I am so excited to see that the Royal Mile Pub has opened and I can't wait to try it once again. It's especially wonderful that it opened in time for St. Patrick's Day.

I want to wish the new owner the best on his new venture and to his staff.

My neighbor went to the Grand Opening yesterday and said it was as good as ever.

Your loyal customer,

Jane E. Shafritz

Is there a new owner? I have missed the Royal Mile Pub, but wonder how much it will be changed.

We went last night. The menu is pared down (we planned to order Welsh Rarebit, but it was gone), but generally it's the same as the main menu before. The focus and atmosphere are the same too--mainly Scottish and traditional fare. There is a big-screen TV in the main area, but it's not a huge difference from before. For now, there won't be specials as they try to regain their base. The new owner of the restaurant is leasing the space (not the building). From what I heard, the former owner's son was the main cook/chef before, and he is still the main cook/chef. I didn't verify this, but the fish and chips tasted the same as before. Service was spotty due to the crowd, and the new menu (and menu prices?) weren't computerized, so we got a hand-written bill, but credit cards are accepted. The long list of single malts is a much shorter list now, but I don't know if they intend to lengthen it in the future. A lot of the stock went away in January and from what I heard, the new owner only had 10 days to reopen it, so the menu and drink availability may increrase somewhat in the future. The new owner is very nice and working hard to make the place a success. We're happy the insttitution is still here and will visit again in the next couple of weeks.

We went to the grand opening last evening and were pleasantly surprised to see many familiar faces, both customers and wait staff. They ran out of salmon, but the pesto cod (a new item) was excellent. The crowd was loud and laughing. Everyone seemed very happy to be back. The owner was chatting with customers and thanking everyone for coming. Looks like a success story to me!

I was also there on opening night and had a great time. I posted a review and photos of the menu on my blog if anyone wants to check it out: http://www.wheatoncalling.blogspot.com/

While there were some minor changes, I was happy to see that most of my favorite menu items and alot of the staff were still there!

Was there for St. Patrick's Day dinner. New owners very nice and working hard to please. The atmosphere definitely has changed with the bright white walls and big screen TVs. Does not feel like the cozy pub of yesterday. The TVs are not a welcome addition and should be kept by the bar. (Would welcome a larger bar) Gone were most of the tartans, though I am told they will be back. Must have needed a cleaning. Had the stew and corned beef and cabbage and shepherd's pie and the food tastes as good as always. Saw some regulars, but the atmosphere definitely has changed. Maybe it should be renamed the Half-mile.

To everyone who commented on this story, what do you think of our restaurant reviewer's take on the new version of the Royal Mile? http://wheaton-md.patch.com/articles/bites-nearby-wheaton-s-royal-mile-pub-different-menu-same-high-quality