Hundreds of people lined up outside Z&Z Manoushe Bakery in Rockville for the bakery’s viral steak and cheese pop-up, a limited-time event that has drawn massive crowds each time it’s offered (preview video available below).
The sandwich, a house-made sesame seed hoagie roll stuffed with ribeye steak, caramelized onions, and your choice of American or provolone cheese, mayo, and red hots, pays homage to the Dubbaneh family’s long history in Montgomery County’s restaurant scene.
Issa Dubbaneh, father of Z&Z founders Danny and Johnny Dubbaneh, shared the family’s connection to the local favorite. “We made steak and cheese for the last thirty years at our Chicken Basket restaurants,” he said. In 1981, during his final year of school, Issa decided to leave and open his first restaurant, Chicken Basket, in Gaithersburg. Over the years, he and his brothers expanded, operating additional Chicken Basket locations in Layhill, Wheaton, and Rockville, six in total across the county. The family also ran Muna’s Café in Germantown several years back.
Now, the next generation is building on that legacy through Z&Z, located at 1111 Nelson Street in Rockville, where they specialize in manoushe– a traditional Lebanese flatbread made from simple yeasted dough with various toppings. Make sure to follow Z&Z on social media to be ready for the next pop-up.
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