Didn't have one bad thing! Good service great food and even better Sangria... the white and seasonal peach were amazing! My wife and I will come back here for sure. Goat cheese balls ... fantastic! Baked Brie... fantastic! Sizzling shrimp and artichoke crabs... very tasty! Meatballs odd taste but great. The pollo spicy apricot skewer... very good. Desserts up next but I'm done with this post. Hope it's just as good! :P read more

The service was average, at best. My glasses were empty 80% of the meal, food was subpar, and I was thoroughly disappointed. Why would you use frozen seafood in a delicate dish like ceviche? Or frozen seafood at all? By the way, your scallops have freezer burn. read more

We've NEVER had a bad experience here. We practically go twice a month. Servers recognize us and are super friendly. No fear if you can't read the menu, servers are well-versed in understanding what you mean! Tapas are THE way to go and the paella is the complete bomb.com!!! Lots of great specials, and a semi-large selection of samples every day. Sangria is great, too! Sometimes the restaurant can get loud on a Saturday, and you'll have to wait for a seat on Saturday nights, too, but it's worth the wait! I suggest getting two to three tapas at a time but the servers will recommend that! We get one from the veggie menu, meat, and seafood, to start. They are genius! read more

After our hike we were looking for a place for brunch. The location is perfect for using the Church Street parking. We were greeted & seated quickly, our server Jared was personable & knowledgeable. We really enjoyed our brunches with lots of hot coffee to warm us up after the chilly June hike! Huevos Rancheros - was fresh & well seasoned. Spanish eggs with potatoes had a silky cheese sauce. It's a creative play on Spanish brunch worth the stop. read more

I can't believe it took me this long to find this place. We were there for St. Patrick's Day last night, and had originally planned on going to Brewer's Alley for a traditional Irish fare. Because the lines were so long at other places, we ended up at Isabella's, which was also busy, but not over-crowded. I was very happy at first glance of the menu- they serve a bunch of Brewer's Alley beers at great prices, and they have an extensive cocktail menu. We ordered some beers and some tapas (albondigas, patatas fritas, green beans, and chorizo) which were all fantastic, and we got some chocolate pot thing for dessert, which was great. We will definitely be back, and we barely scratched the surface of the menu. They had a bunch of great seafood options. Also, it looks like they've got a bunch of happy hour deals too. I wish I lived closer. read more

One of my favorite places in Frederick. I love small plate options and Isabella's rarely disappoints. From the sangria to the asparagus fries (their specialty) to the specials, everything is delicious and interesting. I definitely recommend! read more

I came here for the first time last week with my family. I've experienced lots of cuisine in my life but never Tapas... which is almost like a tex mex version of dim sum in a way. The place was packed on a Saturday and very loud with people, luckily we didn't have a wait and got sat right away. Most the dishes seemed to be like deep fried appetizers, although fried it always seemed something was a bit cold inside the fried items. The berry sangria seemed to be weak in taste in my opinion although this was my first time drinking sangria because most sangria usually has citrus in it (which I can't consume). Overall, my parents loved the food, I hated it and actually got a stomach ache after two small dishes (I was looking forward to eating back at home). I suppose it's a required taste?? and I usually love tex mex and Mexican food... but this wasn't for me although I suppose I could see the appeal for other people. read more

If I had reviewed this a few months ago after my first visit, it would have been an entirely different review. Went here on a recent weekend and was extremely disappointed with the food. The food had no seasoning whatsoever - not even salt or pepper it seemed - and lacked any real interesting flavor. We had paella and a pasta entree. I had eaten at Isabella's before during the summer and had tapas, and while I had an enjoyable experience, after reflecting on the bland food I had recently, I realize that I was fooling myself back then. While the tapas were interesting and the choices varied, those too lacked flavor. We did enjoy a nice glass of Spanish red wine - but even the garlic bread appetizer needed pepper! All in all, if you don't mind food that lacks salt/pepper/spices then Isabella's is your place with it's really long and interesting list of tapas choices. On the other hand, if you expect your food to be seasoned the way you like it the moment it is put on your table, you may just be disappointed. read more

I thought about reviewing the nightlife at Isabella's which includes watered down drinks, a fist pumping DJ, mock VIP area and a manager who cant seem to keep his hands off the ladies, but I'll save that for next time. Instead I'll focus on the Sunday Brunch. I initially attended with two other people and we all agreed that the portions and service was pretty great even though our waiter seemed a little cranky. I was hung over and decided that a burger was the way to go, and while it wasn't the greatest I'd ever had, it hit the spot. Hoping to repeat our success about a month later Ireturned and had a less cranky waiter, but in exchange for his youthfulness I received some of the worst service. Initially I blamed it on the kitchen, but as I'll mention later I think its simply the waiter. The menu clearly states that the French toast includes three pieces + bacon + two eggs + roasted potatoes + fresh fruit. When the food arrived not only was the fruit missing completely, but I only received 2/3 of my French toast. I love carbs and this was not acceptable. I mentioned this to the waiter, he seemed perplexed. I didn't even mention the fruit, but I figured he saw that it wasn't there and it was on the way as well. After about 10 mintues or so the remaining portion of the meal arrived, and he implied that it took some arm twisting of the kitchen staff for it to happen. The manager stopped by a little later and apologized for the missing food however the fruit never showed up. I thought, maybe its a fluke. So I waited about a month, and returned again. I had my fingers crossed that Senior Cranky Pants would be my waiter again, but alas it was the aloof young fellow. This time I ordered something completely different and loved it. My date ordered the French Toast and we both had water to drink. Would this be the visit that righted the previous wrongs? Of course not. Again only 2/3 of the French Toast arrived, but it was accompanied by the fruit this time. I mentioned this to the waiter and received the deer in headlights stare. He began to argue, I clarified that the menu clearly stated the portion size and off he went to the kitchen. At this point we had both finished our water, and had not received a refill. When the missing food arrived, it was luke warm, and lacking any flavor as though it was simply tossed in egg and put on the flat top. Still no refill on the water. He seemed to know that he screwed up his chances of getting a decent tip and never attempted to correct things and instead choose to ignore us. So I tipped accordingly. In summary: The food tastes great, portions are decent if they all arrive when you're served, and if you can remember to ask, get seated with the old guy. read more

Gone down hill... Ive been a Fredneckian for a long time now.. 11 yrs almost. And we came within the first month of moving. We made it a regular place to go literally every 2 months for the first 2 yrs! It was my fav place... but the service, cleanliness, quality of food, n PRICES went up n down n all over... Its sad! I mean fav place to now i go only every 6 months HOPING it ll be good......... It all started i guess when the mgr changed?? They had like a Restaurant.com coupon offer yrs ago. I bought a bunch n was using.. Towards the end - like the last 3 of them, they said the new manager didnt like them... n they let me use 2 (diff occassions) anyways. The last one a few months later - told same thing but to call n get a refund from the company.... That ws the tipping point. After that the menu kept changing n getting weirder.. the food quality n texture n taste went way down, portion size went way down, price went lway up! Thigns that were $6 went up to $9..... Decor on the table is outdated n antiquated for sure. Last night we went n just medium warm food, tastes were totally off, crisp things were soggy, hot things warm, cold things warm lol. Just blah. N loud... past 6 times been - just way too loud. Id avoid. read more

For the place being as empty as it was, the few people at the bar were so loud I could barely hear the waitress. I had the asparagus fries - C (deep fried - no flavor except via the Aioli Chicken w/Red peppers - B+ (nice flavor) Mushroom flatbread - F (cold - got a second one - again undercooked - gave up) Baked Brie - A- (nice flavor, but brie was a bit thick) Would I go back - probably not. read more

Fun for a girls night or romantic dinner when you don't mind paying more for less. Every time I go, it seems I get less and less for the money. I understand it's a small plate restaurant but $10 for 3 shrimp and $6.50 for green beans is a bit ridiculous. How on earth are you supposed to share? Hahaha! With so many other choices downtown, I would take a pass on Isabella's. I gave it two stars for the asparagus fries, cheese fritters and Brie. read more

Once a month I get my hair done in Frederick. Once a month I come here, alone, so no one dilthe experience for me. Server Joey is the best. Update: Barkeep Kayla, too. And I made new friends at the bar last time! read more

Let me start off by saying that my server was amazing, couldn't have asked for a nicer guy. With that being said, here we go. My boyfriend made a reservation for our 2 year anniversary at 7pm on 8/20/2016, we arrived a little early but they actually weren't that busy and the manager said they could seat us. THE MANAGER on shift took us to our table where I kindly asked him if there was any way we could have a booth since it was our 2 year anniversary. He proceeded to snatch the menus off the table, directed us to a booth with a tall drink of attitude and then made it a point to tell me that I was inconveniencing the next reservation for asking for a booth. ARE YOU SERIOUS????? I have been in the restaurant business for 20 years and I have never been treated that way by a manager. To not make a scene, I let it go because I wanted to have a nice dinner and I wasn't going to let him ruin it. Ugh. The food was incredibly salty, all of it. From the calamari (which we couldn't even finish) to the shrimp and the coffee filet. The only food I can rave about are the asparagus fries and the avocado topped with jumbo lump crab salad. Needless to say, I will NEVER be coming back to this establishment and I've already told a few of my friends who were curious about this restaurant to not spend their money here either. Go down the street to Casique, they have better food and much better service. read more

First time, was awesome the sangria was excellence and the food and very good costumer service ....I suggeste they should put more Spanish flamenco type of dancer tablao or music from Spain Gypsy kings etc Besides that everything was excellent high 5!!! read more

I will keep this short and sweet. FANTASTIC. Huge menu, amazing food selection. Located in walking distance of all shops and restaurants in downtown Frederick. Authentic Tapas restaurant, definitley perfect for groups who love to share. read more

I found a piece of burned plastic wrap in my chicken dish (Pollo de Cacerola a la Gallega) at which point the manager comped us that dish and gave us a free round of desserts. Makes me think though- I guess the food here isn't freshly prepared, and they microwave dishes to heat them up. Also, when they microwave, they put plastic wrap on top (which I don't even do at home since it's supposed to be really bad for you). They must have nuked the dish because the plastic wrap was completely shrunk and burned black- I thought it was a fire-roasted tomato and I was about to eat it but it wouldn't cut and when I picked it up with my fingers, I realized it was plastic wrap!! Other than that, the food was good and service was really great. The asparagus fries (Esparragos Fritos con Salsa Alioli) were good- they use fresh, thick crispy asparagus and a thick crunchy coating which was nice. Their meatballs (Albondigas en Salsa de Ajo) were really moist but the sauce was not that great- a brown gravy sauce. Their baked brie (Queso al Horno) was just a chunk of thick-cut brie warmed up on one piece of bread, with some almonds and honey around it (not enough bread or almonds for each bite). Their scallops (Vieiras de Buceadorde Mar Ennegrecidas) (two big ones) on top of greens were just OK, not cooked and flavored as well as I would have liked. I was faked out by their fried eggplant dish (Escalivada) which I thought would be served hot, but was like a cold ratatoille tomato dish with eggplants. For dessert, their flan and chocolate pot (basically chocolate sauce/pudding in a jar) were just OK, pretty typical and nothing great. read more

Isabella's is one of the loveliest downtown Frederick restaurants. Offering small plates and the most delicious sangria, Isabella's is a great spot for chit-chatting and snacking. If you love to try a variety of different foods, tapas are excellent. They typically suggest that each person orders 3-4 tapas to make a meal. We always do that and share around the table. If you are overwhelmed with options, start off with the asparagus "fries" and a glass of sangria. Then just order whatever sounds good! I've only ever had one or two dishes that I wasn't fond of (no matter how many times I try, I'm just not a ceviche kind-of-girl). A few of my other favorites are the crab cake, Spanish style slow cooked chicken, mussels, and the Turkish sausage panini. I also highly suggest checking out the daily specials. As for dessert, definitely remember to save some room for either the baklava or the ice cream sampler (or both!). The service at Isabella's is also great. Our food has always been perfectly spaced and our waiters are always attentive. Definitely make a reservation if you plan on dining on a Friday or Saturday night though, as the restaurant can get full. I wish Isabella's was just a bit bigger to better accommodate a busy night! During the weekdays, check out Isabella's happy hour. They have a few drink specials and free hors d'oeuvres... score! They also host some dancing nights, that I have yet to attend, but sound like a lot of fun! Isabella's really adds some spice and fun to downtown Frederick. It's more of a dining experience than simply a restaurant. And if you love Isabella's, be sure to check out her Eastern Mediterranean sister... Ayşe Meze! read more

Spanish tapas we had for dinner on Friday night good crowd. We ordered drinks while we were waiting for a table weren't so good. It was their popular red sangria and mojitos. We ordered 7 tapas dishes to share. Gambas was great. Fried asparagus was Delish! Came back the next morning for brunch wasn't that great. Services were awesome. Try them yourself some dishes are great some ain't so much... read more

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This is my husband's and my favorite dinner date spot. The food is delish. Highly recommend!

Isabella's; an uninviting, poor attempt at tapas style dining. One of the most unprofessional ways to invite a guest into a restaurant is to consistently remind them that they are on a schedule and they need to finish their meal in a timely fashion so as to accommodate a reservation that needs the table. Don't seat us down in the first place. I completely lost my appetite and even the weak sangria could not help me to see any redeeming qualities in this venue. Moral of the story: If you like to take your time, enjoy your food and the company you are with go somewhere else. read more

I am always just so pleased with this place. Great food and service and love the atmosphere here. Great, great place to come with a few friends. I have probably had nearly everything on the menu, but some the things i always NEED to have when I come: -Asparagus fries -Bacon wrapped dates -Apricot brie I have been disappointed by one or two things, but out of a large menu, that's pretty impressive. It's usually a total win. It can get pretty pricey, especially if you get some of their (really awesome) sangria but it's worth it. Take your time and enjoy the food! read more

We were in Frederick on a Friday night - we had not made a dinner reservation. Isabella's was able to accommodate us with a nice table for the 2 of us. Our server Emily was attentive and great with recommendations on vegetarian choices, wine, desserts. Food was superb, dessert wonderful. We had a very enjoyable evening. I would be up for trying the bar too - that looked like a fun option. read more

Came here for the beginnings of a great Bachelorette party. We were a pretty large table and had a few waiters/waitresses helping us. All were equally pleasant and efficient. This is a tapas place, so we ordered a whole bunch of stuff for the table to share, plus they give you yummy complimentary bread with olive oil for dipping. They kept refilling the bread, which was a really good thing for us in particular because small plates aren't really enough to prepare you for a night full of drinking! Again, this is a tapas place, so it was a little pricey for the amount you got and unfortunately for me as a vegetarian there weren't TOO many options. The asparagus "fries" with aioli were a table (and it looks like Yelp) favorite, so much so that we ordered a couple more rounds after our initial order. Ambiance is nice - dimly lit with a fully stocked bar. It was a tad loud, that would probably be my only complaint. I'd definitely come back if I was in the area! read more

I think A-OK sums up Isabella's. We came in with some family while visiting Frederick. This is a tapas restaurant, I'm not usually a fan of tapas, mostly because I like to eat a hearty meal. You can come out full but you pay for it. Service was pretty good, took a bit to get drinks but overall good. They have local beer on tap, I guess it's owned by the people who own Brewer's Ally. The "new" old fashioned was good but a little too much cinnamon for my taste. The Brewers Ally IPA was delicious. The food overall was good. Only one thing truly stood out to me and that was the dates wrapped in bacon stuffed with chorizo and goat cheese. These were absolutely phenomenal and by far the highlight of the night. I would order multiple plates of these if we came back. Nothing else really stuck out as memorable, the lamb was ok. By far the worst was the chicken croquettes, these were down right unappetizing. It was dry shredded chicken and just bland and kinda just bleh. I will say the portions are tapas, some are decent some are not. I was hungry when we left and we spent quite a bit. The food was pretty average and to be hungry afterwards I wasn't thrilled. But overall it was AOK and I would probably come back if our family in town chose it, but it may not be my first choice personally. read more

I have been here to Isabella's twice. The first time for my anniversary and the food and service was amazing and great! The second time we went with friends, it was a little busy, all of the food was tasty except for the paella- it tasted like the boxed goya rice. Other than that, we had a lovely time and enjoyed the food! Will come back. read more

Great for the cooking lessons! My husband and I have eaten here with a group. It was a lot of fun, trying new things, passing our dishes. But I don't think we'll go again. I did, however, take cooking lessons there, and would love to take them again. $20 per lesson, 4 lessons, all the Sangria you can drink, a small group watching the chef. Then you eat his creation. It was great fun, great food, and a great group to spend the time with. read more

Atmosphere: Came here with out 2 month old and it was loud enough that we left OK to bring a child but not so loud that it overwhelmed or over stimulated him. Jazzy music and cool decor. High ceilings. Food: Good size tapas and tasty! Lamb was a little fatty but everything else was delicious. Loved the mussels. Fresh bread and rich bacon wrapped dates. Great friendly service, too! Would definitely come here again. read more

I will say that had the food not be as good as it was I probably would not go back due to the poor service. I will give them a break bcs I know some small businesses are under staffed after the pandemic but sitting for 15 minutes (with 2 small kids) with no menu or server coming to asked for our drink order made me a bit annoyed. What the service lack the food made up for although we wait an extremely long time to get our food while all the tables seated after us were being served. The flavorful food tasted home made and fresh so I will be back for this empanadas! Hopefully with better service. read more

Consistently good food. With a giant menu it's easy to order more than you should, but you'll have a hard time not eating it all. Beers from Brewer's Alley are on tap and the sangria is good. Highlights include their asparagus fries, calamari, portobello mushroom and shrimp w/ black rice. Nearly everything I've tried is good and we eat there several times a month. Atmosphere is nice but laid back. Initial service sometimes is a bit slow but once your order has been taken the food starts coming out quickly. read more

Hands down THE BEST place in Frederick MD for Lobster and just about anything for anybody who wants top QUALITY ! I travel all over the world and this place ranks in my top 5 of best place for dinner based solely on food QUALITY . The Lobsters here are live and fresh - everything here is fresh and the kitchen has amazing cooking skills that even the top world class chefs would be envious of . Great service ,attentive staff and waiters . My work takes me all over the world and so I tend to eat at loads of restaurants and few ever come close to the high level of service and food quality you will find here read more

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I only give this place four stars for now, because I've only been there for the happy hour, and have not tried any of their entrees yet. But this was, by far, the best happy hour that I've been to in a while. Not only do they have great drink specials (two pints of local brew cost me $7.50) they offer a FREE buffet to all bar patrons. Let me repeat FREE buffet. And not just your local bar fare of fries and nachos... they have an array of choices including fresh pasta salad, chips and salsa, wings, meatballs and cheese and crackers. Let me repeat - free - to all bar patrons! The only downside - you might want to get there early to get a seat. read more

Had lunch here on Saturday. I shared paella, chicken, and asparagus fries, which were great. The downside is that this place is somewhat overpriced and the quality of the food could be slightly better. The gazpacho tasted too much like creamy tomato soup. read more

Took our son to introduce him to small plate style for his 15th birthday dinner. We had a reservation and were seated up in the raised area at the front of the restaurant immediately upon arrival. There were a few noisy patrons at the bar, but the noise was not excessive. We ended up ordering 7 dishes for the three of us. They were visually pleasing and well executed. Presentation was very good. I thought the signature Crispy Panko Crusted Asparagus "Fries" with Smoked Tomato Alioli were a little oily. My wife ordered a drink off the specials menu to which she ended up having an allergic reaction. The waiter was excellent about the situation, telling us the ingredients and taking it off of the check without a question. read more

Great food, we brought some friends from Newport, RI. Isabella's didn't dissappoint. I had the goat cheese deep fried balls, sautéed asparagus, and a humus appetizer, and a side Greek salad. Yum.... We've been here a few times and it's always been consistently good. Frederick is a great town, fun place to visit.... read more

Best happy hour in town, food is good and bartender are pleasant! Thanks for good service and food!

Stopped in for a kid-free date night and was not disappointed. Everything was delicious, but highly recommend the seafood special paella, crostini with fresh figs and goat cheese fritters. Our server, Joe, was attentive and made our evening super fun with his great sense of humor. We were his last table of the night but never felt rushed. read more

This was a second choice restuarant, a misunderstanding over our primary choice lead us to Isabella's. Not a bad misunderstanding either... Three of us were sat at a table near the window. Thankfully the table went small, I hate it when you have to touch elbows with your fellow diners. Not a fan of being near a window though.... You never know when an assassin may strike! That and you've got to stare down the people who gawk in at you whilst you are eating. Thankfully my wife agreed that I could use our guest as a humn shield should the assassins strike. Sorry you had to find out this way Shelky:) Food was good, the cheese plate only had one cheese that I would say I liked. The asparagus fries were to die for. (not me dying but our guest, human shield remember?) the spicy potatoes were great. The eggplant salad ok. ( our guest wouldn't have needed to sacrifice for these) The wife had a panini that she said was one of the best ever. Though she failed to eat the onions in her side salad. So I did. Much to the horror of all sat at the table... Onionphobes! What can you do with them? Will be back. Hopefully away from easy reach of assassin attack from the street. read more

Tapas. Paella. Sangria. What more do you need??! True deliciousness. Fabulous atmosphere. Live music. Super friendly waitstaff. Isabella's has it all!!! Did I mention deliciousness??! Yea. So. Freakin'. Wonderful. I wish I could eat here every night!! read more

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

I've always had such good experiences here! So many vegan/vegetarian options for a tapas place! Everything has always been prepared beautifully and the staff are really helpful. On second thought- I don't love the falafel (not very crispy or herbacious)- but everything else? Delicious. read more