The quality of food has declined significantly since coming here a year ago. Paid $80 for the shrimp and scallop paella and it had zero flavor, we left and went to JoJo's instead. I should add that I would have never spent $80 on paella, but it was listed as MP and the shrimp, chorizo, clam and mussel paella was $34... did not expect to pay more than double for 4 scallops in place of the mussels, clams and chorizo. Rip off. read more

the food was truly not good, a nice location and vibe but it couldn't make up for food that was often coated in a sauce that tasted like thousand island dressing, tortilla that tasted like plain scrambled eggs and shrimp with an ammonia flavor. So disappointing given thr price point and all the glowing reviews read more

Located in the historic Frederick downtown. Bare brick walls, ventilation pipes and tin plate ceiling characterized the decor. Busy foot traffic outside and quiet atmosphere indoors. Prices were reasonable, service was great, but the food was ordinary, nothing stood out. We ordered 3*Today's Soup which was chicken soup: per normal. Lots of chicken. Portion was good. 3*Classic Burger: bland, per normal. 3*Queso Frito-- Goat cheese Fritters were golden, warm, went well with vinaigrette pickled onions 4*Costillita Braised Short Ribs: well cooked and very tender. 4*Esparragos Fritos--- Isabella's Signature Crispy Panko Crusted Asparagus "Fries" with Smoked Tomato Aioli: deep fried crispy brown, the sauce was pretty good. Texture and taste were great, but not healthy. 3*Empanada Grande: ground Beef filling, went well with chili aioli. read more

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Very nice atmosphere and good food. i lived in Spain many years and the gazpacho was perfect! A little too loud when full on a Friday evening! read more

I really enjoyed HH. I went there on a Tuesday evening, and it wasn't crowded at all so there was plenty space at the bar. The waiter was helpful with explaining the dish items since it was my first time eating there. My favorite food item was the mussels and shrimp. Sangria was a good amount for the HH price and Margarita was strong I got so much for $40, I'd go back there. read more

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

Eh, not really that authentic and it is definitely tapas watered down. This just made me miss Spain and just felt like a meager consolation prize. I enjoyed the papas bravas but thought the paella was just meh. Not enough of the soccarat at the bottom of the pan and it was just too salty without much of the other flavors shining through. Everything else was really just ok and I think I'd rather just stick to Barcelona (the chain). read more

We enjoyed a great meal at Isabella's. All of the food we got was excellent - standouts included the short rib sandwiches and the fried green tomatoes. The kids menu was very well done, offering multiple unique options (kids got a meatball sandwich and grilled chicken), each served with fruit and a drink. So why not 5 stars? I struggled with the star rating here - as nothing was necessarily wrong, but it ultimately didn't feel like a 5 star review. Part of it was just the outside atmosphere versus many other places we've visited in Frederick and service that was friendly but clearly strained to be so vs. genuinely friendly. Would definitely return though, as many menu items that we didn't get sounded great! read more

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Isabella's never disappoints! I love the selection of small plates and the changing variety. Staff is always informative and good service. This is a go to place for out of town visitors as people can get as much or as little as they want and the variety is exceptional. Great choice! read more

Our large group went for brunch. Surprisingly I had the seafood paella instead of breakfast food items. Great portions for the price. Had the gazpacho Mary bloody. Loved the toppings, not as spicy as I like. Biscuits were yummy and seafood paella was plenty for what we paid. read more

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I've been to Isabella's twice now, once for dinner and once for brunch. I have enjoyed almost everything I've ordered. They seat you quickly, the servers are polite, and they have a great cocktail menu. The interior is a bit dated but that's not a deal breaker to me. I ordered a pork chop at dinner and when it was taking too long the chef sent us some bacon wrapped dates for free. read more

This place deserves a 5 star rating. I had reservations for 6 and called them about an hour prior to our reservation asking if there was any way they could get started on the paella's before we got there versus having to wait for 25 minutes after getting to the restaurant. The young lady who picked up my call checked with her manager who agreed to accommodate my request. I even offered to give my credit card information and they said not to worry. Talk about a great start to our evening! We got to Isabella's 15 minutes early yet we were immediately seated. We started our evening with tapas: - [ ] Patatas Bravas- potatoes with aioli and tomato sauce - [ ] Dátiles Rellenos- Stuffed dates wrapped in bacon on a bed of aioli - [ ] Setas Saltilladas-Garlic mushrooms - [ ] Albondigas- Meatballs on gravy - [ ] Berenjenas- Stuffed eggplant Everyone of them was delicious!! My top pics would be the stuffed dates and the stuffed eggplants. For the paellas, we went with their Paella Valencia and their Paella Verduras. Also very good. Service was spot on and just the whole experience was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Isabella's! read more

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

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I was very well and truly impressed with Isabella's! Any drawback I experienced was a result of the people I was with, and had nothing to do with restaurant choice or service. For example, very anxious people I was with wanted to eat outside, despite how chilly it was last Friday night. It was a bummer having to eat such great food while I was freezing, but I made it through. That said... Every tapas dish I personally wanted to order did not disappoint, and as a matter of fact, turned out to be more delicious than anticipated! The Esparragos Fritos were amazing, and I continued dipping other things in the tomato aioli sauce long after the asparagus was eaten. The crust on the empanadas was mind blowing. The chorizo was good and spicy, and the short ribs were tender and well seasoned. We also got a few of the specials and desserts and those were good too. The only thing I was iffy about was the Papas Fritas, as I do not like goat cheese, so my companions ordered that. The house-made potato chips were still good though, despite me skipping the goat cheese dip (pretty sure those chips ended up in the tomato aioli!). Our server was a very nice girl who made sure we were taken care of. I didn't see much of the interior of the restaurant but it seemed nice and clean. No parking lot, but street parking was available and didn't seem too problematic but may be when the weather gets nicer. Good visit, so good, I neglected to take a picture of anything but the menu! Doh! Maybe next time! read more

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

My friend and I checked out Isabella's for lunch during restaurant week. I love frederick restaurant week! It's a great way to check out new places and the lunch specials are usually a great deal! This was a special deal with a 3 course meal for about $30. The seared salmon was covered in a delicious Romesco sauce and was a good sized portion for lunch. My favorite part of the meal was the flourless chocolate cake! So rich and perfectly paired with ice cream and strawberry sauce. Next time I'm going to try their signature friend asparagus sticks! My mouth was watering watching the servers go by with them. I would recommend making a reservation if going on a weekend. read more

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Everything was delicious! Shared with a large table of 10~ people, so got to try a lot! - Crispy Panko Crusted Asparagus - yummy, crispy, the sauce is a tomato aioli, Chik Fil a sauce type of taste - Bacon Wrapped Dates - pretty good, if you like dates and bacon! - Fried Manchego and Pears/ Manchego Frito - my personal favorite! Gooey deep fried cheese with a sweet and fruity jam and toasted bread - Calamari - really good! Crispy and well seasoned! - Chorizo - not a huge Chorizo fan, but it was on the house, and tasted good! - Empanadas (Beef) - yummy, ground beef -- tastes akin to a Taco Bell Beef Chalupa, but better - Short Rib Sliders (Special) - really delicious! Good meat and flavors! - Brochetas de Pollo - very good, moist, flavorful, charred chicken - Pan con Tomate y Jamón Serrano - least favorite thing-- a bit salty, but still tasty - Nojito / Mojito - was a bit strong on the lime, and didn't get much Sprite with it (tiny glass), so if they had a bigger glass with more Sprite ratio, would've been much better! read more

Quaint spot in downtown Frederick. My daughter and I dropped in for lunch two days before Thanksgiving. Downtown Frederick was active but not too busy, and the restaurant was wide open. Tapas and wine before Thanksgiving? Yes, please. Service was very slow and tentative, but I know how hard it is to find workers, so didn't judge on that. As for the food and drinks, some were terrific, and others just meh. We started out with wine and white sangria. The sangria was so sweet as to not be enjoyable. The Spanish white wine was delicious, and the owner comped us for the sangria and gave my daughter a glass of the wine. Now for the food.. asparagus fries were creative and delicious. Oh, that sauce!! The ham croquettes were equally delicious, although my daughter and I were split on the accompanying sauce. The shrimp dish was too sweet, and the sautéed spinach was just fine and a much needed vegetable before our holiday feast. The Caesar salad was OK but not great. The chicken thigh dish was another star of the show... juicy, tender chicken and an spicy- sweet sauce. Overall, a pleasant lunch but we won't be aching to return. read more

This was my 3rd time at Isabella's over the course of 6 years. I came back for the vegetable paella ( I have cholesterol concerns so I avoid the meat) that I had the last time I was there, but was disappointed. Was it a new chef? I remember a larger portion and much more flavor. I ordered it again and convinced my friend to split the dish it since I knew it would be enough for two. It was just ok. Not enough saffron used and not much flavor. Our service was good and our waitress was around when we needed something. The flan was also amazing. But I definitely would not come back for the paella. read more

The service was lackluster. It took 20 minutes for her to take our order. Then, our last tapas was forgotten about, the ticket was stabbed per the server's explanation and neither the server or the manager did anything about it. That food was too expensive for the service to be so trash. read more

Ambiance, packed house, good service, tasty tapas and flan. Really enjoyed it all! Ignore the 1 star reviews!

Everything went well. We always get a variety of tapas, which we love. Hard to pick a favorite. They have great sangrias and some amazing cocktails, as well read more

Ordered a glass of wine at the bar and showed my military ID. The bartender told me he wouldn't accept it and asked for another form of ID. He also told me that he "worked for the DOD" and I "shouldn't be showing my military ID or telling people that I'm in the military." He said other local restaurants would tell me the same thing. I left after that. A military ID is a valid, government issued ID. Absolutely bizarre. Terrible experience. read more

Isabellas Tapas dining remains great for us- we can order four or five "small plates," wine, and enjoy both flavor and variety. George and Chef Carlos set us up to win with a Nero D'Avola, pear salad, andalusian gazpacho,Turkish sausage and pork loin montadillos, baked brie, and croquettes. All were fresh, flavorful, and served at the proper temperature. I finished with an Albarino while my date had a Tempranillo. We will return because the menu always has new items and the classics work well, too. The owner stopped by to say hi and promised a Turkish coffee if we drove to his new spot. read more

Isabella's is a great spot for tapas! If you want to try a bunch of things and share with others, it's a great option. They also have several specials every single day that are amazing and add variety to their already great menu. I also highly recommend their sangria. I'm a big fan of their peach one, but all of their sangrias are really tasty! read more

Visited on a Friday night. Ambiance was nice. Food was good. The peppers stuffed with oxtail and the octopus were our two favorite dishes. The asparagus is a must try as well and the paella was good. Maybe we liked it all...Make reservations so you get better seats. This place looks like it books up on the weekends. read more

We had a lovely experience at Isabella's. We've been to a variety of tapas restaurants and some have a more authentic vibe than others. Isabella's definitely feels authentic. The wine list was not lengthy but filled with great quality wines. The stand out tapas were the bacon wrapped dates, the Pan con Costilla de Ternera (braised short rid little sandwich), the goat cheese fritters, and the fried asparagus. Oh, and the house made potato chips were addictive as well. The service was great, and the location was perfect. A little slice of heaven on a perfect spring evening. Highly recommend! read more

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

We tried them for brunch on a whim as we were already on the sidewalk for Halloween activities. The ambiance was very nice and the food was also good. I got the 3 Mushrooms, Onion & Goat Cheese omelet, which was very tasty. It came with a side of potatoes which were crisped to perfection, and white toast which unfortunately never made it to the table despite telling us that it was coming. Additionally, we got a Breakfast Skillet with Chorizo, which was also delicious. Overall, the food, atmosphere and service were good (except for the forgotten toast). We'd definitely eat here again. read more

This is a wonderful place for something different than your routine eatery. Lovely atmosphere and excellent choice of typical Spanish dishes at reasonable price. Their Jamon serrano is ok but machine sliced, as opposed to the traditional ham carved; the same can be said for their Manchego. Stingy servings, even for a tapas place. The Papas Bravas was the best of all. Flavorful and a generous serving tapa.Gr Their Paella Valenciana, on the other hand was generous and with plenty of add-ons. Shrimp, chicken, sausage, clams and mussels. Yet, the overall score for this dish is low for lack of flavor and the precooked rice. read more

There is a small number of outside tables at the front entrance of the restaurant. Pedestrian traffic is diverted with concrete traffic barriers and a small row of plants encompassed the small eating area making you feel like you weren't part of the traffic going by. It was a beautiful day to eat outside. Food came out fast and was quite delicious. I liked the braised short ribs the most. It was so tender and perfectly prepared. I also liked the mashed potatoes and gravy that came with it. The sauteed spinach came next and it had pine nuts, garlic, and malaga raisins. I never like raisins in food but the tiny raisins added a bit of sweetness to the dish. The roasted artichoke bottoms with jumbo lump crab meat on top was also very good. I liked getting all these different flavors in each dish. I forgot that it was artichoke at the bottom and thought it was a layer of potatoes. So it tasted similar to a potato. I'm not sure about the saffron butter. It looked like hollandaise but the artichoke was fine without it. The chorizo has a bit of a kick but it can be dulled by the mashed potatoes that come with it. And the last item we tried was the Paella a la Valenciana. Loved the flavor of the rice at the bottom. I could have eaten just the rice alone. It was the perfect portion for two or three people if you order the smaller size. I'm not sure why with all the nice dishes and real utensils, did we get water in a disposable plastic cup. At least they asked us if we wanted plastic straws which we turned down of course. Covid protocols: Staff wears masks (whether they stayed over noses was another issue) Parking: Not convenient. This is downtown Frederick so only street parking from what we can see. Service: Friendly. read more

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Came to Isabella's for a girls brunch/lunch and had a great time. Our server was very friendly and attentive and helped us pick out a good wine. We enjoyed a few small plates and then all ordered brunch off of the weekly specials menu. The asparagus fries are an adorable concept with an aioli in the champagne flute. I could see these being served to pretty much every table around us. This restaurant is nestled in such a cute area of downtown Frederick, where you can walk around and shop afterwards. Fun spot for friends to get together and I would return if in the area again! read more

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Wow, very impressed! To start, we had the potato side (name escapes me) and it had a somewhat spicy sauce. Very good. For my main, I had the strip loin with bleu cheese scalloped potatoes and it was absolutely delicious. Cooked to a perfect medium, buttery texture, and the potato side was so flavorful and crisp on the outside. My man had the steak with coffee glaze with mash. He loved his, also cooked perfectly. They start you off with complimentary bread as a side note, decent bread but good olive oil! I loved this meal, definitely worth a visit read more

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

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Food was delicious and Megan was a lovely server. Authentic Spanish flavors and the lunch tapas special was a bargain!! Can't wait to come back read more

Delicious sangria! This place is popular for a reason. I stopped by late at night for drinks but I definitely need to check out the food next time. read more

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

Hostess was rude (young lady). Made it seem as if SHE was doing us a favor to seat a party of 7. Our server was attentive. Environment was okay. It's more the hype the restaurant receives as to what it is. Food has great taste but not worth the price. read more

Great little spot in Frederick! Went in for brunch with my best friend and this place did not disappoint. Our waiter Sadet was great - entertaining without being annoying, made fantastic recommendations, and just had a great personality. He recommended the short rib dish and it was amazing!! We will definitely go back for that and to try more, everything was delicious! read more

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EDIT: Originally this was a 1 star review. The GM reached out to me, apologized for the experience, and overall it was great closure. I do feel like this experience was not reflective of the restaurant as a whole and that next time it will be a better experience. *** ORIGINAL POST: I never leave bad reviews. I made an account just to post this. Our first time. The waiter named Joseph M. encouraged us to have $6 tapas and $5 margs per the happy hour advertisement. We asked questions and he assured us that everything except the entrees was part of the tapas. Turns out he literally gaslight/scammed us and actually laughed at us saying "nothing you got was on the happy hour menu anyways..." (tapas and margs are on the happy hour menu). He proceeded to boast about how small he wrote it on the board HIMSELF and said "that's how we get you." The food itself was decent IF IT WERE ACTUALLY $6. I don't know how this place was rated so high... we were all pretty disappointed and frankly embarrassed by the end. We went during the happy hour times, but the small print (if you can read it) says "at the bar only." read more

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What wonderful place for a girls lunch! Especially when we both love cheese so much. Lol We started with the fried goat cheese. I actually appreciated that this goat cheese wasn't quite as pungent as most. It was on the mild side. And the Panko exterior was extra crunchy. Next, the waiter brought out a complimentary dish from the kitchen! Panko fried asparagus. It's served in a champagne glass filled with tomato aioli at the bottom. I love asparagus so much just in its own, that I would never have thought of ordering this. But I have to say that it totally changed my mind. Again, the Panko was extra crispy, which was a perfect balance to the soft vegetable inside. And the tomato aioli was so completely delicious!! I would definitely order this again!! Next, our fried manchego arrived. It had the same Panko crust and a dallop of jam on top. This sat on top of a slice of baguette and slice of green apple. The salty manchego was very yummy with the sweet jam! Then came our dates - they are stuffed with chorizo, wrapped in bacon, drizzled with balsamic and sitting in a creamy bed of goat cheese. Oh my lord they are so yummy!! Bacon wrapped dates are always a go-to for me and this place certainly didn't disappoint. Lastly, we ordered the short rib. This was probably the largest serving size. It consists of four, slider-sized sandwiches absolutely stuffed with meat and served on perfectly toasted brioche. The meat is also topped with sweet sautéed purple onion and goat cheese. Honestly, I didn't taste much goat cheese. But the bread was magical and the meat was juicy and sweetened perfectly with the onion. I loved this place so much that I can't wait to return sometime with my hubby! read more

This is one of the best Spanish tapas places in the United States. Hands Down! I have ate here on several different occasions for several different reasons before I became vegan and my gosh is the food here great. I remember the first time I ate here in 2012. I believe that day I tried foods I had never ate before thanks to the encouragement of people who always wanted to see me expand my life and my palate. I believe this is the best place to eat in regards to food, service and atmosphere in Frederick and that is saying a lot because Frederick has some amazing dining establishments. Thank you for all of the great dining memories over the years :P read more

The efficiency of the hostess and the friendliness of staff were probably the best thing about this restaurant. The virgin drinks were good. We socially distanced and had dinner outside and it was a good experience. The food was overpriced and not that great honestly. Nothing to write home to momma about for a $100 dinner... would not be back. The Brussels sprouts were soggy, the rib sandwhiches were okay, the pork special was not memorable (for having it last night), and the paella was just okay. The rice was undercooked and not flavored really, but somehow the burnt char was the best part. The freezer burnt veggies were lazy. No real chefs in the back. Just cooks following a recipe. read more

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I've read through some of the bad reviews, but I'll refrain from calling out the obvious Karens in the bunch... Downtown Frederick is FULL of amazing restaurants on every corner and every side street. Anything and everything you can imagine is available here and few, if any, will disappoint. So to stand out in this crowd is impressive and Isabella's shines. It's a unique experience with unique food and a great atmosphere. We've been going here for years and, honestly, I can't remember a single time I walked out without a smile. Everything from the sea bass on the daily specials to the shrimp and grits for brunch to the DELICIOUS morning coffee is fantastic! read more

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Sunday brunch is awesome! The huervos de Ranchos is delish! Happy hour is also great! Lots of food and the bar is great. Talk to locals and enjoy the chill atmosphere! read more

Please don't miss out on this restaurant. If you like tapas you'll love this place. Everything we had was delicious. Definitely going back for the paella. read more