Rocket to Venus has decent, casual American bar faire with some twists, at a good value for the neighborhood. I got the Korean burger, a cheeseburger with kimchi, and my date opted for the bánh mì sandwich with blackened catfish. Both were pretty good, but I felt like there could definitely have been a bit more zest to the Korean burger, as the kimchi on its own, didn't quite stand up to the burger and bun to give it a particularly unique or distinct flavor. I'll give a light recommendation to give it a try, but didn't feel like it was something out of this world. Between the two items we ordered, I would definitely recommend the bánh mì. The menu offers a number of vegan and vegetarian options, if that's your thing, and the beer and cocktail list was fairly impressive, with a good number of ales on top, and a much broader selection of cans and bottles. The cocktail list looked interesting, with a number of staples, but I didn't delve in for a try. The service model is ordered at the bar, with food brought out later. I was rather surprised that the default tips when I cashed out were 2025 and 30%, given that there aren't really servers in the traditional sense, and it's close to a serve yourself type establishment. Not that this plays a huge role in my overall view, but when I see exorbitant suggested tips at places with minimal service, it's not something that leaves me impressed. read more

This was a hidden gem I never knew about! So, this all started because I decided to convince my friends to go on a made-up bar crawl! I won't tell y'all the name, so you won't take it lol. Anyway, this ended up being the first stop. First we saw Baltimore news legend Marty Bass ( we did not bother him, but still cool to see). We ordered lemon drops, old fashions and jack and ginger, which were all made to perfection. The pretzle was so good, I want another one as I type. I appreciate the staff encouraging my made up Bar crawl and giving me other recommendations to add to out adventure! Definetly going back cause I hear they have a great brunch! read more

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Stopped in during the Ravens playoff game before a show and was pleasently surprised. Great vibes and full restaurant. Grabbed a bahn mi to split as we were looking for a small bite. Since we are at the bar the bar tender took our order and was super nice. Enjoyed the sandwich, it had a great flavor. I wish they had bulgogi but the pork belly was fine. The fries were seasoned well and very tasty! I hope to return soon for the PBJ dessert! read more

Rocket to Venus - Pork belly banh mi with fries! - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The seaweed salad needs to come off the menu. It's +3$ to have it as a side and it should've been -3$ for the trauma. My guest and I both took one bite and couldn't go on. Menu did not mention the korean cauliflower would be deep fried so that was disappointing. I appreciate a restaurant with vegetarian options and the use of real glasses and dishes, but overall the food was super mid and not worth it. The bar staff was not helpful in answering questions or providing recommendations. Will not be returning read more

Rocket to Venus is a cool neighborhood spot. It's dark and casual. The food is good and the drinks don't disappoint. This is a great neighborhood bar to bring a mix a friends who want cocktails and beer. Everyone can get what they want. I especially appreciate that I can get good vegetarian options from here. The Korean cauliflower is my absolute favorite. I've had the Japanese Curry which is good too (tofu, carrots, celery, onions). read more

This local bar has been around for a long time and has it's own charm. Met some family there for dinner. The outside seating (on this not as hot as other day) was nice - they have fans to make sure there's some air movement. The food including my fried pickles were just okay, not great. The aforementioned pickles were tasty. I also got the salad with fried chicken. Not sure if it was the dressing or the chicken itself, but it was extremely salty which was surprising since you know, it's a salad. Others had the burgers, Korean Fries, and chicken tenders. No one raved. What brought this down an extra star was that their ordering system relies on using a phone, scanning a QR code, logging in, ordering, and then deciding to either keep the tab open or close it. I will be honest that having to log in just to order a drink and some snacks seems like a lot. Additionally, when I ordered my drink I asked for it to be chilled but didn't ask for on the rocks. It came with ice in the glass. Drink was fine, but given how hard it is to navigate their site for ordering (you have to scroll through it all to find what you want), I would have preferred to just order from the server. Meh. read more

Love this place. The vibe is 1950s Roswell-style diner meets bomb shelter. Even the juke box looks like a space ship. You have to either order at the bar or through their Toast app; although the app is frequently not working. The bartender is great, though, super friendly and helpful. The happy hour is fabulous. $.89 pierogies, $5 pina coladas and figgy pops, and very cheap beer flights. I had no idea what a figgy pop was - it's a cocktail that tastes like Mountain Dew. Highly recommend that and the pina colada. The other star was the gravy cheese fries. They use white gravy, which really takes it to the next level. read more

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The other night my friends and I were out enjoying the holiday chaos on 36th Street and decided to stop into Rocket to Venus for a drink and a bite. In retrospect, this was a mistake I will think about at random moments for years. Walking in, the place looks busy -- lots of staff moving quickly in every direction -- but it's unclear if anyone is actually accomplishing anything. It feels less like a restaurant and more like an elaborate improv exercise where everyone pretends service is happening. We get seated. Then... nothing. No greeting. No explanation. No "hey, here's how this works." Turns out ordering here is a fun little escape room where you're supposed to figure out that you scan a QR code for the menu -- or request a paper one if you can somehow make eye contact with a staff member long enough to flag them down. I briefly considered bringing a whistle. Eventually we order food and drinks. A man who looked like someone had just stolen his puppy silently dropped off our drinks and walked away without a word. No check-in, no indication of when food might arrive, just a haunted stare and gone. I assume we were supposed to intuit the rest. When the food finally arrived, the pierogies were cold on the inside. Not "not hot enough" -- actually cold, like they'd been briefly shown the stove and then sent straight to the table. Since no one ever came back to check on us, we had to flag someone down like a deranged football coach calling a last-second timeout. When we explained the issue, the response was simply "ok." He took the plate and disappeared into the restaurant fog. No apology, no explanation, no reassurance that food would return. Just vibes. About ten minutes later, he reappears -- like an Elf on the Shelf -- with a new plate of pierogies. These were now aggressively burnt. He said "sorry for the wait" and vanished again before we could respond. All told, about 45 minutes for burnt pierogies and a full immersive experience in being ignored. I came here for dinner, not to feel like I was stuck in a bad marriage. Cool location. Great street. But unless you enjoy puzzles, emotional distance, and wildly inconsistent pierogies, I'd suggest grabbing a drink literally anywhere else on 36 read more

This was such an interesting and cool restaurant! My vegan friend found it online and wanted to check it out for dinner. The inside had a casual diner feel. There was a sign upon walking in stating that we seat ourselves and then scan their barcodes on the table to order. We sat outside and scanned the table barcode to start our order. It alerted the staff we were there because a minute later, we were brought out waters. After reviewing the menu, we ordered Fried Pickle Spears and Vegan Wings to start. The vegan wings were amazing! It had a nice texture and the sauce was very flavorful. I also enjoyed the Fried Pickle Spears which was fried well without the pickle making it too soggy. For my main, I got the Blackened Catfish Bahn Mi while my friend got their Vegan Valley Cheesesteak with subbed Brussels sprouts. My Bahn mi was a good size and was quite good. There were a lot of jalapeños which made the sandwich a bit too spicy for me. I had to start taking them out as my mouth was on fire. The catfish was also a bit on the saltier side for me but it was still a tasty sandwich! The piña colada drink I got was also pretty good. It was the perfect cold drink on a hot evening. Overall, I really liked checking this vegan friendly restaurant out and hope to come back again! read more

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The steak frites was very good, well seasoned, and cooked to my specifications. Ordering on the app was easy enough, but it's hard to find an itemized list of things you've ordered. My first drink and entree came out fairly quickly, but getting anyone to stop so I could request A1 sauce was impossible, I had to go to the counter (my friend was basically waving her hand in the server's face and she didn't acknowledge us, at all). I ordered a second drink and it took a long time to be delivered to the table. Apparently the service is better than it used to be which is sad. I'd return for the food tho. read more

Rocket to Venus - Steak frites - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

First timer!! Impressive!! Seat yourself and order through the QR code!! Friendly and attentive staff and HUGE CLAPS FOR THE COOK! read more

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This restaurant is out of this world and so vegan friendly! I am fully blown away by the food I got to enjoy here. You can choose your seating at Rocket to Venus and the interior is reminiscent of being in a rocket ship. It is a little dark inside and a very cool vibe. There are also many outdoor tables which have great covering and shade. Each table has a QR code so people can order food and easily pay separately. There is no server so do not wait around for someone to take your order, and make sure your phone is charged. The menu clearly labels items that are vegan which makes ordering as a vegan a breeze! I enjoyed the Vegan Philly Cheese Steak, Vegan Kimchi Fries, and stole some bites of my friend's Tofu Banh Mi. Best I'll my heart the Philly Cheese Steak was phenomenal. It has a generous amount of melted vegan provolone and a hearty portion of well hydrated and marinated soy curls as the steak. It also had marinara sauce and peppers which were so savory and delicious. This meal was thick, extraordinarily filling, and exactly what you should order if you are starving! The Kimchi fries were absolutely covered in kimchi which was fantastic! You could hardly see the fries at the bottom and I can live with that ratio. The kimchi was not very fermented and tasted so light. I think it would be a good kimchi for a first timer to try. It had fresh jalapeños so it was a little spicy but not too spicy for the general public. There was also a little orange sauce that added some creaminess to the plate. The Tofu Banh Mi was a great meal choice for someone that wants their carbs but does not want as heavy of a meal as the Philly cheese steak. The Banh Mi was flavorful yet not heavy in the slightest. This would be the way to eat if you want to avoid a food coma. There was plenty of tofu so you still get your protein without feeling completed bloated and stuffed. I have heard great reviews about their vegan chicken sandwich and will definitely need to return to finish trying their vegan options. I thank this restaurant so much for having an easy to follow menu for vegans, and putting in so much effort to produce fantastic vegan meals. I will definitely be back! read more

Rocket to Venus - Vegan Philly cheesesteak - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Chill place and has actually I think my favorite burger in the neighborhood. Reminds me of like a really good backyard bbq burger. I recommend! read more

Awesome place with good service. Food is good and their happy hour is great. A fun place to hang and the patio is a great option when it's nice out. read more

My partner and I were in the area and wanted something nearby for dinner and he found this place on google. Obviously the fun name caught his eye first but it seemed like our vibe and I drove us over. It was in a residential area but we found parking pretty quickly and easily. There was outdoor seating when we walked up which was full because it was beautiful yesterday, even after sundown. We walked inside to a sign that directed customers to sit wherever we'd like and we could order from our phones with a QR code or up at the bar. Also immediately at the table with the sign and at the front of the bar there were water stations and short glasses. I liked this feature a lot as I was feeling dehydrated and could fill up whenever I wanted. The inside has a fun retro vibe with mint and black but small elements of space travel sprinkled throughout. The restrooms had Earth Men and Earth Women above the respective doors; and the ladies room was a 2 stall situation. I picked a fun half moon booth and my partner was able to get a physical menu as our reception in the restaurant was slow. When we decided what we wanted my partner went to the bar to order for us both. Every person who worked at the restaurant was friendly and helpful with questions about the menu and made the atmosphere really comfortable. My partner got the Bahn Mi sandwich with clam chowder instead of a side salad and I got the beet salad (without the walnuts) and brussel sprouts. Everything was delicious but I think the stand out part of our meals was the clam chowder and we talked about coming back specifically for it. read more

Rocket to Venus - Women's bathroom art. - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Didn't want to have to make a review but I've been trying to get in contact about this for a while. Came in on the later side and used the QR menu to order my food and drinks. When the drinks came out the server informed me that their kitchen had actually already closed for the night and that they would be refunding the food part of my order, however this never occurred. Please contact me read more

Went for a friends birthday last night and tried the Pork Belly Burger, Brussels Sprouts, and Fried Pickles. The Pork Belly Burger was SO good, maybe the best burger I have ever had- whoever came up with that has a great mind lol. Brussels Sprouts and Fried Pickles were yummy. Love the ease of ordering with the QR code and our food came very quickly. Cool themed atmosphere with dim lighting, UFO art on the walls, unique windows and wall lights that make you feel like you are in a retro rocketship, and rocket shaped water dispensers to fill your own cups as needed. Will absolutely be coming back! read more

Rocket to Venus - menu - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

if you want later night eats, this is a good destination! everything here is QR code ordering, and the only role the staff play is delivering food/drinks to your table, so if you want to eat without disturbance this might be a good option. i ordered the chicken banh mi and a cider, and i tried the lemon pepper fries. the banh mi was good with the appropriate vegetables and no (or very little) fish sauce, which is something i like. you can definitely get a better banh mi in the area, but it's nice to have this option. they have local beers and such on tap, and the cider i got was very cheap and tasty. the fries were INCREDIBLY oversalted (both the regular and lemon pepper ones) but still edible. the lemon pepper seasoning tastes how you would expect it to. not a stellar experience, but definitely sufficient. the inside is very cute and almost feels like an arcade. read more

Rocket to Venus - chicken banh mi - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Not a fan of this place, the service is bad. There's plenty of workers but frankly, I don't know what they do. The inside ambience is not appealing, it needs work. The food is med, no good reasons to come back. read more

Why do we love Rocket To Venus? 1. Outdoor Seating! If you are lucky enough to get a table outside you will the opportunity to watch the parade of people and dogs on Chestnut. 2. Happy Hour! You get 3 cute glasses of draft beer for cheap! 3. Chicken & waffle sandwich. Everytime I come here I have the intention of ordering something else. I am unable to do so because this is so dang delicious, especially with honey mustard. 4. The staff! We have always had great service here. Go to the bar to order OR use the QR code at your table. Thank you, Rocket To Venus, for your consistent awesomeness in Hampden. read more

Rocket to Venus - Behold the Chicken & Waffle sandwich and the Beyond Burger-- perfection! - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Fun dive bar vibes with a surprising number of vegetarian and vegan options! You seat yourself and then order on your phone, so there's no way to ask questions if you have any unless you go up to the bar. read more

Tried something/s new: vegan buffalo wings with the vegan chipotle ranch and nonalcoholic Lagunitas HOP Hoppy Refresher. Tastes like chicken but isn't--really tasty late night snack! Liked the Hoppy Refresher; which has an oddly kombucha/ramen-like fizzy mildly soupy effervescence. Odd but fine. The bro-servers are friendly, contributing to the garage music and overall cool atmosphere. Although eating outside at the few tables is fine, more to see at the bar--and if I'd brought a book, could've easily read by one of the overhead lights. Rocket to Venus is like being on another planet, in a good way. But it feels like home. read more

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Hard to believe I lived in the neighborhood for years but finally experienced this jewel. I ordered the poutine, ban mi sandwich, brussel sprouts, and vegan fried chicken. Yes, it is decadent and absolutely tasty. The location is decorated as a diner and eclectic bar from another time. A time when great service, drink selection, menu, and experience was a top priority. They also have an outdoor patio. Take a walk off the avenue and enjoy a treat. read more

Rocket to Venus - (Excellent bread) Ban mi and a side of crispy brussel sprouts! - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Rocket to Venus has been kicking butt all pandemic long with smart and safe measures to protect staff and diners. As of this particular visit it seemed like the to-go window was closed, but if you want to sit outside you don't even have to go in, you can just scan the QR code and you're off to the races. Ordered korean fries and vegan chicken sammy, substituting fries for brussels. I thought the vegan chicken Sammy was a touch under fired and light on breading but otherwise a glorious addition to Baltimores vegan fried chicken sando scene. I love that you get to choose your sauce. Brussels we're perfect. Crunchy little leaves, soft center, hint of heat. Lovely. Korean fries were delicious. I should have just stopped there because it was SO MUCH FOOD. Honestly this place is great. Decent prices on drinks (nothing beats a rye hot toddy on a winters day). A great assortment of vegetarian and meat items. Everyone leaves satisfied! read more

Rocket to Venus - Korean fries - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This one is a sleeper. It was a last minute post holiday choice for dinner before the family went our separate ways and it turned out to be a great choice. For me, the atmosphere was old school hang out comfort. No glitz, dark, and moody in a good way. The staff was casual, but attentive and efficient, and the food was really great. You could be a little surprised that the ratings are so good when you first walk in but you'll definitely get by the time you leave. read more

BESTHAPPYHOURINBALTIMORE Food is perfection, but I wish they'd bring back their drunken noodles, it was unreal. read more

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Great vibe and music. Enter and seat yourself. We got one of the semicircle booths. The menu is select and pay by a QR code on your table. Pretty easy once you get used to it and scroll past all the beer and spirits selections, it is a bar with food but nice all the same. We got there at 5pm to eat before going over to see the holiday lights on 34th street. We ordered pierogis from the happy hour menu, shrimp and beef stroganoff. Yum. Love the stamp machine with RTV postcards at the entry. read more

Rocket to Venus - Beef stroganoff, pierogis, and shrimp with Christmas ale. - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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When we first walked in, we all were a bit nervous. It gives big hole in the wall vibes and made us wonder if we'd made a bad decision. We seated ourselves and noticed they had QR menus and mobile ordering - cool! The problem is, the cell service is TERRIBLE. It took us no less than 20 mins to get the menu/mobile ordering to load - and it would only load on 2/4 phones at the table. During this time, no one checked in on us to see if we were ok. This situation is my reason for deducting a star. Once our food arrived, we were all so into our meal that we literally stopped talking to each other for a while. The food was PHENOMENAL - and I don't say that lightly. Most of the people at our our table are very critical of food as we're decent cooks ourselves, so we often criticize food we get. Of all the things we ordered, there wasn't a single complaint at the table. One member of the group commented that the tartar sauce was even amazing! We're a half vegan/half carnivore crew. There were ample options for everyone. The food was well presented and prepared! The portions were also fair. All of us felt satisfied and even said we'd come back again and try other menu items. All-in-all, this was a positive experience. Our group was having a get-together and the ambiance and setup was great for group chatting. The sound level of the restaurant was good (minus the 3 children that the table next to us allowed to run all around the restaurant the entire time they were there!!) The food was a very bright spot! Also, I must mentioned that the food-runner was GREAT! He checked back on us and even cleared some of our dishes after we finished, but sat there still chatting. He also had a really upbeat and pleasant demeanor. I wish we would've asked his name. I also sadly didn't take any photos of the food as we were really having a great time together and it didn't cross my mind in the moment. I guess that's just another excuse to come back! read more

I've only had food at Rocket to Venus once (and takeout at that), but I have been many times for drinks. I like that it's a different bar for the neighborhood! Yes, Hampden has fancy cocktails and microbreweries, but it also has a few more casual - dare I say dive-y? - options (Rocket to Venus, Melanie's at Griffith's Tavern, Zissimos Bar, Frazier's on the Avenue, etc.). I love the decor in Rocket to Venus - it kind of feels like a bar on a submarine or a spaceship? Don't ask me why. And I enjoy the drinks (they have a good variety) and the service. Definitely need to try the food again soon (we got takeout during a bad stretch of the pandemic and haven't eaten the food at Rocket)! All in all, it's a fun option for drinks in the neighborhood! read more

Rocket to Venus - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Delicious food & drink, great atmosphere, and friendly staff. We love going here whenever we can.

This little bar was so good. We got here at 10:46 and they took our food orders - they were out in a hurry and the plates were hot. The ambiance is great and the staff provided great customer service (you can tell when staff enjoy working with one another.) I will definitely be back. I enjoyed the fish and chips, pretzel, Brussels sprouts and the fries! Everything was super fresh. read more

we were having a casual meet up/business meeting and wanted veggie food so decided to try rocket to venus. it's a bar but they have a lot of vegetarian and veggie food options. you sit at your table and order and pay through an app - it's extremely convenient and efficient. we ordered the faux meat wings, the pierogies, kimchi and brussels sprouts. the faux meat wings were not good but the veggie sauce that came with it was good. the pierogies were good, the kimchi was decent and the brussels sprouts were good good. i was surprised at the variety of veggie options at the bar and overall it was good food and an efficient way to order read more

Rocket to Venus - vegan wings - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Had the tofu banh mi. The tofu was bland/lacked flavor but there's enough other things in the sandwich to add flavor and make up for it. The service is always fast as we order for pick up. Hubby ordered a burger that he said was good. read more

Rocket to Venus - Tofu banh mi - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Jeff I hope you read this one. Stopped in for a beer today, and it had been a while. Your place is as magical as ever except for one glaring thing. The see you next Tuesday female bartender. I complimented her on her tattoos since I'm a big fan of nice artwork, and I literally got sneered at. You can confirm it with your other bartender that was working. Perhaps this girl gets hit on constantly(possible but other than the tats she is nothing spectacular but clearly thinks she is.) Anyway I certainly hope she doesn't treat all of your customers like this because a simple polite thank you would have sufficed. I'll always support you, but she was heinous, and needs to learn some manners. read more

Last night was probably my 4th or 5th time coming here. I always order the A1 burger which were one of the best burger I've had. I love the combination of the truffle mashed potatoes, the crispy onions and the patty juice ! It usually comes with fries and normally I didn't really mind their fries but this time they served me with the bottom bit of the fries... I can't really describe it but it was like the fries have been left out then fried again just to get it crispy but not the nice crispy that you would think. It just felt they didn't really check the quality. My friend who is a vegetarian order the vegans wings and pad Thai. According to her the wings were okay, the sauce gave it a nice flavor. However the pad Thai was a little disappointing, the dish looks nice but there's no flavor according to my friend. The ambient of the place was nice, respect that social distancing. When you go in you just seat yourself and order through the QR code which can also spilt the bill if you go with friends so that was convenient. TLDR; overall get the A1 burger, get some sauces too, I like the key west BBQ it's a sweet smokyish flavor. read more

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The family stopped here for an early dinner last week after looking at the 34th Street Christmas lights. For 5:00pm on a weekday, the place was busy, but made sense with the lights. My husband went to the bar to order while I got our little one situated. We each started off with a holiday beer and then together shared the pierogis, a cup of soup and a banh mi sandwich. Pierogis were great as long as you got some onion with it. The soup had great flavor but no signs of crab. The sandwich was solid but it was the sauce that made it, definitely recommend it!!! read more

I celebrated my birthday at Rocket to Venus. The decor was a little suspect, but the food was legit. Who knew what bacon, fresh tomatoes and grilled onions could do to make an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich extraordinary? Everyone in my party loved the food. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Came to visit a friend on a rainy Thursday night after 9p. Street , neighborhood parking. I barely saw the place, it was raining and there were barely any lights on the exterior. There was a pitcher happy hour special from 5 to 11p i believe on Thursdays. I ordered the grilled cheese. It was not good, but the tomato soup was Really good!! Service was good. Place drew a diverse crowd. read more

Rocket to Venus - Grilled cheese and tomatoe soup - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Dolly & I agree that this place is pretty average. Here are a list of items we tried: buffalo wings - dry/stale af. Rocket Burger (vegan) - EXTRA SPICY, fries- basic/oily no crunch. My friend had the shrimp and grits. Said it was okay- not changing lives. The decor is pretty dark, customer service was good but could be better. For example, we asked the waiter about an item on our plate and he had no idea what it was (that included the vegan burger). It's giving diner but with VERY basic food. I imagine it to be lit at night. read more

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This review is for drink service only. A friend and I showed up at 1:30pm on a Friday for a few cocktails and were promptly greeted at the front window they are operating from due to COVID precautions. We ordered two of their Pink Drink cocktails (priced around $5 each) and grabbed a spot on the patio. The inside of the restaurant is still closed to the public, though they do allow guests to use the bathrooms. The patio was a nice place to people-watch and both my friend and I enjoyed the Pink Drink-- I believe the signature ingredient was prickly pear, but it tasted more like watermelon to me. Either way it was delicious and we ordered a second round! The service was quick and friendly and the prices were on point. Seems like a great place to post up for happy hour, and the menu looks very interesting and diverse. I would definitely come back to sample their food and grab another few drinks! read more

Rocket to Venus - Their Pink Drink cocktail. One of the ingredients is prickly pear but it tasted more like watermelon to me-- still delicious! - New American Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland