Rafael's Steak & Oyster - American restaurant in Westminster - 32 W Main St, USA

So I'll start with the atmosphere! The interior renovations look great. I came during lunch hour, but from the initial appearance, I could tell from the lighting that it would look great at night. I would say it's a mixture of classy elegance. I chose to sit at the "Tiki" deck (four finger air quotes). Although the reggae music and wood decking was a good attempt at creating a tropical bar feel, I think a few palm plants strategically placed would make the Tiki bar more "Tiki'ey" (I struggle trying to make up that word)! I did notice outdoor deck lights strung throughout, so I would think the night time ambiance may redeem the poor effort to create an authentic beach like environment. (Then again this is downtown Westminter Maryland, not Ocean City Maryland. Service Todd was a nice guy with a very casual beachbum'ish attire but I must say his attire added a little authenticity to the tiki deck experience. He was attentive and bought out my fries first because he didn't want them to get cold while waiting for the rest of my meal. Truly I would have preferred all my food together because either way it was going to get cold while I wait for the remainder of my order, but I went ahead and ate them because I was starving. Food came after I was done with my fries. The plus side is at least I had my Root bear with my fries. Food I ordered the seared Aki Tuna! It left a lot to be desired. First off the tuna didn't taste fresh at all! Didn't taste like I would end up with a bad flesh eating bacterial infection (Knock on wood. The day is still young), but I've had enough Aki tuna to know this wasn't the freshest. Now I must say the presentation was very impressive. It was pretty, but when I get seared tuna I expect to see some signs of searing on the surface layer. A little bit more of a sear and it would have improved the dish. Don't get me wrong I love sashimi but this was in between sashami and seared. (How does that happen?) The flavor just didn't do it for me, one because the lack of fresh taste but two because it was overwhelmed with sesame seeds to the point that all I could focus on was the crunchy seeds. But even worse was the overwhelming mayo that drowned out the remainder of any flavor that existed. My last gripe with the tuna is that it was tough! How do uncooked tuna turn out tough? I mean I had to chew it much more than I should have to. So the fries that i devoured were plentiful for the price. Summary So I will give them a little bit of a pass for the taste of the food because my taste buds weren't fully engaged since most of my hunger was satisfied by the fries before hand. But I don't think I'll be trying the tuna again. I like to give a restaurant a couple times to wow me before totally writing them off (sometimes you just have a bad day) so I'll give them 3 stars for atmosphere alone and a cool waiter. I'll be back in the evening when the ambiance is in full display.

Rafaels is a gem of Westminster. Their food is wonderful and despite being a somewhat fancy place it's also one of my favorite places in town to get a good burger. Seriously don't sleep on the burgers here. They're excellent. The staff is so nice every time I go in. I can't say enough about the service and professionalism of the people here. The building itself is very cool with an old brick wall paired with a modern aesthetic that works really well together. On a Friday and Saturday night it gets crowded so make those reservations! Overall you will not regret going here. It's a great place to take a date or head out with friends.

I haven’t been this disappointed in a restaurant in a long time. My husband and I went to dinner on a Wednesday evening. I ordered the $16 Rafael’s Salad and he ordered the $16 shrimp tacos. When the food came out I couldn’t believe the $16 “salad” that was placed in front of me. 5 leaves of uncut romaine, 6 shrimp that were barely cooked, a few slivers of avacado and 4 cherry tomatoes. I was noticeably upset. I made a comment to to waiter about the lack of shrimp and the way it was plated and he said “yes, I’ve heard that before”. This is a common complaint and it is still served like that?! Meanwhile, my husbands $16 tacos came with 12 shrimp. I’m still trying to figure out how both of these meals were the same price. The waiter seemed completely unfazed by my complaint and offered no solution besides a knife to cut the salad. At that point I should have just sent it back. At the end of our meal I spoke with a female manager about the salad. She offered us a generous refund of $1.60. The only reason I gave 2 stars was because the shrimp tacos were good. My salad was awful and the service was insulating. It is safe to say I will never be back.

First time there. Fantastic food, wonderful staff. Had the Rock fish special! You got to meet Kay, the hostess! So sweet. She showed us around and introduced us to Rafael. He is so nice and such pride in his restaurant! Overall amazing place. Wish I could give it 10 stars.

Food was served cold. Very tasteless and no seasoning. We went for brunch. Two of us got the chip beef and gravy. For the price it was such a small portion and wasn’t very good. Plum Crazy diner has chip beef for 3$ less and there’s so much more and tastes so much better. Oh and the owner treated his employees horribly in front of patrons.

Since re-opening in October of 2022, I've eaten here close to 10 times. Sometimes I just stop in for an appetizer and a drink and other times for a full meal with my wife. The new artwork and interior changes only add to the enhanced menu full of fresh additions. Service is excellent and the food is outstanding. The Oyster raw bar is a nice touch and there is a terrific selection of both premium and rail liquor. The menu includes options for those with dietary restrictions. The new white, ultra-leather stools at the bar and chairs in the dining room are SUPER comfy and classic in design. I know that's an odd thing to focus on, but how many times have you sat in a chair or stool in a bar or restaurant that was uncomfortable and your attention is focused on that instead of the cuisine?

Rafael's hosted an event for us last night and it was amazing! Rafael and his staff went above and beyond to help make it great. From working with them to plan the event to anything that we needed that night, our experience was wonderful and the food was great! Would highly recommend.

Best wings in town!! Plus newly renovated and an amazing new menu including fresh steaks cuts and oysters. Our Friday dinner was awesome. The owner always there greeting and serving customers. You are not going to be disappointed!