Elements Eatery & Mixology

Before: good duck fat fries, salmon salad, and shrimp/​salmon scampi on a Valentine’s date
Now: great overall menu items on a celebratory dinner for a group of 8!
Went here with a large family gathering. They gave us the meeting room, a lovely private space. Ordered duck fat fries, crab toast (crab dip with bread), lamb special, farm (vegetarian) sandwich, roast veg and quinoa plate, striped bass, Hawaiian pulled pork sandwich, and a few other dishes I can’t remember. All were delicious. For drinks, we were unsure what to order, so the waiter was kind enough to bring us samples! Service even more attentive than last time.

Good food and casual/​professional environment. However, not sure prices equate to the quality of food.

Fabulous restaurant midst many chains. Food outstanding — reasonably priced and great service. Had a special rack of lamb with fresh local vegetable sides and chocolate blueberry dessert — can’t find a better restaurant for great dinner. Amazing gem between many chains whose food is… chain food without attention to preparation or taste.

I have mixed feelings about this place. Some things are done very well while others are subpar. I went with a group of 6 (including myself). Here is an assessment of the things we ordered that I can remember…
Appetizers:
Crab Toast — Very tasty, big lumps of locally bought crab meat. The crab itself was a bit cold though. Nevertheless, it was gone fast.
Korean Rice Balls — Nothing really Korean about this except it uses sticky rice. It is fried and loaded with cheese. The cheese made it seem very unbecoming of a Korean inspired dish, and made it out to be more like a cheesy risotto. It came with a side of sriracha and a spicy mayo drizzle that had a kick from horseradish. It came with their own bread made in house, which is very good. Despite its misleading name, we all enjoyed it.
Cheese and Sausage Plate — Was expecting something more ornate such as a charcuterie plate, but the plate had what it implied… cheese and sausage. It came with an assortment of about 6 different kinds of cheese, but only one type of sausage — chorizo. The chorizo was the star of the plate and it was very good.
Entrees:
Hawaiian Sandwich w/​Potato Salad side — This sandwich was not very good. It was a let down after the appetizers, to be honest. I should’ve known better by reading the description that pulled pork, barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pineapple were probably not destined to be together. It was served on a ciabatta, and the sandwich overall way too sweet and rather than balance flavors out, it all came out muddled. I wanted to get the Cuban sandwich, but was turned off by the fact that it had barbecue sauce instead of mustard like it should have. The Potato salad was alright.
Crabcake Sandwich w/​sauteed zuchinni and wilted kale side — I think three of us ordered this as an entrée. I obviously stole a bite of it otherwise I wouldn’t bother commenting. Again, like with the crab toast, it came out a bit cold. That being said it had big lumps of delicious crab with very little filler. The remoulade sauce was pretty good on it too.

I’ve eaten here twice (one lunch, 1 dinner) and plan a return. Crab dishes are jumbo lump and fresh. Their fish changes daily and is wild caught. Go for a special occasion or just for lunch with with an old friend. This would be the perfect place for a small business meeting too.

Ate there for our first time tonight, based on the reviews. Loved it! Really good food, locally sourced, lots of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options. That last was really nice, since my wife has Celiac’s. The service was really good, even though they were crowded and short staffed. The menu has a nice variety, and their specials were quite eclectic. Very good Falafel.
The only reason we did 4 stars is that they overcooked my wife’s steak. However, they did give her a free dessert to make for it, and that was a good gesture.
We WILL be going back, and soon.

Lunchtime at the bar
Vegan Cobb salad with a crab cake
Mixed greens, radish, cucumber, artichoke hearts, avocado, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, pineapple and grapes for $ 8 and crab cakes at market price, but have it.
Follow this with French press coffee and you are good to go. Some nice taps and bourbon selections, unless you are working the afternoon.
Fresh, complete, reasonable.
Previously known as Tides; still fantastic.
Dinner was equally good on a return visit; same dish at the bar. Also shared a crab toast appetizer.

Weird sides and though the wine is cheap, ordering is awkward since there is no menu and no white wine pre chilled. Food is okay but inconsistent.

Great atmosphere for the area. By far my favorite place to go for a drink with friends. Great music and events also it’s never to loud to have good conversation with friends. The drinks are great and they always have a new beer on tap which is good for me because I have untapped app and always want to try something new!

Our group of 9 stopped in for lunch the other day. Matt our server was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about the menu & the restaurants farm to table concept. If the food would have been as good as Matt described the items this place would be on fire… however they unfortunately did not live up to his mouth watering description.
Take for instance their appetizer special of the day Korean Rice Balls. An item so popular they’ve decided to add it to the daily menu. Matt explained that the Korean Rice Balls are rice formed into balls then filled w/​crispy apple wood smoked bacon & local cheddar then the balls are rolled in panko bread crumbs & fried in duck fat until crispy & golden, served w/​their sirracha aioli. Sounded interesting & yummy…
What we were served was one of the worst things I’ve ever put in my mouth. W/​the description we imagined slicing into one of the rice balls and having bacon & ooey gooey cheese ooze out… honestly I’m not even sure if there was any cheese what so ever in the balls. If there was NONE of us saw it and we ordered 5 appetizers (total of 10 rice balls) there was probably 3 or 4 bacon bits mixed into the mush of rice. Also the panko they use at the Elements is mixed w/​minced rosemary. Which if you’re familiar w/​rosemary it’s a very strong herb. The rice was cooked to death. It was mushy/​mealy almost the consistency of putting wet play dough in your mouth. It literally coated your tongue & mouth w/​its disgusting flavor. Ugh I’m literally fighting back barf right now writing about them.
I came to the realization that the only reason these barf balls could be so popular to add them to the daily menu has to be of Matt’s description. It’s hard for me to imagine that anyone could not only find these delicious but would enjoy eating essentially paste
.
Now on to the edible items. Between our table we ordered 4 sandwiches… 3 were the special of the day Gyro… comments were it was meh its «ok». The tzatzki sauce that it was served w/​was actually just plain sour cream so it’s not really an authentic Gyro by any means.
The other sandwich was another daily special a roast beef on ciabatta w/​caramelized onions. It must have not been so good because when Matt came back to check on our dishes the comment was made «do you have anything I can dip the other half of this in to make it taste better» so yea I’m gonna assume it wasn’t that great. Matt did bring some demi-​glacé which he said would be similar to an aujus for him to dip the sandwich in.
Someone ordered the crab cake wrap & she said it was delicious. Filled w/​lots of crab!
The rest of us ordered salads and I heard nothing but good things. I personally ordered their Cobb salad w/​salmon which was excellent. I loved all of the different vegetables that came with it. They were all crispy, fresh & delicious. The only thing negative critique I have (which is more of a preference than a negative) but normally a Cobb salad is served w/​blue cheese dressing and they only had ranch, a balsamic, & a ginger dressing. I opted for the ranch which was good but I much would’ve preferred to have blue cheese.
I’m giving them 2 stars because I think most of the items we ordered were unforgetable and not very good. I’d definitely like to go back and give this place another try… but I probably wouldn’t order a sandwich.

I took my wife here for her birthday. The drinks were decent the food was subpar the service was mediocre. Good for drinks only. Servers are preferential to regulars. The Irish coffee is really good

Loved this restaurant. Nice fall evening on the covered patio. Great service with a great menu. Fresh ingredients that tasted divine. You should try it. I will be back!

09÷11÷15 Review:
Bottom Line Up Front: Paleo themed choices with locally sourced meat & vegetables — will visit again.
Wife and I decided to give Elements a try after we heard from coworkers the menu was full of Paleo themed entrees full of organic local produce & meats. We arrived at 5:30pm on a Friday evening, plenty of seating available and the dinning area was noticeably clean. We were greeted by Jerry our waiter, who was very professional and courteous. The menu was as my coworkers described it: full of healthy choices with organic ingredients. Jerry announced the specials after we ordered drinks and I ordered the grass fed Lamb Chops while my wife ordered wild-​caught Sea bass. Both were specials for the day and were not on the actual menu. The food came out in a timely manner — within 20 minutes after ordering. The lamb chops were superb and my wife was very pleased with the sea bass. We ended skipping dessert because there wasn’t any gluten free options that grabbed our attention.
Overall: highly recommend this establishment for dinner date nights with your significant other.

I’ve already been here 6 times (just moved here a month ago), and I plan to continue going.
Yes, they started out with hiccups when they first opened in late Spring, as any new restaurant does, but I have noticed improvements with every visit, and the food, wine, and drinks have never disappointed on ANY of my visits.
I typically go alone, or with my husband, so the bar area is where I sit. We have only dined at a table once. Regardless of where you’re seated, you can order from the full menu.
The wine list, the food menu, and the very eclectic list of cocktails will impress. And the prices are extremely reasonable — as in, seven bucks for a craft cocktail made with Bulliet Bourbon. Yes, please. The have vertical flights of single malt scotch available. They have flatbread pizzas and duckfat fries. Or duck. Or steak. Or a cuban sandwich. Just about something for everyone. Jeremiah is a wickedly talented bartender — he really brings life and personality to the bar area.
They have a large covered patio area that would be ideal for a large group, but I could see how service would slow tremendously if the patio filled up, so I recommend calling ahead if you’re planning a large gathering there, out of courtesy, so they can plan ahead for the right amount of staff to be working.

Hands down the best bar in SoMD. You can’t get craft top-​shelf drinks like this anywhere shy of Manhattan, and they will cost you $ 17 per drink in the Big Apple.
The food is also locally sourced, and if you are willing to try new things, you will not be disappointed!

Ok, where to start. I have been away for a few years and was hoping this would finally be the fine dining place in st. marys county. I am not sure what they are going for, I assume casual since the hostess and waitresses were wearing jeans. When I walked into the bar, there were people there, with their kids. Thats right, with their kids. There was one lady with a baby in a sling drinking what I assume was a mule since it was in a copper style mug. There was another lady with one or two kids that actually had toys on the floor for them. I asked the hostess if kids were allowed in the bar and she said she didnt think so. If they arent allowed, why not make them leave? That alone will ensure I dont return to be honest.
We did try the suggested bottle of wine, which was really good. Although they tried to serve it in this tiny glass. We ordered the duck fat fries and I am not sure what other people are talking about. I have had duck fat fries before and I didnt taste duck fat at all, not to mention they had no salt whatsoever. Not a fan. I ordered the crab cakes and they were great, although the sides seemed to have no salt whatesover. My husband had some sort of all meat platter and it was just ok.
Our bill for two people was almost $ 100 and it wasnt worth it, I really wanted it to be. The staff was very nice and friendly, but not well trained on food or wine. Not what I expected and in the future, I will spend my $ 100 in Solomons.
Disappointed

This place is GROSS and the food is TERRIBLE.
My fish was frozen… that is unacceptable! I would NEVER go out to eat for frozen food… especially fish. The prices are WAY too high for crappy food. The entrees are $ 22+…for frozen, old food. The place looks like a 1980s hotel ballroom with disgusting decorations, old smelly rugs and chairs. Do not waste your time or money here.

Sat at the bar and enjoyed the Lamb Chop dinner entrée and chose quinoa and side salad for sides. Everything was cooked to perfection and the demi glaze on the lamb was on point!!! I left my drink selection up to the bartender (Jeremiah) who knew my preference of bourbon, rye, or whiskey. He did not disappoint and provide a twist to one of my favorite classic cocktails by crafting a Rye Manhattan with Rhubarb bitters.

The remodel was mostly good, but with the confusingly bad decision to place their wine stock (including cardboard boxes and ugly metal shelving) front and center in the dining room, also seen from the front entry. They also removed two tables from the bar area, which doesn’t have enough seats as it is. The owner, from the Blue Wind, is still rude and condescending. The cocktails that Jeremiah crafts in the bar are the restaurants best feature. I had the Garden Fresh. It featured organic vodka, infused with herbs, muddled with cilantro and lime. Jeremiah recommended a splash of sprite to sweeten it up just a tad. Perfect. 5 stars for the drink and bar service.

Pros: as close as you can get to fine dining in Lexington Park, great selection of wine and spirits to consume on or off premises, very reasonable pricing for the quality of food served, independently owned and operated, comfortable atmosphere, friendly staff.
Cons: understaffed dining floor led to spotty service, terrible stemware for the quality of wine available, no outside wine/​corkage allowed, casually dressed staff cheapens the experience, tattered photocopied single sheet menus, $ 2 charge for bread?!
This restaurant has all the makings of something special, but is being held back by itself. You have excellent food, a lovely space, and cool business model with the wine+spirits, why not polish it up a bit and take it to the next level?

Elements is one of the top 5 restaurants in southern Maryland. My wife and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary here last night. We both loved it. My only regret is not having any photos of our food and cocktails to share with the other Unilocalers. Almost everything was perfect.
My wife began her meal with an Energy Mule. It was a cocktail made with vodka, muddled lime and ginger and topped with Ginger Beer. It had the perfect balance of sweet and sour and great flavor. We were both saying how we don’t mind paying the price of about $ 9 for a perfectly crafted cocktail. She ordered the steak and crab cake. The «double» New York strip is (2) 5 oz. strip steaks, perfect for sharing. The steaks were grilled to a perfect medium rare with beautiful grill marks. She enjoyed her sides of sautéed zucchini and wilted kale.
I began my meal with a mint julep. What better than mint to complement the lamb? It is nice to see that Elements is hand crafting cocktails and serving them in the proper glassware. The mint julep had muddled mint, bourbon and dash of light agave nectar served over a huge ice cube in a mint julep cup. I ordered the lamb chops mid rare. These lamb chops were not huge, but they had about 7 individual chops on my plate. It was the best lamb I have had in the last 15 – 20 years. The sides I ordered (salad and potato soufflé) were, well, unmemorable. The potato soufflé was interesting, but honestly a little disappointing. I had one bite of the salad because it came about 15 seconds before the meal. I wasn’t going to let my meal get cold while I ate my salad. But anyway, the salad was a boring mixed greens salad. The chops, steaks and crabcake were the stars of the show. The sides need some improvement to be able to stand up to the perfectly cooked proteins.
We also ordered the French press coffee for 2. It was pretty cool to push the plunger down after a few minutes. I hadn’t had coffee like this before. It just added to the overall experience of the night. And, the coffee was really good.