The Salt Line, a seafood restaurant based in Washington, D.C., is coming to 4900 Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda, according to a press release — in space previously expected to be used by the D.C. restaurant The Riggsby.
The restaurant is scheduled to open in the fall of 2022, according to the press release.
The Greek restaurant Kapnos Kouzina occupied the space at 4900 Hampden Lane until it closed in 2018.
In December 2019, The Riggsby, a concept of D.C. and Boston-area restaurateur Michael Schlow, announced that it would be opening in the space. However, estimates for when the restaurant would move in changed a few times, from late spring to the end of the summer.
Construction on The Riggsby was halted in the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A representative said in August 2020 that the opening was delayed indefinitely.
Signage for The Riggsby was installed on the building in 2020, and as recently as January 2021, the restaurant still planned to open there, Schlow Restaurant Group CEO Spiro Pappadopoulos said at the time.
But since then, Schlow Restaurant Group representatives have not responded to 16 emails from Bethesda Beat sent between April 22 and Friday.
As of Friday, The Riggsby was not listed on The Schlow Restaurant Group’s website.
The Moco Show and Robert Dyer each reported on Thursday about The Salt Line’s plans to come to Bethesda on Thursday.
The Salt Line also plans to open another location in the Ballston area of Arlington in the next few weeks.
The Salt Line features various types of fish such as broiled cod, crispy skin rockfish, grilled swordfish and olive oil-poached black bass.
Other main courses include Portuguese Stew (mussels, claims, fish, chorizo, potato, fennel), Shrimp Bucatini (pasta, shrimp, eggplant, butter) and grilled ribeye. Most of the entrees are $25 to $32, although the ribeye is $52.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdda-remix.newspackstaging.com