Friendly. Very fair prices. Excellent bar food and a phenomenal local band venue. It's nice that they're here. I think they'd benefit if the outside were brightened up or refreshed a bit and the parking lot could use some lights at night, BUT it is the "dark" horse. ‍ It's 5 stars not because it is a 5 star restaurant but it's everything you could ask from a local pub. The wings are crispy and medium sized... not small and boney but also not ridiculously big. Cooked perfect. I do wish they tossed them in sauce instead of pouring it on top, but at least they are generous with the sauce. Wing prices are great! $7.50 for 6 and $13.25 for 12. Always daily specials with things like fish sandwiches and such. I tried the gyro last time I was in and it was a lot of food and very good. Some nights there is a security guard in there who seems to be checking IDs and I guess handling any situations. I've never seen it needed in there, but I'm sure he's there for a reason and it's nice they invest in him so it does not fall on the bartenders. They have a video juke box to keep things lively on nights there isn't a band. Mens room is predictably awful for a dive bar and smells like piss. There's a patio out back and out front, if you want to get outside for a smoke or fresh air. read more

See all

Great service. Troy the bartender slaps! Good bar food. Had the loaded fries and boneless wings. Great parking for a small place. Clean bathrooms read more

Can someone please tell the security girl who's standing inside the door staring at everyone at the bar like she's an ice agent and they're all refugees to please calm down and step outside and quit making everybody feel uncomfortable. I feel like she's gonna ask me for my green card or something any second now she's just staring everybody down looking back-and-forth with her ready to fight fingerless gloves. It's pissing me off and I can't drink properly. read more

I had the best takeout cheese burger & fries in Annapolis & surrounding area at this little bar. Then I tried their fish & chips today & I was shocked because it was so good. I was in Ireland with my granddaughter in May & lived on fish & chips because they were so good. The Dark Horse fish & chips were just as good. The fish had a crispy thin crust. The chips were really crispy. I am amazed the food was so good. Does anyone know about this place? If everyone did I probably couldn't get in. It's really great food & I just realized too many people may read this & I may have a long wait next time I go there. read more

Nice local pub in a convenient location to our Airbnb. Came recommended by our host and we were pleasantly surprised. The server was very friendly and offered advice as far as getting around the Annapolis Boat Show crowds. Was the perfect place to have a casual meal. read more

What a complete disaster. I had high hopes for this place, but they were dashed the moment I walked in. The bartenders seemed more interested in socializing with patrons than actually, you know, doing their job. Another couple said that they are used to being ignored since they are old. Way to go Dark Horse. After sitting there for 20 minutes with zero acknowledgment, I had to literally yell across the bar to get anyone's attention. And when I did, the response I got was nothing short of surly. No apology, no "sorry for the wait" -- just a dirty look and a sarcastic statement, like I was the one causing the inconvenience. The attitude of the bartender/waitress here was absolutely unacceptable. If you're looking for service, look elsewhere. I won't be coming back. I wrote to management and never got a response. After giving them a chance for several weeks to write back, I am off to Yelp so that this reaches thousands of folks. BAN this dump. read more

We have fallen in love with this very cool dive bar. The food is delicious and service is excellent. I can recommend the Wings with Hananero Mangoo sauce-one of the best in town, the French Onion Soup, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, top notch Fries, Sloppy Joes (special), Chopped Salad, and Cocount Shrimp (special) Next time we'll be checking out the onion rings... read more

Best dive bar in Annapolis. Music is always above average, staff is super chill, and their wings are a solid 8.4. read more

Dark Horse - Buffalo old bay wings were stupid good - Sports Bars Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Some friends had clued us in that this place has really good food. From the outside, you get the impression it's a dive bar (which it kind of is), but the inside is clean and well lit. We sat at the bar and were greeted by everyone working there. They introduced themselves, got our names, and as each new person came into the area, they introduced us. We loved everything we had, and the bill was surprisingly inexpensive relative to any other place we typically go. One of gentlemen having his dinner nearby had so many complementary things to say about the food and recurring specials. We'll put this place on regular rotation. read more

Great burgers and cold beer. Not to mention fantastic tater tots! What else could you ask for?

Under new ownership and following a serious facelift, dive bar Ebb Tide is now dive/sports bar Dark Horse. Open during the pandemic with distanced seating at the bar and spaced-apart tables, as well as outdoor seating. Really nice, dark, industrial vibe on the inside decor, and -oh God- a clean (if a little tight) women's restroom. I get that might change once late nights can get rowdy again, but it's something to look forward to in the here and now. Moderate selection of beers on tap/can/bottle, there was something on the menu for each in our small group. Ordered the crab dip; tasty, if small portion. Came with tortilla chips seasoned in Old Bay, which was an excellent touch. The giant pretzel with crab dip is probably the way to go, though. Came out warm and fluffy and satisfying, and the crab dip side was the same size. Staff/ownership is friendly, thoughtful, and involved. Bailey was a great waitress. This place will be a late-night hit with the 20-something local/college crowd once COVID finally takes its claws out of the area. Worth coming in for a couple of beers and a game in the meantime to give them some well-deserved business. Touchless food menus available via QR code at tables. Masks required to enter (GOOD). read more

Dark Horse - A menu QR code and a cold one - Sports Bars Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

My understanding was this bar went through a remodeling. Didn't see much of a change. Hot dog was average at best and overpriced. Nachos may have been the worst I have ever eaten; to the point that no one at the table took a second helping - they did remove it from the bill. Bartenders were friendly and helpful. Beer tasted like beer should. I would think the owner(s) not "claiming" the restaurant on Yelp speaks volumes, even if Yelp as a bit scammy to their clients. read more

Dark Horse - a hot dog with mustard and onions - Sports Bars Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

We were excited to try after they finally opened. Sorry to say the food was just not good. While the soft pretzel was big, the dipping cheese they served with it was lumpy and cold. Honestly one of the worst salads I have ever had at a restaurant (soggy cucumbers and corn on barely any lettuce). The service was decent which brought it up to 2 stars, food was 1 star read more

Came here to watch World Cup (US v. England) on recommendation of fun loving local foodies/drinkers. Great spot for sports, tons of TVs, very good fast service. Tasty well priced food, better than expected. Packed 4 deep for game, but fun crowd. Nice location outside downtown, close to Quiet Waters dog beach/park too. I'm told dame owners at The Smokehouse down the road, which Is also a solid spot. Big parking lot. read more

Perfect place to watch the game with a beer and pretty good food to boot. My wife absolutely loved their Thai wings and the toddler eats just about anything we give him off the menu. Good laid back no muss no fuss place! read more

Decided to give this place another try. Wanted to seat outside. There's a chalk board that says "let us know if you will be seating outside." So I went in and was given two menus to take back outside. Both were quite nasty. Nevertheless, I was here. Went outside and decided on what to order. We were only ones there....there may have been a reason. We waited and waited and waited. I thought about going inside and ordering with hopes that order might actually be delivered. But after looking at condition of menu, I wondered what the condition of kitchen might be. We left and had a nice meal on the rooftop at Metropolitan. Dark Horse should probably remove outside tables if they don't intend on servicing. I'm guessing others might have had similar experiences since as I stated, we were only ones out there. read more

Dark Horse - Menu could use a little sanitizing. Drink menu was paper and looked similar - Sports Bars Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

All y'all leaving 1-2 star reviews need to check your privilege... you've never worked in (much less owned) a restaurant in its first year. This place is doing great. Yes, it has growing pains. They are trying. They are getting better every day. It's a learning process and one that takes guts to initiate. I will support this as a locals bar & restaurant forever. In the words of Anthony Bourdain "Everybody should come here. Everyone should see how complicated, how deeply troubled, and yet at the same time, beautiful and awesome the world can be. Everyone should experience, even as the clouds gather, what's at stake, what could be lost, what's still here." read more

Waiter was so abrupt and rude. Some friends and I were planning on having food and a few drinks in the covered outdoor area. However from the first moment we got there our waiter was so hostile that he made us feel unwelcome. We had one drink and left without ordering food (which smelled good and we were exited about before interacting with the waiter). Don't know if I'd even be willing to give this place a second chance based on this experience. read more

What a rat hole. It is disgusting. The bartenders are rude, the place is cramped, they push drinks on you and it is filthy. Heaven forbid if there is ever a fire. We went there to hear a well-known DC band and the people were totally disrespectful. They have taken away the dance area. All they care about is pushing alcohol. So if you are an alcoholic and don't care how people treat you, then this is the place to go. There are much better places in Annapolis to spend your money. read more

Very good very local bar. However, you don't feel out of place as a visitor. You can just tell everyone knows each-other really well and is there to have a good time. If you walk in and look lost, odds are some local is gonna turn around and be like "grab a seat anywhere and make yourself at home" it's great. Food and drinks are also so good. Everything I have gotten there is amazing and worth going back for. read more

As a big fan of the previous Ebb Tide we wanted to try it under the new ownership. Sadly lost its dive bar vibe, and the food was at best mediocre. The wait staff was pleasant enough and anxious to please but they should have kept it at least a few of the wonderful food treats from the previous menu read more

Last year they had out door seating with a Canopy. The canopy is gone and I wish they still had that. It made it easier to sit outside and eat. The food has always been good. Decent service...... Bring back the CANOPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Really enjoyed my meal. Hotdog was great and they had $2 Dark Horse beer for happy hour. No complaints at all.

I liked the environment and it's a nice place to get a drink and watch a game but the food is absolutely terrible and over priced. I think the hotdog concept is great but honestly, Costco hotdogs are FAR better and for 1/10th of the price! The hotdogs tasted like they were boiled on an untoasted, plain bun. It was incredibly disappointing especially for the price. I really hope they step up their food game because it would be such a great place if they actually had good food. I would even pay the same price for the food if it were even somewhat decent, but this was such a huge disappointment. read more

I'm now at 5, not sure if they changed because of my review but they now offer 1/2 order of wings and the whole order is much much bigger!!! Thank you!! And the fish sub was really good :) read more

Dark Horse - Boneless Buffalo wings, whole order. - Sports Bars Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Kitchen has worked the kinks out on the chicken wings. Holy crap those were bada$$. Big, juicy, crispy and the buffalo sauce was awesome. Well done who ever made those. read more

The quality of the food here was alarmingly bad. Like really bad. It was like cafeteria food, I was shocked that a new place in Annapolis could mess up this badly. The nachos (which should be easy to do well) were a plate of chips with cold "gas station" style fake cheese sauce, a few chopped tomatoes and what seemed to be Cisco brand precooked chicken. Horrible. Even the orange crushes tasted off- like cheap sweet vodka and not fresh squeezed OJ. Would say maybe they just need to work out the kinks since they are new, but unless they get an entire new food vendor/chef/menu I dont see how they can get better. read more

I'm going to roast Dark Horse since they didn't bother to do the same with their hotdogs. I've greatly anticipated the reopening of what originally was ,the very friendly yet obviously needed a facelift, Ebb Tide. Months of waiting and , YES, finally they open. I like that they decided to add plenty of outdoor seating and as soon as you walk in you can tell it'll be a great place to watch a game or a fight; that is if you only want a beer. The main food choice off the menu is hotdogs. Great choice honestly. There really aren't many places that do a good dog and fries. They found their niche. Narrator: They didn't. I went for the Mac Dog. Can't really go wrong with Mac & Cheese and hotdogs right? When the food comes out I'm a little disappointed. It's fairly small portions. Then I take a look at the dog. A plain untoasted potato bun with what appears to be a gray dog. Remember Jack in Titanic when he's sitting in the water and Rose can't bother to just move over a little? That's my hotdog. It's gray, wet, and sad. Only difference? Mines been sitting in boiled water. Who boils hotdogs? For $10 you can get a whole pack of the organic dogs. Could probably just go to the gas station and get a better dog there and then grab a decently priced beer at Dark Horse. Please for love of God, make just the slightest change and this place could be a great hangout. read more

New paint, old greasy stove? I got carry-out and the food was terrible. The mac n cheesesteak was lacking steak and cheese! A few tiny pieces of meat and a couple of dry noodles mixed with chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce. It tasted like old stove grease, similar to the tater tots. Someone here compared it to cafeteria style food and I completely agree... it's even a little worse! The location has always been great, and the staff friendly. I used to look forward to the large portions, quality good tasting food, and affordable prices... but that's no longer the case. Sorry, Dark Horse... I had high hopes. Keep working on your menu! read more

For a place that bills itself as a dive bar, it's very expensive. Drinks and food are over priced 5 bucks for a bud light and 10 bucks for a hot dog with no real specials besides a buck off any drink, can still go to many other bars and get a bud light for 2.00 to 2.75 on happy hour. Clean atmosphere but lost some charm. Burger was ok nothing special just went with it cause it was about the same price as a hot dog. Hopefully they come up with some decent specials cause I really want to like this place but I'll be staying clear until it's worth it too many other bars with great happy hours and cheap drinks to come here right now. read more

Service is always awesome. My friends and I are huge sports fans from hockey to European football and they always accommodate us and our sport of the day. Menu is great and always consistent. The staff make you feel like you're hanging out with your buddies! Also nice to be out of downtown! read more

I love this place. The staff are very friendly and the bartenders are great. Every inch of the walls have TVs for watching the game. There is outside seating and lots of easy parking. They really appreciate their customers and will make you feel safe and taken care of. read more

What the worst experience i have ever had at a restaurant. Jen should be ashamed of being part place Ordered wings they sucked. Fish and chips where overdone. The service sucked, I spent over 200 dollars for terrible food, service and drinks. read more

This bar has a chef owned- yet dive bar feel with amazing atmosphere and food. The hot dogs and cheeseburgers are phenomenal with astaff a so knowledgeable and accommodating it seems surreal. It's a shame they opened mid-COVID because otherwise this place would have all 5 stars! read more

I had high hopes, but they were very quickly dashed. I do not understand, in this time of Covid, why a new bar would not do everything they could to abide by the rules and try to keep everyone healthy. The picnic tables outside were mostly occupied, but they are clearly not spaced the required six feet apart, in either direction. So, no outside tables for us. We stood in line at the door, and were very nervous; there were 12-15 people, all squished-up together at the entryway. We kept trying to socially distance, but it was impossible, people kept coming closer-and-closer and the owners and employees saw what was happening (because they were right there) and did nothing. We finally got inside, and there were too many people standing at the bar, without masks. They say masks are mandatory, but then did nothing about the people walking around without masks (we do understand that you do not wear masks when eating and drinking, or sitting at your table). The crab dip, at $11, was a very small portion, the hot dogs are $10, and it was very industrially sterile and dark inside. I doubt they will care, but we will not be going back. read more