Moby Dick to Open White Flint Area Location

Moby Dick House of Kabob is opening its newest restaurant in North Bethesda, in the White Flint area, at 11431-A Rockville Pike, next to 7-Eleven. This will be the Persian kabob restaurant chain’s 26th restaurant overall and 7th in Montgomery County, where it all started in 1989 with its Bethesda location. The restaurant has put up coming soon signage on the window area of the storefront that was previously home to Verizon, also located next to Matreshka Russian Gourmet (additional photos below).

Founder Mike Daryoush emigrated to the United States from Iran in 1975. He opened a small sandwich shop in 1987 in Bethesda, Maryland, serving a few Middle Eastern dishes. He changed to a Persian menu and added a clay oven in 1989. The name references one of the biggest kabob joints in Tehran, which was right near the American Embassy during the Shah’s time. It was called Moby Dick, apparently because the owner really liked the book. Daryoush passed away on May 9, 2019, only a week after the chain’s 30th anniversary.

“The Moby Dick House of Kabob story is not unlike many other great ‘realize the American dream’ stories: have an idea, work hard to make it happen, create value for others, and your idea matures into a successful venture. Through it all, Moby Dick continues to be unyielding in the belief of “never cutting corners.” This is the inspiration behind the kabobs, gyros, falafel, baklava, and our other food items with the character that you love and crave.” The news of Moby Dick’s latest opening was first reported by Robert Dyer.