Bread and Circuses Bistro and Bar

Had dinner on 2÷27÷15 at Bread and Circuses with 5 friends. It was my first visit to this restaurant, but it won’t be my last. The staff was attentive and professional (esp. Kelly and Megan), and the food was amazing. Five of us ordered the Catch 22, which was rockfish with crab meat, served in a light sauce, and the other diner ordered diver scallops. Everyone raved about the meal. We also had a variety of soups and salads, which were all wonderful. Dessert and coffee/​lattes completed a wonderful meal. The only problem we had was that we were not seated until 40 minutes after our reservation time, which is understandable because the restaurant is small. However, the staff kept us informed of the status of the group sitting at the table where we needed to sit. This restaurant/​bistro is a gem! Do yourself a favor, and go! Kudos to the chef for fabulous, delicious, fresh food!

Dinner was really good, I was pleasantly surprised. The place is in a small house so things are tight. Furniture appears to be a hodge podge of items covered over table cloths in the rear cold room. I say cold room because it was freezing and they only used a small space heater to heat the large room. Initially, we had a table that was flimsy and wobbled so we moved to another table where my chair rocked back and forth so I had to swap that out. Service is akin to Clementine or diner esque. I inquired where they purchased their beef and I was told they use Restaurant Depot supply house. I was disappointed with that fact. That night we had 2 apps, 3 drinks, 2 entrée and 2 desserts. And the bill came up to $ 160 including tip. Now the food was really good at all phases, but for the high menu prices, I’d expect like the food source, décor, amenities and service to match. If everything stayed the same, menu and drink prices should come down and that place would be great place to eat and recommend.

Another fabulous lunch at B&C. Definitely becoming one of my favorite lunch spots in Towson.

From the quirky literary name to the warm and quaint décor, Bread and Circuses is like a small treasure hidden it Towson’s basement closet.
My dinner was firing on all cylinders. I had the tuna tartar, truffle fries and a preparation of Sea Bass that was outstanding. Each dish was deftly prepared, artfully seasoned and presented with perfect timing. The other three people at the table seemed to be equally pleased with their choices.
If there was a criticism to offer I would serve it up, but alas there was not a sour note in the entire experience.

We stumbled on this little place and I was totally blown away. The atmosphere was charming (upstairs is far better than downstairs), the food was delicious and the staff was friendly. I had the tuna tartare appetizer and green beans side dish as dinner and it was a generous portion. I can’t wait to go back!

Unique little restaurant that for any occasion, is a little tight so maybe not so great for toddlers. Older building, modern and vintage knick knacks, dark wood and table cloth. Have only been for late lunch and it was pretty dead in there but the waitress said it got pretty busy for dinner. Good selection of beer and wine, food looks good but wasn’t all that great and a little over priced for what looked like frozen fries and fried fish «fish and chips». I would go back but may be a little picky about the food.

Bread and Circuses (lovingly known as B&C) is without a doubt a great place to begin and/​or end your night with a friend. They have an excellent food menu and a calm ambiance. If you are looking to get away from the rowdy Towson crowd and enjoy something a little more upscale, this is the place for you.
The menu offers anything from brunch to seafood to truffle fries AND it is all great food. The staff is always attentive and very welcoming. You’ll walk right in and feel like family.
The only thing keeping B&C from a 5-​star mark is an inconsistent beer list. It seems to rotate a bit and depending on how frequently you go, you might be told your drink is no longer carried but still on the menu. For this very reason, I suggest ordering liquor. They carry a robust scotch offering as well.
If you want to actually sit at the bar, come early as there’s about four seats. This is a restaurant first and bar minimally. However, those vying for a bar experience should come in the Summer when they have a much larger outside bar open.

I’ve given this place several go arounds, and I feel as though I can honestly give you my humble opinion of this establishment. First, the atmosphere is amazing. It retains the feel of a «hidden gem» and it’s small enough to make it intimate. The staff has always been attentive and accommodating to my guests sometimes annoying requests and you can tell they love their job. The food is phenomenal, pair this with the price point and you have a great restaurant! User tip: if you just want some light fare or drinks and it’s nice weather, sit outside! Adjacent to the restaurant is an ally that they have decorated with outdoor lighting and a small bar, usually accompanied by live acoustic music on weekends.

The food tasted good. Seafood bisque and tomato basil bisque was delicious. My only critique was that we sat in the front room where it was very cold. Couldn’t get comfortable. Even though the staff had two space heaters on. The main dishes were tasty. My boyfriend ordered the beef tenderloin which was seasoned and cooked to a pinky medium. However, his sides of garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus portions were small and stingy. Great selection of craft beers and wine. Wait staff was attentive and friendly. The restaurant has what it takes to be a great local restaurant in Towson, just needs some tweaking.

Best place in all of uptown towson. Such a hidden gem my girlfriend and I love coming here. Every time we get the skinny dip and wine lovers ensemble appetizers, would definitely suggest.

Very cute little bar/​restaurant in Towson.
We usually stop in before going to the Towson movie theater.
Staff is always friendly/​helpful, food is very good (try the steak frites & scallop entrees
Bar is tiny (only 4 or 5 seats) so it can get crowded quickly but they have a great liquor selection and a huge wine selection. Crowd tends to be mellow and in the (30 – 60’ish) age bracket. Outdoor seating in good weather. Great local business.

A real hidden gem in Towson! Everything was amazing and we are coming back with friends.

Extremely well prepared food. Good prices and device as well. Delicious, will go back.

To start off, the ambiance was great. However, my chai latte tasted like soap. I ordered the Captain Chesapeake and when I received my food, it was cold. I ate it because I was hungry. I found several crab shells in my food. This will be my first and last time here.

Fabulous Dinner! Food is all delicious! Good portions! Great specials! Wait staff are awesome! Very attentive! Great location! We will be eating here a lot! Can’t say enough how great it was!

Had a delicious Salvador salad with interesting mix of greens, dates, pistachios, and sea scallops — ate the entire meal. The warm sunny day allowed us to take advantage of the outdoor seating.

Bread and Circuses, the French Press, this is one of those place that should be verboten, due, in part to the addictively cosy ambiance of it’s interior. Was it the intelligently thought out menu of seasonal microbrews, or the food (wait, this might take a week, let’s just say the menu choices are simple yet phenomenal). Au revoir le French Press, but, just like Magellan, or Terminator, I will be back
Ambiance — A+
Food — A+
Drinks — A+
Parking — You may have to be creative if you’re stingy

Who knew? Such a great little bistro bar was hiding near the library in Towson?
The south side and Moscow mule were very well done!
The bartender /​server was great and the service was excellent.
I had mahi mahi and it was delicious my wife had the mushroom ravioli as she loved it

What a hidden GEM!!!
I first learned about this place from working in the area and it is everything you could ever want wrapped up and tucked away in a quaint little corner. They have an open bar outside that is completely outside, its so nice to have a drink and a cigarette when you get off. There is a projector which displays a very ;large picture against the building. This place is never really overly crowded and doesn’t really entertain the college life like the surrounding bars and such.
The food is phenomenal, well worth the money. The specials are the way to go, it is delicious food that you really can not get from just anywhere. I really enjoy this place and will continue to give my business to them!

A little on the pricey side for lunch entrees but the food is delicious and there are plenty of sandwiches under $ 10.
I never find there to be a wait and it’s a quaint little restaurant with nice local art on the walls.
There’s usually street parking at the meters right outside the restaurant

Love this place. New Sunday brunch favorite. Amazing menu. Heart-​felt service. Lovely midnight blue interior great for breakfast or dinner. Lots of seating options, inside and out, sunny or shade. They even have music once a month or so. Very French with a hip, American flare. On the elegant side of chill. Wow, what a find. Dressy yet casual, and so romantic! And the serve their full menu til 2am on every night except Sunday!

I LOVE this place! The specials are awesome. Then staff is friendly and so helpful. Everything on the menus looks awesome. The ambiance is amazing, perfect for a good meal. Definitely the classiest in Towson. Perfect for late night meals and late boozer night drinks.

I ordered the Beef Short Ribs. To my surprise, there is no bone in that dishes. But totally it is good for food and atmosphere.

Menu is not as extensive as I hoped it would be the few menu items were delish.
Ordered bruschetta for my appetizer and the captain Chesapeake as my entrée. Both came out relatively quickly and tasted amazing.
Extensive wine and beer list. Ordered Riesling.
Our server was fast, nice, and attentive. Food/​drink prices are good.
There’s outdoor seating with a TV. Good for sport watching.
Only thing that sucks is the five dollar flat rate to park in their parking lot. The towing is STRICTLY enforced. Metered parking is available on the street.
Would recommend and return.

Who knew this was tucked back in the weird area between the Towson Library and Joppa Rd/​traffic circle. It’s in a cool little historic house, which always appeals to me. Parking is pay only, like most of Towson, and there are several adjacent lots which make it easy to find a space. The décor is quirky but upscale, with screen-​prints and other pieces of art in the wall for sale.
I had the summer dip appetizer, which was plentiful (I’m looking at you, Red Robin) and delicious. It was made of several seafoods, crab and shrimp definitely and maybe another, creamy base with corn and tomatoes inside, and cheese on top. They served it with bread and cucumbers for dipping. The cucumbers were a refreshing addition. For my entrée I had the shrimp and scallop Thai stir-​fry. I was really into seafood that day. It was very good, although they skimped on the scallops (only 2, and they might have actually been one large scallop cut in half). That was annoying. There were 4 or 5 large shrimp, but I really wanted the scallops. The dish was spicy with a peanut sauce and various vegetables, including zucchini and peppers. I thought the zucchini would be weird, but it wasn’t. Slightly more pricey than I would have liked, but not prohibitively so.
Let’s talk about the name for a minute. Bread and circuses is the translation of the Latin Panem et Circenses, which was a metaphor for basically using political showmanship and spectacle to distract the citizens from the government’s actual corruption and ineptitude. So it’s not really a positive name… Maybe they are being ironic. I suppose not many people will notice that hahahaha. Apologies for being a weirdo. I understand the appeal of using it as a restaurant name though. No matter. I will be back, and I will eat my way through all the bread and circuses.