I was super excited to try Faidley's after doing a lot of research, so it was my first stop after…read morelanding in Baltimore. I was only there for a short time, and this restaurant was at the top of my list.
When we arrived, a very pleasant staff member greeted us. She was patient, knowledgeable about the menu, and even let us sample the soups before we ordered. We got the jumbo lump crab cake, clam chowder, shrimp-stuffed crab, greens, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw. As a seafood lover, I thought the food was absolutely delicious--an easy 10 out of 10. The staff inside also provided great customer service.
Unfortunately, the rest of our experience was disappointing. The patio was the only area with regular seating; inside, the tables are standing tables. We were eating on the patio when the owner came out and took the hot sauce bottle, explaining that we couldn't keep it at the table. She offered to bring us some hot sauce to go, which was fine. About 10 minutes later, she returned and said the patio would need to close soon. It was around 4 p.m., and the restaurant closes at 5:30, so we were surprised. We acknowledged her and continued eating. About 15 minutes later, she came back and asked if we wanted to-go boxes. At that point, we told her we felt rushed. She said she needed to close and lock up the patio. We told her there was no sign posted saying the patio closed early and asked how we were supposed to know. She dismissed our concern and casually replied, "Well, I guess I can put one up."
I believe the owner's name was Nancy, but one of the workers inside told us her name was Eve.
That interaction took away from what had started as a great meal. We had traveled about 40 minutes by Uber, spent over $100, and explained that this was our first visit to Baltimore and the first stop on our itinerary. Even though the food was a 10 out of 10, customer service triumphs over the food for me. I'm spending my hard-earned money, and I expect to feel welcome while doing so. It's sad to say, but I will not be returning.