Review: Rodos is still Fells Point's frat house 30 years on
In September, when I asked readers their thoughts on the best bars in Baltimore, no establishment was more polarizing than Fells Point's Rodos.
Some called it "disgraceful" and "gross." One said it was only popular with "underage girls from Dundalk" and "unemployed Greek sailors."
Said another: "Rodos is a great place to either be groped, or have your significant other get in a brawl because the troglodytes won't stop groping their lady friend."
Still, many others sang its praises, with at least one person exclaiming, "Rodos for president."
The reaction is to be expected. Strong opinions are what you get when you've been in business for more than three decades.
On this, its 33rd anniversary, it's a good time to reappraise the old standby.
After all these years, Rodos is decidedly old-school. It's not just that it looks like it hasn't gotten more than a cursory renovation since Gerald Ford was in the White House. It doesn't even have a website (though, surprisingly, someone's made it a skeleton Facebook profile).
Even if you haven't heard of the bar's reputation for rowdiness, its exterior suggests it. There are two intimidating bouncers outside its entrance on South Broadway. Inside, security cameras are installed in several places, including two above the bar by the entrance, watching over bartenders who look like they were hired after a wet T-shirt contest.
The rest of the review is here.
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 "
