Playing 162 games in a season — and half on the road — doesn’t leave the Orioles a whole lot of time for eating out.
But when they do, O’s players have found a lot to savor on the local dining scene.
“The food here is so good,” pitcher Cole Irvin said recently. “Guys talk about places all the time, and I can’t keep up with all the recommendations.”
It turns out one of baseball’s top teams also has its share of foodies. We asked 10 players for their favorite spots to grab a bite to eat in and around Baltimore.
Some restaurants came up time and again: Perhaps it’s no surprise that Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, the Dundalk restaurant that’s home to menu specials such as the Gunnar burger and the Grayson Rodriguez sushi roll, would be the most-cited spot on the list. Miss Shirley’s, the classic Baltimore breakfast spot a mile’s walk from the ballpark, was another favorite. Two players cited Tagliata in Harbor East as their go-to date night destination.
Keep an eye out and you might catch Irvin ordering a breakfast sandwich at DiPasquale’s Italian Market in Brewers Hill or Ramón Urías eating a Hawaiian roll at Kiku Sushi.
Jordan Westburg, meanwhile, wants your dining tips. “I’m still learning; it’s tough when you don’t have off days that much,” the infielder said, “but whenever I get the chance to try new places, I’ll for sure check them out.
“So if there’s any recommendations, tell people to shoot them my way.”
Jimmy’s Famous Seafood
6526 Holabird Ave.
Dining lineup: Gunnar Henderson, Keegan Akin, Danny Coulombe, Cole Irvin and Jordan Westburg
The seafood at Jimmy’s is “unreal,” according to Henderson, perhaps in a way similar to his play on the field, as Henderson is in the early running for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. He might have a slight bias for Jimmy’s, though, given the restaurant recently debuted the Gunnar burger — a monstrosity that includes bacon, fried pickles and cheese sauce for dunking.
It’s #NationalBurgerDay – and The @orioles look to extend their win streak! Enjoy the game at Jimmy’s tonight with our famous Gunnar Burger!
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— Jimmy’s Famous Seafood (@JimmysSeafood) May 28, 2024
It’s 
Irvin said Jimmy’s “always takes care” of Orioles players when they go there to eat.
“They’re incredible,” the left-handed pitcher said. “Hospitality is through the roof, and the food is amazing.”
“It’s just really good seafood, it’s very convenient, it’s right down the road,” pitcher Keegan Akin said of Jimmy’s appeal.
Though the restaurant is known especially for its crabcake egg rolls, crabby fries and other seafood specialties, Danny Coulombe has a hot tip: Try the desserts. The cheesecake at Jimmy’s is “some of the best” the left-handed pitcher and his wife have ever had. Their son, meanwhile, loved the carrot cake.
Coulombe said he’s not angling for a Jimmy’s menu special of his own. He acknowledges, however, that the “Coulombe carrot cake” has a bit of a ring to it.
Tagliata
1012 Fleet St.
Dining lineup: Austin Hays and Jordan Westburg
Outfielder Austin Hays said this Harbor East spot is at the top of his list, though it has to be because it’s also his wife Samantha’s favorite. He said the tortellini — mixed with prosciutto, crispy speck, parmigiano, candied walnuts and balsamico — is his go-to dish.
All they need to visit the restaurant, which offers one of the largest wine lists in Baltimore, is a babysitter.
“We usually go there … if we find time,” Hays said with a laugh. “Find a babysitter, get family in town to watch the boys. Yeah, Tagliata, that’s a good spot.”
Westburg is partial to the chicken parmesan and rigatoni alla vodka at the Italian chophouse, while his wife orders the tortellini like Hays.
“That was really good,” Westburg said of the pasta dish. “I might go back and get it.”
Miss Shirley’s Cafe
750 East Pratt St.
Dining rotation: Craig Kimbrel and Gunnar Henderson
Breakfast is the only meal for which Orioles players are almost always able to grab a bite if they wish. Players typically arrive at Camden Yards at around 2 or 3 p.m. for night games and 10 a.m. for day games.
Henderson said the blueberry, white-chocolate-chip pancakes from Miss Shirley’s is his “go-to more mornings than not.”
“I love Miss Shirley’s,” he said. “Shoot, I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve ordered from there.”
He rarely goes to the restaurant, though, instead opting to get it delivered from DoorDash so he can chill in the morning.
Closer Craig Kimbrel was a Miss Shirley’s fan even before playing for Baltimore.
The recent Orioles addition is “still getting to know the area” — “we’ve had a couple [restaurant] recommendations but haven’t checked them out yet,” he said — but he’s been enjoying the proximity to Miss Shirley’s.
“Just coming in on the road, I’ve been going there for years,” he said. “I’ll still go pick that up every now and then for breakfast.”
Iron Rooster
3721 Boston St.
Dining rotation: Cole Irvin
Irvin is a basic breakfast guy. Get him some eggs, potatoes and some fruit, and he’s good to go.
Iron Rooster is his spot for that, although he does indulge with one of the restaurant’s signature RoosTarts now and again.
“They’re so good,” he said. “They’re basically homemade, jumbo Pop-Tarts.”
Watershed
1065 South Charles St., Suite 101
Dining rotation: Gunnar Henderson
The star shortstop said he and the other players on the Orioles are rarely able to go out to dinner in Baltimore since the team mostly plays evening games at home. So, this Fed Hill spot is one the 22-year-old frequents for lunch before heading to Oriole Park for a night game.
“I’ll either get a burger or a Caesar salad or something,” he said. “There’s a bunch of good stuff there. The cheesecake is pretty good, too. It’s all really good there.”
DiPasquale’s Italian Market
3700 Toone St.
Dining rotation: Cole Irvin
Irvin and Adley Rutschman were hanging out by the pool during a day off when Irvin’s batterymate made an intriguing food suggestion.
“Adley was like, ‘I’m going to get a cheesesteak.’”
Irvin, a former Philadelphia Phillie, was curious where he could get a good Philly cheesesteak in Charm City. Turns out, DiPasquale’s is the place, per Rutschman’s recommendation.
“They have an actually low-key incredible Philly cheesesteak,” Irvin said. “It hits the mark. Perfect.”
Normally, though, Irvin will go to the Brewers Hill market for breakfast for a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich.
“They take care of me every time I’m in there,” he said. “There’s such great people in there.”
Akira Ramen & Izakaya
3731 Boston St.
Dining rotation: Dean Kremer
For the past few years, starting pitcher Dean Kremer and his girlfriend have run an Instagram account to share the cooking they do during the offseason. But Kremer rejected the adjective “foodie” to describe himself.
“I enjoy cooking,” he said. “I’m not a snob by any means.”
Foodie or not, Akira is Kremer’s favorite spot in Charm City, with the pitcher going there for ramen at least once a homestand.
Kiku Sushi
1017 Light St.
Dining rotation: Ramón Urías
Ramón Urías, an infielder who grew up in Mexico, said Kiku is his favorite sushi place downtown.
“I go pretty often, maybe once a homestand,” he said. “I like the Hawaiian roll. That one is pretty good.”
Blue Moon Too
1024 Light St.
Dining rotation: Jacob Webb
When asked for his dining recommendation, Jacob Webb was enthusiastic about a restaurant he had tried earlier that very day.
The relief pitcher said he had just been to breakfast with his financial adviser at Blue Moon Too, where he ordered a “spot on” eggs Benedict.
“It was really good; portion sizes were really good,” he said of the Federal Hill brunch spot.
The clubhouse
Webb, who joined the team in August 2023, said he hasn’t had time to explore much more of the city’s dining scene. In his defense, he hasn’t had to go far to find a crabcake: He says the ones served in the team’s clubhouse are “unreal.”
It’s inspired him to look for more seafood spots.
“I know Baltimore is known for that,” he said. “I definitely want to, at some point this year, experience more.”
Their own kitchen
Though Orioles players were enthusiastic about eating out, several said there’s nothing like a home-cooked meal.
Pitcher Yennier Cano said he’s on the hunt for a Texas or Brazilian steakhouse, but in the meantime he’s content to make his own food. His signature dishes are Cuban staples such as pork, yucca and congri, a black beans-and-rice combo.
“I like to cook and I’m the one who usually cooks in the household,” he said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones.
Akin is also a fan of eating in.
“Honestly, if I’m home, I’d rather cook,” he said. “We eat out so much when we go on the road, so it’s nice to get a decent home-cooked meal when you can.”
Honorable mentions: Underground Pizza (Kremer), Charleston Restaurant (Kremer), Verde (Irvin), Mother’s (Coulombe), Amicci’s (Coulombe), Shoyou Sushi (Akin), Gunther & Co. (Westburg), Azumi (Kremer).