i took my family to dinner at Kings Contrivance on the evening of 8/16/26. Although the dinner was outstanding and we enjoyed our meal, the evening was ruined when two male senior citizens sitting at a table engaged in racist rhetoric loud enough for the dining room to hear, and this went on for approximately 15 minutes. I asked the host to intervene and make the appropriate decision. The host apologized and asked the two men to lower their voices, versus asking them to leave. Apparently the two men frequent the restaurant quite often. I will share this information with my Ellicott City community. read more

Another amazing meal at Kings Contrivance Restaurant for our anniversary! They have absolutely perfected their crab cake; by far, the best I've ever had! Husband, son and daughter loved their seafood, too. Enjoyed the tiramisu for dessert. As always, service was excellent! Highly recommend. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Crab cake with sweet potato fries and asparagus (they substituted for the green beans for me). EXCELLENT!! - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Made a reservation here as many years ago I remember this restaurant being really nice. It was for a family member's birthday. We advised this also when making the reservation by phone. Unfortunately no one acknowledged this as most restaurants do typically as a small desert with a candle etc. We ordered appetizers and entrees and done family members ordered 2 appetizers one as an entree. Staff there was pleasant enough but our server though nice had no clue how to perform his job. First he brought out an iced tea served in a cracked glass that was ready to break any second. We ordered beverages which were fine with that one exception. Only to follow a disaster for everything else. Appetizer/entrees were incorrect and not what we all ordered. He forgot several items that we ordered. The bread basket was horrible with pads of butter thrown on the top of the basket. Side dishes were missing. No one came back to refill ice tea. We had to get up to request an additional beer. They brought us the wrong deserts we did not order. Finally it took 40 minutes after we finished our entree to bring desert and 3 hours to have dinner. I remember this place as a fine restaurant but no more. The did remove the alcoholic beverages and 2 deserts off the bill and I was thankful for this. I understand they were busy and the kitchen was shortened but most issues that happened were the result of the server not the kitchen. Very disappointing and let down. This server needs serious training. read more

Excellent overall. Our mignon and New Zealand lamb chops were perfectly medium- rare. The accompanying Caesar salads and mashed sweet potatoes complemented the meals. read more

Service was wonderful, food excellent and the atmosphere was superb. Staff did a great job which made the evening perfect

The Only Review You Need To Read My family celebrated a wedding anniversary and opted for Kings Contrivance restaurant for dinner, as Mom wanted to eat at a formal restaurant. This was my first time here and I was a little confused about the parking. I get that this place didn't start out as a restaurant, so no points taken off for that; I got it figured out. We reserved a room and were allowed to show up early to decorate, then the family returned later at our designated reservation time. We were seated promptly, and our evening began. I'll say this - our server wasn't particularly attentive. A couple of times I had to get up, find someone and ask for things because she would disappear for long intervals of time. And it was odd to me because it really wasn't all that busy that evening. My impression of the food was it was bland. The seafood bisque had tons of crab meat and shrimp and was very creamy (as bisque should be), but it didn't really have any flavor. I had to keep adding salt to it. My entree was the chicken breast florentine, and again, thank goodness the salt shaker was nearby because I needed it for every bite. For dessert, the creme brûlée was amazing. The top layer could have a bit more crispy, but it was thick and flavorful. I don't know if I would consider this a "formal" restaurant. I think "quaint" is a better description. It did have an "old house" smell to it when you first walk in, but that's part of the appeal of a historic mansion. This is a perfect date night restaurant - especially if the weather is nice and you could sit at one of the outdoor tables because the grounds are really beautiful. You'll probably need to get your alignment checked after leaving because the road leading into and out of the place is very bumpy. All in all, my personal impression of the place was "meh." However, I'll probably dine here again at some point as my girlfriend enjoyed it more than I did and said she would be up to coming back (I am versed in Female-speak, and in English, that means, "I'd like you to bring me back here again"). And you know if your woman wants something, it has to happen (females - am I right, guys?). Tip: bread is not automatically brought out - you have to ask for it. And it's not complimentary - they do charge for it. But it's pretty good bread. read more

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If you haven't ever or recently been to the restaurant I can highly recommend it. The food, service, and atmosphere all rated highly with our group of six. It's both a restaurant with a long history and a hidden gem in Columbia. Easy to get to, smple parking, friendly and experienced staff, and great food me ake this a perfect night out! read more

Outstanding! My wife and I had dinner here on Saturday evening. What a beautiful restaurant and fantastic evening views as the sun lowered and shone through the many flowering plants around the property. The service and food though were definitely the highlight. Typically we eat over at the Merriweather District but decided to broaden our horizons and see what else is out there. The food was Outstanding!! My wife's seared scallops with lump crab risotto took the cake. Much better than anything we've around Merriweather. Service was impeccable. Prompt, knowledgeable, and attentive. We've decided that we will go at least once a week just because it was such a wonderful experience. That and to have more of the delicious sounding dishes from the menu. read more

Kings Contrivance It has been awhile since I had last visited this beautiful manor home located in Columbia that is situated in a residential area. We were set for our traditional annual holiday gathering and the group had unanimously decided they wanted to return to Kings Contrivance. We were a group of 10 and were given a very nice private room downstairs. They have beautifully decorated the interiors and dining rooms in festive holiday decor. We had a lovely waitstaff person and an assistant who provided excellent service and were very attentive. I believe having come on a Tuesday evening probably avoided the more crowded busy weekends. The dinner menu carried a well varied amount of choices and a few dinners were also selected from their Chef Specials. I enjoyed a deliciously thick and flavorful Cream of Mushroom soup, where you could really taste true bits of mushrooms in each spoonful. Others had salads or the Maryland crab soup. Entrées were presented in an appealing manner and everyone seemed to enjoy their choices. I had the Roasted Duck Breast with Orange Ginger sauce and fruit compote that had just the right balance in flavors. The side dish accompaniments were also well prepared and not overly cooked. A few ladies decided to share a few desserts and the Lemon Apricot Cheesecake was especially enjoyed. The white linen covered tables and poinsettia and holiday tree displays lent a very nice festive atmosphere. They are offering additional lunch service dates for the holiday period so it would be best to check their website for the most up dated information. It has always been known as a place to enjoy a couples night out but I would also recommend returning to the Kings Contrivance for group gatherings or family get togethers too. The ambience was much enjoyed, service was spot on and the food was delicious. read more

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Kings contrivance is in a cool, very old historic mansion and I understand it's been there forever. Unfortunately the food was just okay. I got the seafood bisque which had nice chunks of shrimp and crab but the consistency was that of gravy, not soup. Way too thick! I then got the crab cake for my entree. The crab cake was okay but very mayonnaisey and lacking in old bay. Being a Maryland girl I was expecting more. Also the sides were sweet potato fries and green beans which seemed odd to pair with a crab cake and kind of easy. The saving grace was the crème brûlée - that was tasty and a nice end to the meal. There are definitely better spots, especially for seafood. read more

Such a wonderful evening in one of the best restaurants in the area. Never a bad meal have I had while dinning here. Unfortunately, the bread is no longer free, and my favorite desert the English Trifle is no longer on the menu. read more

Went to the restaurant last weekend with another couple. The food was good, but prior to our meal arriving, we asked our server if we could have some bread. As we finished up and asked for our checks (2) and was surprised to see we were charged $6.00 for bread. I ask my friend about his check and sure enough he was also charged $6.00 for bread. Having our table of four pay $12.00 for bread really spoiled our return to this restaurant. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants & we've been dining here for years. As always the food is superb, the presentation fabulous, stellar service and beautiful outdoor seating inside an open tent. It happened to rain while we were there so no worries!! They had soft shell crabs on special so we all went for it - (you can have single or double) nice sized and lightly floured, fried crispy & served on a bed of the chef's signature coleslaw & drizzled with a creamy mustard sauce (I think). Sooo yummy! Unparalleled! We also had the spicy shrimp which were fried medium shrimps tossed in a chili cream sauce & served on a bed of sweet & spicy cucumber salad sprinkled with crushed macadamia nuts. You just have to try it! Our server, Myrna was perfect! Attentive and sweet. She was quite busy that night but we were never neglected. The manager, Richard was also very accommodating, attentive and quite sociable with all the restaurant guests. Definitely a unique & memorable dining experience! read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Soft Shell Crabs - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The absolute worst don't bother. The only thing good here were the martinis. I ordered the fillet rare and got well done. Bread came out with no butter I had to ask for the butter, seafood bisque was less substandard. Escargot was basically substandard. Don't come here it's not a good restaurant, not even for Thanksgiving waitress didn't ask even asked me for if I wanted dessert. No coffee offered. They were too busy trying to leave early for the day. read more

I've been here twice and my Uncle and Aunt have treated me both times for a holiday dinner as well as my birthday. A very unique experience and definitely reminds me of Mrs. K's Toll house except a bit more upscale. Decor/Ambiance: Love that this restaurant is historic and was once someone's mansion. It's unique, memorable and definitely makes the dining experience a bit more exciting. During the holidays, it's beautifully decorated with ornaments, Christmas trees and lights. During both of my experiences, the dining rooms were fairly busy (not packed though). I would suggest dressing more formally but very proper attire is not necessary (just avoid wearing sneakers or sweatpants). Service/hours: The service is about average (which is why I gave 4 stars). Staff tends to be forgetful and slow. However, they've always been professional, kind and great with checking in on our tables. Additionally, I wish they had later hours (until 11 PM) on Fridays-Sundays. I know on the weekends, my friends and family would appreciate having later times to enjoy a nice meal and chat over a bottle of wine. Beverages: There's a large variety of wines to choose from and they offer a great deal with half-off on Fridays for parties of 8 or more (except in December). I've tried 2 of their bottles of dry-red wine and this was honestly the best birthday gift I could ask for haha! Food: I highly recommend ordering off of the Prix Fixe Menu! Excluding beverages, tax and gratuity, it's priced at $35 per person for a 3-course meal. For their appetizers, their soups and bisques are okay but their salads are decent. I personally like their crab cakes and salmon as an entrees and I LOVE their creme brulee for dessert. I've tried all their desserts and the Creme brulee is amazing! Many other restaurants I've been to tend to really burn the sugar on top or undercook their dessert so that the custard has a weird consistently...NOT HERE THOUGH! They keep it simple with plating just a few berries and I love that because to me, a classic dessert needs to be presented simplistically and the elegance will speak in its flavor alone. Definitely a great place to try at least once with friends or family when you feel like splurging a bit more than going to a casual restaurant. read more

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I remembered this place as quite exquisite from a previous work experience. So, based on previous experience, I thought this would be a great place to celebrate a family birthday on Saturday night. Won't say it was disappointing or great; will just say it was "meh". The mansion and the bar are well kept. The food was good (not great). Even though we called to make reservations very early we were placed on a folding table upstairs (it wasn't super busy). The service was good enough. The prices were high as you would expect for upscale dining but honestly the ambiance, service, and food just didn't match. We ordered the Pepita Salmon, Veal Piccata, Beef Tips, New York Strip, and the Stuffed Shrimp. We had to pay for our birthday dessert (slightly disappointing) after racking up a $400+ bill for 5. Would be a hard sell to get me back but definitely not what I remembered from years past. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Chocolate Raspberry Cake - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

This place is very old school in every way. Historic old manor house, white tablecloths, uniformed staff, offering a menu of familiar classics. Although those are usually not positives in a restaurant, in the case of Kings Contrivance they are. I probably come here with my family a couple times a year, including a few times for Thanksgiving. The food is simple, straightforward but CONSISTENTLY very well done. Lovely crab cakes, escargot, lobster bisque, steaks always cooked exactly to temperature and all accompanied by classic sauces and sides. Service is always polite and attentive. It's a popular place for Thanksgiving and always very crowded. Even with the extra pressure on the kitchen and staff they handle it well and everyone is always happy with their meal. read more

Quaint restaurant, fast service, delicious dishes. I took hubby for his birthday to the Kings contrivance restaurant. We ordered the lobster bisque ( I was not a fan of this soup) and Ceasar salad. The ceasar was good. Hubby had the filet mignon and ate everything on his plate. Needless, to say I think he enjoyed his meal. I had a humongous plate of angel hair pasta with crab meat and shrimps (it was lacking a bit of salt, but the hostess brought some to the table). The key lime pie served with coconut ice cream and berries was really good. we cleaned our dessert plates. We will be back to try other dishes in that inviting ambience. read more

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My wife and I had eaten here separately with friends (as this is our "go to" restaurant when we entertain out of town guests) and decided to celebrate our anniversary here together. Our meals were excellent. The crab soup here is nearly my mother's recipe with just enough heat. The main courses were excellent perfectly prepared salmon and scallops. Our server overheard our discussion with another table that we were celebrating our anniversary and customized our desserts (pictured). We will be back in our anniversary every year and for other special times! read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Flourless cake and cheesecake - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

We had such a good time here. The grounds are immaculate. The cocktails are strong. The waitstaff treats you well. My crab cakes were amazing. read more

I came to the restaurant to celebrate a scholarship luncheon and I was throughly impressed. The staff was so friendly and quick. The food was delicious. I got the chicken Chesapeake and my mom got the jumbo lump crab cake. The crab cake was nothing but crab which is amazing because most crab cakes are just filler. Also the chicken Chesapeake had nice large chunks of crab meat. The dessert was delicious as well. The key lime pie came with coconut ice cream as well as fresh berries and whipped cream. The bathrooms are very clean and updated. This place is a must to visit. read more

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The food was delicious! The service was ok. The prices have gone up since COVID-19. More expensive than we were expecting. Only real disappointment was the chairs!! Two hours for dinner is fine but not when are sitting in 50 year old dinning room chairs. Please upgrade. We had a nice time and my mother 82 enjoyed it. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Entree Salad Salmon and Shrimp - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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The parking lot is odd since you park off grass around the semi circle that leads you to the restaurant. I wasn't sure what was parking or not, so I made another trip around to be sure. Upon entry it smells a little too old house, moldy to my liking. Not a good first impression. Thankfully the dining area was not as smelly. The decor is very staid and it looks like the carpet is retro. They have a nice location and the house is charming but it could use some modern updates decor and menu wise that would keep with the traditional look. For instance, their fireplace is just bricked up and painted black which looks sad. It could be 'zhuzhed up' with a few touches like maybe fireplace screen or floral arrangement, etc. anything a little more stately than bricks. The crowd seems skewed to the senior demographic but I also had reservations at 6pm. I used a Groupon which they were cool about (since some places give you a cold eye upon hearing that). The menu has traditional offerings but in physical presentation looks like it could use a makeover. At most high end restaurants, you don't expect to see photocopies pages. My dining partner and I had crab soup and then crab cakes and scallops as entrees. The soup was pretty tasty but very spicy and salty. Also note the crab chunks were excellent but they used bagged veggies. Thankfully the entrees were less over seasoned and higher end for vegetables. My scallops came with risotto but I felt it was lacking something. Seemed like the cheese was bland as I normally have a tasty Parmesan in the risotto I order out. It was otherwise tasty. Crab cakes seemed to be pretty decently sized and of good quality. I didn't notice any fishy-ness flavor as described by other reviewers. This restaurant seems a little lost in time but has a lot of potential if the owners tweaked a few things to bring it up to date. read more

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In 1965, this might have passed for the "best place in town" in many mid-sized cities. There's a big menu, some use of kinda-luxury ingredients (crab, filet, lobster) and some sort of fancy dishes (baked Brie.) The service is good, they use slightly fancy stoneware and there are white table cloths. Aside from a crab soup (made with vegetables that tasted frozen to me) there's little local and little anyone will find unfamiliar. With a few exceptions--a caprese salad and espresso drinks--little of there's little on the menu that would have surprised a businessman sitting down for a three martini lunch. If you have older friends or relatives with not-so-sophisticated tastes they'll love it. But the food is pretty bad. You can do better. read more

Best crab cakes that I've ever had. Made from fresh lump crab meat. Freshly prepared, not a frozen product. Also had the bronzini topped with crab meat ! Delicious. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

once more a wonderful meal at the Kings Contrivance. From the start with Gazpacho which had a good amount of shrimp and crab to an outstanding dinner of scallops and ending with coconut ice cream; it could not be better. My wife had stuffed shrimp. Four large shrimp with lots of crabmeat; very enjoyable. Having had many meals there, this was one the of the best. read more

First, the mansion it was in, it was nice and antique! It was very big, fit quite a few people but the con was the the fact that there were not enough bathrooms for the amount of people it fit. (Small con). Also, the mansion is built so that everything reverberates - you can barely hear each other talk. Second, service was okay! It was Valentine's Day Weekend so I understand it can be busy but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Food...the food was very very mediocre. We got the escargot (too salty), bread and butter (we were wondering why we even paid for bread and butter..), seafood bisque, eggplant fritter (it was a tasteless fritter), filet mignon (it was crusted and it was too salty - it would have been better if it were just the meat itself), Pepita-Crusted Norwegian Salmon (the spinach cream was too heavy and salty). Even my friend I was with, she can withstand salty food but she was drinking water with every bite and she doesn't even like water like that. Dessert, was coffee and tiramisu (probably the best thing we had there). Overall, everything was cost friendly for what it was but I would not go back. read more

KCR is the most beautiful classic place for a meal in Howard County. The food in the past has lived up to the ambiance but in the most recent visit there were some let downs. The meal started with an excellent Brie and an excellent Riesling. The main courses were Crab Cakes and Veal Margarita. The Crab Cakes were very good but not quite as good as past visit although I still would go back for them. The big disappointment was the veal. It was a really ugly piece of veal that reminded me of processed meats. A bland marinara sauce over soggy spaghetti made the dish almost uneatable. The best part was perfectly prepared vegetables so it wasn't a total loss. A fruit tart was excellent as well. I still love the place so hopefully this was just a once off. read more

I would Kings Contrivance 5 stars. I don't understand the 3 star reviews that mention the food. Our appetizers and dinners were excellent. We will definitely be back. read more

KC lives in a beautiful old mansion in Columbia and is cozy and romantic throughout. The have some decent wines and Scotches and service is polite and efficient. Unfortunately my Manhattan had a maraschino cherry in it which is a no-no. If I wanted a Shirley Temple, I would have ordered one. Go out and get a bottle of Luxardo cherries and do it right! The problem is the food. The quality is good but flavor is lacking and preparations are unimaginative. Our dinner started with an appetizer buffet which offered some excellent fried oysters and bacon-wrapped scallops accompanied by decent chicken satay and Spanakopita. I opted for the seafood bisque starter which was not rich and creamy as one would expect but tomato-y with and odd flavor. For dinner, I figured the filet was safe and it was a nice piece delivered as ordered with a few spears of asparagus, a small roasted tomato and a deep fried rice ball. Meh! Other folks crab cakes and double pork chops looked better. Dessert was a chocolate cake that was too sweet. Decent experience but the menu and execution could use an upgrade. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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I would have given a 5 star review, but the loss of 2 stars was due to being baited and switched by the restaurant. We went here last night for Howard County restaurant week and ordered the seafood bisque, crabcake dinner and dessert as published on the Howard County Restaurant week site (https://www.visithowardcounty.com/howard-county-restaurant-weeks/restaurants-menus/) for $35/person. When I got the bill the total was $40 higher than the price expected. When I questioned the waitress, I was told they changed the menu due to COVID. I could believe that if the information on the Howard County website was published BEFORE March, but it was NOT published until 3 weeks ago, well after COVID. The food was exceptional, but the BAIT and SWITCH is ILLEGAL and unethical! The restaurant SHOULD do the right thing and return the $40 difference since it was NOT advertised properly and we were NOT given the "changed" menu or informed the menu was changed until AFTER eating. I did not discuss this matter with the manager last night due to health concerns for all members involved. If the King's Contrivance wants to continue to have me as a patron they will correct this matter! Please contact me immediately. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Cheesecake - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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The restaurant is quaint but fancy. We all dressed in our Sunday best. The restaurant closes at 9p (too early). The food was delicious and fairly priced. They do offer a prix fixe menu. Look for that. There's decent parking and the staff is attentive. This was my second visit here and I was very much pleased both times. I'd definitely come again.? read more

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I returned after being away for a number of years. It is still the classy restaurant I remembered. Old fashioned restaurant without blaring music or 100 tv monitors. A really nice atmosphere for a romantic dinner or a gathering of friends. One can actually socialize and carry on conversations. Over the years we have hosted 3 graduation dinners, 3 retirement parties, one dinner for close to 50 international scientists, one rehearsal dinner, one wedding, numerous romantic dinners and numerous dinners with friends at King's Contrivance. The food is excellent. Gorgeous presentation. The bisque and the crab cakes are unparalleled. Delightful seasoned crab cake with a minimum of breading. I had the sea scallops this time and half of crab cake the wife could not finish. They are huge. The scallops were excellent. Also worth mentioning is a very big wine Our waitress Mirna was excellent and attentive as usual but she and the busing staff were struggling as they seemed short staffed read more

Last Thursday, my wife and I celebrated an event with dinner at the King's Contrivance restaurant. We arrived at 6:50 PM for our 7PM reservation. The restaurant was full but we were seated immediately. We toasted each other with Prosecco and ordered dinner and a bottle of wine. The food was tasty, although the plating was not very imaginative. My dish was supposed to be on a bed of linguini, but instead came with spaghetti. I made no comment when it arrived, although it is not good practice for a restaurant, let alone a restaurant with a reputation for fine dining, to substitute accompaniments without prior approval from the diner. The other tables began emptying while we were having our desert and coffee, and the staff was very busy resetting the tables for the next day. Our bill arrived without our having asked for it, and we paid it immediately. When we finished our coffee and got up to leave we found that we had been sitting in a darkened, empty restaurant! It was 8:15 PM! No one was around! No servers, no maître D! No one! The restaurant seemed closed, and apparently the staff were all gone! We were appalled! How in the world does the management permit a restaurant to close while a patron is still there! We felt lucky that we had not been locked in! I will never set foot in the King's Contrivance restaurant again, and would advise everyone else to avoid read more

Simply put - I do not recommend going here. After wanting to try this restaurant for years I finally had a chance to go. I took my family and was incredibly disappointed in both the quality of the service and the food. The staff was not friendly nor helpful. The server barely checked in with us throughout the meal, shoved dessert menus in our face and was just generally not a pleasure to interact with. The food was even worse. Bland, bland, and more bland. Portions were very small, which I don't necessarily mind, if the food is excellent, but it was not. My seafood bisque was fresh but had an extremely average flavor (I've had much better at other nearby restaurants). I also ordered the filet mignon which was cooked poorly and cut quite a bit before serving which drained all of the juices. I ordered it medium and it was served half medium and the other half was well-done. My filet was poorly seasoned, tough, and not at all impressive and I didn't even receive a steak knife. My mothers crab cake, and girlfriends salmon entree were both quite fishy tasting - something as a Baltimore native I consider to be a sign of poor quality seafood. Once again, not impressive. The only part of dinner I found delicious was the dessert. They outdid themselves in that department. Overall, I was underwhelmed by the service and food. Although the historical mansion is pretty cool to dine in and the gardens are quite nice to look at we all unanimously decided that we will not be back. You can get food significantly better food from several nearby restaurants at a much lower cost. read more

Kings Contrivance Restaurant - Bland filet mignon, mashed potatoes, and green beans. - New American Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I always spend my Thanksgiving dinner here simply because I do not want to cook the turkey (I've been there, done that 8 hours cooking) because there's only two of us so I'll end up eating turkey the whole week if I do cook. I love this place it feels like home. The warm welcome always gets me. The food is to die for especially the bisque and baked Brie whew! Come and try it! read more

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The Kings Contrivance has an adorable location nestled in to it's own little road way within an adorable little home. Of course the decorations inside are more Victorian whereas the home itself will remind you of a little house out in the Baltimore prairie. Jokes aside the place is pretty cute and you'll see numerous people taking pictures outside since the backdrop is absolutely beautiful, especially during fall when the leaves are turning beautiful colors. As for the service it's extremely traditional and expected. The service is relaxed and they'll check in on you from time to time. Don't expect someone to wait on you hand and feet, it normally takes me about 30 minutes to get Tabasco. At times I'll attempt to order something else but the crab cakes almost always seem to pull me in their direction. The cakes are moist and perfectly cooked. Of course the actual crab meat is soft and delicately flaky. If my review were just for the crab cakes I would give the Kings Contrivance 5 stars but unfortunately the rest of the food is pretty mediocre and for the price you pay it's something one can make at home or simply purchase at small much more adorable family restaurant around the corner. Here's to the Crab Cakes at The Kings Contrivance Yelpers read more

A little hard to say you're a fan of a place that has such a goofy name, but what the heck, I'll own up to it: This place is excellent in spite of what you have to call it. (Built on a 1730's land grant from Lord Baltimore 10 miles south of his eponymous city). The food was 5 stars and only the choppy service lowered the rating down a notch (server kindly stored the white wine in a cooler away from the table, but I had to continually ask him to pour more when our glasses had been drained). However, getting back to the positives . . . Best crab cakes I ever tasted anywhere (and having been born/raised in DC/MD I have eaten bushels of crab cakes). Also some of the best duck I've ever had, and I'm a huge duck fan. Oh, and then when I wasn't stealing bites from my dinner companions' dishes, there was my own plate. I had some absolutely wonderful seared scallops with crab risotto that was more than 5 stars. Yumilicious. We happened to be right next door at the BWI airport so it was pretty much on the way back to DC. But if you're ever in the south Baltimore area for sure give it a try for a fancy schmancy expensive but worth it dinner. read more

Great for meetings- both personal and business. Why? It's a really grand old house, and it's got rooms both up and downstairs, of different sizes, that may be perfect for your group. The food's great. My only complaint was celebrating Thanksgiving without having Turkey on the menu, even though we had a party of 12, and asked for it 4 days in advance. (we celebrated a day or two before Thanksgiving for scheduling reasons- they may well have had Turkey on T-day it self). Want to impress a date? THIS is the place to go. Great service, absolutely special environment, creative menu. Thus the high rating. Go. Enjoy. read more

The service was slow I was there for 3 hours most of which I was waiting for my food which was just ok