Tucked away below street level on Hampden’s 36th Street (also known as the Avenue, hon), Le Garage Beer Bar and Frites is a cozy, and increasingly popular, addition to the neighborhood’s ever expanding food and drink scene with its subtly cool ambiance and award winning frites.

With a rotating draft list of 14 brews, Le Garage keeps things interesting by offering a wide range of styles from the likes of local brewer Union Craft’s dark farmhouse ale cleverly named Black Eyed Saison, to Reissdorf’s German Kolsch. Selections tend to lean toward local, Belgian and French beers, but we’ve spotted some German and English brewers as well.

True to the the restaurant’s food style, the wine list is entirely French, with a fairly wide selection. However, the cocktail menu is not to be missed. On a hot day the Beaute, a blend of vodka, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice and mint, could be the ultimate thirst quencher. Though we are also particularly excited about the C’est La Shandy, a clever mix of yellow chartreuse and Witbier with lemon, orange, and barrel-aged bitters.

The menu fulfills the restaurant’s self-proclamation of being approachable, and has a perfect selection of noshes for before, during, or after sipping at the bar. Frites, the specialty of the house and the award winners of the coveted Baltimore Magazine’s “Best Fries” category in 2014, are an obvious choice. Pair them with any of ten dipping sauces from a clear Charm City favorite like Old Bay ketchup to a more refined black truffle aioli.

Feeling more adventurous? Appetizers like Roasted Marrow Bones and Escargot Tart are some high class bites to accompany your cocktail, or get a little messy with some ooey gooey French Onion Soup. Creative tartines (open faced sandwiches) are available for light snacking as well. Those with a bigger appetite can dive into the entree menu with the likes of Steak Frites, Duck Leg Confit, Mussels, or a burger that can be made “luxe” with some foie butter (ooh la la!).

Best yet? For the nighttime noshers, a late night menu can be ordered until 11:30 during the week and 12:30 on Friday and Saturday nights.

For dining, reservations are recommended, but feel free to sidle up to the bar any time. To try Le Garage on a special night, check out the restaurant between Tuesday and Thursday each week for the special 3 for $30 prix fixe menu. That leaves plenty of cash in the wallet to check out that spectacular drink menu.

Le Garage Beer Bar and Frites, 911 W. 36th St.; 410-243-6300

Photo via Le Garage