Went for lunch last week and it was so packed, my friend and I had to sit at the bar. I've sat in other sections before and everything was okay, so not sure if the bar service is sub-par, but it wasn't that great. I ordered 3 oysters and a wedge salad. I specifically asked the bartender which of the 2 oysters on the menu were the larger oysters and he said the blue points. Well, these oysters were so small, I would hate to see what the smaller oysters looked like. I mean, these oysters were like baby oysters, the size of a quarter maybe. I would have complained, but my friend had already complained and returned her Greek salad, which looked like it had been sitting around awhile, and my 3 little oysters had arrived after the salads for some reason, so it was like we'd have to wait even longer to get all the food. Fortunately, my friend and I were having an entertaining conversation, so the food was secondary anyway. Still, it was very disappointing in retrospect. I would definitely think twice about going back when there are better places nearby. read more

The food was delicious! It's definitely a must go back to again. I wish the servers were more disciplined. A suggestion would be directing them to let you know what is not available off the menu that evening along with the specials! After spending 30 minutes deciding in a meal, it's a bit frustrating to be told that menu item is not available. read more

White Marsh Location Had 8 people attend dinner Everyone was very happy with the food ranging from Crab Cakes to Short Ribs Food was excellent but service was very slow read more

Came to visit my daughter & niece. I absolutely loved this place! Came to visit my daughter and niece and enjoyed brunch here. The staff was friendly and the food was great. My daughter and niece loved the complimentary mimosas that were served with breakfast, that however; was lost on my because I don't drink. The french toast was heavenly, the bacon was crisp and the eggs were perfect. The food was served piping hot, as I like. The presentation was beautiful and the service was quick. Although it was crowded, the wait was not long. I liked that service likewise didn't take a long time. This place is a definite spot that I will have to check out again when I return to visit my daughter. read more

Great location if you're looking for a nice casual lunch. Although we were seated in a somewhat dark area behind the bar, we have great service, delicious cocktails and mouthwatering food. For one, we started with a bacon trio (3 different kinds of bacon in different sauces). Needless to say, we cleared the plate. For an entree, I had the burger and it was honestly one of the best I've ever had. Left very satisfied. read more

Michael's Cafe - Bacon Trio - American Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

So the husband and I went to Michaels to meet up with some friends and watch the Ravens game. Sat Outside at a high top. I can tell you that yes it was busy because it was game day but there was plenty of staff around as well. We ordered wings that came Luke warm to cold and our entrées took another 45 minutes And we're also lukewarm. Now when we asked the waiter about the delay he said the kitchen is really backed up which I get it's game day but every Sunday it's game day and this is not new. We didn't say anything because it had already taken so long we had to just deal with it. We couldn't spend anymore time at that point. I kind of expect higher quality food and service to be a lot better than hightops and it really was not. Wont be going back anytime soon and we live a stones throw. Disappointing since this is supposed to be upscale. read more

Incredibly good food at this place. They have a great selection of seafood, steaks, and other goodies. The bar looks amazing; I could hang out in there all the time. Overall, the atmosphere is great, it's definitely upscale, and the menu prices show it. This is an ideal place for special occasions, business meals with clients, and similar events. I have tried crab cakes at several places around Maryland, and Michael's rates up there with the best I've had. read more

Michael's has been a Baltimore staple for my entire life and I've watched it transform over the years. It's always been a great spot to watch some games, see a live band, or sit in their dining room for a more formal dinner. They've invested a ton of money into a new bar and an outdoor patio that's very nice for when it's warm out. There's a little bit of everything here. The menu is very Baltimore, except for the prices. I think I paid $45 for a small crab cake and filet that were both pretty good (not great). All in all, a great spot with good food, but at a price. read more

Good food , good drinks . Needs some interior updating , but still comfy. They have a nice private area for big group gatherings.

Michael's must be doing something right - we came for dinner on a Saturday evening and the restaurant was packed. Granted we were the youngest diners there by decades, but the noise level was bearable, considering the full dining room, and made for a comfortable atmosphere. Our friends, who we dined with, rave about this place and their seafood; they actually drive up from Columbia on a regular basis to dine here. Perhaps I just ordered the wrong items, but I've certainly had better. I started with the cream of crab soup, which had decent flavor but I couldn't get past all the shells I found. One or two shells here and there are bound to happen, but when it was almost every other spoonful...that's just too many for me. I then ordered the seared ahi tuna over a mixed green salad - pretty simple, right? Well, when the greens are completely wilted because the salad is literally swimming in balsamic dressing, it makes it difficult to eat. My taste buds were shot because of the excessive balsamic that I couldn't even enjoy the tuna. Again, maybe I just ordered the wrong items off the menu. Our friends loved their entrees - the fried seafood platter. But then again, I guess you can't really screw up deep fried anything. read more

I'm so glad that Michael's has made such a great comeback. Was always one of my favorite places, but for a while the quality had really tanked and we'd stayed away. We decided to give Michael's another chance when limited inside dining was allowed again, and we've been back many times since. The quality has really rebounded, and we're very happy that this old favorite is back in our line-up. read more

Nothing spectacular. Due only to the proximity of the fairgrounds, six of us dined here this past Saturday evening. The food was fair. Not outstanding and not terrible. Although seasoned wonderfully, my pork chop was hideously overcooked to the point of being downright dry and hard. As one previous critic wrote, "The ambiance is better than the food". I wholeheartedly agree. read more

I took my Mother here for her Birthday Thursday evening. I have not been here since their huge renovation some time ago. We entered through the back of the building which seemed like the main entrance. The atmosphere was cozy, perfect lighting with dark wood furniture and lots of earth tones. The main dining room was an awesome space, very high vaulted ceilings and lots of great energy. We were greeted and seated right away. Our server was Emily and she was friendly, professional and fantastic. We started with some cocktails, my dirty martini was on point and a nice portion. We ordered the fried green tomatoes with jumbo lump and Salt Pond oysters. The app was enjoyable, and I highly recommend the Salt Pond oysters, they are incredible. My Wife ordered the 5oz. crab cake and Mom and I both ordered the Filet with crab imperial. The filets were prepared medium rare as ordered and the imperial was done simply perfect. Our sides were hot and the plates were presented nicely. Our dessert was yummy, we had the hot fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream. There is a decent wine selection and craft beer menu as well. I am giving Michael's a 5 star review because they delivered the total package, excellent service, excellent atmosphere with fresh and delicious food. Don't expect Michelin level, white glove style service here, it's more business casual, go and relax kind of spot. For the price point offered and convenient location just off of I83 you can't beat it. There is also an outside patio with a cool bar. We will go back and have drinks and food on a sunny day! read more

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I wanted to give this place a better rating, but I just can't. The bar dragged the rating down. Amateurish bartenders at best. Did not k ow their bourbons, and even managed to screw up a simple Manhattan. Who in their right mind shakes a Manhattan and then pours it in a martini glass? Then forgets the cherry. Pathetic. The restaurant on the other hand? I'll give that side 4 plus. Fantastic service and the food was fantastic. Try the colossal crab cake. Little Toni filler and big chunks of crab. read more

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Outstanding food, drink and service every time we visit Michaels. Great selection of craft beers and very warm atmosphere. Both bars are very cozy and inviting and the formal dining is excellent as well. The valet is a nice touch as sometimes parking can be tough. My wife and I are always pleased and leave content. We will visit again! read more

Waaaay overpriced...fair sub par cuisine....overlooked seafood....semi-oblivious staff...gruff ownership...problems among staff and management obvious and unprofessionally openly discussed.... read more

Michael's Cafe - American Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

Michael's always comes through. I dine here probably 4-5 times a year, and have been for the past ten years. I really need to explore the menu, but because the cream of crab soup (seriously the BEST in the Baltimore area) and crab cake are sooooo good, I tend to order them every time. Most recently we went for brunch, and the Chesapeake Benedict was outstanding. If I had to ding them on one thing it would be the boring French fries. read more

I'm rather surprised at the reviews for this place, but I note the poor reviews are mostly service oriented...which I do get. Had I read the reviews before stepping in the door, I don't know if I would have gone. So, this is how I ended up at this place - I was trying to make a turn into the McDs across the street so I could make a U turn to go to the sushi place next to REI. I like that place, and since I'm not on this side of 695 often, I usually go for the good stuff I know. But, I'm truly addicted to raw food. Oysters, clams, sashimi...it's all so freaking good. So as I'm in the turning lane and looking at a wall of traffic, I look up and see the sign for Michael's...and underneath it says "raw bar". Great marketing, because...I'm sold. I turn from the middle lane into Michael's. I walk in, and the hostess looks at me like she's puzzled why I'm there. Stupid aloofness like this really ticks me off. I'm here to eat...WTF? Give me a table? She seats me, and from here the experience is divine. I order the seared tuna appetizer - extra rare. It was probably the best seared tuna I've had. It was seared perfectly for me, and the fish was fresh. The wasabi sauce was good too. Then I got a Caesar salad. The dressing...omg, the dressing. Now, I've only started eating salads, so I'm not a dressing connoisseur, but it's probably the best Caesar dressing I've had thus far in my salad adventures. I think it was house made, but I'm hoping it's store bought so I can buy some too. Next my raw order, 6 oysters, 8 clams. Heaven. I ordered 8 more clams. My server was great. She dealt with my 3 year old's meal indecision great. All in all, I'd definately go here again. I'm wondering what their happy hour's like. read more

Came here with the 1/2pint in tow so we got a booth at the bar. This sounds worse typed than it actually was - the bar area was more like extra seating around a bar versus a mega standing-room-only drinkfest bar. The bar area has the same menu as the nicer area of the restaurant. The nicer area is white tablecloth/ jacket and tie sort of place. One of the hostesses was very helpful and accommodating seeing that we had a child, the other (and markedly more 'surgically altered') hostess was actually slightly curt with us. Our waitress was nice and asked for our order very quickly but we weren't quite ready- I wish we were though as it then took her almost 15 minutes to come back to us to get our order - not a huge deal, but when you are out with a child, 15min can make the difference between a nice/quiet and horrible/screamfest meal. Atmosphere = B (A+ if we were in the nice area) Service = B Food = A- only because what we got, with 1 exception, was pretty unimaginative. ~Fried Green Tomato Stack $12.00 - Fried green tomatoes topped with crab meat and lemon beurre blanc. I really didn't think I was going to like this, but on the waitresses' suggestion we got it. I could have eaten 2 of these myself. It is absolutely wonderful - not too heavy and an amazing balance of flavors. GET IT ~Seafood Platter $27.00 - Crabcake (5 oz), jumbo shrimp, scallops, and orange roughy filet; broiled or fried. I got mine broiled. The food was good, nothing that was like "WOW, this is great". Fresh seafood, but nothing original or interesting per se. ~ Soft shell crab - my husband liked it - same comments as my seafood platter - good but nothing inventive. read more

Shitty service new menu sucks and way over priced... I'm sitting at the bar and I was looking inside the kitchen and there is people just dropping food all over it was so disgusting read more

5 stars is not enough.... The soft crab was by far the best I have ever had, and I have had many..

Always delicious food and drinks. Sunday brunch with the family today was great. I got the eggs Benedict. Husband got the bus is rancheros. Bloody Mary's and margaritas. Delicious. read more

I have been here for drinks, dinners, and just to sit at the bar. It's a nice place to do all three!! You can have a nice night out for drinks and dinner and enjoy their crab cakes! YUM! The espresso martinis are very good too! Sunday football, the bar gets busy at times, get there early and grab some wings! The sandwiches are also something to consider! I like the hot turkey open faced with gravy and fries... Everyone working is very pleasant ! read more

Service was timely and considerate. The coconut shrimp actually tasted like fried coconut shrimp...... imagine that and with 11 shrimp as an appetizer it's good enough to share with two more people. The crab cakes are delicious. No abundant filler here. A classic combo of mashed potatoes and broccolini made for a great meal. The final touch of a surprise cheesecake for my wife and I on our anniversary topped off s great meal. We'll be back soon. Michael's Cafe can you babysit children too??? read more

We went on Greek Night and also went during happy hour. The whole roasted Bronzini was very good, but watch out for bones! The oysters were on happy hour, so we got a great deal. Service was great! We also ordered desserts, which did not live up to the food. read more

Michael's Cafe - American Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

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I have been frequenting Michael's cafe for approximately one year and it's a friendly, casual and fun place to visit. I usually sit at the back bar one o two nights a week where my bartenders, Victoria, cxxx and Robin hold the fort down. They are all competent,knowledgeable and all have a good ear for listening to each patron tell their individual stories. Last night was very special for me as my family and I celebrated my birthday early with a lovely dinner in the main dining room. Our waitress, Mary, who's my favorite of all Michael's waitresses, took excellent care of us by serving the scrumptious dinners of steak, crab cakes and veal Marcela. Loann gratiously paid for our second round of drinks... so so sweet. My cheesecake dessert was complimentary for my birthday. All had a wonderful time and looking forward to returning to the restaurant soon. Sir Justice Baron Wallingsworth of Cornington, III, Esq. I enjoyed my late night dinner at Michael's cafe. Ernie and the bartender were pleasant and attentive to my needs. The manager, Emma, was wonderful and attentive to all clients and Barry read more

Customer service great Menu not offered only buffet which was a surprise It' was ok nothing special read more

I've eaten here twice in the last month, and with a few changes, this place could win us over. The regular dinner menu has only 1 vegetarian option besides salad. I certainly appreciate that this is a seafood place, and I would not choose this place if it were just my family, but vegetarians are sometimes part of a larger group that wants to go. The Mother's Day menu had one vegetarian salad and one vegetarian appetizer, but no entree. There were several confusions on Mother's Day (not including them not being able to find our reservation - which they did a fine job of correcting with a very nice table). The one vegetarian salad, called the Seasonal Farmer's Salad, boasted something akin to a selection of vegetables on the printed menu, but no special vegetable was to be found. The salad was greens, cucumbers, onions, radishes, and shredded carrots. Nothing really "farmer" or "seasonal" about it. It was just a regular salad. My wife was going to order the salad as well, but the waitress told us the burrata appetizer was a salad even though the menu didn't say it was a salad. Since my wife didn't want two salads, she stuck with the burrata only. However, the burrata was not really a salad at all. Both items were fine without being exceptional. At $13, the burrata was expensive. Twice, they tried to bring another salad (with meat) that no one had ordered. My kids each got a pasta with marinara sauce. Neither liked it. My son even left his unfinished and he can really scarf down pasta. The sauce was watery. With no sides (or garlic bread), the $9 apiece asking price was a bit much. We noticed the chicken tenders option was being served with french fries to other kids in the restaurant. Most in our party liked the hot rolls, and we appreciated them bringing more on request. Otherwise, about a third of our party really liked their food, a third thought it was OK, and a third disliked their food. The restaurant missed an opportunity to do something special to acknowledge mothers; things we've seen other restaurants do in the past: a flower, a small dessert, etc. This isn't a complaint, but just something that might influence customers to keep Michael's in their thoughts next year. As it stands, Mother's Day here is recognized only with a special, shorter menu. Overall, the staff is nice and seafood items appear to be well-liked, but the menu limitations and the perception of over-paying on some items probably means this restaurant is not for us. read more

I wanted some good crabcakes so I went here with my mom based on a family recommendation. It was a Wednesday afternoon and the place was packed. We had to sit at one of the high tables, and although my chair was busted, the overall experience was great. Our waitress Susan(?) was terrific. Not only was she a cutie, but she really was very attentive. I appreciate when someone takes their job seriously and does it well. Great work. I love her, but my mom can be a bit of a handful from a server's standpoint and she handled her with grace. The crabcakes were really good and not at all what I was expecting. I got the platter and decided to get one broiled and the other fried. I liked both equally... although the difference in taste was slight. Fresh lumps of crabmeat that could have used a bit more seasoning. But simplicity is a virtue and this place does one hell of a crabcake (or two). Fries and coleslaw are great. Maryland crab was disappointingly average. They serve a pathetic excuse for lemonade. Next time I'll get a beer! read more

Came for brunch as I've heard good things. Hubby ordered Capt Crunch French Toast which was delicious. He's not a fruit person so we skipped the fresh fruit and raspberry drizzle but it didn't matter. That was a solid 4.5. However their bacon was horrid and tasteless. Coffee was very watered down. Very disappointing. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, upon the waiters suggestion, and was underwhelmed. The description suggested shrimp and goat cheese grits with fried green tomatoes in an andouille creole sauce. What I got was a beautifully arranged plate of three fried green goat cheese tomatoes each topped with grits, a nice size shrimp, and a thick tomato based sauce. Looked amazing... tasted eh. The goat cheese spread into the fried green tomatoes was too thick and overtook the dish. The grits on their own lacked flavor. The sauce needed a kick in spice and a tastier andouille. All in all I would go back and try some of the other dishes that looked delish like the hash or Benedicts. The service was fabulous. read more

We were in Baltimore for a few days and headed to Michaels' for a bite to eat. When we lived in Phoenix, it was a No Baltimore County favorite destination. Food was as good as we remembered, but pricy. Two iced teas, two crab cakes, a shared salad and dessert was over $60. for lunch! The fries were not included in my sandwich price. Everything seemed to be extra. Boo Michael's! Guess they needed funds to help pay for the ongoing kitchen renovations. Our server, Karen, was busy but magnificent! A keeper! She was professional and friendly. Very down to earth lady and made our experience memorable. Great job Karen! read more

Wish I could give zero stars. They ruined my parents 35th anniversary celebration. My mom was crying the whole time. They took an hour to bring food out and the kids were starving. All the pancakes were burnt. They remade them and they came out with raw batter. Horrible horrible horrible. read more

Michael's Cafe - RAW pancake batter in all of our pancakes - everyone felt sick after - American Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

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A perfect place to dine out with friends and we did that too. Great ambience , friendly staff, good menu and vegetarians had few options too :) we ordered vegetarian wrap and onion rings and our 13 year opted for soupand crab cake. We loved every bit of it, not everyday place but we will be back soon, for sure ! It costed us $100 +including 2 glass of read more

Awesome crab and shrimp dip, excellent cream of crab, and amazing crab cakes! No filler and huge chunks of crab! Live music outside made a great atmosphere! read more

Michael's Cafe - Awesome crab and shrimp dip, excellent cream of crab, and amazing crab cakes! No filler and huge chunks. - American Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

Very open nicely decorated space...we decided to try out brunch. The bottomless mimosas were a nice treat. The wait staff was very prompt and courteous. I had the eggs Benedict and oyster appetizers. The food was presented really well and I enjoyed it very much. Try this place out. You'll enjoy it. read more

I didn't have a great experience here either for dinner or their bunch. I heard great things about the brunch so we decided to go here. What a disappointment. The service was really bad. We waited forever just to get someone at our table. The oysters weren't good quality, I think our server knew they weren't as fresh as they should be. The eggs Benedict was only ok, it was lacking something. It was expensive for what we got and everything else wasn't memorable. We will pass on this place next time. read more

Stopped by here for lunch after leaving my doctors office. It was very nice (even though they have construction going on) and the parking lot was packed (typically a good sign of good food). My husband and I both ordered crab cake sandwiches, no appetizers, no alcohol and by the time you factored in a tip it was a $100 lunch. Overall it was pretty good food, if going for dinner though I'd recommend reservations because judging from the size of the lunch crowd; I'm sure there'll be a wait come dinner. read more

I have eaten here a number of times and never had a bad meal! They are best known for their crabcakes and they are delicious! Family owned and run, they take pride in their restaurant. They used to have a tented area outside for parties off the back bar, but they recently got rid of that. It was a great area -- I think that is going to end up a mistake! read more

Who let the dogs out?! Half/half crab soup is less than ok. Thin& not many vegges or crab pieces. Dogs (not service) outside sitting on furniture with guest/employee off the clock. Employees petting dogs and not washing hands before touching glasses and plates of those dining. Yuck. read more

Michael's Cafe - Who let the dogs out? - American Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

Michael's is a decent restaurant the food is pretty standard. it's not a bad place to get a crab cake or some sea food that's what i had. There's a lot of bluehairs here and I could see my mother in law really liking this place. It's still sort of expensive for the quality of food but it really isn't bad. The service is not super fast but they are friendly enough at least the waitress we had was. The coffee wasn't really hot enough but that was probably just a matter of it being pored too long before getting to the table and i don't really mark off for that. Overall I would eat here again but wouldnt go out of my way. read more