The best thing about this bar is Karen! She is an amazing bartender. She knows how to make drinks, she can work the bar with ease, and she remembers the preferred drink of the regulars while she helps new customers. I hope they know what a gem of a bartender they have in Karen. read more

Great dance floor. Strong drinks. Historically gay. Love to the moon and back. I always look forward to drag performances on Friday nights after RuPaul watch parties. read more

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This is an excellent dive bar. It's dark, full of neon, the drinks are cheap, and the bathrooms are clean. There are two bars - one in the front and one in the back, so you can experience two different vibes. The back room is almost pitched black, and the whole room is taken up by an oval shaped bar, which is great for people watching. There are so few true dive bars left in the neighborhood, this one is a gem. read more

Disclaimer: I must admit, the above rating is based on my experience this past December **compared to** years ago with defenses in the end. I went to Leon's Backroom restaurant-side (don't know the difference anymore, really) in late-December. I ordered a custom drink I've been getting lately whenever somebody passes, and it costed twice the price of usual. Also, the bar couldn't be more dead; most of the time, it was just me and the bartender. It's quite lacking in decor comparatively. **However**, in their defense, I got there a hour after they opened (slowest hours). They still have karaoke like they did many years ago when I frequented this place a lot, and I could imagine the karaoke is just as good as it used to be. When asking for the custom drink, the bartender asked "what kind of Vodka" and I being clueless said any, so he may have given me the most expensive (and strongest) kind, as I did said any. If I came here 5 hours later, it probably would be 4 stars! This place has an amazing history too it. It used to be a secret place for gay people to go to half a century or more ago when being gay was frowned upon. When I lived in Baltimore, they showed American Horror Story at Leon's when it aired and karaoke at Steampunk Alley at the same time. They haven't served food for half a decade at least, and that's hands down the biggest bummer of the place... no longer a restaurant after decades of being so. Also, no wi-fi and that bothered me a bit! In the end, the best I can say is, I assume this is a great gay bar for out-of-the-closet gay people to have fun at late at night and mingle with themselves while drinking. Do look up it's history! I hope they'll go back to food one day! read more

Waited over 15 minutes at the bar to get a drink and ended up leaving because I guess this place only decided to have one bartender on shift that night. Also, what kind of place only has ONE BATHROOM for two rooms full of people??? The line was insane. read more

An old fashioned gay bar with no pretense- it's a neighborhood bar with cheap beer specials, great juke box and lovely bartenders.

Went out for drinks with a friend on October 12 and couldn't believe how little the bartender, Sven, cared. A customer knocked over a glass and it shattered onto the floor. He made no effort to clean up the broken glass despite multiple patrons asking him to. He kept saying "I'll get it after my shift." It was hardly midnight and he was just going to let a safety hazard sit there for another 2 hours. Someone could have easily gotten hurt. That's just not acceptable read more

Seriously why did they stop hosting drag on Thursday? I heard because the management felt they were losing money but come on, now the place is empty and one less night for the gay community to come out in Mt Vernon! The drag was so amazing and fun here, I can't believe it stopped. So disappointed and definitely will be going elsewhere. read more

I checked into the wrong bar lol , good thing a female was with me lmao.... I asked the bartender to spike up my angry orchard and he said "how bout a angryBalls" .. I said "Hell naw man , hold the balls !!" You can keep them to yourself! read more

Leon’s Backroom - a bartender at a bar - Karaoke Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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We were lured here by the interesting name and, frankly, the dearth of other options in the area. Upon entry, the bar seemed promising with eclectic decor and eclectic clientele, so we grabbed some seats at the bar. Ultimately, though, the mediocre beer selection, the weak drink my friend got, and the flagrantly disinterested service from the bartender, make this an unlikely spot to return to. Other staff people were cool, so maybe it'd be worth a visit for grub some day. read more

First place in Baltimore to make shrimp scampi exactly how I want it. It was delicious, filling and perfect. The bartender is sweet and the owner does stop in to ask you how the food is. This place has totally changed with a nice new atmosphere. The food is phenomenal and I can not wait to come back. Honestly maybe my new favorite stop. For any steampunk fans come here and give it a chance :) I know for a fact I can't wait to dress up and arrive and drink White Russian and eat escargot. Oh yea they have escargot!!! read more

Came here randomly with a few friends for a quick bite to eat and was pleasantly surprised! When we walked in I was instantly greeted by the two adorable and bubbly bartenders, Tina and Veronica. They offered us a drink and I got the Flying Dog Bloodline, one of the many good craft beers that they offer. For food we started off with the Crab Dip and the Escargot appetizer. The Crab Dip was some of the best I've ever had! Lots of fresh lump crab meat and great flavor, served in a warm bread bowl. The Escargot was different then something I'd usually get at a bar, but it was equally as good. For entrees I had the Edison Burger and my two friends had the Pullet Sandwich. The burger was huge and juicy, cooked exactly to the right temperature. My friends said their sandwiches were really good as well. All in all we had a great time here. It's a no frills spot with excellent bar fare and great beer and cocktails to match. If you're looking for a quick bite and a friendly face this is the place to go! read more

(3/13/2016) Stopped after the rained out parade. Place is kinda sticky, drinks are cheap though, 2-4-1 during happy hour. Food mostly dumped from the freezer to deep fryer, was sufficient if you're drunk enough. With the Irish pub next door out of commission, it's the default spot on Chase. read more

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Not very steampunk-y, save for a propeller hanging on the wall. The bartender looked genuinely afraid of me and my friends and was super anxious/nervous when taking our orders. Had my one drink and quickly left because I felt as if my patronage was not wanted. Beer selection is lackluster. read more

Been playing darts here for the past two months. The staff is friendly and accommodating. While the dart board isn't the best, the beer and service is nice. It is a quiet "dive" bar that I have enjoyed much lately. The price for drinks is great as well. read more

This place has a 2 for 1 drink special that's awesome---this is every day too. The music selection was pretty good except for the country, but it was diverse. We got the fried pickle chips and I'm not sure if it was an off night, but they were so overdone and crispy, you couldn't even taste the pickle at all---you could barely see the pickle actually. They are super cheap, but I'm hoping that's not really how they're made on a consistent basis. I was going to order more food, but the pickles made me shy away from that. It's cool place for drinks though. I could have given one star based off the pickles alone, but the 2 for 1 drink special, music, and service at the bar bumped up the overall rating. read more

I've been trying to contact Leon's for months about a falsified credit card tip. I purchased two drinks for a total of just over $10, left what I thought was a generous $10 tip that was charged as $1,000. Called and called but no one ever answers the phone. Finally had to submit a dispute with my credit card company. KEEP YOUR CREDIT CARD SLIPS, folks - who knows whether this is an innocent mistake or something intentional, but it's been a nightmare trying to get this resolved. read more

Awful management with poor leadership skills and professionalism, but than again they do manage the nastiest gay bar in Baltimore. $8 dollars an hour must suck. The bathrooms are gross, the drinks are weak, and it smells like throw up when you walk in. Better off going somewhere else. read more

The biggest mistake this place made was not hiring the bartenders from the Hippo when it closed. The Hippo patrons were looking for a place to go that wasn't Central Station. This place could have filled that niche. The owner was told this by numerous people; he wasn't interested. Huge mistake, huge loss of business. Otherwise, the place is fine. Remodeled, fairly clean. The whole "steampunk" theme seems unnecessary. Drinks are cheap but rail liquor is terrible. Ask for something nicer since it wont cost you much more. Food is decent. Its all bar food and almost everything is previously frozen and deep fried but the prices are good. If you go here thinking you are getting something gourmet than you will be disappointed (plus you would be an idiot to expect otherwise) but if you want some filling bar food you will be happy. If they hire a few experienced bartenders with some personality this could be the best gay bar in Baltimore. read more

I was really excited to try this place out because of positive reviews for good food. I called in at 930pm to ask if their kitchen was still open. The person who picked up the phone couldn't hear me clearly and hung up on me, then ignored my calls. My girlfriend then tried to call and the same thing happened to her. Saddening. read more