Oz Chophouse closed on Saturday night, and the Maple Lawn restaurant will be replaced by a new steakhouse by the owners of Ranazul and Jordan's Steakhouse, according to Elizabeth Large in the Sun.
The sign on Oz's door says that the owners sold to Jordan Naftal of Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City. It says he and his partners will "be taking over the restaurant space on August 13, 2009."
The new steakhouse will be "Carlos and Jordan's Steakhouse," Large says. Billz reports on Live in Howard County that Jordan sent a tweet that they're aiming to open in November 2009. I'll update if I hear more about timing.
(I updated on Sunday thanks to someone who sent me that link and to Large who emailed me.)
I'm really bummed for the Buschers who owned Oz even though I'm not a steakhouse addict. I enjoyed the bar, and the loss of Trapeze and Oz leaves Ranazul and its tapas as the last kitchen from the first generation of Maple Lawn eating.
But a Jordan's steakhouse sounds like a great replacement. That is a terrific restaurant in downtown Ellicott City, one of my best restaurants in Howard County although I haven't eaten there since I started the blog. I'll be interested to see if "Carlos and Jordan" inject a Latin element from Ranazul into the menu. Either way, Maple Lawn's developer has to be very happy -- especially after scoring a parking-lot-packing success with Looney's Pub.
If you really need a steak, you can grill a nice one from one of the meat markets of Howard County.
Just checked Open Table for next Friday, and they show no reservations for 2 at 8 PM, and kinda spotty for before and after that time.
ReplyDeleteNot so sure this is true. I have to admit, though, I only ate there once. Thought they thought a lot of themselves with their pricing ... they had Ruth Chris prices, but without the quality.
Did a quick search on Google News, and an article in the Sun pops up, saying that Jordan's Steakhouse is taking it over:
ReplyDeletehttp://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2009/08/two_more_restaurant_closings.html
Jordans steaks are a bit dry, and just wayy overpriced for the quality and size.Oz was ok..their sliders were great though!
ReplyDeleteKind of a shame. I disagree about the quality... at least 6+ months or more ago.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed their food - the beef was cooked perfectly and they were good cuts and portion sizes - especially the lobster. But I out of about 8 or so times there we had 2 very poor service experiences - enough to complain to the manager.
The owner (female) comped our whole next meal (still left a generous tip), but we never made it back before this news.
I like and prefer non-chain restaurants like this and Trapeze, but with the price should come great food and service.
I like Jordan's food, but I had a very snotty experience there before. The waiter apologized to me for "lackadaisical" service because I wasn't 90 years old... it seemed that was who he was catering to... not that the $300 I spent wasn't enough! :)
I will give this new joint a try when it opens though. I want to be blown away, so my expectations are high. If I want ho-hum steak and good service there is always Outback in EC.
Pay attention Jordan! Although the food was fine, the service and attitude of your staff over several years has been sporadically poor. Fine dining prices require fine dining service. This has not been our overall experience and, hopefully, will not continue in Maple Lawn. Please raise your expectations of staff performance and train your folks accordingly. If you want to really succeed, please heed this critique. We would love to see you make this venture successful but it will require a much higher standard than what we have experienced in the past.
ReplyDeleteJordan's location on Main Street in Ellicott City appears to be closed indefinitely. That doesn't seem to bode well for the new location.
ReplyDelete