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    Ethel's Creole Kitchen

    4.4 (389 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Ethel's Creole Kitchen Photos

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    ETHEL'S CREOLE KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ethel's Creole Kitchen

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    Hot Cat Stack with regular cornbread
    Nicole C.

    I went to Ethel's yesterday for my birthday as I wanted to try something/somewhere I haven't been and they did not disappoint! I don't eat red meat and the dish Hot Cat Stack comes with sausage cornbread but they made it without with no problem. Service was incredible from the host, bartender and the chef! I went pretty late so I had the restaurant to myself for majority of my time there which gave a private dining vibe. It's pretty intimate in size so I'm sure the place can get packed pretty quickly. No complaints I'll definitely be back.

    Chippepa
    Kendra H.

    Outstanding food. So tasty, and felt authentically creole with menu offerings and seasoning. The layout is a bit cozy, but you're not so close to others that it is uncomfortable. Good indoor and outdoor options. The staff is very accommodating but also very busy and constantly moving, so it does feel a little rushed but worth it.

    Shrimp and Grits
    Rhonda J.

    Absolutely AMAZING! Thank you Chefs! Everything was delicious. The service was impeccable. Jade and Haley really took care of us. I searched Yelp for the best cream of crab soup and Ethel's came up. The soup did not disappoint. The Shrimp and Grits were impressive. I can't wait to try the crab cakes the next time. For this to be our first visit we were thoroughly impressed.

    Chillee Cucumber Salad
    Jay S.

    Almost everything was 10/10 and I would fully recommend this spot for good food! Be prepared to spend more money than usual, but if we are basing everything off of what I have had, it was definitely worth it. Even though I have had jambalaya elsewhere, including in New Orleans, so far the jambalaya here is the best I have ever had. It was flavorful, abundant in quantity, well-seasoned, and had a good balance of meat, rice, and vegetables on the side. The baby back ribs were sure slow roasted because the meat was falling off the bones very easily, with a sufficient amount of ribs in some delicious sauce. There was also a good amount of roasted zucchini, squash, and carrots, so I was thoroughly satisfied. They have the ribs available in the mango chipotle sauce as well. I didn't have the cucumber salad, but I did have some of the Mom's Crab Cakes, which my friends ordered. They were not like traditional crab cakes, because the crab cakes had no filler at all. It was everything crab, which made it more worth it, which also meant that it was expensive because it was between $40 and $50 when we got it. Once again, a good amount of vegetables, and a good amount of mashed potatoes. I enjoyed it a lot as well, even if part of me wasn't really used to it. Once again, highly recommended! If I return here at any point, then I will, without a doubt, try their authentic gumbo and their Crawfish Fried Grits, which they were out of when we tried to order it today.

    View from our table to back kitchen
    Gretchen B.

    Overall a 5 star experience! Small, cozy restaurant located in the "Village" at Mount Washington. Set between other shops and eateries which I've had the opportunity to eat at over the years, Ethels def stands out. Service was good, our waitress explained the specials in detail. I had the NOLA chicken with creole sauce over mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. The sauce was delightful, red peppers with a slight tang of vinegar and seasonings. My husband had the short ribs which were fall off the bone good.....but the real winner was the special my brother had which was the smoked Mac/cheese with pieces of brisket. It truly was the best mac/cheese I've ever had. The menu is not large but what they do have is done well. Many traditional dishes I'd like to try next time such as the gumbo and jambalaya.

    Fried catfish
    Kyra J.

    Visited here for dinner with my family. Made a reservation and was seated right away and offered water and bread. Looked over the menu along with the specials and had trouble deciding what to try because everything seemed like a good option. Started our meals with lemon drops and they were so tasty we ordered another round. Ordered the half rack of ribs- tender and seasoned well Fried catfish- delicious, cooked perfectly and the cornbread and sauce were a great accompaniment Seafood Jambalaya-lots of shrimp and mussels Cornbread-melts in your mouth Collard greens-seasoned perfectly The restaurant is kind of small but has a great vibe. Also the staff is top notch! Definitely a great spot.

    Authentic Gumbo
    Tiffany D.

    This time around, I was very pleased with my experience at Ethel's GLOWS: - I didn't have a reservation, but was seated at the bar until a table was shortly ready. Although my friend was a few minutes late, the hostess seated me without an issue. - They have some daily specials, which sounded pretty good----a nice addition to the menu. -The shrimp boat is tasty and very light. I ate almost the entire dish and did not feel sluggish afterward. - The chef forgot to put crabmeat in my shrimp boat entree but easily rectified the situation which was greatly appreciated - They have unsweetened tea- which might only be a plus for me!---- but also hot tea and coffee to pair with dessert - We got the strawberry bread pudding for dessert which was very delicious. It seems like they rotate their desserts, so I hope they always have something just as good to offer. GROWS: -My friend enjoyed her Gumbo, but noted that flavors would be more potent if every ingredient was marinated together. You can tell that some ingredients are added to the base after. - The cornbread was not really notable. I loved the complimentary bread better and would just order another serving of that in the future. -The lunch menu seems to have more variety, including sandwiches and po' boys. It would be nice to have those options at dinner too.

    Lemon Drop cocktail
    Mike F.

    I throw the word "authentic" around a lot in my reviews, but this time I mean it. Ethel's Creole Kitchen is LEGIT authentic Louisiana cuisine up here in the north east. Crazy I know. So, how could I tell? It's all in the roux, man. When it's that rich and that dark and can permeate an entire dish with such a small amount... that potency is simply unmatched. It's acute, bona fide flavor. Before we get into the food, let's start with the cocktails. Lots to choose from, including the New Orleans classic, the Sazerac (rye, absinthe, bitters, and a lemon twist). They have all the usual staples as well, like their Prohibition Perfect Manhattan, Seasonal Sangria, and Lemon Drop. For whatever reason, I was feeling something sweet, so I went with the Lemon Drop. It was, uh, very lemony. Sugar rim, lemon twist. Very pleasing to the eye. Simple yet elegant. If you're a fan of Sour Patch Kids, this is for you. As for the food - holy crap, everything was a home run. Started with the Chippepa (fire roasted red bell pepper stuffed with Andouille sausage, mozzarella, and peppers and onions). Very unique appetizer. Comes out looking like a giant Italian meatball. And it really is giant. This may be intended for one person, but it's great for splitting up two ways. Just slice that baby in half and you're good to go. For my main, I couldn't pass up on the gumbo. When I think of New Orleans cooking, that's the first dish that always comes to mind. And I even love that boxed gumbo by Zatarain's (as well as their jambalaya). You can choose your proteins - I went with chicken and Andouille, but you could sub shrimp in as well. Gumbo, of course, starts with the dark roux. And Ethel's hits the nail on the head. You get a wonderfully rich broth that explodes with flavor. The other standout has got to be the Creole Shrimp Boat. Not sure if many people order it here, but it's not something to be overlooked. You get sauteed shrimp, mussels, jumbo lump crab meat, and fish du jour simmered in fire roasted red bell pepper sauce, creole rice, and vegetables du jour. Speaking of vegetables "du jour," they are the same every day. Every day forever. It's squash and carrots. Perfectly fine, but if you frequent this place, don't expect anything different. Ever. That's what we got, and looking back through years of reviews and photos, that's what everyone else got as well. Wonderful experience overall. Clean, comforting dining room. Wood floors, wood table tops, wood stools at the counter. Polished look all around. Ethel's gives me that rare feeling about a restaurant... that feeling of... "Thank god you exist." Definitely don't feel that way about a lot of places. But being able to have a truly authentic creole dining experience in the northeastern part of the US... gosh, I just feel so fortunate. One day I may make it down to New Orleans to taste their fabled fare, but until then, Ethel's will fill that bayou-sized void.

    Mom's Crab cakes
    Taylor H.

    I visited Ethel's for the first time yesterday with 5 friends and for the most part, had a lovely dinner experience. Two people from the group frequent the restaurant and highly recommended the cornbread. Needless to say, I had an insane amount of cornbread, ciabatta bread, and mini crab cakes. Everything was top of the line. Once the entrees arrived, we sampled from each other's plate and literally everything I tasted was delicious - from the jambalaya, to the rockfish, also the collard greens were flavorful and melted in your mouth. I ordered Mom's crab cakes which was exactly as advertised, no filler. The crab cakes were cooked perfectly and I loved the remoulade sauce served alongside it. Now about the service. Service started off really great, fast and friendly until it was time to pay for the bill. Among 6 people, half of us had cash, whereas the other half of us was paying with a card. The waitress was visibly flustered and upset once we provided her with the payment. We were even kind enough to write the card numbers and amount due for the 3 cards we hard. Honestly, this was the only large disappointment with this being my first experience here, but I will definitely be back very soon, just with less people and and less payment methods next time.

    Jambalaya
    Foodie Gawd R.

    FOOD: I had crab dip red beans and rice and crab dip So let's start with the crab dip very good but I hate that the spinach they put in it is not chopped but still good red beans and rice lacked flavor but portions was great jambalaya well I didn't eat it cause I was pissed cause I actually asked for gumbo but ION SERVICE: is the usual pretty decent AMBIANCE: I personally think it needs to be some brightness to it but it's works

    Exterior
    Qadira W.

    I was part of a party of 5 and we were there for the dinner service. We sat upstairs and we were the only ones and we didn't mind! The restaurant is an older place but was charming with the lights outside and the colorful decor inside. Everyone enjoyed their food immensely. Most drinks were good, we had 1 that was a miss but they later ordered a sangria after that and all was well. Our waitress was very pleasant. The highlight of the evening was the strawberry mango bread pudding!!! DELICIOUS (bonus, it is served warm AND with a scoop of vanilla ice cream)

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    7 months ago

    Very small and intimate restaurant with large portions. Very tasty greens and jambalaya. Love the cornbread too. Only has street parking.

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    The Duchess

    The Duchess

    4.2
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    This is a restaurant doing really excellent work that probably needs more attention from the…read moreBaltimore food scene. My wife and I made a reservation for bar seating to celebrate a promotion and requested to move to the dining room after realising there was a world cup crowd in the bar area. Absolutely no problem at all. Our server was on the bar staff and made excellent drink recommendations, even recommending second round pairings based on our order. The food came out of the kitchen immediately, our small plates were served as they hit the pass, and our main, the duck donburi, came out of the kitchen moments after we finished our small plates. Our order was all based on the server's recommendations and were all excellent. We finished the meal with a rotating dessert, tonight a dish with blueberry compote and coconut cream atop a small cake that was equally fluffy and rich, and port and a dessert cocktail, both equally satisfying and paired nicely with the dessert. On the way out, we left our takeout box of the leftover donburi on the table and were barely out of the front door for moments before a server ran out our box to us. He was not our server; they are just very attentive. Go to this restaurant, try their elegant Polynesian dishes and spins, appreciate the service and tip them well. This restaurant deserves to survive.

    : Hands down amazing food. I've never tasted something so good. The problem is they sacrifice…read morequantity for quality and therefore bigger price. The rating is only low due to portion size and the price. I'm just the type of person that can't get behind charging like $17 for two small buns (had to order two). Would only go back if invited out, but I urge people to try their food at least!! Menu is small selection too haha, but their drinks?!! They got A LOT!

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    Interior
    Interior
    Kimchi Fried Rice with Crispy Tofu
    Kimchi Fried Rice with Crispy Tofu
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    Raffy's on 36th

    Raffy's on 36th

    4.2
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    2.7 mi

    We are always looking for some good pizza and Raffy's has made the list. We got artichokes,…read morepepperoni pizza, the goat pizza, a side of spicy ranch as well as some drinks. The artichokes were nothing special, I'd skip those next time. The pizza was delicious. Thin, crispy, and very nice sauce flavor and toppings. The side of spicy ranch had a kick to it. We were the only ones there at the time but the service was on top of it. She was nice and attentive. Id definitely come back and try other flavors. They do specials and offer a thursday date night deal.

    Checked out the menu outside and saw their date night special for Thursday - it was Thursday! An…read moreappetizer, a pizza, and two cocktails for $45! We were greeted quickly and told to sit anywhere we waited. The restaurant was very well lit and decorated. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The server was newer but very nicem she greeted us with a pitcher of water, concerning it was a very hot day this certained earned some points! We had some questions about out the menu and she asked the nearby bartender which was really helpful. We got the cocktail of the month and the brown derby. Both excellent and well made. Next we ordered the honey old bay wings. They were very salty, we asked for more honey and that helped a lot. Lastly we got the mushroom onion pizza. This was delicious and full of shrooms. A really great date night, I'm excited to return to try more!

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    Crispy Parmigiano Potatoes
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    Melanie’s at Griffith's Tavern

    Melanie’s at Griffith's Tavern

    4.3
    (15 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    This bar has a vibe that is unlike any other place in the area. It's a little off the beaten path,…read morea few blocks from the Avenue, so it gets a lot of locals and a lot of regulars. It's a mix of old school dive bar and upscale cocktail bar. Like, you can get a Boh here, but you can also get a $16 craft cocktail that will rival anything you can buy at more classic cocktail lounge or speakeasy. It is small, so you will be forced to get to know your neighbors at the bar. They will undoubtedly be cool, though, because this place attracts a fun crowd. The only downside, really, is that it is so dark inside I can never read the menu, which is written in colored marker on the mirror behind the bar.

    It has been a minute since I've been to Melanie's at Griffiths and this is the most iconic dive bar…read morein Hamden. The friendliness here is something to be desired. I did go on a Monday night, but the bartender was extremely off putting, and just gave off really negative energy but the service itself wasn't horrible. She just was kind of mean. That's said the cocktails here are stupidly good. The old-fashioned here used to be $10 but now it's $14 but it's still so excellent and worth it. It rivals cocktails of really good places and unexpected for this divey place. There is no food, but they do have chips that they sell that are clothpinned along the door and the plantain chips were really delicious. The lighting is really really low towards the back end of the bar, but to the front where they have the TV there's always something interesting. This is a must visit for anyone that is local or visiting, and hopefully the staff is friendlier this time.

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    Menu
    Menu
    Melanie’s at Griffith's Tavern
    Melanie’s at Griffith's Tavern

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    The Green Room at The Bluebird

    The Green Room at The Bluebird

    3.2
    (6 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    I want to like this place but it honestly gives more overhyped DC energy than a quality Baltimore…read morecocktail bar. The drinks are fine, the food is mediocre. But my issues is the staff. It can be completely hit or miss depending on who your bartender is. And last night I witness a truly disrespectful interaction between my friend who is a WOC and one of the bartenders. I understand having a limited drink menu, but each time my friend asked for a recommendation she was responded to as if she had just spit in that woman's face. The final straw was when my friend said, "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with most of these drinks. What do you have that is sweet?" asking for a recommendation. The bartender looked at her and said "sugar" then rolled her eyes so hard I'm surprised they didn't get stuck in the back of her head. I understand being over your job, but my friend did nothing wrong. Was not rude, and in return got spoken to like a child. I don't know what the chip on this person's shoulder was, but if you absolutely HAVE to to be vile to everyone you speak to, try a back of the house position because you are actively damaging your bar's reputation.

    My best friend's younger sister had a milestone birthday party here and it was perfect. She rented…read morethe space and the layout was wonderful -- with a perfect balance of open standing space, tables, bar seats, and a photo booth. There was a preset menu for cocktails, mocktails, wines, and beer. Some of the mocktails were sweeter than my liking, but it was fine. The staff were awesome. The bartender was solo up until it turned into a cash bar -- she was working really hard! The music was at a great volume, and food was being passed around regularly. It's really a great space for having a private party. And on top of that, while it can fill up quickly, there's free street parking outside. I do wish the bathroom was lockable -- the stall within there is, but otherwise things could get awkward. Pro tip -- it's behind the stage.

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    A promotional poster of the Django jazz on Mondays
    A promotional poster of the Django jazz on Mondays
    The bar from a different angle
    The bar from a different angle
    The bar and the stage

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    The bar and the stage
    Clandestino

    Clandestino

    4.5
    (18 reviews)
    2.3 mi

    Clandestino has grown up, literally. What began as a small operation in Frederick has moved into a…read morelarger space, and the expansion suits them well. This is Puerto Rican pitorro, also known as ron cañita, made with care and intention rather than gimmickry. Many local liquor stores now carry the brand, and it is well worth picking up a bottle, but visiting the distillery is an experience in itself. The founder is a fellow Puerto Rican born retired military member, a background I share, and like me, he has put down roots in Maryland. That story is reflected clearly in the brand's own framing, "Puerto Rican born, Maryland made." The space feels grounded and unpretentious, and that sensibility carries through to the hospitality. We arrived late on a Saturday and were still welcomed warmly, never rushed. We were taken care of by the founder's daughter, who was exceptionally kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. She guided us through a flight that included the traditional pitorro, almond, pineapple, coffee, coconut chai, and several seasonal offerings. The flavors were thoughtful and well balanced; even the infused expressions retained a clear rum backbone rather than drifting into novelty. We enjoyed them enough to leave with several bottles. This is artisanal pitorro done right, rooted in Puerto Rican tradition and confidently made in Maryland. Buying it locally is convenient, but going to the distillery is where the people, the story, and the spirit fully come together.

    This local speakeasy has quickly moved its way to the top of my list…read more I love the ease of parking, safe neighborhood, and spacious speakeasy space. Always great service by bar manager Charlie, fantastic food and beverage menu and options. My favs so far are the grilled wings and chicken tortilla soup. The drinks are pretty awesome, and Charlie the Great can alter beverages to your preference if you prefer. This is an overall mezcal bar, but they have other libations as well. My fav is John Updike's Old Fashioned. My son ordered and loved the Strawberry Gin & Tonic. This establishment is a great conversation starter, and I look forward to returning asap.

    Photos
    Write what you want
    Write what you want
    Music posters
    Music posters
    Tequila!!!!

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    Tequila!!!!

    Ethel's Creole Kitchen - cajun - Updated July 2026

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