Mount Washington isn’t new to me. Much of my family and many close friends have lived in this neighborhood for years, so I heard about this tavern long before I ever stepped inside. For a long time, what I heard wasn’t great, which is why I avoided it. Eventually, a recommendation from someone I trusted convinced me to give it a fair chance. I came in open-minded, hoping it had grown past its reputation. I stayed, became a regular, and genuinely wanted to like it. That’s what makes this disappointing—I didn’t come here to confirm old complaints. I came hoping they were wrong. I don’t write reviews. This is my first one. But after months of repeat visits, what I experienced feels important enough to share. I started coming in September, mainly for the oyster deals. At first, things were solid, and I recommended the tavern to friends, family, and people visiting from out of town. I gave it grace because restaurants are hard and I believe in supporting local spots. Unfortunately, I won’t be returning. The biggest concern is cleanliness and food safety. On one visit, I witnessed a kitchen staff member squash a roach with his bare hand and then continue handling food—no gloves, no handwashing. On another night, I saw two mice run across the back room. That’s not bad luck; that’s a serious problem. Service has also been inconsistent and disorganized. On one occasion, someone who wasn’t my server delivered my food and had to ask tables whose order it was. By the end of the meal, three different people had served my table. That level of confusion affects both service quality and food safety. The oysters are another major issue, and this matters to me personally. My ex-husband has been an oyster farmer for over ten years and I've worked alongside him numerous times, so I know varietals, sourcing, and quality. On one visit, the oysters I ordered were not what was served, and when I questioned it, my server lied and tried to pass them off as the premium oysters I paid for. They were clearly cheaper. That kind of dishonesty breaks trust immediately. In December, I was at the bar with two cousins visiting from out of town—people I brought because I recommended this place. A party of 30+ people arrived shortly after, and the bar became chaotic. There was no crowd control, no structure, and no concern for guest comfort. People were packed tightly, yelling inches from each other’s faces. It felt unsafe and embarrassing. That said, there are genuinely good people working here. I make it a point to know staff by name—something my father taught me growing up—and I’ve built real rapport over time. Shannon is friendly and helpful. Scott is dependable and sharp. Joe Brady is exceptionally kind. Kathy behind the bar is cheerful. Miguel brings great energy. Kate clearly cares deeply about her work and her customers. Bonet (Sorry if I misspelled it) is attentive without hovering, clearly intelligent, and consistently professional. He’s the kind of shucker you remember. Tiara is warm and hilarious every time! Dave, the manager, once checked on me and comped a drink when one was made incorrectly.
These people are the reason I stayed longer than I probably should have. I wanted this place to succeed, but between sanitation issues, disorganization, and dishonesty, I can’t justify returning. This isn’t written out of spite—it’s written out of disappointment.
I’m open to hearing from management. about how these concerns will be taken seriously moving forward
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 5
RD MyersJr
Over $500 for a birthday dinner?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Victoria Lambert
Place is cool inside but the service is bad and food was not good. Truffle fries were super thin cut (from frozen I think) and over cooked so they were hard and dry. Chicken bites were same. If you wanna grab a beer it's fine but that's about it I think.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Renee Wright
I enjoyed having my 70th Birthday Party at the restaurant and the entire celebration was wonderful. Every aspect of my special occasion was amazing. The entire staff was polite and caring. They made me feel incredibly important. My every wish was met with enthusiasm and attention to det
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeffrey Sherman
Jamar makes amazing drinks and is way over his league, literally made this bar 🔥🔥🔥 Bartended a wedding and made is such a vibe!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Wainwright
Awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tim Sharman
Love the atmosphere but tonight was a little loud. Won't keep us from coming back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
latrice turner
The food was amazing and our drinks were perfect. My friend and I sat at the bar and had a great time. I had the crab dip which was yum. Definitely recommended going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amanda Dame
Had our wedding here in the Chesapeake room. Food was absolutely incredible, Mary set up the whole room for us and it was absolutely perfect. We had an amazing time ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lindsey Miller
This review is going to cover a lot. Besides it being our favorite place for smash burger tacos, charm city punch, and seafood with excellent service and food! We also got married here last weekend! And my goodness did they deliver. The food was delicious, the place looked stunning, everything flowed nicely, and we even got that second floor deck vibe. The price is reasonable and they are flexible! Our guests were raving about it . We got the best sort of compliments- our photographer even said best wedding ever!! We had already paid them too 😂 from the bottom of our hearts we want to thank the staff, the owners, Holly for your ridiculous amazing decor, and especially Mary who made all the magic look seamlessly done. If you have any celebration please reach out they are the best!
Mount Washington isn’t new to me. Much of my family and many close friends have lived in this neighborhood for years, so I heard about this tavern long before I ever stepped inside. For a long time, what I heard wasn’t great, which is why I avoided it. Eventually, a recommendation from someone I trusted convinced me to give it a fair chance. I came in open-minded, hoping it had grown past its reputation. I stayed, became a regular, and genuinely wanted to like it. That’s what makes this disappointing—I didn’t come here to confirm old complaints. I came hoping they were wrong.
I don’t write reviews. This is my first one. But after months of repeat visits, what I experienced feels important enough to share.
I started coming in September, mainly for the oyster deals. At first, things were solid, and I recommended the tavern to friends, family, and people visiting from out of town. I gave it grace because restaurants are hard and I believe in supporting local spots. Unfortunately, I won’t be returning.
The biggest concern is cleanliness and food safety. On one visit, I witnessed a kitchen staff member squash a roach with his bare hand and then continue handling food—no gloves, no handwashing. On another night, I saw two mice run across the back room. That’s not bad luck; that’s a serious problem.
Service has also been inconsistent and disorganized. On one occasion, someone who wasn’t my server delivered my food and had to ask tables whose order it was. By the end of the meal, three different people had served my table. That level of confusion affects both service quality and food safety.
The oysters are another major issue, and this matters to me personally. My ex-husband has been an oyster farmer for over ten years and I've worked alongside him numerous times, so I know varietals, sourcing, and quality. On one visit, the oysters I ordered were not what was served, and when I questioned it, my server lied and tried to pass them off as the premium oysters I paid for. They were clearly cheaper. That kind of dishonesty breaks trust immediately.
In December, I was at the bar with two cousins visiting from out of town—people I brought because I recommended this place. A party of 30+ people arrived shortly after, and the bar became chaotic. There was no crowd control, no structure, and no concern for guest comfort. People were packed tightly, yelling inches from each other’s faces. It felt unsafe and embarrassing.
That said, there are genuinely good people working here. I make it a point to know staff by name—something my father taught me growing up—and I’ve built real rapport over time. Shannon is friendly and helpful. Scott is dependable and sharp. Joe Brady is exceptionally kind. Kathy behind the bar is cheerful. Miguel brings great energy. Kate clearly cares deeply about her work and her customers. Bonet (Sorry if I misspelled it) is attentive without hovering, clearly intelligent, and consistently professional. He’s the kind of shucker you remember. Tiara is warm and hilarious every time! Dave, the manager, once checked on me and comped a drink when one was made incorrectly.
These people are the reason I stayed longer than I probably should have. I wanted this place to succeed, but between sanitation issues, disorganization, and dishonesty, I can’t justify returning. This isn’t written out of spite—it’s written out of disappointment.
I’m open to hearing from management.
about how these concerns will be taken seriously moving forward
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 5
Over $500 for a birthday dinner?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Place is cool inside but the service is bad and food was not good. Truffle fries were super thin cut (from frozen I think) and over cooked so they were hard and dry. Chicken bites were same. If you wanna grab a beer it's fine but that's about it I think.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I enjoyed having my 70th Birthday Party at the restaurant and the entire celebration was wonderful. Every aspect of my special occasion was amazing. The entire staff was polite and caring. They made me feel incredibly important. My every wish was met with enthusiasm and attention to det
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jamar makes amazing drinks and is way over his league, literally made this bar 🔥🔥🔥
Bartended a wedding and made is such a vibe!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love the atmosphere but tonight was a little loud. Won't keep us from coming back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was amazing and our drinks were perfect. My friend and I sat at the bar and had a great time. I had the crab dip which was yum. Definitely recommended going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had our wedding here in the Chesapeake room. Food was absolutely incredible, Mary set up the whole room for us and it was absolutely perfect. We had an amazing time ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This review is going to cover a lot. Besides it being our favorite place for smash burger tacos, charm city punch, and seafood with excellent service and food! We also got married here last weekend! And my goodness did they deliver. The food was delicious, the place looked stunning, everything flowed nicely, and we even got that second floor deck vibe. The price is reasonable and they are flexible! Our guests were raving about it . We got the best sort of compliments- our photographer even said best wedding ever!! We had already paid them too 😂 from the bottom of our hearts we want to thank the staff, the owners, Holly for your ridiculous amazing decor, and especially Mary who made all the magic look seamlessly done. If you have any celebration please reach out they are the best!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I was there for a celebration of a life upstairs. The space worked very well. Downstairs looked attractive as well
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Was here for my stepdaughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. Beautiful space the food was amazing and the staff was very welcoming and accommodating
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
nice place to wait for the light rail on the way to the Ravens game
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a wedding reception here. Was beautiful and all food was delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely place with lovely people
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...