Wye Oak Tavern

Incredible meal and service! This is a beautiful space and well curated menu. Oysters were 9/10- a little small but great flavor. Rigatoni and burger 11/10! But the lemon meringue STOLE the show! WOW. The cocktails & wine are handcrafted and complement the dishes. We sat at the bar and had wonderful service and suggestions by Claire and Chris. We look forward to coming back very soon.

Wye Oak Tavern, inside the historic Marriott's Visitation Hotel, offers a beautiful and comfortable dining space with an open, airy feel. The food is excellent and a cut above the norm, with highlights like the Pot Roast (though premium at $52) and the Turkey Dish, as well as standout desserts. Service (Andrew) was great—attentive and knowledgeable. It's important to note the dining experience is premium; a meal for two with one entree, one dessert, an alcoholic drink, and coffee approached $200 before tax and tip. The historic hotel setting, with its antiques and comfortable lobby seating, enhances the overall experience.

The entries and appetizers were delicious but very small portions for the price. The dessert on the other hand was huge and magnificent!!! Overall, I would say the drinks and food (except the dessert) are overpriced. The cocktails were interesting as was the atmosphere (previously a church). PS Because of the hard surfaces and tall ceilings, they would benefit from investing in sound absorption panels.

The place is really beautiful. It's in the Visitation Hotel in downtown Frederick. We were seated at the bar and stayed there the whole time. Had so many drinks and every drink was solid. We also ordered several appetizers and they're all so amazing as well! The service was quick but not so welcoming but I'd revisit because the food and drinks are so good! It's also a great place for a romantic date night or even an anniversary dinner.

The repurposing of the space was the best part. Some have said that it seems sacrilegious, but the bar at the old church altar was my favorite part of the whole experience. We went on a Saturday night and it was full of people to the brim. We eventually got two seats at the bar prior to our dinner reservation. Bartenders were slinging drinks like crazy and didn’t have time to be as warm and friendly. Once we got to our table, the server was friendly but didn’t seem knowledgeable about the menu/wines/etc. We had a wonderful sommelier with two good wine bottle recommendations. The swordfish was overly buttered and chewy, the prime rib was salty, and the hash browns that came with the steak tartare were drowned in frying oil. Food was okay, ambiance was fine, overall a mediocre experience.

Wye Oak Tavern is a stunning restaurant housed within the former chapel of the long-closed Visitation Academy. The interior is truly beautiful, featuring stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings that create a unique and memorable atmosphere. I first visited a few months ago for drinks with friends and absolutely loved it. Although the bar seating was limited, the cocktails were delicious and skillfully crafted. They even accommodated my request to substitute vodka for whiskey in a specialty drink, which I appreciated. I returned this past Sunday evening for dinner and, unfortunately, the experience didn’t quite match my first visit. Despite reserving a booth a month in advance, we were initially seated at a half-booth/half-table setup that felt cramped, with neighboring diners practically in our space. The hosts were able to move us after I brought it up, but the mix-up was confusing and gave the impression of some disorganization. They did offer a complimentary taste of champagne as an apology, which was a thoughtful gesture, and our server was attentive throughout the meal. Wye Oak Tavern is well-known for its chef’s the Voltaggio brothers, which naturally sets high expectations for inventive, flavorful dishes. Unfortunately, none of the food stood out or showcased any unique flavors. Two of us ordered steak with broccoli and a side of cauliflower, and everything was excessively salted. The broccoli had a rubbery texture, and the steak—ordered medium rare—was not as moist or flavorful as expected. On the positive side, the ravioli appetizer was delicious. The cucumber cocktail, however, was not to my taste; it was essentially straight vodka served with elderflower on the side, more like a shot than a crafted cocktail. Additionally, the noise level was quite high, making it difficult to carry on a conversation and detracting from any sense of intimacy. While I would gladly return for drinks or happy hour to enjoy the gorgeous setting and creative bar offerings, the food quality and pricing leave much to be desired. For a more consistent dining experience, I personally prefer Wine Kitchen on the Creek.

Food was okay. I’ll go into detail. Brussels 5/5 very strong lemon flavor but amazing. Burger 🍔 great flavor but overpowering without any lettuce tomatoes or pickles 🥬 🍅 🥒 it needed them! The pot roast didn’t make sense as a meal. 1/5 but I was able to repurpose it and make some yummy fried rice at home. Dessert was okay. I won’t be back. Do better with these dishes. Folks don’t buy the hype.

Beautiful space and wonderful service. Those were the highlights. But the food itself was disappointing and not worth the drive there. Only thing we enjoyed was the appetizer with dinner rolls and ham. The ricotta on the cold "savory pumpkin pie" seemed off, almost spoiled. Same with the shells and cheese -- taste was reminiscent of mayo instead of aged cheddar. Both dishes were unpleasant. My rockfish came out lukewarm. I was expecting crispy skin but the skin was soft, almost like it had been sitting on the counter too long. Menu also said it would come with bronze fennel but all it had were a few fennel fronds on top. Also the hush puppies were hard, dense, and nearly cold. My wife didn't even finish all her swordfish. Maybe it was our fault for ordering seafood. Lastly, the "warm" chocolate chip cookies were not really warm and seemed like they were microwaved. I had high expectations for the food but it was not good.

Bottomline up front - The food was good. Not great. Prices a little high for what you get but not excessive. Service was very good. It’s a unique place - converted church and now a Marriott hotel and restaurant. It’s nice. It’s very loud. But I’m now 62 so if you’re 1/2 my age the noise is probably fine for you. We paid about $85/person for dinner with tip. 4 appetizers, 6 entrees, 4 drinks. Not excessive by today’s restaurant costs. We all felt that the food was good. None of us were “wowed”. Three stars overall - It was an enjoyable experience and good meal. Probably never going back.

The inside looks very nice, specially the bar! It’s different and very inviting with very great service! The food’s just ok! I order the 45 day aged ribeye with mashed potatoes. The mashed potato’s weee very creamy and delicious but the stake was not a piece of meat worth $89. Days be had many aged steaks which some were great and some not so great! This steak was just ok. It was lacking the flavor you expect from such a pricy piece of meat and it was not cooked to the correct temperature. I ordered medium and I asked the waitress that if that would be pink in the middle and she said yes but it looked like medium rare to me.The steak was already cold by the time it got to the table and so were the mashed potatoes. In my opinion the steak should be cooked to perfection for that price. The lemon meringue‘s presentation was amazing but lacking a great flavor! Still it was the best part of my meal. The biggest problem I had with the desert was that the sorbet almost had no flavor. I will go back one more time to also try the filet since my friend has been recommending it so many times and if that ends up the same as the ribeye then it will my last time. Thank you gain for a great service though!!