I think we need to clarify what group is overrating them. We in the Sandbox are obviously superior to the hoi polloi and our judgments are accurate, but places like Phillips seem overrated in the general mind. I could also see Sabatino's making this list by acclamation, but I think of it as a decent place with decent prices and therefore see it as properly rated. If others believe it to be great Italian, it would be overrated. I also think Holy Frijoles, which I used to love, is now overrated.

obviously superior to the hoi polloi

*sigh*

With that out of the way, I mostly agree with Matt. We might have more fun with a top 10 underrated. We may have done that, though.

My list for overrated, though, would have to include Gertrude's, Pazo and Holy Frijoles. The meals (multiple, in the case of Gertrude's) that I've had in these places have run from just bad (Holy Frijoles) to eh. I don't get the love for Mick O'Shea's, either. It is ok and overpriced.

If we do those that live up to the hype, Grace Gardens comes to mind.

My vote for most overrated restaurant is Shane's on Fayette. I call into question his Master Sandwich Chef credentials, and their claim to Best in its Class award.

I recently took my sweetheart out for his birthday to Loco Hombre. What has happened there? And the music? They were playing early 80's new wave (not that there's anything wrong with that, except it didn't exactly foster that south of the border mood), so loud that I heard the two other tables ask for it to be turned down. It was empty at 8:15 p.m. They have 4 flat screen tv's in there now...what? The food was mushy and the check was huge!

In the county the most overrated restaurant is the Manor Tavern. I still don't get the appeal of sitting on a slab of concrete in the parking lot (ok, separated by a fence) and calling it bucolic. The food I had was uneven at best, and certainly not worth the price or the drive. The service staff seemed preoccupied (with what?) and there was an ersatz, "wanna be" feeling to the whole place.

I'll join in the chorus on Holy Frijoles, which once had very nice Tex-Mex food. Of course, my opinion is colored by my most recent (and last) visit to the establishment. On a Saturday night, around 6 pm, the dining room mostly full and waiting at the hostess stand for a table to be cleared, my 4 year-old boy came running back from the rest room with his aghast mother, and said to me: "Papa, there's a rat in the bathroom." Worse, the rat seemed mildly annoyed before scurrying back into a hole in the wall, as if they should have knocked before entering. And worse yet, when the hostess was told, she shrugged. Yikes!

After living right near Bicycle for quite some time, I finally decided to try it a couple of month ago.

Quite disappointing and definitely overrated! The only part of the meal that was enjoyable was the tuna tartare.

My dish supposedly included a bacon salad, which it did not come with. The desert was supposed to be a banana foster bread pudding, came out with a rasberry sauce and no sign of banana fosters sauce. Many changes made without even telling me as a diner that they were not available.

Quite overrated in my opinion and disappointing.

Brass Elephant.

I'm going to go out in front of the firing squad and say Woodberry Kitchen.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I really do dig the place. The city really needs the Chez Panisse locovore seasonal concept. But the glowing -- nay, dripping reviews; and the persistently crowded fashion-yuppie hordes speak more highly of the place than matches my experience.

The smaller plates were exceptional, strangely, the entree less so.

The constant complaints of the noise volume tell me that the original concept may have been aiming for a more intimate dining experience -- the space itself, while gorgeous, gives an elegant, muted feeling that just doesn't sustain the crowds.

That being said, I have a suspicion Woodberry will be an exemplary establishment in a few years' time, when food fashion lets the place be what it wants to be.

Also ran: Ra Sushi. I thought we exiled the fratgrads and chicklit bots to Federal Hill already?

Lissa: Pazo used to be a favorite of mine, but has since downgraded, partly because of their concessions to the market. What self-respecting tapas joint caves in and brings in large plates anyways? Ooof.

Laura D: I've also downgraded the Bicycle recently, myself. The most recent change in management has brought an upmarket comfort food concept that, while admirable, seems to be falling short on execution. Previous management at the Bicycle had an audacious and impeccably-prepared menu. It's hard to not make comparisons.

It's hard to convey sarcasm in a post, but I thought the phrase "hoi polloi" would help.

In HoCo, Hunan Manor is pretty overrated. Ate there a few times when we first moved to the area, tried different things, and it wasn't impressive. Far better Chinese places in easy driving distance.

Shame about Bicycle - we loved it when we went a few times, but it's been a couple of years!

I had a pretty egregious experience at Meli. Bad enough that I'll never go back.

Ruth's Chris...either of them. Though enjoyable, Capital Grill puts them to shame yet costs you about the same if not less.

Agree with Laura D and Generalissimo about the Bicycle. It's fine, but nothing special.

Before Corks changed to it's new format, i thought that was the most overrated in Bmore.

I dont get why Chinghale gets so much love either.

If a place has been recommended to me multiple times, but after eating there I think "I wouldnt come back on my dime again," then I consider it overrated.

argh, i know the difference between "it's" and "its."

Bob UU,
Shanes ... Hee Hee

I'm going to have to agree and elaborate on El Generalissimo's vote for Ra Sushi.

After hearing people rave about these places up and down I decided to check it out. My experience there was probably one of the loudest dining exerperiences that I've ever had. They had extremely loud uncensored hip hop and rap playing endlessly. I felt like I was trying to eat on the set of a rap video. There was no way anyone in that restaurant can ever have a conversation with the people sitting right next to them without screaming back and forth.

Oh and I have another vote for Matthew's Pizza on Eastern Ave. As a newcomer to the city and a self proclaimed pizza snob I asked around for suggestions on where to find great pizza. 90% of the people I asked suggested Matthew's so I decided to check it out. Absolutely disgusting and extremely over priced. You might as well just go to Pizza Hut. First of all it's pan pizza, which isn't really that great as it's super unhealthy and always like eating a greasy sponge. Secondly, their "large" pizza is about 9 inches across, no bigger than an average sized dinner plate. I think at the time it cost me $11 or more. For the same price you can get almost twice as much pizza anywhere else in this city. I also remember the customer services being less than awesome.

Maybe I'm picky but these are two places that I will never go back to.

I know it's to generate lots of discussion but why such a negative topic? How about talking up worthy places that must be struggling now?

A very good question, but of course that's the danger now -- and a trap I'm afraid of falling into as a reviewer. It's harder than it used to be to be negative because places are struggling. On the other hand, so are people eating out, and my first responsibility is to readers. So now maybe more than ever we need information to point us to places where we won't be wasting our money. My job really isn't to help worthy places that must be struggling, much as I sympathize. EL

Thanks for the love, RayRay :D

I agree with Dan about Cinghale. While I think the service, atmosphere, wine, and cheese are exemplary, the food itself comes across as middle of the road meh. For the price, it isn't a good value at all. I'd rather take a hit on atmosphere and go across the street for the same service and better food for the price.

I have to second Dan's Cinghiale suggestion. It was solid, but I don't think it should qualify as a Top 5 restaurant.

Ra Sushi for sure. Their sushi is the worst in the city. You know its bad when every roll has cream cheese. What's worse is the place is always packed (they do have a decent happy hour).

Pan pizza is super unhealthy? We need a study to prove this.

Another vote for Pazo. I went there again last Month and I kept on thinking of The Emperor's New Clothes.

Pan pizza is super unhealthy? We need a study to prove this.

I'm all over it.

I would nominate Tio Pepe. Even in its hayday (30 years ago) is was mediocre at best. Cafe Madrid in Fells Point was stellar and I miss it so much. It was great for an evening out and the food was excellent.

I understand wanting to help prevent people from wasting money, that's a valid service of a restaurant critic, but you aren't really doing that. You are just providing a forum for gripers. Not that some of these gripes aren't legitimate, of course!, and it would be fine if these were people commenting on a personal blog or a community like Chowhound or Yelp. space has an air of legitimacy because it appears under the banner of the only daily newspaper in town and you are its lead restaurant critic.

Cinghiale, Morton's, Phillips, Obrycki's, Ra Sushi, Loco Hombre, Rocket to Venus, Golden West, Matthew's Pizza... I'm a hater.

Sorry, "this space has an air of legitimacy."

This kind of commentary wouldn't bother me so much if it came up naturally, I think, but asking people to be so negative really doesn't sit well with me.

pazo hands down.

perfect example of style over substance.

In no particular order:

-Matthew's Pizza
-The entire Foreman/Wolf empire.
-Ruth's Chris
-Tio Pepe
-The Brass Elephant
-Woodberry Kitchen
-XS
-Golden West
-Lemongrass

... I'm a professional.

Cinghiale.

I understand where you are coming from lisah. I really do, however there are a couple of problems with the "always positive" schtick. The main being positively reinforcing negative behaviors. Here the subject is overrated restaurants. People are entitled to their opinion, good or bad. I also believe EL asked for Top 10 topics a while back, and this just might have been one of the suggestions.

I just can't get behind this process! Letting everybody gripe is just malicious. These restaurants are huge investments and efforts. Giving them an even-handed review makes more sense than simply letting any crank dump on these places. Not fair. We should be supporting the efforts of our restaurants with cogent reviews of their successes and weaknesses in a sophisticated way. Just letting it rip is a detriment to the whole restaurant community. They deserve better from this paper which offers the only forum for an educated review. Come on.

Hugh, I miss Cafe Madrid too. That place was great and incredibly underrated.

That's exactly my point, Jan.

I'm not saying that every restaurant review needs to be positive, at all. But these comments aren't well-researched and edited reviews. They are complaints.

MELI!!! MELI!!! MELI!!! Went there for our Valentine's dinner (2 nights after Valentine's Day). They were out of about half of the entrees on the menu, service was friendly but painfully slow, and we couldn't find a shred of lobster meat in our much anticipated lobster mac-n-cheese ($15).

this space has an air of legitimacy

LOL

Relax people. A couple of folks who "gripe" about bad service at Restaurant X does not make a concensus. If you see the same problem mentioned by numerous people, chances are there is a problem there. But if you're not bright enough to see through a malicious post with one objective in mind, that's not my fault. Nor is it my fault if you take restaurant advice from Joe Schmo on the world wide internet webs who avoids Restaurant Y because the hostess did not properly address him as Sir Joe Schmo.

Can a nominate a closed restaurant? That should appease some, but not all. Martick's. I only went once, granted. But I didn't get it. It was in January and the place had NO HEAT. Morris was wandering around in sweats and ski cap complaining and mumbling about the old days. And I didn't actually think the food was that good.

Hey! This place isn't Sesame Street! It is a place to name the Top 10 Overrated Restaurants in Baltimore! If you feel badly for the people that own the places and the effort they put forth, copy and paste the reasons why people find their restauants overrated and send it to them. Maybe they will see what is being said and IMPROVE!!!

Any business gets stale if the owners aren't trying to constantly keep up with the basics: a good product, served at a reasonable price, in an attractive atmosphere that is clean and safe! Is that too much to ask? Most of these comments are addressing these issues. A rat in the bathroom at Holy Frijoles? Are you serious? Disinterested waitstaff? In this economy? Come on...This is a message board, people are encouraged to say what they want...just like you can!

Sorry, lisah, but there is a difference, believe it or not, between a restaurant review and a blog comment. That fact, unfortunately, seems to have been lost on the hordes of PR flacks in the Baltimore area who think nothing of posting allegedly impartial "reviews" of restaurants for which they are also posting PR promotional comments. When people are invited to post their "gripes" or "complaints" on D@L, they are simply levelling the playing field against the PR shills out there.

Don't you think being overrated is actually a good thing? For one thing, it means a lot of people think highly of you. For another, it means lots of people eat there. And lastly, it provokes conversation and gets more people in to see what the fuss is about. If I worked for a restaurant (which I do not) I would be nominating it.

this space has an air of legitimacy

Nah, that was RayRay farting.

The Harryman House is overrated I think. It's just never as good as I want it to be. For the prices they charge and the menu they attempt, it's just always dissapointing. Except Brunch - that's usually a winner.

Hugh and Matt - I loved Cafe Madrid too. It was probably one of my favorite places I've eaten in Baltimore. The people were friendly and the food was fabulous.

I'm not saying that every restaurant review needs to be positive, at all. But these comments aren't well-researched and edited reviews. They are complaints.

Complainng about complaining.

Eve, I spilled my coffee everywhere (and today is the day I wore white).

Eve,
Oh no you didn't.

Sabatinos
RA Sushi
XS
Miss Irene's
MEX in Powerplant
Owl Bar at the Belvedere Hotel(gone down hill over the years).

But lisah, does not the fire need the water? Does not the mountain need the storm?

I would definitely vote for Petit Louis. Everyone raves about how great that place is and the two times I have been there have been less than stellar dining experiences. The first time one of my dinner companions found hair in her food and the second time my food was so salty I could barely stand to eat it. Plus I don't trust any French restaurant that serves big fat green beans and calls them haricots verts.

lisah, etc.: Elizabeth is a critic. She criticizes. And as amateur critics on this blog, we criticize, too. If you're looking for all happiness and sunshine, all the time, you should probably stay away from reading critiques. It's just a thought.

Black Olive.
I went in for lunch, this was within months after they opened. My table of no-one-in-particulars dressed nicely but in everyday work attire (dress/heels,etc) were ignored for a group of high powered suit types. It is so nice to know that the caste system exists in Baltimore. After waiting for close on 30 minutes for anything other than water we left.

Dogwood. I just don't get it. The food was ok, but expensive. And the space felt like a basement. It doesn't help that we were stuck in a corner and our waitress frequently forgot about us. For that kind of money, I'd rather go to Woodberry Kitchen.

It's next to impossible to expect anything constructive from a topic that's both subjective and negative. At first, I was shocked that you'd even consider putting your name on something like this but then I realized that maybe your ratings need a lift and there's nothing more effective at getting attention than randomly selecting innocent people and stepping on their throats.

I'm not sure what's worse so I'd like people to help me decide:

Is it worse to come up with this idea on your own or to borrow someone's pedantic idea and host the discussion on your blog?

I'm disappointed in you, Elizabeth Large.

Congratulations on ruining your reputation, Elizabeth.

Well, considering you only posted to get hits on your Bleach Tabs Web site... :-) EL

Well researched in a blog?

This hasn't been a particularly complaint-filled or whiny post. We've had far, far worse, including a few where I thought folks were going to meet at high noon with sharpened crab shells.

Some folks have given reasons, some haven't. But, when the same restaurants keep coming up (Pazo, there are others), it does indicate a higher possibility of being overrated.

The data are interesting. It is up to the reader to sort and evaluate the data to their standards, should they have any.

Meli's. The service was so poor we walked out. When the maitre'd asked us why we were leaving, we told him. He did not care.

Obyrcki's is over rated. In Fredrick, Volt.

Bleah Tabs, hahaha WHAT??

Stuart,

We were tempted to walk out of Meli but were starving on a busy Fells Point Sunday afternoon so we stuck it out.

An 80 minute wait for a burger and 3 omelets is inexcusable.

oh, i'm glad someone put sabatino's, forgot about that one. other than their bookmaker salad, absolutely overrated and overpriced.

I add my vote for Loco Hombre. Some of the most bland food I've ever had. Tastes as if it is fresh from a can of Campbell's Soup.
Also, Golden West. I keep wanting to like it, and have been talked into going back a few times by friends who say they love it, but I am always dissappointed. The food was mediocre, the whole place smelled like bathroom spray, and there were flies everywhere.

Skevofilax? Sounds like something you catch from a prostitute.

It seems odd that Evan Skevofilax would come here all the way from San Francisco to slag our supreme leader, especially if he is selling something.

I think any post that could be a topic of conversation among reasonable people is a good topic.

lisah and jan, have you met concerned? (Commenting on http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2009/06/deals_from_your_favorite_chain.html.)

Blogs like this one develop communities of readers, and newcomers are well advised to acquaint themselves with the customs of the place before complaining about them, as one would in any other company.

Beyond that, being rude about the hostess is not what the best sort of people do.

Is Mr. McIntyre the dVoR? (deputy, that is)

Hal has removed his Voice of Reason sobriquet, so think it is up for grabs, matt h. Interested, John McI?

I enjoy Ra (half price happy hour) and Cinghiale... and would say they are what I expected them to be and thus are not overrated but...par.

On the other hand, I vote for Pazo, too (mashed potatoes tasted instant??), and put one in for Bertha's (sorry, Bertha's! I love your bar!), because my out of town visitors arrive thinking that is THE place they should eat, and it isn't.

I aspire to no VoR title. I just wanted to get at a useful distinction:

Bad-mouthing restaurants, corporations, institutions, and the like seems like fair game to me. But making nasty personal remarks about individual people (family, acquaintancces, colleagues) is one of the greatest charms of private conversation, and I would hate to see in reduced to mere blog-chat back-and-forth.

I've heard a lot of folks in their late 20's and 30's talk about the supreme importance of always being "nice." This is so no one ever becomes uncomfortable or something.

As near as I can tell, this means, "you are not permitted to ever disagree with me on anything, and if you do, it is your fault, you are being rude."

Rather ends any attempts at a reasonable conversation, doesn't it?

I had one of the worst meals ever at berthas

I had one of the worst meals ever at berthas

I think if D@L were "nice" all the time y'all would never see me again. A little dissent is necessary, gets the conversation going. Also it's a blog. Restaurant critic or not, anyone who reads someone's blog post about "most overrated" and decides not to go to one of those places based solely on what amounts to a soundbite of a review is an idiot to begin with. Then again, I do not read restaurant reviews (Sorry EL!) as I prefer to form my own unbiased opinions.

Something being overrated doesn't always mean it's bad anyway, it just means it doesn't live up to all the press it gets. For example: I've been to Pazo. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did. The food was to my liking and I liked that we got a bottle of wine we enjoyed thoroughly for under $40. Will I go back? Probably. Do I think it lives up to the hype? No, not really. So yes, I think it's overrated but that doesn't mean I think it sucks. I mean I could say it was awesome and wonderful and go with the crowd, but I don't especially like blowing sunshine up people's rear ends. I prefer to be honest.

My two choices: DaMimmo in the city and Aida in Howard County. I've never had a good meal at DaMimmo, and I have always thought that Aida's was exceptionally overrated. (I prefer Stella Notte in Howard County for Italian.)

Someone thought this topic was subjective? Uh... everything here is subjective. All criticism is subjective, which is why I don't read reviews for anything until after I've seen the movie or been to the restaurant.

One of the best things about this blog is that Elizabeth publishes comments she doesn't agree with.

Hey, thanks. You just inspired me. To continue this discussion for the most overrated BAR, go here: http://beerinbaltimore.blogspot.com/2009/06/most-overrated-bar.html

JackInEC, I agree with you about Aida's -- it's fine but not worthy of the hype and accolades. Service was inconsistent but it did have a nice wine list at the time. I think that its owner(s) was/were exceptionally good at working the PR machine, plus Aida opened when dining choices in Howard County were a lot more limited (still are if you want simple, really good Italian).

Baltimore is my hometown and bleach is my business.

Amanda, Skevofilax is a Greek surname.

Evan....be nice. Anyway, overrated restaurants are necessarily bad. For example: I still enjoy eating at Pazo, but does it live up to its hype? Probably not. Also, I'd just add that whoever said Rocket to Venus was overrated should give it another chance. Also, as long as we're here, I'd nominate The Wine Market as one of the most underrated in Baltimore. I have never had a bad experience there; in fact, their 5-course tastings have been some of the best.

EL made a legitimate post, and a reasonable one as well. Granted, it might not sit well with the owners/workers of the restaurants named, but hey, at least they get to hear from the (hoi polloi, I daresay?) people who frequent restaurants in the Baltimore area and care about their experience.

If anything, perhaps its a wakeup call to those restaurants named to perhaps shake up things in house.

Power to the People! (Fist Up!)

I would vote:
- Golden West
- Petite Louis
- Black Olive (sorry, good food but over priced and lately very small portions)
- Also J Pauls and Philips -- read the health dept reports for downtown and you will never go there again!

Pazo for certain I used to dread work functions that required my presence there.

Hunan Manor in Columbia ... greasiest Chinese food I have ever encountered. Plus, their rather lax approach towards hygiene... cockroach parts in fried rice? Not so much.

Steffi, you can recognize cockroach parts?

Someone thought this topic was subjective?

Life is subjective.

I put my vote in for Mick O'Shea's. I told my server that the salmon I ordered was under done. The kitchen manager came out, refused to cook it more, said I didn't know what I was talking about, and that if I didn't like the way she cooked things I could go elsewhere. The server and bartender were so embarrassed they refused to give me a check for my drinks.

As to those who think this is a negative topic, I suggest they abstain from it. As someone who is relatively new to Baltimore, it is helpful to hear opinions of places before I drop $50-100 in them.

Bob UU, I think Shane's was originally one of the Harley's outlets, and it was Harley's that won awards, not Shane's. Shane's just kept the hype after the change of names lo those many years ago.

Um ... who peed in Evan Skevofilax's coffee? Ain't no reason for him to snark on Elizabeth. Evan, use your manners, please.

Well put Dottie! I always enjoy your contributions!

I've seen Prime Rib show up on "most romantic" lists. Way over rated, IMHO.

Dottie - scandelous! Thanks for the inside scoop.

I think Jordon's Steakhouse in Ellicott City is way over rated. Granted, it's been about 3 years since I ate there, so things may have changed. The server, with pity in his eyes, told me it was ok that I ordered the $50 steak instead of the next step up. I should have known right then and there, it was time to leave.

Voodoo Kitty - Are you a long lost relative of Voodoo Pork?

*Pazo-- I used to really like the place when it first opened, but after the original chef left and the menu was changed, I don't go there anymore for the food. More for the drinks and atmosphere.

*Bicycle-- I've eaten there twice-- both times I left unsatisfied with the food and unhappy about the bill.

*Meli-- did anyone ever say that place is good?

*Re: Cinghiale-- I disagree. Cinghiale is ONE OF THE BEST restaurants in Baltimore. Unfortunately, in a city where people seek a value and think Italian dining means lasagna with tomato sauce, the restaurant is forced to create menu items to appeal to the masses. So of course there are dishes that are "so so". You have to know how to order and avoid things like beef tenderloin-- at a northern Italian place, boring! Actually, boring piece of meat in general, but if you want steak, go to a steakhouse. If you want a giant bowl of spaghetti smothered in parmesan cheese, go to Sabatino's (gross). If you want a good meal, try the tuna tartare with ginger, the rabbit francobolli pasta, and the current black bass prep or the duck breast (when they have it)-- then we'll talk.

The Prime Rib is a very romantic restaurant, particularly if you are married to a Chicago carnivore like I am.