In October, I first wrote about the new farm-to-table, everything local White Oak Tavern moving into Jilly’s old spot at the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center in Ellicott City. Three months later The White Oak Tavern has finally opened and it was well worth the wait! I had dinner there Sunday night and it was one of the best dinners I have ever had – from salad to dessert.

My parents and I arrived at The White Oak Tavern shortly after 5pm on Sunday evening when the dinner menu begins. We immediately noticed the beautiful remodel. The inside was very open and welcoming. There was a nice crowd at the bar and the dining room was filling up. We decided on a booth/table in the bar. We were immediately greeted by our waitress, Angela, who took our drink orders.

The White Oak Tavern has an extensive beer menu containing 30 local beers and when the keg is empty, it is replaced by a different beer. To find out which beer is on tap for that day, check out the Tap Listing app or visit White Oak’s website. Dad tried the Full Tilt beer which was great, Mom ordered the Strawberries and Cream Crush which was amazing, and I got a Reisling which was nice and sweet the way I like it.

For our first course, we ordered a variety so we could try a bit of everything. Dad ordered the Canjun Gumbo, which was very good and not too spicy. Mom ordered the Cheddar Cornbread with honey butter, which I loved. It was not dry like usual cornbread. It was cheesy and sweet and moist. I ordered the Caesar Salad, which was so good and so garlicy, which i love.

Our main course arrived after just enough time for our first course to settle. Dad ordered the White Oak Burger, which was very good. The bun was especially yummy. It was brioche from Atwater’s. On the burger was white cheddar cheese, caramelized onion, arugula, and White Oak’s special sauce. This burger was accompanied by french fries and homemade ketchup. No Heinz here. Everything at the White Oak is fresh and homemade on site with ingredients from local farms. Mom ordered the Wings from the small plates menu as her main dish. These wings were fantastic! There was no breading, just a nice crisp delicious honey soy glaze. I ordered the Smoked Beef Brisket with kale and garlic mashed potatoes. The beef was so tender and had a delicious flavor. It was made with an apple cider bbq, so it was sweet with a little kick. It was the best beef brisket I’ve ever eaten.

Even though we were full and I was taking half of my entree home, we ordered dessert. Angela highly recommended either the Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream or the Chocolate Bread Pudding. I’m not much of a bread pudding fan, but she assured me it wasn’t like typical break pudding – and she was right! We ordered the scrumptious Chocolate Bread Pudding with three spoons. It was a brioche with chocolate custard covered with a salty caramel sauce. Fantastic! A yummy salty, sweet treat. A perfect ending to a perfect meal.

I was very impressed with the new White Oak Tavern. All the food was portioned well. Not too much food like the Cheesecake Factory and not too little food like some fancy French restaurant. It was good-sized, filling portions. White Oak’s service was as fantastic as their food. Our waitress Angela was very attentive always checking on us. Throughout the night we were visited by two of the owners Clare Frey and Noel Johnson, as well as marketing manager Danny Jongezoon. The White Oak Tavern is sure to be the new jewel in Howard County’s crown of restaurants.

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