23 Best Cocktail Bars near Ellicott City

“Terrific new local small business in OEC making great Vodka and Gin!! This is run by a great friend of mine and will be a terrific addition to OEC.“

“Over the past 6-months or so, I’m becoming a regular at Compadres restaurant and bar. The food has been excellent on several visits, and the staff and regulars are real nice. On this visit (Jan 2026), I was just stopping in for a quick brew before a long evening. I’ve known some of the staff here, so I knew I’d be comfortable. The bar staff remembered my usual drink, which is always a welcoming feeling. They have a full bar. And they remembered my favorite dish, which I’ve ordered here only once before! I love birria tacos, and they make a terrific recipe. It’s tender slow-cooked shredded beef with rich savory flavors too complex to know all the ingredients. The beef picks up the sweet smokiness of mild peppers, perhaps chipotle, deeply-marinated for hours with herbs that i will guess as cumin, thyme, and others, and caramelized diced onion. It’s loaded with some queso into a folded soft corn tortiila, which is soaked in the marinade, then pan or griddle-seared. Or maybe seared and then filled? Either way, it’s a deeply-colorful hand-held like a super-flavorful super-juicy quesadilla. This birria-dilla is served with a dark reddish consommé of all the flavors of the beef and the marinade, for dipping and dousing and generally risking your clothing to splashes, spills, and wild abandon. Compadres also served me freshly fried thin very-lightly-spiced tortilla chips with a zingy fresh chunky red salsa, and i realized that, without thinking, i was dipping the chips in that luscious consommé more than the salsa! I enjoy the food and the relaxed ambiance of this little place. They recently added a lovely terrifically-detailed mural by a local artist of a pueblo magico, a village of delicious food and good compadres. You know those friends who you always seem to visit at meal-time for a taste of whatever is simmering? These Compadres are those compadres.“

“The fish was amazing and the jazz room is the perfect vibe for a first date or a cocktail with best friend! Absolutely loved it“

“Absolutely the best pork schnitzel I have had in ages.“

“Drinks and atmosphere are incredible….. bar stools are awful though.“

“Amazing prices on all beverages. Always stocked and never gives any issues. Highly recommended as all places around charge significantly higher prices. The shop itself could use a remodeling, but I can forgive that as the prices make it worth it.

Parking: Just a small parking lot with 3 or 4 spots. You can park on the street across the street.

Wheelchair accessibility: There are no stairs and there is a ramp to get in. It will be difficult to maneuver around inside as it is a small store with limited room.“

“I was looking for a great Cuban sandwich and ended up driving an hour to get here. Well worth the drive. The food and service were excellent! I'll be back.“

“Picked up a delicious dinner tonight - the shrimp tacos are amazing! Everything is incredibly fresh! Can't wait to go back and dine in person.“

“Great place! Welcoming and friendly. The seafood pancakes are delicious.“

“One of my top 5 fish memories - Pompano with jerk seasoning, lemon caper sauce. Outstanding!! Sautéed spinach just right, mashed potatoes perfect. 5 stars Rest of family loved their meals.“

“Enjoyed salmon and the Caesar salad with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand. My husband had the Chesapeake and a bowl of onion soup. We were served by Ethan who’s an awesome waiter. I can’t say enough. Love it.“

“Great food and great drink. Service was awesome“

“This is my first time at Trifecta & I wish I had come here sooner! The food is fresh, delicious & diverse. The selections are creative & fun. I love to support local businesses & this is a no-brainer!“

“I usually enjoy the food from here however my last order was very disappointing. I ordered the fish tocos and can tell the order was rushed. The tacos were hap hazardly thrown in the container. Some of fish pieces were over cooked and dry,and they didn't bother to put the Chipotle sauce on the tacos or on the side. Again disappointing“

“Spurrier's Restaurant and Lounge has an incredible view and surroundings from both in and out. I just spent but a day there, and I had an incredible time. The surroundings were neat and there were ample parking lot. Staff were polite, professional, and helpful. They do sell snacks. A special occasion gave me the chance to visit and to explore what do they offer. You can book a reservation. Stairs and elevator are available but I prefer using my legs. You can't miss it. It's within the city, and businesses are all around. I didn't order any food from there, so I don't know how their food taste, but what I can say is that the occasion I was invited to, the food was great. The food is more traditional based on the event. But overall, the staff were excellent and they did their very best to get everyone situated and to feel at home. ?

Parking: Parking was free. There are ample parking lots. There are bins, recycle bins, stationed there for bottle glasses. For further questions, call the library. You can find their phone number at their website.?

Kid-friendliness: Yes, kids are always welcome with a parent or with a guardian.

Wheelchair accessibility: The sliding doors are automatic for wheelchair accessibility if using the library. However, the Trail is not ideal for wheelchair accessibility.“

“We stayed for one night at the Marriott Owings Mill and decided to try The Tillery which is located in the hotel. The hotel was wonderful and we had a great meal at the Tillery. We had the putine for an appetizer and the branzino for our entree. It was exceptional. Our daughter had crab cakes which she throughly enjoyed. We ended with chocolate lava cake which was delicious! Shawanna provided outstanding service and all of her recommendations were spot on. The restaurant is lucky to have her. Would definitely recommend this establishment to others.“

“food is ok. have had better. very loud salsa music the whole time. I,m sure thats for the kitchen help to enjoy. no one else liked it. had to scream to talk to my friend the whole time. won't go back. I don't like to pay 130 for lunch and not be able to enjoy it. thats just stupid.“

“We had the Gujrati Thali and it was EXCELLENT. The food was very authentic, and there were many different dishes included. Highly recommend this vegetarian thali! Also, the service was friendly and wonderful.“

“OMG. What are the chances that I run into Ms. Khadijah again? On top of that, I had mistakenly thought my flight was earlier and ran into Raymond but he gave me the low down. He was a sweetie pie, too. Man, I miss the East Coast! Nothing but cool peeps like me just living their lives. After learning that I had a 4 hour layover, I was STOKED. Saw my girl, Khadijah for my returning flight to LA!! I was ECSTATIC! YOU HAVE NO IDEA. It's not the drink but the great vibes and company at Martini. In fact, I noticed that when she's working, she's always got a full bar. It's her excellent attitude and vibe! I showed up and she had everyone up at the bar so I sat to the right of the bar so I can charge my phone! Even better, she remembered me! She told me that you can grab a drink if you have family, and sit across the way, if need be because those under 21 cannot sit at the bar.

2025.11-05/WED_1400: Just finished a long flight from LAX and had a two hour layover at BWI. I found the only bar between Concourse A and B. Originally, I was trying to stay close to gate A8. Had no idea my gates had changed to gate B.

Martini is located at the top of the escalator on the way to Concourse B and the food court. The airport is under construction but you'll see it when you look for the escalator. There was a good amount of customers that looked like they were also on a layover having a great time.

The bartender was a gorgeous lady by the name of Khadijah. It's so wonderful to see her beautiful smile and wonderful attitude. I don't know how she does it dealing with some grumpy and idiotic people! She's incredible just knocking everyone out with her wonderful customer service, attitude and SMILE. This changed her from beautiful to gorgeous or gorgeous to stunning. Whichever is top notch! Hospitality is 200%! Some customers feel so entitled and she handled everyone like a champ. No fuss, just a lovely attitude and she let stuff roll off her like waterproof wood stain.

She also made me a drink called a Sexy Mule which had muttled blueberries, a flower of some sort (can't remember which flower liquor she told me) and extra ginger (it looked like pink lemonade garnished with blueberries). It hit the spot! Great suggestion! It was nothing like those bland Moscow Mules.

If you are wondering where to go after a long flight and you're stuck at BWI for a long layover, I would suggest you see Khadijah at Martini because you won't receive stellar hospitality at any other bar at BWI like this! I'll be returning to BWI next week so I hope I see her again for my insane layover!
#hospitality #martini #bar #baratBWI #BWI #mortimerthebear # travellingbear #everywherebear #ConcourseA“

“We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Walrus as usual. Their shucking raw bar is the best. Seafood is always fresh and delicious. Their staff are friendly, welcoming and accommodating. Aaron was no exception. We went for Chesapeake Oyster week and half price on raw bar Tuesday so we enjoyed a great meal at a fantastic price. Highly recommend, going back real soon.“

“Another successful event held at Bushel and a Peck. This time we were in their smaller private room. They also have a fantastic, large private dining area, as well as outdoor seating. I highly recommend them if you are looking to book a private party or corporate event. Or just a date night or client meeting. The staff is great, the venue is beautiful and the food is amazing.“

“*Heads up, the restaurant came under new ownership a few months ago* (the old owners were letting things fall by the wayside it seems, thankfully new management is doing much better!) I’ve stopped through a couple times for carryout and each time there have been other customers stopping by, so it seems like a popular hidden gem among locals. Spoke with the owner and he was friendly, knowledgeable, and you can tell he’s passionate about his craft. Food was great, it’s now my go to spot for comfort food when I’m craving Caribbean cuisine- have tried the deep fried turkey, kabit goat (love the rice and beans the entree comes with!), Jamaican beef patty, and Haitian codfish patty. You may have to wait a little for the entree to come out, but that’s cause they’re cooking it fresh. They’re currently rebranding the look/ambience of the space, so will definitely be back to visit once it’s done.“

“I enjoyed the bacon and miss Shirley’s crush cocktail! Pancakes were decent but nothing too crazy. The day I was there service was pretty slow (there was only one server and it was a busy day, but she was doing her best!) and I thought an hour for my flight was enough time but I’d recommend giving yourself 1.5 hours or a little bit more“