Smashing Grapes In Howard County Fuses Global Wines With Locally Sourced Cuisine

COLUMBIA, MD — Smashing Grapes opened last month in the Merriweather District offering wines from around the world that are paired with Mediterranean and other global cuisine that uses locally and sustainably sourced ingredients.

The new 7000-square-foot restaurant, located across from Merriweather Post Pavilion, has been updated with indoor and outdoor dining, event spaces and a monthly all-inclusive expert-selected wine dinner offering. The kitchen and wine bar features three private event rooms seating up to 12 people with two rooms that can be combined for a larger group and one with outdoor availability.

“After the Blackwall Barn & Lodge opened in the District last October, we saw how it quickly became a local favorite brunch and dinner spot,” said Titan Hospitality Group founder and CEO James King. “We wanted to curate Smashing Grapes’ new design to fit the lively area and expand the dining scene with an upscale kitchen and wine bar.”

The new location unveils Smashing Grapes menu items such as wine flights with 3-ounce pours of different wines to sip and savor, along with two charcuterie board choices. Other menu items include pasta, artisan pizzas and a healthy living menu. This week, the eatery introduced a la carte options.

There's also live entertainment, new menu items added often and new drink menus regularly rolled out.

Smashing Grapes is located at 6200 Valencia Lane, Suite C125, Columbia.

Smashing Grapes closed its Gambrills location in February. The wine bar was replaced with a farm-to-table restaurant in the same location. The new eatery, dubbed The Farmhouse, will open at an unknown date this summer at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre at 2383 Brandermill Blvd. Smashing Grapes also closed its Annapolis location last July. The owner replaced that venue with another rustic restaurant called The Lodge, which opened in November 2023.

Smashing Grapes in Columbia is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.