By Erin Yu
Posted on August 23, 2019

On a sweltering Saturday evening, I step into City Café in Mount Vernon for a cold drink and nice meal. With a spacious, earth-toned interior and tall windows, the eatery has an ambience both laid-back and upscale.

Quiet acoustic music plays in the background as a group of adults in business attire chat at one table. An older couple sits at a table for two near the window, enjoying a bottle of wine.

This café, like many other area restaurants, can be great places to eat out without breaking the bank.

Here are some locations with early bird specials or happy hours where people watching their wallets can sample lower-priced food.

City Café
1001 Cathedral Street, Baltimore
citycafebaltimore.com

Prices at a high-end spot like this can be expensive. But happy hour, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., offers significant savings at the small but stylish bar.

Happy hour features $8 appetizers, such as nachos and cheese steak spring rolls, $7 mixed drinks, $5 wines and $4 draught beers.

BOP Brick Oven Pizza
800 S. Broadway, Baltimore
boppizza.com

If you find yourself on the cobblestone streets of Fells Point, grab a fresh pizza at Brick Oven Pizza. This counter-serve restaurant bakes classic pizza as well as specialty pizzas, such as the popular Lucky 7 White Cheese and Meat-Lover.

The BOP Lunch Special offers a Caesar or garden salad, small drink and pizza with two toppings for $6.75, so make sure to bop over there during lunch time.

Guy Fieri’s Kitchen and Bar
1525 Russell Street, Baltimore
caesars.com

What comes to mind when you think of Guy Fieri, famous restaurateur and television personality? Energetic, daring and unique are a few ways to describe him. His colorful Baltimore restaurant, Guy Fieri’s Kitchen and Bar, embodies this persona.

On Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., guests 55 and up can stop by for their Senior Lunch Special, which offers a choice of appetizer, entrée and beverage for $25. The uniquely seasoned wings are a popular appetizer, while the Bacon Mac and Cheese Burger is a favorite entrée.

The Bowman Restaurant
9306 Harford Road, Parkville
thebowmanrestaurant.com

For a fun night out, you can go to dinner and a show. At the Bowman Restaurant, you can get both at the same time. Enjoy the Bowman’s famous crab cakes or sandwiches while listening to live music or laughing at Sully’s Comedy Cellar downstairs.

During the early bird specials on Mondays through Saturdays from 3 to 6 p.m., entrees, including the hot turkey or roast beef sandwich and grilled pork chop, cost between $10 and $15 and include either a beverage or side dish. Live music doesn’t start until later at night, so stay seated and wait for the fun to begin!

Rams Head Dockside
1702 Furnace Drive, Glen Burnie
ramsheaddockside.com

If you can’t make it to the beach, get a splash of the ocean at Rams Head Dockside. With its live music, blue umbrellas and palm trees right next to the “beach” on Curtis and Furnace Creeks, Rams Head Dockside is a picturesque restaurant where it feels like you are on vacation.

The restaurant serves fresh seafood, burgers and draft beers. Happy hour is from 3 to 7 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, featuring half-price appetizers, $2 off wine, and $3 draft beers.

Dangerously Delicious Pies
810 W. 36th Street, Baltimore, and 2839 O’Donnell Street, Baltimore
dangerouspies.com

In the mood for a more casual spot with lighter snacks? Dangerously Delicious Pies serves pie — whole or by the slice — like apple, peach and mixed berry. The take-out plates make it easy to eat either inside the store or outdoors.

Make sure to stop by Mondays to Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for their Date Night Special, which includes two slices of savory pies, two slices of sweet pies, and two drinks for just $22.

The National Aquarium
501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore
aqua.org

If you’re not in the mood for food and would rather spend time as a tourist in your own town, check out the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor.

Dive in (figuratively, of course) and explore marine life! The National Aquarium has unique marine life exhibits, a walk-through tropical rainforest and shark tanks.

Just make sure to go on a Friday after 5 p.m., as tickets are half price at $17.45 for those 65+ or $19.95 otherwise, a significant savings with the same undersea experience.