After months of little visible activity, there are new signs of progress at the future home of El Patio Argentine Restaurant in the Traville Village Center.
In the first half of 2025, we reported that the longtime Rockville restaurant was planning a move to 9755 Traville Gateway Drive, a space previously occupied by Nantucket’s Reef in the Traville Village Center. Since then, movement has picked up at the site, signaling that the project is moving forward. Another major step toward opening is scheduled for January 15, when El Patio is set to appear before Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services, an important milestone in the opening process.
El Patio originally targeted a fall 2025 opening for the new Traville Village Center location, but the timeline has shifted. Based on current progress, an opening in the first half of 2026 now appears more likely. The future of the restaurant’s current location at 5240 Randolph Rd. in Loehmann’s Plaza has not yet been determined.
El Patio first opened in Rockville in 2001 and has built a loyal following over more than two decades. The family-owned restaurant is known for serving traditional, home-style Argentine cuisine in a casual dining atmosphere, using authentic recipes passed down from its home country.
In addition to being a full-service restaurant, El Patio is also a bakery and specialty market, offering packaged goods imported from Argentina and what it describes as the largest selection of Argentine wines in the metropolitan area. Guests can stop in for breakfast featuring fresh pastries known as facturas and a variety of coffees, take advantage of a discounted lunch menu offered Monday through Friday, or enjoy a full-service dinner with an expanded menu and rotating specials.
Menu highlights include empanadas and quiches with several vegetarian options, house-made sausages such as chorizos, chimichurri sauce, milanesas, and traditional Argentine barbecue, or parrillada.
We will continue to share updates as construction progresses, the licensing process moves forward, and more details become available about the opening timeline and plans for El Patio’s longtime Randolph Road location.
