Restaurants Archives - Page 22 of 90

Published May 12, 2022 at 11:10AM

In January we reported that “opening Soon” signage was up on the windows of Chicken Basket at 30 N. Summit Ave. in Gaithersburg. We stopped by the location today and construction was ongoing, including work on the building’s signage. We were told that the restaurant should be reopening soon, but were not given any timeframe. A building fire closed the restaurant back in April 2019.

ICYMI – @MCFRS units were on the scene of a Chicken Basket commercial building fire in the unit block of North Summit Ave, in Gaithersburg. @mcfrs @MCFRSNews @IAFFLocal1664 @mcfrspio5 @GPDNews https://t.co/arUhCxkIcD

Germantown

Naz’s Halal to Give Away Free Food From 12-2pm at This Saturday’s Grand Opening in Germantown

By Patrick Herron

Published May 12, 2022 at 9:56AM

Naz’s Halal (13025 Wisteria Drive) in Germantown has announced it will be giving away free food from 12-2pm at its grand opening this Saturday, May 14. The restaurant is located in the former site of the Water Factory, near Planet Fitness. Naz’s menu includes rice platters, sandwiches, gyros, wings, salads, and more.

In December we told you Naz’s would expanding to Germantown, Rockville (1040 Rockville Pike), Takoma Park (7653 New Hampshire Ave) and White Oak (11209 New Hampshire Ave). We will post opening information for those locations as soon as it becomes available.

Poolesville

Bassett’s in Poolesville Reopens Today

By Patrick Herron

Published May 11, 2022 at 8:33PM | Updated May 12, 2022 at 8:13AM

Bassett’s Fine Food & Spirits at 19950 Fisher Avenue in Poolesville, which is under new ownership, will hold a “soft opening” beginning Thursday, May 12 at 11am. The restaurant, which opened in 1993, closed its doors on December 31 of last year. The restaurant is now owned by Erica Myers, who worked at Bassett’s for over 15 years before leaving to open Rio Grande Grille in Germantown in 2020. Bassett’s previous owners, who owned the restaurant the past three years, cited the pandemic and the closing of White’s Ferry as the reason it went out of business.

Olney

Starbucks Employees in Olney to Vote on Unionization

By Patrick Herron

Published May 11, 2022 at 2:26PM | Updated May 11, 2022 at 2:42PM

On April 6, Starbucks Workers United, on behalf of employees at the Starbucks location at 16806 Georgia Ave in Olney, sent a letter to Starbucks President Howard Schultz announcing their intention to unionize. In the letter, workers at the Olney Starbucks say they have attempted on numerous occasions to communicate with management regarding their grievances but believe their concerns fell on deaf ears.

“Much like our neighboring stores, we have grown increasingly exhausted and stressed, not to mention faced with constant, inconsistently enforced changes. While as a team, we’ve been grateful for the opportunities given and the benefits provided with our employment. But these provisions, which should be bare minimum at any job, come at the cost of our physical and mental wellbeing, and money from our own paychecks. With labor cuts, COVID-19 restrictions and isolations, improper staffing, production shortage and outages, and facing the backlash from our customers- we are tired. Meanwhile Starbucks’ profits have been skyrocketing more than the pre-pandemic era.”

Bethesda

Chef Rob Sonderman from Ensemble in Bethesda Appears on Good Morning America, Headed to Finals of Ultimate Pitmaster Competition

By Patrick Herron

Published May 11, 2022 at 10:12AM

Good Morning America is currently running a nationwide competition to look for the best barbecue in the U.S. On Tuesday, Rob Sonderman from DC’s Federalist Pig won a “Golden Tong” from the program after defeating Brendan Woody of Fat Pete’s (3407 Connecticut Ave NW) when “GMA” was in DC to determine the area’s best BBQ spot. Rob will now move on to the finals of the competition, which take place on Monday in New York City. You can view Rob’s appearance on GMA here.

While Federalist Pig’s original standalone location is at 1654 Columbia Rd in DC, their Michelin award winning BBQ is also available at Ensemble in Bethesda. Ensemble is a digital food hall from Salis Holdings (Ted’s Bulletin, Sidekick Bakery, Federalist Pig), located 4856 Cordell Ave. Food from Ensemble is only available for pickup or delivery and you must order through their mobile app. The menu features items from four the different Salis Holdings restaurants that can be mixed and matched. You can get a brisket sandwich from Federalist Pig, side of French toast from Ted’s Bulletin, fried chicken from Honeymoon Chicken, and dessert from Sidekick Bakery all at the same spot.

Bethesda

Update on HalfSmoke, The First Bar to Open in Montgomery Mall’s Food Court

By Patrick Herron

Published May 10, 2022 at 1:20PM | Updated May 10, 2022 at 3:05PM

The upcoming HalfSmoke location in Montgomery Mall is scheduled to open in “about four weeks”, according to a representative from the restaurant. HalfSmoke will be located in a kiosk in the food terrace that was the former home of Coldstone Creamery and more recently Gelato Galaxy. This will be the first restaurant/bar in the food court to serve alcohol. The menu will consist 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.

HalfSmoke was the first restaurant of its kind to serve gourmet sausages via an assembly line format. Its sausages and toppings can be fully customized to create over 50,000 variations. The HalfSmoke menu also features craft beer, mac and cheese balls, tater tots, milkshakes, funnel cakes, wine, cocktails, and more. HalfSmoke is also planning to open a Rockville Town Square location sometime this year.

Germantown

Opening Date for Naz’s Halal in Germantown

By Patrick Herron

Published May 9, 2022 at 4:25PM

Representatives from Naz’s Halal (13025 Wisteria Drive) in Germantown have told us that the restaurant will be opening on May 14. Naz’s offers rice platters, sandwiches, gyros, wings, salads, and more, and is located in the former site of the Water Factory, near Planet Fitness. In December we told you Naz’s would expanding to Germantown, Rockville (1040 Rockville Pike), Takoma Park (7653 New Hampshire Ave) and White Oak (11209 New Hampshire Ave). We will post opening information for those locations as soon as it becomes available.

The first location outside of New York was also in MoCo, at the Burtonsville Town Center, next to Tropical Smoothie Cafe. That location opened in August 2020 and has become a local favorite with late night hours, remaining open until 2am Sunday through Thursday and 4am on Friday and Saturday. Since the Burtonsville opening, Naz’s Halal has expanded to California and Rhode Island. Five additional Maryland restaurants will be opening in the upcoming year. Those will be located in Baltimore, Bowie, Denton, Ellicott City, and Waldorf.

Gaithersburg

Latest Update on Isaac’s Poultry Market (Former Pizza Hut Location on Darnestown Rd and Quince Orchard Rd)

By Patrick Herron

Published May 9, 2022 at 4:09PM

Photo below of the demolished Pizza Hut from January:

Restaurant

MCFRS Respond to Fire at Rockville Restaurant Sunday Morning

By Patrick Herron

Published May 8, 2022 at 11:51AM

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire at Eerkin’s Uyghur Cuisine at 1701 Rockville Pike # B1 in Rockville on Sunday morning around around 10am. First responders arrived to the sprinkler/warer flow alarm going off and smoke coming from building. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS, the fire was located in the kitchen and has been put out. There were no injures reported and the building inspector and health department have been requested.

Update – Rockville Pike, commercial restaurant, fire in kitchen of restaurant, fire knocked down, checking for extension, @mcfrs E723, AT723, PE703B, PE721, PE726, E705, AT703, RS703, A723, BC702, BC704, RS742, AT718, M723, PE720, SA700, C703G/H on scene https://t.co/QT2ZO9YkdZ

Gaithersburg

Signage Up at Burtons in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Published May 7, 2022 at 11:55AM | Updated May 7, 2022 at 4:25PM

Permanent signage is up at Burtons (109 Commerce Square Pl) at the Kentlands in Gaithersburg. The restaurant is scheduled to open in “late May” according to its website. Management at the location tell us that they are currently in the process of hiring and training staff, and the interior of the restaurant is almost finished.

Menu items will include braised short ribs, filet mignon, chicken risotto, and market fresh seafood. You can view the Riverdale Park location’s menu here.

Gaithersburg

Corner Pizza & Subs to Open This Month in Gaithersburg, Will Specialize in Rectangular Pizza

By Patrick Herron

Published May 5, 2022 at 6:24PM

Corner Pizza & Subs at 18503 N Frederick Ave. plan to open by the end of this month. The restaurant has a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for May 26 but is hoping to have its doors open before then. The restaurant is located in the former Jasmine Bakery Café location (that was previously home to Classic Bakery) in the Gaithersburg shopping center that is also home to Brewster’s Ice Cream. We spoke with owners Nishade and Prabath who told us that the restaurant will specialize in what’s sometimes referred to as “Maryland Style Pizza“, the rectangular pizza you find at local restaurants like Stained Glass Pub, Continental, Gentleman Jim’s, and 4 Corners Pub. Nishade has worked in pizza restaurants since he came to America from Sri Lanka over twenty years ago.

The restaurant will make its dough fresh daily and menu items in addition to pizza will include subs, meatballs, and wings, as well as a breakfast menu. The restaurant will be open from 6am-11pm daily and has an indoor dining room as well as a room that can be reserved for hosting parties/events. We will post an opening date once it is announced.