Maryland has no confirmed Buc-ee’s, despite continued questions about whether the chain is coming to the state. Fortunately, Maryland already has restaurants hidden behind bookshelves, built like ships and filled with thousands of Pez dispensers.
The state’s weirdest restaurants prove that dinner can become much more theatrical than cracking steamed crabs with a wooden mallet.
Papermoon Diner in Baltimore
Papermoon Diner looks like an antique store, toy collection and art project collided inside a restaurant.
Mannequins, dolls, doll heads, vintage toys, colorful sculptures and other objects cover almost every available surface. The collection includes thousands of Pez dispensers and continues outside, where painted figures greet customers before they enter.
The diner opened in 1994, and customers have contributed items to its evolving collection.
Papermoon serves pancakes, burgers, milkshakes and other comfort food, but focusing exclusively on a plate becomes difficult. Nearly every section of the walls and ceiling contains something strange enough to start another conversation.
People uncomfortable around mannequins may want to choose another breakfast restaurant.
Captain James Landing in Baltimore
Captain James Landing is the only Baltimore restaurant shaped like a merchant vessel.
The curved white building, porthole-style windows and maritime details make it appear as though a ship somehow ran aground beside Boston Street and began serving dinner.
The family-owned restaurant has operated since the 1970s and specializes in seafood. Customers order steamed crabs, crab cakes, oysters, lobster, fish and other Maryland favorites.
A separate waterfront crab house provides a more casual setting nearby.
Baltimore’s harbor contains plenty of actual ships. Captain James may be the only one where the primary voyage involves traveling from the dining room to a plate of crab imperial.
The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Baltimore
The Horse You Came In On Saloon claims history, ghosts and Edgar Allan Poe as regular parts of its identity.
The Fells Point property traces its tavern history to 1775. Its old brick, tin ceiling and narrow rooms make the building feel considerably older than the nightlife surrounding it.
Baltimore legend identifies the saloon as one of Poe’s final stops before his mysterious death in 1849. His ghost is now among the spirits rumored to visit.
Employees and customers have described moving chandeliers, unexplained noises and cash registers opening by themselves.
The saloon serves food, drinks and live music daily. Customers hoping to meet Poe should remember that sightings are not guaranteed—and that buying him a whiskey may not improve the odds.
Wye Oak Tavern in Frederick
Wye Oak Tavern serves steaks and cocktails inside a former Catholic chapel.
The restaurant occupies part of the Visitation Hotel, which was created from a former convent and girls’ school. Its soaring dining room retains the architecture of the deconsecrated sacred space.
A working pipe organ remains in the choir loft, while religious artwork and angel statues contribute to an atmosphere unlike any conventional steakhouse.
Brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio created a menu built around prime rib, steaks, seafood and playful versions of familiar American food.
Eating dinner beneath a church organ can feel slightly transgressive, even though the chapel was formally deconsecrated before its conversion.
Midlina and Poe’s Tower in Baltimore
Midlina hides an enormous Edgar Allan Poe-inspired speakeasy behind a moving bookcase.
The main restaurant has a dramatic, castle-like interior decorated with helmets, dark ceilings and chandeliers. Its menu travels across several culinary traditions, with dishes inspired by Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
The real surprise waits upstairs.
A member of the staff opens the concealed bookcase, revealing the entrance to Poe’s Tower. The hidden cocktail lounge offers live music, dark decorations and a theatrical tribute to Baltimore’s most famous literary resident.
Baltimore already has plenty of Poe attractions. Midlina may be the only place where finding him requires walking through a bookshelf after dinner.
Links on this page may be affiliate links, for which the site earns a small commission, but the price for you is the same
Leave a Comment