Really solid continental food, interesting specials featuring local & seasonal fare, great lunch menu....surprisingly found in an incongruously outdated building. I hate judging a book by it's cover, but I have to admit we'd probably come here more often if it were a little more appealing to sit inside. The bar is better (though small) and the patio is the way to go if the weather is nice. read more

I love this place! Every time we come the food and service are great! I've never been disappointed in this place. Don't let the location and outside fool you, this is one of the greatest gems in Maryland! read more

Outstanding restaurant! Great selections on the menu. The place is a bit hard to find, though. If you drive too fast on Urbana Pike, you're apt to pass right by it. I did. Twice. But when I finally figured out how to navigate the driveway into the gravel parking lot, I was thrilled with the discovery. It's especially nice in warm weather; you can sit on their outstanding patio and eat under the stars. And they let me smoke my cigar after my meal! That, in and of itself, earns my eternal patronage. The chef here is a real craftsman. Every dish I've tried has wowed me! Excellent preparation. Fine presentation. It's a bit pricey, but as I've repeatedly said -- you get what you pay for in this world. If you're trying to impress a date or your out-of-town relatives, the Crossing is bound to do the trick. Just don't drive too fast on Urbana Pike. read more

Just had my first meal here, amazing! I highly recommend the scallops they were soooooo good. Seared tuna salad was also delicious. My daughter ordered the summer veggie pasta which she loved. Service was also excellent. We will definitely be back and will bring our friends! read more

Outdoor seating was nice it had plenty of shade and Sun to make anyone happy. The staff was very tentative and help in selecting what was good on the menu. read more

Very disappointing and not at all an "inviting home restaurant" as they describe themselves as. For years this has been one of our favorite places to eat for special nights. We had just gotten some great news and wanted to celebrate with dinner. However our trip here last night will probably not having us go back. The waitresses attitude was beyond poor our entire meal. She came to our table never said hello or her name. She just looked at our young daughter(almost 2) took without asking (who is old enough to need a plate and fork) the tableware/silverware from in front of her and goes so just two of you are eating, what do you want to drink? Last I checked my daughter counted as a person. When I ordered my daughters drink, she gave an expression like I shouldn't be asking to get her anything. When she came back my daughters drink was in a rocks glass with no lid. Apparently kids cups aren't a thing here. There is also no kids menu. The waitress then proceeded to tell us I just got two other tables so unless you want to order right now I'll be back- this could have been worded way better. She made us feel like we were a bother for showing up to eat. While at her other tables she was smiling and laughing, not sure why we were getting the total opposite. When she returned she rushed thru the dinner specials, when I asked if it was a possibility to change out a veggie for one of the entrees she looked like I had asked for the world and said that's something she would have to ask the kitchen about and she was really busy right now. I served tables for almost 10 years- I get you can get busy and overwhelmed at times but her attitude was so rude it made the meal beyond uncomfortable. We could not get out of there soon enough. She definitely put a damper on the night. I could understand if we were not friendly or had a cranky child but that wasn't the case what so ever. You are better taking your money else where to eat! read more

Delicious food, attentive service, nice dining experience, well priced menu, and were delighted to receive two complimentary glasses of champagne when we celebrated our anniversary there. Thanks Monocacy Crossing- see you again soon! read more

They make a great Cosmo. The olive pre appetizer is great. The meatballs are dry and crumbly not the best. The scallops were amazing, the tuna was sweet and salty. The duck nacho is the best dish on the menu. Great experience overall. read more

Great place for lunch. Friendly staff, great atmosphere and reasonably priced. Had a steak sandwich that was tender and full of flavor and the Steak salad and Chicken Caesar salad were unbelievable! Will be back often! read more

Went to Monocacy Crossing on Saturday for a Mother's Day meal and as always very pleased with the food and service. We love to visit when weather permits to sit outside and enjoy patio dining. Instead of eating a big meal we choose three appetizers: sea scallops with bacon jam (yum), crab dip with pita bread and sweet-spicy hush puppies. I only ate one hush puppy as the spicy taste hit me hard. My spouse loved the hush puppies with honey and cinnamon butter on top. I had the chocolate pound cake ( they had a tray full of selections) with frosted icing which was sweet but delicious. We will definitely return. Monocacy Crossing added another patio in the back with tables, umbrellas and a serving window. Go visit and enjoy a good meal. read more

Our crowd of twenty was served in a private dining room. Most of our guests arrived late. The staff adjusted graciously and the food and service were excellent. I priced several other Frederick venues for a group this size, and Monocacy Crossing had the best menu for the cost. read more

We made a last-minute decision to go out for a nice dinner and were happy to find this restaurant, off the beaten path but still relatively close to home. Except for the strange amalgam of disco and rock music playing a little too loudly for the waning late-evening crowd, the atmosphere was cozy and appropriate for a nice and simple romantic meal. Our waitress was perfect: friendly but not overly familiar, attentive, efficient, and very knowledgeable and articulate about the dishes. Our appetizers included a mozzarella, prosciutto and basil pinwheel served with sliced tomatoes, and artichoke beignets served on a tomato coulis. Both were beautifully presented, but we found the mozzarella to be quite firm and the tomatoes a little underripe (especially for Maryland in July). The beignets, on the other hand, were lovely - the delicious sauce was dotted with feta and perfumed with bay leaf. Our entrees were both very good. Salmon with tri-color peppers and balsamic glaze was accompanied by rice and deliciously sweet snow peas. The seared tuna was cooked just as I hoped - definitely seared on the outside while still pink throughout - and the black tea and five-spice seasoning was assertive and intriguing. Although the tuna's garnish of "crispy" quick-fried spinach leaves had lost their crisp by the time the plate had reached our table, they still provided a nice whimsical counterpoint to the tuna's strong statement. The wines we selected - Commanderie de la Bargemone Cuvee Marina Rose and Selection Laurence Feraud Seguret - were outstanding. The menu suggested each of these wines to accompany a few of the entrees, and both were available by the glass. (As of this writing, the list published on the restaurant's Web site doesn't include either of these wines - it may be need to be updated.) When dessert time finally rolled around I think we were both too full to really enjoy anything. Nevertheless, we tried the creme brulee and a grilled pound cake, which were both served with fresh berries and whipped cream. The top of the creme brulee looked good, but the sugar topping had been overcaramelized and had a slightly burnt aftertaste. (The custard itself was fine.) The cake was flavored with a fruit liqueur which we had a hard time tasting. Monocacy Crossing may be a little out of your way, but it's well worth the trip. We will be back! read more

This place is the best ! The food is always fantastic! The lamb is unbelievable! Try the duck nachos also the grilled salad is great ,but it is so much food you can have them split it. The deserts are really good, you have to ask for the cocconut cake it is not on the menu, it is to die for! We try other resturants out ,and always compare them to monocacy crossing . My husband always says we should of just gone to monocacy crossing! The place is small so call ahead to make a reservation , some times it is hard to get a table. read more

Quiet, quaint restaurant with very good food and service. In a location that's easy to overlook but well worth remembering and keeping on your radar for nicer dinner engagements. The menu varies enough to satisfy your basic meat/potato diner to someone with a slightly more sophisticated palate. There is a patio in the summertime if you want a more casual al fresco experience. I have always enjoyed my meals here and recommend it to everyone who wants a good meal and a change from the downtown frederick dining scene. read more

Came up for lunch on a whim and left with a very great experience. The food was excellent, well presented, and the taste was surprising--excellent. I know I will be back to enjoy a big portion of good ole home cooking! read more

This Restaurant is the very best of Urbana! Everything from the sour dough bread to the creme brulee was perfect. We started out with the saute dry sea scallops with shallot and bacon vinaigrette which were cooked perfect, I could have ate 20 of these. For the main course I got the special fish (Wahoo) for which it was cooked perfect. My girl ordered the Seared Tuna with Red Miso Glaze and Sweet Soy and this too was perfect. All in all this was a very good restaurant and we will be back! read more

Went for brunch this past Sunday and had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was very nice inside even though I could have eaten outside on their patio as well. I ordered the duck nachos and the sirloin goat cheese salad and both were excellent. My steak on the salad was cooked exactly as I had ordered. I highly recommend them both. The service was also excellent. The waitress was attentive and friendly. I will definitely go back. read more

The food is outstanding. I also love the atmosphere; quaint yet slightly formal. You're comfortable in jeans or something a bit more dressed up. read more

My friends and family often visit Monocacy Crossing to celebrate special occasions or enjoy brunch on the patio on a sunny day. The location is quaint and the food and service are typically great. Unfortunately a group of us were fairly disappointed during a recent brunch outing. 3 of us ordered a pineapple mimosa, which was the drink "special" for the day and were shocked to find out when the bill arrived that they were $11 each. An $11 mimosa?????? I am not sure what champagne they were using, or if the pineapple juice was freshly squeezed from pineapples flown in from Hawaii that very morning, but $11 is pretty steep for a mimosa served in the smallest champagne flute imaginable. When other restaurants in the area are offering $5 mimosas, penny mimosas, or even bottomless mimosas with brunch, $11 is hardly considered a "special" and should not be advertised as such. Will definitely return for more great food and atmosphere, but I think we'll order the 1/2 priced bottle of wine instead.... read more

This is my favorite "new to me" restaurant. It is a "best kept secret." The red wine that I chose was delicious. The York Steak and Veggies were delicious. The coconut pound cake was delicious. Our waitress and her helpers were outstanding. The place was packed and loud when we arrived for our reserved time. As we ate the delicious Duck Nachos appetizer a party of 10 left and the noise went with them. We later on got loud as well and took the noise with us when we left. We had a ball and will return for sure. This restaurant is small but mighty! read more

We have been meaning to try this place for the longest time. So, for our anniversary, we decided this would be a perfect time to do it. First, let me say that the service was top notch. Friendly, knowledgeable and very attentive. We decided to do the $35 dinner with a choice of soup/salad, any entree and a desert. The soup was their cream of mushroom and let me say this was the best I have ever had. Full of flavor and not skimping on the mushrooms. I honestly could eat 2 of them and make that the dinner., We both ordered the NY strip and it had a very good flavor but was tough. There was a decent amount of grizzle as well. For $28, we both were disappointed with it but it wasn't a deal breaker. For the desert, my wife ordered the creme brulee and I ordered the chocolate mousse. Both had good flavor, but the texture wasn't right. The mousse should have been light and airy, and this was more dense like it wasn't made right. Pretty much the same with the creme brulee. Overall we had a nice time, and will definitely go back as some of the other entrees we saw go by looked outstanding. I will amend the review once we go back and try other things. read more

We held three focus groups in the private dining room on one long day and the service was delightful (and thoughtful). We enjoyed our meals and our participants ate well. We recommend the restaurant for corporate events. Loved the salad and heard wonderful things about the glazed coconut pound cake. Thanks for hanging in there with us all day, Amy! read more

We don't get out much, seriously. So when we do go out to eat Monocacy is our first and only choice. I always say, we'll try something else next time, I've decided not to argue with myself anymore. If something is so great, so perfect each and every time, there is no need to change. We love it that much. Have been going for years and just committed ourselves to never eat out any place else for a date night... why should we. It's the best meal, anywhere, anytime, anyplace you can find in this area. Hands down, you can't do any better~! read more

@Hellen E, appreciate your comment, but with inclreasingly bad visits, after we have been there many time, and then extrememly rude manager...there is no excuse. The restaurant is going down hill and if we were spoken to in any kind of respectful way, it wouldn't have been an issue. I accept full responsibility for misplacing my gift card but that doesn't give anyone the right, including a manager to speak to anyone the way that Kelly spoke to us. We didn't ask for a free meal or anything, we were asking for what our options were and were yelled at and belittled! We had proof of payment, and if you keep good records there's no reason something this minor, over $100 should even be an issue. So, sorry but I disagree. We pay so much for such bad service these days and it is just too frustrating to keep letting is slide. read more

My wife and I use this as our "special occassion" restaurant. We absolutley love it and feel that it's one of the best (if not the best) restaurants in Frederick. The pork loin is absolutley perfect every time! read more

What a great restaurant! Our party of twelve spent a wonderful three hours ordering across the menu without any complaints from the many appetizers, entrees, and desserts. For me I started with the dry scallops that were to die for, followed by the pork tenderloin with the scalloped potatoes that were AMAZING! For dessert I had the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and....just like home (perfect). Wine selection and their recommendations were spot on and married very well with the dishes. The wait staff was nice and attentive...not the sharpest, but good enough to pull off a party of twelve without too many reminders. A must try if you'r elooking for good place, not too expensive, and a diverse menu. read more

We've eaten here a few times before, on the menu at regular prices (which aren't too bad). We have enjoyed these meals. This time we came with a pre-arranged lunch group of about 30 people. There was one price, $25.20 for about 8 items on a special menu. "Dessert", non-alcoholic beverages and 20% gratuity included. The bread on the table was stale--not even day-old bread, but older. The food was all right--my wife and I had "Carolina Pulled Pork" sandwiches and French fries. The "Carolina" is East Carolina style, which we like. There wasn't too much meat in the sandwich. The FFs were very overcooked. Coleslaw was good. "Dessert?" I expected slices of cake or pies, or a scoop of ice cream, or something like that. What we got for 30 people was one small tray of tiny tarts and thimble-sized pieces of chocolate cake. These were gone quickly and a second, smaller tray of the same things was brought out by the staff. Gone quickly also. I guess these "desserts" came from Costco. I can get a better lunch for half that price, elsewhere. read more

@ carly C- when you go out and have a horrible experience everywhere you go... when do you look back and say "hey, maybe I'm the problem". We have what they call the participation trophy generation growing up and spreading their ME ME ME mentality across this country... Way to post your temper tantrum to the world, i am just glad other people on this site are calling you out for you ridiculous antics and reviews. read more

You just don't get enough bang for your buck here. The food tastes good but it's way over priced which makes it not worth it to me. The building is an old house converted into an eating establishment so I felt like I was at somebody's great grandmother's house badly in need of an update. My third issue is that there wasn't much of a selection on the menu to choose from. I would recommend that you don't waste your time and money on this place. read more

I have eaten at Monocacy Crossing many, many times. I've been there with different parties and different times of year. I need to point out that I am from a restaurant/hospitality background and I am not easy on restaurants. If a place has bad food, service, or isn't clean I will not give them a second chance. Monocacy Crossing is an odd little place. I believe it used to be a roadhouse and it was turned into a restaurant. it is quaint and the staff is always very accommodating. Once my husband and I went there for New Year's Eve at 7:00pm and I forgot that my reservation was for 8:00pm. The place was packed. I was dreading the wait, however, we were seated within moments at the table I had hoped for! We have met the owner on occasion and she seems like a very lovely and accommodating person. She has never seemed rushed and by no means rude! I was instantly angry when I read Carly C's review. It was immediately apparent that this was a situation where the customer was quite simply wrong. ( I do not believe that the customer is always right. I've worked in customer service far too long for that). Let me give you an example... When my daughter was about eight years old she lost her birthday money in a store. She was very angry and wanted me to replace it. I was not about to replace it when she was so careless to loose it in the first place. She was upset but she learned to be careful with her money. If Carly's mom had bought a gift card from any big box retailer does she think she'd be able to get it replaced when she lost it? Good luck with that! Why would someone expect a small family business to pick up for someones carelessness? It really annoys me at how entitled people have become. I have heard that Monocacy Crossing treats it employees very well and is a great place to work. Why should everyone pay for Carly's C's lack of concern for her mother's Christmas gift? Maybe she missed a valuable lesson when she was young. People need to write reviews based on actual experiences and not in the heat of the moment when they are irrational. This is a small business' reputation and it is shameful that someone can lash out at them for their own carelessness. As for the food, it is always great. I take many risks on the menu because I have never been disappointed. I take the servers word on recommendations and the apps and drinks are always top shelf and plentiful. After reading a number of reviews I do have one regret, that I have never had enough room at the end of a meal to order the coconut cake. I'm heading there today for some (and no, I am not a friend or family member of anyone that works there!) read more

Dafuq did I just eat???? My whole dang family went in around noon on Sunday. They have a fairly large patio area for outdoor dining with your stinkbug friends. We were promptly seated.....INSIDE. The decor is very much like that of Normandie Farm. We received 2 menus each. 1 lunch menu, and 1 brunch menu. My son and I ordered from the brunch menu. He had the french toast with a side of bacon, and I had the twin petite filets over hash(the potato kind) and 2 poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. My steak, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce were all very good. The hash, I could have done without. The potatoes were petite diced and kinda dried out. As a matter of fact, they looked as if they had been cook twice. That would explain why the potatoes were dry. My son seemed to be enjoying his french toast.....and then I noticed that he was mostly focused on devouring his bacon *high5*!!. He took just a few bites of the french toast itself. Needless to say, we ended up boxing up his french toast. Here's where I start getting a wee bit upset. Later that Sunday, I snuck to the fridge like a ninja after a week long fast, to have a nibble of the french toast. I cut off a piece and I notice that the entire underside was BLACK BLACK BLACK. tisk tisk tisk. How in the hell does not 1 person in the kitchen notice that? Oh right, they obvi just didn't care. That's just wrong, and they KNEW it was for a kid because our waitress went to the kitchen and told them to hold the walnuts on the KIDS french toast. Jerks. Anyways, my husband had the scallops. The scallops were very good.....and then you have the accompaniments. The white rice was cooked well, but way too much oil. Not even olive oil, I think they used vegetable oil....no flavor. It also came with a side of snap peas. They were ok, but a bit on the overcooked side. Then, things start getting a lil bit cray cray. My 5 year old daughter, who fancies dining on oysters, sashimi, and caviar.....just to wash it all down with a bottle of San Pellegrino, did not touch her food. Wait whaaaaaa???? Someone call the paramedics!!! This girl eats all day long, even normal kid food like nuggets and shit......you know, when oysters aren't available. Her spidey senses must have been tingling that day. Read on, please. She ordered the potato gnocchi in a pork and veal bolognese. Boxed that shit up too. Once again, hunger strikes at the Barnes residence later that Sunday evening. HOLY. SHIT. I am happy that my daughter didn't eat her food. It was so salty! Not like "gee, I think I'll use less salt next time", salty. It was like "woah, time to spit this ish out before my tongue shrivels up like a slug on a hot summer day", salty. Gross. I do want to give Monocacy Crossing another chance. I have read in some of these reviews that their dinner menu is much better. I hope it's true. Oh yeah, drinks were good. I had the Peach Blossom martini and the hubs had the Bloody Mary. I will update soon on their food situation. Until then, happy nom-nom-nom-noming!!! read more

Went there for the first time over the weekend. The food was delicious service was exceptional. Only reason I did not give a 5 star review was because it was too loud in there on a Saturday and I was not happy about my table. Overall I definitely will be back! read more

We drove from Hagerstown hoping to eat here. We chose it specifically because it was listed as pet friendly. Well, they are a little bit pet friendly. They only seat the four outdoor corner tables with pets. And guess what? There were only four tables taken and all four were the corner tables. None of the four groups had pets. The hostess/bartender seemed annoyed when we requested an outdoor table because we had a pet. Not so pet friendly in my opinion. read more

After reading Carly's review I was compelled to reply. I have been a server at Monocacy Crossing for twelve years.Our staff take great pride in our service and the wonderful meals our chefs prepare.I can assure you that in twelve years I have only seen the owner treat our guests with dignity and respect. Kelly and Rich are very fair and generous to their staff. We are treated more like family than employees,.To say that we are treated poorly simply isn't true. Very few restaurants can boast that most of the staff have been there for ten years! That is a true reflection on the character of our owners. read more

Second time visiting and just as amazing as the first. Eggs Benedict, best bloody Mary ever. Great service and a great time!

Had nice dinner of scallops and shrimp pasta. The seafood was awesome, the pasta sauce not very exciting. Our waitress was excellent!

We went to this restaurant for Valentine's Day a while back and everything about the evening was perfect. Our waitress was outstanding as was the food. The atmosphere was as well. It was truly one of the best meals we ever had. Highly recommended. read more

Took my 90-year-old mother to Monocacy Crossing for lunch to celebrate Thanksgiving. The service was great, the food was very good, and the noise level was manageable. We have stopped going to some great Fredrick area restaurants (I'm looking at you Isabella's) because we can't hear ourselves think inside. The table had crab dip, a fillet, portabella sandwich, and a bacon cheeseburger. The beef was cooked to order properly. The steak sides (snow peas and mashed potatoes) were great. The two sandwiches came with fries (a healthier alternative would be nice). The wood stove took the chill off the cold day, and we look forward to going back to sample more of the menu. read more

We often drive through Frederick and have tried many of the eateries. On this occasion we decided to try something new and based on our Yelp search we selected Monocacy Crossing and two dishes from the Yelp recommendations. We found the service to be friendly, efficient and attentive. The food however was universally disappointing. The duck nachos were presented as if we were in a sports bar. The flavors were smothered under a mass cheese. The chips were crisp and thin but the heaviness of the dish overwhelmed them. The basket of bread contained bread that without butter would have been totally tasteless. Our shared dish of shrimp and grits was entirely too salty and otherwise unremarkable. There are many nicer places to eat in Frederick. read more

I had the shrimp and grits, which were the worst that I ever had. The grits weren't done, the shrimp tasted like sea water, and the bbq sauce didn't work well with the dish. DH had the steak which was just ok. The overall service and ambiance was good. I will go again and try another dish and if it is better then I will update my review. read more