Whether it’s a freshly-made taco chased down by a margarita, crispy pizza pulled from a brick oven, or hot bagels that are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, there is something for everyone at the new dining spots opening this year in Montgomery County.
In addition to traditional eateries, the county will also be getting a Wawa location. That’s right, the place where you can go to get gas, buy groceries and grab a fresh, hot meal.
MoCo360 will continue to provide coverage on these eateries, including their opening dates, throughout 2024.
Here are some of the restaurants you need to check out this year after they open.
Ala, a popular Mediterranean restaurant in Dupont Circle, will open a second outpost at 4948 Fairmont Ave. in Bethesda in the spring, Ala spokesperson Jennie Kuperstein told MoCo360 on Tuesday.
Husband and wife entrepreneurs Celal and Deniz Gulluoglu of Cabin John, own the restaurant.
The menu features classic Mediterranean dishes, like hummus, falafel and kebabs, but also offers less well-known fare, like biber dolma (herb-seasoned-rice stuffed bell pepper, red pepper infusion, pomegranate molasses, lemon air), manti (Turkish mini bean dumpling, tomato sauce, labneh, fried mint) and akhtubut (grilled octopus, cauliflower puree, za’atar, pomegranate).
Bagels ‘n Grinds, a New York-style bagel spot, will open a location at 9812 Falls Road in Potomac around the summer, owner Adam Greenberg told MoCo360 in October. Greenberg, a local restauranteur, already has Bagels ‘n Grinds locations in College Park in Prince George’s County and Hanover in Anne Arundel.
“Our bagel is as good if not better than what you’ll find in NYC,” Greenberg said. “Each one of our Bagels ‘n Grinds locations has its own proprietary water treatment facility, so we make our own New York water.”
Bouboulina, an American steakhouse with Greek influences, is set to open in Pike & Rose at 915 Meeting St. around mid-2024. The restaurant will be opened by Cava founders Ted Xenohristos, Dimitri Moshovitis and Ike Grigoropoulos.
The menu will be based around steak, fish and vegetables cooked over a wood grill, with spices and side dishes from the eastern Mediterranean cooking traditions of Greece, Turkey, and the Levant, Xenohristos told the Washingtonian in October.
Buena Onda, a Baja-inspired taquería with a fast-casual atmosphere, will open at 12137 Rockville Pike, Suite 14 in North Bethesda around mid-2024. Chef Jose Garces, who won Iron Chef America, opened his first location of the restaurant in Pennsylvania in 2015 and has continued to expand. The Rockville locale will be Garces’ first franchise location.
The restaurant will serve nachos, quesadillas, tacos, rice bowls and burritos, along with drinks, including margaritas and sangria.
Clark’s Lodge, an American grill and bar, is slated to open in February at 12011 Snowden Farm Parkway in Clarksburg. The restaurant is lodge-themed, with ski lifts serving as booths, leaves and vines scattered around and fake animals, like a bear and fox, adding to the woodsy vibe.
The cozy food and bar spot, featuring pasta, salads, sandwiches, burgers and more, will be run by Uriel Perlman, who also works with The Creek Lodge in Rockville and Brews & Barrels in Gaithersburg. MoCo360 got a sneak peek of the new restaurant, and an article and video are coming soon.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, a Japanese restaurant, will open at 12266 Rockville Pike in Rockville in the summer of 2024.
The menu will feature a variety of nigiri, sushi rolls, ramen, udon noodles, mochi and Taiyaki ice cream, and customers can experience what it’s like to be served by a food delivery robot, Kur-B the KuraBot.
Kusshi Sushi, a Japanese sushi spot, is opening a new location at 36G Maryland Ave. in Rockville Town Square. The construction is slated to begin in January, and the restaurant hopes to open in spring 2024, co-owner Wesley Yao told The MoCo Show in December.
The menu includes numerous specialty sushi rolls that draw their monikers from the area, like the Bethesda roll, which has tuna, salmon and avocado, and the Maryland roll, which is a California roll with spicy tuna and wasabi aioli.
Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, a seafood chain, will be opening a new location at 201 Boardwalk Place at the Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg in the spring of 2024. The restaurant has 30 locations around the country, including ones in Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C.
The menu will include lobster rolls, lobster and shrimp salads, lobster BLT, lobster grilled cheese, lobster mac and cheese, potato salad, lobster bisque and clam chowder.
Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria, an Italian restaurant on Old Georgetown Road in the Wildwood Shopping Center, is planning to open a second Bethesda location in mid-2024. The eatery will open at the new Westbard Square development.
The eatery prides itself on its authentic Neapolitan pizzas. A “gleaming white brick Marra Forni oven” — which reaches over 900 degrees — produces “their trademark thin crust with a puffy border that includes charred spots,” Bethesda Magazine restaurant critic David Hagedorn wrote in 2021.
Torchy’s Tacos, a Texas-style taco spot, will open at 12266 Rockville Pike in Rockville in 2024. It will be the chain’s first restaurant in the DMV region out of more than 115 locations across 14 states.
The restaurant’s menu features a plethora of tacos with unique names and ingredients, such as the Democrat, the Republican (includes jalapeno cheddar sausage), Trailer Park and Tipsy Chick (comes with bacon bourbon marmalade). The eatery also has breakfast tacos, bowls, burritos, queso, churros and margaritas.
Wawa, a well-known convenience store and eatery with more than 1,000 locations, will open its first Montgomery County spot at 405 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. An opening date has not been announced, but there is permanent signage and there are multiple job listings for the business on Indeed.com.
Wawa serves lunch and dinner items such as pizza, hoagies and specialty sandwiches, burgers, wings and fries, and breakfast items, such as toasted bagels, avocado toast and biscuit sandwiches.