Home > Baltimore Bars & Clubs > Bar Review > Inside: Holy Frijoles!

Vibe: Thinking Holy Frijoles! is all about the food -- burritos, fajitas, chimichangas and the most wonderful of all Mexican creations, nachos -- my friend and I decided to make a night of our visit there. We had dinner restaurant-side before moving into the next room and hitting the bar. While it's true that Holy Frijoles (which, by the way, is Spanglish for "Holy Beans") was once just a tiny hole-in-the-wall that only later added a bar, the high ceilings, exposed brick and lime-colored walls decorated with original artwork hardly come off as an afterthought. The bar is more inviting than the restaurant, and while there was plenty of seating in the restaurant area the night I went, many patrons chose to eat their dinner in the more happening bar.

Crowd: Hampden is known for being eclectic, and it was definitely a mixed crowd the night I went, ranging from college kids to couples in their 30s and 40s. Some folks came in jeans and T-shirts, others dressed a little nicer. Some people were from the neighborhood and a few were simply in the area to do a little shopping. However, nobody looked particularly out of place.

Libations: After ingesting some spicy chile rellenos, I definitely needed a drink. I was in an adventurous mood that night, but not adventurous enough for the cucumber margarita or the tilted windmill, a drink boasting Stoli Ohranj, pineapple juice and, of all things, cilantro. I did try the blue agavepolitin (a house version of a cosmo) with tequila, blue Curacao, lime juice and white cranberry juice, thus breaking one of my own personal rules about drinking: Never order blue or green drinks. (The result of a very painful Midori sour incident I'd rather not discuss. Thanks.) I'm all grown up now, and haven't done that sort of thing in recent memory, so a pretty blue drink for me! However, as I sipped my martini, I couldn't help but be reminded of the blue liquid used for soaking combs at the barber shop. I'm sure that stuff tastes nothing like what I had, although the alcohol content is probably comparable.

Sounds: Music isn't really the focus here. You won't find bands or a DJ or even a jukebox, but there is music piped into the bar through several inconspicuously placed speakers. I think the place subscribes to the "restaurant background music" channel on satellite radio. Maybe it was the tequila, but for the life of me, I can't remember a single song I heard that night. It was that unremarkable.

Service: Service was friendly, attentive and helpful. When another patron asked questions about Holy Frijoles' many creative concoctions, the bartender was more than happy to provide the info and hand out copies of the drink menu. I did find it kind of amusing that when one of the bartenders took a dinner break, he decided to sit at the bar and eat carry-out Chinese food. In all fairness, I'm sure it was just a matter of getting tired of eating the same thing all the time.

Bottom Line: Come for the nachos, stay for the tequila.

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