was packed. Which, for a 400-seat restaurant, is still a lot of covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 When I went, at 8p on a weeknight, it was not completely full but very busy, and the bar was packed. Which, for a 400-seat restaurant, is still a lot of covers. Your silence is haunting. Without getting into any details, what was your overall impression? (Nobody should be forced to post details if they don't volunteer, but I am curious how this place fares culinarily.) Judi seemed to like it well enough, and pras had nothing bad to say. Do you all think this is a competitor with Clyde's Tower Oaks, or wants to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pras Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Your silence is haunting. Without getting into any details, what was your overall impression? (Nobody should be forced to post details if they don't volunteer, but I am curious how this place fares culinarily.) Judi seemed to like it well enough, and pras had nothing bad to say. Do you all think this is a competitor with Clyde's Tower Oaks, or wants to be? I didn't have a sit down meal, so my opinion isn't really "trustworthy". I was there to celebrate a colleges retirement, it was a really nice party, with good service, food was good too with a very broad selection. I would say they are trying to compete with Clydes though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Your silence is haunting. Without getting into any details, what was your overall impression? (Nobody should be forced to post details if they don't volunteer, but I am curious how this place fares culinarily.) Judi seemed to like it well enough, and pras had nothing bad to say. Do you all think this is a competitor with Clyde's Tower Oaks, or wants to be? Yeah, that and Founding Farmers are exactly their target audience. It's straight-up American food. Everything we had was fine, generous portions, but nothing to make it stand out in a crowd. I had to look at the menu to remember what we ordered. We shared the Roasted Beet Wedge Salad. Exactly what you'd expect - the traditional wedge salad with some cubed roasted beets. Salad was fine, dressing from a bottle. Generous amount of bleu cheese and bacon on top, and probably a half a roasted beet. Perfectly fine, and plenty for two to share at $8. My +1 had the chicken pot pie. The crust had a decent taste, but had gotten a little soggy in places. Filling was fairly bland, but that's pretty common for CPP. A little pepper helped quite a bit. Obviously fresh, not canned or frozen, veggies. BIG portion for $16. I had the Prime Rib. Very good and cooked to a perfect medium rare, and again a fairly large portion, but a bit pricy at $32. Served with a very good loaded baked potato. But the au jus on the side had a strong sweet herbal note, which was a huge turnoff to me. We had a couple of basic cocktails that were well prepared, but I can't find a cocktail list online so I don't remember what we ordered. It's just over a mile from my house, but I can't see going back unless invited by someone or needed a spot to bring unadventurous diners (though I'd probably choose Tower Oaks first). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Is it any different, foodwise, from their other venture, Cooper Canyon? Because in the pursuit of in-law friendly food, Cooper Canyon is now winning by a mile. Even over the otherwise popular Coastal Flats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Is it any different, foodwise, from their other venture, Cooper Canyon? Because in the pursuit of in-law friendly food, Cooper Canyon is now winning by a mile. Even over the otherwise popular Coastal Flats. Does anyone else agree with this? Because these are the types of statements that cause me to dance the Dining Guide Shuffle - the odds of me going to both of these restaurants in the next couple of years are slim, so I need to rely on trusted diners' opinions for things such as this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I've been to Copper Canyon a few times, but the last was over a year ago. My memory says that they're aiming at the same audience, but I liked Copper Canyon a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Does anyone else agree with this? Because these are the types of statements that cause me to dance the Dining Guide Shuffle - the odds of me going to both of these restaurants in the next couple of years are slim, so I need to rely on trusted diners' opinions for things such as this. I haven't been to Copper Canyon in awhile, but I wasn't ever impressed, whereas I like the Coastal Flats in Gaithersburg (have been within the past year) and liked the one in Virginia when I lived there (and liked other GAR spots as well). We just ate at Clyde's Tower Oaks (literally, last week) and everyone liked what they ordered, though my mom noted the portions seemed smaller than they used to be. One interesting note, and I'm not sure how it factors into anything this site does, but we were able to take my five-year-old niece to Clyde's with a kid's menu, kids cup, crayons, etc., whereas Stanford Grill doesn't list a kids menu and Yelp says "not good for kids". Not sure if they are trying to make a bit of a delineation as less family-friendly/upscale, or if that's just been the impression so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Does anyone else agree with this? Because these are the types of statements that cause me to dance the Dining Guide Shuffle - the odds of me going to both of these restaurants in the next couple of years are slim, so I need to rely on trusted diners' opinions for things such as this. Don, I didn't say it was better. I said it was in-law friendly. There is a difference as many of us trying to keep our spouse's parents happy while dining out will attest! For my in-laws, Coastal Flats is too loud. Cooper Canyon is much quieter and the food is bland and benign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Boy Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 I have a very good friend that lives in Columbia (I live in Laurel) and I know he's very busy, has a kid, and suggested he propose a date for us to do dinner in Columbia whenever he had time and we'd make it happen. He suggested Stanford Grill, which appears to be on the site of what used to be a Longhorn steak house that must have closed. Well, they gutted the place and it looks very similar to Woodmont Grill in Bethesda. I assume they must be owned by the same company. It's in the middle of a mini office park an nearby retail and is convenient to 95 (like a mile away). The service was OK (it was acceptable all evening, but we had to flag down our server because they forgot to charge us for some stuff - we didn't want anyone to get in trouble). I can't remember the starter I had by I enjoyed the prime rib that my friend talked up - perfect temperature (right between medium rare and rare) and for $27, kind of a steal. Drinks and wine choises were acceptable, but they really should offer more of a list. When we were there, they even had a live 3-piece jazz group playing and it was a recent Wednesday. Nice space, good hum to the room, but not loud (I do not like very loud restaurants). Anyway, would I go back? Sure. Would I seek it out? Probably not, but it is convenient and tasty enough and if I happened to be in the Columbia area nearby it is not a bad option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibbee Nayee Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 By coincidence, I went with a group to the Stanford Grill in Columbia last week. The Rockfish special that day was excellent. I didn't taste the rest of the menu, but I would return if only for the Rockfish when it's offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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