I came here for lunch with some girlfriends on a Friday afternoon. After checking out the menu they had posted outside we decided to try it. I love when restaurants have their menu available outside! The service inside was quick, attentive and friendly. Our waitress was lovely! I got an x rated mule to drink - delicious! Love the extra fruit flavors added to it. We shared some Bruselas and they were amazing. The sweet vinaigrette, fried capers, and crunchy walnuts were a perfect combination. I will 100% be ordering these again the next time I come. Our waitress recommended the Esparragos Fritos con Alioli and said it was a popular item. The sauce it came with tasted similar to Big Mac sauce, which we all liked! The asparagus was tasty. I liked it, but definitely not as much as the brussel sprouts. While looking at the Queso section, I thought everything in that section would come out as a liquify queso to dip chips in. Nope! I completely forgot queso just means cheese our Manchego Frito came out a 4 crunchy baguette slices with pear, brie, and fig jam. Very tasty, this is always a great flavor combination. We then ordered some sliders off their specials menu. An order came with two sliders, so we got 2 orders for our table. The brioche bun went very well with the sweet, tasty onions and the bacon on top of the patty. This tasted great! Last, the Pollo a la Gallega was delicious! Super flavorful and the chicken was incredibly tender. This was similar to a pot roast, but way better. I was in the mood for sweet but after a bite of this I couldn't stop. Much better than expected! I can't wait to come back and try more items! The world needs more great tapas places like Isabella's. read more

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Good red sangria, costillitas, calamar, berenjena, brochetas de pollo, and albóndigas were very good. Went here with a Spanish friend from Valencia. Even he was impress after some disappointing experiences in NYC. So I will recommend this place to all my friends and will definitely returns again and again. read more

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

We are new to the Frederick area and everyone told us to get dinner at Isabella's and they weren't lying - so delicious! They serve a variety of spanish tapas. We went on date night, around 8pm on a Thursday and had no trouble getting a table. We loved the homemade nachos with queso dip, as well as the chorizo burgers. They come with 2 mini burgers so order more if you're hungry! The potatos bravas was also very delicious - every potato dish we tried was a winner. Service was good. Next time I want to try their famous sangria. read more

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If you're looking for authentic Spanish tapas and paella, this is the place. It's so good I will literally drive an hour to get here next time I've got the tapas cravings. The restaurant is small and casual with a few tables in the front window with good views of the people walking up and down the street. There's also a bar and a wall lined with booths for seating. Service is friendly and our server knew all of the ingredients for the dishes. Most importantly though, the food is fabulous. We had a large group so we tried a number of different tapas. Our favorites were the stuffed dates, the albondigas (Spanish meatballs), the potatoes bravas, and the beef empanada. We had seconds of all of them. Choosing favorites was actually really difficult, since there wasn't a single dish we didn't all love. Most of the tapas are about the right size for an appetizer course, so they're best split between just 2-3 people. Prices average about $9 per tapas plate so it's a pretty good value too. The server recommended starting with one tapas choice per person and then adding more from there and it was good advice. We ended up averaging about 2 tapas plates per person. In the end we were stuffed full of tapas so the paella will have to wait for another visit. read more

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The food was amazing the customer service is fantastic ! I'm super happy that Isabella's contribute to my amazing memories with my beautiful friend. If you want to have nice tapas and amazing cocktail drinks this is the place ! read more

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Biggg fan of tapas and loved the food at Isabella's. Came here on a Sunday evening with my parents at 6:30. We had a reservation but it was pretty empty. My only "issue" was that they close at 8 and we were the only table left, paying our check around 7:40. They had already started putting chairs up and cleaning, so I did feel a little rushed, but the food was so good I'll let it slide. I tried the sangria flight because I couldn't pick between the white and seasonal (watermelon honeydew). The white was my favorite but it was nice to try all 3 - and they were large glasses for a "flight!" All the food was delicious, and the majority we ordered off the specials menu so it may not be there next time around :(. My favorites were the scallops, short ribs, fried green tomatoes - warning, the sauce was a bit spicy - (no picture because we ate them too fast), asparagus (aioli is the best part but presentation made it hard to dip) and chorizo burgers. Dessert was good but not amazing so I wouldn't purposely save room! Order an extra entree read more

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I was lured in by the five star reviews. I wanted to try another tapas spot in MD, as I miss the old Pazo restaurant that was in the Harbor East area of Baltimore. Hubby and I had reservations-we booked because we didn't know if they'd be crowded. Turns out it was not crowded on a Friday night-there were enough people but no wait for tables. We were seated right away. Place looks like an average bar type hang out-not artsy or eclectic. No real style, but as long as food is good it's cool. It took a while for our waitress. She was nice, but seemed a tad overwhelmed. The shrimp and tomato dish was okay, not spectacular but good. We ordered Brussels sprouts and paella with chicken and mushroom. Waitress must not have heard Brussels sprouts. Paella takes 25 mins to cook. As we waited, we assumed sprouts would come out with the paella. They didn't. We weren't upset because the paella was a large enough dish and filling. It was again good, not superb. I've had better. We got dessert. Hubby's apple empanada was again good but not wonderful. My chocolate flourless was very good but so small-I guess it was a tapa-haha! We will try another time to see if we get blown away by the food as people have remarked. read more

These were the best tapas I've had in a long while! We sat outside on the terrace to people-watch (and puppy-watch) and ordered about half a dozen dishes: papas bravas (excellent and not spicy); croquettes with Serrano ham and manchego cheese (so good we ordered them twice); pork belly sliders (also too good for just one order); short ribs (our puppy liked these the most); garlicky gambas (great & not over cooked); mussels (not my thing but my mom loved them) - and even a small cheese pizza for our youngest. The service was excellent - friendly, informed and fast. They even provided a dog bowl full of water for our hot & tired doggo. We'll be coming back to try my husband's favorite- wild boar. read more

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Great ambience, good happy hour really cool bar and good food. I go there frequently.

You must try the asparagus! The food is amazing here! You can't go wrong with small plates!

Ugh! The nerve of this restaurant for being so perfect and providing excellent service! First, I walk in the door and this pleasant man greets me with a "hello". Right then and there, I already feel welcomed. Despicable! THEN, to top it off the two guys (Fuzz and Jared) working at the bar were absolutely exceptional at service and were so welcoming and friendly. Nevertheless, They served me exactly what I ordered. Listen, I advise anyone to go to this place if you ONLY like to have a good experience. Otherwise, don't. On a serious note, great vibe, good people. read more

My brussel sprouts were prepared and presented very well, the staff was very friendly, and they did a nice job making the sidewalk patio inviting. If I have a complaint, it's probably because I forgot that tapas is small plates and you are going to be hungry if you just order one. I had assumed that the portions were different on the lunch and dinner menus- while that might be true the dinner portion is still quite small. I felt like if I could have gotten a little more fat or protein I would have been comfortable. I can't blame the restaurant for my forgetfulness though. Tldr; great food but getting full might be an expensive proposition. read more

Isabella's - Brussel sprouts with the extras- cheese and ham - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

This is one of my favorite places to go downtown. I first visited when I was in middle school and now I'm nearly 30! I have shared many a dinner or lunch here with family and friends and have always enjoyed the food. Their concept is great for people like me who get bored of eating the same thing or prefers to order multiple entrees. You can never go wrong with their Paella, Bacon wrapped figs or dates, or anything really. read more

It doesn't get much better than Isabella's. What's not to like about tapas, especially great ones. It's a wonderful treat to share these tiny dishes. At first, you might think that there isn't going to be enough to fill you up -- but share six or seven plates and you'll start to change your mind. The sangria is astounding. Service is great. Atmosphere is a wonderful mix of Spanish, American, and historical with the shell of the multi-generational Frederick building still there. Food is great, drinks are great, atmosphere and service -- all great. One thing to note is that if the kids have basic tastes, I don't seem to see much for them to eat, but the atmosphere is really for adults anyways. Have a great time. read more

What a gem of a restaurant. From the time we entered we were greeted with a smile Then our server Beth was not only knowledgeable but really took the time to explain their concept. We had the freshest oysters with the best mignonette sauce I ever tasted. Then lamb chops with a delicious red wine reduction. A must stop if you are lucky to be in Frederick's Maryland & the owner took the time to say hello. Great job read more

My wife and I love this place. Good service, good food. I'd recommend for the great atmosphere, the food. Sometimes you'll wait, but it's because the place is well known, but it's worth it. read more

Only absolutely great things to say about this place. Everything I tried was delicious! We had a big party and they were very accommodating. All of the small plates were perfect for 1-2 people to share. My favorites were the Brie cheese crostini and patatas bravas. I'll definitely be back here. read more

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Excellent Tapas. Supercute restaurant The dates-chirzo-goat cheese-bacon, shrimp, Serrano Ham-manchego all delicious. Super fun! read more

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

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Looking for breakfast on Market Street, we found this traditional Spanish restaurant that nevertheless served up morning favorites with Spanish twists (Manchego biscuits, skillets with chorizo). The skillet I ordered hit the spot, with the slight kick of the chorizo mixing well with eggs and potatoes. Plentiful, well spaced seating indoors and out. read more

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I would recommend it with more than one couple to the three. It's just fun and you can get duplicates on everything. It's just eating and picking food throughout the meal I would recommend it and the food is great. read more

Our team at work planned a group gathering / celebration at Isabella's. I had never heard of it, and live a distance from Frederick. But after enjoying both a Happy Hour at the bar, then dinner at a (wheelchair accessible) table - I can say that I would highly recommend this place and would love to go back if I am in the area again. The Happy Hour was one of the best I have ever been to in a while. Drinks and food at fantastic prices, and with a good variety of options (beer, wine, rail drinks, and all sorts of half-price apps - including their famous fried asparagus -- after polishing off the first order of these, we had to get a second!). And wow - they also have a free HH mini buffet - with chips and salsa, meatballs, their tasty papas/potatoes and more. That is surely how to invite folks in and engage them in staying and encourage them to return. The dinner menu was also great. A wee bit pricey on some items - but very comparable to other tapas style places. And - you could stick with tapas and share, or order an actual large plate of food. Everything we tried was excellent - from the salads and salmon to the papas and hummus to the empanadas (both meat filled for dinner and apple crisp ones with ice cream and caramel for dessert). Other nifty features - television at the bar with sports and news, accessible bathrooms, interesting ambience, and an okay noise level (yes - it was a bit loud, but we were still able to converse - with some effort - at our table for seven). Our server was excellent. Took good care of us and was friendly and helpful. I highly recommend Isabella's - for a meal or a Happy Hour. read more

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Food is great. Staff very nice and atmosphere is nice! We loved it and will definitely be back.

First time trying Isabella's and had a very pleasant experience. Went on a Tuesday at lunch time so I got the benefit of being able to order off of their lunch menu, which has an AMAZING lunch special of choosing 3 items for $11! I tend to be wary of tapas restaurants because having to balance a price point for profit and value to the customer is not something I feel most places are known for. I got the potato soup, crab dip, and fried goat cheese. All three were wonderfully creamy and spiced expertly so the potato and crab and cheese were enhanced without being overpowered. Crab in particular is delicate and easily lost to garlic and other spices, happy this was not all shredded bits either, there were actual lumps to it! The goat cheese was also fried to perfection. The lunch special was the perfect way to get a personalized sampler. Others in my group ordered the dates, chorizo, and meatballs and were very happy. It is not a huge restaurant, so larger groups might want to call ahead, but there are plenty of booths and tables for 2-4 people. Because it is downtown Frederick parking is metered or in a garage, but as convenient as any other location in the city. read more

Meh. The patatas bravas was as good as I expect in any place that specializes in tapas, but their famous fried asparagus, though crunchy on the outside, was virtually tasteless, and the empanadas were okay but not interesting or exciting like the ones at Boca Botana's. With mediocre dishes and a noisy room, why bother? read more

Food was good bartender and wait service terrible service attitudes from the beginning . You really should reflect your food with the staff attitude and service . Sunday evening was a let down . read more

First impression as you enter is "a joint / bar" with some nicer tables. Then the wait staff kicks in and the better restaurant that it is begins to show. Your first set of tappas is your invite to a taste journey. Let the wait staff be your guide....not a bad choice on the menu..... enjoyed the food almost as much as a tappas in Barcelona......great place to connect with two friends read more

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

My husband and I landed on this gem as one of my birthday dinners. We celebrate birthday weekends. This is not a Mexican restaurant. It is definitely a Spanish restaurant. Spanish food is so much tastier. Quaint atmosphere and wonderful service. Jerry was our wait staff. He was attentive and a good listener. We love tempernillo wines. They had 3 to choose from. It's hard to find a restaurant with one tempernillo wine on there menu. We loved our wine so much, my husband ended buying a bottle. I ordered the Paella A La Valenciana, which was delicious. They had the perfect amount of seafood and the spices they used complemented the dish; no skimping here. The only thing I would have changed was the chicken. I would have used sausage or white meat chicken. My husband ordered a few small dishes, which he definitely enjoyed. If you are a true chocolate lover, you must order the Taza De Crema De Chocolate. This was highly suggested by Jerry (Waiter extraordinaire.) OMG! It was amazing!!! We will definitely come back for more. Thank you Isabella's and Jerry for a wonderful birthday dinner experience. read more

I love tapas-style restaurants, and Isabella's does not disappoint. They are known for their fried asparagus, which we love, but everything we've tried there has been equally delicious. The lunch special is a great deal (we ended up doing two lunch specials split by three people and it was more than enough food) and the service is great! I only wish there was more outdoor seating, great spot! read more

I don't leave reviews for places often but this restaurant deserves it. This is without a doubt the best restaurant I've been to in my (somewhat sheltered) life. I recommend this place to literally anyone who has tastebuds; if you don't have tastebuds, go anyways. read more

Had a delightful Thursday tapas lunch - 3 tapas for $14.99. My favorites were the pesto shrimp pasta of the day and the chicken thigh skewers. Jared was a great server! Would definitely return. read more

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

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The fried asparagus makes this place a top star! The service is nice & friendly. Beautiful bar! Lovely outdoor seats.

I've had a couple of good dining experiences at Isabels, with an exception on the evening of Wednesday, 1/17/23. Their oatmeal stout is exceptional. I ordered and ate Montado, roasted pork, sundried tomato cream cheese on toasted bread. Shortly afterward, when I arrived home, my stomach was churning. I violently threw up thick food several times until my stomach was empty. This was followed by an episode of dry heaves. I contacted Isabels the next day and politely spoke with a manager to help avoid a future negative incident with another customer. The manager apologized and said she would speak with the chef. I was not offered a refund, and I didn't ask. I just thought it would be an opportunity for them to build goodwill after making me sooo sick. I guess he who expects nothing won't be disappointed. read more

On a busy Saturday we were seated with great staff. Potaoes Bravas, asparagus spears (must get!) and crabmeat croquettes were really delicious. I highly recommend. read more

Had lunch there today, my first time there, and it was a reminder that amazing food makes me entirely too happy. The best items my cuz and I tried were the sizzling shrimp, the mussels, the goat cheese short ribs, the portabella mushroom wrapped with wilted spinach and cheese plus sides. Not as high on my list but still good: the artichoke bottoms topped with jumbo crabmeat entree. Maybe next time I'll go just for the cheeses or just desserts. Fun place for the tastebuds - thank you Isabella's. read more

The boy said he wanted tapas similar to Tapas Theatro in Baltimore.. mostly because he wanted some sangria. Yelp found this gem of a tapas place for us. They are trying to keep with the covid 19 precautions. Everyone working is wearing a mask some of them have gloves. Single use menus for their regular menu. They have also expanded their seating outdoors into Market Street (on the weekends) and seating inside is separated for appropriate social distancing. Seems like they have a changing menu perhaps daily so your miles may vary. Now about the food, I went in with ideas as to what I wanted to try.. meatballs, papas bravas were high on my list of to try. They were very good-- it's been a while since I've been to tapas theatro but they would give them a run for the money. Meatballs were soft tender and flavorful not lamb (which is what tapas theateo has) but nonetheless yum. The problem for me is there is all that glorious sauce but no bread, pita to sop it up with. I felt that I missed that at this tapas place I just wanted to sop of the sauce but I had nothing available to grab all that sauce. Perhaps that's available here and I just didn't ask? The gazapachio was yum. I came in here thinking it would be a chunky chilled soup but this was smooth and had really nice flavor. The tomato, bread, manchego Serrano ham dish was good but was a miss in my book - felt that the cheese flavor was just not there and everything else was so much better in flavor and taste. The stars of the dinner were the spinach, pine nut and raisin dish and the short rib, goat cheese, caramelized onion, brioche dish. Those two were a last minute add on and by far was two of the best dishes of the night. Another miss in my book was the veggie dishes were lacking in number. Don't get me wrong and think they don't have options for veggie dishes. There were just not quite as many as I wished -- I'm an options girl and there just wasn't enough options for me. I didn't want the mushrooms or Brussels sprouts and didn't want the amazing looking asparagus fries as we already had so many heavy dishes.. I just wished there were more options! read more

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Like most tapas places, Isabella's is a relatively expensive way to eat; those small plates really add up. Definitely recommend asking for free bread. Unlike most tapas places, Isabella's has a variety of excellent vegetarian options. Lentil soup (which they specifically note is made with vegetable stock), falafel, and delectable sauteed baby green beans with truffle oil are among the highlights. The only dish I didn't really like was the patatas bravas, which were surprisingly tasteless. Easily countered by the other options. They have a nice old-town-y atmosphere as well. As each plate comes out separately, they've sometimes struggled to keep up with our orders, which is somewhere between odd (it's what they do for a living) and understandable (it does seem hard). I find this place a bit of an indulgence, but a very good place for special occasions. read more

This was one of my favorite stops in Frederick. What is not to like about a tapa's bar? We started with a large carafe of summer sangrias, but quickly moved on to ordering tapas as we saw many delicious creations walk by our table. We first tried the fried asparagus that came in a wine glass with a delicious aioli at the bottom. Hot and fresh! Yum! We also tried the fig and goat cheese crostini- also Yum. Then the sizzling shrimp. Yum. We got extra bread to dip into the yummy butter sauce. Yum. Then I guess the feeding frenzy continued but is blurred by delirious happiness as we drained the second half of the carafe. On the way out, we mentioned to the maître d' how beautiful we thought the sunflowers were and he told us that they grew them on their own farm and asked if we would like to have some! Being girls, we squealed yes of course we did! So the two of us walked home with a beautiful bouquet of fresh sunflowers! read more

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Definitely NOT great portions for the price. Oh. My. Word. I get it, tapas are small plates. But we left the establishment starving. We watched as our server tried giving our meal to a different table within our space. After wandering around for a few minutes and not noticing our attempt to wave at them, they did not return until 30 minutes later with the actual meal. By that time, we were ready to go and the one singular bacon wrapped date was both not worth the long wait and the high price. read more

We had a nice waiter who was very knowledgeable about the menu and made some good recommendations. We missed having a few tapas dishes that they used to have. Plates were beautiful and food was delicious. read more

They were able to accommodate after a reservation gone wrong at another establishment. Food is really good. My kids shared a cheese pizza, meatball sandwich, and grilled chicken with French fries and fruit. They were soo impressed with it. As for the adults we had the Gambas Shrimp dish, Pan con Costilla and Empanadas. Paired with a strawberry margarita and cranberry mule. Service and food definitely all a ten. Would highly recommend! read more