Flavor

Our new-​to-​Baltimore organization Symphony Number One, gathered here post-​concert last night and had an exceptional experience! The owner Julia was thrilled to collaborate and created a menu especially for us, including cocktails named after composers! I indulged in a chocolate martini which was perfectly sweet and the vegetarian flatbread with arugula and balsamic was fantastic!
Out of our party of over 20 people, everyone was delighted with their food. The wait staff was courteous and though probably not used to being overwhelmed with such a large party (the main floor is not very big) they bent over backwards to accommodate all our wishes with a smile on their face! With the skills and humble attitude Julia and her partner bring to the table, Flavor will be around for a long-​time with many devoted followers. Don’t hesitate to make it to Flavor today!

One of the best kept secrets for brunch. It offers a nice cozy atmosphere, excellent service and food. Today was my second time dining there and the Shrimp and Grits are delicious. Everything is made fresh to order and the Homemade Sausage has just enough Sage to make it savory. An added personal touch to our visit was when the chef and owner came to our table to see if we were enjoying our food. I particularly enjoyed the live entertainment that they feature every 1^st Sunday of the month. Once this secret is out, this place will be packed!

A good addition to Mt. Vernon. Flavor is a small-​plate restaurant where the old MIdtown BBQ used to be. I went in during happy hour with a friend. It was quite bustling with many people grabbing drinks post-​work. The service was quite impeccable– the bartender/​waitress was quite attentive and sweet. The interior of the restaurant is quite modern and clean. The food was okay. We tried their shrimp, which was well cooked and well-​seasoned, as well as their vegeterian flat bread, which was good with the vinigarette and the vegetables. Overall the food is good, but it’s not impressive.
Happy hour menu is quite good wiht $ 5 for two of their mixed drink, and $ 1 off for beer/​wine. Their happy hour small plates genrally range between $ 7 – 10. For portion size and the quality of food, the cost for happy hour was quite appropriate. However for dinner menu, the price can be quite steep for the amount of food you get.
Overall, would recommend i for happy hour, not quite as much for dinner.

My first time here and I will be back to try the regular menu. Here for blow the brunch… The drinks are amazzzzzzzzinnnngggggg

Had a fantastic dinner date at Flavor. My date was vegetarian, there are plenty of fine dishes to choose from for everyone. The food was excellent, the service was impeccable. Afterward, my date and I enjoyed a cocktail upstairs. Will definitely return to Flavor again soon!

Came in for a drink and a potential bite to eat after the st Patrick’s parade. We were not aknowledge by bar staff at all for the first 10 minutes of sitting down but the lovely hostess stepped in and got our drink order. After receiving our «mimosas» (Orange juice with a touch of flat champagne) we were still barely acknowledged afterward. After paying our check and leaving a note for the staff informing them they need to improve their customer service we heard the bartenders mocking and cursing the note. Both my guest and I are bartenders and after trying to explain the problems with service we were met by contempt and aggression by «Dre» the bartender and self proclaimed manager. If this business hopes to succeed I hope she is not in a position of management.
Signed,
2 professional bartenders
Ps: They were not busy at all.

Good taste in décor, excellent customer service, very clean, for 1^st time I loved it, be back.

Good morning Julia. this is Keysha. Now that my birthday weekend has officially come to a close, I just wanted to reach out to you and your staff.
I want to say thank you for allowing me to celebrate my 44^th birthday at Flavor. I had an amazing time. Everything was awesome. You have the most fabulous menu. There wasn’t one thing that we ordered that people didn’t like. I am looking forward to returning to dine, in the very near future. You have an amazing wait staff and bartender. Please pass along a huge thank you.
In knowing that Flavor is fairly new, I would like to wish you nothing but the best! I foresee a successful journey! All the best to you and Flavor.
With sincerity and gratitude,
Keysha

Flavor has excellent food and very friendly staff. The owners were very nice and helpful and the cocktails were also great. Please check out this restaurant! Get the tacos and the Mac n cheese! I live in the neighborhood and will certainly spread the word!

Julia and her wife own the place and they are absolutely fantastic! The food is delicious and the drinks are in the same category, definitely love coming here.
Their Sunday brunch is awesome and is all day and they have really good prices on their brunch drinks too. I love coming here with friends whether it’s for a night out or just a relaxing happy hour.
Great cocktails too! Overall classy and relaxing atmosphere.

I wasn’t going to write this review but decided to change my mind when I received a Facebook message from one of the owners instructing me not to come back to the restaurant because she didn’t care for the review I posted on Google. Where most management /​owners would seek to rectify the bad experience and ask for an opportunity to make it right. She refuses to acknowledge their poor amateur service and would actually seek me out on Facebook to vent. Well I couldn’t let that go. We had a party of 15 which apparently overwhelmed the kitchen staff even though the restaurant was not at all busy. Over half of our party’s food was not cooked as ordered and had to be sent
addition to this the service was extremely slow. When we brought this to the attention of management they were unapologetic and made many excuses for why nothing seemed to be right. In fact the manager was quite rude. One person in our party actually didn’t receive her entrée for about 30 mins after everyone else had eaten. I had hoped that this would have been a pleasent experience as it was a friend’s birthday brunch but it was a total disaster. I just could not get over how disparaging and condescending the management was to members of our party. A true professional would have sought to make things right and retain our patronage. Not here! I will say that my meal was delicious in flavor and presentation but the overall experience was not one I wish to repeat. They don’t have to worry about me or anyone in our party coming back there again because there are to many other places nearby who know how to do it right. Sometimes food can be a little off but superb customer service goes a long way. I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy. I’m sure they won’t be around long if this is the level of service they continue to offer. Dinet at your own risk!!!

Where to start! Everything my party ordered was delicious. The food was vibrant and familiar, but still felt like it had a gourmet touch. You could tell the ingredients were very fresh (it’s also from a local farm). Dishes that were particularly great include the Steak, the Truffle Mac and Cheese, and the Banana Pudding.
The drinks were no less impressive. They had a large variety of coffee cocktails (all making use of a French Press), and creative takes on other fair. Many folks in our party were fond of the Lemosas, and I found myself particularly fond of the Bourbon Orange Ginger cocktail (sorry I forgot the name).
The Space was modern, but approachable and well lit. I particularly appreciated the orchids on the antique carved mantle piece. I only ate in the main dining space, but apparently there are multiple floors, including a lounge area.
The Staff was fantastic as well. Everyone from the owner to the servers were kind, efficient, and just generally excellent.
All in all one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a while. Flavor is simply a great restaurant.

I met a friend here for happy hour after work. Loved the food and layout. The music was very good as well. Then bartenders were really nice. I would give this place 5 stars however the happy hour drinks were not that great. The had the usual cheaper wine and beer and 2 reduced priced cocktails. I just wish for a place that considers itself a cocktail bar maybe they would have a few more cocktail on happy hour; maybe just like rail specials…
Also Love Love Love the cucumber pear gimlet.

Great Tapas! I ordered the buffalo cauliflower with blue cheese, truffle Mac and cheese, Greek Tzatsiki, and crème brûlée cinnamon bun. Everything was great and the perfect size. The cauliflower was some of the best I’ve ever had, and was even a little spicy. The blue cheese on it added great flavor. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others!

I went with friends for my birthday and had a wonderful experience. The food was excellent the service was extremely good and everyone was so attentive. I had the calamari, the sliders and the lamb chop. Everything was cooked so well and I wanted to do it all again. I started out with their drink specials which was light and refreshing.
I had heard so much about this place before it opened and was delighted that it finally opened and I had a opportunity to go. I really enjoyed myself.
I can’t wait to go again. I enjoyed myself so much and the ambiance was beautiful and so well thought out. I highly recommend checking it out.

I’ll be honest, I never really liked Midtown BBQ (previous bar in this location). So when I heard that they were closing and a new small plates restaurant/​bar was opening up in its place, I was excited!
So, I finally got around to checking out Flavor last night with a friend and had a great experience! The ambience is cool and modern and somehow would work for both a dinner date or a chill night out for drinks with friends. All of the staff that I interacted with were super friendly and helpful. I also got an opportunity to meet the owners (Julia and Vanna). They were very welcoming and Julia is an amazing chef!
My friend and I tried the buffalo cauliflower bites, beef sliders, and shrimp cocktail. The buffalo cauliflower had just the right amount of heat and a generous amount of crumbled blue cheese. I don’t really even like cauliflower, but these were better than buffalo wings that I’ve had at establishments employing lesser chefs. The shrimp cocktail was excellent: several big shrimp cooked/​seasoned perfectly and the homemade cocktail sauce had the perfect amount of horseradish to give it a nice kick. Everything was excellent, but the beef sliders were the star of the show! Nicely seasoned beef with a satisfying sear on the outside, while being tender, juicy and flavorful on the inside. Welcome to Mount Vernon, Flavor! I will definitely be coming back and will bring friends!

Overall I really liked Flavor and will definitely be going back. The staff was super friendly and the happy hour food was not only delicious but value for money — everyone I spoke to in my group loved the food. I’ve also been to Midtwon BBQ and this place is totally different so it can’t even be compared and shouldn’t be.
The place only recently opened and is still finding its feet a little, which is important to keep in mind — I’m sure it will only get better. I really liked the wine, however, it wasn’t as much value for money as the food even with the happy hour special — the amount was uncommonly small and made me feel a bit ripped off, especially after seeing that the amount of wine you got depended on who poured it. The atmosphere downstairs could also be improved — it’s a little too bright and with the white and grey colour scheme it looks quite stark. The big banner on the wall is also a little sports bar like. I think if they dimmed the lights and put some candles on the tables it would make a world of difference.
The space upstairs is lovely — the lighting was just right and they had a beautiful vintage looking clock on the wall (a theme I wish they would incorporate downstairs a bit). Hopefully they’ll keep the upstairs open to the public. I love that this place is women owned and any place that has such great food right upon opening is definitely worth another visit or two.

I went to Flavor with a group of friends after work on a Tuesday to celebrate a birthday and check out a new spot.
Everyone from the hostess to the servers were friendly and welcoming. Later the owners came over to welcome us, thank us for coming and to see how everything was. Our server was not only gorgeous but fun and provided incredible service.
The place is gorgeous! The décor is crisp and modern. The colors give it a nice vibrancy and the bathroom smells amazing. I was so impressed.
I had the sliders and the grilled calamari. They were the best sliders I have every had and I eat off bar menus a lot. These are upscale and cooked perfectly. I will never eat fried calamari again. The grilled version was do good.
Drinks: I started with a pear martini that tasted like I was eating a pear with some vodka in it. I was told that they make fresh pear purée everyday. They also make their own pickles. There’s a chocolate cake shooter that is amazing. Seriously?! The attention to details on all levels at Flavor is impeccable.
I love that there is a gay friendly upscale spot in Baltimore. It’s perfect for a happy hour with friends and coworkers and definitely an awesome date spot. I am looking forward to going back. I want to check out the upstairs lounge.
Check this spot out! Thank me later.

(10/​29/​2015) We were longtime visitors to the Midtown Yacht Club way, way back in the day, not so much with the Midtown BBQ and Brew. Were surprised the owners finally gave up the spot. We stopped in for a late weeknight dinner and to check out the revamped space. Right off the bat, the place is CLEAN and you can see because they have LIGHTS. While I do miss the free peanuts, I do not miss the shells on the floor and the mice running along the walls. Flavor is more «grown up» (and stiff), and hence decidedly less fun, less raucous, and less «bro» than it used to be, which is intentional, since the owners said they want to cater specifically to lesbians (about as anti-​bro as you can get). You might like it better now, but I did miss the diverse crowd and the generally welcoming local vibe. We were greeted at the door and seated immediately, there were no other diners in the dining room, a smattering of people at the bar. Music, while OK by me (although not something I’d generally choose to dine to) was some pretty generic teen pop (Taylor Swift’s «Shake It Off» and Ed Sheeran’s «Thinking Out Loud»), a problem with most tight spaces like this, where does the bar end and the dining room begin and which are you going to be? At least with prior incarnations, you knew you were decidedly in a bar and behaved accordingly.
Julia, the executive chef-​owner (as stated on the menu) was working front of the house the night we were there, not sure who was in the back. Our server was pleasant, slightly awkward (like she’s a hospitable person but hasn’t ever really waited tables for a living). Wait staff were attentive enough, but we were the only two diners in the dining room. I asked up front if they had everything on the menu and was told «yes.» Menu is listed as all small plates, but some things sounded like entrees and the prices are misleading (small plate for $ 17 is kind of steep). The gratis plate of pickled cabbage and carrots was a nice palate cleanser, awkward to eat, but all right. It’s kind of perplexing why it’s on the table, I’d kind of just rather have it with a taco or banh mi. I supposed since we ordered all small plates at once, that’s pretty much how they came out, and the table crowded quickly. Started with the Spicy Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower with Crumbled Gorgonzola, great heat and tang with creamy, stinky gorgonzola and tender cauliflower (loved this!). Vegetarian Flat had a nice mix of melted brie with a sweet-​tart balsamic drizzle, roasted red bell pepper and caramelized onions with cool arugula on top; bread was warm and soft, but not crisped or charred underneath (if you like it that way). A Roasted Beet Salad was suitably fine, mostly unremarkable, except for an over-​generous amount of goat cheese (formed from an ice cream scoop), and a formulaic mix of tender roasted beets, smattering of arugula in a light vinaigrette. We really enjoyed the Stoney Point Beef Sliders, came on potato rolls, tons of mayo (which is fine by me), thick slice of housemade tart dill pickle and onions. Call me a non-​purist, but I like a really well-​seasoned patty, and these were that. We had ordered the Mozzarella, Prosciutto and Basil Bites as well, but were later told they were out. We subbed the King Crab Martini, and were asked if crostini would be fine as sub since they were out of endive (we said yes). We were then told toward the end of our meal that they were out of that King Crab Martini entirely.
So, there are some kinks to work out with communications from back to front of house and vice versa, but hey, they’ve only been open a few days. A few small things we noticed (small, but noticeable): there was a thread of lint in my slider (we’ll just choose to call it lint and leave it at that); the caramelized onions had some fairly inedible bits (like the papery skin); lettuce on slider was a disappointingly pale iceberg; random things left off that were in the menu description but not on the plate (no goat cheese on the flat, missing tomato on the slider, and I could’ve sworn the paper menu said candied walnuts on the beet salad — that one was a crying shame, we really wanted those, unless I picked the wrong salad). The new tables sit atop the newly varnished floor and the slightest nudge will send it shooting out in whatever direction. The Midtown bathrooms were vile and I was looking forward to the re-​vamp upon visit. Unfortunately they left the old tile (with the dirty grout), bummer, that was almost the worst part about it. Still, they’re trying really hard to make it work here, and you could feel it (which is what makes it awkward sometimes). We did enjoy our meal and will stop by again to see how things are going.

Well… How can I describe this bad experience. The food was burned, after requesting a rare slider, it came out well done, the buns were charred and then lathered in a flavored mayonnaise. They are sliders… there’s but so much that should be added, the only reason we stayed was because I was starving… Ordered also the chicken skewers that too were charred, and the flatbread that was truly lackluster, served with cheese not nearly melted. The next time I will just go to the restaurant in Hotel Indigo and pay for a cooked to order burger with fries and the flat bread with and salad that has a balance of crunchy and softness with melted cheese for the same price of two small plates.
I understand the intent of small plates, but I also appreciate the value of my experience and the food, of which were not met.
Just an observation, with the number of staff currently standing around, your chef shouldn’t need a presence at the front of the house seating customers at their table and cooking their food, clearly this balance affects the out come of the food.
Had nice expectations for this restaurant with their write up in City Paper, boasting «truffle fries and Kobe beef sliders» locally sourced … craft cocktails” that produced an overwhelming daiquiri selection.