Fans of barbecue have a new and very delicious option in Baltimore. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is making its way south and is opening a Baltimore location.
The first restaurant opened in Syracuse, NY in 1988. It was originally a quick service lunch/dinner barbecue joint. It got so popular they needed to make the restaurant bigger just two years later. They've been expanding across the Northeast and have 10 locations right now. Baltimore is the farthest south they've ever ventured.
Full-disclosure: I'm a Syracuse girl and was over-the-moon excited when I found out my favorite barbecue from home was coming to Baltimore. From the moment I saw 'Baltimore Coming Soon' on the Dino website I've been salivating over the prospect of pulled pork, ribs, chicken wings and their famous mac and cheese just mere minutes from my home!
The Baltimore location is bigger than the original. The building that houses it is right on Fleet Street and used to be the Acme Box Company. The building was built in 1885 and a lot of the original pieces of the building were incorporated into the design for the restaurant.
Right by the to-go order pick-up area hangs a window frame that used to be an actual window in the building. The walls that separate the bar area from the restaurant were made using the original floor of the factory. They even left the pulley system from the factory in place as part of the decor.
The whole thing gives the restaurant a gritty, urban rustic look. It's the exact kind of place you'd want to go to eat some delicious barbecue.
If you've been to the Syracuse location, you know what to expect, but there are some subtle changes to make this location perfect for Baltimore.
"This is the first location where we have Old Bay right on the table," CEO and President Rene de la Garrigue said.
You won't find crabs on the menu, but they did change up the French fry and drunken shrimp recipe to include Old Bay. The CEO said they aren't ruling out eventually adding some kind of crab dish, but right now they are sticking to what they do best: barbecue.
If you're a Dino newbie, de la Garrigue suggests starting with the chicken wings and the ribs.
"We don't cover our food in sauce. We want the barbecue to speak for itself," de la Garrigue said.
The wings are some of the biggest and juiciest I've ever eaten and you can choose between six different sauces. The ribs are done St. Louis-style, perfectly seasoned and not too saucy. Even the biggest barbecue snobs will enjoy Dinosaur.
It's a casual eatery with delicious food. The restaurant seats 252 people with room for 20 more in the bar area. They also have a room for private events that fits about 50 people. Because of the restaurant's New York ties, they plan to reach out to Syracuse and Buffalo Bills fans, but won't say at this point if they plan to be a Bills bar.
They have 17 beers on tap on a regular basis with some Maryland favorites represented, including Union Craft, Brewer's Art, and Flying Dog. They also have seasonal/wildcard beers that change on a fairly regular basis.
If you're not a beer drinker, they offer wine and liquor, including six signature cocktails. They gave one of the drinks a local flair with the name Fleet St. Sidecar.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is opening its doors Tuesday, September 22 at 5 p.m. They will be open for lunch following the grand opening, so if you work near Harbor East, it's definitely worth checking out.
I imagine the restaurant will be slammed, so if you want to guarantee a spot, they do take reservations on their website and they also offer take-out if you want to grab something quick!
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