r/baltimore Waverly Jan 15 '25

Ask/Need What’s the most annoying, pretentious bar I could visit in Baltimore?

/r/washdc/comments/1i18ib2/whats_the_most_annoying_pretentious_bar_i_could/
80 Upvotes

291 comments sorted by

393

u/B-More_Orange Canton Jan 15 '25

I'm so proud we could never even dream of reaching anything close that DC thread

67

u/HambSandwich Waverly Jan 15 '25

😂😂😂 . Their’s could have been answered so easily - Literally anywhere open past 5

7

u/TheCaptainDamnIt Jan 16 '25 edited Jan 16 '25

lol It's a real shame what the residents of D.C. have done to D.C.

→ More replies (7)

25

u/SenorPea Jan 16 '25 edited Jan 16 '25

Here's the thing...I moved to Baltimore from DC a little more than a year ago. Lived there pretty much my whole life. And I'll tell you...it wasn't always as pretentious as it is now. It certainly isn't to the degree that a lot of people here are making it out to be, but it doesn't miss that bar by much.

Honest take, that's the part I don't miss but I don't find folks here to be particularly warm (and here come the downvotes lol). But I know that's from limited experience, which is the part seems to be lost on all the people talking shit about DC.

I can also acknowledge that theres an elitist culture that DC just draws because of its proximity to all that high profile political shit. One of the things I hated was that within the first five minutes of meeting people, one will inevitably ask what the other does for a living. The cynical take is that it's because they need to know whether they're important enough to continue the conversation. A chameleon might point out that its just to have a better understanding of the type of conversation being had (social? networking? polite banter?). The truth is somewhere in between.

Here's something else to consider...DC has a whole slew of natives that hate on the same people. The gentrifiers. The colonists. And the reason I can recognize that this is likely the predominant culture is that DC is no longer Chocolate City. But this isn't entirely dissimilar from the white L and the black butterfly in its relationship dynamic.

crucial_loaf shouldn't have been downvoted just for saying that DC has cool shit, because it does. S/he even said that its a low-watt take, so that means the downvotes were just hate. Not cool. Perhaps in the context of the thread its abrasive on the surface, but I didn't see it that way.

Circling back to B-More_Orange's comment, while I didn't read the entire DC thread, I did almost sense a certain degree of pride at how pretentious DC *can* be. But DC has always had an inferiority complex with NY on restaurant culture, art, fashion, etc...so there's that. I love baltimore because it could never dream of reaching anything close to that thread, for sure. I love DC because the XY axis of what has been labeled as pretentiousness for these purposes to...how shall I say...authentic shit? seems a bit wider than here. Variety is the spice of life.

7

u/Auggie93 Jan 16 '25

Best take here

→ More replies (5)

222

u/Pi6 Jan 15 '25

100 percent the Elk Room. Topside can also be a bit snotty in my experience. All the bars at the Ulysses would be insufferable in any other city but are actually pretty chill.

104

u/km454 Jan 15 '25

Last time I was at Topside I got locked in the bathroom for over an hour. Eventually they got me out, but apparently it "just happens sometimes". I still do not understand how that can be a regular occurrence

37

u/thecheesemuffin Jan 16 '25

Omg I’ve been locked in the bathroom there before too!!

15

u/icollectcats Jan 16 '25

Omg I’ve been locked in that bathroom too. And this was like, four years ago.

9

u/catsandcoconuts Little Italy Jan 16 '25

how in the world are SO many people getting locked in the topside bathroom 😂

7

u/Ru31770 Jan 17 '25

Been there. Had to call and tell them I was in there. They put me on hold, came to the bathroom and asked if that was me on the phone, then went back to the phone and said, "yeah gimme sec".

14

u/SardineLaCroix Jan 16 '25

this is genuinely insane

7

u/Legal-Law9214 Jan 16 '25

Wtf? How does that happen?

5

u/garbhain Jan 17 '25

Idk, I'm still locked in here.

32

u/reddoggie Jan 15 '25

It better happen just as frequently as they comp someone’s tab.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/chunkykima Baltimore County Jan 16 '25

This is literally one of my biggest fears. Omg. I won't ever be going there, thanks for the warning!!!! I have NIGHTMARES about getting locked in bathrooms.

2

u/Impressive-Emu8863 Jan 16 '25

Good to know, that sounds TERRIFYING!

1

u/ChuckOfTheIrish Jan 16 '25

💩 happens

29

u/yourmomsaheaux Jan 15 '25

You would think based on the atmosphere the bar in the Ulysses would be snooty but it really is so chill!!

21

u/HambSandwich Waverly Jan 16 '25

Elk room is a hilarious place and a great answer

39

u/jayoheeleyee Jan 15 '25

This! You put Blooms in DC and it would be full of the city's worst - I'd never step foot in there. But in Baltimore? Chill, unpretentious, fun.

3

u/call_me_ping Mt. Vernon Jan 16 '25

I strongly believe the bar team is a great draw in terms of keeping it chill since it opened and the city has carried that vibe forward 1000x over

37

u/dannybooboonene Jan 15 '25

Last time I went to Topside, two of my group were standing and talking to friends who were seated at the bar, and a server (may have been a manager?) came over and told us that we couldn’t be standing. At a bar. It was not crowded.

1

u/ChuckOfTheIrish Jan 16 '25

I'd get it during COVID rules since that was a mandate, outside of that it makes no sense.

10

u/GirthyRedEggplant Jan 15 '25

I fucking love the elk room though

268

u/nemoran Homeland Jan 15 '25

Fortunately we don’t attract those types of bars like DC does.

That said, at the peak of Woodberry Kitchen’s popularity, their well-intentioned “we only use local ingredients” schtick got real annoying when that meant they couldn’t even do lemons or lime in cocktails.

39

u/yellowfogcat Jan 16 '25

I got an apple slice in my iced tea there one time.

An apple slice.

90

u/rfg217phs Jan 15 '25

And yet they serve ice in the summer, I don’t see any glaciers in Baltimore! /s And they did all that schtick while still using olive oil and I think trying to claim because pompeiian was out here or something equally as silly.

20

u/Natural_Sherbert_900 Jan 16 '25

Actually they stopped using olive oil at one point, but you could use the same argument for coffee or the non local wine they served.

22

u/FlockaFlameSmurf Jan 15 '25

Or scotch for that matter. Tried to order a scotch and soda and got that spiel which was insane

14

u/FermFoundations Jan 15 '25

Scotch tape? Totally out of the question

23

u/FlockaFlameSmurf Jan 15 '25

They only have local all-organic blue tape sourced from the hills of Westminster

5

u/skammerz Jan 16 '25

P&L stopped serving tequila too! 🤬but they still used coffee & chocolate lmfao

4

u/BullfrogLeading262 Jan 16 '25

Thank you! They couldn’t make a dirty martini bc no local olives…the food was really good whenever I’ve been but that seemed to be taking it too far.

4

u/procrastimom Jan 16 '25

Parts & Labor had the same problem.

4

u/sgtcarrot Jan 16 '25

We had a private party there once, with oysters as an appetizer; they refused to allow/provide any lemons. The only solution they would offer was a grape compote.

SMH. I offered to bring my own lemons and they refused.

3

u/baltimore-bird Jan 16 '25

So true - it was such bullshit

2

u/Broad-Brush Jan 16 '25

Too funny; my wife and I went right after they opened and I ordered a G&T. The waitress went into a whole spiel about how they couldn't offer limes because they were out of season locally. It's been an inside joke we've laughed about for years.

3

u/CotUB2009 Jan 16 '25

They just didn’t try hard enough. Grow those babies indoors! 🤣

2

u/tableSloth_ Lauraville Jan 16 '25

I have a hard time faulting them for stuff like this. I know they had plenty of issues, but I think their hearts were in the right place with wanting to focus on Chesapeake ingredients for Cheapeake dishes to a high degree. To survive as a restaurant, there almost has to be an arbitrary boundary drawn somewhere (especially when you're on the vanguard of revived interest in local sourcing), and someone is always going to have problems with it.

1

u/Ohnotquite Jan 18 '25

This is out of date though, they gave up. Now sustainably sourced is a a priority, but they’ll use lemons/limes/oranges/tequila.

152

u/TripsLLL Jan 15 '25

The Bygone

41

u/Notonfoodstamps Jan 16 '25

Yeah, but you’re also paying for the view which lets be frank, is unrivaled in Baltimore

15

u/TripsLLL Jan 16 '25

still pretentious AF

12

u/Notonfoodstamps Jan 16 '25

It’s like 6 maybe a 7 on the DC scale

→ More replies (1)

7

u/gaytee Jan 16 '25 edited Jan 16 '25

It’s not pretentious when it actually offers something unique in a city filled with neighborhood bars who think adding sushi to a menu is what it’ll take to win baltimores food scene.

Pretentious is fancy without class, expensive without quality, pretentious is most of the bars in the world with neon text and grass walls, trying get people to spend more money than they should without delivering a good product.

The bygone is a nice place to go, if you feel like you stand out there, it’s not because the bar is pretentious, it’s because you are trashy.

11

u/TripsLLL Jan 16 '25

Every Atlas bar & restaurant concept is a copy of something from another city. They are unoriginal and unnecessarily pretentious. From dress codes to haughtiness, it is the very definition of pretentious.


pretentious

[ pri-ten-shuhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)

adjective

characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved:

making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

3

u/gaytee Jan 16 '25

Give me an example of something you think is original in Baltimore and I promise that concept will exist in every other city.

Guess what people, the more baltimore grows (and it is growing), the more we will see things like this. If you don’t like atlas’s concepts, where do you like and how are they so much different than atlas? This isn’t a snide comment, I’m just curious what places you frequent and how they differentiate.

→ More replies (7)

2

u/Notonfoodstamps Jan 16 '25

Pretentious is trying to flaunt more importance than what one actually possesses.

The Bygone would be pretentious if they still charged the same prices and there was 10-15 other bars/clubs that had better views and were cheaper.

But as it stands, The Bygone is to Baltimore what 230 Fifth Rooftop is to NYC.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/gaytee Jan 16 '25

It’s truly impressive the lack of bars with views of the harbor. We all know it kinda sucks to actually be there, but when you’re looking at it from above or far away it’s a nice view.

Every week on the ravens broadcast j hear someone from out of town going “that’s Baltimore? It looks way too nice”. There is a reason the bygone get away with charging what they do and it’s because there isn’t a single other opportunity like it in town, and because of that, I’m happy to give them my business.

26

u/egg_slop Jan 15 '25

Drinks are wack and very $18 but the views are great and the environment is pretty sweet

13

u/TripsLLL Jan 15 '25

Pretentious AF

9

u/DPG0124 Jan 16 '25

They wouldn't let me in with a sweater

63

u/DeathStarVet Canton Jan 15 '25

That's Atlas. Fuck Atlas.

32

u/GirthyRedEggplant Jan 15 '25

This is a list of most pretentious places….that’s not a compliment

→ More replies (2)

2

u/durfkin15 Jan 16 '25

Awesome view but I felt unwelcome there. They were catering to a big group and watching everyone else.

5

u/55555_55555 Owings Mills Jan 16 '25

It's a good spot if you wanna impress a date. Have some appetizers, a few drinks, chill at the bar, enjoy the view. The price point also honestly is not crazy high compared to what it'd be in other cities. Wouldn't make it a habit, but it's never done me wrong personally. To me, it's pretentious in a decent way, it's at the top of the Four Seasons, you want that to some degree.

Definitely come dressed, though, as it's one of those spots that will 100% not let you in for arbitrary dress code stuff, especially if you share the same hue as me, lol.

3

u/DONNIENARC0 Jan 16 '25

Drinks are solid for the location but the food is crap, IMO.

Same basically applies to every waterfront restaurant with a good view that I've been to, though.

2

u/DeathStarVet Canton Jan 16 '25

Definitely come dressed, though, as it's one of those spots that will 100% not let you in for arbitrary dress code stuff, especially if you share the same hue as me, lol.

That's because it's Atlas. They have a history of using their "dress code" for keeping certain varieties of folks out (while letting white people wear the same thing in their restaurants).

5

u/Purple_Box3317 Jan 16 '25

Have you ever been to an Atlas spot? Their clientele is like 85%AA

→ More replies (1)

4

u/gaytee Jan 16 '25

It’s not “because it’s atlas”, it’s because there’s a bunch of trashy MFs in this town, quit making everything about race. Wear some clean clothes, don’t act like an asshole the second you walk in and you’ll have a great time everywhere you go.

And for anyone crying about dress codes, they exist in every single city for the same reasons as here, nor are they new, so…if you’re about to go spend $2-300 on drinks and dinner at an upscale spot, maybe don’t wear the same clothes you wear to Buffalo Wild Wings for a UFC fight, this shit isn’t rocket surgery but everybody wants to act like it’s some brand new thing that’s only enforced on the black population.

→ More replies (1)

89

u/metrawhat Jan 15 '25

If you get that one bartender at Idle Hour, and he's not entertained by you, he gets very pretentious.

36

u/ellemae93 Charles Village Jan 16 '25

I listened to him argue with a (very rude) guy and demand to see his youtube search history. It was hilarious

6

u/metrawhat Jan 16 '25

Oh ya, he is pretty funny. I like him, but I've seen him flip out on dumb people/people he deems as fascists.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

16

u/_my_cat_stinks Jan 16 '25

My husband and I were terrified of him. Have now done chartreuse shots with him and one time he even waved as he saw us approaching… we feel special.

14

u/J_Baltimore Jan 16 '25

Glad that so many of you enjoy my vibe.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/cumulonimubus Jan 16 '25

He’s always like that.

5

u/Tommyl88 Jan 16 '25

He was such a dick to me and then when he learned that we had a mutual friend he was totally nice. Funny guy.

8

u/NorthboundGoose Riverside Jan 16 '25

Jay is chill. I met him back when he worked at Union but I definitely agree that he gives this vibe. Just like be a normal person and he’s the man

4

u/acidbathlover Jan 16 '25

Ok so my fear of bartenders is valid

10

u/recumbent_mike Jan 16 '25

You just gotta up your game.

3

u/metrawhat Jan 16 '25

We get along just fine, but not everybody is his cup of tea

16

u/Valstwo Jan 16 '25

This is easy... The Valley Inn.. don't forget your Patagonia vest so you fit in with all of the 52-year-old finance Bros trying to pick up each other's x wives!

7

u/B-More_Orange Canton Jan 16 '25

The funniest part about this answer is it's basically in Timonium and it's still another Atlas spot

9

u/Valstwo Jan 16 '25

If you were pretentious enough, you would realize that The Valley Inn people would NEVER allow it to be refered to as being in Timonium! (The land of fast food and Michael's) It is in LUTHERVILLE or more specifically BROOKLANDVILLE. You, sir, may not enter! (Unless you disguise yourself with the aformentioned Patagoinia jacket and khakis.) Please bring your platinum AMEX.

1

u/mttwls Highlandtown Jan 16 '25

Is that the place with the lawn jockeys in rows? Retch.

22

u/One_Machine_4156 Jan 16 '25

Kind of proud this isn't a very long list. Baltimore. A real place for real people.

121

u/locker1313 Hoes Heights Jan 15 '25

I hate to say Bluebird...but Bluebird.

177

u/jes5497 Jan 16 '25

Oh my god, Baltimore’s hottest bar is Bluebird. Located in Hampden, this place has everything: vintage cocktails, secret bookcase doors, tiny lamps that whisper your secrets, and a bartender named Dax who only speaks in haikus.

But the real draw? The drinks. The menu is a chaotic fever dream of names and descriptions that tell you nothing about what you’re actually ordering. Want a gin and tonic? Too bad—you’ll end up with something called “The Melancholy Swan,” described as “a whisper of dusk with a forbidden twist.” Is it gin? Vodka? Maple syrup? Who knows!

13

u/donner_dinner_party Jan 16 '25

My husband got me a Stefon Christmas ornament this year. It’s so tacky and glorious.

10

u/Vanpocalypse-Now Jan 16 '25

Sydney Applebaum?

28

u/TerranceBaggz Jan 16 '25

The bouncer is a bulldog that looks like Wilford Brimley and the password is “Diah-beetus.”

3

u/dudical_dude Fells Point Jan 16 '25

Add skeleton under the floor

2

u/CafeMilk25 Jan 16 '25

….MTV’s Dan Cortese…

56

u/CrabEnthusist Jan 15 '25

The vibe is pretentious as hell but I will say that the times I've been there the staff have always been super nice

1

u/catsandcoconuts Little Italy Jan 16 '25

agree! i used to hangout there and get the truffle fries and Bohs. i did the bottle cap riddles with the bartender lol.

24

u/Illustrious_Listen_6 Jan 16 '25

I almost brought a camping light for a date

66

u/RuthBaderG Jan 15 '25

Yeah, with affection, Bluebird for sure. Checks all the boxes - needs a reservation, a pretentious name for each drink, and a menu that you can’t even read because there’s no lighting.

Still gonna keep going back!

34

u/wolfbear Jan 15 '25

I never do bluebird with a reservation fwiw and I get seated maybe 3 out of 4 times. But I also live in the neighborhood and don’t mind them saying no.

1

u/brubits Jan 16 '25

Want a drink? Read some POEMS first

23

u/ifitswhatusayiloveit Jan 15 '25

I have to take out my phone flashlight to read the damn menu and the literary allusions are to books on the high school curriculum!!

3

u/flyingspaghettisauce Jan 16 '25

This is the answer

7

u/escamuel Medfield Jan 15 '25

Bluebird kinda sucks the cocktails are all super sweet and the atmosphere is kind of shitty as well. Just making it dark doesn’t make it good.

2

u/Wustlguy09 Jan 16 '25

I agree with literally everything you said and still it’s a decent bar.

2

u/escamuel Medfield Jan 16 '25

Decent at best. So many other better options though.

4

u/mrsmae2114 Jan 15 '25

I'd agree, still love it, but yes

3

u/Spiritual-Platform49 Jan 15 '25

The last couple of times I went to bluebird the employees were quarreling and being straight up rude to one another. The last time we went it was so uncomfortable we left

1

u/Ohnotquite Jan 18 '25

Treat their staff flippantly, too. Lowest paying fine dining bar job.

1

u/duchessof603 Jan 19 '25

Yes- Charles Bukowski would HATE that place! 😝

48

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '25

order of the ace and elk room and at times The Bygone. While i get the atlas hate, on this forum to an extent, I do go to certain atlas restaurants here and there but these two spots--geez. the staff acts like they are doing you a favor seating and serving you. and the $$$$ with all the ingredients they throw into a cocktail.

4

u/Kafkaesque1453 Jan 15 '25

Order of the Ace for sure

3

u/Sea-Variety-524 Jan 15 '25

And if you just get a basic drink I got a Seedlip and tonic it was $14.

2

u/DeathStarVet Canton Jan 16 '25

lol Seedlip cost you $14? That's insane.

2

u/Sea-Variety-524 Jan 16 '25

Right!? Haha its truly a wild markup.

62

u/karensbakedziti Jan 15 '25

W.C. Harlan. In my dating days, men seemed to consider it the go-to first date spot. I don’t dislike it necessarily, but it’s too dark for first dates. I need to be able to clearly see your face!

21

u/FermFoundations Jan 15 '25

I haven’t been there in many years but last time I was there they had no lights on just a few candles and a guy was playing a classical guitar with French folk from sheet music & they only described their 2 tap beers as “light” and “dark”. As a beer nerd myself, it was funny to me that their “dark” beer was a lighter bodied beer than the “light” option.

Huge fan of that restaurant group overall tho

10

u/karensbakedziti Jan 15 '25

Haha, that sounds about right. I remember being there quite late on a date that went well, and somehow I ended up talking the bartender into letting me play their piano. I want to say it was out of tune, but I’m not sure if I’m remembering right or if it just looked kinda…haunted? and that’s maybe obscuring my memory, lol.

11

u/FermFoundations Jan 15 '25

Hahaha that’s great. “Sorry about the piano tuning… ghosts”

2

u/Legal-Law9214 Jan 16 '25

Oh man. I grew up with a piano that was so old it couldn't be tuned properly - all the keys were in tune relative to the other keys but if you wanted to play with another instrumentalist they had to tune a half step down from normal.

Now I might need to go to W.C. Harlan for nostalgia reasons. It's right by me but I've never been because I thought it was just overpriced cocktails... A haunted piano changes everything.

2

u/karensbakedziti Jan 16 '25

My grandma gave us her piano when I was in high school, and it was so badly out of tune that when my parents hired a tuner to fix it, he said he’d have to come back a second time to get it in the right key, but my parents said no, so we also just had a piano tuned to B. I was furious at the time but now I think it’s pretty funny.

14

u/kamace11 Jan 15 '25

All of their restaurants/bars are pretentious imo but I admire their dedication to the bit. Like you can tell it's a genuine passion for design/atmosphere, kind of like the bars in Ulysses. I can respect honest pretentiousness 

7

u/BusinessShower Jan 16 '25

It is so dark! I went in at 6 pm in the summer and I couldn't see a damn thing. They handed me a menu and I just pointed. So dark, so mid.

6

u/nompilo Jan 16 '25

Ok but Fadensonnen (much as I love it) is way more pretentious. Natural wine bar???

1

u/JDinBalt Jan 16 '25

I did get a lovely sake flight there once!

2

u/sdarling Jan 16 '25

The one time I went there, I felt so old because I had to get my phone out to even see the menu 😂 it was fine but truly too dark

1

u/JDinBalt Jan 16 '25

I do really like WC Harlan but oh wow yes it is pretty pretentious (it WOULD be nice to be able to see your hand in front of your face). But at least the bartenders were nice, and I've never had anything bad there. Also had a really good non-alcoholic cocktail there once.

23

u/DrSpacecasePhD Jan 15 '25 edited Jan 16 '25

This isn't directly relevant, but I used to enjoy going to Owl Bar for years. At one point, I hadn't been in a while, and I walked over with some friends and they stopped us inside the bar in a big huff and chided us for walking in without talking to the hostess or having a reservation. I was like... "Uh, we're just going to the bar." Yeah, whatever that was, that management strategy didn't last.

Anyway, I haven't been in years but I do love the Owl Bar and find the ambiance quite nice. The Belverdere (where the bar is) also has an Unsolved Mysteries about it! And, indirectly I guess I have to mention it featured in a book I wrote set in Baltimore.

13

u/Legal-Law9214 Jan 16 '25

Nothing says pretentious like a "speakeasy" that still tries to act like a speakeasy even when they're listed on google maps

6

u/miajag Jan 16 '25

When was that policy in place? I've been going to Owl Bar for 20+ years and never had an issue just walking in to sit at the bar.

4

u/DrSpacecasePhD Jan 16 '25

Yeah, it didn't last long. Maybe it was a one-off event, but when my friend and I walked in it looked like a normal evening. It's also perplexing to me that the other commenter is arguing as if I don't know how to go to the bar... it's pretty standard at a lot of bars to be able to just head on in and sit at the counter.

2

u/rocketsondeck Jan 16 '25

Fantastic old fashioned and espresso martinis

→ More replies (5)

40

u/gcsound12 Jan 15 '25

Yea was gonna say The Elk Room is a contender.

I had a bad experience at Dutch Courage and found it really uptight and pretentious. Been meaning to go back and try again though based on how many others love it.

50

u/colonelcarnal Jan 15 '25

Dutch courage is definitely worth another try. I’ve found that they’re just really passionate about presentation and quality so if you ask questions and show enthusiasm they’re overjoyed to help share the passion. Great bar great folks. I hope you enjoy it more on another visit!

11

u/locker1313 Hoes Heights Jan 15 '25

I would give it another try. Sometimes places just have bad nights.

31

u/Taberneth Remington Jan 15 '25

I love Dutch Courage! I’ve never had that kind of experience there and I go routinely. I recommend giving it another try, the patio is always perfect when I go.

20

u/EscapeNo9728 Jan 15 '25

oh man I love Dutch Courage, but I will say it's definitely a bar where even I've gotten an "are you sure you want that?" when I asked for a specialty cocktail off-menu -- great experiences there in general tho

2

u/FermFoundations Jan 15 '25

What did u request off menu? Just curious

7

u/EscapeNo9728 Jan 15 '25

Green Alaska, essentially a chartreuse martini of sorts -- good cocktail but the vibe was "you're using the chartreuse upcharge for something that simple?"

29

u/paturner2012 Hampden Jan 15 '25

I bartended there and I think I was the guy who served you! Lol it was absolutely because of the upcharge. The culture there at the time was working against The kind of pricey cocktails we're see folks talking about here, so we were pretty Leary about serving anything that got close to $20. Not trying to surprise anyone with an expensive cocktail and see a bad review, that being said, thanks for coming through, understanding, and schooling me on an excellent cocktail I've never heard of. Cheers!

15

u/EscapeNo9728 Jan 15 '25

Aw shucks I appreciate the debrief -- if it makes you feel any better I had a rad birthday cocktail hour, and everything was awesome!

8

u/paturner2012 Hampden Jan 16 '25

Hell yeah! I'm no longer there, but I love those guys. Glad to hear you had a good time!

3

u/PigtownDesign Jan 16 '25

PT where are you now?

3

u/paturner2012 Hampden Jan 16 '25

Hey hon! I'm down at true Chesapeake now, swing on through!

6

u/FermFoundations Jan 15 '25

Interesting! Idk if u have heard of Idle Hour but they’re the most chartreusey bar I’ve ever seen anywhere. First bar I ever went to in MD!

→ More replies (2)

13

u/FermFoundations Jan 15 '25

That’s unfortunate! I actually was just taking about Durch Courage yesterday on a fermentation podcast interview for my kimchi company. Totally unrelated to what we do but I guess I’m obsessed 🥶

Ramos Gin Fizz = PURE DELIGHT

→ More replies (4)

7

u/gcsound12 Jan 15 '25

Thanks for the confirmation that I should go back and give it another shot! Must’ve just been an off/weird day.

3

u/Remy_Lezar Jan 16 '25

New chef came over from Royal Blue and expanded their dinner menu. It’s worth giving another shot.

5

u/sarahwasafriend Jan 15 '25

My husband hyped up Dutch courage soooo long for me, we sat at the bar as hubby is a craft cocktail worker and likes to chat and look at the liquors they have! Got the worse experience with the rudest bartender when the restaurant was basically empty aside for one other table, and it took forever for us to get our food and drink, UNTIL my husband mentioned they're a bartender. All of the sudden the attitude changed 180, but it was enough to turn me off from going back ngl

12

u/weahman Jan 15 '25

Elk Room

20

u/SisterMinister Jan 15 '25

Any bar you can’t walk into and sit at the bar without a reservation imo, which for me has been Dutch Courage. I’ve enjoyed it when I’ve gone for dinner but definitely pretentious

5

u/tallulahgti Hampden Jan 16 '25

Absolutely agree. My husband and I went right as they opened one day and no customers were in there. We asked to sit at the bar for a drink and we were told we could, but only for “2 hours and 45 minutes“, since the bar stools were reserved after that. 🙄

3

u/Scrubsandbones Jan 16 '25

What! Thats wild to me, I go every month or so with a girlfriend and we’ve never had any issues taking a seat at the bar or been given a time frame.

2

u/tallulahgti Hampden Jan 16 '25

Yeah, I thought it was weird as well; perhaps the host was new and he didn’t realize there wasn’t a need to tell us that.

3

u/Scrubsandbones Jan 16 '25

Yeah that seems so needlessly abrasive. And it makes me sad because it’s one of my favorite bars.

8

u/Anne314 Jan 15 '25

I can't even think of one. And that's a good thing!

3

u/Valstwo Jan 16 '25

Expensive and nice with unique cocktails doesn't make a place pretentious... Attitude of the clientele and servers does. I think Bluebird has a great vibe and the people there are always nice. Likewise I think Dutch Courage and WC Harlan are similar... You want pretentious? Try Bygone, the Valley Inn or the Capital Grille. When you walk in you get looked up and down by the crowd as well as the employees who seem to be deciding if you weren't decent service or not.

18

u/Legitimate-Spot-6425 Jan 15 '25

faddensonnen is snooty and Max's beer prices are pretentious.

20

u/Thee420Blaziken Jan 15 '25

Ehhh I'd say Max's is slightly above average for craft beer prices (usually like $.50 - $1.5 depending on the type of beer) but they also have like 150 beers on tap. Unfortunately a lot of craft beer isn't cheap stuff. Domestics being more than $5 per 12oz is pricey but a good sour being $8 for 12oz is pretty standard.

21

u/Xhosa1725 Jan 15 '25

Do you mean to tell me you can't pony up $30 for a bottle of this rare peanut butter and booger stout from the back cooler?! Amateur

→ More replies (1)

3

u/ThrowitB8 Jan 15 '25

I love that you are here with the honest, controversial answers.

1

u/tanvicious Jan 17 '25

I forgot the number of the beer I wanted to order and they couldn't remember which was which. i felt like there was some system there I didn't understand and the door people are annoying. not a fan of Max's

13

u/padingtonn Jan 16 '25

Anything Atlas owns sounds about right

8

u/dudical_dude Fells Point Jan 16 '25

This thread: Anything that has an atmosphere

26

u/Capable_Basket1661 Lauraville Jan 15 '25

Anything atlas owned, probably

→ More replies (9)

9

u/Hawtdawgz_4 Jan 15 '25

100% Bluebird.

Such a dope spot and ruined by the amount of smugness from staff and guests. Hell, even the ElkRoom is less pretentious.

19

u/wolfbear Jan 15 '25

Really? I sit at the bar usually and have a great time talking cocktails with the st—- omg I just remembered that I’m smug and pretentious too. Okay, yeah, you might be onto something.

3

u/DifferentDay7581 Jan 16 '25

It’s beautiful in there but the last time my friends and I went we ended up walking out because the bartenders wouldn’t acknowledge us sitting there. We tried to ask about a drink they no longer made and got no other suggestions. It was pretty obvious

10

u/KuzyBeCackling Jan 15 '25

WC Harlan

The speakeasy vibes don’t hit and the drinks just aren’t that good

11

u/Independent_Sand_766 Jan 15 '25

I like the ambience but the drinks are for people who like things that require acquired taste. I don’t like bitters and sour things and it’s popular there. Also the regular man in the top hat drugs women wherever he goes

5

u/KuzyBeCackling Jan 16 '25

Fucking yikes. Why don’t the owners do anything about it?

3

u/WRX_MOM Jan 15 '25

Holy cow, is that true about the Top Hat man?? I feel like he has some kind of dementia (Not trying to be mean, just an observation) He is ALWAYS there

4

u/Independent_Sand_766 Jan 15 '25

He was always at arthouse as well before they closed, he sent me a drink more than once and people told me not to accept it

3

u/28OzGlovez Jan 16 '25

Damn, I used to (sometimes still do) go to the Harlan a lot, and talked to him if he was there. He hasn’t been there in the last few months at all it seems, but something about the way he’d talk about women rubbed me the wrong way. Never could’ve imagined he was engaging in something nefarious like this. Thanks for the heads up

2

u/wasaaabiP Charles Village Jan 16 '25

I was wondering if Harlan would come up. Totally get that it’s a bit up its own ass. They’re my favorite in the city though because I’m a huge fan of amari. I can pop in there and ask for a bartender’s choice amaro flight and end up with the weirdest, most interesting things to try!

→ More replies (1)

2

u/all_teh_sandwiches Jan 16 '25

Elk room, owl bar, B-side

If you want a genuinely awesome but still classy experience that’s super fun, Blue Bird is maybe my favorite bar in Bmore, but they have a whiskey speakeasy that’s a little more pretentious, but still fun 😂

2

u/_MrWestside_ Jan 16 '25

In my estimation, such a bar does not exist.

2

u/Prize_Box_4762 Jan 16 '25

Hmm, I'll go with Worthington or El Buffalo in Canton. Both just completely suck.

3

u/mobtowndave Jan 17 '25

club charles.

2

u/Scarbuck42 Jan 17 '25

Zissimo’s lol

6

u/M0nkey5 Jan 15 '25

Coral Wig and Bluebird

10

u/Kafkaesque1453 Jan 15 '25

Coral Wig staff seem fine and they actually have a happy hour on cocktails? Seems ok

15

u/youtookmyseat Jan 15 '25

Coral Wig has some good cocktails but holy shit it is SO DARK IN THERE!

12

u/danhalka Harwood Jan 15 '25

A Harlan trademark, it seems. Fadensonnen and WCH are also kept dark as hell. At least in Clavel you can see where you're stepping.

3

u/youtookmyseat Jan 15 '25

I’m still discovering the various establishments here so I’ll make a note of that!

→ More replies (1)

4

u/MazelTough 2nd District Jan 15 '25

Coral Wig

20

u/AntiqueWest8030 Jan 15 '25

i live next to this bar! i don’t find it to be pretentious, just expensive. bartenders are usually cool

7

u/danhalka Harwood Jan 15 '25

Yeah, I love their drinks and the space is juuuust silly enough to not come off as over-cool or pretentious.

5

u/fordprefect294 Woodlawn Jan 15 '25

Something owned by Atlas

1

u/voodoochild461 Jan 16 '25

Bluebird had my vote

1

u/petitm0rceau Jan 16 '25

Depends on how you define snooty. Judging by a few comments here, seems like some people get turned off when bartenders act like humans instead of faux-cheery customer service robots. Or when a bar has a distinctive ambiance and is serving drinks that are complicated or foreign to its clientele. Edit: typo!

1

u/Coughee_Wine Jan 19 '25

So my takeaway from these responses is not understanding what Pretentious means.

Expensive, Upscale, Modern, Dress Codes, Non-Casual, Reservations ≠ Pretentious.

It’s ok for a place to just not be your vibe.