Some Maryland dining rooms were serving travelers long before anyone had heard of a reservation app. A handful of those old inns, taverns, and manor houses still pull up chairs near a fireplace when dinner rolls around.
This list covers seven of them, from a Colonial pub in Annapolis to a country estate near the Pennsylvania line. Save it for the next chilly evening when you want a meal with a little history on the side.
1. Old Angler’s Inn, Potomac, MD
Hikers heading for the C&O Canal and the Billy Goat Trail park right next door, which makes this one of the easiest post-hike dinners in Montgomery County. Old Angler’s Inn has been a landmark country inn since 1860.
Inside, a fireplace anchors the dining room. Outside, a garden patio with a fire pit and twinkle lights takes over in warmer months.
The menu leans modern American and seasonal. French onion soup, rack of lamb, and sea scallops are menu highlights, and salmon is a frequent favorite.
Expect roughly $30 to $70 per person.
Plan around the schedule, since the inn is closed Monday and Tuesday. Dinner reservations are recommended, especially Friday evening and Saturday, while Sunday night tends to be quieter.
Dogs are welcome, and parking is free.
2. The Milton Inn, Sparks Glencoe, MD
Anniversary dinner coming up? The Milton Inn is the kind of place that turns a date night into a small occasion.
The building dates to around 1740 and once served as an inn. Today its rooms are decorated with oil paintings and flowers, with a fireplace adding to the intimate setting.
The kitchen leans upscale with a French accent. Look for steak tartare, seared Hudson Valley foie gras, onion soup gratinee, beef Wellington, and an escargots puff pastry tart, with yuzu cheesecake to close things out.
For something more relaxed, the TMI Tavern Burger and steak frites are on the menu too. Budget $100 or more per person.
Dinner runs Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 9 PM, with weekend brunch hours as well. Reservations are recommended, and the lot has free parking.
3. The Smokehouse Restaurant at Antrim 1844, Taneytown, MD
Six courses, one historic mansion, and a fire going nearby. That is the plan at the Smokehouse Restaurant on the grounds of the Antrim 1844 country estate in Carroll County.
Dinner here is a prix fixe affair featuring New American fare. Evenings often start with hors d’oeuvres in the sitting room before guests move to the dining room for the main event.
The estate is known for an extensive wine cellar, and the grounds are worth a stroll before sunset.
Dinner is served daily from 6 to 10 PM. Reservations are required, so call ahead or book online rather than showing up on a whim.
Expect $100 or more per person. I would save this one for a milestone birthday or a proposal-level evening.
4. Carriage House Inn Restaurant & Catering, Emmitsburg, MD
Crab cakes by a stone fireplace in an 1857 landmark, for around $20 to $40 a person, is a hard deal to beat. The Carriage House Inn sits on South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg, close to the Catoctin Mountain area.
Period furniture and that stone fireplace give the dining room a country look without feeling stuffy.
The menu sticks to classic American cooking and Maryland seafood. Crab crusted haddock, seafood platters, Chesapeake chicken, prime rib, and surf and turf all make appearances.
Live piano music adds to some evenings. There is a kids’ menu and high chairs, so families fit right in.
The restaurant is closed Monday and closes early, at 5 PM, on Sunday. Saturday afternoon into evening is the busiest stretch.
5. The Elkridge Furnace Inn, Elkridge, MD
Few dinner spots in Howard County come with an 18th-century manor house attached. The Elkridge Furnace Inn is a restored Colonial home that now serves elegant New American food.
The setting includes a fireplace inside and a garden outside, so it works across the seasons.
The menu changes with the seasons. Stuffed quail, duck, and crab soup have all been part of the lineup, and goat cheesecake is a highlight worth asking about.
Hours run Tuesday through Sunday, starting at 4 PM most days. Sunday adds brunch from 10 AM to 2 PM before dinner service.
Reservations are recommended, especially on Saturday evening. Parking is free, and vegetarian and vegan options are available.
6. Reynolds Tavern and 1747 Pub, Annapolis, MD
Tea at noon and a crab cake sandwich by the fire at dinner, all under one Georgian roof. Reynolds Tavern on Church Circle wears a lot of hats.
The building houses an inn with three rooms and suites, a tearoom, and the old-world 1747 Pub. A fireplace is part of the draw.
Afternoon tea comes with a long list of teas, and scones are available to go. At dinner, cream of crab soup, crab dip, fish and chips, and steak frites keep things grounded in Maryland comfort.
Live music shows up some nights at a comfortable volume. The pub stays open until 11 PM on Friday and Saturday.
The spot is closed Monday. Parking is in a paid lot, which is typical for downtown Annapolis.
7. Middleton Tavern, Annapolis, MD
Established in 1750, Middleton Tavern has been watching the Annapolis City Dock longer than the country has existed.
The historic building now holds a busy restaurant with a fireplace, a porch, and live music. It works for a family dinner or a night out with friends.
Seafood leads the menu. Oyster Rockefeller, steamed mussels, hot crab dip, a crab cake sandwich, and wonton tuna share space with steak, a Cobb salad, and fish and chips.
Prices sit around $20 to $30 per person. Hours stretch late on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday opens at 10 AM.
Parking downtown can be tricky, so a paid garage is the safer bet. Weekend evenings get busy, and reservations are accepted.
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