Baltimore restaurant closed over rodent infestation after TikTok goes viral
BALTIMORE -- A downtown Baltimore restaurant was shut down Thursday by the city's health department not long after a food blogger recorded mice visiting the business.
Chloe Lynn, who runs a popular DMV-based food blog on TikTok as @Chloelynneats, paid a visit this week to Blackwall Hitch in the Inner Harbor but left hungry after she saw some of its patrons.
"'hey siri: call the health department'" it's giving infestation," Lynn captioned a video that has garnered over 10,000 likes and nearly 1,500 comments as of Friday.
@chloelynneats “hey siri: call the health department”it’s giving infestation. 😭🥴🤮 📍Blackwall Hitch in Baltimore, MD this restaurant is a huge NO for me. the fact that I saw that many mice at once?? I’m sooo disgusted. unfortunately, now I’ll never know how the food tastes. what would you do in this situation? #chloelynneats #blackwallhitch #mice #healthdepartament #baltimorerestaurants #baltimore
♬ down 4 u - Lvsh Styles
"So we went to Blackwall Hitch in Baltimore and within 10 minutes of sitting down, I saw like five, six mice," Lynn narrated, accompanied with a clip of a mouse under a seat. "Not the waiter asked if we wanna move tables. Move tables? I wanna leave and I am leaving."
While she loved the decor, Lynn advised people not to go there.
"This is not Ratatouille," an unidentified man said in the post. "Rats are not our friends."
Apparently, someone did call the health department.
The Baltimore City Health Department said in a tweet Thursday -- a day after Lynn's video was posted -- that Blackwall Hitch was closed for a rodent infestation. The department said the restaurant had to "correct all violations" and pass a reinspection before it could reopen.
Derek Fink, the owner of Blackwall Hitch, reacted to the incident by noting that it was isolated and that the restaurant has worked diligently with the city, building management, and multiple pest control experts to determine the root of the problem.
Blackwell Hitch has placed "comprehensive measures to ensure the safety and well-being" of its guests, he said.
"It appears the mice may have found their way in through door sweeps—which we have since replaced—after trash was left unattended for several days following a high foot traffic concert along the inner harbor," Fink said in a statement. "We have increased our regular pest control inspections to twice a week, from our routine weekly inspection—which was already well beyond industry standard. I sincerely apologize for any concern this may have caused our patrons and guests. After hearing from the City and other experts that we do exceed health and safety standards, we can guarantee Blackwall Hitch will continue to strengthen its longstanding reputation as a refined dining experience in Charm City's iconic Inner Harbor."
The restaurant, which says it offers upscale coastal dining, has locations in Annapolis and Alexandria that are owned by a separate hospitality group.
