Mark’s Score 7.6
I generally don’t write reviews for any location that scores less than an 8.0 on my rating scale. I make an exception for Carpenter Street Saloon for two reasons, the historical significance of the location and their Southwest Salad.
The Carpenter Street Saloon is a bit of an institution in St Michaels. They have been serving food here for over 50 years and it is currently owned by the Mautz family, a prominent political family in the area. The moment you walk in the door, the owner of the saloon becomes readily apparent because there are political stickers everywhere, which personally I find off-putting
The building that houses Carpenter Street Saloon was the first commercial building to be built in St Michaels, built in 1887 by a pharmacist, Henry Dodson. It remained a pharmacy until 1920. Between 1920 and 1963 the building was a bank. Since 1963 it has been a tavern.
I have to admit that when I first walked into Carpenter Street I wasn’t impressed. Even though Carpenter Street is located in a busy upscale tourist town, the place has the feel of a local neighborhood pub. There is nothing wrong with that, having lived in England, I feel at home in a local pub vibe. The problem is that it looks like a local pub long overdue for a bit of refurbishment. The fact that it feels a bit cluttered and the walls are littered with political signs doesn’t help.
I was alone, so I sat at the bar. The bar tender was friendly enough, if she seemed a bit overwhelmed by the lunch crowd. She handed me a menu, and the menu contained the typical items one finds in bars and restaurants up and down the peninsula; burgers, tacos crab this, and crab that. Nothing really stood out to me, so I ordered the Southwestern Chicken salad and a beer, and secretly assumed that I would quickly eat my food and leave. But then things turned for the better.
The bartender brought me my beer in a frosted mug. There is nothing like a cold beer in a frosted mug. I happened to be sitting next to the spot where the wait staff delivered the food for the bar patrons. As I was waiting for my food, I kept thinking, “that looks really good, that looks good too.” Then my Southwestern Salad arrived and I have to admit it was one of the best southwestern salads I have ever eaten. The chicken was both crisp and succulent. The lettuce was crisp and the black bean salsa and dressing were delightful. There is nothing so satisfying as being pleasantly surprised by a restaurant. I will definitely come back and try some of their other dishes. But please Senator Mautz, take your signs off the walls and put them out in people’s yards were they belong.
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