Nacho Mamas in Baltimore Has Great Affordable Nachos

During the summer, my and I roommate took a trip to a small bar/restaurant outside of Fells Point, Md. called Nacho Mamas. My roommate has always been talking about how much he loves going to this place so I decided to finally see what all his hype was about. Now I must say when I first arrived at Nacho Mamas, I wasn’t really impressed. It just looked like a typical sports bar with limited seating and wooden booths. Plus the restaurant didn’t even have a Mexican or Hispanic theme, which is what I’d expect with a name like “Nacho.” However once I my meal arrived to the table, and I took a huge first bite, I was quite impressed. After scanning the menu, the only thing that caught my eye was these chicken nachos. I then ordered this meal expecting to have an average size portion. But boy was I wrong. The serving size of these nachos was ridiculous.  This thing honestly could’ve fed 4 people and still have leftovers. I dug in and didn’t even make a dent in the nachos. I literally tried to continue eating after I was full so that it seemed like I got my money’s worth. But I just couldn’t succeed. Despite this failure of finishing my meal, I was very satisfied with my nachos. The chicken was large and tender, the cheese was baked and stringy, the beans were beany, and the tortilla chips were warm and crispy. It was pretty good. Now the best thing about this was that it was only about ($10). Not bad if you ask me.

In terms of the restaurant’s atmosphere, it’s very dark, and sports bar like. What I mean is that people are drinking beer, talking loudly, and watching the game on the TV screens near the bar.  Also within this restaurant the Elvis theme is pervasive throughout the restaurant with many pictures and memorabilia covering the dark walls. It’s a pretty cool setting to enjoy a nice meal.

So overall, Nacho Mamas is very affordable and is a great dining option for those on a college student’s budget.

College Kid Budget: $$

Baltimore Vacations

Fulfill Your Barbecue Cravings with a visit to Famous Daves

The other day, I had this HUGE appetite for some barbecue. Whether it was chicken, ribs, or just the plain sauce by itself, my craving for something barbecue was immense.  As a result, I couldn't resist but to take a trip to my local barbecue joint, Famous Daves. And boy oh boy was I satisfied!

Famous Daves is one of these restaurants that I truly can't get tired of. I have found myself gorging away at their smoked meats day in and day out (well mostly like twice or three times a month). The atmosphere is very casual and the decor is greatly influenced by pork. Now in terms of food, there is one thing that I always get, the Famous Dave's All-American Feast. Now let me tell you that this is nothing shy of a feast. You get delicious ribs, brisket, barbecue baked beans, potato salad, mac and cheese, french fries, corn on the cob, warm cornbread, and barbecue baked chicken, all of which is placed on like this huge trash can lid that cover's your entire table.  I never have room for dessert so I can't really provide any comments about them, but I'm pretty sure they're good.

In terms of service at Dave's, I must say that it's attentive when needed. What I mean by this is that the waiters and waitresses are very nice and helpful, but they do know how to give you your space, especially when you are devouring your feast. Also the food comes out really fast and is very fresh and hot. So overall, the service from once you are greeted until once you leave this restaurant is very good.

So if you ever have a huge barbecue craving and are looking for great food at a very reasonable price, be sure to check out the nearest Famous Daves.

College Kid Budget: $$

Baltimore Vacations

A Meat Lover's Paradise

Last night I took a trip to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to check out a Brazilian restaurant called Fogo de Chao. After much hype and the huge build up from a few friends, I wanted to check it out myself. Now I must say, once I walked into the restaurant, sat down, and immediately tried some of their fresh cooked meats, I was truly blown away.

Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian restaurant that is in all you can eat format. The unique thing about it however, is that instead of you personally going out to a food station to grab your meal, servers come to you with skewers of fresh meat and cut some on a plate for you. A nice touch to this dining experience is that the servers actually have varying meat preparations. What I mean by this is that if you prefer you beef medium rare, the servers will personally go into the kitchen and bring you your meat cooked medium rare. This was very helpful, mostly because I prefer my meat medium well. Fogo de Chao also features a very impressive salad bar. With a vast selection of fresh vegetables and foreign cheeses, the salad bar will provide you with a nice alternative to the typical carnivorous fare. Overall, this restaurant resembles a five star restaurant in terms of food and service, but the fact that it’s a little more chaotic and noisy than you would expect from a fine dining establish, the restaurant seems more like an non-intimate upscale buffet.

 

 My overall experience at Fogo de Chao was very nice. The servers were attentive and the quantity and variety of meat that they brought out to you was very extensive. My personal favorite was the sausage and the filet mignon wrapped in bacon. In all honestly, almost every meat (except this pepper steak) that they brought to me was delicious.  So if you’re looking for an unlimited amount of delicious meats, fresh vegetables, foreign cheeses, and Brazilian drinks, all in a very casual yet somehow still affluent settomg, Fogo de Chao is your restaurant of choice.

College Kid Budget: $$$

Baltimore Vacations