Zander's

I we came for a romantic date night to celebrate my birthday. I saw a review on IG and wanted to check the place out. It exceeded my expectations! The building's architecture was stunning. The restaurant was once an investment bank. I loved the whole vibe. As a music lover, I really appreciated the dinner music being played at the perfect volume. It was loud enough for you to hear without straining but not too loud for conversation. I ordered the orange roughy and my date had the sliced scallops with mushrooms over risotto. We ordered asparagus and fingerling potatoes for our sides and the cornmeal fried oysters with a spicy aioli sauce as an appetizer. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. We finished off the meal with the vanilla cheesecake with vanilla ice cream. In my opinion the cheesecake tasted more like a creme brulee but it still was delicious. There was one major fail for the night. The valet staff never showed up. It took my date 45 minutes to find alternate parking while I sat alone in the restaurant. They gave me a complimentary cosmopolitan while I waited and to be honest the atmosphere and the music was so nice I really wasn't that upset. the best part was all in with gratuities included we only spent $129. You just can't beat that for a fine dining restaurant. I'm glad we went and I'll definitely go back!

We had a lovely date night experience at Zander’s this past Saturday! Knew about the historic building and beautiful architecture, but the restaurant has added a modern and romantic ambiance. We were warmly greeted by the host (who may also have been the manager and a bartender that night as well?), promptly seated, and well attended to throughout our dinner. We ordered a bottle of excellent and very reasonable priced red, a few of the appetizers and a porterhouse to share. Everything came out promptly, was delicious and well prepared. Only strange part was the only bathroom was an elevator ride away, downstairs, but that was also part of the quaintness of the historic building. We’re looking forward to going back again!

Went to brunch for restaurant week and it was good but frustrating. I saw online the restaurant had turkey sausage as an option for the restaurant week menu and I was excited since I dont eat pork. When we got to the restaurant I asked the server if the turkey sausage was available since it wasn't on the menu. She said yes. Food comes out and I take a bite of the sausage and it was pork. I ask the host (there was only one server for the whole restaurant) to confirm it was pork and she checked and said it was. I asked if I could get the turkey sausage I ordered. The server later came back and said they didn't have any turkey sausage so they just put the pork sausage on the plate. They did offer hashbrowns as a substitute and they were good. But let's get back to the fact the kitchen saw turkey sausage on the order and gave me pork anyway. Thankfully my dietary restrictions aren't based in an allergy or religion, but still frustrating to be served pork without my knowledge. The drinks were expensive and just okay. $17 for a fench 75. The space was beautiful and I would probably come back.

I had a disappointing experience visiting Zander’s on Valentine’s Day. From the moment I arrived the valet saw me waving at him and ignored me as I was at the wrong location for valet pickup but instead of telling me the valet ignored me. That’s my fault but once I gave the valet my car I entered the restaurant and was greeted by one of the servers who was very kind. The host then showed up a minute or two later and walked me to my table. I was informed that it was a fixed menu for Valentine’s Day which was disappointing because I was extremely excited to try their rib eye steak. But understandable as it was a holiday. I then ordered all the courses at once and was disappointed and allitle confused as the food came up but the food runner nor the server explained the dish that came out so we had to guess. I was then bothered twice about why I was there alone. And the table next to me was also bothered and asked why I was there alone and told me when I came back from the bathroom. As for the food. The soup came out and was cold and the table next to me warned me before I tried mine and mine was as well. I asked for the steak medium and it came extremely rare and I did not eat it. The couple next to me also did not eat their steak and they were comped for the uneaten steak and I was not. I also waited almost 10 minutes for my card to come back after giving it to three server to pay and she left it unattended. My favorite part about the food was the cheesecake. My server was very kind but it was her first day with minimal training I’d assume. There was an older couple next to me that had their food delivered out of order and the host pushed complimentary wine on the couple which they declined. Then a food runner brought steak to their table but then removed it when someone told them they were supposed to receive their previous course first. This made the couple irate as they were hungry waiting for a long time for their second course but then had food put in front of them and then taken away. Overall bad experience but the environment was very pleasing and relaxing they had a gentleman playing the piano. I do not think I’ll be returning even tho I wanted to try their ribeye which looked great in pictures.

We were here on opening day. I can't speak highly enough of the food, service, and ambience. Valet parking was complimentary. I order the ribeye which was cooked exactly the way I like it. I also ordered a manhattan, which was good, but not excellent. Both the manager and chef were on the floor at times meeting with guests. The manager took us on a tour of other available rooms for catering and events. All had a warm and sophisticated feel.

This place is really, really good! We went on opening night, a little nervous because downtown needs more good amenities. The first thing I noticed is how beautiful the interior is, such a grand and classy space highlighted by marble (I think?) walls and a dome. Furthermore, the food was fantastic. We got the Canoe Bone Marrow, Scallop Crudo, Lobster Fra Diavolo, and Bone-in 10oz Filet. Top-to-bottom everything was really good. My favorite was the bone marrow. I'm excited to see this place grow over time. Their dessert menu wasn't ready yet on opening night, so I'll have to try it in future visits. I'd also like to see them add a mocktail menu (we weren't drinking so had to ask for an ad-libbed drink which was just ok). I'd also like to see them mix uses a little bit by opening up as a cafe during the day, where people can come in, get a coffee and remote work or study in a beautiful space. This is a pretty successful trend in DC and one way to possibly increase revenues while also expanding cultural reach

An incredible atmosphere. The first investment bank in the country, which is home of the first IPO. We sat at the bar and only had beers so I need to return to try the food. But this place fills a huge void in this part of downtown since Calle left, unless you want Hip Hop Fish and Chicken.

Our server was absolutely lovely. Food was also delicious, we came around brunch time but I definitely want to return for happy hour!

I didn't even see the reviews before deciding to eat here before a concert at CFG. Zander's is located downtown and I personally don't have a lot of reason to be in the area except for shows. I'd been following their social media account since they opened and it always intrigued me. This is a 4 star for the cocktails and bartender but 3 for the food. The ambiance is amazing - it feels very Harry Potter Gringotts. The ceilings are high the menu says giggling water. You're definitely transported when you come here. Since it was a last minute decision we sat at the bar (all the tables were booked) and got drinks until the kitchen opened at 5:30. The bone marrow the bits that was cooked (I'd never been served raw bits of marrow before) was good. Salty and buttery. The steak was mediocre at best, but the pasta was surprising. A simple lemony cacio e pepe. We also ordered bread service bc the food was taking a while and it was fine. The presentation of being wrapped in napkin was interesting. The gin martini was spectacular and not pictured French 75 was refreshing and well balanced. I can see why the reviews are so negative. It's a large space and they are very short staffed and don't have the basic things like extra plates or condiments. But it's honestly a great cocktail bar and a place to grab a decent meal that's not chicken fingers before a show.

Things they were out of or said they were out of: Paper Plane cocktail, shrimp cocktail, oysters, 16 oz ribeye, 36oz ribeye, a red wine selection. Drinks took SO long to come out. Silverware and plates not replaced. Apps were good other than the scallop crudo which was not. Entrees were AWFUL. Lobster fra diavolo was spaghetti not linguine, and smelled extremely fishy/tasted worse. Ordered 2 of the $130+ porterhouse steaks and the quality was awful - all gristle and blue rare inside even though ordered medium rare. Worst of all, when brought up, we were told that "doneness doesn't align with color it's based on temp" as if I'm stupid, while I'm looking at a practically purple steak. Then, to top it off when explaining the complaints about the whole experience, the "manager" tells us we should come back during happy hour as if the reason for the complaints was being cheap. Overall an unreal, otherworldly bizarre experience that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. Avoid.

My visit to Zander's for restaurant week was a complete fail on Zander's part. I made my reservation online for February 2, at 7:15pm. I arrived at 7:10 and was told there would be a 10 minute wait for my table to be cleared. I wasn't seated until after 7:30. Once at the table, the hostess told me right away my waitress was super busy and would be a while. And boy, was she right. Took the waitress about 30 minutes to get around to my table (thankfully the hostess had provided water). I ordered a beer, then attempted to order the meatball appetizer. I was informed that they only had the scallop appetizer available (out of the 3 listed on the menu). Ok then. I went with the steak et frites for my entree, and the chocolate mousse for dessert. Maybe 10 minutes later the bartender approached the table and told me they are out of the beer I wanted. Does this restaurant have ANY items from their menus??? The waitress was the worst, rarely stopping by the table and checking in. I might get eye contact as she sailed by, but that was rare. The scallops took some time to come out, shocker, and they were just ok. I wanted the meatballs and you can't replace a meatballs jones with scallops. It took perhaps another 30 mins for the steak to arrive. It was tough to cut through, lightly seasoned, and just...just ok. The fries were cold, dry, and underseasoned. Finally, dessert took entirely too long to show up. And again, just ok, like all the rest of the food had been. The waitress was quick to bring the check, so payment and leaving were easy enough. But the total visit was trash. Even the very cool building I was in couldn't save it.

It's Baltimore Winter Restaurant week. I saw Zander's before but heard they just started their brunch so I figured I'd give it a try. They're located in the heart of downtown right on Baltimore Street. There's street parking and garage parking a short distance away. When you first walk in you immediately notice the history in the building... the marble, the domed stained glass ceiling... all so beautiful. I had a reservation and was sat immediately. Because it's restaurant week they only had the prix fixe menu available. I ordered the Deviled Eggs, The Flat Jacks and the orange cinnamon roll. The flapjacks and hash browns that came with it were the high light of the meal. They were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The roll was ok but I didn't really taste any orange zest. The cocktail I tried was the Corpse Reviver #2 which was really tasty. Think an elevated lemon drop. The only downside side was the wait for the food. Everything was good it just took a really long time for the food to come out. But it was the first brunch so I had to give grace.

I can't remember the last time I've had such an amazing experience. Shy was truly a gem of server. She never missed a beat. Our group was so thoroughly impressed with every part of our experience. First, at the bar, then when we were seated in the dining room. We had a memorable meal and we will definitely return.

Really great spot to grab food and a nice cocktail before seeing a show at the CFG arena. We went early and got a seat at the bar before 5p. The bartender was quick to ask us for our drink order and made them beautifully! It took awhile to get food started as the kitchen doesn't open until 5:30p-which seemed kind of strange. We had the bone marrow appetizer- it was perfectly seasoned-maybe slightly undercooked-but still really delicious. We also had the steak frites and the Cacio e Pepe. The steak was just okay, slightly overdone and needed some salt. The Cacio e Pepe was the real star! Really, really excellent dish that I couldn't stop eating! Finished the meal off with a delicious and strong espresso martini before the show that gave me the pep I needed to dance the night away. I probably wouldn't drive out of my way to eat here but would come back if I ever catch a show at the arena again.

Went for restaurant week. Reserved for 7pm, was told there would be a 5 minute wait, ended up being seated around 725 and was notified that the server would take some time. That was another 15 Minute wait only to find out that for the appetizer there was only one out of 3items available. How can a restaurant be sold out of appetizers at 7pm? The scallop crudo was good, main entree took another 30 minutes, inside of one of the 3 scallops was cold ie: from the freezer? Desert was not impressive, one of the worst chocolate mousse I've had. Cocktails were decent. Overall very poor service despite the nice ambiance, not worth the $55 pre-fixe dinner.

Fantastic steakhouse in a gorgeous space, will definitely be back! I recommend the dry-aged Porterhouse!

We had a lovely date night experience at Zander's this past Saturday! Knew about the historic building and beautiful architecture, but the restaurant has added a modern and romantic ambiance. We were warmly greeted by the host (who may also have been the manager and a bartender that night as well?), promptly seated, and well attended to throughout our dinner. We ordered a bottle of excellent and very reasonable priced red, a few of the appetizers and a porterhouse to share. Everything came out promptly, was delicious and well prepared. Only strange part was the only bathroom was an elevator ride away, downstairs, but that was also part of the quaintness of the historic building. We're looking forward to going back again!

This building , although originally Alex Brown's, is stunning with its Tiffany stained glass dome. I knew when I arrived that it was in fact my old Chevy Chase bank branch. What a transformation. Sadly even given a rather limited offering the food and service were a disappointment. At these prices I expect consistent quality and professionalism not a throw of the dice. Management is clearly having issues with provisioning and service but above all quality- lacking in its entirety. The cocktails are the shining achievement of this establishment, and they should just be satisfied with that and pass on the rest. Perhaps stick with the cheese and pepper pasta. The rest, and I am referring to the grandiose beef offerings, should be removed from the menu. It was a palpable embarrassment to all, certainly the night I was there.

Such a beautiful setting, such a shame the service and steaks were so awful. I hope they get it together.

Truly one of finest decors in Baltimore city. The service is spot on and food presentation fits extremely well with surroundings. A wonderful experience.

Absolutely disgusted by the food and more importantly the service and management. They were out of half of the items on the menu including drinks and wine. The lobster pasta smelled like dead fish and the steak was improperly cooked. When approached, management smirked and laughed at us. The reviews are unfortunately not just a fluke or due to growing pains- DO. NOT. GO.

The worst service I have experienced. 20 minutes to order a drink ... we left after 45 minutes after being seated and not having had our food order taken. Do not go here.

I was very excited for this space to reopen but I'm so disappointed with the result. Dishes were ambitious but bland. Service was slowwwww. We were a table of 2 and our main courses were delivered 15 minutes apart. The dessert advertised on the website was different from the dessert on the menu, which was different from the dessert that arrived. Apparently they ran out of what we ordered, but never told us - we had a 6pm reservation... The best part of the night was commiserating with the table next to us who shared a similar experience. Quite the bummer.

Cool building. Food not so good. 3 tables returned the steaks. Sent out way less than rare. My husbands burger was burned black. The bolognese pasta had black pepper to the excessive extreme that had several diners talking and we saw 4 of 6 meals get returned to the kitchen. Pick somewhere else, its too expensive to have to go home and cook dinner!

Absolutely sensational. World-class food. Exceptional cocktails. Super cool venue that makes you feel like you're Bruce Wayne on a good day.

Evening started off great, service was attentive, first course was timely, cocktails were good; however, it quickly declined. 30+ mins in between courses for a pre-fixe valentine's menu where we had to ask to remove empty plates and request next course. Our original server was no where to be found after bread service. No water refills without asking or requests for drink refills. Brought dessert course before entree without even realizing it was skipped. Manager/server (not sure his role) kept making comments trying to be funny about the wait, kitchen errors, food quality, etc. but came off extremely unprofessional and messy. He promised us a larger discount on meal for the longer we waited for entree, then only gave us 15% which barely covered our 2 cocktails (which were left empty on our table for the entire 3 hour meal). Never offered a drink on the house or more bread while we waited, which is the norm. When the entree finally arrived it tasted like wedding food. Steak was overcooked (menu even predetermined medium rare temp, but it was barely medium), mashed potatoes were a smear under the huge piece of cheap meat, and carrots were under... totally not worth the wait. The atmosphere and building is incredible, but will absolutely not recommend this restaurant based on service and kitchen. We were also one of many couples around us with the same problems. Everyone even started commiserating on our shared experience as we waited for meals and were all there for 2.5-3 hours minimum. One table even got their whole meal comped because of errors, forgotten dishes, etc. $230 later (before tip) and yikes is all I can say.

Great ambience, very underwhelming food, especially for the price. Had a large party of people go for a birthday. I got the Lobster Fra diavolo. The lobster was rubbery and, although I like spice, the sauce was only heat and had no real flavor. My fiancé got the steak frites. The waiters brought out our parties' steaks and didn't seem to know or care which was supposed to be medium and which was supposed to be medium rare. Aside for being the wrong temp, the steak was rather bland and disappointing. The fries were under seasoned. One member of our party got his food about 10 minutes late after the waiter admitted his dinner had been given to the wrong table. We also got a number of sides for the table. The asparagus was overcooked and extremely mushy. The desserts were good, but I thought it was very unnecessary and kind of elementary to put red sprinkles on the cheesecake for a place trying to be a fine dining establishment. Overall, I would maybe go here for drinks and the atmosphere but wouldn't go for mediocre, extremely pricey food.