The Voltaggio Brothers

A Homecoming Decades in the Making

Celebrity chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio have returned to their hometown of Frederick, Maryland - not just to open another restaurant, but to reimagine what tavern dining can be. Located inside the beautifully restored Visitation Hotel, Wye Oak Tavern represents a deeply personal project for the Voltaggio brothers: a playful yet refined dining experience set within the walls of a former Catholic chapel, just blocks from where their culinary journey began.

This is the first restaurant the brothers have launched together in their hometown, and their passion for local ingredients, inventive presentation, and storytelling is on full display. The result? A destination restaurant that blends culinary nostalgia with modern technique - and has quickly become a must-visit for food lovers across the Mid-Atlantic.

Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Voltaggio Are Posing For A Picture

Meet the Chefs Behind Wye Oak Tavern

Chef Bryan Voltaggio
A James Beard Award semifinalist, Top Chef finalist, and celebrated cookbook author, Bryan Voltaggio’s culinary career began in Frederick — as a busboy at a local hotel. By age 15, he was cooking on the line, and he went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. Now, after helming acclaimed restaurants like Volt, Range, and Estuary, Bryan returns home as Executive Chef of Wye Oak Tavern.

Chef Michael Voltaggio
Winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 6, Michael Voltaggio is widely known for his imaginative, modernist approach to American cuisine. With national acclaim, a Michelin star, and a resume that includes INK. in Los Angeles, Michael brings a playful edge to Wye Oak’s menu, balancing comfort food with creative flair.

Together, the Voltaggio brothers have built a restaurant that honors their roots, challenges expectations, and delivers a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Frederick.

The Restaurant

Wye Oak Tavern: Elevated Tavern Fare in a Historic Chapel
Wye Oak Tavern’s menu is bold, witty, and deliciously surprising — a culinary playground disguised as a tavern.

Signature dishes include:

Cold Fried Chicken Liver Pâté — playfully shaped like drumsticks and paired with local waffles.

Savory Pumpkin Pie — honeynut squash, whipped ricotta, and pumpkin seed pesto in a flaky crust.

Coddies on a Stick — a reinvention of Maryland’s classic salt cod fritters, tempura-battered and served with house giardiniera and cauliflower tartar sauce.

Fluke Crudo — benne seed chili crunch, blood orange, and a salt & vinegar sweet potato chip.

At the heart of the menu is an obsession with quality ingredients and unexpected textures, whether it’s hand-ground steak tartare served with hashbrowns and horseradish mousse, or Virginia Surryano ham paired with molded pimento cheese.

Of course, Wye Oak also honors the classics — think dry-aged burgers, locally sourced cuts of beef, pork, and chicken, and the kind of handmade pasta and seafood dishes that have made the Voltaggios household names.

Cocktails with Character

Wye Oak’s cocktail program mirrors the menu: curated, clever, and deeply rooted in craft.

The bar features five original martinis, including:

The Mirepoix — carrot-infused Ketel One, navy strength gin, celery bitters, Espelette pepper, and pickled onion.

The Wye Oak — a house twist on the classic, with Old Raj gin, Gonzalez Byass vermouth, and house orange bitters.

You’ll also find the Voltaggio brothers’ own tequila brand, Marcado 28, behind the bar — making Wye Oak the first of their restaurants to serve it.

Whether you're sipping a signature martini beneath the stained glass or grabbing a late-night nightcap on the patio, the bar at Wye Oak is as much a destination as the dining room.

All-Day Café, All Local Flavor

For a more casual bite, stop by Acorn Provisions, the Voltaggio-curated café just off the hotel’s main lobby. Open daily, Acorn serves:

Espresso drinks and drip coffee

Fresh-baked pastries, including praline doughnuts and pecan ginger cookies

Creative breakfast & lunch items like the beet Reuben, bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches, and chocolate croissants

Both guests and locals are welcome — come grab a pastry to-go or stay and linger with friends.

Your Booking