Changes Coming To Twist & Turn Tavern And Jilly's? Grille 620 Appears To Have Opened

Has anyone heard about changes coming to the Twist & Turn Tavern in Highland or Jilly's in Ellicott City?

Over the weekend, I heard that the woman who used to run the front of the house at Facci has moved to Twist & Turn Tavern.  Talk was that they're adding outdoor seating (and I saw a new awning over the sidewalk when I drove through Saturday).  Talk was also that she was involved in getting a new chef for the tavern and that the food might change.

Anyone know more?  Anyone have recommendation at Twist & Turn?  It's an easy location right at Rte 216 and Rte 108, but I had assumed it was regular tavern food.  I'd love to hear about great dishes or new items.

This morning, John tweeted me to say that he had heard that Jilly's was closed or sold in Ellicott City.  he said "closed for good."  Does anyone know the news?  I can't open their Web page, and no one answered the phone when I called.  (Update: See Alicyn's comment below that Jilly's will be replaced by the White Oak Tavern.  Jilly's has news and photos on its Facebook page.)

On the opening side, Grille 620 appears to have opened in Turf Valley.  Jack emailed, and Chris posted with a report that sounds normal for a new restaurant -- pretty good steak and salmon with uneven service.

As a bonus, Trip Klaus posted a comment saying he had talked to the owners of the Bean & Burgundy that is coming to Rte 40 in Ellicott City.  Report is coffee all day, deli at lunch, and bigger dishes at dinner.  Let people know if you have reports or news on any of these places.

Link: Twist & Turn On Dining At Large

Twist and Turn in Highland got reviewed by John Lindner on the Sun's Dining at Large blog.  He did not enjoy his lunch.

First Thoughts On Twist & Turn Tavern

Highland got a new restaurant when the Twist & Turn Tavern opened, promising a neighborhood pub.  I haven't visited yet, but Amber emailed with some first thoughts.  She went Tuesday night for half-priced burgers, which sounds right for a neighborhood pub.  Of course, one of the burgers was bison:

I went to Twist and Turn Tavern with my boyfriend and his sister for half-price burger night.  First of all, the burgers were really good. I had the mushroom and swiss Angus burger, ordered medium, and it actually CAME medium!  I was so pleasantly surprised, as that rarely happens. My boyfriend tried the bison burger, which he loved, and his sister seemed to like her turkey burger as well. The onion rings are obviously made there and definitely have a lot of beer flavor in the batter. Not so sure the sweet potato fries were fresh, but they were good.

Now the bad: the restaurant is obviously new. The table next to us ordered five burgers, but the server only put in the order for four. The guy without food ended up leaving without eating, and they brought out his food in a to-go box later. Here's hoping they comped it, too. Two of our meals came with the sides reversed, which the server acknowledged but made no effort to fix, so we awkwardly picked up our burgers and shuffled plates. It was no big deal, but I was surprised that he didn't offer to take it back to the kitchen to fix.

The place was packed by the time we got our food. It's not super big inside, and the tables are very close together and cramped. Many people came in and ate at the bar since they couldn't get a table. Unfortunately there isn't really any place to stand and wait for a table without being uncomfortably close to someone eating. I think the restaurant would benefit from a vestibule being built on the outside, as some tables are pretty close to the door and I can see it getting really cold in the winter. The restaurant was also VERY noisy--it's all wood inside, so there aren't any sound dampeners. It was nearly impossible to hear our own table for conversation.  The service was also very, very slow, but that's to be expected during the first week of service.

We're uncertain if sides are charged or free with burgers--we got two with sweet potato fries and one with onion rings, and only one of the fries was charged ($2). We didn't ask because we were in a rush to get out of there (and, honestly, didn't want to have to pay a few bucks more if they were mistakenly left off the bill. We are bad people.).

That said, the food was pretty great, and for $5.50 a burger on Tuesday nights, I will definitely be back.

Looking forward to hearing others' opinions!

And so am I.

Twist & Turn Tavern
13380 Clarksville Pike (Rte 108)
Highland, MD  20777
301-854-2170

NEAR: This is on Rte 108 just north of Rte 216.  It's an easy ride from Laurel, Fulton, Clarksville or points west.  And easy enough from Columbia.  If you go to Highland, check out Boarman's Meat Market at the corner of Rte 108 and Rte 216.  They make their own sausage and crab cakes.

What Is The Twist & Turn Tavern in Highland?

There are apparently signs for a new Twist & Turn Tavern in Highland on Rte 108 near Rte 216.  Does anyone know the story?

This is near Boarman's Meat Market and Hidden Treasure Cafe.  John pointed out to me that Twist & Turn has a Facebook page updated a few times in the past six weeks.  It says "opening late May."  Is that true?

(Update: See the comment below that says they're opening on June 10 and should post their menu on May 28.)