Holy Frijoles — Restaurant in Baltimore

I want to be very fair and polite here because I have been somewhat of a regular here for the past year, and I’ve only ever had good/decent experiences up until now. The bartender was very rude to my friends and I. My friend, who was not drunk, went to the bar and asked the bartender for a drink, and he said, “absolutely not,” and walked away. She waited for a minute because she thought he might’ve been joking because she’s been here many times and been served by him many times and she was essentially sober (she had only one drink previously and was clearly fine). She walked back to our table and told us what happened, so when I went up to get another drink, she came with me and very politely asked the bartender why he refused to serve her. He raised his voice at her to the point where my friend sitting at the table by the door heard him. She asked if it was because she hadn’t tipped on her last drink and explained that she was intending to tip him at the end of the night when we were ready to go. He refused to explain and was so rude to her that she left the restaurant in tears. I asked him, again, very politely, to please explain to me what had happened because at this point I was, honestly, just very concerned. He essentially said, “I cut her off, and I don’t need to explain why to you.” I asked a couple who was sitting at the bar when this all happened if they had seen anything that could help me to piece this together and understand the situation, and they told me that he had just told my friend “absolutely not” when she ordered her second drink, and that they were also shocked and confused when it happened because she seemed to be acting perfectly normal from their perspective. I asked to close my tab, and once I had my receipt, I found a bar back and tried to explain the situation to him while my friend was outside crying because this guy literally yelled at her in public, in front of people, for absolutely no reason. The barback wasn’t super helpful and just told me: “if he chooses to cut someone off I can’t do anything about that”. I understand that, but, because nothing was done to remedy the situation, I didn’t leave a tip because I was just so shocked by how poorly we were all treated. I’m really upset and disappointed because this is a go to spot for me and my friends. I’ve been here at least five times within the past four months, and it’s always where I recommend when my friends want to go to Hampden. I like the food, I like the drinks, I like the decor, and I like the music, but I am honestly so shocked and very upset that my friends and I were spoken to that way when none of us were anything but polite and trying to be understanding. I really believe that the bartender acted that way because my friend didn’t tip on her first drink, which is unacceptable to begin with, but even more egregious because she was planning to tip at the end...

I have been eating here off and on for several years. It used to be a favorite, but has been in steep decline for the past year or so. The decor has always been dark, cluttered, and eclectic, but recently you can add dirty to that list. There is grime and grease on the walls, chairs, floors, menus... basically any surface except the table.

The food used to be cheap and filling Tex-Mex. Now, the prices compare less favorably with other options (its still not expensive though) but the taste has declined. On a good day, the food is bland, on a bad day, its disgusting.

The waitstaff is, unfortunately, too hip for its own good. As other's have mentioned, these are Baltimore's finest hipsters. At first, the plaid shirts and tight jeans was cool and laid back, but the disaffected attitudes have pervasively spread from the waitstaff's opinions on local music to the actual level of service. You will be sat quickly, but be prepared to wait to place your order. Also, don't bother with kitchen requests, even if they say its not a problem, you get exactly what is on the menu. Also, don't go in looking for service with a smile, if you are looking for bored stares, this is the place for you.

Also, they have cool specials ($1 tacos, happy hour margaritas, cheap Boh's) but they have more terms and conditions than your credit card company. Tacos are usually sold out within an hour (advertised all night), and expect Happy Hour pricing to end 15 minutes before advertised.

Despite all this, the atmosphere remains pleasant. There is a fairly regular bar crowd, and they won't exclude a new face (but you will be served after the locals). There is almost always at least one table laughing through an after work meal, and plenty of couples out on dates. Families can feel welcome as well.

Bottom line: Don't waste your money, or your time. Its dirty, and the...

The tall, blonde bartender at Holy Frijoles exhibits fraudulent, illegal behavior. About a year ago, I noticed I was getting charged $1 more than I was authorizing (if I authorized $12, I would be charged $13). This happened on multiple occasions and, at some point, is not a mistake. I was constantly having to dispute the charges. One recent Monday, I decided to visit Holy Frijoles for their happy hour deals. I brought cash with me and confirmed with many sources the price of the item I was receiving; I did not want to deal with the bartender’s dishonest ways. Unfortunately, he ended up being the one serving me. He told me the item was $9. Suspicious, but I paid. When my friend arrived, she ordered the same thing as me and I noticed on her receipt the same item was $8. Confused, I confronted the bartender about this. “That says $8, why’d you charge me $9?” He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t really know what to tell you.” He walked away for a moment and then came back and said, “I don’t ever recall you tipping, so I don’t really care how much you pay.” Not sure where this came from—I hadn’t been to Holy Frijoles for a year (perhaps he thinks all black people look the same?). Additionally, I have a history of tipping despite his tendency to give himself more than authorized.

Lying about the cost of an item is illegal and fraudulent (but seems to line up with his entitled behavior). In addition to his fraudulence, amongst customers, this same bartender has a rude and sassy attitude. That being said, if you wish to stop by Holy Frijoles, do not allow the tall, blonde bartender to serve you. Save yourself the dishonesty and annoyance of having to dispute a...