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Welcome to Groupon Baltimore! For our inaugural deal, $15 gets you $30 worth of grub and guzzle at John Steven, Ltd., located at 1800 Thames St. Fell's Point.

You're probably thinking, "That sounds great, but I've never bought a car or a computer without first reading the Wikipedia definitions for car and computer—I'm not about to buy a Groupon either without a briefing." Well neither would we, and since this is everyone's first Groupon, allow us to briefly explain how it works.

How Groupon Works

Groupon is a combination of the words group and coupon. Each day, we offer an unbeatable deal on the best of Baltimore: restaurants, spas, sporting events, theater, and more. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won't find anywhere else. We call it "collective buying power"!

If you want to get the deal, just click BUY before the offer ends at midnight. If the minimum number of people (15 for today's deal) sign up by the end of the day, you'll get a printable gift certificate in your inbox the next morning that you can use whenever you want (well, at least until the deal expires—today's expires in one year). If not enough people join, no one gets the deal (and you won't be charged), so invite your friends to make sure you get the discount!

It's nice to wake up to something new every day. Some people get their daily fix from desk calendars with a cute puppy and a funny caption every morning. Groupon is like a desk calendar, except the puppy is an unbeatable discount and the funny caption is a profound reflection on the flowers and needles growing from life's cactus. We selflessly share our deep insights, hoping that you will join our mob of consumers, thus strengthening our collective buying power and commanding even better deals.

Details

When lovingly steamed, mussels open their clenched and hateful fists, inviting you to dine on their soft bodies with shells fanned out like butterfly wings. Today's Groupon gets you $30 worth of steamers, draught beers, bar food, and more at John Steven, Ltd., the waterfront tavern in Fell's Point, for $15. The crimson walls and wood alehouse seating make this tavern a comfy spot for drinks and dinner or a great place for an afternoon nosh.

The steam bar at John Steven serves each order of mussels ($14.99), extra large shrimp ($10.99/half pound), and a half dozen raw oysters ($8.99) with a signature bread and drawn butter. But the menu features plenty of non-steamed favorites, too. Start off with fiery volcano wings ($8.99) or rich Maryland crab soup ($4.99 for a cup) before digging into a pumpernickel pastrami panini ($9.99) or a perfectly sloppy oyster po' boy ($9.99).

Wash down your fish and chips ($11.99) with one of 20 draught beers ($4.75–$5.50) or with a local brew such as Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning, Clipper City Gold Ale, and Below Decks Barley Wine. John Steven piles on favorites like Guinness Stout, Blue Moon, and Stella Artois alongside palatable fermented fruits and wheat like Saranac Pomegranate Wheat, Widmer Hefeweizen, and Woodpecker Cider to ensure quench everyone's thirst be quenched (domestic bottles are $3.25, imports are $4.25).

The friendly servers make sure your glass is never empty, whether you stop in for a lunch sandwich or drop by for a mouthwatering dinner of swordfish lobster imperial ($27.99), fresh vegetable pasta ($15.99), or New York strip steak ($23.99).

Reviews

John Steven, Ltd. is Baltimore City Paper's Best Bar in Fell's Point, Zagat says the food is very good, and TripAdvisor names it one of Baltimore's top 25 restaurants. TripAdvisors give John Steven four owl eyes, and Citysearchers give it four stars:

• The senses are stimulated with overabundance. The hearty roster of American and European ales, stouts, and wheat brews on tap. The seafood steaming at the end of the bar. The sushi stand that stays open until 1:30 a.m. The convivial mien that swims through the room day or night. After you grab a seat, a pint, and a snack, you've got a glimpse of where good drinkers go in the afterlife. – Baltimore City Paper
• I highly recommend any of their fish selections, tender and full of flavor!...The beer is cold, the food great, and an excellent wine selection. – pepper000911, Citysearch
• Great Coconut Shrimp and I've tried them alot [sic] of places. The Sushi is great also. A fun place to go no matter what time you get there. – Deka, Citysearch