Apropoe’s

Worst service ever. It took 30 minutes to get a server to take an order. Don’t ever go there if you are a party of 1.

Food is expensive but the quality isn’t there. I had multiple meals.
Ham omelette was good. But nothing fancy.
Duck quesadilla is good and so is the burger.
Dessert is NOT GOOD. We tried it on multiple nights and it doesn’t taste fresh.

No. Nothing here has been good. I actually had an apple pie that had no flavor. It was a deconstructed apple pie, but somehow the flavor got left off the plate.

Interesting menu, limited ambiance, feels like a hotel restaurant. Food was good, but nothing extraordinary.

Atmosphere was nice here and the food was pretty good as well. Service on the other hand was very very slow. We had finished dinner and we’re waiting forever to get the check. Seemed very dragged out. We had asked for waterside view and did not get that despite the restaurant hardly being crowded. The crab pesto pizza was delicious as well as the crab diP!

Went here Friday night with my sister. We wanted to try something new. This place was great. It is located in the Marriott on the water by the four seasons.
The atmosphere is sexy and intimate. There is a lounge area, where one can sit by the fire and have drinks. The dining area is also great. It overlooks the water and has a romantic feel.
My sister ordered a salad, the scallops, and tator tots. I ordered the biscuits (so good, house salad, and crab cakes. The crab cakes are all fresh crab meat. You get two huge ones for 32 dollars. Best crab cakes I’ve had in a very long time.
This place is great for drinks, socializing or a first date.
Will be returning again.

We dropped in while it was raining during Light City (an outdoor art event on the Harbour). While the space is beautiful and our bar tender was a rock star, this place was terribly managed. We waited an hour for our food despite the place only being half full. They don’t have enough bar staff to keep up with demand and their kitchen is slow as all get out. Our food was overcooked or had been sitting under a great lamp for too long. Prices are too high for what’s offered. Beer selection is limited.

Ok so this hotel is on the ground floor of the Marriott Waterfront. The inside of the restaurant is very nice with a darker modern décor. There are more loungy seats as well as bar seats and larger tables. It directly overlooks the water and is a good spot for people watching. Our waiter… I think his name was Michael… He was pretty horrible. I asked if there was a cocktail menu and he said they had 2, their version of a Moscow Mule which he didn’t know what the ingredients were and an apple pie martini, also which he didn’t know what was in it. The cocktails we chose were good but I went to the bar today and there is indeed a cocktail menu with ingredients listed… Grrrrr. The food was delicious. Being we were in Maryland my coworker ordered crab cakes and I got the crab bisque. DELICIOUS!!! Once we got our food it took forever to get the waiters attention for drink refills and water… So in short, the food was good but they lost a star for poor service.

We were staying at this beautiful hotel, the Waterfront Marriott and after a night on the town, decided to come back to this, the hotel bar for a night cap. We were lucky enough to get a great seat on a couch at a beautiful fireplace.
We were quickly greeted by our server (didn’t catch her name, but a short-​haired blonde lady with a European accent) and we ordered a couple of glasses of wine. This was at 9PM. Somewhere around 9:30 she came back and asked if one of us wanted a refill and that was ordered. Then around 10:15PM she came back to take the menu sitting on our table, without making eye-​contact (as we both wanted more wine) and she took that menu to another table, where she seemed to spend a bit of time.
Finally around 10:25PM we asked for our bill because we were tired of being ignored. We expressed this to her and she didn’t offer any apologies and just walked away.
So, we took our bill to the lobby check-​in clerk who listened to our complaint and took care of comp’ing the bill for us.
Sad experience considering this was a BEAUTIFUL and hopping bar. Lots of excitement and people. We wish the experience was better.

We went here on Christmas night because not much was open. We had an enjoyable time and made a mental note that this would be a beautiful place to come in the summer when you can enjoy the harbor view out the windows. The $ 15 burger with fries looked like a great deal when we come back with the kids. The bar area has a number of comfortable couches and lounge chairs and one area with a long in-​wall fireplace — looks like a great place to sit and relax. Some of the lighting in the dining room was odd. We sat right by the doors to the outside and it felt like we were under a strong spotlight. Other tables had a lighted bar about 2 feet over the tabletop, like something you’d see in an old fashioned library reading room.
The service was fine, although there was a mixup and the waitress forgot to put in my husband’s entrée order so there was a long delay between the rest of our food (several appetizers and a salad, all of which we were sharing) and the scallops. We weren’t in a hurry so it was OK. The manager stopped by at some point to make sure all was OK. We said we were willing to see the dessert menu, but then the waitress got distracted with another table so we just got the check (we were full anyway).
The food was a mixed bag. The scallops were overcooked, and the warm potato salad and mushrooms didn’t add much to the dish; it needed a spice or acid element. The pumpkin bisque was rich and thick, but the dollop of pesto on top is what made it. The buffalo cauliflower was good, and the portion was generous. The spice blend reminded me of Indian food, with a definite cumin note coming through the Tabasco-​like pepper flavor. The beet salad was fine in flavor, although the «puffed» rice was actually little hard chunks of rice that reminded me of Chinese takeout leftovers that have been put in the fridge without a lid.
Overall, I think it’s a good place to go if you’re in this high rent area and want a relatively quiet place to relax and enjoy the view while getting burgers or a few appetizers. I can’t imagine it ever gets too overrun since it’s a hotel restaurant and not extraordinary in quality.

Full disclosure: we only had beers and split the chocolate cake after dinner and a movie. I really wanted to like this place, I swear. Flourless chocolate cake was a spiral of too dense cream and too dry chocolate cake. The only thing that was spot on was the raspberry compote that came on the side. Overall it was not worth the money and only slightly satisfied my craving for chocolate cake :(

So disappointing… the service was just ok and the food was just short of disgusting. Ordered the duck confit
Quesadilla which the waitress said was incredible. Incredibly bad is more apt. It was a struggle to cut it with a steak knife– so hard and tough as well as incredibly dry. I only ate two bites and when I sent it back I got a long explanation about how she could «try» to get it off the bill. Not great customer service. Paid full price for two bites of a nasty entrée. Only redeeming quality was the full pour of wine which I could take with me to my room.

I’ve had the pleasure of dining here for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and dessert. I usually enjoy it but sometimes the menu has a few misses but I like the creativity that goes into the ideas! Recently had the swordfish and it was perfect with pumpkin! Also tried the pulled chicken pizza and really didn’t care for the flavor. The décor is stunning and dim lighting nice. The crab and corn chowder is one of my favorites along with the breakfast buffet.

I’m sorry, I really wanted to like apropoe’s. I went during restaurant week to try it out because the reviews seemed decent and the pre-​fix menu looked good. Restaurant week is a time to shine and bring in new customers. I really hope that the management changes it up or I’m hoping I just went on a fluke night but I should have known it wasn’t a good sign when the other good restaurants were booked and this one wasn’t. They have spent a ton on the interior but our experience felt like a bad Vegas restaurant. Just a few examples of why I can never go back:
— FREEZING: Bring a sweater and wear pants. It may be hot outside during the day but when we’re shivering at our table and seriously looking for a blanket (all of us, not just me), it’s time to turn the a/​c warmer. They admitted that it is always cold. We took turns propping the door open to warm up because it was so frigid. I’m not joking.
— FOOD: We ordered both the pre-​fix menu and the regular menu. Everything was under seasoned or terrible. I don’t think they tasted anything they served. Maybe the chef was sick tonight? Or maybe this is more of a bar/​lounge than a restaurant.
– AHI TUNA TAR TAR WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE, AVOCADO, AVOCADO CREAM: it looked like creamed corn and was a waste of ahi tuna. I could taste pineapple but not much else.
– SPICED BRUSSEL SPROUT LEAVES, sriracha aioli, pickled shallots 6: the best dish we ordered but it had chunks of uncooked batter in between the larger chunks of leaves.
–CRISPY CORN MEAL CAKE with pepper jelly and sunflower pesto: slightly boring, I would not recommend.
– SHORT RIBS, spring pea risotto, natural jus 28: relatively small piece of short rib and it was more than half fatty so not much meat. The seasoning was not their best. The risotto was undercooked and slightly too hard. I didn’t eat much.
– GRILLED SWORDFISH — roasted eggplant, charred baby broccoli, sunflower seed pesto: We sent back the Pre-​fix meal Swordfish because the gravy tasted rancid.
– SEARED SIRLOIN STEAK — beet, sweet potato, roasted sweet onion hash, upland cress heirloom tomato salad: it was a little cold, I think it sat for a few minutes too long before they brought it out. Very under seasoned.
– CREAMSICLE –orange cream float, with house made pretzel cookie: it was really sweet, too much for me but my friend liked it.
– TAHARKA CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM: it’s made in Baltimore and good. They gave us a whole pint to-​go so that was really nice.
— SERVICE: our waitress and the other person training together were nice, however if you are training someone, I would expect excellent service. We waited for a long time and ended up asking for our swordfish (without the gravy) and our desserts to go. They gave us a $ 9 discount for our inconvenience but it seemed like they avoided us once we sent the swordfish back. I wish they would have tasted it… they would have understood.
And some tips:
— VALET PARKING: Valet for $ 8, at the Marriott Hotel. Don’t park in the $ 15 garage like I did.
— DRINKS were okay:
– STRAWBERRY CHILI MARGARITA: strawberry chili margarita casamigos blanco tequila, cointreau, ancho reyes chili liqueur, agave, strawberries, lime juice 13
…I think this was the best drink. At least i finished it all.
– STRAWBERRY BASIL MULE: strawberry basil mule tito’s vodka, ginger simple syrup,
lime juice, ginger beer 21 (return the copper mug and pay 11)
…it was good, nothing to rave about but the copper mug is a little on the small side. We didn’t take it home.
– HONEYDEW MOJITO: honeydew mojito flor de cana rum, honeydew purée, ginger simple syrup, mint, lime, club soda 10
…it was mealy. i.e. the honeydew was old. Didn’t finish it.

I have been to Apropoe’s twice, once as a guest and once as a customer and both times have been beyond excellent. I could not possibly list all the great items I had so I will just hit the highlights — The Mussels in Beer and hushpuppies with jalepenos were both great starters, each presented beautifully. The shrimp and grits may be their best dish but I also loved their short rib. Dessert, from the cheesecake to chocolate cake were to die for. The service both times was just superb, very friendly and helpful. Apropoe’s is a good place for a drink with friends or a four course dinner. The only drawback is that it is in Harbor East and all that entails (traffic and parking), but you can get $ 8 valet parking for three hours with dinner at Apropoe’s. This is fairly new to the restaurant scene in Baltimore and a great addition.
Pro Tip: Try some of their Poe themed cocktails, they are DIVINE.

Decided to come by for a bite and drinks after an event at Bond Street. We sat in the lounge area and it took a bit to be attended to. We ordered the blue crab cheese dip and the cheese board along with two drinks off the menu.
The drinks took forever to arrive and one drink was different from what was ordered because the bartender needed to go and get a different liquor in order to make it, so he substituted one of the ingredients. After a sip my boyfriend sent it back. The liquor was either old or bad as the drink was separating and looked gritty. The waiter said this was normal but took it back anyway.
The crab dip was very good and we really enjoyed the pretzel bread with it but after a while I finally had to flag down the waiter to see where our other cheese platter was… he never put the order in because he didn’t hear the order. So eventually that comes out and was good– not great. The best part was the rhubarb jam and the honeycomb honey.

Well it’s not starting from good. We are a group of 10. The only guests here mind you. We ordered appetizers and they arrived in a timely fashion BUT I had to hunt down the plate stack and get plates for everyone. Our waiter is young male. Nice but not nearly assertive enough. I think he would stand in the shadow and wait 20 mins before talking loud enough for you to know he’s there.
It isn’t getting any better… entrees all came out at different times the last one arriving quite a time after all the others. 10 mins.
Food is tasty. I ordered Shrimp and Grits. It’s not overly greasy tasting as it sometimes can be. Sure would like another bottle of wine. Perhaps they don’t like making money. There is one other couple dining now.
Maybe dessert is where it’s at??? I’m trying here folks, I’m trying…
Ok so dessert was good. We opted for the liquid version. The night is going much better now.
Just got the check… I knew if we waited long enough this dinner would be worth it… lol
The 3 star review turned into a 3.5 though it’s posing as a 4 here.
Just don’t come expecting «service». Bring good company and laugh anyways.

This place opened in the Marriott in Harbor East about a year ago. I had high hopes after the 90 days had past and a few stops at the bar. Foodwise, this place is fine. I am glad I went for restaurant week as the prices can be a little high. Servicewise, they have a lot of room to grow.
We had a reservation — and its not super intuitive where you go to check in if you come from the entrance on the Harbor East circle. After looking confused for a few moments and asking the bartender, I finally found the hostess stand. We were warmly greeted and seated quickly. Then it was mostly downhill. We waited about 15 minutes to order drinks and another 20 minutes to get a bottle of wine and two mules. Really?
We actually were so hungry and by now it was well after 8pm. We asked for some bread — that took about 20 minutes. The bread is warm, so maybe fresh-​baked, but its strange because they serve it with little butter pads that you might get in a diner — not quite a match in my opinion.
Then our appetizers arrived. Most of us went with the octopus salad. IMG_​3049 I wasn’t expecting it to be a cold salad, but it was. I have been having a lot of octopus lately, this is up there top of the list. I am not sure how you make chilled octopus tender and crisp but not chewy or gummy. The chef serves it on top of a roasted cauliflower purée which added a little sweetness. The tender garbanzo beans and toasted lentils gave a texture and flavor contrast. The arugula and fresh pepper gave it a sharp piquant flavor. So good. I am not quite sure it was worth the wait — almost.
The table had a hard time deciding on the second course between the short ribs and the scallops. I, along with most of the table ended up going with the short ribs — in part to recommendation of one of the staff members. Huge portions. The plate was a little odd to me. Two little kale stuffed agnolotti’s with sweet potato and maitake mushrooms. It was quite tasty, especially with the natural jus on the plate. I liked the pasta even though i’m not sure how it fit on the plate. The table loved the dish. The lonely person who ordered the scallops also raved about it as well. This did make up for long wait to get started.
Dessert came. I ordered the 5 layer banana meringue parfait. It was sweet. My friend who likes sweet, devoured it before I even lifted my spoon. I had one bite. I should have gone with the marscapone fritter with a guava sauce. Everyone who ordered that stopped talking and basically licked the plate.
My favorite part of the night was when the check came. It came in a copy of Edgar Allen Poe’s «The Raven». It was cute when the waiter told us all about the history of the author and his relationship to Baltimore. I guess they are used to tourists. Being the group of educators we are, we read the book aloud, each taking a page. Most of us kept the book.

Sweet warm refuge in the middle of the Harbor East Marriott! We sat at the huge bar in the even bigger restaurant/​lounge/​library and were immediately greater by Josh, sweet Josh. He was helpful and chatty without being overtly so, which I greatly appreciate. He kept my Sierra Mist full to the brim for the two hours we were sitting there, if that says anything about his attention to detail!
We ordered a pizza and I had the delicious veggie sandwich. They were operating off their bar menu, as it was the middle of the afternoon. But that was the most extensive bar menu I’ve even seen. I can’t imagine their menu the rest of the time. For example, most veggie sandwiches are what, like some lettuce and in season veggies? Not this one, it was on «pump» (a little hard at the edges), with hummus, coleslaw, fuji apples and a bunch of other things. It came with fries that were only ok (truffle oil perhaps next time? That’s big in B’more!) and a wee bit cold, but that’s NBD.
My wife’s pizza looked amazing, I wouldn’t know thought because she wouldn’t let me try any. She said it was delicious, and she’s very picky about such things.
There were many TVs but the people watching at such a huge hotel is far more interesting. There are so many seating areas and cozy spaces that i look forward to coming back and hanging out. Josh mentioned that they have happy hour specials and a live band that plays weekly. I’m all for coming back ASAP. Can’t believe it took three years and a snow storm that shut down the rest of the town to lead me here, but glad we did!

Yeah, I know. My last review was just a bitter experience but this last one was pretty awesome. After the conference was over, the same friends and I met at Apropoe’s for lunch before we each would head off to our respective destinations. My friends were already there and I joined the a few minutes after they had all ordered their food. I grabbed a menu before the server came and then just called her and asked her for the WHITE CRAB PIZZA. That’s in caps because it was THAT GOOD. Especially with Sriracha. hehe.
She was super nice and made sure all our needs were attended to and my food was literally about the same number of minutes behind my friends’ foods as I was behind in ordering them. That’s totally unheard of, bat crazy! I was really impressed with their timing, and everything. Romy, our server, gave us a much improved experience from my first night’s nightmare of an experience.
It also helps that they sent up a complimentary bottle of chiante and a platter of cheese and crackers the previous night so I was more willing to give them a second chance =)
All that to say, I don’t think Apropoe’s should be a last resort. It’s not a first choice, but I really enjoyed my dining experience and would totally recommend it. I would just warn people and say I had a less than satisfactory initial experience. But we all know that the server really can make a huge difference in our dining/​bar experience sooooo… take from that what you will.
Peace out.
PS. I like the variety of seating arrangements and options available.