Cornerstone Grill & Loft

Many alumni who have returned to the College Park area in recent years were in for a little shock; the 'Vous -- the Rendezvous Inn -- no longer exists. The only memory of the bar that lived for more than three decades at the corner of Route 1 and Knox Road is a picture that hangs over the fireplace of its successor, the Cornerstone Grill. Did someone say a fireplace? No, this is definitely not your father's favorite fraternity hangout.

The Cornerstone Grill (b. April 11, 1997) is so vastly different in layout from its predecessor that it is hard to remember what the old place looked like. The upstairs portion of the building, called the Loft, has a separate entrance for its bar, but shares the same owner. The upstairs also has seating and better access to the television. (One reminder: Don't bother asking to change the channel when the Maryland men's basketball team is on.)

Bands play every Thursday through Saturday and occasionally on Wednesdays, with your standard dose of rock cover bands and a few reggae acts. There is a small dance floor right next to the band but few take advantage until the wee hours of the night. The sound quality is solid but not a conversation-killer.

Cornerstone's menu features sandwiches ($4.95 to $5.95) and entrees that include a $6.95 fetuccini alfredo dish on the low end and a $9.95 prime rib on the high end.

Cornerstone also has some of the best drink specials in town. Mondays feature $1 domestic bottles; Tuesday is College Park appreciation day (residents and those who work in College Park receive 25 percent off their bill); Wednesday is $2 rail drinks; Fridays, Captain Morgan drinks and Coronas are $2.50; and Saturdays feature Bacardi Light drinks and Honeybrown drafts for $2.50. All specials and menu items are available at both the Cornerstone Grill and the Loft.

-- Chad Capellman