The Best Bars In Baltimore's Ellicott City, Maryland

Located in the village setting of Ellicott’s Main street, Judge’s Bench is the local pub of choice. Rotating on tap are about 18 seasonal brews. Currently, they have Maryland’s largest collection of single malt whiskies with over 240 varieties, and it doesn’t doesn’t stop there; they also three dozen single barrel and small batch bourbons and ryes, as well as several Irish whiskeys and Cognacs.

Charming and quaint, Pure Wine Cafe is a tapas and wine bar that is the perfect go-to for a classy evening with friends or loved ones. Their array of beverages include mulled wines, ‘the rabbit’ cocktail with elderflower and Aperol, or their spiced sangrias, and they also have a decent list of crisp and complex wines. If you purchase a bottle to go, you get 50% off the list price. Try their mix of New American and Mediterranean small plates, like the truffle fries, while you drink away.

A local favorite, The White Oak Tavern is a great place for drinking and celebrating. White Oak offers a range of over 40 craft beers on tap, giving them one of the best selections around, and on Tuesdays there’s a burger and free pint night starting at 7PM. They always have a new selection of local microbrews like Flying Dog and Heavy Seas on tap as well. During their brunch, they serve bottomless cocktails with your brunch meal. Don’t be fooled by the fact that White Oak is located inside a shopping mall; the interior is sleek, modern and classy.

The interior of Ellicott Mills Brewing Co. mirrors the Main Street with its vintage, rustic charm. The brewery, operating since 1997, creates hand-crafted smooth microbrews and uses only the finest hops, wheat and barley. They have eight brews on tap with generous samplers, and the rustic pub overlooks the brewing machines.

With a shop also located in Federal Hill, Baltimore, Pub Dog is only a 10 minute drive from Ellicott City’s small center where locals come to enjoy gourmet pizzas and a nice selection of craft beers brewed in-house. Their thin-crust, coal fired pizzas are the perfect accompaniment to their beers.

Bare Bones offers great happy hour deals that include a complimentary buffet and one dollar off all 16 ounce drafts, house wind and rail drinks. Mondays you can find $1.50 Natural Lights and $5 bombs, and Tuesdays you can get half-price bottles of wine with a purchase. Bare Bones is known for its beer selections, which include microbrews.

If you’re looking for a classic Irish bar with a large craft beer selection, Kelsey’s is another hidden gem due to its relaxed, sports bar atmosphere. The red mahogany decor gives the bar a more modern, classic feel, while the atmosphere makes it the perfect place for working young professionals to relax.

The wine bar is a classy establishment located only minutes from Ellicott City’s center. The farm-to-table restaurant boasts over 300 bottles of international wines from small, hard-to-find wineries, and every day they feature 30 premium wines by the glass accompanied by an assortment of small plates that pair well with the different selections. Check out their monthly wine bargains featuring a mixture of French, Californian and Spanish wines for around $11 to $15 a glass.

Located in the heart of Ellicott City, Phoenix Emporium boasts a clientele of faithful locals who enjoy the strong drinks and the reliable schedule of DJs and karaoke nights. Phoenix offers a rotating stock of 180 beers from all around the world. They feature high-quality microbrews and domestics. Look out for daily specials like the $3 margaritas on Mondays. The hole-in-the-wall vibe gives it an old school charm in the center of Ellicott.

Located just outside of Ellicott City, Victoria Gastro Pub is a self-proclaimed ‘living room of the community’ with its vintage, wooden bar area. They have over twenty craft brews on tap, including favorites like Troegs and Beckenridge. Happy hour is available on weekday nights from 4PM t0 7PM in the pub only, and includes $5.95 drafts, $4.95 bottle beer, $5.95 wine glasses, but be sure to keep an eye out for their late night happy hour featuring $1 off rail drinks. Their artisanal spread of cheeses, their salads and their wagyu burger are showstoppers that pair well with the beers on offer.
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