Èkó House, a modern Pan-African restaurant located in Rockville Town Square announces its grand opening weekend on July 29 and 30, 2022. Èkó House, which celebrates Nigerian culture with fusion cuisine, art, and entertainment, has been open since February, but will have its ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration next weekend. “With exquisite cuisine, carefully curated interior, and exciting ambiance, each moment transports you to the vibrant city of Lagos. “

Attending Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. will be: Will Jawando, Montgomery County Council Member; Marji Graf, President & CEO, Rockville Chamber of Commerce; Ricky Barker, Director, Community Planning and Development Services; and Cindy Rivarde, Director, Rockville Economic Development Inc., among others. On Saturday, July 30, SIMI, the Afrobeats singer/songwriter, Isaac Gerald and the Ayo Band will perform from 7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Tickets start at $75 and can be purchased in advance here.  “As one of the few Nigerian restaurants in the DMV, we are excited to share the richness of Nigeria’s culture and cuisine with the Rockville community,” said Yomi Ajao, co-founder, Èkó House. “We want the community and the greater region to experience Èkó (Lagos), here in Rockville, Maryland. Rockville Town Square offers an array of culinary offerings, and we are thrilled that Èkó House is now an option.”


Lazzaro’s confirmed its closing on Sunday morning when owner Larry Lazarro wrote the following in response to a post on the Support MoCo FB page: “Thank you for all you and everyone has done on this page. Business was great and so was the feedback. It was a personal family health matter. But this is not the end I’m looking to move into a brick/ mortar. This place fell into my lap. Goin into the mall was never my first choice. lol Thank you to everyone we’ll miss seeing your beautiful faces every day! We love you and appreciate what everyone has done for us in this group! And the family is doing fine now.” 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.

The 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 last week. Butter Me Up is located in the old Aroma Espresso Bar location, which is downstairs near the Old Navy entrance and features “instagrammable” decor, will offer a menu that consists of a variety of breakfast sandwiches, toasts, sides, bowls, smoothies, and juices.


Updated to reflect an updated closing date of September 25th

A manager at the restaurant was able to confirm that Miller’s Ale House will be closing permanently in August (the date has since been updated to September 25th) after approximately 10 years 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.


Macy’s will be adding Toys”R”Us store-in-store shops to all of its U.S. locations over the next few months. The shops will range from 1,000-10,000 sq. feet, depending on the size of the Macy’s and will expand during the holiday season to offer a wider assortment of products. There are currently Macy’s locations in Lakeforest, Montgomery, and Wheaton Malls.

Depending on the success of the Macy’s version of Toys”R”Us, the company could consider bringing back standalone stores. The former Toy”R”Us location at 600 Frederick Rd in Gaithersburg has remained vacant since the company closed all its stores in 2018. Did you know the first ever Toy’s “R” Us opened in Rockville? 


A representative from Westfield Montgomery tells us that MacGuffins bar is very close to opening inside of AMC Theaters at the mall. MacGuffins is AMC’s in-house bar that offers beer, wine, and mixed drinks to moviegoers. According to AMC, “the term “macguffin,” coined by Alfred Hitchcock, refers to a plot device that propels a movie forward. Our specialty cocktails, craft beers and premium wines will be just the thing to turn this movie experience into a story worth remembering.”

A Drink Mighty Enough for a God!


Popular local food truck Malia’s Kitchen will be opening up inside the Montgomery Mall food court, taking over the space that was previously occupied by Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli and Big Al’s Sub Shop. Malia’s Kitchen serves soul food and seafood, which they describe as the best “homemade” down home cooking in the DMV. Items on their menu includes crab cakes, fried chicken, fried fish, and BBQ.  No opening date has been announced.

Lazzaro’s confirmed its closing on Sunday morning when owner Larry Lazarro wrote the following in response to a post on the Support MoCo FB page: “Thank you for all you and everyone has done on this page. Business was great and so was the feedback. It was a personal family health matter. But this is not the end I’m looking to move into a brick/ mortar. This place fell into my lap. Goin into the mall was never my first choice. lol Thank you to everyone we’ll miss seeing your beautiful faces every day! We love you and appreciate what everyone has done for us in this group! And the family is doing fine now.


At approximately 11:06 p.m., 6th District officers responded to the location for the report of an attempted armed robbery that just occurred.

The investigation by detectives has determined that the suspect entered the restaurant, pointed a handgun at an employee and demanded money. When observing another employee talking on a cell phone, the suspect turned around and exited the restaurant.


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 has closed.  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.”


With this expansion, Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena will also introduce celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s first full-service restaurant to Washington, D.C. with Guy Fieri’s Downtown D.C. Kitchen + Bar. Sports fans will soon enjoy an elevated culinary experience with scratch-made food, signature and classic drinks, and a large selection of beer and wine in addition to an industry-leading sports betting experience.

Along with brand new dishes, the menu will feature some of Fieri’s personal favorites including the award-winning Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheeseburger and the legendary Trash Can Nachos. This is the second culinary partnership between Caesars Sportsbook and Fieri following the recent opening of Guy Fieri’s Downtown Phoenix Kitchen + Bar at Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli opened in the Montgomery Mall Food Court back in May, in the space previously  occupied by Big Al’s Sub Shop. Earlier this week the stall in the food court was closed and mostly cleared out and Google listed the restaurant as permanently closed.

Early this morning there was confirmation that the food court location has closed, but hope of a reopening in a brick and mortar locations, when owner Larry Lazarro wrote the following in response to a post on the Support MoCo FB page: “Thank you for all you and everyone has done on this page. Business was great and so was the feedback. It was a personal family health matter. But this is not the end I’m looking to move into a brick/ mortar. This place fell into my lap. Goin into the mall was never my first choice. lol Thank you to everyone we’ll miss seeing your beautiful faces every day! We love you and appreciate what everyone has done for us in this group! And the family is doing fine now.


Update: The opening has been delayed. No date available at this time. 

Solaire Social, set to open Spring 2023 in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a concept that will feature 11 food hall vendors and will include a bar and Top Golf Swing Suite simulators. It will be located on the ground floor of the Solaire 8200 apartments at 8200 Dixon Ave in Silver Spring.


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