Food · Baltimore · United States
What to eat in Baltimore
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Baltimore, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Matthew Binebrink, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Steamed blue crabs, Crab cakes and Maryland crab soup and cream of crab. Order a dozen steamed crabs with corn on the cob and cold beer at a crab house, and ask staff to show you how to pick them; it takes time, which is the point. Steamed crabs are priced by size and the day's catch; ask where they are from, as some come from outside the Chesapeake out of season.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Steamed blue crabs
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at…
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Steamed blue crabs
Chesapeake blue crabs are steamed whole with a heavy coat of Old Bay or similar spice, tipped onto paper-covered tables and picked by hand with a wooden mallet and knife. Crabs are sold by the dozen and priced by size.
Where: Crab houses across the city and suburbs; the best season runs roughly from late spring to autumn, when local crabs are plentiful.
Dish
2.Crab cakes
Baltimore crab cakes are mostly jumbo lump crabmeat with as little filler as possible, broiled or fried and served with crackers or on a sandwich.
Where: Faidley's Seafood at Lexington Market is the classic; seafood restaurants in Fells Point and Federal Hill also serve them.
Dish
3.Maryland crab soup and cream of crab
Two soups, often ordered as a half-and-half 'mix': Maryland crab soup is a spicy tomato and vegetable broth with crab, and cream of crab is a rich, sherry-laced bisque.
Where: Most seafood restaurants and crab houses; ask for a 'half and half' to try both.
Street food
4.Pit beef
Top round roasted over charcoal until crusty outside and rare inside, sliced thin and piled on a roll with raw onion and 'tiger sauce', a horseradish and mayonnaise sauce.
Where: Roadside stands along Pulaski Highway east of the city, and at Camden Yards on game days.
Dessert · Vegetarian
5.Berger cookies
Soft vanilla cake-like cookies topped with a very thick layer of chocolate fudge icing, made in Baltimore to a recipe dating back to the 19th century.
Where: Lexington Market, local supermarkets and convenience stores across the city.
Street food
6.Lake trout
Despite the name, Baltimore's lake trout is usually fried whiting, served on white bread with hot sauce. It is a West Baltimore carry-out classic.
Where: Carry-out shops in West and East Baltimore; ask for it with hot sauce and onions.
Snack
7.Coddies
Small fried cakes of salt cod and potato, traditionally eaten between two saltine crackers with yellow mustard. Once sold everywhere, they are now a nostalgic speciality.
Where: Old-school delis and taverns, and occasional specials at Lexington Market.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Snowballs
Finely shaved ice soaked in syrup, a Baltimore summer tradition; egg custard is the classic local flavour, often topped with marshmallow cream.
Where: Seasonal snowball stands in neighbourhoods across the city from late spring to early autumn.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Smith Island cake
Maryland's official state dessert, a cake of eight or more thin yellow layers separated by chocolate fudge icing, originally from a small island in the Chesapeake Bay.
Where: Bakeries and seafood restaurants around the city; sold by the slice or whole.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Natty Boh and local beer
National Bohemian, with its one-eyed, moustachioed mascot Mr. Boh, is Baltimore's nostalgic cheap lager, while local craft breweries such as those in Locust Point and Hampden serve modern beers.
Where: Dive bars and crab houses across the city; craft taprooms in Locust Point, Canton and Hampden.
Food experiences
Crab feast
Order a dozen steamed crabs with corn on the cob and cold beer at a crab house, and ask staff to show you how to pick them; it takes time, which is the point.
Lexington Market lunch
Browse the stalls of the city's oldest market, then sit down with a crab cake, a sandwich from another vendor and a Berger cookie.
Little Italy dinner
The small grid of streets between Harbor East and Jonestown has family-run Italian restaurants, pastry shops and summer open-air film nights.
Quick bites and street food
- Pit beef — Roadside stands along Pulaski Highway east of the city, and at Camden Yards on game days.
- Lake trout — Carry-out shops in West and East Baltimore; ask for it with hot sauce and onions.
- Coddies — Old-school delis and taverns, and occasional specials at Lexington Market.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Berger cookies, Snowballs, Smith Island cake and Natty Boh and local beer. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Steamed crabs are priced by size and the day's catch; ask where they are from, as some come from outside the Chesapeake out of season.
- Book crab houses ahead on summer weekends, and expect to get messy: paper tables and mallets are standard.
- Old Bay seasoning appears on everything from fries to popcorn; ask for it on the side if you want to try a little.
- Many neighbourhood favourites close on Mondays or between lunch and dinner; check before going.
Tipping
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, and 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hon | Friendly term of address, like 'dear' |
| Down the ocean | Going to the beach at Ocean City |
| Bawlmer | Baltimore, in the local accent |
| Natty Boh | National Bohemian beer |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Baltimore famous for?
Steamed blue crabs, Crab cakes, Maryland crab soup and cream of crab and Pit beef. Chesapeake blue crabs are steamed whole with a heavy coat of Old Bay or similar spice, tipped onto paper-covered tables and picked by hand with a wooden mallet and knife.
+Is Baltimore good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Berger cookies, Snowballs and Smith Island cake.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Baltimore?
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, and 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.