Baldwin’s Station, the longtime, locally owned restaurant on Main Street in Sykesville, has been named Maryland’s Favorite Restaurant by the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

Baldwin’s received its award Monday night at the Restaurant Association of Maryland's 58th Annual Awards Gala, which recognizes excellence in the industry and commitment to the community.

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Baldwin’s won the top honor due to the number of votes it received from the public on a Restaurant Association survey.

“It was the closest thing I’ll get to the Oscars,” owner Stewart Dearie, also a Sykesville resident, told Patch Tuesday. “They announced our names and we had to walk up amid hundreds of hundreds of people, and flashes with pictures taking, and everyone shaking hands…”

“It was pretty wild,” he added.

Baldwin’s Station, which has been in business for 15 years in Sykesville, went up against five other restaurants for the designation.

Dearie attended the gala with his wife Ridia Dearie, executive chef Darrick Granai, sous chef Michael Harper, events coordinator Chris Santiago, and manager Jayme Bohn, he said.

Baldwin's Station is located on The Old Main Line, the oldest railway in the country, overlooking the Patapsco River, straddling the Howard and Carroll county line. It describes its food on its website as “New American Cuisine,” which includes a range of dishes such as black Angus beef and freshwater seafood.