By AGNES PASCO CONATY
My husband, Austin, my son, Joseph, and I have visited many affordable eateries local to Laurel, and I’d like to share our favorites with you. While we often cook salmon, teriyaki chicken and pot roast meals for ourselves, we do like to mix it up with visits to our favorite restaurants in the neighborhood. Not only do we help local businesses thrive, but we enjoy each other’s company in a different environment, as well.
Thai at Laurel
14724 Baltimore Avenue
thaiatlaurel.com
Price Range: $20-$30
I celebrated two birthdays here with Volcano Seafood, a spicy, tangy blend of shrimp, mussels, scallops and squid served with steamed veggies. The dish comes with fragrant rice served in a woven, bamboo container called “kratip.” Some of our other favorites are hearty curries and green papaya salad — the soups are also good. (Joseph and I love spicy foods, so we both look for the pepper symbol on the menu.)
On one of my birthdays, the restaurant gave me complimentary mango sticky rice with a candle, and servers even sang the birthday song.
Olive on Main
504 Main Street
oliveonmainlaurel.com
Price Range: $20-$30
The Hishmeh family, owners of this Mediterranean restaurant, were our neighbors in West Laurel. Their sons and Joseph used to shoot hoops in our front yard.
When Olive on Main opened, Joseph and I displayed some of our artwork there. (The Laurel Arts Center curates the artwork there and hosts opening receptions for artists.) The place expanded to include a private area for parties.
Some of my family’s favorites are the mezza platter, Mediterranean platter, traditional wings, chicken tenders and fries and the chicken kebab skewers platter.
Quickway Japanese Hibachi
905 Washington Boulevard
quickwayhibachi.com
Price Range: $10-$20
Whenever we crave teriyaki, we get takeout from Quickway Japanese Hibachi, our favorite and affordable go-to for hibachi. Chicken, shrimp and beef are family favorites, and my husband and I especially like their veggies. They have a buy six, get one free offer, which we often use on a repeat visit to make our meals even more affordable. The chain has about two dozen restaurants in the DMV.
Cuba de Ayer
15446 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville
cubadeayerrestaurant.com
Price Range: $20-$30
Cuba de Ayer’s location is convenient to our West Laurel home. I like their camarones al ajillo (shrimp in lemon-garlic sauce) and Caribbean salmon. Austin likes the Cuban sandwich. The owners have refreshed the dining room with bold colors and attractive decor. I love their hat wall and vibrant Cuban paintings.
Blaze Pizza Laurel
14708 Baltimore Avenue
locations.blazepizza.com
Price Range: $10-$20
Joseph celebrated three birthdays at Blaze Pizza after seeing shark movies (The Meg, Meg 2 and 47 Meters Down) at Regal Laurel Towne Centre. Conveniently located a few yards from the theater, Blaze offers personal pizza with your choice of toppings and bottomless drinks. And they have a BYOBC policy, so you can bring your own birthday cake, too!
Negril – The Jamaican Eatery
331 Montrose Avenue
negrileats.com
Price Range: $10-$20
Negril, with four locations in Maryland and one in the District, primarily offers takeout. Joseph and Austin like the chicken empanadas and beef patties – easy fare after a workout at the nearby gym. I like the jerk chicken. They also offer a hearty chicken soup with a pumpkin base, chicken quarters, dumplings, yams, potatoes and carrots.
Sardi’s Pollo A La Brasa
13600 Baltimore Avenue
sardischicken.com
Price Range: $10-$20
An all-time favorite of ours, with three nearby locations, Sardi’s never disappoints. Although we frequent their Beltsville location more, we get the same fresh, charbroiled Peruvian chicken in their Laurel restaurant. We split the half chicken with sides of Brussels sprouts and carrots, along with Peruvian fried rice. (Joseph and I opt for spicy green sauce on the side.) I’m eager to try their ceviche mixto.