Social Pub and Pie is open for business

In the grand tradition of making bars and restaurants in the Federal Hill area larger by absorbing neighboring properties, Grumpies Pour House has successfully expanded into the adjacent Federal Hill Lounge space and has reopened as a pizza restaurant dubbed Social Pub and Pie (25 E Cross St).

The old Federal Hill Lounge was completely gutted it would seem and flawlessly incorporated into the new space with completely redone floors and a small but efficient brick oven-containing kitchen, with booths for diners lining the wall opposite the bar which remains the same as it was pre-renovation. Aside from that everything else from Grumpies remains the same, including the upstairs bar and enclosed deck area, a favorite spot for smokers and outdoor drinking enthusiasts. Undoubtedly the additional space on the first floor will make the weekend crowd much larger, with a DJ featured on Saturdays and that “new bar smell” which seems to attract so many folks who are curious about the new digs.

As far as the menu is concerned, it’s very straightforward: Pizza, Salads, and a few appetizers. The pizza is either build-your-own starting at $10, with several specialty pizzas available for consumption. I picked the buffalo chicken pizza ($13, 11″) and was pleased with the quality. It’s easily on par with immediate competitor Pub Dog (20 E Cross St.) across the market with a light, crispy crust and a bottom replete with flour/charcoal you’d also find at BOP or Joe Squared. The kitchen was originally rumored to stay open late for drunken 1am grubbery, but when I asked I was told they stop serving at 11:30pm, which falls just short of Pub Dog’s which remains open almost until last call.

And that’s about all I can say about it, if you’re happy to drop 13 bucks on a fairly tasty pizza (or $3 more for a 16″, enough for 3 folks) with the addition of a wide selection of wine on the menu, then Social Pub is your place. Now if only they can keep Grumpies totally sweet $2 draft happy hour special, they’d be golden!* Best of luck, Social Pub and Pie!

(You can find Social Pub on Facebook)

*for my alcoholism