What a great find!! Friendly service, clean, and cute inside, Our Recipes Cafe was on my list for a while and I'm so glad I got a chance to go. Everything my fellow diner and I got was good, but I have to give two big shout outs: the soup flight, and the shrimp and grits! First of all, soup flights are my FAVORITE THING EVER and I don't know why more restaurants don't offer them! You get to pick your soups here, and every one of them was delicious and came out in a shooter with a spoon. Just fantastic! The shrimp and grits are possibly the best I've had in Maryland. The grits are creamy, the shrimp are large and plentiful, and the sauce is great. It's such a generous portion, too! I can't wait to go back!! read more

The customer service, hospitality, and creative southern dishes were impressive. Everything we tried from the O'Rave burger and shrimp n' grits with lump crab meat to the veggie omelet, shrimp po' boy, and bread pudding deserved a solid four stars. Service came with a smile, and it was easy to detect their commitment to guest satisfaction. Although seating is limited, staff efficiently managed to accommodate our group of five by combining tables and chairs within the available space. We spent three-days in Baltimore and would have probably eaten here every day had time permitted. Note: The O'Rave Burger, which is a homage to the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens, consists of a blended pork and beef patty. Guests observing dietary restrictions concerning pork should be advised accordingly. read more

See all

Overall: quaint little cafe with an awesome menu, delicious food, excellent and kind service, with one single-stall restroom (no changing table, one high chair) The two employees were super sweet. Both checked in on us often and got us everything we needed with a smile. I was very impressed with the menu. I'm not normally a huge brunch person, but they had a great variety of both brunch and lunch/dinner options that all looked great. They had a range of coffee drinks and fun lemonade flavors. The waffles, catfish, and fries really stood out to me. The waffles were the perfect amount sweet and dense. The catfish was perfectly moist and seasoned and the fries were crunchy and savory. The crab was cold in the Chesapeake bowl and it was an expensive dish. The chicken in the chicken and waffles was only okay. I'd definitely return. read more

See all

summary: located in a former office suite within Arbutus, Our Recipes Cafe is a cozy little spot that serves up breakfast/brunchy foods. The location itself is somewhat small, but feels cozy. There's probably roughly like 8 tables, so there's not much dining area and it literally feels like a house/home (undecided if that's a good or bad thing). We went on a Saturday around brunch time and there were two total servers. The wait time on the food was pretty long, probably like 25-30 minutes, given that it was pretty empty when we went. We opted for: - Chesapeake breakfast bowl - Chicken and waffles - Grilled catfish sammie The flavor on everything was pretty good, but given the price point of the chesapeake bowl ($29.50), I was a bit underwhelmed. The lump crab meat was cold by the time it was served and the portion size of the crab was pretty small. The sandwich was good and so were the chicken + waffles (and also more moderately priced). I still enjoyed our experience and thought the venue/spot was a cute place to get a chill or intimate brunch. It's got a few steps and as mentioned earlier, it's literally like a converted office suite, so it's not the most accessible. All in all, it still warrants a visit especially because they boast an extremely large menu to pick from. read more

See all

Very hospitable and the food is delicious! The service is impeccable and the ambiance is very quaint! The catfish platter will make you loose your mind! I was so engrossed in my food I forgot to take a picture. Next time! read more

We left stuffed and happy. This Black woman-owned cafe had so many good options. We ordered the cream of crab soup, belgian waffles, honey crunch french toast, the arubutus club, Louisiana rich boy, and I can't remember what else lol. The cream of crab soup is probably top 3 I've had ever. Very flavorful. The Louisiana rich boy was a po boy but not with just fried shrimp, it also had fried crab balls. And since they don't serve alcohol but it's BYOB, we brought champagne. They charge you $10 extra if you bring alcohol, which I think is fine. The staff were nice and we literally wanted to take an order of everything we ordered to go lol. Some of my cousins liked the food so much they ordered food for their husbands to go. We will definitely come back! There are only a few tables. It's a chill spot. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

It's a tragedy the number of times I've visited this establishment, constantly bringing new folks... & never Yelped it. I've been visiting this business faithfully for 2 years. Parking is pretty easy. Free street parking. Nice neighborhood. Easy to find. Always kind staff to greet you upon entering. Great menu, reasonable prices, awesome variety of food and beverages. I've visited for brunch and lunch on several occasions, and I look forward to visiting again soon. If you have not visited this wonderful black owned business and neighborhood gem, VISIT ASAP!! read more

See all

Where do I even start! This is such a cute establishment, perfect for a girls brunch or a great start to a birthday. It's not too big on the inside so I would suggest at most like 6-10 people at a time for comfortability. Now to the food: Cream of Crab Soup 5/5 - Honestly the best I've had since I've been introduced to crab soup! Plentyyyyy of crab all throughout the cup and so very well seasoned! I recommend getting the bigger size because you WILL like it. Peach Basil Sweet Tea 4.6/5 - I want to give this a 5 so bad but the peach should've been muddled more or more syrup added so it shined through more. Other than that this drink was the by far one of my favorite non alcoholic drinks I've had. Who would have thought to add basil to sweet tea! (They did!) Louisiana Rich Boy Poboy 4.8/5 - The number of shrimp and the size alone put this at the top of my list and they're sooo fresh! The crab balls are my favorite on this sandwich and wish I could get like 1 or 2 more for the price hence the deduction of -.2. The fries and sauce that come with this really pull everything together. Get the fries tossed in old bay for sure! Shrimp Salad 5/5 - I've never had shrimp salad before and I don't want it from anywhere else after having it from here. They have set the standard! Seasoned from the inside to outside and the shrimp were humongous! Order this as a side, as scoop on a sandwich, on a salad, or whatever just get you some. Shrimp and Grits 3/5 - Now I might be a little biased as a Texas native, my expectations for creole style shrimps and grits are very high! Everything was executed perfectly but the seasoning in this dish was a bit underwhelming. Like 3 more shakes of creole seasoning or all purpose would have really done this meal in! French Toast 4.5/5 - I'm not too much into sweet breakfast so I wasn't a fan of this particular dish but it came out hot and fresh and crispy. It wasn't overly sweet and the bread was nice and soft. I got mine with whipped cream instead of syrup and I enjoyed it. If you're a fan of sweet breakfast food you'll love this. All in all this restaurant deserves all the accolades and praises. The attention to detail is not missed and the service is always on point. I love to support a black owned business any day of the week and this establishment makes it even more of a pleasure to do so. read more

See all

Great food most stop by nice town also. Great service as well the food is well seasoned I have to see what the flavor was I'm sure you will too stop by and enjoy read more

See all

I ride past Our Recipes often and didn't realize it was there until i found it on CharmCityTable's list of Black Owned Restaurants. Cute little restaurant. The service was super fast and friendly. It took about only 10 minutes for me to get my food. I chose the honey crunch French toast and it came with a eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage (pork or turkey). I also ordered a side of fried apples. The French toast was definitely a choice. It was soooo good! I had no complaints about my food. I definitely will be coming back soon. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

See all

The place is very quaint and quiet, which is just what I needed for some me time. The server was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and very helpful in helping me make my decision. The food was fresh and delicious. I enjoyed the old school music playing very low in the background. I will definitely be back when I am in the area again! read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Crab and Spinach Omelete - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

This is the absolute best-kept secret in Arbutus Maryland. The food is fresh and the service is impeccable. My daughter found this place on a humble note and has been bringing my management staff and me breakfast occasionally. She and I went and dined in before our Christmas break. The food was spot on as well as the service. If you do not know I suggest you go for the flavorful food and great service. read more

Everything was absolutely delicious. There has been nothing that I've ordered from this restaurant that I was not pleased with.

We were looking for a good lunch while out and about and this place popped up on yelp with excellent reviews, so we decided to check it out. Let me back up to say that it was about 2 PM on a Saturday when lunch is usually winding down. We walked into this unassuming place and noted that almost every table was filled with smiling customers with more behind them to keep the place busy. We sat down and reviewed the thoughtful menu, trying to figure out what to choose and were greeted by a smiling waitress who pointed out several items to help us narrow our selections. The way she described them as her favorites made them even more delicious once we ordered them and received them. Shortly after we got our lunch, the chef/owner came to our table to introduce herself and get to know us. We noticed that she did the same for everyone, some who she knew and others (like us) who she was meeting for the first time. Lunch was delicious. My eggs were perfectly poached and the star of the show- the beet salad- is something we are still thinking about and talking about days later. We will be back- for more delicious lunch and that caring and welcome environment that reminds us that we matter. This place is the real deal. Highly recommend! read more

Have you ever wondered what clean food taste like? if you don't know you need to go to Our Recipes Café! The food is extremely delicious because it's so fresh and lovingly prepared,in my heart I believe they have a farm in the back back of the restaurant with organically, fed cows, chickens, and organically, grown fruits and vegetables! Look, stop reading this review and get to this cafe as soon as you can, it's worth the trip. I should know, I traveled from DC to eat here and will do so again in a heartbeat! read more

Popped in here when I was in the area on the recommendation of a good friend (one who is a foodie and always has a good nose for good places). I was blown away with how our food was and how cute. my son had amazing waffles and I had the shrimp/crabcak "rich boy". sandwich. Both dishes were killer and the service was great and the place all around was cute and I highly recommend to anyone read more

See all

I love supporting small business and with it being February, supporting and celebrating black-owned business is an absolute must for me! I visited Our Recipes Saturday for an Yelp Elite event. The location is beautifully quaint, nestled in Arbutus. I called in my order because I was told they can get rather busy. A busy restaurant is usually a great sign to me, it typically means the food is probably excellent. I ordered O'Rav Burger, Shrimp Sandwich and the Brunchwich. They packaged my to-go order skillfully, their containers are very sturdy and I didn't experience any spillage. They also included tons of utensils and napkins. My food was still pretty warm when I got it home and I couldn't wait to dig in. Every dish was very tasty. I loved how the O'Rav wasn't just the typical beef burger. The pork added flavorful depth to the sandwich that is missing in most burgers. The shrimp in the salad sandwich were huge and the flavors were awesome! Lastly....THE BRUNCHWICH!! O.M.Goodness, what a clever concept! The egg with the crab cake atop of a waffle, my GAWD, It was incredible! The potatoes were also perfectly seasoned. Fantastic restaurant, greatly experience!! read more

See all

Started our breakfast experience with very friendly welcome from the server. They had three lemonade options, my son chose the Berry Lavender, It was "probably the best lemonade I've ever had" and he's quite the expert. Coffee is very good! Very inviting space, plants, soft music, comfy chairs and good temperature. Got eggs, waffle with strawberries, croissant, sausage, and bacon and everything was excellent. One of the best breakfast spots in the Baltimore area, and we try a lot of them! We'll be back. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Berry Lavender Lemonade - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

Absolutely delicious breakfast! Staff were super nice, and not overly expensive at all. I found this place while browsing maps, decided to try it. Plentiful portions, great variety, and presentation was on point as well. I had the French toast, eggs, sausage, grits, and potatoes. Highly recommended - I will be eating here anytime I'm in town ! You will leave full! read more

Tucked away on a busy street, this place is quite the find. Order ahead and they'll have everything ready. The O'Rav burger is really unique as it's essentially a combination of beef with pork sausage. Bit different than your traditional hamburger. Toppings are great, house chips are fresh and tasty, and the sriracha aioli is awesome! French onion soup is amazing; super cheesy with a very flavorful broth, plenty of onions. Fries are great, especially the ones seasoned with garlic and parm. Fresh cut. The Mac and cheese was perfect! Creamy, cheesy, delicious. Super good - would stop by just for mac and cheese if I'm nearby! Cole slaw was also solid. All in all, a great little place with some great selections. read more

See all

Got some takeout from here recently and the food was solid. O'Rav Burger - fantastic. Juicy, smoky, and just well prepared. Recommended. If the meat bomb isn't your speed, I also really enjoyed my bean burger. This is a proper veggie burger with good blackened vegetables and beans with quinoa. The lemon aïoli has a nice zip to it. Even the kids' chicken tenders and fries were good. I grabbed a bagel and lox sandwich for my breakfast the next day and it was great! I might've liked more capers, but that's probably my personal taste. The unique approach of caramelized red onion (instead of raw) was a delicious and pleasant surprise. I'd get that again. Ended to meal with the Kahlua Bread Pudding. It was delightfully custardy with enough crispy edges and walnuts to provide a nice contrast. The prices are reasonable and the service was extremely friendly, even for just dropping in for a pickup. Would go back. read more

So pleased with this local eatery. Our nomad travels took us thru this area and we're glad we took a few moments to enjoy the food, service and ambiance. Top of the list is the Catfish Platter and Crab Lump Soup. YUM! Also the Vegetarian Black Bean Burger and Sweet Potato Fries were the BEST I've had. Everything was so satisfying on a 10/10 scale that we took an order of Vegetarian Lasagna to go. YES now we're all set for yet another Great meal from Our Recipes Cafe. read more

This hidden gem in Halethorpe delivered a delicious spin on my favorite brunch item, french toast with bacon and eggs. It was both crunchy and moist, and not too sweet. The unexpected variety and freshness of berries, oranges and strawberries set it above most breakfast places, especially for the reasonable price. Oh, and the eggs were perfection-- so so moist but not runny-- amazing attention to detail on even the basics. The service was friendly, and the 90s R&B music was on point. My only critique (a minor one) was the seating was a little uncomfortable. I'll be back to try the chef's take on another favorite of mine-- shrimp and grits. There's a lot of good menu choices! read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Honey crunch french toast, bacon and eggs - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

Woke up one morning and wanted a delicious breakfast. Our Recipes Cafe did not disappoint. I ordered a popular customer item, honey crunch french toast, and a recommendation from the waitress, the Catfish and Grits. Catfish and Grits was the winner over the french toast. Grits were creamy and cheesy; catfish was seasoned well and fried perfectly. French Toast was fine as well. Crunchy outside, soft bread and not overly sweet, unless you pour the syrup all over it. I don't care for French Toast, but I could see why it's popular. Another treat was the brown sugar cinnamon coffee that the (possibly owner) waitress was brewing because she wanted to try something new. While I dined in, many customers came for carry out orders. Interior decor was cozy. Not cramped for the space available. read more

See all

This is a quaint spot with welcoming staff and delicious food. I ordered the creole shrimp, crab, and cheese grits. This was flavorful and the serving was generous. My colleague ordered the honey crunch French toast. She loved it. This place is also BYOB so we came with a bottle of champagne and ordered orange juice to make mimosas. There is street parking and I will definitely return. Oh yeah, the owner also came out to greet us. It was great to meet her. read more

See all

Delicious good, friendly service, quaint environment, gentle music - it all combines to make a delightful dining experience. We stopped by for a light lunch and we're very pleased. read more

See all

This cafe has the best French toast I have had in my 38yrs of life. Home fries are really good too!! The place is clean and the staff is nice. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Honey crunch french toast - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

Had my first visit here with a friend for lunch yesterday and the experience was excellent! Quaint setting in a small town hole in the wall is accurate but it deserves even more appreciation for having great style! My friend and I shared a ginger basil tea and a raspberry peach tea. Both were delightful but the ginger tea really punches you in the mouth. The berry on the other hand was very laid back and chill. My friend got the fried chicken sammich and fries. I got the catfish sammich and fries. Both meats were fresh out of the fryer hot along with the fries. Each came with a special sauce on the side. The catfish was perhaps the best I've tasted - light, flakey with minimal breading. Go here and go here often! read more

Wow! This place was great! All of the "not recommended" reviews are right! It's weird that there are so many, for some reason. But I agree with them all. I had a really amazing chonky chicken salad sandwich. It had dill in it and was literally chonky as it said in the name. The fries were all right, but the side of mac n cheese I ordered was heavenly - creamy cheese sauce mix, perfectly cooked macaroni, and just the right portion size. Staff was very helpful in making choices and very attentive. I hope to go again soon to try their breakfast menu. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Chicken salad sandwich, which was described as "chonky" and was! It was also delicious! - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

See all

OMG!!! I got the vegetarian omelette. OMG I have never loved an omelette like I love this omelette. FLAVOR! Got sweet tea and that was perfect! My friend got shrimp and grits and of course I ate some of that....... Perfection. Service was friendly and helpful as well! TOTALLY RECOMMEND! Edit: I finished the rest of the croissant and those little onion pieces. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Empty asf plate. - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

See all

Had the best sandwich I have ever had today. The Arbutus Club is worth every calorie. Spectacular crab cake and magical shrimp salad. Fabulous friendly service in an intimate setting for lunch with my husband on a tropical storm Saturday. read more

Trying to remain grateful that I FINALLY got to black-owned @ourrecipescafe instead of regretting that it took me soooo long to try it! The hype is real and the food is bomb. Chesapeake breakfast bowl is a must - home fried potatoes, blackened crab, 2 eggs your way, avocado, peppers/onions, and to bring it all together a "drizzle" of honey old bay. Perfection! The honey crunch French toast is competing with the BEST of them, the the banana fosters Belgian waffle was delish. If you want an amazing meal, don't wait years, just go now!! read more

See all

Our Recipes - I hate to do this to you, but you could have done better. This eatery offers various breakfast and brunch plates, bagels, muffins, soups, salads, entrees, wings, sammies, burgers, and even rotating special menus for holidays/the season. The hubs and I were super excited to drive all the way up here to have brunch. Thinking that we were going to order everything a la carte, I was pleased to see that they were celebrating their 1-year anniversary and had a prix-fixe menu! We tried: +Bang Bang Shrimp: flash fried and tossed in ORC's special sauce; these shrimp were really delicious! They were large, plump, juicy, and the special sauce was thick, creamy, and just so tasty! Definitely addicting! +Jalapeno Potato Poppers: deep-fried and filled with jalapeno and cheese, and served with sour cream and guacamole; these were quite addicting, too! Think of small little mounds of savory mashed potatoes, battered and fried; the exterior was crispy and the insides were creamy; the sauces on top complemented these apps well +Crab/Shrimp & Grits: blackened with creole sauce; this was a really good dish! The perfect blend of seasonings and the crab and shrimp seemed plentiful; the grits were also cooked very well, and it was buttery and creamy +the Southern Fried Chicken Wings & Waffles - the menu noted that this dish would come with chicken wings, served with honey Old Bay drizzle; however, this dish was such a disappointed; the waffles seemed slightly undercooked, and the chicken were tenders; no wings here! To make matters worse, the tenders were super overcooked and dried out +for the dessert, we requested the key lime pie and the apple pie a la mode; however, these were forgotten, and we had to request them again We also added the Creamed Chipped Beef on Toasted Crostini as an added menu, which came with 2 eggs; we asked if we could opt out of the eggs, but no customization was allowed. The creamed chipped beef was really good - it was like thick gravy; and the thick white bread was all garlicy, toasty, and buttery, and the whole dish was such a nice salty combination. While most of the food items we ordered were tasty, the service was just so off-putting. The energy was just bizarre, as if any patrons who stepped inside was just an automatic nuisance. Also, there was no check-ins or follow-ups throughout the whole meal, and trying to get the check and pay took forever. The whole 'chicken wings being swapped with chicken tenders' situation was kind of shady, and I thought that was pretty dishonest; if wings were not available, at least update the menu or have the courtesy to give the customers a heads up? Service and impressions count, and with these being so disappointing, it's difficult to say if we'd go out of our way to return. Plenty of street parking available. +Bang Bang Shrimp - may be a special +Jalapeno Potato Poppers - may be a special +Crab/Shrimp & Grits +food substitutes may happen without alerting the patrons +standoffish service +plenty of street parking read more

So happy I tried this place out! The people who work here are really nice and help make this quaint place feel like you're visiting family. I ordered the grilled catfish sandwich with fries and bread pudding. The sandwich was pretty good. The downside is that it was a bit too oily, not sure why. The fries were homemade and really good. The fries are thinly cut so there's a nice crispiness to them but not in an over cooked kind of way. Now, the star of this meal was/is the bread pudding. THE BREAD PUDDING IS DELICIOUS! I'd drive back (about a 35-40 minute drive for me) just to get it again. NOTE: They are allowing people to dine in. I wouldn't want to because it's such a cute place but not spacious enough for me to feel comfortable eating inside. I guess it's totally up to your level of comfort (and overall safety). Overall, if I'm in the area, I'd go again to pick up my food. I definitely recommend that you try it out! read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Grilled Catfish Sandwich W/ Hand Cut French Fries - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

Fantastic breakfast, great atmosphere and food. Wonderful waitress. Only complaint was that they weren't open on Sunday, as we were excited to try more things!! If around UMBC, it' s a must stop for breakfast. read more

Chef Sandra Maye recently coordinated with me on some essential party foods and drinks to complement a main course being taken care of by a friend. The party was for 40 people. The email response time from initial inquiry to day before pickup was excellent. The phone call to confirm things the week before was appreciated. The ease of pickup, including the packaging, was fantastic. And the food?! Oh my goodness.... the food was amazing! Specialty lemonades (strawberry lavender and peach basil) that are still being talked about. A crudite platter that could have fed an army where the dips and spreads (onion jam!) were special and unique. And a dessert platter with assorted pound cake and Kahlua bread pudding squares were simply perfect. (Never ever have I tasted such yummy bread pudding!) Can't recommend highly enough! read more

On the Arbutus side of UMBC is this gem of a cove. They feature southern, down-home food selections with a range of breakfast and lunch options. I have tried several items from the menu. By far, my favorite is the cream of crab soup with fat, lump crab and the shrimp po-boy. The shrimp po -boy is fried to perfection and dressed with fresh lettuce, tomato, and sauce/aioli. I love the craft lemonades. Peach basil is my first choice. I also like the raspberry lavender. This is definitely a place where the neighborhood patrons can come to meet, eat, and enjoy a jazzy playlist. The service is courteous and efficient. Highly recommend! read more

This place did not disappoint! The customer service and food were both great! I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a chill spot with good breakfast/brunch. I ordered the crab/shrimp and grits and I plan to come back for more. FYI it's BYOB so you can bring your own alcohol and pay $5 for mixers. read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Breakfast menu - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland

See all

Picked up some Bread Pudding on a quick trip to Baltimore. 1 Word : AMAZING! Definitely recommend! Super friendly staff and quick service! read more

Soooo i couldn't post a full picture because I tasted the fries and ended up eating them all before I could post.. but MY LORD!!! This place is a MUST visit. I got the Shrimp Po Boy and the hubs got the Spinach and Lump Crab Omelet.. We legit couldn't pull off and ate right in front parked because it was so good. Everything was fresh and crisp and flavorful and just OMG . I tasted a piece of his croissant and WOW !!!!My roll- WOW .. i can't even put the tastiness into words And the staff was so super pleasant read more

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering - Cafes Near Me - Halethorpe, Maryland