Below you’ll find a list of restaurants opening soon in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Roaming Rooster, a local restaurant chain with 11 locations in the Washington DC metro area, will open its third restaurant in Montgomery County at 8537 Georgia Ave., in the location formerly occupied by Flip’d by IHOP. Flip’d by IHOP closed June 1, 2023 after opening in September 2022 when IHOP decided to close all Flip’d locations. Roaming Rooster has locations in Montgomery County at Pike & Rose and Gaithersburg, and offers fried chicken items including sandwiches, tenders and wings. The menu can be found here.
According to their website, here’s more about Roaming Rooster: “In early 2015, Roaming Rooster was founded in Washington DC by a family with a unique concept. The idea was a food truck serving safe fried chicken – free-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free chicken served fresh daily. Within a few months, word of their delicious chicken menu spread on social media, and demand for Roaming Rooster grew, quickly expanding from one food truck to three, and then multiple locations. Since then, the popularity of DC’s only food truck serving delicious free-range chicken has skyrocketed. Requests for catering, private events, and scheduling food truck visits are flooding in from DC and the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. It’s easy to see why Roaming Rooster has expanded so quickly in just under a year. Where your food comes from matters, and we incorporate that ideal into every meal we serve.”
A new Dominican restaurant, Punta Cana Tropical Grill, has signed a contract to take over the former Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk site at 9324 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring.
Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk closed a few months ago, but it didn’t take long for a new tenant to sign on. Punta Cana Tropical Grill, a “Dominican-style fast food” restaurant, signed on to take over the location. “As soon as we saw the notice of closure, it was an instant decision!! It’s a busy street, so we know people will stop by and try it out. Silver Spring has a unique and diverse community that savors Dominican cuisine,” the owners say.
“We came up with the idea to open a Dominican fast food takeaway location because we know how difficult it is to stop for a meal and have something delicious to eat,” said Gregory. The restaurant will be located in the owners’ hometown of Silver Spring and is scheduled to open in spring 2024. “Our fast food concept is going to be a big hit!” We will provide more information as the restaurant’s opening draws closer.
Chido’s Tex Mex Grill: Chido’s Tex-Mex Grill has signed a deal to take over the former site of The Eleanor at 931 Ellsworth Dr. in downtown Silver Spring. The restaurant opened its first location in Owings Mill, taking over from Don Pablo’s, which closed in 2009. That location closed after deciding not to renew its lease when the pandemic hit in 2020. The restaurant’s current location at 14600 Laurel Pl. in Laurel, where it has thrived, opened in 2016 and will celebrate its eighth anniversary this June.
Chido’s offers a variety of familiar favorites on its classic Tex-Mex menu. The Laurel location offers a brunch menu on weekends and an extensive drink menu. According to the Chido’s website, the details are as follows:
“Welcome to Chido’s Tex-Mex Grill Restaurant. We pride ourselves on being an authentic Mexican restaurant with delicious appetizers, entrees, dishes and drinks prepared fresh daily. You’ll enjoy your meal in a homely atmosphere, and our staff is always on hand to assist with your every need. We continue to uphold our tradition of excellence not only in our culinary skills, but in our service as well.”
Courtesy of @ChidosTexMex
Taco Bell Cantina is set to open later this month at 8662 Colesville Road. The restaurant will be located next to the Fillmore Silver Spring and across from Ellsworth Place, in the spot that was formerly home to Pollo Campero until it closed in late 2021.
Taco Bell Cantina hours vary and can stay open later, usually between 7AM and 2AM (hours vary at each Taco Bell Cantina location). The locations are known for their vibrant environment, technological innovations like kiosks and digital menu boards, and a variety of alcoholic drinks to complement their traditional Taco Bell fare. Taco Bell Cantina’s alcoholic beverage menu “features a wide variety of beer, wine, sangria, Twisted Freeze and your favorite fermented alcoholic drinks,” although the exact drink menu varies by location.
Outback Steakhouse is set to open its third Montgomery County location this spring at Ellsworth Place in downtown Silver Spring. The Australian-themed casual dining chain will open in the former Not Your Average Joe’s location at 8661 Colesville Rd.
Although Outback Steakhouse is an international chain, one of its founders has strong local ties. Chris T. Sullivan, one of the founders of Outback Steakhouse, is a graduate of Blair High School. Sullivan attended the school in the 60s and before that Takoma Park Junior High School before going on to the University of Kentucky to study business and economics. After graduating in 1972, he became restaurant manager at Steak & Ale and opened the first Outback with a partner in 1988. He and the other co-founders have grown the chain to over 900 restaurants worldwide and include Carrabba’s, Bonefish, and several other hospitality-related businesses. He previously served as CEO and president of OSI Restaurant Partners, the restaurant group he founded, and currently serves on the board of directors of Bloomin’ Brands.
Nash & Smash, a new restaurant serving Nashville hot chicken sandwiches and smash burgers, is opening at 10121 Colesville Rd in the Woodmore Shopping Center. It’ll take over the space most recently occupied by Subway, between Bento and Woodmore Cleaners. While the Subway is listed as “temporarily closed” on Yelp and Google, a Nash & Smash sign posted by the leasing company on the door indicates otherwise (shared by @silverspringeats on Instagram).
According to commercial real estate firm Rapaport, Nash & Smash is looking to open its first restaurant in the Washington, D.C. metro area and has been scouting spaces in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia for the past year. “Nash & Smash’s menu is simple: Nashville-style fried chicken sandwiches and smashburgers, with creative sides and drinks. What makes the concept even more special is the use of locally sourced, high-quality ingredients, which makes Nash & Smash a true farm-to-table dining experience.”
According to a Washington Post article, Fire Pit Brazilian Barbecue, which opened a food truck at 804 Rockville Pike in Rockville’s Golden Arcade Shopping Center (across from Ritchie Center/IHOP) in October 2022, is planning a second location at the soon-to-open Solaire Social Food Hall in Silver Spring. You can watch a video of our MoCo saying it might be his favorite sandwich from Fire Pit below.
“Less than a year into his new venture, Gonzalez is already planning a second location at the upcoming Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring. Why not? His churrasco is more relevant to modern life than pricey Brazilian steakhouses and their all-you-can-eat meat feasts. Fire Pit is casual and affordable. You don’t have to dine like 16th-century royalty,” wrote Tim Carman in a review for The Washington Post.
Commas, a new 13,000-square-foot food hall opening on the third floor of Ellsworth Place (8661 Colesville Rd) in downtown Silver Spring, is scheduled to open in late March, according to Source of the Spring.
Commas has identified the following vendors:
DMV Empanadas: Run by Bolivian brothers Marco and Nacho Almaraz, DMV Empanadas has been a popular grab-and-go spot at farmers markets in the Washington DC/Baltimore area for nearly a decade. Growing out of their Gaithersburg, Maryland location, DMV Empanadas serves authentic empanadas made with local ingredients and family recipes. Inspired by their mother’s passion for cooking, the Almaraz brothers have expanded from their original chicken filling recipe to nearly 20 exciting and creative filling options, including arroz and spicy pork, shrimp Old Bay and cheeseburger.
Trini Vybez: Natalia Carew launched Trini Vybez as a food truck in 2020 and quickly built a loyal fanbase at area farmers markets, festivals and private catering events. Carew’s all-natural spices and seasonings are staples of the restaurateur’s popular Trinidadian street food. A menu of traditional dishes, curries and roti will be on the menu, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. “Trini Vybez was born when passionate Trinidadians came together and decided to share their talents with the world,” says Carew.
Tokoa: “Family owned and operated spot serving authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks.” At Tokoa Cheesesteaks, we’re committed to providing a delicious experience. Our menu combines creativity and quality, with dishes like signature cheesesteaks, savory wings, crispy mac & cheese bites and sweet specialty waffles. Each item is a testament to our commitment to creating unforgettable flavors.
Commas will have a total of 12 food and beverage outlets, and we will provide an update once an official opening date is announced.
