Red Maple
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: DJ
- Happy Hour: Yes
18 Reviews for Red Maple
I was taken here for my birthday and had a great time. The drinks were made well, the tapas were small(even for tapas) but very good. It definitely gets crowded, especially on weekends so reservations are definitely a good idea. The wait staff is a little less than attentive but not so bad that it can't be overlooked. Not meant for romance, but great for a group as long as you call ahead. The prices were a little high for Baltimore but reasonable if it was in NYC. I'm thinking the reason for the pricing was to attract a certain clientele. All in all, a fun night out.
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While visiting my best friend, we decided to do a girl's night out at a "nicer" type of place. After a bit of research, we narrowed it down to Red Maple. It was advertised to be a classy lounge type place. We DIDN'T however, know that the night we chose to go, was the night of some ridiculous event where there would be scantily clad, not so classy women (and men, to be fair) packed wall-to-wall in the place. The vibe when we walked in was almost the exact opposite of what we were expecting, but we stayed.
It was PACKED. So packed, that it took at least 10 minutes to even get TO the bar, let alone get the attention of the bartender. BUT...once we did manage to plant ourselves at the bar, we started having a better time. The drinks were very good, the bartender was extremely on point, friendly (and totally adorable!), and the DJ was AMAZING. He was probably the best DJ I've ever heard, and I'm from NY...so that says a lot.
So, once it started clearing out around 12:45 and the bar began to look/feel/sound a bit more normal, things improved greatly.
We didn't try any tapas (we saw a couple plates that looked good), but like I said, the drinks spoke for themselves, and the atmosphere was pretty nice as well. I especially liked the LCD bar.
3.5 stars. I'm sure it would get 4 on a "normal" night.
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Baltimore's most so-hip-it-hurts bar. That's both a good and a bad thing.
The decor actually could hurt it you, it's so hip. Low, backless seating, small ottoman-like tables, dim lighting and major crowds on weekend nights can make it a bit awkward to enjoy the fine but pricey tapas. And the just-below-your-knee furniture, combined with high heels and cocktails, can provide some very Three Stoges-esque entertainment. Probably less entertaining if it's you falling *ss over teacup in your BCBGs.
On the other hand, the "hip" also means a generally well dressed, well heeled crowd. A very see and be seen scene.
Good DJs seem to keep the party going and actually pay attention to how people are reacting to what they're spinning.
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In all honesty, if I was grading on a curve, Red Maple would get 4, maybe even 4 1/2 starts. Baltimore just doesn't have much in the way of lounges and places to dance that aren't over run by chickadees who can't handle their alcohol. The 3 star rating is based on the potential Red Maple has to be better.
The place is pretty and well designed. It looks very Manhattan minimalist. It's not what I'd call comfortable, but I've been to much less comfortable places. Besides, sinking into a deep cushy couch in a public place makes my germ phobia come out the closet and sets my skin crawling.
The food is not great, but acceptable, especially for a bar. The few times I've ordered food there, many of the items on the menu were unavailable, and the service pretty much sucked. The bar service can be ok or even good, but admittedly, I find it much better with the male bartenders than the females. The drink list looks fancy pants, but unfortunately the interesting concoctions aren't as tasty as one might hope. The lychee martini is always a good choice (keep in mind these are incredibly easy to make at home).
Ok, so now onto the DJs, if you can call them that. The actual musical selections they play at Red Maple are dependably good and danceable. How they put it together is not. Basically, they play one track after another without linking the two together, like an iPod. What is cool music wise is when the bongos come out. I have had some amazing experiences at Red Maple when patrons and staff start accompanying the recorded music with the drums. Very cool times.
Certain nights of the week are better than others, namely Wednesday night, which is devoted to drum beats (Persian, Turkish, etc) and live belly dancing...bring your dollar bills for the lady. Smoking is outside in a cute courtyard with a, you guessed it, red maple. Often times they project kung fu movies onto the wall out back. The crowd here tends to be the most international of all places in Baltimore, seeming very Hopkins (both the school and hospital) to me. There is no getting around it that this is a pickup bar, so be prepared with your lines, or if you're not into it, be prepared with rebuttals and/or the ability to not make eye contact.
Lacks talent, though superficially hip. It's really not too good.
Small bar and only 2 people working behind the bar on a busy friday night.
the set up doesn't really facilitate movement and socializing. small dance area at the back is overseen by a mediocre DJ.
I'll preface this by saying I haven't been later at night for the dance floor/bar scene thing (ie: never seen the bar change colors as in another review). We typically hit here after work for drinks and food, and both are quite good.
They have a great cocktail menu and it's fun to work your way through it. The fusion cuisine style tapas are mostly very good, though expensive. The setting is very cool - not like Baltimore, more like a NYC club.
It sounds like others have had problems with the bar later at night, but our experience has always been good. One weird thing - the tapas almost always come in 3s - 3 steak medallions, 3 dumplings, 3 scallops, etc - makes sharing weird - how often do you have an odd numbered party?
I really wish I could give a better rating to this place however my last experience there was a bit disappointing. My major complaint is that I was charged two different prices for the same drink, oh and there's that cover charge thing too. I came with a large group (12+) which actually included a couple former employees as well as some regulars and the bouncer made a fuss when they asked for a discount. So the place looks nice and fancy, they had some decent sounds and a cool outdoor area but that's about all they have going for them.
I was a big fan of red maple...but my last few outings have left me with a bad taste.
I am an indian and the bouncer/id-checker is a racist. He didnt allow my friend who was wearing black sneakers and when he changed it and we went in, I cud count atleast 10 american/african american guys inside wearing basketball shoes/white sneakers etc.
The crowd also is slowly deteriorating from urban chic to trash.
These guys dont mention the cover charge on their website and charge randomly. I have been there atleast 10-15 times on a fri/sat nite and have paid either 5 or 10. When I asked them, they said it was always 10 on weekends. Me and my friends are pretty sure we have paid 5.
Wednesday nites hookah and belly dancing is probably the best nite to come thr.
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This place has an identity crisis. On the one hand, it's got a cool, slightly retro lounge appearance you could find in any major city. But on the other hand, they're playing some bizarre music which takes away from the coolness of the lounge. Add the belly dancers who are parading through the crowds, and I'm wondering WTF. This isn't just on Wednesday nights where people are smoking hookas either. Just about any random night. Get it together Red Maple.
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I'm all for supporting a location that requests NO SMOKING, especially before the ban. I also love that this place is not just one thing. You can get your Flamenco on one night and then take a magic carpet ride the next. While the drinks are a little on the expensive side, the sizes are quite generous. I dj dinner there on occasion and am always delighted that the early crowd comes with their ears open, mostly loving what they hear. The food is pretty consistent and the people are pretty cool. AGAIN, stay away on the weekends if you are looking for a mature crowd. Mt. Vernon is turning into Midtown, NYC and is becoming a destination spot for many unmentionables. It's just the way it goes. I only give this place a four because I still can't believe that some people have to que in Baltimore . . . but the girls in their slinky, shiny dresses, bare legs, bare arms and NO COATS are totally indicative of what you will find inside . . . on certain nights.
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Let me preface this review by saying I went to Red Maple on a Friday evening and heard that the place was busier than usual. Then again, I heard that from a member of my party who heard it from a drunk girl in the bathroom, so I don't know how reliable that is, but I'll TRY to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I'll also try to stay under the 5000 character limit, because honestly I could just rant and rant about my experience here.
When I first arrived at Red Maple my impressions were good, great use of the limited space, very intimate and 'hip'. Right away we were greeted and seated. The house music was loud, but at that point I didn't mind too much.
We sat right across from the bar, complete with a color-changing bar-top. Very cool. The place is a tapas bar, with dishes ranging from eggplant and goat-cheese to mango and shrimp spring rolls. Prices average about $8 a plate. Drinks are overpriced, however they have a HH from 5-7pm Wednesday-Friday nights, with $4 plates and specials on some drinks.
We ordered drinks right away, however it took 20 minutes for the first round to come out. That's when I noticed they seemed to have only one server and one runner for the entire section, and the tables were all occupied. This was going to be a long night.
About an hour (it seemed) after we ordered our drinks the waiter took our food order. There were six of us and we ordered 10 plates to share. I ordered the Red Maple Steak and the Spring Rolls.
It took another 45 minutes after ordering for *some* of the food to come out; he only brought three of the 10 plates ordered. Another 20 minutes and three more came out. Another 25 minutes and the last four came out. I don't know if that's usually how you serve tapas, but the method was new to me. I was hungry and irritated. I have to say, though, that all the food was great, and they do have quite a menu, which I hear they change frequently.
At this point, we've been at this place for about two and a half hours, and suddenly a whole group of men and women come in off the street, head for the bar (right across from us) and the music gets turned up loud(er). I had to shout into the ear of my friend who was sitting three inches away from me when I wanted to speak to her. Evidently this place turns into a club after 10:30pm, and I hadn't received the memo.
Our waiter finally brings the check and I'm ready to high-tail it out of there. Unfortunately four of the six from our party were MIA and out on the dance floor. I really would've loved to dance...if I had been in the mood. But this was a birthday dinner for a friend and I was under the impression we were going to go somewhere classy and delicious, somewhere I could have had a decent conversation with some of these gals I didn't see very often. So much for that.
In the end I had a good time enjoying my friends company, but would've enjoyed it more if we had gone somewhere else.
Bottom line; the food was good, drinks are overpriced, the service was horrible, don't even get me started on the bathrooms (only one stall worked correctly, in another the toilet didn't work and the other had a door that didn't close. The soap dispenser was broken, so we all know the employees weren't washing their hands, unless they did it in the kitchen. And really what are the odds of them actually doing that?), and be warned that the place turns into a dance club around 11pm, complete with a cover, a bouncer and a velvet rope outside the door.
Don't waste your time.
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By opening this faux-fancy lounge on N. Charles Street these guys are contributing to the deterioration of charm city and mt. vernon. This place is just not that cool. Relatively speaking (this is Baltimore!) the cover charge, dress code, and bullish bouncer will makeyou feel as if you are attending a top notch club in Vegas or NYC; sadly the analogy stops there.
Red Maple was a very pleasant surprise on my visit to Baltimore. In fact, it is one of the best thought out, planned and executed bars/lounges I've been. Whoever designed this place definitely made the most out of the limited space. They used oranges, reds, browns, offset with cream colors to create a warm environment. The multiple levels created by the stairs is a nice touch. Although we didn't try the food there, the atmosphere was great, the staff was friendly and the service at the bar was a non issue. I can't wait to go back there again on my next visit.
Red Maple is upscale, clean, posh and overall a very nice spot for your "fancier" nights like maybe a first date, impressing business colleagues or showing off Baltimore to out of town friends who think "The Wire" is the entire city. If you find yourself frequenting Kamp and Vin' - you'll love Red Maple.
The no-smoking rule is fantastic and for you smokers, it's one of only two nightclubs in Baltimore that have the rule (Kamp is the other) and there is a heated, private back-yard area with a huge glass wall looking into the dance floor of the club - you won't feel left out or isolated while you're puffing away.
The downside to Red Maple becomes rather obvious after your first visit. Unless you a cute girl or a guy known as a "big spender" you will routinely get passed over by the bartenders. There tends to be a waif of snobby attitudes and "LA-style" tackiness that lurks behind it's posh atmosphere. From the doormen to the floor staff, I sometimes get the impression that some think they are working at Nobu or Hyde.
There is a dress code (which we call can agree is sometimes a good thing) however one quickly grows tired of the masses of guys in ugly 7 Diamonds shirts, spiked hair and tans in the middle of January. Most of it's female crowd are usually bright and educated - these are classy women and this is not a "let's hook up" type of bar. I'm 27, I think this is a good thing, a 22 year old guy might not
The music is another issue with me. They stick with house music for the most part but generally it's bland and commercial. Red Maple is usually passed over when it comes to touring DJ's.
Red Maple has it's ups and downs, a club like this has it's place in Baltimore and it's location near The Belvedere, in a hip neighborhood is only going to help keep it here for years to come but many visitors will choose a slightly more laid-back atmosphere of a place like Goodlove Bar or Mosaic
Everyone one needs a chic little lounge around the corner. This one is mine. The best crowd you're going to get in this city, scrumptious drinks and good food.
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Having only gone to Red Maple at night, I was surprised to find out that they have a decent happy hour in the evening -- many dishes are $4, and drinks are 2-for-1.
being a big city guy, this place is definitely the place to go if you want something different from the local bar scene. opened by the co-owner of the GoodLove Bar in Canton, this place is definitely more hip and stylish. the tapas are good, and i do enjoy the music most of the time. love those fireplaces during winter.
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For this city this a real different experience!! It is warm , has ambiance, attracts a really diverse crowd, offers unique entertainment and is perfect for a date or to meet some new people. I would highly recommend it for all ages !!!
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