Friday Free-For-All: Top 10 Restaurants
Occasionally I check the stats and the search engine terms that bring people here to FrederickMarylandOnline and one caught my eye the other day that got me thinking. The search was “top 10 restaurants in Frederick, MD” and I thought, hmmm, I’ve never really thought to try and put together a top 10 list. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy! If you could see my scratch paper with restaurants crossed off and moved up or down the list, you’d see how difficult this was for me. I have my own personal favorites (some of which are chains that I purposely omitted from my list, mostly because I think I prefer the people who work at those places rather than the actual food), but I decided to put together a list of my family’s favorites rather than my own. Here’s mine:
10: Barley and Hops
9: La Paz (one of older daughter’s favorite)
8: Toppings (great bread for the subs, great wings, good pizza)
7: Pane e Vino (Mt. Airy)
6: El Paso (younger daughter’s favorite)
5: Cacique
4: Mangia e Bevi (best pizza, in my opinion)
3: Acacia (good for special occasions)
2: Isabella’s
1: Monocacy Crossing (yummy everything I’ve ever had there, especially the scallops appetizer)
I’ve left off certain places that are known for their seafood because I’m allergic to crabs, shrimp and lobster.
What’s on your list?
Brewer’s Alley, Meally’s, and I know it’s a little far, but my favorite restaurant: Schmankerl Stube in Hagerstown.
Bunny, I remember you commenting about Mealy’s being sold. Have you been there since? I hope it’s still a top fave of yours. I love Schmankerl Stube!!
Where is Schmankerl Stube?
In downtown Hagerstown.
http://www.schmankerlstube.com/
Naturally, Dutch’s. Never had a bad meal there. I also love G Hunter’s, May’s, and Isabella’s. Acacia would have been on my list except my husband and I had a very bland meal there last time, even though the waiter was wonderful. We previously loved that place, but the last bad experience will probably keep us away forever.
A few impressions:
Many, many people give high marks to Monocacy Crossing. I haven’t been there in several years.
La Paz is about as bad as Mexican food can get. I’ve lived all over the SW, California and Florida. La Paz is easily outclassed by several Frederick county restaurants. Some of the dishes turned out by the kitchen have astonished me–and not in a good way.
Dutch’s Daughter probably was quite good–during the Nixon Administration. Today, it’s vastly overpriced and its kitchen uninspired. The originality and execution just aren’t there. Running on reputation.
A lot of people think Isabella’s has dropped a notch or two since its inaugural year. I’m not sure I agree.
It’s getting harder to find truly accomplished food in Frederick County.
I see no one has mentioned Tasting Room yet.
I AGREE! LA PAZ is absolutely the WORST Mexican food I’ve ever had. Frozen burritos kick their butt. It boggles my mind that people go there…..and then go back! True, true, I’ve been three times. I went the second time thinking “It can’t really be as bad as I remember. I’ll just have fajitas. How bad can they screw up fajitas, right?” The seasonings they used made the fajitas taste like asian stir fry! Try THAT with guacamole. The third time I just went for margaritas thinking that at least those would be good. They aren’t. I know they have outdoor dining and a nice sign but really??
So Noelle, what would you put on your list of favorites?
Some of my favorites are:
- Brick Ridge Inn in Mount Airy
- Mamma Lucia’s
- Lucky Corner
- Hinode’s
-That Cuban Place
- Mexicalli Cantina (I find the service is much better than at Cacique, they have a lot of the same dishes but are less expensive; but they don’t have that fabulous salmon with the cream/caper sauce!)
- Cacique
- Acacia
- My Thai
- Nilgiris
Cafe Nola has got some great food and Illy coffee.
Mexicali Cantina.
Philly’s for cheesesteaks.
Toppings is definately the best pizza.
My husband was a bit surprised that I didn’t put Tasting Room on there. I just don’t care for it. The food is OK, but I hate how close the tables are and the lack of privacy. It just doesn’t have a good vibe in my opinion.
I forgot to add my thanks to Monica for making a list!!
As usual Dutch’s was named Best Restaurant in Frederick by Frederick Magazine (readers) for the umpteenth year in a row. Someone please explain to me what’s so special about this place… I find their menu boring.
I don’t really get it either, but then again, I can’t eat most of the things on their menu anyway.
Here is my faves in no particular order -
+ Lotus
+ Toppings
+ The Deli
+ Acacia
+ Dutches Daughter (it sounds like i’m in the minority on this one)
+ Libertytown Seafood (although it’s been awhile since I’ve been there)
+ Brewers Alley
+ Cacique
+ Lukes (although they haven’t been that good lately)
+ La Paz (mostly for the nice patio seating and the guacamole)
Great topic Liz, it was hard to think of ten and I’m sure I missed some.
My favorites are The Orchard, Bombay Grill, and Nilgiris.
La Paz that’s just plan NASTY!!!
I’m far from a cuisine snob but the fact that Dutch’s Daughter and La Paz were No. 1 picks by the Frederick magazine readers did cause me to raise an eyebrow. (Though it probably says more about the number and/or range of choices available than the tastes of the magazine’s readership.)
If any of you haven’t had the Garlic Rolls at Venuti’s, you’re missing out. I simply can’t stress that enough.
At Isabella’s, it’s the fried asparagus. Just like the garlic rolls, the name simply doesn’t do the dish justice.
Cacique has an amazing stuffed lobster dish, which might seem pricey at $25, but compared to what you’d get at Dutch’s, it’s fantastic.
G. Hunter’s, though I’ve only been there once, was a very good time, and as I type this, I wonder why I haven’t been back.
The same goes for Nilgiris. Only been once, but really should go back.
@FredRocks, I agree G. Hunters is good. Also, they have free apps today for the super bowl. They have a pretty good set-up for TV watching so it may be a place to check if your are in need of a place to watch the big game today.
Nilgiris is near the top of my list. I agree that La Paz doesn’t make the cut.
The “Best of” awards in Frederick Magazine go to the top vote getters, so if you have a large customer base, you already have a huge advantage. I’ve been to a couple of restaurants where the staff encourages people to vote for them. A popularity contest isn’t the same as “critically acclaimed.” Dutch’s baked potatoes arrive at the table wrapped in aluminum foil. There’s nothing on the menu that is creative, daring or finessed.
Interesting how few restaurant chains made the list. Ditto for Mealey’s, Old South Mountain Inn, the increasingly expensive Comus Inn, and Hagan’s Tavern.
Guy, wish you had run a spot on favorite restaurants/bars for watching the Super Bowl.
I usually only tend to eat out where there is good steak, prime rib, or chinese food – so Here is my fave list -
1. Lotus
2. Outback (ONLY for the Prime Rib though)
3. South Mountain Inn
4. Dutchess
5. Mexicali Cantina
6. Mealey’s for wednesday night seafood/prime rib buffet.
7. Lucky Corner
8. Toppings
9. Friscos (even thought it is not really a big rest.)
10. Libertytown Seafood
In no particular order:
Frisco’s – Best value by far and they make some really great and creative sandwiches
Luke’s – Excellent place for lunch
Danielle’s [Tauraso's] – I’m very surprised that no one else has mentioned this place…
Tasting Room – I somewhat agree with the comments on the atmosphere, but in terms of food quality, they are head and shoulders above the rest of the restaurants in town.
Mediterranean Grill – The MG is seriously under-appreciated in this town.
Acacia – I still like the place and they have the best wait staff in town, but their old menu was far superior.
Brewer’s Alley – BA puts Barley and Hops to shame in terms of beer quality, food quality, and atmosphere.
Quynn’s Attic – It’s probably too early to put them on a top-10 list and I’ve only been there once, but it was a really good experience and they are very promising.
Bombay Grill – They have the best lunch buffet in town and their food is excellent.
Isabella’s – The monthly wine dinners are outstanding and fun.
Becky and Shawn, thanks for mentioning AKA Frisco’s. I keep forgetting about that place!
@The Dude, that would have made an awesome post, but I am such a home body when it comes to the Superbowl I probably would have done a poor job of it.
P.S. Kickoff!
Gosh – reading through these reminded me of some of the great places in Frederick that I’ve forgotten about.
Dutch’s is good, but overpriced.
Agree with Shawn that Frisco’s has the best sandwiches.
Callahan’s (great cream of crab soup)
Bombay Grill (the buffet is wonderful)
Acacia
Mediterranean Grill (their tilapia dish is wonderful)
My Thai – larb gai is great
Cacique
Nido’s
The Orchard
Danielle’s – the only thing I get there is the mussel appetizer and it is the best!
May’s is great for steamed crabs, and pretty reasonably priced for AYCE.
Il Porto has great Italian.
Toppings has great pizza and subs.
Prefer El Paso to La Paz.
Myako (FSK Mall) for sushi.
I can’t do ten, but these are my top five reliably tasty places (in order of consistency):
1. Monocacy Crossing (my family enjoys eating here whenever they visit from Florida)
2. Brewer’s Alley
3. Lucky Corner
4. Thai Rice (I’m surprised no one else has mentioned this one yet)
5. Mediterranean Grill
This post has made me hungry…
I avoid chains whenever possible. My fave Tex-Mex place is Fajita Grande on the Golden Mile (on Willowdale by 84 Lumber). We go to Brewer’s Alley a lot, but the last few times, the service was slow and the food was not prepared how we ordered it. Acacia has a great lunch deal – 3 appetizers for $10. Bombay Grill also has a $10 lunch (buffet), which is great if you’re not sure which dishes you should try. Wags has the best burgers in my book (see Friday’s FNP, page 1). I miss Loco Jonny’s.
I visited the new La Dolce Vita and I would rather go there or Frederick Coffee Co. than Four-Bucks any day.
@ joules, I totally forgot about Wags, good call. Plus FourBucks is hilarious.
What is the best happy hour resturant?
Here is an old post with some happy hour suggestions. All the restaurants mentioned are still open except G Hunters.
http://frederickmarylandonline.com/2007/04/01/downtown-happy-hour/
Has anyone tried that place on 85 in Buckeystown? It’s in an inn or something, called “Quills?”
I recently made reservations at Cacique to show it off to friends we were meeting there. (The food is great.) We arrived 10 minutes early, but they did not hold our 6:30 reservations! And it was obvious that we would be waiting awhile, so we left. Fortunately, we were able to find a seating elsewhere. Disappointing.
I agree with anyone that said they don’t like LaPaz. It is a terrible example of mexican food and I think stays popular because a lot of people that have been going there for years have never had truly good mexican food. My favorites that haven’t been mentioned are:
1. Viet’s Aroma formerly Pho Cafe. I get their Pho once a week at least. it is probably the most addictive food I have ever had.
2. Donchicken on 40. It’s kind of new and if you like amazing chicken then this is the place. It’s located in the same strip mall as Watsons or whatever its called now.
LaPaz is best described as “MidAtlantic-Mexican.” What keeps it popular is the killer location.
The salsa looks like Cole slaw with a touch of ketchup in it. If someone can identify a worse salsa locally, please let me know.
The last time I visited the new place–a biz meeting, wouldn’t you know–they served some dish with what looked and tasted like American cheese. A tag-along friend from San Diego took 3 or 4 bites, and pushed her plate away. She reached for the salsa, reconsidered, then ordered two more beers. Smart gal!
Hey, I forgot to mention Bellisario’s. Very good pizza, and Nicki is the best.
I know it’s just outside of Frederick County, but the Comus Inn has been a steady favorite of mine for a while. You can’t beat the value of their bar menu and happy hour on a Friday that runs from 5:30 – 8:30 PM for the food / drinks you get. Also, they now have a romantic dinner for two on Sunday and family style meals during the week that are bargains.
Very interesting to read the favorite places to go….
in recent years I have drastically curtailed our eating out due to not being able to eat garlic! Try to find a place that will prepare food without garlic AND still have flavor is very, very difficult. I also shouldn’t eat onions, corn, chocolate, nuts and blueberries. So anyway, here are the places I like:
FuShing- this is down in Gaithersburg and the only Chinese I will eat. They will prepare without garlic too. We have tried all the places in Frederick and like none.
The Book Corner (or something like that) for sandwiches and soups (can’t eat the soup but my hubby likes them)- it’s next to the Hallmark store in the 7th Street Shopping Center- love their sandwiches. Nice little desserts too.
Cafe Nola- my husband loves their coffee and the atmosphere is nice. The food is fresh.
Went to LaPaz once years ago, never been back. Awful. Love Isabella’s but not being able to eat garlic and onions kind of rules out that place. I like the Orchard. Don’t care at all for Brewer’s Alley. Acacia is ok. Wags is ok- kind of overrated. I like Five Guys for a burger or that place on E. Patrick that was Cheeseburgers n’ Paradise. For pizza I like Olive Leaf in Mt. Airy- I can order a pizza with an olive oil base and the crust is thin.
I have probably left some off but that’s all I can think of now. mrstucci
1. LJ’s and the Kat Lounge – it’s in Hagerstown (I know, I know) but it’s A-Ma-Zing. I was clued into this place by some of the servers at the Tasting Room. Great ambience with the animal print carpet, very cool atmosphere in the lounge with the hammered metal bar, and a completely open kitchen so you can see your scallops sauteed and the brandy fired.
2. Marsala’s. It’s in Walkersville, and if you haven’t been there in a while (or have never been there) – you truly need to go. The Italian food is fantastic, and the portions are huge. The atmosphere is, well, let’s just say it used to be a gas station and you can tell. Their wine selection is awful – but if you can get past these flaws – it will be worth your while.
3. Tasting Room – cramped quarters and a bit pricey, but the food is good
4. Fajita Grande – go for the salsa and the margaritas
4. Mediteranean Grill near the movie theatres on 85. Love the copper tables.
5. Monocacy Crossing – a bit out of the way, but always delicious
6. Luke’s Pizza Company – fried artichoke appetizer is really great, chicken modena salad is very tasty. Some of the pasta dishes can be bland so you need to be selective in what you order
7. Bellisario’s Pizza on East Street. Inexpensive, hot and tasty. I really hate take-out pizza – it always ends up steamed. Best to enjoy this in one of the old style booths. Don’t forget to root for the Steelers while you’re there!
My husband and I are crazy about Indian food. We’ve eaten at Indian joints all over the Washington area and even in New Jersey and haven’t found anything as good as CLAY OVEN on Rt. 40. The ambiance isn’t awesome, but the food is excellent, the prices are good and the service is the best we’ve had. Actually, we go there every single week we love it so much.
Firestone’s has the best Sunday brunch. We went there every Sunday for a whole year while we were dating.
Cafe Nola has the best coffee in the whole region. Yum Yum.
The Orchard is consistantly amazing and has the best chocolate mousse ever.
Mexicali Cantina is way better than La Paz and Cacique.
Mediterranean Grill is awesome, too!
Has anyone had a sub sandwhich at Vignola’s Italian Deli on Church Street? mmmmmmmmmm…
Isabella’s, Acacia, Dutch’s Daughter are over-rated in my opinion.
Tajitu is a favorite place for special meals. They also have a great wine list, though we love the traditional Ethiopian honey wine.
Frederick has some great food. We love to try out and rank restaurants in my family!
By the way, CLAY OVEN has a great lunch buffet that is only $8 during the week and $10 on the weekends. So delicious, so delicious.
Try the masala tea. Oh heaven!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, I am getting hungry now….
Hi all–please vote on these Frederick restaurants during the current Zagat online poll at http://zagat.com/survey as we are trying to expand coverage of central MD dining. The survey goes until 2/24 and your comments do not have to be nice. We need them so much we’ll send you a $14 book free. Thank you.
1. La Paz
2. Brewer’s Alley
3. Firestone’s
4. Tasting Room
5. Barley and Hops
6. Mediterranean Grill
7. Miyakos
8. Casa Rico
9. Mexicalli Cantina
10. Uno’s
We all have so many places in common, it makes me wonder if we’ve run into each other and didn’t even know it!
I also love Houlihans and Fridays!! I wish we had a Chevy’s , On the Board or Don Pablos. I also love Tony Romas!!!
Darrell, we actually go to Houlihans’ quite often, since it’s so close to our house. Maybe we’ll see you there some time!
Cafe Nola has some great food…damn fine cup of coffee too.
Hinode’s for sushi since Kyoko is gone.
Cacique and Mexicali Cantina.
Wags has some good burgers.
Brewers has some good pizzas that change up but for home pizza- gotta love Toppings.
I concur. Cafe Nola’s coffee rocks!!
10.Tasting Room (too expensive)
9.china garden
8.Brewer’s alley
7.Pretzel place (yummy)
6.Cacique
5. Acacia
4. Nidos
3. La Paz (for the atmosphere and Margs)
2. Monocacy Crossing
1. Quynn’s Attic (new, but delicious!!)
Just want to say all of you make valid points, this site is absolutely the best going. I am in the hospitality industry in this area and can tell you that there are some very good restaurants coming in the near future. Enjoy!
Ooh, sounds intriguing!
My list seems to be a little different from some others:
1) Isabella’s
Roppongi
2) Tasting Room
3) G. Hunters
4) Mexicali Cantina
5) Viet Aroma
6) Tajitu
7) Barley & Hops
9) Il Porto
10) Bombay Grill
Honorable mentions to Luke’s Pizza Company and AKA Frisco’s for outstanding take out. Also, I did not include the chain restaurants, of which I would mention Bonefish & Houlihan’s. I have some thoughts about worst, but that’s for another post
Anybody tried the Caballo Viejo Latin American Grill in the Frederick Shopping Center?
Great thread. The restaurant choices here in Frederick are definitely improving. Thanks to everyone for the recommendations.
Here’s my Top 10 in various categories:
1. The Tasting Room (Market St, downtown) for special occasion meals. Creative menu, top-notch ingredients, and ocassionally outstanding service. Their creamy lobster chowder is sinfully delicious (sorry Liz). And they have one of the best wine lists in town. I only wish I could afford to eat there more often.
2. Cafe Nola (E Patrick St, downtown) is a more budget-conscious choice… Amazingly rich Italian Illy coffee (and top-notch chai blends), scrumptious salads, and outstanding sandwiches (the open-faced “Little Italy” is a divine mess). This is our favorite all-around restaurant in town, as we’ve easily eaten there at least once a week since they opened. Other bonuses: free wi-fi access, cool waitstaff, live local music on the weekends, and a full service bar.
3. Toppings Pizza (Kingsbrook Crossing, New Design Rd) for pizza and wings. Great Jersey-style thin crust and an upscale Mario’s Special that is the one of the best pies in the area. Thanks to Guy for the tip on their wings, which are really quite good. For informal dining and take out, this is one of Frederick’s hidden gems.
4. Acacia (Market St, downtown) for sunday brunch (or a long, lazy Saturday lunch) with friends, especially in the back room where the sun shines in off the courtyard. The Comus Inn at Sugarloaf (Boyds/Comus) is the next best brunch alternative. The Mountainview Diner (Rt 40 Golden Mile) is a reliable spot for fast, cheap, and greasy breakfast when we’re too worn out to cook at home.
5. Monocacy Crossing (Urbana Pike/355 south of the river crossing) is an ideal choice for reliable, upscale continental American. Even better in the summer when they have outdoor seating, but quaint and cozy in the winter, too. Another place I discovered on this board, thanks to Liz!
6. Thai Rice (Rt 40 Golden Mile next to Blockbuster) is consistently good Thai food with some surprisingly authentic dishes… and the service is ocassionally awesome. I’ve never been to the Clay Oven next door, but based on Sarah’s enthusiastic rec, I will have to try it.
7. For deli sandwiches, Juliet’s Market & Cafe (formelry Vignola’s) on East Church is very hard to beat. While you’re in there, be sure to pick up some Seasonella herbed sea salt. We’ve had to ship this stuff to several friends who were amazed how much it improves everything it touches (especially steamed veggies).
8. When it comes to no-frills, fresh steamed local crabs, brusque service, and cheap cold beer, it’s pretty much a draw between Libertytown Seafood, Jug Bridge, and May’s. But we usually go to May’s on Urbana Pike (355) because the location is most convenient. NOTE: For upscale seafood at a moderate price nothing in this area beats O’Donnell’s Seafood in Kentlands/Gaithersburg.
9. Danielle’s (formely Tauraso’s, East St downtown) is definitely our first choice for Italian (summer evenings in the courtyard are a great escape), with Il Porto (S Market, downtown) being a strong contender if it were not for their attitude (that 6-person minimum reservation policy is total BS). However, I strongly prefer the northern Italian fare and superb wine list at Agrodolce in Germantown, which is well worth the drive south. I do look forward to trying Pane Vino, Mangia e Bevi, and Nido’s among the others recommended here.
10. Isabella’s (Market St downtown) for mediterranean/tapas, especially those crispy asparagus sticks, but can be somewhat hit and miss when it comes to service, especially on the weekends. The Mediterranean Grill at Westview is a great alternative, especially in the summer when they have outdoor dining.
Honorable mentions: Meadows Frozen Custard (Christopher Crossing in Whittier) for the creamiest dairy dessert in town; Taqueria el Korita (Saturdays and Sundays only after 4pm in a small parking lot off Rt 40 East just past the Ford Dealership) for authentic, no-frills Mexican take-out burritos, tacos, tamales, tortas, and horchata; Yuraku Japanese in Germantown for sushi, since none of the places in Frederick are worth the time or money (Hinode has potential if they ever work out their service problems).
Greatest local culinary disappointments: The decline and eventual closing of Zest, which used to be our #1 favorite, but sadly died a slow and painful death as the owners gave up on it; the long-lamented loss of the homey and wonderful Hana’s Korean Kitchen ; the much applauded La Paz is by far the most unimpressive Mexican food I’ve ever eaten anywhere; the widely heralded but equally unimpressive Lotus Chinese, which we tried twice, receiving decent food, indifferent service, and (both times) our check was rounded up to the nearest dollar!
Desperately seeking local sources: Authentic Chinese fare; Peruvian-style chicken; and a sit-down, all-vegetarian restaurant.
With regards to the newly opened Caballo Viejo Latin Grill (Frederick Shopping Center, West 7th St), we have not yet tried it but plan to do so soon. It looks like they may offer the Peruvian style rotisserie chicken we are so desperately seeking.
FYI: Their menu is now available online:
http://caballoviejorest.com/Our_Menu.html
Hey Gumbrinus, thanks for such a well thought out list and reviews! I’m definitely going to have to check out Juliet’s.
I did a review of Pane e Vino earlier, but I want to reiterate that if you go, stick to the much cozier bar side instead of the more sterile dining room side. Now that there is no more smoking, I’m sure it will be even more pleasant for those who were bothered by the smokiness. Great list!
And Becky, I haven’t tried Caballo Viejo, but I saw their ad (with coupons) in the most recent Clipper Magazine and it looks interesting.
I couldn’t agree more about La Paz or should we say La Crap, the food is awful and the service is just terrible, we were seated at the bar and were treated like dirt by an older women who was strugling to remain a teenager, her attitude was awful and didn’t really care if we ever came back. Which by the way we haven’t. The second worse restaurant in town has to be the Westside cafe(now known as Jacksons)but we hear from friends that it’s the same bad talent in the kitchen only hiding behind a wall. It was terrible back than and I can only say it hasn’t changed. My wife tried it out with some friends, and they all agreed that it tasted like the same old Cosco food they cooked with back when it was Westside at least now you have a server waiting on you, we all remember going in when it was westside and waiting forever for one of the workers to take your order. Last but not least is Griff’s landing, when are they going to realize it’s over and just close up shop.
Some of my favs in no particular order:
Casa Rico- favorite local Mexican
Bombay Grill- tandori chicken
Five Guys- not doctor apporved, but love the burgers and greasy fries
Mama Lucia’s- great pizza
Mediterranean Grill- fresh and yummy
Outback Steakhouse- it’s a chain which I usually don’t like, but the steaks are good and the prices won’t break the bank
Chubby’s BBQ- not as good as Mountaindale which has closed/changed hands, but now the best ‘cue in Frederick County.
May’s- good crabs and seafood.
Orchard- nice menu in a nice relaxed atmosphere.
Wag’s- favorite place for a cold one.
Overrated:
Dutch’s Daughter- boring menu and high prices. For the prices the dishes should be a little more innovative. I can cook anything on their menu at home.
La Paz- yuk
Hunan Gourmet on 7th Street – THE best Chinese Food. They are so consistently good and are really friendly. And the make me a special dish!!
Dutch’s Daughter has gone way down hill and I agree the menu is a bit of a yawner.
MAYS!! YES!! I’m from Baltimore and their crabs just kick major butt.
Gumbrinus,
For the Authentic Chinese, I would suggest you try Viet Aroma (yes, Vietnamese, not Chinese). Especially for lunch. I like the Lucky Corner (again a Vietnamese joint not Chinese [ Wow, wouldn't a decent Dim Sum place be a good addition to the Frederick scene about now?]) is small and quaint and the menu more diverse than most Chinese places.
I can’t agree more about missing Hana’s and Meadows Frozen Custard.
For the best all veggie sit down place, I will go “downstate” and would recommend The Madras Palace in the Giant Plaza at Clopper and 124 in G’burg. The buffet is fabulous and entirely Vegan, plus a good “Northern Indian” menu.
Vignola’s closed? That’s too bad, although I never bought anything there, and thought the owner had badly misgauged Frederick when he opened it.
As far as I know Vignola’s isn’t closed. It was sold to a new owner, who is expanding the number of imported Italian goods sold there. Vignola still makes the mozzarella fresh daily. It is fantastic, BTW. It is also the only place I know of in Frederick where you can get Prosciutti DiParma.
The best restaurant in Frederick is:
Sunflowers
If you lift the tablecloths at El Paso, you’ll see that the sunflowers are still there. Waiting patiently for us to bring them back into the light.
Don’t even get me started on An Loi. Was GREAT, nobody went.
An Loi was great–and many people went. Unfortunately, the owners located An Loi in a neighborhood that does gangbusters daytime business, but becomes a ghost town at night. To compound matters, An Loi leased a HUGE building, with a downstairs bar/dance floor that was never used. It’s simply a case of too much real estate for too few patrons.
An Loi had an exceptionally devout following. But the food business is all about location, location, location. Even being situated 4 blocks from traffic can be a death sentence, and An Loi–in many minds–was on another planet.
The owners of the next door cafe–can’t recall the name–discovered the same thing about location. The lease was too expensive, and nighttime business, especially during the work week, was anemic.
I’m a vegetarian with 3 veg kids and an omnivore husband. I’ve lived in Frederick since 1995 and agree about Sunflowers. It was awesome. I also miss the Mongolian Grill on Rt. 40. But, life is for the living, so on with the show:
1. Isabellas–I wish I could afford to take the whole family, but usually it’s just my husband and I. But YUM.
(no particular order on the rest)
2. AKA Friscos–we go there a lot. Great sandwiches, great selection. AND ice cream for the kids and cheap wine for us. Everybody wins! If they can keep the music below ear-bleed level we’ll be even happier.
3. Toppings Pizza–I mean seriously, it’s the best in town. But I do crave Ledo’s now and again.
4. Hunan Gourmet (7th St) has the best veggie Chinese menu. They have the Buddhist-style fake meat that is oh so delish. It will do until I can get The Vegetable Garden to open a branch here.
5. Mountain View Diner–It’s a diner. And it’s a good one. The spanakopita is fantastic and they do a decent veggie burger. The cheesecake? Oh my. My family considers this place our other dining room.
6. Bean and Bagel (Patrick St)–best egg and cheese on a bagel I’ve ever had. I’m not sure how there could be much variation, but theirs is seriously delish.
7. The Main Cup (Main St. Middletown)–Check this place out. Great ambiance, great service, great food. Sandwiches, soup, that sort of thing. Really good.
8. Home at Braddock Inn–beautiful setting, terrific food (but not much for a vegetarian. I’m hassling them about that).
9. Mexicali Cantina–Our favorite Mexican in town, but I’m warming to that pink place where the Mongolian Grill used to be…
10. Bombay Grill–still our best Indian. But the buffets at Nilgiris and Clay Oven mean I go to those more often.
5.
@ Greenbes, Sunflowers was great. I wonder if they would have a much better run now? Maybe in a shopping center like Westview?
Can anybody recommend a place with good kielbasa or brats? Can’t cook them in the house.
For brats, try Hennings in the Weis plaza on TJ/Oppossumtown Pike. The kielbasa has me stumped. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that on a menu in Frederick.
Bavarian Inn, Shepherdstown is your best bet for German food in the area.
I dined at Caballo Viejo and it was very good. Food is fresh. The Arepa is quite interesting: you choose the meat (i.e., shredded beef, shredded chicken, etc) and it is placed on top of a corn bread that they split open. Very unusual but tasty. They also have burittos and rotisserie chicken, which looked great. Prices are reasonable too.
I too miss Hana’s and Mrs. Pak. Her imperial rolls were to die for!! I wonder where she moved to. We need a good Korean restaurant in Frederick.
La Paz: I just don’t get it. Horrible food!
Jackson’s: I dined there once (about 2 months ago) and the food was good. Maybe I was lucky. I had their cream of crab soup, which was very good.
Nilgiris also has a lunch buffet, which is excellent. I found the food to be better than at the Bombay Grill.
Yes, Vignoli’s is still open. I was there the other night looking around. I travel a lot to Italy and see their prices are very expensive. I should bring back a lot more ceramics and foods and open my own shop!
There are other restaurants I like that others listed but ones I didn’t put on my list. Maybe we should make a top 20 list! I agree the Pho at Viet’s Aroma is wonderful! Well, all their food is great. Mai Thai is very good too. Love the meze platter at the Mediterranean Grill. Their hummus is creamy. Fajita Grande is another favorite (try their blackberry margaritas). My husband and I used to love Lukes, but their pizza quality has come down a bit. I prefer the pizza at Mamma Lucia’s. G. Hunters is good and I need to remember it more often. Good happy hour.
Haven’t been to Quynn’s Attic yet. How are the prices? What type of food do they serve? Haven’t been to Danielle’s either. Didn’t care for Tauraso’s at all.
We’ve been to Il Porto’s twice now. Very good food and good service.
We used to go the Bavarian Inn, but the last couple of times (last year) we noticed their menu changed a bit – not as much wild game as they used to have on their menu.
Well, I’m very hungry now and can’t wait for lunch. What shall I have?
I like the food at the Mediterranean Grill, but I swear I could go home and make the falafel myself in the time it takes to get served there.
Forgot on my list to add Monocacy Crossing and Schmankerl (sp?) Stube. Obviously the Stube isn’t in Frederick, but it is the best German/Bavarian restaurant in the area. I’ve been to Hennings and Bavarian Inn, both are O.K., but come nowhere close to the Stube.
The inside word from native Germans I’ve met is you should make the lovely Bavarian Inn your destination for the ultimate in graciousness, service, far-reaching menu, and incredible setting, but that Schmankerl Stube in Hagerstown is more authentic and less expensive. The Bavarian Inn has a posh, elegant feel. Schmankerl Stube feels like your typical Bavarian restaurant. Owner (and native Bavarian) Charlie Secula is a gem, and his food and beers are outstanding. In warm weather, his tree-shaded beer garden is a great place to enjoy a first-rate meal. Plus, Schmankerl Stube is located directly across from the awesome Maryland Theatre–home to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra.
Man, I would love to see a Tony Romas here! YUM! The Carolina Honeys is the best I have ever had!!!!! I only use that sauce at thome and I have to go to Owings Mills to get it.
Talk about a ton of different opinions in this thread! Fun reading. I’m most curious about Monocacy Crossing (don’t know why I’ve never made it there) and will make that my next destination for a fine meal.
Not in Frederick County, but I’ve been patronizing Roy’s Place in Gaithersburg for 20 years now and IMHO there will never be a better–or more unique–place for sandwiches anywhere.
Thanks for the comment about our charbroiled peruvian chicken. We have other dishes on our menu like Lomo Saltado (we prepare this dish instantly-beef strips marinated, served with white rice and steak fries), chicken fried rice (Arroz Chaufa), chicken thighs (Chicharron de pollo) served with a salad and choice of fried plantain or yucca, fish ceviche (served on weekends only), we have others sides like steak fries, black beans, white rice, yellow rice, house salad, coleslaw, fried yucca (which you must try, it’s delicious), and fried plantain. We have the best desserts and pastry, flan, tresh leches, pastry filled with caramel. And we have a very unique ice cream called Helado de Lucuma. So come again with friends and family and try other dishes on our menu. We are located at 50 North McCain Drive Suite 102 Frederick, MD 21702 (across Home Depot on Route 40 West) Our phone number is 301-620-7717 and call us with your carry our order or eat in.
Taqueria el Korito… could the poster who mentioned this place please give more specific informaiton on the location? We tried to figure out where it was on East 40 but couldn’t. We’d love to try it!!
Caballo Viejo near the Giant Eagle on 7th street. I’d also like to recommend this place. It is independently owned and operated and is a great alternative to Chipotle. They have the same sort of burrito bar as Chipotle, but also a number of Colombian specialties like the arepas. It deserves more business than it is getting in this not-so-great location! Support local entrepreneurs, skip the chains and give it a try!!!
Taqueria el Korito…I’m guessing Gumbrinus meant 40West not East if it’s just past the Ford Dealership (on the corner of 40W. and Waverley Drive).
RE: Taqueria el Korito — My sincere apologies for the typo in my previous post (maybe Guy can fix this). Lizfrog is right in that I meant to say Route 40 WEST, just past the Ford Dealership @ Waverly Dr. If you are westbound on Rt 40, they are in the parking lot of the small strip center just past the Ford Used Car Lot. Sorry for the confusion!
BTW, I haven’t been there since before Christmas, so I assume they are still coming there. And remember, they are there on SATURDAY and SUNDAY afternoons/evenings only after 4pm. Get there before 6-7pm if you want tamales, as they often run out!
So we’ve now been to Caballo Viejo Latin Grill twice and I wanted to add my thoughts to the comments already included in this great thread. Caballo Viejo is located in the 7th Street Shopping Center @ Rt 15 & 7th St in the same building as Glory Days and Bonefish Grill.
We’ve tried several items from their menu, most notably the tender and succulent Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken and the tasty cornbread Arepas stuffed with a variety of ingredients, from cheese and veggies to a variety of meats (steak, chicken, chorizo). Everything has been very good, very fresh, and delivered with an enthusiastic smile. Prices are very reasonable (definitely a Frederick “cheap eats” destination) and portions are healthy without being overindulgent.
What really sets Caballo Viejo apart from other Peruvian chicken places in the region is an emphasis on healthy diet. As a bona fide Peruvian chicken junkie, I was initially dismayed to find that they did not offer the creamy spiced Aji sauce I have grown to love. According to the owner (who shares my passion for the sinfully fatty sauce), they do this to promote healthy eating. ANd they do offer a wonderful green tomatillo sauce and a red tomato based pepper sauce that are wonderful and fresh tasting alternatives for chicken dipping.
They also offer (much to the delight of my wife) a wonderful South Beach salad of fresh spring greens and crisp veggies with your choice of meat topping. Matched with a balsamic vinegarette, it gets a thumbs up from the non-carb eating population of my household.
Caballo Viejo has a realtively small eat-in dining area, but we have taken both our orders “to go” which seems to be the consensus. And it appears they are doing very brisk business on the weekends, but so far no lines are forming out the door.
On a related note, I just spotted DonChicken on the way out of Home Depot over the weekend. Which leads me to ask the question… Why did the Peruvian chicken junkie cross the road? Because they could use a better sign, since I couldn’t tell for sure what the place served until I pulled into the parking lot. I haven’t tried it yet, but they are on my list of “must eat” establishments.
BTW, thanks to Chris and Liz for the Viet Aroma suggestion. We plan to try it out this coming weekend!
Juliet’s Italian Market & Cafe, formerly Vignola’s (that sign may still even be hanging out front – and Mr Vignola does still make the mozzarella and the frozen Italian dinners to go), has a website at http://www.julietsmarketandcafe.co.nr/ for those interested in learning more about this wonderful place in downtown Frederick.
In my opinion, Viet’s Aroma is propably one of best place for asian restaurants around Frederick. You can enjoy the foods with no “guilty feeling” because it is very tasty and light. We can tell by looking at the foods. It’s not shiny (caused by oil) like most of the Chinesse dishes. I went there first, and introduced it to my family. We all love it. Vegetarian dishes are also available. Resonable price. The place is small, but clean and cozy. Thanks to Chris and Lizfrog for the suggestion.
Hi everyone and thanks for your suggestions. We have never tried Caballa Viejo but it sounds interesting. Here’s our top 10:
Nido’s Italian Restaurante on Patrick Street was one of the first places we fell in love with in the Frederick before we moved up here. We think they put something in their sauce to make you addicted! I am not a red sauce person but I absolutely love theirs. When we first walked into this place, we felt like we were in some little restaurant in Italy. It was very quaint with the red and white gingham table cloths and the chianti bottle with the candle on the table. We are on a first name basis with all of the waiters and they are all very good. Everytime we go to Nido’s we wonder why we even look at the menu…we always get the Nido platter which consists of the best eggplant parmesan either of us have ever eaten, speghetti and sauce, italian sausage and a meatball. We also order the white pizza for an appetizer. Their prices are very low compared to the high quality of food they serve.
Nilgiris: These folks know how to make Indian food and they offer a large variety of dishes. Our favorites are chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, gobi manchurion, chile chicken, vegetable korma and the bathura bread is out of this world. Bobbie the waitress is a sweetheart and a wonderful server. (we used to go to Bombay Grill but the service was so bad and slow. We did take out with Bombay and the service was even worse. We would call in our order, give them 30 minutes to fill it, arrive only to find they hadn’t even started cooking it. This happened more than 4 times and we only did the take out when we were having cravings for Indian food.)
Lucky Corner is Vietnamese food. After we tried this place we were hooked! We have had many varieties of Hot and Sour soup but theirs is indescribably delish! It has a citrus flavor with the cilantro and all the other veggies and you can get it with either shrimp or fish. I’m not a huge “fish in the soup” fan so I ordered shrimp the first time. I tried my husband’s with the fish and now that’s what I get as well. The caramelized fish, lemongrass chilli chicken, and the pork tenderloins with rice are our fave’s there.
Hagan’s Tavern: We decided to try this place for our anniversary this year and were not disappointed. They have dishes that are not on most menus which is what we were looking for….something different. We had the brie which comes out with pecan sauce (lots of pecans), sliced apples, grapes and warm pita bread… my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Then we had a salad. The butter lettuce salad has spicey pecans, pear vinagrette dressing and it comes with blue cheese but I am allergic so I have gruyere put on instead….again very delicious. The homemade rolls are scrumptious. They don’t have a huge menu but everything we have tried in the entrees has been very nice. The pricing is very good considering the meal and service you get.
Panera Bread: I hate to bring a chain restaurant into it but for a quick lunch or lite dinner we love the pick two. You get choice of two of salad, half sandwich or soup. You can even get your soup in a bread bowl for another buck or so. Their ingredients are always very fresh and they are so fast in preparing it. They have a large selection of baked goods and pastries if you have a sweet tooth.
Miyako Japanese Restaurant (the one on the golden mile not the one at the mall) We love eating here. The food is always fresh, they fix it anyway you want and the cooks are usually very entertaining. The way they fix the scallops they just melt in your mouth.
Isabellas is great. The fried asparagas is the house specialty and nobody does it like Isabellas. You can get fried asparagus at Houlihans and it can be very good but it’s never like Isabellas. Their sizzling garlic and shrimp, goat cheese fritters, empanadas, bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese are just a few of our favorites.
Mealeys in New Market: We haven’t been here since the change of owners but in the past they are great for special occasions. We spent New Years Eve there and had a blast. The atmosphere of the old inn is very nice and they specialize in seafood. It is a little pricey but you get alot of food. Everything we have had has been good but the one thing that stands out is the crab imperial. It had the best taste we have ever had.
Casa Rico on the golden mile is probably the best mexican we have eaten in Frederick. They have a really great selection, good prices and good service most of the time.
Once again this is a chain but for BarBQue Famous Dave’s is the best we have eaten. You get alot of food for your dollar and great variety.
These aren’t in any particular order. We have our favorite dishes at each one. Hope you this helps add some variety for yall. I appreciate reading your comments…they give us some new places to try.
Hi Webgranny! Thanks for adding to our discussion here. Great list!
@webgranny, great list, thanks for taking the time share. Makes me want to run to Nidos for some white pizza.
Just curious….has anyone been to Mealey’s since they changed ownership?
Webgranny – I have not – but received an email from their online web page stating they are now open mondays for lunch and dinner.
here is a copy of the email….
Mealey’s Restaurant announces their new hours!
Mealey’s Restaurant is now open Mondays for Lunch 11:30-2:30 and Dinner 3:00-9:00.
As always we want to thank you for your patronage.
Sincerely,
Mealey’s Restaurant
I am a fan of the Blues BBQ Truck that parks on Grove Road between 85 & 355. I’m not sure of the hours – I’ve only grabbed lunch there.
But – their hush puppies are delicious as are the pulled pork sandwiches. The buffalo chicken sandwich is darn good – and darn spicy.
It’s a good place to grab a quick bite. But – it’s carry-out only – so be prepared to eat in your car.
You can always pack some camp chairs in the trunk and enjoy al fresco dining in the parking lot!
I have heard good things about that truck. Must try it soon.
Well, here we are again a year later, with Frederick Magazine’s latest “Best of Frederick ” results just published in the current issue.
Interesting how some old mainstays keep rolling along, despite the thumbs down they tend to get from contributors on this site. (Dutch’s Daughter and La Paz, for example). I did take note that Mays has now moved into the No. 1 slot as Best Seafood Restaurant.
Mays as #1 seafood spot…..LMAO!!! What a joke!!!
we actually had to walkout after being served crabs that were SEVERAL days old and wreaked of amonia. When we brought it to the attention of our server and the manager, they just said “yeah, well, that’s how they are.”
The best crabs in the county that we have found on a consistent basis are at Rube’s in Thurmont. Further, they are also by far the cheapest.
Overlookedfrederick…..Sounds like Rube’s is worth the extra drive for anyone hankering for some steamed crabs.
We’ve been to May’s a few times, usually ordering crabcakes/imperial or crab soup which we found to be fair, i.e., on average with what you usually get around these parts. Then again, I was born and raised on the Eastern Shore (of MD) to people who not only caught the crabs but knew how crabs and crabmeat ought to be prepared…so I judge everything by truly exceptional standards.
As far your disappointing experience at Mays goes, it’s too bad the crabs were so distasteful but worse that the server and manager seemed unconcerned and unapologetic. While we never observed this kind of attitude in our visits there, you obviously had a bad experience and Mays can’t afford to alienate customers in this manner.
FrederickFan,
You are 100% correct about the crabs on the Easter Shore.
Another point I failed to make about Rube’s is about their “mixed” crabs selection. Most places, like Westpointe Crabhouse (which is pretty decent by the way) include small to medium sized crabs when they sell you a “mixed” order. Rube’s however, leans more towards medium to large’s in their mixed order, which is yet another reason why we like it so much.
From the Ballenger Creek exit onto 15North Rube’s is an 18 minute relaxing drive, and that’s going the speed limit.
I also noticed your post about Dutch’s. I have been there several times, and still can’t get enough of their Filet. If you haven’t yet tried out the Dungeon, I highly recommend it. It is very nice, classy, and something I’ve yet to see anywhere else in Frederick.
Good to know about Rube’s leaning toward the larger crabs in their mixed order–definitely makes it a better value. Also, I’ll put the Dungeon on my list of places to try.
One more point on crab size…the only time bigger isn’t necessarily better is when it comes to soft-shell crabs. All the locals in the watermen’s communities on the Eastern Shore know that the “small” soft shells definitely are the best for sauteeing–best flavor and crispy on the outside. We line up to pay less for the smalls, which are usually rejected by buyers “from the city” who generally are only interested in the larger sizes (and pay considerably more for them).
I still can’t figure out how Ledo Pizza gets Best Pizza year after year.
Lizfrog, I agree 100% with your comment on Ledo’s. I mean, it’s OK, but is it “the BEST”??
On the other hand, Ledo Pizza hasn’t flourished all these years by serving pizza that people don’t like. In my experience, though, pizza is one of those things where opinions can vary widely on which is the BEST. (For me, nothing has matched up to Zio’s Pizza in Gaithersburg….the crust and tomato sauce are on a level all their own…)
Best pizza IMHO is Mama Lucia on Rte 26. One word- awesome. I used to love Ledo’s, but am not as big of a fan as I was- though the one in College Park, the original, and not part of the chain is fantastic.
Best Mexican- it’s debatable, except that one thing is for sure- it’s not LaPaz.
Best restaurant- again debatable, but definitely not Dutch’s. Very boring menu. Some of my favs, not saying they’re necessarily the best are Monocacy Crossing, Acacia, Black Hog, Casa Rico, Mama Lucia, and Outback- I usually don’t go for chains, but I love Outback.
My favorite picks in Frederick:
Pizza- Mangia E Bevi or Rocky’s, but I’m always on the lookout for something like I’d get in NJ
Indian- Clay Oven, I didn’t like Indian ’til I ate here
Thai- Thai Rice wins here, though the better places are further south
BBQ- Carter Que in Mt. Airy is my husband’s pick for pulled pork, but I like Urban BBQ(G-burg) better
Burgers- Five Guys or Cheeseburgers ‘n Paradise (or whatever it’s called)
Chinese- Hunan Gourmet
We’re also fans of Greek Aroma (good gyros, really nice owner), Henning’s, Il Porto, Cafe Nola (coffee & dessert), Mountainview Diner (breakfast). Can’t wait to eat @ VOLT w/ my friend for Restaurant Week. We’re pretty lucky in Frederick- we have quite a few nice places. I’m still looking for a good bakery on the weekends, though I guess it’s better that I have to drive to Germantown for my “fix”. Royal Bagel Bakery & Deli is the best!
A year later, I’m glad to see this post sill has life. My youngest has replaced the now defunct El Paso with Mexicali Cantina (an improvement if you ask me!) . While my oldest still likes La Paz (as do I. I still don’t get the hate, but I don’t want to start another hate-fest), she has discovered Cafe Nola. I’m a huge fan of Mai Thai and Volt, which didn’t make my original list. Still #1 is Monocacy Crossing, although Volt is in the top 5.
@Ann, I agree with you on Mangia e Bevi. We used to eat regularly at Rocky’s (every Friday night for 10 years). I lived in North Jersey for many years and stepping in there was like a trip back in time. Unfortunately, the place changed hands multiple times and the food declined. The 3 brothers that bought it ruined the place for us. Has the food gotten better? Is there a new owner?
Thanks,
JJP
Hello Darrell:
Good to hear from you again. The Clemson Corner project was actually annexed into the City of Frederick in December and the article in the Frederick News Post today told about the County Commissioners vote yesterday to allow us the zoning we needed. The project is finally fully approved and you should see us break ground later this year (most likely this Fall). Look for Wegmans to open probably in the Fall of 2010, but we should know a more precise date in the next few months. As I mentioned to you before, I live in Middletown and shop in Frederick all the time and cannot wait for Wegmans to open too! In addition to Wegmans and Lowe’s, it looks very likely (but not guaranteed) that like Marshalls, Noodles & Co. and Chipotle will also join the project. Our office is very busy now trying to add additional retailers, so stay tuned and feel free to check in periodically to see how we are coming along. Thank you.
Cathy Hess
Leasing Coordinator
I totally agree with the fact that LA PAZ is horrible. I am from Texas, so I’ve had my share of really good Mexican.
They seem to put plain marinara sauce on their food, and I have never, ever had a good meal there…not even the salsa.
I am all about Cacique. Best Mexican/Latin food in the area.
Agreed on La Paz, but–sh!!!!–don’t burst Darrell’s balloon. (Wink!) We tried Santa Rosa on the Golden Mile again recently. I thought the authentic Salvadoran owners would really wow us with their cooking, but it was just okay. Same goes for Potrillos. Mediocre at best.
Cacique is certainly good for certain Spanish dishes, and for the Tex-Mex staples. But so, I think, is Mexicali Cantina and Fiesta Grande. You just have to know what’s in their wheelhouse, and what to avoid. The irony is that what most Norte Americanos enjoy–fajita, enchilada, tamale, quesidilla–aren’t at all challenging dishes.
But somehow, La Paz can’t even master the simple things. And their salsa is an abomination. It looks like Cole slaw mixed with ketchup, and if you can’t get me to look at your salsa, I sho ain’t gonna eat it. They once served me an enchilada dish with American cheese on it. Anyway, they have a killer great location.
Is LaPaz the one near the Greene Turtle?
Yes it is, on Market Street next to the creek.
In that case, I agree with the above comments. Its basically over-priced, too noisy, over-crowded, trendy, and just plain not good in the food quality department.
I know this is old, well-traveled territory here–and No Hate Intended, Lizfrog!–but I do agree with most of the comments on La Paz. Especially your remarks, Matthew, on the salsa. (I once was there with a party of 14, and not a single person touched the salsa–except for me. But one chip/taste was enough!)
BUT it’s still hard to beat La Paz on a summer’s evening for the chance to sit outside, people-watch, and enjoy a drink. Coffee/liqueur and dessert out there on a fall evening is also a good way to enjoy the “killer location.”
If a Tex-Mex joint can’t make a decent salsa, it’s time to pull the plug. Unfortunately, La Paz is bulletproof because of that killer party location. It really rocks–the canal, the drinks, the people, the intimate lighting. Wonder if Cacique delivers?
My apologies to LizFrog. Didn’t see her/their comments above. No need to start WW IX over La Paz. It isn’t worth it.
The one issue that so many of the better restaurants have locally is consistency. One night they are spot on, the next so-so. When you’re shelling out $100-$175 for two, you deserve a fine meal every time.
A good friend visited MEALEY’S last week. She was very very disappointed. Cold food, slow service, and her favorite dishes weren’t being offered. She complained to the GM, who showed no concern whatsoever and did nothing to comp her. This report just reinforces what many other people here have said: Mealey’s is inconsistent and uninspired.
Correction: The one issue that so many of the better restaurants have locally is INCONSISTENCY.
Matthew, right on about the inconsistency issue with some of the better restaurants. Maybe that helps account for the WIDE divergence of opinions you often see expressed about the same place. It’s a very different experience for someone who happens to go on a “good” night and orders one of the best dishes—vs. the unlucky person who catches a “bad” night and/or orders something they don’t do well or that just plain isn’t prepared properly.
It’s a real shame about Mealeys. It’s a place that I’ve truly wanted to like for a LONG time, with the kind of setting and ambiance I enjoy. I have fond memories of a dinner I had there more years ago than I care to acknowledge. But the poor reports on food and service continue and I’ve yet to hear anything that makes me want to go there again.
Part of the problem is that the menus of so many restaurants are converging toward a few “been there, done that” entrees and appetizers. It’s hard to find surprises anymore, as everything seems so standardized and predictable that it’s almost boring. That makes it hard to wow diners, and the result–especially when you’re shelling out $75, $100, $150 or more for dinner–is disgruntled customers.
These days, I choose restaurants with extra care. The economy is terrible. Blowing $125 on a predictable (and almost predictably mediocre) meal is frustrating. Maybe I’m too picky, though. There’s very little most restaurants can do that I can’t do at home–for less money and often better results. Volt notwithstanding, of course. ;>)
Sadly, I too have reverted back to cooking at home. While I do so love dining out, rarely do I have a meal in a restaurant that is superior to what I can make at home. This IRKS me!!!!
Why isn’t the cooking better? How is it possible that a nice Jewish girl can make Chinese food at home that is better than most of the slop served in the restaurants. (Of course, Asian food is a pet peeve of mine in Frederick. Seems that most dishes are more like a stir-fried dessert)
More telling – my teens now prefer eating at home to going out. Why bother going out if we’re served bland, boring, fat and sugar laden slop on a plate.
Even some of my old favorites are starting a downward flavor trend. The last 2 visits to both Fajita Grande & Marsalas (2 of my long-time faves) were disappointing.
Why oh why is there such a dearth of consistent cooking up here?
If “wow” dining surprises are that difficult to find these days (at least in the Frederick area)–especially for a meal in the three-figure range–I can well understand how there are folks who’d rather stay home and prepare their own exceptional food.
But, given my spurts of having to work overtime, periodic desires to leave the dishes to others–and yes, plain old laziness–I still find myself eating out fairly often. Sometimes even a standardized, predictable meal can be welcome and enjoyable! (But, yes, when I’m really hankering for [and paying quite well for] a memorable, out-of-the-ordinary dining experience–and the food and service turn out to be pedestrian–it’s disappointing and frustrating.)
We’ve found a set of local, non-chain restaurants where we can get a consistently good meal: LJs & the Kat Lounge, Tasting Room, Monocacy Crossing, Il Porto, Mangia e Bevi, Mediterranean Cafe, Mexicali Cantina, Barley & Hops, Market Street Bagels, the Main Cup, and Antrim 1844. The times we’ve been to Pawtowmack Farm were very good, but we don’t go there often enough for me to form an opinion on consistency. The same goes for Cafe Nola (dinner), Mick’s, That Cuban Place, Gabriel’s, Morgan’s, Nidos, and Old South Mountain (dinner).
I second StorageLady’s observations. Most Chinese food in Frederick County ranges from forgettable to contemptible. There are one or two standouts eateries, but even their performance is sadly uneven. The primary drivers seem to be: (a) Chinese restaurants have become volume (i.e. buffet) discounters, meaning that quality suffers, and (b) Few Frederick County residents (or few non-Asians) know good from mediocre Asian cuisine–or even good from bad Americanized Chinese food.
Perhaps the most henious menu item is Gen. Tso’s chicken, a “Chinerican” dessert masquerading an an authentic entree that’s so egregiously sugary that it is guaranteed to promote tooth decay. But everything else is pretty much the same. Too much sugar. Too much fat. Zero nuance. It’s like every restaurant uses the same dumbed-down recipes. (Try getting dim sum locally.) The odd thing is, you can get pretty good Vietnamese and Thai food in Frederick County. Really good Chinese? I know of none.
I also agree re: consistency at Fajita Grande. One night they’re pretty good, the next utterly forgettable. But I agree with FrederickFan. It’s much easier when you’re working long hours to let someone else do the cooking and dishes. I don’t have time for a big production every night. No way.
JJP. Great list, though I thought the food at That Cuban Place was bland. Mediterranean Cafe on a good night is fabulous. Barley & Hops has never impressed me. I wish they would reinvent their menu. Lightfoot in Leesburg is another winner.
The above comments on Chinese food are absolutely on the mark. To Matthew’s succinct and descriptive summary–”Too much sugar. Too much fat. Zero nuance.”–I’d add “Too much salt.” The brown sauces and reddish sauces all taste the same from dish to dish–and even from restaurant to restaurant. I suspect that most Chinese chefs believe they are dishing out exactly what their customers expect. Moreover, sticking closely to the standard sauces, etc., and the same old dishes prepared the usual way probably helps them keep costs down. (I think most people expect and associate “lower cost” with ordering Chinese.)
JJP, I like your list of dependable, local eateries. Seeing your mention of Monocacy Crossing reminds me that it’s also one of Lizfrog’s favorites. And also brings to mind how I chastise myself for forgetting it’s there, each time I drive by its modest building along 355 when taking a break from the 270 rough & tumble. Seems like the sort of place that deserves a try.
Definitely too much salt. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (http://www.cspinet.org/nah/chinese.html) has studied the shockingly high levels of salt (and calories) in Chinese dishes. Some of the entrees have the equivalent of TWO times the recommended daily limit:
General Tso’s Chicken
Calories: 1,300 Sat Fat: 11 grams Sodium: 3,200 mg
The name may sound exotic, but it’s essentially fried chicken with a smattering of vegetables.
Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
Calories: 700 Sat Fat: 5 grams Sodium: 3,800 mg
Expect ½ to ¾ pound of sliced stir-fried chicken with chunks of green pepper and onion. If only it weren’t so high in sodium.
Stir-Fried Greens
Calories: 900 Sat Fat: 11 grams Sodium: 2,200 mg
Chinese GreensYikes! Spinach and other greens are packed with vitamins, but (thanks to the added oil and salt) your waist and blood pressure pay a price for them.
Eggplant in Garlic Sauce
Calories: 1,000 Sat Fat: 13 grams Sodium: 2,000 mg
Eggplant isn’t a vitamin-rich superstar, but it is a vegetable. It also really soaks up the oil, which boosts the calories and saturated fat.
Szechuan String Beans
Calories: 600 Sat Fat: 6 grams Sodium: 2,700 mg
String beans in chili-pepper-garlic sauce don’t sop up as much oil as spinach or eggplant, but the sodium is still ridiculous.
Hot & Sour Soup
Calories: 100 Sat Fat: 1 gram Sodium: 1,100 mg
I wonder if Guy and LizFrog might consider hosting a First Annual Frederick Maryland Online Dinner at an area restaurant.
Maybe just barbeque, or red-sauce Italian food, or Tex-Mexican. Whatever. It would be nice to meet and greet the regulars here, among them Darrell, Bill, FrederickFan, JJP, StorageLady, FredRocks, Sarah in Maryland, etc.
If we get enough interest, the Frederick News-Post might be interested in doing a story on FMO.
I wouldn’t mind doing a meet-up of all, but be warned they have been cursed in the past. For some reason we just can’t seem to get together all at once
I was thinking the same thing Guy. We haven’t had much luck so far but it would be fun to try again.
The contributors on the Don Rockwell site do dinners out on a fairly regular basis. I’ve yet to make one – normally they’re pretty far down the road (DC, Alexandria)… I would like to do a dim sum trip though if anyone’s up for it!
Dim Sum is just not much fun to do with 2 people – 6 makes it perfect and worth the drive…
Oh and I’m up for Monocacy Crossing and LJ’s just about any time!
Having a shellfish allergy makes dim sum not so appealing to me.
By the way, all this talk about Chinese food… Try Chop Stix in Urbana. Each order is made to order. Not a lot of sauce and the chicken is all white meat. Their wonton soup is really good (chicken broth vs. beef) and they have a few dumpling-type items on their menu that are dim sum-ish. No liquor license yet that I know of.
The Frederick News-Post is just now reporting that Mealey’s Inn of New Market is CLOSED.
Mealey’s, New Market icon, closed by economy
Originally published March 03, 2009 – Updated 5:16 PM, March 03, 2009
By Ike Wilson
News-Post Staff
American Red Cross
NEW MARKET — Mealey’s Restaurant, a landmark restaurant that has been in the area since the early 1900s, closed Sunday.
Fifteen employees are out of work.
Owner Chim Butt said he made the “very painful decision” to close the business Sunday night, primarily because of the economy.
“No. 2 are the greedy banks who are not bending, who refuse to help a customer stay afloat in this economy,” Butt said.
He also blames Frederick County government.
“Certainly, I take some responsibility, but I must say that doing business with Frederick County is counter-productive and I would absolutely discourage people about doing business in Frederick County,” Butt said.
Butt said he and his wife invested all their life savings in the restaurant.
For more on this story see tomorrow’s edition of The Frederick News-Post.
Sad news. Chim Butt caught lots of flak for dropping the ball after Jose left Mealey’s. Let’s hope this Frederick County landmark isn’t turned into a business suite, but to really make it in this economy, Mealey’s will have to be totally reinvented, not just tweaked. Jose did his best for years, but said he was just getting clobbered by the chains and franchises.
Fine dining: nothing beats Old South Mountain Inn
Good dining: Monocacy Crossing
Diner dining: None are good and cheap, any NJ/NY will beat ours
Cheap Mexican: Fajita Grande by a mile
Pizza: still looking, but Kings so far
Crab cake: May’s (and stuffed flounder, too)
Fish & Chips: None found
Crab feast: Liberty Seafood (in good company only)
Chinese sit down: Lotus
Chinese (well, sort of Chinese) buffet: City Buffet
p.s. We tend to eat out at the “chef” places during the week, when the food and service is at its best and the ambiance is so much better.
To “Knows good food”
For “Pizza,” try Laurienzo’s Brick Oven in Mt. Airy if you like wood-fired crust. A bit farther afield in (gasp!) Montgomery County (Gaithersburg), I have to say that Zio’s is far and away the best pizza I’ve ever had.
For “Crab Cake” (and Crab Imperial, etc.), I feel Dutch’s Daughter handles the basic crab dishes as well as any place in the Fred-Mont. Co. area. When I’ve been there, crab meat was good quality and free of cartilage. Agree that Mays crab cake is quite decent.
You didn’t mention “Italian.” Any recommendation?
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned Volt yet but I went Sunday night and I’m telling you, you will never put anything more delicious in your face.
Thanks Shirley. This post was written before VOLT opened, but it’s certainly in my top 10 now!
For fish and chips I love Cafe Anglais! I also cannot stand La Paz (Lived in Tucson for years) or the Green Turtle. I like Liberty Seafood and Red Horse. I wish we would get a good Korean Restaurant. I miss eating bibimbap.
A cut above catering has good food for lunch. I also love Gabriel’s Inn. Amazing food and you can have a French style six course meal.
Have to agree about La Paz and pretty much every “mexican” restaurant in Frederick. We lived in California, AZ, and traveled thru Mexico, TX and New Mexico. Once you’ve eaten Mex in those places….well, everything else is like tv dinner food. For seafood we usually go to Liberty Road. Haven’t had fish and chips at Cafe Anglais but my daughter and I did go for high tea once. It was just sort of ok (traveled a lot in the UK, too) but not worth the price.
Meems, glad to finally see a complimentary mention of good ol’ Red Horse. It’s a place that’s been a big hit each time we’ve taken out-of-town company there.
Mick’s American Bistro is excellent – if you don’t know, it’s in the spot where Jennifer’s used to be. Upscale American food with a creative slant. For good old American cooking – we like Alexander’s (the Old Catoctin Inn)..
Haven’t tried Cafe Anglais for fish and chips, which I love. I’m wondering though how they will stack up to my favorite fish & chips dive – Hurricane Alley in Boynton Beach, FL….surfboards on the walls, lots of ice cold beef choices, and outdoor seating. Nice.
One more thing….we used to have a Korean Restaurant in town – Hana’s. I loved going there – their food was excellent. Sadly, it’s now the new parking deck on Patrick…
Gypsy – I agree ( I too lived in Cali). However, I have a found a place, but it’s not close. Papa Joe’s in Westminster –
http://www.papajoeswestminster.com/
It is the best mexican food I have had in Maryland (besides Samantha’s in Silver Spring). Real tacos, not americanized! Their Chili Verde is suburb! Cannot wait to go back! The waiter told us that they were looking to expand; I told him to come to Frederick. And that I guarantee that my husband and I would eat there at least once a week. Good stuff!
Two often-overlooked Italian restaurants are Pizza Blitz I and II. Yes, it’s a pizza parlor, but the Italian food is excellent. You will be very pleasantly surprised by both the taste and quality of the food. The dishes are Americanized, especially the pizza, however the owners are Italian and know what they are doing. (I’m not Italian, but I grew up in an Italian neighborhood in NYC and have lived in Italy.) The original place is in a shopping center at Old Farm Road by the intersection with Yellow Springs Road (becomes Rosemont Ave. in town) on the far west side of Frederick. The second is next to the Regal Westview movie theater on Crestwood Blvd near route 355. http://pages.frederick.com/dining/pizzablitz.htm [Wow, this sounds like an advertisement. I guess I have to say that I am only a satisfied customer, not an employee or otherwise connected to the place.]
For a quick lunch, I like Mexican food at Casa Rico and Fajita Grande. When I have more time, I like eating at Cacique or Mexicali Cantina. The Cantina has better lunch specials than Cacique and is a little faster, btw. None of these are great, but they’re better than most. – I will never again eat in La Paz. I doubt the cook has ever knowingly met a Mexican, never mind opened a Mexican cookbook or used any authentic spices. (Yes, I eat at Chipotle and California Tortilla, but those places have never tried to pass themselves off as authentic or “the best in Frederick”.)
I have not seen one very good Chinese place mentioned: Peking Gourmet at Evergreen Square shopping center on route 355 (north of Grove Road, about a block south of Walmart, yuck). I think it’s family owned. The food is consistently very good, service is excellent, polite, and fast, but not intrusive. I have liked every single dish I have ever ordered there. I can’t say that I have a clue if it’s “authentic”, but some Chinese coworkers like it and I’ve seen many Chinese families there.
My favorite Indian place is Clay Oven on Route 40 on the west side of Frederick. I really enjoy their spicing and well cooked foods. If you’re not sure about trying spicy dishes, the Clay Oven has a good, reasonably priced lunch buffet where you can sample a little bit of everything. The dinner menu has many more individual choices, at a higher price, but you can’t try a little of everything like you can at lunchtime. The combination dinner plate gives you foods that go well together, or you can ask the staff for recommendations. (While Bombay Grill is a lot more expensive, they’re not nearly as good. On my second visit, BG *burned* my food and the waiter insisted that was the right way to cook it! There was no third visit. My Indian coworkers recommend Clay Oven over BG and Nilgiris.) http://www.theclayovenrestaurant.com
For good Greek food, go to the Mountain View Diner, believe it or not. Their “chicken rice” soup is really avgolemono soup, Greek for “egg-lemon” soup. Other Greek dishes include pastitsio (don’t call it “Greek lasagna” around me!), spanakopita, marinated chicken, and of course souvlaki. The diner has a very wide menu, and most of the choices are at least good. Just don’t order too much… You won’t be able to finish. http://www.mountainviewdiner.com/
For Japanese, I like Roppongi in the Hillcrest shopping center on Route 40. The owners are a sweet Japanese couple. The sushi is fresh and the cooked food flavors are also quite good, with side dishes like the seaweed salad and miso soup. I like it better than Cafe Kyoto. On the down side, because it’s a small mom-and-pop place, the service can be a little slow and I’ve had to ask for the check sometimes. Lots better than going to a chain where the teenage waiter doesn’t know the menu and rushes you out the door.
I guess these are my picks for restaurants in Frederick. I’m hoping for Dim Sum someday, but that may be too much to expect.
Thanks for your comments Jerry! Very interesting choices. Have you tried either of the new Greek places that have opened since this post was written? Greek Aroma (http://frederickmarylandonline.com/2009/01/28/new-greek-cafe/) or Aleko’s (http://frederickmarylandonline.com/2009/04/02/alekos-in-middletown/
Also, Cafe Kyoko closed a couple years ago. Have you tried Hinode on the creek?
I’ve heard lots of comments from people wanting Dim Sum. I’m also hoping for a good Korean restaurant, although Hana’s will be hard to replace.
Hello Ms. lizfrog,
I hope “interesting choices” is a compliment. *grin* I too was once a regular at Hana’s and was very disappointed about their eviction by a parking deck. Thank you for the suggestions for Greek food. My wife pointed out Hinode as a place we should try, but we have not yet done so.
Hinode has a great location – but they do not always rise to the occassion. I blogged about our experience there on my site: http://www.thediningdiva.blogspot.com
Sorry about the blatant self-promotion (well, I’m not THAT sorry) – but since we are having a food discussion, it’s kind of related!
I was not impressed with Hinode either… unless you like unfresh and overpriced sushi, you might just want to try somewhere else.
@ Jerry A., I absolutely meant it that way. I really appreciate all the time and thought you put into your comment!
Wags is a terrific place downtown. For those of us without a huge bankroll it has some of the best burgers and sandwiches in the area.
I have it on good authority that Pane e Vino in Mt. Airy has gone out of business. Such a shame!
I was considering having my wedding at The Comus Inn this June but when I try to do some research, I keep seeing articles about The Comus Inn Perverts! Anybody know anything about this? I surely do not want to get married at a place that hires perverts.
Stacy
This answers it:
http://www.thecomusinn.com/assets/pdfs/FinalInternetPosting.pdf
They were being attacked on the web by a former disgruntled employee who had already been arrested a few years ago for similar crimes.
Hi LizFrog
I looked at your list and others comments, here’s my problem I don’t know how you like your Pizza or any other food. One of the very best restaurants is:
1. Dutch’s Daughter, all there meats are prime and very tender there seafood is great.
2. Pizza how do you like yours, I like Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, cheese and a good helping of sauce. No Onions or other veggies. 1. TOPPING is good but probably will clog your arteries.
2. Rocky’s in Hagerstown is also good
Tell me why you like Mangia e Bevi your said it was the best?
Well Chuck, when I like something I know it, and I like their pizza and that is my opinion. Pizza, I have found, is one of those foods that people just like to have opinions about. I think it’s nice that there is so much diversity and people can usually find something they like out there. Personally, I like sausage, mushrooms and onions but will eat most toppings.