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13.5% Wine Bar
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 4 pm - 12 am
Fri 4 pm - 2 am
Sat 1 pm - 2 am
Sun 1 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
45 reviews for 13.5% Wine Bar
Review Highlights
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"...serving at Brewer's Art), and ordered the duck confit tacos." In 5 reviews -
"13.5% classes up the artsy Hampden neighborhood." In 9 reviews -
"The Brussels sprouts with bleu cheese, Bacon and pecans are..." In 1 review
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45 reviews in English
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Review from Vickie S.
3/21/2012
Parking is tricky. Yes, of course it's populated by about 90% hipsters. I wouldn't call it cheap.
I do call 13.5 excellent, though.
I came here with my roommates for munchies and wine, and then again with my family over my birthday and both times had a seriously delicious time.
Your server will talk about the menu and encourage questions, and I've found the service to be fair in their assessments and very willing to talk.
The menu changes, and so much of it is tempting. On my birthday we ended with a trio of panna cotta - a spectrum with strawberry and basil on one end, chocolate and ginger on the other. Delicate and herbal to spicy and bittersweet. I wasn't hungry anymore but I seriously considered licking the little trio bowl-plate-thing clean. There was also a beet pizza of which I ate the entirety. Goodness do I love beets.
If you like cheese you won't go wrong trying out a few - there's a variety that are presented (and once again, the menu will change) and they cross several kinds of flavors and textures. It's kept on a chopping block.
In case you would miss it: there's a wall of wine. A wall. It's even pretty. I bought a bottle with some consultation with a manager over my regional and flavor preference, and it was reasonably priced (I found the bottle at a liquor store awhile later and it was almost exactly the same price) and delicious.
Special occasion place, perhaps, but worth the ceremony to come back in for dinner and a drink. -
Review from carl a.
Baltimore, MD
2/5/2012
I stopped at 13.5% for a drink with some friends before a dinner reservation. It was a hip place, packed of course, on a Friday night. It was a refreshing change from the snotty, hipster, music-blaring bars that dot the Avenue.
In a welcome change from other Hampden bars, the service was actually pretty good. Our server was attentive, friendly, and came over often to check on us. She was knowledgeable about the beers we ordered, and made some pretty good recommendations. She went to get us a wine list and make recommendations, but the sommelier got to us first. The only downside for the service was our cheese plate--we ordered three cheeses, and were clueless on any of them. She did a great job describing the cheeses when we were picking, but then brought us the three without any kind of refresher course. I still have no idea what any of them were.
The atmosphere in 13.5% is chic without being pretentious, warm without being your local pub. We sat near the door, but were never jostled or bumped by any incoming patrons. The lighting is low enough to inspire intimacy, but bright enough to allow you to actually see your friends and lovers. The music is on, but it's at a low enough level so that it truly becomes and soundtrack to your meal or drink. You never have to strain to hear, or raise your voice.
I'd like to go back for dinner some time. They have a great variety of wines to choose from (I LOVE the idea that you just grab a bottle off of the wall) and the food selection looked pretty decent. I'll be back the next time I decide to venture into Hampden, if nothing else but than to escape from all of the other bars and restaurants that would rather look cool than actually serve (I'm looking at YOU, Golden West). -
Review from john f.
Baltimore, MD
9/26/2011
the only wine bar I'll go to, which maybe says a lot, or maybe says nothing. Big plus for the place, they aren't looking to break you. There's plenty of reasonably priced wines to taste, and while the staff probably knows all the lingo and whatnot, i was delighted when they agreed to spare me. i let them know all i wanted was a glass of cheap red, and they gave it to me without attitude, and without torturing me talking about tanins and hints of Cinnamon on the palette and whatnot. Plus, they have beer flights, which I'm a big fan of.
Sort of a silly side note, any rock climber will be driven crazy by the interior wall along the bar. The drunker i got, the closer i came to trying to climb it. i haven't been there, but it looks like pictures I've seen of The Gunks! -
Review from Emily W.
8/5/2011 5 Check-ins Here
If I could only eat at 1 place in Baltimore, it'd be between Woodberry Kitchen and 13.5%. Last night, a friend and I went for what was my 3rd or 4th visit, and each time has been better than the last. If I had to give you some tips for maximizing the goodness they would go something-a-like:
1. Get weird stuff. Always wanted to try escargots but not had the courage? Pâté curious? Try them here. Fantastic and not scary preparations of more adventurous food!
2. Ask to try the wine before you order it. They won't kill you if you don't like it. Keep trying until you find something you enjoy! I'm always game for a Cab Franc, something that not a lot of places serve in a non-blend. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but there you have it.
3. Get a bunch of small stuff. Thyme roasted hazelnuts (I ask for salt and then dip them). Duck confit tacos. Pulled pork sliders. Mini pastries and cheese plates! While I love their entrées, I catch myself wistfully looking at the people who order a series of small plates and share. And do let them pair wine and cheese for you.
Since it's Hampden, you'll get to people-watch as Hons, Hipsters and Housewives on the lam mingle in their free time. Most enjoyable. Parking can be a little tricky on the weekend, but usually if you pass Roland you can find something. And besides, you need to walk a few blocks to sober up from all that wine, you lush. -
Review from Erica C.
If a guy took me on a date here, I might just marry him.
The wine selection is lovely, the ambiance matched, as well as the service. There was even a fiddlehead fern appetizer when I went last and it was just divine. The cheese plates are nice and the dessert was a fun way to end the night. I didn't go for any entrees, just nibbled on some starters and dessert.
If you go late enough, there isn't a wait. Who doesn't enjoy a late night snack with wine? -
Review from Andrea B.
Baltimore, MD
3/2/2012
I really enjoyed this place. They have reasonable priced wines and had a classy ambience. Places like these can be intimidating but I server was very helpful and not once did I not feel out of place or dumb. This was hip without being hipster. My friend had on just a white t-shirt and did feel a little out of place. I would wear some decent clothing if you go here and by decent I mean maybe the business casual outfit you wore to work.
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Review from Rachel C.
Federal Hill-Montgomery, Baltimore, MD
2/8/2012
I felt hip and urban dining here! It's an ultra cool atmosphere without crossing the line to pretentious. Our server helped us select a wine we liked without making us feel silly for our lack of knowledge. The food was good, too, if a little expensive.
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Review from Rocky B.
Seattle, WA
2/7/2012
I had a great time here when I visited Baltimore. The other reviews are right; 13.5% is chic without being pretentious. They had a good wine selection, and great food as well. The pizzas in particular are fantastic. I had one with potato and thyme. Very nice.
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Review from Rebecca Y.
Baltimore, MD
10/10/2011
Went here last Saturday night after essentially being stood up by some guy from okcupid that I had seen a few times (I had invited him over for dinner, and he called at 8:10 p.m. saying he was exhausted from working that day, but he would call Sunday night to reschedule -- never did). I was on the verge of tears, and just coming off of the Medifast diet, when my gal pal and I decided to swing by 13.5, having only been there once years earlier.
Well, I was immediately SOOTHED by everything about his place; our server was very friendly and well-spoken, and I started with some flights of Chardonnay called the Globetrotter. Split an order of mussels (they were great but I am used to the huge serving at Brewer's Art), and ordered the duck confit tacos. There was just a little problem with the tacos -- and hopefully this was just a fluke -- but the tortilla shells were very cold and tasteless -- not sure if they had been heated up and then got cold, or whether there was some oversight, but it really did not go well with the filling.
After getting hit hard from the wine after low-carbing for two months, I finished with the most delicious glass of an Austrian rose -- who cares that I am broke and spent $50! Was worth every cent. Really like this place. -
Review from Haiku-Project H.
Los Angeles, CA
6/19/2011
Drinks took forever.
Great wine choices (for Hamden)
Unremarkable. -
Review from Renee S.
Baltimore, MD
4/24/2011
Despite just three stars, I really love 13.5% The atmosphere is spot on, the wine selection is impressive and the service is exceptional. If it was based on wine alone, I would give it four or five stars. But, because it's hard to drink without eating a little something, I have to give it three stars.
The menu here falters and changes constantly. There is apparently no kitchen so they have to do everything in portable ovens, etc. You definitely aren't coming here for a full meal. And, what they do offer seems to fall short on the dining section. The menu is a little all over the place and inconsistent.
But, I continue to come here for drinks and very light snacks with friends. There's nothing else like it in the area and what they do well, they do extremely well. -
Review from Jan T.
3/26/2011
A nice place to have a class of wine and some hors d'ouevres. While the menu looked a bit odd when we were there (I hear it has improved), the wine selection is excellent, with all the regular types and some more unique Greek and Turkish selections. The cheese plate is a treat, since you get the full cheese trolley rolled out for your choice. Again, the quality was excellent.
One word of advice is to be ready to stand and wait for a while. We arrived in mid-to-late dinner mode, and the place was packed. Gentlemen, it does not hurt to get A chair for the lady you are with, and the walls are fairly comfortable. -
Review from Jared M.
Baltimore, MD
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great vibe, superb people watching from the seats up front. Not much on the food menu and a bit pricey, but definitely a great hang.
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Review from Lisa B.
Brooklyn, NY
3/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Groovy decor, helpful and knowledgable staff, GREAT selection of not just wine but also beer and liquor made this a great stop on our 1-day trip to Baltimore. I got just the wine i was craving just by describing what I wanted to the waiter, and my drinking companion got his most loved brand of scotch and tried a really good beer at the suggestion of our waiter.
We got kind of boring apps (on purpose): mixed olives and an antipasti platter. Most of it was excellent, tho i wanted more cheese. The rest of the menu looked great, lot of interesting small plates to choose from, but we were headed to dinner in a few hours so we kept it simple.
13.5 gave us a really great impression of Baltimore! -
Review from Larry P.
Baltimore, MD
9/27/2011
Was talking with Sarah the chef @ 13.5%. Very nice and quite talented, she has worked at Cru in Chicago, That in itself speaks volumes. We are fortunate to have her on 36th. St.
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Review from Kelly M.
Updated - 3/23/2011
So I went to 13.5% again this past weekend and I'm happy to report that the menu has improved. No more weird cheesy squid stuff. The charcuterie plate was very good as were the brussel sprouts with the pecans and blue cheese...and I don't usually go in for blue cheese.
Also - this was a Saturday - there was a nice (and free) wine tasting going on to add to the amazing bottle of Portuguese wine we had.Listed in: Best Shops in Hampden
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/8/2009
Wine selection was unique... As was the beer menu which I did not expect. Staff was helpful and… Read more »
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Review from Tori H.
Baltimore, MD
3/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you're looking for a chic, modern bar for any occasion, this is the bar for you HON!
Obviously the wine selection is commendable, but the food menu has something of value too!
If you're going for just drink and snacks, I recommend the winter radishes, the house charcuterie, or the bison meatballs.
If you're looking for something just a bit more substantial to eat, the pulled duck confit tacos were intriguing although could have used a bit more flavor or spice. I haven't had the opportunity to eat for a full entree yet, but I will definitely return for a taste! -
Review from Alex S.
12/28/2010
Such high hopes and so not lived up to.
This trendy looking place catches your eye as you're walking down the street. The dimly lit place has comfy chairs at the tables, a huge spread of all types of cheeses right in the door and hundreds of bottles of whine adorning the wall...what could be better?
Well the food could. I was surprised by the cheap prices for many of the "Plates" failing to realize that a plate that generally included a meat, veggy and starch was more of a tapas plate than a meal plate which made it go from very inexpensive to very expensive rather quickly. I had a beer which was nice an hoppy but also $8.50 and my frugal date had one of the cheaper glasses of red wine which was really bad. I am sorry but if you are going to name yourself a wine bar, your wine (even the cheaper varieties) should be decent. It was really really fruty and left a really acidic taste in your mouth.
When I got my short ribs, there were two minuscule pieces ornately laid out on the plate with miny carrots and potatos assembled in a fan like configuration next to the meat (fine I get it you want to look all culinary and shit) BUT the meat was really fatty with out much flavor at all. The sauce on top tasted like nothing. The Fish Taco that my date had was a similar story, tons of work going into making something look fancy and a void of effort made making it taste good. -
Review from Edward P.
Chicago, IL
1/16/2011
We stopped in for a glass of wine and some food to nibble on. As an out-of-towner, I really enjoyed the neighborhood this wine bar is located in. I recommend walking around and checking it out.
I really enjoyed the wine selection, and the pricing was very reasonable. They can meet a pretty good range of tastes. I was a bit disappointed by the food (I had Bison Meatballs and the Mushroom Pate). However, the atmosphere and the service made up for it. I'd go again. -
Review from Andrew M.
6/29/2010
Neon orange bar stools that release a slowly draining air lock sound that increases proportionately with your weight very consicously submerge you to your neighbor's level at the bar.
Let's face it, there is NADA in between midtown and northern baltimore for a nightcap or early teaser. Super convenient either way off of 83 in Hampden.
Somehow, 13.5% was strong armed into hiring the king of overpriced panninis and mediocre italian food previously steering our office building deli, cosa nostra associated with Sotto Sopra. This wired little man commanded an unwavering crew of "never again" tennants. Check out the menu. If this joker still runs the food, aka "the scooch" pannini, pass and walk down to Dogwood.
Since the food is maybe ok, many of the, expensive, wines by the glass don't work without food. Some of the wines by the glass are terrific on their own, but dear. This place is about the scene.
Overpiced drinks for the neighborhood don't stop the droves of people looking for something better in Hampden. The refined beer list draws gentlemen of character to ensure free drinks for eye candy at the neighborhood's most promising beverage destination. -
Review from Judy C.
New York, NY
3/13/2010
13.5% Wine Bar definitely stands out from the usual Hampden joints. The decor is modern and chic. The servers were friendly and attentive. We sat by the glowing bar, and the bartender was informative and helpful for us first-timers.
We shared a bottle of wine, and that was fine. We ordered olives, 3 cheeses, "The Scooch" sandwich, and the chocolate pot de creme. Everything were ok, nothing special, but it wasn't too expensive.
Overall, it was a nice evening, and I'd definitely go back to give the other dishes a try. -
Review from Jae J.
I've got to say that the decor is definitely a plus. The owner, Wayne, is also a really friendly guy. Used to work at Wine Underground. He came over and introduced himself to my buddy and I. Really nice guy!
Anyways we decided to check out this place after going to a nearby establishment in Hampden for food. We had a pretty nice Cote de Rhone, per recommendation of our server(should I call him a sommelier?). The decor was really nice and since it was snowing, it wasn't jam packed like i've seen in past evenings. Had a dessert dish(Blueberry Cheesecake) which was pretty awesome... and homemade too! I feel like this place has a lotta potential.
What i do think would be nice is to get some live music in there. Wayne, you should contact me about getting some jazz acts in there!Listed in: My Favorite Bars
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Review from Jamie S.
Baltimore, MD
6/9/2010
I'm not much of a wine guy unless it's under $15. That's my limit. This review is on the beer selection of 13.5%.
Along the back wall of the space is the bar and I have become a big fan of this bar because they have the best selections of bottled beers in the neighborhood and their taps are usually well stocked also. When I first tried out this place they had Gulden Draak on tap and I fell in love. What's not to love about a 10% abv Belgian Golden?
Beers can be pricey but if you are lucky enough to be there during their 1/2 price bottle happy hour then you have reached possibly one of the most generous happy hour specials in town. La Fin du Mond for $4. Line 'em up!! -
Review from Karen P.
8/19/2009
I arrived at the area of Baltimore called Hampden, after hoping to visit the touristy Hon Bar and Hon Café. I was so disappointed to see that they had selected that same time of day for a staff meeting, but how were they to know I'd be in Baltimore from Southern California, looking for some kisses from a pink flamingo and a Hon in cat's glasses? They were not. I hold no grudge. Due to their needs as a business, I was inadvertently - or karmic-ly, or haphazardly - introduced to the 13.5% Wine Bar. Whatever it was, it was a serendipitous situation and I loved every moment of my visit at this bar.
With the popularity of wine bars increasing like the humidity on a hot day in Balmer, I should have not been surprised to find such an elegant, yet informal and welcoming place on 36th Ave. However I was, and I fully admit it is my own naiveté in regard to Baltimore and it's modern and classy aspects. My parents grew up in Baltimore,for God's sake! Class? Elegance? Simplicity? And my goodness...an amazingly beautiful waitress (hello, Kat!) that was just edgy and just warm enough to make me feel like *I* was a special guest there? No, way!
Way. ;)
The entrance was open and bright, and with light colored wooded floors and clean lines throughout. Wine racks lined the walls, low, rounded black chairs and black love seat-sized sofas with wooden tables were set back a small way into the room. There was a medium deep orange on the walls, a bar to sit at that ran down left-of-center and had under lighting, and servers dressed in black, but not in a uniform, meandered about, talking with customers, cleaning up. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, yet it didn't feel cliquey. I had the feeling of a coffeehouse, with the delight of excellent wine and lovely brews available.
I thought the selections of wines were broad, but not overwhelming, and the beers offered were interesting and varied enough to have the non-wine drinker feel cared for also. Various foods and selections of sandwiches and various platters meant to support the alcohol, erm, flavor of wine, were available. Alterations to various platters were made available for us, as I had my two, tired and cranky children with me. I am sure, however, that you must not have to have cranky children to ask for an alteration. The next time I am in the area, I'd love to try a brunch at this wine bar. If the selections I enjoyed were even a small hint of the savory offerings, I know then I will be in an area of Flavor Heaven
Kat, our waitress previously mentioned, was kind, caring and generous with her time for my 7 and 4 year old kids. She brought them ginger ale, asked them about their visit from California to Maryland and was even kind to my every chatty father, Robert G. Pielke, co-Yelper and aka, "D.O.M." (Dirty Old Man). I felt it was not only Kat that was patient and an excellent hostess, but the other servers also emitted the same feeling. The "vibe" of the place was fun, welcoming, interesting and calming. A great place to sit and watch people pass by, the rains come in and out and to enjoy excellent offerings particular to your own palette. I hope this area continues to grow and thrive and develop. I'd love to open my own café there...one day... -
Review from Reid C.
Towson, MD
7/25/2009
Went to 13.5% tonight for the first time. Had a delicious PIemonte for $15, an OK Bordeaux blanc for $10 and a very good Macon Chardonnay also for $10. Wines can be purchase by the bottle and consumed on premises for a bargain $8 corkage. We also had a cheese plate and a game hen with asparagus and brie smal plate.
The wines were good. If you are not sure, they will pour you a taste to help you make an informed decision. The Piemonte had exactly the "leather" taste that I look for in such a wine. The bartender recommended it, and she hit the nail on the head. She also steered us away from a Vouvray toward the Macon to good effect.
The cheese plate was tasty, as was the game hen small plate. If you want to have more than a snack here though, be prepared to eat pannini since that is the largest section of the menu. Some of them looked great, but big slices of bread didn't fit with the agenda tonight. It would be good if they had a wider array of more substantial dishes than just the pannini.
The scene was hopping. We left at 9:00 and things were still very much ramping up. There is a mix of seating, including the bar, high tables with bar stools and low tables with comfy chairs. We tend to prefer sitting at the the bar, but the stools here are pretty uncomfortable after a while. You may be better off going for a low table.
We had a good time and will likely head back soon. -
Review from Page B.
Baltimore, MD
8/20/2011
The wine choices and flights are great. My husband and I came here for date night. He and a friend had met up beforehand, and when she was unmoved by some of the flight options, the bartender offered to create a custom Sauv Blanc flight...which was perfect. I had the Rose flight...which had great selection.
With regard to the food...I had a simple, but tasty white pizza, and my husband had duck confit tacos, which he said were great.
Our only complaint is that the bar stools are a little oddly shaped, and uncomfortable to sit in for awhile. We kept missing our opportunity to move to a table to eat, and found the bar stools to be a bit uncomfortable after a long period of time. -
Review from Michelle H.
Baltimore, MD
7/10/2010
I'm not sure I get the hype about this place. Yes, it's trendy - from the decor, wine/beer/specialty drink menu down to the staff that works there. But I left feeling like we paid just for the fact that we were allowed to partake in its trendiness because it surely wasn't for the superior food or service.
Our beer and wine came quickly, upon seating ourselves, but that was the fastest part of our experience. While I appreciate not being rushed through a meal, I do think the server can and should be perceptive to their diners' pace. It took us 20 mins between finishing our meal, all the while not having being asked for dessert or additional beverages, and flagging down our waitress to ask for our bill.
But on to the food, which was really the worst offense. We started with the pulled duck confit tacos, which sounded great but were disappointing. There was little to no duck in the tacos and my husband found a bone in his. It made me half wish I was down the street at Holy Frijoles having some delicious soft tacos, but I digress. We ordered two different paninis to share - the Super Mario and the Short Rib. The first was decent, but very reminiscent of the Italian panini one can get at Fresh Market for a lesser price. The short rib panini, however, was overly heavy on the too-bitter watercress and my half of the sandwich seemed to be missing the main component. Also, the ten or so Utz chips tossed on the plates were almost laughable.
While I'm all for trying a restaurant at least once, I highly doubt I'll come here again. I'm interested to see how this place does after a year of being in business. -
Review from Tricia P.
Towson, MD
8/30/2011
uhmmmm ok, go here and get the Pimm's cup. trust me. its delicious. What is a Pimm's cup you may ask? we'll.. I'll tell you. Its a heavenly mix of Pimm's no.1, Strawberry, Lemonade, Ginger Ale for only 8 bucks. Its seriously the most badass drink you can order. so go, go now. and get one!
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Review from Caitlin S.
Oakland, CA
8/25/2009
The decor of this place earns it 3 stars alone - very modern, very cool California. From the orange walls to the wine display to the glossy creamsicle like bar stools and low lounge furniture against the back wall, the interior designers got it right.
The wine menu was solidly good, but the food menu is more limited. I went with a group of friends for a sort of big deal type of dinner and we were disappointed by the lack of options. When I asked what someone was getting, he said a panini. He was kidding, of course, because 95% of the menu is paninis. Although the choices were limited, I must say the paninis really are damn tasty.
My major point of contention was the service. It was beyond slow and our server seemed overwhelmed. She forgot several things throughout the course of the night. While she was sweet and maintained her composure, it definitely wasn't adequate service for such a potentially fantastic place!
I am hoping that after a future trip to 13.5% I can up my rating. I recognize I've only been there once and it might have been an off night. The potential for this place is amazing! -
Review from Amber G.
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA
10/20/2011
So, like most places in Hamden, it's hit or miss. They have a lot of tasty wines, the ambience is great, and they get a great selection of cheeses. So, if you want to meet some friends for wine and cheese, you will be satisfied. If you want an awesome meal, there is a high probability you will leave unhappy. With that being said, if you drink enough tasty wine (which is always available there), you will leave super happy :)
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Review from Lauren M.
Baltimore, MD
3/5/2011
13.5% classes up the artsy Hampden neighborhood. Plates are small, but so good. The cheese plate is always a good choice and the white pizza is awesome. I love the laid back atmosphere. However, mix that with good food and delicious wine and the bill can get large rather quickly, but it's worth it.
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Review from A W.
Baltimore, MD
4/17/2011
At a restaurant called 13.5% wine bar, one naturally expects there to be an excellent selection of wine, as well as complimenting food selections. Certainly, the prices seem to suggest just that. Be prepared to spend a fair bit for a glass of wine and for small plates of food -- portion sizes are midway between tapas-sized plates and a full sized entree, leaving you wondering if you should have placed an order for more food. And yet, the dishes are quite tasty, and amazingly varied and well-executed considering they are all prepared in the restaurant's convection oven, as 13.5% surprisingly does not possess a stove on the premises. Additionally, while the wines available by the glass are certainly quite nice, I find the prices a bit steep, and I am also surprised to learn that all the wines available are sourced from the nearby Wine Source liquor store down the street.
Nonetheless, this place certainly puts some effort into being classy and hip, with trendy seating, a nice atmosphere, and wonderful service. When it gets very busy it can be a bit noisy as sound bounces off the exposed brick walls, but if you arrive early in the evening before the crowds show up it makes for a nice, quiet meal. For its valiant effort, I opted to give it 4 rather than 3 stars since rating it 3.5 is not possible. -
Review from Julie H.
Baltimore, MD
11/20/2009
Trendy, yes. Loud, absolutely. Food? They have several ingredients which can be combined in salad, pizza or panini form. Lucky for you if it doesn't end up on someone else's table or on the floor. Service was beyond terrible, random, chaotic at best. Waitstaff and manager especially snarky, big on attitude and utterly oblivious to running a restaurant or dealing with actual human beings.
I really couldn't focus on the food or the wine due to the disgusting way they treated our party, but I think it's most important to mention that the owner of this establishment would not allow one of the women I was dining with to use the bathroom due to the fact that she was confined to a wheelchair. They stressed that their restrooms were "handicapped accessible," but unfortunately they said allowing her access to the bathroom would have meant asking some of the good people packed into the bar area on a Friday night to move aside to allow her to roll past them. Instead this 60 year old woman in a wheelchair was forced to leave the restaurant (in the pouring rain and dark by the way) to find an truly accessible restroom that was more geared perhaps to her unfashionable disability. Luckily the folks across the street at the 7/11 were more accommodating and allowed her to use their bathroom. Seriously. I would never patronize this establishment again and I strongly suggest you don't either. -
Review from Steve K.
Baltimore, MD
6/7/2010
13.5% Wine Bar is a nice place and a good new addition to Hampden. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting. This is more a place to get some glasses of wine and some light food to go with it than a place to go for a full dinner - not that the food is not enough, but the food is designed more as a counterpoint to the wine than as a meal in itself.
I like wine bars as places to try wines by the glass, flights of wine - as opposed to buying bottles. In general I enjoy sampling wines I haven't had before. This place definitely fits the bill, although I wish they expanded their "by the glass" offerings - and I hope they change out the flights periodically.
The food and wine make a decent pairing - we enjoyed deviled eggs and an arugula/strawberry salad. An arugula "pizza" and a tuna nicoise were not quite as good, but everything was still reasonable.
Sitting outside on the Avenue isn't that appealing - while we waited out there we had to content with some severely drunk people stumbling out of this bar and sitting on the sidewalk in a stupor. Inside it could get a bit loud for easy conversation, but the seating was comfortable. -
Review from Kimberly D.
Baltimore, MD
Updated - 10/3/2010
Went here again on a busy Friday night. Long wait but there was room at the cozy bar to have some lovely $5.00 white wine and chat with others (its a friendly place). The host was awesome, wrote our name down and promised us that the food was great, better than before, they have a new chef. Sat down to eat, again cozy, great vibe in the dining room, friends celebrating, people on dates. Had the deviled egg with crab - worth going there for! Delicious, although there were only three of them. For dinner, my nicoise salad - tuna very very red didn't like it so they seared it for me, pretty good, potatoes gross, dry weird, two little olives and some greens with nondescirpt dressing. Wouldn't recommend it. My husband had a nice pizza with pancetta, yum, how do they get the dough so fluffy and crisp at the same time? Wish they had more food offerings, but will return. This place is a find.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/11/2009
Went there on a lovely Sunday afternoon after shopping the "avenue." Fun interior design, cool black… Read more »
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Review from Jay L.
Baltimore, MD
2/22/2011
This is a great place to enjoy a reasonably priced glass of good wine and some decent food on small plates. The wine list and food menu change from time-to-time which makes coming back a treat. The decor is trendy but comfortable, with seating at tables and at the bar. The crowd is diverse, but mostly couples in their twenties or thirties. Service is solid. 13.5% Wine Bar is a positive step up for Hampden and well worth a visit.
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Review from Matthew L.
Baltimore, MD
4/11/2010
One thing Baltimore has lacked is since Ixia closed is a chic laid back lounge for cocktails (red maple is more club and pazo is more restaurant). 13.5% wins for just showing up. Dark and sexy, they have a huge selection of wines as one could guess from the name. They have some interesting cocktails, and some great small plate dishes. A great cheese tray as well. What I really like is that all ages show up, truly multi generational.
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Review from Christiana R.
Washington, DC
12/2/2010
I visited a bit after lunch on a Sunday afternoon with a group of friends. The 1/2 of bottled beer special was fantastic and the group enjoyed a wide variety. I had a glass of champagne that I truly enjoyed. We ordered wings and meatballs to nibble on, and while I'd get the wings again in an instant the bison meatballs were on the dry side (which, to be fair, can easily happen with bison). We stayed for a couple of hours and service was not obtrusive.
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Review from Robert P.
Claremont, CA
8/20/2009 1 photo
I echo my daughter's review, and I've added a photo. [Unfortunately Kat has not responded to the sublty of the insertion of my business card along with my credit card into the bill folder. Nor did I capture her in a photo. Alas!]
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Review from Daniel Z.
Baltimore, MD
1/31/2010
Came here one night with a friend for a glass of wine. We didn't order any food, but there were several items on the menu that sounded delicious. Great variety of wine offerings and awesome daily specials. Definitely check it out if you get a chance!
