Really cool bar in downtown Ellicott City! They have a good selection beers and also a full bar for those that might not like beer. The bartender was friendly and the space was cool with a small outdoor area downstairs. They also have upper floors, but we just stayed downstairs on this visit. They serve food, but we'd just eaten, so next time! Overall, it's a great little spot and I'll definitely return next time I'm in the area! read more

Judge's Bench - Pubs Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

See all

Let me just say it is NOT The Judge's Bench of days past. The food selections are extremely limited and consist basically of mediocre frozen food. I would equate it to cafeteria food. If you are with a handful of friends and you are looking for a casual place to sit, gab, and drink, Judge's Bench might be ok. Otherwise, I'd take the short walk to The Manor Hill or several other Old Ellicott City offerings. The Bench has seen better days. read more

I came here with my girlfriend to hang out and have a few drinks. The bar has an Irish pub kinda vibe with some charm to it. There is a second floor room to drink and eat and a speakeasy on the third floor. We ordered drinks, I had a scotch and she had wine. The whiskey and scotch selection is insane!! A must visit for any whiskey fan. The beer selection was also great for a smaller bar. We ended up staying for some food and the wings and fries were awesome! (Mango habanero was great). We shared a burger too, it's was basic but good. The bartender, Anthony, was amazing! He was fast, on it, and provided some fun conversation when time allowed. This is a great place to visit when in town and for whiskey people, it's a destination!! read more

See all

The most horrible service and horrible servers they should be fired. I went there and the servers said last call when they closed three hours before we arrived. read more

Been coming to this place since I was 19. I mean 21. It changed owners 15-20 years ago and the crowd has changed a bit but the environment is still great and it's not big so you have no choice but to be social read more

It's fine. That's really all to say. Not extraordinary or awful. Just fine. The service was good but a bit hectic but i do understand that they just opened the speakeasy. I think after a bit of time they'll be good but for now it's fine. read more

Service could have been much nicer. We did not feel a friendly vibe when we walked in. Somewhat dirty and it took a while for the bartender to acknowledge and take our drink orders. Ambience could be improved. Overall, not much of fun, friendly vibe--which is what we'd hoped when visiting. Maybe it was an off night? Still hope this place improves its service. read more

I have been wanting to come to this historic bar for some time now and the OEC Sampler finally gave me a solid reason to go. The bar doesn't look huge but there is an upstairs dining room so I can imagine there is a decent amount of room. In order to place an order you have to order from the bar and then they bring it out to your table. We got the bourbon flight along with the dessert flight. I'm not gonna lie, I thought the desserts would be a little different in terms of presentation but was yummy nonetheless. The bourbon flight had 4 different bourbon shots from even williams to one called the big mustache. The big mustache and the legent was nice and smooth and a great way to end off the night. Overall, I'm glad we stopped in here. It smelled like delicious food when you walk in, so I can only imagine how yummy all the food is. read more

See all

Here for the food. I was in the area and ended up here to grab a bite to eat. Took some time to get the attention of the bar staff. I placed a takeout order for the fish and chips. Fish was pretty tasty and fries were good. read more

I have been in Ellicott City for 2 months on a work trip and I can say Judges Bench is one of the best bars I've ever been to. Not only do they have an amazing bar staff, but their craft beer and whiskey selection is astounding. I have never been in a bar with such variety and excellent customer service. A lot of the food is average bar food, but the fish and chips is a must try. This bar is definitely worth the try and the drive out. read more

After enjoying a wonderful dinner a group of friends and myself were looking for a spot to have an after dinner cocktail and we chose this bar because of proximity to the restaurant where we had dined: The bartender was the only one and and it was clearly busy and she did her best, the bourbon and scotch selection of the bar is extremely well thought out and reasonably priced. So be patient it's worth the wait. The only damper that made our evening a little less that perfect was some of the comments that were made when 2'of my friends arrived by another patron, it's is the 21st century and I am surprised that some folks still have an issue with LGBT, how about we just do what our mothers taught as and abide by the rule "if you don't have anything nice to say, then shut up" So in short, great selection of Bourbon and Scotch, parking can be tricky and if you're ok with people loudly voicing there opinions on how you choose to live your life, this is your spot! read more

This review is for the speak easy. Great potential, great concept, but really missed the mark. Speakeasy is reservation only which is cool, but we had one of the first reservations, was one of the first in and seated and took 40mins to get a drink. Then the small plate we ordered was lackluster and felt like the grocery store would have better options. When we finally got the drink the quality was below average. We thought it was supposed to be high end. Spent $73, was there an hour and had one drink each and a lackluster cheese plate with more bread than cheese. I give two stars because the staff was very kind and took their jobs serious. Again great potential but missing the mark. Also if they read this, please do away with the fake candles. Use real or get rid of altogether. Fake plastic candles kill the vibe in place like that. read more

This was truly one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a bar or restaurant over many years. If YELP allowed zero stars, I would give them zero. I ordered a beer and burger. easy - right? Yet, while everyone else's order arrived, I was repeatedly told mine was coming. It wasn't. The "staff" made great fun of serving everyone else, while repeatedly not serving me. When I ran out of patience and walked out, there was no apology or attempt to square anything. These are truly awful people, running a poor bar and worse restaurant. read more

This is among my favorite little bars in the area. I found it when I was living in Ellicott City and would still go out there any time I got the chance. It's an extremely cozy little place with a lovely old school feel to it. The owner has an awesome selection of rotating drafts and an incredible whisky/bourbon cellar, both of which really stand out. I really miss this place as it is one of the homiest feeling bars that I can think of in the area. I know they have some kind of mug club program you can buy into although I've never had enough opportunity to go out there regularly to take part. All the bartenders are pretty friendly and helpful. They have a basic food menu as well, nothing amazing but good enough. Definitely can't wait until the next chance I get to have a drink here. read more

A friend and I came her for the Ellicott City Sampler event and it was pretty fun. The bar definitely had regulars amd I love seeing bars where the staff know the customers by name. The staff was very friendly and helped us choose what bourbons for our flights. We also got desserts that came with it which was a nice twist. Those Bourbons were DEFINITELY SPICY AF and I loved the suggestions. Hole in the wall but I could see why the locals lo ed it. When im up that way again, I'll definitely pop in read more

Judge's Bench - Bourbon flight - Pubs Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

See all

I stopped in at Judge's Bench with a few people a week or so ago on a Saturday night. The bar reminded me of bars in my home state (Texas) - traditional, not trying very hard, and a little divey. It had a cool vibe - definitely a local feel. I wanted to like it. But they only had one bartender working and she was swamped. The service was really slow. Really slow. Otherwise, it was a cool bar. It could just be that they're having a hard time staffing in these end of COVID times, so I would definitely give it another try! read more

We frequent Judge's Bench on Mondays for trivia nights. It's an amazing neighborhood bar atmosphere. There is easy street parking nearby in a side lot, or street parking if you're lucky. Entering the bar we get a warm welcoming hello everytime. During trivia, we chat it up with other teams, or spend some time talking beer with pleasant bartenders. We attend again and again, despite our low scores haha They have decent rotating tap options, at reasonable prices. I've only ever had their wings, which are delicious, juicy, and well sauced. They also have a lot of special event days to check out besides trivia! read more

This place is an Ellicott City classic. Sort of a mix of a dive bar, but with top shelf booze and a serious craft beer collection both on tap and by the bottle/can. Great place to see an O's or Ravens game. Decent parking across the street. Walking distance from all the restaurants around. Prices are reasonable. Service has always been great. read more

Go for the drinks not the food. I'm not saying that the food was bad I'm just saying that you don't go there to eat you go there to drink and socialize. Mike the owner is very down-to-earth and will chat with you when he is not busy. An amazing selection of whiskeys and a great variety of tapped beer. Try to stop here every chance I get when I'm in town. read more

Judge's Bench - Pubs Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I visited here with some coworkers and sat outside. Everyone here abides by the social distancing and face masks. Only exception is when you're eating or drinking. After the patron leaves the waiter dutifully wipes everything down! It's comforting to see :) read more

The guys and I hit the bench after a healthy (size not nutrition) dose of Bonchon Chicken. We were drawn to their massive Scotch selection (over 300). We spent a while poring over the War and Peace sized list and finally made our selections. The bartender poured us our very carefully measured flights and we sat down to enjoy our choices. The atmosphere was neighborhood pub but not in our neighborhood. I was as little surprised that after our $150+ spend we were not comped anything. In my bartending days we would have made sure large parties and high spenders were encouraged to return. read more

See all

Omg - the whiskey menu is a swoon-worthy dream. 350 different pours. And very attractive prices as well. We didn't eat here but we had some bourbons and scotch that were delicious. There was a good bluesy band playing yet you could still have a conversation. I'm going to need to visit this place many, MANY times! read more

Stopped in to watch an Orioles game and was exceedingly happy that I did. The beer selection was top notch, and I chose the Prince Percy Pils. It went well with a burger cooked to my specifications (medium rare) that was juicy with just the right amount of char on the edges. I loved the neighborhood feel of the place, and several people felt comfortable enough to make recommendations or chat with a first time visitor. Of particular note was the bartender, Natalia. She was friendly and accommodating, and we chatted about her excellent music taste. I will heartily recommend this establishment to anyone I can. read more

The Judge's Bench now has the state's largest collection of single malt whiskies, at over 240. If this isn't enough to get you in the door, perhaps a selection of nearly 50 craft and import beers in bottle and a constantly changing rotation of 17 taps worth of micros and craft beers will. IPA and barleywine lovers will frequently find something tempting to quaff. Draft prices do vary depending on the strength and/or rarity of the brew, but most are very reasonable and happy-hour knocks a buck off. Food is pretty basic pub-grub. The burgers, wings, chicken wrap sandwich, and quesadillas are probably the tastiest things on the menu. They also do a decent grilled cheese with bacon and tomato and a grilled Reuben on buttered rye toast. The vibe is generally pretty mellow. There is a substantial regular crowd. Impromptu conversations with your barmates are a normal thing. Noisy bros tend to look for cheap beer elsewhere, so the crowd tends to skew 25+ for the most part. The only real drawback is that most of the time a single bartender is on duty at any given time, so wait times for a pour or food order can get long when it's really busy. The best part though, is if you can find time to stop in when its not so crowded and take advantage their flight service for both beer and whisky. Four 4-oz. pours are available from the tap list for about the price of a mid-range pint, and are a great way of sampling a wide range of beers without falling off your barstool in the process. Similarly, a sampling of 4 1/2-oz. pours of single malt whiskies are offered, with prices for standard, half-premium, and full premium flights. This covers about 80% of the whisky list, and is fantastic for someone new to quality spirits. A mug club with a massive waiting list gets you happy hour prices and a bigger serving for a nominal annual fee ($35 new, $25 renewal). Joining the whisky club ($75 annually, with opportunities to gain lifetime membership) gets you discounts on premium and super-premium pours, as well as additional whisky flight privileges. read more

His arm was broken, but his resolve was ever present. Right wing in a cast, the bartender at Judge's Bench doesn't let anything get in his way. With a smile and a sense of pride, he pushes through the adversity and serves the patrols with courage. Having spent most of 2012 in England, I can say this is the closest thing I have found to a "traditional" pub in Maryland. It is low key, both blue and white collar, and calm. The place will dazzle you with its incredible beer selection and extremely knowledgeable bartenders. I sat and listened to the owner talk about one beer for what seemed like forever, describing it like a true professional. He knows his brews, and Judge's Bench has plenty to choose from, micros especially. The food is better than reviews have mentioned in my opinion. I love the jumbo hot dog, macaroni and cheese, and the fries are great. The mac & cheese was a pleasant addition, as my favorite food I'm always happy to see it on a menu. Judge's Bench does a fairly basic interpretation of the dish. It is Kraft-esque noodles with a simple cheddar sauce that is hardly creamy at all. Very basic, but still great. The prices are fantastic and it's quite clean. This is a great place to relax and drink, or grab some grub. read more

Judge's Bench - CHEESY MAC - Pubs Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

See all

Judge's Bench earns the four stars for two reasons: killer scotch selection (over 170 to choose from!) and 17 different beers always on tap. Any beer snob or Ron Burgundy impersonator must drop in here for the libations alone. Far from letting this get to their head, Judge's Bench has a very chilled out vibe - upstairs has a bunch of comfy seats and couches for enjoying your drinks with friends. The food is your average pub grub with one major exception: there is a respectable amount of vegan selections! I'm always impressed when a bar can make something vegan that isn't boiled potatoes or a salad without cheese. Nicely done, Judge's Bench. Service can get a little slow at the bar (I guess I should have shown a bit more leg); lots of people want to partake of the great drink selection. Generally-speaking, it's worth the wait if you have good food, good booze, and good company, all of which you'll find here. read more

Every time I go here it has been an enjoyable experience. The bartenders and other customers are always willing to have conversations instead of being on their phone. They have a variety of beers and hundreds of whiskeys. Their menu is also yummy with pretty awesome fries. read more

This is a really cool watering hole. They have a huge selection of whiskey's and beers and the place was extremely busy last night. It would be nice if the upstairs also had a bar as our party was there and we had to go downstairs to get our drinks. Mike, the owner, is a great guy and very knowledgeable when it comes to whiskey. I definitely plan on returning to this establishment. read more

If you are a boujee burbon drinker like myself then you have to try this place! There is a book for selections!

I've only been here once, but this place is a long standing Ellicott City tradition. It's small, a little dark and gets crowded quickly. I've want to return but somehow it hasn't happened. Great selection of beers, especially good craft breweries and those luscious Belgian brews. Nicely done there. For some reason to me, it felt "masculine". Lots of middle aged men gathered around who seemed to be regulars and everyone knew each other type place. Solid bar and stone walls adds to the ambience here. Good mix of patrons young to old. The wings were good and so was the sandwich we shared. Huge selection of beers and scotch makes this place a recommended destination for those who want quality options and not just macro swill. A great place to dive into some good brews or whisky! read more

Judge's Bench has an impressive beer selection worth checking out if you're looking for a happy hour spot in the area. It can get a bit crowded so be prepared to squeeze your way up to the bar! If you're looking for a bar with some character and history to it, you'll find it here. read more

This is definitely a "locals" bar. You are either in or out. As an outsider visiting, that didn't actually bother me so much as the bar itself. It was somewhat dirty and there's a strange odor to the place. The bartender was nice enough, but the drinks I had with my friend just...didn't taste right. Something off about the beer, and the vodka soda was so-so. I won't be coming back. There are plenty of other places in the area to try out before here! read more

Judge's Bench had a lot of potential and mostly came through. I chalk my disappointment up to the bartender being someone who didn't quite seem suited for the job. I'll start with the positives: Scotch flights! This was coo! They have a book of maybe 200 scotches to choose from and you can pick 4 to make up a flight. They come in 3 levels from basic to premium or whatever they call it. Con: The bartender didn't know anything about scotch except what gets ordered a lot. He recommended Balvenie, Glenfiddich and something else that was super common that I declined. In the end I had 3 very similar scotches and 1 different from the rest. It was a good deal but definitely could have been better utilized by a better, more knowledgable bartender. The menu is extensive enough for bar food and the Reuben I had was great. The crisps (homemade Fritos essentially) were terrible for my taste but I could see people liking them (I don't like Fritos). Again the bartender messed up here. He asked if I wanted crisps or fries. I asked what crisps were. He told me. I ordered fries. He brought crisps to the table. I said I ordered fries. He disagreed with me and made a totally benign situation a little uncomfortable. Even if I was wrong, who cares, the customer is always right, just eat the $0.50 cost for the frozen fries and accommodate the customer with the $60 tab. He said something about how he "could bring me a side of fries if I wanted", seemingly implying he was going to charge me for the fries, but I didn't care so much and on the night went. Not a big deal but definitely detracting. Also, the bartender was kind of rude and cold. He was aloof and unengaging. Again, didn't hurt the night too bad but definitely missed lots of opportunities to enhance it. The vibe was great. Total classic pub. I loved it. Beer selection was awesome! Maybe 20 taps of great craft beers. I wish I had tried some beers instead of the scotch flight in hindsight. Overall I'd say this is a great bar. Definitely check it out if you want great atmosphere, a great beer and amazing scotch selection, and good food all at totally reasonable prices. Just don't be bummed out if you're there with the bummer bartender. read more

The Judge's Bench is one of the long time mainstays of Ellicott City's Main Street, located at the top of the hill across from the wine store. They have a fantastic beer selection, both on tap and by the bottle. Their real pride is their Scotch and Whiskey selection, and they have a large menu just for that. There are a few divisions by category, but it is mostly alphabetical so unless you are a true aficionado you'll probably just be picking at random so pay attention to the prices. They have some food offerings, mostly pub grub like wings and few sandwiches. Not amazing stuff, but perfectly serviceable. Clearly the food is designed just to sate you while you drink and listen to the music when they have it. I happened to be drinking there during the Flash Flood of '16, and I do have to give a shout out to the staff for keeping their heads and attending to their customers as they quickly moved from a place to get in out of the rain to an actual refuge from the devastation. Customer Service is a skill every business needs to pay attention to, but Customer Service during a crisis shows your mettle. read more

So many beers so little time! This place has a fabulous selection of beers on tap. I love that they always have live music and not just rock music but also jazz, open mic nights, and pop. The menu is good too! The small pizza for $5 with bacon and pepperoni was really great especially after a few beers! Upstairs is normally empty but a nice place to spread out and relax. Free foosball and darts. The jukebox is broken currently but was a lot fun when functioning. This is a fun hang and totally a place to check out! read more

Was intrigued by the name ,friendly courteous service. I had the Angus beef burger with jalapeno ,bacon, onions it was outstanding my dining mate had the Reuben sandwich, also very good. read more

See all

The numerous types of whiskey options are amazing! You can choose your own whiskey flights if it's not busy. There are numerous beers on tap available as well. The cheese flat bread was below average, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. The ambiance is nice, and the upstairs is cozy. read more

The incredible and diverse beer selection and the knowledgeable bartenders and owner make this an outstanding place to stop for a pint. The taps carry mostly domestic micro-brews, including very unusual ones you have never even heard of before unless you are a total beer nut. They are happy to give free samples and the bartenders I've met there know the beers very, very well. So, so nice. I've eaten here twice, and the food is OK. I've had severely overcooked chicken strips, a mediocre burger, and a pathetic plate of nachos. All with blah french fries. They are going to have a tough time getting me back in there to eat with so many great places to eat a 2-3 minute walk down the hill. But if you like good beer, stopping in here is going to pay off. There is nowhere else like it in the area. read more

Judges Bench is the best little dive bar in Ellicott City (and that's definitely meant in a good way). At first glance, it's just an old building, with a big old brick bar inside that dominates most of the dimly lit room with low ceilings... But take a closer look and you'll see why most of the bar stools are always full of smiling patrons. Judges Bench has a huge rotating micro-brew selection with 17 taps, (more than most brew pubs). The bar tenders and the crowd are always friendly. And it has a welcoming neighborhood pub feel inside. Judges Bench is also one of the few places in the Ellicott City area that regularly has live music. Open Mic nights on Tuesdays, Live bands Friday & Saturday nights. But come early if you expect to find a place to sit on nights when they have live music. It becomes standing room only very quickly once the music starts. The main attraction at Judges Bench is the beer selection, so don't expect 5 star dining and cloth napkins. Standard pub fare is available to help soak up the beer, (burgers, wings, fries, etc...). But there are plenty of restaurant choices within easy walking distance if you want something more. read more

I like that they have vegan options, and it's very very casual. The bartenders are competent for the most part. It's best if you're a regular bc they seem to get bigger pours and stronger drinks. We're not regulars, lol. On the whole, not a bad experience. read more