A burger from Abbey Burger Bistro is to Baltimore what a Krabby Patty from The Krusty Krab is to Bikini Bottom. When you’re in town, there is no other place you should be getting a burger.
Originally located in the heart of Federal Hill and now with a second location in Fell’s Point, Abbey Burger Bistro undoubtedly dishes out some of the best burgers in the city.
And we’re here to spread the word.
Spoon University JHU had the chance to sit down with co-owner Marigot Miller and Executive Chef Pat Morrow to learn more about what makes the food at Abbey Burger Bistro so spectacular.
About eight years ago, Pat Morrow realized there wasn’t a sit-down burger restaurant in Baltimore. Noticing an opportunity in the market, Pat teamed up with Russ Miller (also Marigot Miller’s husband), a beer aficionado, to craft an extensive list of draught beers and to draft a menu of mouthwatering burgers that would pair nicely. Having found their niche, the two simply said “let’s go” and the concept of Abbey Burger Bistro came to life.
The menu at Abbey Burger Bistro is a piece of literature that should be read from cover to cover. First, start with the appetizers. Popular starter items include the waffle fry nachos: waffle fries topped with chili, black beans, avocado, jalapeños, tomatoes with Monterey jack cheese and a spicy créme fraiche. As if that isn’t good enough on its own, you can get this dish for just $4 during happy hour. Talk about #treatyoself.
Then comes the list of burgers, where you can choose from either a house specialty burger or proceed with a checklist to customize and build your own burger. With the build-a-burger checklist, the world is your oyster. Seriously. One adventurous patron requested every single topping on his burger and Abbey Burger Bistro happily obliged. Though, the kitchen staff would not recommend it again, simply on the grounds that grilled pineapple, peanut butter, and lump crab do not make for a palatable combination.
To start our meal, we happily took to one of Marigot’s suggestions, crab tots: homemade crab dip served on top of tater tots, covered with cheddar jack cheese. The dish came out with a heaping pile of golden tots smothered with creamy crab dip on top, which proceeded to fall in between every crevice to coat every tot from top to bottom. The richness from the crab dip was tempered by the simplicity of the shredded potato and every forkful somehow managed to hold the perfect ratio of sweet to salty and crispy to velvety smooth.
To ensure we capitalized on our time at Abbey Burger Bistro, we figured it best to order one burger from the house specialty list and to customize another. Per the executive chef’s suggestion, we first selected the Bison Burger: ground bison, topped with bleu cheese and a homemade onion ring, topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Perfectly crafted to the requested medium doneness, the bison burger was both juicy and tender, a feat not easily accomplished when dealing with such gamey meat. The tenderness of the patty was complimented by the crunchiness of a single onion ring slid into the burger.
As for the customized burger, per the executive chef’s suggestion, we started with black angus - Roseda Beef as the base. Cooked to medium rare and resting on a pretzel bun, we topped our burger with sharp cheddar, avocado, fried egg, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato, and ketchup. A basic burger with a classic set of toppings comprised of high-quality, high-integrity ingredients. What more do you need?
And, of course, with each order of burger came a heaping pile of crispy potato chips seasoned lightly with the classic, Old Bay.
What should Hopkins students know about Abbey Burger Bistro?
"Abbey Burger Bistro serves great food accompanied with a chill atmosphere, all at an affordable price," said Miller. Accessible by the Charm City Circulator’s Purple Route, Abbey Burger Bistro serves its full menu until midnight, 7 days a week.
For those especially adventurous carnivores, Abbey Burger Bistro is the place for you. Abbey Burger Bistro is renowned for featuring “meats of the month” that range from camel to red deer to elk to antelope. Morrow urges you to put your faith in the chefs behind the grill, as they’ll prepare these unfamiliar meats to perfection, hooking you on the concept and drawing you back for seconds.
This restaurant is jam-packed with customers every night, from the loyal veterans to the newbies that venture into the pub to finally see what all the hype is about. With their constantly evolving menu and unique atmosphere, this is one restaurant everybody should pay a visit to.
Abbey Burger Bistro is officially Spoon University approved—make sure to check it out!