Rec Pier Chop House

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Prime Italian Chophouse on Baltimore's Waterfront

Rec Pier Chop House sits on Thames Street in Baltimore's historic Fells Point neighborhood, connected to the Pendry Baltimore hotel. The concept is straightforward and confident: a prime Italian chophouse devoted to time-honored Italian cooking, where classic technique and prized ingredients do the talking.

The menu is built around two pillars. The first is Italian — house-made pastas, antipasti, and Italian specialties rooted in traditional recipes. Think Rigatoni with short rib ragù, black winter truffle, and baked ricotta; Saffron Cavatelli with jumbo lump crab and fennel sofrito; or a bone-in Chicken Parmigiana finished with caciocavallo, pomodoro, and pesto. Antipasti range from Chop House Meatballs made with dry-aged beef and pancetta to a Maryland Blue Crab Cake served with key lime remoulade — a nod to the Chesapeake Bay that sits just outside the door.

Steaks, Chops, and the Raw Bar

The second pillar is the steakhouse side: the country's best purebred beef, sustainable seafood, and farm-raised poultry. The cuts run from a 6 oz boneless center-cut filet to a showstopping 36 oz Tomahawk dubbed "Il Buttero," and a 38 oz Prime Porterhouse. A selection of sauces and crusts — Barolo Porcini, Gorgonzola Butter Crust, Truffle Butter Crust — lets diners tailor each plate. The raw bar adds Mid-Atlantic oysters, jumbo Gulf shrimp, crab claws, and a full Rec Pier Plateau for the table.

Seasonal ingredients guide the menu throughout, with contorni like Sicilian Fries with ricotta salata and Brussels Sprouts with pancetta and hot honey rounding out the Italian steakhouse experience.

From Breakfast to Late Dinner

The kitchen runs all day. Breakfast brings a Thames St Special, a Chop House Breakfast Sandwich on a potato bun with Calabrian chili ketchup, and a Crab Cake Benedict. A Power Lunch format offers three courses for a set price, while evenings settle into the full steakhouse rhythm. The wine program earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025, recognition that reflects the seriousness with which the cellar supports both the Italian and steakhouse sides of the menu.