Corks

The steak I ordered (although cooked to the perfect temperature) was really charred to the surfaces so much so that it gave the steak an acrid, burnt taste. Others at the table noted the same.
Otherwise, the meal was good. Delicious red wine and a great cheese platter. The grilled caesar was a refreshing change and I enjoyed the brussels sprouts with bacon.
The pot de crème was way too thick/​pasty for my taste and the crème brûlée was a bit «eggy». So all in all there were things that could be improved, but I wouldn’t mind going back again though I probably won’t order steak or dessert.

Ask me two years ago and I would have given Corks more stars but with the Rowhouse and Bluegrass opening up, I’d rather head to one of those bars for a more laid-​back and equally as-​good dinner. One of my fav dishes at Corks is the cheese fondue but I feel that the price for apples with the fondue is ridiculous– $ 4 more for a few slices of apple?! I also really like the steak and the charcuterie plate.
My two most recent dinners at Corks have been… odd. Once my boyfriend and I ate dinner in the front portion of the dining area. (In which they now have a very large TV, which I can’t stand). There was a couple eating near us and while they ate the woman told her entire life story to the man with her– supplemented with drawings, pictures, and words written all over the paper on the table. The whole thing was odd because they seemed to be on a date but she was telling him about every person she has dated. He was actually interested in what she had to say but didn’t say much because she really did not give him a chance.
However, I wanted to focus this review on my most recent experience. A friend and I went on a Tuesday night for dessert and some wine. As we sat at the back bar we noticed a couple at the end of the bar– she in a pink, velour outfit, he in regular clothes with another woman on the end. The man and Velour kept making out the entire time but their guest didn’t seem to mind and acted like nothing weird was going on. What was strange was that every time my friend and I looked over, Velour or her boyfriend were looking at us. It was completely uncomfortable for all around. Corks is a pretty nice place although you can dress work-​casual. They were underdressed and over-​touchy. (Plus the fact that they kept making eye contact with us was disturbing).
…Anyway we ordered dessert– cheesecake and the brownie, but got crème brûlée and the brownie instead. The crème brûlée was very good but the brownie was hard as a rock. The bartender (who, I must add was very friendly) apologized but did not take the brownie away. Instead, he filled up our glasses. As an excuse, he informed us that the owner was busy opening a new restaurant in Fells– still not enough to cover the rock-​hard brownie and the fact that he didn’t replace it with something else.
At the end of our meal we paid and left only to find out that the couple at the end of the table WAS THE OWNER and his girlfriend.
Story short, I’ll never go back to Corks.

Our server Robin? (I think the was her name — she was from New Zealand or Australia) and she was fantastic. At every turn, she was very attentive. The food and portions was great. My sister and I used a Groupon without any difficulty what so ever. Our meal:
1) Beet/​Walnut salad — they split it for us and there was an excellent portion still.
2) Shrimp Cocktail: Large succulent shrimp — lightly flavored in some sauce but great
3) Mussels — done just right and great for the portion size
4) Raibow trout with Lobster Fried Rice: they split it for us, excellent portion size, granted a bit over seasoned, but I still enjoyed it greatly
5) Cocktails: nothing spectacular at all, but good enough for the meal and they were willing to adjust to our taste
Overall, excellent experience — very low key by the way and I have not seen my sister in a long time, so it was nice to spend time with her.
One interesting thing is that they seem to be trying to make the stuffy setting a bit younger. The waitresses all wore black t-​s and jeans, where one would think that they would be wearing white blouses with ties. Also they have a big screen t.v. with the game on in a place with dark, hard wood floors and fancy silverware.

My bf and I checked out this place recently because we heard good things about the restaurant. Well… the sides were really good (cheesy potato gratin, mashed potatoes, broccoli and asparagus). We went in on a Sunday night. At first we thought the restaurant was closed but we poked our heads in and found out that we were in the kitchen. I really admire showcasing where you cook because it can be a disgusting place, so props to them. Anyways, we walked into the dining area, was greeted and told to wait for about 15 min — they said that they weren’t expecting a crowd on Sundays and there was a decent crowd. Waited, sat, waited, ordered, waited, waited, waited, mussels came out and flavor was good, except they were sandy, waited, waited… then the main course. We ordered two steaks medium well. The petite filet came out burned on the outside and blue on the inside. The veal came also burned, but medium well on the thinner pieces. Everything tasted burned and like gas or something! We tried our best to eat but eventually we had to say something. We were told that the burnt taste was char and therefore normal. No way — — char doesn’t taste bitter, like the stuff on chicken kabobs being grilled on July 4^th, it tastes nice and smoky. They tried to make it up by bringing us half a steak (idk what it was) but it really wasn’t any better. We were really ready to leave… unfortunately it took a looong time to get the check to us — the waitresses were discussing something important. I will not go back nor recommend it to others.

I recently tried Corks because they were on Groupon. It’s on the main strip in Federal Hill which is swarming with restaurants & bars, so it’s easy to blend right in. I had never noticed Corks before, and upon entering, my first impression was it was small, somewhat unimpressive, but with a really cool orange wall that was glowing.
Upon going in further, there was a small dining room area with about 10 tables for 2 – 4 people, and a 2^nd dining area hideden beyond that with a large bar and hopping with people.
Apparently Tues-​Thurs are the nights to go because they have ½ price steaks and ½ priced wines. My steak (cooked mid-​rare) was delicious although slightly charred on the skin which brought too much of a smokey flavor. The ½ wine options were still pricey even with the discount so I ordered off their normal wine menu for a better deal. The mussels appetizer was full of good flavor! The staff was also friendly and attentive, they even brought me a small heater to put near my table when they noticed I was chilly!

I went there on Wed, ³⁄₃. This is the second time I’ve been there. It always catches me off guard that the back is actually a fairly fancy dining room. Waitress came over and before welcoming us asked if we were dining with a GroupOn. We replied yes and she rudely stated that we couldn’t order ½ price steak or ½ price wine and use the GroupOn. during the same meal IE: making up their own rules. If you can’t afford to offer GroupOn’s then don’t do it. I don’t want to feel bad as the customer for using them!
It didn’t matter anyway because we were there for $ 9 pasta night. Started out with a few glasses of wine and the cheese plate (very good). I had the fettucini with bolognese sauce. The pasta was sticky (likely overcooked) and the bolognese sauce was too sweet and boring. Most of the noodles were plain because there wasn’t enough sauce. My date had the penne with fresh tomato sauce, which she says lacked taste. I rarely send food back and the food was good enough to eat, but not what you’d expect at a fine dining establishment. The pasta portions were very small, but for $ 9 I thought the portion was fair. I wasn’t impressed with the waitress or the wine pairings list which listed prices for a glass of wine from $ 19 — $ 38. CRAZY. But they were ½ price, BUT I couldn’t order one or else we could not use the GroupOn and I be forced to go there again to actually use the GroupOn.
I live in the neighborhood — too bad because I like the idea of Corks, but the food/​wine is not worth the price. When I go to Pazo or Chingiale and pay top dollar, I am treated to a courteous server and delicious food. Neither was the case at Corks.

Went on a Wednesday night, which happens to be their $ 9 pasta night (pick a pasta, pick a sauce, you get it). Since that sort of thing is something I could really just make at home, it wasn’t worth hunting for street parking in Fed Hill just to order pasta.
To start, we ordered the mixed greens, featuring curly carrot ‘ribbons’ and diced cucumber, tossed in a citrus vinaigrette. The portion was large enough to share, which we did. Overall, the salad was okay, but I have to say… I really hate it when they don’t trim the orangey-​brown bottoms of the lettuce stalks, or whatever greens they happen to be plating. Not a minor detail, people! I’m not here to nosh on a plate of old vegetables!
Moving on.
I ordered the lemon & herb roasted half chicken which, according to the menu, came with ‘traditional stuffing.’ But what came out… wow. The half chicken was roasted very nicely, leaving a lovely, perfectly browned and crisp skin. But underneath the chicken was anything but traditional. The stuffing was deep-​fried! O.M.G. Add of scoop of butter on top and Paula Deen would be all over this. So the chicken was splayed on this crispy brown, lumpy bed of fried stuffing, some bites of which had a consistency reminiscent of a deep fried oyster (and I mean that in the best, most delicious way). I don’t think I’m quite over the novelty of fried stuffing yet. But traditional? Hardly. Don’t be fooled.
My date ordered the pan-​roasted rainbow trout, which came with lobster fried rice on top. Decent overall, but a tad salty.
Service was very nice, and my glass was never empty. All of the staff, from our server to the line cooks and chef, were attentive and friendly.
I’d love to come back for half-​priced steaks (which they do Sun-​Thurs, making it painful to ever want to pay full price on a night they don’t offer this). Overall, an enjoyable experience.

Very good fondue selections. And very good service. I went with some friends and had nice time, but the food we ordered apart from fondue (alfredo pasta, a gyro and salads) we a little less tasty than we expected. I would go again, but only for the fondue

This is our third time at corks, we always want to give it another chance because it is cozy, has a local celebrity chef and have great specials. We went for $ 9 pasta night. For starters, the place is pretty dark but was crowded and buzzing which was nice — just wished I loved the food more which was hit or miss. Husband had ravioli which was homemade, delicious, al dente, great filling — worth going there for that alone, but the puttanesca sauce was too bright red instead of sultry, not how I like it — the meatball extra was too big, ugly on the plate and tasted too mushy inside (was it cooked through? we couldn’t see because the lights were too dim, but the mouth texture wasn’t right) — we didn’t eat much of it. My salad of arugala topped with like durkee brand onion rings with ham and crème fraîche was odd — each part was good but didn’t jell as a dish. Service was okay. Will I return — yes will try steak night next time, maybe that will be good? I want to love you Corks!!!

A place this expensive sets itself up for scrutiny. Though the cheese selection is pretty fantastic, the entrees seemed less than spectacular. I ordered the salmon, which was underdone. The porkchop my friend ordered – also underdone. If you’re paying 20+ for an entrée, this is pretty inexcusable. On the other hand, the scallops were divine, so I’m torn. Nevertheless, underprepared food is really a no-​no anywhere, so not happy.
Also, the wait-​staff seemed absolutely inattentive. We called ahead to make sure they knew we were coming with a large party, and nevertheless split our group up into multiple tables, saying they didn’t get our call. Then, they skipped people at our 6-​person table in taking orders, which was really weird. I’ve never had that happen before.
I’m sure the wine selection – if I understood wine – would be great. But I was really disappointed with how we were treated and the preparation of our food. I felt for a place that markets itself as classy, it didn’t really live up to its hype.

Haven’t been to Corks in quite a while. I always thought that it was too expensive and too formal. Last night I made the Baltimore Restaurant Week visit with four friends. The restaurant has changed décor and its menu since my last visit. After a round of well prepared drinks and a review of the regular menu, only one of us went for the restaurant week fixed price menu. I think many of the restaurants in Baltimore have quickly moved into Corks price range, which means it no longer seems too expensive. The menu reflected the cozy yet sophisticated feel of the revised décor that now has more of a surprising «Napa» look to it. Our waiter seemed very knowledgeable regarding the food preparation and was very helpful when we were choosing wine. He didn’t moan or sneer once when we ordered the least expensive red. Most of our meals and starters were really good. The fondue, the grilled Caesar and my pork chop were all winners in my book. I would eat any of them again and again. I could have given Corks 5 stars because I can’t wait to go back, but the dessert included with the fixed price menu, the virgin olive oil cake, was probably one of the driest most tasteless desserts I have ever had. I didn’t expect something that looked like it came from Costco’s muffin counter and didn’t seem as fresh. That being said, our waiter also supplied us with a sample of the churro, which was warm and creamy and the chocolate sauce was delicious. Several of us were eating that sauce with a spoon. Staff, service, food, decent price, decent wine, cozy, not too noisy; what’s not to love. I can’t wait to check out some of the nightly specials.

This place is super. We sat at the bar and ate both times we’ve been (Jenna is great) and ordered the fondue both times, too. One of the reviewers wrote that the fondue was kept liquid by what must have been a stick or more of butter, but I didn’t see that as a bad thing. It is. Delicious. Their food was good too — the scallops were deliiiish!

I have been to Corks three times.
Each time I expect that it will be pretty good, and each time I leave with the sense that the food could have been more interesting. Like the others here have said, the food is generally bland and uses a lot of butter.
I had a hard time keeping Corks separated from Regi’s American Bistro and Bicycles which are located in the same neighborhood. All of these restaurants served some version of fancy meat and potatoes at some point. Bicycles has since closed. I am not sure if Regi’s has kept its menu or not.
The thing that makes Corks different from the others is that you can buy half bottles of wine. These may typically be fancier wines so you are not saving money on the half bottles; but if you are a light weight like I am, you don’t worry about having a lot of wine left over at the end of the meal.

Let’s start with this: as an NPR fiend, I was tickled at the opportunity of going to the restaurant owned by Jerry Pellegrino, the chef/​star of Radio Kitchen. The first time was a disappointing trip for Valentine’s Day, where there was an if or but to every segment of the meal, save the wine and service. After avoiding Corks for a couple of years, I decided to give it a second try – only to realize that some culinary hopes are better left alone.
We came on a Tuesday, the day of Corks’s half-​price cabernet sauvignon and half-​price steak special. Curious as to what else was offered, I checked out the mooo-​less items and found the mains uninspiring – salmon (something I can cook at home), fish & chips (c’mon, we’re not in England!), a chicken entry (of which they were out, by the way – must be the flu… jk, obviously), and meatloaf. The steak specials looked great, all the more so at half off, so we settled for the recommended Kobe skirt steak (~$ 22 regl. price) and the filet mignon (~$ 30 regl. price).
Our waiter was a peculiar middle aged guy who had a exceptional palate for wine (try the aromatic, wonderful Honig 2006 Cab Sauv from Napa), which was offered to us at the same price as the out of stock half-​price item (~$ 40 after discount). Curiously, though, he had no opinions about what else is particularly good on the menu, as if saying, I’m not responsible for the potential of your unhappiness. After some deliberations, we also ordered the 3-​cheese (white cheddar, gouda, and gruyère) fondue.
Sadly, the same complaint ran through the app and main course: chef, lay off the butter! Typically, fondue (a combo of cheese, liquor or wine, and spices) is melted and combined in the kitchen before being put on a portable burner at the table to keep the cheese melty and delicious. Here, however, the albeit good fondue was kept liquid by what must have been a stick or more of butter: the dish was at room temp for the 30+ minutes it took us to finish it. Likewise, the steaks – though tender and cooked to temperature – were good but slathered in butter, making the dish almost impossible to judge in stand-​alone quality. Even the mashed potatoes and wilted greens were drowning in everyone’s favorite artery clogger.
Twice visited, twice bummed. Unfortunately, Corks remains a place that’s great only in my dreams.

Written by the gf:
I had a friend visiting from out of town and decided to take her to Corks to take advantage of its half-​price steak night (YES, they have a half-​price steak night) since she was here during the week. Finding parking in Fed Hill was a big pain but after circling for 15 mins or so we landed a spot right in front!
We walked in and were immediately impressed with the décor and ambiance. You have to pass the (very clean and aesthetically-​pleasing) kitchen and expo on the way to the dining area which means you are instantly subjected to tantalizing aromas and visions of their delicious food, before you’ve even seen the menu. They’re smart. Inside the dining area, they’ve have struck the perfect balance between casual and ‘fancy’…white linens are covered with brown butcher paper, the servers wear jeans yet serve from an impressive list of food and wine, etc. You would feel equally comfortable here on a romantic date as a casual business meeting, a group of friends hitting the town as a family dinner.
Our server was friendly and informative, giving great suggestions for food and drink alike, but we were already set on sharing the 32 oz. porterhouse-​for-​two that is normally $ 59 but is HALF OFF on Tuesdays (as are all their steaks ’cause, well, it’s half-​price steak night… hanger steak for $ 9.50? kobe skirt steak for $ 11? filet for $ 14.50? ribeye for $ 17? Yes please, to all of the above!). We also shared the grilled caesar salad which is one of my favorite salads in general and done perfectly here… they even split the head of romaine for us which is always appreciated.
The porterhouse came out sizzling and already cut for us with a generous side of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. I say generous because it’s probably enough for two people but realistically I could have eaten the entire thing myself, and then some. The potatoes were some of the best I’ve had in a restaurant (don’t wanna know how much butter and cream they used) and the spinach was fresh and perfectly seasoned. We ordered the porterhouse medium and it was actually cooked perfectly… you would probably have to ask for medium-​rare at other places with less-​skilled cooks. Needless to say, our plates would have been licked clean if that was socially appropriate.
Unfortunately it was not within our budget to have wine with our meal but I have no doubt that 1. the server could have helped us select a perfect pairing and 2. it would have highly enhanced an already excellent meal. We’ll definitely have to partake of wine and dessert next time! Also, check out their website for other specials and event info (wine dinners, cooking classes, etc.). We will definitely be back as soon as we can!

I picked this restaurant to go to pretty randomly. It was a hit with me, my husband, and a friend of ours! The restaurant is pretty cute and we found the prices to be very reasonable for the quality of food that we got. The service was great as well! The fondue appetizer is amaaaaaazing and I got kobe skirt steak. It was only $ 22 and was enough for 2 meals for me. My husband got the meatloaf which he raved about and our friend got the salmon. Again, all were decently sized portions for the money. They even have hot and cold sandwiches that you can get for $ 7 or $ 8. I’ll definitely go back!

This is definitely your neighborhood restaurant but with an upscale surrounding. I’ve walked by a couple of times and it looks deceivingly small from the window. However, walking in, the place opens up and the bar at the back is just beautifully done. It’s a little dark but goes well with the overly atmosphere. We sat at the bar and Rob the bartendar was very helpful in selecting wines according to my taste. Also, the food is wonderfully presented and tastes just as good. I love talking to people so the fact that everyone around the bar was extremely friendly made the experience even better.
I have not been upstairs, but I hear it’s beautiful. They are also putting in a patio out back so that will be very nice once the weather warms up.

I’d give this place a 3.5 stars.
I’ve been there once on Restaurant Week, and the food was decent (although I overheard a lady complain about how there was only 1 scallop when the menu said «scallops,» haha!). I had the scallop risotto (yes, the dish with 1 scallop albeit it was a big scallop), and that was tasty. Dessert (I think I got the crème brûlée?) wasn’t bad either.
Then I went again last November. I believe the ownership might have changed? The décor looked different from the last time I went, and the menu was obviously different. We shared the 3-​cheese fondue that was pretty tasty (although the bread was sub-​par). The big disappointment was the sandwich (salami I think?) we got. The bread was kinda stale, and it was hard to eat. The wine selection was decent though.
I’d definitely give this place another try.

The bf and I chose this place on a whim during our overnight trip to Baltimore, and we were definitely happy with our choice! The wine list was amazing! It was huge, but well-​organized so that you don’t feel lost among all of the choices. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wines and helped us settle on an awesome Pinot Noir.
Now on to the food. We were starving when we got there, so we went straight for the fondue as an appetizer. We had the three-​cheese mixture served with bread, apples, and bison meatballs. When the dish hit the table, I don’t think we spoke for about 5 minutes because we were so obsessed with the fondue. To say the least, it was delicious. For entrees, I had the roasted chicken and the bf had the braised beef rib. Both were extremely tasty and very filling. I almost never order chicken in a restaurant, but I am glad I made the exception this time. It was very well-​seasoned, moist, and cooked perfectly. The accompanying polenta and zucchini were fantastic as well. The beef rib was very tasty and was a great «comfort food» dish.
We had a mixed experience in terms of service. Our waiter was great: attentive but not over-​attentive and always willing to offer an opinion or suggestion. However, we found the hostess to be somewhat rude. Maybe she was just stressed, but she came off very stand-​off-​ish and every comment she made to us made it seem like we were really inconveniencing her by being there. Luckily our experience with her was limited and we greatly enjoyed the rest of our experience at Corks!

Alas … I really want to love Cork’s, and at some level I do, but somehow, they just don’t seem to live up to their own promise.
We arrived around 1PM on a Saturday afternoon, just at the tail end of a rush. They were obviously understaffed.
The décor is fantastic. Very intimate, modern yet cozy, with Chocolate brown walls, stark white curtains, abstract expressionist paintings and of course the huge wine selection out in the open. The menu is creative, artful and elegant, and the wine selection is commendable.
It took a while for our server to reach our table, and she was very apologetic. which I appreciated We were looking for a simple light lunch and that can certainly be acquired here. I ordered the Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Shaved Serrano Ham and a dolop of Crème Fraiche for a start and then got the Merguez Sausage Corn Dogs over popcorn. The salad was very nice, just a little small. The Merguez was good, but the popcorn was cold, and the corn meal crust around the sausage was a little limp and gummy. With the proper execution this would be insanely good.
My dining partner in crime had the grilled flat bread topped with goat cheese, caramelized onions, spinach and balsamic glaze. Again, really good, just not very hot. It was the best of the items we tried, though. He also got a cup of the Tomato Caramelized onion soup. This was hot. TOO HOT. We had to wait about 15 minutes for it to cool down before it could be eaten.
I will give Cork’s another try. There was much subterfuge in the air during our visit. I couldn’t help but notice that other tables were sending food back. Trouble with the Bison Burgers. Also, there was a VERY DRUNK couple (young man and woman) making a small scene at the bar. Ah yes, nothing says «classy» more than being stumbling, slurring, sloppy, «can’t stand up drunk» at a wine bar around 2 in the afternoon. Mom must be so proud.
As it turned out… the drunk woman worked there. Charming.