An Unusual Mix
It hard to know how to describe this bar-turned-restaurant. The original game room and bar is now wood panelled and fitted with comfortable tables and chairs. There IS a bar, but its now very posh with wooden barstools, hightop tables, and an big wine list. But while the indoor area has been remade into a deluxe accommodation, they have also added an outdoor area with more casual appeal.

Daves American Bistro has the potential for replacing the Olney Ale House (ruined by "modernization") as the "in" spot for hip Olney residents to gather.
It draws an upscale family crowd inside, and a younger singles mix outside. It is already far more popular than the old "Dave's" ever was.

However, while the food was good, the menu was limited to a half dozen dinner selections and a half dozen sandwich offerings. The food was good, but overpriced. Pretty ordinary fare, though nicely prepared. I would guess that we are paying a high price for the facility make-over. Still, if you figure the price of gas into your overall cost of dinner, this could be a good deal for residents in the area.

Monday Night is the Pasta Buffet. The sign said $4.99 for an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet with 2 glasses of beer or wine. Ahhh.. but what they meant was you had to BUY two glasses of beer or wine, and the minimum price for a glass of wine is $6. The price goes up to $7.99 if you don't drink enough. Still, we tried it. Again, very limited, with only one meat dish - and the people ahead of us picked out every piece of meat in the bowl.

I'm just not quite sure what to make of it. The restaurant section has an aura of fine dining (with prices to match), but the menu doesnt support that claim. And the other half of the room is the remodelled bar with two television sets competing for attention and patrons milling about with drinks in hand. The outdoor seating is more understandable : tables and umbrellas arranged around a stone fireplace. The one consistent element is that everything seems overpriced    [04 Apr 2007 08:08:19]

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     ­Local Jim   

Call me when the septic problem is fixed
Living in the area I sure had high hopes for this place. I kept passing by and always thought it would be a great place to "hang out". Finally gathered a few friends and got a decent table out back.

Ambiance:
Really cute outdoor patio. Great music, semi-rowdy patrons at times. Possibly a great singles meet up for the 20s-30s crowd. Beachy atmosphere with lights and sand.

Inside could use a few more bathrooms. One toilet for men and one for women doesn't cut it for a bar.

Service:
We kept losing our server who was not very attentive considering the place wasn't that busy.

Food:
Ugh, unless you like really really salty shrimp. We sent them back (along with other patrons so we heard) and a fresh batch made up with no seasoning, but with Old Bay on the side. Well, tasting the Old Bay we came to the conclusion that it was not "real" Old Bay, hence the awful salty taste.

Price:
Way to pricey for what they serve. Are you kidding with the $10 burgers? I don't care how close you are to my house. I don't remember beer prices, but don't think they were too bad.

SMELL:
We asked our server about the smell outside and was told that the owners were "working with the county" to fix a "sewer problem". Every few mintutes we were hit with this god awful stench while trying to enjoy our expensive burgers and salty shrimp.


I truly wish them luck. I'm sure after ironing out some issues, this could be a great place. It sure doesn't seem to be hurting business since I always see a full lot. But honestly I don't think I will return unless it's for a quick drink or want to enjoy some music outside.    [26 Jul 2007 14:57:52]

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     ­Anonymous