Where do I start? This was the most expensive mistake I've made in a long while. To say I was highly disappointed is quite the understatement. Allow me to set the background. I was craving a grilled mushroom sandwich or something w/ grilled mushrooms. When I found this place on Yelp, I was excited that they had several mushroom options and it was quite close. What the title or description SERIOUSLY NEGLECTED to mention was this place was INSIDE the Merritt Athletic Club Off Guilford. Mind u, I should have gone w/ my initial hesitancy with selecting an eatery in a gym... but the reviews were so good. DAMMIT!!!! Anyway, I looped the block several times until finally deciding to try the gym (where there is a tiny unlit sign on the outside of the building). Fine. I found it. Now let's go inside, shall we? As soon as I step inside, Plates is right in view... PERFECT! Whew! Upon entering, the restaurant was practically deserted. There was literally a table seated of five ladies w/ to go containers in front of them and myself. That's it. It is a huge space and when (Read: if) packed, I'm sure it's quite the place of some hustle & bustle. This, however, was not one of those nights. No biggie... everyone has slow times. There is a point to my mentioning it, however (stay tuned). Being the only customer left, I'm thinking, great! I'll get great service and be outta here in no time. Right? So I decide to go straight to the bar to order. I opt for the 1) salmon burger and 2) mushroom tacos. I also get a pineapple juice while I wait. Now this young lady behind the bar couldn't be more annoyed that I'd like to order food, taking her away from her voracious texting war she was 'in medias res' with her greatest adversary, I can only assume. But guess what... IDGAF!!! Do ur dayum job and help me. So I place this (aforementioned) order and ask for an extra side of chipotle aoli sauce and pico de gallo. If u could see the poorly restrained eye rolls following each simple request for PRE-PACKAGED sides, mind you, you might be able to venture to guess how this was gonna go down... but hey, I ordered, I was hungry... so I committed (stupid move). I digress. Below are the exact menu descriptions followed by what I actually received. 1) Mushroom Taco: Description - Topped with pico de gallo and chipotle aioli. Served with black beans and Spanish rice. What I received - chicken and shrimp tacos!!!! Like, What Tha F@#%... really? Crime! I came here for FRIGGIN MUSHROOMS. In what world does 'mushroom' sound like 'chicken and shrimp', which, btw... (and this is the best part), is not EVEN ON THE FRIGGIN MENU?!?! They just made this taco concoction up. Crime! Of course, this was the dish I DIDN'T check before leaving (grrrrrrr....). Crime! (On my part... lol) Once I opened it and saw no mushrooms anywhere, I was pissed bc they would be closed by the time I got back down there. Since I paid for it, I might as well try this 'concocted' leftovers taco, right? To say it was disgusting is being polite. These tacos wreaked of that spoiled fishy smell which was more rank than appetizing. I threw it out. $$$ down the drain. Crime! Crime! Crime! Next dish... 2) Salmon Burger: Description- Topped with avocado and homemade slaw, served on a brioche roll. Served with Plates fries. What I received - a burned brioche roll. Crime! An over cooked salmon filet. Crime! A water logged, nearly translucent slice of tomato. Crime! Wilted, brown romaine lettuce. Crime! The tiniest specks of oxygenated (brown) avocado on top (as if these were the end pieces of an avocado they used for something else. Crime! French fries. And ZERO coleslaw for my sandwich. Crime! Crime! Crime! (See pics). Thankfully, I opened this one while still there and saw there was no avocado and asked for more. Again, insert loathing eye rolls from the bartender/server. She throws her hands up and goes into the kitchen lighting me up, I'm sure. Hell, I paid $30 for this atrocious meal. If it says avocado, give me sum dayum avocado!!! Sh*t! As mentioned, I had a pineapple juice that I sucked down nearly instantly (which she saw). Not ONCE was I asked if I wanted anything else or even a water. Crime! (See pics). Every time I tried getting her to crane her head out of that dayum phone, I was ignored. Needless to say, I hate her and Plates. Hell, Plates owes me a dayum refund!!! And I'm so pissed I gave a decent tip earlier (before the food came out) Crime! Final assessment: If money and customer service means something to u, go ANYWHERE but here. read more

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I had the salmon BLT, my friend had the same. It was really big,I feel like we could have shared it. But that gave me leftovers so I was okay with that.lol Also had the jerk wings which were baked, although a little greasy and undercooked, I probably should have sent them back but I will try them again, it might have been an off day for the chef.The option of baked over fried for wings is always a plus and many places don't give this option. No drinks on this trip, but it looks like they have a good happy hour for both food and drinks. Pretty decent pricing for huge portions of sandwich. Which is a plus. I think it was about 12-13. The location of the restaurant is definitely a weird one, but its somewhere that I am looking forward to going back to they have a lamb cheesesteak on the menu, sounds like a good thing. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Jerk wings - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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We came here for a work educational happy hour. This was the perfect place for it. We had a bunch appetizers: spanakopita, coconut shrimp, wings, fried calamari, jumbo lump crab dip with crispy pita wedges, dates wrapped with bacon and cheese and meat tray. All of them were delicious. The drinks there are good too. I had the mango margarita, nice and refreshing. I like this place. It was spacious, the staff were friendly the food was good. They even let us us their TV for power point presentation. Overall a great place for our work meeting. read more

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Maybe it was the fact that I had high expectations based on some of the Yelp reviews, but I thought Plates was just okay. My friend and I were confused how to actually enter the restaurant -- turns out you have to enter Merritt's main doors and the entrance is on the right. We started off with the spanikopita and it was delicious! But our entrees were meh. I think Plates suffers from having too many types of food on their menu, but doesn't execute them that well. Their menu has American, Greek, and Mexican food options, which is a strange mix. I ordered the buffalo burger and my friend ordered the salmon burger. My burger was pretty standard, but the fries were oily and undercooked. And my friend said her salmon was kind of dry and she wished there was some kind of sauce on it. Maybe it's safer to stick with the Greek options since our spanikopita was so tasty. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Spanakopita - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I visited this restaurant today with two of my coworkers. (Shoutout to Tiffany for the treat) I had never heard of the place before she mentioned it but decided to give it a try anyway. It's tucked away at the Merrit Atheletic Club, so if you don't know about it it would be hard to just stumble across. The restaurant itself was cute, and it was clean. Our main reason for choosing this place was an online special they had for half priced bottles of wine on Wednesdays. (Today is Wednesday) Aaron (who was great by the way) informed us that the special was no longer in affect, hadn't been for a few weeks and pointed to the black board where the new specials were written. We were definitely disappointed since that's why we came there in the first place. We spoke to the owner (Valanti) to inquire about why the website had the special but it wasn't being honored in the restaurant. I showed him his website from my iPad that had the special on it. He then proceeds to email himself from my iPad (without asking) a picture of what I had on my pad. His lack of asking me for permission irritated me as I said "Yes sir you can use my device to email yourself." Sensing my frustration he sat my pad down and went to the back without sending the email. Never once coming back out to address us whether he would honor the special or not. We had to have Aaron call him to see what he had decided, because he left the restaurant. He did not honor what was on his website which was extremely disappointing. I also thought it was cowardly to not deal with us himself. Without the positive attitude of Aaron and the food being plentyful I would have given this a 2 star rating. Honor your specials or TAKE THEM DOWN! Thanks! read more

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Plates... is fantastic. Adjacent to the Merritt Athletic Club's downtown location, sits Plates, which sports rustic and modern-vintage decor. It's a relatively small restaurant, but never gets too full and busy that it'll turn you away. Food is legit. There's no doubt about it. Everything I've tried so far was excellent. The homemade guacamole and chips were heavenly. The Centerstage shrimp cakes and stuffed eggplants were a delight. The mahi and shrimp tacos were the best tacos I've ever had. And the rockfish was the best bang for the buck. For drinks, check out the watermelon crush -- surprisingly good. In addition, I love that there are daily specials and weekend brunch here as well. For food alone, I'd award Plates a 4/5 rating, but the service here was so outstanding that I had to push it to 5. Servers and wait staff constantly checked up on us, were super attentive, and were very friendly. Most restaurants have servers assigned to specific tables, but at Plates, the standard is higher. No matter who your initial server is, others would also come and check up on you to make sure you're having a blast. read more

I bought the Living Social for this place when I saw the word brunch. I love brunch. I do not love Plates. Thank goodness for the mimosas. Had I realized that this was the place in the gym, I might have skipped the deal altogether. We didn't have reservations, but the place wasn't busy. Still, it took a while to get seated and even longer for the coffee. And they said, they don't have milk - how the heck are they making pancakes without any milk? The menu was appetizing - several styles of Benedict and french toast. Despite the fact that because we were there with a living social, we didn't get to see the full menu, I did get to peruse the abbreviated menu for quite some time while waiting for someone to take our order. I should have realized that a 20 min wait to order isn't a great sign that food will come out quickly. I have to admit that I can get a little hangry when I a waiting for food, but I am not exaggerating. I don't really mind waiting for food as long as it comes out hot... This food did not. I couldn't decide between eggs and pancakes, so I went for both with the Big Bang Thank You Ma'am breakfast - pancakes, eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage AND toast. It was definitely a hearty breakfast as the menu described - probably not all that heart healthy though. The bacon was the best thing on the plate - truth be told, it's sometimes the best thing on the plate when I love by breakfast. The rest was mostly meh... The potatoes had way to much pepper, the watery eggs were quite bland and the pancakes were dry. My friend wasn't super hungry - but she couldn't turn down the caramelized banana french toast. I don't think she even ate more than one slice - which is kinda surprising, since we are both usually members of the clean plate club. You could clearly see that the egg batter did not fully penetrate the bread. And the bananas were cold, and kinda slimy, basically unpalatable. Blech! I didn't complain while I was there - mostly because they seem to have given us their best. It just wasn't that great. Servers were pleasant, but it's bothersome to me that she brought (and took) the check before she cleared my plate. The gym and the ikeambiance does not have me rushing back. read more

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Man did Plates hit the spot this afternoon! My boyfriend and I wanted to try a new lunch joint in a different neighborhood and couldn't pass up Plates based on other Yelp reviews! Everyone hit the nail on the head. Although the place was deserted when we got there right around noon today, there were several tables filled by the time we left. Our waitress was on point, attentive and friendly! The food.... sooooo good! I had the leg of lamb gyro with tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. It was so tender and very flavorful (I got one bite with a whole sprig of rosemary- that woke me up!). It came with the PERFECT fries. Crispy outside, soft inside, already salt and peppered. It's the little things in life, like great french fries that matter most to me! ;) Anyway, my boyfriend devoured his shrimp and crab omelette with home fries as well. So, after a nice cup of coffee and 20% off both plates with a check-in offer, we left with full stomachs and happy souls. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Crab and Shrimp Omelette with home fries. - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Quick pop in for lunch on my first day and the food is simply delicious. I'm doing away with meat but cheated today and had the Peruvian chicken and I promise I wasn't disappointed. It came highly recommended from new coworkers and im very glad I got to check it out. Bon appetit.. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - tables and chairs - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I have been here many times and I keep wanting to like the place, as I like the concept, but this time might be the last. First, the owner Valanti was in and was friendly at first but when he came over to speak to us it was very obvious he was completely trashed and actually left the restaurant with a drink in his hand shortly after. I didn't go in expecting five star gourmet but I wasn't expecting this mess. The guacamole is delicious as is the lamb flatbread, but the Peruvian chicken was super dry...and they charged me for extra sauce to help make the food somewhat enjoyable! The girl behind the bar was nice enough but was on her cell phone while trying to hold a conversation with us. Before I left I told the bartender the restroom was out of soap and she seemed to not care in the slightest. I heard Spanish music louder than I could hear music in the dining room and people in the kitchen yelling in Spanish which was a huge turnoff. Maybe I'll try it again in the future but they need to step up their game. Maintain staff to make it a more comfortable place to go. One guy we very much liked mysteriously disappeared after he said he was going to be gone for a week...he just never showed up again. Same thing happened to another guy before that. I don't know whether or not the owner keeps firing people or they keep quitting, but it makes for a different experience every time and that's not a good thing. Says something about the management doesn't it? read more

Cute little place tucked away inside the MAC with a great happy hour from 3-7 pm. They were even kind enough to let us order more drinks off the happy hour menu at 7:05 lol. There is a huge selection of beers (89?) and other drinks include $6 sangrias, margaritas etc. There's also a 5 for $5 deal where you can pick from a selection of 5 alcohols (like Jim Bean) and can have it on the rocks, with soda/juice or straight. Basically it's like rail drinks except with nice liquor instead of cheap alcohol. There's also a decent selection of foods on the happy hour menu and an extensive list of burgers and sandwiches on their regular menu. Good food, great drinks and even better service! read more

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I've been here for karaoke on Friday and brunch on Sunday. Karaoke is super fun. Its low key on a Friday night. There are not a lot of people, but it is fun, good music. Brunch was great. I honestly think this place is my number one so far in the DMV for chicken and waffles. It was so filling and they had this egg polenta mixture which was quite tasty. One of my friends had the French toast that was supposed to be with bananas (as the menu stated) but apparently they have not carried that for a few years, Strange. She thought the dish was ok. I also had the bottomless sangria. The sangria was good! But its $15. I wish it could be $10-12 pretty please. I'll be back for sure. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Chicken and waffle - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This place was really good. Everything was really well flavored and well balanced (not overly salty in the soup and the food, which is rare in a restaurant!). We came here on V-day and we got their special. We started off with their corn and crab chowder soup, a nice generous bowl and it was really flavorful but again not too salty, SO good! I also got their stuffed eggplant which was nice and healthy and my husband got their surf and turf, a crabcake with lamb chops- both were really good. I would totally come here again, and it's reasonably priced. I can't believe it's been around for over a year and I never heard about it! read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Duck confit salad- really good! - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Went around lunch time, not busy at all. We sat ourselves where we were met by Jessica, very friendly fast and efficient! The menu was excellent they had a little bit of everything that I loved. We had Crab dip, buffalo wings and Crab corn Chowder and they were all delicious! I felt like I was at home drifting into a comfort coma!! So our main course came which was Chicken Florentine and lamb cheesesteak. This Is my second time having chicken Florentine and the first time being from them at a yelp event and its still my favorite new food! My fiancee said the Lamb cheesesteak was good just now what he was expecting from a cheesesteak. He feels like lamb dosent belong in it. But overall we enjoyed ourselves, it was very comfortable and I even got a complimentary glass of Mango Moscato Will definitely be back maybe once a week!!! Even though I live in Columbia, I'm willing to take the drive!! read more

This very intimate and cozy little space is like a really pretty shell you find on the beach. You don't expect to find it, but when you do, it's really beautiful and you're glad you stumbled upon it! First of all the smells coming from the kitchen are intoxicating. Then the waiter starts throwing around terms like "honey Sriracha glaze" and "Wasabi mash potatoes" and you know you've found something exciting to say the least. I settled on the Chicken Gyro with Spinach, feta and orzo on the side; I was not disappointed! It was fantastic, light, but filling, and full of flavor! I will be bringing my friends for happy hour soon because it's so cozy and causal. Over all great place, Great service, Great food......oh....and full bar!!! (did I mention that before lol) read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Great Happy Hour from. 3-7 Mon thru Fri - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Pretty decent food , reasonably priced and proportioned. The location is kinda odd for a restaurant, but it doesn't take away from the good food & prices read more

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I have been here a few times for dine-in and most recently for carryout. The dine-in was okay but carryout is very fast and the chicken tacos are awesome (only $3 on Tuesdays!) They give a generous amount of chicken and it has a yummy spicy sauce. I'll be back to try the fish tacos :) read more

Worst restaurant experience of my life! Visited the location on 9/25 around 1:30pm with a colleague. Informed the waiter that we were waiting for a third. It took a ridiculous amount of time to first be served water, cleaning products were left at the table, we had to ask a number of times for a menu, we were never asked if we wanted anything other than water or if we wanted to order appetizers while we waited. We then waited a ridiculous amount of time to put our order in...to the point where we saw people who'd come in at the same time as our third actually being served. When I finally got the waiters attention and tried to explain our aggravation his response was "I already know how this is going to go and y'all should just leave". We did just that! Never got his name but he knows who he is and he should NOT be in the service industry. PERIOD. read more

The best lamb burger in Baltimore. Also they carry some high end Bourbons. I love this place, good atmosphere and the owner Valanti is an amazing guy. read more

Dear Yelpers!!!!! Get here as quick as you can... oh wait dont get here as quick as you can ( I dont want to share this gem) Nothing ... I cant complain about anything!! Well one thing.. but I will touch that later. But seriously.. perfect spot to hang out. Great bartenders, great drinks, great food, nice clean place. Prices are super! And recieve a 20% off your first plate with your first check in through yelp. I ordered the gaucamole and chip! Whatttttt fresh gauc and freshly made in house pita chips!! yes! What!! My happy hour company ordered the bbq wings and they were 100% on point! Then I had the special steak fajitas. Super fresh tasting everything was great. My cousin had the crab dip. She says is was some of the best she has had. Now on to the drinks... I had Passion Tea and a mojito. They were both perfect. The mint in the mojito was sssssssssssssssssssssooooooooo fresh. Yummy the bartender says they grow it. My cousin had a spiked lemonade, I had a taste of it and it was really good! Come here..apparently they have Karoke. Here's the problem!! Its kinda hidden. Its attached to the Downtown Merritt Club. So you either have to go through the gym doors or come in the door of the deck and come through the back hallway. This is seriously a hidden gem. read more

So me and my friend came here for a dinner one week ago in the evening and it was deserted. What transpired over the next two hours was a rather splendid meal with solid appetisers, drinks and entrees that the server/bartender customised with suggestions to our palette. As someone who doesn't appreciate most kinds of booze/wine, the server introduced me to a couple of things that were rather fabulous and perfect for me. I'm quite sure I'll return here. Excellent service and attentiveness/sensitivity to our idiosyncratic tastes. This place needs the business and you should go. read more

First, the waitress was sweet, funny and very personable. Second, the food was not good. I ordered french toast with caramelized bananas and only after I got my food back did they inform the waitress that they haven't the bananas in 2 years. The gave me strawberries instead but overall, I could have made better at home. Also took a long time for the food to come and on the 30 degree day we were there, it syayed pretty chilly. One friend eventually had to put her coat back on. Also the brunch menu was not even on their website. They need upgrades all around, read more

As previously mentioned Plates is located inside the Merritt Downtown Atheltic Club on Center St. The owners completely redid the restaurant space into a kind of warehouse theme. It works. I've eaten there several times after working out. I always eat light at this time of day. I have had omletes, gyros, hamburgers and such. All are made from fresh ingredients and have been excellent. I request egg whites for the omelets. No problem. They serve fresh egg whites not that stuff in cartons. When my schedule pemits I plan to have some dinners there. Prices are moderate for the excellent quality of the food. Restaurant patrons can park for free on the Club's parking lot. read more

Update: Even after using my voucher for two free entrees and two drinks, plates still charged my card in full. I will never come back to this establishment. read more

4.5 Stars Plates is chock full of friendly staff and great, creative food. I've been here for lunch twice and their set "lunch specials" are a great deal: 8, 9 or 10 buck meals with fries and a drink. Try the lamb gyro or the Mahi burger - both are awesome. Then stare at all the chumps begrudgingly going into the Merritt next door. "No thanks, I'm eating". read more

My boyfriend and I have been exploring new options for dining out in and around Mt. Vernon. We are happy to have discovered this place. At first, we couldn't quite figure out how to enter the restaurant. The patio dining facing Centre St. is a bit deceiving but you must enter through the Merritt Athletic Club. Ha, lure people in after a hard workout! How can anyone resist the wafting smells? The place was empty but the girls behind the counter were friendly and welcoming. I believe the place is operated by a sister-brother team, so if you like family-owned and operated inconspicuous joints with good food, this is the place for you! We shared the spanakopita and lamb cheesesteak (as a wrap). Every bite was awesome! The spanakopita was fresh and flaky and the yogurt dipping sauce was excellent. My boyfriend is Turkish and we both are serious critics of lamb dishes. It was very good; the lamb was tender, juicy, pulled and seasoned just-right. The decor is modern with hints of Mediterranea and the place is very clean. It's a comfortable size but still cozy and has communal seating options, with long tables. I've seen this style in Europe. I gave the place four stars because I cannot attest to the consistency of the food, as I've been only once. Nor can I comment on any other food items. However, we definitely plan on making this place a staple and look forward to trying their breakfast menu. Hopefully enough people hear about Plates to keep them in business but just enough to keep it a local hideaway. Thanks and happy eats! read more

I read the great reviews on yelp and had high expectations for this place. I'm sorry to say that I was a little disappointed. I came here for lunch on a weekday, and it may just be me but it took me a few minutes to find the way inside the restaurant (my friends had a similar problem). Walking from Mt. Vernon make a left before the plates sign, walk into the building, and from inside make a right to go to the restaurant. My friend said her tomato basil soup tasted like tomato soup from a can. I ordered the chicken dish that was the special for the day. It was filling, but dry and not the best. However, the crab cake sandwich was apparently good. read more

Two words...brunch heaven. My friend had the waffles topped with mac & cheese, then topped with pulled pork and then topped with two poached egged. Team that with a spicy but good bloody mary...OMG. I had 3 scrambled eggs topped with Gouda cheese, turkey bacon and 2 turkey sausage links, french toast (with warm maple syrup), regular toast and homes fries. Team that with a couple of mimosas. Yeah it's nap time afterward. Bonus- The staff was friendly and the owner came out and checked on us. Btw, I will be back for the lamb cheese-steak and yes it's on the brunch menu as well. read more

After kissing a bunch of frogs, it's been a long time since we found a prince! This place. Yes! We were here for Baltimore Restaurant week - awesome since we could choose for 3 courses. And with 2 people? That's 6 new dishes to try! Our courses were fabulous! Especially the Mussels and the Calamari! The mussels were full of flavor with bits of tomatoes and chopped onions. If I wasn't so classy, I would have drank that broth like a soup. The calamari was equally good with a mix of crispy and chewy. Tasty! And for dessert, the Baklava rife with honey and sweetness; Flaky, but thicker than the squishy baklava I'm used to. Didn't stop me from eating it all tho! And the Limoncello was a creamy and refreshing finish to a great meal! On top of that, our server was ADORABLY sweet. (but not in your face annoyingly sweet). I wanted a drink, but what to order!? She asked what my favorite flavors are (spicy? Bourbon-y?), a few minutes later, viola! Makers Mark, club soda, St. Germaine and Agave honey. That puppy maybe lasted 5 minutes before completely dumped down my gullet. :) Only drawback was it was a bit weird having to enter through the gym (those "weaker" personalities might feel guilty about the rich food they are about to partake in). But definitely worth the awkward-ness! read more

Very surprised at how delicious the food was. So far the blackened chicken pasta is my favorite. But I have had other selections that come in a close second. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Blackened chicken pasta - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I like Plates and even more so when the bartender gives you her recipe for her Sangria what is not there to love. The past couple of days i have stopped by after Merritt (they adjoin) to order food and grab some Sangria. The Lamb Gyro is the best in the city by a wide margin and trust me i love Samos. The only thing is that its more pricier, but nevertheless its really really good. Good place, great bartender, good food.. Yup my type of place. read more

Very cool concept - a restaurant within an athletic club. We stopped in for a quick dinner before going to Center Stage for a play. Maddie, our server, was an absolute delight - so attentive and friendly. Maddie made us feel like we were the only ones in the restaurant. Our party of 4 enjoyed 2 Leg of Lamb Gyros, a Cheese Quesadilla and a blue cheese burger. We chose a Pinot Grigio, and it was a light and refreshing wine. Food was very tasty and the portions generous. Thank you for a pleasant evening. read more

The staff here is SO friendly. It's a little difficult to find (and park) being connected to the gym, but that's fine. I cam here with a meetup group and there were specials for us, so the prices were awesome. My favorite thing was the wine. The bartender knew a lot and was able to make some great recommendations. He let us try things and he definitely knew the stuff because the wines he had us try were incredible. The food was pretty good. I admit, I had high hopes for the spanikopita and found it to be good but not overly amazing. I regret that I can't remember the other thing we ordered - it was a while ago now. The only other drawback in my view was one guy who had ordered takeout, and he stood behind us waiting for what had to be at least 40-45 minutes. Lucky for him, we got to talking and it wasn't like he was standing super idly by. But I think the staff had lost or forgotten about his order (though they never said this), and we were shocked when we realized he wasn't there for the meetup but had actually been waiting on his order all that time. (Numerous people around us at the bar had ordered food, received it, and eaten it in that time!) And all he had ordered was a basic sub/sandwich. But that was his experience, not mine. Mine was fantastic, and I would definitely return if I were in the area. read more

This place is great. I knew of Plates from a Yelp event last year. Lo and behold I, I came across a Living Social deal for brunch. I did not make a reservation but they were kind enough to take us since we arrived early on Sunday. I ordered 'Big Bang Thank you Mam'' breakfast which consisted of pancakes, eggs, meat (I decided to sub fruit for the meat) and home fries. The pancakes were so good. I was happy they have maple syrup versus regular syrup. The fruit was fresh. Our LS deal also came with a drink. I choose the White Sangria, very good. My bf ordered a chicken gyro and he loved it. Service was great, the food was great, and I love the decor. I cannot wait to come again. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Big Bang Thank you mam minus the meat and a white sangria - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Came for Restaurant Week on a Friday and the place was near empty. The restaurant is hidden inside Merritt Athletic Club so there is barely any street traffic aside from people working out or people who work in the building. Also, they could use a more distinct sign other than the banner posted to the patio. If we hadn't known it was inside Merritt, we would have never found the place. The service was very friendly. As soon as we walked in they took our coats and seated us right away. The food itself was hit or miss. Wins were the chorizo meatballs, the crab cake, and the cheesecake. OMG the cheesecake was pretty amazing and I would go back just for some more of that. The losers were the leg of lamb, which came out kind of cold and dry, and the deconstructed apple pie which wasn't what I pictured. It tasted like homemade chunky apple sauce with phyllo dough. To me, a dessert should make me feel guilty. This almost tasted healthy. I would definitely go back, just for the cheesecake and drinks. The bar area is pretty cute with a chalk board menu O, also, they are closed on Saturdays. read more

Ate here again on the patio when it got warmer outside. Again we were the only ones dining out on the patio! I don't understand why it's always empty here when this place rules. I had the salmon burger which came with a side of fries ($12.00) and my boyfriend had the buffalo chicken wrap with fries ($10.00). Both meals were awesome and the service is always on point. I friggin love this place. read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Buffalo chicken wrap. He said it was on point - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Phat fried chicken waffles were finger licking good! The Mac n cheese waffles were interesting. Must try the mango moscato! read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Mac and cheese waffles with pulled pork and poached eggs - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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We went for an early lunch on a Friday. We were the only ones there as we came in. More came as we were eating and a few came in for carry-out orders. So, we saw a decent lunch crowd. We liked the interior, a bit dark. I'm wondering if it would be too dark in the winter. We went in thru a back patio door, there is outside seating. I guess the front door is the door to the gym and you enter from the gym's front room. I wish that was clear on their website. Food was good. Between the 3 of us we had the crab and shrimp quesadilla, bacon quesadilla and the mahi/shrimp tacos. Quesadillas were great. The tacos had great flavor. A lot of liquid came off and the second taco sat on a very wet plate for a while making it difficult to eat. That was a let down. The veggies in the Mexican rice had to have been frozen. They were not fresh but not awful either. Just fine. It's a bit out of the way for us so I'm not sure if we'll get back any time soon but I would definitely try Plates again when I'm in the area. read more

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In Baltimore there are not many great breakfast places where it wont be completely packed on a Sunday morning. Plates, however, is one of them. Although the line is not out the door the food tastes so good that it should be. I had an excellent omelet that was over-flowing with crab and shrimp. The seafood was extremely fresh and they have a number of crab-featured meals on their menu. The service was excellent as well. Also shout out to Yelp for the 20% off!! I highly recommend stopping by for a weekend brunch! read more

Plates Restaurant & Catering - Shrimp and crab omelet! - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Atmosphere is great...once you figure out how to get inside- no sign on the Merritt Athletic door telling you to enter there. Food was great, as was service. Had the shrimp/crab omelet and they were very accomodating with making changes and adding ingredients. Used Living Social voucher- very easy! Will be back. read more