The Eater DC “38 Essential Restaurants Around DC” list offers a selection of defining culinary destinations that showcase DC and its suburbs. Five restaurants in Maryland are currently on the Summer 2025 edition of the list (last updated on ) with four of them in Montgomery County:
2Fifty Texas BBQ (4700 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park): 2Fifty refers to itself as simple, affordable, and memorable. Per the restaurant, “2fifty BBQ, a celebrated barbecue joint, is renowned for its unique approach to traditional American barbecue. Their style is deeply rooted in the Texas barbecue tradition, known for its emphasis on smoking meats over low heat for extended periods.” Visit the restaurant website here.
Aventino (4747 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda): Aventino opened in January 2024 and has created a buzz with its vibrant and traditional Roman cuisine. The Cappalletti was named our very own Mr. MoCo’s “favorite dish in MoCo” last May. The menu consists of antipasti, pasta and more by chef Mike Friedman (Olney resident), and classic cocktails like a selection of spritzes and negronis, in a warm and inviting setting that can hold over 100 guests. Visit the restaurant website here.
Cielo Rojo (7211 Carroll Ave. Takoma Park, MD): Menu items include California-inspired traditional Mexican cuisine such as tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and a variety of small plates (platos pequeños) and entrees (platos grandes). Full menu can be seen here. Owners David Perez and Carolina McCandless first met in 2012 at Gracias Madre, a vegan Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. McCandless has ties to the area, as she’s from Takoma Park and her parents own nearby Amano. Cielo Rojo opened in Takoma Park in 2019.
J. Hollinger’s Waterman’s Chophouse (8606 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring): The chef-driven chophouse and fresh seafood spot opened in 2022 from Montgomery County restaurateur and caterer Jerry Hollinger, also of The Daily Dish and the Dish & Dram. In addition to its dinner options, this past summer the restaurant kicked off a “lavish brunch buffet every Sunday with house made items like slow-roasted ribeye with fresh herbs and garlic, hot honey fried chicken, house cured gravlax, crab-stuffed deviled eggs, brioche French toast with local berries, frittata with local eggs, cherry tomatoes, basil, candy onions, and fontina, and many more options.” Visit the restaurant website here.
Melina (905 Rose Ave., North Bethesda): The inspiration behind Melina was the desire to share traditional Greek recipes and techniques, but with a creative spin. Chef Dimitri Moshovitis explained that after years in the restaurant industry, he has seen how Greek cooking has evolved and he wanted a new opportunity to showcase modern Greek cuisine. The time to start a new venture felt right when he met Chef Aris Tsekouras, owner of Microwheat Bakery. Dimitri felt inspired by Aris’ ideas and thought that they could create wonderful things together. The restaurant has been open since late 2021. Visit the restaurant website here.
