Technically, Maryland's Winter Restaurant Week 2018 kicked off last week in Berlin, MD. Sadly, we were out of town in Pennsylvania at the PA Farm Show (see post here), so we didn't get a chance to cross the bridge to the Eastern Shore for a visit. However, we are excited to take advantage of all of the other county restaurants that are participating this year!
Below, I have complied a list of all Maryland Winter Restaurant Week Events happening this Winter in January, February, and March 2018:
JANUARY Restaurant Week Events:
Berlin Restaurant Week January 8th - 24th, 2018
Berlin was voted "Coolest Small Town in America" in 2014. We will surely be taking advantage of this event next year. I love to visit the Eastern Shore in the winter.
Baltimore City Restaurant Week
January 11th - 21st, 2018 Baltimore is a fun city for foodies. Check out some place new or go out for a date night. Two-course brunch and lunch menus range from $12-20. Three-course dinner menus range from $20-$35.
We dined at Roys Restaurant last night. See my review here. The prix fixe Restaurant Week menu offered a delicious variety of options, but I discovered that they always offer a prix fixe dinner on Sundays and Mondays where you can choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert form their menu with prices ranging between $36.95 and $46.95. So, my TIP is to try one of the other participating restaurants for the Baltimore City Restaurant Week special and visit Roys Restaurant on any other Sunday or Monday.
Visit www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com for the complete list of participating restaurants.
Baltimore County Restaurant Week January 19th - February 3rd, 2018 Enjoy prix fixe menus from $15 to $35 from more than 40 participating restaurants. Visit www.baltimorecountyrestaurantweek.com for the full list.
Harford County Restaurant Week January 19th - 28th, 2018 Dining at unbeatable prices as low as $10! Visit www.HarfordCountyRestaurantWeek.com for a list of participating restaurants and their menus.
Howard County Restaurant Week January 22nd - February 5th, 2018 One of the longest running specials at a 15 day celebration of the local culinary scene. Visit www.visithowardcounty.com/howard-county-restaurant-weeks/ for a list of participating restaurants and their menus.
Bethesda Restaurant Week January 12th-21st, 2018
Enjoy prix fixe menus from $16 to $40. Having lived in Bethesda from 2005 - 2015 this is my favorite of the Restaurant Weeks. Participating restaurants aren't just in downtown Bethesda, but have extended to other Montgomery County areas like Rockville, Silver Spring, Potomac, etc...
Be sure to snap a photo during your restaurant week meal and share it on Instagram. You have a chance to win a gift card from a participating restaurant! See www.bethesdamagazine.com/Restaurant-Week-Winter-2018/ for instructions and a list of participating restaurants.
FEBRUARY Restaurant Week Events:
National Harbor Restaurant Week February 4th-10th, 2018 Great dining with waterfront views. A number of our favorite restaurants are participating like Rosa Mexicano and Grace's Mandarin. We are planning to make a day of it by doing a little outlet shopping at Tanger Outlets (love that they are covered in case of bad weather!) and some gambling at the new MGM Casino. I hope we win big! That would be a great early Valentine's Day gift! Visit www.nationalharbor.com/restaurantweek/ for more information.
Calvert County Restaurant Week February 16th - 25th, 2018 The list of participating restaurants is growing as this area expands. Visit www.choosecalvert.com/RestaurantWeek for a list of participating restaurants.
Havre de Grace Restaurant Week February 19th - 25th, 2018 Dine in historic charm. Visit www.explorehavredegrace.com/restaurantweek for more info.
Annapolis Restaurant Week February 25 - March 3, 2018 In previous years, there have been over 40 participating restaurants. We love downtown Annapolis day trips with the great restaurants and fun shopping. They have yet to announce all of the participating restaurants, but they should be announced on or about January 19th. We are hoping our favorite unexpected gem (outside of downtown in a strip mall in the burbs), Jalapenos, will be participating. Check www.downtownannapolispartnership.org/restaurant-week frequently for updates on participating restaurants.
MARCH Restaurant Week Events:
Frederick Restaurant Week
March 5th - March 11, 2018
Visit an old favorite or try something new, Frederick is full of great dining options! Some of our favorite participating restaurants are Volt, Ayse Meze, Il Porto, Reina, and Family Meal (TIP: skip Restaurant Week and go for Family Meal's happy hour instead). Visit www.visitfrederick.org/restaurant-week/ for a list of participating restaurants.
Tips for getting the most out of Restaurant Week:
Make reservations as early as possible. Many of the restaurants will book up beforehand. I like to use Open Table for our reservations to get the points :) If you are not familiar with Open Table, it is a site where you can book online and earn rewards points for each reservation. You can rack up rewards points and cash out to spend at your next Open Table participating restaurant. Not all restaurants use Open Table to book reservations, but I always check before making my reservation. I'd rather earn the points if I can.
When making your reservation, ask about the promotion dates. Many restaurants will extend their Restaurant Week specials for a week or two. So, it may be easier to get a reservation at a popular restaurant after the buzz has settled.
Most restaurants will allow you to order off of their full menu in addition to the Restaurant Week menu. To maximize the experience, sometimes one of us will order off the Restaurant Week menu while the other orders their main dish off the regular menu. The three course prix fixe Restaurant Week menus all come with dessert and an appetizer, so we usually just share those and everyone is happy ;)
As I mentioned in my experience above, some restaurants offer prix fixe menus throughout the year. So, the specials offered this week may not equal big savings. I would definitely rather dine at a restaurant that does not regularly offer similar specials so I can maximize the benefit of Restaurant Week.
Not all local restaurants participate in Restaurant Week. Be sure to check the list of participating restaurants before making reservations.
We look forward to Restaurant Week each Winter and Summer. It's a great way to try new places or return to our favorite restaurants at budget friendly prices.
Where will you be dining this winter? I'd love to hear your Restaurant Week choices and reviews.
If you need any suggestions on restaurants or what to order, let me know!
Once the weather starts to warm, there are also some wonderful Restaurant Week dining options in the Spring. I will be sure to share the details at the change of the seasons.
xo,
Meredith