We were looking for small plates/ tapas. This place took small plates way to literal. Tiny plates is what they should state. Do not get me wrong everything that we had was so so so delicious and awesome but definitely not enough. The prices are expensive compared to the amount of food in each dish. The cerviche was delectable but OMG barely enough than 3 bite fulls.and it was served in a huge bowl which made us laugh. We left hungry and went down the street to the taco restaurant To get something to fill us up In summary the food is very very delicious just not enough. Don't come hungry! read more

Maybe I ordered the wrong things, but there wasn't much flavor that wasn't overpowered by the oil. I travelled extensively in Spain for 13 years and what I ate couldn't hold a candle to authentic Spanish food. I'll have to stick to recreating dishes at home. I had the chistorra and brussel sprouts tapas. Three stars for being clean with good service. read more

The taste of the food was amazing, and the presentation elegant. I never knew I could like Brussels sprouts without bacon. Try them. The atmosphere is convivial, but not too loud Service was great. Also creative drinks. Can't wait to go back. read more

I love this place. The tapas are delicious. The fried asparagus, papas bravas, sizzling shrimp, everything is good. They gave great lunch and happy hour specials. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Frederick. read more

Home of the longest tapas menu in the Universe. There had to be over 50 different small plates offered. Hey, maybe that's their marketing strategy: The idea is to get you coming back until you've tried every one and by then you'll have forgotten what the earlier ones tasted like so you'll start over at the top of the menu. Or maybe they're trying to get into the Guinness Record Book. Whatever. Bottom line is this is a fun place with good to very good tapas right in the heart of the renovated Federalist tourist/historic district. It was a hot day and we were there for lunch so didn't really feel like trying their wines, but the list looked good and also long. Would I got back? Sure. This place was definitely worth a return visit or 2 or 3 or . . . so you get my meaning. read more

We ate here on a Sunday about noon. Three entrees, French toast, a salad and my 1 egg? Omelette. Really the smallest omelette I have ever received. Specifically I ordered the chorizo version, the chorizo itself was good, I was not thrilled about the sliced versus chopped onions but the thing was tiny. If two eggs were used they were very small eggs. The price was right at $5.99 but if I go to all that trouble I'd just as soon as pay $1 more and get something that wasn't laughable. read more

I have been going to Isabella's for quite some time. It is my favorite tapas restaurant in Frederick. Mackensie, the hostess was outstanding in accommodating my wife and I after two reservation time changes. The service is always the best and during this time of covid, they did an outstanding job of cleaning tables right away and ensuring social distancing. I highly recommend Isabella's for your next social gathering and an enjoyable place to eat and drink! read more

Had dinner there recently. Great service had great appetizer's and drinks but the paella is not very good not worth the price. It was full of meat shrimps shellfish but there was no flavor very bland. More spices and saffron needed. Recently went to Spain and this dish at Isabella's is not even close. Also to many loud people shouting and being real jerks. read more

Had a great night. All the various plates we had were great. We had chicken, pork belly, fig / chorizo, short ribs, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and Brie cheese. We also had to try some Desserts chocolate peanut butter bread pudding, apple tart were excellent. Flan was okay. They make solid drinks. Great atmosphere and fun environment. read more

I would give them 5 stars but the past two visits were a bit frustrating. I've been eating at Isabella's for 10 years+ and always love the food. The food/wine is what keeps me coming back. The wait staff has always been pleasant. Sometimes a bit rushed when it's busy, but that's understandable. The last visit I actually complained to the manager about how we were treated. I'm not one to ever complain but I actually felt like I was be scolded. Not very welcoming. I certainly don't feel the hospitality. I had made reservations for my nieces birthday, party of 8. Three of us arrived 20 minutes early and checked in. We even said "we are very early but just wanted to let you know we are here." They sat us immediately, which was a bit surprising. Within the next 20 minutes, another member arrived, and we were asked FOUR times if we were still a party of 8. This was still BEFORE our actual reservation. We were talked to like children, no "thank you" or "you're welcome." Just rude attitude like we were doing something horribly wrong by being a party of 8 and not all arriving together. I went to the front and asked for the manager and let him know that the way we were being talked to felt like we were inconveniencing them. I also explained that we were going to be spending hundreds of dollars and felt like actually going to another restaurant. Yes the 3 final member of our party were 15 minutes late. Our waiter never asked if we wanted to order drinks. I have never been treated like an annoyance like this before in any restaurant. If the place does not like to take larger parties than don't take our reservations. I'll spend my 300 bucks at The Wine Kitchen and be treated with much more respect. I come to Isabella's because I love the food but this service will certainly make he think twice about bringing my family here when visiting Frederick. Maybe the manager doesn't care because the place obviously does very well. But that mentality will eventually alienate customers. read more

The dishes are always delicious and the service is exceptional. Waitstaff are attentive to your needs and happy to recommend different drinks, tapas ect. depending on your tastes, dietary restrictions and preferences. I had my rehearsal dinner here in 2018 and their executive chef met with me to help provide a menu that fit both our budget and our preferences! I have come here many times since then and it does not matter if I come for a lunch special or during peak hours, the food and service is always the best! The asparagus 'fries' are a classic I would always recommend new guests trying. They also have a variety of alternatives to meet the needs of vegetarians. read more

My husband and i visit for the first time this place we like the food and drinks, but I felt one of the server was rude saying that we only have 20 min to order went we just get there, we came 8:30 they closed 9:00pm i guess manager was closed to the door and he say we still have a some time to order I appreciate that in some point, but other people came 9:00pm asked for a table they seat the table without saying you only have 20 min, after that other person come to the bar when they supposed Close and he still get service, I guess they need to learning to treat people by equally, that my first experience I would think about it if I decided to come back to this place read more

Isabella's - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Had a great lunch here today. Isabella's is a happening little Spanish tapas restaurant. The service was great the food was delish. I had shrimp and grits - the grits were manchego cheesy grits OMG were they good! Had a side of bacon that was cooked to a crispy perfection of goodness. Saw so many other great looking options on the menu as well, will have to come back and give those a try. read more

Isabella's - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Had a really great meal here on a Sunday evening. Sat outside and watched the people go by. Social distancing by the staff was great. Everyone was wearing masks and tables were far apart. We had the garlic shrimp, lobster risotto, dates with goat cheese, fried manchego, and a few more. Everything was amazingly fresh and delicious. Hope to go back soon! read more

Love Isabellas! Great food, good people, good service! I love the special salad they make for me! Cauliflower is awesome!

My husband and had dinner at Isabelle's on a recent Saturday evening. We had a 5:30 reservation. When we were seated our waiter took our drink order and started a friendly conversation. During our conversation he mentioned that, though it didn't look very busy, they expected a large crowd that evening and their was another reservation for our table in two hours. We thought he was joking, but knew that we would be finished our meal by then. At about 7:00, we had paid our bill, but were finishing our drinks, the manager approached our table and asked how everything was. We told that we enjoyed our dinner. He proceeded to tell us that there was a reservation for our table "in a few minutes." We finished and left within 5 minutes. We will never go back to Isabella's since there are many other restaurants that won't imply that you leave within a certain amount of time. Nancy Dukes read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. Low prices for expertly crafted tapas. We got four plates for about $20, what a steal! Excellent service too. We recommend the asparagus fries and the homemade potato chips with goat cheese and siracha read more

Isabella's - Beautiful plating - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Arrived on a Friday evening and got seated pretty quick though it was definitely getting full. Inside was cozy, but enough room not be knocked over. It's located in downtown Frederick, so plenty of stores to roam around before/after eating. There's a garage nearby, so no issues with parking! Our waitress was friendly and attentive, and food came out quicker than I expected. We got: coco dusted filet mignon (super delicious and tender! was definitely my highlight); serrano ham with cantaloupe (not bad, the mix played with sweet and salty); stuffed grilled eggplant (this was alright, nothing too great, but flavor was there); short rib with basmati rice (alright, short rib was tender, flavor was ok, rice was ok); panko asparagus "fries" (super good, definitely get this, comes with 4 large stalks in a dessert wine flute glass with sauce); and sauteed baby green beans (seemed simple, but this ended up being really delicious and flavorful, albeit oily). It came with bread and olive oil to begin with, but it was nothing to rave about. It's a great place with really good tapas, so if you're in the area, check them out! read more

Outside patio was full, so we got seated inside. Interesting decor on the inside, a bit cold from all the fans. Service was friendly and quick! read more

Isabella's - Stopped in for Saturday Brunch! We are so glad we decided to try this place. The eggs Benedict with chorizo is D-licious!! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Amazing food and drinks. We stopped by on a whim! So much goodness. The food the drinks the atmosphere and wait staff! Cant wait to go back read more

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Good service. Nice place. Food is average for tapas. We had Calamari (cooked well, kind of bland sauce), sizzling shrimp which looked and sounded promising (maybe should be served on toasted bread to take advantage of all the sauce which you lose), and tasty Bacon wrapped dates (these are on par with what they should be). read more

This place takes reservations, so right there is an extra point! Employees and our server were all very nice and accommodating. It was the first visit for some of us and our server explained everything about menu. The food came out quickly and was really yummy. This was a fun experience and I will definitely go back! read more

we had late lunch here today and were extremely happy with the meal and the experience. We started with the fried asparagus and empanadas, both of which were excellent. The sauce that came with each was phenomenal. I had a glass of red sangria was which very tasty, not terribly winey like some sangrias. Next we had manchego frito with fig jam which was delicious. For "entrees" we had the spare rib plate and seared rare tuna with Asian noodles, both of which again were excellent. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake and a parfait-type dish, again both were excellent. Every single thing I had for this meal was great. The "worst" part of the meal was the price which was still pretty representative for a tapas restaurant. I look forward to coming back for another meal in the near future. read more

The waitress was very lazy. We had to ask for the tapas menu. I had the empanadas which were hard and overcooked. Then we had to ask for more water and ice tea. After we told her separate bills, she charged me for my girlfriend's 2 ice teas. BTW, this place charges for refills on ice tea! My girlfriend who loves dessert won't order any here because they are not good at all. Very overpriced. read more

It's been awhile since I went to Isabella's but I am glad I returned. Lunch party of 4 during Frederick restaurant week and we were seated promptly. Didn't wait long for food and it was delicious. 3 course lunch menu for $18 and a good variety of options to choose from. I went with the asparagus "fries" (duh), the chicken wrap and the chocolate cake for dessert. All were very good, promptly served and affordable. The rest of my party had the homemade pasta of the day and they were all very happy. Overall, I was very happy with my lunch and definitely glad I gave Isabella's another shot. Only took a pic of the dessert, I was too hungry to take pics of the rest . read more

Isabella's - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

We loved Isabella's. Wonderfully preparedTapas plates using lots of local ingredients, friendly and highly responsive servers, and an upbeat vibe running throughout the place. Prices $6-$9 for veggie tapas, $8-15 or so for seafood and meat tapas. Everything we had was delicious, hot, nicely presented and ready shortly after we ordered. I am going there again soon. See photos. read more

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Excellent food! Lots of tapas choices - lunch specials - their sangria is very good too. Cool atmosphere - highly recommend!

I LOVE Isabella's. Honestly, I feel a little guilty it has taken me this long to write a proper review. I discovered Isabella's awesome lunch deal more than four years ago and have returned many times for lunch, dinner, special occasions and big group events (I recommend calling ahead). I still haven't been for brunch but it's on the list. I am so impressed that in all those visits, the food, service and atmosphere has been excellent. Everything I have had has been great, the dinner specials change frequently, meaning there is always something new to try. Particular highlights are the asparagus fries, fried goat cheese balls and the sautéed mushrooms. If they have it, be brave and try the octopus, it's delicious. The red sangria is not to be missed! read more

Mediocre food and terrible service. Nothing more unpleasant that been served by a grumpy waiter. The prices $$ aren't reflected in the food. read more

Today we were excited to finally try Isabella's. We had our small dog with us so we needed to sit outside. It was so hot that nobody was sitting outside. There were two small tables that had two chairs on one side and a bench. My husband chose the bench and sat down with our dog. I went in to let the hostess know we were going to eat outside. She looked annoyed and said "two?" I just assumed that maybe she was a little overwhelmed with the crowd inside. I went back outside and decided to sit beside my husband and dog on the bench so I could watch people walk by. The hostess came outside and without saying anything pulled the table my husband was sitting onto his foot to separate the tables and told me to move because we could only have one table. RUDE. I went around to sit across from my husband. She slapped down 4 different menus and told us we needed to put our dog on the ground and keep it there to eat there. I can understand this rule, and respect it.... But it was her tone combined with her attitude towards us sitting outside and then just moving the table while we were sitting at it. My husband and I both said "Nevermind". We got up and were walking away as she made a snarky remark. The place is super cute, so I gave it two stars. The other reviews speak for the quality of food. However, the service received from this particular hostess was unprofessional and very rude so I couldn't give anymore stars. I hope to try the place and have better service in the near future so I can update this review. read more

Updated Review: Went back with sister and hub and had a great time trying 8 different tapas at the bar. We never got the bartenders names (a guy and a girl) but they were very pleasant to have as bartenders. We had the lobster risotto (special) which was our fave, the chorizo hamburgers (2nd fave), stone crabs (special), octopus (special), chorizo wrapped in potato, house made potato chips (so good), spicy shrimp and the fried manchego. Everything was delish. Good food, fun bartenders, stiff drinks and just an overall good time trying a variety of food. Can't wait to go back. Booked Isabella's via Open Table for our 5 year wedding anniversary dinner (recommendation per Facebook). I knew it wasn't as fancy as the normal special occasion spots (Volt, Wine Kitchen, Tasting Room) but they have paella (hubs fave) and sangria (my fave) so I figured it was a good choice. My first issue...we were seated at a normal table sort of in the middle of everyone. I'd think if its a special occasion we'd get a little more of a private seat like in a booth or something. They also didn't even mention our anniversary so it honestly just felt like we stopped in for dinner. For this I take away 1 star. Second...there were at least 3-4 fruit flies circling our table at any point in the evening. I tried my best to ignore them but this was a deal breaker for my husband. He felt that if there were 3-4 at our table then there must be a ton at the bar or in the kitchen. As a result we ended up skipping dessert and additional wine and went elsewhere. So, sadly this results in not only another decrease in stars but a husband who will likely not want to return. The food (we had goat cheese fritters, short rib sliders, paella, ceviche) was good and the sangria was delicious (generous pours for the $9 flights) so I hope to give it another try with a friend or my sister since hubs prob won't go. Hopefully I'll be able to up my rating after another visit as well. Definitely not a great anniversary dinner restaurant. read more

We both left hungry. Tapas are one thing but the size of the portions are ridiculous. Sizzling shrimp consisted of four SMALL shrimp with greasy onions. Calamari was okay but the sauce was bland. Again, not really enough to even share. Grilled Octopus was ok but oddly served cold. My wine pour..$9 was pathetic. I have never-ever had such a small pour. Outlet bill was over $85 and I venture to say, ALL of the food we received could have fit on ONE average dinner plate. Left hungry and dissatisfied read more

In honor of Restaurant Week, I took an interest in dining at Isabella's for dinner. Let me start off by saying that the food was mediocre. The advertisement online on the Restaurant Week website was $20 for 3 courses. My friends and I are foodies so we were extremely excited to try this place. When I first arrived at the restaurant, I quickly noticed that the displayed menus only referenced l "Restaurant Week specials at $35." I first spoke to the server to clarify the pricing discrepancy regarding the online special pricing ($20) vs. the printed menus ($35) on display. He informed me that they were aware of the pricing reference online, "Restaurant Week specials at $20," and it was an error made by their website staff. I then spoke to the manager and she proceeded to state that the restaurant staff will NOT honor the online pricing listed. I had mentioned that the pricing specials were posted on the company's website for 2 full days. The manager acknowledged the false pricing, but was unapologetic for the company's error and did not make any attempts to rectify the occurrence. She never made any attempt to accommodate myself of my friends on our first experience at this venue. After a long work day and driving 40 minutes, my friends and I chose to overlook the disappointing setbacks. We stayed and tried our best to enjoy the food and good company. I'm not a cheap customer nor am I an individual that tries to haggle free products or discounted items. I am a foodie. I love to try new foods at new venues whenever I get the chance. Before I left the restaurant, I checked the website to see if any pricing updates have been made and surprisingly, they did. I'm aware that errors occur, but it's how you rectify the situation that matters. This experience started off with false advertisement and ended with bad customer service. My friends and I plan to never return. read more

The spot for Tapas in Frederick, MD. Visit regularly for their breakfast and tapas menu. Huevos Rancheros is the way to go for breakfast. Definitely recommend the asparagus and meatballs from their tapas. Awesome great service and good atmosphere. Try to get a seat by the window read more

My wife and I eat here all the time, vast menu options even gluten free which we both are! Chefs work with out allergies and staff is very helpful which is a relief because chain restaurants have no clue. A+++++ read more

Amazing place for tapas!! Friday night was jumping and I was happy I made reservations. Joey our server took care of our priorities and got our drink order within minutes of us taking our seats. In fact Joey was a big part of our enjoyable dining experience! He made fantastic recommendations and each one was better than the last. We started with the gambas al pil pil that is a sizzling shrimp. We tasted the hamburgesas de chorizo, the patates con chorizo and the queso al horno that is a wedge of Brie deliciousness! And whatever you do save room for dessert! Again Joey's recommendation did not disappoint! The flourless chocolate cake with some ice cream and raspberry drizzle was a party in my mouth! So go to Isabella's and ask for Joey! This girl from the Burgh will be back next visit thru! read more

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Went here a few days ago with my friends and family to catch up. The food was excellent and it was a great place to spend the night eating and drinking. We had a server named Emma who was really great and friendly. I highly recommend Isabella's, very friendly staff and great tasting food. read more

I'm not normally one to leave a bad review, but my friends and I felt taken advantage of by a waiter at this restaurant. We came all the way from out of town in Virginia to try this place, and arrived during Happy Hour. We made several indications to the waiter that we wanted to order drinks and tapas for Happy Hour, and the waiter confirmed several times that what we were ordering would qualify. He didn't explicitly say it, but heavily implied it in a way that made it clear he was trying to manipulate us. We ordered drinks and several tapas each. When he came back to the table so we could order our next round, we asked if a certain item was also eligible for the happy hour prices. He responded by acting like we were idiotic for thinking to even ask at all and said "Happy Hour only applies to people sitting at the bar, and nothing you ordered qualifies for Happy Hour anyway." We asked why that was, when he had clearly indicated that we were ordering for Happy Hour before, and he pointed to the chalkboard sign. In extremely small font, at the bottom of the board, it said "Happy Hour deals only applies to those sitting at the bar." First of all, I've never experienced that at a restaurant before - why would Happy Hour only apply to ten seats at the bar, and not the tables in the rest of the restaurant? That makes no sense, in my opinion. However, if that's how the restaurant decides to implement Happy Hour, then the waiters should clearly indicate that their patrons will not be receiving the Happy Hour deals before they put in orders from the dining tables. We were clearly annoyed by the misleading info, and instead of apologizing or trying to clarify the rules, the waiter said "That's how we get you! I wrote that text myself," referring to the small font on the chalkboard. We felt overall very disrespected and uncomfortable with the entire experience. The food was alright, but we won't be back or be recommending this place after such an off encounter. I truly hope this was a one-off experience and doesn't happen to anyone else who goes here. read more

Isabella's is our favorite restaurant in Frederick by far. We've traveled to Spain several times and Isabella's has captured the essence of their tapas as well as any restaurant I've been to in the DMV. 5 stars!!!!! read more

I'm not usually a fan of tapas cause I always leave hungry but I have seen so many great reviews for this place that I just had to check it out. Went on a rainy Thursday night with my cousin so it wasn't busy. I was seated pretty quickly and my waiter came as fast as I was seated. My drink of choice for the night was the red sangria and OH MY SANGRIA! I've had many sangrias and most I've tasted were either too watered down or it just tasted like wine. The sangria here you can taste the fruit, the wine, and whatever else they made it with. We ordered the short ribs which had goat cheese sliced into 4 mini sandwiches. This was my favorite dish. The mixture of the cheese with the ribs and the bread blended so well together. We also ordered the patatas con chorizo, patatas fritas, and the beef meatballs. All are wonderfully made. I would definitely come back and I can't wait to try other dishes. read more