- Date of Visit: July 3, 2021
- Weather: Sunny, breezy, temps in the lower 60’s for the morning
- Music: NPR
Most people might not know where Monkton is, or that it’s even a place within the state of Maryland. That’s both the beauty and the curse of a small town; not a lot of people know it’s there so you are not inundated with tourists, but you’ll get a confused expression when asked where you are from or where you’re going and will have to name a more populated town (usually Baltimore) to give someone a location context. Growing up in the small town of Elkridge, MD, I always told people I was from the suburbs of Baltimore, just to prevent this.
Monkton itself is an unincorporated community in northern Baltimore County, accessible via Interstate 83 North or York Road/MD Route 45 North. You will be driving down two-lane backroads, so ensure you travel at speed, keeping watch out for bicyclists and slower moving vehicles. Monkton’s history dates to 1713, when the 3rd Baron Baltimore, John Calvert, set aside 10,000 acres as a gift to his fourth wife, naming his estate “My Lady’s Manor”. [1]
Monkton feels like an out of the way place: surrounded mostly by farms and undeveloped woods and land, it’s a quiet corner of northern Baltimore County. With a population of around 4,856 as of the 2019 census, spread out across numerous acreages, it’s peaceful and almost rural. Two lane roads are de riguer, and most of the time, you will not find many cars out on these back roads. And so it was when I made my way to the Monkton Refillery on the morning of Saturday, July 3rd, for breakfast.
The Monkton Refillery is on the corner of Shepperd and Troyer Roads, where State Roads 138 and 562 go in separate directions. It’s a small yellow building with three tables for seating on the large front porch, and more inside, which was very reminiscent of an old general store. The seating area is the perfect place to sit outside and enjoy your breakfast: it’s quiet, except for the birdsong, and the occasional growl of a car or truck going by, and the breeze is welcome on a summer’s morning.
Stepping inside, you might not at first realize that the Refillery is more than a coffee shop. Yes, there are delicious hot and cold beverages, breakfast sandwiches kept warm wrapped in foil, and a small assortment of pastries to go with your food (the apple turnover was particularly delicious), but the store is also a small natural market. Along with handmade soaps, reusable tote bags, konjac sponges, bamboo hair and toothbrushes, and other goodies, they allow you to bring in resuable glass or plastic containers to fill or refill with products you use daily: laundry detergent, liquid hand soap, shampoo, and conditioner, etc., and therefore reduce your plastic waste. It wasn’t something I would have expected to find attached to a coffee shop (or is it the other way around?), but I liked this place, and I plant to return for more breakfasts, or if my dish soap is running low.
Monkton Refillery- 17052 Troyer Road, Monkton, MD 21111
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 7 AM-7 PM
Website: https://www.monktonrefillery.com/
Further down the road, or just up York Road, depending on your direction, you will find Dough Run. Dough Run is a cute little bakery that serves delicious scones, granola confections, and gruffins, along with coffee, tea, lunch and breakfast sandwiches, and other goodies. Parking is in the rear of the building, along with the entrance, and there are outdoor seating areas as well for you to enjoy your morning coffee or your lunch al fresco. There is also a pick-up window on the back porch for order-ahead orders.
Inside, the women-led bakery is small with pink walls, with the dominant smells being coffee and baked goods. I recommend trying the mixed berry gruffin, or the maple pecan scone if they have it (“Both? Both? Both. Both is good.”)
Fresh off of my visit to the Refillery, I opted not to get a cup of their Black Acres Roastery coffee (a local roastery in the Highlandtown area of Baltimore City (https://www.blackacrescoffee.com/)), but that remains at the top of my list for my next visit. The mixed berry gruffin was moist, but not dense or too heavy. The maple pecan scone was a delight, and the light sweetness of it was enhanced by coffee my husband had brewed at home.
In addition to the above, Dough Run sells ice cream, bottled drinks, bags of granola, t-shirts, and bread, and numerous other items are available at their online store (https://dough-run.square.site/).
Dough Run Bakery- 16949 York Road, Monkton, MD 21111
Hours: Monday-Friday 6:30 AM-1 PM, Saturday 7:30 AM-Noon
Website: https://www.doughrun.com/
There are quite a few other places to explore in Monkton, so stay tuned for the other gems I have found in this often-unexplored corner of Baltimore County, including a brewery, a topiary garden, and a place to stop for dinner and bask in the history of the building. Until then, I hope that you may take a trip to these places I have found, or at least begin planning. As always, enjoy the journey!
[1] Monkton, Maryland, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkton,_Maryland
Adventures in Small Town Maryland 