The Hill: User Reviews

I recently ate dinner at this restaurant with a group of friends. I had been hearing good things about it from others, and as a fan of Metropolitan I was interested in tasting what the former chef had done with his own restaurant.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the whole experience. At first impression, the place was nice; I especially liked that there was a glass divider between the bar and dining areas. However, things started going downhill when the waitress approached our group and asked for our drink order. I asked what type of wine they have, and she took some time to find us a drink menu (some of the menus were blank). Upon receiving the wine that I had ordered, I found that a portion of the glass was dirty. I decided not to make too big a deal of this, because our party was large. Retrospectively, I should have complained, because it too another two hours of waiting around until the food finally arrived. All the while, my friends were ordering drinks; some which had to be returned to the bar because of the dirty glasses and the poor quality of the drinks - one drink supposedly tasted like "iced tea with Scope." One of our waiters told us that "that's the way we do things here." Another waiter finally caught on and brought our table a set of plastic cups.

After two hours of waiting, I was served some of the worst food I had ever eaten. I decided to play it safe and ordered a steak sandwich. It was a little pricey; thus I expected it to be somewhat decent. Instead, I got a small sandwich that was served on soggy white bread. A large portion of what looked like previously frozen curly fries was served as a side. I don't like to use the word disgusting when it comes to food, but one half of the sandwich truly was -- the steak smelled and tasted of raw fish. Nonetheless, I was starving and decided to eat it anyway. The steak in the second half of the sandwich was practically raw and it was left uneaten.

That being said, there did seem to be some highlights; my wife's blackened tuna sandwich was very well cooked and seasoned. In addition it was accompanied with freshly cooked steak fries.

It seems almost as if there were two different cooking crews in the kitchen; I did see the chef out in the bar area. Perhaps he should have stayed in the kitchen the entire night so that he can keep an eye on the quality of the food that is served. Furthermore, he might want to hire a better dishwasher and waitstaff.

Overall, I would never recommend this restaurant. Federal Hill definitely deserves a better restaurant bearing its monniker.

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After reading some of the reviews, I was surprised to see that people had unpleasant experiences at The Hill. I've only gone for dinner, so perhaps the brunch/lunch time service or menu is not as good as dinner. But I've gone to The Hill many times for dinner on weekend evenings, and it's enjoyable everytime. The food is great, and is laid out in an inventive and creative menu. It definitely reflects a contemporary American cuisine -- you can find a dish to fit whatever mood you might be in. The wine list is not extensive, but definitely above average. The service is not impeccable or perfect, but was adequate enough.

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The atmosphere is laid back and reminded me of a sports bar. But the menu was anything but. We started off with some Martini's that were superb. Although the waiter was mostly on the other side of the partition where you couldn't make eye contact, he was very attentive. The appetizers arrived and I wasn't too impressed. I got the seafood sliders. The lobster was decent. The crab had this spicy sauce on that was so over whelming you couldn't taste the crab. And the shrimp, well that one tasted like dish soap. My husband ordered the calamari appetizer and it was mediocre. I was a little nervous about our forthcoming entrees but boy did my opinion change! I got the filet mignon with fish over a pesto sauce with green beans and it was fantastic, everything melted in your mouth. My husand got the pineapple fish and although i didn't taste, was told it was also superb. My advise, skip the appetizers and go straight to dinner!

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The ambiance at The Hill is fabulous- very inviting and sophisticated. The calm music, which they have changed up from solely Jazz, and the televisions with sports playing offer a great stop after a long day at work. Plenty of seating and lack of overly wasted 20 somethings allows for comfortable dining and drinking. There is an abundance of Federal Hill history to view, a blurb in the menu and pictures (for sale) on the walls. Recently open for lunch, Tony, the chef, offers a unique menu you won't find anywhere else. The Sunday brunch menu is a steal. For $17, the Sunday brunch buffet offers an array of excellent breakfast and lunch food, including the most fresh fruit I've had in a while, lox, waffles, grits, pancakes, bagels, etc. The Hill is self setting, and they need signs altering customers to this because this was the only time II noticed slow service- I walked in an stood for a few minutes waiting for someone to tell me where to sit. This is definitely a place to go if you are looking to relax and enjoy your meal, not if you are on a quick time crunch and must get somewhere quickly. I've tried practically everything on the menu and have yet to find something not delicious. The portions are filling without overdoing it. The price range is comparable to other places in the Federal Hill neighborhood - where else can you get steak stuffed with crab meat for $22? While their on-tap selection is few, but the ones available are excellent and definitely directed to the consumer willing to try new beers. I prefer the Longboard and the Organic Raspberry Wheat . The bar staff is experienced and knowledgeable (everyone was pulled from other Fed Hill bars), suggesting beer available if your 'typical choice' is not available. $5 Martini Mondays offers a vast assortment of unique martinis and Racheal (the bartender) has perfected the art of drink making. While The Hill is still working out some kinks, such as efficiency and nightly specials, THEY ARE THE NEW PLACE TO TRY. As I've seen by other customers, if you have a problem while at The Hill, voice your suggestion or concern to a manager and they will make every attempt to amend it. This place is working hard to make The Hill the great. The Hill has staying power! Stop by for a drink, dinner, or lunch!!!

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Also posted @ Baltimore Liquid

I am going to begin this review with a disclaimer: I am not a journalist. The perspective I will provide is one of a patron. As a patron, I can submit that I am able to identify components of a good neighborhood pub, and while The Hill has the fundamental building blocks of a good pub, it falls desperately short on its execution.

Crowd: Chef Tony, who jumped ship from the neighboring Metropolitan, is a favorite amongst locals in Federal Hill - Proper. The crowd seemed very similar to that of Metropolitan, likely seeking the same warm atmosphere, imaginative dishes, and eclectic beverages common to the coffee shop and gastro pub. It ranged from mid-20/30 somethings having a few beers and laughs to empty-nesters sharing a bottle of wine.

Crowd: B+

Atmosphere: We walked in to The Hill on a beautiful Friday evening, with sunshine pouring through the front windows. I realized that since both sides of Cross St. traverse east/west, there are very few bars in Federal Hill that have a front that faces west. The Hill has an immediate distinction from others bars in the neighborhood, which is invaluable to a new establishment attempting to compete in a bar-rich neighborhood: loads of happy-hour natural light.

The layout of The Hill is clever and unique amongst the neighborhood’s many watering holes. A clouded-glass divider separates the bar area from the dining area. The bar itself is rectangular, bisected by a partial brick wall, which allows bartenders to access to all sides of the bar, and allows patrons too see all sides of it.

As we sat down, we noticed an annoyance: the bar stools were far too short for the bar. This may seem inconsequential, but you have ever tried to sit and enjoy an adult beverage while feeling like a child at the adults’ table, then you can appreciate its many consequences on your enjoyment of one or multiple beverages. Unfortunately, this was a harbinger of what was to come with a series of annoyances that led to an all-too mediocre dining and drinking experience.

Another quick point on atmosphere: there is a sign behind the bar that reads: “What happens in The Hill, stays in The Hill”. Simply said, if you are going to blatantly rip off a slogan, rip it off from somewhere other than a moderately-clever national ad spot for Las Vegas that ran in the early 90’s. I think the movie “Under Siege” was at the top of the box office when that phrase was considered the least bit clever…and it was marketing a City of Sins, not a new neighborhood pub in City of supposed Charms.

Atmosphere: C-

Drinks: I know that The Hill does not claim to be a micro-brewery. I did not walk in expecting an array of beers that rivaled Max’s, nor did I expect arrogant bartenders who shunned you for not knowing the complexities of a cranberry lambic. When I saw an array of microbrews from Clipper City on draught, I have to say I

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We had heard several below average reviews by friends in the area about the Hill, but decided to check it out for ourselves for brunch this past Sunday. My fiancee ordered a Mojito which showed up with literally rotten mint leaves and lime in it that we sent back -- the waitress obviously deals with this all the time, so was not even the slightest bit apologetic. I ordered a Mexican omelette which was fine but nothing special, until I almost choked to death on a not-so-small rubber stopper that was embedded into the eggs. I coughed it up and told the waitress. She disappeared again without an apology or even a reaction into the kitchen and returned and said she'd take it off of our bill... I told her she was going to keep everything off of our bill bcz we were leaving. This is the single worst restaurant, judged on both service and food quality, in Federal Hill- hands down. If you want to try it, I'd go quick bcz there's no chance they stay in business for long.

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Two Fridays ago myself and three others decided to check out The Hill. We are all residents of Federall Hill and were excited to try out a new restaurant which Federal Hill has not seen in a while. I had high expectations going in since I believe it is the same owner as Metropolitan and is a 2 minute walk from my home. The Hill is an atractive place and gives you the impression that it is more of an upscale bar. We were seated in the back and there was a good crown since it is new and it was a Friday night. The Hill offers a great menu selection. The dinner entrees are pricey, but they offer appetizers, salads and sandwhiches which are moderately priced. The Hill also offers a wide variety of adult beverages from beer to wine and a specialty drink menu. There menu which is made out of cork was very unique and made believe this was going to be my new go to spot. That is until we received our food. My friends and I liked everything we saw on the menu and decided to order from the salad/sandwhich section since it is cheap. The waitress was very nice despite not knowing the menu which is understandable since it is a new place. Everything was going well until we received our food. My girlfriend ordered a salmon salad. This salad looked appetizing since it was supposed to come with squash, asparagus, veggies, etc. Instead it came out with a slimy piece of salmon and only blue cheese crumbles. We gave it back to be fixed and again came out wrong. This time she received the same salmon with only bell peppers thrown into it. She threw in the towel and decided to eat it. My other friend ordered the steak sandwhich that came out cold and did not look appealing at all. It came out w/o cheese and cold fries and would of made a better appetizer with its size. This had to be returned. Second friend ordered the Tuna Steak salad which was not cooked to the temperature she requested. She did not ask to have it fixed. I would have since it was a $15.00 salad. My Third friend eats like a rabbit and ordered the chicken ceasar salad which came out fine. Keep in my mind a 4 year old could prepare this. I ordered the Cuban Pork BBQ sandwhich. This selection caught my eye since it was supposed to come with pork BBQ, coleslaw, ham, and cheese w/fries at a fair price of $10. I was very disappointed when I opened my sandwhich to find only a spoonful of pork BBQ, 1/4 lb of ham (way too much it might as well been a ham and cheese sandwhich) and a plate that was obviously sitting under a heat lamp for 30 minutes while screwing up all other orders. Not to mention cold fries. The only thing good was the alcohol. I realize this is a new restaurant with new staff and new cooks, but I was so dissapointed I havewritten my first review ever! I am also giving constructive criticism because I believe The Hill has great potential and an attractive menu. It may just need more experienced cooks and a manager to meet and greet new customers and oversee the operations.

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