Woody's Rum Bar and Island Grill

Woody's Rum Bar and Island Grill is designed to make you forget you're in Baltimore, and surprisingly, it manages to succeed quite well. Located upstairs from its sister restaurant, Slainte, the restaurant is an open-air balcony with hints of grass roof thatching, split bamboo, bright colors and murals of a tropical island and the ocean. All it needs are a few hammocks and actual sand on its floor, and after a few delicious pina coladas, you could easily fool yourself.

Woody's is a great escape and a fun alternative to the crab houses lining Thames Street in Fells Point. Its food is island-themed and very tasty. The fish tacos are as authentic and delicious as any Hawaiian  or Caribbean beachfront cafe would have it, and the jerk chicken wrap is extremely juicy. Keep in mind that the menu is fairly small, but, you can also order off the Slainte menu as well (they share a kitchen).

On Sunday afternoons, there's live music to accompany the drinks, and full open-air views of the harbor (where you can pretend it's the Caribbean Ocean). In winter, the windows are closed and sealed, but there are still water views, and the restaurant is heated so you can still enjoy a little island-time. The tables are made of spray painted steel drum barrels.

The drinks are, obviously, a huge hit, with emphasis on island rum and ice to whisk you away to the tropics. There's also a list of Caribbean and Mexican beers, and the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World is painted in the mural waterskiing on a dolphin and a shark while balancing a tray of beers. It's a fantastic party scene on summer weekends and happy hours.

HelloWashingtonDC Tip: If you'd prefer not to hang out with a bunch of drunken youths, the daytime is when it's most sun-soaked and pleasant, anyway.

- by Rin-rin Yu, Baltimore Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Rin-rin Yu

Rin-rin is an award-winning writer and journalist based in the Baltimore-Washington area. Her work has appeared in China Daily, DAYSPA magazine, Luxury Home Design, Aquatics International, Not For Tourists and other publications. Rin-rin has also worked for ABC News, WHDH-TV (NBC) in Boston and Hanley Wood Business Media. She has a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is an avid world traveler and maintains a travel blog, www.mytravelhats.com.