Two Beers or Not Two Beers -- Baltimore has the Pubs To Make You Wax Poetic
Written: Jan 23 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A cool pint of ale in a cozy historic pub!
Cons: Please don't drink and drive
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Baltimore |
Nothing in the world beats arriving at your destination and finally getting a chance to settle down and unwind after a long hard trip. I relax by sniffing out a cozy pub with a roaring fire, and settling down with some good home-cooked food and a tasty pint of fresh beer!
Baltimore is usually thought of as a working man's city, and of course, working men like beer. What's strange about Baltimore is that working men often tend to favor seedy places with crappy beer, yet Baltimore seems to have TONS of places that are comfortable, cozy, fun, and that serve GOOD beer, not just the bland, lifeless factory-made swill that comes out of major megabreweries. All over the city there are small, cozy, comfortable pubs that serve up freshly made local beers and high-quality imported beers that showcase the tremendous variety of flavors that beer can embody. In fact, there are more than I can describe in a short epinion article, although I'll mention a few of my favorite brewpubs and a handful of my favorite pubs in the Fells Point neighborhood.
Brewpubs:
Brewpubs are the obvious place to start looking for comfortable pubs with quality beers. Baltimore has quite a few brewpubs, and four stand out as my favorites:
Brewer's Art (1106 N. Charles) brews belgian-style ales and offers an eclectic menu. Very comfortable place with sofas and armchairs scattered near fireplaces. They regularly have a Belgian strong ale that is sort of a Duvel clone, and a complex trappist-style dubbel that's got some very nice yeast-produced esters and a bit of a sour edge to it. Funky basement bar area with little nooks; popular with the young and trendy crowd, cool, but too many smokers downstairs. Walking distance to University of Baltimore, Penn Station, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and the Lyric Opera House.
Baltimore Brewing (corner of Pratt and Albemarle) offers some of the best craft-brewed german-style lager beers in the U.S. Excellent pilsner and some super german-style wheat beers. Parking is overpriced, but if you bring the receipt inside, you'll get a discount on your first beer. I wouldn't park too far away, nor would I park a nice car on Albemarle (where there are some meters) -- the brewery is cool but the neighborhood gets very rough, very fast. Good, hearty food at reasonable prices. Sells beer to go in big swing-top bottles called growlers. The brewmaster is Dutch, but is German educated (at Weihenstephan) and comes from a family of long-time brewers.
Wharf Rat (206 W. Pratt St.) brews english-style ales and has a pub-grub type menu (bangers & mash, fish & chips, ploughman's lunch, etc.) Nice ales served at appropriate temperatures (cellar temperatures, as they're known in England -- about 48 - 50 degrees). Very comfortable atmosphere, with the dining room looking over the brewery itself. Gets crowded when the Orioles are playing since the pub is only a few blocks from the stadium and is a very popular place for locals to meet before or after the game. I almost always go for one of the cask-conditioned ales here, and on Friday nights they put out a cask-conditioned version of one of their house ales, served up via gravity tap. Great for people who love truly authentic English ales!
Sisson's (36 E. Cross St.) serves up some delicious cajun food along with their own house-brewed ales. Very comfortable atmosphere. Adjacent to the Cross Street Market. The very first brewpub in Baltimore, opened in the mid 1980s (although Sissons has been around far longer than that as a successful restaurant and bar). Most of the standard brews are fairly light bodied and not terribly complex, although I have had some very fine seasonal beers here and that's usually what I go for. The Gunga Din IPA is pretty good, but more closely follows the somewhat blander English model for IPAs rather than the more assertive variety that you often find in Pacific Northwest brewpubs.
There are also several other brewpubs located in and around town: last time I counted there were 6 downtown and at least 5 more in nearby suburbs. Other brewpubs downtown include Capitol City Brewing Company (part of the Washington D.C. based brewpub chain) and Globe Brewing Company, located on Key Highway near the Visionary Art Museum. Both serve fairly light bodied ales, and unfortunately, I've never had a really standout pint at either of them.
Fells Point:
Fells Point is a trendy waterfront neighborhood known for its nightlife, small shops, and historical ambiance. If you don't have a car, take the water taxi from the Inner Harbor area. I don't recommend walking to Fells Point from downtown, although recent development will probably make the streets a bit safer...
There are lots of bars in Fells Point. Lots. But only a handful rise to the top and really offer a great blend of comfortable ambiance, good people, and quality beer. The best of these pubs are Wharf Rat, John Steven, Cats Eye, and Max's.
Wharf Rat (201 S. Ann) is owned by the same folks who run the Wharf Rat brewpub on Pratt Street. You can get all of the Olivers ales (plus some 20 others) on tap and they also tap a firkin of fresh cask-conditioned ale on Fridays. Comfortable place with rustic, nautical feel. Rough wood floors, somewhat dark. Good steamed seafood, but don't count on anything else in the food department.
John Steven (corner of Thames and Ann) used to be a funky hole in the wall. Now it's a trendy hole in the wall with a dining room and an outdoor garden area. Food is excellent, though a bit pricey. Often listed in Baltimore magazine's lists of top dining spots. A good 20+ beers on tap.
Cats Eye (1730 Thames) also used to be a funky hole in the wall. Still is. Very comfortable atmosphere, great location right on the waterfront. No food, just beer. About 30+ taps, heavy on the ales. Lots of local brews. Great place for live music. Sunday afternoons is my favorite time to be here, mellowing out with the blues, lots of great people, and a glass of cool ale.
Max's (737 S. Broadway) can get super crowded on Friday and Saturday night, but if you're in search of sheer selection, it's THE place to be. 200 brands of bottled beer, 60+ taps. Ambiance is so-so. If you get here before the maddening crowd, service is good and the staff really seems to have a clue about good beer.
Summary:
There are lots of other pubs, taverns, and bars that have good beer selections, good food, and great ambiance, all around town. It would take me a far longer article than this to mention them all, and unfortunately, most aren't located in areas that tourists would usually go to.
These are some of my favorite pubs and taverns, and I hope I've given enough information for you to find one that you'd like too.
Recommended:
Yes
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