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Est. 100AD

Towson's Most Loved!

Welcome

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Bread & Circuses Bistro’s name is derived from an ancient Roman strategy of keeping people happy by providing them with two things humanity seems to always cherish and desire: food & entertainment.

Hours

Monday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Tuesday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Wednesday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Thursday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Friday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Saturday: 11:00am - 2:00am
Sunday: 10:00am - 2:00am

Happy Hour!

Good Food | Good Wine​

(Some more expensive brands might be unavailable for promotions).

BREAD & CIRCUSES HAPPY HOUR HIGH
3:00PM-7:00PM MONDAY-FRIDAY AT THE BAR

DAILY DEALS:
MARTINI MONDAY - $5.00 ALL RAIL MARTINIS & ALL RAIL MANHATTANS sponsored by Buffalo Trace
TEQUILA TUESDAY - $5.00 ALL NON TOP-SHELF TEQUILAS & FLAVORED MARGARITAS sponsored by Millagro
WHISKEY WEDNESDAY -INTRODUCING THE $5.00 WHISKEY CLUB - ALL WHISKEYS & WHISKEY COCKTAILS OVER 30 CHOICES Sponsored By Jameson. We’re Bringing Pickle Back!!!
THIRSTY RUM THURSDAY'S - $5.00 all crafted rums and rum cocktails
FOAM & BUBBLES FRIDAYS $5.00 if it has foam or bubbles includes draft beer, champagne, sparkling wine, & bombs

MONDAY-FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR DEALS
3:00PM-7:00PM
(BAR ONLY)

$5 ALL WINE BY THE GLASS
$5 ROMAN RED SANGRIA
$4 BLOODYS
$2 NATTY LIGHTS
$1 BARTENDER JOKES
HUNGRY???
Ask your bartender about our daily food spectacular deals!!
MUST BE 21
WE RESERVE RIGHT TO STOP SERVICE
DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE

Quality Ingredients, Tasty Meals

BREAD & CIRCUSES BAR FEATURES •Over 100 different bottles of wine •Over 25 different beers, meads, & ciders •Largest Scotch selection in Baltimore County •Premium top-shelf choices like- Pappy Van Winkle •Handcrafted cocktails & top-notch bartenders •The best happy hour in town

**Please note the menu frequently changes due to seasonal availability and supplier delivery

About Us

The bistro name, “Bread & Circuses” dates back nearly two thousand years, to the once great Roman Republic. The phrase “Bread and Circuses” or as it would have been uttered in the time of Caesar -“panem et circences” was coined by the Roman poet and satirist Juvenal in about 100 AD.

Read more

In his accounts of ancient Rome, Juvenal makes mention of a brilliant scheme to pacify and distract the citizenry of Rome. By offering grand spectacles like chariot races with wagering, gladiatorial combat to the death, men fighting beasts, warships fighting other warships, military battle re-enactments, and by providing the populace with free grains, exotic oils, & intoxicating wines all Romans would be compliant and forego there civic duty and certainly not dare revolt. So, You are probably wondering, how does B&C make a good restaurant name or for that matter a clever line of Tee Shirts ( that you can purchase today ) ? THE PHRASE doesn’t seem to evoke a positive feeling. Are the owners mad or are they mad ? Keep Reading . . . It also implies the erosion or ignorance of civic duty amongst the concerns of the common man The Roman plot was simplistic in nature, an almost ancient form of civic well-fare with a ‘Las Vegas Style Backdrop’, perpetrated on an unsuspecting roman citizenry with a fatal result. Bread and Circuses would be the cause celeb of the day for the wild roman mob. The events that must have transpired in the Colosseum on a daily basis, must have been truly spectacular to have witnessed. Today’s entertainment dwarfs in comparison. Imagine if the Preakness was held every day but you didn’t have to pay your admission, buy your snacks, or buy your booze. What a party ! Or if American Idol, Dances with the Stars, The Superbowl were to the death – you get the point. Who then among us would care about the coming QE3, or QE1, QE2, NATO, UN., EU.,G7, GAT., NAFTA., WTO., DMZ., WMD., OPEC., or USA ; to name a few.

BREAD The government of Rome provided bread, oil, and wine free of charge to its subjects on a massive scale. In an average year six million sacks of grain and about eighteen million gallons of wine would be consumed free of charge by the roman population.The practice of providing free wheat or grain known as the Anonna (wheat dole) was held at the Temple of Ceress. The Anonna was typically depicted as a goddess with a cornucopia (horn of plenty) in her arm and a ship’s prow in the background, alluding to the transport of grain into the harbor of Rome. The demand for grain ( like fossil fuel today) was considerably high and could not be entirely met by the surrounding roman countryside with its many villas and parks of the aristocracy and which mainly produced fruits, vegetables, and other perishable items. Therefore grain had to be transported from other parts of Italy notably Campania and from elsewhere in the Empire like Sicily, North Africa, and Egypt. Remember the scene in Gladiator, where they are tossing loaves of bread into the stands before a gladiator duel. Grain was the fossil fuel of the roman society, it is what kept the Empire moving. Grain was like Popcorn to the ancient romans, and the spilled blood of the gladiators was its butter.

CIRCUSES There were many different types of gladiatorial contest all very bloody in nature. The violence here would have made Terrantino blush. But don’t worrie we won’t ruin your meal. If your looking for great realistic imagery classics like Ben-Hur, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Gladiator, and The Fall of the Roman Empire are a must see. Legendary entertainment was held at the Circus Maximus located between the Capitoline and the Eventide Hills. The seating could handle 250,000 spectators. Four times the capacity of Johnny Unitas Arena (aka – M & T Bank Stadium). What a “chariot-gate’ party it must have been. What the chariot races lacked in violence, they made up for in crowd enthusiasm and crowd wagering. We Romans love to gamble. Actually live racing was held there up to the year 549. No simulcasting or online wagering though. Sorry.

WORLD PHENOMENA Today . . .the phrase Bread and Circuses has many references and uses. Gene Rodenberry of Star Trek fame used it for the tittle of Episode 54 in 1968 to describe a futuristic race of Romans And there corrupted planet. In 19th century Spain, Pan y Torros or Bread and Bullfighting had a similar connotation. In Russia in the time of the czar it was Bread and Spectacle. Arduous Huxley also sheds ¥ Some say we are the new Rome and our empire is waning.

THE BISTRO Finally for our proposes. Keep your healthy intellect, keep your world awareness but understand Tonight . . .be our guest; relax, eat, drink wine, and let us entertain you. Tonight let us distract you, let us divert you from things in your personal life, your family, job, city, state, country, and planet and most of all let us please you. Revel in your time Enjoy the simplicity that Bread & Circuses Bistro is – Good Food Good Fun, Good Entertainment And may be when you wake up tomorrow you can start a revolution from your bed. So thumbs up to you.

WHEN IN ROME . . . Do as the Romans. Pax Romana But where is Rome? Some ‘ivory tower intellectuals’ believe that we our the new Romans and that our empire is waning. Pax Americana is fading into history.

Book your wedding Rehearsal Dinner,
Wedding Brunch, Graduation, Birthday or Special family event meal with Us!

Avoid all the hassles & up-charges of a traditional venue and let our professionals at Bread & Circuses partner with you to personalize your big day and make it an event for the ages. Let us work with you to  make your special occasion memorable.  So eat, drink, and celebrate in style at Bread & Circuses. And think about it – Where to go for a fantastic dinner when you celebrate anniversaries won’t be a hassle.

Call Steve 443 655 6969
Or email.

Let Us Host Your Wedding

Avoid all the hassles & up-charges of a traditional wedding venue and let our professionals at Bread & Circuses partner with you to personalize your big day and make it an event for the ages. We also offer Vostok wedding cakes, floral services, photography & videography specialists, & musical acts & DJ’s. So eat, drink, and get married in style at Bread & Circuses. And think about it – Where to go for a fantastic dinner when you celebrate wedding anniversaries won’t be a hassle. Call Steve 443 655 6969
Or email.

Happy Customers

"Me and my sister brought our mother here for brunch today and it was an amazing experience!!! The food was great and the ambiance was even better! Our server Mike was so nice and very efficient. I loved it so much I am going back tonight! Also, I had to call the restaurant just to make sure they had outside seating. The phone was answered by a gentleman named Nick. He was the most pleasant person I think I have ever encountered on the phone for a restaurant. I would definitely recommend this place."

- Google Review

"I stumbled upon this little place with my bestie while looking for a nice spot for Sunday brunch. I had the Greek Omelet, she had the Chicken and Waffles, and we split the Salmon appetizer. The food was amazing & the staff was superb! So I had to return with my dad & fiance to ask how they felt about hosting our upcoming post wedding lunch reception here. Once they tried the food they were both on board! The owner, Steve Fox, contacted me immediately to set up plans to make our day special. I can't wait until the rest of my family & friends get to enjoy all that this place has to offer!"

- Google Review

"I've been here multiple times and the food is always spot-on have never been disappointed..... drinks are always great tasting and all the employees always have a smile on their face.... love all the house cocktails there's not a single one that's bad overall love taking new people here and introducing them to my favorite restaurant in the Towson area"

- Google Review

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