Dine Dockside Maryland Style
Written: Jun 05 '05
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Pros: Great Atmosphere, Prime Location, Great Service
Cons: Side items cost extra and cannot be ordered in individual portions
The Bottom Line: For a good Maryland Style Meal in a fun atmosphere at a prime Baltimore location, you can't go wrong with Phillip's Harborplace.
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| mrhonda's Full Review: Phillips Harborplace |
I recently made a trip down to the Inner Harbor with some friends. You would think that since I currently reside within an hour’s drive of Baltimore that the Inner Harbor wouldn’t be a big deal for me, but it is because I don’t get there often. But on this past trip, my friends and I decided to have a mid-afternoon meal at Phillip’s Harborplace. I had eaten here before a long time ago but can barely remember what it was like ten or more years ago. I am a major fan of Phillip’s by the Sea in Ocean City where I can dine outside overlooking the boardwalk, and I am always thrilled to be able to eat at Phillip’s in Myrtle Beach, so I was pretty excited when my friend invited to me to go to the Baltimore and said “We’re going to Phillip’s.”
It was around 2:45 p.m. when we arrived at the Light Street Pavilion at Harborplace where Phillip’s is located. Harborplace was crowded, but that’s a typical Saturday. Phillip’s Harborplace is located on the first floor of the Light Street Pavilion, and is not to be confused with Phillip’s Festival Buffet. The Buffet faces Light Street, but the sit-down restaurant faces the waterfront. The hostesses were very nice when we arrived. We asked for a table for four and they told us we could be seated right away if we wanted to dine inside, or could wait for 20 minutes to dine outside facing the water. We figured that since we don’t get to the harbor much that we would wait and dine by the water. They gave us a little black pager that would signal us to come back to the hostess area when our table was ready. Meanwhile we decided to have a drink in the bar because there really wasn’t anyplace else to sit and wait.
I was very impressed with the bar. It was a Piano bar with a live pianist/singer. The bar and the restaurant had a very bright, open, and cheery atmosphere. The live entertainment made the atmosphere of the place all the more unique and festive. It was a grand piano and had bar stools around it. All were unoccupied so we sat at the piano and drank Coors Light and talked. We were told that our wait would be 20 minutes, as I said earlier, but they were very prompt in preparing a table for us. Only about 15 minutes had gone by before the red lights were flashing on our pager signaling for us to return to the hostess. It was 3:00 p.m. now and the same friendly hostess who greeted us when we entered seated us, and she even pointed out where the restrooms were without us having to ask. We were seated at a patio style table for four that was located just outside a set of French doors, and had a beautiful view of the docks of the Inner Harbor. The hostess told us to make ourselves at home and said our server would be right with us.
Our server was very prompt in arriving. We all ordered Coke to drink and they were prompt in arriving as well. If you prefer something more than soda, Phillip’s offers a wide selection of Draft Beers and Specialty drinks from Strawberry Daiquiri to Bloody Mary’s to Pina Coladas. They also have Wines by the Glass on the menu but none of us ordered any wine. We had Draft Beer (Coors Light) in the bar while we were waiting for our table but then just order Cokes with our meal.
Since this was a mid-afternoon meal that we were having, we were given the lunch menu which has a wide selection of sandwiches, soups, and salads. They have dinner type entrees and appetizers as well, but they didn’t seem to be as wide of a selection as dinner menus I’ve seen at other Phillip’s locations. But as I said, this was a Lunch Menu. They have three soups that they specialize in here. They are Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup, Cream of Crab Soup, and New England Clam Chowder. I decided that I would start out with a cup of the Cream of Crab Soup. I highly recommend this soup. It was nice and warm, not too spicy, and had large lumps of crab meat in it. If you have not had Crab before, it is an acquired taste, but I have always enjoyed it and have talked to very few people who have disliked it.
When we ordered our entrees, my three friends ordered Crab Cake Sandwiches. I had eaten at Phillip’s in Myrtle Beach three months earlier and had the Crab Cake dinner, so I decided to be the odd ball out and ordered the Soft Shell Crab. The wait for our food wasn’t long at all, maybe about 25 minutes. This was pretty good considering it was a Saturday and how busy they were. The Soft Shell Crab was listed on the sandwich menu, but when it arrived it wasn’t even a sandwich. It was a Soft Shell Crab sitting on top of two small pieces of toast. There were also assorted fried vegetables on the side. I didn’t really care that it wasn’t on a sandwich because I probably would have eaten it with a fork and knife anyway, the way that I did. It had a light breading on the outside and thick crab meat on the inside. The breading was a little salty, but all in all it wasn’t bad. I would definitely recommend this dish to anybody else having lunch at Phillip’s.
The only thing that I didn’t understand about the menu is that none of the entrees or sandwiches came with side items. You had to pay for them separately and they were served family style which made it inconvenient for individuals who want different things. We were trying to decide what we wanted and in the end just ended up getting an order of French Fries, or Ocean City Fries as they call them here, and dividing them among the four of us. It seemed odd to me.
We opted out on having dessert after our meal because we all felt full, so I really can’t tell you what the dessert selections were like. When the waitress took my credit card to cash out our bill, she took a little while to return, probably between 5 and 10 minutes. It might seem a little long to some but it gave us all the longer to sit and talk and enjoy the beautiful weather and the water view with all the boats passing by. Good food and good service are what keep me coming back to Phillip’s, and all this plus an awesome atmosphere will keep me coming back to Phillip’s Harborplace. I will definitely be returning before the end of the summer and recommend Phillip’s to anybody wanting to have a good meal by the Inner Harbor.
Phillip's Harborplace
301 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-685-6600
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Definately try the Cream of Crab Soup, and if you have a small group, 4 or less like I did, decided on one side item to split since they are not served in individual portions and cost extra. This can save a few bucks.
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
mrhonda
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Member: Dan
Location: Maryland, USA
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
I'm a bargain hunting travel buff who enjoys beaches and cities.
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