This is a post 2nd big Covid surge review. Came down to Frederick during the peak Cherry blossom bloom. The walk around town was nice and we decided to get something to eat. Hootch and Banter was very accommodating for my family with two young kids. The service was very personal and professional. The food was on the level of a well established restaurant that shows its excellent s through its menu and consistency. I ordered the dirty steak and cheese. This was an absolute stunner. An entree that is soooo good, that it is a reason for coming back to the restaurant when I'm in downtown Frederick. The sub roll was had the bounce of a freshly made roll from the top area bakeries. The steak was tender and flavorful on its own. The cheese sauce was homemade and unique. It was rich with some heat. Think of a smooth pimento cheese sauce. Fries were awesome! Kids split a burger and a Mac and cheese. Both were wonderful! My wife had the empanadas which were alright. Nothing special but well done presentation and cooked to perfection. The beignets were awesome! Of course didn't get a good pic, they were half gone before we remembered. The vanilla sauce was . An easy 5 stars! read more

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Food and service was wonderful. The beets and pasta with walnut romesco sauce was different but tasty - hint of nutmeg was perfect. Charcuterie board was fabulous- so filling we couldn't finish our meal. Bonus.. left overs :-) read more

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In town for a concert and decided to do a Gastro Pub for a change. Ordered the crab dip appetizer and my wife and I agree: one of the best crab dips in Maryland. I ordered the "HEY SHORTY - IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!" Short ribs and they were melt in your mouth fantastic! Great portion size, flavored well & the grits were spot on. My wife ordered the "THE DIRTY CHEESESTEAK" and it was fantastic! Very large portions, she didn't finish it. The service staff was phenomenal! Our waiter was very helpful in recommending items and was on top of our drinks, food, & bringing us our check. We were too stuffed for dessert, so maybe next time! Only negative I would say is if you're looking for quite romantic place, this isn't your place. It was tight and very noisy/loud. In fact, my ears are still ringing from the trip! lol read more

Hootch & Banter - This is called "JUST PEACHY". One of many finely crafted cocktails offered on their extensive menu. - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Food and service absolutely amazing! The ambience is just a chill feel to it. I would definitely go back!

Hooch and banter is hands down my favorite spot in Frederick. Their craft cocktails are alluring and creative. The names for the food on their menu are witty and funny. I seek hooch and banter out for the cocktails, but the food is absolutely delicious too. I've been here many times at this point and consistently love it. I always order the pear fo shizzle even if it's no longer on the menu they still make it. Noted in my last review was the pear drink and I've since realized it was the one I just mentioned. As for the food, I don't know that you can go wrong. It all depends on what you feel for that day, but it's consistently the right temperature, texture and quantity. read more

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I had a really good time here. The happy hour menu is really nice. The Service was amazing and the food was also amazing. They apparently got a new chef recently so they have had to change the menu but everything I tried was top-notch. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Hootch & Banter - Ahi tuna tostada (left) and chicken tenders with buffalo sauce (right) - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Nice staff. Cute atmosphere. Food was awful. We ordered the Beef Wellington appetizer and it was super gummy. The humus platter was tasteless. Drinks were good, though. read more

Good Lord!! This place was PERFECT in every aspect. The service was impeccable. The atmosphere was wonderful. The food was AMAZING! My new favorite spot in Frederick! read more

I ordered the "Per My Last Email" drink & it was lovely. The Cosmopolitan was also lovely (very strong). The food took a little while to come out, but that's to be expected on a Friday night. Our waitress was so kind & she always had a smile on her face. Overall experience was great! I would go again. read more

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

We hosted a private event here for brunch, and were blown away by the service, food, and ambiance. Khole and his team were so kind and accommodating. The food and drinks were excellent. Filet Wellington and Shrimp and Grits out of this world. Would recommend for private events. read more

The food here is SO GOOD. I got shrimp and grits, which can be so hit or miss, but this was definitely a hit. Twice fried chicken wings were excellent as well. Fun cocktail list (the peppermint patty!), extensive beer and wine list. The place was packed, but we were able to get a table right away with no reservatoin.. The server was so helpful, he mentioned he'd been there since the beginning and shared lots of helpful info. He was clearly so proud to work there, which was a great sign. Will definitely be back! read more

Decides to come to Frederick on a Sunday afternoon. Ordered a few drinks and opted to get some lunch. We sat at the bar and were geatly served by Tom. He knew his drinks, beer, and served a pretty good coffee martini for dessert. Hubs and I sat at the bar and he ordered a couple IPAs from the menu. I started with a margarita, which was ok, then had the Belgium Delirium, which is a good GF option. However. I preferred the Rockwell GF ale that was on draft. I ordered the prim burger with a GF bun. I enjoyed it, but the burger itself lacked flavor...maybe bbq sauce or something. I was just glad that there were GF options and buns. Hubs got the dirty steak and cheese and added cherry peppers, which he really enjoyed. The fries were amazing. You can definitely tell that they were homemade! Overall , cool place to check out in Frederick. Especially the bar! Just watch ur step. Bc the floor is a bit slippery! read more

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This place is awesome! Super crowded on a Saturday night, however the bar area was available and worth it! House pickles (not pictured) were delicious! My absolute favorite was the mini beef Wellingtons! Soooo delicious!! Mac & Cheese didn't disappoint, and was my favorite noodle also! Definitely will be back for dinner! read more

Hootch & Banter - Blood Orange Cosmo - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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We devoured the wings and tots for appetizers. They were fantastic. Fish was crispy and tender, fries were perfectly seasoned. Scallops looked beautiful and the pork belly bed was delicious. Awesome service. read more

Hootch & Banter - Fish and chips - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

The entree selections did not have pasta so I ordered the mac and cheese appetizer and a side asparagus as my meal. The food was beautifully plated, seasoned well, and delicious. The asparagus was especially tasty! There aren't mock-tails on the extensive drink menu, however, when I asked for one I was quickly responded with enthusiasm to accommodate my request. My drink was fun and festive like a typical cocktail. Our server was attentive, helpful, and pleasant. I had a great experience and will be back. read more

Hootch & Banter - Mac and Cheese App + Asparagus Side - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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A delightful, contemporary surprise at the heart of Carrol Creek Frederick. We stopped in for dessert, then recognized the gem of unique flavorful plates. Having a fantastic treat, we plan to return for the full menu. Ask for Kelly! read more

Hootch & Banter - The bar wall. - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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What a lovely restaurant. Unfortunately it was a busy day and when we put our names it was approximately an hour and a half wait. Well worth it. There was enough to do in town we checked out McClintock in the mean time. We had the greatest waitress, and a wonderful meal. Not pictured are the tickle my belly pork and the truffle tots. Everything we ate was utterly delicious, filled with flavor. Drinks were excellent too, the bartender was able to make a drink that wasnt on the menu. I highly recommend getting multiple small plates. It was a bit loud inside and packed. But that's an indication it's a great place to eat! read more

Hootch & Banter - Cauliflower and Mini Beef Wellies - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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I can't believe I haven't reviewed my most fav place yet. I visit atleast a few times a month. The ambiance, food, service and location are all vibes. Nestled in the heart of downtown Fredrick right near Carroll Creek , Hootch and Banter is the perfect date night, friend night, or drop in for shots spot. A couple things to note, they do not take reservations unless it'a lovers day or NYE and it's rather small inside. There is an upstairs but it's often closed for private events. I think I've visited every night of the week and even at it's busiest times the wait is always less than what you're told, so don't let that discourage you if you encounter having to wait for a table. I can't believe I'm saying there is something that I don't like about this place, but it is the drink menu. I'm not the biggest fan of it. There's a lot of weird combinations that I just don't feel like researching if it's good or not. When I'm feeling flirty I may just order different ones but on a regular night I rather a nice normal cocktail. My husband tried a drink with egg whites in it....that's where that not normal comes in LOL. That's just weird to me, but hey you may like it. The drinks are strong AF no matter what you try and there is a full bar so they can make drinks for those who want to be a basic B like me at times. My favorite things to eat here are the charm city egg rolls, empanadas (not your regular empanada but give it a try), any burger, and the fries. The fries are seasoned to perfection with crack...they have to be ! They're AMAZING ! Do yourself a favor and visit ! You will not be disappointed and save room for those warm tasty beignets! read more

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Comfy cozy local gem with hearty brunch favs. The crab Benny is amazing with a light and complimentary hollandaise. And their crème brûlée has an interesting and different toasted nutty topper that was a delight with their cute pot of ginger tea. Really warm and attentive service too. All the things I love about brunch! read more

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

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This was my 2nd visit to this restaurant and went with the intention of doing Brunch as my first visit was the best. As we entered they asked if we were there for either Breakfast or Lunch - since it was too early for Lunch, we opted for Breakfast and my friend and I went upstairs for it. When we got up there, all the tables had patrons and our host said (at the time) the only spots available was at the bar or we had to wait for a table - we ended up sitting at the bar - looks like about 11 seats (from what I remember). We were given a clipboard with a few menus - one was for food, another for hot drinks, then cocktails and beer (each on its own sheet). It was then I realized, I wasn't going to be able to eat the same things I had on my first visit (different menu). As I am not a coffee drinker, I was able to get their Snickerdoodle drink in hot chocolate form - it had froth on top that had quite a kick to it - every sip I felt I was drinking something really spicy, until my friend told me to mix it up. Once I did that, I was actually able to manage the drink and enjoyed it better. I also got the Down Town Frederick - listed as DTF under "I'm Toasted" on the menu. When I first saw the menu, what caught my eye was just the words toast and crab mix - I didn't look at anything else. So when I received my dish and saw this HUGE piece of toast on my plate, I blamed myself for not reading the first words that said "Thick-Cut Buttered Brioche Toast"...my bad. It could feed two people. Before I even started eating, I knew I could only manage half of the bread (by looking at it) and that is all I ate. The bread is not only thick, it is as wide as the length of the plate and was topped with the house crab mix and cheddar cheese - definitely filled me up quick. When I am in the area again, I will stop by as I am still dreaming about my Sunday Brunch a few years ago. read more

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I love this little speakeasy spot, food experience top notch. Drinks and cocktails are stellar. Service and staff are so pleasant and warm read more

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This place is fantastic! Did a birthday brunch for my 25 yr old daughter! Food was amazing! Atmosphere was amazing!!! The service is what took the cake! Our server Vicki was the best! Our day was great! She made sure the whole family was taken care of and that we had a total blast in there! read more

While looking for a place for brunch we came across this recommendation from a local blogger and the name was so cute I knew we had to check it out. We got there a little after 11 (which is when i thought they opened on Sundays) and there was already a wait. We got to wait in the cute little upstairs area which would be perfect for happy hour with friends. Once our table was ready we moved quickly and were served quickly. I had the croque madame which was a lot larger than i expected it to be but delicious! I cant wait to come back and try more things, everything that came out around us looked so good! read more

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

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We hosted our daughter's bridal shower in Hootch's beautiful 2nd floor space last weekend and it was perfect! Everyone raved about the delicious food, that we did reception style. Manda was at the bar and Vickie was the server. They were fantastic - on top of it and so friendly. I highly recommend Hootch and Banter if you are looking to host an event. Really nice vibe upstairs. This is the second event our family has hosted there, and both have been top-notch! read more

We had a wonderful rehearsal dinner for 36 at H&B this past Friday night. Everyone is raving about the venue, the drinks, the food and especially the service!!! They are a top notch team and we would highly recommend them for your next event!! read more

Stopped in for an early dinner (they close between lunch and dinner service - so be sure to check their hours) and it wasn't crowded yet (around 4:30/4:45). The Greeter was super friendly which is no longer the norm so pleasantly refreshing! Our waiter was AWESOME!! He was attentive, gave great recommendations, always smiling, friendly and nice to look at too!! ;-) The menu changes weekly which is creative and unique! You can always try something new or they keep a few of the same basics around (I assume. This was my first visit but my daughter's second - she loved their huge portions brunch menu)!! We started with the delicious wings (large wingettes) served with several fresh carrot and celery sticks. I didn't like the consistency of the MD Crab eggrolls but the flavor was good and my daughter enjoyed them. My daughter's shrimp and scallops over New Orleans style rice looked amazing!! Huge shrimp and scallops. I had the biggest pork chop I'ver seen in my life!! It was about 2 inches thick - like no exaggeration!! The flavor was yummy - had a blackberry glaze (which I was a little suspicious to try but glad I did) and the chop was moist!! It was a great cut of meat with a very thin layer of fat to hold in the flavor. I would've preferred it cooked a tad longer. Since it was so thick, the closer I got to the center, I could see a little pink (which I don't mind with my steaks but not my pork). No matter, I was too full to eat more than half of it! Dessert was apple crumble made with oats which I did not like because the oats were a bit crunchy and my daughter had the beignets served tableside which was a nice touch! They bring them out in a paper bag with confectioners sugar, shake them up and pour onto your plate! She loved them! read more

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Excellent place for a date. Food is always great and the service is outstanding. Loved the beef Wellington read more

Excellent service and great presentation of food. My wife chose this place for my birthday. Service was very good and the food was excellent. We will return. read more

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

A great little place in downtown Frederick, dog-friendly, close to the parking deck and city parkway, and surrounded by cute shops. Their staff is awesome. Our service was fantastic. My corned beef sandwich and my companion's turkey club were tasty, I loved their parmesan aioli fries. The salad was enough for two people. All in all the restaurant provided us with a yummy and pleasant experience. Highly Recommend. read more

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This place has a really cool vibe I came in for a late brunch with my friend. I ordered the Hash Slinger Slasher since it has potatoes, eggs,and brussels sprouts which is why it appealed to me. However the dish was extremely salty, it is tasty but if they added less salt I think the dish would have been a lot better. We also got a pitcher of mimosa and I wasn't a fan. Ii think they use freshly squeezed oranges which I don't mind but the the balance of acidity is a bit off it feels like I'm just drinking champagne. I do like a fresh mimosa but they need to add more juice to it cause it's very strong. read more

Hootch & Banter - Hash slinging slasher and mimosa - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Late Brunch, we had ten minutes to place our order before they transitioned the kitchen to the dinner menu. My wife ordered the HARVEST SALAD and noticed half way through there were no apples in there...hmmm HARVEST SALAD - arugula, Arcadian mix, grilled endive, toasted pecan, Fuji apple, pecorino Romano, gorgonzola, creamy poppy seed dressing *GF What she ate and thoroughly enjoyed was their MEDITERRANEAN CHOP SALAD - mixed greens, Kalamata olives, feta, tomatoes, chick peas, cucumbers, red onions, herb vinaigrette *GF,VgO Her exact words were "I guess we'll just have to come back!" I ordered their SMOKED TURKEY SANDWICH - smoked turkey, cheddar & swiss cheese, lemon garlic aioli, bacon, lettuce, tomato, baguette, hand cut fries, house made ketchup *GFO Her tea was extraordinary, so she said. It was a loose English Breakfast Tea in a strainer pot. LOOSE LEAF HOT TEA - They get all their tea from the local tea shop Voila! - Right down the street in Downtown Frederick. The single Teapot Serves 2 amazing cups. I had to inquire with Connor (our server) the brand of coffee they served me. He was funny to say "You won't believe me...it's Dunkin' " I was flabbergasted. Needless to say, I got a cup to go :) We shared their LET ME SEE THAT PUMPKIN ROLL - A house made pumpkin roll cake filled with cream cheese & vanilla icing, quebecois maple & blackberry reduction with candied pecan crumble and a nice whole blackberry. Connor did apologize for mixing up her salad order. All's well that ends well right? We sat outside and enjoyed this mural, I think you will too. Like she said - We'll just have to go back! *GF ( Gluten Free ) *GFO (Gluten Free Option ) *V ( Vegetarian ) *VG ( Vegan ) *VgO ( Vegan Option) read more

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This place is just adorb and I wish it was closer to home! Thanks to YELP, I would not have found this little historic spot. Once family owned by generations, it was a dive bar on the 1st floor and the owner lived upstairs... fast forward to now! Classy restaurant down with cute outside seating ... climb the steep stairs and a cozy lounge awaits you. The bartenders extraordinaire upstairs were on every point possible. Jeff and Joe! Everything we ordered was really good. Heavily portioned so don't do like we did and order several apps..we ordered 5, still not sure why... And only ate bites and nibbles. The wings were crispy and boasting with saucy flavors! Loaded potato skins were so gooey and hot that we ordered two! Crab cakes, ya...underwhelming for Baltimore. The nachos... A huge disappointment... Just a pile of got too cold quickly,mess. Pass if they tell you how great they are! Drinks were just fun and pretty! So, for the record, if I lived herein this quaint area, this would be a regular hang! Oh, check out the hand painted girl in a glass...martini for the eyes and the artwork outside! Love this place and neighborhood! Sorry it took so long to review! read more

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Popped in here when the kitchen closed down for an hour to transition from brunch service on a Saturday with my husband and our friends. We had a great experience! The cocktails were great and service was fun and personable. The chefs board was great as were the wings. We grabbed some appetizers after the kitchen opened and they were great for sharing. We hope to make it back for brunch one weekend ! read more

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The food and service were top notch. Best chicken wings ever according to my husband. I had a delicious crab cake. A Gouda and tots with carnitas appetizer was unusually good. My only complaint is they need more comfortable outside chairs. read more

Started off on the wrong foot coming here - traveling from a ways away without a reservation. It didn't matter - but the main problem is when you walk in there is a curtain that cuts off the main floor seating area. COMMON SENSE TELLS YOU THAT IF A CURTAIN IS DRAWN - IT MEANS DON'T ENTER OR THIS AREA IS CLOSED. So we walked upstairs to the lounge to just find an allied body and figure it out. I walked up to a woman explaining that I was new and just wanted dinner. She told us to go back down and through the curtain. GET RID OF THE CURTAIN. It doesn't cut down on cold air coming in- it doesn't do anything but confuse people. We were sat immediately at the standard half chair/half booth table and ordered some drinks. I wanted to try the smashing pumpkin but they hadn't made the purée so I settled on two White Russians. I forgot to take pics of. Our waitress was nice- dark hair and tattoos- and came back repeatedly asking for refills etc As a appetizer we had the crab dip which came with (3) pretzel rods. One more would have been better - but we polished it none the less. Only issue here was the cheese was very greasy on the top which means it is very low grade - I would up that bc half the pan was a sea of grease. Tasted fine. For my meal I ordered the "tender lovin'" which was a 10oz filet tenderloin. It had a sweet sauce on top, and came with small potatoes, peas, and thick back bacon pieces, and a large endive. The meat was very good - more medium rare than medium but still very good. The endive I steered clear of. For a dessert we went with the beignets - pillow fritters covered in confectioners sugar and served with a small cup of custard. Eh - they were ok. Everything together was very good but the whole curtain thing really soured me at first. Would return and get the crab cakes. read more

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We were driving south through Frederick and called tolike this place. I called ahead to make a reservation, but was told ghat they don't offer them. We decided to go for it anyway and it only took about 5-min to be seated. Nice atmosphere and efficient waitstaff. It was noisy, mostly because you are seated VERY close to your neighbors (ours happened to be pretentious and loud Kardashian wannabes-the restaurant can't help that). We got the dirty steak sandwiches. This is a really flavorful sandwich. The fries are also good. Fiancé's was regular and mine was gluten free. Mine was $1 more (understandably if I got the same amount of steak) because of the gluten free bun. Fiancé asked why mine was so much smaller (both the bun and contents). He was told that the bun is smaller, but that they weigh the contents and should be identical (pictures show otherwise). If they didn't give me less food (and try to wave reality to make it go away), this would have been a solid 4-star rating. If they didn't cram too many people into their small space, it would be a 5-star rating. read more

Hootch & Banter - Non-gluten-free sandwich in foreground - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Really good food! I had the braised pork and it was super tender and paired well with the cheese grits. The only drawback to me is the price, it isn't cheap. Also, it's really loud (at least downstairs). Would recommend! read more

It's almost always a wait on the weekends for brunch but worth it! The food & service is excellent. Love the vibe inside and the upstairs is even better. The mixed drinks are creative and interesting and worth a try. (Albeit a bit pricey imho.) read more

We stopped by this restaurant on our way home from a hike and man, did it not disappoint! We got the deep fried Brussels sprouts - which had an incredible versatile flavor profile - tossed in bacon, poblano honey vinaigrette, spiced pecans, dried cranberries, feta crumbles! SO GOOD! We split a filet mignon and the truffle fries with a roasted shallot aioli on the side, also, incredible! Their wine selection was excellent as well. Would definitely recommend this as a date night spot or just overall elevated dinner choice without completely breaking the bank! read more

Hootch & Banter - Everyday I'm brussel'n - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Really liked the vibe here! We came here on a whim and although it was pretty packed we lucked out and got a table right away due to a resi cancelation. Our waiter was really nice and completely on the ball for how busy it was. We had the smoked Gouda and Mac & Cheese app which was dreamy but incredibly filling. For our meals I ordered the house salad w/ shrimp and my husband had fish & chips. I l enjoyed my salad as it was the perfect amount of food! My husband thought his fish & chips were just OK. If you are in the Frederick area I would definitely recommend this place for the Mac & Cheese + service! read more

Hootch & Banter - Mac & Cheese app - New American Near Me - Frederick, Maryland