Narrowing down Baltimore’s many, many sports bars proved to be a challenge. Most of the sports fans I know are happy as long as they’ve got decent bar food, a TV view and maybe a deal on drinks. So what makes a “destination” sports bar? What would inspire a fan to leave the convenience of the pub that happens to be nearest to home? As the Orioles season heats up , here are five Baltimore sports bars that offer a little something special, whether it’s the menu, deals, activities or convivial atmosphere that brings strangers together in shared excitement and hope for the home team.
On a rainy Saturday, 29th Street Tavern in Remington was just a bar — old-fashioned interiors of brick, wood and stained glass; a mostly full house; a background murmur of chatter as people watched the Orioles game and sought shelter from the weather. But at 6:57 p.m.
, the tavern became unquestionably a sports bar as 20 horses bolted off in the Kentucky Derby . Patrons stood up from their pints, shouted, “Go, go, go!” and were locked in on the televisions together for about two minutes. This cozy, communal environment is helped along by outdoor picnic tables, darts and sporadic Bingo nights.
“It’s a classic mixed bag,” owner Aaron Reinhart said of the clientele, adding that local celebrities, including filmmaker John Waters , sometimes stop in, “rubbing elbows with the common folk.” The menu consists of typical pub fare, plus a few lighter Mediterranean options like an ahi t.
