Duck Duck Goose is Ducking Out; Good Ducking Burger Will Be Landing In Its Place

Duck Duck Goose Bethesda has been a staple of fine dining in Bethesda since French-trained chef, Ashish Alfred, opened it in 2016. Immediately, the French brasserie was a bonafide success. There were lines, waits for tables and Southern Living Magazine even named it the Best Restaurant in Maryland. More than a commercial success, Chef Alfred, who is a MoCo native and 2005 graduate of Magruder High School, credits the intimate, 27-seater for saving his life – this was his first venture after kicking an almost life-ending drug and alcohol addiction. And he feels Duck Duck Goose Bethesda put his career on the map. It was also because of DDG Bethesda that Alfred was named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland and the restaurant was named Best Brunch by Washingtonian Magazine three years after opening.

He doesn’t take any of that lightly. However, change is the one constant in the restaurant business. Times change, tastes change, prices fluctuate and the one who chooses NOT to evolve is the one that sinks. For Duck Duck Goose Bethesda, it all came down to the numbers. Despite having a packed dining room most nights, the rising costs of doing business caused DDG Bethesda’s profit margin to plummet. While Alfred’s four other restaurants in Baltimore and DC are both spacious and busy, Bethesda was just busy. Cozy and intimate at about 1100 square feet total (counting interior and the seasonal outdoor patio), and unable to add any more seating, it became obvious that the business was just no longer sustainable as is and, according to Alfred, he was putting an increasingly unfair demand on his employees.

Mix in competition from larger restaurants in Pike and Rose and Friendship Heights, along with Bethesda’s shifting demographics to a younger, more family-oriented town, and the decision was made.  It was time for Alfred to leverage his success in that location and pivot to a concept that suits the space better and makes more sense for the square footage in today’s economic environment.

Enter Good Ducking Burger. Alfred’s new fast, casual American burger joint with an Indian twist that will soon be occupying DDG Bethesda’s location at 7929 Norfolk Ave in Bethesda. “Growth can be painful but it’s the right decision for the business,” says Alfred. “I can keep trying to make things work – I mean business is still good – but when it’s time to change, it’s time to change.” Good Ducking Burger isn’t completely a new concept. It has made wildly successful appearances at Alfred’s restaurants in Baltimore and DC as a delivery-only ghost kitchen, focusing on American classics like burgers, chicken and fries… all with a nod to Alfred’s Indian heritage.

Expanding Good Ducking Burger into a brick and mortar, fast-casual bistro is something Alfred has always wanted to do–a reflection on his own heritage as a second-generation Indian American. The menu will feature family – and wallet – friendly items like classic burgers, fries and chicken sandwiches, plus the creative Delhi Hot Fried Chicken – a fried chicken sandwich with butter chicken sauce, green chutney and yogurt aioli; The Pato Del Sur – a juicy burger, topped with plantains, duck confit and a sunny-side-up egg and, his signature, Bollywood Fries – double-fried fries, topped with tamarind chutney, cilantro chutney, yogurt sauce, and chaat masala.

Good Ducking Burger will still have all the hallmarks of its Duck Duck Goose predecessor – great service, a full bar and a wonderful atmosphere. Once Alfred gets his ducks in a row, he hopes to have Good Ducking Burger opened in early September. But fear not loyal customers, Duck Duck Goose Baltimore, Duck Duck Goose DC, Osteria Pirata and the Anchor Bar will all still be open ready to serve you!