State Fare — Restaurant in Catonsville

If I could give 0 stars I would. I am officially boycotting this restaurant. I went out last night with my mother for the first time since quarantine last March thinking it would be a nice treat. The server took forever to attend to us initially (and throughout). I went to the bathroom and it was an absolutely disgusting room, there were no paper towels, no toilet paper, and it seems like it had not been attended to since they opened. Food finally came, however you could tell by "finally" it had sat on the line for a while with no one there to run it. Ate some of it anyway and since it wasn't the best, decided to take the rest home to doctor up. We waited and waited for the server to come check on us so we could wrap it up, he finally shows up and you could tell by his not care head in the clouds attitude that he was most likely intoxicated. When he brought the boxes, he tossed them onto the table. I gave him my card to pay and expressed my displeasure towards the service at which point the server turned around and literally threw my card back at me and walked away. How completely unprofessional first, unbelievable, and unacceptably rude. I decided it was time to get the manager and as I walked up to the bar, the manager aggressively and threateningly responded in a way that had no care to our concern and was completely dismissive. The manager would not even provide his name after numerous inquiries. We decided at this point we should leave because we felt threatened and disrespected. At this point the manager called the bouncers for whatever reason to escort us out. I was assaulted by having the bouncer wrap his arm around my neck and slung me out. Meanwhile, I hear my mother shriek only to turn around and see her being assaulted by a bouncer, manhandling her and throwing her out aggressively almost down the steps, thankfully not because she is 63 years old and frail. All this time the staff stopped everything to watch and were laughing and filming this on their phones all while the manager continued to posture aggressively and dismissively and also seemed intoxicated. When I heard my mother scream, call the police they will not let go of me, I called 911 at which point the police came to assist, only to not assist but at this point the damage has been done and the experience so traumatic that we are considering pressing charges. My mother is also not doing well this morning and is in pain and feels sick from what she ate. At this point I cant imagine how this business is operation but if you like bad food, terrible service, disgusting bathrooms, and being assaulted then this is the place for you. In addition, some of the servers around who seemed intoxicated definitely did not...

I feel it is necessary to recount my recent experience at State Fare, which unfortunately fell short of my expectations. As a long-time patron of this establishment, I have frequented it on numerous occasions, but my visit on November 4, 2024, proved to be particularly disappointing.

Our intention was to enjoy the 50% discount promotion on appetizers and drinks, which initially seemed like a great opportunity. The total bill before applying the discount amounted to $206.35, which was subsequently reduced to $104.60. However, we were taken aback to find that a gratuity of $41.27 had been automatically added to our bill, calculated based on the original total rather than the discounted amount. This practice was neither communicated to us prior to our visit nor indicated on the menu, leaving us feeling misled and frustrated.

When we sought clarification from our server, Ta'nyia, regarding the gratuity calculation, she informed us that this was standard procedure. Dissatisfied with her response, we requested to speak with a manager. The manager, Kirby, approached us without introducing himself and appeared disinterested in our concerns. Upon explaining that we had not encountered this practice during previous visits, he asserted that this was their longstanding policy and abruptly walked away, leaving us feeling dismissed and our concerns unaddressed.

The gratuity amount imposed on our bill appeared excessive, particularly considering that we were a party of two adults and one child. The absence of clarity regarding this policy was quite disheartening. Following this experience, I find myself deeply disappointed and have decided against returning to State Fare. This is particularly regrettable, as I have previously enjoyed dining at this establishment; however, this incident has significantly tarnished my perception. It is my hope that the management will take customer feedback into account and reevaluate their approach to gratuity and overall customer service. A more transparent policy could enhance the dining experience and foster a more positive relationship with patrons. It is essential for businesses to remain receptive to the concerns of their customers to ensure continued patronage and satisfaction.

Enclosed is our receipt, which indicates that a gratuity of 40% was...

I have visited state fair many times over the last 10 years that I have lived in the area. I have always had a pleasant experience whether it be for brunch, live music, happy hour, and etc. I even go next door to the Mexican restaurant for drinks and dancing (same owner). The service has always been great and I have never had a complaint until today. I came in to do some work at the bar after going stir crazy in the house. I arrived and there were three empty seats at the bar with dirty dishes. I’m a bartender so I understand being busy and I patiently waited there for approximately six minutes. After finally waving down the bartender, He said he would be there in a minute. I said OK, no worries and continued to stand there and wait.

I then asked if it was possible just to remove the dirty dishes and wipe off the bar so that I can sit down and I can wait until he has time to put my order in. He told me no and that I had to wait until he closed out other tabs. I then respectfully approached the manager and asked if it was possible to get the bartender some help so that I’m able to sit down as I’ve been standing there at this point over eight minute. He said that the bartender basically runs the bar and there’s nothing that he can do about it. But he did get up to go behind the bar to help the bartender clean. I walked back to the bar to get seated and the bartender proceeded to tell me that he refused to serve me. I asked him why and he proceeded to insult me loudly at the bar as if he were putting on a show for other guests. I decided to leave and after that he made sure to give me his name (Jimmy or something like that)

As I walked out the door and he yelled “feel free to write a review and the owner is there if you want to tell him” and then laughed.

I know that this review will not mean much to the establishment, as the bartender mentioned.

Unfortunately, I will no longer be visiting any of the owners restaurant in the area. I know this does not affect their bottom line, but I am hoping that they take this message into consideration and speak to the bartender so that he does not give this experience to...