Cindy Lou's Fish House - Baltimore

We had been wanting to visit this restaurant for some time, and even though I accidentally messed up our reservation, we were able to sit at the bar. We started with the **** oysters and the green fried tomatoes served with hot pepper jelly and pimento cheese. Although the oysters appeared small, they were surprisingly large and meaty, and the tomatoes were absolutely outstanding. For my main course, I had the river trout accompanied by pickled vegetables and some incredible creamy grits. My wife ordered the steak, which came with a generous serving of delicious red wine.

It was my first time dining here, and I was celebrating a friend's birthday with two companions. The restaurant is really charming, and the waterfront setting is simply beautiful. I started with the fried green tomatoes, which were delicious and artistically presented. As for the shrimp and grits, they were tasty, but I would have preferred them without so much butter sauce. One of my friends had the brussels sprouts, which were absolutely amazing! We also noticed that several staff members visited our table during our meal, which was a nice touch.

Although I don't eat meat, I do eat fish, and they came over to discuss options regarding chicken stock and other ingredients. However, I was quite let down by Cindy Lou’s Fish House. The menu wasn't very accommodating, and the waiting staff didn't seem to take note of our discussion with the kitchen about possible modifications. The gluten-free options included mostly salads and steak, and none of the fish dishes could be made gluten-free without significant changes, which were never offered again. I ended up ordering a seafood soup and a kale salad, and both were disappointing. The kale salad was overly oily and lacked sufficient acidity and seasoning, while the seafood soup also needed more salt. Overall, it was not the experience I had hoped for.

My friends ordered the charcuterie board, and I can’t remember what else. I opted for the fried green tomato appetizer, kale slaw, and the “bruises” dessert. The kale slaw was tangy, flavorful, firm, and crisp. The fried green tomatoes were fantastic—crispy on the outside and filled with soft, delicious pimento cheese. I wasn’t a fan of the bruises, though; they were a bit too sweet for my taste. I’m not sure if it was maple syrup or something else, but the portion was generous and the sweetness overwhelmed me. Our server, Meeme, was friendly, though it seemed like she was a bit overwhelmed, likely due to being short-staffed, which is common these days. You know a restaurant is in a tough spot when the check arrives prematurely. I'd definitely return the next time I'm in town for lunch or dinner. Our total bill for three, before tip, was $37.

On September 6, 2022, I called to mention that this was my first visit for our special occasion and to inquire about parking; I also requested a table by the window with a view of the water. I confirmed my reservation on September 11, 2022, having booked through your Resy system. When we arrived, we parked and searched for the restaurant, but we had trouble finding it. After calling the restaurant, we had to run a whole block to locate it. Once we entered the lobby, we waited for about three minutes without being greeted, as there was no hostess present. The atmosphere was overwhelming, with loud music that made conversation almost impossible. Eventually, two young ladies, dressed casually, approached my wife and me. They seemed to be playfully hitting each other with menus before coming over to assist us. One of them, with a somewhat indifferent demeanor, asked how she could help. I was in a suit, and my wife was also dressed up. I mentioned that we had a reservation for 7:30, which was only five minutes away at that point. Shockingly, she didn’t even ask for our names! Instead, she seated us on a couch by a table that was far from the main dining area, which we hadn’t requested at all. I wanted to inquire about our reservation but she hurried off before I could. Shortly after, another staff member brought us water and said that someone would be with us shortly. However, 15 minutes passed with no one attending to us, and I told my wife we should leave. I was incredibly frustrated, especially since this was such an important milestone for us. It was clear that we were the only ones dressed up, highlighting the significance of the occasion. I sincerely hope this feedback reaches your team, as it is essential to address the lack of customer service and the level of excellence that should be expected. The experience we had did not align with the energy your website portrays, and it was disappointing.