Beer is the key to the Frisco Grille and Cantina in Columbia. This is a classic Howard County spot -- a shopping center bay that looks anonymous from the outside, but has been tricked out inside with something special.
The special at the Frisco Grille is beer. Nineteen rotating taps of high-quality beers from craft breweries. Dozens of more labels in bottles. On Tuesday, there is trivia. On Wednesdays, there a "pint night" special with free glasses and the chance to meet the people who brew or sell the special beers.
Frisco Grille is a pub, which is ironic considering that it calls itself both a "grille" and a "cantina." There is a small bar and then tables scattered around the room. Televisions screens turned to sports and news. A menu that runs to "Cal-Mex" items like burritos, enchiladas and quesadillas and to sandwiches like a lightly fried chicken breast or fajita meat on a kaiser roll. This isn't a Top 10 restaurant. It's a pub menu where you go for the place and the beer, and you enjoy good food with a few highlights like superb onion rings, a unique spicy mustard, and an appetizer of risotto griddled into lightly-crisp pancakes. It's also a pretty modern pub menu that offers lighter fare like seafood and vegetarian options built on beans, spinach, and tofu.
But this isn't Great Sage. You can get a cheese-and-chorizo dip to accompany your beer and conversation. The draft beers change, but the electronic beer list recently included Dortmunder, Lagunitas, Bear Republic, Weyebacher, La Couffe, Clipper City and Brewers Art. That is probably a treasure trove if you're a beer aficionado, and The Baltimore Beer Guy writes often about the rotating options. But it's also fun if you're a neophyte who wants to taste a few beers before you order your pint. Frisco Grille has no pretentions. You can sample and explore.
Frisco Grille is part of the Columbia beer neighborhood that includes The Perfect Pour's wall of beer and Victoria Gastro Pub, which also serves craft beers on tap at its bar.
Frisco Grille is part of the Columbia beer neighborhood that includes The Perfect Pour's wall of beer and Victoria Gastro Pub, which also serves craft beers on tap at its bar.
Read more about Frisco in the Baltimore Beer Guy, Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants, or The Beer Advocate.
Frisco Grille & Cantina
8865 Stanford Bouelvard
Columbia, MD 21045
410-312-4907
NEAR: Frisco Grille is off Dobbin Road south of Rte 175 in a shopping center with Pub Dog. From the north, take Rte 175 and turn south on Dobbin Road at the intersection with a Chik-fil-A and a Kmart. The shopping center is on the left after the second light. From the south, take Snowden River Parkway and turn left on McGaw Road at the light with Apple Ford. Turn right at the light with Dobbin, then look for the shopping center on the right.
NEAR: Frisco Grille is off Dobbin Road south of Rte 175 in a shopping center with Pub Dog. From the north, take Rte 175 and turn south on Dobbin Road at the intersection with a Chik-fil-A and a Kmart. The shopping center is on the left after the second light. From the south, take Snowden River Parkway and turn left on McGaw Road at the light with Apple Ford. Turn right at the light with Dobbin, then look for the shopping center on the right.
1 comments:
I went here with my girlfriend a few weekends ago after reading the review here, and I must say I am very disappointed. I think the bulk of it was the bad service we had. Our waitress was very pushy and carried the "I am mightier than thou" attitude, which really ruined the entire experience.
I had two pints of beer, the dogfish and the loose cannon on tap. Apparently the only way to determine what is on tap is to either sit at the bar (full the night we went) or to watch a scrolling television screen in the back of the room. Our waitress was no help. The Loose Cannon was good, hoppier than the Dogfish 60 minute and than the Hoppy Dog at the Pub Dog across the parking lot, but smooth enough to be drinkable.
We ordered appetizers and fajitas. The rossito cakes were interesting, and the fajitas were not bad. I must point out that whatever they do to the fajita steak is amazing. It was almost worth coming back and battling the service to try more steak fajitas. The meat was very tender and very well marinated.
Now that I am typing this, I cannot remember what else we disliked about the place. I would hate to give a bad recommendation based off of bad service, but right now that is all I can remember. I'll discuss this with my other half, and if we return I'll be sure and follow-up. At this time, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. If you are going to look for food in this shopping center, I would recommend pizza at Pub Dog.
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