Loved the vibe of this tavern in Fells Point! It has cool spooky Halloween vibes which I love. The bartender, Emily, was very friendly and attentive. I had a couple of mixed drinks and tried my first Malort shot because I obviously hate myself (don't let the curiosity get to you unless you like the taste of gasoline and sadness), but I was happy I chose here to try it haha. This is overall just a cool spot to chat with other patrons and enjoy some drinks in a cool environment. I'll definitely be back! read more

0 stars if possible! Wouldn't serve my friend or I because we had out of state IDs? And bartender was rude about it.

Nice local place! Friendly bartender and cheap drinks. Solid local place. We will be back for sure..

Best bar in Upper Fells: - Great company - Tasty, cheap food - Cold drinks - Good music What else do you need?! read more

Drinks are cheap, but something is off with the vibe here. There's a pool table which is fun, but we had some regulars eyeing us the whole time we played like we had taken their usual timeslot. It seems like the kind of place that has a very usual crowd, and if you're not part of it, maybe it can be less welcoming. read more

Spirits used to be my go-to dive bar. It was solid and reliable. The tub of fun was always good for a spot of entertainment: guess what lowbrow brew the bartender will pull & get a free shot with your $1 purchase. Sadly, it was discontinued, but I hear that it may be back in a revised edition. I've wasted more money on the Megatouch than I could care to remember. The well whiskey was either Ten High or Cabin Still (oh, happy day!), so I could always get a little buddy with my Natty Boh for really cheap. I've been out of Baltimore for a few months now, but I heard that one of my old favourite bartenders is back in town and serving up drinks at Spirits again. Go by to see Jeff during his shift. He'll take good care of you. read more

Spirits Tavern - bottles of alcohol lined up on the bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I had a friend in town for the weekend and wanted to show him this great dive bar with a really chill environment. We are both a huge fan of dive bars, especially ones where you can just sit back and chill ALL day in and just waste the day away. I would definitely say that Spirits is one of those bars. We were there at around 9:00 on a Friday night and when we walked in there were maybe a total of 5 people in the bar. The bar is not huge and the space is not very roomy. There are a few tables strewn about the place but it is mostly bar. There is one pool table that offers free pool if you are interested. The biggest draw for me is the old fashion Ms. Pac Man game. You know, the one where you sit and it's a clear plexiglass top. Awesome. I could mess around on that thing for hours. That Ms. Pac Man sure is a viper! They have a few good beers on tap, not a huge selection but a good one. They have Young's on draft which pretty cool. That is a beer you really only see in can form. This place does offer some weekly specials on food, like a bowl of Chili on Mondays and burritos on Tuesday. The funniest thing about this bar however is the Beer Tub. Basically there is a large tub of beer behind the bar and they list what kinds on a chalk board. Most of these beers are basically for power chugging getting wasted college beer like Natty Ice and Beast Ice. For a buck fifty you can guess what can the Bartender pulls out without looking. If you guess right you get a free shot of anything the bar has to offer, if you get it wrong, well you enjoy the pain of drinking one of those liquid crack beverages. This is definitely going to be a bar I frequent because it is a low key quiet establishment with a solid jukebox. It is also funny to watch the way they keep bar tabs...trust me you will see if you open one. read more

Spirits Tavern - a lit candle in front of a sign that says spirits tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My husband and I stopped in on New Year's Eve during our stay in Baltimore for a bowl game happening that day. We're not super familiar with the area, but our Airbnb was close by and we wanted something walkable and low key, so we dropped in. We loved it! My mixed drinks were great, and we enjoyed some free champagne at midnight. I believe there was a special going on during NYE, but even without, the drinks were cheap (which is right up our alley). The bartender was attentive and friendly. Very happy we stopped in, and we will definitely be back if we're ever in Baltimore again! read more

I'm a sucker for bars with a gimmick. Give me skeeball or arcade games or free pizza with drinks (come on Baltimore, why don't we get on that trend? It's the one thing I miss most about living in Brooklyn) and I will happily weather a weird crowd and lack of ambiance. So when I heard about the Tub of Fun I knew I had to check Spirits out. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It had everything you could want in a dive bar; free pool, peanuts at the bar, hot dogs on offer, and a crowd that was 98% men. Okay well maybe that last part isn't ideal for dudes looking to score but it always seems like the best dive bars have the fewest women so I take it as a good sign. The Tub of Fun was pretty awesome. Well, not really because I didn't guess right and I was stuck with a Keystone Light but it was only $1.50! For that price I'll happily continue to drink shitty beer in the hopes of someday basking in the glory of earning a free shot. Someday... read more

I've been to spirits a few times and have always enjoyed it. The bartender knows his beers and isn't bashful about pouring spirits. As other reviewers have stated there is a pool table and yes it is free, there is also video games, and two TVs playing movies or sports in the background. You can tell this is a local dive bar, that is frequented often by the locals and not so locals. I recently stopped in on a Friday for happy hour with friends and they were dishing out a free taco spread. It was just what the doctor ordered, I got a few cold cheap drafts and while I filled up on tacos and chips. I was impressed because not many bars have free food nights and this was a treat for the patrons, the layout had chicken, beef, re-fried beans, diced tomatoes in salsa, cheese, fresh made guacamole, and chips. It was created your own tacos so I tried both the chicken and beef with some of the re-fried beans and whatever fixings I was in the mood for, they tasted great. I eventually decided to make nachos with the chips because I needed some crunch mixed in. Next time I come back I will have to try something off the menu. read more

There are some good things to say about Spirits: good beer selection, free pool table, not too crowded. But here's the bad part: at 1:15, the lights came up, and instead of announcing last call, the bartender came over to us, rudely took my half-full beer out of my hand and told us to get out. This is really not the way to make a good impression on people visiting a bar for the first time. Call me crazy, but I like to be allowed to finish the beer I pay for before being kicked out, so I doubt we'll be back. read more

Early on I enjoyed coming here when I lived in the neighborhood. The Tub-Of-Fun kicked ass, and food was cheap & plentiful, the tunes were pretty good, and the crowd had a nice vibe to it. Eventually the Tub-of-Fun went away, as did some of the bartenders I liked, Chad installed a few video games, as well as a pay-per-play digital jukebox, and the crowd was less and less my type of scene. They started having pool league nights. And then there were more and more sports being shown on the television set on a regular basis. Additionally, some of the other regulars were just downright rude & obnoxious. I won't name names, but this one guy in particular was just a real miserable fuck. It got to where any time he came in I would immediately settle up and leave. So I stopped coming here as much. It's a solidly decent place. In fact, I wish I had a place like it near my current apartment. I just kind of liked the earlier version of the bar better than what it eventually became, that's all. read more

Great neighborhood bar to grab a drink. Its not grungy or rough enough to qualify as a dive bar, but it does have that relaxed feel where you can just hang out. I met up with a few locals there, and they seemed to know everyone that walked in the bar. read more

Great neighborhood bar. Had a joint bday celebration here a while back-we brought friends and cake galore and were able to accommodate everyone and have a fantab time. Love that it's a fairly quiet little bar. No pretense! read more

This is a fantastic dive bar! It feels like a real neighborhood place and is pretty much representative of everything that is great about the Baltimore bar scene. Good beer selection, or if it's late enough that you don't care what you drink, try your hand at the Tub O' Fun and potentially get a free shot with your crappy $1.50 beer. (I always guess the crappiest beer in the tub, so that way if I don't win I'm never disappointed.) Plus, the food is really good. The burritos are my favorite, but you can't go wrong with the tacos or quesadillas either. read more

Best "Dive Bar" in Baltimore. The owner is an amazing human being and true Baltimore Sports fan (as well as a killer cook.) The menu is limited, but always amazing. The patrons are eclectic, friendly, and fun. The drinks are always good and there is free pool (if you're willing to wait... and often to play winner of the last game...) When I think back to the years I lived in Baltimore I will always think fondly on this place and wish, only, that I had found it years sooner. read more

This place is a bit of a dive. The beer selection was pretty good overall. The fish tacos are by far the best part of this bar. They are better than anything I've gotten from Nick's Fish House on the other side of the city. There is a pool table but you'll have to fight the locals for access. This is definitely a bar for the regulars of the area. But the tacos are so worth it! Give them a chance! read more

Great small local neighborhood bar in Upper Fells Point with great music (when the bartenders are playing their iPods and laptop playlists) and casual atmosphere. I will go on to say I think this bar has one of the most beautiful and decorative bar and backbar in the City! I've only been into this bar maybe 4 times but each time, the bartender(s) are always pleasant and even remember my name! The previous review mentioned the "Tub-of-Fun" and I am proud to announce it is back and in full effect! In addition to a great selection of bottled and draught beers, the Tub-Of-Fun is full of $1 canned beers... Here's how it works. You guess a beer from a list (last I was privy to, included I believe Black Label, Natty Boh, Natural Light, Iron City, Schlitz, Keystone Light, and a few others), the bartender pulls one from the icy barrel without looking and if you hit the guess, you get a free shot (rail whatever). If you miss, the beer is still $1 but no swapping... you get what he pulls, you pay for it and you drink it and LIKE it :) The (small choice of) food available at this bar is prepared in a small corner of the bar, with choices from Nachos, Chips/Salsa, Burritos and Quesadillas. Theyre actually better than I expected with steak options and generous portions. This place only carries a 1am liquor license so if youre looking for a "last call" bar, this probably isn't the one for you. They do however occasionally like to all venture to other local bars open later, taking their closing crowd with them for last call elsewhere :) Great Place! read more

Low key. Bucket of fun where you can guess what crappy beer you're about to drink for the chance to win a shot. Bartenders are cool. Pool table. Nudey-touch. Hopefully the secret doesn't get out. read more

I love Spirits. Free pool table! Just enough off the beaten path that it attracts a fairly chill crowd most of the time. Never so busy that you can't find a place to perch, either. Two thumbs up. read more

Nice neighborhood bar, kind bartenders, interesting crowd.

Super friendly place with great tacos and happy hour prices. We stopped here for "a beer" after house hunting and ended up staying all night. Steak tacos are very yummy and super cheap during happy hour. Pool table is free to play and the atmosphere is a warm, friendly pub. Excellent, we'll be back soon read more

I started coming here for taco night on Wednesday and I've been a regular ever since. Recently, they started serving coffee and breakfast in the morning... It has been a mitzvah. Plus, you can watch soccer on Saturday mornings which is really nice! read more

Great bar, Very comfortable and great staff. Great neighborhood bar and the regulars are very cool. Sports minded bar, with an awesome pool table. The bartender Amy was very accommodating and is just awesome. read more

Very personable owner and awesome atmosphere. Definitely divey but a great spot to grab a beer and a bit of food. Limited menu but given their kitchen set up its very solid! Worth a visit. read more

Tub o Fun is back for $1.50, and you can find some gems in there. Free pool and excellent beer selection make Spirits my go to spot. The crowd is very chill and friendly even if they are walloping you at pool all night. Food is alright and there are new weekly specials. Def. a great neighborhood bar! read more

This place is great! The music is eclectic. The atmosphere is sublime. My favorite bar in Baltimore. The Frank Zappa picture behind the bar says it all. read more

We just moved into the neighborhood and stumbled upon this bar. It's divey, yet perfectly homey. Try the tub of fun! We will definitely be returning to this corner bar. read more

This is the best bar in fells point! Chad the owner/bartender is the man, and he makes good food and good conversation. There is a pool table two TV's and an old school PAC-MAN ! And the Tub-o-fun is back...well last time I checked! read more

What a great cozy corner bar! Every time I go in there's a nice sized crowd and it seems to attract a great mixture of people. The food is surprisingly good - get the fish tacos on Mondays!!! Their amazing. And the chili is killer. The main red-bearded bartender always remembers me and is perfectly friendly. There's also a girl bartender there early in the week and she's always super chill and fun to chat with. It's a great beautiful old dive bar without the actual dirtiness. Overall - awesome and eclectic tap beer selection, tasty cocktails and friendly relaxed atmosphere. You won't break the bank either. It's super reasonable. Oh, and free pool! A hard thing to come by! This is for sure going to be my new neighborhood joint. 2 thumbs up. read more

Female bartender was extremely rude. After asked to present ID, I was told that I was asked to present the ID because "I was very awkward when I ordered the drink" and "it was obvious that I did not go to bars much." This is very rude to tell any customer. I do go to bars often, but I have social anxiety and often come across as awkward. I did not need this personal judgement from the bartender. When I did not leave the bartender a tip, she confronted me. After she left, her angry drunk friend chewed me out outside and caused a scene. I will never go here again. read more

I am a huge fan of dive bars so I decided to try this one out. Went there on a Friday night. Mt Wasnt too crowded, free pool, decent food, and good happy hour specials. I didn't realize 5-8 they had bogo beers and rails. They didn't tell us that and when I asked they said" oh it's for drafts only". This is after we ordered about 8 bottled beers. I personally thought that was messed up. I will go back because I liked the place, but the specials thing was a bit upsetting. read more

I really enjoy this local bar - it is sort of hidden in the neighborhood (except for the amazing black and red sign in the window). I have been here quite a few times over the last few years and have had a great time. The food is good - the selection isn't huge, but the fish tacos taste fresh, the salsa is good and the price is right! The beers on tap are tasty, and the best part is Tub-Of-Fun! I just discovered this on my latest trip to Spirits: there is a list of 30 cheap (sometimes terrible) beers in the back of the bar, you go up to the bartender and ask to play. You guess one of the tub-of-fun beers and if he reaches in and pulls it out the beer is free and you get a free shot of your choice! If he doesn't pull it out it's $2.50. The group I was with played it about 7-8 beers, and one of us won. It was fun, and a cheap way to drink at the bar (even if I was forced to drink icehouse, keystone and pabst). I also really enjoy the pool table - it is a fast table, but it is free and there is usually some good competition. If you aren't used to pool, just know that you will have to win to stay on the table and play your friends. The other thing to note is that they close up at 1am! But still a great bar to hang out in :) and lots of fun people to meet there. read more