Hersh’s — Restaurant in Baltimore

This place is a stone's throw from my house, and I would probably go much more often, but it's just been mediocre the last couple of times I have been, and there are simply too many little tiny things about the place just rub me the wrong way. Their hours are just weird. I can't predict when this place will be open. The food is just mediocre. Not bad, but not great either. It may have been the dishes I've chosen, so others may have had a better experience. Tried the crab and corn pancake, and it was uninspired and soggy. I also had the ravioli entree, and for $19, it was simply not very impressive at all.

My principal complaint with this place though is the service. I'm not sure if it's just a lack of capable staff, or a refusal to ensure that their clients are delighted with their service. I sat at the bar the first time I was there, and my only real issue was that the restaurant was dark. Very, very dark. I had trouble seeing my food, it was so dark.

The second time I went, which was a couple of days ago, we had a good group (about seven of us), and we asked to have split checks due to staggered arrivals and different groups and it turns out they don't split checks. It's not the first time I've experienced this, but it's extremely inconvenient. I don't feel like it takes that much effort to split the check, but I guess when you run a business, you take the liberty of making rules that might inconvenience your patrons. The next kicker, is they impose a forced gratuity on parties of six or more. 20% at that. I have no issue with this, in the event your waitstaff has a commitment to ensuring your patrons are well taken care of. Our server was pretty much AWOL the entire time I was there. She brought drinks to our table, and would rush off before asking of anyone else needed a drink. I don't think she ran a single one of our orders out, and I was simply unimpressed with the way we were served.

This place might be great for small groups, but if you have more than five in your party, they may be overwhelmed.

I will not return based on my experiences, but I think this place might be ok for very simple dining experiences with no deviations...

Extremely good dinner last night at Hersch's on Light Street. Very good service. Outstanding food over the two dish sample.

Lamb and pork meatballs were tender and balanced. They came with ricotta and marinara sauce. We also split a white clam pizza which was one of the best pizze we have had in a long time. The crust was bready and had nice charring without venturing into the actually burnt realm of so much modern pizza making. While not particularly 'clammy' it was an outstanding pizza. A little richness balanced with lemon. The clams served to bring brine and brightness, much like anchovy does. We had them add arugula which was a good decision.

The drinks were outstanding: an old fashioned made with honey and Calabrian chili, and a mezcal-based play on the last word. Both were outstanding in their balance, with their creativity not getting in the way of deliciousness.

The dessert was ordinary: an overly dense flourless chocolate torte.

Everyone who came to the table was very personable and concerned we were enjoying. At $70 for a light meal, not cheap but worth it in terms of overall quality and the warm, welcome.

Yet another fabulous find within walking distance. We love living in...

This was such a disappointment. We'd been looking at it awhile longingly but it always looked packed. We kind of assumed it would be really good from all the traffic it gets but everything was tiny and overpriced. The wait staff were friendly but busy (not mad about it but it wasn't as warm and welcoming as some of the other places around here). We got the wood fired octupus and we're disapointed that for $14 you only got one tentacle. The chickpeas and that one tentacle however were delicious. The pizza was just sad. We got the miles Davis which I was hoping would be covered in mushrooms however there were about as many as you would get from digorno and about as much flavor. The crust was similar to naan in texture which I liked and did eat with butter (usually leave the crust) but it was a soggy mess in the middle and kinda burnt on the bottom. There was a hint of ricotta and just a mess of sauce. I've never encountered such a sad Pizza and it certainly wasn't worth $17. My husband and I walked out of there still hungry after spending $50 ( he got a beer too). I guess it's more of a hipster thing. Don't go if...