Winners: Harford County's best restaurants for 2016

Craving a killer crab cake? Harford County has it. In search of a sizeable steak? Got you covered. Have a loved one with dietary restrictions? Even then, the dining options are plentiful.

More than 2,400 readers shared their recommendations for the county’s best cuisine in this year’s best restaurants contest. And the consensus is clear: no matter your tastes, you can’t lose.

Editor's note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to vote online in August and September. Find the official rules here.

Al Fresco
The Hickory Lodge Restaurant and Bar

Honorable mentions:
Tidewater Grille
MacGregor's Restaurant
Laurrapin Grille

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The outdoor dining area at the Hickory Lodge Restaurant and Bar, voted best dining al fresco in Harford County. (Barbara Haddock Taylor / Baltimore Sun)

Ambience
Liberatore’s Ristorante

Honorable mentions
Pairings Bistro
The Vineyard Wine Bar
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant

Asian
Chopstix Gourmet

Honorable mentions:
Fuji Sushi
Lemon ‘N Ginger Asian Grille
The Orient

Bakery
Flavor Cupcakery

Honorable mentions:
Woodlea Bakery
Paradise Donuts
Goll’s Bakery

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Shelley Stannard, owner of Flavor Cupcakery and Bake Shop in Bel Air. (Brian Krista / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Bar Food
Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:
MaGerk’s Pub & Grill
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub
Route 24 Ale House

Barbecue
Bird’s Nest Barbecue

Honorable mentions:
Famous Dave’s
Chaps Charcoal Restaurant
JD’s Smokehouse

Bartender
Megan Kikilis, Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:
Tiffany Maher, The Hickory Lodge Restaurant and Bar
Kellee Cavey, Liberatore’s Ristorante
Lance Fino, Liberatore’s Ristorante

Beer List
Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:
Birroteca
DuClaw Brewing Co.
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub

Breakfast/Brunch
Sunny Day Cafe

Honorable mentions:
Alchemy Elements
Bagel Works
Mountain Branch Grille & Pub

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Sunny Day Cafe, located at 101 S. Main St. in Bel Air, was voted best breakfast/brunch in Harford County. Local artwork created by local artists hangs in the back of the cafe. (Karen Jackson / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Burger
Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Honorable mentions:
Jake’s Wayback Burgers
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Looney’s Pub

Chef
Bruce Clark, Laurrapin Grill

Honorable mentions:
Jon Kohler, Pairings Bistro
Yale Koplovitz, MacGregor’s Restaurant*
Brian “Chet” Chester, Silks Restaurant at Bulle Rock

Cocktail
Liberatore’s Ristorante

Honorable mentions:
Laurrapin Grille
Looney’s Pub
The Hickory Lodge Restaurant and Bar

Coffee
Coffee Coffee

Honorable mentions:
Starbucks
Fox & Fern Cafe
Java by the Bay

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Hillary Depman Tayson, owner of Coffee Coffee in Bel Air, sipping a latte. (Brian Krista / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Crab Cake
Box Hill Pizzeria

Honorable mentions:
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
The Olive Tree
The Bayou Restaurant

Deli
Wegmans

Honorable mentions:
Savona
Sam’s Deli
Vagabond Sandwich Co.

Dessert
Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:
Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop
Desserts by Rita
Flavor Cupcakery

Fine Dining
Liberatore’s Ristorante

Honorable mentions:
Pairings Bistro
The Vineyard Wine Bar
Birroteca

Frozen Treats
Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:
Bomboy’s Home Made Candy (tie)
Jarrettsville Creamery (tie)
Sweet Frog

Happy Hour
Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:
Mountain Branch Grille and Pub
Half Pints Sports Pub and Grill (tie)
McGregor’s Restaurant (tie)

Healthful Menu
Panera Bread

Honorable mentions:
Fox & Fern Cafe
Laurrapin Grille
My Three Sons

Italian
Liberatore’s Ristorante

Honorable mentions:
The Olive Tree
Giovanni’s Restaurant
Basta Pasta

Late-night Dining
Double T Diner

Honorable mentions:
Looney’s Pub
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
Waffle House

Live Entertainment
Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub
Laurrapin Grille
MacGregor’s Restaurant

Lunch Menu
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant

Honorable mentions:
Looney’s Pub
Laurrapin Grille
Fox & Fern Cafe

Mexican
La Tolteca

Honorable mentions:
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Plaza Mexico
Qdoba Mexican Eats

New Restaurant
Alchemy Elements

Honorable mentions:
Stone’s Cove Kitbar
One Eleven Main
Naughty Dogs Restaurant Pub and Grill

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An interior view of Alchemy Elements, voted best new restaurant in Harford County. (Lloyd Fox / Baltimore Sun)

Pizza
Buontempo Bros Pizza

Honorable mentions:
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
Fortunato Brothers Pizza
La Cucina Italian Restaurant

Place to Take the Kids
Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Jarrettsville Creamery

Place to Take Out-of-Towners
Laurrapin Grill

Honorable mentions:
MacGregor’s Restaurant
Liberatore’s Ristorante
The Vineyard Wine Bar

Best Overall
Liberatore’s Ristorante

Honorable mentions:
Laurrapin Grill
Pairings Bistro
The Vineyard Wine Bar

Seafood
Bonefish Grill

Honorable mentions:
Richard’s Fish & Crabs
Tidewater Grille
Price’s Seafood

Service
Liberatore’s Ristorante

Honorable mentions:
Bonefish Grill
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
The Vineyard Wine Bar

Server
Cat Ye, Fuji Sushi

Honorable mentions:
Darian Smelser, Looney’s Pub
Drew Hild, JD’s Smokehouse
Sheree Freund, Liberatore’s Ristorante

Sports Bar
Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:
The Greene Turtle
Buffalo Wild Wings
Half Pints Sports Pub and Grill

Steak
Texas Roadhouse

Honorable mentions:
Outback Steakhouse
Laurrapin Grille
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub

Steamed Crabs
Richard’s Fish and Crabs

Honorable mentions:
The Seafood Stop
Fallston Seafood
Price’s Seafood

Takeout
Box Hill Pizzeria

Honorable mentions:
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
Fuji Sushi
Wok To Go

Value
La Tolteca

Honorable mentions:
Pat’s Pizza Family Restaurant
Looney’s Pub
Fallston Seafood

Vegetarian Options
Laurrapin Grill

Honorable mentions:
Fox & Fern Cafe
Alchemy Elements
Sizzling Bombay

View
Tidewater Grille

Honorable mentions:
Mountain Branch Grill and Pub
MacGregor’s Restaurant
The Promenade Grille

Wine List
The Vineyard Wine Bar

Honorable mentions:
Pairings Bistro
Liberatore’s Ristorante
Enotria

For the record

A previous version of this story misspelled the name of chef Yale Koplovitz. Harford Magazine regrets the error.