Pappas Restaurant Adding Wine Room, Lounge With $400K Renovation

One of Baltimore's most iconic seafood restaurants is getting a facelift. Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar in Cockeysville is undergoing a $400K renovation that will add a wine tasting room, a fireplace lounge, a new carryout entrance and upgrades to its sports bar. Restaurant staff hopes to debut the new look April 20, said Justin Windle, managing partner and son-in-law of founder Mark Pappas.

With seating for about 20, the fireplace lounge will offer a place for guests to unwind with a drink and order from the bar while they are waiting for a table or their carryout order. That wait can be as long as 45 minutes on a busy weekend night, Windle said.

A new carryout entrance will make it easier for guests to get their order without having to wade through the bar while new booths will offer another place to wait. The sports bar will get a new wall of TVs and low-top tables seating 20.

The installation of a rustic, 3K SF wine tasting room carrying 7,500 bottles of wine is the biggest piece of the renovation. With white oak tables and floor-to-ceiling cabinets, it was designed by Hough Woodworks to look like a big wine cellar. Windle said he imagines it will be the perfect spot for hosting wine dinners and happy hours.

The changes were designed with the goal of making the restaurant's service more efficient.

"The main goal is to handle the business we have in a manner that's more comfortable for our patrons," Windle said.

The Cockeysville restaurant opened September 2014, while the legendary original spot in Parkville debuted in 1972. There's also a location in Glen Burnie. The restaurant's most famous product is its crab cake, which has the Oprah Winfrey seal of approval.