G. Hunter’s Restaurant and Raw Bar Closing
From an email I received:
Dear Friends,
This email is to let you know that we have decided to close G. Hunter’s Restaurant and Raw Bar effective immediately. We have had a nice three year run in that location but in the current economic conditions, we have decided to close shop. Although we have spent a great deal of time and energy in this endeavor, we have just not been able to achieve the goals we had set for ourselves and have decided to concentrate our efforts in our Downtown properties.
G. Hunter’s has been very fortunate to have a great deal of dedicated customers and we appreciate the support that the community has shown us the last 3 years. Hopefully, we were able to bring a little joy to your culinary experience at G. Hunter’s and we hope to see you again at one of our Downtown locations.
Thanks again,
Phil Bowers, Proprietor
That sucks. I really liked G. Hunter’s.
~Guy~
That’s too bad. By the way, for anyone who doesn’t know, the downtown restaurants are Brewer’s Alley, Acacia and Isabellas.
A pity. G Hunter’s had quite a few excellent menu items, a fine selection of seafood, a neat bar area, attentive waiters, and a gorgeous view of the golf course. Plus easy access and free parking.
Another casualty of the recession, I suppose.
That’s really a shame, I liked that place a lot. I’d have rather seen Acacia go. G Hunters was in a beautiful location, but not a high traffic one. Most people had no idea it was there.
I’d like to see Acacia go back to it’s pre-fushion menu.
I’m sorry to see them go, but can’t say I’m surprised. I ate there practically weekly in ’07, but stopped going after the manager and then the chef left. Chef Frank and his overdone menu were its killed it for me.
Once the recession is over I’m sure someone else will try another run there.
If you haven’t yet, give Mick’s a try. The menu is so simple its practically boring, but the food is very good. For the salmon, the chef makes soy sauce balls that look like caviar. Very inventive.
JJP
Too bad! I liked the place.
OMG! We love that place. My husband and I went there often. Oysters, Lobster Risotto, the Bisque and so much more….
What a shame that a great Frederick restaurant must close, while others that lack stay open.
I too am sad to see this news. When my wife and I lived in Middletown we went there 3 times a week or more.
We enjoy and frequent all 3 of their downtown restaurants, but G. Hunters didn’t live up to it’s potential the few times we went there.
As to Micks, our party of 4 were all unimpressed with both the food and the beer selection. It was much better as Jennifers.
I will miss G. Hunter’s for all of the reasons mentioned above. I am not surprised that the ownership group is contracting, as business must be suffering. I hope Acacia stays afloat.
As for Mick’s we’ve been there a couple of times and the food was very good. The menu is striaght forward and consistent, and the specials have been quite good. I hope Mick and his son hangs in there; it is a much brighter and cheerier place since they arrived. I do hope they get rid on the church pew booths that they inherited from Jennifer. If you’re over 5’8″ they cana be a painful experience.
While I know our area hasn’t been hit as hard by the recession as have many other parts of the country, the unfortunate news about G Hunter’s closing (on the heels of the painful arrival of my latest quarterly 401K statement!) is another uncomfortable reminder that the downturn continues with no end in sight.
I find myself wondering when we’ll hear of the next “casualty” on the restaurant scene (and in other businesses, too).
There has been more advertising about G. Hunter’s closing than I ever saw or heard about G. Hunter’s when it was open!?! Maybe now that everyone knows about the place they should open back up.
I have never seen a restaurant go through so many concept changes in such a short amount of time as G. Hunter’s. I once looked over my shoulder and saw two squirrels and a fox staring at me. I then looked to the otherside of the restaurant and I realized what they were actually looking at…a bear that was on the other wall with a goose. Then a menu was placed in front of me with 9 dollar martini’s and 30 dollar entrees. I thought this was one damn expensive hunting lodge.
How do you expect to succeed in such a tough industry while not only confusing your customers but never advertising?
Where was the “Raw Bar”?…oh thats right they told me it was in the kitchen.
I ate at G. Hunters once, and was disappointed to find the food to be fussier, more expensive, and not as interesting as the dishes at Acacia or as tasty as the food at Brewer’s Alley. The sauces were heavy-handed, and the food was all too salty, but not flavorful. I hope a new interesting restaurant will open up in that location — it was very convenient for me and there was plenty of free parking (unlike Market Street).
Restaurants like G Hunters are trying to differentiate themselves from the carbon-copy Ruby Tuesdays, Long Horns, Outlbacks, and TGI Friday’s of the world. So, they bring in accomplished and creative chefs but tell them to keep things affordable.
That’s a tough proposition, especially when you don’t have a well-established brand and marketing budget. That’s why so independent restaurants are clinging on for dear life.
What a shame. We have been quite a few times and have never had a bad meal. It’s one of the few places that we think are worthy of the prices they charge. Darn.
G Hunters recently, and now Mealeys have passed–two more “independents” (a vanishing breed) out of business. (Though not too many tears are being shed for the present incarnation of Mealeys, to be sure.)
Having recently joined others for dinner at Dutch’s Daughter, I can’t help but wonder how this “independent” is doing financially and what the future may hold. (I still can’t imagine how much the owners must have sunk into the construction of the mammoth, over-the-top oak-paneling-laden building.) Dutch’s surely doesn’t get much business from those interested in adventurous dining experiences.
I did hear that the main reason that G Hunters closed was b/c the VFW is selling the space. Not sure if that is true though.
Is that the place with the sign written in script?? I could never figure out what it said. Probably kept lots of people from going there.
Its been a little while… Anyone know where the Chef went? We loved it there. Just curious if he is somewhere else in Frederick.
thanks,
Sean
I’m not sure, but since G Hunter’s was connected with others in the same group, they may know where he is at Acacia, Isabella’s or Brewer’s Alley.
It looks like Capital Crave is moving to the old G.Hunter’s location. We saw the sign-out front this afternoon.
http://capitalcrave.com/
If you go to their facebook page, you will see the announcement about the G.Hunter’s location (with pictures).
JJP