The Judge's Bench — Restaurant in Maryland

I happened to be in Ellicott City and acquaintances had recommend the Bench to me a number of times. It sits on the man drag just at the west end of the old historic main street. Parking can be a bit of a pain, street parking is the easiest but not always available. There are some off street lots as well. For street parking and some of the lots there is a charge, some of the lots are free, but parking enforcement ends at 6pm.

When i arrived, it was around 4pm, the bar was empty, just bartender and myself. I've never felt comfortable with being in an empty bar, but to be honest it wasn't that bad. The bartender was extremely friendly and i had the chance to chat with the owner for a while. It eventually picked up progressively become a full house. I found the crowd to be friendly, welcoming, and sociable. Before i left they were setting up for karaoke with live back up, they also have a stand up night, trivia, and bands on different days of the week.

I mainly came here for the drinks, so i didn't have the opportunity to have any food. As for the drinks, expect a nice selection of about 15 craft beers on tap. Their about an additionally 30 more in bottles. The craft beer selection ranges from the local, to the regional, to some out of the region ones, so it ends up being a nice selection. And as seems to be a growing trend in "beer bars" the glassware in which the beer is served match the style of beer. Price wise it isn't to bad, it ranges by type, from about $3 to $7.50.

The Bench has gotten a bad rap in previous years for the clientele that it used to draw, it used to be a biker bar, one of the rough types on top of that. But from my experience the Bench is far removed from its biker bar days. Needless to say, with the service, patrons, and beer selection i will be traveling back to the Bench in the future. And hopefully next time i'll grab a...

The first floor bar is decent— it’s everything I want in a small, local bar. Good beer, good food, a good atmosphere, and I love the live music nights. It could use a facelift and a carpet deep clean up to the second floor, but that’s low on the priorities.

I think that 3rd Floor Cocktail Club is pretty new, and that is where my boyfriend and I grabbed a drink. It was just alright. I was really excited to go as I really like the first floor bar, and I also like the cocktail scene in Baltimore, DC, and in Philly. They have this $5 charge toward a membership fee (you have to visit ~150x to have a lifetime membership 😯) so I was really excited to see the attention to detail they paid to the drinks, the decor, and the service.

Unfortunately, the drinks were DC prices without the DC quality ($50 for 2 cocktails!!!). Our drinks were interesting ideas and well executed but not worth that kind of money. They do have a fantastic selection of cocktails, beers, wines, and spirits.

I also found that the outside deck was less “cocktail club” and more “public pool” and way too crammed with tables to be comfortable. I about fell over trying to get into my seat.

I was really hopeful that we could stop going all the way to the city or go to DC for a good cocktail and instead support our local community, but I don’t think we will return here. We still had a nice time and appreciated the hospitality of the bartenders.

TLDR: Not the best or worst drinks I’ve ever had, but probably the most expensive. The drinks and atmosphere of the 3rd floor cocktail club wasn’t what I was looking for. The 1st floor bar is a...

This place is my absolute favorite bar off of main street. It's on one end of main street so either you avoid the traffic or you have to go through it. But there is parking across the street which makes it convenient to get to. The staff is so friendly (family owned and operated) and the customers are your best friends. The rotating beer list is always amazing. There is something for everybody with lagers, sour beers, ciders, stouts, IPAs, and that's just the beer! The food is great and there is a great deal every day. The wings, especially the old bay, and burgers are some customer favorites. You can also get a grilled cheese there! Add bacon and tomato, haha. The owner Mike is a local who is a die-hard ellicott city resident and just like other shops on main street, it's great to support your local small business. Oh and the music! They support local artists and there are things like open mic night which showcase some beautiful talent. They have jazz once a month too. And finally, if you want some quiet, usually upstairs isn't too packed. There are darts, foosball, and even a TV with a remote. So one night I found myself watching the Princess Bride....