Joe Benny's in Baltimore - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

1st time to the new location. Loved it. Service was friendly, informative and attentive without being overbearing. Great suggestions about the menu. Both entrees were delicious esp the pistachio sauce. Bar scene was lively. Perfect place for casual, high quality food. Will definitely be back

Great place, great food, go here

Benny’s is always amazing! The food is awesome and the balls, OMG the balls! Best meatballs anywhere!

Best food, best wine, most importantly, the best friendliest and welcoming people 😊❤️

First time @ Benny’s and the overall experience was good. Learned about it from a fb reel and decided to take my hubby on a date, he loves Italian food The atmosphere was nice and the service was great. We encountered (3) staff (hostess, our waiter and the owner) all with personable demeanors. The food was average for both the entrees we selected. Therefore we probably won’t return; however, appreciate having the experience.

The food was delicious and the bartenders, especially Josh, were very polite and easy to chat with. Was curious to try these meatballs and they lived up to the hype. Would recommend, will be back!

The Baller Focaccia was insanely delicious.

Everything was beyond great! The owner greeted us as we walked through the door. Meatballs are the best I have ever had! Staff is wonderful!

So delicious!!! Taking meatballs home to Indianapolis. I have to pay these prices in Indy for Olive Garden 😖. Great value for quality, service & atmosphere! Thank you!

Joe and team immediately made my husband and I feel like part of the Benny family as soon as we walked through the door. There is a true sense of pride in the Italian culture Benny's has brought to Baltimore. The balls are out of this world. 10/10 would recommend and we will be back.

There is a LOT of pork on the menu. There's also veggies options but not a lot of someone who eats chicken or beef and not pork. Smallish menu. Staff is kind and knowledgeable. As a single I ate at the bar. Lots of drinks moving through. I had the "The Plain and Simple" think extra thick bready pizza. It was dry and needed extra sauce.

Yay! Joe's back with Benny's! Best (meat) balls on the block and yummy pastas and salads. Very friendly, attentive service, and lots of great spaces to relax and enjoy the food - there's a bar area as well as indoor and outdoor tables. It's a lovely walk, a few minutes from Inner Harbor, or, if you're driving, ample 3-hour parking around Little Italy.

We had such a great evening! VIP treatment from Joe and Tony!

Excellent Rigatoni and Sausage dish. Benny's still has the second best meatballs in Baltimore - behind DiPasquales. Will definitely be visiting again soon.

Manager/owner was really sweet. The food looked good but my party has some dietary restrictions so we decided to go elsewhere. Either way I'd like to recommend based on how sweet they were and they answered my questions nicely

Great food and awesome staff. I felt like I was visiting my Italian friend's family.

This is my first time trying Benny's, and I can't wait to go back. The menu is small but is filled with amazing dishes .the staff is friendly and attentive. The building is beautiful. If all restaurants were like this, none would ever fail. Keep up with what you are doing. It is perfect .

Joe Benny is back and better than ever. The new location is clean, stylish, and spacious. The new staff is friendly, and Joe himself is as welcoming as always. The new menu presents some great options, but it's hard not to go for the old classics. Walked in to no line at noon on Saturday (enjoy that while it lasts), placed a takeout order, was ready in about 25 minutes. Got two meals out of 'The Baller', 4 huge slices, though it was hard to stop. Doesn't seem like the Sloppy Balls come with the huge focaccia chunks anymore which is a disappointment, but you're not there for Best Bread on the Block. Update - Why can't I give more stars? Went back for the Sloppy Balls, Monkfish Ossobuco, and Creampuffs. The Sloppy Balls now come on a bed of polenta and are better than ever, though I still miss the focaccia squares. The monkfish had the texture of a tender steak and was also great. Crostini with both of them perfectly adequate for edible spoons. The creampuffs (5 per order) were also good but not super pistachio-flavored.

We went to the restaurant yesterday and the atmosphere is warm, exquisite food and impeccable service. . We got the Busiati trapanese and Focaccia plain and simple, We fell in love with food. We want to come back soon.

Arincini del mare was off the rails, ask them to make the old bay lemon crush, sounds weird but amazingly refreshing. Good vibes, great happy hr.

popped in for a bottle of red and some meatballs - fantastic. this place has been under my radar for quite some time, but this will not be the case moving forward. passionate staff & friendly locals. even got to see the o's best the yankees in the bottom of the 9th - the energy in here was electric and i am very much looking forward to coming back.

Just want to thank the staff here for being so kind as we came in with a 4 month old. We came super early for dinner to avoid crowds not realizing happy hour was so popular. Y’all were so nice as was everyone around us. Food was excellent, and big shout out to the pistachio dessert at the end. We never were able to make it to the old location but this was 10/10

We came for a birthday celebration! We were all 6 blown away by the food and don’t forget dessert!!!!

We were so excited to check out Benny’s after falling in love with the original spot and it did not disappoint! They were able to accommodate our big group of friends and our server made us feel like we were family. Not to mention everything we ordered was 10/10. This is a Baltimore staple for a reason. We will definitely be going back!

I have always loved Joe Benny’s balls but the arancini balls might be my new favorite thing. I went in with friends and we grazed the entire appetizer menu. Everything was delish. Just like Italy right here in Baltimore! I can’t wait to go back for the primi and secondi. Although I may stop back on my way home for a carry out order of arancini.

So happy you’re open again food is amazing and best balls on the block! Coming from Northern Virginia I’ll drive an hour any day for food this good. Salute 👌🏼

Absolutely delicious, we are so glad that Benny's is back! We had items from both the old and the new menu, and the focaccia is as delicious as ever! The new menu items are worth a try as well. The portions and pours are generous, and the service is friendly and attentive. Be sure to check out Benny's before the rest of Baltimore hears Joe Benny is back - we had no wait for a table, but don't think that will be true for long!

Just GO! Been going to Joe's for he first opened. My faves: burrata, Sloppy Roe, Sharini, JB's lemonade.

Incredible dining experience! They have seamlessly married the "neighborhood spot" to delicious fine dining while still making everyone that walks in the door feel like family. Add this to your list asap!

When I walked by and realized Benny’s was back, I kissed the ground ! Super welcoming as soon as we walked in the door. Some of the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet. We started with the arancini in an amazing salmon cream sauce, absolutely superb. We then had the plain and simple focaccia pizza, and it was delicious. Finally, the casarecce with eggplant finished it off perfectly. AMAZING.

Great food. Great service and the owner always makes you feel at home.

The new Benny's! Pasta baby pasta! And a steak on the menu that I can't wait to try! Great job Joe and good luck! You knocked it outta the park with the new Benny's!

Great atmosphere. Love the new space! Very fresh and open

Sad to see this place is closing. My wife and I come here when we are in town for an Orioles game. Awesome place with awesome food! Hopefully not the last we see of Joe Bennys!

Love their black mamba focaccia. The only decent pizza place in Maryland. tasty and flavorful. Service is great as well.

Another amazing evening at Joe Benny's! I was fortunate enough to get a table inside and enjoy the Bocce Focaccia straight from the oven! Fantastic Italian options and the Best Balls on the block. Additional -- final week there. Amazing service and amazing food!

Incredible local place with great food and fun neighborhood vibe. Sadly they are closing in June.

Shame on me for putting off dining at Joe Benny's for so long! I wish there was more time to indulge in the Sloppy Balls, Foccacia, and the dreamy Reese's Cream Puffs with Silky Chi Hazelnut Mousse.... my daughter said I should befriend Joe so we could go eat at his house.... but for real, I need either the meatball and sauce recipe or the dessert. Otherwise, I'll fall into a deep depression knowing I'll never have either ever again 😭. I wish more people were good empathetic people who placed value on these small, charming, scrumptious establishments, and maybe Joe Benny's would be around even a little bit longer. Thanks to the crew there for a fantastic dining experience! Chefs Kiss!

TLDR: Amazing focaccia pizza and an unforgettable neighborhood atmosphere. Unfortunately they are closing their doors at the end of May 2023 for the time being. But it's not a goodbye for forever, but see you later! Vibe: 5/5. Located in the heart of Little Italy on S High Street, Joe Benny's is a small rowhome restaurant. Inside, the restaurant holds approximately 30 guests at any given time by way of the long bar top and a handful of 2 tops in the back dining room. Joe Benny's has that neighborhood watering hole vibe down solid. Because the place is so narrow, diners will be in close quarters with the staff and other guests at all times, but that's not exactly a bad thing. The kitchen is located right behind the bar out in the open, so you can watch all items being made from start to finish. Unfortunately, by the time I post this review, Joe Benny's will be in their last few weeks of operation as they are planning to close up shop at the end of May. Due to the imminent closing, demand has been through the roof, so expect to wait 1hr+ at peak hours. Fortunately, it has been said that the closing is only for the immediate future and Joe plans to make a comeback in some shape or form in the future. Service: 4/5. We went on a Wednesday at 4:45pm (they open at 5pm) and there was a line of 30+ people stretching down the sidewalk waiting for them to open. When Joe opened the doors at 5pm, he warmly greeted people and mentioned that the "service may suck" tonight because they are short on staff being it's their last few weeks in operation. My party of 2 missed the first seating, so we decided to wait via standing at the bar inside the restaurant. Joe mentioned it would be around an hour wait, and he was pretty much spot on with that estimate. In the meantime, we kept ourselves busy with a few sangria's as we stood in the background listening to the friendly banter between Joe and his patrons. When we were finally seated a little before 6pm, we already had our order ready to go so the staff promptly took our food and drink orders to get it started. Both the food and drinks came out faster than expected which helped justify the long wait. Small miss, but one of the pizzas we ordered was misunderstood during the ordering process and we received a different pizza then what we anticipated. They asked if we wanted to get a replacement made, but we were totally fine with the pie we received, and we wanted to get the next group of diners in behind us. Food: 5/5. In a sea of pizza restaurants offering up more or less the same things, Joe Benny's truly has something special. The focaccia style pizza just hits different than any Sicilian, Detroit or Chicago style pizza I have ever had. The focaccia provides this unbelievably pillowy yet crisp base for Joe's amazing sauce and toppings. One thing I definitely appreciated was the frequent use of burrata cheese in the pizza combinations. Of the three pies we ordered, our favorite was by far the crabby Joe and the sharini. The Crabby Joe was their take on a crab dip pizza, but a much superior version using homemade garlic sauce paired with lump crab. The Sharini used their famous homemade meatballs paired with a heaping dose of burrata and sauce. Simple by design, but an amazing combination of textures and flavors. There were several other pizzas on the menu we wanted to try, but for 2 very hungry people, 3 pizzas was borderline overkill. Overall, I highly suggest paying your respects to Joe Benny's for a dinner service before they shut their doors. You may have to wait, but that focaccia and family atmosphere makes it well worth it!

Worth the wait! Absolutely delicious pizza. That focaccia though!!! Sad to see them closing but happy Joe will be taking a break he deserves it!

Its a packed little restaurant but the focaccia is incredible.

Great service, amazing atmosphere, the focaccia is unmatched, but I was unimpressed with the pizza, might just be my taste but I thought it needed more sauce

Awesome, casual restaurant in little Italy! We’ll definitely be coming back. Pizza’s were delicious and super friendly staff!

Joe Benny is the definition of “authentic.” Genuine, real deal cuisine. Real caring staff. An owner who genuinely cares about your experience. Joe define what small business is all about! And, his balls are amazing!

We rearranged our Spring Break plans just to eat at Joe Benny’s again!! It’s awesome. We are from NC and every time we’ve eaten here we feel like family. And the food!! OMG - the lightest bread you’ll ever eat. It just melts in your mouth. Everything is yum. Meatballs, drinks, even dessert! We had the cheesecake balls last evening and they were sooo good. Better than any slice of cheesecake we found in NYC this week.

Food was great. The Joe Benny sub was amazing! Little disappointed they charged us for 2 unsweetened iced teas when the second one was barely tea flavored water. The waiter said they had to make new tea because they ran out but it was pretty much just water. They charged us $3.50 for it. Other than that everything else was great.

WTAF!!! This was w/o a doubt one of the most deeeeelicious meals I have ever had in my LIFE🤤Yes they have THE BEST BALLS on the block but let’s not overlook their focaccia which is insane 🤯🤯 4 of us split an order of sloppy Rowe meatballs, The Joe Benny Italian sandwich (Best $#*—% EVER!), and a Pete pizza 🤭❤️NO REGRETS!!

Good luck getting ahold of someone.

Been wanting to eat here for a while, and finally made it! Food was delicious! It’s a classic Baltimore spot, and has some unique pizzas!

Great food and service. Tiny place, but we got right in on a Tuesday night and it was 10% off Tuesday, so that was a bonus. Tons of pizza choices and a long menu of fun mixed drinks. The hype about the meatballs is true.

Quite small place but the food is big with flavor! Every thing is made fresh and it isn’t pricey! This is one of my favorite places in the city

Great place... fun Neighborhood atmosphere and the pizza is out of this world!!

Before you go here, know the rules. Be prepared for your visit and experience. Watch Joe's YouTube videos. Then go and enjoy the best balls, service, sauce, Froccacia Pizza you will ever have!

Best pizza in Baltimore. The limoncello mule was also incredible.

It's Joe Benny's, Best balls in town!

Owner, Joe, and all his employees were great! We haven't been there since last year and just better every time we go! Love this place and the people!

Without question,the best. Top quality food at reasonable prices. Real Italian.Joe puts his heart and soul in the quality. Of food and service to his customers. He treat everyone like family Bon appetite 😄

Absolutely delicious. Meatballs are a bite of heaven, and pizza dough like biting into a cloud... just delicious... we spend time in north end of Boston and this restaurant would Rank #1 there!

The sign got us in, but the simple yet delicious food and authentic service earned the stars. This quaint Italian restaurant is a local gem and this was our first time in. Joe himself greeted us with a warm welcome and after a brief wait, we took a seat at the bar. While waiting for our order of meatballs and Angry Ginger pizza, Mr & Mrs Clause came in for dinner too and it was pure joy. The meatballs smothered in homemade marinara and served with focaccia bread are flavourful and moist. My personal favourite is the fluffy focaccia bread with the crunchy ends, which is also their pizza dough.

10/10 experience! This is our go to place in Baltimore. From the food, to the environment, to the owner Joe greeting you with a warm welcome! You won’t regret it!!

Best balls !!!:)) Amazing!! Very good services, and friendly !! Thx !! ❤️

The owner is a total nut case with anger issues. Verbally abusive, and downright rude. I’d rather eat a gas station sandwich than eat at this place

If someone blind folded me and told me to taste this pizza... I would say it was good, but this isn't pizza (to me). This is pizza bread. The focaccia bread was very flavorful but dry, and not enough sauce. In general.. awesome flavor, just dry. The pizza's are also super small. If you're a guy who likes to eat, you'll easily take a whole pizza down yourself. Probably the right amount of food for two women to split or split on a date if you don't want to be "too full". We ordered a meatball and pepperoni pizza, a Joe Benny sub, and a grilled chicken and mushroom pizza. The meatballs are phenomenal, but belong on pasta with a lot of sauce. Honestly.. the sub was way better than the pizza. Overall, pretty good food. Would I eat here again..? Probably not (unless I was in the mood specifically for a sub).

Such an awesome experience! Best balls in town!! Focaccia unmatched. Joe and the wait staff were extremely friendly. Will be back

Great place, great food, great staff!!

We're able to get down to JBs once or twice a year and it's always special and worth every penny. Love sitting at the bar. Staff is excellent and Joe is the man.

Wow! I finally know what all the hype is about. Joe Benny's is amazing! We had a large party, so we sampled pizza, salad, sandwiches, and meatballs. Everything along with the service was outstanding, especially the meatballs. They were indeed the best meatballs I have ever had!

Loved all the food, but the meatballs were really amazing. Wonderful atmosphere and friendly and attentive staff. Definitely going to make another visit soon!

Let me start with saying, I randomly stumbled upon a TikTok with a 5 second clip of Joe Bennys and I knew I had to have it when we came into town to visit family for Christmas. We showed up at 5:04 PM and instantly were on a hour wait, which was totally okay. We got a round of limoncello cream shots and asked Mitch for his favorite Italian red wine and set off outside to enjoy a warmer January day and relax. We were able to get a seat at the bar about 45 minutes later and were in for a treat. First off - the rules are great and easy to abide by. Secondly - watching Joe and his staff was a real treat. Service was expedited and a well oiled machine. We split sloppy balls, a Caesar, a Joe Benny, and a bocce focaccia. Everything was stupid good, like it’s been almost 3 weeks and I’m telling anyone and everyone to go see Joe and company in little Italy. Thank you for everything - you have a fan for life and we will see you this summer.

There aren't enough stars in the sky to rate this place. Joe has been doing it the right way as long as I've known him. Always a staple when I come home to visit.

We have been a few times, and we always split focaccia and a meatball sub! Easily the best meal we’ve had anywhere in Baltimore. So delicious.

Such gooood food in cold 🥶 weather!! Meatball and pizza are absolutely delicious. Really like the vibe of Joe, so funny and warm😆

Quaint atmosphere with great menu. Stiff drinks too, feel like you get your money's worth.

Had a great dinner experience! Stopped by on a Friday evening, no wait for a table. Our server Stephanie was great and recommended customer favorites. We shared the Big Guy focaccia pizza pie and the Anita Manna special with rigatoni pasta and meatballs. Both were absolutely delicious and paired great with the ice cold Peroni beer. Highly recommended!

BOOM! This place is dope. 100%

SO delicious and yes, the BEST balls! We got the sloppy balls, the pasta and balls and the bruschetta and everything was fantastic! The buretta cheese melted over everything was key! We finished with the chocolate hazelnut cream puffs and those were INCREDIBLE! What a great meal, we polished everything off and left stuffed and happy! Thanks!

Loved this back-street, hole-in-the wall restaurant. The setting was fantastic -- lots of energy, friendly staff, good music. The meatballs are a must have. The pizza was good, but nothing fantastic.

The best experience in all aspects! 🤤

Great place, fun and inviting. Love the food! Try the meatballs; they are phenomenal! Get there early because it fills up pretty quickly with a nice crowd...

Awesome experience. Super customer service. And delicious home style Italian food.

Had the verde pizza, which was incredible. There's lots of different pizza and food options to choose from, so you're bound to find something you like.

Great food. Great atmosphere. Drinks are great. Owner and staff great people. RESPECT DA RULES!!!!!! Don’t be me and get full off starters cause now I have to wait till Tuesday to get my Black Mamba.

It’s closed from Aug 1 - Sept 5 2022. It’s not updated on google for some reason. In general the food is great!

While my wife and I were in Baltimore we stopped in for some pizza. We walked in and wow it's a small place and packed we would have sat outside but it was way to hot. We ordered a The #BillsMafia pizza and a the Black Mamba. Both of our pizza was so very good hot fresh. The #BillsMafia it was not to hot of sauce it was just right. Our service was great the atmosphere in there is nice. If we ever go back to Baltimore we will eat here again.

Fresh...FRESH food they sell out often, get there early. Best Balls on the Block! Focaccia Pizzas are equally good Amazing atmosphere And try the Limoncello

When I say this place deserves a 6 out of 5 I mean it. The meatballs and brucheta were fantastically made. Infact i was upset when 2 tomatoes dropped off my plate as seen in the picture, that is how delicious it was. Further, there's just something about the owner of a restaurant having a face at the restaurant. The owner and his workers were just super friendly and very welcoming. Thank you for an awesome evening and we will definitely be back:-)

Joe Benny’s serves amazing meatballs and pizza. The meatball appetizer at this restaurant is amazing. It’s a blend of beef and pork and served with garlic bread, the garlic bread was out of this world good. They serve very unique and creative pizzas on a thick crust, both pizzas I ordered had incredible flavor. I highly recommend this restaurant if you like pizza or meatballs. The service was outstanding and the staff were extremely friendly.

One of the best restaurants in Baltimore. We have moved to the other side of the country and miss it all the time! Save room for dessert!

What’s up dinner was amazing the messy meatballs were delicious. The Bruchetta was good and the JB hard lemonade was amazing. My server Stephanie was absolutely out of his world nice proffesional attentive even with a packed place. She a rockstar!!!!!

Awesome food! Seems like great place for locals and travelers alike

Came for the great pizza and found the best meatballs in town. Sauce is amazing and you can get jars to-go. The cocktail menu, I could do some damage to myself but I was getting full. Everything else, the music, ambiance, the owner, his staff… all terrific and leaves you wanting to come back for more. Tell your friends!

Food: 4 stars Service: 1 star Came here with my son for dinner. It was around 5:15pm and already crowded, but we got a table for two at the very back. A few mins after we sat down, a group of 4 was seated at the table beside us. Our server for some reason decided to help them first. Don't know why, but sure, I can let that slide. He took their drink orders, brought them their drinks, then took their food orders, all while completely ignoring us. Like zero eye contact. Not sure if it's cuz I was with a little kid or what, but it was like we were invisible to him. After being ignored for a total of 20 mins, I decided to walk up to the front to ask another server if I could just order there. This other server was great; super friendly and apologetic, and said he'd send our server over to us. We finally get our food and it's good. Ordered a Nonna and a Sharini. Now we're ready for the check, and we become invisible again to our server. The other awesome server actually came by to check on us and make sure we weren't being ignored. So I told him we'd just like a box for the leftovers and the check. He was nice enough to box up our food and said he'd send our server over with the check. I wait 10 mins as I watch our server just wiping down tables and ignoring us again. At that point I just decide to get up and go pay at the front. TLDR: food good; service terrible, but seemed isolated to the one particular server we had.

Whatever this restaurant lacks in size, it makes up with outsized taste and charm! Remarkably, the dining room only has six tables. There are another four small tables outside. We came on a Saturday night around 7:30pm. We waited about 30 minutes for a table. There was a very limited menu because the restaurant was short-staffed. The high-top table we had was incredibly wobbly, but our waiter quickly fixed it. How this place gets by with only one toilet for customers, who knows? But it works! We’re giving this place five stars based on the quality of the food alone. We also got to meet Joe himself! He is a great guy. Get the meatballs with the cream sauce. You won’t be disappointed! Also, if you order the pizza, order it with extra cheese. You won’t be disappointed! This place has the best “thick deep dish style” pizza in Baltimore! (It’s really focaccia-style, but if you like deep dish pizza, you’ll love this place!) Also, Michael was a great server!

Amazing service; really respectful and friendly staff; the pizza was delicious!!

Small restaurant with the biggest flavor! Some of the best pizza in Baltimore, but the owner Joe would call it “pie” since the crust is the most delicious, homemade focaccia crust that ever was.

What a gem to little Italy! Stop in you won't regret it.

Bro, people are leaving bad reviews for Joe Benny's? Like little Italy Joe Benny's? Best balls on the block Joe Benny's? This little gem is the absolute best we've got in Baltimore. Don't rob yourself of an experience folks.. go. Now.

Consistently my favorite spot in Baltimore. You have to realize it's a small restaurant run by a small team. Expect to be patient and arrive early if you want to get a spot right away. I always aim to be at the bar to watch Joe in action and interact with everyone. You'll want to go more than once to try them all. Must haves: Burrata app - Very refreshing and delicious app Sloppy Rowe - Best balls on the block covered in cheese. Cheesy bread app - I get this when I'm not getting a pizza so I still feel like I'm getting a pie All of the pizzas - Find your flavor and learn about the thick Sicilian style of focaccia pizza. Don't expect a little thin crust pizza. Finish it off with whatever Puffs they have available for dessert

I'll never be able to tell anyone how the food is , went there the first time at 8:00 on a Friday night and the were closed already even though the hours posted on here say they close at 9:00 then we went on a Saturday at 5:00 when they supposedly open 5:00 and found a note CLOSED. Won't drive 21 miles again to be disappointed again.

Literally the most disappointing restaurant in Baltimore. I’ve been trying to eat here for a few months now. Tried calling to place an order no one picks up the phone, the online ordering was down, showed up just to be told they’ve run out of everything… Some days their open, others they’re not, doesn’t feel like the hours are consistent. It’s honestly just really bizarre, I’ve never had to try so hard to eat anywhere in my life even at restaurants that are “exclusive” and require reservations.