The first time I tried The Railroad Junction Grill in Salisbury, my husband and I were looking for some place with outdoor seating, so we could dine with our dog, Rascal. The restaurant has a couple of café tables outside and we’d seen the ‘now open’ sign for a couple of weeks.

We shouldn’t have waited so long.

Chef Michael Smith takes all of the ‘usual’ breakfast and lunch menu items and tweaks them with some personal touches and quality accents to bring them up more than a couple of notches.

My husband’s Gyro was fresh and warm, with a more-than-generous portion of lamb and Tzatziki sauce with just enough crumbled Feta cheese. I opted for the house special, The Conductor: ginger & honey baked ham, bacon, thin slices of apples, cheddar cheese, brushed with apple butter and toasted to a melted mouthful of happiness. (When Mike brought out our meals, he also brought some scraps of lamb to give to Rascal. That boosted him to the top of our ‘preferred establishment’ list for all three of us.)

A few days later, I tried their breakfast menu. I dithered over the omelette, skillet, and breakfast wrap selections. I’m not a big scrapple fan, but Mike was so enthusiastic about his ‘Apple Scrapple’ skillet platter that I couldn’t say no. It was a cousin of my lunch: a huge two-egg scramble with chunks of apples and scrapple and melted cheddar cheese, drizzled with apple butter coulee. That’s the sort of preparation you find at upscale B&Bs in St. Michaels, not a casual diner in a busy intersection in Salisbury. Caffeine addicts take note: the coffee is freshly ground, freshly brewed, and always flowing.

The restaurant is now open on Friday and Saturday nights for dinner. The food has to compensate for the lack of a liquor license (that’s probably two years away). It more than does so!

Our group enjoyed caramelized roast pork with mushroom crème and sautéed spinach, smoked turkey in a citrus brine with cranberry relish and garlic mashed potatoes, and broiled flounder filet stuffed with crab and served with a ‘dirty rice’ risotto. Dessert redefined bread pudding: warm, soft bread baked with vanilla and caramelized walnuts and slathered with a brandy and almond sauce, topped with French vanilla ice cream.

With a background as food & beverage manager for Clarion Hotels International and director of training for the Don Pablos Restaurants, Chef Smith brings extensive experience and a chance to try out ideas his way. One challenge is the restaurant’s location. It’s at the intersection of Carroll Street and Rt. 13, catty-corner across from PRMC, and tucked behind the railroad tracks (hence the name). In past years, other owners have tried pizza, Caribbean, and Indian restaurants, without success. The Carroll Street side of the building now has a huge mural of a bellowing steam engine, so it’s easy to spot. With the quality of the food and the friendly service, it’s right on track to be successful.

Railroad Junction Grill 203 E. Carroll Street, Salisbury. 410-341-4745. It's open Mon-Thur 8-4, Fri/Sat until 9. Closed Sundays.