For some, an eternal, undying hate for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots is sufficient fuel to make it through the Super Bowl. Still, man cannot live on hate alone; he needs beer and bar grub—and plenty of it. Luckily, with a raft of Super Bowl events all around the area, some of Baltimore’s finest eateries and drinkeries are more than willing to oblige. Whether you’re a face-painting zealot or a gridiron agnostic, these nine specials promise sweet victory. Even if the Patriots win.
Jimmy’s Famous Seafood
This Dundalk restaurant’s Super Bowl party is a Baltimore staple. For the 28th consecutive year, Jimmy’s will be host to an open bar and an oyster and bull roast. What’s more, there will be a silent auction and appearances from past and present Baltimore Ravens. Oh, and 30 (!) televisions. While this year’s special guests have not yet been announced, Steve Smith Sr., CJ Mosley, and Torrey Smith have attended in the past. Tickets are $70 and going fast.
R. House
To celebrate the Big Game—well, big games, depending on how much you wagered on the Puppy Bowl—this Remington establishment is rolling out the green carpet. The food hall will be decked with wall-to-wall astroturf for a family-friendly and pet-inclusive Puppy-Bowl-cum-Super-Bowl watch party. R. House is also offering food and drink specials: $5 cups of punch, buck-a-shuck oysters from The Urban Oyster, and $3 Michelob Ultra and Natty Boh. Oh boy, what a deal.
Bunzzz Sports Bar & Grill
Located in a space in The Gallery formerly occupied by a Brooks Brothers—or Brookzzz Brotherzzz—this recently opened Inner Harbor spot has quickly become a sports-watching haven. As such, it’s commemorating its inaugural Super Bowl with an open bar and specials on wings, pizza, and sliders. Door prizes, namely $25 gift cards, will be awarded at the end of each quarter. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
Mother’s Federal Hill Grille
Although there will be no tailgate on the famous Purple Patio until next fall, when Lamar Jackson—please, let it be Lamar Jackson—and the rest of the Ravens take the field, that doesn’t mean that this Federal Hill favorite will lie fallow on Sunday. For just $25, you can watch the game, play free video games, and strive to find the bottom of the bottomless wings, draft beer, and rail cocktails.
GAME
Equal parts arcade, night club, and sports bar, this massive Federal Hill mainstay will fill its 10,000 square feet with not only 30 televisions, but six high-definition projectors as well. For those looking for an early kick-off, the drink specials begin at 2 p.m., leaving ample time to indulge in $4 domestic beers and tin cup spritzers, $5 Absolut bombs, and $6 cups of super punch. During halftime, wings will be just 50 cents a pop.
The Port Public House
Have you ever dreamed of watching the Super Bowl alongside some of Baltimore’s elite (yes, elite) football players? Now’s your shot. This 118-year-old Locust Point institution’s Super Bowl party, hosted by the Baltimore Nighthawks (Baltimore’s women’s tackle football team), will display the game on a goliath 168-inch projector. Portions of the proceeds from the Super Bowl Squares pool and the night’s food and drink specials will go toward covering the Nighthawks’ travel expenses this upcoming season.
Johnny’s
As great as a traditional Sunday football experience can be, sometimes you need a respite from two long-lost Sobotka cousins working their way through a rack of Natty Boh and grunting that it’s so stupid—pronounced stew-pid—that you can’t even touch the quarterback anymore. Enter Johnny’s. While some other specials are mere vehicles for copious amounts of fat and salt and beer, this Roland Park restaurant provides a more elevated option: $14 for crab dip in a bread bowl; $18 for a burger piled high with pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, bacon, coleslaw, crispy onions, and an Old Bay barbecue sauce.
The Mt. Washington Tavern
Closing out the football season in style, this Mount Washington, uh, tavern is cheffing up its own spin on classic ballpark fare. These party plates—$4 for a choice of a plate of buffalo bites, two hot dogs, soft pretzel bites with beer cheese dip, or cheese curds—will be served in the restaurant’s SkyBar (which is PR-speak for “up a few stairs” bar). And lest you forget that this, after all, it is a bar, there will also be $2 cans of Narrangasett, $4 drafts of Old Hilltop, and $6 cocktails made of Tito’s Vodka.
The Brass Tap
The Baltimore City location of this chain gets most of the attention, but the county one has fun, too. Namely, this Towson venue has established itself as a game-day go-to way out in that pastoral idyll we call Baltimore County. Food and drink specials abound—$2 Jell-O shots for $2, $15 buckets of beers entire bucket of beers for $15, $4 glasses of house wine, and, most exciting, $5 for pizza fries.