Thacher and Rye is one of my favorite restaurants in Frederick. Let me state that bias before you read the rest of this review and my report on my full experience eating there.
For Frederick area residents, heading to Washington D.C. or Baltimore for upscale dining is common. However, Thacher and Rye offers a ‘big city’ dining experience without leaving town.
The Vibe at Thacher and Rye in Frederick
Thacher and Rye was formerly a place called ‘Volt’. It was created by Bryan Voltaggio, a chef known for appearances on Top Chef and the creator of other restaurants like Showroom. Thacher and Rye offers an impressive dining experience without leaving Frederick.
Located in a historic building downtown, the restaurant offers modern and elegant food and multiple dining areas that offer unique experiences.
This is a place you want to go for a special night out. When you are finally tired of burgers, pizza, and sandwiches. When you wife, girlfriend, or significant other wants to get dressed up and feel like you are taking her special.
In fact, Thacher and Rye is the kind of restaurant that out-of-towners (even those in the DC or Baltimore area) will actually travel to Frederick just to see what the place is all about.
Why We Love the Bar at Thacher and Rye
If you read posts from Nicole and me regularly, you know that a special restaurant starts with a great bar, and Thacher and Rye has one. In fact, during our last visit, as we sipped cocktails at the T&R bar, we actually asked ourselves why we didn’t visit more often just for drinks, because it’s one of the best bars in Frederick.
It’s not a huge bar, but a sleek one with bartenders who are pros. The whiskey shelf is top-notch and includes lots of small-batch bourbons, locals, and crafts, and they turn this and more into unique cocktails. In fact, it’s the kind of bar where you will get enthralled just watching the bartender in front of you make drinks for others.
I love it when Frederick bars and restaurants feature local breweries, and Thacher and Rye does just that. On our last visit, they had several beers from Elder Pine Brewery (a great place to visit just past Laytonsville), including a Marzon that I tried that was perfect for October.
There is an option to eat at one of the high tops in the bar, which we have done several times. It makes for a slightly more casual and busy experience, but very cool as the bar has a great vibe and the same enticing menu.
Historic Building and Trendy Dining Rooms
When you approach T&R, you do not feel like you are entering a restaurant. In fact, it’s easy to miss. It’s housed in what looks like a classic downtown Frederick residence.
The hostess/check-in stand is basically in the foyer, but the most significant impact of the house-made restaurant location is the various dining room vibes.
If you aren’t eating in the bar, you’ll likely end up sitting in the main dining room. Here, the ‘big city’ restaurant characteristics of T&R are full on. Sleek lighting, art gallery-worthy wall decor, and professional servers who make you feel special.
For a completely different dining experience and my personal recommendation, ask for a table in the room that fronts the kitchen. I don’t know what they call this room or section, but the four tables in direct view of the chefs and sous-chefs is the highlight of the place in my opinion.
The Thacher and Rye Menu
While the decor and service are excellent, the food is the highlight. The Thacher and Rye menu follows a pseudo-Italian structure with first courses, pasta, and main courses, plus delectable ‘for the table’ items. The focus is on a combined dining experience.
Local ingredients are emphasized, and the dishes are creative and upscale. This includes beautiful salads, unique pastas, and curated main dishes.
There is even a burger option, and while I wouldn’t come to T&R for a burger and fries meal, I’m always amazed at how many other diners are.
They are big on local, and this goes for the wines as well. Old Westminster wines were on the menu on our last visit.
But most impressive of all is the upscale creative nature of the dishes. Salads are beautiful plates of food like you would expect at a high end steak house. Pastas items change regularly, but you’ll likely be trying something new and unique like orecchiette or ravioli with pumpkin pesto.
Main dishes are high end and curated: fish, short rib, steak, and the chicken dish is always something amazing (highly recommend).
The Shed at Thacher and Rye to Get Outdoors
Yet another delightful section of T&R that you can turn into an entirely different type of visit is The Shed at Thacher and Rye. The old restaurant building has an outdoor courtyard surrounded by breezy trees and brick walls, which has been turned into an outdoor upscale cafe.
The Shed has its own menu with gourmet snacks (like oysters and old bay fries), signature cocktails, and drinks, which you can enjoy sitting in white Adirondacks.
The Shed is different in that you’re more likely to drop in on a whim while walking by on a busy day in downtown Frederick. But it’s another significant part of this restaurant.
What Else You Need to Know about Thacher and Rye
Traveling to D.C. or Baltimore for a big city night out in one our countries great cities is fabulous, and yet another great thing about living in Frederick. But as described above you can get this experience right in our back yard at Thacher and Rye.
A few other things to consider about Thatcher and Rye:
Address: 228 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701- Web: www.thacherandrye.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/thacherandrye
- TripAdvisor: Review
- Parking: T&R has its own lot!
- Reservations: recommended either by phone (240.332.3186) or OpenTable
- We have not tried it, but T&R does Brunch
- Great place for Private Events (very cool private dining room)
Address: 228 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
