The Drum Room

I visited The Drum Room (1335 Baltimore, right inside the Hilton President Hotel) today for lunch with a friend. Our overall experience was good, but I have to say, I think going to this place for lunch is like going to World of Fun in October. Sure, it's the same great place, but the ambiance is missing somewhat.

You see, The Drum Room is known for their music and their martinis, neither of which was present over the lunch hour. Well, I suppose I could have tried a martini, but I didn't...

Maybe because of this, or maybe because of the surprisingly lack of signage for this joint, there were no huge crowds here over lunch. Actually, if you were looking for a nice, quiet lunch spot to talk business (or gossip) and have some great food, this would be your place. The entire time we were there, we only saw 4 other diners.

Other than the lack of customers, our experience was great. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive, and the food was WONDERFUL. I chose the "Soup, Salad and 1/2 Sandwich" option. I love trying multiple food options in one meal - I stink at multi-tasking and this makes me feel like I'm at least trying to multi-task. My lunch partner chose the Drum Room Burger with Sweet Potato fries. I don't remember seeing even a crumbs left on her plate when she was finished.

For my S, S & S trio, I chose Tomato Bisque, Caesar Salad, and the Lump Crab Cake Sandwich. The bisque was thick and creamy, and served with some yummy, seemingly homemade crackers poking up from the red-orange goodness. The Caesar salad was very good (though none I've tried have ever matched Garozzo's Caesar salad - it's the standard by which I judge all other Caesars). The Crab Cake sandwich was surprisingly good. It was served open-faced, with some diced avocado and tomato sprinkled on top. All this for $11.

I'd love to try this place at happy hour, or during a performance, when it's really hopping!

Website: http://drumroomkc.com/