Walking in at first, you'd expect a theme bar, of course. Baltimore's Fells Point is little more than a series of fantastic drinking holes interspersed with small restaurants and shoppes -- not shops. The extra alphabet is required to describe the little trinket stores, with sometimes very unique faire (and occasionally not so much).
The Wharf Rat, however, refuses to obey conventions in a few directions. The bar is dimly lit by the lanterns along the rafters, so most of the light is provided by christmas lights that could have been purchased at Wal-Mart. Trivial Pursuit cards dot the surface of each table, offering guests the opportunities to make asses out of their friends. The floor is reminiscent, I'm sure, of whatever floor originally topped the foundation. It might be the original, but the sturdy wood beneath your feet tends more to remind you of an old pirate ship than anything else.
And that's the interior in a nutshell -- if your friends could rent a party pirate ship and get a bar jammed into the middle of it, you'd be in a floating version of the Wharf Rat. Not afraid of their nautical leanings, they embrace their love of the sea whole-heartedly, including allowing a pirate-shanty Pub sing in their long, alternate bar area.
That's what I'm doing here tonight -- my Pirate friend is having a birthday tonight, and his activity of choice is the drunken shouting of sailing songs.
The beer is good, especially the microbrews, and the food -- though very bar-ish for the later crowds -- is delicious. You wouldn't expect pirates to make such kick-ass pizza, either, but they do. The field of tables feels more like an actual pub, as opposed to a restaurant, so the tasty selections provide a for an awesome meeting place in the middle of a night out.
So without expectations, go get tipsy at the Wharf Rat. They'll treat you well, sell you great eats and not tax your taste with an overly-modern Nightclub style. The classics are alive and well in this part of Baltimore, and bars like the Wharf Rat are right in the center.
Happy Birthday B!
Which Wharf Rat did you go to?
ReplyDeleteFells Point or Camden?
Fells Point (801 South Ann Street) is the better of the two, and also one that Christian, Jeremy, Denyce, Christian's girlfriend Kristina, and various and assorted others frequent often. You should check it out if you have the chance. Note: they are not open on Sundays. We found this out the hard way.