The team behind La Cuchara in Woodberry is opening a second restaurant inside the vacant Five and Dime Ale House property in Hampden.
J. C. Porter Construction LLC, the firm behind the 2023 expansion of The Prime Rib in Mount Vernon, announced on social media that it is renovating the 100-year-old building at 901 W. 36th St. and that the owners of La Cuchara will operate it as a restaurant. SM+P Architects is the designer.
“We’re excited to announce a new project transforming the historic Five and Dime Ale House property on The Avenue in Hampden into a new dining space, the highly anticipated second restaurant from the team behind @lacucharabaltimore,” Porter’s announcement said.
“Built in 1925, this 11,000+ square foot landmark will undergo a complete renovation, preserving its unique character while creating a vibrant new multi-level dining experience,” the announcement continued. “A decade ago, we worked with @smparchitects to build the acclaimed La Cuchara in Woodberry’s historic Meadow Mill and we’re excited to work with them again!”
The Five and Dime Ale House opened in October of 2016 and closed abruptly in March of 2023. It was owned by a restaurant group that runs other area pubs and restaurants, including Oliver Brewing Co. and Pratt Street Ale House. Owner Donald Kelly told WMAR-2 News that it couldn’t bounce back from being closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Located at 3600 Clipper Mill Road since 2015, La Cuchara (@lacucharabaltimore) is owned and operated by Ben, Jake and Amy Lefenfeld. It’s part of Meadow Mill, the former home of the London Fog raincoat factory.
La Cuchara’s menu is inspired by the food and culture of the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. It has consistently been rated as one of Baltimore’s top restaurants in The Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Magazine, and it has been rated as one of the top restaurants in the country by OpenTable, Food & Wine and Wine Enthusiast.
Maryland land records state that the corner building at 901 W. 36th St. is owned by Mollusk LLC and zoned for commercial use. It last changed hands in June of 2024, and the sale price was $2 million. 901 W. 36th Street LLC was the seller.
According to a building permit issued by the city’s housing department and posted on the property, the scope of work at 901 W. 36th St. includes “new flooring, finishes, improvements to dining areas, bar and restrooms, new seating and lighting, a reconfigured front stair” and minor partition work. Changes to the building’s exterior include repainting, door replacement and some window repairs.
Besides La Cuchara, SM+P Architects has designed numerous restaurant, retail and hospitality projects in Baltimore and Washington, D. C., including The Food Market; Tark’s Grill and Bar; Alma Cocina Latina; Tilted Row; Café Fili D. C., and the Walrus Oyster + Alehouse at National Harbor. It collaborated with Porter on City House Charles and the 2018 renovation of the Hotel Revival, including Topside bar and lounge, and with Porter and Delbert Adams on the Maryland Club’s Charles Street Grill.
Before it housed the Five and Dime Ale House, the building at 901 W. 36th was the Hampden branch of the G. C. Murphy Co., a chain of discount variety stores, also known as ‘five and dime’ stores. Murphy’s name is spelled out in mosaic tiles at the building’s entrance.
I looked through the front door yesterday. The interior has been completely destroyed. The Ale House people painted all the nice oak floors and stairs black! Now floors and stairs have all been torn out. “Preserving its unique character”? Another “cute” spot coming.
Good riddance, Five and Dime was a joke. Poorly run from the beginning. It’s a miracle it lasted that long.