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    MaryLou's

    3.5 (91 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    MaryLou's Photos

    MARYLOU'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - MaryLou's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Band and dance floor area
    LaShawn G.

    I am so glad I finally made it out here because if you 30 and up this your spot! I was surprised that it was down the street from another one of my fav spots in Ft. Washington sunny-brook. Marylou's is located in an industrial type building and even though it looks small on the outside it's a pretty decent size on the inside. There was no cover charge or anything which is great but they did have security just in case folks got rowdy..lol I so wish I would have gotten more food as I only tried the crab balls which were so good and I think I forgot to bring what I didn't eat home. The drinks I kept it simple rum and coke with lime and I swear he didn't put any coke in it..lol. This place is such a vibe the DJ was hitting then the band took it home. I can't wait to come back to listen to good music, around good people, and this time try more food options as you be in so the mood you forget to eat..lmao It's a yes for me!

    Fish Dinner
    Paris M.

    My boyfriend and I went on a Saturday evening around 7 PM and got seated right away. The vibe was super chill, not crowded at all, mostly couples. The manager kept walking around checking on everyone, which I thought was really nice. The drinks were good! He ordered "It's A Vibe," and I got a strawberry margarita. We started with the ML's Super Sampler, which came with wings (you pick the sauce), hush puppies, fried shrimp, and salmon bites. Everything was really good. For dinner, he got the lamb chop meal and I ordered the fish dinner. Both plates were seasoned perfectly and had great flavor. Overall, we really enjoyed everything, and I'd definitely go back again.

    Inside
    Alonzo M.

    The food is good lil pricey good service kool ambiance I think $55 for 3 lamb chops too much

    Fish sandwich and fries
    Monae S.

    Mary Lou's was a small but nice bar/restaurant. We went on a Saturday night. The dj was really good especially if you like go go. All the line dances were done but I will say that the dance floor was a little tight. The downside was the service. It was a bit slow and we waited an eternity for drinks to come. The crowd was cool though. I got the fish sandwich which was massive. It was also delicious. The bread was nice and soft and the fish was seasoned perfectly. The rice was not good though. The wings were ok. Overall, decent experience.

    Chelsea A.

    Mary Lou's was a solid surprise! I went there for a comedy show and had never been before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. First off, parking was a breeze--plenty of space, which is always a win. The happy hour definitely caught my eye, especially since their rum punches are only $10. The other drinks can run you $12-$18, but that punch is a steal. Now, onto the food: my homegirl grabbed the Cajun pasta, and we all loved it. Super flavorful, with just the right amount of kick. I went with the collard greens, and I'm glad I did because they were fire. Honestly, the food was way better than I expected for a spot that doubles as a comedy venue. The comedy itself? Eh, the jokes were kinda mid--not bad, just not the highlight of the night. But the vibe? Definitely gave hidden gem energy. It's one of those low-key spots where you can get good food, decent drinks, and a chill atmosphere. Would definitely go back, but maybe just skip the comedy next time. Service was kinda slow but they were super nice and maybe also slow bc they were trying to be considerate of walking around during fashion show.

    My gross coffee! Smh!
    Nessa R.

    Always with great intention, the better half deliberately chooses to give our business to black owned establishments. We always pick a brunch spot on the weekend, Sunday Funday is what I call It. Marylou's is located in a shopping center in an industrial area. Odd location but it works. The ambiance is definitely causal! The set up of the inside is awkward, there are tables smack center of the door. This doesn't make it pleasant if you're sitting at the entrance like we were. On cold rainy day the fans were on and we had to ask if they could turn them off, they obliged, huge thank you! Our service was amiss from the start, we arrived to a semi full restaurant and were told it would be a 15-20 minute wait. If you all don't know, my better half is calm, cool, well mannered and patient so this statement didn't deter us. We waited as we looked at empty tables. We finally got seated and our waitress was clearly new. Even with her being new the establishment needs some TLC. It apparent that they need servers but they should definitely consider training their servers before throwing them into the serving arena alone. Although we came for brunch, they had one option for coffee (regular) and it looked disgusting. If the look was off putting, the coffee mug was broken, I had to drink away from the chipped broken part! Why would they even have this cup available for people! I needed creamer and sugar and the waitress put it in for me before brining it out to me. Weird! It wasn't enough so I asked for extra creamer and was brought out the large container of powered creamer. It was giving car sales lounge vibes in a restaurant. I asked for sugar and mid way through my meal another server asked if another table could use it. Investing in creamers and sugar packets needs to be first on the list. It's not that expensive to buy. Patrons should not share one sugar pourer. I digress. 30 minutes later we got our mimosas, we would have ordered more but they were delivered so late and we got our food 15 minutes later and well, we ate and were ready to go! So much for round two! Our food took 45 minutes to arrive and it arrived cold, at least mine did. It was such a disappointment. I have to give this place a fair review, I Do NOT recommend and the consensus from my honey and I, we WILL NOT return. Let's get into it! Marylou's Breakfast Sampler: No waffles so I picked the French Toast - Disgusting! The French toast was super gross! It had a thick cinnamon and sugar coating, I have no idea what was going on, it was cold. I tasted it and there it stayed. Eggs and bacon were edible. Catfish and Grits - With a sprinkle of Crab - it was good but nothing worthy of a ohhhhs or ahhhs. Hate to say it but Marylou needs to work quick to fix these issues. You have one opportunity to impress your guests. We were not impressed! Your Chef needs a do over! Quick! Patrons beware! Two stars because the manager, Filipino guy, was hospitable. Just wish he would have started helping with food runs, checking on tables, instead of chatting with everyone.

    Fish and grits w/added crab@ Marylou's!
    Spencer H.

    I bought my first house in Ft. Washington in 1994 and although Ft. Washington is a very nice area, it has always been a quality restaurant desert. That said, if you open anything remotely resembling a decent restaurant, you're probably going to make a lot of money. MaryLou's has been open approximately a year and it has similar vibes as Milk and Honey, Kitchen Cray and The Breakfast Club. It was larger than I expected and is appealing to the eye. It has a very nice sized bar that is perfectly placed in the middle. If I owned this restaurant, I would use the door near where they set up the band as the entrance, to avoid incoming and outgoing patrons interfering with the tables placed right in front of the current entrance. Yes, that's where we were seated and made this astute observation :). Now to our first dining experience at MaryLou's. Our server was nice but a bit inexperienced. We placed our drink order almost immediately, however, she clearly forgot to give our order to the bartender. 30 minutes later, I asked her about our drinks and she apologized and said they'll be right out :(. We ordered the catfish and grits with added crabmeat for an additional $10 bucks and the MaryLou's Breakfast Sampler. The breakfast combo gives you a choice between waffles, pancakes or French Toast. Well, they were out of waffles.. WHAT? Ooook, lets go for the French Toast. Out of four slices, she ate half of one. They were lukewarm, overcooked and the flavor was off. My added crab was so small, I had to laugh on the inside and just go with it. Our server continued to apologize for the 45 minute wait on our food, blaming the backed up kitchen. Always a supporter of black owned businesses, however, make me want to come back and I will always be back. MaryLou's fell short, hopefully they'll get their act together because I want to see them succeed!

    Shawn B.

    This establishment was pretty nice overall. I rarely hang out in Maryland, but I decided to give this place a try on a Thursday night since they had a live band performing. When you first walk in, security pats you down, which might make your antennas go up at first, but honestly, I appreciate the added safety. Once inside, a greeter welcomed us and seated us right away. She was very pleasant, and the quick seating was a great start. Our server came over shortly after to ask about drinks, and I ordered a margarita, which was actually pretty good. The ambience that night was great gogo music and a live band really set the tone and made the space feel lively and fun. The food was surprisingly very good as well. I tried a piece of my friend's fish, and it was fried perfectly excellent flavor and texture. All in all, I'd definitely return for the live music, the older crowd, and the solid food and drinks. A great spot if you're looking for good vibes on a weeknight.

    Shrimp and Grits with Crab
    Joyce C.

    Held a group dinner on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed our time and meal. The restaurant atmosphere was a whole vibe and I am sure dinner and music there would be awesome. Our meals came out scattered, so many were finishing their meals as some of us were just receiving ours. Not sure why the delay on some of the basic brunch orders, but the food presentation when it arrived was very nice. Service was good and food and drinks are worth a return trip!

    NAREB Event
    Anthony B.

    Good Times & Great Food at Mary Lou's - Fort Washington I recently attended another Winning Wednesday event at Mary Lou's (I've also been here for the National Association of Black Real Estate Brokers gathering). Since a Keller Williams Preferred Properties agent owns the restaurant, we make it a point to show support -- and honestly, it's always worth it. The space is one large, open room centered around a big bar. Depending on the night, you might find a live band, a DJ, or even karaoke during happy hour. There's no official dance floor, but that doesn't stop folks from line dancing wherever they can carve out space. The vibe is always fun and welcoming. As for the food: * Fried chicken wings - several flavor options, always tasty. * Tacos - solid and flavorful. * Fried fish - the star for me! Perfectly seasoned and crispy, I believe it's cod, and I've had it both as a sandwich and a dinner plate. Absolutely delicious. Drinks lean on the sweeter side, but the Mary Lou (their namesake happy hour cocktail) is deceptively strong -- you've been warned. They've also got bottled beer, though no draft options. Overall, it's a great neighborhood spot to spend an evening. I ended up staying several hours, enjoying the food, drinks, live entertainment, and meeting new people alongside my coworkers. MaryLou's has a way of turning an ordinary Wednesday into a fun night out.

    Tierra A.

    The service and atmosphere was very warm and welcoming! It gave the feel of a comforting homey environment, its a good place to hang out with friends . The food was great as well!

    My receipt
    Tonya K.

    I'm changing my review from 1 star to 3 1/2 stars. MaryLou's management team reached out and rectified my issue.

    Delicious lamb
    A'Yanna E.

    The only reason I'm rating low is because the fish is salty I could barely eat it - black ppl are prone to high blood pressure etc get it together. You can't give our ppl fried AND salty...needs to be seasoned evenly low salt and also rating low because Took 45mins to an hour for our appetizers to start coming out nearly one by one and 30 more mins for our mains to come. The only reason we feel we even got our appetizers was because the SECURITY guard came and asked us how we were...she was super kind, clearly attentive, and concerned noticing we'd been there a while not eating still. She went to the team twice without us asking and it worked. Our waitress came out with cornbread stating it's on the house for the wait but wow we waited forever for everything then our main dishes didn't even come out together. Lol The staff were all super nice respectful though! The dj was great. Security were on it and kind. The food is wonderful! Didn't get to hear the live band have to go back they looked like they'd sound good. Go, enjoy!!

    ML's Big Fish

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    1 month ago

    Very friendly restaurant. The food was great and prepared in a timely manner. I would definitely go back again and refer my friends.

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    Food is good and drinks are strong. It can get a little loud when they have the music going but still a good place to go

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - MaryLou's

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    MaryLou's - tacos - Updated May 2026

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