Eight Ball Meatball where scratch is a good thing

Fell’s Point, a historic Baltimore neighborhood where one can’t help tripping over a bar every other step and it has been that way for centuries. Sailors had to be in earshot of their ships anchored at the foot of the cobblestoned Broadway and Thames Streets.  One can imagine Anthony Bourdain spending a night hitting all the local bars, commiserating with locals and then looking for that perfect bite to round off his evening’s foray through the nautical neighborhood, possibly at Eight Ball Meatball.

Eight Ball Meatball has been open close to a year, an upgraded fast casual concept featuring, yes, you guessed it, made from scratch meatballs; the classic (beef, pork and veal), gluten free chicken, spicy pork, veggie and the daily special along with their daily salad, risotto and sauce. Pick a sauce; classic tomato, Parmesan cream, pesto, spicy meat or mushroom gravy, then how do you want it, in a bowl, as a sub or individual slider. Your meatballs are served as you like them on top of pasta or daily risotto, or a salad. You even have an option of putting an egg on it.  They are open for lunch, dinner and late night as well as Saturday and Sunday brunch specials.  Check out the slideshow for greater detail.

Eight Ball Meatball is cleverly decorated, a full bar with flat screen TV perfect for watching the sport du jour, it is nicely appointed with the black and white tiles accented with the number 8 and red accents throughout. There is the main room where you enter the bar which hosts a long communal table. The individual tables have the prime voyeur spot to look out the large picture window at Fell’s Point’s tourists and locals. Off the main room is a another dining room for a more private dining experience and there is the al fresco dining, weather permitting, on the sidewalk or choose the bricked courtyard which extends the season with heat lamps, string lights and is full of personality – great for a private party.

Eight Ball Meatball is a full service restaurant, table service --- no standing in line one would find in a normal fast casual.  Pricing is moderate with great happy hour pricing, perfect for those whose purse strings don’t stretch as far as others. 

I’ve dined at Eight Ball Meatball twice, once with business associates for lunch and most recently as a guest of the owners at dinner time. Communal plates of appetizers were sent out; Buffalo chicken balls, fried pickles, and the fried goat cheese balls on a summer salad with seasonal fruit. My first foray at Eight Ball Meatball, I indulged in the crab ball appetizer option.  This evening for dinner, my main was the meatball of the day, Italian sausage with peppers and onions and topped with the classic tomato sauce and a side salad. I could have made a sandwich out of it, but focused specifically on the meatballs.

Eight Ball Meatball

814 South Broadway

Baltimore, MD 21231

443 759 5315

www.8ballmeatball.com

Facebook Twitter & Instagram: @8ballmeatball

HAPPY HOUR: Monday - Friday, 4 PM - 7 PM
House Wine $4.00 glass • Natty Boh $3.00 • Meatball Sliders $2.00 each • Craft Beer (Draft) $5.00 glass • Sangria $15.00 pitcher