Looking for a date night spot or a neighborhood hang for the game? The Baltimore Sun has you covered.

More than 51,700 ballots were cast in 43 categories during this year’s contest — demonstrating that Harford County is a dining destination.

Based on reader votes, here are the 2024 Best Restaurants of Harford County winners and honorable mentions:

Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online from July to September. The results are generated solely by readers’ votes. The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed. 

Ambience: One Eleven Main

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Mucho Gusto
Bacco Italian + Wine Bar

Asian: Chopstix

Honorable mentions:

Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
Lemon and Ginger
Fuji Sushi

Newberry Cafe and Bakery's butter cream treat. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Newberry Cafe and Bakery’s butter cream treat. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

Bakery: Newberry Cafe

Honorable mentions:

Flavor Cupcakery & Bake Shop
Woodlea Bakery
Yia Yia’s Bakery

Bar food: Das Bierhalle 

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub
Looney’s

Barbecue: Mission BBQ

Honorable mentions:

Old Line Grill
Fast Eddies
Chaps Pit Beef

Bartender: Kari Burns, Das Bierhalle 

Honorable mentions:

Tracy McCoy-Soper, Abbey Burger
Patrick Lynch, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Sloane Dela Cruz, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

There are 3 sizes of giant pretzels on the menu at Das Bierhalle on Main Street in Bel Air, which was named best restaurant in Harford County for bar food, beer list, happy hour. This is the smallest one. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)
There are 3 sizes of giant pretzels on the menu at Das Bierhalle on Main Street in Bel Air, which was named best restaurant in Harford County for bar food, beer list, happy hour. This is the smallest one. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Beer list: Das Bierhalle 

119 S. Main St., Bel Air. 443-819-3617. dasbierhallemd.com

Sauerkraut balls, 10 kinds of sausage and a giant 2-pound pretzel that could serve as a frisbee, if not so tasty. Such is the spread at Das Bierhalle, the German-American fusion eatery in Bel Air which opened in 2023. Kin of the Parkville sports bar with the same name, it doesn’t claim to serve purely German fare (hence, the Buffalo Chicken Schnitzel, Old Bay sausage and BEER-ia Tacos).  Instead, it aims to please a multitude of palates with enough Old World entries to justify its name.

“We offer something for everybody,” said Shelby Stange, co-owner and manager. Though the slogan here is “Every day is Octoberfest,” non-Teutonic events pop up — everything from Taylor Swift album release parties to breakfast with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, for the kids.

Four bars and 29 TVs greet patrons, who raise their steins filled with suds from one of 30 tap lines. Or choose from the more than 100 beers in cans and bottles, half of them imports (favorites are Spaten and Warsteiner, from Germany). Every day boasts happy hours, with prices shaved on beers and crushes. Good service is a given, say customers, who voted Kari Burns and Doug Hitchcock as Best Bartender and Server, respectively.

Honorable mentions:

Independent Brewery Co.
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Hopkins Farm Brewery

Breakfast/brunch: Sunny Day Cafe

Honorable mentions:

Bagel Works
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Das Bierhalle

Brewery: Independent Brewing

Honorable mentions:

Hopkins Farm Brewery
Slate Farm Brewery
Double Groove Brewing Co.

Burger: Abbey Burger

Honorable mentions:

Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Das Bierhalle

The Local is voted ÒBest New RestaurantÓ in readerÕs choice poll.

Chef Zack Trabbold will open a third location of his farm-to-table restaurant, The Local.

Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun

Chef Zack Trabbold, The Local. (Staff)

Chef: Zack Trabbold, The Local

Honorable mentions:

Juan Portillo, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Brian Boessel, One Eleven Main
Steve Braun, Sean Bolan’s

Cocktail: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar and The Local (tie)

Honorable mentions:

Mucho Gusto
One Eleven Main

Sterling Froberg, a barista at Coffee Coffee, uses a tamper to compress espresso grounds for a latte. Coffee Coffee, at the Festival Shopping Center in Bel Air, has been named Harford County's best coffee shop.
A barista at Coffee Coffee, uses a tamper to compress espresso grounds for a latte. Coffee Coffee, at the Festival Shopping Center in Bel Air, has been named Harford County’s best coffee shop. (Staff)

Coffee: Coffee Coffee

Honorable mentions:

Concord Point Coffee
Dunkin Donuts
CoffeeBar (tie)
Wawa (tie)

Crab cake: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

Honorable mentions:

Box Hill Pizzeria & Crab Cakes
Conrad’s Crabs
Water Street Seafood

The Baja Chicken Wrap, a popular item at Vagabond Sandwich Co., which has been named the Best deli in Harford County. (Amy Davis/Staff)
The Baja Chicken Wrap, a popular item at Vagabond Sandwich Co., which has been named the Best deli in Harford County. (Staff)

 

 

Deli: Vagabond Sandwich Co.

Honorable mentions:

Savona – Fine Italian Foods and Wine
Sam’s Deli
Jarrettville Creamery and Deli

Dessert: Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:

Flavor Cupcakery & Bake Shop
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Jarrettsville Creamery

Fine dining: One Eleven Main

Honorable mentions:

The Local
Pairings Bistro
Bacco Italian + Wine Bar

Frozen treats: Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:

Jarrettsville Creamery
Bomboy’s Homemade Ice Cream
Arctic Circle

Happy hour: Das Bierhalle

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Looney’s Pub
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub

Healthful menu: Healthy Vibes

Honorable mentions:

HoneyGrow
Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
Saladworks

Italian: Bacco Italian + Wine Bar

Honorable mentions:

Enotria Restaurant
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Olive Tree

Late-night dining: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Looney’s Pub
Das Bierhalle
MaGerks Pub & Grill

Latin: La Tolteca

Honorable mentions:

Mucho Gusto
Plaza Mexico
Sol Oaxaca Cocina Moderna

Live entertainment: Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:

Independent Brewing Co.
Hopkins Farm Brewery
Fallston Barrel House

Lunch menu: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

Honorable mentions:

Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Das Bierhalle
The Hickory Lodge

Yellowfin tuna sashimi, seared rare with house-made lime jalapeno sauce over spicy cabbage. This is a Harford magazine feature on Latitude Seafood Co. in Bel Air. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Yellowfin tuna sashimi, seared rare with house-made lime jalapeno sauce over spicy cabbage. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

New restaurant: Latitude Seafood Co.

Honorable mentions:

Sol Oaxaca
The Grazing Room at Boards by Dana
Akira Ramen & Izakaya

Outdoor dining: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Tidewater Grille
The Island at Flying Point Marina
Das Bierhalle

Left to right: Greek salad with chicken, Chicken and shrimp a la Pappas, Markos grilled octopus, Crab cake platter at Pappas restaurant and sports bar, which was named best eatery in Harford County. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)
Left to right: Greek salad with chicken, Chicken and shrimp a la Pappas, Markos grilled octopus, Crab cake platter at Pappas restaurant and sports bar, which was named best eatery in Harford County. (Staff)

Overall: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

1225 E. Churchville Road, Bel Air. 410-420-5218. pappasbelair.com

Pappas serves so much crab that it’s a wonder diners don’t leave the place scuttling sideways. Thirty-one dishes on the menu feature crab, the staple at the family’s four area restaurants.

“We go through 1,500 pounds of crab meat a week here,” said Tim Miller, managing partner at the Bel Air venue, which opened in 2023. The 8-ounce crab cakes, made of colossal and jumbo lump meat, comprise 60% of the business and follow a secret recipe created more than half a century ago.

On occasion, said Miller, male customers pull him aside and say. “These crab cakes are better than my wife’s, but don’t tell her.”

Seafood powers the menu, from grilled octopus and orange roughy to specials like Chilean sea bass, served over sweet potato puree and topped with spinach and a mandarin orange sauce. Steaks, burgers and pastas have devotees, too.

“The only thing we don’t serve is pizza,” said Miller.

The outdoor patio, open year-round, is a favorite with patrons, and those with the late-night hungries are seated ’til midnight. As the holidays near, there’s a run on Pappas’ hand-carved turkey dinners, with walnut cornbread dressing. What, no crabmeat stuffing?

“If that’s what you want, we’ll work something up for you,” Miller said. “Our kitchen guys are pretty flexible.”

Honorable mentions:

Das Bierhalle
Mucho Gusto
The Local

Pizza: Love Crust Pizza

Honorable mentions:

Bacco Pizzeria
Buontempo Brothers Pizza
Italian Sensation

Place to take out-of-towners: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Independent Brewing Co.
Das Bierhalle
Double Groove Brewing Co.

Place to take the kids: Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Conrad’s Crabs

Seafood: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Conrad’s Seafood Restaurants-Markets
Richard’s Fish & Crabs-The Seafood Stop
Water Street Seafood

Server: Doug Hitchcock, Das Bierhalle 

Honorable mentions:

Molly Patrick, Das Bierhalle
Jeremy Markel, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Regan Reisinger, Fallston Barrel House

Service: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Das Bierhalle
Double Groove Brewing Co.
The Local

Sports bar: Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Das Bierhalle
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub

Steak: Texas Roadhouse

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
One Eleven Main
The Local

Steamed crabs: Conrad’s Crabs

Honorable mentions:

Richard’s Fish & Crabs-The Seafood Stop
Madonna Seafood
Water Street Seafood

Takeout: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Box Hill Pizzareia
Tutto Fresco

Value: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Das Bierhalle
Mamie’s Cafe
La Tolteca

Vegetarian options: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
Fuji Sushi
Indian Garden

View: Tidewater Grille

Honorable mentions:

Mountain Branch
Broom’s Bloom Dairy
The Promenade Grille

Wine list: The Vineyard Wine Bar

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Bacco Italian + Wine Bar
Pairings Bistro

Honorable mentions

Black-owned restaurant: Maison Intimate Catering