The Depot

Great place for musicians of all kinds to play at open mic night! One of very few places that serves as a refuge for underground artists. Come to open mic night on Tuesdays at 8, 8:30 p.m.

I've been here a million times, most re ently for an 80s night (but make it goth). Excellent service, inclusive, diverse, lots of booze variety at good prices. Don't expect bells and whistles, it's got a dive bar feel. That said, the vibe is solid.

It's an indie diving bar so expectations can't be high, so 5 stars for the cheap drinks, clean bathroom and live music. Also the bar tender( Maggie i think) was super friendly

My band played there the week of Thanksgiving and we loved it. The sound guy Greg was a lot fun to work with, the bar was stocked, and their is plenty of room to make your way around the bar even on busy days!

I enjoyed this place very much. They do not serve food but don't mind if you bring your takeout in. The sound guy Greg is an absolute peach, and the bartender was really cool. I loved the vodka punch and the jello shots. Also, they have strongbow and angry orchard cider, which is nice if you aren't a beer drinker. The drink menu is expansive. They have local acts in there all the time and are genuinely good people. Here's a photo of Pirates for Sail when they performed there on March 13th 2022.

I went with my band to play on Open Mic Tuesdays and it was a blast! Go if you have an inclination to play or listen to (amateur) music.

One of the few dive bars left in the city. Great place for a few drinks before a night out. You can also spend your entire night here as well. A 5 star from me.

I play 100 open mics up and down the east coast every year, and this ranks among the top 3. This is a true listening room environment, no matter what you are laying down. The genre is totally inclusive, the clientele are non-judgmental, and the sound guy is among the best I've ever had.

We randomly stumbled upon this bar after the royal blue on a Saturday night. We were trying to go to Club Chuck, but I guess they take a week off during the summer, which is really great. It's super super divey and oddly really long. You can tell it's a good music scene and dance space because there was a DJ and he was trying out a lot of different things so we had the dance for all to ourselves. We also found some random Halloween decoration that we ended up dancing with. I guess there's food here because Yelp is offering it to me as an option to review, but I have never eaten here. The drinks are all well and you should not expect a drink anything faster than a beer or a well drink. I really liked how empty it was and the music was really made for us. I had a great time and I would definitely stop by again. It also feels like one of those places that's a fever dream.

This bar reminds me of my 20s. Mostly in a good way. It's loud, it's dark, the walls are covered in stickers, the seats are the kind of threadbare where a spring could poke you in the rear at any moment, and the alcohol is cheap. Where the flashback to my youth fails to shine is the restroom. My trip there went in the following order: 1) uh oh, 2) whew, 3) uh oh, 4) ooh. It smelled like bleach, which was great. It made it easy to imagine that the liquid all over the floor was from it being cleaned sometime today. I had to manually turn on a light, after walking into total darkness, which was not great, but no roaches scurried up the walls when the lights blinked on. The light reaches only the sink, however, I got to use my phone to navigate a stall, and while there was blood splattered about, there was also toilet paper. So I'd consider the ladies room mostly a win. There are three signs behind the bar that give the single most important piece of advice I wish a bar wall had given me when I was 23: Don't text him.

GREAT punk/goth dive bar! They run, Cryptic, a Goth + Industrial + Darkwave club night on the 3RD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH with resident DJs Day Star and eEL. Lots of punk and hardcore shows come through here and the drinks are always cheap!

Definitely a dive bar... decent prices and great music. Lots of local bands who are invested in their sound. No food, not sure about the accusations of watered down drinks, but I'm a beer drinker

They watered down drinks by no less than 50 % water. Jack Daniel's was mostly colored water. Never had that problem here before. Others were upset enough to dump their drinks on the dance floor and toss the glasses in the trash. Hugh middle finger to management. Will NEVER buy anything but beer from you again.

By far the best open mic night in Baltimore!! Very diverse group of Baltimore Artists! Great vibes and very comfortable environment.

This is a pretty great space in Baltimore for live music and events. We were able to perform an afternoon set with the Feed The Scene crew and had an absolute blast. Quick service at the bar. The sound is great (and so is the engineer!). I was definitely surprised at how nice it was.

Drinks are heavily watered-down. Please allow us to pay more for proper drinks. Won't be drinking here again until this improves.

Not quite a sleazy dive bar, but not an upscale douchebag bar at all. Chatted with one of the regular DJs, it was her night off, while that night's DJ spun a solid collection of deep 80s cuts (about 50/50 stuff I knew and sort of recognized -- which is insanely hard to do with 80s music since most of it has been solidly played out a hundred times over). It's a good spot. We'll be back.

Dark club, spacious dance floor, strong drinks, quick service at the bar, excellent sound and DJ. We came for the 80's Industrial night and were impressed. This is definitely the new spot! The energy was better than I've experienced at other venues in the area and it's located in a pretty cool neighborhood and is walking distance from the train station for those who take public transportation.

it's 1:30am, Saturday Night, a stranger to baltimore. Rolling deep with 4 friends, lost and thirsty. Drove downtown to the powerplant area, only to find the place infested with d-bags, got on a taxi and told him "go!" he dropped us off at the depot. It was dark, fun and cheap. Friendly bartender service, a drinking crowd worthy for a visit.

The place is good for dancing. 80's prom night is fun. The only problem I've ever had, was the DJ telling me that the band Roxette was not an 80's band, so he would not play any Roxette music. I guess I should point out that Roxette released their first album in 1986, and 'Listen To Your Heart' was a hit in 1989, as was 'The Look'. But what do I know, I'm not a DJ. Back to the bar. The drinks are not cheap, I think the cheapest drink is Natty Boh. But the drinks are *good*, and the place is a ton of fun. I'd go here more often, but I don't go out as much as I used too.

I miss the old Depot. I really do. It disappeared a couple years ago when they re-did the decor and got some class. It was a total dive and there was never anyone there, but it was still fun. It's no more pretentious now than it used to be; which is to say it isn't. There's always a good mix of kids there as well, you can show up in anything from jeans and a t-shirt to complete goth kit and you'll fit in just fine. The drinks aren't cheap, but they're certainly no worse than anywhere else in Mt Vernon. It gets crowded, but not so bad you can't weave your way through the crowd to the floor. And really, this is why you go--to dance. 80s night on Fridays is the best; awesome music all night long. Unlike earlier reviewers, I have no problems going here just to have a drink and hang out for a while, but Friday night isn't the night to do that. All-in-all, a great place.

I have booked shows here and am pleased with the sound, staff and fairness with which they treated me and my bands. This venue seems truly interested in supporting the local musicians as well as touring acts. I have several more shows booked here and plan to keep coming back. In addition, they also have special interest dance nights like 80s prom and goth night. The venue itself is super clean and well kept.

I came here to see a band for Bob Marley's birthday celebration. Knowing that I was expecting to see a six-piece band, I was expecting a stage and sound system, of which there were neither. There is no house sound engineer, so no one to make sure it the sound is decent. Though it was a fun night, this place is more suited to DJs than bands. I had to choose between being absolutely blasted by the speakers the band had brought in (band sounded great, but sound was atrocious) in the front, or hanging out in the back where the sound wasn't so painful, but not being able to see the musicians. My cheap ($3) vodka drink was strong and satisfying though; you can definitely get drunk for not a lot of money here on a weeknight (this was a Wednesday). The diverse crowd was in great spirits and danced the night away, despite the shitty sound, which is what made the night really fun. One weird thing was that the website said that the cost of the night was donation based. I took this to mean that if I had a few bucks in my pocket, that would suffice. Technically, donation based means that you don't really have to pay anything...right? That wasn't my intention, but I was just planning on giving whatever ones I had in my wallet. Weirdly, when we got in the door, a woman with a bucket told us it was 10 bucks...okay? Not that it's extravagant- but it's a lot different than donation-based. Luckily, we had the cash. It smells a little like dirty mop water in here, but I'm sure it's a great place to dance the night away to a DJ.

I've been there numerous times, and I think I've yet to experience The Depot. I've gone on Friday nights when it is 80s night, which I am ambivalent about the music (mostly good though). I've always gone earlier in the night, when the place is pretty empty (a little weird to dance). But the crowd definitely builds up with time. Then I've gone on weeknights when the whole place is just empty, and the DJ (only at that time) was somewhat of an a-hole. The drinks are cheap, and the barstaff are friendly. No problems there. I think I'd have to go at midnight on a Saturday night to decide whether I like The Depot or not.

Loved it, great prices, great industrial music for a Saturday and friendly people. Easy to get to also. Would have liked to see more of a crowd on a Saturday but it was raining so that killed some of the volume.

Saw some death metal bands here. Live Sound was fine. Natty boh was 3 bucks a can! Off street parking sucked....lots of bums outside begging for cigs and money.

Cute little random spot, close enough to the ratchet side of Charles St we all know and love, far enough to enjoy some sort of class. Great margaritas and the DJ wasn't shabby either.

OMG last Friday Night's 80's night was so epic! I'm not sure of the DJ, maybe a new one? Super cute bushy haired gentleman with glasses, was rocking my body & my mind, with his HOT mixes & stellar song selection. Will definitely be back with my seXXXy tight club shirt & dancing Crocs.

I think I've been here maybe 3 times and only once did I have a semi-decent time with the aide of alcohol and cigarettes. I don't even smoke, this place drove me to it. I don't necessarily blame the entire bar (I refuse to call this place a club) for that but still. The first time someone took me here (dragged) I think I literally said "This is a club? Its the size of a canoe and as inhabited as one." I recall the drink prices were cheap with average taste (I don't drink beer really) but I go to clubs to dance and this is really a bar with a hardwood floor to the side. How can you dance in this place, honestly? Maybe if you were alone or there were 5 other people here, which was the case I believe the first time I went here. Perhaps you have a fetish for seducing a brick wall? If so, this is the place for you, no one will bother you. I've honestly had bedrooms that were bigger than this entire "club". Baltimore nightlife really sucks, there are douche clubs (Power Plant area) and um... places to get drunk at. It has a lonely, heartbreak hotel, dive bar that has been lost in time vibe to it which I suppose could be appealing. I'm being completely sarcastic, the dive aspect I can see. The sound quality usually sucks. The people are usually clannish, not speaking to anyone but the people they came with, and goat help you if you're single, everyone is too busy being up their own donkey to talk to anyone new. It sounds asinine but this place feels so sad, I even feel like slitting my wrists just reminiscing about it.

I have been frequenting this place since I was old enough to drink legally. Great owner, great staff!

One of my favorite Baltimore staples for underground 80s music. The Depot has been around since the mid 80s so they know what they're doing. Great atmosphere, cheap drinks, friendly underground environment. Just renovated the bathrooms (its about time) awesome sound system, always happy to take requests. break away from being mainstream and enjoy the cool vibe The Depot has to offer.

this place STINKS. NO, really it does. In the complete literal sense. It smelled sooooooo funky and was a complete turn off!!! I have never been in an establishment that smelled that funky all the way through. I don't know if this is a common occurrence or if one of the patrons just smelled that bad, but ickkk.... it was bad enough that I had to warn friends that were coming in. My experience at the bar itself was so-so. There's a lot of space to take up and not a lot of people taking it...not sure if that's good or bad. I agree with Lindsey H.; it's awkward, smelly, and well, awkward. At least the bartenders were friendly to everyone!

This place was so awkward it made me laugh. I went on a Friday night and there were MAYBE 10 people there. The "dance floor" was deserted and the music being played was blah.

I love this place, unlike someother nightclubs in Baltimore with the "scene" kids, this place had a warm vibrant mix of fun people to dance with. I have never been to a better 80's dance party. I agree with Caitlins review, I wouldn't go to have drinks and just hang out. It's best to go after you've had drinks somewhere else and are pretty tanked and ready to dance!

I've only been here once...maybe twice. The music was good (...80's music), the drinks were okay, and the prices were decent...but there was never a crowd in here. Maybe I was just there on an off night, or it was too early. I'm not sure. But it didn't inspire me to want to come back, especially when Club Charles is right next door, and Ottobar is just down the street a few blocks.

Its a great dive bar and club. Super cheap drinks and a dancefloor with lights and dj. Its not a very big place and draws a non-mainstream crowd...not for your suit and ties. I like it a lot but its not quite my style---however, I may return to hangout one day with the appropriate friends.

This place is HORRIBLE! First of all, I showed up around 8pm on a Saturday night, and the place was DEAD. Clearly, I should have known that was a bad sign. I sat myself in front of the TV to keep myself occupied until the band was set up; the TV does not have an HD signal, and I had to watch the football game through the grainy picture. I ordered a mixed drink, and waited more than 15 minutes for my drink. FINALLY the bartender (with a bad attitude) told me the soda machine was broken and said I had to order something else. So I ordered a different drink, but I still had to pay for it! With such poor customer service, that drink should have been on the house! Once the band started playing, they had to stop several times to deal with the screeching microphone. AND this place let a homeless man in to solicit money from bar customers! NO business should let that happen! This was a terrible night, and I will never go back here!

The Depot is a grungy, totally unpretentious place with great music. The place isn't pretty or fancy, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's impossible to not have a good time if you like to dance. I wouldn't go to hang out and sip drinks, as the atmosphere isn't particularly attractive or interesting. But the DJs rock my socks with their selections and mixing skills. They feel the music and are obviously having a great time. I wish they would strictly turn vinyl, rather than using Apple software, but that would only slightly enhance my experience. Sometimes the electronic music can be a little hardcore. I enjoy it for 45 minutes, then I'm ready to go. I'm sure if I were on psychedelics, I could hang all night, but in a sober state, I need atleast some familiarity to keep me going. There are definitely a good number of characters at this place, so it's easy to let your inhibitions go and showcase your off the wall moves. To top it all off, The Depot is free! I suggest having a pre-party elsewhere (maybe Zodiac next door), and swinging by for a nightcap of dance.

still a dive bar minus dive bar beer...."we are a dive bar" said the clueless bartender, so do you have boh no she said hmmmmm...... any pabst?...... nooo as welll dive bar much ? lame bar such as always just under new lameness