McFaul's Ironhorse Tavern Hosts County For Soft Opening

McFaul's IronHorse Tavern at Sanders' Corner opens in just nine short days, but this afternoon county employees were treated to a special preview of the new restaurant near Loch Raven Reservoir.

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, Third District Councilman Todd Huff and Fifth District Councilman David Marks were among the guests invited to the Tuesday lunch ahead of the restaurant's grand opening next Friday, June 29.

Check out the new menu and photos of some of the restaurants offerings here. "Like" Parkville-Overlea Patch on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and sign up for newsletters to make sure you don't miss a thing.

If you ever visited Sanders' Corner the look of the new restaurant will come as something of a shock—new hardwood floors have been installed along with two new bars, both inside and out on the deck.

County dignitaries got a chance to tour the restaurant's dining rooms including the Fireplace room where a photo of the old Ma & Pa railroad hangs over the mantel of a gas-powered fireplace will serve as a tribute to all of Baltimore's Iron Horses.

"The name really a tribute to both the railroad—Native Americans called the trains iron horses—and those forces of nature in Baltimore's history: Johnny U, Cal Ripken," said Towson resident W. Glen McFaul III, part-owner and the restaurants' namesake.

McFaul himself is the eldest grandson of one such "iron horse": Ernie Tyler.

Tyler was an Orioles umpire’s attendant who worked every Orioles home game—3,819 of them—from opening day in 1960 until July 27, 2007, ending his streak only to attend the baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Cal Ripken Jr. Tyler died in 2011 at 86.

McFaul owns the restaurant along with his wife Kristen, father-in-law Walt Lashnau and Mat Remsnyder, who is also part owner of Bel Air's Sean Bolan's pub.

"I think we were able to put together a really good vision here and keep the tradition with Sanders' alive still," McFaul told the group on Tuesday. "This is a family kind of business we've got going here."

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz presented the owners with a citation in honor of the commendation.

"Located in a building known to generations as Sanders' Corner, this new establishment continues this locations tradition of comfortable dining, beautiful views and most importantly, delicious ice cream," Kamenetz said.

The new restaurant will serve ice cream, a Sanders' Corner tradition, made at Priegel Family Creamery in northern Baltimore County. Local ingredients will often be in the spotlight at McFaul's—they'll serve wines from Boordy and Basignani, and executive chef Evan Orser has a small garden out back where he grows herbs, tomatoes and other vegetables.

"This is going to be a very local minded place, local meats, produce, ice cream. We’re going to try and stay very much in Baltimore and Harford counties," McFaul told .

McFaul's IronHorse Tavern will offer a pretty extensive beer selection too, with a number of rotating drafts evidenced by the tap handles lining the walls in the bar. Two Baltimore icons, though, will always remain at the center of the lineup—Edgar Allan Poe, representing The Raven lager, and Mr. Boh.

Next week's grand opening will feature some live music and, perhaps best of all, the restaurant will offer brunch beginning later this summer or early in the fall.

Are you excited for the opening of McFaul's IronHorse Tavern at Sanders' Corner? Tell us in the comments.