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    Bread and Circuses Bistro and Bar

    3.9 (330 reviews)
    ModerateBars, American
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Bread and Circuses Bistro and Bar Takeout or Delivery

    Bread and Circuses Bistro and Bar Photos

    BREAD AND CIRCUSES BISTRO AND BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Intimate
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos

    Penne Bolognese
    Jody M.

    The ambiance and food are the reason to come here. It takes a long time to actually get your food but it was worth the wait. The servers were wonderful and knowledgeable about the menu and drinks. The menu is small and everything we ordered was delicious. The dining area is also small and intimate.

    The Gore Vidal (prosciutto, burrata)
    Sydney S.

    I just moved to towson and I have heard so many things about this restaurant! I had to check it out.. I walked in and the ambiance was very relaxing. I was fortunate to be welcomed in and served by Kevin. Service was wonderful, the restaurant was pretty empty only because it was around opening time, but Kevin made sure to make sure I was okay at all times. The sandwich itself blew my mind! I am not really a fig-jam kind of girl so I asked for it on the side. It did not disappoint! The saltiness of the prosciutto, with the sweetness of the fig jam as well as the crunch of the cucumber was just so savory! Definitely recommend!

    Entrance
    Ali T.

    In my previous review, I gave 1 star because no one waited on me for 15 minutes and I had to eventually leave. The next time I came by, they were closed due to a kitchen electrical issue. Third time is the charm for getting to actually eat! This time, I entered and the host again told me to go to the bar as there was no one to seat me out front. Fortunately this time I was seated and paid attention to in a timely manner. The food was decent overall. I ordered the twin crab cake entree. The French fries were hot, crispy, and flavorful. The coleslaw was ok. Nothing special but not bad. I would not be surprised if it was from a can/jar. The crab cakes were disappointing... They looked and smelled fantastic! They were well browned, and since I wasn't offered a choice I assume they were pan fried based on the appearance. Unfortunately they were waaaaaay too wet. The crispy seared exterior masked a gross soggy interior. The crab cake mix had too much liquid... Mayo and/or retained water from the crab meat. The taste was decent and the crab meat was a mix of lump and cheaper meat. The crab cake texture is an easy fix... Reduce the liquid! Don't increase any bread/cracker filler. You want this to be mainly crab meat and not a bunch of breading. I don't know if I'll come back... If someone else wanted to come, or if I was really in the mood for something else on the menu, I guess I'd be willing to give it a shot.

    Shrimp Salad Sandwich w/ Bacon Added
    Joshina B.

    Nice little restaurant in the heart of downtown/college town Towson. Brought here by my boss to have lunch. Was not crowded, yet alone busy because I usually see this place packed. Immediately greeted and seated. Our server was great. The food came out timely. Overall great experience and definitely worth visiting. We also ordered the maple bacon brussel sprouts but we inhaled them they were really good.

    The Morrissey Veggie Burger
    Theresa S.

    A decent spot. Tucked off the main drag of Towson is Bread. A place I hold fond memories of hilarious first dates to red wine at 1am, Bread never lets you down. It's a quiet restaurant that is bigger than you think, with two fully stocked bars at your service. My most recent trip here was for a work lunch and it was a wonderful time. They were able to accommodate our party and gave us a catered menu. The food was solid and the service was good. The summer wind dip and mussels are wonderful seafood options to start your meal off and are equally delicious. My Steak Frites came perfectly medium rare and the bistro sauce that accompanied it was so good. This is a great place to take your parents if you're in college or go on a chill first date. The cocktails are always good and reasonably priced.

    Happy hours/days
    Dee D.

    Service was great. The appetizers were so so. The green eggs and ham I wouldn't get again. The Brussels were good. The salmon blt was very good. I think it's called another name. But it was fresh salmon and everything on it was tasty. They have daily happy hour specials which I thought was neat. I would go back to try one.

    Happy hour at the bar!! $5 drinks and half off brussel sprouts and truffle fries!!
    Thy N.

    Sat at the bar near the door since the other bar had a private party. Cozy place! Servers were very nice and worked together to get our food and drinks. Had some happy hour bubbly, beer and brussel sprouts. Really delicious! We shared a fish dish that was well seasoned and perfectly cooked! It was nice meal with my hubby who also enjoyed this place. We will definitely be back to sit at the larger bar and try more delicious bites!!

    La-Kia K.

    What you will see here is the truth and nothing but the truth. My husband decided to take me out for dinner on a Saturday night. We didn't know what to expect since this was our first time dining here. Upon entry, we noticed that this small restaurant was packed and anticipated to wait to be seated. On the contrary, the young hostess advised that table was available since the other party left and was set up. The last party was served water and bread before leaving... umm I informed the hostess I hope we will be served fresh water, but she stormed off. So I went to the bar and expressed my feelings over the hostess behavior and asked for fresh items. No one wants to drink or eat something that was breathed on by others. At this point, the table was cleared and we were only served fresh water and new glasses, but no bread. (I am not upset about it; but would've loved to experience the service). We got to glance at the menu, and after undisclosed minutes a server came and asked if we wanted anything to drink. Hubby ordered an Ouzo, for me I was I was happy with the water. After the drink was served we still were looking at the menu trying to figure out what to order. But it took the sever nearly over 10 minutes or longer to come back to check on us to see if we were ready to order. When she did come we placed our order. Hubby ordered the mussels for an appetizer. For his entree, he ordered the Steak Frites and I had the Expresso Rubbed NY Strip which came with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans. The wait for our entrées took nearly 45 minutes to be served. Before our food was served, we watched most of the servers enjoy themselves entertain their friends and family, including the cooks and hostesses take selfies while working. During the wait, we could smell cigarette smoke. At first we thought it was coming from inside, but it was from the patrons who stepped outside the opened door which was not far from our table. The smoke blew inside and started to make me sick. At that point we were so ready to leave. Overall the steaks were cooked to our satisfaction. The mashed sweet potatoes were not my favorite, so I just chowed down on the steak and green beans. Hubby said the fries were too salty. Over all I would average give the food 3 stars, but service 2 stars. My husband said, I guess we have to be friends or family of the staff to get quick service and impeccable service. A party that was seated after we were served got everything in seconds. We watched the server and the party spend over 5 minutes chit chatting and scrolling through photos. I was willing to give this place another shot, but hubby was like there is no way we will return back.

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    2 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Great bartenders and atmosphere. Friendly staff and the food is good. Good selection of whiskeys.

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Atmosphere was cool. Service was great. Food was meh. Coffee was awful. I wanted to like it

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    1 year ago

    i've gone here with family visiting and on dates, it's amazing every time. can't recommend highly enough!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent in every way. Great ambiance; food was delicious and well prepared. Good selection of up scale items. Wonderful service!

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    Clandestino - Looking towards the bar area

    Clandestino

    4.5(19 reviews)
    2.5 miRosebank

    Clandestino has grown up, literally. What began as a small operation in Frederick has moved into a…read morelarger space, and the expansion suits them well. This is Puerto Rican pitorro, also known as ron cañita, made with care and intention rather than gimmickry. Many local liquor stores now carry the brand, and it is well worth picking up a bottle, but visiting the distillery is an experience in itself. The founder is a fellow Puerto Rican born retired military member, a background I share, and like me, he has put down roots in Maryland. That story is reflected clearly in the brand's own framing, "Puerto Rican born, Maryland made." The space feels grounded and unpretentious, and that sensibility carries through to the hospitality. We arrived late on a Saturday and were still welcomed warmly, never rushed. We were taken care of by the founder's daughter, who was exceptionally kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. She guided us through a flight that included the traditional pitorro, almond, pineapple, coffee, coconut chai, and several seasonal offerings. The flavors were thoughtful and well balanced; even the infused expressions retained a clear rum backbone rather than drifting into novelty. We enjoyed them enough to leave with several bottles. This is artisanal pitorro done right, rooted in Puerto Rican tradition and confidently made in Maryland. Buying it locally is convenient, but going to the distillery is where the people, the story, and the spirit fully come together.

    The Clandestino Speak Easy at Zen West is open Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm to 12pm. It's also…read moreavailable for events and private parties.

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    The Rec Room - Bacon burger with fries

    The Rec Room

    3.0(76 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    It really does not get any better than this! We arrived at 6:00 PM to enjoy Half Price Burger Night…read moreat the Rec Room. We were warmly greeted by Kelly. My husband had his favorite - a blue cheese burger with French fries. My brother and I decided to go big and order the Black n Blue Burger. He had his blackened - I had mine plain. Both were topped with melted Bleu Cheese Crumbles, Sautéed Onion, Mushrooms and Roasted Red Peppers. We both decided on Sweet Potato Fries with our burgers. The burgers we ordered were cooked and prepared to our specifications and were delicious. The fries were crispy, not greasy, and seasoned perfectly. Both Kelly and Rich took excellent care of us. We all thoroughly enjoyed our Burger Night at the Rec Room.

    Spent some time here before a concert/show next door at The Recher, which seems to have the same…read moreowners as this place. Bouncer at the door checking i.d.'s (saw him turn a couple girls down for having fakes). They serve a larger than standard size bar menu and we tried out several different items as well as cocktails and some craft draft beers. A Blue Hawaiin or Old Fashioned Whiskey cocktail is priced at 9 dollars each, but are served in full size pint glasses! I had a Rec Room Club Sandwich with sweet potato fries (see my pic) and my wife had a grilled Reuben and waffle fries. Both of them were insanely huge! Absolutely do not order an appetizer if you're going to get a sandwich or a burger. I literally could only eat half of my club sandwich and fries and I am generally a big eater. My club sandwich with s.p. fries was 12 bucks and it was a great value. It also tasted great and was made fresh with what seemed like Boar's Head meats, or something of that quality. I was very, very impressed and also quite surprised. It's a bar, so it's not the cleanest place in the world (see their bathrooms), but it's got surprisingly good food. I had a Troeg's IPA and 1 other craft pint (I forget which one) and they were 8 bucks each. I would definitely return here for the same reason...to eat and pre-game a bit before a show next door at The Recher. Note: there's no street parking here, but there's tons of paid parking lots behind here. It's like 5 bucks to park there for 8 hours at night.

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    The Rec Room - The Rec Room!

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    The Rec Room - Blue Burger with Blue Cheese, Sauteed Onions, Lettuce, Mushrooms, and Roasted Red Peppers with fries

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    The Rec Room - Club sammich. Absolutely massive. Good too.

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    The Point Towson - Fried chicken and biscuit bowl

    The Point Towson

    3.0(208 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    The bartender on the left side of The Point is consistently terrible. He didn't greet us, ignored…read moreus for nearly 10 minutes at an almost empty bar, and then told us he couldn't make half the drinks on the menu. When he finally did, the cocktails were easily the worst we've ever had -- completely undrinkable. This isn't a one-off; it's the third time he's served us, and every time the service and drinks have been awful. He seemed out of it -- distracted, unprofessional, maybe even under the influence. To top it off, he served my drink in a dirty glass. When I asked for a replacement, he just poured the same disgusting drink into another cup instead of remaking it. I had to insist he start over. It's such a shame because the bartenders on the other side of The Point are excellent -- friendly, attentive, and professional. This one bartender, however, drags down the entire experience and the bar's reputation. I won't be coming back.

    Cool restaurant in Towson. I visited this spot after googling "brunch near me". It did not…read moredisappoint. The restaurant is bigger than I looks from the outside. There are three different areas. A dining area, a bar area and an additional bar area with a stage and dance floor. When I entered I was immediately greeted by the bar staff and sat at the bar. The menu was decent and offered tropical brunch foods. I opted for the chicken and waffles brown sugar waffles. The chicken came out as tenders which where cooked perfectly and tasted great. The waffle was amazing. The staff was attentive and very helpful. I had "The Son of Nutcracker"drink which was ok. They have a Jameson club, which I joined. It allows you to purchase a bottle of Jameson to keep at the bar for $75 after a $50 club membership fee. I enjoyed this place and will definitely be back. The only potential issue may be parking. I was able to get a spot on the street but can imagine finding a good spot on busy days might be a daunting task.

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    Bread and Circuses Bistro and Bar - bars - Updated May 2026

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