While I’ve visited downtown Frederick before, every other time I’ve been in such a rush I wasn’t able to really enjoy everything it has to offer. Just 50 minutes down the highway from Arlington, Frederick is nestled near so many places to hike it’s almost a surprise to know that Downtown Frederick is SO full of life and culture! Since Andrew and I had a wedding in the area, we stopped by downtown Frederick to eat, drink, shop, and enjoy everything this small-ish and thriving town had to offer (hint: it was A LOT).

Day 1

Black Hog BBQ

You can literally smell the deliciousness that is Black Hog BBQ from down the street! This is a great place to go for a casual lunch, but with an upscale edge. Black Hog doesn’t just do BBQ, they really focus on the products they’re serving and make everything from scratch. We visited the downtown location, but there are actually four locations in the area to visit.

Their meats are smoked in small batches and the meats are PLENTIFUL. Andrew and I just couldn’t decide what we wanted to get so we went for two Combo Meals. Our favorite was the pulled pork, I loved the leaner brisket (sorry, but I can’t do a fatty Texas brisket), and we both wanted even more of the amazing BBQ Pork Fries. Fun fact: when I was a kid I would request ribs from the Chinese restaurant in town as my birthday meal…so yeah…ribs are kind of my thing.

Honestly, you can’t go wrong here, it’s all delicious. Our server, Jamie Lynn was a pleasure and we had a great time choosing our faves and trying everything. Black Hog is situated right by all of the main street attractions in Frederick, which is perfect for walking off all of that food after a heavy lunch. Plus, if you want to keep the flavor strong in your life at home… you can take home their BBQ sauce in a reusable mason jar! Score!

Downtown Frederick Hotspots

After eating our body weights in smoked meats, Andrew and I strolled along the main street in Frederick and did some shopping (okay, really I did the shopping and Andrew came for moral support). A couple of the boutiques I had been to in the past, but I made a few stops that were totally new to me.

Our first stop was a second-hand store called Select Seconds which is a true thrift store. Managed by a local hospital, this store is MASSIVE! I picked up a cute cardigan for work, and a completely amazing southwestern inspired belt. If you’re a thrifter like me, definitely check this out!

A little further down, we checked out Treaty General Store, which was doing a succulent sale. I always kill succulents and I couldn’t look the saleswoman in the eye (any fellow plant murderers out there?) so we headed inside to look at amazing candles, accessories, and meaningful local gifts. This is a great place to shop if you know someone who likes receiving gifts that give back to their favorite non-profits like National Parks and other wildlife preservation initiatives. We picked up a candle that has a reusable cement container and smells like December. I’ll definitely have to come back to shop for my brother who is a huge hiking buff and loves candles!

While we were scoping out some coffee, we found Tenth Ward Distillery and Bar, which was the perfect midafternoon pick me up. We just had time to grab some drinks at the bar, but the distillery also hosts tours. They also had what was essentially an adult Pumpkin Spice Latte, and so I definitely need to go back.

Next, we hit up one of my favorite places in Frederick, Maven Beauty Bar. Sadly, they didn’t have any appointments that afternoon to get my brows or nails done but they were having a FANTASTIC sale on natural skin and beauty products. I spent entirely too long looking at their wares while Andrew sat on a plush couch. Eventually, I settled on the Meow Meow Tweet deodorant that I’ve been wanting to try for a while (it comes in a glass jar, yay no plastic!) and it was on sale for $7 and a Supergoop clear sunscreen stick with SPF 50.

Just across the street from Maven is one of my favorite stores, Anam Cara Apothecary, owned by one of my college friends! This store, carefully curated by a mom and daughter duo, is the perfect place to pick up beautiful essential oils and crystals and ask any questions you have about living more holistically. Tell Chelsea I sent you!\

Had a great day in Frederick shopping and eating till we dropped! In the evening we had a wedding a few minutes outside Frederick in rural Thurmont. So dinner and evening activities took place there!

Had a great day in Frederick shopping and eating till we dropped! In the evening we had a wedding a few minutes outside Frederick in rural Thurmont. So dinner and evening activities took place there!

Day 2

The Tasting Room

The Tasting Room is one of those places that you immediately get the feeling has been in the community for a long time and is well-beloved but consistently amazing no matter how often you go back. Our server told us she grew up coming to The Tasting Room as a special treat as a child and advised us to get the lobster chowder…which was honestly one of the most delicious things either Andrew or I have ever eaten. It wasn’t too thick, or too creamy, and was perfectly topped with chunky lobster without being overly “seasoned.”

If the appetizers weren’t tasty enough, our entrees, duck with a seasonal hash, green walnuts, and steak with an entire crap cake on top of it were amazing. Andrew could barely wait to dig into his duck (as you can see from the photo below). The Tasting Room changes their menu seasonally and works with local providers, so you can go back and get something completely different every time you visit. Their menu was stocked with late summer/early autumn produce like strawberries, corn, and squashes, which I love.

Definitely, don’t skip out on their sides (pictured above: lobster mashed potato martini, and potatoes au gratin) which are wonderful on their own or served with your entree.

For dessert, we ordered a carrot cake (bottom photo, top) and a pineapple bread pudding (bottom) and we finished both of them in record time. After all the food we had been eating, we thought we wouldn’t have room but we are SO glad we did. The pineapple bread pudding, though definitely not something I would normally go for, was light and airy and had a perfectly coordinating ice-cream that made it one of our favorite desserts we have had! The presentation of the desserts (notice those apple butter embellishments on the carrot cake plate) really added to the experience and were edible! Yum!

Have you been to Frederick? Let me know what you did in the comments so I can plan my return trip! Want to see behind the scenes? I saved my entire Instagram story from Frederick in my highlights so you can view it anytime!

This post was sponsored by Black Hog BBQ and Tasting Room who graciously provided all of the food seen above. While this post is sponsored, opinions and dishes selected are based on my honest opinion (I wouldn’t steer ya wrong) and should definitely be eaten.