Olney

One Olney Restaurant Makes Yelp’s “Top 50 Places to Eat in the MD Burbs” List

By MCS Staff

Mackie’s Barbecue opened a little more than a year ago at 5500 Olney Laytonsville Rd in Olney (most recently Umberto’s). The restaurant has made quite an impact in the community in the last year and is the only restaurant in Olney to make Yelp’s 2024 “Top 50 Places to Eat in the MD Burbs” list, which focuses on restaurants located in the Maryland suburbs.

The list was created by “Yelp Elites”– a group of reviewers selected based on well-written reviews, high quality photos, a detailed personal profile, and a history of “playing well with others”, according to Yelp. The methodology used by Yelp can be seen below. We looked at the Top 10 on the list earlier this month.

Mackie’s is described as a “rustic bbq joint with juicy brisket and pulled pork in a lively bar atmosphere.” The restaurant offers a variety of options including classic barbecue favorites like ribs, barbecued chicken, beef brisket, pulled pork, homemade drinks, desserts, and more. A video preview of the restaurant can be seen below.

The restaurant has received praise locally for working with the community– offering free meals for teachers during a time when potential staffing cuts were looming, providing holiday meals to families in need, and more. With over 100 reviews on Yelp, it has received a 4.3 rating and a 4.4 rating on Google with over 225 reviews. Mackie’s has catering locations in Gaithersburg and Potomac as well as a takeout/delivery location in Frederick.

Methodology used by Yelp to create this list: “To determine the Top Places to Eat in the MD Burbs in 2024, according to Yelp Elites, we identified businesses in the restaurants category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews given by Yelp Elite Squad members between August 2023 and August 2024. Only businesses in and around the MD Burbs area were considered. Businesses were marked open on Yelp as of August 21, 2024 and when available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of August 21, 2024.”