At a recent happy hour, a friend sent the unlikeliest of texts: “I’m sitting in a dive bar in Fells Point eating escargot.”
Welcome to Lil’ Phil’s Tavern, a proudly quintessential Baltimore dive bar that in April debuted a food menu unlike any other in the city. Co-owner Dale Fields dubbed it “Little Phil’s Sorcery,” and the bar’s one-named chef, Skippy, prepares it.
With offerings like the John Holmes Special (a footlong hot dog topped with sauerkraut) and Shit on a Shingle (cream chipped beef), it takes a whimsical approach to naming its dishes, but a much more serious one to executing them.
“A soup’s just like a potion,” Fields says. “You throw a bunch of herbs in there and put in some meat. Some animal blood if you need to. A frog here or there.”
He’s kidding, of course. There’s no animal blood, but there are snails. Served in garlic butter with baguette pieces. They’re delicious. As are the marinated mixed olives and the cone of fries with curry ketchup.
We’ve yet to try the spinach risotto, spaghetti Bolognese, or steak frites, but you get the picture. A three-course dinner, which comes with a glass of wine or a beer, is available for $25. Cash only. An employee meal is available nightly from 10 p.m. to midnight, but don’t ask what it is, advises the menu.
Definitely a shot and beer kind of place, Lil’ Phil’s has six taps and pours some local microbrews along with the requisite macros. Its longtime favorite Jello shots—always vodka based, in rotating flavors—go for a buck. That’s one reason the food, which is so wildly disparate from the environment in which it’s served, stands out.
Lil’ Phil’s used to be Wee Peter’s, owned by a “a little curmudgeon named Phil who loved taking care of people,” says co-owner James Morse. After he passed away, Fields, who used to work there, bought the place, reopened it two years ago, and later brought Morse on as a partner.
“I spent almost 15 years spending my paychecks in here,” Fields says. “I figured it was time to get it back.”
Aesthetically, Lil’ Phil’s is as typical a Baltimore pub as you’ll ever see. Narrow and dark with a long bar, there are a few tables near the front window with a pool table in the back. A photo of Joe Flacco and other Baltimore memorabilia hangs on the walls.
A chalkboard just inside the front door proclaims, “Welcome to Lil’ Phils Tavern!! Unless you are…” What follows is a list of names of people who are banned for ducking out on their tabs or other nefarious behavior. “Otherwise, have fun and be kind!! We love and appreciate you!! Please do not lick the bartenders,” the sign cheerily concludes.
Got it. We’ve been forewarned. Wouldn’t want our names to wind up on that board. We most definitely want to come back for more escargot.