Howard County is full of countless, delicious restaurants. Whether it is the popular Chick-fil-a or the new Cava Grill, students at Mt. Hebron never run out of options. With so many choices, we were wondering which ones are the students’ favorites.

“Zoe’s Kitchen, because it’s really good,” junior Morgan Flack said. “There is a lot of flavor in the food, and it’s in the Columbia mall.”

Zoe’s Kitchen’s menu is based around delicious Mediterranean food. It is a popular restaurant destination located within the Columbia Mall. Zoe’s Kitchen explains how the Mediterranean diet is extremely hard to beat in regards to health benefits. Some of the benefits include helping to lower cholesterol and weight loss andreducing the risk of developing diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. It also helps to ward off heart attacks, strokes and premature deaths.

Sophomore Caroline Siedlecki stated, “My favorite restaurant is Panera because they have healthy food and it also tastes really good.”

Panera’s believes that “food should taste good. It should feel good. It should do good things for you and the world around you.”

Panera is an extremely popular restaurant for the Ellicott City community. They serve different varieties of bakery foods like bagels and egg souffles to mac and cheese. Feel free to come early in the morning or late at night as they serve all three meals, ready to devour. Panera is located in two places in Howard County — Dobbin Center and the Columbia Mall.

Sophomore Allie Ritter stated, “Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant. I really enjoy how their salad is free because I really like salad. Also pasta is my favorite food, and they have all types of pasta.”

Olive Garden is known for their steaming hot breadsticks, large salad bowl, and endless choices of Italian-American cuisine. They serve both lunch and dinner with many options for each meal. They also offer healthier choices.

Most Mt. Hebron students seem to prefer food places with healthy options, though some commented on the more traditional fast food places as being their favorites.

“Vocelli’s, because their pizza is really good and very flavorful,” junior Kyle Ross said.

Vocelli’s is a pizza place located in Ellicott City that serves artisanal pizzas as well as Italian subs and salads. Their pizza is filled with fresh tomatoes and loads of gooey cheese, making it irresistible.

Freshman Alexa Dragisic said, “My favorite restaurant is Chick-Fil-A because their fries are very good.”

Chick-Fil-A is no surprise that it would be a favorite. It seems that the parking lot is always full and the drive-thru always has a line stretching to the main road. Located on Route 100, Chick-Fil-A serves a range of foods and beverages from nuggets and waffle fries to salads galore and creamy milkshakes.

Whether you agree with these favorites or not, Howard County is full of restaurants old and new.