Our triumphant return to Down the Hatch
With such warm weather last night, my pal Crazy Joe and I couldn't help but go for a stroll. And that stroll took us to one of my favorite Locust Point bars: Down the Hatch (1157 Haubert St.).
I wanted to see if Down the Hatch still had those mind-bogglingly cheap drafts.
We half-expected the place to be closed, or the drafts to have dried up -- like Down the Hatch was some mirage we'd stumbled onto months ago but would never find again.
We took a few wrong turns before we both realized we both had high-falutin phones with GPS on them. Better drinking through technology!
And, after a few blocks, there it was, the green and orange-red neon lights, the Formstone exterior. Down the Hatch -- the quintessential Baltimore corner bar -- was still there, in all its glory ...
As we walked in, the folks inside started clapping. I'm not sure why. Maybe they wanted the company? I've never been applauded for walking in a bar, but I'll take it.
We sat down in the high-backed bar stools and scanned the tap handles. Sure enough, there were still Clipper City Gold and Magic Hat #9 on tap. Whew! The bartender pulled two icy glass mugs from the freezer, filled 'em with Clipper City and plunked 'em down in front of us. Ahh.
Not a minute later, we were chatting up the regulars about the Ravens' numbing loss to Indy. All of Down the Hatch's charm was still there. I noticed a few new flat screen TVs, which normally might seem out of place in a corner bar like this one, but somehow they were a random but welcome addition to Down the Hatch.
Crazy Joe and I sat there for a couple hours, talking to the regulars and amongst ourselves. When it came time to leave, I held my breath, anxious to see if the beers were still as cheap as they used to be. They were. Each draft of ice cold Clipper City Gold was $1.25. My God.
Down the Hatch is everything I want in a Baltimore corner bar. It's comforting, cheap and full of welcoming regulars.
(Photo by me)
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
$1 Bud/Bud Lights during every Oriole game and free shots with every home run.....yes please!
We used to pre-game SOBO kickball games there.
Posted by: Go Ravens | January 19, 2010 2:20 PM
Live about a block away from DTH. Always a good time. Was hoping you could settle a bet. You describe the neon as orange-red. Would you say it is more orange or more red. A shot of microwaved rail bourbon is riding on your answer.
Posted by: Gregory | January 19, 2010 4:09 PM
@Gregory -- Those lights look more red than orange to me. Hope you're not the one who has to take the shot.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | January 19, 2010 4:11 PM
That's gonna hurt.
Posted by: Gregory | January 19, 2010 4:23 PM
Hahahaha sorry man. Pinch your nose. That usually helps.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | January 19, 2010 4:24 PM
that sounds awesome. love the clipper city gold. never had it on draft.
Posted by: Allan | January 20, 2010 9:53 AM