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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Leave A Comment