Annabel Lee Tavern

This place is near and dear to my heart. This was the first place I stumbled upon on a walk through my ‘new’ neighborhood upon moving back to Baltimore (the city I was raised in) after 10 years in other states. It wowed me from the first second, and I have been back countless times since, becoming friends with the staff and owner, Curt. The food here is sublime, with a weekly list of specials that rotates. If you see something on this menu that piques your interest, you should definitely get it, because there is no telling when it will be back again. As a born and raised Marylander, I know crab cakes, and I can honestly say that this is the best in the city. I have had crabcakes all over and this one is rich, full of lump meat and no filler, and deeply flavorful. It is my number one recommendation for crab cakes. Beyond that, the atmosphere is amazing! It’s an Edgar Allan Poe themed dining experience with many amazing pieces of art that have been hand crafted by the owner, or small Poe-​themed tokens that have been gifted to him. There is so much to look at. Make sure you make a point to check out both the men’s and women’s bathrooms!

Clean charming retreat. Neighborhood hidden gem Dana and the staff were awesome! Sorry it took me so long to get here

The food is great! Don’t be fooled by the exterior. Behind that door is a warm neighborhood bar with a clean dining area and awesome service. I had the brat it was awesome with killer sauerkautt. Hubby ate the open face roast beef smothered in good house gravy. Wings are crisp and well done… we will be back

So the Raven lager is awesome– let’s start there. The staff get along awesome and make you laugh– that means a lot. If you want to treat yourself– get the Shrimp and crab imperial– it doesn’t get much better. Not a super portion but the quality makes up for it. One of my new favorite places.

This place is an absolute gem. 7 tables with a bar, so I always make a reservation. The duck fat fries are like none other. I would come here, even if it took me an hour, JUST for the fries! They are a must have!!! But the crab cakes here are just as good as the duck fat fries! Very flavorful, not the typical old bay flavor… but super good nonetheless. Definitely top 3 of the best I’ve had.

Annabel Lee Tavern is a really neat spot. It’s unique in Baltimore and has amazing drinks. However, the last three dinners I’ve had there were sub par. Don’t get me wrong — they have some amazing appetizers like the Brussels sprouts and wonderful drinks. But I recently ordered the Veggie Risotto — when it arrived it was bland beyond all belief. Even with the addition of chicken, it was lacking flavor and required some pizzaz with seasoning to make it this wow factor worth the $ 14/​$ 15 price tag.

We came here for dinner quite late at night and we were met with extremely friendly service and fantastic food. We will definitely be coming back!
The menu has loads of options, so you’re sure to find something you like whatever your food preferences might be.

One of the best crab cakes in Baltimore and the most amazing duck fat fries I have ever tasted. The food never disappoints. The atmosphere is nice, but I would not recommend eating here with a group. Great place for a date night and reasonably priced. I recommend going during the week when it is not too crowded and you can get a place at the bar.

Get the fries, they are so so so good!
I absolutely love the atmosphere, it’s darker but really goes well with the Poe theme. Definitely go here if you haven’t already!

Annabel Lee Tavern was a great choice for a chill weekend evening with friends! We had heard rave reviews of their duck fat fries and definitely weren’t disappointed! The nachos as an appetizer hit the spot and I’d highly recommend them with the BBQ chicken topping.
I had their Crispy Dijon special which I thought was cooked perfectly and paired well with chunky mashed potatoes and fresh baby spinach. My friends got the Lenore burger (cheeseburger) and the portobello burger, which were also pretty tasty! The jalapeño fries were a little on the spicy side, so buyer beware! I thought the service was a bit slow, it took a while for our food to get to our table after appetizers. Otherwise, our waiter was very nice and attentive.
All in all, I thought this was a wonderful place to check out that was slightly off the beaten path. I’d definitely recommend it and I’ll be back!

I’ve been meaning to check this place out for quite a while, and I’m so glad I finally did. The vibe is everything I love about Baltimore: cozy, offbeat, fun. Despite being supremely busy, the staff couldn’t have been nicer. The space is very small, and it was packed, but waiting didn’t seem awkward or rushed. It felt perfectly natural to order a beer and wait for a spot to open up.
The draft list was adequate for such a small bar, and the options were killer and appropriate to the season. The bottle list was pretty extensive if you didn’t want a heavier Winter beer. I didn’t try one, but they also had a few signature cocktails that were tempting. I still might go back and try the Ligeia.
As happy as I was with the ambiance, service, and drinks, the food was the real star. Those duck fat fries were so simple, yet so good. I don’t know exactly what it is that makes them elevated so far above all the other fries, but they’re sublime. I started with the Resurrection mac ‘n cheese with crab, which was very well balanced. You could taste all the flavors, and it wasn’t unnecessarily heavy.
I was told the crab cakes were worthwhile, so I ordered a crab cake sandwich. I rarely eat the bread with crab cake sandwiches. It’s usually just a way to order a cheaper crab cake platter. But the brioche was very tasty and complimented the crab cake very well. The whole combination made for a very flavorful, balanced bite.
I really wanted to try the bananas foster, but alas I was stuffed. Maybe I’ll go back for the Ligeia and bananas foster. And duck fat fries of course. And maybe a crab cake. And I’ll try those BBQ chicken nachos I was eyeing. And the crab imperial stuffed shrimp. It might take a few visits.
The only real negative about my meal is the fact that I don’t live in the neighborhood. Having to find parking around there (Canton? Patterson Park? Highlandtown?) is the only drawback, but well worth it.

This spot has been on my list for a long long time. I have heard so many good things, and this post will likely confirm your thoughts. I like it here. The bartenders are delightful, but not exactly gregarious. The drink selection is exactly what you would expect at a bar in Canton — a basic selection of wines and spirits, including hendricks and bulleit, but nothing super unique or inspiring like at Bar Liquorice or Of Love and Regret, and they certainly do not use any egg whites.
I opted for a Morella — named after a dark gothic Poe short story — which includes Hendrick’s Gin and St. Germain with a cucumber muddled with just a dash of simple. I was worried it was going to be sweet — it wasn’t. I loved the botanicals, but it didn’t quite work with the food. Ha. Poor choice on my part. The Mesmeric Revelation, however, went will with everything. I needed a few sips to get a feel for the taste. This was one was an expertly stirred combo of Bulleit Bourbon and fresh lemon, with a little bit of black raspberry liqueur and a dash of simple. Not normally my go to, but it was tasty since it also wasn’t as sweet as I expected. When these bartenders say dash — they really mean just a dash, not a heavy 1oz likes some places.
I was starving and couldn’t look at the menu without wanting everything I read, so I passed on the selection making. We started with the brussels sprouts and sweet potato fries. Please, if you read this blog, you know I can’t turn down a single french fry — these were tossed with some Cajun spices, but the heat was pleasingly balanced by the slightly sweet brown sugar glaze.
The sprouts were my favorite. They were crispy and a little browned on the edges and still tender and warm on the inside. I liked the honey glaze, adding just a hint of sweetness to the bitter veggie. These are not your richest brussels, but Annabel Lee lets the vegetable shine rather than slathering it with bacon and cream, (but who doesn’t love bacon and cream?).

I love the décor!
It lives up to a Poe-​like melancholic mood.
I’ve only eaten here once (about a year ago, but I remember it being a delicious crab pizza), so I’m really only reviewing on the atmosphere, staff, and themed cocktails (very creative), all of which are very satisfying!
It’s a great neighborhood joint that helps keep the memory of Poe alive.

While this place is clearly not hurting for reviews, I’m going to add mine simply because I cannot resist the urge to do so.
Our reservation was for 7:45pm and we got there at 8:03pm, so our reservation had been given away – oops. We had to wait for 35 minutes to be seated, but that gave me the chance to really take in the ambiance. This place is TINY but that does not dissuade people from coming back. The theme of the place is awesome and even though you may not get an individual table, it’s a great date night spot.
There are CLEARLY plenty of regulars. Plenty of people knew the bartenders and the host.
Onto the food…
We started off with the Sesame Crusted Tuna. This was probably the best tuna I’ve ever had. The outside was charred and tasty– amazing flavor and the inside was rare. I just wish the portion was a tad bit larger since we finished in 2.5 seconds.
My dining partner had the «Annapolis» Grilled Chicken sandwich with crab dip which came with sweet potato fries. While I didn’t try his sandwich, apparently there wasn’t enough crab dip, but since Unilocaling is my thing and not his, that’s about all I can say about it. The sweet potato fries were perfectly balanced with Cajun spices– i.e. perfect! And, not greasy at all– I had more than I had intended to.
I had the Greek salad with chicken. While the dressing wasn’t anything to write home about, I loved the addition of the stuffed grape leaves, and there was a hefty portion of well seasoned chicken. Maybe a lame order, but all of the vegetables were fresh, and it’s what I was craving.
My Black Opal Australian Shiraz wine was an A+. I could have had the entire bottle.

This was one of our highlight finds in Baltimore. Thanks to Unilocal it gave us an excuse to explore a different neighborhood than where we were staying for our conference. The Canton area was cute, and a good place for us to walk, see some cute dogs, get a neighborhood feel, and stroll up to the location. They had a few outdoor tables, which was my original intent. But once we got inside, and had a seat at the bar, our service was so good, and the bartender was so kind and engaging as far as suggesting options for places we might enjoy checking out during our stay in town.
It is a small place. But you have the option of sitting at the bar, grabbing a table (reservations would be a good idea), or if the weather permits, you might be able to snag a table outside. The Edgar Allen Poe theme I personally found charming. And I liked the feel of the tavern itself. You could totally go there for a nice dinner or date. But you could also feel comfortable popping in to sit at the bar and watch a game. It had the versatility of being a nice restaurant vibe or a comfy neighborhood bar, depending on where you opt to be seated.
We were just there for a light bite and drinks, and to check out the area. So we can’t really speak for a lot of the food options. But the menu looked great. I loved that it included gluten free options and vegetarian options clearly marked. I was able to order something that was safe for me, which can sometimes be a challenge. I went simple with a blackened tuna + arugula. My dining companion was a bit more hungry than I was, so he opted for the Crab Cake Platter, which came with Mashed Potatoes and Kale with Bacon.
Our drinks and meals were delicious. I had the Morella (a gin/​cucumber combo). And it was the perfect refreshing beverage to send us off on our walk to the next destination. We had a wonderful customer experience thanks to the very kind bartender. (so kind that he sent us off with a list he had compiled of places we might want to visit based on what we had told him).
If ever in Baltimore again, we will definitely make a stop here.

A few years ago, I saw this bar/​restaurant on television, it might have been the Food Network. Ever since then, I’ve been wanting to stop in here for a drink and I finally had the chance!
My husband and I decided to take a road trip to Virginia Beach in August and on the way home, we stopped by Annabel Lee in Baltimore.
The bar was a bit smaller than I expected but it was very nice. They didn’t have any tables open when we arrived but we were able to sit at the bar and order dinner there. Just like a night in lonesome October, the place had a dim and dark feel to it. The bar was painted a beautiful black and burgundy, adorned with pictures of Poe and lines from his poetry. The atmosphere really captured the true essence of Poe. I think it would have been really cool if they had some candelabras and a bust of Poe somewhere by the bar.
The food was excellent. My grilled chicken sandwich might have been the best I’ve ever had. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The bread was soft and fresh. And the sweet potato fries it came with, were delicious. My husband had the same but with jalapeño and cheese fries.
The drink menu looked great, I wish I had tried one of their cocktails. We would definitely love to return here someday if we are ever in Baltimore again.

Called about 30 minutes prior to arrival and made a reservation for two, they were very friendly and accommodating on the call and when we arrived.
We started with the BBQ chicken and bacon nachos and omg delicious! The portion size is huge, easily enough for 3 – 4 people as an appetizer.
I had a special the pan seared duck with mashed potatoes and green beans. I forget the name of the sauce it was in but it may have been a walnut cranberry, it was sweet and perfectly complimented the duck. The green beans were amazingly fresh and well seasoned, the potatoes however were cold and lacked seasoning.
My friend got a burger with all the fixings and duck fat fries. He did not care for the taste of the burger and ordered it medium rare and it came out somewhere along the medium well side. The duck fat fries were good, but not the best I’ve ever had.
I had a caramel cake for dessert with fresh whipped cream, it was light, sweet, and a nice addition to the meal.
Now the theme is phenomenal, Edgar Allan Poe everything from the quotes on the walls to figurines in the bathrooms. The place is very small, tables are super close together for a cozy feel. But with that coziness comes the misfortune of sitting next to a table of girls who didn’t understand volume control…
Service was friendly and knowledgeable, however a bit absent.
I will definitely return and check out what looks to be a killer cocktail menu!

Great atmosphere and drinks!
Came for a friends birthday and enjoyed the dark bar with Poe all over the place. The menu was just ok, had a hard time ordering nothing really wow-​ed me on the menu.
Settled on the Scallop and Shrimp Specials and Orange Chipotle wings. The main dish was brown and very underwhelming. The seafood didn’t taste fresh, small and was over powered by the sauce not worth the $ 22. I feel if it were plated differently I may have liked it or served with a salad or greens it would have been a full meal. As it stands it was small and unappetizing. The wings were juicy but a tad undercooked for my liking.
The cocktails were excellent. Although I liked my boyfriends much better (it had a huge name) I had the Raven and it tasted like jungle juice from college and not in a good way! Cool place but the menu needs help its very all over the place without being in a good place. The service was fine but the server had a hard a gluten allergy guest and wasn’t prepared to answer questions. This was my first visit!

FINALLY came here last night with a friend after hearing so much about this place. We had a reservation at 6pm and were promptly seated. The place isn’t huge, so if you don’t want to wait (like we did), make a reservation! Loved the ambience: sweet yet creepy and totally awesome! It took a while for our server to get to us, but he apologized and our orders came pretty quickly.
We split the brussell sprouts for an appetizer: warm, perfectly crispy with a hint of sweetness from the honey (I’ve been inspired to try this at home).
I got the crab cake sandwich as my entrée which was HUGE thanks to the large crab cake. The crab cake itself was soft, flavorful, and full of chunks of delicious crab meat. Yum. In fact after awkwardly taking a bite and losing a chunk of crab to the ground, I opened up my sandwich, ate half of the crab cake on its own, and then put the sandwich back together, hah.
The sandwich comes with blue cheese coleslaw (crunchy, refreshing, but no hint of blue cheese whatsoever), and I substituted for duck fat fries. Oh man, I’m so glad I finally got to try these famous fries: they were ridiculously crispy with perfect seasoning. I was impressed to actually taste a hint of savory-​ness from the duck fat.
Totally lived up to the hype and I’ll definitely be coming back!

In Canton, I’ve heard plenty of good things about Annabel Lee Tavern. It’s got a nice Edgar Allen Poe vibe and in the same week I received two recommendations to try it there (in addition to the countless recommendations I’ve heard in the past.) My friend Laura has also been dying to try Annabel Lee Tavern so we made a plan to grab dinner on a Friday evening. Fortunately we were able to grab a seat at the bar even though the place was packed. Tip, call ahead and make a reservation!
After looking over the menu, we decided to split a few things. First was the Duck Fat Fries. We had both heard plenty of good things about them and they did not disappoint. The portion was HUGE and they were spiced/​seasoned well. They’re also probably one of the most suggested items on the menu.
Next, we decided to try an order of the Crispy Brussels Sprouts. The brussels sprouts had a honey herb drizzle and were delicious. They weren’t over-​fried and greasy, also the honey herb drizzle was nice and light and provided a nice sweetness to the vegetable.
Lastly, we decided to share the BBQ Chicken and Applewood Smoked Bacon Nachos. Now this dish was ridiculous and one of the best things I’ve eaten in a while. For starters, this portion was massive, I took home leftovers and had it for another meal and a half. Second, there was a ton of melty cheese covering all of the chips and the BBQ chicken was well marinated and added a nice flavor. And then how could anyone go wrong with bacon. If you’re at Annabel Lee Tavern, do yourself a favor and order the nachos.
If you’re in the mood for something in Canton, try Annabel Lee Tavern. You won’t be disappointed.