Manor Hill Tavern set to open next month in Ellicott City

Manor Hill Tavern, a new restaurant by the Victoria Restaurant Group, is preparing to open in Ellicott City next month after a series of setbacks that started with July's historic flood.

The restaurant is opening at 3733 Old Columbia Pike, the former home of Diamondback Tavern. Owner Randy Marriner said his team is putting the finishing touches on the space and hopes to have it open in mid-February.

After the Diamondback Tavern closed in June, Marriner bought the building July 1 with plans to quickly turn it around and reopen within a month. Those plans were sidetracked when a flood later that month caused widespread damage in Ellicott City, including to Marriner's building.

"Because of the flood back in July we have had to do a whole lot more work than we thought we would have to do," Marriner said. "We pretty much had to take it down to the studs and put the building back together."

Howard County's permitting process delayed the build another two months, he said.

The building, which Marriner said was originally constructed in 1830, has been outfitted with a new roof, flooring, expanded kitchen, windows, insulation and siding.

Manor Hill Tavern will seat 235 guests between several dining rooms, a main bar upstairs and an outdoor terrace. The lower level will center on an open kitchen with a wood-fired pizza oven, and the main bar area will be upstairs.

The menu will center on signature and build-your-own pizzas, as well as American small plates, sandwiches and entrees using local and sustainable ingredients. Sample menu items include crab funnel cakes, brick oven meatballs, steak frites, BLT salad and smoked duck Reuben sliders.

The bar will feature 10 taps with nine rotating beers from Manor Hill Brewing, the group's farm brewery, and one beer from another Maryland brewery.

The restaurant is hiring for all positions and will ultimately have about 50 employees. Chrissy Murphy will serve as Manor Hill Tavern's opening general manager, and Chad Wells is overseeing the kitchen as the Victoria Restaurant Group's corporate chef.

In addition to Manor Hill Brewing, the restaurant group owns Victoria Gastro Pub and is working to open Food Plenty this summer in Clarksville.