About
Welcome to the #SchnitzelGang
After ten years in the restaurant industry, my wife had enough of me coming home at 3am every night. I was fortunate to have a certification in wine so I went to go work for a small boutique wine distributor. It was at this job that I had met John O'Connor, a local business owner with a grand vision to revitalize Main Street in Elkridge. He had this old 1880s era judge's house that he gutted and rebuilt, along with the original jailhouse that currently sits on our biergarten patio.
He wanted to open a bar at the basement of this building, naming it the Rathskeller after the popular basement watering holes in Germany. My thoughts during conceptualization was that if the name was going to be German, we'd open as a German restaurant. "Let's go all the way," I said. After countless hours doing research, not only did I become a Germanophile, I was shocked at how hard it was to even get German food!
Thus, we opened in October 2019 and were chugging along when COVID19 hit us in March 2020, forcing us to close for two months as we had to re-think how we were to operate during the pandemic. Many of the dishes we had on our menu were not suitable for to-go and delivery. In June 2020, we re-launched the Rathskeller with a major focus on the popular German street food: schnitzel. Since the re-launch, we've added wursts made by local German meat market legend, Binkert's (Rosedale, MD). Other partnerships include produce from Morningside Farm (Elkridge, MD), Green Bird Farm (Manchester, MD) and a Black Forest Ice Cream Sandwich by Scoop & Paddle (Arbutus, MD).
We use fresh meats, never frozen. All our ingredients are brought in fresh by reputable vendors. The pretzels are made by hand by an Army vet who learned to make pretzels in Germany after his service. We take great pride in our food program. The sauces are made from scratch. Our cocktail program features both popular and obscure German spirits. The wine program consists of small-production family-owned wineries in Germany and Austria. Beer offerings include a healthy diet of imported German beers and local breweries who make German-style brews. You can check out a sample of our full menu and beverage list HERE.
Inside, our vintage beer hall dining room can sit up to 40. The biergarten patio can seat up to another 40 people. You can order to-go HERE and delivery HERE. Reservations can be made HERE. We also have platters for larger groups and love to host private events. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 410.796.1530 or shoot an email to info@rathskellermd.com.
Both my wife and I were Howard County high school grads and spent many weekends at Patapsco State Park. After getting married, we settled with our kids just 5 minutes from here in Arbutus and are thrilled to be a part of the revitalization of historic Elkridge! Thanks so much for your support and being a part of the #schnitzelgang. We can't do any of this without you.
Freundliche Grüße,
Will and family
Sancte Bonifatius, Sancta Gertrudis, Sancta Hildegardis, orate pro nobis.