The Garden Rooftop — Restaurant in Baltimore

If I could give this place 0/5, I absolutely would. I would not recommend this place to any one. They were not accommodating at all. The manager was condescending. The owner was a little less condescending but overall both were very arrogant. I’m going to tell the whole story so you can paint a picture of what happened in your head. Our reservation was for 8:30 with a 15 minute grace period. We arrived at 8:42 pm, having previously called at 8:23 pm to let them know that we would be running a little late (it was raining and there were direction issues). The manager let us know that we would have to be there exactly 8:45 to redeem our table. We asked if there was parking, she stated there was valet. Great right? Or at least you would assume that having valet would lessen the time needed for parking? Wrong. When we arrived, one of us went into the establishment while I waited over 20 mins to be serviced by the valet. The incredibly rude attendant had me pay 20 dollars up front just so he could park my car over a curb (not much farther from where I was parked waiting for service). I finally walk into the restaurant and was told that I would have to wait another 45 mins even though my colleague explained to her that I was waiting for valet. Her reasoning was that I and the last member of our party was not in the building at 8:45pm. I’m going to be frank. This is not fine dining. Not being able to accommodate just a little bit, is not something a new restaurant a block away from police tape and ghetto strip clubs can afford to do. The third member of our party arrived at 8:50. They did not want to honor our reservation. Fine. A server from upstairs came to the manager telling her that she could accommodate us and the manager bitterly told her “okay but they can only order entrees, no appetizers.” Would you spend your money here after hearing management say this? I then asked if management or the owner could speak to the valet on the behalf of us, so that I could get my 20 dollars back. They refused. The manager even foolishly tried to convince me that the valet SHE recommended to us, had no affiliation with the restaurant. She also tried to convince us that it was normal for valet to have you pay beforehand. As someone who typically only uses valet, I have never experienced this. When leaving the establishment, valet refused to give me even a partial refund and handed me my keys. I paid 20 dollars for this attendant to park my car on a curb and for me to retrieve my own car. We went to Ouzo Bay and the customer service was the complete opposite of what we experienced at Garden Rooftop. When faced with an issue, management at Ouzo bay provided excellent resolutions. Later that night, Garden rooftop charged my card 75$. Do not spend your money here. If you’re looking for a restaurant/lounge, look elsewhere. I recommend somewhere in DC or silver spring. This was the worst experience I ever had. I saw the piss poor reviews and the 3 stars and still wanted to give this business a chance....

I recently had an incredibly disappointing experience at the Garden Rooftop, where the service I received left much to be desired. Upon approaching the security at the entrance, I was informed that I would not be allowed to enter with my bag. However, I then observed four women entering with purses, which naturally led me to question why I was being singled out.

When I inquired why these women were permitted to enter with bags while I was not, the security guard informed me that there was a "No Man Bag" policy. I was shocked by this arbitrary and discriminatory rule and requested to speak with the manager. While waiting, I saw a gentleman leaving the establishment with a bag, which further confused and frustrated me. When I brought this to the attention of the security guard, my concerns were dismissed. It is important to note...I think that everyone who patrons an establishment should be allowed to carry a bag. If there are security concerns, then all bags should be subjected to an initial search. To add insult to injury, a gentleman walked out wearing a bag. I questioned why it was okay for him to enter the establishment with a bag, but not okay for me to do the same. My question was dismissed.

Though a woman on the staff attempted to defuse the situation and offer some resolution, the owner soon joined the conversation. Instead of addressing my concerns, he doubled down on the so-called "No Man Bag" policy. I tried to explain how discriminatory and unfair this policy was, but he responded with a dismissive, "That's how it is, and it's not changing." He also mentioned that this was Baltimore and that it was dangerous, implying that only men with bags posed a threat, which is both absurd and offensive.

What made this experience even more disheartening were the homophobic undertones that accompanied the owner's remarks. It was clear that he was not open to considering how his policy was unfairly targeting certain customers.

Overall, this experience was disappointing, frustrating, and left a bad taste in my mouth. I will not be returning to the Garden Rooftop, and I would caution others to be aware of the discriminatory policies and attitudes upheld...

A whole vibe! Me and my significant other went there for dinner and loved the food, service and ambiance so much that we went upstairs to the club area. When we walked into the restaurant, we were immediately impressed by the decor. Time was taken to create, what I called the experience. After dining int the restaurant, we were encouraged by the Staff to try out the club area, so we did. Once we got upstairs, let's just say a time was absolutely had. The DJ was on point! Blended classic R&B, grown, sexy, hip hop and afro beat hits. We danced and danced and danced some more. Not a dance floor per se, but there's plenty of room to dance if you choose to do so. There were enough friendly bodyguards surveying the perimeters and watching the crowd to make you feel like you could have a good time, because they are working and wanted everyone to be safe and have a nice time. They weren't overzealous, they matched the vibe, classy, cool and present. A special shout out to Lonnie, our dining service professional; and Roc our club service professional. Both young ladies knew and understood what great customer service should look like. We didn't experience the rooftop, because it was raining out and that was fine. Just gives us another reason to go back! We are living in a time where good times tend to get overshadowed by some type of negativity, in one way or another. I don't take for granted that life can spin you in so many different ways and that it's so important to make and experience happy memories. Going in, we had no expectations for anything but a nice dinner. We left feeling proud for everyone who clearly worked very hard to create a positive experience for its patrons. The Garden Rooftop renewed our faith that the Baltimore city dining and nightlife experience CAN be a whole vibe!

I was not paid, nor was I asked to leave a review. Woke up feeling thankful for the experience and wanted to thank The Garden...