Isabella's Taverna & Tapas Bar

I love paella and this place did a good job of it. They got that crunchy rice on the bottom and when combined with the chorizo it's amazing. Sprinkle some lime over everything and it's heaven. Great mix of seafood, great dish.

Really good. Some of the best tapas I've had in the US. We had fried manchego, asparagus fries, patatas bravas, calamares a la romana, gambas pili pili and artichoke with crab. Splendid!

We stopped by for tapas and drinks and had a great experience. I intended to get more shots of the food, but we got hungry :D

I was off to a rocky start when we first came in; no greeting, no menus; but the bartenders helped turn it around. Every single drink was on point! I only enjoyed one food item (the shrimp and onions) but that was delicious as well. I will definitely return.

First trip to Frederick. Wanted to eat somewhere local, and was recommended Isabella’s by a friend.

The staff was friendly and helpful.

The food was amazing. Great tapas options. I really wanted to try the paella, but didn’t have the time to wait for its preparation (menu states up to 25 mins). The food came out quickly and the server let us know that it would come out as it was ready, which was more than OK.

I recommend the short rib and fried asparagus

Amazing food, amazing service. All around fabulous and we can't wait to come back.

We had the fried Manchego, pear and strawberry salad with Spanish goat cheese, short rib on amazing toasted bread, empanadas, roasted cauliflower, and shrimp in garlic oil with caramelized onion. It was the perfect amount for two people, but no room for dessert! Maybe next time.

Thoroughly enjoyed my birthday celebration with my girlfriends. They raved about my restaurant selection as the food was outstanding and service top notch, as always.

Creative dishes will tantalize your taste buds. This is my go-to place whenever I'm in Frederick. If I lived closer, I'd be a regular!

Let me start off by saying this is a location where you're paying for the QUALITY of the food. Now granted, in the grand scheme of things with inflation and the way the economy is at the time you'll usually spend a decent amount but if you're looking for amazing high quality tapas this is the place to go.

1. Food: (apologies but I don't remember the exact names) I went with a friend and we ordered the lobster risotto, the chorizo burgers, asparagus fries, shrimp, grilled chicken, mushrooms and a salad.

In terms of my favorite I really enjoyed the chorizo burger (shown in picture [qty 2]). They had the perfect amount of sauce, meat, and bread ratio in my honest opinion! The chorizo wasn't spicy but it had the perfect amount of sausage-like texture/saltiness combined with the sweetness of the sauces made each bite delicious. Plus the chorizo was so juicy/cooked to perfection that it almost melted in your mouth.

The asparagus fries are something they're famous for and they go perfectly well with the dipping sauce included (the presentation is an added bonus too although I normally don't care too much for presentation as I'm not a true foodie.) I almost always order the asparagus fries when I'm there (not pictured).

Grilled chicken was definitely a 3rd favorite! Although it's hard to really get chicken to stand out, the seasonings/sauce they put on the chicken and the way they cooked it so well that it was still nice and juicy definitely helped.

Finally, the shrimp was ok. It didn't really stand out too much but it wasn't bad either. I think in comparison with all the other dishes I was so blown away that the shrimp seemed mediocre when any other day it would really wow me. I noted the mushrooms and salad but I didn't partake in those so I can't include them in my review.

2. Service: The server was very attentive, kind, and broke down the menu to us if we had any questions/concerns. I didn't have to ask to have my water refilled he just did that for me when appropriate and even gave me a soda refill as well without me asking. Overall the type of service you can expect and enjoy at a nice restaurant. I couldn't see how he could've done a better job because he was amazing.

OVERALL I think it's truly worth it. Go if you're willing to spend a bit more money to try different things and share high quality small bites. You can easily spend less than 50 per person if you each order individual entrees/skip out on the drinks but expect to spend somewhere between 40 - 60pp depending on drinks, entrees and appetizers. Definitely well worth the money.

We had lunch as a family at Isabella's today. They have a great lunch special. Everything was delicious, and the value was really good. I ordered tapas, and my husband ordered a panini. The drunk menu is creative, and they even have a kids menu. Most of all, we appreciated the attentive, friendly service from the moment we walked in the door until we left. The fireplace gave a cozy ambiance, as did the painted flower decor on the seats. Great experience!

My family and I came here last night for dinner. We all agreed this was by far one of the best meals we have ever had in our lives. Everything was fantastic. Their cocktails were absolutely out of the world as well. I definitely recommend the X-rated Moscow mule!!! Everyone was so kind and this was definitely a great place to experience on our trip.

Gluten free and safe for Celiacs.
Great experience both times I've been here. Really enjoyed the atmosphere which picks up as it gets later. Great for date night or a group of friends.
I've never had to wait for a table, but if you're going during peak hours you may wish to reserve a table; the place fills up fast.
Note: they are not pet friendly, the dog in the picture is my fully trained service dog.

One of the top three meals we have had since we moved to Maryland 6 years ago.

Gambas - perfectly cooked shrimp I no a spicy butter garlic sauce.

Salmon - amazing flavor and cooked to perfection with crispy skin

Filet - one of the best pieces of beef I’ve ever had

Seriously excellent food where each dish is special and well thought out and prepared with attention and care.

When it comes to reviews, I can be pedantic and downright mean, what can I say my mother is named Karen,........ But this place... This place stands above the rest, the food, the atmosphere, the clientele, and the people that serve you. It's just well, let's say a home run. I love it and I'll never go anywhere else for a nice good brunch. Cheers and I hope I'll see you there

I love Spanish food and have been to Spain multiple times. This place is really good and would fit well in Seville. Unfortunately the bill can get pretty high if you order enough tapas for a full meal, so I like coming here an hour or so before dinner for a drink and a few tapas.

The restaurant has a fantastic, fun vibe. The service was prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable. The drinks were creative and delicious. Most importantly, the food was incredibly flavorful and cooked perfectly. Can't wait to bring friends from out of town!

Over the years I've been here about 10 times. I am never disappointed. The food is creative and delicious, and high quality. The atmosphere is like a friendly neighborhood bar. Completely non pretentious. The wait staff is amazing. The prices are a bit higher than a typical restaurant with typical offerings. But the food here is not typical at all. $167 for 3 happy people including a 20% tip. A true bargain for the quality of the food. Highly recommended.

The meatballs didn’t make it into our photo become they were too good to wait! We came at lunch and both had the 3/15$ and shared all 6 dishes. I love this option to try all the things! The spiced pear margarita was great too. Service was perfect.

What wonderful place for a girls lunch! Especially when we both love cheese so much. Lol

We started with the fried goat cheese. I actually appreciated that this goat cheese wasn’t quite as pungent as most. It was on the mild side. And the Panko exterior was extra crunchy.

Next, the waiter brought out a complimentary dish from the kitchen! Panko fried asparagus. It’s served in a champagne glass filled with tomato aioli at the bottom. I love asparagus so much just in its own, that I would never have thought of ordering this. But I have to say that it totally changed my mind. Again, the Panko was extra crispy, which was a perfect balance to the soft vegetable inside. And the tomato aioli was so completely delicious!! I would definitely order this again!!

Next, our fried manchego arrived. It had the same Panko crust and a dallop of jam on top. This sat on top of a slice of baguette and slice of green apple. The salty manchego was very yummy with the sweet jam!

Then came our dates - they are stuffed with chorizo, wrapped in bacon, drizzled with balsamic and sitting in a creamy bed of goat cheese. Oh my lord they are so yummy!! Bacon wrapped dates are always a go-to for me and this place certainly didn’t disappoint.

Lastly, we ordered the short rib. This was probably the largest serving size. It consists of four, slider-sized sandwiches absolutely stuffed with meat and served on perfectly toasted brioche. The meat is also topped with sweet sautéed purple onion and goat cheese. Honestly, I didn’t taste much goat cheese. But the bread was magical and the meat was juicy and sweetened perfectly with the onion.

I loved this place so much that I can’t wait to return sometime with my hubby!

What a wonderful dinner!! We started off with Papas Bravas and Queso al Horno. The Queso al Horno is a piece of toasted fresh baked bread, brie, port wine reduction, almonds, and orange.. it was an explosion of flavors! It was absolutely delicious! We shared a glass of peach sangria which was very sweet and paired really well with the Queso al Horno. My husband ordered Solomillo and I ordered a vegetable Paella. Both extremely tasty. We ended our dinner by sharing a Empanada de Manzanas. The service and location were also both very excellent.

Great restraunt! Every time I have been here it was a great experience. The tapas are delicious, the paellas are great, and mixed drinks are well made. The waiters and waitress are friendly. Eat here!