Alright, first things first. This is a Scottish pub, which is right next to an Irish pub. I was there on a Friday evening at dinner time and it was really empty. Not really sure why. There is live music here, which I appreciate.
The food I had was amazing. The stew, which I thought would be bland, was actually really well seasoned and almost a little spicy. Simply excellent, although I think they could have thrown a few more chunks of beef in there. Hard times in Edinborough?
The wings here were also excellent, super tasty. Not sure if the Guinness I ordered tasted right...I think that beer is a delicate one, and sometimes it's better than other times.
I've been going to the Royal Mile for years, and the place is definitely not what it was, but it's not all as bad as the rash of recent reviews bashing the place would make it seem to be. Â This review is based on three visits since the change in ownership, over about a 6 month period.
The Hallmark of the place has always been its whiskey menu, and although I am not a whiskey drinker, those who are tell me that this, in any event, has not changed. Â Apparently if you go on one of their whiskey tasting nights, the selection is even greater. Â The range of beers on draft is good, although I am pretty set in my ways in this regard, and the range of bottled brews has something for everybody.
The service has always been friendly and attentive and in general this is still the case. Â When the place gets busy (which it does - the place seems to be MORE full, not less, than it was before the change of ownership, at least when I was present), they can get a bit inattentive and forgetful.
Yes, the change in management has resulted in some changes to the menu - several old favorites are no longer there, which is unfortunate. Â But in general the ones I and my family have tried are not bad. Â I can't speak to authenticity, but they are tasty and filling.
The corned beef and cabbage is a sizable portion, nicely presented. Â However, they no longer serve Colman's mustard to accompany it - or any other Celtic mustard. Â What came to the table at our last visit was a generic American yellow, which was a big step down. Â
The beef and Guinness stew also looked nice, and the person ordering it in my party indicated it was tasty. Â
The vegetarian options used to be very well prepared, if not exactly a broad selection. Â They are now an even narrower selection, and somewhat inconsistent. Â The Portabello mushroom wrap was soggy because they failed to drain the mushrooms before putting them inside the tortilla, and a bit overcooked. Â Tasty, though. Â The Welsh rarebit was a bit dry, although again, tasty. Â The safest veg bet is the pub salad, which has consistently been fresh, nicely presented, and appealing. Â
Vegans will be stuck with the mushrooms. Â There are no superlative choices for them on the menu.
The soups are equally inconsistent in general - the gazpacho was too sweet on my last visit, but there was an excellent broccoli and cheese on a previous visit featuring broccoli that was not overcooked (a rarity these days) and something a little tangier than standard supermarket cheddar.
Overall, this is not the kind of place I would go to drink. Â The average age skews too high for me. Â But the food is good for an informal family dinner, which is why it remains on our family's list of places to visit.
My wife and I live nearby and hadn't been here in a long time, so we we figured we'd give it a shot. Â That was a mistake, as we would soon find out.
1) My wife asked for green beans to be substituted from her meal. Â The waiter said that was fine and a second later asked if she wanted green beans. Â No, my wife said, she wanted something else instead of green beans. Â Of course, she got green beans with her food (they didn't seem fully cooked, either).
2) While the French Onion soup was good, everything else was not. Â The fried chicken wasn't fully fried; some of it was still pink.
3) After our waiter took our food away and we said we didn't want dessert he stood around for a while and then brought over some water. Â Frankly, we just wanted to get the heck out of there.
I wish there were more good restaurants in Wheaton, but this isn't it.
It is a shame I can't give a place negative stars. Â Unfortunately, this place has gone so far down hill that you would need a shovel to find it. Â
I have friends in from out of town, and we took them to the Royal Mile for my birthday celebration. Â There were nine of us in total, so a moderately sized group. Â We were immediately seated, which was great, and things looked promising. Â This quickly changed.
First, the service. Â Where to start. Â Our waiter had a real issue figuring out who ordered what. Â A little annoying, yes, but not uncommon. Â Then, in addition to our drinks, we asked for water for the table. Â He brought us three glasses of water and then left. Â When he finally returned we had been sitting for ten minutes or so with nothing to drink. Â Not good for a pub.
Second, the smoke. Â The fan in the kitchen had stopped working, so all of the smoke from the food they were cooking began to fill the restaurant. Â We actually got to the point that we thought the place was on fire. Â We asked what was going on, because no one offered any explanation as to why the entire place had filled with smoke. Â They didn't even think to turn on the ceiling fans to try and help.
The third strike was the cockroach than fell onto the table. Â At this point we decided that we had had enough, and we wanted to pay the check. Â There was no way we were going to be able to eat at this point after the roach. Â Disgusted and barely able to breathe, yes the smoke was still pouring in, we asked for a manager. Â We simply wanted to pay for what we had consumed and cancel the remainder of the order.
The manager decided it would be better to argue with us than to let us pay and leave. Â Any place that wants to stay in business for very long should have handled this situation differently. Â It would have been nice to have had an apology for the lack of cleanliness, perhaps an apology for the smoke that was filling the restaurant, and then just let us pay and leave. Â Instead we were treated with a lack of respect, and even a bit of disdain. Â There was no attempt to rectify the situation, or to even give us the feeling that our business was important to them, and try to get us back as customers.
Sadly, we will never be back.
It really pains me to write this review - my first negative one on here - because I used to love this place... And I've always believed in giving the benefit of the doubt.
But not this time. Fans of the original Royal Mile, of what this place used to be, would little recognize the business occupying the same space with the same name. Conditions at this establishment are downright appalling.
The waitstaff were inattentive, disappearing for long stretches at a time. Drink orders would go unfilled. Our party of nine tonight, easily making up the majority of the clientele for the entire place felt largely ignored... except for the large cockroach that literally ran across the table. (Yes, seriously, I mean a sizeable roach used all six of its insect legs to scurry across our table, over the edge and down the side of the tablecloth, where it graciously (or stubbornly, depending on who's point of view you're looking at it from) disappeared.) With the room filling quickly with smoke from the kitchen - apparent the vent fans had stopped - we called it quits for the Royal Mile (much like the current owners should consider doing). Between the smoke filling the room and the pest issue (none of which even mentions the totally flat beer on tap) we insisted on the bill and leaving.
The Royal Mile was once, just a few years ago, a regionally reknowned pub, known for a fine selection of beers and scotch and arguably some of the best pub grub around. This latest trip showed this is NOT the Royal Mile of old. This isn't even a pale comparison; with the shaming this place deserves for its lack of professionalism, poor quality food (the two apps the table did have felt either made from frozen or microwaved sadness), and unhygienic conditions, it's downright criminal that this place is able to retain the name of the Royal Mile.
I'm a local resident, as were about half our party tonight. Those of us who are local pride ourselves on the quality of the restaurants, the diversity of cultures, the uniqueness of what Wheaton has to offer. The rest of our party tonight came from elsewhere and it was an absolute embarrassment of the highest order to have suggested the Royal Mile for a group outing for a friend's birthday dinner. We were very fortunate to find a table at Nava Thai soon after this terrible attempt of a dining experience at Royal Mile.
I simply can't see any of us returning without a change in ownership, management, and (somehow) knowing that health and hygiene conditions have dramatically improved at the Royal Mile.
I haven't updated my review in a while, but I assume that most people now realize that the Royal Mile is indeed, back in business, and under new ownership.
Here are some things you may need to know about the new Royal Mile Pub:
1. The new owner is not Scottish. He's Sri Lankan.
2. Most everything has been kept the same as the previous owner of the pub.
3. It seems like the owner's entire family works at the pub.
4. They still have a commendable single malt menu.
The last time I dined at the Royal Mile was on St. Patrick's Day where the family and I dined on corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash, and some fish and chips. All of the meals were fine, but not exceptional. Then again, I don't really go to the Royal Mile for the food -- I go for the whisky!!
So, this pub might not be *exactly* like the old pub, but I still enjoy my drinks there.
Plus, after spending this past St. Patrick's Day there, I have acquired a new type of fetish - hot South Asian girls all dressed up in green and shamrocks while drinking like fish.
Now that is a true melting pot.
This review is not intended to dissuade anyone from attending this establishment, it is in the hope that the owners, or someone of influence, will take on board my legitimate criticisms.
Firstly, I am a Scot, born and raised. I am not an American of Scottish descent so my perspective is of authenticity.
I had been told that after The Royal Mile Pub had taken on new ownership, it's attendance had dwindled from being a 'life and soul of the neighbourhood' type of a place to something a great deal lesser.
My wife and I recently moved to the area and were keen to see how authentic it was, bearing in mind reviews going back before the new owners were rave, and reviews from fellow Scots also were lined with superlartives.... not now.
I wanted to like this place, I really did!
There were 4 other diners and a musician (of which I am one...): An older gent with a nice vintage Gibson so things were looking up, right up to the point when the musician insisted on playing the beginning of his set in spite of a piper who was playing a lament outside the pub. Cringing began at this point, No one got up and told him not to be so disrespectful, the piper was good, he was doing his job and his single tune would not last long. (More of him in a wee while)
The menu seemed simple, with what appeared to be authentic dishes. Haggis was a starter, Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, Corned beef and Cabbage and a Scotch Egg.
I ordered the haggis having not had it in a while, and my wife ordered the Welsh Rarebit and a salad. After a little confusion from the young barmaid, who admitted it was only her first week but got 4 stars from me for effort, we were told that there was no Welsh Rarebit... so the kitchen basically had no cheese or bread... really?!
When my haggis arrived it looked like, well a not very appetizingly shaped rissole, and had been draped in some kind of sweet gravy. The potatoes were processed mash not bashed, and when I tasted the haggis, I can say without fear of contradiction.. that was NOT haggis. It was more like an indian Sharmi kebab with barley mixed in. So if you have eaten haggis there recently and thought it was authentic...I tell you again that was absolutely NOT haggis you ate.
When my bangers and mash arrived, the bangers were NOT bangers either! They were small chipolata type american Breakfast sausages. The mash was more of the processed potato paste, there was half a bucket of peas (not mushy) and the whole dish was drizzled with a nice but utterly gratuitous mustardy sauce.
It was a well presented dish in it's own right but not Bangers and Mash!
All this time, the musician had begun his set. Now I hate being bitchy abut other musicians as we're a hard working lot but his set was poor. His guitar was out of tune, all but a couple of his songs were in the same key, he did rehashed Jonny Cash and Beatles covers without a hint of any Scots / Irish folk whatsoever.
I know of better musicians struggling to get gigs, and this fellow I'm sure was a lovely chap and good on him for getting the gig, but there are more deserving out there I'm afraid
So in summary, the food OK but it is NOT authentic, there is NO Scots beer on draught, the decor was acceptable. It is neither reasonably priced (Fish and Chips / Bangers and Mash both $14.50!!) nor does it offer anything close to an Authentic Scottish Experience.
Please please please someone do something. Gordon Ramsay should get on the case, immediately
This is really more of a 2.5 star review, but I'll round up today. We stopped in a few nights ago for dinner and a drink or two. As mentioned by other reviewers, I think it's under new management - we were greeted warmly and quickly shown to a table. The server came quickly to take drink orders, and then food orders. While the live music wasn't the best I've ever heard, it was ok (and we just weren't in the mood to hear it - not their fault). I got the bangers and mash, and was a little surprised to see four teeny sausages on the plate. That being said, they were pretty tasty, as were the mashed potatoes. The peas were really hard and somewhat tasteless however (just like you'd get in Scotland - ha!). I just realized I totally didn't ask my dining companions if they liked their meals at all - bad me. But my guy's fries were very good, which I know because they kept magically wandering to my plate, then my mouth. So why not more stars? The pub just seems to get a little more run down every time we go, and compared to the crazy good eats elsewhere in Wheaton, it stacks up less well. But I'll keep going for drinks...
Review Source:We had been semi-regulars at Royal Mile Pub, but after today's "brunch", I don't know if we will go back there for a meal. My husband's omelette that was supposed to have salmon on it didn't. The chef came out and claimed that he had just chopped it up very fine. (Maybe like molecules!) I had ordered an Irish Breakfast that was advertised to have white pudding, that didn't have any. When I asked, it was "Oh, we are out of it." The fruit plate that was supposed to come with my husband's and our friend's omelettes was a few slices of pineapple. The only redeeming feature was that they had a live traditional session of Scottish music, which was entertaining.
Folks, if you advertise something on your menu, you need to make sure that the dish is AS ADVERTISED. You are going to have to up your game to stay in business. It would be a shame, after all the time this place has been there, for it to fail from bad management. Maybe you should get rid of the chef, and hire someone who knows what he is doing.
Actually, I'd give it two and a half stars right now, if I could. Â But I'm hoping it will do better.
I've been going to the Mile occasionally for years, under the original ownership, and always loved the place. Â Not a high-end restaurant -- just a good, friendly, cozy pub with decent food, a good beer selection and a great Scotch selection. Â
The ownership has changed a couple of times recently, and a few nights ago I went in for the first time since the current owners reopened it.
A few things bothered me immediately, about the atmosphere. Â They've repainted, and chosen a very cold icey blue for the walls. Â It's a handsome colour, but it seems entirely wrong for the room, which has historically been warm and inviting. Â The blue looks stark and industrial -- not inviting at all, and it goes poorly with the woodwork. Â But nobody goes to a pub for the wall colour! Â A bigger issue, for me, is that both dining areas now contain large flat screen TVs. Â The Mile has always been the kind of place people go to AVOID large flat screen TVs. Â But to the owners' credit, the TV's were turned off the night we were there.
With respect to service -- we were seated immediately, but after that, nobody came to our table for upwards of 10 minutes ... we finally had to flag down someone and ask for menus. Â We'd obviously been forgotten. Â But to be fair, after that, the service was attentive and friendly. Â One other issue -- we happened to be there on sea-chanty night -- which was pleasant enough, but which they really ought have told us before we sat down, in case we didn't want to listen to that sort of thing.
Regarding the food: Â the menu still has much of the same pub fare it's always had, though a few of my old favorites were missing -- a Scottish pub without Scotch broth, and without beef-and-Guinness pie? Â Really? Â Though they do have a steak-and-ale pie that seems similar. Â But the appetizers still include both the Scotch egg and haggis, and shepherd's pie, bangers-and-mash, and fish and chips are still among the main courses.
Of the things we sampled, the haggis appetizer was quite nice, the fish and chips were good, and the bangers-and-mash were unappealing (a real disappointment; they were a favorite under the old ownership). Â The bangers were mushy and lacked flavor, the mashed potatoes were stiff and dry tasting, and the peas were undercooked and hard.
The beer menu and the whiskey menu are both signficantly reduced from days gone by, but are still reasonably diverse, offering some interesting selections.
Overall, I was mildly disappointed with this recent visit -- the Mile is diminshed from it's former charm -- but it wasn't bad, and I'll give it another try or two in hopes that it grown on me.
I visited here twice under the former ownership and enjoyed each visit. I loved the Scottish decor, which made me feel as if I was back home in Edinburgh. The fish and chips were excellent, as was the service. That said, I can't speak to the condition under the current ownership and will have to visit again so as to update this review.
Review Source:So I'm sitting here at the bar and I order wings and the bartender opens the menu to have me point out what I want. Â Obviously new ownership. Â Waitress confirmed after I asked. Â They kept the cook and a waitress or two but the rest of the staff seems like a family working their business. Â It just seems like they treat it like a money machine and not someplace with character. Â Very unorganized, unfriendly, and not ready to do right by this place. Â Not coming back. Â The bartender was just handed my order by the cook and he walked to everyone else at the bar but me and then came to me. Â This is just friggin sad.
Review Source:Let's just get this part out of the way: the Mile isn't a great restaurant. Nor is it trying to be. It's trying to be a Scottish (or, rather, Scot-ish) pub, and it succeeds surprisingly well.
The place has, first, an exceptional selection of mid-range to very good scotches. The wide variety makes up for the sometimes limited quality. Don't expect to find anything over 21 years old. But you can still sample some great selections. They also have the usual bar offerings, without too much in the way of trendy nightclub boozes (maybe they can do an Appletini, but why would you want them to?).
The beer selection is also decent without being decadent. Scotch ales and respectable selections on tap make it worth checking out.
The pub atmosphere comes from the frequent live music, the lighthearted bartender, and the food, which varies from standard-fare onion rings to portobello wraps to monstrous portions of dead beasts. And yes, there's haggis, but...seriously?
The point is, the Royal Mile tries to be a neighborhood pub, where locals can go for dinner or drinks, watch the ballgame, listen to someone cover Elvis, or get a taste of Lagavulin in comfort. And in that, it succeeds.
We use to love this pub, but now that it has changed owners I do not think we will go back. They were beer and food items they were out of on the menu but didn't mention it until we ordered. One of them being cabbage. It's a Scottish restaurant. We saw a cook bringing back a cabbage so obviously the prep work was lacking.
The waitress was lackluster and it just seemed depressing. The menu wasn't as good as it use to be and the items were repetitive.
Wheaton has some great local restaurants, and this place definitely belongs on that list. When I lived down the street, I would go pretty regularly with friends to get dinner/drinks, play trivia, or take-out food.
The food is awesome; the menu has a lot of traditional Scottish dishes, but also some diverse world fare. Everything is good. My absolute favorite dish is the Shepherd's Pie. It's just awesome with a good beer on a cold winter day. They also have tasty burgers & fries, and definitely pay a little extra for the curried ketchup. And, being a Scottish pub, would you expect anything less than a great beer and single-malt whiskey selection?
The pub was closed for a time period, but I've been back since it re-opened and saw the same familiar faces among the staff. Customers are pretty regular as well and very friendly at the bar. It's definitely an older crowd though- don't expect it to be packed with mid-20 somethings at 9:00 on a Saturday night.
We decided to try one new ( for us) ethnic eatery each month- and we love scotch-and when I searched for a scotch bar in DC, Royal Mile Pub came up with good reviews.
The good: Fun place, busy, friendly. I believe it is pretty authentic because I heard a lot of Scottish accents in the place. It is a local hang-out. Lots of families at the tables, couples and singles at the (smallish) bar. We sat at the bar. Service was very prompt and friendly. The "fish" part of the "Fish and Chips" was excellent. Oh- they do pour an awesome Guinness
The Bad: No Talisker. The main reason I chose this particular place is because they had 3 Talisker choices on the scotch menu (online) and we LOVE Talisker. However, the bartender said they did not have any Talisker and had not stocked it for a couple months - they need to remove it from the menu. We ordered a different scotch and it was good, but it wasn't set up correctly. When you are paying over $30 for 1 glass you want it set up properly.
The "chips" part of the Fish and Chips. I expected thin sliced fried potaotes but got soggy, american french fries.
DH ordered Bangers  'n Mash. Thumbs down on this one, sorry. No flavor whatsoever.
We might return just for the fun atmosphere and the Guinness if in the area. If so, we'll try the Mac n Cheese or Sheppards Pie
I want to rate this place higher than a 3 cuz it has a good vibe but I just can't. If there was a 2.5 rating, that is what I'd give it. 3 seems too high, 2 too low. But, because they didnt have the scotch as per the menu and most of the food was subpar, I'm giving it a 2. But I did like the vibe. Hmmm.
Went once with a friend and have been back three or four times since. Great draft beer selection and a large list of whiskeys. The mac and cheese is great as is the stew and shepard's pie. This has become a regular spot for us as the staff is friendly, the pub fare is great, and the beers are good. What's not to like.
Seems like a fair share of families at night and I heard a rumor about sea shanties. I'll be back to find out.
Great spot with a locals feel. Â One of my favorite hangouts whenever I come out to the Silver Spring area to visit friends. Â The fish sandwich (aka the Little Nessie) is great- the fish is perfectly breaded and fried, and the chicken fingers are delicious as well.
Be sure to get the Loose Cannon beer while you're here...one of the best.
What a fun little pub this is. We stopped in here to see a local band play that was made up of mostly young girls. They were very good.
The food was delicious, the beer was cold and the variety was plentiful. The staff was very friendly and fast on the service. All in all a great local pub.
This place is unbelievably weird. Â A bone fide true Scottish bar where once a month they gather round from near (wheaton) and far (bethesda) to sing Sea Shanties. Up until that night I had little clue about this maritime genre of music.
We came here with four regulars and was immediately impressed by the beer and scotch selection. Â I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly... Even more impressive, the drinks were actually cheap.
And then right around 8, someone stood and started singing, and the entire bar started singing along. Apparently everyone knows the words, except me, the only ummm tan person in the place. Then they start passing around a little booklet, and one by one each patron stands and sings. Soon it had to be my turn so I prepare the only marine song I know, "I'm on a boat" featuring T Pain of course, but luckily I dodged that bullet. Some of the songs were a little spiritual, some were entertaining and scandalous. One gentleman sung a perverted song about "Hot Meat". Unfortunately, my friend heard it as "horse meat" and kept asking why anyone would want a "horse meat injection". Oh well, she' s a vegan, that should explain it. That was one of the highlights of the night.
Even though I felt like a fish out of water, the crowd and staff was super welcoming. Â The crowd is as interesting as the songs. Mostly older, some young folks, maybe a few mullets, maybe a few live in their parent's basement, play dungeons and dragons and the Renaissance fair is the highlight of my year grown men types.
I definitely recommend you give this bar a try for a surefire entertaining night sometime. Metro is close by and your DD will find plenty of parking. I might be back for a trivia night or a scotch tasting but for now, I gotta go catch a plane.
I dig this Place a lot.
Looking for as close to an across-the-pond Pub as you can get?
This is it.
I have watched this neighborhood change most of my life, and this has *Thank Godess* Stayed the same through and through.
Great selection of Whiskies!
Very good prices on the pours for MoCo..
Check their website, as they always got something cool happenin'
And just a block or two off the metro, why not?
Well...I tried. Â Met up w/ the guys here... they were drinking scotch which I don't drink so I settled for a draft and observed my surroundings. Â For Wheaton, this pub is alarmingly white. Â I always wonder where those people come from. Â I'm pretty sure they're indigenous, I just can't figure out where they live now. Â Demographics fascinate me, what can I say.
Anyhoo, the pub had the whole kitschy quilt, Scottish thang going on. Â I'm just not a fan of kitsch. Â The bartender was nice, and there was a Nats game playing on a small tucked away tv that approximately 40% of the bar could actually see. Â The patrons were... well... not the most exciting bunch, but they weren't unfriendly. Â
I was not inclined to eat at the establishment, and with Nava Thai a block away, I doubt I'd ever be inclined to eat there. Â All in all, I would return, if only because my boys are up there and I want to chill for a bit. Â I'm starting to realize that pubs and dives are just not my thing.
ps. Â I am a female :)
I went to RMP with some friends for St. Andrew's day. Â We had heard there would be a special menu for the occasion and decided to make a night of it.
The St. Andrew's day menu wasn't especially impressive. Â They offered chicken tikka masala and lamb chops.
We ordered the haggis and welsh rarebit for apps, and I had beef and Guinness pie for the main. Â Nobody really raved about either appetizer. Â The pie was excellent, the meat succulent and a fair portion. Â The stew inside was full of flavor. Â I would order it again.
The whisky selection is excellent and reasonably priced. Â They forgot to bring our appetizers initially, but offered a round of drinks on the house to make up for it. Â In my book, booze is the best of apologies and all sins can be forgiven.
I ate a meal, had an appetizer and three drinks. Â My bill came to just over 30 dollars after tip. Â A good experience and we all agreed we'd be back.
Looks like I'm in the minority in my feelings on this place. Â It was ok but... the service was awful, and ok plus awful equals not a very high rating. Â
The food - I didn't actually eat, but all of my friends did. Â They enjoyed their stews, but were left wanting more, and one wasn't entirely happy with his choice. Â Nothing looked particularly exciting, except maybe the fish and chips, and the onion rings. Â The Welsh Rarebit, which I used to eat and LOVE in Williamsburg, was weird and grainy.. idk.
Prices for beer were pretty typical, but for the draft beers it was nice to be able to order just a 1/2 pint, with appropriately cheaper prices. Â Most were around $3, but my Yuengling was only $1.90! Â They had a nice list of microbrews, scotch, etc to choose from. Â
As for service... oy. Â The waiter was barely to be found, and it took ages to order. Â My friend asked for a larger glass for her water and was told no. Â NO?? Â It's a PUB, they have large pint glasses - and they couldn't let her have one for water? Â I don't get it. Â The waiter stopped by once after I got there to ask if I wanted to order a drink (my friends already had theirs) so I said yes and that they wanted to order food actually, and he said "I can't take their orders now. Â I have to get all my other food out first." Â Again... *what*?? Â Who says that? Â Shouldn't he take their order and get the food going? Â
I really see no reason to go back here, so I probably won't, unless it's for an event again like the sea chanties last night. Â And even for that - it's a probably bad location. Â Yes, the "pub" location is appropriate, but there is a huge half wall in the middle of the room coming down from the ceiling that makes acoustics disaterous, which makes a night for fun singing kinda difficult. Â For the majority of the night we could barely hear what was being sung, as most of the singers were on the other side of the room. Â
Not a fan.
ETA: I received a very courteous message from the owner explaining the staffing situation the other night. Â I will make sure to update my review after the next time friends drag me out to the sea chanties event. Â :)
Excellent pub. The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable, and the selection of whiskies can't be beaten.
The food is brilliant, actually. Their kitchen is a hidden gem, and you wouldn't realise it from the nondescript atmosphere. Have a go at the specials: there's always something interesting. The cedar plank salmon, always on the menu, is absolutely gorgeous. You can taste the cedar and the smoke. Their stews are wonderful, and I've heard ravings about the fish and chips -- although, to be honest, every time I go I tend to get something a bit more like a full main course, rather than regular ol' fish and chips.
Oh, and the first Tuesday of the month is sea shanty night! A bunch of locals come in and sing sea shanties, taking turns. They all look like they were conscientious objectors back in the day -- it's brilliant. We joke about how many former Weather Underground members you can spot in the crowd. I kid because I love. Young and old alike, the shanty night has been a special tradition. You can sing along with the crowd, or do your own solo -- or just listen.
Great food, great scotch, great beer, great restaurant. Â Family-owned and run. Â Love this place.
Since this is a pub, let's talk alcohol first: Â They have Clipper City Loose Cannon IPA on draught - that's a local (Baltimore) brew, and it'll knock you on your ass! Â They have around 9 taps I believe, and they put them all to very good use. Â Warsteiner is a refreshing pilser on a hot summer day. Â Guinness of course - I think it's illegal for a pub to not carry Guinness. Â Monday is half-price bottle of wine night, which is hard to beat. Â And last but not least, the scotch - I hear it's the largest selection in the DC area, which is not surprising since the scotch menu is more comprehensive than most restaurants' wine lists. Â
The weekend specials are almost always awesome - I love when they do beef wellington or smoked pork. Out of their daily entrees, my favorites are the fried chicken (or better yet, the chicken tender appetizer is more chicken per dollar!), the cedar plank steak, and the shepard's pie.
My favorite sandwiches are the burger, the Little Nessie (best fish sandwich I've ever had), the steak sandwich with blue cheese sauce, the hot chicken club, the grilled chicken with pears... Oh all the sandwiches are great really. Â It's hard to go wrong with them. Â I order them with a salad instead of fries, so I can have their homemade beer-mustard vinaigrette. Â
Their beer batter must be terrific because everything they deep fry comes out great. Â Best onion rings I've ever had, hands down. Â The fish and chips are legendary, Â and although they recently started making their own french fries from scratch, it's the fish that wins over hearts and stomachs. Â The fries weren't perfect at first, but they have gotten much much better. They're pretty delicious now.
As for desserts - can't get enough of the trifle (custard, jam, sherry-soaked lady fingers), and if they have butterscotch pudding as their dessert special I always make sure to order it. Â Their cakes are not made in house (it's a scratch kitchen, so pretty much everything else is made on premises), but they are still very worthy. Â Moist carrot cake, and a very rich Guinness chocolate cake. Â
As you can tell, I have been here many, many times.
The other advantage of Wheaton Regional park is that it is a hop, a skip and a jump from this venerable establishment.
Me and Soccerballgirl have a weekend pact - we do what she wants for one hour, and then what I want for two hours. As she gets older she will realize the inherent imbalance in this arrangement and demand to renegotiate, until that time I am making hay when the sun shines.
I had wanted to come here for a while - the region's only Scottish pub, and I thought coming here on a Satruday afternoon when Ireland play Scotland in the 6 nations championship would be the best time. Sadly. I was wrong. One little TV in the snug and it certainly did not have Setanta pay per view. But a pleasant wee bar it is.
It feels like somebody's house, and everyone there seems to know one another. About 100 scotchs and malts on the menu - majority of them from Speyside and a few hard to find Lowland whiskeys. Lowland whiskeys are usually shite - that's why they are hard to find.
So me and my buddy and our girls sat here, had some food and beer. Decent chicken tenders for the kids, an OK sandwich for us, and very pleasant Clipper City ales on tap. A lovely place to spend Saturday afternoon, even without seeing Ireland's rampaging victory over the Scots. Just the Welsh for us to beat next week and that will be the first Grand Slam since 1948. Absolutely bloody shocking.
This place is awesome. Total neighborhood bar with a family feel. It's cozy in the dinning area with a gas fireplace, tartans hanging along the walls and faded maps of Scotland scattered about. Certain nights they have trivia games, book club meetings, Scottish clan meetings, and live music. Defiantly go see Paddy Goes West, if they're playing. They have a lot of regulars because the food is so good and the staff are so nice. Some of my favorite dishes here are the Cedar Plank Steak, Robert the Bruce Burger, Prince Charlie (grilled salmon wrap), Scotch Broth and the Fish & Chips.
Sunday brunch gets packed but you should wait it out and go get the Full Scottish Breakfast: 2 pieces of Rasher bacon, haggis, black pudding, 2 sunny side up eggs, grilled tomatoes and toast. MMM
The only thing bad I can say about brunch is that sometimes it takes a long time to get your food at brunch, so order an Irish coffee or beer or OJ and be patient because the food always comes out hot and delicious.
The Royal Mile Pub is the kind of place at which I could see myself becoming a regular-- if it weren't so far away from where I live.
A warm, inviting atmosphere (they have a fireplace!) with equally friendly employees and patrons made me feel at home right away.
I was originally drawn here by their large single malt scotch selection, and my first visit was on a Thursday when they offer scotch tastings (1/2 shots for reduced price). The Royal Mile Pub also has a rather impressive beer list as well, but I was more focused on the scotch!
Although they were out of the Buichladdich 15 that I've been wanting to try, they had plenty of other options. By the end of the night, I had tasted 5 different scotches for about $20.
Then the food... hearty and delectable British comfort food. Our group tried a variety of dishes: haggis, welsh rarebit, smoked salmon, baked brie, scotch broth, Royal Mile stew, and the onion tart. Nobody had a bad thing to say about any of it--then again none of us really have much in the way of prior experience with British comfort food, so take that for what it's worth. My personal favorites were the haggis (well-seasoned and beautiful texture) and onion tart (so utterly rich and indulgent we decided that dessert was unnecessary).
Royal Mile Pub isn't cheap, but we were delighted with our experience and nobody objected to the cost.
I guess it's best that the Royal Mile Pub isn't within walking distance; I'd be fat, drunk, and poor in no time flat. But I'd be an extremely happy fat, drunk, and poor person.
The Royal Mile Pub has been "the Scottish pub" in my head for years and not much has changed. Great atmosphere. Decent food. Very friendly crowd and waitstaff. My British friend swears this is as traditional Scotch-Irish food as you could find outside the Isles. I love it for the live music at nights, but it can get pretty crowded at times. I'm a vegetarian so the menu is problematic but they have a fantastic (if slightly overpriced) salad with lasagna noodles that has become my staple when I go in the evenings. For lunch or brunch, I prefer the grilled cheese, which is sharper than most cheddars in the US.
If you're a beer connoisseur, this place is for you. They have probably forgotten more about beer than most people learn in a lifetime.
Onion Rings! Onion Rings !
How rare it is to find the perfect Onion Ring, the kind that is crispy and golden, sturdy, a tad greasy, and crunchy with the spurt of fluid (is it water, is it grease?) just before biting through to the perfect onion... Royal Mile has the best Onion Rings I can find in the DC area - Kudos to the chef and his talented fast fried hands...
Royal Mile can be considered a local hangout, full of regulars (I am an irregular, regular, the kind that they generally remember my name, but not necessarily what I'm having to drink), or it can be considered a special place to take visitors.. the place is usually lively, with an occasional line out the door, and on Saturdays there is live music from 8:30 on (and once in awhile on Fridays),
The Royal Mile caters to a dependable and loyal crowd - the kind that come in on Fridays and Saturday nights for the delicious and renowned fish and chips, or shepherds pie (I've had better), or a Robert the Bruce burger. The Irish pub salad is a great call for anyone wishing to eat lightly while nursing their Smithwick's or Guinness.
However, what sets Royal Mile apart from the standard "pub" is the incredible daily specials that the talented chef concocts.. you're likely to find authentic sauerbraten or bratwursts at Oktoberfest time, or a great lamb shank at Easter, delicious rockfish, or mussels on other occasions - it's always a pleasant surprise to see the four course offerings on any given day.. this past weekend the theme was Cajun, and the menu sported oysters and Monkfish Étouffée - however, I went for the pork tenderloin Po'Boy which was undoubtedly the best darn Po'Boy I've ever had.
Others have commented on the Belhaven - yes, they had had Belhaven on tap - on occasion, sadly, those occasions are fewer and fewer... haven't seen it in quite a while -- and while they have a great scotch collection, their prices have increased at an alarming pace... (Highland Park 25 goes for $35/shot - standard shots typically go for $8-$9) so, I only order a scotch on the rarest of occasions... although Thursday "tastings" nights are good for those who like a "wee dram" at a reduced price.
The staff are generally friendly, and it is obvious who the regulars are since the bar staff have developed a significant rapport with many of them.. what I've found most interesting about the place is meeting all sorts of interesting people there - the bar, while small by most standards, seems to attract an eclectic and interesting crowd - and the coziness of the place only invites conversation among strangers...
All in all, the Royal Mile is a good place for food, beer, the occasional scotch and a good time. Hope to see you there !
Run by my distant family, I had to give this five stars. But not just because of that, but because the food is good and the live music they have is great  and the bar is fantastic. You'll feel like you stepped off the Royal Mile that runs through the middle of Edinburgh, Scotland for a pint. But don't miss the wee drams that abound here either, as the single malt selection is quite fine with Oban and McCallan's. I echo Libby F's comment on the fine selection of beers and ales, as I too enjoy a Belhaven here - even though I've moved to Virginia. Located a short distance from the Metro Red Line stop in Silver Springs, this is an excellent place for a steak or light lunch. Make sure to try the stew, as it's a winner too.
Tell Ray and Joie Morrison "Hi" for me, and watch out for their son (Ian?) - the chef - if he happens to be in the kitchen!
Bottom Line: Tell them you're Scottish, even if you aren't!
I had forgotten how much I liked this place!
The friends I used to come with moved away and I guess I abandoned it too! Â I rekindled my relationship back in July when I met up with a fellow Yelper for their single malt Scotch tasting night. This place rocks! Â The owner, Ian was on hand to pour beers and answer questions about the scotch selections.
I love their beer selections. Â They carry bottles of a Scottish ale by Belhaven called Twisted Thistle which is divine. Â But alas, they almost never have it (2/3 times) when I have been here. Â That's okay. Â They have Belhaven Ale and Smithwicks on draft. Â Boddington's is also available.
Their food is good too. Â The fish and chips are cooked in soybean oil for a healthier option. Â The Welsh rarebit was just okay; I make it better. Â Theirs needed just a bit more Worcester sauce. Â The onion tart and their grilled cheese made with Irish cheddar (Hey, isn't this suppose to be a Scottish bar?) are nice light meal options.
On a final note, they have Pub Trivia the last Tuesday of every month. Â I haven't made it yet b/c of all my more important Yelp obligations (Yelp Elite Rocks!) Â School's almost out, so I'm sure I'll make it to trivia one of these days. Â Maybe they'll have a cold Twisted Thistle waiting for me!
Where else can you get haggis?? Â This is the only place that I have ever found that carries the old Scottish delicacy. Â I am afraid to try it, but at least when i get the balls to try it, I know were i can go. Â
I went here for the first time the other day, and i was really impressed with the selection of scotch and whisk(e)y. Â It looks like they have over 100 different single malt and blended goodies. Â I am not any expert of this by any stretch of the imagination, but i do enjoy a good scotch at a good pub. Â Â
They also have a good selection of beers, it looked like they have about 12- taps and traditional beers (smithwicks, guiniess, Clipper City beers, Strongbow, etc...) Â They also have over 100 bottles of a world wide beer selection. Â
If you did not notice, i did not eat anything there, i simply drank; so i can not talk about the food, but it looked good on the menu. Â I did like the drinks.
I used to go to the Royal Mile a lot with a group of my bookstore friends. Yes, it's crowded and cramped, and I have to say that the service can be a little bit random (especially for such a small place, it can seem a bit harried and absent-minded.) Still, it's got great atmosphere, a decent pub menu, and a bunch of single malt Scotch and beer options. I haven't ingested Scotch since an ill-advised 25th birthday episode, but friends who do swear by the Mile.
Celtic music session nights are fun, but again, if you don't like loud music while you're eating, there's nowhere to escape from it. I've dragged people to the Sea Shanty Sing too, where we were openly mocked for picking the "Sloop John B", which is apparently a wimpy option in sea shanty world. Who knew. I haven't hung out with Captain Jack Sparrow lately. Still - it was all in fun and better for us not to massacre another tune we didn't know at all. Just make sure you're with laidback folks. A peek at the calendar (on the Website, <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Froyalmilepub.com&s=003a52455d3b9d8f0b877267c87ee93f6fac68bad489af90c3b889a28fa5382a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://royalmilepub.com</a>, of course) tells me they've added a twice-monthly book club meeting, and last night was Family Game Night, where you could get a board game from the hostess. Interesting. There are frequent wine-tasting evenings as well. I'd call this a welcome rarity in Wheaton, so for that alone I give the place some points.
The food has improved over the years. Ian Morrison is the chef and son of the pub's two other owners, I believe. I never stray from the stew or Shepherd's pie, and of course chips with malt vinegar - yum!. They also have a nice Irish Coffee and desserts too. Brunch is an option but I've never been.
Be careful with parking. Street parking is limited (in the evenings you're competing with the dance club on the corner) and a metered lot is down the street. I'm usually there at night so I snag a space in the bank parking lot, which is probably okay on Sundays too.
I have a soft spot for the Royal Mile, so I don't mind the size or its occasional failings. I wouldn't rave about it for any one thing in particular, it's just provided my friends and I with a nice place to go and catch up over the years, grab some beer and listen to some music. I wish there were more places like it mid- and up-county. I'm wondering all of a sudden why I haven't been by in a while!
The Royal Mile Pub is a Scottish Pub - NOT an Irish Pub - but Yelp does not yet have a category for a Scottish Pub - so this is as close as I can get - category-wise.
The pub has some good grub: The Fish n' Chips, Shepherd's Pie, the Beef and Guinness Pie, the Summer Berry Salad, and the burgers are all good choices.
The drink menu is outstanding at the Royal Mile. They have by far the best Single Malt Scotch menu I've had the pleasure of perusing! I'd guess they offer 80-90 different single malts!
They also offer some hard-to-find beer and ale selections. My favorite being the McEwan's Scotch Ale and Skullsplitter.
A favorite activity at the Royal Mile is to show up the first Tuesday evening of the month for the Sea Shanty Sing. The Ship's Company Chanteyman - hold forth in the Pub and lead the crowd in singing old nautical, sailing, and pirate songs! What a lot of fun!
Getting a table can be difficult. They don't accept reservations. You have to show up and put your name on the list for a table - and if your entire group is not there when your table is ready - they won't seat you and will give the table to the folks who are next on the list and are all there ready to go.
Every Thursday evening the Royal Mile Pub Vatting Society conducts a Single Malt Scotch Tasting. Â Different single malts are selected each week - the cost tends to run in the $11-$15 range per person. A lot of fun!
Maybe I just don't get it. Â I have several friends who swear by this place, but in reality, the food is ordinary Irish/Scottish fare you could get at any pub in the country, the beer is overpriced, and on top of it all, you are guaranteed a lengthy, and sometimes impossible-to-understand wait to be seated. Â The wait is even more complicated in bad weather, because the lobby is about the size of Papa Smurf's pants pocket.
If you don't listen to me and go anyway, do yourself a favor and don't go near the place on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
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