Baltimore Convention Center – Dining

Baltimore is sometimes referred to as the “City of Neighborhoods” because of its quirky and distinct neighborhoods. One such neighborhood in the Southeast District is the tourism hub of Baltimore known as the Inner Harbor. This is the area where visitors will find major attractions like the Baltimore Convention Center, Orioles Park, M&T Bank Stadium, the National Aquarium, the Top of the World, and the historic ships of Baltimore.

Being a center for tourism, there is a long list of eateries in the Inner Harbor neighborhood alone. Within the Baltimore Convention Center, visitors will find various concessions and a Starbucks. Venturing outside of the convention center, it seems that turning every corner one will find a potential place to stop and eat, which can be a lot to take in. Let us help you narrow your selection with some of our top picks.

Pratt Street Ale House

Just steps from the Baltimore Convention Center is the Pratt Street Ale House. This is a really convenient location for those travelers who have an event to attend at the Baltimore Convention Center because you won’t need to stress about the time it will take to travel to somewhere else in the city. Also, if your event ends late or you’re in one of the hotels attached to the convention center, this could be a great spot for you to grab some late-night food or a drink because it is just steps from the Baltimore Convention Center. You won’t have to worry about walking through the city streets at night.

This pub serves up various British-style ales, cocktails, and some classic American cuisine. Of course, you’ll find your fair share of crab and fish dishes because you are right near the Chesapeake Bay after all! Don’t be surprised to find a twist on traditional mac and cheese served up with jumbo lump crab meat. You also have a wide selection of salads, soups, flatbreads, sandwiches, burgers, and other entrees from which to choose. There are options to add chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon, or crab cakes to the salads. For those who enjoy barbecue, there are few options, such as the barbecue chicken flatbread, pulled pork sandwich, and wings.

Werner’s

Werner’s is a 10-minute walk from the Baltimore Convention Center, and well worth the short walk if you are looking for a nice breakfast or lunch. You can sit down and enjoy friendly and fast service. The interior is like a welcoming retro and old-fashioned diner. If you’re in a rush, you can get your food to go.

At Werner’s, you’ll find an expansive menu of American cuisine and some Greek dishes as well. You’ll find a ton of breakfast options and platters. For their lunch menu, there is a selection of sandwiches and gyros. While there is no online menu to view, they often post about daily specials on the diner’s Facebook page. Some past specials include a soup of the day, like cream of crab; a salmon BLA, which is a salmon sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and avocado; a flounder sandwich; and a shrimp salad wrap. If you’re visiting Baltimore, make sure to give Werner’s a follow on Facebook to see the specials and stop in for great food and good company.

Thai Elephant Wok

Only a seven-minute walk from the Baltimore Convention Center is Thai Elephant Wok. This welcoming little restaurant is cozy and casual, with plants lining the brick interior walls. They describe their Thai cuisine as locally sourced and crafted with love, so if you’re in the mood for some delicious and healthy Asian dishes or vegetarian options while in Baltimore, this is the place to go.

From Thai curries to stir-fry, the menu does change depending on lunch or dinner. During lunchtime, you will find noodle or fried rice dishes along with a few other entree options. For noodle dishes, there is pad Thai and pad see ew. Rice dishes include pineapple fried rice and crab fried rice. A few other lunch entrees are pad broccoli, pattaya bamboo basil, and prad gra prao. With any of these lunch dishes, along with some of the dinner options, you will get to choose if you want chicken, beef, tofu, shrimp, or seafood.

If you are stopping in for dinner, appetizers, soups, and salads are now added to the menu. You can still find some of those lunch noodle and rice options as well. Curry makes an appearance on the dinner menu, too, with panang, green, red, or duck curries. Their signature dishes on this menu include beef of Siam, asparagus shrimp, and pla pad prik. Save room for dessert. The dessert menu has two different sticky rice choices or fried banana and coconut ice cream.

The Water Street Tavern

If you’re looking for comfort food for lunch or dinner or late night drinks, The Water Street Tavern is a must during your visit. The cool decor, old-timey feel, and friendly staff will surely make you feel welcomed. The menu is quite varied for a tavern. You’ll find a decent amount of seating inside and outside. If the bar on the first floor is busy and full, try the bar on the second floor. Depending on the day you visit, you might walk in to find live music or trivia night.

As a tavern, you will find the comfort classics, like burgers and sandwiches and different styles of loaded fries. Being in Maryland, you’re bound to find crab somewhere on the menu. Some popular dishes include the crab cake platter, beef brisket, crispy fish BLT, open-faced hot roast beef sandwich, and the meatloaf sandwich. Come for the food, stay for the great atmosphere of The Water Street Tavern, located a seven-minute walk from the Baltimore Convention Center.

Tír na nÓg Irish Bar & Grill

Started by three Irishmen, the original Tír na nÓg Irish Bar & Grill was founded in Manhattan, New York, but these men wanted to bring their hospitality to the city of Baltimore. Located right up against the bay with stunning views of the harbor, you can visit the Tír na nÓg Irish Bar & Grill. It is a simple seven-minute walk to get there from the Baltimore Convention Center. If you’re in Baltimore on a weekend, this could be a place to stop by and listen to some live music and enjoy traditional Irish and Maryland specialties.

As for the Maryland specialties served here, you will find crab soups, crab cakes, and crab dip. If you’ve had your fill of crab and want some traditional Irish fare, no problem! They serve tender braised lamb shank, shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, Irish ale-battered fish and chips, Guinness barbecue pulled pork, and Irish nachos. There are even some regulars of pub menus, like Bavarian pretzel sticks, classic burger, and a Reuben. That sweet tooth is also covered with various cake, cheesecake, and ice cream choices.

Pitamore

Think of Pitamore as a Chipotle for Mediterranian food where you get to build your own sandwich or bowl. Pitamore is an excellent place to grab a quick bite on a day of sightseeing through Baltimore. From the Baltimore Convention Center, it is a six-minute walk.

On this menu, you get to build your sandwich or bowl the way you want. Choose from either a bowl, pita bread, or lafa, which is a flatbread common in the Middle East. Then you will choose the meat, lamb or chicken shawarma, or the vegetarian option, falafel. All the toppings are free, and there is quite a lot to pick, such as hummus, baba ganoush, peppers, onions, rice, and more.

Forno

Finally, for those of you who crave pasta and pizza and all of those Italian delicacies, there is Forno. Opened in 2014, this fashionable restaurant is a nine-minute walk from the Baltimore Convention Center. In addition to its fresh, made-from-scratch foods, Forno has a wine bar where you can try artisanal wines and craft beers that compliment their seasonal menus.

If you are coming in for lunch, you will find appetizers and pizzas still available, but your pasta selection will be limited. Additionally, Forno serves sandwiches during lunch only. The dinner menu has a heavier emphasis on pizza and pasta. Pasta includes pumpkin gnocchi, mascarpone ravioli, lasagna, and spaghetti bolognaise, to name a few. There are some entrees available as well, such as pan-seared branzino and braised short rib. For those who want a sweet treat at the end of a homemade meal, you can try a tiramisu brownie or affogato. As previously mentioned, their menu is seasonal, so you will want to check the website for updated menu items.