Woodberry Kitchen - So deserving of its reputation

I know you may ask, “What’s a cheap guy like you doing in a fine place like this?” Here’s my answer: proving that good dining deals can be found anywhere in Baltimore. This is not just the standard “order the cheapest thing on the menu, split it in half, then go home half hungry” strategy. Yes, I did split my order and no, I didn’t limit myself to the cheapest item. However, you will have to afford me this luxury: bumping up my cheap eats standard from $10 per dining adult to $15. This IS Woodberry Kitchen so anyone coming here should expect to drop a few more dollars than normal and in turn get higher quality food.


To start, enjoy the bread. It’s fresh, the butter is soft and creamy, and they’ll happily refill the basket when they notice it’s empty and your sheepishly pleading look. I followed the advice of a comment on Facebook and ordered a flatbread to start. Even though I would have been happy with all four offered, my fiancée showed a preference for the Andoulle, and I was ever-thankful she did (honestly, I probably would have said that for any of them). The meat was just so good: spicy, yet in a way that did not impede any of the meat’s natural flavor. And the crust, the oh-so-good smoky-charred flavor around the outer edge. Dear God, it was perfect. Or as perfect as a $15 purchase can every be.

Now, if you’re a fan of buttery, creamy soups, order the oyster stew for only $9. Our server claimed four large oysters inside a creamy broth, but that was a lie. There were seven of the largest oysters I’ve ever had lurking underneath the surface. If this were an Ebay review, I would write something like “AAAAAAAA++++++++++++ SOUP, WOULD ORDER AGAIN!!!”

If we called for our bill here, it would have been $12 a piece, not including tax and tip. However, we had a table full of merry-makers, so there was plenty more to sample. The entrée I would like to highlight for “best deal for the amount of food” is the pork shoulder. I couldn’t find it on the online menu, but it was there. The meat was so tender it could be split with a fork. There was a noticeable saltiness to it, but it was still quite good. This $23 entrée is substantial enough to split into two $11.50 meals without feeling dissatisfied with the portion size.

But wait a moment, I allowed myself $15 a person. I’m not certainly walking out of a classy place like this when I still have $3 to throw around. I’m such a high roller these days. Even though it broke the bank by going over our spending ceiling by a whopping $2, we couldn’t resist the strawberry shortcake. I made sure each spoonful was part strawberry, part cream, part sherbet, and part orange biscuit. What really made this desert rocket to greatness was the orange biscuit. We all know it’s difficult to find a bad strawberry shortcake, but the small detail of the orange biscuit really sets this one above the rest.