I stopped by Hooch & Banter for brunch and had a genuinely great experience. The staff stood out right away--friendly, professional, and polished in both demeanor and appearance. The warm, inviting interior added to the overall vibe, making it a comfortable place to settle in for a weekend bite. While Hooch & Banter is generally on the pricier side, their brunch offers the same high level of service and ambiance at a more approachable price point. I ordered the Banter Sandwich, which was essentially a Reuben. The homemade ketchup and French fries were absolutely delicious . That said, the bread on the sandwich was extremely soggy, which unfortunately took away from the overall dish. This might not be the best restaurant in Frederick, but it's definitely in the top 10 and worth a visit--especially for brunch. Ambience and staff professionalism 8/10 Food temperature and quality 7/10 Time for food to be served 6/10 PSA: if you are planning on going to brunch. Get there early. There is normally a line at the front door! read more

Hootch & Banter - Banter Sandwich - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Hootch and Banter has become a favorite dining spot with my Frederick area crew!! The food, the service, the cocktails, and the cute decor and ambiance are just a whole vibe every time!! Yelps peeps-the reviews are true..the food is fresh and well thought out..and the cocktails are amazing. The service is spectacular and attentive, with all the servers being knowledgeable about the menu, and honest with their recommendations. The only (possible) downside is that its first come-first serve, but truthfully, it is worth the wait! Overall, highly recommend! read more

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Very good meal. Excellent service from the Mohawk server. The mini beef Wellington's are the best. My Reuben was pretty good..

Date night! Checkout this restaurant for first time. We arrive without a reservation around 5 PM. Had a drink at the bar and our table was ready for two a lot faster than we expected. It's a very small restaurant on the first floor, but great ambience vibe. My husband ordered the. Wagu burger - super beefy and the parmesan fries with the spicy ketchup was the best! I ordered a Mediterranean salad that was very generous portion size. Our drinks were whiskey, sour and BBL, lol! We absolutely love the names on the menu. The food was great, and our server (AMANDA) was very friendly, made great recommendations, was the best and service was awesome. read more

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It was a busy Saturday afternoon in Frederick, the annual street festival was awesome. We were looking for a place to have lunch and Hootch save the day. We were able to get seated immediately upon arriving. They were definitely busy, but the wait staffs were efficient and we were and Mike our waiter took our drink orders immediately. We started off with two 2017 Carlos Spain Terpranillo, Cosmopolitan, Per My Last Email, Johnny Merlot, the drinks were amazing and prices were reasonable and good pour on the wines. We all decided to try a few individual dishes to share with each other. We started with the house pickles, Wellington minis, smoked gouda Mac and cheese, chicken Empanadas, and two orders of the twice cooked infused wings. Everything were delicious and I highly recommend the Mac and cheese and the wings. Honestly I recommend everything we ordered. They have both indoor outdoor seating, we were seated indoor, outdoor have a limited seatings. Mike (Mark) was super friendly and a nice guy. Surprisingly it wasn't super noisy or loud, we were able to speak and hear other without any issues hearing one another. Lastly, take a look at the menu to see why a few of our cocktails have unsual names with the ingredients. I highly recommend Hootch and Banter it's a lovely place. Thanks Mike you were awesome! read more

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The ambiance is really nice. Perfect for date night. Food was definitely flavorful and bar tenders were 5 Star. I had the lamb pasta dish, which was very good. Definitely a hearty dish so I couldn't finish it all. We had the crab dip for an appetizer, which could've been a little better but overall this is a great place. read more

The staff is quite friendly and courteous. The food is okay but a bit pricey for what it is. We always look for clean food -- without additives and especially prefer organic, when available. Unfortunately, we didn't find it here. The corned beef is cooked with nitrates, so we had to forgo that. They are very accommodating for gluten free options but their menu doesn't always reflect it correctly, so be sure to ask. Overall, for the cost of our meal, the food was just so-so. read more

The food, service and ambiance is enough to make our family go back more and more! Love Hootch and Banter

Hooch & Banter is a very popular place to dine in Frederick, Maryland. They don't take reservations, but they said after 7:00 it should be less busy. This is a very small restaurant. It is narrow and dark. They were going to clear the bar area when we arrived. We waited around 15 minutes to be seated. The bartender was very friendly and chatty. I decided to go for the Lavish cocktail. This is a beautiful looking cocktail, that came in a tall skinny glass. It started purple then it gravitated to golden yellow. The pictures I took for my review came out awful. Please take my words into consideration over my very blurry pictures. The Lavish cocktail was very strong on gin, and very acidy tasting, not my favorite. For food we got the Crab Dip and the Smoked Turkey Sandwich. The bartender raved about this sandwich, and said it was better than any other on the menu. The crap dip was heavenly, especially good if you're not watching your diet. It was cheesy, melty and crabby, with a ton of tasty baguette bread. The turkey sandwich was a letdown. It was the most basic of all basics. I could totally make it myself with my eyes closed. This sandwich was massive, we couldn't finish it shared between us two. The bread wasn't toasted, there was smoked turkey, swiss cheese, cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce and seasoning. A sandwich much more appropriate for lunch. This came with fries, and their house made ketchup, this ketchup was sweeter than others I have tried, it was very good. The only star of the show was the crab dip. Sadly my experience at Hooch & Banter was a bit of a let down. read more

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Hooch and Banter!! What a gem of a place! It's right by the riverwalk in cute, downtown Frederick. I was there at brunch and got the shrimp and grits and an amazing margarita! The flavors were amazing and the service was fast! I will definitely be back!! read more

Hootch & Banter - Patron Margarita - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Vicky was an amazing server. Super friendly and knowledgeable. The miss piggy 2.0 was one of the best pork chops we've ever had and everything we tried was delicious (Kidd burger, crab cakes, crab dip). Would definitely come here again. read more

You can often get a seat at the bar, and that's a win! The bartenders are friendly and know how to craft an excellent drink. The locals are friendly and you can have an intelligent conversation here with all kinds of people. The only negative is the programming on the tv... I'm not sure why info commercials are on the tv so frequently, but there it is: Boring TV. In addition to the really god mixed drinks, the food is pretty darn good. I am a repeat consumer of the house salad it is almost a meal in itself. The Chef's Board is generous and good. The W ings are pretty good also, and the Crusted Haddock is --I think-- one of the best I've had. Friendly staff, great service, good drinks and tasty food! I am a repeat diner! read more

Whether you're brunching, lunching, or munching - anytime, Hootch is the spot. I've dined here plenty of times to say that their food, drinks, and service remain consistently good. The most recent time I was here was for brunch with my husband, which was our first time trying their brunch menu. Let me tell you it did not disappoint. We got seated upstairs at the bar, which was great. The bar has a nice size surface for eating, drinking, and chatting. It doesn't feel like it gets crowded when the food starts coming out, thankfully. Our bartender was extremely friendly and attentive. We ordered a mimosa pitcher/carafe (or 2 ) because...BRUNCH! & you can't go wrong with mimosas during brunch. We ordered an app to start: Gouda Tots, which was more like a poutine vibe. The pork belly on this was so tender and juicy, and with the creamy Gouda cheese and tots...so simple but so good. I ordered the Gimme S'more French toast entree. It came with berries and bacon on the side. The French toast was the perfect hint of sweetness! I was a little nervous and thought the nutella may be too much, but it was perfect. The fresh berries a nice touch. The cherry on top: bacon! My husband ordered the Millennial, which was also a French toast/eggs benedict fusion. The brioche is layered with guacamole and poached eggs which gives it such an interesting taste. I had a bite of my husband's dish and was in heaven. It was a lot more light than straight up French toast! Although it does come with breakfast potatoes on the side. He thoroughly enjoyed this meal. The vibe at H&B is great for friends, date night, and smaller gatherings (6ppl and under). Anything larger, you may want to ensure they can make accommodations because they do not take reservations here. read more

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Shared a meal here with family and it didn't disappoint! Our table had the wings, Mac and cheese, beef Wellington (appetizer) and haddock-- all were delicious! Waitress was amazing, really knowledgeable and quick with our order. There's decent bar seating and a wall of booths/tables! Although, there was still a wait when we arrived. Would come again! read more

Stopped by one of my favorite places in Frederick Md...the always busy Hootch & Banter. The ambiance is a relaxed club feel that's slightly refined. There is also a small outdoor section right on Market Street. We were greeted right away and since its first come first serve only, it's a matter of what they have open. We took seats at the bar and were helped by a good attentive bartender. I ordered a peach / maple syrup take on an old fashioned. It was very good with the smoked glass, nice touch. I asked for not too sweet and it was great. You get the slight peach and maple note to blend with the whiskey. Good touch. Then we snacked on the Shrimp Empanadas which were crisp and very flavorful. The spicy salsa helped kick it up a little. Then for the main course we split the Market Street Beignets...so good. They come in a bag, shaken with powdered sugar and served with cream anglaise sauce. The beignets had some crunch on the outside and warm and tasty on the inside. Add the sauce, which had a vanilla custard type of flavor and you had a perfect pairing. This is a great place for a great cocktail and the beignets are banging! A must visit in Frederick. read more

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Good meal and service. Ate outdoors very pleasant by waterway Try for yourself. Parking nearby in garage.

Sunday 5/19/2024 The first time I went to this spot was back in 2021 when I went for a brunch visit. On that brunch visit I remember trying the "stuffed" French toast and chicken biscuit. The brunch was alright but didn't really impress me. Fast forward to 2024 and I realize that I never tried their dinner items which look and sound absolutely delicious. I made a takeout order via phone call and the service on the phone was great: the lady working was very friendly and helpful. I spent $120 on takeout and got the market street beignets $12, cheesesteak egg rolls $16, smoked Gouda Mac n cheese $10, wagyu burger $34, dirty steak & cheese (with cherry peppers) $20.50, and bbq wings $20. - Market street beignets * these were pretty good: they are fluffy but not filled with air and they sprinkle a good amount powdered sugar on top of them. * they come with a creamy dip/sauce which was very runny when I first got it but once I stored items in the fridge for next day's leftovers, the creamy dip/sauce turned into a thicker, condensed dip that was much better. - cheesesteak egg rolls * this right here is a HIT and it's easily my favorite item. * It comes with a PHENOMENAL cheese sauce & savory bbq sauce but when they are paired together with the egg rolls they are GOATED. - smoked Gouda Mac n cheese * at first, I thought it was decent but it began to grow on me to the point where it was pretty good. * I feel like this could be even better with some seasoning but it's still good regardless. - wagyu burger (comes with fries) * while eveything was a hit, this was the only miss I experienced and it was $34 too. * I could be mistaken but I thought wagyu was a cut of meat that was rich and flavorful but the burger I got was a burger with sauerkraut, sliced corn beef (I think), and maybe 1000 island dressing which I wasn't expecting at all. * I got the burger medium but it had a burnt taste on the outside that I tasted with every bite. - dirty steak & cheese (comes with fries) * another item where the great cheese sauce shines: It takes the item from alright to really good. * personally, it's a bit overpriced but it does come with a side of fries that are decent. - bbq wings * overpriced wings that lack seasoning but once the bbq sauce is added its a lot better. * also it comes with ranch that is very good with the bbq wings and is great when paired with the French fries. Overall, the food can be pricey but it's worth it (for the most part) when it comes to how good some of the food is. I'd definitely recommend this spot and would return again. Make sure y'all get the amazing cheesesteak egg rolls, market street beignets, and smoked Gouda Mac n cheese. read more

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Another great meal here Sunday night. I came back because I couldn't believe how good the quinoa was with my scallop dish and was not disappointed. This time I had "Shroom and Board ", a mixture a several types of mushrooms with quinoa. It was very good. My partner had a pork chop, well cooked and flavored with Brussels sprouts and a relish that added a bit of sweet. Our dessert was lovely beignets with cream anglaise served hot from the fryer. We'll be back. Very nice cocktail list too , quite creative. Good service, nice atmosphere. read more

Hootch & Banter - Scallops with fig jam - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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I forgot to take food pics. But this was place has the best brunch burger of all time!!! Beef cooked masterfully. Generous bacon and a sunny side up egg with house burger sauce. To die for. Pro tip, it's only an extra $1 to add a second egg. Go big read more

Food was good, better than average, service was great, but the noise...the noise! I would say it's a bar that sells food, and the noise was ok when I was in college. read more

Our server Mike was phenomenal! Very attentive and personable. We got the Banter, Banter in the Morning and French Toast. All were amazing! We also got Bloody Maries and Chocolate Coffee. Bartender knew what he was doing! read more

I have eaten here three different times and this most recent visit was rather a let down. The staff is always friendly. It was a Friday night and busy, so the experience was definitely impacted by that. Get ready to sit snug with strangers- in order for us to sit, one poor diner had to move the table he was sitting at so we could get to our seat. Overall: The dinner was disappointing- there are just too many other places to eat downtown. What Not to Order: $25 salad (after I added the chicken) and it was the best meal at the table- but not worth that kind of money. My son ordered the Kidd Prime burger medium well done and it was cooked medium rare.We couldn't help but overhear the same thing happened to our neighbor diner! We didn't send it back since it took about 45 minutes. My husband ordered the Haddock w/ everything seasoning. It was fried beyond expected. I think I will stick to getting cocktails and small bites from here on out. read more

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To be honest, this actually was not our first choice on this particular day. However, the menu did looked interesting and a little different than other places in the general area. There are few tables out front. They have a downstairs and upstairs seating. We ended up upstairs which were lovely. Our waiter was amazing and attentive but not hovering. I started off with a Bloody Mary. This was just ok. On to the food... TWICE COOKED INFUSED WINGS- delicious and loved the house made blue cheese. CRAB DIP- we ordered with a side of celery; full of flavors. LOST BOYS- pan seared scallops, butternut squash puree, house cured pork belly, crispy kale, miso & burnt honey vinaigrette; a must have. Lastly, the CHICKEN EMPANADAS- this was probably our least favorite; a little on the dry side. Overall a great experience. read more

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We came here on a Sunday, close to opening. Luckily, we only had to wait 15 mins for a table after putting our name down with the hostess, so that was nice! For a weekend, I thought the lunch menu was a bit limited compared to what I saw online from other reviews. I was in the mood for "brunch" food and mussels after seeing them online, but the only menu they had on Sunday was mostly handhelds (sandwiches & burgers), which I was surprised by since most restaurants offer more options on the weekend. I'm not a fan of sandwiches, but I just ended up ordering the marinated portabella since nothing else appealed to me. I'm glad they could accommodate my request to substitute the brioche buns with lettuce instead. It was delicious, and also came with a side of fries. One of my friends ordered the steak & crab cake, which she finished and enjoyed as well. Other: we asked our server to split the check because there were 3 of us and we just didn't want to deal with paying each other later on, and he made a comment like "Wowww splitting checks. I knew you guys were my trouble table today." Even if he was joking, it definitely was unprofessional and rubbed me the wrong way. And when my friend said "don't worry, we will add extra tip," he was like "now, you're speaking my language." He came back with the checks and again joked that he was listening to our conversation and referenced one of the things we were talking about. Just weird and again too unprofessional for my liking; the server definitely felt way too comfortable with the way he spoke to us. I'm hoping to try the menu I saw online with all the good stuff like scallops, mussels, prawns, etc! I'm guessing that's on their dinner menu, so I'll probably come back for that. read more

Hootch & Banter - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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What a cool place. Love the ambience and architecture - mix of old (exposed brick) and new! Couldn't decide what to order so a friend and I decided to split a squashing summer salad and dirty steak and cheese sandwich. We were not disappointed. The server had the kitchen split the salad for us, which was a nice touch. I'd order both again! The steak was perfectly tender and the smoked Gouda cream was so good, what a great twist on a cheesesteak. The homemade fries were well done - exactly how I like them. Highly recommend and can't wait to go back and try The Kidd Prime Burger. A five star experience all around! read more

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Waiter was excellent and the food was very good ; I would highly recommend them as a place in Fredrick

10/10!! The vibe of this restaurant was amazing!! The service was top tier and the food and drinks were delicious. Great date night spot; I will be going back. read more

Hootch & Banter - The Branzino Fish with the crispy roasted Brussels sprouts and The Wagyu burger - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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The service, food, and hospitality were all exceptional! I highly recommend this place.

My first question: WHY is there barbecue sauce on the beef Wellington's??? (Side note: not sure if you can call these "beef" wellingtons when there was maybe a gram of beef) No idea why this place is rated so highly. Service was poor, and food came out super slowly. We sat outside which was nice. My turkey sandwich was gross. Fries came out soggy and cold, and there was a freaking hair on them. Not to mention, we paid $75 for an appetizer and two sandwiches. Highway robbery for what we received. We will not be back. read more

The food was outstanding. My recommendation is to order any of the sandwiches with fries. The quality was great along with the portions. The service was very good and waiting was not bad. The ambitious is the place was relaxing but small. read more

Ranchero was delish as was the breakfast Banter. Food was great although the delivery of our food took 50min. Waitress was awesome and comped our drinks but we simply got lost in the sauce. Fortunately it was a pleasant day for our curb side seats. read more

If you are looking for a restaurant to host an event, look no further! I rented the upstairs space for my daughter's bridal shower and the food and drinks were amazing. The servers are over the top and give a truly 5-star service and Cherie, the owner, lovely to work with and very attentive and offers suggestions that made our event complete. Everyone is still talking about it! Thank you H&B you are a true gem! We all had such a wonderful time that we neglected to take pictures of the food but no matter what you choose it will be delicious and the specialty cocktails are perfect! read more

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Absolutely phenomenal food and service. Bummed we don't live close enough to come back often enough.

The service was great! Cocktails delicious and the food is amazing too! The atmosphere is lovely! We'll definitely come back! read more

Hootch & Banter - Lavish cocktail - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Because of all the great reviews and we happened to be in town, we decided to try this place out. We waited about an hour to be seated, which wasn't a big deal. We were able to walk around and enjoy the nice weather. Once we got seated, we sat very close to other customers as the seating at the restaurant was very close. This was understandable as it was a busy day for them. We order the short rib and a lamb dish, which I can not remember the name of. I ordered the lamb dish, and a lot was going on. With that, it was not very good. I was pretty disappointed with the food. I probably should've just ordered a burger. read more

Mediocre at best. BETTER OPTION: Breakfast-Silver Diner My husband and I came to hooch and banter after looking for something different in the Frederick area. The restaurant is located in a very busy part of downtown Frederick. There is outdoor seating, which, unfortunately, for us was packed due to the really nice weather we were having. When we arrived, we were seated immediately without a reservation. Since it was just the two of us, were taken in a very small table in the middle of the room. The restaurant is very loud, and it is difficult to hold a conversation with someone sitting across the table from you. My husband ordered the chicken and waffles and I ordered the French toast. Our server frequently forgot items that we asked for such as my husband's mimosa, my syrup, etc. Once we finally got the food, unfortunately it was relatively flavorless. We ordered regular coffee and my husband's was cold, so that's great. There was no seasoning on the chicken for the chicken and waffles or the breakfast potatoes that were on my husband's plate. The waffle itself was rather plain. My French toast was just OK. The bread was rather thin and lacked flavor. To be honest the only thing that tasted good was my husband's mimosa. I really don't understand why this place has good ratings. After speaking to some other residents, we learned that people generally come in for the bar drinks, and the food is almost always very inconsistent. Unfortunately, we don't plan on coming back. If only Silver diner kept their outdoor seating that they had during Covid we would've went there. If a restaurant can't even make coffee I don't really trust them to make anything else. read more

Yelp never fails me! In town for a wedding this weekend, and needed a place for breakfast. Since the reviews were so good, we waited until they opened at 11. It was worth the wait. I had the crab cake Benedict, my husband had the "appetizer" tots and gravy. Both were delicious, and plenty of food. Drinks were good, a little light on the "hootch", but good. He had a drink with edible glitter, which looked pretty cool, he said it was good. Our server was great. Attentive, not overbearing. It did get a little loud as it got busier, but not terrible. Great meal. Would definitely go back. It filled up pretty quickly after we were seated, and by noon, there was a wait, so be prepared for that. read more

Hootch & Banter - Tots and gravy - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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I came here about 8 minutes before they opened on a Saturday and there was a small line outside the door and around the corner. I was lucky to have gotten a table, but I got a bit worried there. The place is quite narrow and it is small, but the food packs a punch. The flavor of the food and the choices makes this a solid brunch spot. I did not get a chance to try their cocktails, but the magic that was happening behind the bar while the bartender was flaming things were fun to watch (at like 11 in the morning). The food was surprisingly good. I especially enjoyed the Croque Madam. It looks like a lot and it is, but the flavor was delicious. The crab dip is also recommended. The mini wellingtons weren't that great for me, but I was looking forward to it. I guess I will stick with just making wellingtons at home. The service was good and it was incredibly busy too. It is hard to maneuver through to the bathroom with so many moving parties, but it is doable. If you don't mind the logistics, and you value the food more, then this place will be a good choice. read more

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We arrived for brunch and were seated right away despite not having a reservation. The restaurant was beautiful with big windows overlooking the city and a waitress who was very friendly and helpful. We started with a charcuterie board which had a nice variety of treats to start our meal. I ordered the "Banter in the Morning." My wife ordered the "Hash Slinging Slasher." Both were excellent and perfectly portioned. We had a great meal and will certainly be back. read more

Nice little spot in Frederick. I had the Crab Benedict with a side of bacon & it was so good. The mimosas were tasty as well. Service was excellent--friendly, knowledgeable & prompt. Will definitely be back! read more