South Baltimore/Locust Point
1157 Bar and Kitchen1157 Haubert St., (443) 449-5525, 1157barandkitchen.com $$$, D This project from Salt’s chef Jason Ambrose is a small space—there are only 30 or so seats—with a small menu to match. Mostly consisting of small plates, the menu draws inspiration from all over the map, with items such as Korean fried chicken wings and pickled vegetables or crispy octopus. Bar Liquorice801 E. Fort Ave., (443) 708-1675, barliquoricebmore.com $$, D Bar Liquorice resurrects a presumably forever-doomed Fort Avenue spot with a broad cocktail menu, highbrow casual fare, and, as you might guess from its name, glasses of delicious liquorice all around. Barracudas Locust Point Tavern1230 E. Fort Ave., (410) 685-2832, barracudalpt.com $$, L, D You can find Old Bay fries all over town, but seldom do you see a coddie anymore. Barracudas serves ’em up, along with the standard crab cake. Try the shrimp salad sandwich laden with Old Bay mayo. Bluegrass Tavern1500 S. Hanover St., (410) 244-5101, bluegrasstavern.com $$$, L, D, BR, R Southern-influenced, seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine that reflects the thoughtfulness of its chef: baked creole crawfish mac and cheese, blackened catfish jambalaya, smoked fried chicken. Try the suggested beer and wine pairings to enhance the experience. Breakfast offered on the weekend. Breaking Bread771 Washington Blvd, (443) 708-1903, breakingbreadllc.com $$, L, D This BYOB restaurant and catering service opened in 2015 and specializes in wings, burgers, and whatever chef and co-owner Kimberly Ellis feels like cooking. Her “famous” stickywings are worthy of their fame: juicy meat beneath extra-crispy skin drenched in addictive honey sauce. |
Key
- $: Average entree price is at or below $10.
- $$: Average entree price is $10-$20.
- $$$: Average entree price is $20+.
- B: Breakfast.
- L: Lunch.
- D: Dinner.
- BR: Brunch on weekends.
- BYOB: The restaurant allows you to bring your own booze.
- P: On-site parking, i.e. a dedicated lot or garage.
- OUT: Outdoor dining in season. It could be anything from a few tables on the sidewalk to a dedicated deck.
- 10 p.m.: Serves food after 10 p.m. on a regular basis. Many restaurants serve until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, but spots that get this designation go beyond that.
- R: Reservations are suggested, particularly for weekend dining.
- DV: Delivery for a limited area, including restaurants that deliver through a web-based service such as OrderUp or Amazon Prime Now.
City Limits Sports Bar1700 E. Fort Ave., (410) 244-8084, citylimitssportsbar.com $$, L, D A maximalist sports bar over in Locust Point, City Limits Sports Bar goes big with its burgers, which include the Goodfella (8 oz. hamburger with marinara sauce, banana peppers, pepperoni, and mozzarella sticks) and the Fatty Addie (1/2 pound bacon cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise stuffed between two grilled cheese sandwiches). Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen + Bar1525 Russell St., (443) 931-4387, caesars.com/horseshoe-baltimore $$, L, D, P Burgers, chicken wings, nachos, ribs—it’s the sort of grub you’d expect from the spiky-haired host of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Hersh’s1843-45 Light St., (443) 438-4948, hershs.com $$, D, P, R Sure, the pasta and the wood-fired octopus are worth sampling, but if you’re making critical decisions, go for the pizza. Don’t be afraid of the kale-and-pistachio pizza from the wood-fired oven. Hull Street Blues Café1222 Hull St., (410) 727-7476, hullstreetblues.com $$, L, D, BR, R A charming windowed entrance welcomes guests into this historic saloon-turned-cafe. Mostly standard cafe fare (field greens, grilled/blackened protein on ciabatta) with a few different influences (Mediterranean, Mexican, Asian). In Like Flynn Tavern1371 Andre St., (667) 303-3681, inlikeflynntavern.com $$$, L, D, BR A new kind of Irish bar. In Like Flynn Tavern offers up creative drinks, local favorites, Irish foods, and a taste of Caribbean dining, with nearly everything made in house. |
Key
- $: Average entree price is at or below $10.
- $$: Average entree price is $10-$20.
- $$$: Average entree price is $20+.
- B: Breakfast.
- L: Lunch.
- D: Dinner.
- BR: Brunch on weekends.
- BYOB: The restaurant allows you to bring your own booze.
- P: On-site parking, i.e. a dedicated lot or garage.
- OUT: Outdoor dining in season. It could be anything from a few tables on the sidewalk to a dedicated deck.
- 10 p.m.: Serves food after 10 p.m. on a regular basis. Many restaurants serve until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, but spots that get this designation go beyond that.
- R: Reservations are suggested, particularly for weekend dining.
- DV: Delivery for a limited area, including restaurants that deliver through a web-based service such as OrderUp or Amazon Prime Now.
Jack Binion’s Steak1525 Russell St., (443) 931-4386, caesars.com/horseshoe-baltimore $$$, D, P Are you winning big on slots at Horseshoe Casino? Reward yourself with Jack Binion’s steaks from Midwestern corn-fed cows, or go for its seafood trolley with king crab, snow crab, oysters, gulf shrimp, and lobster. Johnny Sánchez1525 Russell St., (443) 931-4575, caesars.com/horseshoe-baltimore $$, D, P, R A collaboration between celebrity chefs John Besh and Aarón Sánchez, this Mexican place in Horseshoe Casino offers well-crafted tacos and an extensive tequila and mezcal menu. Little Havana1325 Key Highway, (410) 837-9903, littlehavanas.com $$, L, D, BR, R A great spot to mingle with the just-off-work crowd at happy hour, especially in the summertime. Cuban menu items pepper the Tex-Mex-type menu. Liv2Eat1444 Light St., (443) 449-7129, liv2eat.com $$$, D, BR, R A tiny, living-room-like space, Liv2Eat recasts the mom-and-pop-run restaurant: Though a couple runs it, the menu and feel resemble a D.C. bar—classy and hip, not to mention top-notch. L.P. Steamers1100 E. Fort Ave., (410) 576-9294, locustpointsteamers.com $$, L, D L.P. Steamers does seafood right: fresh, cooked perfectly, and served quickly without any frills. Cheap cold beers bob up and down in an ice-water bath built right into the raw bar. |
Key
- $: Average entree price is at or below $10.
- $$: Average entree price is $10-$20.
- $$$: Average entree price is $20+.
- B: Breakfast.
- L: Lunch.
- D: Dinner.
- BR: Brunch on weekends.
- BYOB: The restaurant allows you to bring your own booze.
- P: On-site parking, i.e. a dedicated lot or garage.
- OUT: Outdoor dining in season. It could be anything from a few tables on the sidewalk to a dedicated deck.
- 10 p.m.: Serves food after 10 p.m. on a regular basis. Many restaurants serve until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, but spots that get this designation go beyond that.
- R: Reservations are suggested, particularly for weekend dining.
- DV: Delivery for a limited area, including restaurants that deliver through a web-based service such as OrderUp or Amazon Prime Now.
Mi Ranchito1116 Hollins St., (410) 528-9345, facebook.com/miranchitomd $$, L, D Mi Ranchito calls itself a Tex-Mex place, but it really ought to be called Latin-American, since it eschews expected Tex-Mex (aside from the tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas) for a wide variety of Peruvian saltados and Salvadoran pupusas. Nick’s Fish House2600 Insulator Drive, (410) 347-4123, nicksfishhouse.com $$$, L, D, P Smack-dab on the water, Nick’s menu does bar seafood well with its crab pretzel or shucked fried oyster dinner, and you really can’t beat the outdoor deck in nice weather. Our House1121 Hull St., (410) 727-6797, ourhousebaltimore.com $$, L, D, BR More cafe than old-fashioned pizza spot, Our House is a forward-thinking “pizza and beer joint” with exciting specialty pizzas like red spinach and feta, and peppadew and goat cheese, and attentive takes on classic pizza and subs. Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi1525 Russell St., (443) 931-4580, caesars.com/horseshoe-baltimore $$, L, D, P Craving dim sum in the middle of the night? Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi in Horseshoe Casino can satisfy that—it’s open until 4 a.m. during the week (6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday) and serves up Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese-inspired dishes, as well as sushi. Shorty’s Bootleg BBQ$$, L, D3400 S. Hanover St., (443) 831-1188 Activist, homeless advocate, artist, and all-around Baltimore rabble-rouser Duane “Shorty” Davis’ non-mobile location for just-right pit beef, ribs, and beer can chicken among others, affixed with the brilliant slogan, “so good it’s illegal.” A continuation of Shorty’s Pit Beef & Ribs, which some may recall went strong in Baltimore from the late ‘90s and mid-2000s. |
Key
- $: Average entree price is at or below $10.
- $$: Average entree price is $10-$20.
- $$$: Average entree price is $20+.
- B: Breakfast.
- L: Lunch.
- D: Dinner.
- BR: Brunch on weekends.
- BYOB: The restaurant allows you to bring your own booze.
- P: On-site parking, i.e. a dedicated lot or garage.
- OUT: Outdoor dining in season. It could be anything from a few tables on the sidewalk to a dedicated deck.
- 10 p.m.: Serves food after 10 p.m. on a regular basis. Many restaurants serve until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, but spots that get this designation go beyond that.
- R: Reservations are suggested, particularly for weekend dining.
- DV: Delivery for a limited area, including restaurants that deliver through a web-based service such as OrderUp or Amazon Prime Now.
Southside Diner893 E. Fort Ave., (410) 727-7067, eatatsouthsidediner.com $, B, L, D, P This friendly spot can be counted on for filling, excellent, and fast breakfast and lunch classics. Reward your stomach with some reasonably priced hot cakes or sausage gravy with biscuits. Wiley Gunter’s823 E. Fort Ave., (410) 637-3699, wileygunters.com $$, D, BR, 10 p.m. Wiley Gunter’s updates the sports bar with engaging variations on standard bar food (its wraps, like the ahi tuna wrap and Thai steak wrap, are highlights) and an epic weekend brunch menu. Wine Market Bistro921 E. Fort Ave., (410) 244-6166, winemarketbistro.com $$$, L, D, BR, P, R One of SoBo’s ritzier choices. Start with the tuna crudo, then move onto the sweet potato stew. World of Beer1724 Whetstone Way, (410) 752-2337, worldofbeer.com/locations/baltimore $$, L, D, P A chain for beer lovers known for having 500-plus beers, with around 50 on tap daily, and hearty, well-executed beer food (start with the pretzel and beer cheese). The website also updates which beers are on tap daily, so you can start planning your specialty boozing before you even get in the door. |
Breaking Bread
E. Brady Robinson/For City Paper