Best restaurants in Frederick, Maryland. There are a lot, but we narrow down the best places in town so you can enjoy your trip to the max!

The 10 Best Restaurants In Frederick, Maryland

Looking for the best restaurants in Frederick, Maryland? You’re in the right place! From casual favorites to fine dining, we’ve narrowed down the best places to eat in Frederick so you can head straight to the best of the best!

5 Best Restaurants In Frederick, Maryland You Must Try

Frederick Maryland has long been known for its history as an important city during the Civil War. And while many of the best things to do in Frederick do focus on the Civil War sites and museums, the Maryland city is beginning to attract another crowd – foodies.

Just within the historic downtown district, you’ll find over 30 restaurants serving up everything from Southern BBQ to international cuisine. New restaurants are opening regularly and it’s become quite a foodie destination on the East coast. (Which makes sense, as it’s an easy weekend getaway from major cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C.)

While we may not be hardcore foodies or food critics, we LOVE food and always make an effort to seek out the best restaurants in any destination we visit.

With so many incredible restaurants in historic Frederick, it was hard to choose but I think we did a good job of finding the best places to eat in Frederick – including where to find the best chocolate and wine (two VERY important things!)

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The Wine Kitchen

50 Carroll Creek Way #160, Frederick, MD 21701

The Wine Kitchen is considered one of the best restaurants in downtown Frederick. We loved this restaurant before we had even walked in. It’s right on Carroll Creek, a mile-long park that has pedestrian paths, public art, and charming bridges. The views are nice outside, but the decor inside is great too and it has a very simple and modern feel to it.

Once we were seated, our waitress Laura was absolutely fantastic. She was so attentive and knew the menu inside and out. She also helped us decide what to order (it’s hard when everything on the menu sounds amazing!). The first thing we ordered was a flight of wine: Traminette, Moscato, and Riesling. As a starter, we had homemade pappardelle. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but the best parts of the dish were the thick chunks of bacon and the sauce.

For our main dish, we chose to have duck and were quite pleased with our selection. The chef was inspired by African flavors so Ethiopian spices were used to prepare the meal; those spices made the dish absolutely delightful and the flavors incredible! The duck itself was cooked perfectly and came with onions, pickled chips, and a peach vinaigrette.

Finally, for dessert, we had the banana chocolate pavé. This small chocolate cake was paired perfectly with banana ice cream and a caramelized banana. We walked (slowly) out of The Wine Kitchen with big smiles on our faces and we know that you will too.

homemade pappardelle at The Wine Kitchen, one of the best restaurants in Frederick Maryland
Homemade pappardelle
Duck
Delicious Duck
Banana chocolate pavé
Banana chocolate pavé

Zoe’s Chocolate Co.

121 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701

We had read about Zoe’s when we were first researching where to eat in Frederick. All of the reviews were great, so of course we made a beeline straight for it. The heavenly smell of chocolate gets your mouth drooling as soon as you walk through the door!

Zoe’s is a family-run company that makes everything fresh, using local and sustainable products. We walked back and forth, admiring all of the flavor combinations and cute packaging. Everything looked so perfect! From chocolate bars to hot chocolate drink mixes and from cacao spice rubs to chocolate-covered chickpeas, Zoe’s Chocolate Co. has it all!

The chocolate is made fresh, using local and sustainable products
The chocolate is made fresh, using local and sustainable products
Chocolate
So much yummy chocolate!

North Market Pop Shop

241 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701

If you’re a fan of old-school soda pop, you’ll love the North Market Pop Shop! They have over 400 flavors, most of which are cane-sugar sweetened and in glass bottles. They also have a big selection of root beers and ice cream. And just so you know, you can have a float made with any combination of soda and ice cream!

During our visit, Amanda explained the different products and even helped us decide which ice cream to try. We’ve been on a bit of a PB&J kick ever since we had a PB&J burger in Tallahassee so when she recommended their PB&J ice cream we knew that we had to have it. It was delicious!! We also decided to try one of their sodas and since Halloween was around the corner, we decided on the Zombie Brain Juice. It surprisingly tasted a lot like strawberry orange. 😉

Great sodas and root beers at North Market Pop Shop
Great sodas and root beers at North Market Pop Shop
So many options!
So many options!

Beans & Bagels

49 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD 21701

One morning, we needed a quick breakfast before we headed off to visit Monocacy National Battlefield. We had randomly asked locals for their recommendations and they all suggested Beans & Bagels. You can enjoy a sit-down breakfast as well, but what we loved was that you could order from a huge selection of breakfast sandwiches and take them to-go.

We ordered an egg, cheese, and bacon sandwich on a plain bagel and coffee. And even though they’re Steelers fans… we’d love to go back and try out some of their pastries. All of the pies and muffins on display looked really appetizing.

Beans & Bagels is one of the best Frederick restaurants for breakfast
Beans & Bagels is one of the best Frederick restaurants for breakfast
Look at those pies!
Look at those pies!

Voila! in Frederick ~ Special Teas & Other Goodness

10 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701

This is probably the cutest shop in all of Frederick! It’s warm, inviting, and it smells incredible. Now, to be completely honest, we’re not really that into tea. But one of my best friends is and we recently tried some herbal kombucha on a food tour in West Palm Beach, so it’s growing on us.

We loved that we could sample some of their teas and how knowledgeable the staff was. They were very patient with our many questions and helped us pick out the perfect chai tea. We also learned a bit about tea while we were there since we didn’t know that there were so many different varieties (like fruit teas!). Voila seems like the perfect place for both tea newbies and tea connoisseurs.

You can sample some of their teas
You can sample some of their teas
You can get tea and various tea-related items
You can get tea and various tea-related items

More Restaurants in Frederick, Maryland

We made an effort to try as many different places to eat in Frederick as possible but alas, there are only so many meal times in a day (even if you an add extra second breakfast or snack in here and there!). Here are some of the other top-rated restaurants in Frederick, MD that are on our list to check out the next time we visit!

Manalù Italian Restaurant

5227 Presidents Ct. Frederick, MD 21703

Manalù is one of the top-rated Italian restaurants in Frederick, combining your favorite pasta dishes with fine dining. It’s the place for authentic Italian food from pasta to pizza, with a brick oven for cooking the best Pizza Napoletana.

Even better, it’s a family-run business. The name Manalù actually comes from the names of the chef’s children – MA for Marco, NA for Naomi, and Lu for Lucia.

Some of the most loved menu items include the stuffed manicotti, arrabbiata, and calamari fritters – all paired with a glass of wine, of course!

Black Hog BBQ

118 South Market St Frederick, MD and 221 Shorebird St Frederick, MD21701

If you’re craving some good Southern BBQ, look no further than Black Hog BBQ, by far one of the best casual restaurants in Frederick. They’re so well loved that they now operate several different locations in Maryland and one in Virginia – including two in Frederick.

As you might expect, the menu is filled with various BBQ meats, including all types of smoked pork, grilled BBQ chicken, St Louis spare ribs, burgers, chicken wings, and more. Add a classic side like mac and cheese or potato salad and you might have the best comfort food in Frederick on your plate!

White Rabbit Gastropub

18 Market Space, Frederick, MD 21701

Frequently considered one of the best places to eat in Frederick, White Rabbit Gastropub offers up elevated bar food in a relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere. With gorgeous outdoor seating you should definitely take advantage of in nice weather, White Rabbit is one of the most fun places to eat in Frederick.

On their menu, you’ll find local craft beer alongside sandwiches, soups, salads, and Detroit-style pizza (we fell in love with this style of pizza after our trip to Detroit). And we’re not talking basic sandwiches and salads. They’re offering up unique twists like a Greek Burger topped with tzatziki and served with feta fries and the Bama Bird Sandwich, with slow-roasted chicken topped in a white Alabama sauce. You can even get crab poutine! They also offer several options for vegetarians.

Mayta’s Peruvian Cuisine

5010 Buckeystown Pike #148, Frederick, MD 21704

One thing we loved about the food scene in Frederick was how diverse it was. You can literally travel the world through food! One international restaurant that stands out as one of the best in Frederick is Mayta’s Peruvian cuisine.

While you won’t find cuy on the menu, you will find all sorts of other traditional Peruvian dishes, including ceviche, aji de gallina (Peruvian spicy creamed chicken), and lots of grilled meats, kabobs, and seafood dishes as well. There’s even a handful of Chinese-Peruvian fusion dishes!

Considering how much I loved traveling around Peru, I can’t wait to return to Frederick to try some of these dishes!

The Tasting Room

101 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701

For the best fine dining in Frederick, Maryland, look no further than The Tasting Room. Open since 2001, The Tasting Room combines international European cuisine with an extensive wine and spirit menu.

The dinner menu offers up dishes like PEI mussels and sea scallops for seafood lovers, as well as duck, lamb, filet mignon, and more. They’re also one of the top brunch spots in Frederick, with options like salmon cakes, lobster omelets, French toast, and steak and eggs.

Reservations are highly recommended!

Final Thoughts On Restaurants In Frederick

What did you think of the culinary delights in Frederick, Maryland? Have you been to Frederick? Are there any other places you’d recommend for us to visit on our next trip? We’d love to read your comments below! 🙂

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Best restaurants in Frederick, Maryland. There are a lot, but we narrow down the best places in town so you can enjoy your trip to the max!

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30 Comments

  1. Next visit try Vintage in New Market. Great cocktails and interesting and varied menu with a variety of items and prices.

    1. Hi Maureen! Actually, I did stop there as well. A good friend of mine lives in New Market and she recommended we go there one night. The decor is so lovely and, like you said, the menu has a lot of great options. 🙂

  2. I must admit, I hadn’t even heard of Frederick, Maryland, but it looks like you found some great spots. Any town that has designated chocolate and tea shops is okay by me!

  3. I’ve always wanted to visit Frederick as I’d see the sign for the exit each time I drove to Virginia Beach (which was often). I’ve always been attracted by the history, but now it looks as though I’ll have to check it out for the food.

    1. Hi Tonya! Oh, there is so much amazing history in that area. I’ll be writing more about things to do In Frederick soon. Check back next week! 🙂

  4. As you know, I was recently in Frederick, too. I ate brunch at Isabella’s Taverna & Tapas Bar in the cute historic downtown before going wine tasting in that region. I actually lived in the Washington, D.C., area for 3.5 years, and this was my first time visiting Frederick! Since one of my good friends lives downtown there, I’m sure I’ll be visiting Frederick again on my future visits to the D.C. area. She and I will have to check out some of these restaurants next time!

    1. Oh that’s awesome! There are so many places to visit there. I know you and your friend will enjoy your time there.

  5. The Wine Kitchen sounds so good. I love the thought of the African flavor combinations. 😉 I have never been to that part of the state. Looks nice.

    1. It’s beautiful Melody! I really think you’d fall in love with it. 🙂

  6. All lovely places. But I for one would straight away head towards Zoe’s Chocolate Co.. The chocolates appear tantalizingly tempting.

  7. I have not been to Frederick yet, but now I want to go and eat everywhere you ate. I definitely want to try the banana chocolate pavé!

  8. Frederick has some great places. I even went to a Cuban place for lunch a few years ago. You would appreciate that, being from So Fla. Volt is still on my mind as a place to try there.

    1. Hi Charles! I actually saw the Cuban restaurant. I walked in to see if the owners were Cuban and they were! I didn’t have time to stop, but it’s definitely on my list for next time. 🙂

  9. Great list! Zoe’s Chocolate shop seems like something I would love to stop by. The pop shop also seems so cute, as well as the tea place! It’s nice to see a Doner place is the U.S. like the ones they have in Germany… they are so good!!

  10. Oh man all of this food looks delicious! I think I would find my chill spot at The Wine Kitchen. I would have to struggle to leave the same weight as I would enter Frederick with!

  11. What a great list! I have my nephew there and he is a foodie! I’ll ask him if he has seen all these places or not. I bet not.

    Thanks for sharing this gem.

  12. Great suggestions! I would love to check all of these out. Zoe’s Chocolate Co. and the Pop Shop look amazing and the Wine Kitchen would be right up my alley! I’d love to explore Frederick, Maryland, sometime–I’ve never been!

  13. What an eclectic list of foodie establishments, Vicky! The North Market Pop Shop looks especially interesting. I think Jerry and I drove through Frederick a few years ago when we took the Amtrak Auto Train from Florida to Virginia and explored historical sites in the area before driving all the way back home.

    1. The pop shop was definitely one of my favorites! How cool that you drove though it, maybe it’s time for a return trip? 😉

  14. I’ve been wanting to visit Frederick, it looks so cute and it looks like there are tons of of great places to eat.

    1. Oh you should Brianna! It’s not that far from you, you could easily spend a weekend there. 🙂

  15. Take me to that pop shop. Now. What an incredible place with all these vintage brands. I don’t think you could get me out of there again.

    1. Haha! I totally understand! There are so many flavors!

  16. A walk to a historical city like Frederick is surely interesting. The view from the outside feels like traveling back in time but the feeling inside every restaurant is modern. If I have to choose one I’ll probably pick North Market Pop Shop. The little shop looks quirky and the idea of 400+ varieties of sodas is WOW, where in this world you can find such plenty of choice. I’m a lover of Ice cream too so I would definitely love this place.

    1. Hi Trisha! Frederick is such an awesome blend of old and new. It has a little bit for everyone! 🙂

  17. What an awesome list. The Pop shop and the chocolate place is where you’ll find me. Maryland is going on my to go to list. Great post.

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