American Tap Room - Bethesda, MD

Bethesda Row has recently opened a handful of new restaurants, so my old college friend and I met up for some good ol' girl time with a side of dinner at American Tap Room. As you can tell by the name, they serve American food and offer an extensive beer selection. There is metered street parking, and a metered garage right next to it on Elm St. The closest metro station is Bethesda on the red line.

Very spacious restaurant. Large chairs, big booths, high ceilings. The bar is circular and has lots of TVs. Reminded me of a modern den with its wood paneling, soft lighting and leather chairs.

I liked the windows into the kitchen!

The menus light up! This was the 1st time I had seen that before. The check does that too. At 1st, I thought it was a digital menu, but it's actually just a paper menu lit up from behind.

My favorite beer was on the menu - Hoegaarden ($6.30)! They offer over 40 beers and over 50 wines on their menu.

My friend ordered a bowl of 'Maryland Crab Soup' for $5.99, which was their soup of the day. She said it was good and I heard no complaints.

My appetizer was the 'Zucchini Fries (served with a Greek yogurt and dill dipping
sauce)' for $8.99. I loved them! They were crispy, hot and tasted fresh with the sauce. I would totally order them again.

We actually asked for bread after our appetizers when we realized other tables had bread. The rolls were nice and warm, however the butter was sweet. Not like "sweet cream" butter, but actually mixed with sugar. It was odd at 1st, but was eventually good and made it taste like a dessert.

My friend loves arugula and ordered the 'Arugula Salad (baby arugula tossed with virgin olive oil and Belgian honey, goat cheese with toasted almonds)' for $7.99. She wasn't sure if the yellow tomatoes tasted like the red ones, but I assured her they were the same. She enjoyed her salad as well.

Our server suggested the 'Southwest Shrimp Salad (grilled spiced shrimp with corn, tomatoes, avocado and shredded cheese, served with a house made ranch dressing)' for $9.99. I loved it. You can't tell, but the shrimp were big and not overcooked. The dressing wasn't over whelming, nor did it appear to be a typical Ranch dressing. I loved the balance and I ordered it because I avocados in my salad. I'd order this again.

I had a nice time with a new restaurant, polite staff, pianist playing on a grand piano and good food. The entrees are in the low-$20's, which was more than I expected. A cool feature was the free homemade cotton candy for the kids! I was jealous. After completing your meal, the server brings a tray of desserts for your viewing pleasure, however they desserts are look plastic, so it was kind of odd/funny,.Its a great place to meet up with friends, bring kids, and grab a drink.

7278 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 656-1366
http://www.americantaproom.com/bethesda