You need a meal to match no matter the time of day or night when the cannabis hits just right. Check out the most comprehensive list of Baltimore’s best restaurants.
- What Foods Are Baltimore Famous For?
- The Best Baltimore Restaurants For Cannabis Consumers
- Top Italian Restaurants In Baltimore’s Little Italy
- The Top Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch Restaurants In Baltimore
- Top Late-Night Restaurants In Baltimore
Few cities defy expectations better than Baltimore. With a collection of charismatic neighborhoods that earn the metropolitan seaside its nickname of Charm City, Baltimore is unique and unmatched—especially when it’s time to find something to eat.
And there’s no “time to eat” that’s more desperate than when the munchies flare-up, and hunger hits harder than ever. When this happens, thank your lucky stars that Remedy is located in Columbia, MD, which boasts easy access to Baltimore’s culinary awakening.
What Foods Are Baltimore Famous For?
When it comes to food, Baltimore is America’s best-kept secret. This is not only Charm City; it’s also Food City, with new eateries and old favorites lining the well-traveled streets. But the best place to start is with Baltimore’s symbolic bites. Even if you’ve lived in or near the city your entire life, it’s good to take a moment to recognize the majesty of our cuisine.
Here are our favorite famous Baltimore foods and where to find the best.
Maryland Blue Crab
Any conversation about Baltimore food must begin with crab—specifically, Maryland blue crab. Look at the city on a map, and you’ll notice a coastline that’s fractured with waterways, inlets, and bays. This geological feature is a crab’s blue heaven. The Maryland blue crab can be prepared in various ways, but cracking and smashing a crustacean in its purest form is some of the most fun you can have at mealtime. Just make sure you have plenty of Old Bay seasoning on hand. And for the best steamed crabs in the city, check out L.P. Steamers overlooking the harbor.
Old Bay
Speaking of Old Bay, the famous red, yellow, and blue tins hold the classic seasoning that’s truly Maryland’s pride and joy. Born in Baltimore, it’s best on steamed crabs, but it also enhances mac and cheese, grilled chicken, popcorn, potato salad, and just about anything else. And this authentic taste of Baltimore even recently caused a stir in the hot sauce industry, with consumer demand causing the Old Bay site to crash.
Lump Crab Cakes
Yes, we’re still deep in the muddy waters of crab land. The crustacean is so highly regarded here that it’s related to the top three most famous Baltimore foods! Crab cakes are a soft and supple way to crack into crab flavor, with chunks of lump crab meat mixed with just a few strategic ingredients to form a cake. The result is one of the greatest appetizers of all time. There are plenty of crab cake spots in Baltimore, but you can find our favorite at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood near Inner Harbor.
Pit Beef
Baltimore’s answer to barbecue is pit beef—featuring top round roast grilled over charcoal and sliced to order into a thin pile that’s served on a Kaiser roll. Classically, it’s topped with a heady Tiger Sauce (horseradish) that stimulates the nasal passages while the beef satisfies your carnivore cravings. It’s an iconic sandwich that deserves a spot in the state’s crab-dominant food culture. The most famous version likely resides at Chaps Pit Beef (more on them later).
Popcorn
Popcorn? Yes, popcorn. But not just any popcorn. This isn’t Orville Redenbacher country. Instead, the land belongs to The Original Fisher’s Popcorn. Famous for its iconic stand in Ocean City, Fisher’s raises the popcorn bar with various flavors and mixings sold by the tub-full to loyal Fisher’s fanatics. Pop over to Fisher’s Popcorn online shop for a taste.
Snowballs
So simple, yet so sweetly delectable. Snowballs are a cool treat made with shaved ice that’s soaked in flavored syrup and served with a massive dollop of marshmallow fluff on top. This is a pure, unpretentious Baltimore mainstay that’s satisfied many a sweet tooth since first gaining popularity during the Great Depression. Check out Opie’s Softs Serve & Snowballs for some of the best in the city.
Berger Cookies
Berger Cookies are a cultural icon of Baltimore. A soft, vanilla shortbread cookie topped with a thick layer of chocolate fudge, these little gems debuted back in 1835 and never lost their sweet appeal. Grab a box of these decadent Baltimore legends at Berger’s Bakery at the Lexington Market.
Coddie
Here we have what can only be described as “the poor man’s crab cake.” A Coddie is a salt cod and potato cake that’s seasoned, deep-fried, and served alongside saltine crackers and a generous squirt of yellow mustard. This classic Maryland staple is about as old school as food gets. So grab these salty little bites at Faidley’s Seafood, Attman’s Deli, or Pappa’s Crab Cakes—just make sure you wash them down with a cold, crisp Natty Boh or National Bohemian Beer, the iconic alcoholic beverage of choice in Baltimore.
Magnificent Munchies: The Best Baltimore Restaurants For Cannabis Consumers
Baltimore’s vast collection of eateries is impressive. However, choosing one can be a tad overwhelming when you’re riding high on the cannabis bus. Nevertheless, here are all of the Baltimore restaurants we love.
The Food Market
When you need a relaxed vibe and a cure for the munchies, The Food Market hits the spot. How does a giant Amish pretzel with melted beer cheese sound? Yeah, we thought so. That and many other hearty items make The Food Market our go-to grub spot.
Captain James Seafood Palace
It’s a restaurant that’s shaped like a ship. Let me say that again: it’s a restaurant that’s shaped like a ship. If that’s not enough of a reason to sit down for a stoned meal at Captain James, then the food sure is. Here, you can make your hunger walk the plank with all-you-can-eat crab and some of the best seafood in Baltimore.
Alma Cocina Latina
Presented with a Venezuelan flair, Alma lights up your senses with street-food sensibilities melded with a cocktail bar and Latin-inspired food fusion. Our hot tip: Don’t leave without trying their arepas.
Azumi
If you like eating succulent sushi in a refined setting, then belly up to the bar at Azumi. While it’s probably one of the priciest meals in the city, it’s worth the extra bucks to sample raw fish that’s delivered twice a week straight from Tokyo.
Clavel
Clavel is a bright and bustling taqueria serving meats and seafood folded into handmade flour and corn tortillas. Plenty of margaritas and mezcal round out the experience, leaving you in a genuinely mellow and well-fed headspace.
Ekiben
Steamed bun sandwiches served piping hot are the specialty at Ekiben, an Asian fusion eatery. Vegetarians can have a lot of fun here, with Ekiben’s veggies and bean curds taking on dynamic, international flavors.
Chaps Pit Beef
Indeed a sight and aroma to behold, Chaps Pit Beef is straight-up legendary in Baltimore. This is a place that requires multiple visits to experience all that Baltimore barbecue has to offer.
Hersh’s
Sometimes you just want to sit in a cozy, comfy eatery and have someone bring you the best Baltimore pizza. That’s where Hersh’s comes in, setting you up with Neapolitan, wood-burned pizza, homemade pasta, and creative salads and antipasti.
Rusty Scupper Restaurant & Bar
When it comes to the best Baltimore Inner Harbor restaurants, Rusty Scupper just might boast the most unbeatable crab cakes in the entire state.
Whitehall Market
This is many eateries in one, as Whitehall Market is a mixed-use market and event space with retail, cafes, bars, and restaurants. You can spend an entire day shopping and eating at Whitehall, with charcuterie board meat exploration at Firefly Farms Market, a full Filipino experience at Heritage by Chef Ray Eugeino, and top-notch burgers at The Urban Burger Bar. And let’s not forget another inhabitant of White Market, True Chesapeake Oyster Co. Don’t leave without sampling the roasted oysters, the crab dip mac and cheese, and the truly unique rockfish.
When We Want To Mangia: Top Italian Restaurants In Baltimore’s Little Italy
Little Italy in Downtown Baltimore is a warm and inviting neighborhood where many residents are of Italian descent. And wouldn’t you know it, many of the restaurants in this community cater specifically to people of all backgrounds who crave the homestyle cuisine of Italy.
Aldo’s Ristorante
The most celebrated Italian restaurant in Baltimore—and Zagat’s highest-scoring Italian eatery in the state of Maryland—Aldo’s Ristorante creates delicately balanced, Southern-influenced regional Italian cuisine.
La Tavola
Elegant and comforting? Yes, please. La Tavola cozies up to the heart of Baltimore’s Little Italy, greeting eaters as a family with contemporary Italian cuisine prepared by a chef who grew up loving food.
Sabatino’s
Since 1955, Sabatino’s has been all about fine dining in a casual atmosphere, serving Baltimore locals and tourists delicious traditional Italian fare. This is classic Italian food with all of the belly-filling favorites well represented on the menu.
Germano’s Piattini
When you want a little cabaret to go with your cabernet, Germano’s Piattini is the place to go. The energetic and engaging cabaret performances add a welcomed twist to the platefuls of pasta.
Amicci’s
Dubbed “a very casual eatery,” Amicci’s delivers with easygoing excellence, offering stellar food and reasonable prices. There’s plenty of fresh seafood and pasta dishes, along with one of the best happy hours in the neighborhood.
The Top Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch Restaurants In Baltimore
Some people like a little wake and bake to start the day—no judgments here! When the morning munchies hit, we head straight to one of these spots for early (or late) morning eats. Or wait until the mid-day malaise hits and stop by any of these eateries for lunch.
Blue Moon Café
Does anyone else have a craving for Captain Crunch French Toast? Well, Blue Moon Café has you covered with what has become their most famous dish. Other treats to greet you in the morning include an eclectic mix of munchies, like the egg dishes, heavenly omelets, pancakes, and a collection of Benedict’s (yes, including a Maryland Crab Benedict).
Iron Rooster
Breakfast is served all day at the Iron Rooster, so feel free to sleep in. With four locations scattered around the Baltimore area, Iron Rooster puts a strut in your step with Breakfast Nachos, griddled buttermilk pancakes, chicken and waffles, and so much more.
Johnny’s
Your brunch crawl starts at Johnny’s promptly at 11 a.m. on weekdays, when the café opens with a serious coffee program and light breakfast.
Miss Shirley’s Café
Miss Shirley’s Café doles out pancakes by the stack and French Toast of the Month, with one location in the city and another in Annapolis. Also, make room for chicken’ n Cheddar Green Onion Waffles or the eggs benedict with crab cake and fried green tomatoes.
Spoons
Breakfast stays on the menu the entire day at Spoons, where over-the-top comfort foods are the name of the game. So get comfortable with The Beast, a buttermilk biscuit sandwich with fried chicken, fried eggs, smoked bacon, sausage gravy, and cheese.
Dooby’s
Pork buns, rice bowls, ramen, and more dot the menu at Dooby’s, a Korean-inspired cafe, which has been named a Baltimore Magazine Best Lunch award winner.
Mama’s On The Half Shell
A 10-minute drive from the Inner Harbor, Mama’s on the Half Shell offers classic Baltimore dishes such as their highly-praised fried crab cakes with mustard and their raw bar of oysters and clams.
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant
A popular Baltimore Inner Harbor restaurant at Pier 5, McCormick & Schmick’s updates its menu constantly to include the freshest seafood possible. Make sure you sample the Maryland crab soup.
Faidley’s Seafood
Located minutes from the Inner Harbor in Lexington Market, Faidley’s Seafood is a crab cake landmark. So saunter up to a stand-up table and enjoy those luscious crab cakes, as well as raw oysters, shrimp, and clams.
Nacho Mama’s
A fun place to grab a quick bite of Mexican food for lunch, Nacho Mama’s is a relaxed eatery with burritos, fajitas, and plenty of nachos. Just be prepared to brave the long line at lunchtime.
Top Late-Night Restaurants In Baltimore
If you’re a night owl, don’t worry, these late-night Baltimore restaurants are, too. The munchies can hit at literally any time—thankfully, these eateries keep burning the midnight oil.
Stuggy’s
After their Crab Mac n’ Cheese Dog went viral during their inaugural year, Stuggy’s became an instant local favorite—especially for the late-night crowd who need their fix of dogs and fries.
Never on Sunday
Open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, Never on Sunday is the late-night eater’s predawn oasis. Choose from a dizzying array of decadent dishes, from Greek and Italian to classic diner fare.
Towson Diner
A family-owned Towson staple, Towson Diner brings everything from late-night pancakes and omelets to chicken parmigiana subs and fried onion rings.
Jong Kak
A Korean restaurant that heats up after hours, Jong Kak, warms the midnight hour with shimmering bowls of bibimbap and platters of fried dumplings, which just might be the world’s greatest international munchie.
Maria D’s Sub Shop
Super-sized sandwiches hit extra nice after hours. Maria D’s Sub Shop meets the demands of any late-night appetite with a meat lover’s stromboli and Maria D’s cheesesteak—two of the best items on the mammoth menu.
