New restaurant hopes to come home to The Roost

Around town

Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN Co-owner David Greer, left, checks up with regulars Bob and Ruth Wilcoxen at The Lexington. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN Server Kim Clarke helps customers with menus after taking lunch orders at The Lexington.

Though The Roost enjoyed a six-decade run, its first successor failed to last one year.

In January, my wife and I came here, to Bombay Garden, for lamb saag and sizzling tandoori. Weeks ago we returned for our second time in 2009, this time for some all-American comfort: surf and turf and a filet of flounder topped with lump crab.

Welcome to The Lexington, the newest concept to take hold inside this storied house on the corner of Great Mills Road and Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park. Owners David and Krissy Greer also own the Lunch Box Diner in Bryans Road. In an interview with The Enterprise, the Greers said they want their new restaurant to be a step up from the Lunch Box and to "fill the shoes" of The Roost, a Navy hangout that closed before I took on this beat.

Even for someone who never experienced it, the establishment's roots are nothing less than palpable: The fact that the restaurant and lounge have yet to receive a radical makeover certainly adds to that feeling. Just wait for the moment when recorded country songs switch over to Otis Redding's greatest hits.

Named after the town's aircraft carrier and namesake, few monikers conjure the vibe of a place so perfectly. The Lexington: Like an inclusive country club. Like Lexington Park. Like a regular yet not-so-regular restaurant offering down-home favorites that are accessible and yet, through sheer quality, transcendent. That would be the goal, anyway.

But at this point, honestly, the dinner experience leaves a bit to be desired, if for no other reason than the prices and restaurant's overall billing elevate one's expectations to a level that might be unreasonable at this stage of the game.

The house is split between a living room for the restaurant crowd and a lounge for the other crowd. The two spaces intermingle easily, and there is also a line of round tables in the barroom, with its checkered floor, mirror-backed bar and television. The dining room does feel homier, as the fireplace has replaced a television as the focal point.

Tables are covered with plastic table mats. Diners get paper napkins but are dealt the real deal when it comes to plates and cutlery.

Service was manic. Our server took our drink order before we even sat down and then dropped off the check before our forks even cut through dessert, an Oreo cookie pie with cool layers of whipped cream and mousse. That's fine in a diner, but, as said, The Lexington professes to be more than that. To begin, dinner prices, not including salads, start at 12 bucks, although breakfast and lunch are available at all hours.

Of the latter offerings, the morning menu features hearty egg breakfasts and pancakes for about $5. For lunch, come here with an appetite for big, $10 meals served with two sides.

Fried chicken and spaghetti with sauce are but two options among The Lexington's "countryside" dinner options, all of which are priced at $12.99 and come with two sides. The list includes pork chops, liver and onions, meatloaf and country-fried chicken. Emily and I, though, decided to test out The Lexington's "seaside," not to mention its "finer side."

Before that, we tried a plate of firecracker shrimp, which appeared to be the most distinctive appetizer. Said to be tossed in a secret spicy sauce, hand breaded, lightly fried and accompanied with a "boom boom" sauce, the shrimp were actually heavily fried (though that was not a bad thing) and the sauce on the side was reminiscent of the zesty stuff which coats a chain restaurant's much touted "bang bang" shrimp. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing; as well, the breading has instilled in me the confidence to one day order The Lexington's fried chicken.

Between the appetizer, a side salad and the arrival of our entrées, we had time to relax and enjoy our drinks. In fact, when our server stopped by the table and pledged to check on our order, we told her not to worry about it.

By the time our food came out, though, it seemed as if a few items were allowed to cook for too long. Emily's baked potato was overbaked, and I would say my filet mignon was overdone as opposed to well done. Even if my definition of overdone is different than the chef's, filet mignon — this one was longer and leaner than most — should never be dry.

This was part of The Lexington's decadent, $28 land and sea special, for which diners can choose a New York strip, ribeye or filet to pair with fried oysters, shrimp, scallops, flounder, lobster tail or crab cake.

The crab cake was about the size of hockey puck; fried, as I ordered, the casing was pretty thick and packed with seasoned meat and filler. For Southern Maryland, it was middle of the road. (One can find a comparable dish in the region for less than $20.)

A side of crisp coleslaw was proof that not drowning it with dressing is a wise choice. The mashed potatoes — thick, lightly seasoned and filled with a crater of gravy — were the equivalent of fine.

On Emily's plate, a filet of flounder was as sizeable as it was succulent. Topped by another large portion of lump crab meat ($16.99), the dish boasted a memorable balance of flavors.

Let it be a sample of the fare to come.

The Lexington

21736 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park.

Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday.

Entrée prices: $6-28.

Credit cards: V, MC, D, AE.

Carryout: 240-237-8096.

Go to www.thelexingtonrestaurant.com