Timber Grill: Tasty Starters, 'So-So' Entrees

The space that most longtime residents remember as Abington's Inn Flight restaurant, which had a lengthy run, is now home to theTimber Grill, directly opposite Abington memorial Hospital on Old York Road.  

Timber Grill boasts a moderately large dining room divided into several varied smaller dining areas, plus a cozy bar. The seating is comfortable, and the noise level low. It has ample off-street parking around two sides of the building.

We gave it a try with part of our extended family – three generations, including our daughter and two grandchildren. We were pleased first-off to learn that there is a children's menu.

But before I get to what the youngsters in our party of five had, I must tell you that our starter, their original flatbread ($12), could not have been more perfect for sharing, being served pre-cut into 10 squares, and wonderfully delicious.

It is similar to a pizza, only shaped in a long rectangle, whose dough is quite thin and slightly burnt to a black crisp around the edges, and layered with an interesting mix of great toppings: wild mushroom, artichoke hearts, roasted tomato, mozzarella, and marinara sauce, topped with a fresh baby arugula salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, and drizzled overall with a sweet balsamic reduction. This so-called flatbread was so outstanding that I would consider a return visit just to snack on one with drinks and nothing else. 

I also would give good marks to my entree choice, the apricot chicken ($19), though a little pricy, I would say, for a chicken dish. It was half of a large chicken, tastily marinated and basted on a rotisserie with an apricot glaze, and served with cruet of the drippings, plus a side choice – I picked sauteed mushrooms. All the above were savory, tender, and flavorful.

Much lower marks went to the shrimp cobb salads ($14) my wife and daughter both ordered. They featured bib lettuce, shrimp, bacon, tomato, egg, avocado, and blue cheese dressed with a sherry lime vinaigrette. They both judged their salads “so-so.” They complained that while the salads looked “pretty,” the shrimp were small, as was the overall portion for an entree size salad, leaving them unsated. (Contrarily, my apricot chicken plate was plain and homely looking, but the chicken and mushrooms were delicious).

Timber Grill also serves up grilled steaks, ribs, and chops, and seafoods, e.g., scallops, crabcakes, and a daily fish selection.

As to our grandkids' main course ... a bowl of plain spaghetti in butter was oily and had an odd “vinegary” taste, according to our granddaughter; and our little grandson's platter of chicken fingers was fair, with excellent fries fresh cut daily. 

Our server, who had served me well at the Village Tavern, her previous employer, is a first-rate server with a great, friendly personality.

It was unlikely that it was her fault that our shared dessert, strawberry crème brulee ($7), was a long wait, but still a sweet conclusion to our meal.

Overall rating: mm 1/2 (out of 5 m’s) good service, but uneven food, and somewhat pricy.

Location: 1301 Old York Road, Abington 

Phone: 215-884-7932

Cuisine: American grill.

Hours: lunch: Monday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; brunch: Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner: Monday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dinner prices: appetizers, soups, salads $7 - $16; entrées, $14 - $26 (average $22); burgers and sandwiches $11 -$15.

Ambiance: Casual, comfortable, partitioned dining room.

Reservations: Possibly suggested on weekends.                        Credit cards: All major accepted

Alcoholic beverages: Small full-service bar, beer, wine.                  

Special features: Also serving lunch and Sunday brunch

To contact Mitch Davis, you can e-mail him