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The Best Restaurants in Frederick MD – A Local’s Guide

Glenn VanLandingham — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 21:14:00 +0000

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Nicole and I have lived in Frederick for years, and visiting restaurants is one of our favorite things to do. We’ve eaten virtually everywhere in this town, so this article is our honest ranking of the Best Restaurants in Frederick, MD.

The Frederick, MD, restaurant scene is highly underrated and often overshadowed by its D.C. and Baltimore neighbors.

But for a town its size, the diversity of places to eat in Frederick is tremendous, and new Frederick restaurants seem to always be popping up.

Quick Pick Frederick MD Restaurants

Downtown Frederick Restaurants Map

Did we miss a place? Did we rank something too high or low? Let us know in the comments.

(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you book or purchase through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

1. Wye Oak Tavern (Frederick, MD)

Upscale – Voltaggio – Downtown – Washington Post Ranked – Special Occasion

Why We Love It: It’s only been a little more than a year since the December 2024 opening of the Wye Oak Tavern at the brand new Visitation Hotel in downtown Frederick. But the hype and buzz are still there.

Wye Oak Tavern is a creation of celebrity chefs and Frederick’s own Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. It’s an upscale restaurant whose prominent feature is not just its menu, but its location in what was once a monastery’s chapel. The bar, for example, is built around the former altar (!?).

The former sacred aspects of the restaurant are a huge part of the dining experience. But the bar, food menu, and service are stellar. The menu is varied, with a focus on beef and steaks, and a big emphasis on local.

I noticed recently that Wye Oak made Tom Sietsema’s 2025 Top 40 Restaurants in Around D.C.

Nicole and I have returned there several times, and can personally confirm we are lucky to have this restaurant in Frederick!

Check Out Glenn and Nicole's Visit to The Visitation Hotel and Wye Oak Tavern!

2. Up on Market Bistro (Frederick, MD)

French Bistro – Brunch – Steak – Wine – Downtown

Why We Love It: Up on Market has plenty to love, especially if you like French- or European-style bistros. It’s set in a historic building at the north end of Market Street and has been transformed into a bistro that looks very Parisian.

The menu has exquisite French classics like duck, bourguignon, and moules (mussels). It may also be the best place to get a steak in Frederick, as the filet mignon with frites is divine.

The French-inspired wine list and unique offering of aperitifs and digestifs make it an even more enjoyable place to dine. It also has a fabulous brunch on the weekends.

Nicole and I adore this place, and we always try to get Francis, the owner/operator, to serve us (and recommend you do the same). His life-story only enhances the experience!

Up on Market is jointly run with Inn on Market, a four-room inn that’s one of the best places to stay in Frederick.

3. BackSlash Burger (Frederick, MD)

Burgers – Fries – Brewery – Downtown

Why We Love It: It may be odd to have a burger joint this high on the list, especially one in the back of a brewery.

But this is truly one of our favorite dining experiences in Frederick. Of the many places to get a burger in Frederick, the best is BackSlash Burger.

The fact that you can pair it with craft beer from Olde Mother Brewing (Fifty Fifty is in the back of this top-rated Frederick brewery) only makes it better.

Many of you may know BackSlash from its previous name – Fifty Fifty Burger. They rebranded in February 2026. Yes, they still serve the same great smashburgers.

BackSlash also has excellent chicken sandwiches, and a MUST order is the Old Bay Fries. Enjoy!

Planning a Trip to Frederick, Maryland?

We are locals! Let’s us guide and ensure you get the best deals.

Top Rated Hotels in Frederick

Best Overall Hotel. The Visitation Hotel
Best Luxury Hotel. The Visitation Hotel
Best Budget Hotel. Econo Lodge I-70
Best Bed and Breakfast. 10 Clarke B&B
Best Downtown Location. The Wedgewood Inn
Best Hotel for Families. Homewood Suites by Hilton Frederick

Looking for a rental? Check out the best Airbnb and VRBOs in Frederick.

Book Adventure Tours around Frederick

4. White Rabbit Gastropub (Frederick, MD)

Gastropub – Pizza – Craft Beer – Cocktails – Downtown

Why We Love It: The most difficult part of eating at White Rabbit is finding the place (it’s tucked away 1/2 block off Market Street) and getting a table (no reservations). But once you are there, dining at White Rabbit is one of the best experiences in Frederick.

White Rabbit accurately describes itself as a Gastropub. It has a pub atmosphere, with an interesting beer list and killer cocktails.

But it also serves restaurant-worthy food, including delicious appetizers, salads, and sandwiches (including a great burger).

As locals know, White Rabbit’s forte is pizza, and their Detroit-style pizza is some of the best pizza you can find in Frederick.

In fact, one of Nicole’s and my favorite things to do on a night out in Frederick is to secure two seats at the upstairs bar at White Rabbit (one of the best bars in Frederick).

I usually indulge in some interesting craft beer while she has cocktails, but we both enjoy their fabulous Detroit-style pizza. It’s a must-do in Frederick!

5. The Wine Kitchen on the Creek (Frederick, MD)

Upscale – Date Night – Wine Focused – Carroll Creek

Why We Love It: This is another of Frederick’s special occasion restaurants. The Wine Kitchen on the Creek benefits from a stellar location right on Carroll Creek, and its wine-oriented fine-dining concept with plenty of creative flair.

There’s a variety of steak dishes, as well as other appetizers and entrees that pair well with the wine (like duck, paella, and gnocchi).

Of course, wine lovers will enjoy the internationally focused wine list, which is organized to encourage ordering ‘flights’ (sets of 3-4 tastes of wine).

We love the Wine Kitchen because it’s an upscale place in Frederick and often lively (a great bar for drinks in Frederick).

Plus, it’s so centrally located that you can stroll Carroll Creek before or after your meal or hit up another Frederick hot spot for another drink (try out the McClintock Back Bar!).

Watch Nicole and Glenn's Date Night at The Wine Kitchen on the Creek!

6. Bentztown (Frederick, MD)

Gastropub – Nashville-Theme – Live Music – Southern Cuisine

Why We Love It: Bentztown opened in 2024 in Frederick and is already one of our favorites.

It’s a creation of the owners of Monocacy Brewing and Brewer’s Alley, with a Nashville/Music City theme that combines a great bar, upscale Southern food, and live performances.

There are delicious modern Southern appetizers and entrees, but the sandwiches seem the most popular, and for good reason. Handhelds like the smoked BBQ brisket, nasty hot chicken, and smash burger are the stars of this gastropub.

A plethora of cocktails, whiskeys, draft beers, and even bourbon flights make this a great drinks venue. Check out the events schedule and possibly visit on an afternoon or evening when a local band is playing.

Watch Nicole and Glenn Visit Bentztown in Frederick!

Book Your Frederick Hotel or Rental

7. Hootch and Banter (Frederick, MD)

Gastropub – Cozy Vibe – Cocktails – Brunch – Downtown

Why We Love It: As a Frederick resident, the problem with building a list like this is that you have so many favorite places. For example, Hootch and Banter could easily be my favorite place in Frederick to go for a drink and a meal.

H&B is small but packs a large punch. The menu includes some of the best sandwiches in town (try The Banter 2.0 – corned beef), and also some great elevated pub entrees.

It has one of my favorite bars in town (it’s small, so fight for a seat). It serves creative cocktails and a wide selection of local beers.

Because it is small, centrally located, and doesn’t take reservations, getting a table or a seat at the bar at H&B makes any day feel like a special day.

8. Il Porto (Frederick, MD)

Italian – Trattoria – Pasta – Wine – Downtown

Why We Love It: Frederick residents and visitors can get a taste of Little Italy without going all the way to Baltimore at Il Porto, Frederick’s best Italian restaurant.

Il Porto serves up traditional Italian in a casual environment on the south side of downtown.

This place is packed on weekends, with diners enjoying pasta, specials like Rockfish and Ossobucco, and lots of red Italian wine. The classics like lasagna and eggplant parm are fabulous.

It’s a ‘can’t miss’ menu, and you can return for many meals without ordering the same thing.

Save room for dessert – fabulous tiramisu and cannoli!

9. The Tasting Room (Frederick, MD)

Modern – Upscale – Date Night – Downtown

Why We Love It: We consider The Tasting Room one of the anchor restaurants in downtown Frederick. It’s located right in the heart of the city, at the corner of Market and Church Street, and is one of the best fine-dining restaurants in Frederick.

Open since 2000, The Tasting Room is rivaled by only a few places in Frederick for the sophistication of its food and wine menu (The Wine Kitchen is probably most similar).

The bar and cocktails list alone are worth visiting, and while somewhat small, it’s one of the best places to get a cocktail in downtown Frederick.

After some remodeling in 2024, the dining room is also more modern and stylish than ever. The giant windows overlooking downtown Frederick make it one of the city’s best places for fine dining.

10. The Garage (Frederick, MD)

Hidden Gem – Pizza – Burgers – Casual – Trendy

Why We Love It: The Garage is one of those off-the-beaten-path places that you find and make your hometown amazing.

It’s located in an industrial area near the airport, close to Dragon Distillery, and not in a heavily trafficked area where people are looking for pizza or beer.

But once discovered, it’s immediately on your regular rotation of restaurants.

Their specialty is pizza, which they cook in their wood-fired oven, producing many interesting creations (such as the Farrell – white sauce, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and truffle oil).

But our recommended Epic Meal is the burger. In fact, the Garage may have the best burger in Frederick, and when paired with a craft beer and their Old Bay Fries, you have just discovered one of the best eating experiences in Frederick.

11. Dutch's Daughter (Frederick, MD)

Vintage – Steakhouse – Traditional – Upscale Bar

Why We Love It: This is another Frederick restaurant that could be much higher on the list. Dutch’s Daughter is probably the most popular restaurant in Frederick, and if you’ve been there for a steak dinner, you know why.

Dutch’s has a 40-year history in the area and has built its reputation by serving signature steaks, crab cakes, and everything else that makes a steakhouse great.

The Dutch’s Daughter menu also includes a great wine list and some delectable desserts.

Dutch’s Daughter is a big restaurant with multiple dining rooms. For the best vibe, we recommend you try it at Dutch’s Dungeon, the basement bar. You definitely want to make a reservation (by phone only).

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12. Showroom (Frederick, MD)

Modern – Voltaggio – Lunch/Brunch – Southern Diner

Why We Love It: Showroom is another special restaurant in Frederick. A versatile spot, it’s a premier brunch restaurant in Frederick and excellent for lunch or dinner as well.

Showroom is another Bryan Voltaggio creation (Wye Oak Tavern), and the theme is ‘modern American’. It’s undergone a few name changes; some residents probably remember it as Family Meal until it was rebranded in 2021.

Showroom is set up like a diner. In fact, our favorite way to enjoy it is at the counter.

The food is upscale Southern diner food. There are some killer appetizers like deviled eggs and cheddar chive biscuits, and entrees like fried half chicken and meatloaf.

Showroom has one of the best brunch menus in town. The chicken & waffles and biscuits with sausage gravy are fantastic. Oh…Showroom serves alcohol, including ‘adult milkshakes‘!

13. Cucina Massi (Frederick, MD)

Italian – Local – Trattoria – Red Wine – Downtown

Why We Love It: The back terrace! Cucina Massi is another excellent Italian restaurant in Frederick that evokes Little Italy in Baltimore.

It serves all the classics with some Maryland influence (Linguini with Crab Meat).

But what we love most about this place is the back terrace.

In nice weather, you can opt to dine in the very back of the restaurant, outside on this lovely terrace tucked away in the middle of downtown Frederick. It has a great vibe and is one of the best dining experiences in town.

But don’t sleep on the food at Cucina Massi. I’ve had the lasagna, eggplant parm, and margarita pizza. They are all fabulous, and there’s a great list of Italian wines to enjoy.

14. Tsunami Ramen (Frederick, MD)

Asian – Eclectic – Ramen – Cocktails – Downtown

Why We Love It: Ramen is often associated with cheap food that college kids eat, and finding delicious gourmet ramen can be hard. But you can find tasty and creative ramen at Tsunami Ramen right in downtown Frederick.

It’s an eclectic place with colorful Asian decor and an interesting menu, featuring Asian-themed appetizers and creative cocktails that incorporate ingredients like shochu, a Japanese spirit.

The ramen is the star of the show, and they offer a variety of flavorful ramen dishes featuring chicken, pork, or vegetables. There are classic Japanese-style flavors, as well as several spicy curry ramen options.

We don’t get takeout very often, but when we do, we often get Tsunami ramen takeout to eat at home.

15. Maxwell's Burgers & Shakes (Frederick, MD)

Burgers – Shakes – Fries – Beers – Downtown

Why We Love It: Frederick is lucky to have several great burger joints in town, and one of the best is Maxwell’s.

Located on Patrick St, a few blocks from Market, Maxwell’s does burgers, fries, shakes, and adult beverages right. It’s one of our ‘go-to’ places for a no-decision-making meal in Frederick.

Maxwell’s is a creation of Wine Kitchen on the Creek (the same owners). The Steakhouse Burgers and Waygu Burger are tremendous, and when paired with Maxwell’s fries or tater tots and a shake, it’s a slam-dunk meal.

Maxwell’s also serves wine and beer, including local favorite Attaboy beer.

Don’t sleep on the Chicken Sandwich or WK Fish O Filet. Vegans will appreciate that all burgers can be made Impossible.

A must-visit place in Frederick!

Browse Frederick Restaurants by Category

Italian

The Best Italian Restaurants in Frederick.

Pizza

The Best Pizza in Frederick.

Burger

The Best Burger Restaurants in Frederick.

Steak

The Best Steakhouses in Frederick.

Brewery

The Best Frederick Breweries. Food trucks included.

Winery

The Best Wineries around Frederick.

Coffee

The Best Coffee Ships in Frederick.

Brunch

The Best Brunch Restaurants in Frederick.

Bars

The Best Bars in downtown Frederick.

The Frederick Maryland Restaurant Scene

One of the things that attracted both Nicole and me to Fredrick was the vibrant restaurant and bar scene, especially downtown.

After many years living in the area, we have a long list of Frederick eateries we rotate through regularly.

Frederick is growing, and new restaurants are consistently opening in the area. We love being early visitors to a new place in town.

One of the prime contributors to Frederick’s upscale culinary scene is celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio (Wye Oak Tavern and Showroom). But you can just as easily find great pizza or a delicious burger in Frederick.

Note that this list mostly includes Downtown Frederick Restaurants. Most of our favorites and best restaurants in Frederick are in the downtown area along Market Street.

A few places on the list, such as Dutch’s Daughter, The Garage, and Ricci, are located in the outlying neighborhoods of Frederick and are definitely worth checking out.

What Criteria Do We Use in Rankings?

We rank restaurants based on the overall dining experience (which admittedly is highly subjective). But in no particular order, here are the criteria for a great dining experience:

The Food Menu and Quality of Food
The Drink Menu and Quality of Drinks (wine list, beer list, cocktail list)
The Restaurant’s Overall Vibe
Dining Area, with a bonus for Outdoors
The Service
Local Ingredients – Local Meat, Produce, Wines, Beers, Spirits (very important to us)

Changes in the Frederick Restaurant Scene Going Into 2026

As in most years, Frederick had several restaurant openings and closings in 2025. The Ordinary Hen, which replaced local favorite Thacher and Rye in 2024, closed in 2025.

A new restaurant (7th Sister) has opened in the same building, led by Chef Christian Blouin, who was previously at Firestone’s Tavern.

Speaking of Firestone’s, its previous prominent location at the corner of N. Market and Church St. has a new venue. Fire and Oak Culinary Tavern opened in December 2025 and has a similar vibe.

New or Re-Opened Frederick Restaurants in 2025

FAQs - Frederick MD Restaurants

What's The Best Restaurant in Frederick, MD?

New Rooftop Takes Black Hog BBQ Frederick to Another Level

Glenn VanLandingham — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:28:06 +0000

Every town needs a good BBQ joint, and in downtown Frederick, that place is Black Hog BBQ. Black Hog is a local chain with multiple locations in Frederick, plus restaurants in Middletown, Urbana, and Ashburn. It’s a casual pit BBQ-type place that reminds me of the BBQ joints in Georgia that my uncle used to drag me and my cousins to when we visited in the summer.

The Black Hog BBQ spot in Downtown Frederick has recently undergone a transformation that has made it even better, and one of the better downtown restaurants in Frederick to eat or drink.

A Nine Month Shut Down for Renovations

In August 2023, Black Hog BBQ Frederick closed its doors for renovations and did not reopen until this spring. The restaurant had been in this downtown location since 2007, but the owners decided it needed a makeover.

Renovations included a larger kitchen, doubling the square footage of the restaurant, and (most exciting to diners) a rooftop bar and dining area. In our opinion, having visited recently, the rooftop at Black Hog Frederick immediately makes it one of the coolest places to eat and drink in downtown Frederick!

Black Hog BBQ in Downtown Frederick MD: Basics

Black Hog BBQ is in downtown Frederick, right on South Market Street, a few blocks from Carroll Creek Park:

Address: 118 S Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
Web: blackhogbbq.com/locations/downtown-frederick
Facebook: facebook.com/BlackHogBBQ
Phone: +1.240.575.9062
Price Range: $$
Reservations: none
Menu: Black Hog BBQ Menu Link

The Black Hog BBQ Rooftop Bar and Seating Area: Game Changer!

The owners of Black Hog hit a home run with the new rooftop. They’ve created something new that didn’t really exist in downtown Frederick previously. While downtown has lots of great spots, and many have outdoor seating, hanging out on the roof at Black Hog and looking out over Frederick while you enjoy BBQ and drinks is a unique way to spend a day or evening downtown.

The roof at Black Hog has a simple bar with bar seating and some high tops and also a lounge-type seating area for enjoying the outdoors. I highly recommend checking it out on a nice day.

The Black Hog BBQ Drink Menu

As far as dining at Black Hog, it’s been a great place to get a casual and delicious meal in Frederick for a long time. The drink menu emphasizes bourbon and bourbon-oriented cocktails. Nicole had the Original Old Fashion during our last visit.

Both the rooftop bar and the inside downstairs bar are cool places to hang out and enjoy a beer, cocktail, or glass of wine. I was pretty impressed with the remodeled indoor bar.

The Black Hog BBQ Menu: Really Good BBQ

People tend to think that BBQ is a bit like pizza, a food category with a high floor and seemingly hard to mess up. But I’ve been to enough BBQ joints across the country to know that there’s a pretty wide gap between ‘very average’ and ‘very good’ BBQ. We are lucky in Frederick to have a legit BBQ joint like Black Hog.

The Black Hog BBQ menu is a delicious journey, and it’s hard not to love it. It’s well organized, like a BBQ menu should: choose your protein (brisket, turkey, pork, sausage, or a combo) and decide if you want a platter or sandwich.

There are some great alternatives as well such as spare ribs, gumbo, and tacos. You are gonna need multiple visits to truly enjoy this place.

Like any good BBQ joint, Black Hog emphasizes the sides and serves all the greatest hits. Beans, mac and cheese, southern greens (my favorite), cornbread, and cole slaw are all there.

Show up hungry and plan on leaving extremely satisfied.

A Great Location and Free Parking!

If the rooftop setting and authentic BBQ haven’t sold you on Black Hog, there’s more. It’s one of the few downtown Frederick restaurants with a free parking lot! Not that parking in downtown Frederick is difficult (one of the reasons we love it), but it’s a nice perk.

This venue is a short stroll from Carroll Creek, and all the other hot spots and places to get a drink downtown Frederick. So you can easily turn Black Hog into your dinner destination on a night out downtown.

The post New Rooftop Takes Black Hog BBQ Frederick to Another Level first appeared on EpicBend.