Ötzi Mediterranean Market & Eatery — Restaurant in Eldersburg

The restaurant lacks charm. It is rather austere inside. So, if you are looking for a fancy place to have a European meal, this is not the place. HOWEVER, the food and people more than make up for the lack of atmosphere. The staff were friendly and helpful. Mr. Dom was hard at work at the wood fired brick oven. He offered a very friendly greeting while we worked his magic with the pizzas and other oven baked dishes. We took time to look at the market before ordering our food. There are lots of interesting items from around Europe. My daughter, who is learning a lot about and trying her hand at authentic Italian cooking, was amazed at some of the prices. I am sure she will be shopping there in the future for her specialty cheeses, meats and pastas.

We ordered the Maaquoda appetizer (not my favorite, but the family liked it), a Quattro Stagioni "Four Seasons" pizza, Pide Flatbread and a Shawarma. Everything was great! All the food had that unmistakable "made fresh" quality. This is definitely not like American restaurant food. The taste of the food made me feel like I was in Europe again. You can see what we ordered in the photos except for the Maaquoda and half the Shawarma. The other half was gone before I could get my camera going. :)

We will definitely be back. I recommend giving it a try if you want to experience fresh made food like you can get in...

I stopped in here months ago (just weeks after opening in winter 2024) but the place to post an online review seemed not ready on Google or elsewhere. I picked up carryout and my wife and I enjoyed our lunch immensely.

The best part was chit-chat with the owner, about their personal histories and trail to establishing Otzi. Genuine people you cannot help but root for. Prices were very fair for the portions.

I worry about their location, in the former space of Wing Man and Bellissimos. Both those business suffered from location visibility. Otzi is hard to find and almost impossible to see from this busy and high-speed section of MD Route 26. Westbound traffic will have zoomed by before realizing they are upon the building. Eastbound traffic needs to negotiate a traffic light and a bit of a parking lot maze, and would not know Otzi is there until already through that light.

Otzi deserves the business traffic to economically support...

Great food, and friendly owners serving the food, as always. Favorites still include the shawarma sandwiches, hummus, and tabbouleh. This time we added the hoagie (delicious!) and my husband enjoyed the pide flatbread. For those wondering, the shawarma sandwich holds up really well as lunch the next day if you want to order an extra to pack with some hummus for a delicious work lunch the next day. This time we ordered pick up during peak dining hours and everything was still lovingly made, correct, and delicious. I've never had any issues with any order. A really great local restaurant and market beside High's that you'd almost miss if you didn't already know it was there, so now that you know it's there,...