Mr. X and I visited The Paddock last night on a Thursday since work took us again to York. We had seen the Paddock many times and always said we should stop in and give it a try. It has good points and not-so-good points, so let's take them one by one.
We park behind the restaurant in their spacious parking lot. The doors for the entrance are actually on the back of the building, which makes it convenient to enter the building from the parking area. We were greeted right away and seated at an attractive table by the windows. Our waitress came by offering drinks from the bar. I got a Strawberry Daiquiri and Mr. X got a Margarita (each 7.00). They were both good, but neither one of us tasted any alcohol in them at all which was extremely disappointing, so we stopped at one drink each. Further, they were served in pint beer glasses instead of the appropriate glassware. My Daiquiri could have spent a little more time in the blender, I like a smoother consistency, so if you my readers prefer it the same way, I'd probably ask that it be kept in the blender for longer. The whipped cream is a nice touch.
One thing that was odd was when we asked for some bread with our soups, we were told "we don't serve bread". I repeated the question but in a way that suggested that I'd be glad to pay for the bread, and I was again told that no such bread exists. Shortly after this, I noticed that the table right next to us were served large, buttered brioche bread slabs with their pasta entrees. The correct response would have been "Let me go ask and see what we have" and then come out with bread. How this was handled was not cool and made me feel weird about asking for something that should be served automatically without even needing to be asked for.
We both started with a cup of Cream of Crab soup ($6.95). It was excellent, even if not hot enough for my taste. We both really enjoyed that, served with oyster crackers. Very good, though unfortunately we ridiculously couldn't get some bread we really wanted to go with it.
I ordered the special Haddock stuffed with a crab cake ($32.95). I thought it was delicious and I could eat it every day of my life. Mr. X and I are from Baltimore, so we know what a crab cake is, and these were fine. The lemon butter sauce over the entire entrée was perfect. I'd hope that becomes a permanent item on the menu.
My sides that came with it were Brussels Sprouts and French Fries, which again were pleasing. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the ultra-shoestring fries they serve, but Mr. X seemed to enjoy them. They are basically like potato sticks and so of course they get cold quickly. I feel like if you have a restaurant in the higher-price category of the Paddock, you should be preparing your own fresh-cut fries in-house. There's no excuse for frozen french fries today unless you're a diner.
Mr X. Got the New York Strip with crab cake ($46.95). He ordered it medium, but what came out was almost well. He said it was fine, but said it was advertised by our server as "hand-trimmed", and this was anything but. Several times he had to spit out gristle and other inedible portions. Overall, he said it was "OK", but it seems a shame to pay so much for a 12 oz. Prime steak that isn't cooked correctly and is just passable. Maybe this is just how Pennsylvania does it because the steaks at Hoss's down the road are the exact same. Again, it wasn't horrible, but a bit disappointing. He commented that he also did love his crab cake, however, so all was not lost! His sides were asparagus and a baked potato, which were good.
Kudos though must go to the tall and extremely courteous young man (I didn't get his name) who made sure our glasses were refilled and who also removed finished plates quickly. Great job done by him!
One unfortunate thing though is that the bathrooms are located right next to where people stand in line for the hostess stand. When the men's room door opens, passers by have a perfect view of guys peeing at the urinals. A bit awkward to me, but hey look all you want I'm not shy.
Overall, The Paddock is just a little better than OK. Greek diners could pull this off at a much more acceptable price point. We paid $110 for two with one mixed drink each, excluding tip. I think the fine dining level prices might be a bit much for the quality, and fine dining this ain't. I do understand people need to make a living, and running a restaurant isn't cheap. I would probably return, but I'd have a talk with the management before ordering to take care of the issues I have addressed here. Get some bread and butter on the tables.
And guys, I'd pee before leaving the house unless you enjoy exhibiting your private areas to strangers.
tl:dr: A bit pricy for experience. It's OK, but not one of those "knock your socks off cant wait to return" restaurants. Beware of ordering steaks which may not be as prime, trimmed, or grilled as represented. $110 for two with one mixed drink each, excluding tip. read more