48 Best Restaurants in Maryland, USA

Chef Kiko Wilson adeptly mixes Latin, Pan Asian, Southern, and California flavors. Tender coffee-rubbed short ribs are balanced by a crunchy daikon cole slaw with miso-ginger dressing. Lamb empanadas are finished with a chipotle aioli. Foreman/Wolf restaurants, Johnny's parent company, is known for its super-fresh ingredients, sourced locally, and excellent service. Johnny's receives high marks in both categories. Just like the food, the decor has a modern twist. Exposed interior brick walls, a Baltimore staple, get an acid-washed update. Comfy booth seating serves as an understated backdrop that allows the food to be the star.

With amazing pancakes, omelets, and French toast, this upscale cafe, now with locations at the Inner Harbor and in North Baltimore's Roland Park, has become the go-to destination for unbeatable breakfast and brunch (neither outlet serves dinner). Lunch entrées like the Chesapeake Club (crab cake, shrimp salad, lettuce, bacon, red and yellow tomatoes, avocado, and Old Bay remoulade on sourdough toast, dusted with more Old Bay) are also excellent. There's another location at 513 W. Cold Spring Lane in Roland Park.

An expansive 19th-century warehouse is home to this fashionable, two-level restaurant that celebrates Italian cuisine from regions south of Rome. Select a few appetizers: they are made for sharing. Spicy pork sausage adds heat to a tomato and Buffalo mozzarella (okay, that's a little east of Rome) pizza. In the rich, wine-hued setting, candles on tables and giant wrought-iron chandeliers illuminate the space, creating a downright sexy atmosphere. The choicest seats are upstairs in the mezzanine. Excellent service is a Foreman/Wolf trademark.

In what was once a hardware store, this casual eatery has one interior wall of exposed brick and another of exposed plaster; both are used to hang art for sale by local artists. Daily specials are chalked on a blackboard and include a large cheese-and-pâté plate, flatbread pizzas, deli sandwiches, espresso, waffles, soups, and salads.

A Tudor-style dining room in a 1930s apartment building is the setting for superb Indian fare. Go for the classics such as chicken tikka masala (grilled chicken in a sauce of red pepper, ginger, garlic, and yogurt) or alu gobi (spicy potatoes and cauliflower).

In a residential neighborhood of lovely, large row houses, this casual corner bistro serves imaginative, Mediterranean-influenced fare. The seasonal menu includes such dishes as mussels with a green curry coconut broth and sesame-encrusted salmon with honey horseradish crème fraîche. Or choose from one of the chalkboard specials, such as the risotto of the day. On Sunday b is a popular spot for brunch.

The lamb dishes and appetizers ("mezze") are excellent at this Lebanese restaurant. Try the fatte bel lahm (lamb cooked in sizzling butter on a bed of pita chips and smothered in yogurt sauce, garlic, and pine nuts). The lamb is so tender the meat comes apart at the slightest touch of your fork. Outdoor seating is available in a pretty courtyard with a stone fountain in the corner. Both vegetarians and meat eaters will find good options on the creative menu.

Baltimore needs more Mexican restaurants, and Blue Agave answers the call by providing regional Mexican flavors and making sauces and salsas fresh daily. Try the grilled quail served with both green and spicy yellow moles, or the more familiar chicken enchiladas with mole poblano. But tequila's the real star here—more than 130 different kinds are available, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better margarita in the city.

Picking steamed crabs on Bo Brooks's waterfront deck as sailboats and tugs ply the harbor is a quintessential Baltimore pleasure. Spend a muggy summer day cracking into warm, spicy crabs and enjoy a refreshing pitcher of beer while a cool breeze blows in from the harbor. Brooks serves its famous crustaceans year-round, along with a menu of Chesapeake seafood classics. Locals know to stick to the Maryland crab soup, crab dip, jumbo lump crab cakes, and fried oysters.

Part brewpub, part restaurant, and part lounge, this old brownstone has a young, urbane following, who appreciate the ambitious menu, select wine list, and the home-brewed Belgian-style beers. Try the potent, delicious Resurrection ale. The upstairs dining room serves seasonal dishes with high-quality, locally available ingredients to create European-style country fare that is both hearty and sophisticated. In the dungeonlike downstairs bar, the menu and decor are more casual. Made with rosemary and garlic, the classic steak frites are a best bet.

The painted retro facade invites visitors to this casual family-owned cafe in the middle of Little Italy, and the simple, well-prepared cuisine only adds to the experience. Downtown professionals and savvy tourists fill the place for lunch entrées, all under $10, including hearty pastas like rigatoni bolognese or sandwiches like La Spiaggia (eggplant parmigiana) and La Adriatica (chicken parmigiana), served on perfectly toasted bread. Delicate dinner entrées like penne Gorgonzola and Shrimp & Scallop Alberto (named after the father of owner Giovanna Aquia) are only a bit more pricey but significantly larger.

At this neighborhood favorite, families come to celebrate milestones—baptisms, communions, graduations, and such. Pictures of the Baltimore landscape adorn the redbrick walls, and some white-cloth tables overlook one of Little Italy's main streets. The reasonably priced pasta selections rely on standards, but there's also more upscale fare such as chicken Giuseppe: breaded chicken breast with spinach, crabmeat, and provolone in a lemon wine sauce.

The owners of Baltimore Little Italy mainstay Chipparelli's recently opened up a second outlet in the Old Chesapeake Hotel, an elegant historic building in the heart of Havre de Grace that dates back to the 1890s. In addition to serving up old-school favorites like Homemade Gnocchi and Spaghetti Toscanini, the location offers guest accommodations—not a bad ideal after all that pasta.

The spotlight is on wine at Cinghiale (pronounced ching-GYAH-lay), an open, inviting space with tall, wide windows. Enjoy hand-cut pastas such as tagliatelle with tender chicken, greens, and walnuts or lasagna with veal ragù. Cinghiale is split into two sections: the elegant osteria and the less-formal enoteca.

The lofty space and black-and-white tile floors give this casual spot a feeling of classic grandeur. Come here for American fare with a creative twist—shrimp and grits carbonara or juicy lamb burgers. Another standout is the grilled Atlantic salmon with cannellini beans. Service is warm and efficient. For dessert, order the affogato: it's made with salted caramel Taharka Bros. ice cream and served over a steaming cup of espresso. Weekend brunch is very popular.

This fine-dining restaurant, adjacent to and operated by the same owners as the Lighthouse Club and the Edge hotels, gives you white-linen treatment and views of soothing wetlands and the Bay, and stunning sunsets through its large windows. In addition to ubiquitous fresh-catch seafood, Fager's is renowned for its prime rib. There's an outside deck for more informal dining and a raw bar with lighter fare. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is played every evening, with the tumultuous finale timed to coincide with the setting of the sun.

When the children need a break from the standard boardwalk fare, take 'em to this incredibly family-friendly restaurant, where children are part of the action. Youngsters can play on an awesome pirate ship or on the soft beach with the Frisbee that comes with their meals. The food is as easygoing as the atmosphere, from a fried chicken and barbecued ribs combo to skewered surf and turf. There's also a slew of economical offerings "From the Dock" and "From the Farm," as well as an extensive menu for "L'il Skippers," like pizza and mac and cheese. At night, a bit of a rowdy (yet civilized) older bar crowd likes to congregate on the waterfront benches.

A most unusual and exciting blend of Pacific Rim, California surf, and grandma's kitchen await adventurous taste buds in this intimate venue. A tanuki is akin to a Japanese leprechaun, and the creative flavors here play tricks on traditional dishes. Imagine a restaurant serving buttery sushi and sashimi, lamb lettuce wraps, thai mussels simmered in Woodpecker cider, and a classic Hawaiian pizza under one roof. Run, don't walk, to this place, and make sure to check out happy hour (4 pm–6 pm) at the U-shaped bar.

In the Baltimore Museum of Art, this casual yet classy spot cooks up creative Maryland specialties. Crab cakes, served with a variety of tasty sauces, are one option, Parmesan-crusted salmon is another. Finish with a decadent dessert.

Housed inside a brilliantly converted theater, with its stage area is retained and periodically used for a variety of presentations, this eclectic eatery is well worth a meal, from vegetable risotto and jerk pork plate to, of course, crab cakes. Allow some extra time to wander the upper-level art gallery, its works all for sale. And you might luck into one of the periodic screenings of Runaway Bride. Sunday brunch and weekend dinners are popular with locals. On the weekends the stage has live entertainment.

On the mainland side of Kent Narrows, this family-friendly institution serves fresh catch directly from local watermen, some of whom are Harris family members. Nautical decor prevails in the large dining room, including an intriguing collection of oyster cans from an adjacent abandoned oyster house. Views over the shallow, twisting northern end of the Narrows toward the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge can be stunning. Cream-of-crab soup and back-fin crab cakes are among the best around—the cakes are spicy enough to promote plenty of beer drinking.

A touch of Andalusia in historic Frederick, Isabella's draws lively crowds with a dazzling selection of both hot and cold tapas—small plates intended to be shared. They incorporate the farm to table concept with local produce. Dishes include saffron-infused buttered artichokes stuffed with lumps of crab, delicately flavored chicken mousse alongside rich roasted quail, and goat cheese and almond fritters. Savory paellas, steaks, and seafood cooked with Mediterranean spices satisfy heartier appetites.

Specializing in homemade, inventive pasta dishes, La Tavola is a cut above other Little Italy spaghetti houses. Don't miss the black, squid ink spaghetti, served with crab meat and a garlic sauce. If you're still hungry after one of La Tavola's generous plates of pasta, the fresh fish is a good bet, as is the roasted veal chop. Save room for the chocolate-espresso gelati dessert.

Behind the redbrick facade of a bank built in 1928, MacGregor's occupies two dining rooms on two levels, with glass walls on three sides looking onto the Chesapeake Bay. The interior is adorned with carved duck decoys, mounted guns, and antique prints of the town; there's also outdoor dining on a deck with a gazebo. Seafood is the specialty, and the kitchen claims to have the best crab cakes on the bay.

One of the few restaurants in the city with a rooftop, this establishment co-owned by Annapolis mayor Gavin Buckley takes full advantage of its lovely perch and features live music most evenings. The menu satisfies global palates in a town otherwise known for Old Bay and crab cakes, bringing in a bit of Australian flair from the mayor's homeland.

The once gritty area in central Baltimore called Midtown has buoyed in recent years by development efforts led by the University of Baltimore as well as several restaurants and stores catering to the city's burgeoning Korean community. Nam Kang is the oldest and best of the eateries in this area, increasingly called Little Korea (Nak Won, around the corner on 20th Street, is also excellent). Ornate, clean decor greets you, along with a series of complimentary, shared appetizers, including pickled veggies, edamame (soy beans), and kimchi. From there, all of the traditional Korean specialties are on offer, bibimbap, bulgogi, and barbecue—and all are excellent. The noodle soups, like the very spicy seafood-filled samsung jampong, are a sinus-clearing delight. Open late.

Modest Neptune's claims of preparing "the world's best mussels" rings true with many, making the trip to this tiny town just north of Chesapeake Beach worthwhile. Attached to the small bar, a glass-enclosed dining room with a brick floor is a friendly, informal spot to dig in to its signature dish—it's also a great place for nice views. Also on the menu are seafood pastas, burgers, and cuts of Angus beef. Don't let the "divey" atmosphere dissuade you; order the mussels (sold by the pound) and enjoy. This is the best restaurant (and there are few choices) in town.

Built on top of a half-finished country club that was foreclosed on during the Great Depression, Normandie Farm maintains the French-American provincial cuisine and romantic, rustic surroundings that the original 1930s owners (sisters) grew to love during their time at cooking school in Normandy, France. The classic menu has likewise remained nearly unchanged; the most popular dishes are beef Wellington, poached salmon, and lamb chops accompanied by fabulous popovers. Although French flavor imbues the farm, famous locals—like Maryland crab—also have a starring role.

Once a boarding house for the brewmasters of National Bohemian Brewery, which was located across the street, Of Love & Regret is Stillwater Artisanal Ales’ new tasting room and restaurant. Its award-winning craft brews are a far cry from Natty Boh’s rather industrial taste. "Gypsy Brewer" Brian Strumke travels the world to create his saison (pale ale), and the restaurant’s seasonally aware menu complements his whereabouts. Think Bavarian hot pretzels with cheese, enormous broiled crab cakes, ancho-chili rubbed burgers, and Carolina BBQ pork belly. The décor is unpretentious, from the hand-built draft tower with custom, plain taps, to the poured concrete floor and tables sourced from a 120 year-old barn.