Mount Royal Tavern |
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| 1204 W Mount Royal Ave. | |
| Baltimore, MD 21217 | |
| 410-669-6686 | |
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Hours:
Daily: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. | |
| What's nearby: | |
First thing to do when you enter the Mount Royal Tavern: Look up, or you'll miss the beautiful mural that covers its ceiling. Second thing: Look behind you. The Tavern, as it is known to its afficianados, is a bohemian dive in both the best and worst senses of the word. You're likely to rub elbows with aspiring artists from the neighboring Maryland Institute College of Art, but you're also likely to suffer the occasional homeless guy bumming change or cigs, or forcing his attentions on a female member of your party. A piece of advice: The bouncer's a lot more likely to take action if you claim the former rather than the latter.
Yes, the Tavern has its quirks. The clientele often have their own, unique visions of personal hygiene. Anyone sitting at the end of the bar gets to stare at a bunch of naked lady behinds (painted, not real), and the bartender may punish an error like ordering a beer they don't carry by ignoring you for 10 minutes. But it's hard not to love a bar with $2.50 microbrews or guys with tri-colored dreadlocks playing pinball in the back. Like the unkempt patrons that slump on its torn barstools, the Tavern requires a high tolerance of -- and perhaps even love for -- the weird. But then, doesn't all art? --Hannah Feldman
Yes, the Tavern has its quirks. The clientele often have their own, unique visions of personal hygiene. Anyone sitting at the end of the bar gets to stare at a bunch of naked lady behinds (painted, not real), and the bartender may punish an error like ordering a beer they don't carry by ignoring you for 10 minutes. But it's hard not to love a bar with $2.50 microbrews or guys with tri-colored dreadlocks playing pinball in the back. Like the unkempt patrons that slump on its torn barstools, the Tavern requires a high tolerance of -- and perhaps even love for -- the weird. But then, doesn't all art? --Hannah Feldman
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