Baltimore--soccer-friendly pubs and cask ale

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by jmw, May 30, 2012.

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  1. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    Will be visiting Bawlmore last weekend of July to see me Spurs beat Liverpool. I'm in the process of reading back through previous threads about places with high tap counts, good food, etc. I was wondering if you folks could point me toward a spot or two that is particularly football friendly and had a good pub-like atmosphere. Critical to this mission is well-kept casks.
     
    #1 jmw, May 30, 2012
  2. ncaudle

    ncaudle Initiate (0) May 28, 2010 Virginia

    can't speak for the footie atmospheres but Stillwaters new pub, Of Love And Regret, just opened today. you've got Max's Taphouse and Brewers Art as well.

    to be honest, while it's been a few years since I was there regularly, I never found a good beer bar/pub in B'more that had a footie atmosphere. it was 1 or the other.
     
    #2 ncaudle, May 30, 2012
  3. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Slainte pub is probably the preeminent beer bar in town when it comes to soccer (football). There's always a sizeable crowd there on game day, so you should be among friends there. Unfortunately, they don't have the greatest beer selection (Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, etc.), and I don't think they generally carry cask beer. Pratt Street Ale House is also a good place to watch the game, as the brewer there (Steve Jones) is an expatriat and so quite keen on English football. They typically have at least several Oliver Brewing beers on cask there, and a decent draft selection to boot. Just around the corner from Slainte is Max's, and as ncaudle mentioned, they have a tremendous tap selection, including usually 4 or 5 selections on cask. While I'm sure the game will be on there, Max's doesn't have the reputation for being "particularly football friendly," unless you're talking American football (when the place gets crazy crowded).

    Good luck.
     
    #3 John_M, May 30, 2012
  4. mendvicdog

    mendvicdog Initiate (0) Sep 1, 2006 Maryland

    +1 for Pratt Street Ale House. It is within walking distance of the stadium. They usually are an official fan zone for one of the teams. My guess would be Tottenham, but I don't think they have announced yet. The selection is much better at Max's, but PSAH is much more convenient.
     
    #4 mendvicdog, May 30, 2012
  5. DRBiser

    DRBiser Initiate (0) May 4, 2012 Maryland

    JMW, no doubt Slainte is one of the top places to watch footy here in Baltimore. But as a fellow Spurs fan, i must warn you that Slainte has the reputation for hosting every Gooners fan in the area (very unfortunate as i live 3 blocks from the pub). Not that they are playing, but just wanted to give you the heads up. And anyway, it seems like you will be going to the game (as will I) so it's a solid spot and one can always have an entertaining conversation with Irish Dave who tends bar 7-days-a-week. Most importantly, it's a 1-min walk from Max's, which as John has said, offers the best selection of beers in the area.

    Alternatively, as you will be on the other side of the harbor for the game, the above advice is excellent in that PSAH is more in that general locale. Also, the Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill (very close to stadium) is known to be a good supporter of all things soccer. It's been awhile since i've been, but I believe they maintain a solid tap selection. Can’t speak for their cask ales.

    COME ON YOU WHITES!!
     
    #5 DRBiser, May 31, 2012
  6. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Maybe I was just unlucky (or the timing was bad), but the last couple of times I stopped by the Abbey Burger Bistro, I ended up walking out without ordering. Service was really, really slow, and the staff there just seemed completely uninterested in serving us. In fairness, this was around St. Patrick's Day weekend, so I'm sure the staff had been run through the ringer, but in general, the Bistro is one of those places that doesn't seem to do a good job with large crowds (which is suprising, given their location - I'll bet they're slammed all the time).

    My guess is that the bistro will be a complete madhouse both before and during the game. They also don't carry any cask selections (at least I've never seen any), and the last time I was there the draft list was really unimpressive (mostly Euro macros and a lot of New Belgium core beers - no Lips of Faith stuff, unfortunately). Shrug... just my two cents, but it would be my recommendation that the OP go with the PSAH, or in the alternative, if he wants to try something in Federal Hill (as the PSAH may also be quite crowded on game day), give Brewer's Cask or the Metro a try. Good luck.
     
    #6 John_M, May 31, 2012
  7. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    Thanks guys. Very helpful stuff.
     
    #7 jmw, May 31, 2012
  8. orangesol

    orangesol Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2009 Pennsylvania

    Can't wait for this game, should be an awesome time. I am hoping to check out a few bars after the game but who knows at this point.
     
    #8 orangesol, May 31, 2012
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