Five Maryland Restaurants Included in New York Times “25 Best Restaurants in Washington D.C. Right Now” List

Updated to reflect five restaurants 

Five Maryland restaurants were included in the New York Times’ “25 Best Restaurants in Washington D.C. Right Now” list published on Monday morning. Four of the five Maryland restaurants included can be found in Montgomery County (photos of the Montgomery County restaurants below by @MrMoCo).

The “Where to Eat: 25 Best” series highlights the writers’ favorite restaurants in cities across the United States- in this case Washington DC and suburbs surrounding the city. The list keeps a running tab and is updated as restaurants close and open, and “as we find new gems to recommend. As always, we pay for all of our meals and don’t accept free dishes.” 2Fifty Texas BBQ in Riverdale Park and NW DC is the only Maryland restaurant on the list that’s not in Montgomery County. The four Maryland (Montgomery County) restaurants can be seen below:

Crisfield (Silver Spring): “Open since 1945 on Georgia Avenue, Crisfield is a master class in no-frills Mid Atlantic dishes like seafood bisque, broiled fish platters and crab cakes with no filler. The interior of the restaurant hasn’t changed much over the years, but the neighborhood around it has, making a visit feel like stepping back in time, where this style of dining was the norm for the area. It’s a perfect destination for a platter of fried seafood with juicy, lightly battered shrimp, scallops and perch. KORSHA WILSON”

Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly (Rockville): “Kuya Ja’s specialty is in its name: pork belly that condenses the appeal of Filipino-style whole roast pig into a rolled roast redolent of lemongrass and garlic, with skin too crisp to break with just one whack of your fork. The pork belly is available with atchara (basically spicy Filipino papaya kraut, if you’re unfamiliar) in a sandwich, on a bed of rice or in combination with another of the co-owner and chef Javier Fernandez’s meats, which you should not ignore. The lechon may be what first brought crowds to Kuya Ja’s, but there are plenty more reasons to trek to this fast-casual strip mall storefront in suburban Maryland, including desserts from Gwenie’s Pastries, run by Stella Fernandez, Mr. Fernandez’s sister. BRETT ANDERSON”

Pupuseria Mama Emilia (Rockville): “Salvadoran food is tightly knit into the fabric of the local culture. Elsy Claros — whose mother, Emilia Cruz Lopez, ran a pupuseria in El Salvador — played a role in spreading the cuisine across the metro area, with the pupuserias she opened with her sisters. Mamá Emilia ups the ante. Ms. Claros opened the restaurant with the help of her daughter, Ericka, in 2022. There are traditional pupusas, oozing cheese, frijoles and chicharrón. But there are also pupusas with fillings that include shrimp, mint and kale. There are nearly 30 different styles, all served hot and freshly blistered, starting at breakfast, when you’d be well served ordering the signature item with eggs, in a red sauce that rivals the best enchilada gravy. BRETT ANDERSON”

Z&Z Manoushe Bakery (Rockville): “The crust of Z&Z’s classic manoushe, covered in a forest green slick of olive oil and za’atar, is both tantalizingly chewy and thoroughly crisp, from the edge to the tip of each triangle-cut slice. If the quality and complexity brings to mind artisan pizza, you’re not alone. While the owners, Danny and Johnny Dubbaneh, are quick to point out Levantine flatbreads predate pizza, the brothers’ family-run business does operate a little like a pizzeria, with the many variations on its signature item — don’t miss the manoushe topped with tomatoes, cucumbers and toum — ordered to-go in cardboard takeout boxes. The cozy, four-table bakery is a step up from Z&Z’s farmers’ market beginnings, but it still belies the regional demand the Dubbanehs have helped to create for manoushe, with Z&Z products now available in grocery stores across the Mid Atlantic. BRETT ANDERSON”

The full list of all 25 restaurants for Washington DC (and surrounding areas) can be found here.