Bel Air Restaurants You Should Be Dining At This Week
What started as “Scott’s Old Fields” in 1780 has served as a county seat, center of commerce, and dining destination point ever since.
I found casual lunch options, more than a few seafood choices, delis, pizzerias, ethnic cuisine, sports bar fare, and fine dining, all in Bel Air or within a few minutes drive.
That combination makes it difficult to top. No matter your preference, you can eat out, pick up, or have delivered virtually any type of food you feel like.
Here is a rundown of some of the most popular restaurants in Bel Air and the surrounding area.
Best Restaurants in Bel Air, MD
- Savona – Fine Italian Foods and Wine
- Crab Truck and Seafood Stop
- Box Hill Pizzeria
- Sunny Day Cafe
- Pairings Bistro
- Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
- Plaza Mexico
- Vagabond Sandwich Company
- One Eleven Main
- Barrett’s On The Pike
- La Tolteca
- Steelefish Grille
- The Orient Restaurant
- LIBERATORE’S Ristorante & Catering
- Bonefish Grill
- Silver Spring Mining Company
- MISSION BBQ
Savona – Fine Italian Foods and Wine
2 N Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-803-0000
Visit Website
Few places have managed to merge an amazing variety of wines with killer sandwiches and an eclectic, busy but measured pace the way Savona – Fine Italian Foods and Wine has.
The restaurant offers freshly baked bread, and only the finest quality meats and cheeses go into every panini or wrap. It also offers tasty cheeseboards and a multitude of side dishes, many that make a meal unto themselves.
Savona has one of the most varied Italian wine sections in the area and hosts regular wine tastings. Buy a glass of wine or share a bottle for a nominal cork fee. The deli is closed on Sunday and Monday.
Crab Truck and Seafood Stop
1607 Belair Rd, Fallston, MD 21047
Phone: 410-877-2900
Visit Website
Since 1989, the Crab Truck and Seafood Shop have provided just about every type of seafood available in addition to the store’s signature live, local crabs.
In season, it is a given you will wait in line for live crabs, but that is a product of providing unparalleled quality and service for over 30 years.
Located where Bel Air and Whitaker Mill roads meet, the seafood shop offers crabmeat, shrimp, fish, lobsters, and other seafood, soups, salads, sandwiches and platters, casual dining fare, and party platters.
A goal of the restaurant is to make sure when you want fresh seafood, the Crab Truck and Seafood Shop sit at the top of your list.
Box Hill Crabcakes
2915 Emmorton Rd, Abingdon, MD 21009
Phone: 410-515-3662
Visit Website
Technically, Box Hill Crabcakes is not in Bel Air, but it is close enough to count like it is. While known for its frozen and fresh crabcakes, Box Hill has an array of sandwiches, platters, soups, and salads that mark it as one of those great “catch-all” eateries that section of the east coast is known for having on virtually every street corner.
Box Hill Crabcakes specializes in delivering crabcakes all over the country. The restaurant also caters to special events and offers an array of holiday and party platters. It is located off of Box Ridge Road in Abingdon and is open seven days a week, starting at 10 am.
Sunny Day Cafe
101 S Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-877-9020
Visit Website
Located in the heart of downtown, Sunny Day is family-run and offers a family-friendly atmosphere, superb service, and homemade dishes.
Patrons have voted Sunny Day the best breakfast and brunch restaurant in Harford County several years running and one of the top ten breakfast spots in Maryland.
Other food options include soups, salads, sandwiches, subs, and burgers. There is outside dining when the weather is good and a cozy, friendly dining area indoors.
Sunny Day is walk-in only, so expect a wait if you visit during peak mealtimes. The restaurant sits at 101 South Main Street in Bel Air.
Pairings Bistro
2105 Laurel Bush Rd #108, Bel Air, MD 21015
Phone: 410-569-5006
Visit Website
Pairings Bistro is a fine food catch-all. No matter what you are in the mood for, chances are Parings has something that will sate your need.
The menus offer steaks, seafood, chicken, vegetarian entrees and salads, soups, and a starter list that rivals any sports bar or fine dining establishment. The atmosphere is casual and formal, making it a hit with everyone.
Merging a bistro and a café, Pairings offers seasonal food from local sources. Located off Laurel Bush Road, Parings provides an event venue and reserved and walk-in dining.
Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
2315 Belair Rd Suite 2B, Fallston, MD 21047
Phone: 443-966-3999
Visit Website
Grindz means a favorite place to eat or a preferred meal in Hawaiian Pidgin, per the Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz website. That description describes Uncle’s perfectly.
As the name implies, Hawaiian Grindz specializes in Hawaiian favorites and traditional American dishes with a Hawaiian spin. The chef is from Hawaii and brings delicious cuisine, and a laidback but professional approach to all the Grindz serves.
You need reservations. If you are not in the mood for a full-on sit-down feast, check out the bar that offers the same foods but in a lighter atmosphere. Uncle’s is located in Fallston.
Plaza Mexico
2314 Belair Rd, Fallston, MD 21047
Phone: 410-877-2461
Visit Website
Plazza Mexico is part of a chain of Mexican restaurants located throughout Maryland, but you would never guess that based on the quality of the menu.
The best way to describe Plaza Mexico’s menu is that it is a mix of American, Mexican, and Tex-Mex food that will fill your appetite whether you are looking for a beer and munchies or something more substantial.
The food Plaza Mexico offers is so extensive you could eat there for a month, never repeat and be amazed at how many great-tasting appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and deserts the place offers. Located in Fallston, walk-in dining is fine.
Vagabond Sandwich Company
111 Thomas St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-838-1263
Visit Website
Vagabond Sandwich Company’s front page on their website advertises “Burgers. Handhelds. Beer.,” and nothing could be more accurate. If you are looking for a unique take on traditional sandwiches, Vagabond should be where you start.
The sandwiches, no matter what kind, are towering and sumptuous. The restaurant offers eat-in, delivery, food truck ordering, catering, and pick-up options.
The menu spans salads, sandwiches, burgers, melts, and deli foods that will hit the spot whether you are looking for something lite and quick or a more traditional meal. It also has a unique, egg-oriented section of the menu, an extensive kids’ menu, and desserts.
One Eleven Main
111 S Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 443-900-8027
Visit Website
If you are looking for fine dining in downtown Bel Air, One Eleven Main is the place to be. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays with brunch on Saturdays, the restaurant offers eat-in, take-out, and catering services that include holding an even in their dining room.
The menu features seafood, beef, duck, and pasta. It also has a “small plates” menu featuring popular appetizers.
The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating. Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Dinner is served shortly before 5 pm through “9ish.” Most foods on the menu are locally grown and harvested.
Barrett’s On The Pike
588 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 443-371-7516
Visit Website
Barrett’s on the Pike offers a mix of adventuresome dishes and comfort food, a contemporary feel that is also homey and cozy. Barrett’s has dine-in, take-out, and event catering options.
The restaurant even has an event management staff that manages your event and makes sure the event meets your expectations. In addition, the facility has private dining options and a wine room for both eating and holding wind tasting events.
Barrett’s serves brunch on the weekends and has a lunch and dinner menu. The dinner menu offers standard appetizers, small and large salads, burgers, and several mouth-watering entrees.
La Tolteca
300 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-588-5975
Visit Website
La Tolteca advertises itself as a “Maryland’s Best” authentic Mexican restaurant. It has been in business for more than 20 years, and most of the food it offers is homemade. It provides traditional dining options and catering services both in and out of the restaurant.
The menu offers traditional Mexican foods, including soups, salads, and entrees that really should be billed as platters.
The bar offers several happy hour specials that run Monday through Friday. In addition to the food being fresh and delicious, it is also very reasonably priced. The atmosphere is casual with a strong family undertone.
Steelefish Grille
660 Boulton St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-838-8770
Visit Website
Steelefish is seafood, and just like it is odd to ask for seafood in a steak house, it is odd to expect anything but seafood in a restaurant that makes it clear it specializes in seafood.
The restaurant has an amazingly extensive seafood menu with a few non-seafood options. It also had a beer, cocktail, and wine menu that is reasonably priced and thorough.
Open seven days, Steelefish has dine-in and takeout options. It also has outdoor seating when weather permits. Reservations are encouraged, although walk-in customers are accepted. The restaurant is located off the Baltimore Pike.
The Orient Restaurant
15 N Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-836-8222
Visit Website
The Orient offers Chinese and Japanese food in a warm, casual but professional environment. Offering luncheon specials, it is a great place to eat an afternoon meal, and it provides an inviting atmosphere to enjoy one of their many signature dishes at dinner.
The menu offers traditional Chinese food as well as sushi. Favorites are the Mongolian lamb and Chong Bao beef.
The Orient Restaurant is known for reasonable pricing and more than generous portions. Eat-in, take-out, and delivery options are available. Diners are encouraged to make reservations for dinner. The restaurant is open seven days a week, starting at 11 am.
LIBERATORE’S Ristorante & Catering
562 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-838-9100
Visit Website
Liberatore’s offers Italian food served by a renowned family in the Baltimore area. With a strong influence from Italy, via Baltimore’s Little Italy, Liberatore’s can give you a taste of what food from the Old Country was like, with a modern dining experience.
The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dining with carryout, curbside pickup, and delivery options.
Serving lunch and dinner as well as having a robust happy hour, the menu at Liberatore’s is one of those old-time billets you could spend an afternoon reading. With two full pages and over 100 dish options, there is something for even the pickiest of eaters.
Bonefish Grill
696 J, Belair Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-420-9113
Visit Website
Bonefish advertises itself as “polished casual” and offers candlelit booths and tables. The environment is intimate but energetic, friendly but deliberate. This is another restaurant that does offer non-seafood items, but why would you order anything else?
Sourcing only local, fresh fish whenever possible, Bonefish prides itself in its St. Petersburg, FL roots that have spawned its obsession with providing great seafood.
Open for lunch or dinner, there are eat-in, pickup, and delivery options. You can also order online. The restaurant is open seven days a week, starting at 11 am. Reservations are recommended on the weekends.
Silver Spring Mining Company
705 Belair Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-803-1040
Visit Website
Silver Spring Mining Company was started in 1992 by two friends whose goal was to create a fun, family-oriented neighborhood restaurant with a huge variety of food that would not break anyone’s bank. The result was the incredibly successful Silver Spring Mining Company.
The menu is comfort food defined. From wings and mozzarella sticks to several salads, crab cakes, burgers, fish, and traditional sandwiches like the Rueben, club sandwich, and Philly-style cheesesteak, Silver Spring Mining Company will leave you full and satisfied.
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, starting at 11 am. Reservations are not needed, but there is usually a wait during peak dinner hours.
MISSION BBQ
627 Belair Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: 410-764-1300
Visit Website
Mission BBQ has a two-fold goal in mind: Provide its customers with the best BBQ and BBQ dishes imaginable and celebrate America.
The restaurant is an amalgam of expert BBQ knowledge collected across the nation, and the result is as diverse as it is mouthwatering.
Mission BB! Offers eat-in, take-out, and catering. It is open seven days a week. Its menu is a “who’s who” of BBQ favorites, including Texas-inspired brisket, Memphis and North Carolina style pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw, and several smoked meat entrees. Reservations are not required, but it is busy on weekends.
Final Thoughts
Apart from a central location and more things to do than you can fit into a lifetime, Bel Air, MD, also has amazing food options.
No matter what type of food you are looking for, chances are it has a place in Bel Air, or it is not hard to find somewhere nearby.
The next time you are there, or if this is your first time, use this list to figure out the type of food and atmosphere you want because if it exists, you can find it in Bel Air or the surrounding area.
There are too many restaurants in Bel Air, MD, to mention on one list. If we left out one you prefer in the Bel Air area and you think it should be on this list, drop a line in the comment section below.
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we’ll earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.