Firestone’s Culinary Tavern

One of the best places to be in downtown Frederick. The food, service, drinks, atmosphere, & the working staff are all great. It’s a little pricey, but I have my cheap reputation to consider. Besides, it often seems that I’m paying for more than myself.
You can get your name added to the plaque on the wall, if you drink all of the beers on the top shelf. It’s a cool idea. I kind of gave up trying that a couple years ago. Cheers!

Came looking for crabcakes but it was not on the menu. I asked the waiter and he looked at me confused saying, «We don’t have those.» I was going to be like EXCUSE ME I SAW IT ON Unilocal but i decided to skip being embarrassing.
We got the portobello burger, oysters, and crab dip.
Portobello burger: its aiite. I’d rather eat shakeshack.
Oysters: oysters were fresh and smooth!
Crab dip: pretty good. Definitely share this. it gets too creamy and heavy if you eat too much.

Um, yum!
Chose Firestone’s for my quick birthday power lunch (read: drinks with a snack) and I was very impressed. Maybe I was just smitten with sitting in the window overlooking the street with my favorite beer in hand.
So, I’m guessing the menu changes pretty regularly since the date was printed across the top (yes? no? maybe?). Not sure how much changes from day to day but I really like that approach. I went with the sausage and jalapeño sliders which were very, very good. Honestly, every plate that went by looked great. Also, this place has really great service! I can’t remember our servers name but he was very personable and professional. The atmosphere is nice, too.
Since my husband is super jealous about my Firestone visit, we will definitely be checking them out for an impromptu date night very soon.

5 star prices for 3.5 star food. Someone should tell this place that this is Frederick and not DC. Restaurant is nice inside, but doesn’t have a lot of tables for how large the space is. Also the division between the bar and table area is minimal so spacing and noise can be an issue.
Had the onion soup and the cowboy steak. Onion soup was very watery and lacked flavor. The 18oz steak (I presume) must have included the weight of the bone because it did not have that much meat. The steak was decent, but I could make a similar steak at home. For $ 46, I’d be better off going to the Capital Grille. The potatoes au gratin that it came with was good.
Crème brûlée was enjoyable, but nothing to write home about.

We went here Christmas Eve and had a wonderful dinner. We started with the devil egg trio and then moved on to seared diver scallops and crème brûlée for dessert. Everything I tasted was excellent. Service was superb, great win selection. Very nice restaurant but not snobby and pretentious like Volt.

Great, great, great!!! From top to bottom I loved everything I had here. From cocktails to dessert, this is definitely one of the best restaurants in Frederick. You will not be disappointed. Better than the neighbors next door at The Tasting Room for sure.
Items I suggest
Crab dip
Beer pairing dish
Crab cakes
Homemade ice cream
Crème Brûlée!!!

This could be the best meal I’ve had in Frederick, so I’m going to take the plunge and Unilocal after only one visit.
From the exterior, I thought this would be a place for an elevated burger. Nothing wrong with that, but, in fact, Firestone’s is the kind of place that serves you spoonfuls of homemade sorbet between courses as a palate cleanser, without a snobby atmosphere.
The menu changes daily, but standouts included the thin-​sliced cured salmon with horseradish aioli, the airy sweet potato gnocchi with shallots and mushrooms, and the house ice creams and sorbets. Cocktails were exceptional as well – a friend’s Tia Maria was served in a warmed snifter over a hot water bath.
Other food did not disappoint. Like many places in Frederick, Firestone’s features a crab dip, which was served with a crusty bread and fresh vegetables. I also enjoyed the charcuterie, the tuna tartare with house chips, and the oysters. Oh, and the fruit cobbler. And a little tasting sample of a cole slaw that our server brought out to us. (For picky eaters, the kids menu has basics like grilled cheese and hot dogs, but you’ll have to ask your server. A real, live picky eater reports that these items were quite delicious and satisfying.)
We dined on a weeknight and were seated right away on the second floor, where we enjoyed the exposed brick, tin ceilings, festive lights, and wonderful service. This restaurant was a delight in so many ways, and I can’t wait to go back for more.

I come here a lot. I’ve had their food before.
This time was different.
I let the Manager know about the French Onion soup — it was god awful this time and very watered down for some reason. Bland. No taste. Bread in brown water with cheese.
Usually, it is very good.
Now, I respect a restaurant that admits their mistake and refunds you for the not so good food.
He didn’t. So that’s why the 2 stars.
Disappointed with how it was handled.

My fiancé and I had lunch here a few weeks ago. Food was delicious and service exemplary. We are new to the area and this by far had made our top 10 list!

Excellent meal — we didn’t have much time since we were going to a concert and definitely appreciated the fast and excellent service. The pastrami sandwich was melt in your mouth good and pesto gnocchi was perfectly prepared. Good wine list by the glass! Hope to get back when we gave more time.

I was courteously accommodated on a Saturday (around 4 pm) without any reservation, which was awesome on the staff’s part. So then came the dining experience, which was pretty awesome overall.
Great atmosphere, albeit a bit loud due to the bar on the first floor. The meat and cheese appetizer platter I ordered looked good, and the taste matched. Although a little pricy given what it was.
The menu seems to lack quite a bit of variety, but I’m not sure if they rotate out courses and change the menu regularly. If they did, I’d be more than happy to try other dishes. But the steak I ordered was excellent, even though I really didn’t care to have steak that night (but chose it due to limited options). So I can’t really complain.
This few issues keep this place from getting five stars from me, but it’s by no means a place that isn’t worthy of 4 – 5 stars from any given reviewer.

Didn’t disappoint. After receiving subpar service from the staff at Wag’s (to be reviewed at a later date). My husband and I opened the Unilocal App to see which restaurant and had the best reviews and were in close proximity of us and Firestone’s came up.
We were quickly seated and greeted by our waiter. We ordered the crab dip (which was absolutely divine). My husband ordered the steak while I ordered the swordfish sandwich — both of which exceeded our expectations.
You know it’s good cooking if the plate has been licked clean. (No, we did not actually lick the plates clean but they looked it since the food was just THAT good!)

This is one of Frederick’s really good watering holes. And the food is pretty darn good, too. The prices are a bit on the high side, but hey … you get what you pay for. In this case, you can choose from the menu — which features a variety of delectable dishes — or settle for whatever the special happens to be on the day of your visit. The atmosphere is always friendly and warm, and the service is genuinely outstanding. If you’re going here for dinner, you’d be wise to make a reservation ahead of time. I recommend getting a table on the second floor, near a window overlooking Market Street. Nice view. And great for people watching!

The food is really good, probably some of the best pub fare in Frederick. They also have a nicely stocked bar with a solid tap list (albeit small). Highly recommend their Bloody Mary.
The gentleman who is (I would imagine) their lead server is super friendly and knowledgable.
The brunette bartender… not a very nice person, or at least she wasn’t when I sat at the bar. Definitely was made to feel like my business wasn’t wanted there by her. I’d probably give them four stars if it weren’t for her. Shame.

Service: Timely, efficient, helpful. Came here to grab a quick bite as a part of a long Sunday bar crawl with some friends. We were in and out in about 15 minutes and had no questions or concerns.
Food: We ordered truffle fries, a charcuterie board, and some other small bites. I highly recommend the Truffle fries. We were all satisfied with the quantity and enjoyed the drinks as well!
Environment: The place is VERY cozy. Seating is close quartered and the bar takes up most of the first floor. The benefit of the place is that it is two floors, so despite the somewhat crowded seating, the venue can seat a good amount of people. The whole building is old town style just like most of Frederick’s restaurants and makes its patrons seem at home and relaxed. Highly recommend this place as a convenient pit stop for anyone in the area.

The food here was amazing. My boyfriend and I split the rabbit ravioli and the halibut entrée. One thing we really loved is that they went and split the plates for us, serving us on separate plates. We don’t mind sharing plates (and most often do) but this was very helpful.
The ravioli could be (and should be) made into a meal. It was delicious and the sauce on the side complimented the ravioli perfectly. The only thing that should maybe be changed would be making it to-​order. I’m guessing they make it ahead of time and the pasta just didn’t seem very fresh.
The halibut was perfect. Came with asparagus and butternut squash risotto. I can’t say more than perfect. We ate every bit on our plate.
I took off a star unfortunately for something that the restaurant can’t control: noise. The meal was so delicious and perfect that to be in a bar setting and having to listen (and see) a bunch of drunk people, it really made for a crappy ambiance. I really don’t want to sip on a glass of wine and yell to my boyfriend across the table, while peering down to the bar to see some bro hitting on a bachelorette party by wearing the bride-to-be’s crown on his head.

Actually — 2 Stars… because of Frederick Restaurant Week, 3 Stars for the service and meal.
Saturday…High Noon…
Not sure… shame on me for not realizing it was RW, shame on them… cause…their menu just sucked for RW.
Just to state — while I personally am not out and about because of Restaurant Week, I wholly embrace the entire RW initiative and of which it is intended to deliver.
SO…certainly not the fault of the wait staff, but their RW menu… sucked. sad and really.
Walked in, was asked at the hostess stand if we had a reso, no… two please… just a minute or so past noon on a Saturday, tables were booked apparently — and offered the bar area… included hi-​tops, just not upstairs. Okay dokay… no problem, three or four high-​tops available plus the bar stools.
Sat ourselves at a high-​top… provided menu… and… AND, (sorry) 80% of the menu had «sup + xx$». … breathing in/​out… before i write this… Okay, only this RW menu offered, but WHY participate in RW if you are going to sup the menu with add on charges? JUST DO NOT PARTICIPATE!!!
Apologies — perhaps i am only commenting upon lunch… which is the only meal/​experience i can provide my commentary for… but… WHY, WHY, why?
I had directed our meal here because… they had a brunch menu on their website… great, breakie for me, options that are not-​breakie for him…
okay… okay… you are not serving brunch… and only offering the RW menu… but WTF… supplemental add on charges for more than 80% of your menu.
Just effing make a RW menu — and your real menu… stop your BS. Either you embrace the whole RW intention, or JUST DO NOT PARTICIPATE!
Sorry, your margins will suffer, sorry. Period. It isn’t my problem, and… i have an issue because you are completely gouging the masses… so, great you are listed on the RW website… but you are completely coming off as bait and switch… which is just sad, because… the food and service was decent, but… your management of RW menu and my experience, was just… sub-​par, at best.
RW was $ 15.15 for choice of App, plus Main, but while reviewing the RW menu we only wanted Onion Soup, Monte Cristo & Spinach Salad with Chicken… three of four possible to not incur a supplemental charge… kudos…you win.
Hey, how about give me a RW bruch/​lunch menu — AND a real menu? Then i have the option to order off the RW menu, or… not.
Your average check… may not actually suffer, and you may make a new patron. But no… you will not, just your BS RW menu with your sooooo many supplemental charges… just really turn me off.
Onion Soup — ehh… a bit too greasy, flavour was okay, Was not strained enough
Monte Cristo — good, best in the last few years, perhaps more cheese, but really good otherwise.
Grilled Chicken over Spinach Salad — the warm bacon/​balsamic… yuck, luckily also ordered ranch. which was… far from good, but okay. Good parts — oyster mushrooms (should have been sauteed) and the grilled herb chicken juicy and gently wilted the spinach leaves, sliced roasted potatoes — ((reminds me of founding farmers, YUM!!)).
Done. Maybe, one day… i will get over the bs… did not even know RW was going on… but your menu has soured my entire opinion.

Firestone’s joins the seasonal farm-​to-​table pack that continues to sprout up in the Baltimore/​DC/​Frederick triangle. They do a solid job of offering craft beers, local produce, tasty mixed drinks, and well-​prepared fresh food. The high-​ceilinged bar space and balcony dining room, with some nice street views and cozy seating, make for a comfortable if a bit boisterous atmosphere.
The menu changes with the seasons, so our meals tended toward the heavier cold-​weather comfort food side of things. Charcuterie with really fantastic crusty bread and complimentary sweet-​savory and perfectly crispy/​creamy corn fritters. Homemade potato gnocchi with goat cheese and roasted veg. Pork tenderloin, grits, and mushrooms with really nicely cooked collard greens.
Here, they really nail the upper end of the gastropub/​tavern spectrum. If there is any fault, it’s that the big open downstairs space fails to contain the volume level of a full house. If noise really bothers you, keep that in mind.

This place is always full and we finally got to have dinner here after weeks of waiting… and it was totally worth it!
The service was awesome, our waitress was so friendly, helpful and attentive. Everything we ordered was fantastic: the deviled egg appetizer was great; really creamy filling and interesting flavors. The pastrami is out of this world and can’t recommend it enough. The burger is also very good along with the duck fat fries. I also really liked how they gave you some little sample if their soup before the meal and some honeydew sorbet between the app and entrée; it was actually one of the better sorbets that I’ve had.
The atmosphere is neat too– downstairs has a nice bar and the tables are either corks or barrels and the upstairs is quaint and great for people watching (either look outside or downstairs).
Will absolutely be back.

Great restaurant in Frederick!
Came for the bar scene and food on a Saturday night, the house was packed to the brim so we were given a table that included two seats and a couch. At first it seemed odd but if I could have a couch seat at every restaurant I’d be happy.
We started with a round of cranberry/​vodka, ciroc/​pineapple and one oyster shooter. Every drink was super strong (GOOD!) and the oyster shooter was my first ever so I had no idea what to expect. It was tangy, spicy and briny all at the same time. The shooter was quit huge so I had to sip the vodka/​spice concoction first and then finished it off… Probably wouldn’t try another oyster shooter AGAIN lol
For entrees I had the Hangar Steak, my sister had the Diver Scallops and our friend just had a Cesar Salad.
Hangar Steak was served with onion and cranberry braised kale and Rosemary roasted potatoes. I ordered my steak medium well but the server strongly suggested I try medium rare which I never get because I’m scared of the bloody aspect… But man, was I glad I took her suggestion, the steak was AMAZING! The outside perfectly charred, the inside perfectly cooked, tender, juicy and flavorful… Hands down one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. The kale could make any anti-​kale person an avid fan. It was tender and mild but the onions and cranberry added that perfect touch. Potatoes were run of the mill but who cares? The steak and kale was all I needed.
My sister had the diver scallops served with coconut saffron pulled pork vermicelli noodles… OH MY AMAZINGNESS! The pulled pork was just so perfect with the scallops, an absolutely breathtaking combination. Yeah I said it, BREATHTAKING.
The Cesar salad looked delicious, fresh romaine, pungent cheeses and I saw anchovies which always makes for a well rounded salad.
We also had lots of Midori Sour cocktails which were PERFECTLY poured. Every drink we order was well crafted the only thing I absolutely couldn’t drink was a glass of red wine that was paired with my steak… Yuck… I’m not big on red wine so that could be it but this wine was a «Punch You In The Face» full bodied type of red wine. Way too much for me.
Service was great, the bar scene was nice but they don’t play music so it was more chill than other bars downtown.
Excellent food, great service and nice ambience. I will deff come back for more!