9 Best Restaurants in Frederick and Western Maryland, Maryland

With more than a dozen beers brewed on the premises, a menu featuring locally grown and organic produce, plus a bright, airy dining room and outdoor patio, Frederick's original brewpub is a crowd-pleaser that draws families, local office workers, and a Happy Hour crowd. The Germanic brews include an award-winning golden Kölsch, a spicy Hefeweizen, and a malty Maibock. Try the upscale twists on pub favorites like creamy Maryland crab dip with poblano chilies, a pulled-pork sandwich made with local hickory smoked pork, and grilled chicken served in a rosemary peach sauce with toasted pecans.

Deep Creek's best spot for sophisticated café food serves breakfast burritos and homemade granola and scones in the morning. Lunch brings on an assortment of appetizers and sandwiches, including chicken breast with basil mayo, and fresh mozzarella on ciabatta bread and quesadillas with smoked Gouda, portobello mushrooms, and caramelized onions. Salads feature crisp vegetables and grilled meats. Beer and wine are available when a cappuccino just won't cut it. Best of all, the eatery is just a short walk uphill from the lake, near the public park access, and opens bright and early at 8 am.

Set near a fountain on the brick pedestrian walkway, City Lights brings urbane charm to downtown Cumberland. The menu of upscale American classics features seafood with a distinctively Chesapeake touch, hand-cut steaks, freshly made pies, and espresso drinks. Lunch includes an assortment of salads and sandwiches—the portobello Reuben on rye is an unexpected twist on an old standby.

Family-owned and -operated since 1929, this legendary establishment boasts a bustling restaurant and pub with 11 dining rooms, an adjacent inn, shops, and a museum—reportedly the only one in the nation—that pays homage to nearby presidential retreat Camp David. The spot is well patronized by members of the media, and posted newspaper clippings and photographs recall the 1979 Camp David accords and other major news stories. Cozy has home-baked treats and several all-you-can-eat buffet nights to refuel after a long day of hiking. On Wednesday and Thursday it's steak and shrimp; Friday and Saturday feature a gut-busting land-and-sea spread that includes steamed oysters, clams casino, shrimp, scallops, barbecued ribs, steaks, and fried chicken. You can ratchet up the heat with one of the 200 hot sauces from the restaurant's "Wall of Fire."

With its embossed tin ceiling, dark-wood bar, and cheerful service, Firestone's serves up old-fashioned elegance with a nouvelle menu and a telephone book of a wine list. Locals rave about the food. Start with the lobster, mango, and avocado salad tossed with ginger-shallot vinaigrette and move on to the veal strip steak with tangy goat cheese gnocchi and oyster mushrooms, or the "shank of swine" braised in hard cider and served with sautéed bacon and bok choy. An easy, but sophisticated Sunday brunch can be kicked off with a bottomless mimosa.

Above the county fairgrounds, this homey diner serves affordably priced breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Try the sweet-potato pancakes or sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast. Homemade potato chips, cut thick and still hot from the fryer, are a mouth-watering treat. Desserts, made in-house, are a hit, particularly the choco-fabulous Sinful Seven Cake. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the restaurant.

Since 1732, this sturdy bluish gray stone home has welcomed travelers along a road called by turns the National Trail, the National Road, the Old National Pike, and (least romantically) Route 40. Historic figures Daniel Webster and Henry Clay stopped here, and during the Civil War, John Brown's followers seized control of the building for a day. Just prior to the Battle of Antietam, it served as the headquarters for a Confederate general. The menu is as elegant as the setting: highlights include fillet Mona Lisa, a seared filet mignon with a cabernet sauvignon demi-glace, served over crispy fried leeks. The extensive dessert list includes peanut butter, fresh apple, and bourbon pecan pies; Godiva chocolate cake; and ice cream sundaes.

A taste of the Southwest meets Appalachia at this restaurant and bar where a large wooden bear and bar stools carved from saplings greet guests. Hearty portions are welcome after a long day of skiing or swimming. Try the Painted Desert Soup with layers of pureed red peppers, corn, and beans, mesquite-grilled breast of chicken, or the huge rack of ribs slow-roasted in habanero sauce.

Award-winning Chef Bryan Voltaggio returned home to Frederick in 2008 to launch this inventive restaurant in downtown's historic district. Since then, it's had national food writers gushing and gourmands vying for coveted reservations. Situated in an 1890s brownstone mansion, VOLT offers contemporary haute-cuisine, built on seasonal ingredients and local agriculture. Chef Voltaggio, a Culinary Institute of America grad who gained reality TV fame on Top Chef, definitely pushes the culinary envelope. Fare ranges from seven-course vegetarian menus to savory molecular gastronomy. For the latter, he may prepare sweetbreads with flavors of picata, meyer lemon, and kalamata olive; or a sophisticated dessert, like "Textures of Chocolate." Besides an à la carte menu in the 38-seat main dining room, VOLT also features a sleek bar/lounge, a 14-seat Kitchen Dining Room, and "Table 21" located in the kitchen. The extensive wine list includes nearly 500 choice labels. Brunch is served Sunday. As of this writing, buzz had begun about plans (though incomplete) for a second, more casual Voltaggio restaurant in town. In the meantime, lunch offers a three-course tasting menu at a more economic price.