The Brewer's Art — Restaurant in Baltimore

Update#2- 10/11/23

The folks at The Brewer's Art were exceptional this evening. Party of seven got to experience a truly lovely evening, with exquisite service and detectable food. Chicken liver pate was perfect, and the whole experience, despite the initial booking issue (which the Founder -Manager took to handling with immediate grace, transparency, and earnest integrity) was a fond and lasting memory that the out-of-towners will take with them, all the way back to England.

Volker visited the table, very personable, and he went above and beyond to ensure that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience, which everyone certainly did! A splendid evening was enjoyed by all!!

UPDATE 10/9/23

The following day- the Founding Partner/Manager reached out with a profuse apology email, explaining that that situation was mishandled and that they are using that as a coaching moment going forward with their staff- and while this may not seem like much- it's actually a huge step in the right direction. This founder/manager is taking the time to correct the mistake, deeply apologize and take ownership for it (stating and I quote- "but of course the buck stops with me, and I am so very sorry. This will be used as a coaching tool moving forward - what not to do under any circumstance!")

Our out-of-town party of seven is absolutely willing to give them a second shot; they've been really transparent and wholly apologetic!

Booked a reservation for seven only to receive a phone call about a half hour later, from the rudest, most unpolished "hostess" in the employ of this establishment, who told us they couldn't seat seven people. No reason given, just "yea, we can't do that." Completely unprofessionally, like a preteen child, "yaaah, we can't do that."

When I asked where she recommend we go instead, she had the audacity to say, "oh you can still come in and all just sit at the bar."

When I explained to this deeply uninterested individual that we were looking for a proper place to sit down for dinner, she again said, "no you can just come to the bar."

I then explicitly said, "No I'm sorry, we are looking for a sit down dinner, not seven people scattered across the bar, since you're incapable of accommodating that, can you recommend another local restaurant?"

And in her least interested voice, she said, "I have to go talk to customers now." And the phone call was ended.

Clearly not a place in Baltimore worth spending money. Terrible customer interactions before you can even get in the door.

It is OBVIOUS that they do not need additional patronage from anyone- PLEASE CHOOSE LITERALLY ANY OTHER LOCAL...

My review changes depending on where you sit in this restaurant. From the outside, this place looks like part of the office building behind it. If you don't know what you are looking for, you may miss it on first glance.

There are two parts to this restaurant: the upstairs dining room and the bar areas (upstairs and downstairs).

The upstairs dining room has a rotating menu and is sit-down only. I would recommend a reservation for Fridays and weekends. Lots of unique choices like black garlic soup, chatcuterie, rabbit, lamb, and fish dishes. All are wonderfully prepared and filling portions. Though the attire is relatively casual (slacks, button down) the prices are about ~$30/person, not including any alcohol.

The bar areas are split between the upstairs and downstairs. The upstairs is well-lit with a chandelier and large windows in the front of the restaurant. I would recommend finding a seat here, if possible. The downstairs has a separate entrance out front or through the restaurant. The downstairs is louder and significantly darker with candles lighting seating areas. If you are with a group of people, it may be difficult to hear unless you can grab a booth and even then, it is loud.

Bar food is the best reason to go to Brewer's Art IMO. The bar is rated best in Baltimore for their brews, but the burgers and fries they cook up to go with them makes my day better. The fries are thin-cut with rosemary and served with garlic aioli. The change their menu every so often, but the classic burger is superb and my friends enjoy the lamb burger when it's on the menu. ~$15/person w/o alcohol.

Both the dining menu and the bar menu are available in the bar area but the bar menu is not available in the dining area. The last time I was in the dining area I was able to order some fries but I think that is as far as they will allow bar food in the...

One of my new favorite places to go in the Baltimore area. One day I'll arrive early enough to take a crack at their extensive food menu. Great options and I've heard nothing but, rave reviews about their food. They have a few world class beers on draft, the two I usually shoot for are the Beazly and the Valhalla. Can't go wrong with either one but, I must say that if you want to go a few rounds you should take it is easy with the Beaz, it'll get you snookered in the blink of an eye. Brewer's Art is so aesthetically pleasing that I sometimes forget that I'm even in a bar lol. So, upstairs there's a main dining area that is regal in appearance, reminds a bit of the Addams Family, just maybe not as dark. And my perception could be way off as well lol. But, if I can remember correctly this area shuts down about 10:30 or 11 and then you can take the party downstairs to the main bar area. The main bar area is dimly lit and has more of a grimy (grimy is good, not dirty in this case) feel to it. There are a few options as far as seating goes. You can have seat on one of the stools around the bar, have a seat at one of the tables, or you can sit in one of the areas off to the side that has couches and is more suited for a group. The staff have been very welcoming and I look forward to future visits. Before I forget, this place is perfect for casual nights out, networking, and dates...the...