Went here on a Saturday night while staying local for a tasting menu and wine pairing. The entire experience was just that. An experience. Our waiter, Miles was personable, professional and attentive. We threw them a bit of a curveball needing mocktails for one of us but they took the challenge in stride and came up with great pairings. Chef/Owner Steve came out to greet us and walked us through each course explaining that it's all a surprise and off menu using local fresh ingredients. Everything was fantastic! Perfect portion sizes with excellent timing between courses. We will definitely be coming back and will be recommending this restaurant to everyone read more

Miles made our experience at The Kitchen! The food was delicious and fresh. I had the carnitas tacos, and they had great flavor. Only 2 were served for $15 with no sides. That's a lot per taco! Add a side and it makes sense. The layout of the dining areas offers privacy for small groups. The decor and furniture could use some updates and repairs. read more

The Kitchen At the Imperial - Chicken sandwich and salad - New American Near Me - Chestertown, Maryland

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First time trying this restaurant and I was pretty excited too. Came down from DC to have lunch with my dad and chose this restaurant to try something different. I grabbed to go orders of the crab cake sandwich, side Caesar salad and the kicking crab soup. I also got the chicken wrap with a side Cesar salad for my dad. I didn't open the items up until I got to my location. Upon opening, there were a the few pieces of lettuce with 3 long shavings of cheese across for their version of a Caesar salad. Minimal dressing that tasted like just oil was placed on it. Very disappointing just by looking at it. The crab cake sandwich had no sauce, a thick piece of tomato and another piece of lettuce on the side. The crab cake which had a good amount of crab in it, lacked flavor and tasted like it was cooked in old grease. The kicking Crab soup tasted like water with a lot of black pepper and two pieces of crab meat in it. My dad had nothing good to say about his chicken wrap. For service and as a to go order, the waitresses were really nice. The ambiance was upscale dining experience with prices that should reflect in their food quality. $25 for a crab cake that tasted like it came from a gas station is not what I expected. Nor for it being paired with a few pieces of lettuce for their Caesar dressing. Maybe it was a bad day or, I'm not their typical customer. Either way, it's a first and last for me. read more

The Kitchen At the Imperial - Crab cake sandwich - New American Near Me - Chestertown, Maryland

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We have never had a bad meal or a bad experience. The food is pricey but always worth it. I especially enjoy going in the winter and sitting in the front window. read more

Went here with my family a few times. Service is amazing, food is great and the interior is nice

Weekend lunch here. The experienced (and skilled) waitresses "gave us" to a young hostess who completely forgot about us after taking our order. Everybody here needs to up their game and remind themselves (and the hostess) of the basics: don't abandon your tables; CHECK on your customers to see if they need refills and to update us about the entrees arrival time (it took too long). The food took too long to arrive. I have a gut feeling that the hostess forgot to put our order in. Whose table was it? Assign it to a single person and that person needs to own it. We asked for iced water and were brought still water without ice (we watched two outside tables being served iced water upon arrival). Drank it quickly and no one asked us if we wanted more. No one asked about whether we wanted soda refills. I had to go find someone to tell. Two different meat dishes: barely warm. It's a pretty bad feeling as a customer, feeling like you've been forgotten and don't matter. read more

Elegant dining. Started the evening with a southern comfort Manhattan. It wasn't a great combination, and the waitress brought some garnishes afterwards to try and fix it up. Oysters of all kinds. Loved the oysters wrapped in bacon and baked. Rockfish here was terrific! Crab cakes were also full of jumbo lump crab read more

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I came here on a Saturday night - we were able to get a reservation the same day for 8pm in the garden. The garden is really cute (although put bug spray on your ankles). They have an excellent drink menu - one of my dining companions loves the habanero marg and the other was impressed to see they had Blanton's bourbon on the menu. I had the seafood risotto for my meal. There was lots of seafood in it and it was tasty. The risotto was a little bit runny but still very enjoyable. One dining companion had the bacon stuffed trout and the other had the chorizo encrusted snakehead. Both were very happy with their meals - large portions, well done. Both dishes were unique and allowed them to try something different and new. The real star of the show was the chocolate bread pudding that our served recommended to us. It had almost souffle consistency and delicious flavor. The server was very pleasant. Overall, a great choice for a nice dinner. read more

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Our second visit in a month. We ordered the exact same thing because it was so good! The crab cake dinner and the bolognese special. Chrissy gave us great service in the bar area. The restaurant was crowded and we didn't realize we should get a reservation. The kitchen is doing a great job handling a large group. Our favorite dessert should be on every menu everywhere: buy a drink for the kitchen crew. Excellent experience! read more

We came here for our anniversary dinner and the overall experience was really disappointing. We had reservations for 7:00PM and once we were seated, we were immediately told the oysters and risotto were sold out. It took about an hour to get our appetizers. When we did get our food, the crab soup was bland and the steak was overcooked. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Chestertown. The Steak Frites melt in your mouth, and the sauce is impeccable. In the summer the rear garden is the place to be seated, great ambience. The service is always good. read more

Steve is an excellent chef. His entrées are delicious and absolutely wonderful. He made our wedding reception very memorable. Everyone was impressed. I would definitely recommend The Kitchen at The Imperial! read more

Came here for lunch today and it was practically empty. I ordered a house salad with chicken and dressing on the side and my partner ordered the Reuben sandwich. We waited for 45 minutes until the the food was served. The sandwich was fatty and gristly despite being told it would be lean and the salad was doused in dressing despite my asking for the dressing on the side. By that point, we were already very hungry so we ate what we could and left. We were the only ones in the dining room except for the young woman with her baby, yet our server did not pay attention to our order. Unfortunately, very disappointing. read more

Service was the worst we've ever experienced. We came here for lunch and were seated in the back patio which had a nice cool breeze passing through it. We ordered crab cake sandwiches and salads, both which were very good. The real issue was the bad service which went from OK to bad to nonexistent. We waited for the food for 45 minutes and our server literally disappeared. We eventually went inside to ask about our order and found another server who appeared to be annoyed and surly told us our server was "very busy ". We finally received our food and when our server finally came out said it was very hot inside and she sat down at our table to vent about the day with no explanation of where she had been or why the food had taken almost an hour to be served. Food was good but the service ruined the entire experience. read more

I attend fine dining restaurants frequently, but this restaurants was one of the best restaurants I have been to. Went for valentine's day. It was a set menu with a wine pairing. Everything was phenomenal, including the service. Wine pairing was perfect with each meal. Each meal consisted of something different which was nice. I was the perfect amount of full after too. 10/10 recommended and would go again. read more

The Kitchen At the Imperial - New American Near Me - Chestertown, Maryland

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Friendly staff (shout out to our server, Josef) and flavorful, impeccably-presented food. Loved the cozy rooms (we sat at a window table in the bar) and collegial atmosphere, too. The fried oyster appetizer was piping hot and the perfect small plate for a light lunch. read more

The Kitchen At the Imperial - Veggie burger topped with sriracha slaw and fried oyster appetizer - New American Near Me - Chestertown, Maryland

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We went with friends for dinner 6pm reservation December 23. It was very busy.Our server Melissa was lovely. Excuses for bring appetizer before drinks were ever served.Told bar was backed up. When the martini arrived told they were out of olives..really.Lame. Dinner arrived and it was great food. Then once again we ordered after dinner drinks.Mybfriend ordered the specialty marshmallow martini. After 20 minutes she was informed the bar could not make this because the bar was backed up. She offered her a chocolate martini instead. Everyone had finished dessert when it arrived. Then a fresh server came to our table and told us we had to vacate for the next guests. We were flabbergasted because the delay was not our fault. We sat allowing our friend to sip her drink Then the owner stormed over and began to insist we leave to go to the bar..and Excuses Excuses Excuses about how he couldn't get staff. Sooooo rude and obnoxious and didn't apologize for their inconvenience to us. Won't be back anytime soon for this rude behavior read more

We arrived without a reservation and were fortunate to get a table (owner was checking on the hostess stand and said he could make it work - thanks much!). Mondays offer few food options in Chestertown so The Kitchen fills up fast. The restaurant is beautiful with small more formal rooms, a larger brick-floored "sun porch" space that can accommodate larger groups and a lovely outdoor Southern garden patio. You can also peek into the kitchen as you go from front to back of house. We were on the patio. Food was good - roasted Brussels were a bit salty but the aioli cut that (a downer for my friend who ordered them since she is anti-aioli - good for me since I could eat what she left behind), The Kitchen Corn Chowder was good (but I wanted remarkable being at the Eastern Shore) and the Halibut with corn, tomato and lump crab was quite good - beautifully cooked fish (but ironically may have needed a hint more salt). Served on REMARKABLE potatoes and (cumin?) green beans with good crunch. A friend ordered the lamb shank and the meat fell off the bone - no need for a knife there - he raved! It was hot and we drank water faster than the waiter could keep up but they had not expected our walk-in party of three so they may have also been spread thin. I would try this place again for the environment and other menu options because there were several that appealed to me but may also be open to checking out some other spots in this Eastern Shore town so I can better compare. read more

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I don't give a five star review ... my thought is there is always something that could have been better (like free diamonds jewelry or limo rides right). Our meal was outstanding ... I had the filet which was perfectly seasoned (no salt added by me which is unusual), tender, hot, delicious. My much better looking half had the "guitar" pasta with chicken -- she enjoyed it. Dessert was the chocolate bread pudding, very very good. Our server was polite, had personality - made the dinner very enjoyable. The chef did visit with us (always appreciated). This is a great special dinner sport. read more

Super impressed. In my opinion truly the best restaurant in Chestertown on High Street in the historic district. This is where Mamma V wanted to eat. If you're a foodie this is your place. LOL Large party for brunch on Easter Sunday and everything was really good. We had a 2 1/2-hour brunch with nothing rushed and all the food timed correctly. Good food takes time. Bonus that the Chef checked on our table to make sure all the food is correct. I would have liked to have eaten in the outdoor courtyard but it's still too cold. But there were a few tables out there with the heat lamps. The appetizers we shared "kitchen crab dip", "Siracha mayo French Fries", "crispy Brussel sprouts", and "Sherwin's Steak Tartare" were all delicious. I had the "Salmon Benedict" with home fries which I definitely recommend. Our table ordered avocado toast, Caesar salads, house salads with shrimp, omelets, fruit and eggs benedict. There were no complaints from our table only comments of how good the food was, and that the avocado toast was enough for two people. My only wish is that the brunch menu offered more lunch items because I wake up so early that by noon, I'm ready for lunch. We shared an assortment of desserts almond torte, chocolate bread pudding, and creme brulee. My favorite was the almond torte, which was delicious. read more

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Had brunch here this morning. Friendly, attentive staff, nice interior, had a cocktail in the small bar after. The food was unremarkable. I had the corned beef hash; the beef was gristly and not tender; the "poblano home fries" weren't really spiced and didn't have enough sautéed onions to make them "pop." My wife had the veggie omelet, which she said was fine. Prices were very reasonable. We'll try it again, but can't say we're rushing to go back. read more

We were just traveling the Long Way home and came across this lovely downtown (unknown to us) treasure. They were booked for Easter Sunday- reservations only, but bar open- so we thought we'd grab a little something to wet the whistle and decide where to eat. During conversation on where to go the manager said "only two? Let them order"! So grateful! The food was amazing!! Service impeccable and you can even watch them prepare your food. Compliments to the chefs! hope to return someday if travels take us here ! read more

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Absolutely wonderful. My wife and I had the dinner wine pairing that is done through the Brampton inn, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The food was to die for. The service was amazing. The atmosphere was very welcoming and felt right. The chef is beyond passionate about food and is more than happy to answer any questions about the food. He came out and explained each course, how it was cooked and why it was paired with what wine. No doubt would 100% come back again, cannot give this place a high enough praise. read more

Outstanding food and great service . Food is well prepared and fresh. The menu is small but all the dishes are excellent , I had the braised lamb shank and my wife had the crispy cod The ambiance is very comfortable , it's located in an old hotel Will return again to try other menu items read more

Good and bad. Had great steak tartare -- but my rack of lamb was literally raw. I wouldn't order anything that requires real cooking chops. Best to stick to the chicken Alfredo. Plus the wait between asking for my check', getting my check, and paying was interminable. , read more

I have eaten here many times and just had Easter Brunch with my family today! The food is always phenomenal and we always get the private room which is so lovely. Crab soup and crab cakes are one of the best in the area and the oysters are always on point. One of my favorite places to go when I visit my hometown. read more

We have family in Centreville and visit quite frequently for meals. Usually, we make our way to Kent Island to one of the restaurants on the water. I found out about this place here and thought we might head in the opposite direction for something new. I called and made reservations for our preferred date and time, and was asked if we were celebrating a special occasion. I said that we were and gave the person the details about what we were celebrating. Was it ever noted? Not sure, though there was no mention of it once at the restaurant. Disappointing. We arrived about three minutes after our reservation time and were greeted by a hostess who did not make eye contact. She was busy (with a computer?) and said that she would be with us in a minute without even looking up. She shortly, finally, looked up to acknowledge us and I told her we had a reservation. She asked if we wanted to be seated inside or on the back patio and we chose the patio. A server was standing nearby and mumbled something to her, and she turned to us and said that the patio was not available. We were then given the choice to dine inside or out front. We chose inside. We were quickly escorted to a table, seated, and given paper menus. We quickly determined what we'd like to have to drink...if only a server had come over to take our order or acknowledge us. We waited. And waited. Another table was seated in the same dining area several minutes after us and they were quickly greeted by a server and their drink order taken. Had we been forgotten? A few minutes later, another server entered the dining room and approached the same table only to find that they had already been assisted. She then left the dining room. We observed her conferring with someone (the manager?) in the hallway before being directed back into the dining room to our table. She was apologetic about the confusion and the delay but took our drink orders. By this time, we were also ready to order so we placed an order for an appetizer and our mains as well. She set out to enter the order. Service was okay. Nothing spectacular, but no real further missteps. We found the brussels sprouts to be very salty and didn't find the aioli a complementary flavor. Still, we all love sprouts so we finished them. We noticed when the mains were served that the smash burger was served with no condiments, nor were we offered any. Though, once we asked, we got. It did have good flavor. The Po Boy was underdressed in our opinion. In NOLA, we're used to lettuce, tomato, etc but this one was bland and naked, with the exception of a small spread of remoulade. The turkey sandwich was enjoyed by the one in our party that ordered it. Based on other reviews, I realize that I run the risk of the manager/owner's ire by posting a less-than-stellar review, but it's honest. read more

First, let me talk about the food since I know that's what you're here for: Get the crab cakes! Everything I've tried here has been top notch, but the crab cakes are a stand out. This place makes me think of elevated comfort food in the best way possible. Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way, I have to heap praise on Steve and the Imperial for the incredible hospitality they showed me and my family when they helped me host a private lunch here for a very special occasion. I called multiple restaurants in town and all the others were either closed or unable to accommodate my request. Steve, on the other hand, enthusiastically helped me plan the lunch, was incredibly patient and flexible when we had to make last minute scheduling adjustments, and even personally cooked every meal himself for my family (!) Not only was the food outstanding, but the service and kindness we received that day is not something I'll soon forget; it truly made a wonderful day even more special. I can't wait to return during our next trip to Chestertown! read more

We went there for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and had a lovely meal with our server Juan. Very attentive and prepared. We went again Friday night and our server Melissa could not get our order correct. Our friends got their salads, we never did. No water refilled. When we asked where our salad was, three times she said they were working on it. My husband and friend ordered the Bronzino and he requested no tomatoes and it came with tomatoes, she mixed up the orders . Had to repeatedly ask for water. Fish was supposed to come with squash. No squash. Finally the head server came over after we said something and got the guys string beans. She apologized that Melissa was new, but Melissa found time to consistently chat with the table behind us. She did right by us with the check and comped dessert, but sadly, not looking to come back. Food was very good.. steak frites were delicious and fish too. Not in any hurry to return, sorry to say read more

Beautiful restaurant and elegant bar. Lots of locals dining here fafter church on a busy Sunday noon-ish. Pricey.

Excellent food and service for lunch. We had Caesar salads and smash burgers. Both were excellent.

I want to be completely honest so... For what you get, this was 5 star service. For the first time ever, it was uncertain whether I was allowed to eat here or not, but at least they checked due to a huge party apparently happening. Once I got seated, the waiter, who was very friendly (I think Keith?), served me. After eating, he offered desert or, "finish off with something sweat." Very friendly, great tasting food (sadly I forgot what I ate, as it was a month or more ago), and affordable. HOWEVER... in a very brief personal note, this was not MY kind of restaurant, as I felt highly underdressed. It was a lot classier than I'm used to, but when exploring Chestertown at dinner time, there didn't seem too many more local choices. Not to mention, I was going through some personal things, and something about the waiter didn't help. Long and short of it, if visiting Chestertown and expecting a little classy something not too casual, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! read more

Incredible food - stuffed oysters were unbelievable, crab cakes were almost all lump crab. Service was friendly and excellent. Very pleasant atmosphere! read more

After eating at this fine establishment I am baffled by the current 3.5 star rating and reviews! 1. First impression: When making the reservation I stated that that my fiancé and I were in town for a weekend get away Anniversary and the staff printed a menu with "happy anniversary" across the top. It was incredibly thoughtful of them and an amazing gesture to begin our dining experience. The space was clean and bright. The hostess greeted us with a big smile, wished us a happy anniversary, and sat us at a pleasant table near a window. 2. Service: from the hostess to our waiter, the staff was very attentive and kind. Our drinks remained full throughout the meal. Our server was knowledgeable of the menu and current specials and was very friendly. My fiancé and I even received a free glass of champagne for our celebration! 3. Food: We began with a crab dip that came with perfectly toasted fresh crustinis. The dip was just a little rich due to I assume cream cheese but delicious non the less. For entrees my fiancé had steak frites and I went with the lamb shank. Both our meals were beautifully presented. The steak was cooked perfectly as ordered, tender and my fiancé enjoyed it. The lamb shank came served in a lovely Jus and was fall off the bone tender. The potato mash soaked up the jus and was excellent. If your in town do yourself a favor and stop here. Ignore the negative reviews and see for yourself! I hope my thorough reviews helps boost the rating to what i feel it deserves! Hats off to the chef. read more

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I really wanted to like this place. I was in town for business. The owner of my rental recommended it. The Caesar salad was ok. I got shrimp on it, which was excellent. I ordered a Jack Daniel's over ice. The bill had a charge for the drink prep. 'On rocks'. Wha..what?! I live outside NYC and travel weekly, all over the country, but never saw this. Weird. read more

The Kitchen At the Imperial - Jack Daniel's over ice. Prep charge,'over rocks' - New American Near Me - Chestertown, Maryland

The food was good, as was the service. We were offered only a limited menu because our group of 14 arrived 30 minutes past our reservation. It was still early (6:30) by dinner standards. The chef had promised to make a special pasta dish for us, but when we were late he refused to make it and left. I thought that story might have been a bit embellished, but then I heard it directly from the chef himself. I had stepped away while waiting for dinner to pick up a pizza down the street (for lunch the next day). While standing at the bar waiting for my pizza, the chef from The Kitchen was seated not 8' away complaining about "the group of sailors who showed up 1/2 hour late so he refused to make his special pasta". He bitched about it for a solid 5 minutes. Unbeknownst to him, I was one of those 14 sailors. I understand the challenges of operating a restaurant and staffing, prep, etc but when someone brings 14 people to your restaurant and they're apologetically late, it seems to me it would be appropriate and gracious to not act so childish. I don't go to Chestertown often, but his attitude convinced me I should dine elsewhere next time in town. And yes, we apologized profusely for our tardiness, but we did show up and were treated more like unwanted guests than valued customers. Nevertheless, it wasn't the servers' fault so we made sure to take good care of them. In response to the chef's comments below, he uses the term "you" several times. He must mean someone representing our group. I merely showed up for dinner - along with 13 others - when we were told. I know nothing of any back story, but frankly it doesn't excuse his reaction, IMHO. Others may disagree. My experience was not favorable. If he had an issue with someone who made the reservation, he should have taken it up with that person instead of treating our entire group of 14 like he was doing us a favor to feed us. My perspective is that of a customer who had been told to expect a great dining experience but was instead insulted and found myself unwittingly bearing the brunt of the chef's anger and childish behavior. read more

Crab Cake sandwich French Fries lunch at the kitchen at the imperial. Totally AMAZING. No filler! All crab and a good portion. best crab cake i have had! Chef/Owner Steve Quinn cooked an amazing lunch for us! wonderful outdoor patio space for dining al fresco! Want a great meal while visiting Chestertown MD? go here! 5 stars read more

We went for an anniversary dinner and the place was fabulous. Great service and a great table in the front window area. Mostly local people eating there and they all said that this was the best restaurant in Chestertown. Definitely recommend it. read more

We love this place! Took my husband here for his birthday on New Year's Eve for brunch. It was delicious! The French toast was amazing! Helen our waitress was so much fun and entertaining and made our celebration special. They even had a birthday menu for him. It was worth the trip from B'More. read more

I was in Chestertown with a large group and we had brunch and dinner at the imperial. Both were excellent. The chef cooked a flank steak with our dinner and I could hardly believe it was flank steak. Was very tender, certainly the best flank I've had. I look forward to returning soon. read more