American Favorites
Thurmont’s 10Tavern Restaurant
Part of Larger Downtown Plans
By April Bartel
Photography By Turner Photography Studio
Thurmont— This town is known for its wildly popular festivals, its nearby and newsworthy presidential retreat, and its natural beauty, surrounded by Catoctin Mountain and all the myriad outdoor activities available there, including daytrip hotspots like neighboring orchards and wineries. There’s even a zoo. Now, Scott Austin, CEO of Gulf Group LLC, wants to make the town a destination for dining.
Austin founded the holding company as an experienced entrepreneur. “I started a small business 23 years ago,” he shares. Along the way, he added four more. “We struggled with everyday challenges like cash flow, accounting, IT and marketing. So, I created Gulf Group.” The entity fills in resource gaps, allowing affiliated company leaders to focus on what they do best.
Its latest portfolio addition is 10Tavern at 10 E. Main St. The bar and grill opened last summer with plenty of community support. The business owns four properties in downtown Thurmont. “The Quad” is envisioned as an enticing conglomeration of restaurant, brewery and event venues that will draw regional visitors. “Thurmont is a thriving community, and it doesn’t have anything like this.”
Gulf Group hired Ray Taylor as 10Tavern’s general manager. He comes with 20-plus years of experience, including previously working as the head chef/general manager at the highly regarded Carriage House Inn.
The team crafted a focused, full-flavored menu anchored with American classics. Austin insists that all their recipes are unique and made from scratch, vetted with heavy testing before hitting the menu. “We spent weeks dry-running everything before we opened.” Hundreds of dollars were spent just to find the right buns for the burgers.
Any new dish goes through the same regimen, like 10Tavern’s Philly cheesesteak. Introduced about two months ago, it’s now one of the most popular items, loaded with sliced ribeye, melted cheese, hot peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms and tavern sauce.
Wings are the number one seller. Austin’s passion shines when he talks about the food. “We have a unique way of creating wings to give them that crisp, not fried, taste. It is a two-step process.” The result is a pile of juicy, meaty morsels that can be tossed with the guest’s choice of seasoning. “People try to figure out how the meat falls off the bone like it does.”
Each component on a plate gets the same thoughtful preparation, which is especially true with 10Tavern’s BBQ Mac Burger. It’s a saucy charbroiled beef patty topped with thick-cut bacon, crispy onion strings and house-made macaroni and cheese. We tried the smash burger with caramelized onions and creamy American cheese, thick deli pickle slices and the signature sauce. And, yes, the buttery brioche bun stood up to its hefty deliciousness. Other inventive options include a salmon burger, vegetarian burger, loaded fajita burger and fresh lamb burger with refreshingly creamy tzatziki sauce, goat cheese and pickled red onions.
It wouldn’t be Maryland without a crabcake sandwich but there is also a Buffalo chicken wrap and a crispy Nashville chicken sandwich with pickles and slaw that gets raves from diners. The ahi tuna is coated with sesame seeds and quickly seared, then drizzled with teriyaki sauce and zesty Sriracha aioli. There’s hand-breaded dynamite shrimp, gooey quesadillas and Southwest egg rolls. We tried the macaroni and cheese, finding its tender cavatappi curls rich and satisfying. The fries were crispy but not greasy, which we enjoyed topped with luscious crab dip.
The place is bright and family-friendly, complete with a kid’s menu and numerous TV screens so patrons can keep up with whichever game is in play. There are two daily happy hours with food and drink specials, plus plenty of other events like regular karaoke and trivia nights or painting parties with discounts on wine by the glass. This month they’ll do something special for Super Bowl takeout and Valentine’s Day, with St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness celebrations on deck for March. Look for a seasonal menu update in April. With a sister brewery in the works just steps away, there is definitely a new “X” on the Frederick County map.