We were fortunate to have two outstanding dinners at Theo's this past weekend. The steaks were high end generous cuts cooked to perfection. On our second visit I had some of the best short ribs on the planet. The daily special "tots" are also a must have.While the food was 5 star, the service was even better. Laura our waitress/ bartender made both our meals special occasions. If you are in St. Michaels and want the best go to Theo's.
The food here is excellent. My filet mignon was melt-in-your-mouth delicious & my husband's soft shell crabs were crispy & flavorful. The onion straws were another big hit with us. Other pluses go to the waitress, who was very attentive, & the setting, as we enjoyed sitting on the front porch watching the lively activity on the street. The one big minus is the prices. $36 for the small filet & mashed potatoes was too steep, as was $36 for two small crabs with no sides whatsoever!
(4)
Mitchell K.
Their food quality is very good. Very well seasoned filet and the herb and cheese ravioli was actually very good. It stands out as a finally different option on way sea of other similar "fancy seafood" or "tavern" restaurants as a great alternative option. The menu could probably use more sides and pastas, and the service is a little slow to get your meal after the salad. But it is a great alternative option and food is excellent, definitely recommended to go the next night after their other restaurant, Ava's.
(4)
Julia K.
Overall, the food and service were merely OK. For an upscale restaurant in a small town, you'd think the staff would be very accommodating and professional for a large group spending a fair amount of money, but the staff seemed a little sluggish and unfriendly. Servers shouldn't get antsy when they have to repeat the choices for the entree when there are only two options! The house mixed green salad was fresh and came with a nice light vinaigrette. The petite filet was cooked to my liking, but the server never asked any of the patrons at the table what they wanted their steak to be cooked to. They must assume that everyone wants their meat to be cooked to medium. The crab cakes were a healthy portion, slightly over seasoned and had some mix of fish - not pure lump crab. The strawberry shortcake was an unsuccessful twist on a classic dessert. The dessert was simple with a lackluster cake bottom.
(3)
Kristen W.
This little restaurant is for real. By far the best meal we had while visiting St. Michael's. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was perfect. My husband had the filet and it was outstanding - plus the mashed potatoes were so incredibly good. I will personally recommend the shrimp and grits, which were the best I've had in years, possibly ever. Just a great meal all around, for a reasonable price point.
(5)
Mrs D.
Did not honor reservation. We are locals and spoke with a hostess around 3pm and asked if we needed reservations for dinner tonight. Her reply was "not really" but we made reservations for 6pm and indicated a specific location for seating. We arrived on time and the place was busy. The hostess looked around and said she had no seating per our request. She offered a 30 minute wait or seating in the dining room we did not request. We asked why a reservation was not honored and only received an apology. The best part was the empty table we were standing next to and she was looking at. We asked for this table and received another apology and a no reply. Visitors beware you take your chances with this establishment. The poor management practices And lack of all customer service skills was insulting. Chris needs to take a hard look at training this staff There are plenty of great restaurants in St Michaels that do honor reservations.
(1)
Keller S.
While the food was good, the service was excellent. Peter was attentive and respectful. I particularly liked when I asked for something that was not presented his reponse was, 'I can make that happen'. He also never once said, ' no problem'. So, thank you very much Peter for giving us a very pleasant dining experience at Theo's.
(4)
mark s.
The food is very good, but the service can be a mix of snotty to down right uninformed about availability. It seems more like the staff is going through the motions until they can leave. If you've dined at great places with excellent service, don't expect any expertise...if you ask for something..we'll that might put them off...FO
(3)
Kathy W.
Service and food were good but I feel that for the price we paid we should have had better service and better food. Everything about the place is average. Ambiance gives it a 4 versus a 3.
(4)
jeff s.
Ponderosa has better beef Please do not waste your money I travel from coast to coast and do appreciate a great steak Sometime price is a good barometer of what the establishment thinks there product should be valued. And $37 for a NY strip is meat top end But my steak .... Again was closer to ponderosa steakhouses Qualtiy Tough and just full of grizzle I am surprised and dismayed but the positive reviews Business men like myself will be disappointed and disturbed by what they will get at this "quant, attractive ... Little jewel! .
(1)
John A.
Ordered off the happy hour menu. Or rather, we TRIED to order off the happy hour menu, but instead, this happened: Wife: "I'd like this drink." Bartender: "We don't have the ingredients for that drink." Me: "I'd like a half dozen oysters." Bartender: "We're out of oysters." This was at 6:00 on a Friday evening. I went on to order the "hefeweizen" they had on tap, which unfortunately was clear, brown, and tasted like Newcastle. The one app we ended up eating was decent, at least.
Filet was perfect. Service was excellent. Chairs at the bar were a little tight, but it is a small bar. Thoroughly enjoyed it
(5)
Dawn S.
Excellent food, though quite expensive. Wonderful for a special occasion, which is why we went for our anniversary. The staff are WONDERFUL. Food was perfect. Blue Cheese tater tots were homemade. Yum! Thank you to the staff for helping making our anniversary perfect.
(4)
Melissa U.
Yelp! and TripAdvisor reviews are invaluable when deciding to try a new restaurant. Especially if it is a nicer, expensive restaurant where you plan to pay higher prices for exceptional quality food and superior service. After reading all of the positive reviews of Theo's we couldn't wait to try it out. Unfortunately, we were simply disappointed all around. Service started out great but after getting our appetizers, the service tapered off as the evening went on. Appetizers were served promptly but we were told fresh bread and butter was on its way out. We had to ask for it after our appetizers were cleared. We got the bread, but never the butter. We asked for fresh ground pepper for our salads and our waiter pointed to the pepper mill on the table. We ordered a very nice bottle of Groth, listed on the menu as a 2009. We didn't notice until halfway through the bottle that we were served a 2010. While the vintage was equally delicious, the issue we had was that the waiter showed the bottle to our friend who did not order it, poured the tasting from across the table into my husband's glass who did order it. Didn't twist the bottle at end of each pour causing wine to drip down the bottle, and worst of all.... Never asked if we wanted another bottle or even another drink for that matter! It would have behooved the waiter to ask as it would have increased his check total and ultimately his tip. When we brought the 2009/2010 vintage issue to the waiter's attention he more or less shrugged it off and said they must be out of 2009 because that was the last bottle of Groth in the house. Other minor issues: my husband asked for another napkin and he never got it. We didn't see our server again until we were practically done with our entrees. We ordered two of the USDA prime filets (supposedly the last two). Cooked as requested, but was not hot when presented. One was half the size of the other, room temperature on the outside and pretty much cold in the center which really muted the flavor. We also ordered the Prime NY Strip. Well seasoned, tasty, but again, room temperature on the outside and cool internally. The fourth dish, the Seafood & Oyster Pot Pie. Folks, don't waste your money on this. Get a steak. A hot steak. The description should say "full of potatoes and peas with hints of seafood" not "full of seafood and vegetables". I honestly had two small oysters and possibly 4 or five "bits" of diced shrimp. The rest was potatoes, peas and a rich (yet tasty) creamy sauce. I was actually looking forward to the Shrimp Scamp listed on your website menu, but when I asked the waiter about it he had no clue what I was talking about. I specifically said there is a seafood pasta dish listed on your menu online and he said "we don't have any pasta dishes". Your online menu clearly says "Theo's Shrimp Scampi". So either your website is not updated or your servers are not updated. Either way, I blame that on management for lack of oversight. We eat out a lot and don't mind spending money on a great meal and great experience. This just wasn't one of them. We were starving so we didn't complain at the time and just bit our tongues. And we still chose to tip our waiter over 20% as the food issues were not his fault and we gave him the benefit of the doubt and chalked it up to him being really busy. Many of our issues could easily be resoloved by management initiating training that promotes higher standards for a truly fine dining experience. I also think the manager should stop by each table to greet guests and ask how everyone's experience was. Make me WANT to come back. Ending on a positive note, I will give it 5 stars for ambiance.
(2)
Tom G.
This rating is for the food only! The experience was pretty much a disaster. We waited forever for our food; making a 7-year-old (my granddaughter) wait almost an hour for her meal is not the way to win friends and influence people. We kept asking until my colleen of 44 years asked for the check and said we were leaving. That brought out Theo himself who put a schmooze on us that was one for the ages - and comped the whole thing. I have to think that during the off-season establishments like this are willing to take their lumps because their staff is not up to full strength yet (and probably lack experience). I think we'll go back; the food is really very good and, who knows, maybe I can get Theo to comp us again!
(4)
Neil D.
Really a winner of a place. Good cocktails, perfectly cooked cuts of beef, tater tots with a creative spin. Steakhouse regulars will dig it. One of the best in St Michaels.
(4)
Jeana C.
Great service. Nice ambiance. Steaks were pretty good. A simple, elegant restaurant. Price goes with what it offers.
(4)
Enrique D.
I went to Theos the night I met my fiancees dad for the first time. All the nervousness aside, this cozy place made us feel so welcome and comfortable. We ordered so many things and I have to say nothing really comes to mind right now that was outstanding, but I do remember really enjoying my steak and wedge salad. The wine list was terrific. They even had a bottle of Micheal David "circus" I've been hunting down forever. The service was really the best part of my experience here. It felt familiar and they were so attentive without being intrusive. Will come here every visit to St. Michaels.
(4)
Mary G.
This place is amazing! Cozy restaurant with world class food. They have an exceptional wine list and great staff. My steak was perfection and my husband has the most amazing surf and turf meal. The steak menu is a la carte which makes for endless combinations. We cannot wait to eat there again!
(5)
Shannon R.
We had an early dinner at Theo's on a Saturday night. The staff was super friendly and waiter was attentive. The place is not large but the tables are not crowded together and I liked not being too close to the next table. The bleu cheese fondue was amazing and I don't generally like bleu cheese. I had petite filet mignon that was fantastic and broccoli that was good but over salted. Husband had prime rib and creamed spinach that he loved but potatoes on the side were a bit cold. Overall would visit again for sure, not inexpensive but felt the food was really worth the price.
(4)
Sean M.
Beats Lunis and Ruth s Chris steaks hands down. Local cut meat with Prime options. Try the butter de Paris on the Delmonico.... Awesome
(5)
Julia P.
We took my husband for a birthday dinner this past Thursday. The porterhouse we shared was cooked just right. The scallops and wedge salads we started with were thoroughly enjoyable. And although the whipped potatoes were a bit dry and just fine, the onion rings were awesome. And most of all, our server, Curtis, was great. Thanks for a lovely evening.
(5)
Anthony C.
We enjoyed ourselves very much. Had steak, hamburger and green beans--all were great. They even brought us out two onion rings (because we did not want a whole order) which was very kind. Very good service.
(4)
Julie A.
We had dinner there last night. Wonderful food and service. We sat at the bar and had fried green tomatoe appetizer, short ribs, rockfish and the doughnut bread pudding. Bartender, Heather, was very attentive and professional and made the meal. A true test of a restaurant is if the locals go there - and you had numerous store owners in there after closing their shops. I look forward to going back many times! I live in Annapolis - and this is on par w/ our steakhouses!
(5)
Sheila C.
Ask for Bill at the bar, the steaks are great as one of our dinners had a big NY strip, the place is really nice! The house salad was very good, the dressing was very lite but the portion size could have been bigger. I got the Salmon, it was amazing, one of the best dishes I have eaten anyplace and yes I dine in Wash DC and NYC often. The Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay was chilled perfectly, it was a bit pricey at Theo's, but well worth it! The atmosphere is great, it had a very pleasing decor, very comfortable sitting areas, we sat at the bar and its a fun room with several big bar tables. We will be back for sure.
(4)
Bryan K.
Fantastic steak. Unbelievable shrimp and grits . Stupendous classic martini. Do not miss this place!
(5)
Cameron C.
A classy in-town spot to get not only a great high-end steak but in addition, a huge break from the crab-house, mad-house scene. Definitely give their innovative side dishes a try - the creamed kale special at Christmas was amazing & made me want to go home and recreate it immediately which doesn't happen all that often for me. Way impressed with the fresh-ground burger done LOCALLY at Lighty's every day, can't wait to give that one a try. Steaks are all hand-cut daily at the Village Shop or "Lighty's as known to the locals" which makes this locavore very happy. Menu is innovative with some great options for those who want to come back often but don't always need a $200 dinner. Steak tip caesar salad wins the prize for affordability & taste...top with some good blue cheese crumbles and I'm sold! Heard mostly great reviews from all the weekenders I have sent in for dinner for both service & taste...if you are looking for a great dining experience off the water - Theo's will please land & sea lovers alike. DO: Make a reservation in advance...weekends are BUSY Keep it up Theo's...
(4)
Crystal B.
We got the porterhouse for two meal. Drinks were great, salad was great, bread was delicious, twice baked potatoes were average, dessert was great. The server and bartender had great personalities. Very nice atmosphere. Just a little overpriced (and we did the deal to make it a better price!)
(4)
Matt B.
Only steak I've had that was comparable was at Peter Lugers in NYC. Phenomenal. The creamed spinach was out of this world and nothing disappointed. It is slightly pricey but no worse than Ruth Chris and the food at Theo's is far better.
(5)
Kathie P.
Lovely, lovely little restaurant in St. Michael's. Went for dinner the other night with very special friends, and I truly experienced a very special meal. I ordered crab cakes and they were about the best crab cakes I have every tasted. They were full of lump crab, had very little filler, and had tons of taste. The others ordered steak, and they raved about their meal. We ordered a Greek salad, and that was very, very good. Topping off our meal were the best profiteroles I have ever tasted. The ambiance is great - very cozy, and very tasteful. Our server was great! I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Eston M.
Strolled in while walking around St. Michaels, and it was a great find. Ate at the bar. My wife had a killer wedge salad (yeah, a non-lame wedge salad) and baked potato, and my steak salad was also pretty great. Portions were big -- enough to pack up leftovers and have a good-size meal the next night. Dessert was also pretty great, although I've forgotten what we had.
(5)
Kyle B.
I have enjoyed many a steak in my life, but the 24 oz. bone-in ribeye I had at Theo's was one of the best. It was a perfectly cooked medium-rare with an excellent char on the outside. They also drizzled some kind of herb butter on the steak, which really enhanced the flavor. In addition, there was also a great atmosphere in the place. You feel like you are dining inside someone's home. When I go back to St. Michaels again, I will definitely be coming back to Theo's.
(5)
Annie W.
We were visiting St. Michael's for a weekend getaway and Ruperts looked nice from the outside and the dinner specials on the chalkboard sounded good. We were greeted by a lovely man at the door who promptly seated us and then it went downhill. Our server was just so outrageously rude and patronizing. Anytime Rodney brought us a drink or plate he slammed it on the table with such a loud bang that it was unnerving and rude. The ambiance is dark and quiet. The type of place where you would hope one would place things somewhat gently on the table. He was unfriendly, abrupt and just did not seem to care about the kind of service he was providing. When we brought the check, it was on a heavy silver plate which he proceeded to clunk down on the table loudly and walked away without a "Thank You" or even a "Have a nice evening". Nothing. Zilch. It was shocking. The food is a whole other story. The Maryland Crab soup which the menu expressed as "famous" or something along those lines was so over salted that it was impossible to take more than a few spoonfuls. I had the spicy noodle salad as my entree and it was shockingly dry and unflavorful. The noodles tasted rancid as if they has been sitting for a long time. We also had the Bluefish Provencale which was okay. Nothing special. Considering our check came to $65 for a dinner for two and we walked out completely infuriated, I would recommend this place to no one. Maybe we just had bad luck and it didn't order the right things but I wouldn't take my chances again.
(1)
Ashley M.
My husband and I went here for a business dinner. The restaurant was very accommodating. We were able to choose the wine before hand and the bartender Bill decanted the red wine for us before we arrived! The service was great, the food was fantastic. Great steak! We ordered calamari, bruschetta and oysters as apps and all were delicious. The atmosphere is really cozy. Try to get a seat in the room with the fireplace!
(5)
Christine C.
So, you've come to St. Michaels for the day to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the little shops, and the friendly atmosphere? Baaaahahahaha... Here we will seat you at a tiny little table that two people can barely balance their plates and drinks on, and we will leave you there for-e-ver! (cue dungeon music) Okay, so I know that I'm being ridiculously dramatic, BUT we went here today for a nice lunch and were SOOOO disappointed! The atmosphere of this place is adorable - perfect new england island coziness with some porch seating. When we walked in no one greeted us. My husband had to ask the bartender to be seated. He was polite and told us there was a great table on the porch, if we wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather. We were thrilled... until we got to the "table", if you can call it that (it really seemed like a nightstand with two chairs, and the management was trying to swindle people into believing that it was a table). Anyway, we got over it because the day was beautiful and we were glad to be there. The waiter handed us each a beat up composition notebook with the menu taped to the inside cover. So weird! We decided quickly because the waiter seemed to be in a rush - I would have the Avocado Salad with a glass of water, my husband would have the oyster stew and a glass of wine. They were out of the stew. Change that to a crab soup. And away he went. Twenty minutes later the waiter came back with our lunch and that was the last time we saw him... EVER. My salad had no dressing, no salt and pepper - a bland, sad little salad. The hubby's soup was decent, as was his wine. Of course, it was quite a game to actually eat all of this off of our little nightstand table. Forty minutes later and we still had no sign of the waiter. I ran out of water 35 minutes ago. My husband had to go inside and ask the bartender to send someone out with the check. Another 10 minutes of waiting and there was no check. We checked the menu for the prices, left cash at the table to cover the bill, and left. Quite a bummer of a lunch, especially for a place that had such promising atmosphere. The staff made it a total let down.
(2)
Jeff Y.
Awesome-Go there every Saturday that I am on the eastern shore followed by a stop at Carpenter Street. Food is very simple but great, wine is great, and the service is fantastic. Keep it up
(5)
David J.
Rupert's is closed. It will open shortly (Sept. 2011) under new managment by the owner of Ava's and Akai.
(1)
Clifton J.
Wonderful Valentine's Steak Dinner 2012 ... Ignore the 10-17-10 reviews ... They were for a previous restaurant at the same location!
(4)
Nadine S.
We ate there last night and were very disappointed--especially with our waitress! We had made reservations three weeks earlier and were looking forward to dinner. However, we weren't that hungry when we got to the restaurant. We were greeted by a really friendly host and in a short time our table was ready. Our waitress took our drink order--pear martini and a glass of Pinot Grigio. The martini was good, but the wine pour was skimpy. There was a star etched on the glass to show where they should pour to, but the wine fell short of that mark. Same thing with a second glass. The waitress told us about the specials. One was lamb chops. They sounded good, but we weren't that hungry. She didn't mention the price so I asked--$36. It would have been a big surprise had we ordered them since nothing on the menu came close to that price. We told the waitress we were planning to share a Caesar salad and a burger with fried onion rings. She did not share with us that there would be an additional charge for sharing! When the bill came they charged us $22 for the $14 hamburger. Had we known we would have ordered two small plates on our own. If this place needs to pinch their pennies by shorting the wine and jacking up the charges I don't think they will be around long--or,at least, I hope not! We will not go back any time soon! This review should not come as a surprise to the restaurant, we specifically asked the waitress about the extra charge and the wine pour. She could have looked at the glass and seen it was short. She should have mentioned the extra charge in the beginning. She paid for that mistake with her tip!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Michael W.
We were fortunate to have two outstanding dinners at Theo's this past weekend. The steaks were high end generous cuts cooked to perfection. On our second visit I had some of the best short ribs on the planet. The daily special "tots" are also a must have.While the food was 5 star, the service was even better. Laura our waitress/ bartender made both our meals special occasions. If you are in St. Michaels and want the best go to Theo's.
(5)Harry K.
Susan had a tenderloin salad. She loved it. Perfect, she said. Fresh ingredients with just the right amount of dressing I got a cheese burger. Huge! I mean huge! Delicious. Great fries, too. Cooked perfectly, flavorful. Naturally, besides the two kinds of cheese, sautéed onions, and mushrooms, I got bacon! Fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion made it even more colossal! Susan had a Malbec and I had a couple of great dirty martinis. Blue cheese olives and Grey Goose rounded out a delightful dinner.
(5)Rodger S.
The food here is excellent. My filet mignon was melt-in-your-mouth delicious & my husband's soft shell crabs were crispy & flavorful. The onion straws were another big hit with us. Other pluses go to the waitress, who was very attentive, & the setting, as we enjoyed sitting on the front porch watching the lively activity on the street. The one big minus is the prices. $36 for the small filet & mashed potatoes was too steep, as was $36 for two small crabs with no sides whatsoever!
(4)Mitchell K.
Their food quality is very good. Very well seasoned filet and the herb and cheese ravioli was actually very good. It stands out as a finally different option on way sea of other similar "fancy seafood" or "tavern" restaurants as a great alternative option. The menu could probably use more sides and pastas, and the service is a little slow to get your meal after the salad. But it is a great alternative option and food is excellent, definitely recommended to go the next night after their other restaurant, Ava's.
(4)Julia K.
Overall, the food and service were merely OK. For an upscale restaurant in a small town, you'd think the staff would be very accommodating and professional for a large group spending a fair amount of money, but the staff seemed a little sluggish and unfriendly. Servers shouldn't get antsy when they have to repeat the choices for the entree when there are only two options! The house mixed green salad was fresh and came with a nice light vinaigrette. The petite filet was cooked to my liking, but the server never asked any of the patrons at the table what they wanted their steak to be cooked to. They must assume that everyone wants their meat to be cooked to medium. The crab cakes were a healthy portion, slightly over seasoned and had some mix of fish - not pure lump crab. The strawberry shortcake was an unsuccessful twist on a classic dessert. The dessert was simple with a lackluster cake bottom.
(3)Kristen W.
This little restaurant is for real. By far the best meal we had while visiting St. Michael's. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was perfect. My husband had the filet and it was outstanding - plus the mashed potatoes were so incredibly good. I will personally recommend the shrimp and grits, which were the best I've had in years, possibly ever. Just a great meal all around, for a reasonable price point.
(5)Mrs D.
Did not honor reservation. We are locals and spoke with a hostess around 3pm and asked if we needed reservations for dinner tonight. Her reply was "not really" but we made reservations for 6pm and indicated a specific location for seating. We arrived on time and the place was busy. The hostess looked around and said she had no seating per our request. She offered a 30 minute wait or seating in the dining room we did not request. We asked why a reservation was not honored and only received an apology. The best part was the empty table we were standing next to and she was looking at. We asked for this table and received another apology and a no reply. Visitors beware you take your chances with this establishment. The poor management practices And lack of all customer service skills was insulting. Chris needs to take a hard look at training this staff There are plenty of great restaurants in St Michaels that do honor reservations.
(1)Keller S.
While the food was good, the service was excellent. Peter was attentive and respectful. I particularly liked when I asked for something that was not presented his reponse was, 'I can make that happen'. He also never once said, ' no problem'. So, thank you very much Peter for giving us a very pleasant dining experience at Theo's.
(4)mark s.
The food is very good, but the service can be a mix of snotty to down right uninformed about availability. It seems more like the staff is going through the motions until they can leave. If you've dined at great places with excellent service, don't expect any expertise...if you ask for something..we'll that might put them off...FO
(3)Kathy W.
Service and food were good but I feel that for the price we paid we should have had better service and better food. Everything about the place is average. Ambiance gives it a 4 versus a 3.
(4)jeff s.
Ponderosa has better beef Please do not waste your money I travel from coast to coast and do appreciate a great steak Sometime price is a good barometer of what the establishment thinks there product should be valued. And $37 for a NY strip is meat top end But my steak .... Again was closer to ponderosa steakhouses Qualtiy Tough and just full of grizzle I am surprised and dismayed but the positive reviews Business men like myself will be disappointed and disturbed by what they will get at this "quant, attractive ... Little jewel! .
(1)John A.
Ordered off the happy hour menu. Or rather, we TRIED to order off the happy hour menu, but instead, this happened: Wife: "I'd like this drink." Bartender: "We don't have the ingredients for that drink." Me: "I'd like a half dozen oysters." Bartender: "We're out of oysters." This was at 6:00 on a Friday evening. I went on to order the "hefeweizen" they had on tap, which unfortunately was clear, brown, and tasted like Newcastle. The one app we ended up eating was decent, at least.
(2)C P.
Beautiful, short walk from the marina to this friendly, casual restaurant. The salads were good, not memorable. Most of our table ordered steak which everyone enjoyed. I had sautéed soft shell crabs. Although very small, they were tasty. The fried green tomatoes and corn/veggie salsa stole the show though. If I could redo...I would just have a plate filled with these sides. We all shared a few of the starches. The general opinion between the 8 of us was that the hash browns were the best with the grits being a close second. The whipped potatoes and double stuffed potatoes remained unfinished on the table. The small portion of the mac n cheese was eaten but you can pass on this menu item. It just wasn't very good. Too many restaurants do exceptional mac n cheese now so the standard is pretty high if you offer this on a dinner menu. + One big plus for service. I ordered a Moscow Mule before dinner. It took an extra minute after everyone else was served their drinks. The waitress apologized and explained that the bartender went across the street to their sister restaurant to get the ingredients. They could have of just said 'no' to my request. The effort is much appreciated!
(4)Julie P.
Filet was perfect. Service was excellent. Chairs at the bar were a little tight, but it is a small bar. Thoroughly enjoyed it
(5)Dawn S.
Excellent food, though quite expensive. Wonderful for a special occasion, which is why we went for our anniversary. The staff are WONDERFUL. Food was perfect. Blue Cheese tater tots were homemade. Yum! Thank you to the staff for helping making our anniversary perfect.
(4)Melissa U.
Yelp! and TripAdvisor reviews are invaluable when deciding to try a new restaurant. Especially if it is a nicer, expensive restaurant where you plan to pay higher prices for exceptional quality food and superior service. After reading all of the positive reviews of Theo's we couldn't wait to try it out. Unfortunately, we were simply disappointed all around. Service started out great but after getting our appetizers, the service tapered off as the evening went on. Appetizers were served promptly but we were told fresh bread and butter was on its way out. We had to ask for it after our appetizers were cleared. We got the bread, but never the butter. We asked for fresh ground pepper for our salads and our waiter pointed to the pepper mill on the table. We ordered a very nice bottle of Groth, listed on the menu as a 2009. We didn't notice until halfway through the bottle that we were served a 2010. While the vintage was equally delicious, the issue we had was that the waiter showed the bottle to our friend who did not order it, poured the tasting from across the table into my husband's glass who did order it. Didn't twist the bottle at end of each pour causing wine to drip down the bottle, and worst of all.... Never asked if we wanted another bottle or even another drink for that matter! It would have behooved the waiter to ask as it would have increased his check total and ultimately his tip. When we brought the 2009/2010 vintage issue to the waiter's attention he more or less shrugged it off and said they must be out of 2009 because that was the last bottle of Groth in the house. Other minor issues: my husband asked for another napkin and he never got it. We didn't see our server again until we were practically done with our entrees. We ordered two of the USDA prime filets (supposedly the last two). Cooked as requested, but was not hot when presented. One was half the size of the other, room temperature on the outside and pretty much cold in the center which really muted the flavor. We also ordered the Prime NY Strip. Well seasoned, tasty, but again, room temperature on the outside and cool internally. The fourth dish, the Seafood & Oyster Pot Pie. Folks, don't waste your money on this. Get a steak. A hot steak. The description should say "full of potatoes and peas with hints of seafood" not "full of seafood and vegetables". I honestly had two small oysters and possibly 4 or five "bits" of diced shrimp. The rest was potatoes, peas and a rich (yet tasty) creamy sauce. I was actually looking forward to the Shrimp Scamp listed on your website menu, but when I asked the waiter about it he had no clue what I was talking about. I specifically said there is a seafood pasta dish listed on your menu online and he said "we don't have any pasta dishes". Your online menu clearly says "Theo's Shrimp Scampi". So either your website is not updated or your servers are not updated. Either way, I blame that on management for lack of oversight. We eat out a lot and don't mind spending money on a great meal and great experience. This just wasn't one of them. We were starving so we didn't complain at the time and just bit our tongues. And we still chose to tip our waiter over 20% as the food issues were not his fault and we gave him the benefit of the doubt and chalked it up to him being really busy. Many of our issues could easily be resoloved by management initiating training that promotes higher standards for a truly fine dining experience. I also think the manager should stop by each table to greet guests and ask how everyone's experience was. Make me WANT to come back. Ending on a positive note, I will give it 5 stars for ambiance.
(2)Tom G.
This rating is for the food only! The experience was pretty much a disaster. We waited forever for our food; making a 7-year-old (my granddaughter) wait almost an hour for her meal is not the way to win friends and influence people. We kept asking until my colleen of 44 years asked for the check and said we were leaving. That brought out Theo himself who put a schmooze on us that was one for the ages - and comped the whole thing. I have to think that during the off-season establishments like this are willing to take their lumps because their staff is not up to full strength yet (and probably lack experience). I think we'll go back; the food is really very good and, who knows, maybe I can get Theo to comp us again!
(4)Neil D.
Really a winner of a place. Good cocktails, perfectly cooked cuts of beef, tater tots with a creative spin. Steakhouse regulars will dig it. One of the best in St Michaels.
(4)Jeana C.
Great service. Nice ambiance. Steaks were pretty good. A simple, elegant restaurant. Price goes with what it offers.
(4)Enrique D.
I went to Theos the night I met my fiancees dad for the first time. All the nervousness aside, this cozy place made us feel so welcome and comfortable. We ordered so many things and I have to say nothing really comes to mind right now that was outstanding, but I do remember really enjoying my steak and wedge salad. The wine list was terrific. They even had a bottle of Micheal David "circus" I've been hunting down forever. The service was really the best part of my experience here. It felt familiar and they were so attentive without being intrusive. Will come here every visit to St. Michaels.
(4)Mary G.
This place is amazing! Cozy restaurant with world class food. They have an exceptional wine list and great staff. My steak was perfection and my husband has the most amazing surf and turf meal. The steak menu is a la carte which makes for endless combinations. We cannot wait to eat there again!
(5)Shannon R.
We had an early dinner at Theo's on a Saturday night. The staff was super friendly and waiter was attentive. The place is not large but the tables are not crowded together and I liked not being too close to the next table. The bleu cheese fondue was amazing and I don't generally like bleu cheese. I had petite filet mignon that was fantastic and broccoli that was good but over salted. Husband had prime rib and creamed spinach that he loved but potatoes on the side were a bit cold. Overall would visit again for sure, not inexpensive but felt the food was really worth the price.
(4)Sean M.
Beats Lunis and Ruth s Chris steaks hands down. Local cut meat with Prime options. Try the butter de Paris on the Delmonico.... Awesome
(5)Julia P.
We took my husband for a birthday dinner this past Thursday. The porterhouse we shared was cooked just right. The scallops and wedge salads we started with were thoroughly enjoyable. And although the whipped potatoes were a bit dry and just fine, the onion rings were awesome. And most of all, our server, Curtis, was great. Thanks for a lovely evening.
(5)Anthony C.
We enjoyed ourselves very much. Had steak, hamburger and green beans--all were great. They even brought us out two onion rings (because we did not want a whole order) which was very kind. Very good service.
(4)Julie A.
We had dinner there last night. Wonderful food and service. We sat at the bar and had fried green tomatoe appetizer, short ribs, rockfish and the doughnut bread pudding. Bartender, Heather, was very attentive and professional and made the meal. A true test of a restaurant is if the locals go there - and you had numerous store owners in there after closing their shops. I look forward to going back many times! I live in Annapolis - and this is on par w/ our steakhouses!
(5)Sheila C.
Ask for Bill at the bar, the steaks are great as one of our dinners had a big NY strip, the place is really nice! The house salad was very good, the dressing was very lite but the portion size could have been bigger. I got the Salmon, it was amazing, one of the best dishes I have eaten anyplace and yes I dine in Wash DC and NYC often. The Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay was chilled perfectly, it was a bit pricey at Theo's, but well worth it! The atmosphere is great, it had a very pleasing decor, very comfortable sitting areas, we sat at the bar and its a fun room with several big bar tables. We will be back for sure.
(4)Bryan K.
Fantastic steak. Unbelievable shrimp and grits . Stupendous classic martini. Do not miss this place!
(5)Cameron C.
A classy in-town spot to get not only a great high-end steak but in addition, a huge break from the crab-house, mad-house scene. Definitely give their innovative side dishes a try - the creamed kale special at Christmas was amazing & made me want to go home and recreate it immediately which doesn't happen all that often for me. Way impressed with the fresh-ground burger done LOCALLY at Lighty's every day, can't wait to give that one a try. Steaks are all hand-cut daily at the Village Shop or "Lighty's as known to the locals" which makes this locavore very happy. Menu is innovative with some great options for those who want to come back often but don't always need a $200 dinner. Steak tip caesar salad wins the prize for affordability & taste...top with some good blue cheese crumbles and I'm sold! Heard mostly great reviews from all the weekenders I have sent in for dinner for both service & taste...if you are looking for a great dining experience off the water - Theo's will please land & sea lovers alike. DO: Make a reservation in advance...weekends are BUSY Keep it up Theo's...
(4)Crystal B.
We got the porterhouse for two meal. Drinks were great, salad was great, bread was delicious, twice baked potatoes were average, dessert was great. The server and bartender had great personalities. Very nice atmosphere. Just a little overpriced (and we did the deal to make it a better price!)
(4)Matt B.
Only steak I've had that was comparable was at Peter Lugers in NYC. Phenomenal. The creamed spinach was out of this world and nothing disappointed. It is slightly pricey but no worse than Ruth Chris and the food at Theo's is far better.
(5)Kathie P.
Lovely, lovely little restaurant in St. Michael's. Went for dinner the other night with very special friends, and I truly experienced a very special meal. I ordered crab cakes and they were about the best crab cakes I have every tasted. They were full of lump crab, had very little filler, and had tons of taste. The others ordered steak, and they raved about their meal. We ordered a Greek salad, and that was very, very good. Topping off our meal were the best profiteroles I have ever tasted. The ambiance is great - very cozy, and very tasteful. Our server was great! I can't wait to go back.
(5)Eston M.
Strolled in while walking around St. Michaels, and it was a great find. Ate at the bar. My wife had a killer wedge salad (yeah, a non-lame wedge salad) and baked potato, and my steak salad was also pretty great. Portions were big -- enough to pack up leftovers and have a good-size meal the next night. Dessert was also pretty great, although I've forgotten what we had.
(5)Kyle B.
I have enjoyed many a steak in my life, but the 24 oz. bone-in ribeye I had at Theo's was one of the best. It was a perfectly cooked medium-rare with an excellent char on the outside. They also drizzled some kind of herb butter on the steak, which really enhanced the flavor. In addition, there was also a great atmosphere in the place. You feel like you are dining inside someone's home. When I go back to St. Michaels again, I will definitely be coming back to Theo's.
(5)Annie W.
We were visiting St. Michael's for a weekend getaway and Ruperts looked nice from the outside and the dinner specials on the chalkboard sounded good. We were greeted by a lovely man at the door who promptly seated us and then it went downhill. Our server was just so outrageously rude and patronizing. Anytime Rodney brought us a drink or plate he slammed it on the table with such a loud bang that it was unnerving and rude. The ambiance is dark and quiet. The type of place where you would hope one would place things somewhat gently on the table. He was unfriendly, abrupt and just did not seem to care about the kind of service he was providing. When we brought the check, it was on a heavy silver plate which he proceeded to clunk down on the table loudly and walked away without a "Thank You" or even a "Have a nice evening". Nothing. Zilch. It was shocking. The food is a whole other story. The Maryland Crab soup which the menu expressed as "famous" or something along those lines was so over salted that it was impossible to take more than a few spoonfuls. I had the spicy noodle salad as my entree and it was shockingly dry and unflavorful. The noodles tasted rancid as if they has been sitting for a long time. We also had the Bluefish Provencale which was okay. Nothing special. Considering our check came to $65 for a dinner for two and we walked out completely infuriated, I would recommend this place to no one. Maybe we just had bad luck and it didn't order the right things but I wouldn't take my chances again.
(1)Ashley M.
My husband and I went here for a business dinner. The restaurant was very accommodating. We were able to choose the wine before hand and the bartender Bill decanted the red wine for us before we arrived! The service was great, the food was fantastic. Great steak! We ordered calamari, bruschetta and oysters as apps and all were delicious. The atmosphere is really cozy. Try to get a seat in the room with the fireplace!
(5)Christine C.
So, you've come to St. Michaels for the day to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the little shops, and the friendly atmosphere? Baaaahahahaha... Here we will seat you at a tiny little table that two people can barely balance their plates and drinks on, and we will leave you there for-e-ver! (cue dungeon music) Okay, so I know that I'm being ridiculously dramatic, BUT we went here today for a nice lunch and were SOOOO disappointed! The atmosphere of this place is adorable - perfect new england island coziness with some porch seating. When we walked in no one greeted us. My husband had to ask the bartender to be seated. He was polite and told us there was a great table on the porch, if we wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather. We were thrilled... until we got to the "table", if you can call it that (it really seemed like a nightstand with two chairs, and the management was trying to swindle people into believing that it was a table). Anyway, we got over it because the day was beautiful and we were glad to be there. The waiter handed us each a beat up composition notebook with the menu taped to the inside cover. So weird! We decided quickly because the waiter seemed to be in a rush - I would have the Avocado Salad with a glass of water, my husband would have the oyster stew and a glass of wine. They were out of the stew. Change that to a crab soup. And away he went. Twenty minutes later the waiter came back with our lunch and that was the last time we saw him... EVER. My salad had no dressing, no salt and pepper - a bland, sad little salad. The hubby's soup was decent, as was his wine. Of course, it was quite a game to actually eat all of this off of our little nightstand table. Forty minutes later and we still had no sign of the waiter. I ran out of water 35 minutes ago. My husband had to go inside and ask the bartender to send someone out with the check. Another 10 minutes of waiting and there was no check. We checked the menu for the prices, left cash at the table to cover the bill, and left. Quite a bummer of a lunch, especially for a place that had such promising atmosphere. The staff made it a total let down.
(2)Jeff Y.
Awesome-Go there every Saturday that I am on the eastern shore followed by a stop at Carpenter Street. Food is very simple but great, wine is great, and the service is fantastic. Keep it up
(5)David J.
Rupert's is closed. It will open shortly (Sept. 2011) under new managment by the owner of Ava's and Akai.
(1)Clifton J.
Wonderful Valentine's Steak Dinner 2012 ... Ignore the 10-17-10 reviews ... They were for a previous restaurant at the same location!
(4)Nadine S.
We ate there last night and were very disappointed--especially with our waitress! We had made reservations three weeks earlier and were looking forward to dinner. However, we weren't that hungry when we got to the restaurant. We were greeted by a really friendly host and in a short time our table was ready. Our waitress took our drink order--pear martini and a glass of Pinot Grigio. The martini was good, but the wine pour was skimpy. There was a star etched on the glass to show where they should pour to, but the wine fell short of that mark. Same thing with a second glass. The waitress told us about the specials. One was lamb chops. They sounded good, but we weren't that hungry. She didn't mention the price so I asked--$36. It would have been a big surprise had we ordered them since nothing on the menu came close to that price. We told the waitress we were planning to share a Caesar salad and a burger with fried onion rings. She did not share with us that there would be an additional charge for sharing! When the bill came they charged us $22 for the $14 hamburger. Had we known we would have ordered two small plates on our own. If this place needs to pinch their pennies by shorting the wine and jacking up the charges I don't think they will be around long--or,at least, I hope not! We will not go back any time soon! This review should not come as a surprise to the restaurant, we specifically asked the waitress about the extra charge and the wine pour. She could have looked at the glass and seen it was short. She should have mentioned the extra charge in the beginning. She paid for that mistake with her tip!
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