Dionysus Restaurant & Lounge

This is a cozy mellow bar to get some drinks and light food. They have a good selection and also have gluten free beer for any fellow celiacs out there, new grist beer is great !! can get it to go as well :)

Closed. Loved this place. :(

Went for a drinks once and to some «party» another time.
Another one of those plebby* joints post-​grad or college student types that will never adequately charge a fee low enough for me to feel I wasn’t ripped off.
Unless of course there was a marriage between food service and human trafficking with flagrant participation of the juridical authorities.
* to quote a friend, «I jokes darling!»

UPDATE (01/​19/​2013) Bonus! Bar serves food late night! Great idea for soaking up the booze with some late night nosh. Food is mediocre, but it’s 11:45pm, and there’s limited options for late night dining + drinking in Midtown. Crab Pretzel (pass), Sausage and Cheese Platter (get it), Veggie Burger of the Day (strangely sweet), Burger of the Day (not bad), «Maryland» Crab Soup (actually cream of crab and very thin).

I love this place soooooooooooooooooooooo much! I think I may be addicted to it. It’s divey and has great food which I think is the perfect combination. The steak sandwich is always good and I always struggle between ordering that and the bookmaker salad which is also delicious. I have also tried and loved their homemade veggie burger. And their fries are solid. I also am impressed by their small, but diverse draft beer selection. My only complaint is that there is one female bartender that isn’t always so friendly. Sometimes she is and sometimes I feel as though she wants to kill me. But again, I love this place soooooooooo much.

All across the board, Dionysus is a pretty strong place. I go here as often as I do because I live a few blocks away, but even if I lived across town, I’d still come here.
Disclaimer: There is an upstairs and a downstairs to this place. I’ve only ever gone to the downstairs part, so this is the wrong review to read if you’re interested in the upstairs.
Downstairs is divey, with a dash of classy. It’s below street-​level, mostly dark, and it has a great cast of bartenders who are a hoot to talk to. If you’re not willing to get off your high horse, you probably won’t like it here. The folks who work here are sassy, and if you’re really a Baltimore person, you’ll love it. If you’re not, maaaaaaybe look somewhere else.
When you walk downstairs into this place, you wouldn’t expect the food to be so good, but it really is. I’m constantly wowed by the food here. They also do some great, homemade infusions. Sometimes it’s pickled eggs with some sort of booze, or it’s vodka or bourbon infused with something else. It’s always a surprise and I like the creativity.
My only real complaint is the giant Pink Floyd poster towards the back with the album covers painted on the back of some naked ladies by a pool. Really guys? REALLY??? This thing sticks out like a sore thumb and I think it runs completely counter to the rest of the vibe that Dionysus achieves.

A great spot for a date, a quick cocktail, or a late night gathering. We usually prefer heading downstairs to the bar for a strong drink and a fun scene. There’s a hipser-​divey aspect to the place, but in a good way.
The bartenders are skilled, knowledgeable, and friendly. They pour a heck of a cocktail (the liquor selection is terrific) be sure to check out what specials they’ve come up with that week. But make sure to play nice and be polite — your level of respect will be returned.
It can get crowded, and the pacing can be ‘more relaxed’ so if you need a fast drink, this might not be your spot.
Check it out when you can relax, chat, and soak up the atmosphere.

As one or more other reviewers pointed out, there is a downstairs (bar) and upstairs (restaurant) here. My review is for the upstairs restaurant.
My wife and I didn’t expect much from Dionysus after reading some of the reviews on Unilocal!but it turns out the fairly low ratings come from reviews about the downstairs bar. Although I was not aware of that distinction, I had bought a Groupon so the risk of trying it out seemed reduced. We opted for the dining room upstairs rather than the bar. No one was there except for a guy sitting on a sofa off to the side, engrossed in his smartphone. There are only 3 or 4 tables in the room and, after a while, 5 people came in as a group for dinner. So the ambiance was very laid back and we were able to have a nice conversation during a delightfully tasty and well-​presented dinner.
Frankly, it was not easy to choose from the menu. The main courses on the regular menu are largely sandwiches and pizza which didn’t appeal to us that particular night. The Specials menu consisted of such out-​of-​the-​ordinary items that we had no past experience to draw from in making our choices.
I chose the Braised Swordfish after a lot of dithering (since often swordfish steaks are overdone by chefs). It turned out to be the best swordfish I had ever eaten — moist and delicately seasoned in a beurre blanc sauce and served over risotto cakes that, to me, were a new experience — lightly crunchy on the outside and a nice texture complement to the tender fish. Risotto can sometimes be a tad sticky or mushy. These were a delight. I’ve noticed that more chefs are doing a good job of not over-​cooking asparagus and those at Dionysus were no exception.
My wife’s selection was a fllet of beef in crawfish dip served with Muenster cheese and baby gold potatoes and a vegetable medley. Again, a unique preparation that was delicious. Since my wife is reducing her carb intake, I was the beneficiary of many of the baby gold potatoes — I’m going to look for them at our local grocer.
Our waitress was charming without forgetting to get down to business and was willing to make recommendations — I favor servers who help diners out in that way. After learning I like «hoppy» beers, she recommended Sessions. Again, I’m going to find out where I can buy some to stock my fridge.
Overall, the experience was pure discovery of new combinations and flavors from an imaginative chef. We expected little but had a memorable evening.

Cue lights.
Opening scene: an unassuming dive in historic Mount Vernon. A date and I stop by for a quick pre-​theater bite and cocktails, skipping the upstairs dining room in favor of the subterranean bar. The overall feel is casual hipster-​lounge, coated with a fine layer of Baltimore grime, ahem, I mean… charm. Gina, the saucy bartender, greets us with a playful smirk, and two menus.
Wanting something simple and speedy, we go for the Black Bean Mole chili and Bookmaker salad (chicken, avocado, onions, peps, maters, etc. with Caesar dressing). Both are well-​prepared, fresh, and tasty. We’re pleasantly surprised by the quick service and above-​average pub plates. We enjoy the trifecta of Gina, the ambiance, and the cocktails so much that we return for round II after the play.
By no means is this a culinary destination, but as far as a nice liquor selection and decent bar-​food goes, Dionysus scores high.

The waitress was great. She was patient and ver helpful. The prices were fair. The place was packed in the bar and was very busy on the second floor as well.

I’ve very much come to love this place, especially the downstairs bar. They’ve got an excellent selection of handpicked specialty liquors, and I’ve had a few of the most amazing cocktails there: One, the ‘wise root’, a concoction where ginger meets elderberry, on the rocks, or mingling with soda. Lilting and supple. They are also the best at making my namesake drink, The Somerset Maugham Martini: A gin martini, up, with olives, and just a drop (yes, a wee drop) of Absinthe. Described by Maugham himself at the end of a novel, the drink is heavenly; a simplified liquid ambrosia. The bartenders are courteous and speedy, and the selection of music eclectic, and even nostalgic at turns, recalling obscure songs you’d loved, yet had forgotten about until just then.
Another bonus is the late night menu on weekends. I believe it is available until 1 AM thurs, fri and sat. I work nights, and often, by the time I am out, nobody is serving food. It’s very much a blessing to be able to have a few drinks while also having the option to eat, and a rarity in Baltimore, where most kitchens close at 11PM, if you’re lucky.
Here I can get one of the best pizzas in Baltimore, and at a killer price for the quality; spinach, artichokes and mushrooms with a perfectly piquant sauce, on dough that amply supports the cast of toppings.
It’s fun to sit outside, and watch people pass by; there’s a certain grittiness to the way this block looks that makes me think I might be in Brooklyn, in the spring.
Certainly one of the best bars in the Mount Vernon/​Station North Arts District.

I really dig this place. There’s three levels, one is a divey bar type area, the second is a nice-​ish restaurant and the third is a tiny venue for open mics and the like.
The drinks are super cheap and they have a pretty decent selection of beers. The food is pretty good and pretty well priced. I definitely recommend avoiding the Gator Bites. As alluring as they sound, unless you like munch on balls of grease and what tastes like rubbery chicken, I’d pass and go for the ridiculous cheesy, salty mac n cheese.
Thumbs up. Except for one of the bartenders. She acts like getting you a beer wasn’t in her job description.

After seeing a film at The Charles, we decided it was time for dinner.
So.
You walk in, and you have three choices.
1. Outside: Sit outside in the weather, watch people walk by, and see the bus go by. Perfect for people-​watching, I suppose.
2. Downstairs Bar: Sit at the bar, a table by the bar, or on a couch by the TV. There’s usually sports and/​or a movie on.
3. Upstairs Dining Room: Sit upstairs in the dining room, where it’s quiet and very laid back. There is a pair of couches and a small coffee table for lounging, I reckon, and art on the walls, with a few barstools and table-​space by the dining room entrance.
I’ve been in the bar area, which is great, but never the upstairs. It was very quiet, with a no-​rush atmosphere. Our waitress was Erin, and right off the bat, I asked for coffee and water while we looked over the menu. She let me know that the coffee had *just* started brewing, so it’d be a minute — but would be as fresh as possible.
So far so good.
Then, we ordered our entrees, and settled on drinks. I asked for a beer — and it turned out that particular beer was out. So, Erin poured a high-​ball glass of the next closest thing, without asking, and brought it to me for sampling. It was a Heavy Seas, which I was familiar with, and went with it. We got into a quasi-​conversation about Heavy Seas, which led to another conversation, and before you know it, our food was out. Most of the things on their menu are either the bar staples, or, simple foods with a unique twist. And it’s all fantastic.
Before I got the check (which was surprisingly cheap), I ran downstairs to the men’s room, passed the flat-​screen TVs (one showing soccer, one showing a zombie movie), passed the couches, and hit the bathroom — where I drew an evil robot on the chalkboard before I left.
Hell yes.

I love this place! I enjoy sitting at their outside tables and people watching. I love the bartenders especially Jerrod at the third floor bar. Very interesting people. Always a blast. I pretty much come here every weekend. The food is always spectacular but I especially loved the veggie fritters they had on special one week

I had a great time here this past Friday in the upstairs lounge. The music was good. The crowd was small but friendly and I didn’t have to pay to use the bathroom (I’m looking at you Power Point Live!).

I have no idea what the lounge/​bar part of this place is like. But when I was visiting the area, we went here for dinner after I had just gotten in… and I had the tastiest, most satisfying veggie burger I’ve ever had in my life. They make delicious veggie burgers, and I think have a different one every day. They’re so worth it.
My friend got jumbo shrimp smothered in Old Bay. And, as we all know, Old Bay is delicious, so he enjoyed himself, but not as much as I enjoyed my burger.
Downside, not so much about Dionysus, but more about being vegetarian, is the burgers kinda look like cow pies. But just order it and devour it and you’ll be fine.

Dionysus, what great treats you have!
We ended up here kind of on accident, didn’t plan on staying long, and ended up having one of those great random nights you always lolz to yourself about the next day.
First of all, this bar/​restaurant has a brand new head chef who is super excited and has all these crazy interesting ideas and ambitions for the restaurant that he shared with us at the bar that made me wish I lived closer so I could come back and eat all of the tasty morsels he is planning on cooking!
The bartender, Alex, was a master. He was whipping up god knows what, they were like culinary cocktails that tasted like delicious desserts and strange mysterious wonders; yet they still had a punch and made boozin’ at Dionysus an extremely delightful experience.
And after all this excitement, we get our bill. And it was SO CHEAP!!! HALLELUJAH!!!
By the time we left this place, I think everyone in the bar had made friends with each other and we were all maybe a drink or two away from singing kumbaya together.
Thank you Dionysus for bringing me all of this inexpensive joy, thank you!

Yes! Dionysis! I’m so glad I live within walking distance of this bar now… I’ve been here more times than I care to count and it never fails to disappoint. It’s almost become my own ‘Cheers’.
I’ve only eaten here a few times and though the food may not be too memorable, the nice crowd and vibe certainly is. The bartenders will always treat you right and the seating is comfy.
So if you’re looking for a laid back, inexpensive bar… you just struck gold.

Never, ever, ever, EVER have a sit-​down dinner here. Unless you want to wait an hour and a half for food that will never come (or if it does, it is sub-​par at best). It wasn’t just my table, it was a whole room of angry, upset diners, waiting and waiting…
Just horrible. Dionysus, if you can’t keep up with the customers’ demands in your «tiny, tiny kitchen», then don’t serve entrees! It’s as easy as that.
Apparently the downstairs bar is more competent but I refuse to come back to find out.

It’s the inside that matters! Dionysus looks dingy from the outside but is quite pleasant after you overlook the exterior. The bar downstairs is where people go. Small bar but with several couches and a non-​pretentious setup.
Drinks are fairly cheap but the food is a big plus for me. I’ve heard people rave about their ‘white pizzas.’ I haven’t tried the pizza, but I got the shiitake cheese fries and the portabello sandwich with root vegetable fries. Both dishes were delicious! The bar staff and patrons were pretty friendly as well.
A good neighborhood bar for me!