My family and I flew out from California to visit my sister, and we went exploring. We happened to come across this place after we were turned down from the Thames Street Oyster House. That was to our benefit because this place was not as crowded and the service was great. We had the soup, soft shell crab sandwich, and the pesto shrimp pasta which were all phenomenal. It's one place that we will be stopping by when we visit my sister again. read more

Great crispy beef and crab cakes. After a long day of travel, this chill spot hit, well, the spot. You need to make it here

Jeff will make you the best damn Irish coffee you've tasted. If he has his ingredients, he'll make you the best hot butter rum you've had. Wow. Food is simple and excellent. Love this place! read more

Top notch. Great food. Great service. Great ambiance. Jazz in the background suits the place well. read more

See all

Bar tender is very courteous he made the best Bloody Mary my girl friend and I have ever tasted WOW!! We love the decor

Had a wonderful lunch at Penny Black in Fells Point. We sat outside on the patio, Jimmy was wonderful. We will definitely be back next time we're in the area! read more

Fantastic! Steamed shrimp is simple, but this is the best I recall having. The kalettes appetizer is super tasty. My dining companions all loved their dishes. (Crab cake, BLT, Gnocchi) The service was excellent, do yourself a favor. Great date spot. read more

Waiter and manager friendly, but at a loss to explain two hour gap between taking food order for our group of five and when we finally decided to pay our beer tab and leave (we ordered pizza for delivery at home while waiting--it was on time). No meaningful communication, just the ticking clock and alcohol on an empty stomach. Perhaps the kitchen staff staged a mass walk out? They ran out of food? Didn't pay the gas bill? We will never know. But you have so many other choices on that street. read more

This place is such a great addition to the Baltimore scene and especially Fells Pt. Everything that came to our table was unique and surprising, yet simple. The potatoes that came with the grass-fed burger were so good we asked for an extra plate of them. (Apparently the chef came over from The Inn at Little Washington). Flash fried kale? Delectable. The crab cake was devoured without even sharing! Fabulous service. This is an all family-run business. There is nothing not to love about this place! Great vibe. Water front. Garden out back. What a find. read more

Love this place! Down to earth and awesome all around from the food to the drink. Stay local all!

We were treated poorly and our server became extremely uninterested in doing his job. Never again. Also food was bland and uninspired. I barely write reviews but this one was so bad it deserves the negative attention. read more

Amazing service as always! I love this place but this time was different I had a new amazing dish. I tried the Crawfish Pie, from Josh's recommendation and was not disappointed. I'd have to say it's my new favorite dish!!! read more

So, I went to penny black for the location and hoped the food would be as good, unfortunately it was far short. First we ordered the wings and a beer for starters. And we sat, and we sat and nothing came. Then after 30 minutes the wings came(chewy, over smoked and dry) but no beer to be seen. After asking twice two of the three beers came? The third to follow 5 minutes later. Now came the worst meal, bone dry, over smoked, well done, chewy brisket. UGH. So, my shy female friend asked me to send it back. I did. Then, knowing Fells Point well(lived there for 10 years). I suggested to my old friends(whom I dragged in there) to order crab cakes. No restaurant can survive in the Point with out a good crab cake, and they were very good(hense 2 stars). But again, problems... both sauces had a strong horseradish taste(the white one was the strongest). So I ate my delicious crab cake, plain. Why would you want an over bearing sauce on a sweet tender crab cake? Makes no sense. So then the nice waitress asked us for another drink order and my friends ordered one, but i wen't to the bar and got my own in 3 minutes... it was not busy at all 6 out of 14 seats empty! So yea, very bad management, poor service, really bad over cooked smoked meats. Don't come thirsty. Great location, improperly served great crab cakes! Never again. read more

Love the vibe of this place, as it is different than all of the other spots in Fells Point. They play amazing music. Old school songs... Ella Fitzgerald, etc. Great bartenders and I would definitely recommend their mules. Delicious. The food always comes out hot and freshly prepared to order. Their fingerling potatoes are my absolute favorite thing in the world. Good wine list and nice choice of beers and draughts on tap. Go for dinner. Order a pot pie and a drink. Sit at the bar or on the patio or outside. Just go and enjoy! read more

Loved this little place . Friendly bartenders & customers. Jeff made the best Bloody Mary & Irish coffee ever!! Delicious chicken pot pie. Will definitely be back read more

Favorite after work spot! Great service! Awesome bartenders! Family run, make you feel as if party of the family.

Smoked blackberry wings! Great family owned, corner bar in Fells Point. Did I mention the smoked blackberry wings!

The bartender was super friendly, the place small and nice. The shrimp was superb and the local beer amazing. I would definitely come back here! read more

I used to love this place - casual, not too pricey and felt special - but went this weekend and was incredibly disappointed to find their menu has gotten much smaller and doesn't include pulled pork or ribs anymore, which was what set it apart from a lot of the other Fells Point pub food. I had checked the website before going and when I told the waitress that they were still listed on there, she shrugged and said "oh, we haven't had those in quite awhile." Anyway, I got smoked chicken wings instead and they were incredibly dry and rubbery. Not to mention, as others noted, the food took forever to arrive. I'm sure it's still a good place for pub crawling on Friday and Saturday nights, but I'll never go again for food. read more

I've been here a few times and have absolutely adored it every time! They obviously have a huge local crowd (amongst many other options), and are almost fully family run. Love the service, love the beer selection, love the music! I haven't eaten here yet, but it smells delightful. I'm very happy to have stumbled upon this gem. read more

Had a Raging Bitch IPA from Flying Dog Brewery, a very nice hoppy IPA, a Caesar salad, the crab cake sandwich, served with fried potatoes. The salad was fine, the crab cake was fantastic! We sat outside which has a view of the harbor across the granite paved street. The inside bar is beautiful and very historic (American Baseball was organized here, so they say). All in all it was a fine meal but other than the crabcake, nothing out of the ordinary. read more

Went in on a busy Friday night. I had met some friends at cat's eye pub for music and drinks. We went over for a bit to eat and maybe a night cap. I ordered the boiled jumbo shrimp 1 lb was very well seasoned and cooked. Fresh and delicious. My friends ordered scallops and a crab cake. They gave their meals a thumbs up. My friend loves green chartreuse.... He said it was perfectly chilled and prepared. So I say YES to the penny black! read more

Very good crabcake sandwich- almost all crab very little if any bread crumbs. The potatoes were very good too. Very happy we got it by default. Ate outside as the bar was not quite our atmosphere. She had the monkfish special- bery good as well! read more

I almost didn't go into this place. It was the 1st bar on the strip but I'm glad I didn't pass it by. Penny Black is very clean and the look of the place is very nostalgic! Lots of wood and copper. The bartender was a hoot telling stories about his family and life adventures. Good offering of draughts. I'll definitely be back!! read more

Simple menu, great crab cakes and outstanding steamed shrimp. High quality food with modest price. Veteran, polished staff.

Thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and food here. It has a local pub feel with a nice menu. I had the crab cake sandwich and really like it. My coworkers raved about the Chicken Pot pie. We will definitely consider going back next week while in town for business. read more

You know how when you find a place that you love so much that you want to share it with people. And then when you do, you kind of worry that your friends won't like it, or you will catch the restaurant on an off night? Penny Black is the antidote to those fears. We have been back several times since first finding this wonderful little spot, bringing friends and family, and they have never disappointed! The food, the atmosphere, and probably most of all, the service are all as good as you can hope for. We're looking forward to our next visit, which can't be soon enough! P.S. - if John is behind the bar, have him make you a Vieux Carre. I swear that it's better than any I have had in New Orleans, including where it was invented at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone! read more

At the edge of the Fell's Point nightlife we found a gem of a restaurant. The old John Stevens is now The Penny Black, a perfect little spot with exceptional fare in a welcoming and casual setting. Hats off to the chef! read more

Had the steak sandwich on the bartenders recommendation and it was delicious! Great food, friendly service, and good music. Would definitely come back the next time I'm in Baltimore. read more

Great lunch, steamed shrimp, soft shell crab and crab cake sandwich. Super nice people- Jimmy was awesome, great food options, highly recommend. read more

The food was amazing, and as one of the members of my party kept saying "worth the wait". However the issue was... the wait. It took an hour and a half to get our food. Our server was in training, which I've been there, no worries! But she was supposed to be shadowing "Abby" and Abby was no where to be found. Three tables sat after us and paid before we even got our food. The trainee was doing the best she could with limited experience at the restaurant, but when you are training someone you have to be available to help and make sure the service was going smoothly. One of the bartenders must have heard us complaining and said something because eventually she did come around, but it was too late to hurry up the food delivery. Onto the good part - Everyone loved their meal. The balsamic on the salad was amazing and the chicken was prepared perfectly. One guest said it was the best soft shell crab sandwich he had ever had. He was tempted to lick the plate. Each half of the sandwich had a full crab. My crab cake was a little heavy on the mustard, but very meaty and not heavily breaded. The drinks are reasonable priced and they have a good beer list. I will certainly be back to try other menu items. Hopefully they can fix some issues with their service by then. read more

Amazing service, I really like the prices and the food is amazing. I always have my drinks filled with a smile by the Awesome Eliza. Definitely will be back!!!! read more

LOVE PENNY BLACK. Can't really say more. Small but delicious menu. Great bartenders. Something new on the menu every couple of weeks. When I can't decide what I want for dinner or lunch I just go to penny black and I'm satisfied read more

We couldn't wait for a table out front and the waitress recommended sitting in the courtyard and led us there. The smoker was going full blast, but luckily, wasn't blowing into the courtyard, much... Our waitress was very good. When the food was a little slow, she apologized. We got the St. Louis-style ribs, the kalettes, and fried calamari plus the bread pudding for dessert. The calamari was greasy and the coating was falling off - definitely not prepared well. The kalettes were crunchy and good. The ribs were more than two could finish, and were meaty/fatty deliciousness. The bread pudding needed more custard to really be a bread pudding, but it was very flavorful. The courtyard area was a bit bleak looking - like they don't really use it but needed to that night and weren't prepared. It obviously needs some sprucing up. It would be great if there was a fan back there that would blow the smoker smoke away from diners. And, how about really glassware instead of plastic cups? read more

Great bar/restaurant. The chicken pot pie was tasty as well as the seafood pasta dish! The spicy sauce was amazing and the seafood cooked perfectly. read more

Cool place to hang out and have a beer. Good selection of beers, from sours to stouts and everything in between. And of course they have the staple...natty boh! read more

Penny Black - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

If you are looking for that harbor, beautiful, welcoming bar that will make you want to ease into a bourbon over a great conversation then this is your place during the quiet times, but i have heard it really shakes at night. read more

Food is amazing, perfect and just right. Ambiance is just relaxing and a great environment. Staff is impeccable. Excellent draft beer list as well as cocktail options. Always a first stop when in the Fells area. read more

A cozy old school place with a friendly feel and amazing food! We stopped in here for lunch and were so glad we did. The chicken pot pie was to die for. The burger was divine and the goat cheese tart was fluffy and delicious. Great service and a wonderful bartender. Perfect place for my first National Bohemian. read more

Great place .. and the best crab cakes ever!! 10 oz of pure crab on the platter with great slaw and potatoes for 28$ you can't beat that!!