Tavern at Woodberry Kitchen — Restaurant in Baltimore

My husband and I went to experience the new Tavern concept. We had a really nice time and will be back.

A few observations: -our table wasn’t ready until about 15 minutes beyond our reservation time. This is not a big deal and the staff were very professional about it, got us menus to peruse, etc. However, for three parties to be out waiting at once, I think some attention to the amount of seating in the hallway (most of us had no choice but to stand), an offer of water, and covering the bare spots where lighting fixtures were removed in the hallway would go a long way. I mention it only because this is our first impression as we prepared for a very expensive meal that we waited weeks to get a table for. I know things are still in progress, so again, not a huge deal. -once in the dining room, the ambiance was really lovely and intimate. -we were brought a small plate of cheese, meat, vegetables, and such to snack on while we waited for our food. Very classy, very tasty. -not one mocktail on that massive, massive, booze menu (comprising 2/3 of the entire menu). There are plenty of fine non-alcoholic spirits out there and have been for many years, and a nice mocktail seems like something that Woodberry would do very well. -the food was excellent, and thoughtfully made. Our favorites were the tartare (a beautiful flavor profile- maybe a bit of pickle in there?- and thoughtful pairing with chips) and schnitzel (juicy, crisp, and was that fruit ketchup?). -I do not know if the service fee is a suitable tip or not. Their website says: “A 23% service fee will be added to your check. The restaurant distributes those funds to all employees in the form of wages and benefits, creating equity and consistency for both our kitchen and dining room staff. You are welcome to add additional gratuity for the service staff.” I’m not at all arguing with the concept of the service fee- I agree that the staff should be compensated fully for the hard work they do, but because of that same sentiment, I want to be sure that I’m not stiffing people if this service fee just goes to the restaurant’s operating fund for benefits they’ve already promised people and the staff is still not making a living *wage. The receipt had a line for “additional tip,” which makes it sound like I can treat the service fee as a tip. I think it would go a long way to clarify if the staff is already receiving a living wage and/or what role any additional tip should be taking. -the staff was very professional, prompt, and...

I am sorry but I did not have an experience anything like the other reviews I have read. We went on a Friday evening and arrived around 5pm. There were plenty of tables available. We decided to eat outside since it was a nice evening and it was also extremely warm in the restaurant.

We were seated very quickly and our water was poured. Right off the bat I noticed some black flecks floating in my water which we later realized were ashes from the outdoor fire pit which various members of the staff were very attentive to keeping ablaze. Any wind at all and the smoke and ashes were everywhere. Our clothes were completely drenched in smoke smell.

Not to mention, the fire pit is apparently also the approved area for smoking cigarettes as well as marijuana. There was a group of about 10 people or so who appeared to be employees of one of the other businesses hanging out near the fire pit drinking and smoking cigarettes and marijuana. None of the Woodberry kitchen staff said or did anything about it, so it appeared to be perfectly acceptable to them.

Moving on, we decided to order some raw oysters. They had a nice selection, so we decided to get a dozen with 2 of each of the types offered. A dozen oysters was $34 by the way which is ridiculous. We had a few beers as well and our check was $89. I would not have ordered the oysters, however had I been told that they refuse to offer lemon or traditional cocktail sauce or even regular hot sauce. You must instead be subjected to their house brand of cocktail sauce which tasted like V8 and horseradish mixed together. For hot sauce, you have to have their “Snake Oil” which also tasted like V8 with cayenne pepper added. There were two other options for oyster accoutrements which included something akin to the leavings at the bottom of a pickle jar, and another mignonette-like sauce that was also disgusting. We had to wait almost an hour for our oysters because their shucker got “inundated”. Interesting considering we were the only table that had any oysters. There was some small bread pieces put on top of the oyster plate that appeared to have butter on it, but upon trying to eat whatever it was, it was completely inedible. We decided not to have dinner and left.

Long story short...overpriced, overrated and...

I'm going to break this down into categories because each element deserves a bit of attention.

Staff: Everyone here was EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the food, drinks, and options on the menu. From entree recommendations to sourcing locations, they knew it all. We went on a busy Wednesday night and our server was always attentive and patient. The kitchen and runners were efficient and well organized.

Menu: The menu was also extremely descriptive, and was often overwhelming. They used a lot of superfluous words and descriptions which were daunting and distracting. The menu did have a good variety of items to cater to all pallets and desires.

Price: I found the price to be a little high for its location. I understand the farm to table concept, local sourcing, etc but this wasn't a downtown waterfront restaurant with an upscale dress code. I will definitely keep it in more for special occasions when I don't want to get all dressed up, but I wouldn't consider it for a fun dinner out.

Items to Consider: We started the evening with a cheese plate. The pairings were unique and delicious. It was really fun to experiment with the different items on the plate and discuss the different flavors. For dinner we enjoyed the Chicken and Biscuits and the Lamb and Egg Noodles. The chicken and biscuits were deliciously prepared in a cast iron skillet. The chicken was moist, flavorful, and had crispy skin. The biscuit was fluffy and well prepared. The slow cooked Lamb and Egg noodles had a very good flavor, but I was slightly disappointed that the egg noodles were spaghetti noodles. It took away from the hearty nature of the​ meal. Also, there were only 3 or 4 bites of lamb in the dish. I would expect a more hearty portion of lamb with this meal, especially with the pasta choice and price. Definitely leave room for dessert and try a trio of their ice cream; especially the toasted oat!

Conclusion: If you are looking for a place to celebrate an occasion or have a romantic meal, this is a great place to try. The dress code is upscale casual, with what I would call a "hipster flair" so no needy to get fancy. I would definitely recommend reservations regardless of the...