baltimore

Baltimore, MD

Baltimore is a gritty city on the harbor with some nice neighborhoods to explore

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.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • 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.

The Local Oyster

Baltimore Touristy things worth doing:

  • 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.

  • Wander the Federal Hill neighborhood—this area is full of bars, restaurants, shops, coffee and more.

Pariah Brewing

Other Baltimore things to do:

  • 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

things to do in the greater baltimore area:

  • 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.