Captain Larry’s

Awesome local bar — the only place open for a traveler looking for a beer at midnight on a Tuesday. Walked up as a stranger, left as a friend. Steve the bartender was super friendly, poured me some local beers I’d never heard of before, got me drinking Natty Boh with Old Bay, gave me a history lesson on the beer as well as the bar. Captain Larry seems like a pretty righteous dude. Had a great night. Cash only.

We haven’t been in awhile (8 months +) but we stopped in Saturday evening and the food and service was phenomenal! Both our kids (19 mo, and 4) enjoyed the food and games… our youngest was getting pretty good at the dice game and our oldest loved the puzzle! I have to say though I’m pretty sure the menu has added items from our last visit. We will be back soon.

Haven’t been here in a while. Place has changed. Maybe a different cook. Food was slow to arrive and greasy. We all ended up with heartburn. Beer was a little warm so I got a glass of ice to set the can in.
Generally not at the same level as Barfly, Bar Liquorice, or Shottis, all within a couple of blocks. Sorry Cap’n.

Wednesday, Crab cake night $ 11 cake & a side shouldn’t be missed. Soup is always homemade and tasty. Turkey sandwiches are roasted not the scary deli lunch meat stuff. There fries are always top notch. Basically, simple well done bar food.
Cheap canned beer if that’s your thing or a couple nice microbrews on draft. Laid back neighborhood feel with a great staff. Not a place for a Cosmo or the latest cocktail of the month. But, a great place for a beer or drink… Or several…

Honestly this place is disgusting and I am not sure how it has such good reviews. Have only been there once and would never go back, it was dirty inside, the food was poor and the bartender would go outside and smoke right by the front door so it was in our face while we ate.

This place is awesome. I’ve walked past it countless times but decided to stop in with a friend on a random Saturday afternoon. It was a sunny day so we were looking for a place with either outdoor seating or seating by open windows/​doors. Captain Larry’s fit the bill. However, despite seeking an outdoor atmosphere on a nice day, the bartender and other crew kept us sitting at the bar solely due to the good company. I feel terrible for not remembering all of their names but from the bartender to the chef to the bar back (the staff outnumbered patrons at that time of day), they were all amazingly friendly and pleasant and chatty and a delight to be around. Exactly what we were looking for as far as low-​key atmosphere, good drinks, and good people. I will be back as soon as I can.

We LOVE this Place!
Seriously. From the owners to the other guests everyone we’ve encountered the past ⁴⁄₅ times have been incredibly friendly and down to earth.
Their hospitality is like to other. Honest and humble. It’s refreshing.
And the food. Delicious. Crab cakes are amazing, there are large climbs throughout and are the freshest of the fresh.
On tap there’s always something different– never a boring generic beer (sorry bud light and others alike) just nice to see a unique beer program.
The interior is so fun. Mix matched. Board games. And even a haha breathalyzer.
Such a cute fun place with some pretty awesome friendly people. We’re excited to have moved right down the street recently. Can’t wait to become regulars.

Captain Larry’s almost doesn’t make my list of Balmer dive bars because… well… the food is just too good! But while the fish tacos here will definitely hit the spot, Captain Larry’s still has all the other qualities of a good dive bar.
A corner street entrance, a big dark wooden bar with Christmas lights behind it, nautical inspired tchotchkes, a big flat screen t.v., occasionally ragged and wobbly bar stools, a dark stamped tin ceiling, seemingly randomly placed pillars holding up the ceiling (one right in the middle of the bar), mix-​matched chairs at the tables, and a big mural of Balmer on the wall with a mermaid inexplicably floating over the city. And Captain Larry’s just «feels» like a neighborhood bar.
Like many dive bars in Baltimore, Captain Larry’s is a cash only establishment. But they have an ATM if you only come equipped with plastic.

I’ve enjoyed the food there a few times but tonight’s experience was ridiculous. There were all of a half dozen people in there. I came in to get a drink and some dinner and watch the O’s game. They were so loud and obnoxious and the bartender was too drunk to do anything about it he was being just as loud. The others were harassing the chef and kept crowding behind my chair, as I am trying to eat, in an empty bar. Bartender did nothing about it. Walked out. Won’t be back.

What can I say about this place that hasn’t already been said? Cash only, limited seating, good service. I had a salmon BLT which was delicious (surprisingly, I did not get the fish tacos which is my standard order at most restaurants that have it)! They have daily specials can score you some pretty good deals, like on fish night. I’d like to come back and try their crab cakes.

Finally tried Captain Larry’s the other night to grab some dinner and watch the O’s game. The food was good, but not spectacular. I got the fish tacos, which weren’t bad. The fries, which had been mentioned in multiple reviews like they were something special, were pretty much your standard fries. Nothing wrong with them, but nothing special either.
The bartender was the only server working, which was fine because it wasn’t that crowded. He was very friendly and attentive. I was a bit surprised at the price of my beer, for a cash-​only dive-​y place like this I expected it to be a little less than it was.
All in all, there was nothing wrong with Captain Larry’s and I’ll be back to try something else soon. I just wasn’t quite as impressed as many of the other reviewers have been.

Went to dinner for cinco de mayo and what a great place to stop! We had delicious fish tacos with our favorite, mahi mahi. Their fries were delicious and one of the neighborhood favs. The kids meal came with fresh veggies which were also great! Overall, great place to go for a great meal.

Stopped by Captain Larry ’ s today for lunch. I had no idea they opened for lunch. But, yes they are! Every Wednesday through Sunday. Today I tried the fish tacos. They were fresh and delicious. I especially enjoyed the coleslaw salad in the bed of the taco.
This is a Riverside neighborhood institution. Everyone goes here. Mara, the owner is friendly and personable. She makes this a place you can bring your kids for dinner. Or, catch the O’s on TV while you’re sipping your Natty Boh.
I’m happy that Captain Larry’s is in my neighborhood.

The number of stars in this review depends on how far you live from Captain Larry’s. If you live within a 6-​block radius of the Captain, you are like about 75% of this bar’s patrons. In that case, this bar is sort of like your unofficial backyard and you go here regularly to socialize with the neighbors, usually with kids in tow.*
If you are not within 6 blocks, Captain Larry’s is a decent 3 or 4 star bar that may not be worth a long trek. Everything here is good (sandwiches, fish and chips, beers… dare I even say it, the margaritas?) But be real with yourself — isn’t there already another bar that has good sandwiches and beers within 6 blocks of your house?
In either case, the owners are great and really friendly. Worth a visit if you’re nearby!
* - (the kids in tow thing can get a bit annoying if you’re here before 8 or 9 on certain nights and you didn’t sign up for that level of ruckus)

I feel I must downgrade my previous review. The last couple times I was here the wine was awful and the service friendly but slow. I still like the place, and the food is usually good and decently priced. Beer is good too. But, if you want some wine with your dinner, you might want to go somewhere else.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy Captain Larry’s until a recent trip back to Baltimore. Their brunch cocktails are priced well ($ 3) and they still have the fried tortellini as croutons on the salad. I used to frequent happy hour here as well and their fries with malt vinegar are great as is the half off draft beers!

I had been tipped off by a fellow local that Captain Larry’s had the best crab cake in Baltimore. They were good but were a little dry; still does not compare to Jimmy’s Famous Seafood. An okay beer selection but I expected more because Captain Larry’s is a bar after all. The service was solid even when it was crowded and there were only three staff members running the show. I would give it a try again, but wouldn’t tout the crabcakes like all of the other reviews.

Um I have to update. I was back a few weeks ago and I got another cupcake. Holy smokes!!! Bourbon, vanilla frosting with pumpkin pie custard on the inside. Yeah, that happened. I almost ordered another. The bartender was friendly as usual, actually remembered us and my beer was fantastic. It’s probably good I don’t live around there, I’d be in every week for a cupcake and a beer.

It’s a great place with a pirate/​sailor type theme. Very family friendly (although some of the bar patrons do get annoyed by any kids running around or being obnoxiously loud). Great music always playing and the Captain Larrys family are always friendly.
Breakfast is good– Sunday’s are a lot of fun and always busy. I love their build-​your-​own grilled cheese and the hummus platter. My boyfriend likes the sliders and meatloaf. Also, try some cupcakes while you are there for dessert!

We first discovered Captain Larry’s during the blizzard of 2010. We were walking down the center of the deserted street enjoying the eerie calm of the city when we saw a warm glow spilling out into the darkness. Inside there was a hearty crowd enjoying the warmth both conversational and liquid. A small sign hung swaying above the front door, almost asking us to come in. We did and it was good.
Captain Larry’s is a tiny corner bar located on Fort Avenue in South Baltimore city. It’s not pretentious, occupies a space not much bigger than most peoples living rooms and accepts cash only (there is an ATM on site). I won’t go into their history or tell you stories about the owners’ hopes and dreams because frankly, I don’t know either of them all that well. What I will do is offer an unbiased account of my experiences there. We’ve probably been to the establishment about half a dozen times since our first visit back in February of 2010 so this review will be more of an average review of all of our visits.
The first thing you’ll probably notice when you walk into Captain Larry’s is how small the place is. If I had to take a guess I’d say it seats around 50 people comfortably and 75 at blizzard capacity. There’s a small bar with around 10 stools and, if memory serves, 6 taps (three of which are always regional craft brews, big thumbs up). The décor is eclectic. There’s an inflatable illuminated palm tree in a back corner, some nautical-​themed tables and the windows feature a painted-​on stained glass motif that’s charming in its kitsch. Above all, the place is comfortable. We’ve never felt out of place there and have always been greeted with a smile.
The food is pretty good for a bar with limited kitchen capacity. They do a great job of rotating specials and among the highlights on the menu are a great homemade humus platter, soft pretzel app (anyone who’s familiar with my reviews knows how I feel about this), hand cut fries that are always perfect, and anything with turkey. They cook their own birds every day so the turkey you’re getting is the real deal. Did I mention their mac and cheese? It’s among the best in the area and it arrives cut into an almost perfect brick of crispy, cheesy deliciousness. My wife digs the fried clams and the turkey club.
Service is prompt, courteous, and to the point. Like Captain Larry’s, there is zero pretention. Don’t expect doting waitresses who are there to answer to your every need. I think there are actually only two people that run the joint so sometimes you might actually have to wait. Who cares? Sit there, drink your beer and enjoy your company. They know you’re there and will be around, so don’t be a douche.
Captain Larry’s is one of those places that’s still inhabited by the locals. It’s out of the way, slightly hidden location sees to that. The food is filling and relatively cheap; don’t judge it with 5-​star expectations. The staff/​owners get right to the point without seeming disconnected from the needs of their customers and on a typical night its stable list of regulars keeps it comfortably crowded. And for those of us that don’t like sports it’s a haven from the regular meat-​head packed haunts that dot the city landscape.
There is one small complaint that I have. Kids. There’s this trend that’s started, and Captain Larry’s isn’t being singled out here, where parents have now deemed it an acceptable practice to bring their little kids into bars. Just because it’s smoke-​free doesn’t mean it’s a daycare. Bars are adult places. Let’s keep them that way. I don’t need yet another place in my life where I’m forced to act like I’m not annoyed by someone’s kids.