Bethesda

Restaurant With Maryland Location Wins “Hottest Sandwich Shop of the Year” Award

By MCS Staff
Courtesy @JettiesDC on Instagram

Restaurateurs, chefs, restaurant industry professionals, and guests gathered Sunday, August 3 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for the 43rd Annual RAMMYS Awards & Gala as the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) announced the 2025 RAMMYS Award winners. Jetties, a sandwich shop with one Maryland location (4829 Fairmont Ave. Bethesda, MD), was named the “Hottest Sandwich Shop of the Year.”

Jetties was founded by a team of partners who shared a passion for food and a love for the New England coastal town of Nantucket. The doors to the first Jetties opened in the summer of 2003 on Foxhall Road in Northwest Washington, D.C. The restaurant’s name and its distinctive beach-themed decor, complete with hand-painted murals and Nantucket-appropriate furnishings, were all inspired by the Jetties Beach on the island.

The founders, including Bo Blair, David Scribner, and David Simone, sought to replicate the feeling of a New England coast town in their hometown of D.C. Their vision was to create a casual, local spot with a menu built around fresh, high-quality ingredients. A cornerstone of their menu from the very beginning has been their in-house roasted, hand-carved turkey breast.

The original location, which was once a High’s Convenience Store that Bo Blair remembered from his childhood, quickly became a neighborhood institution. Over the years, the restaurant has expanded its presence, with additional locations opening in other areas of the DC metropolitan region, including Bethesda, Maryland. Jetties has remained a local favorite for more than two decades, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023. The restaurant’s success has been attributed to its commitment to fresh food, a friendly atmosphere, and its ability to transport customers to a relaxing, coastal escape right in the middle of the city.

Any RAMW member in good standing, who met all category eligibility requirements, was able to be nominated in the restaurant, individual award, and publicly voted categories. An anonymous panel of judges determined all Finalists and winners except for the winners of the four publicly-voted categories, which were decided by public vote earlier this year, and the Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year category, whose finalists were nominated by peers and the winner was selected by RAMW’s Executive Committee.

The 2025 RAMMYS winners are (*denotes publicly voted category):