I’ve been wanting to check out Otzi Mediterranean Market for so long, and today I finally made it happen. I was in the Eldersburg area earlier and decided to grab dinner to-go… and y’all, this spot delivered.
Tucked into a small shopping center, Oztzi is part Mediterranean market, part eatery, and it’s the kind of place where you can pick up groceries, grab a quick bite, or sit down and enjoy a casual meal. And yes: you should 100% browse the market while you wait.
The food was flavorful, fresh, and generously portioned, and it felt like one of those hidden gems you’d never know about unless someone put you on. Overall, a stellar experience and I’m already planning my return visit.
If you love spots like this, Chris’s Charcoal Pit in Edgewater is another under-the-radar find serving big Greek platters and gyros at prices that are genuinely hard to argue with.
What I ordered at Otzi…
I started with the Chicken Shawarma ($12), and it was so satisfying. It’s made with marinated chicken, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, arugula, and a shawarma yogurt sauce all tucked into a warm pita. The flavors were outstanding and super balanced, and the chicken stayed nice and juicy the whole time. If it’s your first visit to Otzi, this is an easy must-order.
If shawarma’s your thing, you’ll also want to check out Pitamore in Baltimore, where you build your own from a long lineup of free toppings and plates run $9-12.
Next up was Al’s Italian Hoagie ($12), and I genuinely loved this. It’s stacked with assorted meats, lettuce, tomato, onion, banana hots, olive salad, and their house balsamic on an artisan roll. The bread was the star for me – it had such a good texture, with that crisp bite that makes every sandwich better. Everything inside was well balanced too, so each bite had the perfect crunch-to-chew ratio. I’d absolutely get this again.
I also tried the Greek White Pizza ($14), and it was very solid. The dough was great, and they were generous with toppings – think olive oil, feta cheese, kalamata olives, onion, tomato, and dill. You definitely have to be an olive lover for this one, but if you are, you’ll be happy. Next time, I really want to try their Pide flatbread, because it sounds right up my alley.
Of course, I couldn’t leave without grabbing a couple extras, so I added the baba ghanoush and bread pudding too. The baba ghanoush was solid – a good, flavorful dip – but the bread pudding wasn’t really my personal favorite. Still, I appreciated having dessert options and a few more grab-and-go choices to round out the meal.
All in all: I’m pretty dang impressed. If you’re in Eldersburg (or nearby) and want something flavorful and satisfying, put Oztzi on your list. Have you been yet? LMK in the comments, Nomsters. And if you go, tell me what you ordered because I need more recs for my next trip back.
📍20 Liberty Road, Set A, Eldersburg, Maryland
⏰T-Th 11-8pm, F-Sa 11-9pm, Su 11-7pm
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