quote:
A friend and I ate at the Anchor Inn a while ago and we were underwhelmed. The service was terrible and the food only so-so.
The place was very shabby, not even appealing shabby, just unkempt and sloppy shabby. The Maryland crab soup was good, but everything else was standard. In that area, you're better off going to Crisfield's in Silver Spring for seafood.
Having worked at the Anchor Inn, I'm not surprised at your substandard dining experience. The Chicken Basket across the street on Georgia Avenue used to have pretty good fried seafood. They also had a veal sub that wasn't parmigiana-style, but breaded veal served with onions, peppers and mushrooms. It cost over six dollars twenty years ago, so its probably been taken off the menu.
But to my mind, the best food in Wheaton is at the Royal Mile Pub,
on Price Ave. They have a full menu as well as daily specials, and their Scotch and imported beer selection is unsurpassed. Although they have a full selection of barfood, the dinner menu and specials are leagues beyond what you would would expect in a pub. Whenever I visit I make sure to get the Irish breakfast, served only on weekends. They also have a Scottish breakfast, with haggis substituted for the sausage and the black pudding. I'll have to
try that the next time.
As far as Rhodes' question about Asian restaurants, Wheaton has so many that I couldn't name a favorite. The Japanese restaurant on Hickerson Drive next to Georgia Avenue has (or had two years ago) a lunch buffet on weekdays that was quite good. They even had a few Korean items like kimchee and bulgogi. There's a Thai place on Fern Street just north of Reedie Drive that is excellent. A few miles down 193 towards Hyattsville is a restaurant that has Cambodian cuisine, although didn't get to eath there.
But if you like Indonesian food, or have never experienced it, go to Sabang on Ennals Avenue, a block east of Viers Mill Road. The corn fritters with a shrimp sticking out of each one like a hood ornament are a treat. If you're in a group, you should order the ristaffel, which is basically a little bit of everything.
And to any weekday visitors to Wheaton, bring plenty of quarters, all of the parking lots around any of the establishments I mentioned are operated by Montgomery County. Parking after six PM or on weekends is free. And all of the restaurants are within walking distance of the Wheaton metro stop.
TSP
