Babe’s Boys Tavern is a smoky little pub located near the oldest part of Waldorf.  If you aren’t looking for it, you might pass it by. 

Nominator, Tracy Denman (on right), crab cakes &
fries.  (below) Jim Conroy, co-owner.  Photos by
H. Bartlett for TheBayNet.com.

La Plata resident, Tracy Denman nominated Babe’s Boys Tavern as one of her favorite places in Waldorf.  She described it, “Babe’s is a great little neighborhood bar.  It’s like Cheers, only not in Boston.  Everybody knows your name.” 

It certainly lacks the architectural charm and historical ambiance of the Cheers model, but Babe’s definitely has its charms.  The table was small, but cozy.  Additional eating areas lurk in another portion of the tavern.

Our food was served in a timely manner by a quick-witted waitress with a little passing help from co-owner Jim Conroy.  Along with the spicy shrimp we got a little sass from our waitress, whose wry grin was framed in long strawberry blond hair.   You can have a beer, but don’t expect fancy mixed drinks or micro-brews on tap.

“I’ve done sales and a lot of other things.  I enjoy this business,” said Conroy.  He has owned the bar for 3 ½ years with long-time friend, P.J. Wilson.

In fact, Conroy and Wilson enjoy this business so much that they purchased a second location just a year after acquiring the Old Washington location.  Their Upper Marlboro location is known as “Babe’s Boys at the Top of the Hill.”

The story behind the name “Babe’s Boys Tavern” is, like it is with many other small businesses, a personal story.  The name honors Wilson’s father, a police officer who was affectionately known as “The Babe” after playing a short stint for the Boston Red Sox. 

Wilson’s father made a priority of taking neighborhood children to baseball games; using his badge as a way to get them in for free.  He called them “his boys.”  Later, rookie D.C. police officers also became known as “his boys” because he paid for their rounds at the FOP Lodge.  If he ever showed up by himself everybody would ask him, “Babe, where’s your boys?” 

Come by, order a juicy crab cake or some nicely spiced shrimp, and squeeze around a table with your pals.  Babe’s Boys Tavern is located at 2890 Old Washington Rd. in Waldorf.  Phone: 301-645-8460

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Heather Bartlett is TheBayNet.com’s Waldorf and Arts Correspondent.  In her other life, she’s an artist , co-creator of the political group blog Charles County Café.  To c