Pub Dog, Federal Hill

7 of my friends wanted to meet in an affordable City establishment for some dinner and drinks. Some of them were from out of town, so the Baltimoreans were asked to come up with the meeting place. Easy enough, right? Especially when there's a food blogger in the midst!

WRONG.

We chose Pub Dog

We chose poorly

I destroyed all of my Foodie credibility.

Let's be honest, anyone who has ever been to Pub Dog knows that it's not the place for a group dinner centered around conversation and catching up. We had to take up two tables (of the four) in the back, and by the end of the night my voice was hoarse from shouting in order to be heard by my neighbor. This is a bar. A bar that just happens to serve pizzas. This is not a restaurant where you can hang out and chat.

The food itself was decent, nothing spectacular. I ordered the Spinach Pizza ($8.50), without bacon, which was heavy on the cheese (good) and salt (not good). I tried the Veggie Dog Pizza ($8.50) which had an ample amount of veggies (good) coupled with an ample amount of Soggy Crust Syndrome (not good). The BBQ Chicken pizza ($9) was flavorful and sweet, though personally a tad too sweet for me to have more than a slice.

Since the place is also known for its beers, I tried a couple of those too (beware - you have to buy 2 of the same kind for $4, which works well in groups, but not so well for a couple, perhaps). Both beers (Raspberry and White) were light and pleasant, though definitely more summer beers. The fruit flavored beers are not overwhelming, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. I personally liked them a lot.

Overall, I can see the appeal of Pub Dog if you live close by and want a neighborhood bar that has good pizza. But I definitely would NEVER recommend for a group dinner.