Absolutely delicious!! Sitting at the oyster bar is an experience. All the oysters were so fresh. I would say the aprodite and the roasted wild diver oysters were my favorites. Loved the sea scallops as well. All the servers were attentive and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Hands down the absolute best meal I had on my recent trip to St. Michaels. The service was absolutely phenomenal and the menu is creative but not *too* creative that I felt scared to try something new. Everything I ate had me excited about my next bite. We tried: + Oysters: They are known for their raw bar and their oysters did not disappoint. The Mookie Blues opened up a new pleasure center in my brain. + Grilled Prawns on Toast: Herbaceous, plentiful, and super tasty. Don't be shy, rip the heads out and suck on all the juices. It's delicious! + Crab Cacio e Pepe: Nearly every table in the restaurant had ordered this and for good reason. The noodles were cooked to a perfect al dente and was the perfect foil for the generous jumbo lump crab meat on top. It was cheesy, comforting, and oh-so-good. This is a dish you don't want to miss out on! + Grilled Rockfish + Papaya Salad: There must have been a Thai auntie in the kitchen because this papaya salad was out of this world. Thick, pungent, delicious, and fully flavored. The warm, crispy, and flaky rockfish on top had me crying tears of joy. + Labneh Ice Cream Sundae: The ice cream was a savory and creamy delight. The pistachio cotton candy teased my senses, and added to the playfulness of the dish. When we were leaving, the hotel front desk had mentioned that Jose Andres was recently in town and dined not once, but twice here which is the highest of compliments. I highly, highly, highly recommend. PS: Make reservations because they book fast. read more

Who would expect a world-class restaurant at a boutique hotel? Well, that's what you get at Ruse thanks to its superb head chef and outstanding servers such as Kathy. Fine dining without all the white tablecloth and dress-up stuff. My lamb shoulder was the best I've ever eaten, and the rice side dish was truly Persian as advertised (complete with tahdiq)! read more

We were celebrating my Mother's birthday and had a great experience. First of all, our waiter, Jordan, was excellent! He enthusiastically described all of the dishes on the menu, and spent time helping us decide what cocktails to order. Overall, his knowledge of the food and his friendly banter made it a very enjoyable evening. The food was excellent- and we are foodies. For appetizers we got the grilled mushroom, the mussels, the endive salad and the carrot salad. The endive salad and the mussels (especially the broth so get the delish sourdough to go with) were our favorite appetizers. The carrot salad was our least favorite- it had good flavors but the carrots were cut in big chunks and just blanched so they were crunchy and hard to chew. For entrees we ordered the trout, the short ribs and a burger. All were delicious, but the trout with the brown butter caper sauce was off the charts special. We got a taste of the labneh and matcha soft serve for dessert and it didn't disappoint- the deep vanilla flavor had a little tang from the yogurt. We will definitely be back! read more

We came into the restaurant on our honeymoon, we booked our reservations over a month in advance. We ordered several rounds of oysters, and drinks. We really enjoyed the blue crab pasta and Short ribs. We were disapointed that there was not a better dessert selection as there are several ice cream shops throughout town and that was th only thing on the menu . Our bill was over $350, for two of us, not including tip. We really enjoyed the cocktail selection and recommendations by the staff. However, while we were enjoying our night cap, we were told that there were people waiting for our table and asked if we could finish up. We were surprised by this request as it was not like we had not continued to order drinks and items from the menu and we weren't sitting on our meal for long. If there is a maximum time limit for the tables, it would have been nice to know. We understand the need to turn tables over but this was an unpleasant surprise by a restaurant we had been looking forward to visiting. And they did not nothing for our celebration, they did not recognize it. Why ask when making the reservation if you do not recognize it?! read more

Fantastic food and fantastic service. Our bar tender during happy hour was such a delight that we decided to cancel our reservation and eat at the bar with her! The mushrooms were an absolute MUST as was the crab bisque. If you're lucky enough to have either of these on the menu, don't hesitate to order. If you're in town, you have to have a meal at Ruse. read more

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WOW! This was an amazing meal. My boyfriend and I stopped in here for dinner and were sooooo impressed. We ordered a great bottle of wine and to my surprise the wait staff filled our glass until the bottle was empty. This was such a small gesture but made a HUGE impact on our meal. Normally, we get a bottle and have the first glass then eat the meal and are stuck with the rest of the bottle to finish when we are too full but not here! We had amazing food -oysters were delicious, tuna handrolls were an EXPERIENCE (they brought your the ingredients and you made it yourself - so fun), steak skewers were delicious - the sauce was showstopper with every bite! For main, we split the blue crab cacio Pepe and holy moly it was amazing!!! The crab blended with the cacio Pepe seamlessly and was so complimentary, seriously one of the best meals I've had. We will be thinking about this whole meal for a long time!!! Highly recommend read more

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Maybe an off night at Ruse. The four of us wanted a new restaurant experience and made a 6pm reservation. Seating was either single chair or bench seats. I had to switch seats with my wife because the back rib of my wood chair was stabbing me in the back. Unfortunately, the bench seat, solid wood, was almost as uncomfortable. Meals were just so-so, three of us were disappointed, one was impressed. Hamburger was overpriced for what was served, small serving of beef rib was fatty, with, in my opinion, undercooked beans, chicken was just chicken. I don't know why the upscale costs of the meal were necessary. My wife's entree of pasta with crabmeat was enjoyable. Service was excellent. Four pieces of bread...$6, ridiculous! read more

Absolutely some of the most creative, incredible, beautiful and perfectly executed dishes you will find. Our party of four shared 4 selections for 3 courses and the (the only) 2 desserts. Unanimous opinions were 10/10. The cocktails were all perfect, as well, along with the service. Lively atmosphere, but by no means too loud or distracting. If you happen to be in or near the small, quaint town of St. Michael, do NOT miss this dining experience! read more

Ruse is totally different from every other restaurant in St Michael's and that's a good thing. I love visiting St Michael's, but I've always found the dining scene to be a bit lacking. Feels like there's a lot of typical bar food, pasta, and then the seafood spots. I enjoy those too, but if you're craving a meal that's a bit more creative and chef-driven, Ruse is 100% the place to be. The ambiance is hip, the menu tends to feature local/seasonal ingredients and everything is just so well executed. I went for dinner one night and then canceled my reservations at one of the IPC restaurants the next night to come back again for another meal at Ruse. Everything I tried was phenomenal, but I particularly enjoyed the burger, fish dip, the salads, and their incredible selection of raw oysters. Highly recommended and really looking forward to returning next time I'm in town! read more

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Bottom line: Nice rustic-chic ambience in the Wildset hotel. Food is good but they ran out. Service could be improved. Service: We went here for Thanksgiving and made the reservation far in advance. We unfortunately were sat down 45 minutes late. They are unable to take winter coats so we were awkwardly waiting holding our coats for all that time. The manager was very nice and gave us a complimentary appetizer; however, because we were there for a large set Thanksgiving meal, it was just too much food! They also messed up our appetizer within the set meal by not delivering them together (they were the same item), so they gave us another one for free. Again, we were already paying for a large set thanksgiving meal so the free food, while appreciated, was not what we needed. If we were to be given something for free, it would have made sense to give us the drinks we had ordered for free. But regardless of free food, we just wanted the service to be nice to begin with. Food: The food at Ruse was quite good. However, we were promised full turkey legs with our thanksgiving meal when ordering dark meat, and we saw people get them. But I think when it came to us they must have run out because they had to tell us that they were unable to give us the full leg, but they also they cut the meat off the leg for us. The meat was really small in portion and was nothing compared to the leg. We could have done without the large portions of carbs (potatoes, stuffing, biscuits), and would have really enjoyed the full turkey legs that had been promised to us. I was also disappointed that they weren't being very honest with us about running out of the dark meat - they should have at least given us some white meat too. read more

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We came here for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The staff was very friendly (we also ordered almost everything recommended and it did not disappoint) and the food was delicious. We got a cucumber roll starter that may have been the best dish of the bunch. The crab rangoons were also phenomenal and filled with a healthy amount of crabmeat (vs the usual cream cheese filler). We flagged it so next time we visit will try additional items from the menu. read more

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Love this restaurant at a beautiful getaway staycation at Wildest St. Michaels. This restaurant is connected to the beautiful hotel right in the heart of quaint little downtown of St. Michaels. Food was made fresh farm to table, very rustic and attentive service. We even got some complimentary dish -- the shaved celery salad which was delish and very refreshing. I highly recommend coming here for a nice elegant meal while you're in town. read more

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Great food. Great service. Sat outside lovely night. Would recommend for sure. Great food. Great service.

My wife and I ate here last night and overall we had a great experience. Negatives: $17 for a mixed drink is a little steep Small entree portions Server could have managed time between courses better Positives: Food was excellent Oyster selection was vast and some of the best I've had in awhile We started with the anchovy toast and fish dip. Both were very good but I preferred the anchovy toast. We then had a half dozen raw oysters and an order of the grilled. All of the oysters were excellent and some of the best I've had in awhile. Next course we shared the crab rangoon which was just ok. There wasn't much evidence of crab and I wouldn't order it again. For entrees my wife got the burger and I had the duck. The burger was great and my duck was excellent, but for $45 I would expect a bigger portion. read more

Ruse - Salad Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

We were in St. Michaels for three nights and had dinner here twice. The service was spectacular--Connor and Caleb were friendly and attentive! The music is low key and great. They had different oyster selections each night and we couldn't get enough. Cocktails and entrees were fabulous! read more

Creative food, chic setting, nice server. A little slow but the restaurant was very, very busy. We sat outside so we didn't feel it as much. Cassandra was our server who was sweet and helpful in her menu descriptions and enthusiasm for the chef's creativity. When I couldn't decide between the Parsec or the vodka cocktail she suggested I let the bartender surprise me, which was a delightful suggestion. It was the Parsec with Japanese whiskey, not too sweet, light and refreshing. We started with the lobster bisque(?) soup. Loved the presentation of the lobster and other elements in the bowl then the broth poured over. Delicious. My very picky partner loved every sip as did I. I had an anchovy on toast with a Calabrian pepper and cultured butter. It may sound odd but it was wonderful. I had a baby kale salad and fried Jerusalem artichokes which were tasty and nicely presented. My friend had the breaded pork chop which came with a radicchio salad. It was juicy and nicely prepared. A large hunk of meat, so be aware if that's what you want. Dessert was three different ice creams - pistachio, a cheesecake flavor and an intense chocolate with a crumbled shortbread cookie on top on a base of blueberry cream or something like that. Did not "wow" us but good enough. Overall it was an enjoyable time with refined foods and we'd totally go back again. read more

Dinner for 2! The restaurant has a really cute modern farmhouse look. The wait staff were friendly and attentive to our needs. From the bartender to our server, they were all happy to help and make sure our dining experience was pleasant. We started with drinks at the bar and decided to try some of their oyster selections. The have a variety of options with detailed descriptions to help you pick. We were seated for dinner and ordered salads for starters, followed by the crab Rangoon and gazpacho to taste. We selected the sea scallops and tilefish for our entrees. We ended with the only two desserts available on the menu and called it a night. Food: Service: Decor: read more

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Excellent service. Oysters were amazing. We shared several appetizers, unique flavors and textures. Crispy Brussels with puffed rice...so good. Mushroom app was amazing. Catalonian lime tart was out of this world read more

Ruse is our go to place in StM and it never disappoints. The cocktails and wine list are on point, the oysters and starters and everything that follows is always consistently delicious, and the service and ambiance are great as well! Truly on of our favorite places for any occasion or no occasion. read more

a pleasant evening with friends, exceptional food. Waiters and support staff were attentive. The number of entrees is limited to something like five or six offerings, but the appetizers were fantastic, and them alone accounted for the greatest pleasure. They have post-meal digestif amaros: Montenegro, Fernet Branca, Cynar. read more

Wow what an experience! We booked Ruse for our son and daughter in law's rehearsal dinner and were overly impressed with the cuisine, the service, and the treatment! The setting was perfect and intimate. The staff was incredibly attentive, and the food off the charts. So many compliments from all of the 56 guests. Tanner promised we would enjoy and he kept his word! What a great way to kick off a most memorable weekend! Highly recommend Ruse and the Wildset! read more

This spot is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in St. Michaels. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The food is outstanding, each option is better than the last. Not your same old - same old Americana dishes. elegant and relaxing at the same time. read more

Wonderful! I love this place. The service, food and ambiance are top tier. The roasted oysters are especially delish, but I've not had anything that I didn't enjoy. read more

Service is top notch, food is amazing each time we come, beautiful ambiance ... might be the only restaurant I have given 5 stars! read more

Ruse - Salad Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

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Service was great, atmosphere was great. Unfortunately by 7:30 (which was the soonest I could get a reservation) half the items on the menu were out of stock including the only style beer I drink. I ended up ordering an app for an entree. I was a little disappointed. read more

Delicious, clean, and great service - what more could you want? My husband had some delicious morels and I enjoyed the crab bisque. He had a ravioli special, but the star of the meal was the smoked chicken. So incredibly flavorful and juicy. I rarely order chicken at a restaurant but I'm so glad I did. It was a lot of food - more than I could eat. Labneh ice cream ended the meal. We hope to return! read more

Ruse is a good example of a restaurant that would likely not be able to maintain its current offerings/price point in a large, competitive city market. We went on a quieter summer weeknight and sat outside. Note that the patio is very small with limited seating available. In terms of the service, our waitress disappeared consistently during our dinner, including when we were waiting to order and after I ordered a drink during our meal. Both times I waited about 20-30 minutes for her to return. This made the dinner last 2.5 hours despite all the food coming out at once! Ruse clearly needs more staffing. For the food, it is very overpriced. Both of our entrees (blue crab pasta and scallops) were $50+, and the food was not local or exceptional. Additionally, I was under the impression that the seafood is largely local--it is not. My partner (from New England) was eating oysters from ME and MA and the other seafood we had wasn't local either. We also had the squash salad which was probably our least favorite (still raw squash, lentils, and feta cheese); it was something we could put together better in our own kitchen. The labneh and pita we had was just OK. The pita tasted like a pretzel, which is odd and abnormal for Levantine food (go to Albi!). Nonetheless, I'm giving the place four stars for the main dishes, which were very flavorful (even if overpriced). It's also worth noting that Ruse clearly doesn't have a pastry chef. Three desserts were offered, and two-thirds were ice cream, which we did not want because it was a cold night. Overall, you're paying for the St. Michaels location. read more

Best American cuisine on the Eastern Shore. Oysters usually sourced from outside the Chesapeake Bay but great variety and nice to have options in our bivalves. Great and friendly service, novel and tasty menus always changing, wine and cocktail choices excellent. Our fave! read more

Delicious delicious delicious, no fuss food, in a pleasant atmosphere and well-designed intimate dining room. Staff was friendly and accommodating even when we wanted to change tables. Bartenders friendly. Chicken delicious, ceviche, sugar snap pea side salad also so yummy!! read more

Ruse - Cheesecake ice cream dessert was the cherry on top - Salad Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

First time visiting and we were extremely impressed. Very accommodating with food allergies. Delicious oysters with a wide variety to choose from. Great service and atmosphere. We look forward to our next visit! read more

Ruse is fantastic! I give it 5 stars for ambience, decoration, service, food and drink! The interior shines like newly minted penny - clean, modern yet comfy and classy. It EASILY is as nice looking as any restaurant in Washington DC (where I live). The food too was top rate! High quality, sourced from easily identifiable farms and sources. The Crab Rangoon appetizer and the tilefish entree were true standouts in a whole meal of superlatives. The wide variety of fresh oysters was incredible! And finally the service was as fine as I've ever received. From the 2 adorable hostesses to Tanner, the BEST waiter I've had the pleasure of having in a long time, they were all at the top of their games. Well-spoken, personable, smart and accommodating all around. When I mentioned I didn't like my drink, Tanner immediately whisked it away and got me a different one. No questions asked and no charge at all. If I'm searching for something wrong, I might mention that the lighting should be dimmed - it was a little too bright. But do not let that stop you from going to Ruse! This restaurant is firing on all cylinders!!! read more

Ruse had a wonderful ambiance with great service. We ordered oysters from six different states which were very fresh! We also ordered the tartine which had great flavors and the peach and burrata salad which was so fresh and delicious. For my entree I ordered the chicken which didn't have any sides; the waitress advised us that that the entrees didn't come with much which is why we ordered the apps that we did. Overall this was a very good experience and I definitely recommend to those visiting St. Michael's! read more

Our party of four dined at Ruse on a busy Saturday night. The decor is modern and more suited to a city restaurant. The atmosphere is pleasant but too loud and the tables have little space between them. Our server hit one diners arm twice trying to serve the table next to ours. Opt for outdoor seating. The food was below par for three in our party. My gazpacho was good, but the hamburger was returned due to cooking issues. One diner enjoyed his swordfish dinner and the rest of our party voted to give this restaurant a no return vote. The price and quality were not there for us. It's really a tourist trap. The table next to ours also had to return the burnt chicken they ordered. We were shocked it ever left the kitchen. read more

Incredible dining experience all-around! The menu is thoughtfully curated (both drinks and food) and the setting is cozy and beautiful. Our server Connor's recommendations were spot on. The standouts were the trout dip, trout piccata, and labneh ice cream. A must-visit when in the St. Michael's area! read more

The restaurant is cute and trendy. The man on the phone taking reservations and the woman at the front greeting guests were both very professional and friendly. But Honestly, the food is overpriced by about 30% and the restaurant is way too loud. Acoustical panels on the ceiling would go a long way. We sat at the table right by the kitchen door and that was a serious bummer. It's really busy and every time the door opens there is a lighting change. REQUEST A SPECIFIC TABLE OR LOCATION WHEN MAKING A RESERVATION. My husband had old fashioneds and they weren't the best. Not bad but they should be poured with more alcohol not a straight 1.5 oz pour. They also should be served with a brandied cherry. When someone orders a double, it's not standard to charge them double. It's typically an up charge... The chicory salad should be removed from the menu. $14 for dressed greens in ridiculous but the greens are way too bitter for nothing else to be on that plate. Offset the bitter with an easy green and some nuts and fruit. My husband couldn't eat his portion citing that is tasted like stomach bile. I didn't have that strong a reaction but I would never order this again. I honestly should have sent it back. Peach burrata was delicious but $18 is too much for a meatless appetizer. The beets do not add anything to the dish. Another slice or two of peach would have been much better than beets. Moving onto entrees... the duck stole the show and was the best part of our meal but again $44 for a tiny duck breast and no carbs is not right. I had the scallops which were cooked perfectly, but the polenta is not good. The consistency is between grits and polenta which means it was soupy and lumpy. That was unappealing enough, but it being sweet, instead of savory was the nail in the coffin for me. Not a good flavor combination in my opinion. Overall we would give 3/5. Had we been outside, we might have bumped it due to the noise alone, however we were generally unsatisfied after dropping $200 for two people. Most likely we will not come back based on cost and noise volume. read more

I read the review on yelp! Wanted to try the lobster roll because we just returned from Maine. The Yelp review was real puffery. So we ordered it as a starter. I couldn't believe my eyes, a hotdog bun with burnt crust. We sent the first one back. The second came not so burnt but with hardly any Lobster? Definitely not a lobster roll that you would find in Maine? We had the snapper as an entree. Very nice, however it was served over cooked mix of beans and spices which overpowered the delegate fish. Very trendy and very small portions. We will not return. read more

Hands-down... Our new favorite restaurant in Maryland! The farm-to-table menu items at Ruse are unbelievably fresh and delicious. The atmosphere is warm and inviting--yet clean and modern. The service was impeccable, and the server did a fabulous job educating us about the various offerings. Starting with the artisan cocktails, the bar concoctions were well-crafted, delicious, refreshing, and unique. Moving on to the apps, I highly recommend the handmade spicy tuna rolls. Our group had a fun time making our own sushi, while enjoying roasted oysters, scallop ceviche, and the smashed cucumber salad. All outstanding! Lastly, our group had the scallops, and rockfish--which were delicious. I got the Ruse double cheeseburger--and it was something I continue to think about often!! Using locally sourced beef--it was definitely not your ordinary burger! Our entire table had a sample of what I thought would be a simple menu item--and everyone was amazed by the flavors so perfectly cooked into the patties, topped with the gooey cheese and miso-dijonaisse. Will come back--again and again! read more

Ruse - Salad Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

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We had an amazing dinner at ruse! Patio was cute (and heated) and our waitress was super friendly- plus good music. We loved our cocktails (egg white and fall flavored - sorry, blanking on names) plus oysters. We then had some amazing starters (burrata with lentils and carrots, artichokes). For mains, the monkfish piccata was AWESOME and so was the mushroom cavatelli. So tender and rich. Would highly recommend this place! read more

Ruse - Salad Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

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No pictures - you've seen better than I could take in other reviews. Last minute day trip to Saint Michaels led us to stopping in for dinner. From first impression to last, this place is a must go to. Decor is simple yet beautiful. Service was top notch & the food had us all licking our plates. Started with a selection of oysters, small but flavorful. Next up were the roman fried artichokes & a pea salad. The sauces/dressings are so fresh. Even though we were trying to avoid bread, we had to order some to mop up the sauces, they were that good. And the bread? Delicious. Main courses were scallops, tile fish & soft shell crabs which were all yummy. Ended by sharing the lemon tart which was a perfect end. Highly recommend! read more