OK, visiting Baltimore the Sunday/Monday between Christmas and New Year's, staying near Little Italy with the wife and two teenage sons. We like to walk all over, hit bookstores and the place or two to have some beer/sodas. I know Max's is out because of the boys but still having a hard time deciding where to have our two lunches and dinners as well as an appropriate place or two to drop in for beers. I've done some research and have come up with the following list, centered mostly around Fell's Point, Canton and Federal Hill: Jokers n' Thieves Alewife Heavy Seas Alehouse Birroteca Of Love and Regret Metropolitan Abbey Burger Pub Dog Nick’s Oyster Bar Ale Mary's Hudson Street Stackhouse - Mahaffey's Pub The Wharf Rat Don't Know Tavern Hersh's Pizza and Drinks My wife is not a big Belgian fan so Brewer's Art is not on the list. What's best for lunch/dinner/casual drinks or what am I missing? Thanks for any help.
I lived in Federal Hill for 5 years. If you go to Federal Hill for a day, I would hit Metropolitan and Abbey Burger. The beer at AB is generic but the burgers are great. You could also stop in Pub Dog for a 2fer (you have to buy 2 8-10 ounce mugs at a time of the same beer), but I think its really just a novelty place. Otherwise, i'd stick to Canton/Fells and go to Mahaffeys and Hudson Street. Both are casual places that will accommodate families. Alewife is awesome but is a little more "upscale" with dress-white shirt waiter staff.
Since you'll be near Little Italy Heavy Seas Alehouse is very close by and has excellent food. I've been there with my infant multiple times and it's never been a problem so teenagers would be fine.
I'm sure you know this but just be careful walking around Baltimore. It can be really sketchy and the tweens/teens there DGAF.
Always looking for great food with decent beer options. I'm not really worried about kid friendly unless it's kid inappropriate (like Max's). We'll been eating dinner before 6 to stay clear of any bar scenes. Also, rather not drive but will if it's totally worth it.
Gotcha. I'd do Mama's on the Half Shell in Canton for Sunday brunch/lunch, Of Love and Regret in Canton for Sunday dinner/beers (although your wife probably won't like the beer if she's not into farmhouses and saisons), Metropolitan in Fed Hill for Monday lunch/beers, and Alewife downtown for Monday dinner/beers.
Why is Max's "kid inappropriate"? We used to bring our kid in there all the time, until they declared we couldn't any more.
What? You're saying they don't allow kids, while simultaneously asking why it's inappropriate for kids?
You should definitely add Pratt St Alehouse for very good food and beer. It's family friendly and an easy walk from your location. Enjoy. Cheers!
I'm asking what about Max's makes it more kid-inappropriate than any other place that serves food and beer? I mean I avoided taking my kid there at Friday happy hour, but there wasn't anything particularly kid-unfriendly happening at noon on a Sunday.
Most nights, Max's is too busy to be checking IDs at the bar. Thus, it's far easier for them to just check at the door and let anyone inside order at the bar. Not worth the hassle/risk to let underage patrons in since it's certainly more of a beer bar that serves some food than a restaurant that serves some beer.
I second Metropolitan and Abbey Burger. Alewife has great beer but everytime I have been there the service has sucked. The menu is very small also and not a lot of choices for kids. Also I walk these areas all the time and never had an issue. You won't be able to walk from Canton/Fells to Federal Hill though. It's quite a haul.
You could hit Metropolitan, Pub Dog, Abbey Burger, and Hersh's within a few hours (all within a half mile of each other). You can't go wrong with any for the food, but Abbey Burger is the best burger in the city, and Hersh's might have the best pizza in the city. You might have to ditch the family for an hour a hit up Max's it's that good if you haven't been.
Came to suggest JD's Smokehouse and found out it's now Jokers n' Thieves. Looks like I'll be making a trip soon too.
