Sip and Bite - The Restaurant That Requires Drunk Goggles

The front entrance.

On a recent Sunday morning a small group of four of us took a trip down to the Sip and Bite, a small generations-old diner on the edge of Canton. Our group was small because we knew the small joint wouldn’t have room for much more.

The Sip and Bite has served Fells Pointers and Cantonites for decades. In particular, during the last decade it has acted as a cheap place to sober up after a night of ruckus on the Canton square or on Thames Street.

This Sunday morning, none of us were drunk, nor were any of us hung over, so we realized that we would not be judging the joint within its usual context. But, we thought we’d give it a try anyway!

The recent exterior renovations of the restaurant, that included a new doorway that appeared to be partially completed, were promising. However once we got inside we noted that it was the same old Sip and Bite. We were seated promptly in a very tight booth toward the right. It was a bit of a challenge getting in and out of the booth, but otherwise the accommodations were fine. Althogh as the meal continued, we discovered that their door slammed shut each time it was opened, causing our whole booth to shake, which was a little bit annoying.

Our waitress was an old-school Baltimore woman, pretty rough around the edges, which I personally consider to be an amenity in this case as it added some of that old-time character that seems to go with the place. Her knowledge of the menu wasn’t what it could have been, but we’ll let her slide on that.

The Gyro, in progress.

Among the items we ordered were the crab cake sandwich, a cheesesteak, a lamb gyro, and a western omelet. The crab cakes were pretty good – they weren’t huge or anything, but they were full of crab meat and had pretty good flavor. Some claim these to be the best crab cakes in Baltimore, and while I definitely wouldn’t go that far, we certainly didn’t have any objections. Both the gyro and the cheesesteak were a bit dry. They weren’t terrible but they didn’t knock our socks off. We can forgive them on the cheesesteaks because, let’s face it, if you want a good cheesesteak you’re in the wrong city; but the gyro, we expected more from. The sauce was ok, but let’s just say that Rob Schneider’s old SNL skit (“you lika da juice?”) was not filmed at the Sip and Bite. The western omelet was decent, but it’s also pretty hard to screw up a western omelet.

The Crabcake sandwich.

All in all – the food was pretty much - “meh…” Nothing was absolutely terrible, but nothing knocked our socks off, either. The entire experience was completely mediocre.

There are rumors flying that Guy Fieri visited the Sip and Bite, and that they will be featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives this spring. Let’s just hope that Guy had a few shots at the Waterfront Hotel before he walked over there. Because it is apparent to us that this place is much more valuable as a sobering-up joint, than a regular dinner spot.

Sip and Bite

2200 Boston Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
410-675-7077 ()‎

5-Star Rating

Food: **1/2
Service: **
Ambiance: *1/2
Price: $ ($5-15)