A local singer playing acoustic covers of Nirvana and Creed. Massive TVs lining the walls above the bar, showing the sports action of the night. Bartenders engaging in friendly banter with lawyers and construction workers alike.
This is exactly what Josh Simmons envisioned when he first had the idea for The RAD House.
“I really just wanted to create a special place that everybody could come to,” Simmons said. “It just kind of hits all the elements.”
Simmons, the general manager and co-owner of The RAD House, described the La Plata restaurant as a “high-class dive bar.” They pride themselves on having something for everyone, with a wide variety of drink options, from high-end cocktails to $2 beers.
Every cocktail is made by hand from scratch with freshly squeezed juices. Simmons said they only use top-shelf liquors that are normally only found in big city bars.
Steven Gorman, a bartender at The RAD House, said everyone who works there takes “absolute pride” in their craft.
“I almost want us to ruin cocktails for people,” Gorman said. “I want to be so good that you go anywhere else, you’re like, ‘Damn, this is fine, but it’s not The RAD House.’”
Similarly, both Simmons and Gorman give high praise for the food menu. Just like the drink menu, there is something for everyone to eat as well. They offer standard bar food, such as chicken wings, to high-end seafood options, such as what Simmons proclaimed “the best scallops in the state of Maryland.”
Much like the drinks, all the food is prepped in-house daily. The chicken wings are par baked, which Simmons said gives the wings a “beautiful crisp” that sets them apart from deep fried wings. The wings are served with the restaurant’s signature RAD sauce, a house buffalo sauce that inspired The RAD House’s name.
This high standard of quality is why Gorman thinks The RAD House will be the next big hotspot for nightlife in La Plata.
“Whether you’re coming at 3 p.m. on a Monday or at the end of the night on a Saturday and we’re ready to close, we’re still going to give you the best that we can,” Gorman said.
The RAD House opened on May 3. On the opening night, Simmons said there was a “flood of people” waiting to check out the new restaurant, including members of Charles County government and the Chamber of Commerce. For Simmons, that first night was “fireworks.”
“It was so surreal,” Simmons said. “To see so many different people who have no clue who each other are, all together and hanging out, smiling and laughing, it was special.”
Simmons has his sights set on opening more RAD Houses in Maryland and eventually expanding out-of-state to places like Myrtle Beach and Florida.
For now though, Simmons is focused on making The RAD House the best it can possibly be.
“Our biggest thing is to make sure we give people the time of their life,” Simmons said. “By the time you pay your check here, I want you planning your next visit.”