The Roost Lake Trout

Growing up my grandmother lived off of cold spring lane not to far from this location. I remember when it was called Lake Trout. The fish and chicken was so much better. I think they changed owners 10 years ago and I can tell.
This carryout is not flashy, glamorous or by any means upscale. The meals are cheep ranging from $ 4-​$ 12. So don’t expect fancy anything. The low overhead keeps the prices down and the food Baltimore style southern. I suggest going early in the day. The area is pretty safe but it defiantly doesn’t look safe. Menu features all the favorites:
Fried trout
Fried chicken, catfish, ribs…
Collards, Black Eyed Peas, Okra…
Bean, Coconut, apple, sweet potato pie, banana pudding…
Breakfast…
Vegetables galore…
And more…
Not bad for a quick greasy soul food meal, but manage your expectations.

OMG I don’t think its possible for me to hate this place more than I already do.
My husband and I live in LA but he is from baltimore and has been raving and talking about Lake Trout ever since I met him. While we were in town this was a place we had to make a pit stop at. Unfortunately for us this place is a complete clusterfuck!
When we pulled up it looked like a run down falling apart shack. There was music coming from the speakers, TV was on but the door was locked and there was NO ONE IN SIGHT! We walked around to the back and nothing, it was really weird.
We waited around for a while because we saw other customers show up and do the same thing — is this normal? Soon enough a young woman who worked there walked up and saw the door locked. She had called her manager and was waiting for someone to come. About 20 minutes later a manager rushed in and they opened up shop.
UHHHH WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE???
So we get inside to order and this woman who we came before went ahead and started ordering first, and what do you know… THEY ARE OUT OF LAKE TROUT! THey are called lake trout and didn’t have any, so the woman got on her phone to call a friend to find out what else to order. Instead of stepping aside while she took this call and letting us order she barked at us to wait and the person behind the register just stood there like a half dead zombie.
finally we went in for our order. My husband decided to get whiting fish and I asked for the ribs, oh whats that THEY WERE OUT OF THAT TOO! My husband ended up ordering some chopped beef for me with a side of mac and cheese and cole slow. UGH GROSS IT was like vomit with a nasty bbq sauce on it. The cole salw was musterdy and just tasted gross. The mac and cheese tasted old and processed and super oily.
WORST PLACE EVER.

Ive been here a few times and I honestly don’t like how the place has changed since the original cook died the Mac and cheese is bland and they don’t sell western fries but despite the size the chicken is delicious I give it 3 stars

My hopes have been dashed since I went here months ago. Now I know why the lot is consistently empty. Hot mess. I must have caught on a good day.

Went back here last week… horrible fish. No seasoning. I was so disappointed. But I will try it again… just because the month before it was great!
I hope they aren’t going down hill! Must have Lake Trout!
Just a caution– it is in the hood. But it is Bmore… what do you expect!

This place used to be so good before they changed owners. Line would be out the door now there is never a line. I wouldn’t go here again. The sign is the same but the food is not. Sorry guys.

Yum!!! We ordered the lake trout, chicken wings, crab cake sandwhiches, and sides of sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, potato salad, green beans and cole slaw. My daughters and I enjoyed every bit.

I heard of Lake Trout from a friend of mine from Baltimore. I selected this restaurant based on it’s Unilocal reviews since I’m not familiar with the area. I found that everything about this place was average. The mac n cheese was tasty, but the fish itself definitely needed the hot sauce. I was expecting a crunchier texture to the breaded part of the fish. It’s wasn’t soggy or cold, just soft and bland. The fish was flaky. The other notable thing about The Roost is that there is no seating. The woman that worked there was nice, and it’s true you get a free Michael Jackson drink with your food order… I think it’s really either sweet tea or an Arnold Palmer, I couldn’t distinguish the flavor. I wish I’d tried the corn bread.

The trout is good but the sides are to kill for. The greens, cornbread, sweet potatoes mac and cheese all can stand on their own as a meal. I know the Ravens are the biggest thing in Baltimore to most people but when I think of Bmore the first thought that comes to mind is getting my hands on that good cooking at The Roost Lake Trout. If I could rate it higher than 5 stars I would.

Recommended by locals of the area (first mistake) I figured I’d try this out. I don’t even want to give it a one.
I ordered the lake trout and fries. Makes me want to vomit just thinking about it. The fish was not well cleaned at all. It looked like it came out of a fish bucket and into the fryer. The fries were mushy and oil. Inside the place looks pretty unsanitary for my liking.

Ok I typically don’t write about places I stopped visiting a long time ago but I happened to be looking at another place’s reviews & this spot popped up along the «similar place» pane to the right of my screen and I instantly got MAD SON!
Growing up «The Roost» (known affectionately by all Baltimore natives as «lake trout») used to be a staple of the community. Baltimore’s fish of choice is lake trout, it’s what we love in the fish category. «The Roost» was a family owned business that, up until ~6 years ago was so popular the lines would always spill out the door. The fish was legendary and the sides (especially the mac & cheese and yams) were just as delicious.
About 10 years ago the mother of the business died and the son took over. Although he made some great changes to the place, the food quality just wasn’t the same (possibly due to some state mandated changes/​shutdowns hint/​hint). Business died down and once he got an offer for buy out, he obliged. Once ownership changed hands, whatever was left of the old store went in the trashcan.
Gone was the recipe that made this place so famous. Five years ago I made the mistake of going to get a fish dinner. How great was it that the lady manage to take a phone call before she took my order & went in the back room to hold a convo, then came out & asked me what I wanted as if nothing happened. I ignored it, ordered my fish dinner (which was $ 3 higher) and went home. When I opened up that container, out popped some of the GREASIEST fish I ever saw in my life. It was so bad, I immediately started knocking door to door to my neighbors asking who wanted it because I hate to waste food but damn sure wasn’t ingesting that ridiculous mess.
Since that night 5 years ago, every time I ride past the shop I roll my eyes and wish I had rolls of toilet paper to throw at it. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking this place is ANYTHING like the gem it used to be. You will be right on Unilocal writing an angrified review like the one you are currently reading.

Damn good food! I had the lake trout dinner which was four pretty big fish filets I got the Macaroni and cheese, and potato salad, meal also comes with white bread lightly toasted. The Restaurant is located in a an economically challenged area of Baltimore, there is no place to eat inside, there is a park bench outside but it was pouring down rain so the meal was eaten in my Rental Car. The trout which technically isn’t trout LOL was deliscious light and flaky seasoned well and deep fried with minimal breading. The sides were pretty good and the sweet tea washed it all down nicely. Had a piece of peach cobbler for dessert which was okay… Bottom line very good food

Lake trout is one of Baltimore’s signature specialties.
Perhaps, it does not carry the same universal appeal or name recognition as, say, the crabcake (who doesn’t like a big patty of crab meat, right?) or, of course, of actual blue crabs themselves (steamed and sprinkled with old bay seasoning); but, lake trout is, certainly, a ubiquitous homespun treat (with many carryout joints and shops selling it across the city).
The Roost is located in the city’s northern reaches and is the attested originator of lake trout and arguably the most popular spot that features it. In fact, when Anthony Bourdain himself came to Baltimore to film an episode of «No Reservations,» he chose to stop by The Roost (and not any of its competitors). Indeed, the place is easily a local institution.
Their famed lake trout, which was given a stamp of approval by Bourdain and which I ordered as a dinner platter, consisted of four individual pieces served on a platform of wheat bread (in a partitioned Styrofoam container along with two sides).

As I dug in, I ignored the bread and simply bit into the fish (which, admittedly, seemed a bit pale in color). Also, as it was lying on slices of bread (for several minutes until I could make my way back to the car to eat it), the heat from the freshly fried fish had been trapped against the bread; and, this served only to dampen the all important exterior.

The exterior was nonetheless light and crisp (similar to the surface of a good piece of fried chicken), but it certainly had been compromised. Additionally, as I am more accustomed to the corn meal exteriors that the fried fish establishments around DC favor (which, by the way, commonly serve their bread in wrapped plastic separate from the fish), the somewhat moist exterior of the lake trout seemed a less than worthy challenger to the refined yet coarse crunch that a dusting of corn meal usually achieves.
While the actual flesh, certainly, would be categorized as flaky and gentle, taken as a whole, the filets seemed to carry that characteristic a bit too far. In fact, the lake trout seemed «dainty» and not as substantive, self-​assured, and flavorful as the fried trout that I frequently eat. It definitely required a sprinkling of salt and pepper and the benefit of the available condiments (such as the hot sauce).
Despite its name, lake trout is not even really a kind of «trout» but, rather, whiting (though the flaky white flesh seemed less dense than the whiting of, say, Horace & Dickie’s in DC).

There were a few small bones too, especially toward the ends where the filets tapered off into the tail section. This, to me, was not a nuisance (as I am accustomed to small bones as a lifelong fish enthusiast). But, certainly, these bones could potentially make for a less than unencumbered sandwich and could be a turn-​off for those who eat fish infrequently.
The sides all seemed serviceable with their own hits and misses. The potato salad featured creamy egg yolks and firm potatoes (and tasted like the yummy potato salad that I otherwise could have gotten from Giant). The green beans were slightly overcooked but exuded a strong meaty essence (as they were prepared with smoked turkey bones). The corn bread muffin was very moist and a great accompaniment.
The two extra sides that I ordered were of the same mixed quality. The mac n’ cheese was good, but the constituent macaroni and cheese seemed a bit separated from each other. The yams were good as well but were a tad too sweet and a bit mushy from resting too long under heat.
Overall, the vaunted lake trout at The Roost had its flaws; and, its sides earned their own gentle slaps on the wrist. But, such is the outcome of a typical food adventure. I don’t know if I had expected to be wowed.
In the end, I am glad that I tried lake trout finally and that I dipped my toes into the proverbial waters of this Baltimore classic.

I’ve only had the lake trout here, but it’s perfect — lightly breaded, moist, fresh, and not too heavy. I went here after seeing Anthony Bourdain’s «No Reservations.» I’m tempted to try other lake trout joints, but why try anything other than the best?

Delicious Baltimore cuisine. This place has some of the best lake trout (even though there is no lake no trout) it’s whiting. They also have great sides. The collard greens are perfect. The mac and cheese is thick and delicious. My disclaimer is that I only eat here during the day. The neighborhood is sketch at night. Also service is slower than syrup, so better grab a snickers.

Disclaimer– I really really wanted to rate this place higher after I’d eaten there and raved about it to family, but that’s when I was told not to go back… whoo saaa
Anyways as I was visiting Bmore I decided that I wanted some good fish from a hole-​in-​the-​wall spot. I was at Marshall’s and the cashier recommended this spot to me, but she also said that it was expensive.
So as I arrive I noticed I got exactly what I asked for… hole-​in-​the-​wall!!! I felt like I’d just stepped on the scene of The Wire!!! There were maybe two picnic tables out front and when I entered there wasn’t a seating area inside. Now if you’re like me and décor is important this is not the place. A guy was sitting behind the counter peeling potato’s. There was also only one waitress/​cashier, so the place was stupid crowded. I began to look at the menu and noticed that the food was expensive at all.
I ended up getting a Laketrout meal with mac and cheese and cabbage. the food really was off the chain. I also got a Michael Jackson (half lemonade and half sweet tea).

I had my first lake trout here and mannnn was it good!!! Sure wish I could build a couple of these joints in Philly!!! I have to agree with JC… loved the mac and cheese and collard greens.

Not too far out of the way, with a lot of great tasting soul food at a reasonable price. We tried the whiting & catfish along w/​various sides including the mac & cheese, collard greens, potato salad & cabbage. No indoor seating, just a few seats outside. Everything is made to order so you could be waiting a while but it’s worth it. Every bit as good as advertised, we ended up going two days in a row & taking some home with us!

This will teach me for watching the Food Network in the early am. Having caught Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation episode at 1am last night, I saw he had frequented a local Baltimore restaurant that served fried fish and soul food. Much to my surprise, it was a location just a few minutes from my office. So being the curious Unilocaler foodie, I had to go and check it out. Nestled between Arlington and Central Park Heights, the facility is a glaring leftover from the mid 50’s diner type establishment. The big sign broadcasts to any passerby that this is the spot for ‘lake trout’ and soul foods.
I ordered the fried fish, which turned out to be some white fish and not lake trout. The fish was tasty, if a bit bland. The hot sauce was definitely needed. The sides were much better. The collard greens and mac n’ cheese were pretty good. Overall, the portions were generous (reminds of the Hitching Post in DC) and the meal was pretty good.