Two Men On a Mission, Visit as Many Dundalk Bars As Possible to Watch the Ravens.

With the Ravens playing the Texans on Monday Night Football and my brother-in-law J.J. Barnes visiting, I thought it would be a great night to seek out the best bar in Dundalk to watch a Ravens' game.

We started out at The Poplar Inn, a true Dundalk landmark. J.J. and I were greeted quickly by bartender Karen. My brother-in-law, being the designated drinker, and I, being the designated driver, ordered a beer and a water, respectively.

The Poplar Inn runs great specials during Ravens' games, including all you can drink domestic draft and all you can eat baked Old Bay wings for $25, as well as a free Ravens' shooter when the boys in purple score a touchdown. My wife and I enjoy coming to the Poplar for date night and also like to treat our kids to their delicious crabcakes.

I was tempted to order a Raven hotdog, an all beef hotdog with lump crabmeat and melted cheddar cheese, but I knew the night was young so I avoided temptation.

From the Poplar we headed east on Wise Ave., crossed the drawbridge and pulled into the parking lot of The Seasoned Mariner. The restaurant, located on the banks of Bear Creek, has docking facilities for boats both big and small.

The tropical island motif of imported sand beaches and palm trees has attracted local clientele for years, but new owner Steve Goff and his partners have completely transformed the interior. They gutted the bar area and gave it a complete make over.

Now the bar countertop is beautiful black granite. Behind the bartenders flows a cool double-sided glass waterfall that acts as a backdrop to the liquor bottles. Initially, I'd thought I had walked into the wrong building, we could have been in a swanky restaurant downtown.

We were greeted by Fallon, the bartender, who ran through the nightly specials and recommended that we take advantage of the six domestic bottles for $12. We explained our plan for the evening and ordered non-alcoholic beverages so as not to burn out too soon.

Fallon introduced us to Goff, who gave us the grand tour. He pointed out the local artisan copper sculpture of fish hanging on the wall. Goff told us of the various specialty dinners and charity events the restaurant holds, including a monthly sushi night, a wine dinner and a raffle to support nearby St. Luke's school.

Kickoff loomed and we walked across Wise Ave. to The Seahorse, also on Bear Creek. We entered a crowded bar and were lucky to find a table. Corinne, the waitress, greeted us and took our drink order. Finally, giving in to temptation we ordered the $11 pound of steamed shrimp. They came out soon after and were perfectly seasoned and cooked.

We stayed at The Seahorse for the entire first half and J.J. enjoyed several free Ravens' shooters when the home team scored. We were very impressed with the exterior that featured a nicely landscaped double-horseshoe pit, large high definition televisions mounted on the outside wall, outdoor seating with a water view and docking facilities for boats.

Just before halftime, we paid our tab, tipped Corinne and headed to the last bar on our itinerary, Scoozies. We wanted to get there in time for their free halftime buffet.

Scoozies was much more crowded than any of the other bars we had been to that night. All the patrons sported Ravens' gear, jerseys and hats.

They had just put out their free halftime buffet consisting of pot roast, BBQ chicken, meatloaf and mac and cheese. We found a spot at the crowded bar and enjoyed generous helpings of the food.

Then, we watched in shock and horror as Matt Schaub, the Houston quarterback, dissected the Ravens' secondary like a surgeon removing an ruined organ.

We saw the lead dwindle as Texan wide receivers made play after play. Then came overtime and the Josh Wilson touchdown giving the Ravens the victory. Scoozies exploded in cheers of victory.

We paid our tab and headed home. Did we find the best place in Dundalk to watch the game? I don't know, but we sure visited some great places and met some friendly people.