Come for the drink deals and atmosphere, not the food

The Wharf Rat is a maritime-themed pub in Fells Point. Parking may prove to be a pain, but this should be a favorite of anyone who lives within stumbling distance. This is a British style pub where the bar tender serves as your waiter, cook, and server.

Wooden mermaids, ship steering wheels, and maritime themed paintings decorate the walls. Like most bars, the lighting is quite dim and the walls are covered in dark brown paneling. The smell of a wood fire wafts throughout the building and those who explore to the back will find a large fireplace, giving the bar a cozy living-room feeling of British pubs.

Their menu is filled with selections under $10.00, but aren’t the best quality cheap eats. Just over a mile away is Mama's on the Half Shell and both serve a crab and artichoke dip with only a nickel difference in price and Mama’s is far superior. The cream cheese overpowered the less than ample lumps of crab and I was hard pressed to find any artichoke. They do not profess to be a dinner place and most customers order very affordable selections to help temper their drunkeness. So if you are looking for dinner, this is not the place.

That being said, I do plan on many more visits. Unlike many downtown bars, you do not have to elbow through tightly packed crows of people to get served or to the restroom, though I hear the crowds can be quite thick during a home Oriels game. The pleasant demeanor of the staff and owners, not to mention their own tasty micro brews, keep the regulars returning. During hockey season, all Canadian beers are $2.50 while a game is playing. For anyone who may ask “When is there a game?” The Wharf Rat subscribes to Center Ice, so a better question is “When isn’t there a game?”