We loved this place when we visited. We ate the smoked crab cakes, regular crab cakes, and the chef sent over a complimentary dish of his fresh pasta with tomato vodka sauce. It was all delicious! The chef chatted us up as he cooked and our server was also very friendly. After using our Restaurant.com certificate, our meal came out to a very reasonable price.
(5)
Neil O.
We came in here because the owner offered an online coupon. When we arrived the same owner gave us attitude for using the coupon she'd printed. We're there to give her money and she's treating us as second class customers. Good enough food. She uses lots of butter make everything tasty. But never again ..
(1)
Karla P.
This review is from my visit in April 2012. It's never good when you notice that no one is in the restaurant during lunch hour when you drop in to make your reservation for dinner later that evening. A coworker and I were in town for a convention and we both wanna be foodies. He'd heard about this place on the FoodNetwork. Arrived for our dinner reservations and the place was as empty as it had been at lunch earlier that day. We were they only patrons. The menu looked good. We ordered a couple appetizers, including Indonesian mussels and Chesapeake clams in coconut curry broth with focaccia. I remember this one so vividly because it's the one that came with the long human hair in it. The chef took it back to the kitchen, saying it was actually her hair (gag), and brought us another batch. Hair nets in the kitchen people! We also ordered their supposedly world famous Maryland smoked crab cakes which were supposed to come with a brussel sprout slaw, but didn't. We were told after the plate had been delivered that they were out of it. I don't remember what it was served with, but I do remember the feeling of being disappointed. The smoke flavor overpowered the crab taste in my humble opinion. I wish that we had ordered them plain, not smoked. Overall my experience was not stellar. The executive chef and our waitress were chatty, which in itself is not unwelcome, but they seem to complain a lot of various things. One top complaint was the recent influx of groupon customers and how she'd never do that again. Iono, seeing as her restaurant was less than 10% filled both times I was there, maybe she shouldn't be complaining so much about people coming to her establishment. If their experiences had been good then she, in theory, would have more customers. Just sayin. The wine list was decent.
(2)
Mark H.
Date night this week was at Pierpoint. This was my first trip to this Fells Point staple. It was a typical night in Fells with no parking, but Pierpoint has a "private lot" that makes parking a breeze. We started out with a crab cake (smoked) and although others are larger, none have tasted better .... Best in town paired with a really nice corn cake. Then we shared Thai mussels and clams ... They were the small, sweet variety and some of the best I have ever had as well. Apps are the stars at Pierpoint. I had the Maryland Chicken with cheese grits .... Above average but they added a sauce that was a little thick that took away from a really nice dish. My date had John Dory with lobster risotto ... Tasted great, but overall a bit rich. A bit more balance to the plate would have made a good dish absolutely amazing. The quality of the food was excellent, but it was almost like too much of a good thing at times. Bread pudding was great and the coffee was strong and good. Service was really knowledgeable, personable, and fun. They apologized because there was a large party there tonight, but in my opinion, they did a fantastic job juggling. Chef Nancy was busy all night but she took time to engage her customers. I am looking forward to returning ... Probably on a weeknight. I definitely recommend giving Pierpoint a try. It is kitchy, yet intimate. I felt like it was a real place for locals.
(4)
Marc V.
We didn't know what to expect when we stopped into this into this intimate spot -- it felt like a bar, restaurant and kitchen were dropped into someone's home. The smoked crab cakes are as good as everyone is saying. We also had pork belly dumplings with the most amazing seaweed salad. Our server, Brooke, was fantastic. If you're looking for a low key place with great food before a loud night out, you've found the spot.
(4)
Katherine F.
Opening day for the Orioles. The places we were told to go to were either all booked or didn't do reservations. My group of 5, ages 7 to 77 wanted really good food, great crab cakes and a fair price. This place was it! A short walk from the marriot, owner/chef Nancy welcomed us in with literal open arms. Welcome to my home she said, and we were. Food was cooked just for us, nothing pre done. The bread was homemade and delicious! Andrea, our server was adorable! Diver scallops were ordered by 2 of us and we wanted more than the already generous portion. Nancy made a plate of spaghetti for my 7 yr old who "doesn't do seafood"! Everything was delicious. Even the wilted spinach!!!! I would definitely go back. And if you get to sit near the kitchen. Nancy has the most comfortable chairs and pillows to sit on!!!!!! Thank you Nancy. Thank you.
(4)
Jim W.
Ate there tonight with my girlfriend and her parents. We do a it of restaurant hopping around Baltimore and made reservations here last second and on a whim. It's not flashy or anything like that but two quote two different important parts of my life "function over form" from the military (like I said it's not terribly flashy), and "evvvverything is aweeeeesome" (the Lego movie). Seriously, everything from start to finish was fantastic. Food, service, attitude...whole 9 yards. I'd never had a smoked crab cake until tonight, and now I don't think I can have one any other way. BTW the chef is also the Ravens chef, so she really knows what she's doing. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Mitch S.
I am only able to review this for the cooking classes as that was all we were there for. We went on a Sunday afternoon for a cooking class to learn to make some rather unhealthy but delicious appetizers. Chef Nancy had everything laid out and ready to go. She explained the different recipes and some information about them (7 or so in total) and we divided up the work. All prep work was done in groups, however the final stages of cooking or rolling out the dough etc was done as a group so that everyone got a chance to try it and learn. The chef was quirky but clearly enjoyed cooking and showing new methods to us amateurs. I learned some new tips including how to easily chop an onion - that one alone might change my life. (Or at least my dinner). The food was good and Chef never rushed us even though she was prepping to open for dinner almost immediately after we left. We met some great friends and had a good time, all in all it was a solid afternoon and we will be back.
(4)
Anne O.
I went to Pierpoint twice in January and both times it was fantastic. I am the pickiest person and I loved everything I ate - especially the smoked crabcakes and the shrimp and grits. I HIGHLY recommend!
(5)
Diane J.
How the hell is this place still open? Disgusting disgusting ugly ugly poor service awful. Please please go away.
Not recommended! Overpriced and food was nothing special. The squash soup came out with about a half inch of oil on the top, and I almost immediately was not feeling well after eating it. Made me sick that night. I will definitely not be coming back here. The only positive I have to say is that the service was good, with a very attentive and friendly waitress.
This place is terrible, don't go. Came in for brunch on a Sunday and nobody was there, should have been a dead giveaway. The decor is terrible and their were fruit flys buzzing around our table. I ordered the crab cake eggs benedict and the crab meat wasn't even cooked and the english muffin was not toasted. Just terrible, I couldn't take more than two bites. I'm not a complainer but this place was not good. Please take my word for it and don't go.
(1)
Jay G.
A great little secret in Fells Point. My friends and I could not get over the yummy food. We had the cioppino, smoked crabcakes, morrocan lamb chops, and the rockfish special. Everything was delicious. The place is small which is really nice. The service was great. The wine list was excellent. All in all we had a wonderful evening. Looking at the other reviews I'm wondering if they went someplace else??? We didn't have any complaints and are looking forward to going again. Thanks Chef Longo!
(5)
Mike D.
Had the pleasure of going to a friends wedding that pierpoint catered. They were serving lots of delicious small bites... crab cakes, scallops, shrimp, pulled pork mini sliders, cheeses, and many more! All employees were extremely professional and friendly and we were very happy with it. After meeting the owner, Nancy, that night... we decided to check out the restaurant in fells point. She was very accommodating and prepared us a great tasting menu (if you have a big group, call the restaurant and talk to Nancy about what you're looking for and what budget and I'm sure that she'll work to create a great experience) I believe everything she served us is on their main menu but we got tasting size plates.. everything was so tasty! lobster mac and cheese (AMAZING), crab cakes, filet mignon, lamb chops, salad, shrimp, desert, and a variety of other little treats! The kitchen is only separated by a half wall to the restaurant so it makes it gives the restaurant a very friendly interactive vibe.
(4)
Clare M.
Worst dinning experience I have had in 5 years in Baltimore! We have been to pierpoint quite a few times over the past few years and at first it was great - good food, good price, good service - but has been consistently going downhill and the dinner we had last Sunday was nothing short of horrendous! :( First we were the ONLY customers in the restaurant at 7pm on Sunday night so we thought that would mean good service but not so much. First off were given waters that were lukewarm and had to ask multiple times for bread. But what was worse was the food quality. We ordered the squash trio soup (which used to be great) but this time it was thick and chunky like it had been made a few days ago and warmed up in the microwave. My mother and I got the diver scallops (which also used to be good) which were terrible - they were tiny (one of mine was about a inch big) and not cooked well. The accompanying spinach tasted rotten (not wilted) and instead of the usual multiple raviolis on the side there was only ONE ravioli per plate. My sister got the crab soup which really tasted like vegetable soup with a fishy aftertaste and her perogies (of which there were only five) were served swimming in a bowl of thick overly rich cream sauce. Its possible they just had a really busy saturday night and were running low on their stock but what was unbelievable to me is that they made no apologies for the poor quality of the food (old re-heated soup, tiny scallops, lack of raviolis) and in fact tried to pass it off as an acceptable meal (at full price - $24). Furthermore our waitress spent the entire time in the back complaining to the cook how she "couldn't wait to leave" as we could clearly hear their conversation from our table (esp since we were the ONLY customers in the restaurant!). At one point we had to walk up to the bar to ask for refills on our drinks because she didn't come back even once during our meal to check on us. REALLY disappointing meal. We will never be going back to Pierpoint :(
(1)
Rachel K.
The worst overpriced crab cake I've ever had. Duff Goldman must have been paid off when he recommended this place on the Food Network
(1)
Todd B.
Like other reviewers here, I went on a week day evening and found the restaurant empty. I honestly was the only customer, which is always kind of weird. Nothing makes you feel like a loser more than going to an empty restaurant alone! ha (I did go around 6 pm). Despite this, the meal and the experience was excellent. I'm not sure why some reviewers rated the restaurant with lower stars, or why there were so few people there. I understand that the owner / chef is a local celebrity and well known for her unique creations. Food Network featured the smoked crab cakes, which truly are worth the experience alone. I chose these for dinner, and a bowl of the amazing 3 squash soup which was pure heaven. Three types of pureed squash, leeks, bacon and goat cheese were combined into a savory creamy soup that I'm still thinking about after a week. Brooke was my server, and she was incredibly friendly, helpful and made the kind of strange experience very inviting and fun. I left my wallet in the hotel room accidentally, and rather than showing distrust by asking me to leave my phone or license, she trusted me until I returned. Great service, great food.
(4)
Melanie A.
Come for the smoked crab cakes, best in Baltimore! The waitress is super sweet and the place is full of locals on a quiet section of Aliceanna. No need to get super dressed up, it's a casual comfy kind of place.
(4)
Bob J.
20 plus years in business is impressive. But the decor and design of the space looks that old. This place is in desperate need of a refresh. Good food and friendly service but again I don't think I'd return because of the atmosphere.
(2)
Maria C.
My boyfriend made reservations for my birthday dinner, just him and I. When we arrived to the restaurant it was literally just him and I. That was quite ok, it was superbowl sunday and the cook and hostess made it great. The cook even joked that my boyfriend was able to clear the entire restaurant for me... lol. I ordered the mussels and clams for starters. It was so yummy, although a tad bit salty. The smoked crab cake was awesome! It's an older building, so it is small and could use a bit of updating but cozy nonetheless. I really enjoyed my evening and the service.
I had a great dinner at Pierpoint. It was a Tuesday night and the place was pretty empty. We had appetizers, entrees, and desert. My lamb was spectacular and I found our waitress to be SO informative in answering all questions and being informative. What I will say is that the food is formal and the atmosphere is casual. I actually really appreciate that, but I think it can be off-putting to some people. I see a lot of the reviews weren't that impressed with food and I'm sad to see that. I think it's soild 4-4.5 star food. Yes, not so mind-blowing that I can't stop thinking about it, but very very good. Also, the chef was fantastic about my allergies and our waitress was truly entertaining. I wouldn't think twice about going back.
(4)
Amy C.
One of my friends and fellow elite Yelpers (Ian C.) had been talking about Pierpoint ever since he saw it featured on The Food Network. So when we spent the weekend in Baltimore, we made brunch reservations. Having spent my childhood in Baltimore, I have tasted my fair share of crab cakes (and crab fluff) so I was excited to see what all the hype was about. However, I never had smoked crab cakes before and it was a new concept to me. Half of our party ordered the crab cakes eggs benedict and the other half ordered the crab cake sandwich (I was one of them). I liked the texture of the smoked crab meat and it tasted fine, but I didn't think it was anything special. It could have used some Old Bay. The bread that it was served on was stale. Other than that, the presentation and proportions were perfect. Service was great, too.
(3)
Richard N.
Can I Say Smoked Blue Crab Cakes Oh YEAH !!! - It's the reason we came. Took my mother-in-law and my daughter and her best friend here after shopping for Prom Dresses all over DC & Maryland. Amazing meal and 3 of us had the crab cakes, one had the Moroccan lamb chops. It was just one of those must have's while in Baltimore. Looking forward to another visit when we get back to the DC area again to visit mom. It's a very intimate restaurant, not a lot of tables. Chatted with Nancy after our meal - we closed down the restaurant with her. It was a very nice evening..
(5)
Mimi C.
We had a cooking class taught by Chef Nancy on a weeknight. The restaurant was closed to other customers and our group of 8 had it all to ourselves. Edward at the bar gave us drinks, and her other chef, Eric, also helped. First, she went over the recipes of the food we'd be making. There were a lot of typos in her recipes and she gave some explanation about how difficult it was for creative types to be a certain way. I don't remember her exact wording - organized is boring? After going over the food we'd be making and answering questions, we put on the blue aprons provided and split into two groups. One led by Chef Nancy and one led by Eric. Rolling the dough for ravioli with Eric was pretty fun and he was ready to fix things when the dough started to stretch too thin. The downside of being in two separate groups was you didn't get firsthand experience with the food the other group was preparing. Eric was really nice and totally calm about the dough stretching to thin but sometimes, Chef Nancy seemed a bit on edge like when someone added too many tomatoes to the salad. The food we made was delicious because we sat down to dinner after we prepared it. A couple women in our group didn't eat red meat so Eric grilled up some chicken for them when Chef Nancy found out after we were seated which was adaptable and thoughtful of them. Chef Nancy does use olive oil but she seems happily oblivious to recent health food trends of white meats and whole grains. The foods we prepared made no pretensions of having health benefits except maybe the salad and the blueberries sprinkled around our chocolate dessert. My memories of 7th grade Home Economics class is faint but I'm pretty sure that my teacher was more organized but the food we made at Pierpoint was more complex. Even though it seemed like Chef Nancy had been teaching cooking classes for a while, I think that the class could be more polished. Recipes without typos, no references to problems from Sunday's class, and not knowing where the greens for the salad went. The food was tasty but as a class, it could've been smoother.
(2)
Gerry S.
I've been meaning to try Pierpoint for some time now. I wish I could say it was worth the wait. Down-in-the-heels is my overall impression of the place, I guess. The kitchen is open to the small dining room, and when I walked in the front door, my first impression was the smell of old kitchen. You know that smell: pilot lights and slightly stale oil. We were the only patrons there at 8:15 on a Tuesday night, so maybe if we'd been there for Saturday brunch and the place was packed, I'd be talking about the wonderful smell of cooking food that greeted me in the door. In this case, not so much. Likewise with the food. Just about everything we ate tonight was a solid miss. We started with the "Baltimore Bento" appitizer: a mix of their seafood specialties served in a bento box. The coddies in the appetizer were still frozen in the middle, and had to be sent back. The clams casino tasted slightly old, and the smoked crabcake to my taste was reminiscent of old bacon. The fried oysters, however, were lovely. A nice crisp cornmeal crust robed a beautifully fresh oyster. Not a thing wrong with that. I ordered the fried chicken with grits and warm greens, and my husband ordered the pork chop, which came with wilted greens. In both cases, "greens" turned out to mean "spinach," which I suppose was fine, but wasn't what either of us were expecting. My spinach preparation was ok, though for some reason I found the balsamic reduction used with the greens to be a little offputting. My husband's spinach was probably the star of the evening. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what the preparation was, but it included sausage and (I thnk) chili. It was completely unexpected, and I inhaled it. Husband also thought the pork was quite tasty. My chicken was well cooked, but both it and the grits were utterly unremarkable. I agree with one of the other reviews on here: had I been at an Applebee's, I would have felt like I got a decent meal. As it was, the food definitely fell short of expectation. Dessert was a brioche bread pudding with pralines. A decent enough dessert, I suppose, except that again it was still cold in the middle. Swing, and a miss.
Let me start by saying I had wanted to try this restaurant for so long after hearing friends and critics alike sing its, and its chef/owner, Nancy Longo's, praises. So, I suppose I had a bit of an expectation. Had I had this meal at Chilis, or a pub of some sort, I would have been happy because it would have met expectations. This did not meet expectations for the price we paid and all the kudos I'd heard about it. When we arrived at 4:15, we were the only table. I will say that we were greeted heartily and graciously. Another couple walked in a little while later. Long story short, we did not get served our meals until 5:30. And no, we didn't order appetizers. The waitress took a while to get around to us (she was the only server on staff) and was slow to refill our drinks. We were right by the kitchen, which normally is fine by me, but it was sweltering hot in there, and our ice water was room temp. No apologies at all or explanation as to why our food took so long. As another reviewer wrote, the side dishes on the menu are to be 'trusted,' because I guess a restaurant that's been in business that long must know more about food than me, a lowly patron, right? My side dish was supposed to be a gorgonzola and fingerling potato hash with a side of veggies. Sounds delish, right? Except that what came out on my plate were 3 fingerling potatoes, BAKED, and steamed veggies. Trust you? Because you can bake tiny potatoes and operate a veggie steamer? Again, no explanation as to WHY my sides were not as published or where my stinky cheese went. Finally, the tenderloin. I ordered medium. It came out well done. Absolutely unacceptable if you ask me, for the kind of prices they charge. I was so starved by the time the food came, I didn't even bother to tell the waitress (of course, she didn't really come by quickly anyway). This place is supposedly revered in town, and they can't cook a simple piece of meat to medium temperature? That's restaurant 101. The crabcakes are supposed to be fantastic, and my father ordered one. It was good, I'll say that, but small, and came out on a stark white plate with a brown corn cake beside it. No garnish. No Green. No fresh herbs. No amazing sauce. Nothing. It was presentation at its worst. And Elizabeth Large used to looooove this place? This could have been a go-to place for us when we're looking for a nice place to dine on the weekends, but sadly, Outback can cook a better steak for me for half the price. They won't be getting any return visits from us, or any of our friends whom I was quick to tell to steer away from. OVERRATED.
(2)
Ian C.
Finally, after like almost a year, I made it to Pierpoint. What is so special about it? Oh, I don't know. But, I saw it on one of the episodes of "Best Thing I Ever Ate" and Duff of Charm City Cakes (and Ace of Cakes) said that this place had one of his favorite brunch items-- the eggs benedict on top of their signature smoked crab cakes. So, not being from Baltimore, I felt like if I ever made it down there, I would come here to try it. I wasn't too intrigued about the eggs benedict part of it; i mean, I've eaten eggs benedict several times. But the smoked crab was interesting and I had never heard of smoking crab meat. It was fantastic. The eggs were perfectly cooked (at least to my liking)-- the yolk was runny, but did not just gush out once i cut into it. The hollandaise was terrific. And of course, the crab was excellent. It was one of the best brunch items I have ever eaten. Thanks for the recommendation, Duff.
(5)
Becky M.
I just took a Thai cooking class with my husband at Pierpoint. I had only eaten there a couple times in the past, but I remembered the food being really good. The class was great. I don't cook a lot, so I learned basic techniques for chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and grilling. Others who were more experience were learning some more advanced tricks. Chef Nancy and her helper, Eric, were both very nice and patient. Nancy has been in the chef industry for a long time and her experience shined through in her teaching. She started by listing all of the key ingredients to keep around the house for cooking Thai food. She then walked through each of the recipes before we all started cooking. I loved that the majority of the course was hands on. Most people enjoyed a beer or a glass of wine while everything finished cooking. Then we sat down and ate the meal we cooked. The food was amazing! I will definitely be signing up for more cooking classes at Pierpoint.
After walking past this place several times over the last year we finally decided to try Pierpoint the other night because we had a restaurant.com certificate. I must say that, coming from a city like Chicago where the list of great restaurants is endless, I was worried that I may not be able to find the same dining experiences here in Baltimore. But Pierpoint did a good job of alleviating my concerns. We walked in and the chef greeted us. It's not every day you see a chef out of the kitchen. We were quickly showed our seats and offered focaccia while we looked at the menu. I settled on a shrimp special they were offering that day and my boyfriend ordered the pork loin. We were both quite hungry and very excited for our meals. When our food arrived the presentation was great and the taste to match. The sauce on my dish was a little saltier than my preference and the black rice was a bit underdone but the seafood was cooked well and all the elements worked well together. The pork loin was a very generous portion and served atop wilted spinach and an apple pancake which complimented the pork very well. After such successful entrees and because I had been craving bread pudding for some time now we decided to order the bread pudding. It was outstanding. The praline topping had this interesting bitter after taste that actually worked well. All in all it was a great dining experience. The waitress was very helpful, the atmosphere was cozy and the food was delicious. I would not only return again but I'd definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Faith P.
Chef Nancy Longo is quite a character! My bf and I went in to sit at the cozy bar for supper and wine (he left me high and dry and went with beer so I resorted to wine by the glass). Upon our arrival chef was working the foh that night, so she sat us, watered us, and chatted us up throughout the meal. Service was impeccable with great beer and wine. We started with the Balto Box appetizer, perfect for sharing and definitely true to what we think of Baltimore! Perfectly fried oysters, lovely crab cake, clams with bacon, nice sauces, etc. For dinner he had the scallops with gorgonzola ravioli, seemed strange so he ordered it. Unfortunately the scallops appeared to be boiled (think grandmas scallops) rather than seared, there was a mess of balsamic vinegar all over the place that wasn't reduced far enough, the ravioli were great, but cheese and scallops was off putting and they didn't appear to be house made. I had the duck egg rolls with Longolian BBQ sauce, as the bartender suggested. The sauce was killer, I too would bathe in it just as the bartender said she would. The egg rolls were so so. I give her three stars because I expected tighter technique, will definitely give it another shot and try that famous smoked crab cake!
(3)
SK K.
My review is based on two visits to Pierpoint and both times I had the crab cakes, so it is solely based on one food item. The fact that i went there twice on our two day vacation to Baltimore speaks for how good the crab cake was. The place is kind of stand alone and doesn't look too big from the outside. Once inside, there is plenty of room, with seating around the bar and then larger tables in the back. The restaurant is run by very friendly staff which seemed happy to be there. Me and my daughter got to spend time with Nancy, who is the chief chef and the owner of the place, and she is a great host and a charming, down to earth person. The crab cakes seemed a bit expensive, but was definitely worth the $16. Like I said, i haven't tried anything else on the menu, but based on the one item I did try, this place will be on my go-to place next time I will be in Baltimore.
(4)
Alexa T.
We had a wonderful dinner here after Preakness. Interestingly, the entire restaurant was filled with Preakness goers! Here is the low-down: Private parking lot, you have to call when you arrive, they come out with a big spoon with a key attached to unlock it for you--strange, yes--but comforting to know that in B-town your car is in a locked parking lot (whew). Somehow knowing that someone had to walk over and unlock it made us feel special. The server was AMAZING, seriously, we loved her. She recommended several things on the menu, but honestly, why would you come here and get anything other than the famous crab-cakes? You can get the smoked (house smoked) crab cake or the traditional crab cake (I would suggest getting both, they were fantastic). However, my favorite part of the meal were these Pumpkin "Pier-ogies " - pumpkin and butternut squash dumplings with gorgonzola cream, pine nuts white truffle oil---get the HELL out, seriously, this dish ALONE is worth the trip from NOVA to this restaurant and guarantee a return trip. We loved the attention to detail with the flavors, the unique dishes and quiet atmosphere. With all the bustle--read, too many people-- in the VA suburbs (and the culinary desert happening there), we may just come back to this very homey, delightful place.
(5)
Tricia S.
This place is filthy and a known attractor of rats. The chef is a crass woman and doesn't know when to leave customers alone. The dining room smells like a dirty fryer. Terrible experience.
(1)
Ross T.
The service started out worse than the food, the food quickly caught up. Read on for my full experience. I will not be returning to this restaurant nor recommending it to any friends. After seeing this restaurant highlighted on The Food Network with the best crab cake Duff Goldman had ever eaten my girlfriend and I decided to give it a try. Our reservation was for 7:45 on Saturday night. We arrived to a small 9 table restaurant that felt empty although the tables were occupied and were greeted by Chef Nancy who seemed very flustered and even stated they were swamped. After being seated and given menus the single waitress disappeared. She seemed to be running around like a chicken whose head had recently been removed and it was difficult to tell if she was actually accomplishing anything. Many frustrating minutes later she returned for our order, we gave her drinks and food at the same time because it took so long. Our drink order was quickly forgotten by the waitress who needed a reminder after 5+ minutes to make a gin and tonic and pour a glass of wine. Soup came out, crab soup with SURPRISE BACON. My girlfriend does not eat pork, so figuring it would take 10 more minutes to get something different we switched soups and I ate hers. When the chef walked by I asked what the meat was in the soup, she quickly replied "Bacon, how Baltimore does Crab Soup" -- Sorry Chef but I have lived in Baltimore and been eating Crab soup for over 20 years. Yours was the first to ever contain bacon. And if you are going to put surprise meat in a dish list it on the menu. On to the Crab Cake. We ordered one of each crab cake (smoked and traditional) and John Dory (Fish). The smoke flavor tasted like lighter fluid and was not appetizing in anyway while the traditional was just ok and rather bland, and I am sorry Duff but the if this is best crab cake you have ever eaten you need go...ummm...anywhere else that makes crab cakes. The fish was over cooked and very uninteresting. Overall the service was as poor as the food and certainly not worth the $100 bill for 2 people. I throughout my left overs when I got home and wont be going back.
(1)
Rachel O.
What a disappointment! My boyfriend recommended this place because the food is good... and it was.... but totally not worth it. There were two other couples in the restaurant and we got "the look" when we said we didn't have reservations. So there are a few asterisks on the menu. One of which reminds you to tell your server of any food allergies, and the other tells you to just trust them with whatever accompanies your dish. Having allergies and being a picky eater I was already starting to question this place. So I told the waiter of my allergies and asked him what came with each dish. His answer to everything was, "Yeah i dint remember." There was no offer to check. I had to even remind him to ask the chef. So some appetizers can be served as double portions to make it an entree. I decided to go with the diver scallops and the seafood salad. Our server said those were both big dishes and it'd be okay if I was REALLY hungry. So the salad came out first - a bowl of lettuce and three pieces of seafood on it. I didn't mind so much because I had intended it to be an appetizer. When my scallops came out, I was very confused. There were 4 very small scallops on a plate with literally two half pieces of ravioli. I even asked the server if that was the double portion. His response was some verbal diarrhea about how diver scallops are difficult to find because you have to dive for them. My boyfriend was happy with his meal (oyster stew and shrimp grits). Both of those were listed as appetizers. 2 appetizers, a side salad, 4 scallops, and 2 glasses of wine -$90 If you're in the mood for good food at a ridiculous price and crap server, come on down. Otherwise.... don't bother
(2)
Matt M.
We ended up here because of a restaurant.com coupon. The servers were awesome. Extremely friendly and quick (granted we were one of two tables in the restaurant on a Thursday night). The food is kind of on the expensive side, but it's very good. Crab cakes were tasty and had lots of crab without a lot of filling. Brussel sprout salad on the side was good, fries were meh. The reason this place isn't a 4 is the atmosphere and bathroom. Usually when you go to a nice restaurant with pretty expensive food, you at least expect the bathroom to be somewhat nice. Unfortunately that wasn't the case here. I think if they did a little bit to update the restaurant (and especially the bathroom), it would go a long way. The food is there, the service is there, now give me a little atmosphere.
(3)
Sandy B.
Went for Sunday brunch. Had the crab cake eggs benedict. Was good. $15 When my dish was delivered, my friend was told they were out of whatever she ordered. So I waited for her to get her dish -- and my eggs benedict were cool by the time she got her french toast, which she liked. (under $10) The waiter didn't have answers for several easy questions about the menu (like what fruit was being served on the plates -standard at brunch), took a long time to handle the payment, yada yada. The bathroom wasn't sparkling. I prefer to see a sparkling bathroom. Chef was talkative with the guests -- an interesting change. The air temp was too low for me, and we were even close to the kitchen. The marble-top tables were cold to the touch, so leaning on them, meant you got cold arms. My friend wore her jacket to be warm. I stuck it out with just a long sleeve shirt, but was delighted when we left and we got in a car, which immediately felt warmer. The menu prices weren't on the website. Indeed, I don't recall even seeing the crabcake eggs benedict on the brunch menu online. Perhaps they were there -- but that means that the online menu wasn't even featuring the main dish I hear this place is famous for. The menu at the restaurant could have been laid out a tad more invitingly -- an easy fix from a good graphic artist. The parking lot that the website said to use, was chained closed. We did manage to get free on-street parking, though. Due to the hard surfaces in the room, it can seem that the sounds from other people at other tables are loud. Someone came in the front and was loudly talking with the staff, and it overwhelmed the small restaurant. One time, when I was talking and no one at the other tables was talking, I was keenly aware that they probably heard every word, clearly. So don't go with someone who has a hearing problem, or doesn't want their mealtime chat overheard at the next table. It's a small restaurant. Don't come with a big group. Think 1-4 people. There are so many other restaurants to try, I'd go somewhere else next time. But, if you've never had crab meat with your eggs benedict, and if this is the one place that has it, go, try it.
(3)
Deirdre M.
Went to Pierpoint for dinner and enjoyed the smoked crabcakes. Also ordered the Anitpasto and except for the prosciutto which was too salty and chewy, I enjoyed that also. Would have given the restaurant 5 stars if the prosciutto was better. I need to mention that the service was top quality. And I will return.
(4)
D P.
Best Crab cakes I have ever eaten!! The corn chowder is also excellent!! If you are looking for crab cakes, look no further!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Natasha K.
We loved this place when we visited. We ate the smoked crab cakes, regular crab cakes, and the chef sent over a complimentary dish of his fresh pasta with tomato vodka sauce. It was all delicious! The chef chatted us up as he cooked and our server was also very friendly. After using our Restaurant.com certificate, our meal came out to a very reasonable price.
(5)Neil O.
We came in here because the owner offered an online coupon. When we arrived the same owner gave us attitude for using the coupon she'd printed. We're there to give her money and she's treating us as second class customers. Good enough food. She uses lots of butter make everything tasty. But never again ..
(1)Karla P.
This review is from my visit in April 2012. It's never good when you notice that no one is in the restaurant during lunch hour when you drop in to make your reservation for dinner later that evening. A coworker and I were in town for a convention and we both wanna be foodies. He'd heard about this place on the FoodNetwork. Arrived for our dinner reservations and the place was as empty as it had been at lunch earlier that day. We were they only patrons. The menu looked good. We ordered a couple appetizers, including Indonesian mussels and Chesapeake clams in coconut curry broth with focaccia. I remember this one so vividly because it's the one that came with the long human hair in it. The chef took it back to the kitchen, saying it was actually her hair (gag), and brought us another batch. Hair nets in the kitchen people! We also ordered their supposedly world famous Maryland smoked crab cakes which were supposed to come with a brussel sprout slaw, but didn't. We were told after the plate had been delivered that they were out of it. I don't remember what it was served with, but I do remember the feeling of being disappointed. The smoke flavor overpowered the crab taste in my humble opinion. I wish that we had ordered them plain, not smoked. Overall my experience was not stellar. The executive chef and our waitress were chatty, which in itself is not unwelcome, but they seem to complain a lot of various things. One top complaint was the recent influx of groupon customers and how she'd never do that again. Iono, seeing as her restaurant was less than 10% filled both times I was there, maybe she shouldn't be complaining so much about people coming to her establishment. If their experiences had been good then she, in theory, would have more customers. Just sayin. The wine list was decent.
(2)Mark H.
Date night this week was at Pierpoint. This was my first trip to this Fells Point staple. It was a typical night in Fells with no parking, but Pierpoint has a "private lot" that makes parking a breeze. We started out with a crab cake (smoked) and although others are larger, none have tasted better .... Best in town paired with a really nice corn cake. Then we shared Thai mussels and clams ... They were the small, sweet variety and some of the best I have ever had as well. Apps are the stars at Pierpoint. I had the Maryland Chicken with cheese grits .... Above average but they added a sauce that was a little thick that took away from a really nice dish. My date had John Dory with lobster risotto ... Tasted great, but overall a bit rich. A bit more balance to the plate would have made a good dish absolutely amazing. The quality of the food was excellent, but it was almost like too much of a good thing at times. Bread pudding was great and the coffee was strong and good. Service was really knowledgeable, personable, and fun. They apologized because there was a large party there tonight, but in my opinion, they did a fantastic job juggling. Chef Nancy was busy all night but she took time to engage her customers. I am looking forward to returning ... Probably on a weeknight. I definitely recommend giving Pierpoint a try. It is kitchy, yet intimate. I felt like it was a real place for locals.
(4)Marc V.
We didn't know what to expect when we stopped into this into this intimate spot -- it felt like a bar, restaurant and kitchen were dropped into someone's home. The smoked crab cakes are as good as everyone is saying. We also had pork belly dumplings with the most amazing seaweed salad. Our server, Brooke, was fantastic. If you're looking for a low key place with great food before a loud night out, you've found the spot.
(4)Katherine F.
Opening day for the Orioles. The places we were told to go to were either all booked or didn't do reservations. My group of 5, ages 7 to 77 wanted really good food, great crab cakes and a fair price. This place was it! A short walk from the marriot, owner/chef Nancy welcomed us in with literal open arms. Welcome to my home she said, and we were. Food was cooked just for us, nothing pre done. The bread was homemade and delicious! Andrea, our server was adorable! Diver scallops were ordered by 2 of us and we wanted more than the already generous portion. Nancy made a plate of spaghetti for my 7 yr old who "doesn't do seafood"! Everything was delicious. Even the wilted spinach!!!! I would definitely go back. And if you get to sit near the kitchen. Nancy has the most comfortable chairs and pillows to sit on!!!!!! Thank you Nancy. Thank you.
(4)Jim W.
Ate there tonight with my girlfriend and her parents. We do a it of restaurant hopping around Baltimore and made reservations here last second and on a whim. It's not flashy or anything like that but two quote two different important parts of my life "function over form" from the military (like I said it's not terribly flashy), and "evvvverything is aweeeeesome" (the Lego movie). Seriously, everything from start to finish was fantastic. Food, service, attitude...whole 9 yards. I'd never had a smoked crab cake until tonight, and now I don't think I can have one any other way. BTW the chef is also the Ravens chef, so she really knows what she's doing. We will definitely be back.
(5)Mitch S.
I am only able to review this for the cooking classes as that was all we were there for. We went on a Sunday afternoon for a cooking class to learn to make some rather unhealthy but delicious appetizers. Chef Nancy had everything laid out and ready to go. She explained the different recipes and some information about them (7 or so in total) and we divided up the work. All prep work was done in groups, however the final stages of cooking or rolling out the dough etc was done as a group so that everyone got a chance to try it and learn. The chef was quirky but clearly enjoyed cooking and showing new methods to us amateurs. I learned some new tips including how to easily chop an onion - that one alone might change my life. (Or at least my dinner). The food was good and Chef never rushed us even though she was prepping to open for dinner almost immediately after we left. We met some great friends and had a good time, all in all it was a solid afternoon and we will be back.
(4)Anne O.
I went to Pierpoint twice in January and both times it was fantastic. I am the pickiest person and I loved everything I ate - especially the smoked crabcakes and the shrimp and grits. I HIGHLY recommend!
(5)Diane J.
How the hell is this place still open? Disgusting disgusting ugly ugly poor service awful. Please please go away.
(1)Bob L.
I've got mixed emotions when it comes to Pierpoint. On the one hand, it's a local spot with local flavor and a talented and respected executive chef. On the other hand, it's expensive (not surprisingly), the location/space isn't exactly the best and the food is just this side of average. We had a Restaurant.com coupon for this place for over a year now and we finally decided to use it for an early Tuesday evening dinner. We made our reservation on OpenTable.com mostly because the coupon required us to but also because of the points. We walked down and got there just in time for our 5:30pm slot. We entered the restaurant and were immediately greeted by our smiling hostess/waitress/server. Two things I noticed right away. 1.) The place was completely empty and 2.) It was dead quiet. It felt a little like we walked into a library. Our server informed us that they were having some kind of meeting and that's why the music was turned off. Whatever, just felt a little weird. There's a small bar in the front of the restaurant and seating in the rear for around 25. The décor is a bit dated, orange and yellow paint, white tile floor, metal chairs that squeal when pulled out and giant spoon and fork hanging on the wall in the back. I'm not a big fan of the marble-topped tables because, as a fellow Yelper has already mentioned, they're just hard and cold and our table also smelled faintly of mildew, probably from the wet washcloths that were used to wipe them down before they opened for the day. The kitchen area is right out in the open so you can actually watch the sous chef prepare your food. Our server really upsold the smoked crab cakes informing us that they were the house specialty and that they were on TV or something for them. We aren't big fans of crab cakes in general so we passed. I don't know much about wine but their selection seemed to be pretty big. The beer list is an afterthought and bottles only. They did have a few bottles of Stoudts American Pale Ale hiding in the fridge that I was able to snag so that sated my craft beer itch. My wife went with a pino gris. She seemed to like it. Here's how the food went: Bread for the table (complimentary) A small basket of foccacia bread served with a side of butter. Slightly disappointing. The bread was tasty but a bit hard and barely room temperature. I dig my bread fresh and warm. Squash soup ($8) A nice slightly sweet and yellow soup that tasted more like corn than squash. It was filled with pieces bacon or pancetta, some white truffle oil and what I think were raw leeks. Not a bad soup. Could have used a dash of heat, too. Eastern shore rabbit sausage ($8) A sizable German-style sausage served sliced over a mustard sauce with wilted spinach and bacon and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I thought the sauce was a tad too sweet but the sausage was well-prepared but only warm and, again, could have used more spice. I expected a bit more bite to this one. Pan caramelized diver scallops ($26) Four very large scallops covered in a slightly sweet brown reduction of some kind with some spinach and a small side of creamy asiago ravioli drizzled with balsamic. The scallops were cooked well but lacked a really good sear and the ravioli were cooked perfectly. The balsamic on the ravioli clashed a bit with the scallops. An interesting dish. Maryland fried chicken breast ($22) A large chicken breast breaded and fried and served atop some parmesan cheese grits and alongside some warm ginger pecan greens. I was not a fan of this dish. The chicken was cooked well, tender and juicy, but the breading was bland as were the grits. I also thought the brown/grey sauce covering the plate (more balsamic in it I think) was not visually appealing. A bit of a letdown. Overall, my experience at Pierpoint was just OK. I'm having a hard time finding a reason to recommend them to anyone. The service was friendly and relatively prompt but I wasn't blown away by any of the food or the overall atmosphere. I felt like I could have made most of the food myself with similar results. Perhaps I'm just spoiled by visits to Pazo, Ten Ten and the like. With the Restaurant.com coupon (which included an 18% gratuity) our total bill for dinner and 4 drinks was just shy of $100.
(2)Lindsay W.
Not recommended! Overpriced and food was nothing special. The squash soup came out with about a half inch of oil on the top, and I almost immediately was not feeling well after eating it. Made me sick that night. I will definitely not be coming back here. The only positive I have to say is that the service was good, with a very attentive and friendly waitress.
(2)Jim B.
The worst. Overpriced. Do not eat here. We made reservations 6:30pm. These were totally unnecessary, as we were the only people there the entire time, and it was a LOOOOONG time! We should have gotten up and left after the first half-hour when a plume of smoke that was likely the kitchen's first failed attempt at cooking our meal engulfed the restaurant, but no, we waited. And waited we did. It took 1 hour and 20 minutes to receive our meals. Did I mention that we were their only customers? I don't really want to fault the server for not serving us another beverage for over an hour because after the cloud dissipated, I believe it was she who actually 'cooked' our food. I vaguely saw a man leaving the restaurant through the haze, but I never really caught if he was the 'cook' who had enough or just someone who came in to use the restroom. About the food... I had their 'famous' crab cakes. Supposedly, one was 'smoked' the other was 'traditional', however the only distinct difference I noticed was that one was overcooked and the other was borderline raw. Another distinguishing factor was their size. They were each roughly equivalent in size to four stacked silver dollars! That goes down as the most expensive appetizer sized entrée I have ever had. These are clearly NOT Maryland Crab Cakes! There was also a tiny smear of some sort of nondescript tan liquid pasty substance where you would expect vegetables on the plate to be that I can only assume was their sauce. The 'meal', if you could bring yourself to call it that, also had "a double portion of fries, because we ran out of vegetables" as I was so nonchalantly informed when the meal finally arrived. I didn't even get an option. Potato = starch; crab cake = half-starch. wtf? Obviously, they must have had some vegetables somewhere, as my wife's hunk-of-gristle inaptly labeled 'steak' was served with a side of veggies. The gravy on her 'steak' tasted like it came straight out of a can. In summary, if you value your dollars, do not waste them here. You will regret it. And if you're the chef of this restaurant reading this, you should seriously consider making some real changes.
(1)Nick P.
This place is terrible, don't go. Came in for brunch on a Sunday and nobody was there, should have been a dead giveaway. The decor is terrible and their were fruit flys buzzing around our table. I ordered the crab cake eggs benedict and the crab meat wasn't even cooked and the english muffin was not toasted. Just terrible, I couldn't take more than two bites. I'm not a complainer but this place was not good. Please take my word for it and don't go.
(1)Jay G.
A great little secret in Fells Point. My friends and I could not get over the yummy food. We had the cioppino, smoked crabcakes, morrocan lamb chops, and the rockfish special. Everything was delicious. The place is small which is really nice. The service was great. The wine list was excellent. All in all we had a wonderful evening. Looking at the other reviews I'm wondering if they went someplace else??? We didn't have any complaints and are looking forward to going again. Thanks Chef Longo!
(5)Mike D.
Had the pleasure of going to a friends wedding that pierpoint catered. They were serving lots of delicious small bites... crab cakes, scallops, shrimp, pulled pork mini sliders, cheeses, and many more! All employees were extremely professional and friendly and we were very happy with it. After meeting the owner, Nancy, that night... we decided to check out the restaurant in fells point. She was very accommodating and prepared us a great tasting menu (if you have a big group, call the restaurant and talk to Nancy about what you're looking for and what budget and I'm sure that she'll work to create a great experience) I believe everything she served us is on their main menu but we got tasting size plates.. everything was so tasty! lobster mac and cheese (AMAZING), crab cakes, filet mignon, lamb chops, salad, shrimp, desert, and a variety of other little treats! The kitchen is only separated by a half wall to the restaurant so it makes it gives the restaurant a very friendly interactive vibe.
(4)Clare M.
Worst dinning experience I have had in 5 years in Baltimore! We have been to pierpoint quite a few times over the past few years and at first it was great - good food, good price, good service - but has been consistently going downhill and the dinner we had last Sunday was nothing short of horrendous! :( First we were the ONLY customers in the restaurant at 7pm on Sunday night so we thought that would mean good service but not so much. First off were given waters that were lukewarm and had to ask multiple times for bread. But what was worse was the food quality. We ordered the squash trio soup (which used to be great) but this time it was thick and chunky like it had been made a few days ago and warmed up in the microwave. My mother and I got the diver scallops (which also used to be good) which were terrible - they were tiny (one of mine was about a inch big) and not cooked well. The accompanying spinach tasted rotten (not wilted) and instead of the usual multiple raviolis on the side there was only ONE ravioli per plate. My sister got the crab soup which really tasted like vegetable soup with a fishy aftertaste and her perogies (of which there were only five) were served swimming in a bowl of thick overly rich cream sauce. Its possible they just had a really busy saturday night and were running low on their stock but what was unbelievable to me is that they made no apologies for the poor quality of the food (old re-heated soup, tiny scallops, lack of raviolis) and in fact tried to pass it off as an acceptable meal (at full price - $24). Furthermore our waitress spent the entire time in the back complaining to the cook how she "couldn't wait to leave" as we could clearly hear their conversation from our table (esp since we were the ONLY customers in the restaurant!). At one point we had to walk up to the bar to ask for refills on our drinks because she didn't come back even once during our meal to check on us. REALLY disappointing meal. We will never be going back to Pierpoint :(
(1)Rachel K.
The worst overpriced crab cake I've ever had. Duff Goldman must have been paid off when he recommended this place on the Food Network
(1)Todd B.
Like other reviewers here, I went on a week day evening and found the restaurant empty. I honestly was the only customer, which is always kind of weird. Nothing makes you feel like a loser more than going to an empty restaurant alone! ha (I did go around 6 pm). Despite this, the meal and the experience was excellent. I'm not sure why some reviewers rated the restaurant with lower stars, or why there were so few people there. I understand that the owner / chef is a local celebrity and well known for her unique creations. Food Network featured the smoked crab cakes, which truly are worth the experience alone. I chose these for dinner, and a bowl of the amazing 3 squash soup which was pure heaven. Three types of pureed squash, leeks, bacon and goat cheese were combined into a savory creamy soup that I'm still thinking about after a week. Brooke was my server, and she was incredibly friendly, helpful and made the kind of strange experience very inviting and fun. I left my wallet in the hotel room accidentally, and rather than showing distrust by asking me to leave my phone or license, she trusted me until I returned. Great service, great food.
(4)Melanie A.
Come for the smoked crab cakes, best in Baltimore! The waitress is super sweet and the place is full of locals on a quiet section of Aliceanna. No need to get super dressed up, it's a casual comfy kind of place.
(4)Bob J.
20 plus years in business is impressive. But the decor and design of the space looks that old. This place is in desperate need of a refresh. Good food and friendly service but again I don't think I'd return because of the atmosphere.
(2)Maria C.
My boyfriend made reservations for my birthday dinner, just him and I. When we arrived to the restaurant it was literally just him and I. That was quite ok, it was superbowl sunday and the cook and hostess made it great. The cook even joked that my boyfriend was able to clear the entire restaurant for me... lol. I ordered the mussels and clams for starters. It was so yummy, although a tad bit salty. The smoked crab cake was awesome! It's an older building, so it is small and could use a bit of updating but cozy nonetheless. I really enjoyed my evening and the service.
(4)Sultan Of Bubastis X.
First, when you read a negative review of Pierpoint in Yelp, Facebook, or other uninformed social meeting collaborations , just ignore it. Unflattering reviews were undoubtedly written by persnickety suburbanites who would not recognize a splendid urban dining experience if it fell on their foot. If we can keep those undereducated suburbanites outta our turf anyway, we will likely all benefit. Pierpoint is a great choice for a couple or a group, or even solo dining, if seated at the bar I am not a chef-obsessed foodie, but I travel on business 200 nights a year, so I know something about dining in restaurants. No matter where I go, a standard of excellence is Pierpoint, two blocks from my house in Fell's Point, Baltimore's oldest (and still most interesting) neighborhood. Owner/operator Nancy Longo has a culinary reputation that far transcends Baltimore, and she has never steered me wrong. I have long been a Chesapeake Bay purist about crab meat (the Chesapeake Bay produces more "beautiful swimmers" than any place in the world), so I struggled at first with the thought of a "smoked" crabcake. Forget tradition; either have a single smoked crabcake as an appetizer, or order the dual crabcake entrée, with one smoked and one in classic style. All seafood in this cozy place (there might be ten tables in this old townhouse) is superb: fresh, prepared well, and delicious. Anything grilled is invariably well-presented and delicious. Yes, the service can appear spotty to the un-initiated, but that's part of the considerable appeal for us lovers of Fell's Point dining: a bit quirky, sometimes weird, but always stimulating, and always an eater's delight Don't hesitate to engage Chef Nancy Longo in conversation, but really be prepared for an extraordinarily direct answer, if you ask about politics. If you are really lucky, Miss Ashlie will wait on you. The loss to the world of dance means we get the pleasure of her serving us.
(4)- J - -.
I had a great dinner at Pierpoint. It was a Tuesday night and the place was pretty empty. We had appetizers, entrees, and desert. My lamb was spectacular and I found our waitress to be SO informative in answering all questions and being informative. What I will say is that the food is formal and the atmosphere is casual. I actually really appreciate that, but I think it can be off-putting to some people. I see a lot of the reviews weren't that impressed with food and I'm sad to see that. I think it's soild 4-4.5 star food. Yes, not so mind-blowing that I can't stop thinking about it, but very very good. Also, the chef was fantastic about my allergies and our waitress was truly entertaining. I wouldn't think twice about going back.
(4)Amy C.
One of my friends and fellow elite Yelpers (Ian C.) had been talking about Pierpoint ever since he saw it featured on The Food Network. So when we spent the weekend in Baltimore, we made brunch reservations. Having spent my childhood in Baltimore, I have tasted my fair share of crab cakes (and crab fluff) so I was excited to see what all the hype was about. However, I never had smoked crab cakes before and it was a new concept to me. Half of our party ordered the crab cakes eggs benedict and the other half ordered the crab cake sandwich (I was one of them). I liked the texture of the smoked crab meat and it tasted fine, but I didn't think it was anything special. It could have used some Old Bay. The bread that it was served on was stale. Other than that, the presentation and proportions were perfect. Service was great, too.
(3)Richard N.
Can I Say Smoked Blue Crab Cakes Oh YEAH !!! - It's the reason we came. Took my mother-in-law and my daughter and her best friend here after shopping for Prom Dresses all over DC & Maryland. Amazing meal and 3 of us had the crab cakes, one had the Moroccan lamb chops. It was just one of those must have's while in Baltimore. Looking forward to another visit when we get back to the DC area again to visit mom. It's a very intimate restaurant, not a lot of tables. Chatted with Nancy after our meal - we closed down the restaurant with her. It was a very nice evening..
(5)Mimi C.
We had a cooking class taught by Chef Nancy on a weeknight. The restaurant was closed to other customers and our group of 8 had it all to ourselves. Edward at the bar gave us drinks, and her other chef, Eric, also helped. First, she went over the recipes of the food we'd be making. There were a lot of typos in her recipes and she gave some explanation about how difficult it was for creative types to be a certain way. I don't remember her exact wording - organized is boring? After going over the food we'd be making and answering questions, we put on the blue aprons provided and split into two groups. One led by Chef Nancy and one led by Eric. Rolling the dough for ravioli with Eric was pretty fun and he was ready to fix things when the dough started to stretch too thin. The downside of being in two separate groups was you didn't get firsthand experience with the food the other group was preparing. Eric was really nice and totally calm about the dough stretching to thin but sometimes, Chef Nancy seemed a bit on edge like when someone added too many tomatoes to the salad. The food we made was delicious because we sat down to dinner after we prepared it. A couple women in our group didn't eat red meat so Eric grilled up some chicken for them when Chef Nancy found out after we were seated which was adaptable and thoughtful of them. Chef Nancy does use olive oil but she seems happily oblivious to recent health food trends of white meats and whole grains. The foods we prepared made no pretensions of having health benefits except maybe the salad and the blueberries sprinkled around our chocolate dessert. My memories of 7th grade Home Economics class is faint but I'm pretty sure that my teacher was more organized but the food we made at Pierpoint was more complex. Even though it seemed like Chef Nancy had been teaching cooking classes for a while, I think that the class could be more polished. Recipes without typos, no references to problems from Sunday's class, and not knowing where the greens for the salad went. The food was tasty but as a class, it could've been smoother.
(2)Gerry S.
I've been meaning to try Pierpoint for some time now. I wish I could say it was worth the wait. Down-in-the-heels is my overall impression of the place, I guess. The kitchen is open to the small dining room, and when I walked in the front door, my first impression was the smell of old kitchen. You know that smell: pilot lights and slightly stale oil. We were the only patrons there at 8:15 on a Tuesday night, so maybe if we'd been there for Saturday brunch and the place was packed, I'd be talking about the wonderful smell of cooking food that greeted me in the door. In this case, not so much. Likewise with the food. Just about everything we ate tonight was a solid miss. We started with the "Baltimore Bento" appitizer: a mix of their seafood specialties served in a bento box. The coddies in the appetizer were still frozen in the middle, and had to be sent back. The clams casino tasted slightly old, and the smoked crabcake to my taste was reminiscent of old bacon. The fried oysters, however, were lovely. A nice crisp cornmeal crust robed a beautifully fresh oyster. Not a thing wrong with that. I ordered the fried chicken with grits and warm greens, and my husband ordered the pork chop, which came with wilted greens. In both cases, "greens" turned out to mean "spinach," which I suppose was fine, but wasn't what either of us were expecting. My spinach preparation was ok, though for some reason I found the balsamic reduction used with the greens to be a little offputting. My husband's spinach was probably the star of the evening. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what the preparation was, but it included sausage and (I thnk) chili. It was completely unexpected, and I inhaled it. Husband also thought the pork was quite tasty. My chicken was well cooked, but both it and the grits were utterly unremarkable. I agree with one of the other reviews on here: had I been at an Applebee's, I would have felt like I got a decent meal. As it was, the food definitely fell short of expectation. Dessert was a brioche bread pudding with pralines. A decent enough dessert, I suppose, except that again it was still cold in the middle. Swing, and a miss.
(2)Cary B.
Reservations were promptly honored on a recent Saturday night, with the added benefit of a self-park complimentary parking lot conveniently located about one short block away from this Fells Point establishment.. Upon being seated, there was a bit of consternation when I presented my restaurant.com coupon. Our waitress indicated that these coupons were not valid on Saturday nights. When I pointed out that our coupon mentioned no such exclusion, it was graciously accepted. Which reminded me of another occurrence at this same restaurant 6 years earlier, when our coupon was rejected because, "You have to order two full entrées not half entrees." At that time, there was no accommodation, and we left without ordering. The point of all this being, "Read your coupon carefully and call ahead to make sure all will go smoothly. But enough with the coupons! Truth be told, the staff and owner were quite friendly and this smallish establishment was about half full with four or five other couples dining. The atmosphere is slow-paced, restful and relaxed. The Cabernet was very good, and we were pleased with the duck filled dumpling appetizer that we shared. My companion was ecstatic about her lamb chop dish--very plump, plentiful and tasty, My sirloin was also nicely done but a bit small for the price. In conclusion, Pierpoint is a nice place to eat and drink, with an opportunity for a leisurely after-dinner stroll around scenic Fells Point.
(4)Carrie F.
Let me start by saying I had wanted to try this restaurant for so long after hearing friends and critics alike sing its, and its chef/owner, Nancy Longo's, praises. So, I suppose I had a bit of an expectation. Had I had this meal at Chilis, or a pub of some sort, I would have been happy because it would have met expectations. This did not meet expectations for the price we paid and all the kudos I'd heard about it. When we arrived at 4:15, we were the only table. I will say that we were greeted heartily and graciously. Another couple walked in a little while later. Long story short, we did not get served our meals until 5:30. And no, we didn't order appetizers. The waitress took a while to get around to us (she was the only server on staff) and was slow to refill our drinks. We were right by the kitchen, which normally is fine by me, but it was sweltering hot in there, and our ice water was room temp. No apologies at all or explanation as to why our food took so long. As another reviewer wrote, the side dishes on the menu are to be 'trusted,' because I guess a restaurant that's been in business that long must know more about food than me, a lowly patron, right? My side dish was supposed to be a gorgonzola and fingerling potato hash with a side of veggies. Sounds delish, right? Except that what came out on my plate were 3 fingerling potatoes, BAKED, and steamed veggies. Trust you? Because you can bake tiny potatoes and operate a veggie steamer? Again, no explanation as to WHY my sides were not as published or where my stinky cheese went. Finally, the tenderloin. I ordered medium. It came out well done. Absolutely unacceptable if you ask me, for the kind of prices they charge. I was so starved by the time the food came, I didn't even bother to tell the waitress (of course, she didn't really come by quickly anyway). This place is supposedly revered in town, and they can't cook a simple piece of meat to medium temperature? That's restaurant 101. The crabcakes are supposed to be fantastic, and my father ordered one. It was good, I'll say that, but small, and came out on a stark white plate with a brown corn cake beside it. No garnish. No Green. No fresh herbs. No amazing sauce. Nothing. It was presentation at its worst. And Elizabeth Large used to looooove this place? This could have been a go-to place for us when we're looking for a nice place to dine on the weekends, but sadly, Outback can cook a better steak for me for half the price. They won't be getting any return visits from us, or any of our friends whom I was quick to tell to steer away from. OVERRATED.
(2)Ian C.
Finally, after like almost a year, I made it to Pierpoint. What is so special about it? Oh, I don't know. But, I saw it on one of the episodes of "Best Thing I Ever Ate" and Duff of Charm City Cakes (and Ace of Cakes) said that this place had one of his favorite brunch items-- the eggs benedict on top of their signature smoked crab cakes. So, not being from Baltimore, I felt like if I ever made it down there, I would come here to try it. I wasn't too intrigued about the eggs benedict part of it; i mean, I've eaten eggs benedict several times. But the smoked crab was interesting and I had never heard of smoking crab meat. It was fantastic. The eggs were perfectly cooked (at least to my liking)-- the yolk was runny, but did not just gush out once i cut into it. The hollandaise was terrific. And of course, the crab was excellent. It was one of the best brunch items I have ever eaten. Thanks for the recommendation, Duff.
(5)Becky M.
I just took a Thai cooking class with my husband at Pierpoint. I had only eaten there a couple times in the past, but I remembered the food being really good. The class was great. I don't cook a lot, so I learned basic techniques for chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and grilling. Others who were more experience were learning some more advanced tricks. Chef Nancy and her helper, Eric, were both very nice and patient. Nancy has been in the chef industry for a long time and her experience shined through in her teaching. She started by listing all of the key ingredients to keep around the house for cooking Thai food. She then walked through each of the recipes before we all started cooking. I loved that the majority of the course was hands on. Most people enjoyed a beer or a glass of wine while everything finished cooking. Then we sat down and ate the meal we cooked. The food was amazing! I will definitely be signing up for more cooking classes at Pierpoint.
(5)Wendy C.
Pierpoint opened in 1989...That's a long time ago! Their legendary crab cakes are still smokin' thanks to chef Nancy Longo. This was our second stop along the charm city's crab cake tour. After downing a 6.5oz "ball" at Duda's Tavern, I could still go for more! Dinner on a Friday night was a steal, Thanks to our Restaurant.com deal. The seating options were plenty, Since the dining area was almost empty. Décor was simple and a little out of date, It could definitely use a more modern chic update. I didn't care for the dark dim lighting, It does make the ambience feel less inviting. No complaints on service since we liked our super friendly host. Throughout the evening, she did talk the most. The only thing that did get on my nerve, Was that it took too long for our entrees to be served. For an entrée, he had a steak. It was somewhat bland. Boy was that a big mistake! I had the famous smoked crab cakes with brussels sprouts & matchstick fries. The crab cakes weighed a total of 10 ounces in size. Instead of deep frying the crabmeat, they smoked it in fruitwood. Wow! The resulting taste is so good! The smoky flavor reminds me of bacon, I was amazed by how it made my taste buds awaken. It's different compared to Faidley's which most regard as the best, But I think it's the smoky flavor of Pierpoint that rules above the rest. Without any hesitation, I was ready to make another dinner reservation.
(5)Sarah M.
After walking past this place several times over the last year we finally decided to try Pierpoint the other night because we had a restaurant.com certificate. I must say that, coming from a city like Chicago where the list of great restaurants is endless, I was worried that I may not be able to find the same dining experiences here in Baltimore. But Pierpoint did a good job of alleviating my concerns. We walked in and the chef greeted us. It's not every day you see a chef out of the kitchen. We were quickly showed our seats and offered focaccia while we looked at the menu. I settled on a shrimp special they were offering that day and my boyfriend ordered the pork loin. We were both quite hungry and very excited for our meals. When our food arrived the presentation was great and the taste to match. The sauce on my dish was a little saltier than my preference and the black rice was a bit underdone but the seafood was cooked well and all the elements worked well together. The pork loin was a very generous portion and served atop wilted spinach and an apple pancake which complimented the pork very well. After such successful entrees and because I had been craving bread pudding for some time now we decided to order the bread pudding. It was outstanding. The praline topping had this interesting bitter after taste that actually worked well. All in all it was a great dining experience. The waitress was very helpful, the atmosphere was cozy and the food was delicious. I would not only return again but I'd definitely recommend this place.
(4)Faith P.
Chef Nancy Longo is quite a character! My bf and I went in to sit at the cozy bar for supper and wine (he left me high and dry and went with beer so I resorted to wine by the glass). Upon our arrival chef was working the foh that night, so she sat us, watered us, and chatted us up throughout the meal. Service was impeccable with great beer and wine. We started with the Balto Box appetizer, perfect for sharing and definitely true to what we think of Baltimore! Perfectly fried oysters, lovely crab cake, clams with bacon, nice sauces, etc. For dinner he had the scallops with gorgonzola ravioli, seemed strange so he ordered it. Unfortunately the scallops appeared to be boiled (think grandmas scallops) rather than seared, there was a mess of balsamic vinegar all over the place that wasn't reduced far enough, the ravioli were great, but cheese and scallops was off putting and they didn't appear to be house made. I had the duck egg rolls with Longolian BBQ sauce, as the bartender suggested. The sauce was killer, I too would bathe in it just as the bartender said she would. The egg rolls were so so. I give her three stars because I expected tighter technique, will definitely give it another shot and try that famous smoked crab cake!
(3)SK K.
My review is based on two visits to Pierpoint and both times I had the crab cakes, so it is solely based on one food item. The fact that i went there twice on our two day vacation to Baltimore speaks for how good the crab cake was. The place is kind of stand alone and doesn't look too big from the outside. Once inside, there is plenty of room, with seating around the bar and then larger tables in the back. The restaurant is run by very friendly staff which seemed happy to be there. Me and my daughter got to spend time with Nancy, who is the chief chef and the owner of the place, and she is a great host and a charming, down to earth person. The crab cakes seemed a bit expensive, but was definitely worth the $16. Like I said, i haven't tried anything else on the menu, but based on the one item I did try, this place will be on my go-to place next time I will be in Baltimore.
(4)Alexa T.
We had a wonderful dinner here after Preakness. Interestingly, the entire restaurant was filled with Preakness goers! Here is the low-down: Private parking lot, you have to call when you arrive, they come out with a big spoon with a key attached to unlock it for you--strange, yes--but comforting to know that in B-town your car is in a locked parking lot (whew). Somehow knowing that someone had to walk over and unlock it made us feel special. The server was AMAZING, seriously, we loved her. She recommended several things on the menu, but honestly, why would you come here and get anything other than the famous crab-cakes? You can get the smoked (house smoked) crab cake or the traditional crab cake (I would suggest getting both, they were fantastic). However, my favorite part of the meal were these Pumpkin "Pier-ogies " - pumpkin and butternut squash dumplings with gorgonzola cream, pine nuts white truffle oil---get the HELL out, seriously, this dish ALONE is worth the trip from NOVA to this restaurant and guarantee a return trip. We loved the attention to detail with the flavors, the unique dishes and quiet atmosphere. With all the bustle--read, too many people-- in the VA suburbs (and the culinary desert happening there), we may just come back to this very homey, delightful place.
(5)Tricia S.
This place is filthy and a known attractor of rats. The chef is a crass woman and doesn't know when to leave customers alone. The dining room smells like a dirty fryer. Terrible experience.
(1)Ross T.
The service started out worse than the food, the food quickly caught up. Read on for my full experience. I will not be returning to this restaurant nor recommending it to any friends. After seeing this restaurant highlighted on The Food Network with the best crab cake Duff Goldman had ever eaten my girlfriend and I decided to give it a try. Our reservation was for 7:45 on Saturday night. We arrived to a small 9 table restaurant that felt empty although the tables were occupied and were greeted by Chef Nancy who seemed very flustered and even stated they were swamped. After being seated and given menus the single waitress disappeared. She seemed to be running around like a chicken whose head had recently been removed and it was difficult to tell if she was actually accomplishing anything. Many frustrating minutes later she returned for our order, we gave her drinks and food at the same time because it took so long. Our drink order was quickly forgotten by the waitress who needed a reminder after 5+ minutes to make a gin and tonic and pour a glass of wine. Soup came out, crab soup with SURPRISE BACON. My girlfriend does not eat pork, so figuring it would take 10 more minutes to get something different we switched soups and I ate hers. When the chef walked by I asked what the meat was in the soup, she quickly replied "Bacon, how Baltimore does Crab Soup" -- Sorry Chef but I have lived in Baltimore and been eating Crab soup for over 20 years. Yours was the first to ever contain bacon. And if you are going to put surprise meat in a dish list it on the menu. On to the Crab Cake. We ordered one of each crab cake (smoked and traditional) and John Dory (Fish). The smoke flavor tasted like lighter fluid and was not appetizing in anyway while the traditional was just ok and rather bland, and I am sorry Duff but the if this is best crab cake you have ever eaten you need go...ummm...anywhere else that makes crab cakes. The fish was over cooked and very uninteresting. Overall the service was as poor as the food and certainly not worth the $100 bill for 2 people. I throughout my left overs when I got home and wont be going back.
(1)Rachel O.
What a disappointment! My boyfriend recommended this place because the food is good... and it was.... but totally not worth it. There were two other couples in the restaurant and we got "the look" when we said we didn't have reservations. So there are a few asterisks on the menu. One of which reminds you to tell your server of any food allergies, and the other tells you to just trust them with whatever accompanies your dish. Having allergies and being a picky eater I was already starting to question this place. So I told the waiter of my allergies and asked him what came with each dish. His answer to everything was, "Yeah i dint remember." There was no offer to check. I had to even remind him to ask the chef. So some appetizers can be served as double portions to make it an entree. I decided to go with the diver scallops and the seafood salad. Our server said those were both big dishes and it'd be okay if I was REALLY hungry. So the salad came out first - a bowl of lettuce and three pieces of seafood on it. I didn't mind so much because I had intended it to be an appetizer. When my scallops came out, I was very confused. There were 4 very small scallops on a plate with literally two half pieces of ravioli. I even asked the server if that was the double portion. His response was some verbal diarrhea about how diver scallops are difficult to find because you have to dive for them. My boyfriend was happy with his meal (oyster stew and shrimp grits). Both of those were listed as appetizers. 2 appetizers, a side salad, 4 scallops, and 2 glasses of wine -$90 If you're in the mood for good food at a ridiculous price and crap server, come on down. Otherwise.... don't bother
(2)Matt M.
We ended up here because of a restaurant.com coupon. The servers were awesome. Extremely friendly and quick (granted we were one of two tables in the restaurant on a Thursday night). The food is kind of on the expensive side, but it's very good. Crab cakes were tasty and had lots of crab without a lot of filling. Brussel sprout salad on the side was good, fries were meh. The reason this place isn't a 4 is the atmosphere and bathroom. Usually when you go to a nice restaurant with pretty expensive food, you at least expect the bathroom to be somewhat nice. Unfortunately that wasn't the case here. I think if they did a little bit to update the restaurant (and especially the bathroom), it would go a long way. The food is there, the service is there, now give me a little atmosphere.
(3)Sandy B.
Went for Sunday brunch. Had the crab cake eggs benedict. Was good. $15 When my dish was delivered, my friend was told they were out of whatever she ordered. So I waited for her to get her dish -- and my eggs benedict were cool by the time she got her french toast, which she liked. (under $10) The waiter didn't have answers for several easy questions about the menu (like what fruit was being served on the plates -standard at brunch), took a long time to handle the payment, yada yada. The bathroom wasn't sparkling. I prefer to see a sparkling bathroom. Chef was talkative with the guests -- an interesting change. The air temp was too low for me, and we were even close to the kitchen. The marble-top tables were cold to the touch, so leaning on them, meant you got cold arms. My friend wore her jacket to be warm. I stuck it out with just a long sleeve shirt, but was delighted when we left and we got in a car, which immediately felt warmer. The menu prices weren't on the website. Indeed, I don't recall even seeing the crabcake eggs benedict on the brunch menu online. Perhaps they were there -- but that means that the online menu wasn't even featuring the main dish I hear this place is famous for. The menu at the restaurant could have been laid out a tad more invitingly -- an easy fix from a good graphic artist. The parking lot that the website said to use, was chained closed. We did manage to get free on-street parking, though. Due to the hard surfaces in the room, it can seem that the sounds from other people at other tables are loud. Someone came in the front and was loudly talking with the staff, and it overwhelmed the small restaurant. One time, when I was talking and no one at the other tables was talking, I was keenly aware that they probably heard every word, clearly. So don't go with someone who has a hearing problem, or doesn't want their mealtime chat overheard at the next table. It's a small restaurant. Don't come with a big group. Think 1-4 people. There are so many other restaurants to try, I'd go somewhere else next time. But, if you've never had crab meat with your eggs benedict, and if this is the one place that has it, go, try it.
(3)Deirdre M.
Went to Pierpoint for dinner and enjoyed the smoked crabcakes. Also ordered the Anitpasto and except for the prosciutto which was too salty and chewy, I enjoyed that also. Would have given the restaurant 5 stars if the prosciutto was better. I need to mention that the service was top quality. And I will return.
(4)D P.
Best Crab cakes I have ever eaten!! The corn chowder is also excellent!! If you are looking for crab cakes, look no further!!
(5)