BERTHA'S SOUL FOOD BAR AND GRILL — Restaurant in Baltimore

A hairstylist I went to recommended this place after asking if she knew of any soul food restaurants nearby. I went there, I wasn't impressed by the atmosphere at all. One thing that was EXTREMELY disappointing and that along made me decide never to go back there is the fact that they charge a sitting/dine-in fee of 20%. That's absolutely absurd and disappointing!!! That reason alone made me tell the server that I would take it to go. I initially ordered my food as dine-in. Another disappointing thing was, how can the establishment charge any type of dine-in service fee when the tables and chairs are very much unbalanced with damages in different spots. Table legs are uneven, so you have to hold the table steady for it to be balanced. Not only that, the individual tables are cramped and bunched up near each other. So, if someone (as in another customer - unknown to me) decides to dine-in and pay the ridiculous service fee price, that person(s) and I would be bumping shoulders and other body parts. In other words, I would need to get up and move the table so they can squeeze out or in of needed. I say all of that to say, it's very cramped/tiny in there. Unfortunately, I was able to hear other customers' conversations... those sitting at the table and those sitting at the bar. There's no walking space in between. In regards to the food and taste of the food, that was pretty good and flavorful. I will say that the collard greens were very salty, so I didn't finish eating it. Had it been less salty, I believe I would have absolutely enjoyed eating it. I laughed in disbelief and disappointment when I didn't receive the cornbread that was supposed to come with it, I did receive it once I informed the staff that it wasn't in my bag but when I received it, the size of it was so tiny; a toddler/baby would of been disappointed SMH. So, between that ridiculous and outrageous 20% dine in fee, I decided that will be my first and last time...

Came here with my wife and son. We met up with another family. It was the first time for all us being there. When you first walk in you greeted by music. It was pretty loud when we got in. The young lady at the front counter was very friendly. We asked for a table for 6. One was available in the restaurant area of the establishment. Unfortunately we sat underneath one of the speakers and my son immediately put his fingers in his ears saying that the music was too loud. I turned to let the host/server know about it and some from the wait staff had already began to shift the sound of music to the other side of the establishment. It was loud but not enough where you could not hear the person sitting next you. We the catfish dinners with plenty of sides to try. Mac and cheese was delicious!! Tasted very fresh and not too cheesy. Collars greens were very tasty. I put a little bit of hot sauce in them and it gave them the kick that I wanted. French Fries for my son and his friend were great. Thick cut lightly salted. Almost enough for two people. Yellow rice was good. A little mushy for me but complimented the catfish and collards. The catfish was delicious but a little too oily for me. Everyone else who ordered the catfish enjoyed it as well. It is definitely worth getting. We also ordered crabmeat deviled eggs. Those were something else!!! Sooooo good!! We drank the sweet teas and lemonade with our meal. Please add water to them because the sugar in there will have you seeing sounds! Oh and it also happens to be Karaoke Night. That was definitely something! Lol. It was a good time!

Over all the experience here was great. The music upon entering was a little too loud and the catfish a little greasy for me but don’t take my word for it. Go down there and check for yourself.

I will definitely be going back again to try some other things...

HEADLINE: Great Food, Lousy Service

I love and always support Black-owned businesses and will continue to do so. I've been to this restaurant a few times, and while the food is good (though pricey), the customer service needs serious improvement. As a Black business, it's essential to take lessons from establishments with high customer service skills and professional phone etiquette because, frankly, theirs sucks.

1st Incident: I ordered food ahead of time and went to pick it up. The young lady at the counter was on the phone for a good 10 minutes and never acknowledged me or even said, "I’ll be with you shortly." She finally hung up, didn’t say anything, and walked into the kitchen. I had to call out to her, saying, "Excuse me, I really have to go. Is my food ready?" She then placed the food in the bag without any utensils or a thank you.

2nd Incident: I called to place a pickup order, and someone named Lon* answered. She started with an attitude. I said, "Hi, I would like to place a pickup order," to which she replied, "Whenever you’re ready," as if I was holding her up. I suggested she could say, "What would you like to order?" or "How may I help you?" She retorted with the same line, "Whenever you’re ready." After I placed my order, she curtly asked, "Is that it?" I asked for the total and time, and she gave it to me before hanging up abruptly. If this is their idea of good customer service, I’ll pass.

3rd & FINAL Incident: I showed up to get breakfast. The door says a time and the website states a time. Guess who wasn't on time... THEN TO OPEN UP

No matter what I'm going through in my personal life, I never take it out on my clients. I make them feel wanted and appreciated, not like a headache or inconvenience. This establishment needs to learn that...