Restaurants

Akira Ramen & Izakaya to Open Gaithersburg Location

By MCS Staff

Akira Ramen & Izakaya will open a new location next to Ela Mesa Taste of Greece (109 Paramount Park Drive) in the Spectrum Town Center in Gaithersburg. Construction has already started, but there’s plenty of work left to go before there’s a better idea of when the restaurant will open. Akira’s first restaurant opened in 2017 at The Galvan in Rockville.

Per Akira: At Akira Ramen, we specialize in taking the authentic ramen experience to the next level. First, we offer unique in-house broth that would suit everyones’ taste: Tonkatsu salt, Miso, Shoyu and Vegetable broth. With extra toppings as an option, you can customize your ramen anytime. Second, our thin and curly noodles are made in-house daily.

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Food Court Now Open at New Grand Mart in Germantown

By Patrick Herron

Noodles & Friends and Gogi Friends Korean BBQ have opened inside of the food court at New Grand Mart supermarket at 13069 Wisteria Drive in the Germantown Plaza shopping center. Additional vendors, including Tous les Jours (bakery) and Fortune Cha (bubble tea and dessert) are expected to open by the end of July. Menu items at Noodles & Friends include JjaJang (noodles with blackbean sauce), Jjampong (seafood soup), KimChi fried rice, and Shrimp Tangsu. Menu items at Gogi Friends includes BulGogi, Bibim Bap, Ramyeon noodles, and dumpling soup.

New Grand Mart opened in the space previously occupied by Lotte Plaza on June 8th. According to its website, “New Grand Mart carries a variety of fresh produce, fish, meats, and ethnic specialty items that is hard for other markets to match.”

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Charleys Cheeseteaks & Wings Opens Today in Germantown

By Patrick Herron

Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings opens today, Friday, June 30, at 19877 Century Blvd in Germantown. Charleys is taking over the location that was previously home to Roll by Goodyear and Yogi Castle in the Shops at Town Center & Century Station shopping center. The restaurant is being opened by the same franchise group that owns the location at 405 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg. Unlike most mall food court locations, this Charleys will also serve wings and milkshakes.

In March, we reported that signage went up for Charleys Philly Steaks inside of the Germantown Walmart at 20910 Frederick Rd, taking over the space formerly occupied by McDonald’s. No opening date for the Wal-Mart Charleys has been announced but it is expected to open this summer.

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“Boozy” Taco Bell to Open First Montgomery County Location

By MCS Staff

Taco Bell Cantina, known for its fast-paced environment, tech-forward innovations like kiosks and digital menu boards, and a variety of alcoholic beverages to go along with traditional Taco Bell fare, is opening its first Montgomery County location in Silver Spring, according to a BizJournals report.

Per the report, the new restaurant will open at 8662 Colesville Road, next to the Fillmore Silver Spring and across the street from Ellsworth Place in the space that was most recently home to Pollo Campero until it closed in late 2021. The Taco Bell Cantina alcoholic drink menu “features an assortment of beers, wines, sangria and Twisted Freezes, including your favorite fermented alcohol”, but the exact drink menu will vary by location. An opening timeframe is not yet available.

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MoCo’s Newest Chick-fil-a is Owned/Operated by Gaithersburg High School Alumnus

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County’s newest Chick-fil-a has officially opened for business at 700 N. Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg. Chick-fil-a’s first Montgomery County restaurant opened less than a mile away from its newest location, opening inside of  Lakeforest Mall in 2003. That location closed in late 2011, a few months before the Kentlands location in Gaithersburg opened. Richard Munguia, a graduate of nearby Gaithersburg High School, is the owner/operator of the new restaurant.

Upon walking inside, you’ll see a photo of Richard. His time with the company started at the Tech Rd location in Silver Spring. He moved on to helping open Chick-fil-a restaurants across the country before returning to open a location in the area he grew up in. Per the sign up front, from Richard:  “It’s my full-time job-and really my passion- to make sure your visit is always a great one. While I am part of a large organization, as an Owner-Operator, I’m actually an individual business partner of Chick-fil-A, This brings not only responsibility and accountability, which is good for Guests and our Team Members alike, it also allows me to bring a local flavor to the Restaurant.

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Crimson Coward Announces 25 Upcoming Maryland Locations

By MCS Staff

Crimson Coward, a Nashville hot chicken restaurant founded in the Los Angeles area in 2018, recently opened its first East Coast location a few months ago in Northern Virginia. At that time, the company announced an additional 25 restaurants planned for the D.C. area in NoVa. Now, they plan to add an additional 25 restaurants in Maryland.

QSR reports that “The L.A. hot chicken franchise plans to open 25 locations in Maryland as well as 25 total stores  in Virginia.” According to the report, Restaurant Management Group-Mid Atlantic (RMG-MA) will develop, franchise, and support all stores in Maryland and Virginia. Exact locations of the restaurants have likely not been finalized yet, so they are not available at this time.

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Mastiha Bakery Announces New Greek Food Truck

By Patrick Herron

Mastiha Bakery at 2387 Lewis Ave in Rockville has announced the launch of Mastiha Taverna, a new food truck that will be stationed in front of the bakery. According to Mastiha, the truck will serve pita sandwiches, Greek dessert, drinks, traditional salads, dips, and small bites/sides. Mastiha Taverna will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-9pm.

Per Mastiha Bakery: The word mastiha refers to the sap drippings, or “tears”, from the mastic tree which grows on the north-eastern Aegean Greek island of Chio, where founder and owner, Katerina Georgallas traces her origins. Founded in 2011 with a deep appreciation for heritage, culture, and scratch-made goodness, Mastiha Bakery specializes in assorted sweet and savory pastries, cookies, authentically crafted pita bread, hand stretched rustic phyllo pies and other delectable items. Using local ingredients and old-world craftsmanship you can taste, Katerina is committed to producing quality goods entirely from scratch.

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Inferno Pizzeria Ranked 23rd in “Top 50 Pizzerias in the USA” List

By MCS Staff

50 Top Pizza, a pizza evaluation site in Paestum, Italy, not far from Naples, has released its 2023 Top 50 Pizza list. Montgomery County contributed with the 23rd ranked pizzeria in the country– Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, located in Darnestown/Gaithersburg. Last year Inferno was ranked 25th on the list.

Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana has been open in Gaithersburg (12207 Darnestown Rd.) for nearly 7.5 years– there is still a line into the parking lot full of eager diners hoping to get a table before the dough ran out for the night– something that’s a common occurrence for Inferno (see our video below). For those unfamiliar with the restaurant, it was opened by Chef Tony Conte in October 2015 after he spent nine years in DC’s Oval Room. Inferno specializes in pizza, but regulars will tell you that the appetizers are often just as much of a draw.

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Cheesesteak Eating Contest to Win ‘Free Cheesesteaks For a Year’ To Take Place on July 4th in Olney

By MCS Staff

Brew Belly at 18065 Georgia Ave in Olney has announced it will be holding its annual Cheesesteak Eating Contest on July 4 at 12:00pm. The winner of the contest, which is open to the first 25 people to sign up ($20 entry fee), will win free cheesesteaks from the restaurant for one year.

The $20 entry fee will be donated to Hero Dogs. In addition to cheesesteaks, Brew Belly boasts of over 250 Maryland-born brews, between its ever-changing (24 tap) beer list, to its well-stocked (12 door), reach-in, self-serve cooler. “Hero Dogs, Inc. improves the quality of life of our nation’s heroes by raising, training, and placing service dogs and other highly skilled canines, free of charge with lifetime support of the partnerships. We serve the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.”

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