Introducing Tiki Barge, South Baltimore's new tiki bar
Oh. My. Goodness.
Tiki Barge, a floating barge with a swimming pool and two tiki bars, has opened at the end of a dock in Harborview Marina, at 500 Harborview Drive.
Take a second, have a look at the photo, and digest what I just told you. OK.
Bud Craven, who, with his daughter Shawna, helped run the tiki bar outside Bo Brooks in Canton, took over a swimming pool barge a couple months ago and started renovating it ...
They built two bars and set up real palm trees. Tiki Barge officially opened Memorial Day weekend, using the marina's liquor license, Craven said.
Beers are about $3.50, and rail mixed drinks are $3.75. Swimming in the pool costs a $10 fee, which includes one free drink.
The whole setup is pretty killer, according to Midnight Sunner ryan97ou, who is currently chilling down there in the pool as I type this. Consider me jealous.
Tiki Barge is open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays. The pool opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m.
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
WHHHHAAAATTTTTT?!?
Can someone please call my office and invent some sort of personal emergency that I need to attend to at the Harborview marina?
Posted by: kateebee | June 18, 2010 2:13 PM
Awesome!! Looks like a good party boat!
Great Idea- you gotta admit!
Posted by: Suzie Q | June 18, 2010 2:17 PM
How many people do you think could hang there comfortably? It looks like it doesn't really hold many people from the picture.
Posted by: Jenn | June 18, 2010 2:21 PM
Looked at renting a place in Harborview - that barge was an "amenity" for residents w/ grills and a pool ... glad I found another spot.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 18, 2010 2:36 PM
"Yes, hi, office? Yes, I'm looking for kateebee. No, I'm sorry that's all I have to go on. Well, you see there's this floating pool bar outside..."
Posted by: JTK | June 18, 2010 2:47 PM
ugh, there goes my not so secret barge pool :(
but it does look 1000x better than it did before!
Posted by: c | June 18, 2010 2:55 PM
I like the idea and may have to check it out, but I too wonder how many can even fit on the thing. Will Sam's post give it the tipping point exposure to make it so popular that you have to wait in line and be pretty in your bikini to even get in? Well I can make that judgement call and I need a weekend job anyway.
Posted by: Montag | June 18, 2010 3:08 PM
"Swimming in the pool costs a $10 free"
What a deal if it really is free.
Posted by: LEC | June 18, 2010 3:10 PM
@LEC -- I meant to write "fee" instead of "free." Fixed.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | June 18, 2010 3:11 PM
Was there last night with said ryan97ou and the bar could get pretty packed pretty easily. I think if word got out too quickly it could pretty easily devolve into a sh*tshow, but for now it's a pretty great spot.
Posted by: Evan | June 18, 2010 3:49 PM
we can see it from our office and were wondering what it was. agree with Montag, there's probably a line right now.
Posted by: random drinker | June 18, 2010 4:03 PM
Fabulous. First the new marina owners put up a gate with key-card access to keep out the riff-raff. Then they open the gate so the whole world can get to the tiki bar.
Posted by: Dobergrl | June 18, 2010 4:48 PM
I have heard about this place for a few weeks now but I was sworn to secrecy be fellow men not to tell others about it. As of right now the female to male ratio is 4-1 after this blog and other positive reviews it will soon be 1-4.
Please don't every get televisions or have drink specials.
Sam, you might have ruined a good thing!!!
Posted by: jason z | June 19, 2010 7:03 AM
Jason Z is exactly right.
Posted by: Kulesz | June 19, 2010 10:01 AM
I'm just doing my job, folks. You've had it to yourselves for almost a month now. It's time the masses knew about it. And who knows? Nothing might happen. It might stay exactly the same.
If this blog post does blow it up, maybe I'll go there, give it an awful review and drive everybody away. That way I can have it all to myself. Muhahahaha! Just kidding, of course.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | June 19, 2010 10:04 AM
Congrats to Richmond and Shawna. The Canton location was cool while it lasted. Good to get away from Bo Brooks, its ownership harassment, and its clientele. I was checking out the new location from brunch at Little Havana. Looks great! I will be stopping by to add a little maturity to the crowd.
Posted by: naked chuck | June 19, 2010 10:09 AM
Midnight Sun Swim Party!?!?
Posted by: jason z | June 19, 2010 12:52 PM
Congrats Richmond!
Posted by: Ralph | June 19, 2010 1:01 PM
That place is super chill but some the guys are so ridiculously pretentious. "Oh my yacht this, oh my yacht that....lets get on my yacht and go over to power plant"
yikes!
Posted by: Laura | June 19, 2010 9:42 PM
I'd love to do a Midnight Sun swim party, Jason, but I'd worry the weather wouldn't be great and we'd have to reschedule. But seriously, though, I'd consider it.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | June 21, 2010 11:38 AM
If it rains, we move the party to Havanas! very simple.
Posted by: jason z | June 21, 2010 11:51 AM
I'll spin the tunes for any Midnight Sun swim party...
Posted by: eCommerce Consultant | June 21, 2010 6:20 PM
Since we haven't had a Midnight Sun party in awhile, we should have eCommerce spin some tunes and kateebee model some two pieces at the pool. Good times had by all!
Posted by: jason z | June 21, 2010 7:00 PM
Sounds good to me. Lemme see what I can put together.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | June 22, 2010 7:13 AM
The flabongos are summering in Dewey, but I'll bring them home for the partay. And Jason, if this was a ploy to get me in a bikini, you could have just asked ;)
Posted by: kateebee | June 22, 2010 9:43 AM
I have to check this place out on Sunday if the weather is nice. Who wants to go?
I would love to spin some music here!
Posted by: Calvin Garner | June 22, 2010 1:32 PM
So it sounds and looks better than both Merrits and it costs LESS, with a free drink? Hmm...and the downside is what?
Posted by: jojameghan | June 25, 2010 10:26 AM
I'll have to put in some extra gel to keep the hair spiked. Is that barge big enough for the egos?
Posted by: Daily Breather | June 30, 2010 9:55 AM
hey everybody yea the barge sucks. Don't come. :-)
Posted by: n8 | July 2, 2010 10:31 AM
it's like jersey shore in baltimore, quite entertaining actually. lots of DBs
Posted by: abp123 | July 12, 2010 12:21 PM
My partner and I visited on Labor Day! Very impressed. Since I bike the route between Guilford and Fort McHenry, I'll be making this a midway stop for sure!!
Posted by: Phil | September 8, 2010 1:54 PM