After years of being jaded by the restaurants in Old Elicott City, there is a ""diamond"" in rough at the Diamondback Tavern. The first thing to attract my attention was the effort to incorporate local (and by local I mean within a stone's throw) ingredients and themes. Supporting local farms and resources is something that all businesses need to do for the welfare of our economy, not to mention that a soybean harvested in Clarksvillle or a Rockfish plucked out of the Chesapeake is something to behold. My wife and I chose to sit in the charming tavern part of the restaurant, although a sports bar and formal dining room were also available (we would have had to wait to be sat in the dining room due to to the crowd). The food was excellent; think grandma meets Patrick O'Connell. We split the Rockfish bites as our appetizer. Let me tell you, there's nothing better than fresh Rockfish. As an entree, I had the meatloaf, my wife the Crab dog. The meatloaf came with a homemade beef gravy, something which I haven't had since my younger years, and reminded me of dinner at home. The crab dog was a great take on the Maryland crab cake, something that only we from Maryland truely appreciate. The service was superb, attentive yet not interfering. My water glass never made it past half empty, and my Fordham Copperhead (another local industry) came with a perfect inch of head every time. As good as the food and service were, the dining room seemed somewhat out of place with white table clothes and wine glasses. Nothing that a little retooling can't fix. This is an excellent establishment, a model for other locally owned, independant restaurants.
Pros: Affordable and Delicious
Cons: Parking
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