Chuck E. Cheese will be moving from its current Rockville location at 5270 Randolph Rd in Loehmann’s Plaza (10,500 SF) to a larger space (16,331 SF) in White Flint Plaza taking over the space that was previously home to Retro Fitness which closed in May 2020, according to a Biz Journals report. The new location is in what’s technically considered Kensington, just over a mile away from the current location in Loehmann’s Plaza. A Chuck E. Cheese Rockville employee let us know that the current location will not close for a “couple months, probably around the end of May.” The new location is expected to open this summer.

Chuck E. Cheese has an additional Montgomery County location at 1127 University Blvd E in Takoma Park. The children’s indoor entertainment arcade also had a location in Gaithersburg that closed in 2020 after being in business at Gaithersburg Square for over 30 years. Per the Biz Journals report, the new location will “feature a 17-foot digital wall and other technological advances over the older locations. There will still be some Chuck E. Cheese mainstays, including things like skee-ball, air hockey, and, of course, pizza.” The Rockville location has also matched pre-2019 numbers this year, hosting 289 birthday parties.

It has been over two years since we let you know about the initial plans Kensington Crossing at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road). Since then, the plans were approved, and Kensington Crossing has already signed it’s first three tenants– M&T Bank, Buffalo Wild Wings GO, and Mezeh. Construction recently began at the site and a couple photos, along with additional information about each tenant, available below:

M&T Bank, which currently has a Kensington location on Howard Avenue, signed on as its first tenant to take over its largest space (2,635 SF). A representative from the Howard Avenue location has told us that the plan is for the branch to relocate to the new space once it’s ready to go.

Buffalo Wild Wings GO: Buffalo Wild Wings opened its first ‘Buffalo Wild Wings GO’ location– a scaled-down version of the restaurant that focuses on the to-go and delivery format in Georgia back in 2020. Now, the company will open its first MoCo ‘Go’ location in the upcoming Kensington Crossing– a new retail development that will be located at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road) in Kensington.

Mezeh Mediterranean Grill will be opening a new location in upcoming development Kensington Crossing. The restaurant has signed on to take over a new 2,350SF space with plenty of outdoor seating. Mezeh is a fast-casual eatery with a buffet-style of offerings that include rice and salad bowls, wraps and a variety of sauces and toppings. Mezeh currently has locations in Gaithersburg and Germantown. A Wheaton Mall location closed and was supposed to relocate to Aspen Hill, but that upcoming location has been removed from the Mezeh website.

My name is Alex Tsironis, also known as “Mr. MoCo”, founder of The MoCoShow. In the early days of the show, I loved to discuss my favorite foods in the area and one of my favorite things to eat has to be steak and cheese subs. I love cheesesteaks in Philly, but I grew up here eating steak and cheese from Jerry’s with tomatoes…so I usually prefer that and mayonnaise on my steak and cheese subs. Everyone’s an expert on what they like, regardless of where they’re from, etc. and that’s why I like to make it clear that this is just my top 5. I really like a lot of steak and cheese subs that aren’t in my top 5 and I’m well aware that someone else’s list would likely look pretty different, but I love the discussion that comes with sharing…so check it out below:

Just missed: Bulgogi Cheesesteak from Cheesesteak Mike’s in Hillandale: Marinated rib-eye, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo, provolone cheese. If you’re fan of bulgogi, you would probably like this sub. I like the way the grilled onions work on this one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTDT20uFW5l/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Just Missed- Steak and Cheese at Dominic’s Italian Grille in Colesville: I liked this cheesesteak a lot, unfortunately Dominic’s closed a couple weeks ago after operating in MoCo for a long time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHDSil_DTGS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Just Missed- Wiz Wit from Brew Belly (Olney): If we’re talking dine-in only, it would be in my top 5, but the last two time I have gotten it delivery and it was just below the others listed ahead of it. Still very good and probably the closest to Philly cheesesteaks you’ll get in the area.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAur-IQjvxa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Just Missed- Clarksburg Grille (Clarksburg): This used to be my favorite a few years back (the sub pictured is from 2018). They’ve made some changes, and while I still like it, it has fallen out of my top 5.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5S2FUjVTl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

5. Washington Cheese Steak from Wow Deli (Gaithersburg): Thin sliced rib eye steak with melted provolone cheese, sautéed onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo. This goes down so easy, I love it. Wow Deli is only open 6:45am-2:45pm Monday-Friday, so you likely have to plan to make it here to catch it open.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaZ2990OJzt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

4. Fajita Steak & Cheese from La Casita (Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring): Sliced steak, grilled onions, melted quest, mayo-mustard, lettuce, and tomato. Imagine steak fajita with melted queso on it in a steak and cheese type of sub. That’s exactly what this is.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYZ3WiIOMkT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

3. Steak and cheese at Continental (Kensington): This steak and cheese has the least amount of meat of all the subs on my list. There’s something about the combination of flavors that makes this one of the best tasting, but I understand if having less meat is a deal-breaker for some. Corner Pizza and Subs in Gaithersburg actually makes the exact same steak and cheese (and pizza) as Continental, so if you’re not close to Kensington, that’s another option.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTiIXh_LsYK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

2. Steak and cheese at Beers and Cheers/Beers and Cheers Too (Gaithersburg and Germantown): I like everything about this sub. To me, it’s what a steak and cheese in MoCo should be. Plenty of meat, cheese is good, bread is great, etc.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnxjrCno5v9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

1. The Philly from SOKO Butcher in Takoma Park: French roll, prime rib, caramelized onions, housemade cheese whiz, mayo. I ordered this and saw it being made before it was wrapped up and handed to me. I ended up unwrapping it and eating it right outside of SOKO Butcher.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfIAb4lg5Xs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Over 100 new restaurants opened in Montgomery County in 2022 and below you’ll find a list of restaurants that are scheduled to open in 2023.
Aloha Poke Co. – Gaithersburg
Chicago based Aloha Poke Co. has announced that it will be opening a Gaithersburg location sometime in 2023.  Aloha is a fast-casual style restaurant that serves “fresh-packed and tasty bowls filled with sushi-grade fish and Hawaiian-inspired raw ingredients.” Franchise operator Mary Grace Barnebey is currently considering several options for the location, according to a report by WTOP.  Aloha has area locations at 1333 19th St and 50 Massachusetts Ave in NW, Washington, DC.
“Delicious and healthy are two things I aim to provide my family in every meal,” said Barnebey in a press release. “When I decided to bring Aloha Poke Co. to our community, I knew that the menu needed to be aligned with the way I think about taste and nutrition. I also like the franchise support system and the brand’s cornerstone belief of in fast, beautiful, sustainable foods. I am proud to that Aloha Poke Co. will dramatically expand our community’s access to health-minded food options.”

Andy’s Pizza – Bethesda
Andy’s Pizza, the 2021 winner of the International Pizza Challenge™, is coming to Montgomery County with an upcoming location at 4600 East West Highway– the former site of sandwich shop Booeymonger in Bethesda, according to a report by Biz Journals. Andy’s Pizza currently has locations in Adams Morgan, NoMa, Navy Yard, and Shaw in DC, with an additional NoVa location at Tysons. Another upcoming location is planned for Old Town Alexandria. Owner Andy Brown, who grew up in Bethesda, stated that he had been looking in the area since his restaurant began expanding. Per the article, “The Bethesda location will also have more space than average — its other locations run roughly 1,800 square feet — to accommodate larger parties.”

The pizza dough undergoes a 72-hour cold ferment and is cooked in a New York deck oven. The process creates a crispier crust with a chewy interior, and a hint of a sour flavor. Andy’s Pizza will also offers salads, wings, fries, and more. Last year Andy’s got 1st place in the International Pizza Challenge™, which has evolved and grown in stature and prize money to become one of the most prestigious pizza-making competition in North America.

Baskin Robbins- Montgomery Village
We first reported in January that Baskin Robbins would be coming to the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. The ice cream shop will be coming to the vacant space next to Suburban Hair and Linda’s Nails. Baskin Robbins joins a growing list of restaurants that are all expected to open in the redeveloped MV shopping center in the first quarter of 2023.

Black Lion Cafe – Silver Spring
Over a year ago we let you know that Black Lion Café, which has a location in Rockville, will be opening a new location in the Fenton Silver Spring apartments at 8240 Fenton St in Silver Spring. After a previously planned November 1st opening that was pushed back, a new opening date has been set– Monday, January 2nd.  The cafe opened its first location at the Traville Gateway shopping center in late 2016. Black Lion Café sources its coffee from three regions of Ethiopia known for producing some of the best tasting coffee beans in the world. Keffa, the region of Ethiopia that gave the name ‘coffee’ to the bean, Yergacheffe, and Harrar. The news was previously reported by Source of the Spring.

BooBoo Pho – Montgomery Village
Permanent signage is up at BooBoo Pho at 19230 Montgomery Village Ave. The restaurant, which specializes in Vietnamese cuisine, is expected to open in January.

Buffalo Wild Wings GO – Kensington
Buffalo Wild Wings opened its first ‘Buffalo Wild Wings GO’ location– a scaled-down version of the restaurant that focuses on the to-go and delivery format in Georgia back in 2020. Now, the company will open its first MoCo ‘Go’ location in the upcoming Kensington Crossing– a new retail development that will be located at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road) in Kensington.

Charley Prime Foods – Gaithersburg 
Coming soon signage is now up around the exterior of Charley Prime Foods, the new restaurant from Jackie Greenbaum & Gordon Banks (Little Coco’s, El Chucho, Bar Charley, Quarry House Tavern) that will be replacing Tara Thai on the Rio boardwalk at 9811 Washington Blvd in Gaithersburg. The restaurant is also scheduled to have its Class B: Beer, Wine, & Liquor license hearing on August 4. The restaurant scheduled to open “early 2023”.

According to a press release, the team envisions the restaurant as a mature version of their popular DC restaurant Bar Charley, with an expanded menu, but keeping its lively cocktail forward energy. The broader menu will remain steak focused, but will also feature house made pastas (a la Little Coco’s) as well as other items unique to just this location. The group has tapped Editlab@Streetsense to design the space. Explains Greenbaum, “We can’t wait to do our first suburban project and think the timing is perfect. We’ve always done restaurants that are near and dear to our hearts and that we feel are right or needed in the particular neighborhood. My partners both have young families and Rio has been a frequent destination for them for years, as it is for tons of people in north Montgomery county. This is especially true for our chef and partner in this project, Adam Harvey, who lives nearby. We’re really thrilled to bring something unique to the mix out there.”

Chip City – Bethesda 
Five years ago, cookies were a side hustle for Theodore Gailas and Peter Phillips. Since then, they’ve opened over a dozen Chip City cookie shops in and around New York with its first Maryland location opening at the Shoppes of Bethesda, replacing Fancy Cakes By Leslie at 4939 Elm St. Fancy Cakes by Leslie closed in October and the space has since been cleared out. The new cookie shop rotates through 18 flavors, allowing customers to choose from those that make it on to the weekly menu. The weekly roster can include “core cookies” like chocolate chip or dairy free chocolate chip, other flavors like blueberry cheesecake, peanut butter and jelly, Nutella sea salt, and more. Currently, location are offering seasonal Thanksgiving cookies with flavors like Pecan Pie, Sweet Potato S’mores, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal. Chip City is expected to rapidly expand, with over 20 stores expected to open in 2023. According to Forbes, The rollout plan will be supported by the founder of fast casual restaurant Shake Shack, Danny Meyer, who recently invested $10 million in the cookies. While no opening date is currently available, we expect Chip City to open in early 2023.

Chopt- Potomac
Chopt is opening a new location in Cabin John Village (Potomac), in the space next to Boulangerie Christophe, according to the Edens website. We stopped by this morning and there is plenty left to go, so we expect an early to mid 2023 opening for the salad chain. This will be Montgomery County’s fifth Chopt restaurant, with locations currently open in Gaithersburg, Rockville, and two in Bethesda.

Cinnabon/Auntie Anne – Gaithersburg
A new permit is up confirming the impending arrival of an Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon combination restaurant at 220 Boardwalk Place in Rio, set to take over the location that was recently home to Lilly Magilly’s– the cupcakery is preparing for a move to a new location. The two brands, popular for their presence in malls, are co-branding to open locations across the country. I’m recent years, Cinnabon left then returned to Montgomery Mall. There’s also an existing Cinnabon location in Wheaton Mall. Auntie Anne’s has locations at the outlets in Clarksburg, Ellsworth Place Mall, Montgomery Mall, and Wheaton Mall in MoCo. An opening date has not yet been provided, but we would expect a mid-2023 opening for the co-branded restaurant.

Dickey’s BBQ – Montgomery Village
In May we reported that Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will be opening a new location in the Montgomery Village Center, next to the upcoming Kobe Japan (which is next to the Moe’s). Dickey’s Barbecue Pit previously opened a Montgomery County location in Germantown back in February 2013. The restaurant closed the following year and reopened under new management in July 2014 before closing permanently in early 2016. The first Maryland location was in Gambrills, but has since closed. Currently there are nearby locations in Pasadena, MD, two in Fairfax VA, and one in Alexandria VA. There is currently no opening date announced.

Dunkin’- Montgomery Village, Rockville, and Silver Spring 
Since Inspire Brands acquired Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins in late 2020 for $11.3 billion, the company has been opening in former bank locations that allow for easy installation of a drive-thru window. Dunkin’ has also aimed for non-traditional development that includes opening in airports and on college campuses, including the University of Maryland, but the three newest Dunkin’ coffee/donut shops that are coming to MoCo will all be in locations that were formally banks. One of the latest upcoming Dunkin’ locations is currently under construction at the Layhill Center (14328 Layhill Rd) in Silver Spring. The new location, which will have a drive-thru, will be located next to Sole D’Italia, in the space that was formerly home to Truist and BB&T Bank. Dunkin’ also has an upcoming location coming to the Traville Village Center in Rockville. It will be taking over the former Capital One Bank building at 9761 Traville Gateway Dr. We expect more news coming out of the shopping center regarding the former Nantucket’s Reef location very soon. Dunkin’ is also working on an upcoming location coming to the Goshen Crossing Shopping Center in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village. It will be taking over the former Capital One Bank building at 20000 Goshen Rd.

EggMania – Gaithersburg
EggMania is coming to 385 Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg, taking over the space formerly occupied by Curry Place, next to Indian Bazaar. Representatives from the restaurant tell us they plan on opening this spring. The menu consists of egg-centric Indian street food, including a masala omelet, egg curry, and Goti Fry (sliced boiled eggs cooked with ginger, garlic and chili. Topped with American cheese and onion-tomato based gravy). EggMania currently has franchises in several states and is currently opening new locations throughout the U.S.

The restaurant tells us, “There’s lots of misconception when it comes to “EggMania”. In American culture eggs based dishes are primarily used during breakfast whereas in popular Indian street food culture, eggs based dishes are made for entrees and served during lunch / dinner and full menu items, not just breakfast. EggMania is not breakfast place. Hope to serve the community and bring this delicious food options for our MoCo residents and surrounding very soon…!!”

Grandma’s Ice Cream and Waffles – Rockville 
Grandma’s Ice Cream and Waffles is coming to 389 E. Gude Dr. in Rockville, which is located next to the former Branded 72/O’Brien’s restaurant space. Grandma’s is being opened by the same owners as the “Grandma Kona’s” Kona Ice franchise in Gaithersburg/Germantown. Permanent signage was recently installed and the new ice cream shop is expected to open soon.

HalfSmoke – Rockville
Will 2023 be the year that HalfSmoke finally opens in Rockville? Back in August of 2020 we let you know that HalfSmoke would be opening a location in Rockville Town Square, taking over the spot that was previously  home to Pandora, American Tap Room, and Austin Grill.  The latest update we received is that the restaurant is now scheduled to open in 2023. Back in May we were told that construction and supply chain issues have been the cause for the delay. In July, HalfSmoke opened a kiosk in the Montgomery Mall food terrace. The kiosk menu consists of the best selling sausages and sides from their DC location, as well as boozy milkshakes and a funnel cake bar. HalfSmokes sister restaurant Butter Me Up opened its Montgomery Mall location in May.

Hangry Joe’s – Montgomery Village
In August we reported that Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken is coming to the Montgomery Village Shopping Center and will be located in the brand new space next to the recently opened Starbucks. In 2022 Hangry Joe’s opened locations at 2533 Ennals Ave in Wheaton, 10050 Darnestown Road in the Travilah Square shopping center, and 718-B Rockville Pike.

Isaac’s Poultry Market – Gaithersburg
Coming soon signage is up at Isaac’s Poultry Market at 12167 Darnestown Rd in Gaithersburg, the former site of Pizza Hut. The restaurant is being opened by Rob Gresham, a lifelong MoCo resident and the former Director of Operations at CAVA. The restaurant will feature American roasted chicken, wings, sandwiches, and salads. Issac’s is currently targeting a February opening. Gresham tells us that everything they sell will be made from scratch and that the menu will feature plenty of healthy options. Isaac’s will also feature frozen custards and a variety of baked goods and desserts. Featured photo by Todd Apna.

Jersey Mike’s – Aspen Hill
Jersey Mike’s will be opening a new restaurant in the Northgate Plaza in Aspen Hill. The restaurant, which is currently hiring, will be taking over the  location that was formerly home to Body & Brain Tai Chi– between Dunkin’ and Roy Rogers. Jersey Mike’s was founded as Mike’s Submarines in Point Pleasant, New Jersey in 1956. Peter Cancro started working at the restaurant in 1968 when he was 14 and the shop was on its third hour. Three years later the shop went up for sale again and with the help of a local high school football coach who was also a banker, Cancro was able to pull together $125,000 to buy it at age 17. He began to franchise the restaurant in 1987 and now has over 2,000 locations with various locations across Montgomery County.

Kabob N Karahi – Gaithersburg
Kabob N Karahi, a Pakistani restaurant that also serves some Indian cuisine, is aiming to open in spring /summer 2023 (currently in permitting stage) at 18232 Flower Hill Way (Previously Aaron’s location). The menu also consists of a variety of kabobs, curries, stews, and tandoori naan The owners have a current location in the Cloverly Village Center located at 15521 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring., where it has operated since 2008 and has become a staple in Cloverly. Per Kabob N Karahi: “Welcome to Kabob N Karahi, Maryland’s best family restaurant to find fresh, casual, authentic Pakistani-Indian kabob and curry cuisine. KNK is completely a Halal restaurant. We use only Halal meat, house sauces and salads are made fresh daily. We specialize in delicious chicken, beef, lamb, kofta kabobs and tikkas as well as Karahi. We provide catering for all the occasions (Birthday,Wedding and Engagement etc).”

Kobe Japan- Montgomery Village
Construction is ongoing at the site of Kobe Japan Hibachi And Sushi . The restaurant has additional locations at 1163 University Blvd E in Takoma Park and 13623 Georgia Ave. Suit A in Aspen Hill. According to their website, the menu features, sushi and sashimi, bento boxes and hibachi.

Laperaux, the Journemanchef’s Bistro- Germantown

Back in April we let you know of the impending arrival of Laperaux, the Journeymanchef’s Bistro,  the new restaurant coming to 18056 Mateny Rd in Germantown- the former home of Gumbo Ya Ya, Dickie’s BBQ Pit, and Cafe Mileto (located in the Cloppers Mill shopping center, in the same strip as Shoppers). The French bistro has made a lot of progress, adding an illuminated sign and awning covered patio, with plans to open in January.  Chef and owner Gregory Webb, who has earned such accolades and awards as “Chef of the Year 1998” in Houston, Texas, “Winner all Categories” at the Texas Open Wild Game Cookoff, “Top Chefs of Mexico City” and many others, will be bringing a French bistro to the location (menu available below).

Le Macaron
French pastry shop Le Macaron is coming to 7 Grand Corner Ave (next to BurgerFi) in Gaithersburg’s Rio.  Menu items will include macarons (available in 20 flavors), gourmet chocolates, French gelato, specialty European style coffees, classic French pastries, and homemade candies.  The store is scheduled to open in spring 2023.  La Macaron joins Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen and  Charley Prime Foods on the list of restaurants coming to Rio. According to its website, “Founders, Rosalie Guillem, who was living in Florida and her daughter, Audrey Guillem-Saba, living in France, had a dream to share delectable French macarons with the world and to reunite their family. The family, originally hailing from France, were surprised to find that the American take on the “macaron” was often simply sugar spun into a cookie shape or confused with the familiar coconut cookie “macaroon”. They knew that with a little consumer education, and by treating the American palate to true French macarons, they could bring a taste and texture sensation to the marketplace.

Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen
Coming soon signage is up at Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen at 229 Boardwalk Pl. in Rio. The restaurant will be located in the 2,741SF space previously occupied by BGR, which closed back in June. Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen in Rio will be a fast-casual restaurant, while the recently opened Miss Toya’s Creole Kitchen at 923 Ellsworth Dr in Downtown Silver Spring is full-service (wait staff, etc.) The restaurant is part of Jeffeary Miskiri’s Miskiri Hospitality Group, which describes itself as a unique collective of Black, family and woman-owned products and restaurants in the DC area. Miss Toya’s will serve southern-influenced dishes such as red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese and a southern fried chicken sandwich.

Mezeh Mediterranean Grill – Kensington
Mezah will be opening a new location in upcoming development Kensington Crossing. The restaurant has signed on to take over a new 2,350SF space with plenty of outdoor seating. Mezeh is a fast-casual eatery with a buffet-style of offerings that include rice and salad bowls, wraps and a variety of sauces and toppings. Mezeh currently has locations in Gaithersburg and Germantown. A Wheaton Mall location closed and was supposed to relocate to Aspen Hill, but that upcoming location has been removed from the Mezeh website.

Mochinut- Rockville
Mochinut, a restaurant that serves mochi donuts, Korean rice flour hotdogs, soft serve, and bubble tea drinks (menu available below), is coming to 838 Rockville Pike– the current location of Tea-Do. Mochinut offers mochi donuts, which is described as “a donut that originated from Hawaii which is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi.” Up to 25 different flavors are available, but flavors will vary by location. The Mochinut menu also consists savory treats in the form of Korean hotdogs and offers other sweet menu items like soft serve ice cream and bubble tea drinks. An opening date is not yet available.

Pho28 & Grill- Gaithersburg
Pho28 & Grill, a Vietnamese and Pho style restaurant will be opening in spring/summer 2023 (currently in permitting stage) at 18222 Flower Hill Way (previously Kick’s Karate location).  The owner has a sister fast food carry out place called Li’s BBQ located inside of Great Wall Supermarket in Rockville and will expand his Pho concept to a full service sit down restaurant in Gaithersburg.

RASA- Rockville
RASA, a fast-casual Indian restaurant with four locations in DC and Virginia, is coming to 12033 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center, the former site of Slapfish. The restaurant, founded by Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman (combined to create the name, RASA), opened its first location in Navy Yard in 2017 before opening a location in Mt. Vernon Triangle in 2020, Crystal City in 2021, and Fairfax this past summer. The menu offers seven chef-curated bowls under the “We Got You” portion of the menu, that includes their signature bowls like the “Tikka Chance on Me”, “Open Sesame”, “Eat Your Veggies”, “Home Cooking”, “Goa Your Own Way”, “Aloo Need is Love”, and “Caul on Me” or the “You Got It” portion of their menu that allows customers to “DIY” and design their own bowl using the assembly line format of a base, main, sauce, veggies, toppings, and chutneys/dressings. The full menu can be seen here.

Red Ribbon Bakeshop – Wheaton
Red Ribbon Bakeshop, a Filipino bakery chain, is coming to Wheaton. The bakery will be located at 2501 University Blvd W right next to the Anchor Inn sign that still stands. Currently, Red Ribbon Bakeshop has over 200 locations across the Philippines and 39 in the United States. In 2005 it was acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation, which opened its first D.C. area Jollibee location at Wheaton Mall in 2021. Red Ribbon Bakeshop announced on its social media last month that it is hiring a General Manager for the location, “Come Join Our Team! We are hiring an experienced Bakeshop General Manager for our beautiful UPCOMING Wheaton, MD location! If you or anyone you know are interested in discussing this opportunity, contact me to set up an interview. [email protected] Or, apply here: https://harri.com/…/job/1748005-bakeshop-general-manager“

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken – Gaithersburg 
Permanent signage is up at Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken (16248 Frederick Rd) on the border of Gaithersburg/Rockville, in the recently renovated Rock Grove Center on the corner of 355 and Shady Grove Rd. The center is also home to Minerva Indian Cuisine, Qdoba, and the recently relocated Dunkin Donuts. The North Carolina-based biscuit chain is known for their buttermilk-brined chicken and currently has Maryland locations in Columbia and Towson.  Menu items include biscuit sandwiches, biscuits & gravy,  fried chicken strips, and donuts. Originally scheduled to open this fall, Rise is now targeting an early 2023 opening.

Sweetgreen- Gaithersburg
Last October we let you know that Sweetgreen would be moving in to the former Verizon Wireless space, located next to Downtown Crown Beer & Wine, in Gaithersburg. Verizon has since moved within Crown, and construction on the upcoming Sweetgreen restaurant began a couple months back. Permanent signage is now up at the restaurant and while we don’t have an expected opening date, we anticipate an early 2023 opening. Sweetgreen currently has three MoCo locations, in Bethesda, Downtown Silver Spring, and Pike & Rose. Crown has been without a salad fast-casual restaurant since Chopt closed in early 2020 and has since moved that location to the Kentlands neighborhood. Sweetgreen is joining Lovesac and Bath and Body Works, which are both also planning to open new locations in Downtown Crown.

• All: Santa Rides Harley Across MoCo on Wednesday, December 7th: More info
• Burtonsville: December 10 https://www.facebook.com/100064337573386/posts/507273368093911/?mibextid=cr9u03
• Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department: December 7-22 https://www.cjpvfd.org/santa
• Damascus: December 12 – December 22 https://www.facebook.com/groups/355559001541428
• Darnestown: December 4th https://www.facebook.com/DarnestownCivicAssociation/posts/pfbid0ZzkRMTndNGdEPpy3qJtBaLqxkFAWSgbSzYfZ3fXi1vaParaWRiwqnj5o7cnTY665l
• Gaithersburg: December 3 – December 18 https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?hl=en&mid=12Pw59bEzNZu84RXgRWPmv3hEPFXu_2Y&ll=39.17891606114468%2C-77.208685&z=15
• Germantown: 12/9-12/10 and additional dates https://www.facebook.com/100076251562549/posts/196031576281893/?mibextid=cr9u03
• Glen Echo: December 15th to December 22 https://www.gefd.org/santa-claus-is-coming-to-town
• Glen Echo Fire Station: December 18 https://www.facebook.com/events/3339012873037296
• Hillandale Santa Run: December 20 https://facebook.com/events/s/santa-run-lockwood/1928685357471112/
• Hillandale/Silver Spring: December 7 – December 23 https://www.hvfd.org/santa-2022
• Hyattstown: December 16 https://www.hyvfd.com
• Kensington: December 15 – December 24 https://www.facebook.com/KensingtonVFD/posts/pfbid02CfqNEpm3Dn5psHPuJyNoXzPKCKsoRfWY67z7gDwgp64sj3GQMVPGj6ti5iCrGM6Cl
• Laytonsville December 6 – December 16 https://www.facebook.com/LaytonsvilleDistrictVolunteerFireDepartment/posts/pfbid02EMFV8qd7AmWYz8bnsLzw4aw3jnTdSa5319SzpY9TmbjR3o8TQhFMWjW3wM9JWANUl
• Poolesville/Upper Montgomery County VFD: December 17 https://www.facebook.com/events/468102115233264
• Rockville December 7 – December 24 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=530120305811120&set=pcb.530120335811117
• Rockville Fire Station: December 20 https://www.ourshul.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/5715374/jewish/Fire-Truck-Parade.htm
• Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department: December 18-23 https://www.ssvfd.org/santa-runs-on-december-18-23-2022/
• Sandy Spring Fire Station: December 20 https://www.jewisholney.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/3861852/jewish/Fire-Truck-Parade.htm

Tacos Don Perez will be taking over the location that was home to K-Town Bistro at 3784 Howard Ave in Kensington for the last 12 years. Tacos Don Perez took over in early November and plan to open to the public late Spring 2023  (possibly sooner) with a taqueria quick-service concept. Photos of the food available below.

Tacos Don Perez started off as a small, family-run catering business back in 2017. It continued that way until may 2020, when it became a once-a-week home-based pop-up when the family was left without work due to Covid-19. The pop-up quickly gained support from the local community, as Tacos Don Perez sold out in a matter of hours every single week. With the support of their customers, the family was able to buy and custom build their own food truck, which is located in the Glenmont shopping center (12321 Georgia Ave). In March 2022 the family opened what they’ve referred to as “the biggest food trailer in Montgomery County” in the same Glenmont location.

Glenmont will remain open as the Kensington restaurant will be Tacos Don Perez’ first brick and mortar location.  Both restaurants will operate the same Tuesday-Sunday hours (11:30am-8:30pm daily).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS9-NNBlSDh/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=

Below you’ll find a list of restaurants that unfortunately closed in 2022. Please let us know of any restaurants we may have missed. On the flip side, make sure to read our list of Over 100 Restaurants That Have Opened in Montgomery County in 2022.

Anh-mazing Viet Kitchen- North Bethesda
Anh-mazing Viet Kitchen located inside The Block Food Hall (967 Rose Ave, North Bethesda) at Pike & Rose, closed on September 30. The restaurant was known for its short rib pho and selection of banh mi sandwiches. Anh-mazing’s location at 12250 Clarksville Pike in Clarksville will remain open. The restaurant posted the following Facebook message on September 20: “This is not a final goodbye! Hi banh mi lovers, Anh-mazing team at The Block wants to thank you from the bottom of our heart for your tremendous support in the past two years. We are open during covid and faced with lots of challenges. However, your love and support absolutely make the journey worth it. It is hard for us to announce that Anh-mazing Viet Kitchen inside the Block will permanently close our doors by September 30th. This is not a forever goodbye. We will be back when the right time and the good opportunity come. So come support us and get your favorite banh mi and short rib pho. Also, we are still open at the Clarksville location, and our team is happy to see you there.”

Bambu Cafe- Rockville
Bambu, a cafe in Rockville that specializes in bubble tea, coffee, tea, desserts, Chè, and Indonesian cuisine, closed on October 31st. The cafe, located at 12242 Rockville Pike, opened in 2019.

Baronessa- Rockville
Baronessa, located at 1302 E Gude Drive in Rockville, closed at the end of April. The full announcement from the restaurant can be seen below: “There is no easy way to put this. We are extremely sorry to announce that Baronessa Italian Restaurant will be permanently closing its doors. We would like to thank our loyal customers who have been patronizing Baronessa for their years of support. Also, we want to thank our landlord Promark Partners, but most of all. THANK YOU to our. wonderful staff. We would never be able to do this without you. Our last day will be Saturday, April 30th 2022.”

Berry Cup- Rockville
Berry Cup, a locally owned fro-yo shop at 36-B Maryland Ave in Rockville that served probiotic yogurt, Taiwanese shaved ice (also called snow cream), Hawaiian shaved ice, and boba tea closed in July. According to its bio on the Rockville Town website, “At Berrycup, each customer becomes a Yogurt Artist. By bringing together the finest premium yogurt, freshest fruits and the highest quality toppings, customers are able to create their own delightful treat, unique to their own taste. With a variety of healthy probiotic frozen yogurt, fresh fruits, and favorite cookie, cereal, and candy toppings, customers can mix and match their favorite yogurt flavors and toppings to their own liking.”

Bethesda Gourmet- Bethesda
Bethesda Gourmet, a small cafe/deli that has operated inside one of the Bethesda Towers at 4350 E W Hwy #100 for over a decade, closed in August. The restaurant offered traditional breakfast and lunch items, as well as daily specials that include a variety of Korean and Chinese dishes.

BGR- Gaithersburg
BGR, which stands for “Burgers Grilled Right,” closed its Rio location permanently on Saturday, June 11th. BGR opened in Rio approximately 10 years ago at 229 Boardwalk Place, next to Muse Paint Bar, just outside of the building that contains the movie theater. Competitor BurgerFi opened a couple hundred feet away in Rio in March of this year. There are still existing BGR locations in Montgomery County in Bethesda (4827 Fairmont Avenue) and Germantown (20940-B Frederick Road). It has been announced the Miss Toya’s will be opening in the space previously occupied by BGR.

Brazilian Bakery- Takoma Park
Brazilian Bakery at 7639 New Hampshire Ave in Takoma Park has closed in June. The Takoma Park location opened in August 2020 and offered baked goods and various ham and stuffed chicken specialties, while the location in Aspen Hill offers a buffet. Source of the Spring was first to report Brazilian Bakery’s closing. Feature photo courtesy of Brazilian Bakery on Facebook. “We are heartbroken to announce that yesterday was our last day in operation. 💔 We are so thankful for this community and all of your love and support. We will always remember you. We are looking forward to other future endeavors and hope to see you all in the future.” The original location at 13655 Georgia Ave in Aspen Hill remains open.”

Brickside- Bethesda
Brickside Food & Drink has announced its closure in July. The bar and restaurant opened with a prohibition-era them in 2013, by the owners of Adams Morgan’s Grand Central, at 4866 Cordell Ave. After nearly a decade operating in business, the following message was left on the restaurant website: “Thank you to all our patrons. We regret to inform you that we have decided to move on to new ventures and Brickside is officially closed for business. We hope to see you at one of our other sister restaurants.

Buffalo Wings and Beer- Cloverly 
Buffalo Wings and Beer in the Cloverly Village Center (15412 New Hamphire Ave) closed on January 4th. Buffalo Wings and Beer was founded and created in 1995 by the late Ira Levy, a Silver Spring native who was able to grow the local chain to 10 restaurants across the DMV at one point. The first restaurant opened in Gaithersburg after Levy saw a restaurant go out of business on Snouffer School Road, near the old Gentleman Jim’s location. The eventual expansion included locations in Cloverly, Baltimore, Eldersburg, Frederick, Germantown, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, and Leesburg, VA among others, even becoming a sponsor of the Washington Football Team for a few years. A highlight for the local restaurant chain was winning the National Buffalo Wing Festival that is held every year in Buffalo, NY. Buffalo Wings and Beer was first selected to compete in 2008, earned a 2nd place finish in 2009, and won the competition of over 185 restaurants in 2010. The Cloverly location was the last remaining of the restaurants.

Bun’d Up- North Bethesda
Bun’d Up closed its location in The Block at Pike & Rose after a little over a year and a half back in September. Bun’d Up opened it’s Pike & Rose location in January of 2021and is known for putting a “modern, Korean twist on the original Taiwanese “gua bao” with handmade buns, local produce, and sustainably raised meat from Springfield Farm.” The location closed a earlier in September, according to a representative from The Block. We were told a replacement hasn’t been named yet, but one is likely to take over in the coming weeks. Bun’d Up is still available in the DMV at Pentagon Row in Arlington and Union Station in DC. You can also still get your buns in MoCo on Saturdays between 9am and 1:30pm at the Pike Central Farm Market in Pike & Rose and at the Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays between 9am and 1:30pm at 7600 Arlington Rd.

Cesco Osteria- Bethesda
Acclaimed Chef Francesco Ricchi announced his retirement after over 30 years in the Washington, DC area back in January. His restaurant, Cesco Osteria at 7401 Woodmont Ave in Bethesda, closed on January 29th. The restaurant had been named “Most Popular Italian Restaurant” by Washingtonian Magazine and “Best New Restaurant in the United States” by Esquire Magazine.

China King – Gaithersburg
China King at 8035 Snouffer School Rd in Gaithersburg closed in April. The most recent owners took over the restaurant in 2001 and tell us that difficulty staffing and pandemic woes helped them to decide it was time to retire. China King was known for its modern interpretation of classic dishes and for using high quality fresh ingredients. The restaurant was located between 7-Eleven and El Salvadoran restaurant El Encanto.

Crown Fried Chicken and Waffle- Montgomery Village
Crown Fried Chicken Homemade Waffle & Breakfast at 9120 Rothbury Dr. in Montgomery Village (next to Athens Grill) closed in February. Signage on the front door read, “This Store is Permanently Close, Sorry?”  The restaurant opened in March 2021 and sold a wide variety of items, including waffles, cheesesteaks, fried chicken, omelets, and subs. Crown Fried Chicken opened a new location at 1909 Seminary Rd in Silver Spring back in June.

Duck Donuts- Gaithersburg
Duck Donuts closed its Gaithersburg location after operating for just over five years.  A Roaming Rooster will be moving into the location in 2023. Duck Donuts opened in April 2017 at 511 Quince Orchard Rd in Gaithersburg. It was the second Montgomery County location, opening a little more than a year after the Rockville location opened in early 2016 at 1327 Rockville Pike. We are told there are no plans to close the Rockville location.

Gelato Galaxy- Bethesda
Gelato Galaxy closed in January after less than six months in the Montgomery Mall food court. Gelato Galaxy opened in August of 2021 in the location that was previously home to Coldstone Creamery in the middle of the Westfield Montgomery food court.  The dessert spot offered gelato, soft-serve custard, Italian ice, and gelati (which is a combination of custard and Italian ice). HalfSmoke replaced Gelato Galaxy in July. 

Goldberg’s New York Bagels- Potomac
Goldberg’s Bagels closed its Cabin John Village back in the spring. Established in 1998 and serving the DC Metro area since 2004, Goldberg’s New York Bagels offers award winning bagels and deli style cuisine. Management told Store Reporter, who was one of the first to report the news, that “the rent has gotten too high and they won’t be back after the Passover holiday.” The Potomac location has been at 7731 Tuckerman Ave in Cabin John Village for approximately a decade. The Rockville and Silver Spring locations will remain open.

Flower Coffee- Silver Spring
Flower Coffee Collective had its last day of service on June 25. The mobile coffee shop opened at 8805 Flower Ave in Silver Spring (in front of El Gavilan Restaurant) in August of last year and sold specialty coffee, espresso, agua fresca and pastries out of a vintage camper.  Flower Coffee posted the following message on their social media pages: “It’s with a heavy heart that I tell you Flower Coffee is closing. Our final day of operation will be Saturday, June 25th. While this iteration of my coffee journey is coming to a close, it is not the end of coffee in the Long Branch neighborhood. Your individual and community support has made this particular coffee venture a success, and as we move forward I can’t wait to share what the future holds. More soon!”

Hickory Bar & Grill- Burtonsville
We first reported that Hickory Bar & Grill, located at 15420 Columbia Pike B in Burtonsville, had closed back in April, although the restaurant had not been active for sometime. The restaurant, which has been in Burtonsville since 1992 operating as Old Hickory Grille, reopened after a change in ownership and management in October 2020 and announced a new menu via social media as recently as November 2021.

Hunan Manor- White Oak
Hunan Manor, which was located at 11237 New Hampshire Avenue in the White Oak shopping center for the last twenty years, closed on February 21.

Jerry’s Subs & Pizza- Aspen Hill
Jerry’s Subs and Pizza closed its Aspen Hill location at 13645 Connecticut Ave, leaving Jerry’s with just one location left in Montgomery County (8517 Colesville Rd in Silver Spring), where the first Jerry’s opened on University Blvd in Wheaton back in 1954. Last year, the door dash account for Jerry’s in Aspen Hill was changed to “Jay’s Subs and Pizza.” We gave the restaurant a call at that time and were told that the restaurant would be undergoing a name change soon and that it will remain “almost the same as Jerry’s.” It doesn’t seem like the restaurant ever went though with the rebranding, as it returned to Jerry’s Subs and Pizza.

K Town Bistro- Chevy Chase
K Town Bistro, located at 3784 Howard Ave in Kensington, has been listed as “permanently closed” for a few weeks. We hav been told the restaurant closed at the beginning of December and the website has been updated to include only the following message: “Thank you for the support these past 12 years. It was a pleasure serving you all. The bistro will be passed on to a new ownership“ There is no confirmation on what kind of restaurant will be taking over, but we have received messages from neighbors stating that they’ve heard Italian could be the cuisine the new owners will be serving. K Town Bistro opened in 2010, taking over the space that was home to K-Town Grill for a short period of time. The bistro was opened by former Watergate Hotel restaurant manager Gonzalo Barba and served casual international cuisine.In the last 2.5 years, a GoFundMe fundraiser has raised nearly $15,000 by over 150 donors in support of the restaurant and its staff. Featured photo courtesy of the GoFundMe page.

Lahinch Tavern and Grill- Potomac
Lahinch Tavern at 7747 Tuckerman Ln (Cabin John Village) in Potomac closed in May. The restaurant opened in April 2016, replacing Benny’s Bar, and is owned by the same family that has operated The Irish Inn at Glen Echo since 2003. According to its website, Lahinch offered American regional cuisine along with a unique twist on traditional Irish dishes by Chef Ted Hughes. Menu items include fish & chips, Shepherd’s Pie, corned beef, lamb chops, and steak.

La Limeña- Rockville
La Limeña Peruvian Restaurant announced its closure after 15 years at 765 Rockville Pike in Rockville in January. It’s sister restaurant La Limeña Grill will remain open at 1093 Rockville Pike in Rockville. The locations were approximately one mile apart. La Limeña Grill opened because of the long waits at the original, 60 seat restaurant and offers more than  double the seats.

Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli- Bethesda
Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli opened in the Montgomery Mall Food Court in May and closed in July. The restaurant opened in the space previously occupied by Big Al’s Sub Shop and is currently Malia’s Kitchen. The restaurant featured imported cold cuts that are cut fresh daily, homemade meatballs, cannolis, and more. Owner Larry Lazzaro told us his family owned Lucia’s Deli on University Blvd in Wheaton back in the 80’s. The business was eventually sold and the company became what is now Mamma Lucia.

Lilly Magilly’s- Gaithersburg (relocating)
Lilly Magilly’s Cupcakery, located at 220 Boardwalk Place at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg for over a decade closed on November 20th. A new storefront has been announced, but the exact location of where it will be is not yet available. The full message from Lilly Magilly’s can be seen below: “Big news! We’re Moving!! After 12 years, Lilly Magilly’s last day at 220 Boardwalk Place will be November 20, 2022. To the customers, staff, friends, family, and neighbors, we offer a heartfelt “thank you”for supporting our small family bakery, helping us grow, and creating a lifetime of unforgettable memories with us! We wouldn’t be where we are today without you! We’re excited for our next adventure and our new storefront, opening in 2023, that will allow us to offer even more Sweet Treats. Be sure to follow us here for sneak-peaks of our new location build-out and special announcements. We can’t wait to share it with you.
We hope you will stop by for a visit during our last few weeks here! After November 20th, we’ll operate as an online bakery for pick-up and delivery, until the new location opens. Email us at [email protected] or call us at 301-208-2828 to place an order.”
It has been announced that a Cinnabon/Auntie Anne’s combination store will be taking over the location. 

Little Beet Table- Chevy Chase
Little Beet Table in Chevy Chase closed permanently in March. The restaurant was located in The Collection at Chevy Chase (5471 Wisconsin Ave.) and opened in November of 2020. Little Beet Table, which still has a location on Park Avenue in New York, served brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks with a vegetable-forward, seasonal approach. They have a 100% gluten-free menu packed with nourishing, wholesome dishes.

Mangu Delight Food Truck
Dominican food truck Mangu Delight, which was parked daily at 14300 New Hampshire Ave in Silver Spring,  closed on March 26. In a message on their Instagram page, Mangu Delight thanked its customers for all of their support and said, “this is not goodybye, you will still be able to reach out for catering.” Mangu Delight’s menu includes empanadas, chicharron, ribs, steak, toastones, burgers, and soups.

Max’s Kosher Cafe- Wheaton 
Max’s Kosher Cafe at 2319 University Blvd W in Wheaton closed on July 28. The restaurant, known for their falafel, shawarma, fried chicken, and deli sandwiches, has been a Wheaton staple for nearly three decades. According to a Bethesda Beat report, the cafe hopes to open again in the Kemp Mill shopping center, which is the home of Shalom Kosher- a supermarket owned by The Shalom Group (owners of Max’s). “We hope that people will voice their opinions and voice their feelings and hopefully we’ll be able to get it into the shopping center here,” he said in the interview.
The restaurant released the following statement: “We have had the privilege to serve the community since 1994 when we opened Max’s. Our falafel and shawarma turned us into a popular destination and gave us opportunities at FedEx Field and Nat’s Park. With much sadness, we are closing Max’s and our last day of business will be July 28, 2022. We want to thank everyone for their patronage over the last 28 years. We have been extremely lucky to have such a long history of serving the community and very grateful for the opportunity. We have worked tirelessly over the past few years to move Max’s. We were given the opportunity to move closer to the community however, due to conditions beyond our control, we are not able to relocate. If the right opportunity arose, we would welcome the idea of reopening.
Max, Larry, and Justin Dekelbaum”

Miller’s Ale House- Rockville
Miller’s Ale House closed permanently on Sunday, September 25th, after approximately a decade at 1471 Rockville Pike in Rockville.  The location was previously home to Hooters before it moved across the Pike (and later closed) and Shakey’s before that. Miller’s Ale House is a Florida-based American restaurant and sports bar chain that was founded in 1988. The restaurant serves steaks, chicken, burgers, salads, seafood, and more. Though most of their locations are in Florida (over 50), there are over 30 other locations open across the east coast. Miller’s Ale House has nearby locations in Hyattsville and Sterling, VA locations. In what was one of our most popular articles of the summer, over 500 readers chimed in with comments on the impending closure. Comments, which were mostly positive, included:

• “As a restaurant owner I understand their decision based on new building owners rent increase and an expiring lease. Rockville needs an Outback and this might be a perfect location with good parking and an ever increasing business population in the area.”
• “We went with friends quite often. Always had a good meal. Their ribs were delicious.”
• “Only went there about once a year, but I like it. Beer was cold food good.”
• “Had it really been 10 years?! I still refer to it as “that new bar that replaced Hooters.”  I feel old.”
• “I am so bummed. This was our go to spot…”

Moorenko’s- Bethesda 
Moorenko’s in Montgomery Mall closed over the summer. The ice cream shop, which opened in 2020, was located in a kiosk (previously home to Cookie Dough & Co.) on the lower level of the mall.  All signage and equipment has been removed.  Moorenko’s still has scoop shops in Silver Spring (8030 Georgia Ave) and Capital Hill, DC, and their ice cream is also served at Henry’s Sweet Retreat at 4823 St Elmo Ave in Bethesda. Ice cream flavors the company makes includes Bittersweet Chocolate, Blackberry Chocolate Chip, Cherry Stracciatella, Cinnamon Cappuccino, Cotton Candy Gummy Bear, Honey Lavender, and White Chocolate Mint.

Mr. Smoothie- Rockville
Mr. Smoothie, located at 33 Maryland Ave G in Rockville Town Square, has closed permanently in January.  Mr. Smoothie, a smoothie and frozen yogurt bar chain, has most of its locations in New York with additional locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

Mussel Bar- Bethesda
Robert Wiedmaier’s Mussel Bar & Grille in Bethesda (7262 Woodmont Ave) closed permanently on April 9th. It was the first of multiple locations that opened in Bethesda in July of 2010. A second location opened in Atlantic City, N.J, and a third opened in Ballston. The Atlantic City location has since closed and the Ballston location remains open. Per its website, “inspiration for Mussel Bar is an old-world Belgian roadhouse serving Bière, Moules & Frites, the kind of place where Chef in his youth would head late night to unwind with kitchen colleagues, eat simple food and listen to good music. He’s one of the first to ‘muscle’ the craze and honor his Belgian roots in the DC area with bringing the savory mollusks to the forefront of his own gastro-pubs with the original location in Bethesda, MD that opened in July, 2010.”

Not Your Average Joe’s- Gaithersburg
Not Your Average Joe’s at 245 Kentlands Blvd in Gaithersburg closed on July 27.  ‪ The Massachusetts-based creative casual cuisine concept made its way to Montgomery County in the summer of 2012. The company then opened Bethesda in the summer of 2015 and in Silver Spring in July 2016. The Silver spring announced its permanent closure in July 2020. About NYAJ’s: “Stephen Silverstein opened the first Not Your Average Joe’s in pursuit of the uncommon. In 1994, he worked to give his hometown of Dartmouth, Massachusetts a unique neighborhood place with great food and better company. Today, we have 19 restaurants spread throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. We’re building incredible spaces with every nail, and striving to be better with every opening. In doing this, we’ve created a culture where our people are our foundation – making the sky the limit where we go next.“

Peet’s Coffee- Silver Spring 
Peet’s Coffee, located at 1316 East-West Highway in Silver Spring closed at the end of October. The Berkeley, California born coffee chain planned to open 23 locations in the DC area in 2014/2015, with the first debuting today at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. MoCo locations included the Silver Spring location and two Bethesda locations– one in Montgomery Mall that closed in 2017 and one at 7629 Old Georgetown Rd that closed in 2020 after 6 years.

Philz Coffee- Bethesda
Philz Coffee, located at 7247 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda, closed permanently in June. Philz Coffee opened its Bethesda location in December of 2018 and has DC Area locations in Adams Morgan, Navy Yard, and Ballston. More on Philz Coffee: Founded more than 25 years ago by Phil Jaber, Philz Coffee has more than 55 stores across California and the Washington, DC region. With more than 20 unique, customized blends created by Phil, there are four million ways to enjoy Philz Coffee, each handcraft to the customer’s request. A full service-coffee bar, Philz grinds the coffee beans and upon request mixes in the cream and sugar, making the drinks true “cups of love.” There aren’t lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, or pre-brews and the recommended first cup is “Philz Way” – medium sweet with cream.

Pollo-Mex- Colesville
Pollo-Mex Chicken and Mexican Grill closed after 12 years in the Colesville Center. The windows at the restaurant have been papered and a notice is posted on its door stating that July 31 was its last day of business. The website offers the following message:  “Dear Amigos, After over a decade of being a part of this community and your families, it is with immense sadness in our hearts but hopes of a much brighter future to come, that unfortunately Pollo Mex has closed its doors. We wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who have supported us throughout these 12 amazing years. We have so many great memories that we will always keep in our hearts, and it has been a pleasure to be part of your memories all these years. Thanks to you we built an amazing space to share food, long lasting friendships, laughs and love. We realize how lucky we are to have been graced by your love and support. From our families to yours “Thank you” and we will be sure to let you know where our new adventures take us.”

Provisions Cafe- Germantown
Provisions Cafe closed in January after three years in Germantown. The Cafe opened in 2018 at 19520 Waters Road in Germantown and offered baked goods, breakfast, smoothies, salads, sandwiches, and more. Per the announcement, Provisions was unable to renegotiate a new lease that would make sense for the cafe. The cafe will continue to cater and deliver baked goods.

Republic- Takoma Park
Popular Takoma Park restaurant Republic, located at 6939 Laurel Ave, closed its doors on September 4th, after operating for a decade at the location. The full statement can be seen below:
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Republic. Our last day of service will be Sunday, September 4th. The last 2 ½ years of the pandemic have been merciless, unforgiving, and ultimately a hardship from which we could not recover. At the same time, our lease is set to expire and we have been unable to come to an agreement with the landlord on how to move forward. We are immensely grateful for the last 10 years. Thank you to our wonderful guests for their continued support. Thank you to the town of Takoma Park for embracing us as part of the community. Thank you to our amazing employees, past and present, for supporting the vision of Republic. Fortunately we are able to move the staff from Republic to our other restaurants where they hope to see you soon! Small businesses are struggling every day. Please continue to support your favorite restaurants and local shops.”

Saffron Indian Cuisine- Rockville
Saffron Indian Cuisine closed permanently in May. Saffron was located at 1321 C, Rockville Pike, in Rockville’s Woodmont Station (the shopping center that is also home to Ledo Pizza). According to LoopNet, the 3,210 SF that was home to Saffron until last week is now available to lease with restaurant equipment in place. The restaurant opened in 2014 and gained popularity in Rockville, often participating in local events like Taste of Rockville/Hometown Holidays and other food festivals.

Sam’s Cafe/Hookah
Sam’s Cafe & Market, also known as Sam’s Hookah, closed permanently at the end of March. The cafe/market/hookah bar had been open in Rockville at 844 Rockville Pike for over a decade and at a previous location across Rockville Pike before that for a combined 24 years. A representative from the store told us that the closure is due to the owners retiring.

Saphire Cafe- Bethesda
Saphire, located at 7940 Wisconsin Ave, closed in June. The popular Bethesda nightlife location posted the following message on its Facebook page: “Ok friends, the time has finally come… The official last day for Saph is Monday but tomorrow will be the last Saturday for your favorite bar/bartenders! Jason and I (Brendan) thank you ALL for being with us for for so long and making our nights so enjoyable. I know Will, Julian, Matty Lew, William and everyone else before me deeply appreciates your patronage over the years! We love you all, and let’s make this weekend until they ‘pull the plug’, EPIC!”

Slapfish- Rockville
Slapfish closed its only MoCo location (12033 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center) in July. The restaurant opened in July 2018, when it gave away 107 lobster rolls as part of its grand opening celebration. The “modern seafood shack” is a fast casual restaurant with locations primarily on the west coast and Southwestern United States, but has recently opened location across the country. It has been called “the Chipotle of Seafood.” The Rockville location was their first on the east coast, as it joined Cava, Honeygrow, and MOD Pizza at Montrose Crossing. The strip where the restaurant is located was constructed over the previous home of Timpano Italian Chophouse, the restaurant that was demolished to make way for the current structure that was home to Slapfish and is currently home to other fast-casual eateries and stores.

Snow Bots- Rockville
Snow Bots, one of the first places to make snow cream relatively popular in Montgomery County, announced that it closed permanently via social media at the beginning of June. Located at 1701 Rockville Pike, near Congressional Plaza, since 2014, the snow cream and bubble tea shop was one of the first to bring egg waffles to the area (called puffles). Snow Bots also introduced larger bubble tea cups that were more like soup containers.

Tara Thai- Gaithersburg
We received official word that Tara Thai at 9811 Washingtonian Blvd L9 in Gaithersburg’s Rio Lakefront had permanently closed and would not be reopening back in April. Tara Thai has additional Montgomery County locations at Bethesda’s Montgomery Mall and in Rockville’s Montrose Crossing, and other locations in neighboring counties. The Rio restaurant has been open for over 20 years. The location, which has a patio overlooking the lake and offers one of the few places in Montgomery County you can “eat on the water”, is going to be replaced by Charley Prime Foods early next year.

Teriyaki Express- Gaithersburg
Teriyaki Express, located at 405 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg closed after less than two years at the location. Another Teriyaki Express remains open at 9128 Rothbury Drive in Goshen Plaza (Montgomery Village). Charleys Cheesesteaks and Wings has already moved in as the replacement at the location.

Woodside Deli- Rockville
Woodside Deli, located at 4 N Washington Street in Rockville, closed permanently after nearly 12 years in Rockville.  The Silver Spring location closed in 2019 after operating for more than 70 years. While there is a Woodside Deli in Germantown, we have been told that the location is no longer connected to the original Woodside Deli. Full statement from the owners available below: “Dear Woodside Deli Rockville family and friends, It is with a heavy heart that we announce closing our doors for the final time. This was not an easy decision, especially after closing our flagship location in Silver Spring in Oct. 2019, a staple in the community for over 70 years. We opened our doors here on North Washington Street in Dec. 2010, and in that time you have welcomed us with open arms. We are proud to have become a staple here too.  When the pandemic began, Woodside like many other restaurants, was hit hard with countless obstacles. Although the pandemic is no longer what it once was, many of the impacts have since lingered. Such as supply chain related issues, drastic price increases for goods, rent increases, and staffing shortages, to name a few. We fought hard to stay open for our community, to remain a place you could rely on for great food and superior service. But unfortunately, we could not overcome the impacts. To the all the loyal Woodside Deli customers over the years, we appreciate your patronage and support. You are the reason for our success over many years. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will be holding a yard sale for anyone who may be interested in any of the memorabilia and photos we have collected over the years. We will be posting further details and dates on our Facebook.
With  and best wishes,
The Woodside Deli Family”

Quizno’s- Rockville
The last remaining Quizno’s in MoCo closed at the beginning of March. The restaurant was located at 1611 E Gude Dr. Back in April of 2021, the Bethesda location closed. It was the second to last remaining Quizno’s in the county.

Zoe’s Kitchen- Germantown
Zoe’s Kitchen, located at 19865 Century Blvd in Germantown, closed July 6th. Serving a Mediterranean inspired menu with different varieties of salads, pitas and sandwiches; Zoe’s, by 2014 grew, to include over 200 locations across 17 states with plans to expand further. However, the acquisition by CAVA has resulted in a dramatic reduction in Zoe’s locations (some replaced by CAVA restaurants). As of June 22, 2022 there were 90 locations remaining in 15 states, with previous Montgomery County locations in Park Potomac and Gaithersburg closing in recent years. The restaurant has since been replaced by CAVA Digital Kitchen.

With a strong selection of Filipino cuisine in the DC area, Eater put together a list that includes some places to “find fantastic Filipino food around DC.” While there are additional restaurants that serve Filipino cuisine in Montgomery County, three were included in the list by Eater– Gwenie’s Pastries, Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly, and the worldwide fast-food chain Jollibee.

Gwenie’s Pastries (12113 Nebel St., Rockville): “Overseen by Stella Fernandez, whose brother Javier runs Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly, this storefront supplies other local Filipino restaurants and markets with sweets developed by their mother, Gwendolyn. Try the ube cupcakes, with a vibrant color coming from the purple yam that’s a staple of Filipino desserts.”

Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly (5268-H, Nicholson Ln, Kensington, MD 20895): “Chef Javier Fernandez has amassed a massive Maryland following for his signature lechon. With its crispy skin and moist, well-seasoned meat, the roasted pork belly tastes as good out of a to-go container as it does in the store. One could subsist on lechon alone, but don’t miss out on the crispy adobo fried chicken sandwich, lumpia, and bowls full of pancit or grilled adobo chicken on takeout or delivery. This summer, the team debuted Lapu Lapu in Gaithersburg with pan de sal breakfast sandwiches and ube soft serve. Stay tuned for Fernandez’s forthcoming Extra Rice DMV at Chevy Chase’s new food hall.”

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Below is a list of restaurants that will be open and serving Thanksgiving dinner on November 24. Most restaurants are requiring reservations so please call the location or check availability online before visiting:

The Capital Grille – 5310 Western Ave, Chevy Chase
The Capital Grille will be offering Roasted Turkey with Brioche Stuffing, French Green Beans with Marcona Almonds, and Cranberry-Pear Chutney, and Pumpkin Cheesecake on Thanksgiving. The cost is $47 for adults and $17 for children. The restaurant will also have their regular dinner menu available.
For more information visit: https://www.thecapitalgrille.com/events/thanksgiving-dinner-menu

Clyde’s– 5441 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase & 2 Preserve Pkwy, Rockville
“All of our locations are open on Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy a traditional turkey or spiral glazed ham dinner, served with sausage-sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed sweet potatoes, green beans, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce and a slice of pie.”
For more information visit https://www.clydes.com/reservations/

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant –1403 Research Blvd, Rockville
“Thanksgiving Menu – Adult $33.99 & Kids (12 & Under) $14.99 Feat. Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds and Sour Cream, Slow-Roasted Turkey with Pan Gravy, Traditional Stuffing, Roasted Green Beans & Carrots. Mary’s Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake, a collaboration with Eli’s Cheesecake of Chicago, with Vanilla Whipped Cream and Vanilla Sauce. Add-ons: Pair your meal with a glass of our November Wine of the Month, Grateful Red or Grateful White, or try our Cranberry Sangria made with Cranberry Wine, Fresh-Squeezed Juices and Spiced Cranberry Syrup!”
For more information visit https://chwinery.com/thanksgiving

Copper Canyon Grill- 928 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring 
Copper Canyon’s Silver Spring location will be open from 12-8pm on Thanksgiving.  All other CC locations will be closed. Copper Canyon’s turkey dinner consists of Turkey, Mashed potatoes & gravy, Green Beans, Cranberry sauce, and Cornbread stuffing for $25. Copper Canyon is also offering their holiday meal for pre-order to take home. Details and menu can be found at https://ccgrill.com/product/ccgrill/ 

Founding Farmers – 12505 Park Potomac Ave, Potomac
“Please join us at any of our Founding Farmers restaurants on Thursday, November 24 for our special Thanksgiving prix fixe dinner menu. Our prix fixe menu is the only menu available when dining in our restaurants on Thanksgiving Day (our lunch/dinner menus will not be available on Thanksgiving Day). Our Thanksgiving prix fixe menu will be available 11am – 8pm on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24 at all locations. ”
For more information visit  https://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/celebrate-thanksgiving-at-the-farm/

The Irish Inn – 6119 Tulane Ave, Glen Echo
The Irish Inn in Glen Echo will be offering a special Thanksgiving Menu ($60 adult/$30). Options include a classic Thanksgiving dinner, salmon, and beef stroganoff.  Reservations can only be made by calling the restaurant at (301) 229-6600. For more information visit www.irishinnglenecho.com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House – 106 Crown Park Ave, Gaithersburg
” It’s the holiday season and time to focus on family togetherness, and time well-spent. Gather around our table for a three-course Thanksgiving Feast with all of the trimmings and none of the work. We’ll be open early to serve you, and the regular dinner menu is available all day long. We welcome you to join us at our table for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Adults: $44* Children: $17*”
For more information visit https://www.ruthschris.com/promotions/thanksgiving-at-ruths/

This Saturday, October 29, the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Kensington are once again hosting their annual Halloween Movie Night. “Hotel Transylvania” will be shown at dusk in St. Paul Park on the big screen. Costumes are encouraged for all attendees.

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Kensington will have refreshments available for purchase in the Park, including pizza, popcorn, and candy.

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