OPEN
Fat Tuesday: This Big Easy-born chain couldn’t have picked a better time to debut its frozen cocktails in Baltimore. Since cutting the ribbon last week, crowds have been cooling off with icy hurricanes, piña coladas, and other boozy Bourbon Street-inspired medleys at Fells Point’s newest addition, now up and running in the former Greene Turtle on South Broadway. Signatures—which can be ordered with extra floaters, of course—include the fittingly named 190 Octane (a citrusy blend made with 95 percent ABV alcohol) and the new Charm City Sunrise, made with Patrón, orange juice, grenadine, and a dunked Red Bull.
COMING SOON
Sunday Social: Fresh off of selling his stake in Yeiboh Kitchen near Old Goucher, local chef and Chopped champion Sammy Davis Jr. is on to a new venture called Sunday Social. Slated to open this month in the 4,000-square-foot space at 2 E. Wells Street in South Baltimore (which was most recently Papi Cuisine, but also Minnow and The Hot Dry back in the day), the all-day concept marks a partnership with D.C.-based Miskiri Hospitality Group. Expect lattes and pastries in the morning, as well as a Southern-inspired brunch and dinner service.
MARKET MOVES
Black Acres Roastery: The small-batch coffee roastery has officially closed at Lexington Market. CEO Travis Bell took to Instagram to share the news last week. “While we are proud of what we built and the relationships we formed over the past four years, the reality is that the location has not performed in a way that allows us to sustainably continue operating there,” Bell wrote. Luckily, Black Acres’ brick and mortar inside Open Works in Station North remains open, along with its online business. And the crew will continue to caffeinate crowds at events around town, as usual.
Slutty Vegan: Previously stationed at Baltimore Peninsula, the viral plant-based burger bar from Charm City native Pink Cole Hayes is on the move to Cross Street Market. The shift comes as Slutty Vegan works through ongoing financial struggles that resulted in a national downsizing, reducing 14 locations to six. Though the Baltimore outpost will be smaller, it will luckily live on, and only a few minutes away from its predecessor.
Come August 1, diners will find the eatery’s loaded meatless patties—plus new sandwiches, salads, and gluten-free dishes—in Cross Street Market’s 1,800-square-foot corner stall that was formerly Rooster + Hen and Velleggia’s. The Slutty Vegan team also recently announced an in-the-works location near Johns Hopkins Hospital. Stay tuned for more details.
Steve’s Lunch: For more than six decades, this famed counter inside Cross Street Market has been there for locals in need of a reliable breakfast, stacked sandwich, or classic hot dog and fries. As second-generation owner John Nichols prepares to retire, he’s on the lookout for someone to carry on the Steve’s Lunch legacy. The eatery will remain open until Nichols finds a buyer, but consider this your sign to go show him some love if you haven’t stopped by in a while. Or if you’re simply craving a cheesesteak.
Royal Deli: Adding to the new blood at Cross Street is Royal Deli, which has been a Lexington Market fixture since 2005. The family business run by Ana Alvarado and her daughter, Gisselle, is now up and running in the stall that used to house Gangster Vegan. The duo will continue to serve favorites like chicken and shrimp salad, plus toasty Reubens, banana pudding, and deli meats sliced by the pound.
NEWS
The Wren: After debuting to fast fame in February of last year, the intimate, Irish-inspired Fells Point pub is up for sale. The news comes as husband-and-wife co-owners Will Mester and Millie Powell plan to move back to Ireland to be closer to Powell’s family. “The Wren was never meant to be a forever thing,” Powell tells us. “[The move] has been a long time coming.”
Only seven months after opening, the spot was named one of the New York Time’s 50 “Best Places to Eat in America Right Now,” which was followed by a placement on Bon Appetit’s 2025 list of top 20 new restaurants. It’s become known for its 20 wooden barstools, Scotch selection, and small chalkboard menu of daily dishes inspired by pastoral Europe. The property at 1712 Aliceanna St. is currently listed for $1.25 million and includes the liquor license, equipment, and furniture.
As we wrote in our review, “With a Rob Roy in hand, just two blocks from the Baltimore harbor, you could very well be in a pub off the English Channel or, more specifically, the Irish Sea.” It’s an experience that will be missed, so we suggest going while you still can.
SHUT
Dangerously Delicious Pies: The Hampden HQ of this OG Baltimore bakery has closed its doors after 13 years. After other Dangerously Delicious shops in Patterson Park and Federal Hill previously closed, the Avenue brick and mortar was the only one left. But owner Rodney Henry confirms that the business isn’t going anywhere. He’s just pivoting to focus on farmers markets and online delivery orders—or what he calls “Pie Valet.”
“The shop has just become a real pain in the butt,” he said candidly in a recent Instagram video. “It’s a lot to do with the building, a lot to do with having a bar. It’s time to go for something a little different. We need a change.”
Merging his musician identity with baking his grandmother’s recipes, Henry has established himself locally as a rockstar baker. Give him a follow to see where his pie pop-ups and live music performances will be next. And if you want to order an apple crumb or Berger cookie-infused Baltimore Bomb pie to your doorstep, you can do it online.
Szechuan House: After 33 years, Timonium’s Szechuan House has closed its doors—and regulars are understandably upset. Comments pouring into a post on the Friends of Szechuan House Facebook page share love for owner Robert Wang, who recently shuttered the restaurant due to health concerns.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Robert. Szechuan House will always be a core childhood memory for me,” reads one reaction. “The first restaurant I dined in after immigrating here in 2001,” reads another.
Wang has been working in Baltimore hospitality for decades, first as a server at Tony Cheng and Uncle Lee’s on Charles Street and then at Hunan Taste on Liberty Road. He later opened Szechuan House on Seminary Road in Lutherville in 1993 and moved York Road in Timonium in 2022.