M Street Grille opens as sports-themed pub, learning lab

It's no wonder the M Street Grille has a sports flair. UMES sports to be exact. Owner Brandon Phillips is a Hawk, has been since his days playing collegiate baseball at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

He launched the grille last week, keeping other promises, too. Like including good food that's local.

"Our softshell crabs are very good," said the restaurateur, boasting about the freshness of the Chesapeake Bay delicacy.

On staff are several UMES students earning extra income and gaining on-the-job experience. That's another promise  fulfilled, Phillips says.

Alexandra Washington of Waldorf is among students hired. "This is my first summer job here in this area," said Washington, who is studying sociology.  "I stayed here this summer to work."

The cafe has hired at least three university students, and brings in Aaron Garner, a manager at the former Get'N Grounded coffee shop that was housed at the location until it closed permanently in recent months.

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The grille is at the southern corner of the Princess Anne University Village retail center just northwest of campus. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to midnight, with a grand opening and fanfare planned for late August when UMES students are back for the fall semester.

News of the soft opening Monday, July 10 is spreading, but at a pace that allows Phillips time to work out the kinks before students return, he said.

"I wanted to open before it gets real busy," he said. "We'll do something special, have an official opening, in late August when students are back."

The summer menu has appetizers, soups and salads, wings and fried chicken, and hot- and-cold sandwiches and subs. There are children selections and desserts that include Smith Island cake, the state dessert.

M Street Grille borrows the UMES signature "M" and treats "Grille" as an acronym for "Gaining Real Impactful Life Lessons through Experience and Education."

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In a pre-opening interview, UMES executive vice president Kim Dumpson described the pub as a practical environment for students to get classroom-to-work experience.

"M Street Grille is a learning laboratory that cultivates, encourages and promotes entrepreneurialism among UMES students interested in pursuing careers in the hospitality industry," she said.

The UMES Foundation has a five-year lease agreement on the storefront through fiscal year 2021. Phillips runs the pub through a sub-lease agreement with the foundation. In that agreement, at least half of the restaurant's net profits would support the university's Hospitality and Tourism Management and athletic programs.

The grille is a second restaurant for Phillips. He bought the landmark Atlantic Stand sandwich shop near the Boardwalk in Ocean City after he graduated from UMES in 1998 with a degree in physical education.

He was a member of the UMES baseball team, and his team jersey hangs on walls in the grille with other UMES sports memorabilia. Historic collectibles on display span decades and include the era of former Maryland State College.

"We're adding a mural of that great history," he said.

UMES Public Relations assistant Ashley Collier dropped by the pub Thursday, July 13 — National French Fry Day. "This is a great opportunity for our students and even for the town of Princess Anne to have a new eatery here," said Collier, who tried the potato snack. "It's National French Fry day, so, get your french fries at M Street Grille."

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