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Ze Mean Bean Cafe

4.0
4
164 Reviews
$30 and under
Eastern European
1739 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 21231

About this restaurant

Ze Mean Bean Café offers delightful European charm in Maryland. The small café opened in 1995 and has been serving customers specialty coffees, delicious desserts and small plates of Eastern European cuisine ever since. Today, Ze Mean Bean has transformed into a wine and dining destination, offering some of the best food, as well as one of the largest wine selections in the area. The menu at Ze Mean Bean Café changes seasonally, so you never know what to expect when you visit, but you can count on it being fresh and tasty. There are a few staple favorites that can always be found on the menu that includes pierogis, smoky goulash and the award-winning borscht. Café traditions are in full swing in the restaurant with music being played regularly.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Eastern European, Russian, European
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am - 3:00pm; Lunch: Daily: 12:00pm - 5:00pm; Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    We offer a wide variety of food ranging from Eastern European specialities to our chefs creations and anything your special occasion calls for. We can come to you or you can reserve one of our facilities which can accommodate up to 100 guests.
  • Private party facilities
    Our upstairs can be reserved as well as our backroom for a private business function or for any special occasion requiring more intimacy.
  • Neighborhood
    East Baltimore
  • Cross street
    Broadway
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Entertainment
    We have live entertainment on the weekends for your pleasure. Friday nights we reserve our stage for our musicians who play guitar and play anything from classic rock to folk. On Saturdays and Sundays we have jazz trios.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 164 people are saying

Ze Mean Bean Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.0
4 based on all time ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4Service
  • 4Ambience

NoiseModerate

164 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on November 21, 2015

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    If you're someone who enjoys quaint and classy places with interesting food and live music, then this is the place for you! The atmosphere is wonderfully cozy and classy with wooden tables, soft lighting, interesting paintings, and great live jazz music playing in the background. Regarding the food, the Eastern European dishes were really great. My crab cake dish was way too salty, so I wouldn't order that again, but the dishes my friends ordered that were Ukrainian were very good. I will say that the mashed potatoes and asparagus that were served with my crab cakes were very good, but the crab cakes were really almost inedible. I powered through them because I hate wasting food, but it really was incredibly salty. Overall however, I would go back to this place again, because for the most part their food and drinks were good, and the atmosphere is really wonderful!

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  2. Food4Europeans

    Baltimore1 review

    4.0

    Dined on November 11, 2015

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Overall, I would definitely go back as I liked the atmosphere and the food is very good; however, it is a little pricey for the portion size you are served. I had plenty of food for myself. I usually take food home from restaurants and have leftovers for one or two meals. I was only served enough to satisfy my palate at the restaurant--no leftovers. My husband was a little disappointed as he left a little hungry and said he could have eaten a little more then he was served.

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  3. Katy

    Baltimore2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2015

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I had to been here three times and each time was great and better than the previous time! It''s cozy, and the food was delicious. We normally do not go out on nights like Valentine's Day, but decided to treat ourselves. It was a set menu with several choices in each course. I had the mushroom sou,p my husband had the salad. Both were top-of-the-line ingredients and the soup was deliciously distinctive and homemade. Second course was a selection of a shrimp dish or beef on a skewer. Beef was marinated and grilled perfectly. That was sufficient amount of food, so the portions were more than adequate! Both of us had the same pork tenderloin entrée with cherry sauce, mashed potatoes, asparagus. Wow!---beautiful combination, in the pork tender brain was groomed, very tender, very tasty! Wonderful wonderful. Dessert was a chocolate mousse with Caramel sauce that also was a perfect dish to complete a perfect meal. Service was prompt, and cannot wait to return! The food is always interesting, and top quality.

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  4. DisappointedValentine

    Baltimore1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 14, 2015

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was pretty good and the spacing of the courses was very nice. However, when looking for a Valentine's Day destination I reviewed each restaurant's website carefully to make sure the menu was something me and my partner would both like. Ultimately, we chose Ze Mean Bean for their fair prices and traditional Eastern European food. We made reservations and we're excited to try the Halupki. When we got to the restaurant, there was no sort of waiting area, so we stood there awkwardly for a few minutes as people were eating their meals. We were taken to a nice table upstairs that had a nice view of the falling snow outside. We were disappointed to see a prefixe menu awaiting us that did not have the traditional food we were excited for. Furthermore, no prices were listed on the menu. We chose our courses and had to repeat them back to the waitress more than once since she wasn't writing anything down. I Don't blame the waitress for all the hiccups that evening, as it seemed like she was the only one serving while we were there. The food was good and was something I would eat again. However, it was definitely not worth the price. At $55 per person, we could have ate at a much higher end restaurant and received a higher quality meal. If you are going to have a prefixe menu for any event, advertise it on OpenTable! If a bill of $155 at the end of a meal is such a huge surprise, then the food and service definitely wasn't worth it. I will be back though, I need to try the Halupki.

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  5. WilliamB

    Baltimore1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2015

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Ze Mean Bean is a traditional polish restaurant. We had the sampler platter, golden beet salad, the yvonne sandwich, a nice merlot, and chocolate caramel mousse pie. The chocolate caramel mousse pie was wonderful. The food was very good but the service was a bit slow becase of we ordered off the lunch menu on Valentines day.

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  6. gigi

    Nashville2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 13, 2015

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice spot that's out of the way of the Thames Street strip. Been here a long time for good reason! Good food with interesting twists..the Slavic sampler appetizer was delightful. But the highlight that evening were the jazz guitarists that played as lovely background music.

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  7. DMatt VIP

    Baltimore105 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 8, 2015

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was pokey. A four piece jazz combo was jammed into a small corner of a small room, which seemed overkill. And the food slipped a notch, especially waiting so long for it

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  8. FederalHiller

    Baltimore20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 7, 2015

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Ze Mean Bean is a staple in Fells Point, providing excellent Eastern European food. With the musical group playing, it can be a bit loud on the first floor, making conversation a challenge. But the food is well worth the trip and the cocktails are excellent.

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  9. Jboy21047

    Charlotte70 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 3, 2015

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a great little place to enjoy some traditional Eastern European food without packing a suitcase. I've eaten in restaurants throughout Eastern Europe and the food here is quite authentic as well as reasonably priced. The moment you walk in it feels like home and you expect mom to come out of the kitchen and greet you. If you go for brunch, try to make it a Sunday so you can enjoy the jazz band while you savor brunch. The short ribs on the dinner menu are amazing but not always available so ask right away and they can save them for you before they are gone for the night. The Goulash has all of the right seasoning and the paprika is a bit spicy, which is great. The stuffed cabbage is exactly what I grew up eating and the best I have had in years. Overall you can't go wrong with anything on the menu so explore it all and enjoy.

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  10. kingbalt VIP

    Las Vegas10 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on December 28, 2014

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    I love this restaurant but they were having an off day. They were so focused on taking care of a big group upstairs that are food sat for too long in the kitchen and then was cold when it arrived. The waitress didn't smile at all. I will be back, but not on Sundays. They are good if they have 1 or 2 tables, but once it gets busy they are lost.

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FAQs

Ze Mean Bean Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (410) 675-5999.

Ze Mean Bean Cafe is rated 4 stars by 164 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing
Google Map for Ze Mean Bean Cafe

1739 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 21231

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Broadway
  • Neighborhood
    East Baltimore
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am - 3:00pm; Lunch: Daily: 12:00pm - 5:00pm; Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Eastern European, Russian, European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    We have live entertainment on the weekends for your pleasure. Friday nights we reserve our stage for our musicians who play guitar and play anything from classic rock to folk. On Saturdays and Sundays we have jazz trios.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    We offer a wide variety of food ranging from Eastern European specialities to our chefs creations and anything your special occasion calls for. We can come to you or you can reserve one of our facilities which can accommodate up to 100 guests.
  • Private party facilities
    Our upstairs can be reserved as well as our backroom for a private business function or for any special occasion requiring more intimacy.
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