The Copper Shark is a terrific restaurant and bar in Locust Point Baltimore with well-crafted…read morefoods, cocktails, and spirits.
We were generously hosted here by friends for a birthday celebration! (Sep 2026). The bar and indoor seating felt dark and intimate, yet open enough for our semi-casual get-together. We chose a curved booth among the tables. There's outdoor seating in back, too.
The beverage list is creative and fun. We loved the sweet smooth non-alcoholic Classic Espresso Martini. A bourbon-y tart bitter sweet Paper Plane, of bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino Quintessential bitters, and lemon. And a dramatic balanced potent Wild Turkey 101 Smoked Manhattan, presented in a wooden chest full of richly aromatic smoke. We had a sweet non-alcoholic Peachy Keen, lightly smokey and lightly bitter peach, honey, and lemon, with orange bitters. At least five of the regular cocktails have non-alcoholic versions, and their Spirit-Free menu has six more.
The appetizers and mains are so deliciously savory! Their Ploughman's Son charcuterie was varied and generous, with sturdy flavorful shaved jamon, a thin-sliced tangy salami, chunks of a dense orange medium-bold cheese, crisp grilled bread, and a deep maroon three-berry jam. We added a luscious pillow of buttery burrata. The vegan Mezze Platter had a spread of simple hummus and chickpeas with lightly roasted tahini dressing. Roasted Beet Salad was pieces of sweet clean red and gold beets with citrus chunks, lightly dressed with white balsamic. And a generous hot cast-iron pan of my Spirit-Vegetable: pork-bellied, sweet-salted sesame-vinaigrette-ed, sriracha-aioli-ed Crispy Brussels Sprouts! I aspire to be cultivated away from bitterness to sweetness, as Brussels sprouts were by Hans van Doorn in the '90s, "first" bacon-y spicy roasted by Momofuku's David Chang around 2004, and called "trendy" by 2012. (Let's see how trendy I am in 20 years :-)
From the child's menu, we chose a lightly-mayo-ed grilled-cheese on lightly toasty light bread, with a tall cone of hot crispy, thin fries. We all dove into the fries, which were kindly shared :-). The Braised crumbled-Duck Bolognese was rich with Boursin cheese and parmesan, over long thin very-slurpable capellini-like black-pepper noodles, dressed with a little greenery. Crispy Rockfish was oven-roasted with fresh bright cherry tomatoes, under a light complementary miso beurre blanc. The half-rack of Smoked BBQ Ribs were tenderly grilled to a thin crust of Sagamore Old-Fashioned sauce, perfectly done with just a little bite remaining, the way I strive for at home, with a crunchy side of bright apple-fennel slaw. For the last here, I saved one of the Copper Shark Prime Cuts: Lamb Chops, with lightly-crisped fingerling potatoes, grilled broccolini, and a thin savory Housemade steak sauce. I have to tell you, the chef-recommendation of medium-rare doneness was right on. This was the most tender juicy sweet lamb I have ever tasted. Period.
The cream-filled chocolate-sauced profiterole cream-puff with a candle was our birthday cake. The ice-cream espresso affogato was dreamy.
The chefs are clearly caring, and dedicated to a delicious dining and drinking experience. The staff is welcoming and professional. We were well taken care of. Tucked into a cluster of shops, this restaurant is easy to find and has plenty of parking.
I highly recommend The Copper Shark as something of a splurge destination for excellent dining and good service in an intimate semi-casual setting.