The Diamondback Tavern

The true surprise was how interesting the menu was- nothing seemed 'ordinary'. Even standard items like wings were slow cooked and tasty. Loved my rockfish and the hubby liked his Shepards Pie. Service was great and prices were reasonable. Pros: food, menu, service more

Love this place. Scotch eggs and burger were both phenomenal. My lady friend enjoyed her steamed rockfish very much. I was surprised to see the reviewer before that said portion sizes were small- I had trouble finishing my 1/2 lb burger and the rockfish filet my lady had was a good size. Service was fast and friendly. Will be back! Pros: Great food and service more

Food was way overpriced and poor. The 10$ Fish Bites appetizer was 4 tiny (marble-sized) pieces. (although I admit they were tasty - but TEN dollars???) The 6$ Crab soup was one of the worst examples of a dish I've ever had in my life. It was tomato soup with stewed tomatoes and a few shreds of crab meat. That was it!!! NO other vegetables other than tomatoes and no flavor other than tomatoes. Stay away from this place. As I said the waitstaff was nice. Pros: Waitstaff was nice Cons: Food was terrible more

Some really amazing food. The wings melt in your mouth (I recommend the Thai Chili) and the Maryland microbrews are fun to try. Great neighborhood hangout! Pros: wings, service, drink specials Cons: parking more

Service was excellent throughout. Prices are reasonable, with some unique menu options. Excellent beer selection. I will definatley go back, this is a good option in downtown Ellicott. Pros: Food, Beer, Service more

The sunday special was listed at $2.00 drafts and that was for some good micro brews. The bar food is a bit different and the rockfish bites are excellent as well as the crab/corn fritters and the crab dip. It was rainy sunday but the bar tenders were friendly and very helpful. Bathrooms very clean. Pros: Service, Food , Beer , Great Cons: Parking more

I like burgers. Actually, I love burgers, and french fries dont forget the fries. I like beer, alot. Dbacks has great burgers and even better fries, and they serve beer! It is amazing to me how many bars/pubs/taverns serve crappy burgers. Its good to find a place that knows how to do it right. more

I decided to pop in for HoCo Restaurant Week and try their $20 pre fixe. First off, the staff from top to bottom was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The food was great, best Shepard's Pie I've ever had. We stayed after dinner for some drinks at the bar and this seems like a great place for locals to hang out and have a few drinks. Bartenders were absolutely slammed but handled it very well. I'm told they'll be having live music in regularly so I'll definitely come back for that. Pros: Food, price, service more

Been here a few times, love this place. Fish n chips are the best I can remember. I was told by the server they use fresh cod. Beer prices were very reasonable- $2 drafts all day on Sunday so I had 4 Guinness and a fish n chips. Pretty much the perfect Sunday meal. Pros: fish n chips, $2 drafts, service more

I've visited the Diamondback Tavern several times over the past few weeks and enjoyed a few things and been a bit disappointed in others - parking could be better, but that's part of the charm of the location. The atmosphere is much brighter and more inviting than that of the previous attempt. On two occasions, I sat in the bar area and the other I was seated in the dining area. In both areas, I was greeted promptly and, in the dining area, I was seated much quicker than I had expected during core dinner hours. Service was average, but a little slower on some occasions than others - even though the crowd was similar - not unexpected for the genre. I thought the menu was quite impressive and possibly a bit ambitious in its variety, which is why I wanted to visit a few times and try a number of dishes before posting a review. First, the dishes I enjoyed were the Blackened Rockfish Bites and The Diamond Burger, an American classic. The Crab & Corn Fritters were alright - I think the corn overpowered the crab. The Fish & Chips and Thanksgiving Sandwich were not what I had expected. The Fish & Chips wasn't breaded with a ""light panko,"" rather what seemed to be a much more dense and possibly overcooked(?) standard dredging. That was not entirely bad, but definitely not what I expected from the menu description and from my previous experiences with fish & chips. The Thanksgiving Sandwich is completely original (in my experience) in a restaurant setting, so bravo for originality. However, the ""smoked turkey breast"" was closer to lunch meat than Thanksgiving leftovers. This sandwich would be a hands-down winner if the turkey breast was less like lunch meat and if there was an option for having stuffing either on the sandwich or on the side. Overall, I was satisfied with my visits to the Diamondback Tavern and will visit again in another few months or so to see what's new. Pros: Rockfish Bites, Diamondback Burger, beer selection, atmosphere Cons: Crab & Corn Fritters, Fish & Chips more

This place has fast become my favorite place to eat in Ellicott City. I've tried this place several times and each time I've had a wonderful experience. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. The service has always been fast and friendly. My favorite items are the Crab Dollop, Rockfish Bites, and the Maryland Corn & Crab Dog. Pros: Quality food, Service Cons: Parking more

Please note that the negative review entitled, ""food"" at the beginning of this thread was NOT written by the former chef, Rob Rehmert. Chef Rob Rehmert did not have anything to do with this posting and does not condone it's contents. Our family has dined at the new Diamondback Tavern. We were warmly greeted and enjoyed everything from fried oysters to a delicious Thanksgiving sandwich. We are happy to have the Diamondback in the neighborhood. more

I read the last post and definitely wanted to offer my opinion about this new establishment. The newly renovated Diamondback Tavern is a very nice change of pace from the former Tiber River Tavern. Yes, the place has new paint on the walls (very much needed btw...), but the reno was successful! The DBT offers a homey, inviting atmosphere which creates a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience. The staff was also found to be nice and friendly. The hostess greated us with a large, genuine smile. The server was engaged 100% of the meal; from the time we sat down, until the time we stood up and left. The service + the food = a meal worth the $!!!!! Pros: Price, Quality, Value, Service..... Cons: Had to turn my head to watch TV in the tavern while enjoying the game with my significant other. Possibly needs to add more TVs in downstairs Tavern! more

After years of being jaded by the restaurants in Old Elicott City, there is a ""diamond"" in rough at the Diamondback Tavern. The first thing to attract my attention was the effort to incorporate local (and by local I mean within a stone's throw) ingredients and themes. Supporting local farms and resources is something that all businesses need to do for the welfare of our economy, not to mention that a soybean harvested in Clarksvillle or a Rockfish plucked out of the Chesapeake is something to behold. My wife and I chose to sit in the charming tavern part of the restaurant, although a sports bar and formal dining room were also available (we would have had to wait to be sat in the dining room due to to the crowd). The food was excellent; think grandma meets Patrick O'Connell. We split the Rockfish bites as our appetizer. Let me tell you, there's nothing better than fresh Rockfish. As an entree, I had the meatloaf, my wife the Crab dog. The meatloaf came with a homemade beef gravy, something which I haven't had since my younger years, and reminded me of dinner at home. The crab dog was a great take on the Maryland crab cake, something that only we from Maryland truely appreciate. The service was superb, attentive yet not interfering. My water glass never made it past half empty, and my Fordham Copperhead (another local industry) came with a perfect inch of head every time. As good as the food and service were, the dining room seemed somewhat out of place with white table clothes and wine glasses. Nothing that a little retooling can't fix. This is an excellent establishment, a model for other locally owned, independant restaurants. Pros: Affordable and Delicious Cons: Parking more

I am NOT affiliated with any restaurant NOR am I in the restaurant business. The criticism in my previous post (my honest opinion - opinion being the operative word), caused a misplaced, rash, and flailing response from the restaurant - so that review has been obfuscated to ""Our visit was not as pleasant as we had hoped..."" I apologize to any who might have found the content of my previous review helpful... Pros: Beer Cons: Other things more

I went to the Diamondback Tavern Just recently and it was simply fantastic. I had always gone to Tiber River Tavern when it was there, but enjoyed Diamondback Tavern much more than Tiber River. As soon as you walk in the front door, you notice a huge change. It is much more welcoming with classy colors ( gray and a pinkish red, going with the Diamondback theme) and new carpet. The hostess was more than genuine, explaining everything we needed to know. One thing that I absolutely loved was the fact that it is the same menu in every part of the restaurant. more