Home > Bars & Clubs > Bar Review > Inside: Ale Mary's

Vibe: At Ale Mary's in Fells, Catholicism may be the recurring theme, but the vibe is not so saintly. Between glowing neon beer signs, statues and pictures of the Virgin Mary adorn the walls and shelves, 10 chalices rest above martini glasses and a wooden plaque, normally holding daily hymnals and psalm numbers, displays daily drink specials instead. But, God-fearing Christians should not be afraid -- this is not a haven for Satan worshippers. Au contraire -- Ale Mary's is a neighborhood bar, and a lot of its customers live down the street or around the corner. It has its share of regulars, but even the first-timer will not feel out of place.

Crowd: Nobody here needs a fake ID. Ale Mary's attracts the yuppie types who frequent the Fells Point area. The crowd is definitely older, but there are no obvious rednecks drinking alone at the bar. Everyone seemed to be with a friend or in a group of friends. The only drawback was the one obnoxious regular who sat in the corner and gave me a hard time because I had never been here -- or to the bar across the street. Maybe with all the church paraphernalia, he expected me to beg his forgiveness. Sorry man, but I'm not the religious type.

Libations: Ale Mary's Heavenly Pale Ale is the featured house brew. Other less common beers on tap include Resurrection, Weyerbacher Insanity, Dominion Winter Brew and Troegs. But this place has a little bit of everything -- the bar was littered with wine, beer, cosmos and glasses of liquids on the rocks. That's right -- glasses. That's how classy Ale Mary's is. I didn't see any groups ordering rounds of shots, nor did I hear any loud booze-induced cheering. Although, don't think that means Ale Mary's parishioners can't hang.

Sounds: A faint radio can be heard beneath layers of conversation. The discussion is mainly in the vein of, "who works where, who lives where and who has seen whom recently." Behind the bar, two big plasma screen TVs are tuned to muted sports channels, so even if you're not feeling real chatty, you can watch the game and read the captions. You might not escape tireless yuppie chatter, but it'll help.

Service: Excellent service -- with a smile even! Mary and Tom were both extremely friendly and attentive to each of their patrons. Just because they aren't on a first-name basis with you, doesn't mean you can't get a drink.

Bottom Line: Ale Mary's offers a lively atmosphere. It's a great place for lunch or to catch up with a few friends, but it's not a place to meet new people. You may also want to avoid getting involved in a deep conversation with a regular because whatever he says he'll always be right -- he's been sitting at the bar longer than you have.

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