RegionAle Sandwich Shop (Ellicott City, MD)

After a nice walk around town and some early Xmas shopping in Ellicott City, my wife mentioned she wanted me to try a sandwich shop she’d been to with a friend. We drove back towards Columbia and ended up at RegionAle in a shopping center just off Snowden River Parkway. The mini-chain—which boasts three locations in the MD/DC area—has a great concept: the founders wanted to “bring a fresh spin to classic American sandwiches” by featuring regional favorites crafted with a modern twist. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good sandwich, whether it’s the cheesesteaks and hoagies I grew up on as a Delaware Valley native, the massive crab cake sandwiches I’ve been devouring for the past twenty-plus years outside Baltimore, or everything from pulled pork and fried chicken to Cuban and tuna sandwiches that I’ve sampled in our travels. The menu offers about a dozen sandwiches that represent both coasts (California, Oregon, Florida, NY and Philly feature prominently) plus places in between. 

I almost never eat a cheesesteak outside PA/NJ/DE (and the ciabatta roll screamed “foul”) and my crabcake allegiance lies elsewhere, so I settled on the Kentucky (?) Smashburger, featuring an Angus patty cooked to perfection and nestled in a potato bun with the works (Havarti, arugula, tomato, red onion, dill pickle, house sauce). Personally, I’d never thought of Kentucky as home of the smashburger, but it turns out they were invented at a Dairy Cheer burger stand in Ashland, KY (where my wife’s grandparents lived) more than 50 years ago! After considering the cheesesteak, my wife pulled the trigger on the Nashville Hot Chicken (shown) stacked with two juicy, breaded chicken patties, Nashville Hot Sauce, garlic aioli, arugula, and pickle slices on a potato bun. We split a side of homemade Old Bay potato chips, and I was able to order a Cryomancer IPA on tap from Baltimore’s own Nepenthe Brewery. 

Sandwich prices range from $10 to $15 and there’s a selection of soups, vegetarian sandwiches, salads and desserts. Service was friendly and quick (though I did have to wait a bit for my beer), and the location we visited had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely recommended! — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet, which is seeking contributions for its upcoming thirteenth issue. Check out our website for more details or email editor@hungovergourmet.com.