Gunther & Co. — Restaurant in Baltimore

In summary, I will certainly dine again at Gunther & Co., and I will bring my friends and family members.

I recently moved to Baltimore from San Francisco so you could say my taste buds and dining senses are hard to impress. Well, I am pleased to say that Gunther & Co. (G&C) earned a lifelong customer last night. A couple of my friends and myself took advantage of Baltimore's Restaurant Week to check out G&C. Boy did we pick a winner!

Atmosphere We walked up to a beautiful entrance with tall see-through glass walls where you could see a warming and inviting environment with a sophisticated open bar concept. I was already pleased with dining scene but was blown away when the hostess took us through a hallway that then opened up into a ginormous two-story dining arena which once housed the massive brewing tanks of Gunther Beer. I loved how the owners accentuated and kept the original brick and steel beams. The accented the historical structure flawlessly. The restaurant also has an amazing, beautiful outside courtyard that we are excited to check out in warmer weather.

Service Spike was our waiter, and he was friendly, attentive, and professional. We liked how the owner, Nancy introduced herself and provided us a history lesson of the facility. As a suggestion, I would like to see that historical information printed on the back of the menu or perhaps a stand-alone menu insert. They had an extensive wine list, which I appreciated since I lived in the Napa region. They even had a family friend's wine on the menu which is a rarity. It was Cosentino's The Franc, which is an exceptional 100% cab franc. I did not get the impression or wasn't made aware that the restaurant had a sommelier on site. Also, I do like it when restaurants have a server dedicated to refreshing spirits as our main waiter; Spike had enough going on with our food order and other tables. However, this was just a minor detail.

Here is what I thought was most impressive about G&C and what totally won me over. During the meal, we had one entree that was not prepared correctly. I asked for a sharper knife to cut my lamb. Spike could have just obliged me and gotten me a steak knife. However, he knew that dish should not require a sharper knife. He was the one who insisted it be remade so that I get the meal cooked the right way. My fear with sending food back is that it often takes too long or just comes back worse. Not here. It came back fast! The restaurant was passionate about making sure our dining experience was top-notch. The owner even came out to apologize and extended a very generous gift card to return to G&C again. Being a former business owner, that is certainly the way you handle an honest and small snafu. Big kudos to the staff and management for perfect customer service.

Food Overall the food was very good. The proportions were perfect; not too big or too small. We each loved our meals and are excited to return to try other items on the menu.

I highly recommend dining out Gunther & Co. the next time you are either in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore or make the trek from wherever you are in Baltimore City; it is...

I visited this place as part of a staff retreat at my job, so my review may not be the most perfect review due to that circumstance.

The food was really fantastic. This the type of food that I hope to have, but can never afford. We had a family style appetizer that was absolutely delicious. It was a garbanzo hummus, if I'm not mistaken, or something like that. There were also grilled olives, and I'm a person who hates olives, and I loved them. I miss the olives. You could tell from the apps alone that the menu is well curated. We had about 8 choices to choose from, and I got the seasonal ravioli. It was incredible, and one of the best dishes I have ever had (so far at least). There were multiple ingredients that all worked well together, but also provided different bites depending on what you chose. Does that make sense? It was one of those meals where I planned my bites. There were flavors and foods I've never experienced, which I appreciate always. In particular there were wild mushrooms and crispy sage. I don't like mushrooms, because typically the mushrooms available to me are the types that go on pizza. These were bougie mushrooms, and they were delicious. I miss those too. The crispy sage was very interesting, and elevated every bite of food I included it in. I want to learn how to do the same thing because it really was that good. Plus, the root beer I got was really smooth and delicious, and it came with a beer glass.

The service was very nice, that kind of fancy service where they continually pour you water. The food came out quickly. It was just very nice, which I think is very important to note as there were at least 30 people.

The location itself is very nice. I've never visited this area, but now that I know about it and how easy it is to get to and navigate, I can't wait to visit again! There's a parking lot near the restaurant, as well as some street parking. The interior is really, really nice. It's contemporary, sleek, modern, with industrial touches. It's one of those places, and it works really well in its setting. I wanted to keep looking around.

The bathroom was a shared restroom, which I really appreciate. Essentially, anyone of any gender all waits inside the restroom for the next available stall. The doors operate much like a porta-potty, with those little vacancy sign/locks. The doors have frosty glass and go to the floor, and do not have gaps between the door and walls. There is a shared sink area, as well. It was very clean, too.

I looked up the menu later that day, and the prices are pretty decent! I thought that our meals would be way more expensive than they were. I think the prices are fair considering the ingredients and thought that goes into the dishes. I would like to return in the future, but this is definitely a nice date/special occasion...

This review is specifically directed at the manager who spoke with me on 4/9/2025, but unfortunately made no real effort to address my concerns.

I’ve dined at this establishment three times now. On my most recent visit, I ordered the Morel Mushroom & Ramp Tagliatelle Pasta, with added chicken and shrimp. To my surprise, after just two bites, the noodles were practically gone. When I brought this to the manager’s attention, I was told that the portion size is fixed—meaning the amount of pasta stays the same, even when protein is added.

So essentially, I was left with a plate of mostly protein and hardly any pasta. The manager even commented, “Now you have a plate of protein,” as if that was an acceptable outcome for a $56 meal. The manager kept asking if there was “anything else” she could do—even after I had already clearly explained the issue. Let me be clear: repeatedly asking that question without actually addressing the problem is not a solution. It’s dismissive.

A more thoughtful approach would have been to offer a bit more pasta or, at the very least, communicate this policy upfront—perhaps as a note on the menu. Even a small gesture like a complimentary glass of wine could have shown some level of care for the guest experience.

Adding to the frustration, the menu advertised mushrooms in the dish, but there were none. Instead, it arrived with chicken, shrimp, peas, and bacon—nowhere close to what was described.

To be completely transparent, I can’t help but think I may have been stereotyped as the reason for the poor customer service —perhaps they assumed I was just looking for a free meal. While that wasn’t my intention, if this had been a fine dining establishment, they likely would’ve either remade the dish or comped it, especially since I had only taken a couple of bites.

The photo I’ve attached shows how little pasta remained after just two bites—visually backing up my experience. Offering just an ounce of pasta while upselling proteins like chicken, shrimp, or steak feels unreasonable. At the very least, balance the portion sizes accordingly. Please note that the food appears disarranged as I was attempting to look for the remainder of my pasta.

For context, the total bill for our meal amounted to $259, plus 20% gratuity. My wife’s pork chop, while adequately cooked, was notably bland compared to previous visits, and the requested medium-well preparation was not honored, as the pork chop arrived closer to medium rare.

I trust that this feedback will be taken seriously and that your establishment will review both the food portioning policies and the customer service response protocol. It is my hope that future patrons will not encounter the same issues and that this experience will lead to improvements in your...