Baltimore cheesesteak spot opening a Fells Point location

Baltimore’s Philly cheesesteak wave continues.

Dimples Bar & Grill, a Locust Point cheesesteak shop that opened last November, is opening a second location in Fells Point by early fall. Co-owner Mary Miles, who considers herself a “serial entrepreneur,” is taking over the vacant space at 1718 Thames St., the former home of bar and seafood restaurant Riptide.

Just like the original location in South Baltimore, Miles will run the new spot with her husband Armand, a retired bus driver from Philadelphia. The couple left Philadelphia a few years ago. In Baltimore, they’ve been able to grow their brand, Miles said, and expanding to Fells Point felt right.

The menu will be different at the new location, Miles said, adding that she’s not expecting anyone to “sit down and have a dinner.” The space will cater to people coming out of bars late at night.

Details for the new Dimples are still being finalized, but Miles said the restaurant will likely open at noon to catch the lunch rush and stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends. She wants the place to be lively, too — “when in Rome,” she said — with live bands.

The cheesesteaks will continue to be served as they are in her native Philadelphia. Fresh ribeye, which the couple slice themselves, is served on Amoroso’s Italian rolls. Folks who want to add lettuce and tomatoes can.

Miles’ priority is that the food is fresh. They pick up the bread in Delaware every morning, and little is frozen in her restaurant. The ribeyes, the chicken wings, all of that is done in-house, she said.

As the options for cheesesteak in Baltimore grow, Miles said there’s no such thing as “the best cheesesteak” — it all depends on the quality of the beef.

While she wouldn’t say she has the best cheesesteak in Baltimore, Miles said her ribeye might be the freshest.