Sipping Flying Dog at Poe Boys
I think the owners of Poe Boys may finally have a winner on their hands.
The new Fells Point bar feels like a Fells Point bar -- something it's predecessor, the fancier Miss Irene's, never did.
Midnight Sunner Alexander D. Mitchell IV wasn't too impressed with Poe Boys' beer selection, but I thought it was formidable. They have two tap risers, with more than a dozen draft beers.
I ordered a Flying Dog Raging Bitch, a new IPA from the regional brewery. It's hoppy, that's for sure. But it also goes down easy -- even at 8.3% abv.
There weren't many people in Poe Boys, probably because it's new, and it was also 9 p.m. the Tuesday before Christmas ...
Our server playfully tried to get me to order the buffalo wings (a special blend of spices the kitchen staff just loves, she said) and I must admit, I was tempted. But in the end, I opted for the one beer.
I also meandered to the back room, where the owners have installed a new pool table. The red felt goes well with the maroonish walls. It's a classic-looking space.
I'm always hesitant to make predictions about how well a new bar will do, because there are so many outside circumstances that always come into play. But Poe Boys has a better chance than Miss Irene's. That's for sure.
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
anything would be an improvement over the pile of FAIL that was Irene's
Posted by: drunk richard | December 23, 2009 9:12 AM
Any bar which has Flying Dog's Raging Bitch on tap is pretty freakin rad in my book.
Posted by: Brad | December 23, 2009 10:30 AM
I was also in Poe Boys last night with a group of coworkers. We had a less than stellar experience. The bartender was inattentive. We ordered food that the waiter forgot to enter into the register. The oysters were just OK. The calamari was soggy. The crab dip and crab soup lacked one item - crab.
I'm not sure I or my coworkers will be heading back any time soon.
Posted by: Rich B | December 23, 2009 12:04 PM
Rich, this is why I'm glad I'm only about the drinks, and rarely the food.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | December 23, 2009 12:07 PM
Um, what's changed besides the name? The billiard room looks the same as when I went there a few weeks before they changed the name. Are draft beers still $7? If so, this too shall fail.
Posted by: Dave the wave | December 23, 2009 12:47 PM
Went there the afternoon of the big snow. The calamari was good, the blackened catfish was nicely prepared but day-old, which might be chalked up to the circumstances.
The ownership is the same, said our waitperson.
Posted by: jupiter | December 24, 2009 1:44 AM
It is not under new ownership. It is still owned by the Waterfront people. I don't see why they are keeping that secret, other than trying to separate it from Miss Irene's. The reason Miss Irene's failed was that it was overpriced for what it was. I like the idea of Poe Boys, but why charge $7 for a pint of beer when you can walk down Thames and get the exact same pint for $5 somewhere else?
Posted by: sorlove | December 31, 2009 12:30 PM
I have eaten at Poe Boys twice in the last week and I'll definently be returning. I had the crab dip had it had pleanty of crab meat! They have a great beer selection and a very good menu. This place is headed in the right direction! The only complaint I have is that is just needs more tv's and a couple bigger tv's
Posted by: Tim | January 9, 2010 6:38 PM
I worked for this company for just a while, but I can tell you this. They need to spend less time playing with their comics and world of warcraft and focus on their business. As for this "new ownership" that their website proudly displays, another lie, same old owners, can't be trusted and can't run a business to save their lives.
Posted by: Greg Sanders | January 11, 2010 11:21 AM