Terra Cafe — Restaurant in Baltimore

Our server Greg is what save this review, if you can call it that.

I went on a Sunday afternoon and it was quite slow, only one table was sat outside of myself and my friend. We were in the back house for seating and the manager offered to close the door, which I soon asked that he did. The first sign of concern was the group of gnats/flies flying in a circle in the center of the room, we noticed this as soon as we were sat. Our server came and was friendly, we enjoyed his energy, he was pleasant in general. We ordered island crushes ($15 each), and while it tasted good, we didn’t notice a hint of alcohol at all. Unfortunate. We then both ordered the fried fish dinner with plantain and cabbage. A good 20min passed before we were told they were out of cabbage so I swapped for coleslaw and my friend did collard greens. We finally got the food another 10min later (mind you we were only the 2nd table there), and the fish came out salty and well over “fried hard”, the greens super salty to match. You could barely cut the fish with the plastic utensils they gave us (we had to ask for regular silverware). Mind you the unsteady table shook each time we tried to cut. The table that came in and sat beside us soon got their food too and we watched them taste and complain as well, going to speak with the manager and everything. I believe he comped their food and offered dessert.

When we asked for our bill, we told Greg about our complaints with the food too. The plantain was really the best part. The manager came over and we let him know about our experience with the food as a courtesy so they won’t be surprised if other diners say the same. He said to us “so what do you want?” in an annoyed tone, as if we were trying to cause problems, then asked if we wanted dessert. We told him nothing but for you to be aware. He didn’t seem to accept or appreciate us raising this concern so we just asked for the check, paid, and left.

The great reviews here is what made me want to come, but there’s sooo much room for improvement. I won’t consider coming back until they fix their gnat/fly problem, make stronger drinks, and better...

My first experience here at Terra Cafe will be my last! When we entered the restaurant where there were no patrons, we were greeted by a young man sitting at one of the tables who simply said "hi, y'all joining us for dinner?" He didn't bother to stop eating or rise from his seat. He directed us upstairs where happy hour was taking place. There were only 3 other patrons up there. We sat down and were slowly brought waters about 10 minutes later. The young lady never said "hello", "my name is such and such", "how are you today" ...NOTHING! She sat down the waters and walked away. She came back about 5 minutes later sat down menus and walked away again.

When we finally ordered, the food was such a miss. The macaroni and cheese was dry and looked as if it was reheated from the previous day. The sautéed vegetables (which was just cabbage with some peppers) was salty and the panini was very bland.

We were never checked on by the server during the meal, offered to order another drink, not even a refill on our waters! Then we receive the checks and 18% gratuity is automatically included! The service that Dina (I only know her name because it was on the check) gave was not even worth the $5 gratuity that she received by automatically adding it to the...

Let’s start with the positives! Good location, great space. They have a lot of heart and soul. Rustic, woody, eclectic and unique describe the vibe you’ll get. I loved the art, each piece was unique. The artist was also there as we were there, doing a live painting. Our waitress was nice and the food was very affordable. For most people, it would be a great option to come and dine at or attend an event. Now, when it comes to the food and the menu, I was disappointed. The food was just cooked, nothing more or less. No seasoning, and nothing spectacular. I ordered the chicken box and the chicken was dry. The side salad was a few pieces of lettuce on a plate. The French fries had nothing on them, not even salt. The menu seems a little over the place. I get that they serve American food, but I wish they focused in on something particular like sandwiches or just chicken and perfect that. I think the menu could be streamlined and refined and would make for better food and a better experience. I love supporting black owned businesses and maybe it was an off day, so I would still recommend you try them out. They are a black...