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Swallow At the Hollow
Rating Details »
5 reviews for Swallow At the Hollow
Friendly service, delicious food, and not a bad beer selection. This is one of the only places I've found in Baltimore that will cook a burger more rare than medium-- and they're very good at it. I had the triple-cheese burger and the shrimp platter and I was stuffed. The prices are also appetizing-- two burgers, an appetizer platter large enough to be a main course, and three beers ran to just over $30 before tip.
I've heard that during the school year this place is full of frat kids, but when I was there on a Friday night in the late spring it was pretty quiet. The older "regulars" are hilarious and talkative-- don't be alarmed.
Service was quick, even on a busy night. The food is awesome and the servings plentiful. Unfortunately, its the clientele that has changed dramatically.
I went in a few weeks ago to meet some friends at the ol' Hollow. I had not been in a while and I had heard that someone had bought the place not too long ago. Wow. I'm certain at least 5 of the girls I squeezed by to get in there were under 21 (possibly under 18). This place has become a frat boy/sorority girl haven. One little skank did not move out of my wife's way when she politely said excuse me. She just looked over her shoulder and looked back. My wife literally pushed the 90 pound waif to the side. Sad.
Yeah, this place still has good prices and great food but I'll never be back, not until the college crowd goes back to the Crease or Bill Batemans where they belong. Yeah I get it, the business owner deserves the money but damn, they have bars for the teenyboppers to go to. Why did they have to crash this one?
A true Baltimore dive bar. This place is near the city line, in Towson/Govans. When you walk in though, it feels more like you're in Southeast Baltimore by the docks. The regulars there are hard working older men and women, almost always in their 50s and above. The normal bartenders aren't much different. Usually there is one waitress, who is as nice as can be. A true Baltimore stereotype, you cant order without her calling you "Hon" a few times (which I would consider to be a good thing)
The Citypaper once gave them an award for the best burger in the city. It really is quite good. They have a few different styles as well, including a tasty jalapeño burger. Utz potato chips come with the entrees of course, and you can't go wrong there. Beer is cheap and plentiful. The place is so old that it feels a little dirty, and it probably is, but c'mon - if you're going here you should know what you're getting into, this isn't exactly Morton's.
Be wary of going on a Friday or Saturday night however. This is right by the Loyola campus, and those kids PACK this place. Wall to wall frat boys and sorority girls. If you're into that thing, then great. If not, come during the day and buy a regular a drink, they'll chat you up with some great stories.
As others have said, this place ain't the Charleston. Don't be put off by your impressions of the outside, or your initial impressions once you walk in the door. It's simply great food at a great price. The burgers are monstrous with enough greasy goodness that you'll be licking your fingers by the end of it. Of special note is the French Onion soup, which is probably the best you'll ever have. Sure, you can try to convince yourself that so-and-so's Irish place probably makes it better, but you'd be wrong. Drinks are very affordable, and the staff is great. Quite often, we've had the waitress pull up a chair on a slow night and we've talked for hours. This is really one of my favorite places to eat, and I hope it never changes.
5 stars since I spent the better part of my freshman year of college and a decent amount of sophomore-senior year there as well....gets very crowded with Loyola kids basically every night of the week....a true dive...but a great time