Upon arrival I had fairly high hopes, the restaurant was on a farm in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, quite a quaint location. The restaurant was packed, a good sign for a Saturday 5pm dinner. I was with a large group, we waited about a half an hour to first order and then be seated. If I'm going to be honest I don't think this place is worth the hype. They boast "all you can eat sides" as the restaurants main attraction which would be nice except the sids weren't that great. Every table is provided with cottage cheese, corn, spiced pears, green beans, apple butter, French fries, rolls, and sugar rolls. The green beans looked like they came from a can and the fries were cold and flavorless. Considering we were at a farm, the food really didn't match up to their farm to table advertising. The sides weren't seasonal and all had an industrial look and taste. The sugar rolls were very sweet, and I admit not bad. I ordered the fried chicken since everyone I met raved about how amazing it was. The chicken itself wasn't bad. It had a good crunch and wasn't too greasy. It was juicy and overall a well cooked piece of chicken. Unfortunately, it lacked seasoning and tasted bland as a result. The meal was finished with 2 scoops of ice cream (included in the price of the meal). Overall, I was disappointed with the sides, which had an industrial taste and appearance. The under seasoned food and high prices made for a mediocre visit. It wasn't bad, but nothing I would really go out of my way to revisit. read more

Love the food here but it is a little pricey in my opinion. That is the only reason I did not give five stars. I would rather have a few less sides and pay a little less. read more

Great, fast service and delicious home style cooked food. Especially loved the sugar biscuits! Great for kids, too.

Best crab cake I've ever had. Been coming here for 20+ years. Family atmosphere. Love it

Honestly, this wasn't a good experience. The setting is beautiful, but having to pay $20 per person for barely edible chicken and bland sides is not my cup of tea. I brought food for my 18 month old son, but they made me pay $6 for him to be there regardless. That is crazy to me! He didn't eat any of the food at all! read more

Delicious farm-fresh meals served family style. Unlimited sides - always delicious. The entrees are so large that we always bring home enough leftovers for another meal or two. Servers and staff always hustle to make sure your experience is the best. Love the gift shop and in decent weather, hanging out around the ponds with the wildlife. Best crab cakes around! read more

The food is super great and the family atmosphere is wonderful and well the service is just phenomenal!! The side dishes are the bomb! The meats are terrific. I could go on and on but you get the picture!! read more

Friendly Farm is never a disappointment. Consistently delicious food along with great service. The price includes the entree and all of the sides that you can eat along with unlimited drinks. It even includes coffee and ice cream after dinner. I usually get the fried chicken - crispy outside and juicy inside. Highly recommend! The only minor issue is that you have to wait a while (about 20 minutes) to be seated. No reservations unless a large party and no online check in. But well worth the wait! read more

This is a one of a kind family restaurant service great lunch and dinners . Tasty food prepared fresh and lots of that homemade flavor that is hard to find in restaurants . Excellent service, food served quickly and hot.Best Jumbo lump crab cakes I ever had and they do not have the fillers other restaurants use. They actually use real jumbo lump crab in their homemade cakes and are broiled. The other meat dishes are outstanding also and our family all agree that the food ,ambience and service is hard to beat. Beautiful setting in the country overlooking ponds .They also do a vegan dish which one family member enjoyed.Try this place out and you will come back. Gregg read more

Friendly Farm - Seafood Near Me - Upperco, Maryland

Hush puppies, friend chicken and crab cakes, oh my! Friendly Farm boasts an endless supply of country cooking made to order at large communal tables. Their hush puppies are a delightful way to start your meal and their fried chicken and crab cakes are amongst the best in Baltimore. Great place for families. read more

First time at Friendly Farm and I will be back! I came for the crab cakes but I will be back for that and everything more!! Best crab cakes I've ever had. No fillers but purely visible lump crab meat at with every bite. I initially placed an order for the seafood combo (crabcake and shrimp) upon arrival but took a walk around the building since we had a little wait. I took in the peace and calm of the farm setting with the lake and rolling hills but contrasting business of the restaurant area. Outside you could smell the delicious aroma of food from the kitchen, especially the fried chicken making me adjust my order to include just that as a side. I liked the concept of unlimited sides and drinks brought to your table. Everything tasted farm fresh and just down home goodness. My favs were the buttered corn, sweet rolls and apple butter. The fried chicken was just right in juiciness and crispness. I managed to grab the last coconut cake they had for sale to take home. Delicious. Thank goodness I was introduced to Friendly Farm from a friend who raves about the place, it is worth the trip! read more

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Good food, friendly wait staff. However, today's lunchtime cashier, an older woman with gray hair and glasses, was exceptionally rude. I watched her bark at the group ahead of us, then she ladled the same verbal abuse with my group. Her behavior was unacceptable and the polar opposite of the genuine friendliness of our waitress. read more

This is one of my favorite nostalgic restaurants. I grew up in this area, and nothing says "home for the holidays" like feeding the ducks and geese rolls. Don't even get me started on the food. Their PA/rural MD fare is crazy filling and so delicious. No, it's not fine dining. It's family style, all you can eat, simple food. I love the cottage cheese, pickled beets and green beans. Their sweet donut rolls are life changing. The best part of the meal is the crab cakes. These are expensive ... AND WORTH EVERY PENNY. They use huge lumps of blue crab, held together by delicately balanced golden-browned breadcrumbs and a touch of mayo and egg. Holy moly...I could eat ten of these, but they're huge so you should probably just order the two-crab cake dinner. Dessert is ice cream and ... yes, just save a little room because it's good. Come here to have your belly filled, and your soul too. read more

Recently returned and the portion size of the fillet mignon had decreased... it was actually a bit disappointing considering how much it was.. the servers are extremely courteous and nice. Honestly don't think I'll return... read more

Our Family has been coming here for over Thirty Years. Everything taste the same as it did when my Dad first brought me here. I was home on leave from Germany. Now my Children and their Children come here as well. The Service and Food is EXCEPTIONAL. YOU will not be disappointed. read more

Have you ever ate at an Army chow hall and wanted to relive the experience without setting foot on a military installation? Do you want to pretend to be part of a country family? Well, this is your spot. The sides are fresh out of a can. The sugar biscuits are similar to the ones you attempted to recreate in basic training when you were craving something sweet and were denied cake, though it was staring at you adoringly. The fried chicken wasn't anything special. I prefer, dare I say, Popeye's. The only plus was the scoop of Hershey's Moose Tracks ice cream at the end. read more

We almost passed up going here because of some of the negative reviews on Yelp, but we are sure glad we took a chance and we will be going back. This place is a different experience, in that you select your entree before being seated, and the price of the entree is the total price you pay. My wife selected the fried chicken, and I went with a crabcake. Once seated, our server (Karen) brought out sugar rolls, dinner rolls, apple butter, peaches, cottage cheese, cole slaw, and beets as appetizers, and when our entrees came she also brought out french fries, green beans, and corn. Everything but the entrees (including drinks) was 'all you can eat' (and we took advantage of that with the rolls), and afterwards we had our choice of ice creams or sherbet, and coffee. I'd never had sugar rolls, but I tried one and it was delicious; my wife has the sweet tooth, so she had a couple of them. The dinner rolls were the old-fashioned soft kind, and they were great with the apple butter. I didn't try the cottage cheese, although it looked creamy and I was slightly tempted, but my wife did and she thought it was great. I'm the one who likes beets, and I ate all that were brought, but refrained from asking for more. My wife's chicken was really good, although she'd have liked it a bit spicier, and the crab cake had plenty of lumps and a mustardy-tasting binder that although unusual was still good. I'm not normally a fan of green beans, but these had been cooked with ham and were really tasty. So between the beets, corn, beans, and cole slaw, I got my ration of veggies. As for the ambiance, we had a table next to a large window that overlooked a pond with geese, which more than compensated for the fact that this is a family place and there were the inevitable infants. I'd suggest looking at the photos of the food and not giving too much weight to the naysayers, and then if you feel like a nice drive out to northern Baltimore County, give this place a chance. read more

I went there thinking this will be the MD version of Amish country food. But everything was canned, fried or overcooked. The crabcakes are good. The waitstaff are ok-- could be better, mainly high school or college. I got a feeling I was at a conference center where the staff are kids, students and the food is the cafeteria type. Bowls slinging down the table ... just kidding. I guess it's ok if you want a bite to eat -the presentation of canned peaches & cottage cheese, overcooked string beans on dinerbowls is actually not "fresh". If you want fresh, head a little further to Lancaster, PA. That is worth the drive. read more

I've wanted to come here for a while and was going to be nearby so we decided to head here for dinner. We got here pretty early, like 5:30, and there were a ton of cars in the parking lot and a ton of people in the waiting area. It took about 20 minutes to order our food and get called in for seating where they delivered the first of the sides (peaches, cottage cheese, beets, cole slaw, pickles, celery, and the most amazing rolls, sugar biscuits, and apple butter) and just another 10 minutes to get our entrees and some more sides (corn, lima beans, and really awesome freshly cut french fries... we totally asked for 2 refills of those). I got the crab cake and he got the grilled ham. The crab cake was very, very good, not the best I've ever had, but definitely up there. As for the ham, there was literally about 3 lbs of it. We were so stuffed after dinner but still opted for ice cream, because who really turns down ice cream? The waiting area totally looks like a funeral home, and the seating is just a dining hall and much like eating in a retirement home, but, as long as the food is good, who cares. Our table overlooked one of the ponds out front and that made it nicer. It's definitely in a really beautiful location. read more

Combine the clientele of the Peppermill and Outback, (read: elderly, un-hip, and families w/ little kids), serve them crabcakes and steaks the quality of a 4-star restaurant, sides and ice cream from the Old Country Buffett, and place it all in an renovated church social hall circa 1972, hold all the booze, and here you go! It's a take on the Amish-style restaurants of Southern PA- you order separate entrees, and all sides are served all-you-can eat family style. The high-end proteins- crab cakes, steaks, shrimp- are really, really good. They're not all you can eat, though- just the sides! Mid-range stuff - fried chicken, roast beef, ham-- eh, just OK at best. People rave over the chicken, but I thought it was just OK. The sides vary from really good hand-cut fries, tasty little fried donut-rolls, to apple butter, cottage cheese, and canned beets; all veggies are canned. Not bad at all, but totally retro. And all meals end with Hershey's ice cream! No booze at all- it's on windy roads in b-f nowhere, so that's probably a blessing!! It's not cheap, but it's fun, filling, and tasty- it's like stepping back to 1950s. Take your kids, take your grandma, take your hipster friends if you want to hear them groan in foodie confusion and agony-- it's an experience worth the trip! There is also the most kitschy gift shop ever right behind it- Hallmark meets the Christmas Store, extra schmaltz. Sells old-fashioned candies- that part is kinda cool!! Overall- a good, solid place to go, esp. if you have elderly relatives to entertain! read more

Always EXCELLENT! Their crab cakes are my favorite and have been for 30 years! Staff is friendly and efficient. Location is the best!

Just had lunch today. Simply the best crabcake in Maryland. Service was outstanding. Interesting approach on side dishes and dessert.

The fried chicken is decent. The service here is spectacular. I love all of the family style dishes that are served. I particularly enjoyed the rolls, apple butter, and fries. I finished the meal with Hershey's ice cream. This place rocks! read more

OMG. One of my favorite places I have ever been to! First off, let's start by talking about the amazing property that this restaurant is laying upon ! The views are just absolutely beautiful.. Now.. let's talk about the most important thing.. the FOOD ! WOW .. talk about an amazing crabcake. I was extremely impressed by their crabcake... very similar to (G&M, By the Docks, Olive Tree) Very delicious taste. The sides are soooo good! And all you can't beat the all you can eat sides! I was so taken back by the delicious food, pretty good service & views while eating :) The trip up to this restaurant is so very worth it.. you WONT be disappointed :) read more

If you are hungry and expecting a simple, delicious meal -- as most people would at a scenic restaurant named 'Friendly Farm' -- do not waste your time here. We were a tired and hungry group of out-of-towners who picked up a number for a table and were told the wait would be about 30 minutes. As we watched other people with higher numbers continuously get seated, we went to the front desk and politely asked three more times if the table would be ready. After waiting for just OVER AN HOUR on the fourth (and final) time we went back to ask about our table --the hostess finally had the good graces to inform us that you must order your food up front BEFORE getting seated. Apparently, this is the only way to get called for a table. She failed to explain this the first (and every other) time. When a restaurant has an atypical ordering system, this needs to be clearly explained by the hostess and indicated in writing on the large main menu board in the vestibule and restaurant signage. This ordering system is extremely uncommon for sit-down restaurants and NOWHERE in the lobby, signage, or menu board, is this explained. Perhaps locals are used to this system -- but be aware the rest of the world typically gets seated first before having their orders taken. If a sit-down restaurant with $25 plates decides to take on an Arby's-style ordering system, it ought to be explained! Avoid this place. Just go to Arby's. The unlimited cottage cheese side is not worth the wait. read more

Came here while visiting family. We were a large party of 15 plus a few kids. Everything was fantastic from the sides to the main dishes to the excellent service. Would definitely come back here again. Great place for large groups especially. read more

I've be going to friendly farms since I was a little girl. Everything is so good!! A newcomer would probably find the inner of the restaurant a little stale but it's nostalgic for me. This family style restaurant offers the best crab cakes I've ever had. I'm so spoiled by them that I can't order them elsewhere without being disappointed. Very family friendly restaurant. Bring the kids for yummy dinner and ice cream and save some bread to feed the ducks. read more

If you want to feel like cattle at a trough, this is the place for you. Too much canned food, too little service and just a boring disappointing meal. read more

Always a family favorite, we had another great meal at Friendly Farm today! Crab cakes are always a must, and since the oysters weren't on the menu at this time of year, I paired the crab cake with six JUMBO fried shrimp. Seriously...each shrimp is four bites. The cole slaw and cottage cheese are amazing! In season the fried oysters are out of this world. Best of all, today I discovered for $7.95 more you can get four pieces of their amazing fried chicken to take home (can add to any entree meal). Bonus!! If you haven't eaten here yet do yourself a favor and give it a try. read more

Pick your meal in the lobby & prepay. Everything included in the price. Unlimited pre-meal goodies. Save room for the sugar biscuits. Best fried chicken we ever had. Always fresh. Been here several times. Consistently good food & service. Dessert included. read more

Good food been there many times....fried chicken fantastic light crispy batter,veggies great overall we loved it ,mykids enjoy playing feed the ducks read more

I ate there once and got sick from the crabcake. theres really not much on the menu to chosse from & it's expensive to eat there. they want $18 for some fried chicken & it's not that great. either is the roast beef & gravy it's the worst roast beef i have ever had. i would not recomend this place to anyone and plus it's a far drive. & you get terrible food. i rather eat at mcdonalds read more

Oh friendly farms... I love you. This level of love for a restaurant may be unusual, but when I walk in and receive one of your home cooked meals I am transported to another dimension and instantly placed in a wonderful food coma. As I pull in to a gorgeous countryside farm I feel some welcomed. When I walk in your front doors, I feel almost like family. My favorite part is when I'm seated and greeted with delicious sides like sweet rolls, cottage cheese, beats and many more. The service is fast and efficient. The waitresses and waiters are always so friendly and inviting. You make me feel like I'm apart of your family. My main dish comes and I sink my teeth in taste the home cooking bite after bite. Buffet style, but I can take home food so it's even better. You have amazing one made deserts and I've had them a few times, but I'm usually too full so I enjoy the scoop of ice cream that's included with the meal. Well worth the money and well worth a ride. I'm not worthy friendly farms, I'm not worthy. read more

Friendly Farm - Seafood Near Me - Upperco, Maryland

Great crabcakes here! The sides are unlimited and homecooked. A true blast from the past! It's a great place.

Friendly Farms is a very interesting place. I went last night for dinner with some friends. One friend has been going since he was a kid, and he loves this place. The overall atmosphere is cute and farmhouse-like. You order at the front, then get seated. Our server was very sweet and fun. She continued to check on us and bring us plenty of sides to share. This is the great thing about friendly farms. If you are hungry, the sides are never -ending. There are French fries, green beans, corn, beets, cold slaw, etc. and the sugar rolls with apple butter-SOO good. I got the friend chicken tenders, there were four, and they were a good size, I didn't eat all of them. My biggest critique is that this place lacks that something extra. The food was good, but I could tell all the sides came out of cans or were pre-prepared by a food company. Nothing seemed like it was made fresh that day; nothing seemed homemade. I think the idea of friendly farms is great, unlimited sides is awesome and sets up a family like atmosphere. But the lack of a human hand in any of the food greatly took away from the experience. I hope the management at friendly farms reads this and decides to do some homemade cooking!! read more

I've been dining at Friendly Farm since 1979, when I worked in the kitchen during high school. I loved the food then and still love the food now. I've tried everything on the menu at least once and enjoyed each entree. My favorite, however, is the roast beef- absolutely delicious! The fries and veggies are always fresh and hot. Yes, the prices have gone up over the years, but who hasn't had to raise prices? In my opinion, a Friendly Farm dinner is still the best value anywhere. The dining room is super clean and the service is always spot on. You won't leave this restaurant hungry or disappointed! I'll make the hour drive from my house to get there because it's worth it! read more

This restaurant is like stepping back to the 1950s when food was plain and simple but very filling. We had not been to the Farm for a few months and today was such a beautiful day we thought we'd drive to the country for a family style meal in the large rectangular dining room of Friendly Farm. You walk into the building and the menus are posted on boards on the wall over the cashier's booth. Place your order and pay and then you are seated in a dining hall type room. The servers are always friendly and prompt since the food is from a set menu with some new additions every so often. We all ordered the 5 oz. crab cake and my husband decided to order 6 fried shrimp to share. As soon as we are seated we are asked what we want to drink, and then the food starts appearing on the table. First there is a basket of bread (warm hush puppies and some white plastic bag rolls) and cottage cheese, apple butter, baked apple slices, cole slaw, beets and pickle slices. The best of the selections are the real cottage cheese and what appears to be home made crunchy cole slaw (with a bit too much mayo). Next comes the crab cakes - nice big lumps of real crab meat nicely seasoned and broiled, the delicately breaded fried shrimp, then real French fries, more cole slaw, not so real string beans served with ham pieces and a bowl of white corn. Honestly the food is pretty good if you pick and choose among the real and fake food. I usually stick to the cole slaw and fries and some corn. Yes this is not a healthy meal but I went to the heath club afterwards to degrease my arteries. Lastly, there are always hot beverages, tea or coffee and ice cream or sherbert to complete the meal. Ask for a small scoop if you feel stuffed (which you will) by the end of the feast. I gave this a four star not because this a a real family style meal and it is so hard to find anything like this in our area. The food is always fresh and ample and the service is excellent. Also there is plenty of parking on the many lots outside. The lobby restroom while clean had an issue with a broken potty. However, there is another restroom in the back of the dining area that was fine. I always enjoy eating at FF because it's a place where the food is consistently good. The prices have gone up quite a bit in the last few years but the quality of the food remains the same. And when you walk in the first thing that you notice is the wonderful smell of the food cooking in the kitchen. Ahh, that's worth the drive to Upperco for this tasty Friendly meal. read more

Simply my favorite place ever! The food is delicious, the price is reasonable and even the geese are friendly. What a nice place!

You will NEVER find a better crab cake ANYWHERE!!!!!! Everything is fantastic from the food, service, and beautiful location.

If you want some serious food where they don't mess around with (too little) butter, this is your place. Throughout my childhood, we had Easters here and various ancient relatives' birthday parties and it's stayed exactly the same, to their credit. Best crab cakes in Maryland, bar none. read more