The Owl Bar - A Quick Glance of Baltimore's Oldest Restaurants/Pubs
In 1920, the country felt the widespread affects of a sweeping initiative that put a ban on the sale, manufacturing, and transportation of alcohol known as Prohibition. This ban was not looked upon favorably by the general public and triggered the creation of illegal stills also known as “Speakeasy’s” where alcohol could still be bought, gambling could occur, and much more. The Owl Bar, located in the historic Belvedere in midtown Baltimore, was coined a “speakeasy” and was a place where patrons could still buy booze throughout this time. Patrons and speakeasy owners had to be careful not to get caught however; The Owl Bar had its own method of preventing this from happening through the use of a wise owl. Special messages/signals were delivered from the wise owl to give visitors signals as to when alcohol was delivered and it was safe to party. The blinking of the owl made visitors aware of when or when not to party as well as when alcohol had arrived. Nobody spoke of boozing or partying; they simply enjoyed themselves and looked for the owl’s signals. Prohibition was eventually lifted in early December in 1933 by the ratification of the Twenty-first amendment.
This ban was not a show stopper for the Owl Bar though, it continued to operate and provide all who visited this tavern with great drinks, great food, and a fantastic atmosphere. What kind of food can you find here you might ask? Where to begin…Portobello fries with truffle aioli, lobster and bacon mac n cheese, brick oven pizza’s, Panini’s, and so much more. The Owl Bar continues to be one of Baltimore City’s must go to places for over a century now and will continue to give visitors a memorable experience for many years to come.
Enjoy!