Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Hamilton Tavern Baltimore, MD

Hamilton Tavern
5517 Harford Rd
Baltimore, MD
www.hamiltontavern.com

Here's a great place to get something to eat with real interesting surroundings, but if you like to support my favorite beer, Coors Light (or most other American beers) you're screwed. I was really looking forward to kicking back a drink or two, and the bartender got to me deadly fast considering the crowd, but I was told they didn't carry my brand. Not to blast the owners, but we do live in America and as far as I see it we should spend money here before supporting other country's products if possible, correct? I guess this one won't make my list of favorite bars by any means, but as long as you want to spend your hard earned paycheck supporting brewery workers from outside the country..go for it. I'll stick to my American brewed beer that I know will help keep some American somewhere employed. I'll step off my soapbox now - there's no Coors Light up here either.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Ziggy's

Ziggy's
45th St
Baltimore, MD 21224

This place is easy to miss if you don't look for it, but it deserves a visit. It's a basic bar with a local crowd, and yes, the mullet is alive and well here. The crowd is accepting of anybody stopping in (not just a hillbilly), so head in for a cold one. They have a pool table, a bowling machine and Keno if you need to keep occupied. The jukebox had Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" back to back, so music ranges to prettyt much anything goes. You can check out live music here as well, and the service is always quick and friendly. You have to experience the place at least once (I've been in a few times).



Monday, October 13, 2008

Hazelwood Inn - Baltimore, MD

Hazelwood Inn
4937 Hazelwood Ave
Baltimore, MD



There's a lot going on here, and none of it's bad. Pull up a seat at the recently renovated bar, eat some outstanding food (make sure you take a look at the specials) and hang with a local crowd that gets lively, but not too rowdy. The beer is ice cold, and if you get bored, there's always Keno and a jukebox to keep things interesting. Anything goes as far as music selection goes, and there's a restaurant and carry out attached if you're with the kids or on the way home. The Hillbilly makes a point to end up here to grab a bite whenever possible.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The Linway Lounge - Parkville, MD

Linway Lounge
7714 Harford Rd
Parkville, MD

A trip to the Linway Lounge will probably feel like you stepped into a time warp at first, but grab a stool and a cold beer and ride it out. This one is a neighborhood staple, and that is actually good news. The place has old school wood paneling, wood laminate bar surfaces, and an awesome old jukebox among other interesting bar decorations. Some have labeled this a "dive bar", but I don't look at bars according to how recently they've been built or renovated - that's how "classic" or "vintage" works. The night we stopped in, one of the oldest jukeboxes I've seen in a while was kicking out 80's hair metal and classic rock, and it just kind of fit the atmosphere. The patrons were playing darts, the others just kicking back, and the vibe was laid back. If you get hungry, there is an interesting selection of some very good bar food, a big bonus. This is the definition of a basic bar, and that's not a bad thing at all.

Lauraville House - Baltimore, MD

The Lauraville House
4528 Harford Rd
Baltimore, MD

What happens when you take a dark and a little run down neighborhood bar with some of the best bar food you'll ever eat, hand it over to new owners, and proceed to completely renovate and update it? I'm not sure, but I know I wasn't very impressed with the results. The folks around the bar were very nice and all, there was a juke box playing some Sinatra that seemed to please mostly everyone, but none seemed to want to stay long. The lights are way too bright for my liking, and after asking the bartender if the former cook was still working in the kitchen, were amazed she lied and said he was (the place has been closed for about a year or so). That and the fact a patron from the neighborhood had nothing good to say about the food left us ready to go as well. The crowd seemed even keeled enough with the exception of a louder than necessary ass-clown drinking and using language you normally here on a construction site (I'm no shrinking violet, but there are a fair number of women in the room - how about a little tact?). I'm willing to try this place later on down the road, but for now, I can't really find anything to like about this one...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Buxy's Salty Dog - Ocean City, MD

Located at 28th St. on the bay side, this is a local kind of place with nice cold beer, and a real easy going atmosphere. The place is geared to locals and tourists alike, and features good food and great service. You can play Keno or other lottery games, a juke box delivers the music when a DJ or band isn't, sports are usually always on the tube, and there are tables and booths for familys who want to kick back when they stop in and can't sit at the bar itself. Everybody is made to feel welcome, and you might wan't to ask why there is a mannequin head attached to the ceiling behind the bar (I wasn't sure I wanted to know).





http://www.buxyssaltydog.com/

Caribbean Bar - Ocean City, MD

Plim Plaza/Caribbean Bar
2nd st.
Ocean City, MD

One day I was heading down an alley on 2nd St. towards the beach, when I heard live music coming from above me. I realized it was coming from a pool bar located behind the Plim Plaza hotel, and honestly wasn't expecting what I found when I climbed the stairs heading up to the second level. I was pretty amazed to find a surprisingly large bar surrounded by palm trees, filled with people listening to live music with a really laid back atmosphere. People of all types (even an occasional hillbilly) and ages were sitting back on the lounge chairs having drinks and enjoying the band, and everything had an awesomw low key vibe. There's also an added bonus -food is served and cooked behind the bar while you watch. Grab a frozen margarita or just an ice cold beer, either way gets you to paradise here.


www.ocmdhotels.com/plimplaza/thecaribbean.html