Drop In At The Corner Lounge

BOWIE’S BEST BAR

Drop In At The Corner Lounge

Article Alyson Turner Photography Veronica Fountain

When you think of your favorite local bar, you might think of a chain restaurant or a hotspot downtown. For some locals in Upper Marlboro, their favorite neighborhood bar is a hidden gem. Paul McDonald took over The Corner Lounge in 2013. It had been in the neighborhood since the 1940’s, but many people who lived around there drove right by it every day without ever giving it a second glance. When the previous owners were going to shut down, Paul decided to keep it going, “I was one of the few minorities who came here. I wanted to keep it a bar that the regulars could keep coming too. I never had any aspirations about owning or running my own bar. My main business is Supreme Landscaping which I have owned for 19 years.” Paul says, “I felt that [this type of bar] was needed in Prince George’s County. It is not pretentious. It is your local watering hole, that you can come in, be yourself and relax.” “When I first took over the bar, Tracey was the manager was integral in the transition from the old to the new. At that time, it was a redneck bar. Now it is a more inclusive bar. It is a Cheers crowd during the day and after 6 p.m. it is like Wakanda. Even though it was the neighborhood bar before we took over, the folks that lived in the neighborhood never came here.” Customer and long-time friend, Tonya, agrees, “We are a mixed crowd, black and white, anyone can hang out here. We have a few folks who have been here forever. Mr. Andy and Mr. Ralph are locals that came with the building. There is so much loyalty here. This is still their favorite spot. Paul has grown the business to be one of the best hidden spots in Upper Marlboro. If you want to unwind from a hard day at work, hang out with your boys, have a girls’ night out or a date, you can come here.” The Corner Lounge is known for its amazing chicken wings. There is Live Jazz on Thursday Nights. You can show off your singing talents on Tuesday and Friday nights. Monday night is Cigar Night, and a Dallas Cowboys fans’ hangout during NFL season.

Tonya says, “We invite all the NFL enthusiasts to drop by and watch the games. This is a local bar and the neighborhood’s favorite spot. All you need is a good attitude and enjoy yourself.” Once you visit The Corner Lounge you realize that you are going to come back. While the menu offers typical bar foods, they are known far and wide for their addictive Old Bay Chicken Wings. “We have chicken wings that are the best in all of Prince George’s County, if not Maryland. I buy quality, jumbo wings and I know how to cook the wings. I was going through 400 lbs of chicken wings every few days prior to the start of the pandemic,” Paul tells us,” I have had people come in from the Eastern Shore and all the way from Charles County. People have gone out of town, met people from Maryland, and they are in New Orleans

talking about The Corner Lounge. People are addicted to these wings.” At The Corner Lounge, people are addicted to the atmosphere, the drinks, and the Old Bay Chicken Wings. “If you want to come in, have a shot or drink a beer, we are the perfect place. We keep it simple. Most of our business is through word of mouth – people come in, they like it, and they tell someone else. That is how the word spreads.”

Now, the only question is, what do they put in those wings?