The Urban Oyster — Restaurant in Baltimore

For today to only be day 2 of being open, I had a wonderful experience dining here with my sister.

Highlights: We lovvvved the BBQ cheddar bacon oysters (sounds weird but that ish was delicious), and i also loved the volcano oysters (spicy, tomato-y, good-y), the steak and the UO burger (the patty was clearly high quality meat and it was cooked PERFECTLY. A perfect medium.)

The ambiance was also just lovely. It’s really beautiful inside. I’m not a content creator but i could definitely see the content girlies having a good time there too. Very aesthetically pleasing, with clearly thought out touches (the light fixtures, the pretty-yet-understated water glasses, the luxurious weight of the silverware.

Also, the folks who work here are just lovely.

Places for improvement (take this w a grain of salt bc it’s just day 2!):

Our reservation was at 8, but the kitchen apparently closes at 8. Last seating should be 30min before kitchen closing. The result was us needing to order everything at once (what we were asked to do, and it wasn’t a huge deal bc I’m a Taurus and knew what i wanted weeks ago lmao), which felt rushed. It also meant that our food came out almost altogether, which meant a burger and steak and fries that were lukewarm. It wasn’t enough to ruin the flavor tho, which to me is a testament to good flavors and good things happening in the kitchen. I’m sure the pace of our orders had to do w the kitchen closing.

I am also a weirdo about toppings, so on my burger i would have loved a tomato that was a bit more fresh. But again, that didn’t stop me from devouring it bc the meat was really yum. The bread was also a verrrry soft brioche. I only ate one side (of the bread) but that’s just because i don’t always love a thick bun. I also don’t love Belgian waffles, so again, more about personal preference than a critique of the burger fr.

I also think service will continue to improve in terms of not asking for things more than a couple times. What i loved was that they were busy and seemed to all pitch in to help support getting tables what they needed.

All in all, a good experience that I am positive will be excellent the next time I’m here! Giving 10/10 day one is a daunting task for any restaurant, and what Black girl magic it is that day two was easily an 8. I will be back, and I’m looking forward.

S/O to the food runner with the locs in space buns, bc they were killing it getting things to tables. Same for the person w the loc ponytail that kinda stood up. Also thanks to our server, Sean, who is apparently usually behind the bar but provided...

Came in on a whim, For a Friday evening dinner. Fortunately enough the supervisor was able to make room and accommodate the 2 of us at the bar(we had a small wait). We were surprised at how crowded the small restaurant space was, Upon entry to the bar you can see the raw bar where the oysters are (shucked) live. Our waiter was 1 of the 2 bartenders working the bar area. We didn’t catch his name. He was very pleasant and slightly knowledgeable. Although when we ordered cocktails (2 side cars) 1 in the traditional sense with cognac and the other preferred with bourbon. They both were made like lemon drops. With a very citrusy* taste maybe from the lemon garnish. We ordered a mixed round of the chargrilled oysters under the bartenders suggestion for apps. They were very good. As we looked over the menu more -We saw though they had a few good choices the menu was very limited. I ended up getting the Branzino* (to share) I asked was it prepared like the snapper with the head on as advertised in photos. He the bartender, replied yes but when served it was a split fillet which was fine. A dash of potato puree and colored cauliflower. My guest got the mixed tacos. We split our meal and followed it up with desert. The pineapple upside down cake. We asked if it could possibly be warmed a little (The cake) but was told no. It wasn’t a huge disappointment but we didn’t see the harm in it. All in all it was a great experience- But I don’t think this restaurant was particularly for us! We noticed as we were paying the check (The bartenders drinks) all looked the same and nothing like what was advertised. A fellow guest leaned in, And noticed the same thing when asking what cocktail I ordered. Also the lack of alcohol brands offered are limited. As well as some menu items, should be updated. The winter salad for instance in the spring. I thought a oyster casserole would’ve been an option but I see the oysters are mostly a novelty of the raw bar or the chargrilled appetizer. All in all I say experience the restaurant while in season. Before the novelty wears off and it becomes that place that “used to be on that corner”. Many photos weren’t taken because of the crowded bar space but I was able to take some to verify my proof of attending. But enjoy ultimately just stay away from the lemon flavored side cars and make a reservation...

I took a quick little solo trip to Baltimore because I saw this restaurant in my social feed and had looked forward to a great mouth watering experience. I visited here a week ago on a Sunday around 11am-ish. I really wanted to give this venue a “5,” as I had already shared it with another friend who likes to take road trips for food as well, but instead, I felt that I was met with what seemed like annoyance from the server Abby, as her name indicates here on my receipt. I literally had two questions, one of which I changed my mind for the greens beans instead of the broccolini that I had initially ordered as I didn’t see it listed at first. This was the first eye roll as if she was annoyed with having to take a few steps to the kitchen’s window to tell them I wanted green beans. The ticket literally had just been placed, so I know that it had not been started. The second “seeming annoyance” came when I decided to order greens since my oysters were taking so long and I had already set for nearly 30 minutes with just green beans and a drink before me. My question was: How are the greens; would you consider it a frequent order? She responded with a “Yes,” and said “It’s mom’s original recipe” — or at least that’s what’s I heard her say. I assumed at this point she was a co-owner or sister of the owner at this point. I said, “ok, I would like to order that as well. Again, I couldn’t understand this display of energy I was receiving from her behind two questions.

The final “sigh of annoyance” came when she brought me my bill, and as I was about to hand her my card with the check I pulled my hand back and said “Oh, one moment, I just remembered something!” Since I had intentions to pay on the “In Kind” app from my phone to utilize my rewards before they expired, I wanted to satisfy my bill in this manner. She placed the check back on the counter, I took it and then proceeded to pay for my check from the app.

At this point, I still had to finish my drink and had been there long enough for her to realize that the bill had been paid. I did not receive an acknowledgment of any kind - a head nod….A “thank you,” nothing.

It’s unfortunate that this was a subpar experience for me! It’s even more unfortunate that I think an automatic 20 % gratuity (which I was aware of) is becoming a norm for equally...