The Pollo Campero located inside of Lakeforest Mall (701 Russell Ave) in Gaithersburg has officially announced it will  be closing when the new location at 426 N Frederick Rd, the former site of KFC, opens.  Representative from the Lakeforest location tell us that the new store is expected to open on July 17.

Pollo Campero has additional Montgomery County locations in Takoma Park and Wheaton. The Downtown Silver Spring location closed in December, 2021.


Lapu Lapu, the recently opened breakfast sandwich spot in the Kentlands neighborhood of Gaithersburg, announced a two day closure due to an air conditioning issue at the restaurant. Lapu Lapu is making the necessary repairs and hopes to reopen by Friday.

Earlier today we gave you a first look at the restaurant that has taken over the 325 square foot storefront that was formerly home to Tex-Mex restaurant Peppers, located at 216 Market Street W, next to Vasili’s in the Kentlands. Lapu Lapu hours are currently 7am-3pm Wednesday-Sunday, but for the now the restaurant plans to be closed until Friday, June 17th.


Summer House Santa Monica has reopened following a kitchen fire that caused approximately $25k in damages. The restaurant remained closed after the fire on Sunday and all of Monday before reopening at 4pm today.

From Sunday: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Units were called to the scene of a kitchen fire at Summer House Santa Monica on the 11800 block of Grand Park Avenue in the Pike & Rose development at approximately 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon, according to MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer.


Alyssa’s Mangoneadas is coming to 2670 University Blvd W in Wheaton, taking over the location that was recently home to El Olam Iglesia Pentecostal and previously home to Wheaton Tile Center and Doña Bessy’s Pupuseria.

As of now, we only know that mangoneadas will be on the menu. A mangoneada, which is also known as a chamango, chamoyada, mangollada, or mangonada, is a Mexican beverage that can double as a dessert. It’s mango-based, with fresh mangoes forming it’s foundation that’s sometimes supplemented with mango sorbet. The drink is sweet, spicy, and salty, and is often served with straws wrapped in tamarind paste and a dusting of tajin.


Popeyes has made plenty of recent moves within Montgomery County, recently opening new locations in Briggs ChaneyDowntown Silver Spring, and Gaithersburg. The fried chicken chain announced in April that it is set to open more than 200 new locations in the United States and Canada this year with additional locations in several other places around the world. Over half of the new Popeyes locations that are scheduled to open in 2022 will feature double drive-thrus, but it’s still unclear whether or not the new Clarksburg location will have a drive-thru.


Lapu Lapu at 216 Market St W. in Gaithersburg opened on Sunday, June 5, and is continuing its soft opening with a schedule of Wednesday-Sunday from 7am-3pm.  The new restaurant has taken over the 325 square foot storefront that was formerly home to Tex-Mex restaurant Peppers, located next to Vasili’s in the Kentlands. It will specialize in breakfast sandwiches and will have a few tables available for outdoor seating.

Lapu Lapu is the sister restaurant of popular Rockville restaurant Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly. Our very own Mr. MoCo picked up breakfast over the weekend and shared his experience, available below:


Chef Jose Andres, a Bethesda resident, restaurateur, and humanitarian, announced earlier today via Twitter that he will be opening a new restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria (formerly Trump Hotel), as a new location of his restaurant chain, The Bazaar, will open in the Old Post Office.

He announced the news in a video on Twitter that shows him speaking in front of the Old Post Office building while the bells from the clock tower chime behind him. “For whom the bells toll…for the new restaurant from Jose Andres at the Old Post Office. Boom.” Andres says in the video that can be seen below.


Summer House Santa Monica will remain closed for at least the first half of today as the popular Pike & Rose destination awaits inspections following a kitchen fire that caused approximately $25k in damages. The restaurant tells us they hope to reopen for dinner, but that it looks unlikely at the moment. We’ll have an update on the impending reopening of the restaurant as soon as we get word from Summer House.

From yesterday: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Units were called to the scene of a kitchen fire at Summer House Santa Monica on the 11800 block of Grand Park Avenue in the Pike & Rose development at approximately 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon, according to MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer.


Back in April 2021, Shouk announced that it would be opening two new locations this fall– one in Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda, and another in Rockville’s Montrose Shopping Center. The Rockville location opened in November and the newest location at 5436 Westbard Avenue in the Westwood shopping center is now open and you can view the menu or place an order here.

Shouk is best known for its plant-based, Kosher street food. Per their website, their menu is “Inspired by the bold flavors of the world’s liveliest street markets, we craft our food from real ingredients you can pronounce. Fresh vegetables, beans, grains, and lots of spices.”


Trip Advisor is a popular American online travel company that offers ratings of restaurants primarily from those who have traveled to the area, rather than locals. If you’re interested in seeing the opinions of those who have traveled to the area, you’re in luck, as today we’ll be sharing the top 10 restaurants according to Trip Advisor.

10. Dogfish Head Alehouse (800 W Diamond Ave, Gaithersburg, MD): With a 4 out of 5 rating after 630 reviews, Dogfish Head Alehouse comes in #10 overall in the county and #2 in Gaithersburg. The restaurant recently closed its Falls Church location and announced that it has donated over $1,000,000 to charity in the last 17 years. Dogfish is listed in the American, Bar, and Pub categories.


Lil’ Cakes & Creamery will be opening a new location at 844 Rockville Pike, the former site of Sam’s Cafe & Market, also known as Sam’s Hookah.  Sam’s closed permanently at the end of March.  Lil’ Cakes expects the new location to open in about 3-4 months.

Lil’ Cakes & Creamery offers a rotating selection of cupcakes and ice cream, as well as macarons, pupcakes, cookies, cookie sandwiches, pushpops, and milkshakes.


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