Must Eat Food in Baltimore, MD

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As soon as I moved to Baltimore, Maryland I started searching for the local dishes and restaurants to try out. Over the last few years living here I’ve managed to go on enough eating adventures to share what I think is the must eat food in Baltimore, MD (despite the coronavirus pandemic shutting everything down for a while).

Must Eat Food in Baltimore

Crab

The clear frontrunner in Baltimore’s food scene is the Maryland Blue Crab. If I tried to list off all the different ways crab is served in Baltimore I’d sound like Bubba talking about shrimp in the movie Forest Gump. Without droning on, I’ll try to hit on the highlights for you.

In its most pure form you have the steamed crab, which is probably the most iconic food in Baltimore. Generously spiced with a blend of seasonings unique to each establishment (Old Bay was born from these blends and is frequently used today) and often served at tables covered with paper for easy cleanup. Locals deftly pick all the tender meat out of the shell while visitors tend to slowly make a great big mess of it.

Next up are crab cakes which are usually available as a platter or on a sandwich. These are not the minced up crab mush with a thick fried crust you might be served in other parts of the country, but a glorious pile of lump crab meat with just enough batter and seasonings to hold it together. If picking apart a whole crab sounds a bit intimidating, this is the next best way to get some crab. You can also order crab balls aka mini crab cakes as an appetizer at many restaurants if you want try them out without making it a whole meal.

Crab dip is an appetizer found on most menus and you’ll see it offered as a topping for fries, tater tots, pretzels, burgers, and more. Crab is put on everything in this town. You name a food and chances are that someone in Baltimore has put crab on it at least once.

Maryland Crab Soup

Yet another iteration of crab, but this is one I’d never heard of before moving to Baltimore. While cream of crab soup and crab chowders are also popular throughout the region, this is a far more local tradition that has been passed down and evolved over the years. My first thought when I tried it was that it reminded me of minestrone with lump crab meat and seasoned with Old Bay. The rich flavor of the crab shines through with various vegetables (which may include potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, etc.) giving it solid substance.

I’ve already come to love this soup and have been hunting down the best one in the city. You’ll find some restaurants offering a half and half or split level option of cream of crab and Maryland crab soups combined which brings the best of both to the table. Some purists don’t condone the mixing of the two, and I usually find myself ordering Maryland crab since I love the spicy kick of the Old Bay seasoning.

Old Bay

To most people this is just a seasoning blend you might come across in the grocery store, but in Baltimore, Old Bay seasoning is practically a way of life. You’ll see it on the tables of many restaurants alongside the salt and pepper shakers, you’ll see the logo brandished on clothing and accessories in stores all over the city, and you’ll find it in half the dishes served in Baltimore.

From Old Bay chicken wings to Old Bay Bloody Mary cocktails, it’s everywhere. A local ice cream shop, The Charmery, even serves up an Old Bay Caramel ice cream which is surprisingly delicious for such an odd sounding combination! Shortly after moving to Baltimore I picked up my own Old Bay and immediately felt like I was officially a Baltimorean.

Pit Beef

There are many regional roast beef sandwiches in the United States (Chicago, IL has the Italian Beef, Philadelphia is known for their cheesesteaks, and of course my personal favorite is Buffalo, NY’s Beef on Weck which is included on my list of Must Eat Food in Buffalo, NY). Baltimore’s contribution to this list is the pit beef sandwich which typically consists of a kaiser roll piled with thinly sliced char-broiled roast beef. There’s many condiments available to customize the sandwich to your liking, but it’s usually enjoyed topped with slices of raw onion and tiger sauce (a mix of horseradish and mayonnaise).

While the sandwich is available in many bars and restaurants in the area, there are a couple spots that specialize in it. Pioneer Pit Beef just to the west of the city and Chap’s Pit Beef on the east side of Baltimore are two that often come to mind when looking for pit beef. If you have a car and are willing to make the drive, I’d recommend making the trip out to Pioneer Pit Beef, but Chap’s is a bit more convenient with a location right in Baltimore and a couple others in surrounding suburbs.

Berger Cookies

The story of the Berger Cookies begins with German immigrant Henry Berger opening a bakery in East Baltimore shortly after arriving in the USA in the 1830s. The original homemade cookie recipe and bakery business has been passed down through the generations to family and business partners. The soft cookies with a cake-like texture are hand-dipped to acquire a thick layer of chocolate fudge icing. Decadent and delicious, these cookies are beloved by Baltimoreans.

I’ve even spied Berger Cookie inspired items on menus throughout the city including ice cream flavors at local shops, the Baltimore Bomb pie at Dangerously Delicious Pies, and Abbey Burger Bistro’s Berger Cookie shake (available spiked or virgin). They’re available for purchase online and in many grocery stores across the region. Don’t miss out on this iconic Baltimore treat when visiting Charm City.

Snowballs

Not to be confused with a crushed ice snow cone or a Hawaiian shave ice, Baltimore’s snowballs are finely shaved ice packed into a cup with flavored syrups. Classic flavors include skylite (“blue”), egg custard (originally made with eggs, vanilla, and sugar, and the modern vanilla syrup reminds me of cream soda), and Tiger’s Blood (fruity combination of watermelon, coconut, and strawberry flavors). Many shops today will mix & match to create unique flavors for customers to enjoy. You can get your snowball topped with marshmallow sauce or soft serve vanilla ice cream to add creamy texture. 

While I didn’t much enjoy the chunky snow cones I got as a kid, the snowball is a whole different animal. I would never have thought I’d enjoy the marshmallow topping either, but it really adds to this summertime treat. In addition to the many dedicated snowball stands and ice cream shops, it’s also common to see informal roadside stands pop up all over the city during the steamy summer months.

One of my favorite spots to get my snowball fix in Baltimore is Quality Snowballs on The Avenue (W 36th St) in the Hampden neighborhood as they serve up both classic flavors and a lot of really creative ones including a Lemon Stick snowball (read on if you don’t know what a Lemon Stick is).

Lemon Stick

This sticky, refreshing treat is a long-standing tradition of Baltimore’s Flower Mart and consists of a lemon which is usually cut in half or just the top third cut off with a soft peppermint stick stuck into the middle. Using the peppermint stick as a straw of sorts, you suck up the lemon juice through it which will slowly melt the peppermint stick.

The result is a surprisingly refreshing, sweet treat. Albeit one that quickly gets messy as you squeeze more juice from the lemon to slurp up through the deteriorating peppermint. Despite the fact that I’ve never been a big fan of peppermint, I love the Lemon Sticks I’ve tried since my first summer living in Baltimore.

Crushes

First mixed up by Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City, Maryland back in 1995, the Orange Crush has become the unofficial drink of summer throughout Maryland. Fresh squeezed orange juice with orange vodka, triple sec, and lemon-lime soda usually served over ice in a pint glass.

Naturally as the cocktail concoction spread, various bartenders put their own spins on it. Some insist that the ice must be crushed ice while others use full cubes. Grapefruit has become nearly as standard a flavor option as the original orange, but there are also a wide array of variations including lemon, key lime, watermelon, and many more. As the weather warms up, so does the demand for these refreshing cocktails across the region.

Natty Boh (National Bohemian) Beer

This American Pilsener was first brewed by National Brewing Company in the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood of Baltimore in 1885. While the National Bohemian brand is no longer brewed in the city and is now owned by Pabst Brewing Company, 90% of Natty Boh sales are still in Baltimore and the surrounding area.

You’ll spy the beer’s one-eyed, mustachioed mascot, Mr. Boh, all over Baltimore. He’s most prominently featured atop the National Brewing Company Building (now re-developed into office and retail space) in the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood winking at you. You’ll find a plethora of local bars and restaurants in Baltimore offering up Natty Boh beer, and can even pick up a six pack to take home with you in the local liquor stores.

Honorable Mentions

There were a handful of foods that didn’t quite make the cut for my list of “must eat food in Baltimore”, but I felt they still deserved a shoutout. Consider these honorable mentions as a few bonus dishes to try in Baltimore if you get the opportunity.

Otterbein Cookies

Like with Berger cookies, Otterbein’s bakery was founded by a German immigrant, Adam Otterbein, in the 1880s and over the years has established itself as a Baltimore tradition. Normally I like my cookies to be thick and chewy, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the thin and crunchy cookies from Otterbein’s Cookies. The original Sugar and Ginger cookies recipes were brought over from the family’s bakery in Germany, but they’ve added additional flavors over the years. Some of our favorites are the Chocolate Chip and Lemon Sugar cookies.

These cookies are especially popular during the Christmas season, and Frederick, Maryland-based Flying Dog Brewery has even collaborated with the bakery in past years to create a holiday collection of different craft beers to pair with the different flavors of Otterbein’s Cookies. Look for the iconic red and white paper bags in grocery stores around the region to sample these goodies.

Oysters

Oysters are on the honorable mentions since they’re not something that’s particularly unique to Baltimore. However, they are extremely popular here and there’s a centuries long tradition of oystering in the Chesapeake Bay. Many restaurants around Baltimore offer oysters from both local fisheries as well as oysters harvested from around North America.

Raw bars and freshly shucked oysters are very common in Baltimore restaurants, and a few raw oysters on the half shell are a favorite appetizer of many. A number of bars will also offer oyster shooters for those a little more adventurous, and I’ll admit I haven’t quite worked up the gastrointestinal nerve try one. For those unfamiliar, an oyster shooter is an oyster in a shot of alcohol (usually vodka) with cocktail sauce, sometimes lemon juice, pepper, or other seasonings are added as well. For those who prefer their seafood cooked, there are also plenty of dishes where the oysters are baked, broiled or grilled.

Utz Potato Chips

Technically Utz chips come from across the northern border of the state in Pennsylvania, but are very popular snack food in Baltimore. There’s even urban legends of a relationship between the Utz chip girl and Mr. Boh, of Natty Boh beer fame, linking the brand to Baltimore.

Utz also has a “Crab” flavored chip, which I can attest to being pretty tasty. Don’t worry, there’s no shellfish included in the ingredient list, it’s just seasoned with spices echoing Old Bay flavors. Grab a bag of Utz chips while in the area to enjoy one of Charm City’s favorite snacks.

Eat More in Bmore

Baltimore has so much great food to offer, and I have definitely enjoyed getting familiar with it over the last few years! I hope that if you have the chance to visit Charm City that you get to try some of the delicious food in Baltimore I’ve shared here. Make sure to venture beyond the chain restaurants around the Inner Harbor to try some of the local specialties at local restaurants.

Have you had any of this tasty food in Baltimore?

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