Restaurant Round-Up: Hummelstown House, T. Brendan O’Reilly’s & Texas Roadhouse

I love introducing people to new things. I get a huge kick out of a friend digging a band he first heard through me or frequenting a restaurant or bar that I turned him or her on to. Well, Spotobe contributor Fran gets that pleasure this week. He went to the Hummelstown House for brunch on Sunday and was so impressed by it, that his description literally made me toss my Subway turkey sub in the trash in disgust. Read his description and tell me you don't feel the same way. Also this week on the Round-Up, Katie gets corned beef and cabbage (really?) at T. Brendan O'Reilly's and Lily enjoys a stuffed sweet potato and some line dancing at Texas Roadhouse. Comments?

The Hummelstown House
Name: Fran
When: Sunday at 1:00pm
Been Before: No
Ordered: Let’s be up front about one thing—just forget about your diet. The restaurant is famous for their thick, freshly-baked and prepared French toast—a slice of which probably takes a year off of your life—but it’s really worth it. That’s not to say that the food isn’t healthy; however, there are no frozen or prepackaged ingredients whatsoever. No preservatives. No partially hydrogenated-whatever’s. No Yellow-5’s. You’ll see plenty of veggies cooked just right (no mushy broccoli, thank you), breakfast dishes with fresh peppers and onions, and a salad that is anything but an afterthought. Our buffet included a breakfast quiche: fluffy eggs, sautéed vegetables, sausage, 3 cheeses, the aforementioned French toast, a cranberry-walnut salad on spinach and romaine lettuce with a maple vinaigrette, homemade spinach lasagna, perfectly seasoned steamed broccoli, and chicken in a white rosemary cream sauce that could serve as viable currency should the economy continue to decline. For dessert—freshly baked cookies: sugar, oatmeal-raisin, pecan and chocolate-chip; a black forest trifle: layers of wonderful and not-too-sweet chocolate and cream; and a banana cream and Kahlua pie.
The Food: Magnificent hardly describes this two-hour celebration of a meal. If your impression of a buffet is quantity over quality, then allow Chef Kim’s simple and elegant homemade fare to deliver a truly exceptional Sunday brunch.
The Ambiance: The house itself was built in 1830s Victorian style. Hardwood floors, high ceilings and copious wood trim provide the backdrop for an atmosphere of understated elegance. It is essentially a single room, seating no more than 40 guests, with a small buffet in the back near the kitchen. You will find all the proper place settings: cloth napkins, teacups and salad forks, but with a uniqueness that you would not find in many upscale dining establishments; china may be mismatched—excuse me, coordinated—with a teapot that perhaps was purchased at a yard sale 10 years ago. Somehow it all creates an atmosphere that is both welcoming and stylish. Kim usually keeps a watchful eye at the buffet as her family attends to your needs throughout the meal.
Company: My wife and my parents. It was my mother’s birthday.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
Cost: The cost is $17 for the all-you-can-eat, all-inclusive buffet. If you can imagine that.
The Service: There is no other way to describe it: you are like family guests.
Notes: The Hummelstown House is only open on Sunday from 11am-2pm or for private parties throughout the week. Reservations are required well in advance (3-5 days should suffice) so they know how much food to purchase and prepare on Sunday morning. Kim also caters parties of 15 to 500 under the name “Dinner Is Served Catering” throughout the week. The Hummelstown House has been open since 2003 and will only stay open until 2011 according to Kim, who intends to close the restaurant and “scale back” to being just a substitute school teacher and a nurse, as much as I begged her to lie to me and say she’d be open forever. Also, note that it is BYOB. I recommend taking a couple bottles of Champagne to complement your meal.
Recommendation: YES

O’Reilly’s Irish Pub
Name: Katie
When: A few Saturdays ago
Been Before: No
Ordered: I ordered the corned beef and cabbage and my husband ordered the chicken and crab cake dinner. For an appetizer, we split a crock of French Onion soup.
The Food: The French Onion soup was excellent—better than anywhere else I’ve had it lately. The corned beef was also very tender and juicy. My husband devoured his entrée before I even had a chance to taste it, so it must have been good.
The Ambiance: Decorated with an Irish theme and Irish/Celtic music playing on low volume in the background. Carved wood is used plentifully to decorate the walls. There were sports on all the TVs (college football) and about a dozen beers on tap (good stuff, not just Bud and Lager).
Company: Just my husband.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Yup.
Cost: $12-16 per meal.
The Service: 8 out of 10.
Notes: Other than being a little bit cold, the place was very comfortable.
Recommendation: Yes—if you’re in the mood for a low-key, pub-like experience.

Texas Roadhouse
Name: Lily
When: Friday at 6:00pm
Been Before: Yes, once many years back
Ordered: Pulled Pork Sandwich with a stuffed sweet potato on the side (stuffed meaning marshmallow and brown sugar!). 
The Food: Very good. My roommate loved her steak, (she’s an avid Texas Roadhouse fan) and I was very excited to find the sweet potato options.
The Ambiance: Relaxed and fun, the servers often break into country line dances through out the night…
Company: My roomie.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Loved it.
Cost: $7-12 for meal and water or sodas.
The Service: Service was excellent. When we first sat down our hostess made sure to ask if we had been before, told us where the bathrooms were (no one ever does that and it was much appreciated!). Our server was very nice and accommodating and at one point a manager made sure to stop by, introduce himself, asked if it was our first time there and gave us a little gift (peanuts and some coupons).
Notes: Great place to go for very decent food at a very decent price.
Recommendation: Yes.