Charm City Tips:

Baltimore gets a relatively bad rap—if you’re planning a trip here plan to hear the phrase “be safe!” at least 100 times. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point, but I always travel very aware and make smart decisions, so just be conscious of your surroundings.
As a heads up most of the breweries in Baltimore don’t open until pretty late in the afternoon, unlike other cities where some open as early as 11am or 12pm.
Check out my guide to neighboring Washington DC here and my guide to the nearby Delmarva Peninsula here.

Sapwood Cellars: A stellar brewery in Columbia, a suburb just southwest of Baltimore about 20 minutes from downtown. They are located in an industrial park but have a nice taproom and new patio. They have a great variety of beers and everything they make is extremely good. Highly recommend!
The Local Oyster: A fantastic restaurant with two locations—Locust Point and Mount Vernon. The oysters and beverages are superb and the folks are incredibly nice. Highly recommend.
Crooked Crab Brewing Company: A great brewery just south of downtown in the suburb of Odenton. They are located in an industrial park and have only indoor seating along with a pizza menu. IPAs are what they do the most and what they do best.
Pariah Brewing Company: My favorite brewery in Baltimore proper—the beers here are great and the team is incredibly nice. Overall great vibes. They also have a nice patio space and frequent food trucks.
Sam’s Bagels: Tasty bagels and nice folks—in the heart of the Federal Hill neighborhood.
Wet City Brewing: A great brewery located downtown. Their Sours and IPAs are delicious, they have a food menu, and they have great vibes.
Checkerspot Brewing Company: A nice brewery near the stadiums. They have a small food menu and patio space. IPAs are what they do best here!
Peabody Heights Brewery: A solid brewery with a large taproom and patio. They have a full room dedicated to arcade games here.

Federal Hill Park: A lovely park with great views of the skyline and harbor.
Walk the Harbor for water views, there is a park along the water.
Cross Street Market: A nice food hall with a variety of vendors. Located in the Federal Hill neighborhood.
- Ceremony Coffee Roasters is inside here with coffee, tea and a small breakfast menu.
Wander the Federal Hill neighborhood—this area is full of bars, restaurants, shops, coffee and more.

Pure Raw Juice: They have several locations in the Baltimore area for juice, acai and smoothies. Delicious but expensive.
Diamondback Brewing: An urban brewery with indoor and outdoor seating and average beers. The beer selection is limited and the pizza is not great.
Morning Mugs: An average coffee shop, but they are super dog friendly!
Skip Nepenthe Brewing Company: I had a truly horrible experience here and they reached out to apologize but I can’t imagine ever supporting such a business.

Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery: This is a stellar brewery in Waterford, VA set on a farm. They have a small and delicious food menu, insanely fantastic vibes, and great beers. Highly recommend!
Idiom Brewing: A solid brewery in Frederick, MD with a large taproom and a back patio. They have a nice team and are dog-friendly inside and out. They also have frequent food trucks and live music.
Adroit Theory: This brewery is in Purcellville, Virginia, but if you happen to be anywhere nearby it’s a great stop! Their beers are absolutely delicious, particularly their IPAs and Sours. They have indoor and outdoor seating and slushies in the summer.
Bear Chase Brewing Company: Located in Bluemont, Virginia, 15 minutes from Adroit Theory. They have fantastic views and average beers. This is a casual spot with a ton of seating on the elevated patio and along the lawn. They also have a small food menu.