Nido’s Ristorante
111 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD, 21701
Nido’s Ristorante Menu
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Address :
111 E Patrick St
Frederick, MD, 21701 - Phone (301) 624-1052
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Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Julie K.
This place smells divine when you walk in...I had just heard about it from a brand new friend who works at a shop next door! She told me how wonderfully delicious it is..and trust me.. it IS!! LOL!! I had the pasta with mussels on it..OMG! To die for! YUM!!! I was looking around and other people had some very delicious looking plates on their tables..I was salivating! *laughing*... it was a great pick!!! It's a quaint place to eat.. they have this cute little "garden room" with ivy on the overhead trellis.. you actually feel like you have been "transported" "elsewhere!!" LOL!! When you look at the front window.. that is the "Trellis and Ivy room!" I would eat here again..for sure!! Trust me..it's fabulous!! Made me quite full and quite content! LOL!! ;-D
(5)Mark M.
Fantastic food, great setting, excellent service. The lack of a kids menu loses a star. Get anything with the marinara sauce and a bottle of the house red.
(4)Mike T.
Sad... My wife and I really wanted to like this place. At first look it was a really nice place, the decor was very italian and had a cozy feal to it. We watched the dinners go by as we waited 20 minutes for a table...this wasen't a problem as we dont mind waiting for good food, and by the looks of the dinners they appeared to be nice (mostly Spaghetti). We orderd our food, I the lasagna and my wife the ravioli. When our dinners came this is when the meal went down hill. For a little over $11.00 each my wife got 8 yes 8 small ravioli's.... Most appatizers are larger than this. My lasagna was so small I finished it in 2 minutes. Overall we waited well over 45 minutes to be seated and get our food for about 3 minutes of eating time....And sadly the food was not as good as expected. Overall I think this place would be nice if they had a larger portion size... it's pasta afterall. Take it from me, if you do go get the spaghetti it might be worth the money.
(2)Christine A.
AMAZING!!! 5 stars is not enough. Eggplant Parm, Cheese Ravioli Alfredo amd Chicken Cacciatore were to die for!! The staff was fantastic. If you are I'm Frederick it's a must!!
(5)David L.
Well it happened and I knew it would even after being assured by LeAnn. The new owners started putting their own spin on the old standards. To start, the white pizza was the least affected. Still pretty good. White beans, not so much. More herbs and less garlic which equates to much less richness. That was a bummer. I had the seafood platter with white. The garlic and oil was just okay. Very watery. The calamari was extremely hard. In the past it would have been nice and tender. The pasta and other seafood was acceptable. The wife had her favorite, Lasagna. Strangely the portion was about two times larger, a huge piece. Normally this would be a good thing right? Well sacrificing the full flavored meat and delicate lasagna noodles makes it not worth the extra portion. In their defence, the sauce was still flavorful. Adding new menu items would have been much easier to swallow rather than what they perceived to be improvements to the old time tested and flawless favorites.
(2)Mary B.
So I have been here three times now. I've wanted to like it because some people I know rave about it. I keep hoping I'll like it. Sauce is "meh." Pasta is nothing to write home about. My eggplant parm tasted like it had been microwaved minutes before it hit my (very sloppily presented) plate. My husband said his meal (can't remember what he had, this was two weeks ago) wasn't worth the price. The wine was good and the service was very good. But after three tries, I think I'm done.
(3)Felicia W.
This is my second time coming and my thoughts have not changed. The food is overpriced and the sauce is underwhelming. The service is ok but they brought out the bread when we got the food. I've had better Italian with better prices elsewhere.
(2)Mina M.
Not impressed. Incredibly disappointed. My boyfriend and I had dinner on a Saturday night. I was really excited because he said he's had such a good experience here in the past. I'm a vegetarian and I had my heart set on getting their eggplant parmesan. My boyfriend ordered the linguine with clams in marinara. When they brought the food out, I wasn't too impressed with the presentation, looked pretty sloppy. I took two bites and realized it was CHICKEN Parmesan not eggplant! They didn't even have the courtesy to remove the order from our check. I was so angry we left the restaurant immediately! I will not be coming back!
(1)Meredith N.
OK. So lots of folks wouldn't expect the low-fi charm of Nido's to satisfy them. The rolls aren't fancy (but always perfect and hot) and your wine is going to come in a small juice glass (just like in Italy) -- and the food is authentic. This business is under new ownership, but the awesome food has not changed...though they are taking baby steps of trying new dishes out on a "specials" menu. And we'll let them! The new owners are delightful and really respected the many reasons Nido's has had loyal regulars for YEARS. The interior has been de-cluttered, but has the same charm as before. Most importantly, they chose to employ the wonderfully sweet waiters that have been there for decades! These gentlemen are the heart and soul of Nido. We can't wait to see them every Saturday night after mass! And for the love of all that is holy -- start with the white pizza and then get the eggplant parmesan. Really.
(5)Steve R.
The greatest fettuccine Alfredo. Hands. Down. I have never written a review for anything before, but I was compelled to share this with the world. I would give it 10 stars if I could because 5 is just not sufficient. Go now! The garlic bread for an appetizer was also delicious. Nothing special about the service. The atmosphere was cute; reminiscent of a sidewalk Italian restaurant. But the food was absolutely amazing. And the price was just right for the dish. I will definitely be suggesting this restaurant to everyone I know!
(5)Brad R.
This place rocks. Simple, great italian food. The dishes are all classic, the sauces are great, portions are spot on, if not bigger. White pizza is great, I can't believe anyone even thought of knocking it (in another review). I also love the fact that you can buy the sauce in jars, so you can pretend to be a good cook at home. Yum. It might be bit cozy in terms of space between tables, but the building atmosphere is great, and the service is great. Nothing I would dock points on in terms of ratings. Must try.
(5)Axel F.
We were wandering around Frederick last night and happened on this hole in the wall looking restaurant. My friend was skeptical, but I was in the mood for Italian. The service was fine and the ambience was very old school American-Italian. The food was fantastic. I got the Nido platter to sample. The spaghetti tasted homemade. The eggplant parmesan was delicious. I love eggplant parm, but I hesitate ordering because it can be so easily mangled. The sausage and meatball were also very fresh tasting and had a light, refreshing flavor. The house red wine was a great accompaniment. Their dessert selection is limited, but my friend got the blackberry cake and it was fine. The price was reasonable for a 3 course meal with wine, especially for someone coming from DC.
(4)Val F.
Did take out for four adults. Their garlic bread was literally raw garlic on top of bread. No oil to add moisture. One adult asked for extra sauce on his pasta for the eggplant Parmesan and it seemed that they took the opposite tack. The eggplant was thinly sliced and nicely breaded. My spinach ravioli was a bit overcooked but contained the proper amount of spinach vs cheese. The linguini with white clam sauce was oily with some raw garlic and rubbery clams. Would not order again.
(2)Choco B.
First, the good. Nido's is decorated with a fun Old World aesthetic: brickwork arches, bundles of garlic hanging from the walls, red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and little Roman statues. It's a bit cheesy and dated, but in a charming way. And the staff has been friendly every time I've been there. Now, the bad: the food is just not very inspired, or very good. Lots of variations on pasta with tomato sauce; standard dishes like veal parmigiana, baked ziti, and clams with linguine; and not much else. The ingredients don't seem to be very fresh--I suspect that most of it comes from cans or boxes. I've never seen a fresh herb there, and the only olives in sight are garnish for the salad. (Aside from the salads--which are made with iceberg lettuce--there are scarcely any *vegetables*.) Even the butter comes in those little plastic packets. (They also serve bread with the pasta dishes, just in case you want a side of wheat with your wheat. Enjoy your carb coma, I guess.) The impression I get is that the staff have been doing this forever, and are just phoning it in at this point. American diners have developed an appreciation for the depth and diversity of Italian cuisine, but Nido's seems stuck in the 1980s. I really want to like the place, but they don't give me much to work with.
(2)R Q.
Very poor. The small, hole-in-the-wall facade, and authentic-looking decor sold me on this place and I decided to try it one day. What a mistake. I started with the white pizza; a flavorless lump of garlic and cheese and bread. It wasn't even a pizza, just a cut up bunch of bread. I think Domino's does a better job. Following this, was some bread. Now, usually, at Italian restaurants, bread is fresh baked and we get olive oil and herbs to dip it in etc. Not so, here. This was hyper-enriched white bread that tasted like it had been sitting around on a shelf for 3 weeks after being picked up from the local Giant. We waited for what seemed 40 minutes for food and it finally arrived; a fetuccine alfredo, veal parm, and shrimp parm. Every bit of it was revolting. The fetuccine was 3/4ths alfredo with hardly any pasta at all. It was like finding eels in an ocean of store-bought alfredo sauce. It's a pity because the host/waiter was incredibly kind and friendly. I felt very bad that the food just didn't live up to the warmth he showed during his service but there it is. A friend told me that the place used to be amazing, so maybe they just switched out chefs or something, but whatever it is, things are pretty much at rock bottom.
(1)Victoria Z.
Romantic and cozy, I love the atmosphere and decor at Nido's! I hadn't been here in awhile and couldn't remember what I had thought of the food. I now know why, it turns out that it is pretty forgettable. Not bad, though. It's just food. I ate it.
(2)Deb L.
I went here once for dinner after Frederick's First Saturday Gallery Walk. When I walked in, I was charmed by the decor - very rustic feeling. Unfortunately the food did not live up to the decorations. The bread they brought to the table was not warmed. I ordered eggplant parmesan. I found it... lackluster. The sauce tasted off - maybe it was just bland? I dumped pepper all over everything to give it some flavor. The eggplant was okay. Not the best I've had. If you've never had fantastic Italian, you might like the food. I've been spoiled, unfortunately. The waitstaff were also inattentive. We were sitting there for a while after we were done, and finally had to flag over one of the waiters for the bill.
(2)Michelle A.
Nidos is the prototype for The Olive Garden- "classic" Italian-American dishes and somewhat stereotypical ambiance. It's definitely dated, with fake grape vines and casks of wine hanging everywhere... but oddly it felt kind of romantic in an old-fashioned 1960s date night type of way... But that's the extent of the good stuff I can say about this restaurant. I'm not going to tell you the restaurant is particularly clean, because it isn't. And I won't say its overly comfortable, it's not. And the food- for me was a little bland. But, I think it has potential, and it seems to have a loyal following here in Frederick so I may be tempted to give it another chance at some point...But not anytime soon. The bread that was brought out to the table was soft and doughy and not at all the crunchy, flavorful Italian bread I grew up with. There was no kids menu so I ordered my daughter a white bean appetizer. It came out on a dish, but it looked more like soup. It was white beans in a broth, with way too much dried oregano. And not enough garlic, salt, pepper, basil, or anything else that would add flavor. There were onions in there, but they were stringy and mostly dissolved in the broth. My daughter ate all the beans, but I wasn't impressed. I also ordered her a meatball, which was pretty good, but their marinara tasted like crushed tomatoes from a can. Not terrible, good tomato flavor, but a little too thick, and in desperate need of some additional herbs and spices. For myself I ordered the clams and spaghetti, which had almost no taste and no sauce. I couldn't taste the white wine, which is a pretty standard component of a white clam sauce. And the clams were the cheap canned kind- they didn't even spring for the full canned clams, these were chopped, and rubbery. Super disappointing. My husband got the sausage and peppers over pasta and said his was good. And the portions are certainly generous... and the prices are relatively reasonable. But overall, this isn't anywhere close to "good" Italian food.
(2)James B.
Decided to stop by here after enjoying the Christmas lights downtown. Came in was warmly greeted and seated. Atmosphere is very pleasant. I ordered the Baked Ziti with Italian sausage and the garlic bread to go with it. The garlic bread had to be the best I have tasted! It had real garlic and great flavor, where most places only put garlic spread or paste on their bread and you barely taste any garlic at all. The baked Ziti and sausage arrived and the portion was large and well presented. It was excellent and vey well seasoned and full of flavor. Menu prices are very reasonable and large selection of other Italian dishes and wines as well. Service was excellent and employees very caring and was made to feel very welcomed. Will return again soon and recommend to anyone .Keep up the good work!
(5)Kerry Beth J.
I've loved Nido's since I was a kid. Their white pizza is amazing. I always order the baked ziti... Portion size is good and I really like the sauce. I can't say I've ever branched out much there, but I occasionally go out of my way to stop by for some ziti to go since I no longer live in Frederick. It still tastes the same and hits my sweet spot! While it's definitely not fancy, Nido's has a comfortable, homey atmosphere. They've had the same wait staff for years, so there's always a familiar face. Other places might have better food outside my comfort zone, and while it might not be the most authentic Italian, (and I lived in Italy for some months, I would know)... There is something about the place that keeps bringing me back for more!
(4)Joshua H.
My girlfriend and I came here around 7:45 on a Friday night to a very inviting atmosphere. The tables are a little close but it's also a building downtown so it's expected. We ordered mozz and tomatoes as an app that was great besides the raw onions it came with along the side of the plate like a photo frame. The wine is served in authentic small Italian glasses which was neat. We then ordered our entrees which she ordered the shrimp Alfredo and I ordered the roasted chicken penne. Her dish looked great, and tasted great; however she was only given 4 large shrimp and Prob should have received 6 for the amount of pasta and Alfredo. My dish also looked great, but it lacked any red or white sauce on the penne, and instead was a oil based garlic on the pasta. My chicken that came with the dish was very moist and spiced well. However, the chicken had a ton of bones in it (1 thigh and 1 drumstick). I spent more time deboning and slowly chewing to not stab or choke myself from the bones then actually enjoying my meal unfortunately. We then ordered a cannoli for dessert and it came out in literally 39 seconds. Clearly was not freshly made, and seemed to be store bought and kept in fridge over a week ago. I wouldn't come back, but it was a first time, and last time for me.
(2)Allison L.
I'm eating my fettuccine alfredo from last night for breakfast right now, so, that's a good sign. My fiance and I came here for an early Mother's Day dinner last night with the parents and my brother. We sat in the front room and the room was a little tight as was the table we were at. The room was also pretty loud just from the people in it, and there wasn't any music, which would've been nice but would've just added to how loud it was. We started with the white pizza, which was really good, and had multiple cheeses (I think fontina and cheddar). The house bread was cold but nice and soft and good for soaking up sauces. My only real complaint is that it took forever... but it seemed to take forever just for our table. There were people who got there well after us who were finishing up their meals when we got ours, and nothing we ordered was complicated... basically just a bunch of pastas. We were there for about two hours but we came out completely stuffed and with food leftover, for only about $100 for 5 people... not bad at all.
(4)Larry H.
Great Italian food at a fair price today at Dinner for my wife and me. Also, their Cianti was especially good with the great meatball spaghetti and garlic bread. We also loved the Italian oprahs in the background. Much improved over only 7 months ago. The new ownership is keeping the good and improving on all of the rest. We are looking forward to trying their new Lunch choices... they sound creative. Thanks too for removing the white fencing. Small changes are freshening up this downtown classic.
(5)Joe S.
Nido's has the best sauce anywhere. I love the baked ziti with sausage and mushrooms. The white pizza appetizer is great. Top that off with an Italian beer Moretti. This is like heaven! I do not like their salad or iced tea. But who cares! Get White Pizza & Beer! The decor is not the best, but who cares! The Ziti is BEST!
(5)Christopher L.
I'm not a big fan of eating out more than I have to because service is so bad at so many restaurants and I just never know whether the kitchen staff is having a good day or a bad day -- but I absolutely love going to Nido's in downtown Frederick. Nido's serves lip-smacking Italian cuisine that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The quality of the food is matched only by the friendly, alert wait staff. What makes Nido's stand out most, though, is its consistent excellence. Any restaurant can be good on a given day, or even two out of three. For the two years I've been dining there, though, Nido's has been consistently excellent 100 percent of the time. I go to Frederick once or twice a month because I do a little business there and I love exploring all the city has to offer. I always plan on working until dinner time so I can treat myself to a night at Nido's.
(5)Eric C.
I took my family of four for dinner at 7:30 it was good basic Italian food. My daughters calamari marinara seemed a little overcooked. Tough calamari. My sons clams linguine was great my seafood linguine was great and my wife's tortellini was fantastic. It's what we hoped for from a small Italian restaurant. It was quaint and the music was pleasant. We are kind of stuck on focaccia and oil and we're disappointed when we asked for bread that we just got a loaf of cold Italian bread and some Country crock. But my family all in all give it four stars.
(4)W H.
Cheese pizza was soggy.
(2)Steven M.
Ok food - not great but good value for the money . I eat out a lot so I'm a hard critic
(2)Shruti M.
This was the worst Italian food I've ever had. We had family in from out of town and we decided to try Nido's. I saw that the review on the place was 3 1/2 stars, but also saw that same review on another place in Frederick that I actually thought was great. So we rolled the dice and took the gamble. I am so embarrassed that I took our guests here. There were four of us in the party and no one was satisfied with their meal. The lasagna, a classic that shouldn't be hard to make, was described as "without any flavor and a pound of hamburger meat". The chicken parmigiana was described as " well its chicken, there's cheese, and there's sauce. those are the only good things I can say about it". My spaghetti and meat sauce was swimming in a pool of water. There was no flavor to any of the dishes and really seemed to be extremely poor attempts at Italian food. The best thing about this place is the decor... which is what gave us hope. and then that hope was lost when the food arrived.....
(1)Melanie R.
1st timer here... May be the best Eggplant Parmesan I have ever had. Bravo! I must agree with other reviewers, that marinara sauce is fabulous. I noticed the bottled it, and have it for sale at the front desk. Someone was thinking!! That is all I had, so all I can speak on, but minus the one star was my wine was served in a juice glass. Maybe that is some Italian thing, but I would have preferred the proper glass. Looks like a family business; I am guessing by the actions, old photos, etc. I liked it..will return!
(4)Todd P.
Frederick, Maryland is well known for many quaint eateries and bars and we have a few go-to favorites that we frequent whenever we visit our son who attends college in the town. In fact, we are such fans of a few spots that we rarely try anything new or different- you can get a great Italian meal in any city right? Recently, for my son's birthday, I recommended trying a place that we had driven past many times on Patrick Street. Nidos is a little tucked away from the main strip of restaurants on Market Street and it's more than apparent at first glance that the restaurant is in a converted row home- this is part of the charm. So is the house red that comes in a ceramic pitcher delivered by a waiter whose kindness was a thick and sweet as his accent. We had antipasti and white pizza for appetizers and each of the six in our party tried different entrees. My wife and I tried the evening's specials- she had lobster rav and I had lamb shank and linguini. Both were perfecto! Kids had tortelini, eggplant parm and sausage and peppers. The eggplant was superb and the lamb shank was delicious and fell off the bone. There were just a few miscues- the bread that complimented the meal could have been a lot more special and the sausage was rather bland -but this place has a great ambiance and compelling characters from the smiling maitre d' (probably Nido) to our waiter who was like a chubby Dean Martin. You can even purchase a jar of sauce to take home. We recommend Nidos and encourage you to order the house wine in a large carafe with Frederick, Maryland inscribed on the side of it, sit back and enjoy a traditional Italian-American experience in one classic downtown.
(4)Dave M.
We recently moved to the Frederick area and were excited to find an authentic looking Italian restaurant in the downtown area. We visited the restaurant on a Saturday evening when my son was home from college on break and we were together as a family. The restaurant was very small and seating was cramped. Lots of scooting around when wait staff approached. The menu looked promising, however when the food arrived, it was disappointing. I had lasagne, which turned out to be the smallest portion of all orders placed by our family. The food was basically flavorless and lukewarm. We looked for garlic bread to order, which is a staple on most Italian menus- the only thing available was 2 slices for $2.00. We are used to baskets to share with the entire table. Stuffed shells were good, but again, not hot upon arrival to table. We also ordered tortellini, ravioli and fettucini...they had many opportunities to impress, but fell short. The other disappointment was the service. Our waitress seemed to be assigned tables in different sections of the restaurant and was not attentive. There were long periods between her visits to our table and she only refilled our drink glasses once (despite all of our glasses being set at the end of the table as a reminder for refills). The food also came at different times, with my meal (lasagne) arriving well after the other dishes. Overall, not the dining experience I expected or was used to. I do not feel that I can recommend this restaurant to others.
(1)Chelsea C.
Easily the best Italian restaurant I've ever been to. Ever. The first time I ate here was when I was about 10 years old. My family and I kind of just came across it when we were taking my antique-loving grandma to the quaint little shops nearby. It was the best find! I even remember what everyone ordered that day. The white pizza was perfection. Same with the calamari fra diavolo. I've never ordered the veal parm but my dad has always switched between that and the spaghetti with meatballs - both are delicious. My top three: calamari fra diavolo, eggplant parm with spaghetti, and the white pizza. The marinara sauce is perfect and I love how it's sold in the front of the restaurant. The flavor is just incredible. The service is impeccable and 15 years later the staff is still the same. I can't say enough good things about this place and can only hope it will continue to be around for many years to come.
(5)Carajo B.
We used to frequent Nido's weekly. Went there recently for the last time. It was filthy! There was a crust of dust on the fake flowers in the front window a half inch thick, floor dirty, and just plain dirt everywhere. Food was not as good as in the past and service-always was slow-was just benign neglect. Sad. Used to love this place!
(1)Monica S.
Fabulous fabulous fabulous! The white pizza and the house red wine are to die for. We live just around the corner and plan on making this a regular spot! Best date ever.
(5)Beth E.
While strolling through the streets of d'town Frederick on a beautiful fall afternoon, I came upon Nido's, a quiet/quaint Italian restaurant. Service was prompt, although at that time of the day, there wasn't much competition! I went back a second time in the same week, and received the same, prompt service. I was seated in the front room on both occasions of visiting Nido's. While nice, it was a little awkward and quiet, as there were only patrons at one or two of the other tables. Kind of an awkwardness, when you are in an elevator, and just in there long enough, that you know you should probably acknowledge the other person's existence? I digress... So, kudos on the prompt service, when things took a turn for a 3-star rating, vs. 4-star. The bread...I seemed like they just ran out to their local grocery store to pick it up, right before closing time. It happened both times, so to a carb-lover, a little disappointing. Spirits were quickly lifted once my stuffed shells (cheese only-$12.95) arrived though. The red sauce was very good! On my first visit, I did order a separate side salad. I wish restaurants would just add $2 to the price and include the salad to make patrons feel better, but, what can you do? A cute "date night/first date" establishment. There is street parking right out front.
(3)Julaine N.
I am disappointed by Nido's. I used to love it here, but lately it has just not been delivering the delicious food they were once known for. Their white pizza is and always will be delicious. They have nice house wines. All of the pasta dishes, however, are not flavorful enough. The lasagna I had at my last visit was very disappointing. Also, the atmosphere needs to be updated. It is too dark in there!
(2)Melissa L.
Not impressed. I ordered the half cheese & half beef raviolis with tomato sauce. I only got like 8 raviolis, sauce was very runny, not that flavorful. Bread and butter had nothing special at all.
(2)Chelsea B.
This restaurant has got to be one of my absolute favorites in downtown Frederick. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere is that of a little café in Italy. The spaghetti with meatballs is so simple and yet out of this world. Probably my favorite part of Nido's is the wine. Their house wine comes by the carafe and I swear it's never ending, even better it's reasonably priced. You cannot get a good bottle of wine for this amount of money. As with the wine, the food is also reasonably priced. My hubby and I can both eat there for less than 30 dollars. It's not a white table cloth restaurant by any sense but if you are looking for yummy authentic Italian food and wine at a decent price, it can't be beat.
(4)Thomas R.
Had dinner there last night and both my wife and I were very disappointed. Sauces were watery, Italian sausage tasted like it had been boiled, shrimp had a dishwater flavor, and stuffed shells seemed to have been microwaved right out of the frozen food bag. No heart in the cooking or the presentation. Upkeep of the place impressed as poor, napkins and sugar packets on the floor, dust on the window sill, wobbly table. Would have to rate the service as poor as well. Portions were not at all generous. And cost was not consistent with the quality, quantity, or service.....way too pricey. I agree with other raters that there are many better establishments in Frederick.
(1)H B.
I LOVE italian food. LOVE it. Its hard to mess it up- sometimes the food here is excellent, sometimes it is terrible. This is why the 2 star review. The service is also spotty- sometimes good, many times not so good. The ambiance is weird. It is dark, the front room which should be bright has old posters on the wall and a weird faux grape vine lattice on the ceiling. Its just strange. Needs a bit of updating. The bread is delicious, the alfredo is good, and meat sauce is sometimes good and sometimes not so good- sometimes its too greasy.
(2)Ryan P.
If this is what people think is the best Italian restaurant they've been to, then that makes me very sad for them and their taste buds. I was very excited to go here with some friends that raved about this restaurant. First let me start off by saying that the entrance is confusing. You come in the front door and there are three doors in front of you, none of which say entrance or have any direction as to which to go in. When I finally realized which door to access I was greeted by a kind waiter and shown to my party. The atmosphere is very Little Italy New York. That part was charming. But the rest of my experience left a bitter taste in my mouth. While perusing the menu we were served bread. Now being a small Italian restaurant you would think you would get fresh baked bread. However this bread could've been fresh baked...at the local supermarket. I found the bread to be low quality with cheap plastic butter tubs. I ordered the tortellini that was half cheese and half beef, with red sauce. We chose the house red wine to share around the table. How surprised I was when they brought the wine and poured it in small juice glasses. Now I know this is traditional in Italy, but $5 for these small juice glasses that probably barely made an actual wine glass is ridiculous. Our server was kind, but very inattentive. We had to actually go look for someone to help us at one point. With no one else in the restaurant that we could see, this was disheartening to have such deplorable service. When our food arrived I was excited to taste this Italian delicacy, but that ended with first bite. The pasta had very little flavor, as did the sauce. The tortellini filling seemed dried out and the pasta sauce was extremely watery. Not to mention that the portion was not large by any means. I'm sorry to say that I could've gone to my local grocery store and picked up some fresh pasta and sauce there and made a better dinner for less than half the price I paid. Which the bill for dish was $14.99 before tax and tip. No salad included, just lousy bread and pasta. The wine, btw, was ok at best. I think I could've gotten a better meal at the Olive Garden or Carrabba's! This is just one rare case in which the local place is actually worse than the chains in my opinion. I wouldn't choose to go to this restaurant again, unfortunately.
(2)Sarah B.
I grew up frequenting the Pines of Rome in Bethesda with my Grandfather, then my Dad, and now my Dad and my grown daughter. Simple, excellent family Italian meals with great staff and always amazing specials. Nido's could be the Pine's country cousin- although I must say, a bit more upscale. (Yes, Pines is a rare gem in Bethesda that has remained unpretentious and homey) Nido's atmosphere is cozy and rustic- brick floors, nice paintings, wine bottles lining the dining room.The overhead arbor was OK-lots and lots of little sparkly lights and fake folaige, but tasteful, although the dimness of the tables could have benefited from a candle. Yes, the wine is served in jelly glasses. Yes, the tablecloths are plastic. Yes the menu is limited (although more substantial that Pines..) and yes, the average age of the clientele, is shall we say "mature and experienced'..and by that, I mean older than me Like Pines, it seems Nido's makes up for the limited menu with the daily specials. Last night I noted Lobster Ravioli and Lamb Shank on the chalkboard. there was more listed, but I have had a craving for Lamb recently and was sorely dissapointed to not find a single leg of lamb in Giant Eagle or Safeway the day prior to Easter- I immediately focused on the lamb shank and skipped over the rest of the special menu. The white pizza was excellent. The house red was perfect. The bread was OK- it would have been better warmed. The Lamb Shank was served in a ragu with a "side" of spaghetti that would have fed me a couple meals, Tender, flavorful, and delicious, my craving was instantly satisfied, My Man had sausage and peppers with spaghetti and polished it off before I had a chance at a bite- it looked and smelled wonderful. We will definetly be back- and the next time Dad and my daughter fight the 270 traffic to visit, this will be a nice suprise for both of them!
(4)Brian C.
Love it! Quiet, simple and romantic. The staff couldn't get any better. They have the best white pizza around and the baked ziti is to die for. Even the cheap house wine is great. This is a great place for a quiet, romantic date.
(5)John P.
My fiancee and her mom love this place. Maybe I dont have that Italian food bug but nothing here really did it for me. I thought the sauce was so so. Didnt like their meatballs. White pizza was average. It didnt live up to the hype I had heard so much about. But maybe if you love Italian food, you'll love this place.
(3)Kathie P.
Nice little Italian place in downtown Frederick, MD. The atmosphere is quaint and homey, and it smells divine when you first walk in. I had the white pizza which was pretty good, and their house wine was pretty good. I was not at all impressed with their salad and the bread was just doughy stuff from the grocery store. Not sure I'll go back. There are just too many other good places in Frederick.
(3)Chas B.
Had the white pizza. Wife loved it, but it did nothing for me. I had the meatballs and spaghetti, and was not impressed at all. Meatballs had a funny taste, and while the portion of spaghetti was more than generous the sauce was very bland. Wife had roasted chicken and pasta. While the chicken was moist, the penne had an off taste. Service is great, but I will not be back.
(2)Philip G.
Some of my girlfriend's family were in Thurmont, MD and we wanted to meet them halfway between there and Purcellville, VA. We looked up a few restaurants and she finally settled on Nido's. I'm from the NJ/NYC area, and although I'm not Italian, I know what good Italian food is, since there are so many Italians up there! THIS IS IT. Charming setting, reminds me of Little Italy in NYC, except a bit quieter! It's on a peaceful little street in Frederick. The decorations aren't exactly modern, but I love the brick and lattice above--it lends some authenticity. However, the food is by far the best of the experience. They make their own sauce (which they also sell bottles/cans of), and it's excellent. I might prefer it slightly thicker (it's a little runny), but the taste definitely made up for that. I had the chicken parmigiana, one of my favorites, and they did a great job. The waiter was this funny old Italian gentleman, who didn't seem to speak much English and said "Thank-you" after everything any one of us said! It cracked me up. That didn't hinder his ability to take our order or provide excellent service. A little pricey, but that's Frederick these days it seems. I highly recommend--these are the types of places that need to stay in business. Enjoy!
(5)Gene S.
They have the BEST marinara sauce i think i've ever tried, seriously. This is a simple, no frills italian restaurant - but the food is AMAZING. Easily the best Italian food in Frederick (and as far south as Rockville). The white pizza is also great, as are the calamari and the shrimp/linguini. You can't go wrong with the spaghetti and meatballs, everything is prepared simply but very very tasty.Also, very kid friendly.
(5)Niki N.
How on earth does this gem of an italian restaurant in downtown frederick not have loads of shining reviews already? Nido's is just one more thing I miss about frederick. Don't waste your time on all the overpriced, mediocre, questionable 'italian' eateries popping up all over frederick and go to the original. I've been going to Nido's since I was a tiny little kid.. I still remember my mom and dad taking 5 year old me and my sister here, sitting at one of the little tables by the window, and squealing happily for white pizza, while my mom got her favorite, the eggplant parm. Some things never change I think.. they still have the same sweet, attentive waiters they've always had.. my mom still adores their eggplant parm, and I could still die happily in a mountain of white pizza.. though I get penne alfredo now too. The place is simple and small, with dim lighting and wine bottles and candles for decor. Nothing fancy, but who needs it when the food is this good? Best italian I've had anywhere, bar none. Nido's has spoiled me from a young age. The white pizza isnt really pizza per se.. its fresh dough, baked until crispy but still chewy, topped with fresh mozzarella, garlic, and a bit of red pepper. GET IT. seriously. Their pasta is all freshly made.. not the boxed, dry crap most places try to pass off. Oh and the sauce? Lets talk about the sauce. Their tomato sauce is so amazing.. perfectly cooked down and seasoned roma tomatos. The alfredo sauce is how it should be.. cheese, butter, cream and garlic with a little black pepper.. not thick, lumpy, or loaded with flour [who the hell puts flour in alfredo? way too many places. not nidos.] They sell huge jars of their alfredo and marinara sauces to take home for about $6 bucks. I regularly beg my mom to mail me some. Nido's is super inexpensive as well, pasta is usually $8-12 depending upon what you get. The menu is huge. They're closed on Mondays. I am extremely upset that I am a million miles away right now and cant have it for lunch today.
(5)Chris R.
We live downtown and eat here frequently. The chicken parm with Birra Moretti is the best!
(5)Michael M.
Excellent food, great atmosphere. Better for a date than a business meal.
(4)Alph G.
Really not a fan. The atmosphere is wonderful, quaint, warm. But the food is really not that great, needs more sauce or something, I don't know. Food doesn't seem like the highest quality or maybe it's just bland. Truly a meh.
(2)Lou L.
I've been on a Soprano's binge lately and all that Mafia watching has made me homesick for some good ol' New Jersey Italian-American cooking. I yelped "Italian" in Frederick and found this little place. I ordered the Nido Platter to go, as it was Valentine's Day and my wife is out of town, and I was impressed. The eggplant parm was a nice amalgamation of cheeses, red sauce, and breaded eggplant. The meatball was not bad and the sausage was good as well. My only complaint is that the majority of the dishes there (eggplant parm, chicken parm, veal etc.) come with a side of spaghetti, which was underwhelming. It did scratch my itch for Italian though and I will be back to try the baked ziti and chicken parm.
(4)