Grtr - Port Deposit

We once again visited the GRT as it is one of the best music venues around (it’s all about the music! I had the mushroom soup and it was one of the best mushroom soups I have had. Hints of white wine, Parmesan cheese and lots of mushrooms! Thanks all Chuck and Karen

Granite Run Taproom offered delicious bar food in a historic building. A town parking lot was located across the street. The building was established in 1818 as the Falls Hotel and has had numerous uses over the year. The walks and pillars are made of the well-known Port Deposit granite. Seating is available both indoors and on the outdoor stone patio. I sat at the bar, making it easy to see what beers were on tap. I started with a Big Truck IPA from Baltimore County while waiting for my meal. The bang band shrimp appetizer was nicely made with very light and crispy breading. It was served on a bed of shredded lettuce with sweet chili aioli. Next, I had the Rockfish Tacos that contained bredded fish, romaine, mango jalapeno salsa, white cheddar, and cilantro, with a smokey garlic aioli, on three flour Tortillas. I ordered a side of crispy fries. With the tacos, I tried another IPA from Evolution Craft Brewing. Service was great, and the atmosphere was most pleasant.

Once again Backfin Blues does not disappoint. They were short staffed but we never felt ignored or forgotten. This has become a staple in our monthly date nights and I have even had teenagers want to go there because it is some incredible. I want to tell everyone about it so they can experience it but also don't want anyone to know so I can keep it all to myself. As a culinary instructor, I live for food and you cannot beat the food, people and environment at Backfin!! YOU MUST TRY OUT BACKFIN BLUES!!

We have been here many times and are usually pleased. We went the evening of 08/16/23 for our 43rd anniversary. My wife ordered the filet well done (her choice) and it was flavorful. As sides, she chose smashed potatoes and broccoli. The potatoes were not prepared in the usual fashion, but were very tasty. The broccoli looked like a train wreck. I ordered a small wedge salad with extra bleu cheese dressing and it was delicious. Instead of an entree, I chose the crab dip with naan bread, which I have had several times in the past. It was very disappointing. The crab was practically non-existent and the entire dish was awash in melted butter, to the point that it actually pooled in the end of the oval shaped bowl. The naan bread had been heated on a wire grill of some type and at least half of the pieces were burned to a crisp on one side and not edible. Of note is the fact that even though Chef Bob Steele is listed as the executive chef, he has been noticeably absent during all of our last visits. Cierra, the server, was efficient and had a pleasant demeanor. Overall, I felt like we had made a poor choice of locations for our celebration.

Fun place! There's parking across the street, I believe free. They advertise live music a few nights a week, would be cool to come listen and dance. The staff was friendly, it wasn't to busy when we walked in and were seated right away. It has a nice sized seating area for lunch or dinner, there's a decent bar and some fun pinball games to place that aren't to pricey. We ordered the onion rings, wings with sauce on the side, and crab cake dinner. Overall everything was delicious, we especially enjoyed the dipping sauce for the onion rights and how crisp they were. The crab cake was good, there was large lump pieces with little filler. The veggies it came with were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Overall everything we ordered was a fair price and pretty good. We'd come back here again.