Yelp

College Park, MD

I guess what can you expect from a dirty college town bar? Just wanted a light dinner and to chill with an old friend who is going to school here. We shared rolls royce which was essentially a reuben and a beer-- the sandwich was awful. Wheat bread drenched in butter with slices of lee budig-style corned beef (not sure if yall have this brand, it's basically the cheapest lunch meat at the store in a baggie) sauerkraut, cheese, and thousand island on the side.  Anyway, the sandwich was disgusting. The fries were actually ok though..all this plus a pickle and a side of disappearing waitress for $11. I felt so cheated.

College Park, MD

Why is it that something as simple as a drink can sometimes be so difficult to order? I guess cuz everyone goes out of their way to be special and name their stuff differently etc. Anyway, I figured out the way to order and had a green tea milk tea (they call green tea with cream) with tapioca. The tea was tasty and creamy and perfect. The tapioca were way tooo soggy. Overall, cute place and friendly staff.

Columbia, MD

A friend recommended Nuger & Sircus to me.  I've had some not-so-amazing experiences with doctors in this area lately, so I was refreshed to experience Nuger & Sircus.  I'm totally happy with them and my only regret is that I'll only get to go there a few more times before we move away.

The office is clean and they have plently of interesting magazines (not the usual out-dated boring assortment of "dental monthly" or whatever), and they even have a Nintendo 64 hooked up to entertain kids. (though I kinda wanted to play too)

I was on time and had barely opened a magazine before they called me back.  The rooms were bright, clean, and full of new appliances and supplies.  There was a computer screen built into the chair so I could see what was going on with my records.  Not only was that just cool, but it says a lot about a practice when they have the best available technology.  By using the best, they also show that they keep on top of the best technology, techniques, and procedures available to help you.  Much better than doctors or dentists who still have millions of files everywhere, and still deal with patients and records like it was still 1960.

So Jennifer cleaned my teeth and she was great.  She engaged me in a pleasant conversation to make feel comfortable, reviewed my history, and did everything she needed to do.  She was even considerate of me when she was flossing me (unlike some people in the past who were so rough that tears would stream down my face).  Jennifer not only did her job extremely well, but she added to the overall great experience of coming to this office, which is rare enough when going to the dentist.

I had Dr. Sircus for this appointment.  He was great, kind, understanding, took the time to explain, see if I had any questions, and then took the time to answer them.  He took the time to make sure everything about my teeth and how I ake care of them was working and was the best way.  He didn't just poke around my mouth and move to the next patient.  

I think this was the best experience I've had at a dentist office in my adult life.  I'm so impressed that the entire experience has been considered by this business and it's important to them for you to be happy about the whole time there, not just that you didn't have any cavities.

So if you need a dentist, or you don't like your current one, I would highly recommend you try this one. They have a website too: nugerandsircusdds.com

Columbia, MD

A friend recommended Nuger & Sircus to me.  I've had some not-so-amazing experiences with doctors in this area lately, so I was refreshed to experience Nuger & Sircus.  I'm totally happy with them and my only regret is that I'll only get to go there a few more times before we move away.

The office is clean and they have plently of interesting magazines (not the usual out-dated boring assortment of "dental monthly" or whatever), and they even have a Nintendo 64 hooked up to entertain kids. (though I kinda wanted to play too)

I was on time and had barely opened a magazine before they called me back.  The rooms were bright, clean, and full of new appliances and supplies.  There was a computer screen built into the chair so I could see what was going on with my records.  Not only was that just cool, but it says a lot about a practice when they have the best available technology.  By using the best, they also show that they keep on top of the best technology, techniques, and procedures available to help you.  Much better than doctors or dentists who still have millions of files everywhere, and still deal with patients and records like it was still 1960.

So Jennifer cleaned my teeth and she was great.  She engaged me in a pleasant conversation to make feel comfortable, reviewed my history, and did everything she needed to do.  She was even considerate of me when she was flossing me (unlike some people in the past who were so rough that tears would stream down my face).  Jennifer not only did her job extremely well, but she added to the overall great experience of coming to this office, which is rare enough when going to the dentist.

I had Dr. Sircus for this appointment.  He was great, kind, understanding, took the time to explain, see if I had any questions, and then took the time to answer them.  He took the time to make sure everything about my teeth and how I ake care of them was working and was the best way.  He didn't just poke around my mouth and move to the next patient.  

I think this was the best experience I've had at a dentist office in my adult life.  I'm so impressed that the entire experience has been considered by this business and it's important to them for you to be happy about the whole time there, not just that you didn't have any cavities.

So if you need a dentist, or you don't like your current one, I would highly recommend you try this one. They have a website too: nugerandsircusdds.com

Laurel, MD

Not sure why the other person gave this a 5, maybe a different branch was way better.  This was one of those places we went to try, but will never go back.  Not because it was horrible, but because it wasn't good enough to warrant another trip.

I think this is a great example of how a few tweaks to their menu and how they put their food together could improve their offering by leaps and bounds.

For starters, they only offer Dr. Pepper in a 20 oz bottle, which means no refills.  Not a huge deal, we got root beer instead, but a seeminly easy matter to correct.

Then we ordered breadsticks to go with our pizza.  I don't know about you, but when I think about "an order of breadsticks" I think of a basket, kind of like what you get at the Olive Garden for free.  Well, here breadsticks cost $2 and they give you 3 breadsticks (and a little thing of pizza sauce to dip them in).  Now, for Heaven's sake, not only is that rather expensive for breadsticks ($.66 each), but 3 seems like an unitelligent amount of breadsticks to give 2 people. If you're going to charge for breadsticks, think more about what a customer would want and adjust your offering.

Then there was the pizza.  Their pizzas are rectangular and are served on cafeteria trays; that alone gives the impression of poor quality and cost-cutting.  The crust reminded me of the Pillsbury dough you buy in the can, then roll out on a cookie sheet, but even more soggy and flimsy.  We got the Ledo Deluxe or something that sounded very good on the menu, but when it came, it reminded me of what a 4th grader might make if told to make a pizza, given all the ingredients he would ever need, and never taught how to make a pizza.  All the ingredients by themselves were alright enough, though their pepperoni didn't match the American definition of pepperoni, but when all brought together you had this huge, greasy, flimsy, mix of stuff.  We couldn't even hold a piece.  Not only was it too piled and flimsy, but the pieces were tiny.  Then there was the bacon.  It came with bacon, but for some reason they thought it would be a good idea put a whole pig's worth of bacon on top, way more than you could or would want to eat on a pizza, and I love bacon.  I would rather they save the money on so much bacon and give me more breadsticks.  We ate enough to be satisfied and then left about 2/3 of the pizza, since it wasn't something we'd want to have more than once.

Our server was kind and always kept our drinks full.  The place was clean, and close to where we live, so you can take everything for what it's worth.  Two drinks, 3 breadsticks (1 order), and a cafeteria tray-sized pizza, with tip came to about $26, so pricing isn't really an issue.  However, next time I want pizza, I'll go to Papa Johns for more pizza for less money, and I know it's good.  Now if Ledo's would make some changes and create an offering that would make someone want to repeat their experience, I might try them again, but for now, I'll spend my money elsewhere.

Baltimore, MD

I really like this bar. There's outdoor seating during the spring, which makes it a very pleasant place to hang out during the evening. The food is tasty, and they have an interesting selection of rather nice beers on tap. The decorations give it a unique look as well.

Silver Spring, MD

I am really conflicted about my rating for Piratz Tavern. I assumed it would be cornball thru and thru, I was correct. I assumed it would be like a low-rent Rennfaire, again, I was correct. I assumed the service would be solid, wrong. I assumed the food would be the ultimate in shitty, wrong again.

I think its a safe assumtion that any full costume theme restaurant is going to be a horrible experience, but who doesn't love pirates?! I ventured here with some friends on a Sunday evening. We waited an eternity for our server to acknowledge us, even having some girl that was "off the clock" stop by three times to tell us she was going to yell at our server to help us.

When our absentee server finally showed we ordered with low expectations. Two of us split a pitcher of their home made Grog, their potent booze blend, thinking "hey those are pretty small pitchers, we could handle that". On first sip I realized we were doomed to stumble out of there.. I think it was 100% booze, no mixers. We dared to try their "Spicy chicken bits" (after signing a release saying we wouldn't sue) they were pretty freaking spicy, and if I didn't put my tongue thru daily spice torture they would have been painful. Everyone was really happy with their food, which came as a total shock honestly.

ApARRRRRRRRRRt (sorry couldn't help it) from the cheesy theme, crap service and silly costumes/accents, Piratz Tavern is a decent place to have a seriously strong drink and some good food, also they have a walled in outdoor patio, so thats always a bonus.

Silver Spring, MD

Holy stinking flesh rot!  The store smelled DISGUSTING yesterday!!  As I walked in, the smell nearly knocked me onto my rear.  You know, we could say that the weather is heating up, but what does that say about their preparedness?  In the back, it smelled like a shark stomach all hot and gorged with seafood - yick!

I actually like coming here because it's close and it's Asian, but never again will I go on a weekday during the evening rush.  Really, it's the smell, but it's also the guy outside the store talking to himself and yelling, "Why do you think I got money?  I don't have any money!  THEY TOOK MY MONEY!! THEY TOOK MY MONEY!!"  This area is a tad rough around the edges.  Sketchy is also a good descriptive word.

When I came here before, I was a Saturday night around 9pm.  It was clean, it was quiet and it smelled like a Korean grocery store should.  It's ok for Korean grocery stores to stink a little - you gotta cut them some slack because of all the odoriferous food they sell: kimchi, fresh fish, squid, garlic, etc.  I like that they carry the best gourmet ramen here, Shin Ramen (Shin Ra Myun, really). What I didn't like was the pre-prepared ban chan....no self-respecting Korean food connoisseur would say that the Jinga brand ban chan is yummy - cause it is teh suxor.  Never again.

I would have considered getting some quick food at their Korean bar; they had a lot of good looking menu items (kalbi tang) but I couldn't bear to be in there much longer than I had to be.

The bonuses of this store is their Asian food variety and everyday staples for the rest of the population that doesn't do Asian.  Their prices aren't too bad either. BUT, I promise I won't go back there until they take care of their smelly business.

Beltsville, MD

The service was very nice - the banchan (kimchee, cucumbers) were refilled, and the waitress was very sweet and polite. I had the dumplings and the chicken noodle soup - the dumplings were pretty good but the chicken noodle soup was outstanding. Try it out - its worth the drive many times over

Baltimore, MD

*2.5

I was excited to try this place once I heard about it. I went to the website first and was particularly excited about the choices they had. So when the BF and I finally went, we ended up getting a half-dozen to share (and it was PRICEY!) So first bite, something chocolate-y. Ok not horrible, not great. Second bite oh god it's so sugary, I'm starting to get a migraine. And the icing is horribly crystallized. By the third, I couldn't handle it anymore and I put away my half-eaten cupcake a little sad.  

For me, the point of doing an upscale cupcake is to rectify the things wrong with store-bought ones. It seems those things are just magnified here. They're overly sweet, the icing crystallized and the cake base so-so (though in their case it was the best part). The flavors are better, yes, but it was still all too much! I know some of you may say "That's the fucking point!" but no--I think we all deserve better than just sugar overkill!

All in all, a big meh for me. Not going back since Charm City Cupcakes does a much better job for cheaper.

Baltimore, MD

Fabulously gooooooooooooood gelatos! The closest to real Italian gelatos that I've tasted so far. Actually let me go so far as saying this is the only place in Baltimore that I'll go to for anything in the form of frozen cream,  sorbet, etc. The people are so nice every time we go and they are more than encouraging about making you taste all the flavors. It all tastes so good it's so hard to decide! Yes, they are a bit pricy at about $7 for a medium (3 scoops) and $9 for a pint but the ingredients are all top-notch and in turn, a good bowl of gelato indeed! Things I've tried and are very good are: the spicy chocolate, coconut, grapefruit, pistachio, bourbon vanilla and mojito. They also have some coffee with ice cream drinks that I will definitely try next time I'm there. Definitely one of my favorite dessert places in Baltimore!

Baltimore, MD

*3.5

Vaccaro pastries kind of remind me of something my non-existent Italian grandmother would make. They are well-meaning, yes, but these sugartastic, ginormo-sized treats will probably leave you in a diabetic coma if consumed in one sitting. One GIANT eclair fed me and my roommates--a total of 3 people--for 2 dessert sessions. Which boggles my mind that there IS a $13 All-You-Can-Eat Dessert Night on Mondays (who can eat that much dessert unless you have a death wish?!)

Nonetheless, I love Vaccaro's. Alright, so for the most part, it was my first ever experience with an "Italian bakery" ever. I have been to Italy immediately after and you betcha the cannolis and gelatos were a lot better there. But I'm not in Italy anymore and this suits me just fine until the next time. I still love their cannolis and their lemon ice. I've tried other things before but the only thing in my mind that sticks as memorable thus far are the coconut cookies. The caffeinated drinks aren't bad either.

So why do I keep coming back? Well for one, there's no other place like it in Baltimore. Though it's always packed, there is still something really comforting to pick up a nice treat or sticking around for it. It is very much like grandma's house and cooking--it may not be the best in the grand scheme of things but it's comforting and will certainly bring your spirits up even if you get so full you can't move anymore.

Silver Spring, MD

Five stars for MVA's Glenmont location! I decided to go to this "express office" yesterday to get my license renewed (Happy birthday to me!) and walked in with my favorite book under my arm, ready to wait in a long line that would move an inch a minute. But what did I find? At 4:00pm, 30 minutes before closing, there was NO line. When I went up to station #4, the woman behind the counter handled my transaction so efficiently that I was in and out in five minutes.

The short wait was one thing, but what really took the cake was how unreasonably friendly the staff was! I really couldn't believe it! The woman who worked with me let me take my picture a few times and had a great sense of humor about it. As I waited all of two minutes for my license to be printed, I was watching the other employees, and they all seemed to be having a grand old time.

I talked to my parents about this unusual experience, and they both noticed the same thing in their recent experiences at this office...which means that this kind of friendliness and efficiency could possibly be a regular thing! Five stars, MVA! Well done!

Columbia, MD

"when-a  da moon hitsa your eye like-a big-a pizza pie thats AMORE...."

Thanks Dino!    

Not a bad place really in the heart of the Columbia business center.  People hate on chains, and many people hate on family style portions but to be very honest Thats Amore is really not bad.   You won't find anything earth shattering on the menu, but they do the traditional italian favorites pretty well.  Go with a group and don't try to get anything too outside of the box and I think you will be pleased.  Our group of about 15 had 4 family style entrees

Service was good, and not overbearing.  Crowd was relatively dead for a Thursday night, but I think they do their real business on the weekends.

Baltimore, MD

This was the first time I went to a Cheesecake Factory. Right by the harbor, this location was packed full of tourists (myself included), so we had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. (Reservations weren't, and still aren't, accepted.)

All of our entrees were huge, and we took home bulging doggy bags. Their rendition of pad thai (which many of us ordered) was the bees knees, and not even spicy! Good stuff. I tried their Bang Bang chicken and shrimp, which was flavorful.

Pleasing decor, stellar service (better than any other Cheesecake Factory I've been to), and delicious fare. Not the cheapest, and they're a chain, but worth a visit if you've never been.

Silver Spring, MD

Two observations/questions to begin:
1) why do so many DC area restaurants have such poor service?
2) although the idea of an open kitchen is essentially cool, one always comes out of these restaurants just smelling like grease.

I had not read the Yelp reviews before finding myself at Jackie's on a recent night, but I had heard or read mixed reviews elsewhere.

First off, we sat looking at our menus for a rather long time before someone came to take our order.  Second, they were out of the appetizer (bacon-wrapped scallops on spinach) we wanted.

My friend had a soup which she said was okay, and the Elvis mini-burgers, which she said were pretty good.  I ordered the salad with warm camembert and pine nuts.  When I received it, the camembert was not warm, there were no pine nuts, nor was there any dressing whatsoever.  I returned that, got a fresh one with dressing and pine nuts. The cheese was still not particularly warm, and there could have been more pine nuts.  However, what redeemed the whole evening was the pork taco appetizer.  The pork was tender and seasoned and just absolutely delicious.  I would consider going back just for these tacos!

When our bill came, my friend looked at it, and said "I though the soup was $5, but on the bill it's $6." We flagged down our waiter, and he said he'd check. Turns out my friend was right.  However, the waiter was unable to change the price in the computer, so instead he took the soup of our bill altogether, which was nice.  That begs the question -- was Jackie's overcharging people for this soup all night?

Considering that entrees here run in the mid-20s, I'd really expect better service.  This is place I would like to like, but my first impression won't be making Jackie's a favorite of mine.

Baltimore, MD

Since I've moved here earlier this year, this has become my standby place to take out-of-town friends who are in town for something else and want to get together for brunch.

The menu has had something for everyone so far -- the savory brunch and the sweet, sweet breakfast -- and has been a big hit. The service can sometimes be slow, and every once in a while the waitstaff will say something alarming like "oh yeah, I almost forgot I hadn't' taken your order, too," but as long as you're not expecting perfect service, you'll be fine.

I try to get people to go early - 10:30 or so - in order to avoid the wait, and so far that's worked well. I haven't actually eaten there for any other meal yet, but I can't imagine the experience would be that much different (except maybe for the wait).

Baltimore, MD

How dare you, Nacho Mama's. HOW DARE YOU. I heard about your hubcap margaritas and waited for YEARS for the perfect chance to get on down to Canton and check you out. When the day finally arrived, I was so excited. You really pumped me up! What an excellent concept. Too bad your food sucked and made me feel sick and gross, and was way overpriced to boot. Fucking underwhelming. Your margs weren't even anything to write home about.

You're dead to me.

Hyattsville, MD

I've been several times and just got back from lunch today. I had the salmon special which had artichokes and eggplant. It was a little bland, but the ingredients were perfectly cooked. I would much rather spice and salt my own food anyway. I don't like salt, so I'm real unhappy if food is too salty. I added a little tobasco and it was quite good. The server was friendly and fast. I'm always pleased with their specials. There are some imaginative dishes and the price is reasonable. Also, as has been mentioned, it's funky, arty and has an old time general store attached that makes me yearn for penny candy.

Silver Spring, MD

My experiences with this place have been nothing but professional and completely excellent on all counts. A friend of mine, who works at the front and is apprenticing, drew up an add-on for me based on some source art I gave her. Chris took it and turned it into an absolute work of art on my arm.

His coloring and shading are phenomenal, as is his attention to detail. He really has fun and loves what he does, and he is clearly great at it! I've gotten about 1 million genuine compliments on this tattoo since then- including the coveted-if-not-backhanded "I usually don't like tattoos, but i like yours! It's beautiful!"

Plus, it kinda looks like a Five Guys on the inside. Definitely coming back for more here!

Baltimore, MD

Best rice pudding around. You wouldn't think that'd be a draw, but ever since I first went here a few years ago it's what I always remember, and why I go back. It tastes fresh, just like everything else they serve! The burritos are great and the sauces you choose from are not only perfect in level of spiciness, but also in flavor. You want mexican food in Baltimore? Run away from the Holy Frijoles trap as quickly as possible and get on down to this place.

They recently raised their prices and it's a little more than I personally like to spend on lunch, but it's a nice treat. Really fast service, too. It gets packed quickly since it's so tiny.

Columbia, MD

Review for catering only:
We had Iron Bridge cater my mom's 50th birthday party a couple years back... and we were nothing but pleased. They had a great variety of items for us to choose from and it was easy. Definitely recommend this one for parties.

Ellicott City, MD

So when I'm in town (I grew up in EC) I try to avoid this place... because I like to avoid most people I know from High School (haha Sarah). But, when I do give in to my friends that enjoy this place.... I usually have a good time. The food isn't bad... but it also isn't great. I like to stick to the bar area, because the atmosphere in the dining room is kinda strange to me. So, moral of the story: stay in the bar and get lots of drinks...then you might enjoy yourself.

Chester, MD

this is the 2nd year in a row that i've had to have flowers delivered on mother's day to a hotel.   island flowers got rave reviews from a local hotel, so i called.  the woman couldn't have been nicer.  she worked with my budget, understood the complicated delivery to a hotel the day before.  and best of all, she understood that i didn't want some sappy bouquet since this is not exactly the happiest of mother's days in my family.  she even emailed me my confirm.  and didn't charge a $20 delivery fee like FTD.com does.  

again, friendly people like this make my day.

Baltimore, MD

Super friendly staff and great ice cream. Plenty of clean seating indoors and a perfect place to grab dessert after a movie or dinner in Harbor East.

Baltimore, MD

A great place for happy hour, right by the east harbor in Bmore. A stone's throw from the Landmark Theatre on a breezy warm spring evening.

Cosmopolitans for $6.50, generously portioned starters that quickly satiate like a full meal: we devoured pork gyoza, fried tofu blocks (delish), spicy tuna roll (8 piece maki), and california roll (8 piece maki).

Friendly, non-bothersome staff. Fun, red-walled if not generic 'trendy asian place' decor. Feels modern and the bar area have high topped tables and two requisite flat screens showing the latest sports games.

Baltimore, MD

I like checking out bike shops in new cities.

first impressions....wow, they need to clean this shop. i can live with a little cluster f*** but this place didnt make any sense to me.

i couldn't tell if it was all rentals until i saw a couple track bikes stashed in the corner.

no one said hi when you walked in. everyone seem preoccupied with something. it kind of reminded me of upgrade cycle shop in chicago, that's not a good thing.

Baltimore, MD

I was riding around downtown Baltimore looking for some food. I was really put off by how sparse Baltimore is and just sort of ended up here.

The service was friendly. I had this crazy fried Avocado dish, which, well, was interesting and then ended with saag paneer.

Frankly, it was kind of bland. To say that Indian food is bland? Yeah, that is my point exactly.

It was ok, I wasn't floored nor was I upset I went there. I just really didnt want to eat at Inner Harbor, too many tourists.

Silver Spring, MD

Mi Rancho certainly isn't muy raunchy, but the food is nothing special.  Can't go wrong with fajitas, right?  Well, these were very ordinary fajitas.  I will cut Mi Rancho a little slack, as I was there, along with a large percentage of Silver Spring, for Cinco de Mayo.  I imagine this played a part in the fajitas not coming to the table all asizzle, a fabulous conflagration of barbacoa-breathing vato vapor.  That's half the reason to get fajitas in the first place:  just to see your neighbors enviously staring at your entree, mouths agape; their boring pile of cheese-fettered dish-plate tortillas just lying there like a Zenadine Zedanye head-butting victim.  Meanwhile, your steaming succulence sizzles and delights all at the table, clearing sinuses, bringing a mexican rainbow of joy to your face.  
   Nope, these fajitas came as an unceremonious pile of meat half-stuck to the iron plate.  Oh, and with one, uncooked, unseared, uncharred, raw segment of green pepper circumference.  That and the sides of beans and rice were the adornments for this dish (well, and the ubiquitous guacamole and sour cream).  Highly average and disappointing.  
    I give the stars for the atmosphere. The huge canopy of a patio was loud fun and great to be sitting in.  I'd like to go back on a non cinco-de-mayo day, when there aren't more gringos than a Texas roadhouse bar on the barbecue music circuit, and see what this place can deliver.  For now, two stars sums up my experience.

Baltimore, MD

On the other hand, to supplement Eric P's review (which, by the by, I do wholeheartedly agree with), if you are using a trailer - which I did on my visit, due to renovating my home - it's $67.50 per ton.  Which seems a mite ridiculous when you're saving them time and money by delivering your own damned trash...