If you’re spending a weekend in Harford County—maybe you’re catching a tournament at Ripken Stadium, walking the waterfront in Havre de Grace, or just taking the scenic way through Churchville—locals are going to tell you the same thing:
“You’ve gotta stop at The Screaming Bean.”
And they’re not saying it because it’s “a coffee place.” They’re saying it because it feels like Harford County in a cup.
A small business spotlight that actually means something
The Screaming Bean sits right on Churchville Road in Aberdeen, MD, and it’s proudly not a chain. It’s a locally owned Maryland coffee shop with a community-first backbone—the kind of place where you walk in as a stranger and somehow leave feeling like you’ve been there before.
What really sets it apart isn’t just the menu. It’s what happens around the menu.
This is a community coffee shop in Maryland where fundraiser stories aren’t a once-a-year thing. They’re ongoing. One week it’s helping a local school raise money. Another week it’s rallying behind a family going through a rough medical situation. And woven into all of it is something The Screaming Bean takes seriously: being a local coffee shop supporting veterans—not as a tagline, but as a habit.
The “behind the scenes” part you can actually feel
You can tell pretty quickly this place runs on more than espresso. Behind the scenes, there’s real hustle—baristas moving like they’ve done this a thousand times, regulars being greeted by name, and a steady hum of “let’s get it done” energy that still somehow feels welcoming.
It’s busy without being chaotic. Efficient without being cold. That’s not easy to pull off.
What to order (and why people talk about it)
If you want the signature, go straight for the Whiskey Barrel-Aged Coffee. It’s smooth, bold, and just different enough that you’ll remember it later and think, Yep… that was the one.
Feeling adventurous? The Lotus Energy Drinks and Tiki Breeze Refreshers are bright, fun, and basically taste like a vacation you didn’t have to book.
Want something cozy and simple? The Honey Teas are a favorite—sweetened with local honey and perfect when you want comfort without the sugar-bomb vibe.
The perfect “we’re on the way” stop
The Screaming Bean is just minutes from I-95, which makes it dangerously easy to turn into a tradition. It’s a great pit stop if you’re:
- headed to Ripken for a baseball weekend
- exploring Bel Air shops
- checking out Churchville and the surrounding countryside
- doing the “coffee near me” search and refusing to settle for mediocre
You can grab and go… but you probably won’t. The place has that “sit for five minutes” effect—then suddenly you’re still there 30 minutes later.
The place visitors keep coming back to
It happens all the time: someone stops in once while passing through Aberdeen, then they’re back the next morning. Or the next month. Or they start ordering online because they can’t find anything like it back home.
Because when a coffee shop consistently shows up for its community—fundraisers, local causes, veterans support, the whole deal—you don’t just remember the drink.
You remember the place.
The Screaming Bean
3700 Churchville Road, Aberdeen, MD 21001
Stop in, take a sip, and enjoy one of those rare small businesses that still feels personal—because it is.
Looking for more local coffee stories? Explore the Screaming Bean Coffee Blog for breakfast spots, travel stops, and community features.
The Screaming Bean Blog | Coffee, Breakfast & Community in Harford County 