24 February 2011

Don't Know Tavern: Latest Craft Beer Bar

The latest entry to the craft-beer-bar scene in Baltimore is not that new a place; Don't Know Tavern has been in business for about three years now.  But owner Jason Zink, who also runs No Idea Tavern several blocks away in too-far-south-to-really-be-Federal-Hill-proper, has upgraded:

"As of March, we'll be at 30 taps,  100% American craft beers," he proclaimed at Don't Know.  As of tonight there are still two outliers on tap, Blue Moon and Miller Lite, but those should vanish within days.  The beer line-up, and even the feel, of both places may well remind one of Racers Cafe--both bars feature gridded chalkboards listing the beers and percentage of alcohol.

Don't Know also rosters a kitchen, with a menu putting itself between the old-fashioned corner taverns and the upscale restaurants, with burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, and a few entrees (meatloaf, steak).  As can be seen in the photo of one of the two beer menu boards, the selection isn't that shabby--everything from Anchor Steam to Weyerbacher Verboten and from Lagunitas Pils to Lancaster Milk Stout, with both Heavy Seas and Flying Dog currently "duking it out" with three beers apiece on side-by-side tap towers.   Happy Hour, like most places, is 4 to 7 Monday-Friday.

No Idea is also going the craft-beer route with twelve mostly-craft taps at this point.

Keep an eye on these places.

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