Famous burger joint lives up to name

So many burger joints claim to serve the “best burger in Baltimore,” and though I’ll say many of them serve up a pretty mean burger, there’s only one place that can say that golden phrase without lying. And that’s Abbey’s Burger Bistro in Federal Hill.

Located in a cute alley niche (it’s not shady, I promise), Abbey’s Burger Bistro is easily accessible to students.

If it’s a lovely day like it was this past Saturday, I’d recommend that you take the Circulator from Penn Station to the Inner Harbor, then walk from the Inner Harbor to the popular burger place. On the way, you can stop by the literal Federal Hill, a hilltop park complete with a playground and walk way, which you can climb to see a panoramic view over the entire city.

But, as the days are getting chillier, you may want to just take the Circulator all the way down to Federal Hill, where it’ll stop at Cross St. Market. Make a right from the stop and walk down until you find the little stone wall niche. If you wanted to make a day trip out of the visit, there are plenty of places to walk around in Federal Hill.

Abbey’s Burger Bistro doesn’t take any reservations so the wait times can be a bit of a toss up. I had called ahead to ask about the wait and went on Saturday around 6 p.m. Though I was told the wait would be around 30-45 minutes, our group of six was seated immediately. But as we walked out around 7:30, there was a bit of a line that seemed to have formed within the half hour.

The key to being seated immediately seems to be going a bit early and choosing a day with no significant sports games. Keep in mind that the bistro is a sports bar as well and will be crowded on major game days.

That being said, the bistro would be a great place to watch a major game. With high quality TV’s mounted all over the walls, every seat has a great view of whatever sports game is on. And though I was not able to sample their drinks, they have a pretty solid list of beers.

But though all of this is great, it’s time to talk about their burgers. Their delicious, succulent, amazing burgers.

The place offers a wide range of exotic meats, including seasonal options, though they are a bit pricier. They have pre-made burgers to select, but I would recommend the build-your-burger option. Prices range from $12-18.

I was able to try kangaroo, bison, wild boar, alligator and kobe beef. (The alligator bites were an appetizer not a burger meat option.)

The kangaroo was a bit too game-y tasting for me but seems to be a generally popular choice. The bison, wild boar and alligator all had distinct tastes, brought out well as medium rare burgers. For the less adventurous, I would recommend the kobe beef, cooked medium rare of course.

Whatever your burger preference, I’m confident that Abbey’s Burger Bistro will satisfy your craving and leave you believing that they truly are the best burger place in Baltimore.