BIBIBOP Asian Grill, which has locations in Downtown Silver Spring (935 Ellsworth Drive) and Pike & Rose (11584 Old Georgetown Rd. Unit 1126), is offering free bowls for all nurses on Friday, May 12th (International Nurses Day). BIBIBOP offers fully customizable bowls with your choice of proteins, bases, toppings, and sauces. Options include Korean BBQ, steak, spicy chicken, and tofu.

Per BIBIBOP: “Nurses have gone above and beyond to take care of us, so we would like to take care of them! Offer: We are offering all nurses a complimentary bowl when they stop in at their local BIBIBOP on Friday, May 12th (International Nurses Day). Restrictions: Available in-store on 5/12/23 only. One bowl per nurse. Valid ID or proof of profession required.” Featured photo courtesy of BIBIBOP on Facebook. 


Persimmon, a popular and highly regarded Bethesda restaurant on 7003 Wisconsin Ave for 25 years, has been acquired by its employees from founders Damian and Stephanie Salvatore. The deal closed on May 8. Terms were not disclosed.

“Deciding to sell wasn’t an overnight decision,” said Stephanie. “It’s taken a while to think things through, such as figuring out our next steps professionally and personally. We have an amazing team of professionals who have helped prepare us for this day. After 25 successful years, we decided this was the right time.”


Taco Bar at 18100 Georgia Ave in Olney has permanently closed. The restaurant opened in the former Jerry’s Subs & Pizza spot back in 2018 and served a variety of tacos, tortas, and soups.  Taco Bar has additional locations at 3 Russell Ave in Gaithersburg and 1450 W. Patrick St in Frederick. Popular gas station restaurant Taco Bar El Guero (in Rio) is not related to these restaurants.

About Taco Bar: “To provide the community with  authentic Mexican fast food. We want all our customers to be involved in an experience that welcomes them to be part of the Mexican culture. Also, we strive to provide exceptional customer service from our attentive staff that will help our customers’ experience be a remarkable one.”


TaKorean, a Korean taco grill located at 261 Kentlands Blvd (former Nalley Fresh location) in Gaithersburg, will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 9 at 10:30am and is offering free food for guests from 11am to 2pm. The restaurant offers Korean style tacos and bowls with options including chicken/Dak Halbi, steak/Bulgogi, pork/Bo Ssam, and tofu/Hoisin. Takorean held its soft opening on Thursday, May 4.

This is TaKoreans first location outside of D.C. According to RestaurantDive, TaKorean is currently looking to open one restaurant at a time with future franchisees, and wants to ensure success at its initial franchise locations to create a strong base for a burgeoning franchise program. The company is open to multi-unit deals, but isn’t seeking them out. TaKorean is currently casting a wide net for potential markets, and once it sees brand recognition and franchisee interest in a particular market, it expects to build up that area, Lenard said. TaKorean is flexible on potential restaurant sizes, depending on a market’s real estate conditions.


“Shake Shack is celebrating the hardworking teachers in our communities by treating them to a FREE SHAKE during Teacher Appreciation Week. Between Monday, May 8 and Friday, May 12, teachers and school staff can enjoy a hand-spun shake with their order, on us, when visiting their local Shack. This offer is valid in-Shack with proof of school badge.”

There are Montgomery County Shake Shack locations in Potomac (Cabin John Village), Bethesda (Montgomery Mall), and Gaithersburg (Kentlands). Shake Shack shared the following post via its Instagram story yesterday:


Lucky Strike, located in Montgomery Mall (Bethesda), is offering an hour of free bowling for teachers this week (Monday, May 8th until Friday, May 12th) for National Teacher Appreciation week. Lucky Strike opened in 2017 on the lower level of the mall in the space that was previously home to movie theaters. Hours of operation and additional information below:

“It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week and class is in session at Lucky Strike! Monday, May 8th to Friday, May 12th enjoy a free hour of bowling! Thank you teachers! *Must show a valid teacher ID to get the offer. Bowling is for Walk-Ins Only. The free hour is only for teachers in any group.”


Mix Bar & Grill is rebranding to Juste Lounge The International Restaurant at 8241 Georgia Avenue, Ste 200 in Silver Spring. Mix Bar & Grill was a modern-casual American bistro with a “trendy and vibrant bar scene focused on providing great food and spirits to a diverse clientele.”

As of now we don’t have much information on Juste Lounge, but Juste Lounge has a hearing with Montgomery County’s Alcoholic Beverage Services (ABS) on its application by for a Class B, Beer, Wine & Liquor License, On-Sale Only, on Thursday, May 18th at 9am. We’ll have. Additional information as soon as it’s available. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


We confirmed today that Altar’d State would be closing its Montgomery Mall location permanently on Sunday, May 21. The women’s boutique opened at Montgomery Mall approximately five years ago. “Altar’d State is an energetic fashion boutique that offers a distinctive shopping experience for women interested in the latest fashion finds, the most anticipated accessories and that next great gift. Whether she is 16 or 60, the common thread is her desire to share her personality through stylish, comfortable, on-trend clothes, shoes and accessories.”

The first Altar’d State boutique was opened in 2009, in Knoxville, Tennessee, with one idea on the mind of founders Aaron Walters and Brian Mason: to create a brand that could make the world a better place. Per Altar’d State: “Every Monday, you have the opportunity to give back to those who need it most. 10% of net proceeds on Mondays go directly to local charities across the country. Throughout the year we support organizations who feed the hungry, assist service men and women, boost self-esteem, love on those undergoing treatment and house the homeless.” The boutique has a nearby location in Leesburg that we were told will remain open. Featured photo courtesy of Altar’d State on Facebook.


Charley Prime Foods, the new restaurant from Jackie Greenbaum & Gordon Banks (Little Coco’s, El Chucho, Bar Charley, Quarry House Tavern) that is replacing Tara Thai on the Rio Lakefront boardwalk at 9811 Washington Blvd in Gaithersburg, will now open on Saturday, May 13 at 4pm (the restaurant had previously announced an opening date of Friday, May 12.) Charley Prime will feature an extensive steak menu that includes filet mignon, New York strip, and a 36oz Tomahawk ribeye, as well as house made pastas and sandwiches like the Roasted Lamb French Dip. Additional details below:

Acclaimed DC restaurateurs Jackie Greenbaum & Gordon Banks (Little Coco’s, El Chucho, Bar Charley, Quarry House Tavern) will open Charley Prime Foods, a modern American restaurant, on May 12 at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg.   Chef/Partner Adam Harvey, long time Executive Chef with Greenbaum & Banks, will helm the kitchen, along with Russell Pike, currently the Chef de Cuisine at Little Coco’s.  Located in the former Tara Thai space (9811 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD), the restaurant will be centrally positioned on the boardwalk. The space will seat roughly 90 inside, with another 100 on an expansive patio, complete with lake views.  Editlab@Streetsense designed the space.  


Tastee Diner at 8601 Cameron St. in Silver Spring permanently closed on March 22, at 2pm. The diner was sold on March 21 to D.C. based Roadside Development for $3.1 million according to Maryland Land Records. Now you can own a piece of the diner’s long history, as the contents of the restaurant are currently being auctioned. From artwork, to photographs, to tables, chairs, and booths, you’re able to bid on almost everything inside the diner.

Roadside Development, which purchased the adjacent Capital One bank lot back in August, plans on creating a “multifamily mixed-use” redevelopment at the two sites. According to a press release, the original dining car from the diner will be incorporated into the future project. Tastee Diner opened its Silver Spring location on the corner of Wayne Avenue and Georgia Avenue in 1946. After 65 years, the diner faced being closed and destroyed to make room for Silver Spring’s Discovery Building but local residents rallied to save and move the diner to the location it was in until recently.


Last summer we let you know that 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. In January,  a representative from Andy’s let us know the restaurant is “approximately six months away from opening”, which makes an early summer opening likely. In addition to progress with construction, the restaurant also has its hearing with Montgomery County’s Alcoholic Beverage Services (ABS) on Thursday, May 18 at 10am.

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. According to Business Journal, “The Bethesda location will also have more space than average — its other locations run roughly 1,800 square feet — to accommodate larger parties.”


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