Baltimore liquor board grants extensions, OKs Harbor Point restaurant license and fines multiple establishments

The Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City met Feb. 26, 2026, and approved several license extensions and fines across a range of cases heard in public session.

In motions the board approved three 180-day hardship extensions to allow license transfers or searches for new operators: for Firefly Farms Market (3300 Clipper Mill Road; request granted following attorney Margaret Giordano’s explanation of the death of the individual licensee), for Medium Rare Baltimore LLC, and for No Land Beyond LLC. The chair announced each extension after reviewing written requests and on-the-record testimony; commissioners concurred in each vote.

The board also approved a new Class B restaurant license application for a 150-seat, seafood-forward restaurant from applicant Zachary Miller at Harbor Point, presented by attorney Steven W. Fogleman and chef Matthew Eddings. Fogleman told commissioners the project exceeds the statutory capital-investment and food-sales thresholds and has a $1,415,000 construction and capital budget. The board voted to grant a restaurant license with live entertainment, outdoor table service and off-premises catering based on the application materials and proffers.

A series of violation hearings produced monetary penalties and compliance directions. The board found multiple offenses and issued fines in the following contested or admitted matters:

- The Spot (1171–1173 W. Hamburg St.): Manager Andre Morkat admitted to after‑hours operation (Nov. 9, 2025), allowing patrons to leave with open containers, and failing to produce employee records. Inspectors testified they observed patrons pouring a 750‑ml vodka bottle into plastic cups; the board found violations and assessed fines totaling $2,500 with 30 days to pay.

- Dream at Legacy / Legacy Bar & Bistro (10 S. Calvert St.): Inspectors and a Social Club Task Force found unsanitary basement restrooms, a nonoperational kitchen, and noncooperation during a Dec. 5, 2025 inspection. License representatives described equipment theft and about $40,000 in repairs; the board imposed $600 fines on each cited rule (food-operation requirements, cooperation, alcohol-awareness certification and restroom/health regulations), 30 days to pay.

- El Bar (737 Carroll St.): Agents reported Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, 2025 incidents including smoking inside, loud music, and after‑hours activity; undercover entries documented patrons drinking and denial of employee records requests. The board found multiple violations and assessed fines consistent with the violation report.

- Mirage / Ultra Lounge (401 W. Baltimore St.): Inspectors observed hookah or cigarette smoking indoors during a Nov. 7, 2025 contact and served summonses. Board members discussed applicability of amendments to the Clean Indoor Air Act covering electronic smoking devices and imposed a sanitation fine of $350 based on the record.

- Sweet Carolina Liquors (309 S. Broadway): Agents documented sales of single beers and miniature liquor bottles on Nov. 19 and Dec. 10, 2025 and off‑premises storage at a nearby address. Mark Hoffman, representing the Upper Fells Point Improvement Association, urged the board to impose more meaningful penalties, calling the conduct “deliberate” and a threat to neighborhood safety. License counsel disputed the MOU’s enforceability and raised concerns about language barriers. The board found multiple violations and imposed fines (including $1,000 and $500 counts) with 30 days to pay.

- Truth Lounge (24507 Bel Air Rd.): After an Oct. 18, 2025 after‑hours investigation that agents said found more than 50 patrons on premises, the board treated the hearing as contested. Licensee Tyesha Smith described a private upstairs birthday party and accepted responsibility for staff oversight; the board found a violation of Maryland Alcoholic Beverages & Cannabis Code §12‑2007(a) and imposed the mandatory $1,000 fine with 30 days to pay.

Across cases the board repeatedly urged licensees to use the training, compliance resources and community liaisons provided by the Liquor Board and partner agencies so problems do not recur. The board recessed until March 12, 2026.

Representative quotes from the hearing include Mark Hoffman of the Upper Fells Point Improvement Association: "These are not isolated incidences. Together with what we see in November and December investigations, they form a clear pattern." On approvals, an unidentified board chair stated when granting hardship extensions, "I grant the 180 day hardship extension," noting the board relied on written requests and testimony.

Next procedural step: fines and orders carry 30 days for payment or appeal rights noted in board rules; several licensees said they will seek to remedy violations by hiring new management, completing repairs or pursuing required certifications.