annabel lee tavern

moved from new jersey and instantly was turned on to annabel lees. best food in the city and a great atmosphere. small and quaint. call ahead on busy nights unless you don't mind waiting at bar. will be one of my favorites for a long time. all food us great and fantastic weekly specials. manager is super nice, and don't forget the duck fat fries. to die for.

not worth the wait. we moved in to the neighborhood months ago and were informed how hard it would be to get a table at annabel lee, yet we try to go for drinks with the hope of getting a table once in a while. we finally did get a table last weekend out on the patio, the service was good, nice girl, but the food was not worth the 7 month wait. small portions and overpriced. the bartenders seem a little stuffy too, the best part about this place is the theme. it's just a pity those guys behind the bar are not too pleased when they get the business.

great bar and great food. this is a wonderful casual place to get a meal and a drink with friends. this is an interesting place where you can see people dressed to the nines or people who are sometimes a bit too casual rubbing elbows. they all have something in common. they are having a hell of a good time here. i came by after a ball game with friends who introduced me and it has turned into my go to place after a difficult day, a ballgame or hey an anniversary.

perfect neighborhood bar. the perfect neighborhood bar, except the word has gotten out and now it'll cost you a wait to get a table most nights. kurt, the owner, is generally behind the bar, greeting the patrons and just being genuinely happy to see you. the food is creative and generally outstanding, the atmosphere is wonderful, and the service generally friendly (if occasionally overwhelmed). expand, kurt, expand!

this is what i would consider a true crab cake - all crab, not much else. no shell or cartilage found at all. while some could argue that a tiny bit of filler (i.e. bread crumbs/cracker meal) would soak up the excess moisture from the binder sauce, the sauce itself wasn't overpowering, and all you noticed was that sweet, sweet crab meat, followed by the flavor explosion of the sauce.

go to casual dinner. this os one of our favorite go to spots when looking for a casual meal.

nice place. i liked this place. cool and casual. good food.

hidden corner gem. from the outside, we probably never would have tried this place. but based on the reviews here and on zagat, we gave it go. really glad we did. initially, we picked it because it was on both websites' "romantic" list (in addition to overall good reviews). don't think we'd give it that same category because it is so packed and small / noisy, but that doesn't matter anyway because the food was worth the trip no matter what. we started with the bbq chicken & bacon nachos, because another review said they were a must try. they weren't wrong. savory, a little sweet, chips were still crispy (not soggy like many nachos), just the right balance. it was a huge portion, so buyer beware on that. then we moved to grilled wild boar and the mixed-seafood special for entrees. the boar was really tasty and perfectly cooked. however, just the two chops seemed pretty small for what was listed as a "rack" - but it was still worth it. the couscous it was served with was worthless and tasteless, but that didn't matter because ... they also had a honey grits special as well. we asked for a "appetizer" portion so that we could taste them and they happily accommodated us. so fortunately they were an easy replacement for the couscous and they are probably the best grits we've had anywhere save for maybe the ones down at georgia brown's in dc. they were sweet, perfectly cooked, and the real deal (not just mush like most places attempt). the seafood special was also tasty, but really rich and creamy (which the server clearly explained upfront). for dessert, we went with the bread pudding based on the server's recommendation. that was the only disappointment of the night. it tasted good enough, but it was pretty dry and seemed more like french toast than bread pudding. in retrospect, we probably should have tried the red velvet cake we saw at another table. that looked a lot yummier. finally, the cocktails are clever and cleverly served. we tried a few different ones and they were all winners (same for the good variety of microbrews they had as well). you definitely need a reservation for a friday or saturday night. there are only a half-dozen, or so, small tables, so otherwise you're eating at the bar or the standing ledge that runs along the wall (not how i want to eat a $100 meal). granted we got three courses and multiple beverages, so you can eat here for a lot less, but everything looked so good, we went all out. would definitely recommend it and would go back. just get a different dessert next time :-)

my favorite restaurant anywhere!! quality, unique, food in an awesome atmosphere!!

so glad i live across the street from this place!. last night for dinner was my first visit and i had the wonderful crab and sweetcorn quesadilla. very hearty and i could really taste the crab. also love the poe theme.

dearest edgar........ oh how lovely......
baked brie and strong arms malbec......i dare say more?
.... hands down, best baltimore bar in my eyes......
keep it poetic kurt!

nice place. went here back in february with a friend who is a huge poe fan, i honestly had never even heard of the place. its small, nice, and quiet. we ordered the duck fat fries, salad, and the blue cheese steak. the food was great and very fresh. the only issue i had with the place is the very poor beer selection. sorry baltimore, i love you, but i hate natty bo beer! at that time, they had a very poor beer selection, but looking at the menu, seems that they've improved it. i'd probably go back here.

another great corner bar. my wife and i were very excited about trying annabel lee after hearing great things about it, so we went there with very high expectations. those expectations were met, and then some! the staff was very attentive, and pleseant, the beer selection was good, and the food was outstanding. they seemed to have found that formula that works when recreating an old highlandtown corner bar!!!

late nite ... don't sleep on annabel lee. recently discovered the late night menu. oh so scrumptious chicken nachos. best i've ever had...and a great portion size. the pizza fries are worth a whirl too.


-----16 jun, 2009-----

the gyro!. i'm greek, so i've had a lot of gyros in my lifetime. annabel lee does that sandwich some serious justice. my favorite is the gyro "platter" or the small plate salmon. either one of those coupled with a glass of resurrection hits the spot. yum! ... not to mention, the restaurant is affordable.

but, get there early -- or late -- they get super packed from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

horrid service.. honestly, i was excited to try out annabel lee. for the beer. for the food. for the supposedly terrific atmosphere. we did with a group of 4 of us on a mid-week night. and it was an awful experience. the whole place was freezing cold and when we decided to say something to our waiter (pointing out that most patrons still had their coats on), they shut us down saying they can't do anything about it because it will get hot in there when more people show up. when a fifth person arrived to join our party, we were given all sorts of hell and the bill was thrown in our face. we left almost immediately... it was clear they weren't into serving another person as they wanted to keep it open for another whole party to arrive. while we weren't throwing back beers with great abandon, we were paying customers and we were not lingering unreasonably long. thumbs down.