For this year’s wedding anniversary, my husband and I spent it at one of our favorite local restaurants, the Stanford Grill. We always keep coming back because of the amazing food, excellent service, and upscale yet friendly atmosphere. Located in Columbia, Maryland, the restaurant is far away from the hustle and bustle of a large city, which is perfect for a relaxed date night.

Stanford Grill Restaurant Review

For our anniversary dinner, we left the children at home with grandma for the evening. Although you do sometimes see children dining here, the restaurant seems better suited for romantic couples, business meetings, and old friends catching up over a meal. With three hours of our night free, we tried out several menu options.

Appetizers

To start with, we ordered two appetizers. I appreciated that the waiter gave us plenty of time to make our selections and to enjoy our appetizers. We decided on the calamari because it’s one of our favorites, but we hadn’t tried it here yet. The calamari came in a large portion, and it was cooked well with the perfect balance of crispiness on the outside and tenderness on the inside.

Calamari

Our second appetizer was the Fiesta Eggrolls. We order these every time we come, and we are never disappointed. With a crispy, fried egg roll wrap on the outside, the inside is a fresh mix of corn, beans, and a generous amount of cheese. The excellent dipping sauce fused the flavors nicely.

Fiesta Eggrolls

Main Entrees

Since I grew up in Tennessee, which is known for making the best barbeque ribs in the world, I thought it would be hard to find good ribs in the Mid-Atlantic, but these are some the best I’ve had. The slow cooked Danish Barbeque Pork Ribs have a generous amount of tender meat that falls right off the bone. With a delicious smoky flavor, this dish is perfect for celebrating special occasions.

Danish Barbeque Pork Ribs

Years ago, I first came to Stanford Grill because my husband had hinted that he wanted ribs for his birthday, and someone recommended we come here. I tried some of my husband’s plate because I couldn’t resist, and I couldn’t believe how incredible they were. I had expected the same quality you can get at any barbeque joint, but the slow cooked process really makes a big difference. This time around, I was happy to order a full rack of ribs for myself, and still enjoyed the leftovers the next day.

Anniversary Meal at Stanford Grill in Columbia, Maryland

My husband decided on the Montreal Seasoned Ribeye special with a side of redskin mashed potatoes and green beans. The steak was a nice sized portion, tender, and juicy. It came with an excellent sauce that tasted incredible drizzled over the mashed potatoes.

Montreal Seasoned Ribeye special with a side of redskin mashed potatoes and green beans

A Second Entree To Go

The wood-fired rotisserie chicken is another restaurant specialty. Near the kitchen, you can see where the chicken slow-roasts for four hours with thirty two spices. I ordered the Rattlesnake Pasta because it contains their rotisserie chicken and I also love pasta. What a perfect combination! With fresh peppers and a generous amount of meat, it was quite filling.

Rattlesnake Pasta

My husband had been torn between ordering a steak and the prime rib as his entree. Both are his favorite picks when he goes out for a nice meal. Since he went with the steak as his meal, he decided on the Famous French Dip Sandwich as a second dish so he could still get the good prime rib. It tasted incredible, even when re-heated the next day.

Famous French Dip Sandwich

Dessert

Even after ordering so much food, we couldn’t help but try the dessert. The waiter helpfully suggested the Key Lime Pie. With a crushed pecan crust and generous dollop of whipped cream on top, it was delectable. I don’t typically pick Key Lime Pie for dessert, but this one was so good that I would pick it as my favorite dessert from the restaurant.

Key Lime Pie

Our final dessert was the Chocolate Uprising. With two brownies and a center of ice cream, the dish is perfect for anyone who loves chocolate. I enjoyed the chocolate sauce drizzled on top. At this point, we were pretty full from the rest of our meal, but we still managed to get a couple bites down because it looked so good.

Chocolate Uprising

As we ate our dessert at the end of the night, a jazz duo began playing. The music provided a nice ambiance for the rest of our evening. You can listen to jazz nightly here starting at 6 pm, and they usually play music later on the weekends.

Live jazz music at Stanford Grill in Columbia, Maryland

About Stanford Grill

Stanford Grill is located in Columbia, Rockville, and soon to be in Owings Mills too. Closer to DC, the Rockville location has a similar set up with live jazz every evening and an open patio, but it is also known for its sushi.

If you’re going out and are looking for a relaxed, upscale atmosphere, Stanford Grill offers flavorful wood-fired food as well as other excellent menu options. For those who want to dine frequently, you can also join the Woodfire Club, a special reward program that offers points for all Blueridge Restaurant Group locations, including Copper Canyon Grill.

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Disclosure: I received a free item, but it in no way influenced my opinion!