Gertrude’s

The service was amazing! The food tasted great and was reasonably priced for a nice sit-​down lunch. All together an extremely pleasing environment.

The service is an absolute joke and their menus are complicated because they have several different menus depending on the time of day, but their mobile website doesn’t say this anywhere. I grew up in the Chesapeake region and came back after 15 years living in California in search of an amazing Maryland crabcake. My sister-​in-​law is vegan though, so I wanted a place where I could get a great crabcake and she could still eat something as well. We chose Gertrude’s because they have a vegan «I can’t believe it’s not crab» zucchini cake. We came for lunch on a Sunday at 2:45 and were seated in their cute restaurant and given a brunch menu. I looked at the brunch menu and noticed that their crabcakes were on the menu, but the zucchini cakes were not. I figured I would just ask our server since I knew they had them based on their website. Our server came over and asked us what we wanted to drink and she honestly seemed like she was inconvenienced by our mere presence. We said hi to her, asked her how she was doing, and she all she managed to squeak out was a completely smileless «what do you want to drink.» I was minorly annoyed by her lack of basic social skills, but we ordered drinks and I asked about the zucchini cakes. She responded to my question with a short, «no, we only have them for dinner.» I asked if there was anything they could do since my sister-​in-​law was a vegan and we had come all the way from California so we couldn’t come back to give her the Maryland old bay cake experience. She just looked at me completely emotionless and said, «no.» Ok, i was a little more annoyed, but we found something vegan on the menu and ordered our food. My husband asked if he could pay an upcharge in order to substitute a cup of soup for one of his sides. She said, «we will charge you full price for the soup anyway.» Ok, fine. Full price for the soup it is. The food came out and was fairly metiocre. The fries were ok, the pilaf and pasta salad were extraordinarily bland and tasteless, the crabcakes were average, and the vegan burger was ok. We had to ask the gentleman that brought our food out for refills since our server didn’t seem to care about our empty glasses at all. We got one very icy refill of soda and were never asked if we needed anything ever again. Our server came over and abruptly asked if we were done and we just handed her our credit card right then so we could get out of this unjustifiably pretentious restaurant. For the price of this restaurant, you can get a similar or better crabcake at one of several inner harbor restaurants where at least your server will treat you as if they give the tiniest shit about you. I would recommend going to any of those places over Gertrude’s.

We were in town for our niece’s gradation from John’s Hopkins University. She arranged the lunch as it was on her graduation day. We were a party of 5 celebrating along with a fully booked restaurant. Quickly after we ordered our drinks we were surprised by her 2 brothers (they are triplets and all graduating within weeks of each other) One flew in from LA and the other from NY. Since we didn’t know they were coming we only had a table for 5 and no other tables were available. The staff was kind enough to add 2 chairs/​settings to our table. The food was outstanding! We had incredible service and our server surprised them with 3 congratulatory desserts at the end. Absolutely loved this wonderful restaurant which is located inside the museum.

My aunt and I stopped into Gertrude’s for coffee after an afternoon at the museum.
Aside from our coffees (and plentiful refills) we only ordered the fruit dish (a lovely mix of fresh berries). But the thing that truly made Gertrude’s stand out was the service.
While enjoying our coffees, my aunt really enjoyed the jazz mix that was playing. Not only did our waitress check on the music for us, but she wrote down the artist name, song title, music streaming service name and radio/​playlist name for my aunt. It was a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but it was sweet and really impressed us both.
When we first sat down, we we’re worried they’d try to either rush us out or ignore us since we weren’t ordering meals. But quite the opposite! We were invited to stay as long as we wanted to enjoy the sunny afternoon, and we were waited on attentively and courteously.

This place is very high class but the food doesn’t match the potential. I ordered a steak and it was medium instead of medium rare. It tasted very well seasoned but a little too dry for my liking. Good place if you need to dress up for a dinner.

We had brunch here before attending a show at the BMA. It was good, but not great. I would definitely recommend reservations — it was packed!
The space is lively but elegant, and it was definitely crowded on a Sunday morning. Our server was rather perfunctory, but I know it was busy and hey, I’m there to enjoy my husband’s company anyway, so hey. I ordered a blood orange mimosa (good!) and some coffee, and my husband just stuck to coffee. You get a little basket of muffins with house made jam, which was delicious (rhubarb raspberry, I think? This was a great combination and I must do this). We both ordered egg bennys with crab, but slightly different ones. I think mine was ok, although maybe not as indulgent as I was hoping for. Still, it was a good meal, and I didn’t feel horribly greasy afterward, which is definitely a plus.
So, yes. Good, but not great. I have other brunch spots on the list, so I don’t think we’ll be coming back any time soon. But it is really convenient for hanging out at the BMA, so who knows?

Located near the BMA, it’s a convenient spot. Restaurant is nice with good waitstaff. Came here for an extended restaurant week dinner once. Fish was alright but nothing was a standout. It seems like the brunch might be better here.

One of my favorite brunch spots in Baltimore. Food and service are both on point and their crab cake is absolutely top notch. Recommend reservations as they’re busy on weekends.

Excellent food, attentive service, classy environment. This is at the high end for a museum restaurant. Better to think of it as a destination restaurant that happens to be inside an art museum. It’s at the edge of the Johns Hopkins University campus.
We went because we were taking four JHU undergraduates out.
Appetizers were varied and high quality, with decent (not overly generous) quantities. Each diner enjoyed his/​her dish. I had catfish.
Good selection of wine and other libations.
Service was appropriately leisurely — the waitress knew we were there to enjoy ourselves during the meal and accordingly paced to match our conversation. I overheard an older couple, regulars, greeted by name at the bar. They ordered there and were served quickly.
Bonus of sculpture garden adjoining the restaurant, if you arrive early, as I did.
If I lived in Baltimore, I could see making this a regular special occasion place.

I great restaurant any time of day. It’s fancy, so dress appropriately, but worth it. The single-​fry oysters were the shining star, but everything was delicious. The meal isn’t cheap, but you leave happy and satisfied. Their cocktails are really good as well, and they have one of the best martinis in the city.

I had Gertrude’s and the Baltimore Museum of Art bookmarked before coming to Baltimore for a work conference at the Hilton next to Camden Yards.
I didn’t have access to a car for this part of my trip, so I took the free Purple line of the Charm City Connector from the Inner Harbor stop heading north. The bus drops you off at 31^st Street and the museum and Gertrude are maybe 100 yards up a small incline to your left.
I arrived at the restaurant maybe 20 minutes before the museum closed at 5 p.m. Only one couple was eating when I got there but before I left, it was nearly full. Other folks recommend reservations and I can see why. If I had come later, I might not have gotten a table.
I ordered a bowl of cream of crab soup, a Maryland specialty that I had never tasted before. It may have been the best bowl of soup I have ever eaten in my life. It had a wonderful flavor and was spiked with crab meat.
For dinner, I ordered Gertie’s crab cake, a recipe handed down by owner John Shields’ grandmother. It was made up of large pieces of lump crab with very little binder. I ordered a sauce to go with it but left it untouched. The cake stands on its own and doesn’t need anything extra.
For sides, I ordered cheese grits and a coleslaw featuring apples and fennel. Both paired well with the cabbage and other ingredients, which featured a light dressing without mayo. Both dishes were very good.
I was eating away when a man walked out of the kitchen past me. I looked up and it was Shields, who previously hosted a PBS cooking show on Chesapeake Bay cuisine. I called out to him after he finished talking with another guest and he came over and talked with me for about 10 minutes. He seemed as personable as he did on TV and thanked me for coming in and for calling him over.

My husband and I walked here for brunch this past January and enjoyed a quiet meal. After our brisk walk we welcomed the corn bread basket while we waited for our food. I got the scallops with lemon beurre blanc which was delicious and my husband got the Eggs Benedict.
Joseph was our server, he circulated around to his tables with ease and panache. We would go back in the spring for a stroll around the museum and the gardens with a rewarding lunch after for sure.
Brunch for two with cocktails was $ 71 before tip.

You definitely need a reservation! This place is crowded, and with good reason.
I’d nearly given up on crab cakes since it had been such a long time since I’d had a good one, but the ones here are AMAZING.
The seafood gumbo is alright, but not remotely authentic cajun style, which is very important to me, so I wouldn’t suggest ordering it.
The grilled portobello mushroom with lump crab meat was also excellent.
The french fries are good. The rice is okay.
Focus on the crab.
After dinner we sampled the sorbet flight and the cheesecake flight, and oddly the cheesecake came in custard cups; the unanimous favorite was the chocolate. Of sorbets, the coconut was the most popular (though I personally liked the raspberry the best).
The Irish coffee was great, too!

Complete your day at the BMA by dining at Gertrude’s ! I recommend making a reservation as this is a popular place and not that many tables. Speaking of tables .they are lined with paper and crayons are available for you to tap into your inner artist.
I was there for their a la carte brunch offered on Saturday/​Sunday. I was also there to try their infamous crab cake and this Baltimore, MD native was not disappointed!
I got the crab cake du jour. the Eastern Shore crabcake: lump crabmeat, butter, lemon, parsley –broiled to perfection! You get a choice of sauce and 2 sides. At the recommendation of my waitress I tried it with the lemon beurre blanc but also asked for mustard sauce. Both paired beautifully with the crabcake.
I definitely recommend this restaurant if looking for a good crabcake entrée!

If you’re thinking about coming here for brunch, do it! I’ve been meaning to come here for over a year, and I’m so glad I finally did last weekend! I always thought it would be a bit too pricey for a student, but their brunch menu is reasonably priced for the quality and quantity. I came with a group of 7 at 10am on a Saturday, and after brunch, we explored the museum, which is so much bigger than I expected. Plus, admission is free! It’s definitely on par with some of the art museums in DC. This is a great spot to take someone visiting from out of town.
I got the waffles on recommendation from someone who used to be a chef here a few years ago. Their waffles might be the best waffles I’ve ever had. The pecan praline topping with caramel sauce is the perfect compliment to the fluffiness of the waffles! My boyfriend ordered the Eggs Gertrude, and the eggs were perfectly poached and sat on top of a crab cake made with generous amounts of crab. The basket of complimentary biscuits, cornbread, and apple butter was definitely a warm and delicious welcome to brunch.
We had to make changes to our reservations twice, and the staff were very accommodating over the phone! The atmosphere is beautiful, and I really want to come back in the spring or summer to check out the outdoor seating!

Gertrude’s is a family favorite, and one of our go-​tos for special occasions. Our most recent trip was another enjoyable one, although with a few (service-​related) hiccups.
Drinks: I started with the Thai Basil Sazerac, which I found to be heavier on the whiskey and lemon than the basil flavor, but was still nice for something different. Others tried the whiskey flight, Stargazer (both specials), Old Fashioned, and Orange Blush.
Entrees: I chose the grilled jumbo shrimp and crab. There were about 5 – 7 shrimp surrounded by crabmeat and wrapped in crispy pancetta– the saltiness of the pancetta was perfect with the seafood. The grits were creamy and cheesy and great alongside the garlic spinach. It was a good amount of food for me, but if you’re hungrier, I’d go with one of the heavier seafood dishes– the fried catfish looked delicious. Quite a few people in our group went with the «build you own» option with crabcakes– can’t go wrong there as Gertrude’s crabcakes are some of the best.
Dessert: Most people opted for Irish coffees, which were sweeter than I was used to but delicious all the same. We split an Irish milkshake for the table as well.
Service: This is where we had some issues. First, after ordering drinks, the waitress returned about 5 – 10 min later to ask if we were ready to order. However, we hadn’t even received our drinks yet! After that, she came with the drinks two or three at a time (we had a party of eight), so it took awhile for all of us to receive them. After dinner, the Irish coffees came out in good time, but everyone was nearly finished when we asked the waitress where our milkshake was. She seemed surprised we hadn’t received it yet & returned with it quickly, but it was unclear where the problem was. It seemed to be less our waitress but more the bar service. The last drink we received was the whiskey flight, which one would assume would be the easiest to prepare!
The service has been impeccable at all our previous visits to Gertrude’s, so it was a bit disappointing to encounter these issues. However, the food remains as good as ever so we will certainly continue to be back.

Gertrude’s is the perfect restaurant for high quality dishes that exemplify local cuisine. It’s within the BMA, which has an awesome impressionist and modern art collection along with a famous sculpture garden, so it’s a terrific spot for a meal and an activity. I’ve been on multiple occasions and always pleased (dinner, Tuesday’s at Gerty’s, brunch, tea — all fantastic) but this time got brunch with a group of friends.
The restaurant was very flexible with changes to our reservations and the whole staff was super friendly! Brunch comes with complimentary and warm/​homemade biscuits, cornbread and apple butter (already sold right?) which were really good.
Coffee refills were quick and constant, which is necessary for a person like me at an early brunch, and all of the dishes were perfectly seasoned and tasty.
My boyfriend and I split the Gertrude’s Benedict (traditional eggs Benedict but with a meaty crab cake instead of the Canadian bacon) and it was really yummy and a ton of food. We also split the sirloin ranchero, which was a nice piece of meat (cooked a little more medium rare than the rare we asked for, which was fine, but nice to know for planning how you’d like to order it) and more home fries. It didn’t come with traditional rice and beans or tortillas though (which I had assumed it would based on the name without even reading the description — clearly the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet).
We were too full for dessert and got to try a few bites of our friends’ waffles (really fluffy but also crispy and delicious).
We will definitely be back!

Gertrude’s is always my go-​to standby for taking out, out of town guests. The menu changes fairly often and seems to please a bunch of different pallets. Beautiful location (inside the art museum) inside and out.

Yummy, yummy, yummy. I like going here for lunch (it’s much more affordable than dinner). I’ve never had anything I didn’t like. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is that the service can be lacking at times.

Came here for a high tea. Not the best. Albeit, I came during the holidays so it was super busy and our waiter wasn’t all that attentive. However, still the food was just okay. I’ve been to teas with better food so I can’t say it’s my top pick. Other than the location being in the city, It’s okay.

Gertrude’s at the BMA is fantastic. I have eaten many Sunday brunches there as well as one really well-​done New Year’s Eve dinner and champagne toast at midnight. The food and drinks are always excellent, and the service perfect.

I’ve been here for brunch on the weekends. The tofu scramble and the coffee are good. The time that we were seated in the tent, the plastic-​y smell of the walls bothered me (but I think I’m the only one who noticed that).

I was looking for a place near the office to grab lunch with a colleague who was in town. After a quick Unilocal search this place came up and since it was within walking distance we went for it. We were surprised when we walked in since the museum was closed but the restaurant was still busy. Dispute the crowd we were sat right away and the wait staff was really attentive.
I got a chicken sandwich and was completely satisfied. The chicken was moist and delicious and the fries were perfect. While walking out I noticed a few desserts people were having that I want to be sure to check out next time I step in. I’m pretty happy I discovered this place so close to work and can’t wait to take other co-​workers to try it out.

Taking the husband out for his birthday dinner. Was so excited to try this place, Been on my bucket list. The meal was fabulous. Try the chicken and corn fritters. The homemade mayo really sets them off! I had the tuna… Delish. My hub had the gumbo, which he loved. The blood red orange soda was incredible. I would have loved to try dessert. However sadly our server was so below par. I couldn’t stand to prolong our meal. All the other severs where running circles around the place. Not ours. We had to recruit other servers to get more drinks. There were other issues to which we did talk to the Manager. He apologized for our experience and did comp us our drinks.

A quite, elegant restaurant located in the sculpture garden of Baltimore Art Museum. All the usual signature foods of Baltimore, including crab cake and assorted seafood. Cooking is somewhat above average, but not particularly outstanding. If you want to have a quiet place for a nice meal with friends after touring the museum, this is the place. But if you are a gourmet and are really looking for good seafood, you might want to try downtown, the Fells Point or the Locust Point.

I came here today with my lady friends after a long day at work. We were one of the first people there, so we sat at the bar. At 5pm, they have $ 20 bottles of wine, so we got a bottle and an order of the zuchettes, zucchini crab cakes. They were surprisingly amazing! The atmosphere is also really nice. Very sophisticated and fancy.

I was visiting my best friend, who lives in Maryland, and she decided to take me to this amazing little spot for Saturday brunch. I absolutely loved the food. At first, I didn’t really have high expectations, but I was BLOWN out of the water. Our server, Elias, was amazing! He was attentive and was answered all of our questions. I ordered the eggs crabette, per Elias’s recommendation. It was mouthwateringly delicious! I also recommend the Blood Orange Mimosa. Never had anything like it before, and it’s definitely worth your time (& tastebuds).
Everything about this restaurant works splendidly! The food, the service, and the atmosphere was everything I want in a brunch & so much more~

I’m still lusting over the amazing soup I had for lunch one day last week while visiting the museum for my first time. The soup was cream of crab. Holy #u$@!!! Off the chart divine!!! I savored each spoonful, muttering «mmmm» while my eyes went cross-​eyed. Rich, flavorful and the crab, oh yeah! My Caesar salad was very good… very good, but the soup WINS the day.
My partner had the turkey burger w/​fries. He was so impressed w/​how good it was and highly recommends it! The fries that came w/​the burger was very good, nice freshly cut fries and not coated w/​anything. Yum!
We had very good service and feel this was one of the best meals so far on our cross country trip. Would definitely return next time I get to Baltimore.

Came for a Sunday brunch and was very satisfied! I had their waffles which were delicious. The service was very nice and the atmosphere is great in the morning.
It’s a little pricey but it is somewhat on the fancier/​more upscale side of dining.

Nice crab cake. And it discounts on Tuesday.

Inside the Baltimore Museum of Art, there’s a restaurant that is constantly being named as one of the top brunch spots in Baltimore. My roommate and I are both brunch-​lovers so we decided to head over to the BMA in Charles Village, check out some art and get some brunch at Gertrude’s. Fortunately we came up with this plan a few days in advance so we were able to snag a reservation on OpenTable, so we didn’t have to wait at Gertrude’s like the other patrons.
When we were seated, the waiter told us the specials and mentioned that they make sodas in-​house. My roommate and I opted to start with that. I had a Grapefruit Soda and she ordered the Blood Orange Soda.
For brunch, my roommate was in the mood for something on the savory side and ordered Miss Jean’s Maryland Crab Soup. It was a vegetable-​based red crab soup with lump crabmeat. My roommate loved this, there was plenty of fresh crabmeat.
My roommate also ordered a side of French Fries. These were good, but nothing to write home about.
Normally for brunch, I order egg dishes, but the Buttermilk Waffles sounded delicious and I knew I had to try them. The waffles were three light & tender waffles topped with a caramel sauce, served with maple syrup and whipped cream on the side. These were awesome. They were light and fluffy and the caramel wasn’t too over powering. I would order these again in an instant.
If you’re looking for an awesome brunch in Charles Village, head over to Gertrude’s at the BMA and you won’t be disappointed.

My daughter is a huge fan of high tea and I had promised to take her for her birthday. Unfortunately the options in Baltimore are scant. I stumbled on a post for Gertrudes that mentioned a tea so I checked their website and made a reservation. It is only offered on the first weekend of every month but we finally made it. The menu listed the courses, both savory and sweet and the teas on offer. The tea selection was very limited, a few blacks greens and herbals. We made our selections and waited for our first tower to arrive. The tea itself was loose but of only fair quality and did not reflect an understanding of fine teas. No Oolong, pu erh or tea quan yin were offered. The pots were one cup size and had to be constantly refilled. When our first course arrived we are all a little disappointed. It contained six very small bites per person, of which the Asparagus & Sage Savory Cakes and the Crab Beignets we the winners. The Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Tarts consisted of a little paste piped onto a silver dollar size circle of dry bread and the Chicken and arugula profiteroles were just a tiny chicken sandwich. The Smoked Salmon & Gruyère were flavorful but lacked something that I cannot describe except to say that they didn’t really pop.
Next was the sweet tower which contained some nice apricot scones, tasty Almond Cakes, Lemon & Raspberry Tarts and Coconut Haystack Macaroons. These were good quality and well made. The pistachio profiterole, however, lacked any pistachio flavor and had a circle of hard candy on top that was jarring. A triple bowl containing homeade rasberry jam, whipped cream and lemon curd accompanied this course. Last on the menu was Gertrude’s candy bar which consisted of layers of chocolate mousse, caramel and hazelnut crunch. It was good but not enough to redeem the whole experience.
At $ 30 (including tax and gratuity) I would have expected more «wow» and should not have left hungry.
It looks like my search for a great high tea experience in Baltimore is not yet over.
If only The Original Maids of Honor wasn’ t all the way across the pond (Kew Gardens, Surrey).

Gertrude’s… pretty average food, spotty service, with slightly elevated prices and décor to make it feel a bit fancy.
I will say that portion sizes are generous and that the seafood options are probably the best here. Nothing will jump out at you, and nothing will sour your appetite.
No validated parking, but there’s plenty of cheap street parking available.

Gertrude’s is right up the street from where i live, but i have never been. My cousin was in town and we decided to check it out for restaurant week. It so happens that on Tuesdays they have $ 12 dinners and $ 20 bottles of wine so we decided to go with it. There is a catch though which i found odd, but i understand. It states that one has to tip 35% on if you choose the $ 12 options, now i get that they dont want to short the servers on tip etc, but still 35%, either you stick with regular prices or not at all. Now, on to the food. i ordered the 5 spice chicken with noodles, it was good, people at my table ordered fried chicken and cat fish. My cousin didnt like her catfish, she said it wasnt spicy enough, she is hard to please so take that with a grain of salt. Service was fine, i will go there for brunch some other time and check it out.

Not bad not bad at all.
Still it’s either the proximity of this place or the number of time I’ve been, but it just doesn’t seem very special. The atmosphere is definitely nice and all, especially with the outdoor sculpture garden. In fact five stars for the atmosphere and the décor, but the food just seems good. Just good you know?
Good Tuesdays with Gertie specials, look into that, 12 dollar dinners.
The salmon BLT is pretty good.
Everything is pretty good. I can’t really fault it for anything.
Here’s the thing, you can’t really go wrong, but I’m not really going to rave about Gertrudes… It’s a very nice place to eat. But I don’t get extremely excited about it.
I do want to try their high tea one day though.

Gertrude’s at Holiday time is just great for a pleasant lunch where three gals of a certain age can chat and eat. We dined on December 4^th, the second day of the artistic holiday house display. Of course we were not disappointed with the holiday décor and the food. Since each of us has very different dining styles, we chose three different meals. I had the crab cake of the day with fruit and some veggies. This was not the Gertie’s recipe but one that the chef created for the holiday — it was pan fried and was golden brown all over. This cooking method sealed in the fabulous flavors of the dry mustard and Old Bay. The crab cake was not lump meat, but it was excellent back fin and earned a 5 star from me. My friend, who is a small eater had the soup and half sandwich selection. The Maryland crab is always good and she had a nice half of a white meat turkey sandwich. My other friend had the fried oyster platter with good crunchy cole slaw and the veggies. She loves Gertie’s oysters and had a big smile when she finished. Then we indulged in one dessert to say happy birthday to the birthday gal. This was Gertie’s apple tart with vanilla bean ice cream. We split it three ways, and ate it all. A fine meal with good company. There is not a better way to celebrate a birthday during the holiday season. I recommend seeing the lovely decorations before the season is over.
I wanted to comment about the restrooms because the BMA was under renovation for a long time and we had to use a portable restroom contraption till the construction was completed. The restrooms are finally done and are wonderful for human usage.

I LOVE BRUNCH HERE! It is my absolute favorite brunch spot in Baltimore and if it were a little cheaper I would go regularly. Every time I’ve been here I’ve ordered the crab quiche and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever had for breakfast. They also make a great mimosa and good french toast.
If it’s summer, definitely sit outside near the fountain if you can. It’s a great atmosphere. The service is wonderful and the food is delicious. And as an added bonus you can spend some time in the Baltimore Museum of Art afterward!