Olney Ale House

The crab bisque is AH-MAY-ZING. Service is hit or miss, sometimes on point, sometimes mediocre, never bad. It's just an average place that never lets you down.

Came here for 2 things burgers and oysters on Tuesdays. Half off burgers and discounted oysters. Burgers were definitely fresh and they even had vegetarian options for my friend. As for the oysters these things are huge. You definitely get your bang for you buck here. Between the 6 of us we probably ordered 5 dozen. This is definitely a local spot and expect families to stop by. Parking can get tight in the evenings, but this is the place to hit for quality oysters

Came around 3pm and was greeted and sat down right away. Waiter was super prompt and attentive to us the whole time .

If you're in the mood for some good cheap and delicious oysters! They have 50 cent oysters during their HH hours from 3-7.

I know that the Olney Ale House is a local institution, beloved by generations, and practically linked to the local theatre, so I may have to take some flack for this review. My experience with it left me wondering why it's so loved. Its like the original Star Trek: loved by those who have enjoyed it forever, but those new to it find it unoriginal and bland.

Olney Ale House wasn't bad, wasn't terrible, there was just nothing good. Indeed, bland is a theme for the restaurant.

We went there before a show, and were actually seated quickly, despite the crowd. I was definitely encouraged by the crowds. Our table was sticky, and covered in what appeared to be salt. I asked the waitress to wipe it, and was told "that's just how our tables are, but I can wipe it again if you want." That never happened.

We ordered two dry ciders. I've had Bold Rock's dry cider before, and it's good. At the Ale House, though, it was flavourless, like something was just off with the tap.

Our main course, a pot pie and a Rueben, came out about five minutes before the appetizers. Why the kitchen couldn't process these in a reasonable order, I can't imagine. The pot pie was home made and good. The Reuben was over filled with dry corned beef. Not nearly enough of anything else.

The soup tasted like it was out of a Progresso soup can, jazzed up with added ingredients. It definitely was nothing special.

We made the serious mistake of ordering a dozen oysters here. They were terribly shucked, with shell bits everywhere. They were tossed on a plate of ice, with cocktail sauce (only). Like much of the rest of the meal, they lacked any taste. Not salty, sweet, or any adjective. Just mush.

Definitely not worth the local hype.

I love this local place - a gem of Montgomery county for decades. What's amazing is that it has held its charm, personality, great beer, amazing food & super customer service all these years.
In an uncertain world, you can be certain Olney Ale House will make you happy!

It has probably been about 25 years since I was last here. That's probably longer than most of you reading this have been alive!

Many moons ago I worked in Olney for nine months. I used to come here with a coworker. I remember it had a limited menu back then, and it was mostly healthy stuff, like a hummus sandwich with watercress.

My friend and I had just finished our wine tasting nearby, and it dawned on me to check this place out. Luckily it wasn't too crowded on a Sunday afternoon. We were seated right away. The menu had many tempting choices. I was meandering between two choices, and our waitress steered me towards their Fish and Chips. Even though pollack is not my favorite (I prefer cod or halibut), I ordered it. It was quite good; two extra large portions fried to perfection with a heaping mound of equally crisp chips (French fries to you Americans). Definitely worth $13.50 for the amount of food you get, but cod would have made it meatier. Pollack has a sort of transient color, while cod is thick and white with more flavor.

I enjoyed my lunch just the same, and Ashley, our server was fantastic.

Seemed to be closed last time I passed by, but I did hear it is very good, both food and atmosphere.

I've been going to the Ale House since the 1980s. It's an ancient, dark, homey, comfort zone. The menu evolved once years ago and stayed right there ever since is (with some decent vegetarian options). (Thank goodness they've always kept that lemon tahini dressing on it.) The Ale House doesn't care about entering the modern world. That crazy parking lot, single person bathroom with the door you hope won't burst open on you, no-nonsense staff, and old school tavern menu make the place what it is. Don't come here on a Monday because they're closed, but if you find yourself in the area, do check them out.

I used to LOVE this place. It was homey and comforting. But oh have the times have changed. My aunt ordered a crab cake and the crab in it had gone bad. And if smelled to prove it too. The waitress agreed but the chef said we were wrong! What happen to the customer is always right. Were we really supposed to eat seafood that had gone bad?
The waitress was beyond sweet but the food and the atmosphere after being told we were wrong was just not something I want to relive ever...
sadly lost a loyal 3rd generation customer

We have been to the Theater many times, and decided one early evening to stop in the Ale House before the show. The restaurant is standard American Bar fare.
It is packed before a show, by the way so call ahead!

1. I had a salad. Overall it was good, not great. But when you factor in that it is literally right across the street from the theater, perfect.
2. Beer selection - Amazing. I was going to give them 3 stars, again the food is average but table service (excellent) and beer selection moved them up a star.

Good service makes average food better!

Overall if you are stopping by before a show, this is a good place to fill up!