Notos Southern Bites in Baltimore: Low-Country Seafood and Fried Chicken in Canton
Notos Southern Bites is a casual counter-service restaurant in Canton that specializes in low-country cooking, with seafood shrimp and grits, fried fish, and house-made sides anchoring a small menu designed for quick lunch and early dinner service.
What Notos Southern Bites actually is
Located on the ground floor of a Canton rowhouse block, Notos operates as a takeout-focused establishment with a handful of counter seating and no table service. The kitchen emphasizes simple, technique-driven dishes rather than elaborate plating: shrimp and grits with a Creole-style base, whole fried fish sides, cornbread, and collard greens cooked low and slow. The restaurant draws on Gullah and Charleston low-country traditions, though the menu stays tight and execution-focused rather than encyclopedic.
Menu and pricing
Shrimp and grits runs $16 and comes with a roux-based gravy, stone-ground grits, and a generous portion of Gulf shrimp. A half fried fish plate (whole fish fried to order) costs $14, served with choice of two sides: collards, butter beans, mac and cheese, or cornbread. Fried chicken can be ordered as a half or whole bird; a half chicken runs $13. Individual sides cost $2.50 to $3.50. Prices are stable; confirm current availability for seasonal specials via their social media or a phone call.
The price tier places Notos well below fine-dining seafood but slightly above grab-and-go fried chicken chains. Portions are generous enough that one entree often provides lunch and part of a second meal.
How Notos compares to other Baltimore seafood spots
Baltimore's seafood landscape ranges from sit-down crab houses like Obrycki's (table service, whole crabs, $20 to $35 per person) to counter-service fish fry spots like Faidley's (in Lexington Market, focused on fried fish sandwiches, $8 to $12). Notos sits between those poles: more refined than a casual fish stand, less formal than a traditional crab house, and cheaper than upscale seafood restaurants like Woodberry Kitchen or Avec.
For low-country preparation specifically, Notos is one of the few places in Baltimore consistently cooking shrimp and grits. Other Southern-leaning restaurants like Matthew's Pizza (Italian-Southern hybrid) or Artifact Coffee (Southern-inflected sandwiches) do not center on coastal Carolina cuisine. Choose Notos if you want quick, authentic low-country seafood; choose Faidley's if you prefer a quick fish sandwich in a historic market setting; choose Obrycki's if you want table service and a full crab-house experience.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Notos suits lunch and early dinner crowds seeking takeout or quick counter dining, people familiar with or curious about Gullah and low-country cooking, and anyone who wants substantial seafood without the overhead of a sit-down restaurant. It works well for solo diners or small groups splitting a few entrees.
It does not suit groups larger than four or five without advance planning (limited seating), diners seeking a full bar or alcohol service, or anyone wanting elaborate appetizer or dessert offerings. If you need table service, ambiance, or a multi-course meal, this is not the right fit.
What the first visit involves
Walk in, order at the counter, pay upfront, and wait 8 to 12 minutes for food to come out. Choose your entree, select sides, and grab a drink from a small cold case (soft drinks and water only, no alcohol). Eat at the short counter or take the food to go. The staff will ask basic questions about doneness on the fish; there is no visible menu board, so asking what is available that day is expected. First visits are straightforward and take under 15 minutes total if the kitchen is not backed up.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Notos opens Tuesday through Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and is closed Sunday and Monday. Street parking is available on the surrounding Canton blocks, though availability varies with neighborhood foot traffic. The restaurant is a short walk from the Canton waterfront and sits on a block with several other food options.
Verify current hours by phone or social media before an off-peak visit, as kitchen staffing sometimes shifts seasonally.
Why Notos matters in Baltimore
Low-country cuisine is underrepresented in Baltimore's restaurant scene, and Notos delivers it at a price and pace that makes it accessible rather than a special occasion. The kitchen respects its ingredients without pretense, and the result is one of the more useful lunch options for anyone craving Gulf shrimp and properly cooked collards.
