Chris's Guidebook for Catonsville Area

Chris
Chris's Guidebook for Catonsville Area

Food Scene

This is a great local restaurant in Historic Ellicott City with delicious food and nice atmosphere in a historic building. They serve sandwiches, pizza, salads, etc. They cook the pizzas and other items in a wood burning oven. It is fairly quite during most week nights but can get busy on the weekends.
9 locals recommend
Manor Hill Tavern
3733 Old Columbia Pike
9 locals recommend
This is a great local restaurant in Historic Ellicott City with delicious food and nice atmosphere in a historic building. They serve sandwiches, pizza, salads, etc. They cook the pizzas and other items in a wood burning oven. It is fairly quite during most week nights but can get busy on the weekends.
Wonderful Italian restaurant in downtown Catonsville that is a favorite local spot. It has a romantic and very friendly atmosphere but also great for the family. Whenever we crave for pasta, Franco's is the place to go! Franco's also delivers.
Franco's Italian Bistro Catonsville
805 Frederick Rd
Wonderful Italian restaurant in downtown Catonsville that is a favorite local spot. It has a romantic and very friendly atmosphere but also great for the family. Whenever we crave for pasta, Franco's is the place to go! Franco's also delivers.
This is a great place for take-out or to go for late night Chinese comfort food. It is not a fancy place but the food and service is awesome! Prices are very reasonable. They are located less than 10 minutes from the house. Open daily from 11 AM to 10:30 PM (11:30 PM on Friday and Saturday). They also deliver!
China Chef
704 Rolling Rd.
This is a great place for take-out or to go for late night Chinese comfort food. It is not a fancy place but the food and service is awesome! Prices are very reasonable. They are located less than 10 minutes from the house. Open daily from 11 AM to 10:30 PM (11:30 PM on Friday and Saturday). They also deliver!
This retro American diner is the go to place for late night eating. The food is great and it is a good place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Service is fast and the restaurant is large so there is nearly always seating which makes it great for walk-ins. They are located about 10 minutes from the house.
20 locals recommend
Double T Diner
1 Mountain Rd
20 locals recommend
This retro American diner is the go to place for late night eating. The food is great and it is a good place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Service is fast and the restaurant is large so there is nearly always seating which makes it great for walk-ins. They are located about 10 minutes from the house.
This authentic Italian market in the neighborhood that is also a bakery, deli, and pizza restaurant. You can go to buy things to cook or you can eat there. Our family favorite is the Sicilian sandwich. Open 7-days a week from 9 AM to 10 PM (11 PM Thursday - Saturday). They also deliver!
Scittino's Italian Market Place
1701 Edmondson Ave
This authentic Italian market in the neighborhood that is also a bakery, deli, and pizza restaurant. You can go to buy things to cook or you can eat there. Our family favorite is the Sicilian sandwich. Open 7-days a week from 9 AM to 10 PM (11 PM Thursday - Saturday). They also deliver!
This casual, laid back, Mediterranean and middle eastern restaurant is decorated nicely and the food is great! You order at the counter and then find your own seat but the food tastes like it came from a high-end restaurant. This lunch and dinner restaurant is closed on Mondays and closes early on Sundays. They also deliver!
Umami Global Bistro
712 Frederick Rd
This casual, laid back, Mediterranean and middle eastern restaurant is decorated nicely and the food is great! You order at the counter and then find your own seat but the food tastes like it came from a high-end restaurant. This lunch and dinner restaurant is closed on Mondays and closes early on Sundays. They also deliver!
This peruvian chicken restaurant has great tasting charbroiled chicken and sides. This is one of our favorite chicken restaurants. Lima's delivers!
Lima's Chicken - Catonsville
This peruvian chicken restaurant has great tasting charbroiled chicken and sides. This is one of our favorite chicken restaurants. Lima's delivers!
EC Diner is a traditional American Diner with a wonderful atmosphere located in the west end of Ellicott City. The food is excellent and they provide a very wide variety. While not a sea food restaraunt, they have some of the best crabcakes around. And that says a lot because Maryland is known for crabcakes. They also have amazing huge milkshake desserts that feature pieces of cake, browney, cinnamon roles, and other fun things on top! They are always busy but the place is large so you can usually get in with a short wait or make a reservation. It is about a 10-15 minute drive from the house.
EC Diner
EC Diner is a traditional American Diner with a wonderful atmosphere located in the west end of Ellicott City. The food is excellent and they provide a very wide variety. While not a sea food restaraunt, they have some of the best crabcakes around. And that says a lot because Maryland is known for crabcakes. They also have amazing huge milkshake desserts that feature pieces of cake, browney, cinnamon roles, and other fun things on top! They are always busy but the place is large so you can usually get in with a short wait or make a reservation. It is about a 10-15 minute drive from the house.
A very good American restaraunt that has the best brunch in the area, in our family's opinion.
Matthew's 1600
1600 Frederick Rd
A very good American restaraunt that has the best brunch in the area, in our family's opinion.

Essentials

This is a great place for Asian food shopping in general and Korean in particular. The produce is good quality, great selection, and the best price. They also have a large selection of fresh fish. Opens at 8 AM and closes at 10 PM daily.
H Mart Catonsville
800 N Rolling Rd
This is a great place for Asian food shopping in general and Korean in particular. The produce is good quality, great selection, and the best price. They also have a large selection of fresh fish. Opens at 8 AM and closes at 10 PM daily.
This popular grocery chain is conveniently a short drive from our house. It also has a pharmacy and nursery to buy plants or flowers for that special occasion.
18 locals recommend
Giant Food
6223 Baltimore National Pike
18 locals recommend
This popular grocery chain is conveniently a short drive from our house. It also has a pharmacy and nursery to buy plants or flowers for that special occasion.
This Walmart is about nine minutes from our home and close to Giant and H-Mart.
Walmart
This Walmart is about nine minutes from our home and close to Giant and H-Mart.

Parks & Nature

Part of the Patapsco State Park system, this is a great place to hike a short drive from our suite. Good exercise and sight seeing!
Patapsco Park, MD
1298 S Rolling Rd
Part of the Patapsco State Park system, this is a great place to hike a short drive from our suite. Good exercise and sight seeing!
This old trolley line is now a hiking trail. It is a great place for about 1.5 mile walk from one end to the other (3 miles round trip). We have easy access from our house. Just ask us how to get there. You will see locals walking dogs or people just getting exercise. Walking south west on the trail will take you to Historic Ellicott City.
Trolley Line #9
Trolley Line #9
This old trolley line is now a hiking trail. It is a great place for about 1.5 mile walk from one end to the other (3 miles round trip). We have easy access from our house. Just ask us how to get there. You will see locals walking dogs or people just getting exercise. Walking south west on the trail will take you to Historic Ellicott City.
This is really an awesome park that has a lake in the middle and a walking/biking trail that goes all the way around it. There are many other trails in the park as well. There are many beautiful views and a lot of wild life. Additionally, there are ball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, rest rooms, and many other facilities. There are picnic facilities that need to be reserved. The park is free to the public and open from dawn until dusk.
33 locals recommend
Centennial Park
10000 Clarksville Pike
33 locals recommend
This is really an awesome park that has a lake in the middle and a walking/biking trail that goes all the way around it. There are many other trails in the park as well. There are many beautiful views and a lot of wild life. Additionally, there are ball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, rest rooms, and many other facilities. There are picnic facilities that need to be reserved. The park is free to the public and open from dawn until dusk.

Arts & Culture

Wonderful park and museum where you can learn about famous free African American almanac author and scientist Benjamin Banneker who was born before the Revolutionary War. There are also events at the park from time-to-time. Additionally, there are walking trails and a trail connection to Trolley Line #9.
Benjamin Banneker Historical Park
300 Oella Ave
Wonderful park and museum where you can learn about famous free African American almanac author and scientist Benjamin Banneker who was born before the Revolutionary War. There are also events at the park from time-to-time. Additionally, there are walking trails and a trail connection to Trolley Line #9.

Entertainment & Activities

This is a great place to workout, swim, play basketball, and climb a wall. It costs just $5 to use most of the facilities. We often use the workout gym where they have a wide variety of weight machines, dumbells, free weights, elliptical machines, tread mills, exercise bikes, etc. Located near Historic Downtown Ellicott City, it is just minutes from our suite.
Roger Carter Community Center
3000 Milltowne Drive
This is a great place to workout, swim, play basketball, and climb a wall. It costs just $5 to use most of the facilities. We often use the workout gym where they have a wide variety of weight machines, dumbells, free weights, elliptical machines, tread mills, exercise bikes, etc. Located near Historic Downtown Ellicott City, it is just minutes from our suite.

Shopping

This historic downtown area has many boutiques, art galleries, antique shops, clothing stores, and other fun places to visit. However, it recently was hit by a terrible flood so currently it is being rebuilt. While there are many places still open, you will also see many others that are under major renovation as part of the recovery.
27 locals recommend
Historic Ellicott City Inc.
3480 Saint Johns Lane
27 locals recommend
This historic downtown area has many boutiques, art galleries, antique shops, clothing stores, and other fun places to visit. However, it recently was hit by a terrible flood so currently it is being rebuilt. While there are many places still open, you will also see many others that are under major renovation as part of the recovery.
This is a large, modern, shopping mall with all the regular mall based stores and large food court. It is clean, safe, and a great place to go when needing to go shopping for clothes or just browse around.
34 locals recommend
Mall in Columbia station
34 locals recommend
This is a large, modern, shopping mall with all the regular mall based stores and large food court. It is clean, safe, and a great place to go when needing to go shopping for clothes or just browse around.
Fairly large shopping center with several restaurants, Target, Kohls, Michaels, Barnes & Noble Bookstore, and many other shops.
Long Gate Shopping Center / Montgomery Rd
Fairly large shopping center with several restaurants, Target, Kohls, Michaels, Barnes & Noble Bookstore, and many other shops.