Salt Tavern

The food was quite good. We had a fantastic burger slider with foie gras (but pricey at $ 15); this was the best burger I’ve had in a very long time (and I just had In and Out last week). Grilled artichoke also really good. My only complaint is that the food is not memorable. There is almost nothing new or innovative going on at this place. But it’s solid gastro pub food.
The reason for 2 stars is we had a terrible dining experience. One of the folks in our group is allergic to milk and cream. This was explained twice to the waiter (who talked literally so fast we had to ask him to repeat himself several times). When he dropped the entrees I doubled check that done of the dished had milk or cream and his response was the sauce on the roasted quail did in fact have «a little cream.» I was taken a back and said that the dinner guest was allergic (just liked I explained twice before). He asked if we wanted it «re-​plated» (like I know exactly what this jargon means) and I shrugged my shoulders and said sure. Out comes the dish a second time with bit of the sauce all over the bird. I was incredulous. I explained that this scrapping the sauce off the bird in a half ass way was incredibly thoughtless. There was no excuse to return a dish with lactose still on the plate knowing the guest is allergic. He said he can fix it but «what would you like me do do about it.» That is a direct quote. That is terrible customer service. I said «bring the dish just as you’d want to eat it but without milk or cream.»
This place has a lot of growing up to do.

I came in to Salt for a business dinner on a Wednesday night around 6:30pm. We were only the second full table in the restaurant. By the time we left around 8:30pm, if was packed!
Salt was nice because of its location — far away from the conference area but close enough that all it takes is a quick cab ride.
The menu changes every few months so I won’t go into too much detail about each dish. I had the burrata for my starter and the ravioli with a runny egg on the inside as my main, paired with a glass of Reisling.
Dinner was delightful and well-​paced. Everything was delicious and our waiter was quite attentive. None of us opted for dessert — but the options looked quite attractive.
I highly recommend Salt if you’re in Baltimore but don’t want to stay in the conference area or the Bay Area.

Had a lot of yummy food from
–drink: salt martini — strong n good,
–apps: spring mix salad — lot of dressing but good; duck fat fries-​had better, but they give u 3 dipping sauces; beef tartar — not bad at all, citrusy n capers so u don’t taste the raw meat; wagu fois gras slider– fatty but good together
–entrée: duck confit– filling, needed something vinegary or citrusy to cut the fattiness
–dessert: goat cheese donuts with a shot of coffee ice cream– love the crispiness of the donuts and coffee ice cream was really good, u don’t taste the goat cheese if eaten together
No valet parking but Patterson Park is nearby so u can park there :-)
You can go for a walk after eating.
Enjoy!

Ok I’m being super generous with a three star because the service was good. This place while nice is very over priced. I like going to a nice restaurant. But portions need to be inline with the prices and product you are putting out. We receive the complementary bread with I believe bruschetta. My boyfriend and I enjoyed it. The menu is very limited if you are a vegetarian (FYI). I ended up getting the Ravioli and a Guinness (not on tap) and my boyfriend go the Buratta. I didn’t taste his but mine was just ok. You get one large ravioli, peas, and grilled spring onions. It was very sad for $ 18. I wish I took a picture. I would come here for a drink before going somewhere else.

Salt Tavern was on my bookmark list for a long time because I had heard great things about this establishment from different people. I finally had a chance to visit a week or two ago, and the experience was rather unmemorable.
As someone who loves seafood, I decided to order two appetizers instead of getting one entrée to maximize the number of dishes I could try. I got the:
1. Grilled octopus: I love grilled octopus and gravitate towards it every time I see it on the menu. Flavors weren’t bad, but I do have complaints about the texture. It was extremely chewy, and I had trouble cutting through it with a knife and fork. I ended up having to just stab it and chewing on it (super classy, I know). Definitely detracted from the dish.
2. Arctic char: Definitely the better of the two dishes. Soft texture and the creaminess of the fish was well balanced by the acidic notes of the accompanying condiments. Although it wasn’t amazing enough to necessarily warrant a re-​order, I enjoyed this dish.
I tried my dining partner’s Seared Ahi Tuna entrée (which came with potstickers). I tried a bite of both the tuna and the potstickers — the tuna was tender and well seasoned, although not particularly memorable, and the potstickers were very good (although I could imagine it easily overpowering the more delicate flavors of the fish). The meal also starts with complimentary bread with a marinara sauce, both of which were, again, not bad but not memorable (noticing a trend here?)
For dessert, I ordered their chocolate cake with candied hazelnuts and ice cream. The cake itself was unfortunately dry and quite bland. Would not order again.
Price range is definitely on the more expensive side, and service was polite and efficient. I’m told that I «must try» the duck fat fries. I wouldn’t mind coming back to try some of the other food, but definitely not dying to go back.

Went here for restaurant week because we heard a ton about this place. It is pretty pricy, and I honestly don’t think it’s totally worth it. The food was very delicious, but portion sizes were small, and the dishes were very simple. I expected a little more elegance. I don’t think I would go back and pay full price.
The setting was very nice and intimate. It is a good date restaurant if you’re in the area.

Salt=DELICIOUS, cute cozy ambiance, and the food is not too salty ;) came here for restaurant week, and it was such a deal! the green tea cocktail was refreshing, and I loved Salt’s very unique cocktail menu. Got the pork rib and sausage stew, rainbow trout, and goat cheese donuts. The pork rib and sausage stew is very hearty, good for a meat lover. I snuck some crispy fried Brussels sprouts from my boyfriend’s dish and they were to die for – the African harissa spice on the Brussels sprouts complemented the lemony chickpeas. Loved the Parisienne gnocchi that came with the trout entrée. The goat cheese donuts made for a light dessert that polished off the other courses well.

I’ll add a star out of generosity that I had not read any reviews before going. Because boy were my expectations off. I made reservations for what I thought would be an upscale holiday dinner. My boyfriend and I dressed up (nicer than usual) and headed to the neighborhood restaurant we had been hearing about. We were shocked when we were seated in the bar area at a tiny table — I mean come on, we had made reservations a few weeks in advance. Our server was wearing a messy black tshirt and baggy jeans. The vibe just didn’t seem to match the prices — which is what we were going off of for expectations. Again, I did not read any reviews ahead of time, but for the prices we paid we expected more of an upscale experience.
I think this is a place we will go to for dinner and drinks. Neither of us were very impressed with our entrees. The wagyu beef slider with foie gras were amazing, I would go back just for that dish. We also had the meatballs for an appetizer, and they were just okay, nothing special. I had the ragu for my main dish, and it all started tasting the same. I was really not impressed.
The drinks were yummy and I liked the beer list. Our server must have asked three or four times if we wanted another drink, which started to get annoying. Not running to go back here for a nice dinner but will be back for happy hour.

Love this place! Its great for a nice intimate dinner. Innovative food and drinks that are stepping Baltimore up in the food world!
Duck fat fries are amazing as well as pork belly slider. For dessert I had the mini ice cream cones featured for the night, presentation was spot on and service was awesome.
Bar staff is lively and attentive. Now that I do not live in MD anymore I miss this place! Hope to be back soon.

Came here last night on a family outing and everyone loved their meals, we ordered the duck fat fries to begin which were amazing, and the malt vinegar aioli was fabulous. We ordered a second appetizer – grilled squid with pickled fennel and grapefruit which was delicious, but a little too small to share. Especially since there were 8 of us. Only get this if you’re going to eat it yourself or share it with one other person. For entrees, a number of us got the rib eye steak, cooked and presented impressively. For dessert I ordered the goat cheese donuts and lavender honey and coffee ice cream. This was very enjoyable and someone else got the trio of ice cream cones. Overall, everything was excellent and we enjoyed it with good company and good drinks. Some might have wanted more vegetable options but I’m not complaining at all! Definitely stop by here if you get the chance

I’m still craving their duck fat French fries!
I came here with my hubby and his family after looking for a place to eat based on Unilocal reviews since we were all visiting from out of town. We had a good experience.
The modern décor is nice and clean looking and our waiter was really attentive. We all ordered drinks and they were strong! We shared a bunch of food, and the highlights were definitely the duck fat French fries with an aioli trio which were perfectly crispy, the smoked trout cakes, the crispy duck wings (we liked these so much we ordered two), the lamb ribs, and the pepper crusted tuna.
My only complaint is that we ordered the steamed clams with sausage and it never came out. I was looking forward to trying that dish!

Stellar wagyu beef slider with foie gras. The slider was tender, nicely charred, and featured a red onion marmalade that complimented the savory foie gras.
The duck fat fries come with an outstanding truffle oil aioli.
The lump crab with watermelon was tasty, but I was also distracted by numerous hard crab ligaments/​shells. I would not recommend this dish (although the watermelon was very sweet!)

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Baltimore. The food is insanely delicious, definitely a place for savory/​salt lovers. The dining room is pretty cozy and the service is wonderful. The duck fat fries are something you must order, but really everything is good so you can’t go wrong!

Finally was able to try Salt with the restaurant week special, a 3 course meal for 30 dollars. The restaurant itself has a great modern feel with a very bustling atmosphere. I actually enjoyed how fast paced everything was, but you definitely have to be in the mood for that. Perhaps when its not restaurant week it is a bit less crazy! I appreciated that they did offer their full menu if you didn’t want to do restaurant week, although me and my date came for the special.
For the first course we shared the mozzarella and deciding to be a bit adventurous the poached octopus. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of octopus but that wasn’t their fault. The arugula salad and aoli were delicious though. The Mozzarella was delicious, came with pesto and a garlic-​y toast.
For the main course I went with the fish and my BF had the steak. The fish was served in a tomato broth which was very fresh tasting. However, it was lacking a bit of flavor and was somewhat underwhelming. Not something I would ever crave or want to come back for. I agree with another reviewer that said it needed salt. My BF enjoyed his steak, especially the figs that were served with it.
For dessert we shared the famous goat cheese donuts and the S’mores dessert. The honey lavendar sauce was delicious and I found myself try to scrape up every last bit of that. The donuts themselves had a nice texture but I just didn’t enjoy the goat cheese flavor in a dessert. That is definitely personal preference though because I know plenty of people who love it! It was also served with amazing coffee ice cream in a cute mini mug on the side, which I thought was a nice touch. The S’mores dessert was homemade marshmallows toasted, with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate ice. I am not a huge fan of stale grocery store marshmallows, but homemade ones? SO GOOD. I wasn’t expecting much but I loved that dessert and once again we were scraping the plate (the portion was sadly very small)
Overall, our service and the atmosphere of Salt was great. However, the main course was underwhelming. My favorite part of the meal was probably dessert. I wonder if it was just because of the mass production of restaurant week? Unfortunately probably won’t return because it is a pretty pricey restaurant usually.

It took me 2+ years of living one block from Salt to finally have a full meal here. I’d been there two or three times before just for drinks (accompanied once with the delicious goat cheese donuts) but had not had a real meal because I was put off by the prices, and they don’t offer any specials like most restaurants in the area. This is an area where it’s weird to not have at least a happy hour or weekday dinner special, much less lunch or brunch (they’re only open for dinner). This is something BistroRX, on the other side of the park, has figured out — you can have exceptionally classy food but keep it a bit more populist by making customers feel like they’re getting a good deal.
I already knew the food would be great after my one experience with those donuts — I had the restaurant week menu with octopus salad, hangar steak, an extra side of duck fat fries, and the strawberries n’ shortbread. Everything was good but slightly underwhelming for the hype, and the desert portion was kind of puny. For the restaurant week special, I was satisfied, but I wouldn’t have been if this was a full-​priced meal.
A very classy option for a neighborhood that has very little otherwise, but more for a special occasion than a go-​to neighborhood bar/​restaurant.

I was really really excited to try this place for restaurant week as I’ve heard so many good things about their regular menu, and to be honest I was REALLY disappointed! The staff were friendly, but the food was really just EH.
I had the chilled cucumber soup that came with bay scallops ceviche, summer melon, jalepenos, and cucumber which I imagined to be soup, with a garnish of ceviche. So I guess I really shouldn’t be disappointed when I say this, but it was more like bay scallops ceviched with some cucumber water. The scallops were the star.
Next was the cod. My gosh, not to bash them, but this dish was BOOOOORING. You know what it needed. SALT! Ironic, huh? This dish lacked SO much flavor.
Lastly was dessert. I tried both the strawberries + shortcake and the goat cheese donuts. The shortcake had some weird green liquid at the bottom. It was OK.
I also tried the goat cheese donuts which I was really excited about. The lavender honey was like eating a flower. I love goat cheese, and I actually thought these donuts were nasty. Ugh, I hate saying that. I really wanted this place to be good.
I also tried the hanger steak, which was cold. Served Medium rare, but cold. One of the worst steaks I’ve tried. The salad that came with it though was pretty good! I think the most delicious thing on the menu. It was an arugula salad with grilled figs, grilled onions, and a great dressing. I’ll try to recreate this because it was yum!
The other appetizer I tried was the buffalo mozzarella that came with a tomato, basil pesto, pine nuts and charred bread. Again, this needed SALT and PEPPER! I looked on the table for some, but there wasn’t any to be found.

This is more of a review for service and drink selection.
I rolled up to Salt after a long walk in the heat and was dying for a decent beer. The bartender treated me with respect and kindness even though I didn’t really fit their client profile as I was wearing sweaty spandex and a tank top. I loved that they had good German beers on tap. Mixed drink selection was innovative and yummy. I opted not to eat mostly because they had very few veggie options, but the menu looked good overall and I could tell from observing others with food that they produce a quality product. Great place, can’t wait to go back when I am appropriately dressed!

I really enjoyed my time at Salt. I called ahead and made a reservation ahead of time, which I do recommend doing because even though it seems like an unassuming restaurant, it’s very popular. The décor is very modern yet casual, and the arrangement of lights was interesting, but not too intrusive that it would take away from the experience. The hostess wasted no time in seating us, and the waitstaff in general was very attentive and kind.
We stuck mostly with the seafood: big tuna crudo, and the pan-​seared salmon and halibut. The crudo was delicious, and the tangerine oil was very pungent, but gave the dish a unique flavor. The salmon was very hearty and flavorful, and the halibut was just the right amount of tenderness and saltiness, especially mixed on top of the fennel purée. The peas were a bit under-​cooked for my liking, but not enough to take away from the dish. The drinks were reasonably priced, and the beer menu was fairly extensive, offering the standard drafts and bottles, as well as some local craft brews.
Afterwards, even though we were mostly full, we still opted for the goat cheese doughnuts, which were great. The goat cheese gave it a sharp, savory taste, while the lavender honey and coffee ice cream gave the dessert a unique mix of sweet flavors.
Prices overall were a bit more on the expensive side, but everything is very well-​executed and you do feel like you’re getting a good value. Overall, there’s not much to explain, just that everything went pretty much flawlessly, which is just what you want out of a dining experience. I’ll definitely be back for future visits.

Came here for restaurant week dinner with a friend. They had a coat check and we were promptly seated. Our waitress was very nice throughout the evening, and I loved the ambiance of the place – cozy, hip, yet warm.
I started off the with the tortellini en brodo (which apparently means «in broth»). Although the filing was tasty, the tortellini were tiny and I think a bit undercooked? The broth was salty and not very flavorful. I would skip this.
My entrée was the quail which was really tasty – the meat was tender and grilled wonderfully. My only issue was that it was a little difficult to remove the legs/​wings from the quail breast. The polenta was creamy and a great complement to the quail, but unfortunately the brussell sprouts seemed to be boiled and bland (no hint of mustard glaze at all).
I chose a peanut butter chocolate semi-​freddo. The first bite was good chocolatey, but the more that I ate, the more I tasted a bitter flavor that I couldn’t quite place. There was a nice peanut butter crumble on top that I wish there was more of.
All in all, the only thing I’d order again is the entrée. Perhaps it’s just what I ordered, but overall I wasn’t all that impressed with their restaurant week (as I have been with places in DC, Boston, etc.).

Mother of god, this is possibly the best restaurant in Baltimore.
Salt is a small tavern in the Patterson Park area that has about ~10 tables and a bar, and thus isn’t exactly the biggest place in town. Honestly, I didn’t know much about it other than its existence, and decided to go on a whim.
Salt itself is beautiful. It’s clean and modern, but emphasizes some of the old brick architecture, which adds a lot. The clean wood, blue, and strange kiwi green lighting somehow all works out in a really nice way. The service is superb.
Salt’s food is absolutely excellent. We tried the Oyster ceviche first, which was incredibly light and tasty. It had green apples in it, which was fascinating given the flavor profile. We also tried two cocktails (a bellini and a chai cocktail), and both were delicious and went well with the ceviche — the chai was especially interesting, as it smelled like a chai latte, but finished like whiskey. For entrees, we got the roasted lamb and cod, which were equally excellent. The clear winner here was the duck, which was literally the best duck I’ve ever eaten — it was cooked like pork belly (crispy on the outside, tender on the inside), and had some sort of sweet-​ish sauce that made it AMAZING.
Suffice to say, you should go here. Period.