PHLReview
Of all the notable Maryland exports—Old Bay, crabs, Michael Phelps—Loch Bar may be the worst. The Philly outpost of the Baltimore chain is on the Avenue of the Arts, an ideal location for a swanky night out on the town or people watching over a business lunch. But the music at dinner is so loud you can only communicate through side glances, and the only serviceable dish here is a cobb salad—hold the overcooked shrimp—so we wouldn’t even suggest it to the horrible bosses who make us work holidays.
photo credit: ATLAS RESTAURANT GROUP
photo credit: ATLAS RESTAURANT GROUP
photo credit: ATLAS RESTAURANT GROUP
photo credit: ATLAS RESTAURANT GROUP
photo credit: Atlas Restaurant Group
From the $32 three-bite crab cake to the gasp-inducing deep fried lobster tail in a pool of appletini-green oil, Loch Bar's food fails to justify its astronomic prices. Most of the dishes are over seasoned, poorly cooked, or, disastrously, both. Steer clear of the fish and chips. It’ll give you a salty jump scare in the first bite, and it looks like somebody left an old shoe in the fryer overnight (though we do like the pile of fries it’s served with). The cocktails aren’t much better—basic mezcal drinks served with inexplicably messy black salt, and boozy slushies that taste more like a regrettable night on South Street than an upscale meal. If you’re looking for seafood after a show at the Kimmel, head to Oyster House or Estia. At least they know what to do with crabs.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Atlas Restaurant Group
Oysters
Fried Lobster Tail
Fish and Chips
photo credit: Atlas Restaurant Group
Crab Cake
photo credit: Atlas Restaurant Group
Lobster Roll