The Maryland Suburbs of Washington has a large swath of extremely diverse neighborhoods, offering understatedly one of the most eclectic mix of restaurants in the world. But navigating all of Moco, PG, and Frederick can be daunting, and hidden gem businesses are a dime a dozen. This is why we’ve put together a list of some of Yelper’s and our personal all time favorite dishes across the entire MD Burbs.
1.
10003 Fields Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Dish: Tacos
Comment: Any taco will do, but if you’re adventurous, go with the lengua (beef tongue). Chicken, al pastor, and suadero are not to be missed either!
2.
15211 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD 20721
Dish: The Crab Bomb
Comment: The list wouldn’t be complete without a 10 oz. lump softball of crabmeat perfection. Meet the crab bomb!
3.
20 Montgomery Village Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Dish: Kobe Beef Pho
Comment: Submerge the tender thinly sliced rare Kobe in the soup to briefly cook. Half beer and wine store, half vietnamese hideaway, the unassuming restaurant doesn’t directly face the road and is somewhat easy to miss.
4.
JDS Shanghai Famous Food (Gaithersburg)
519 Quince Orchard Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Dish: Pork Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumpling)
Comment: These steamed pork soup dumplings are filled with piping hot broth. Caution: never stick a whole soup dumpling in your mouth before sucking out the soup. It makes for a painful lesson. Learn how to eat here.
5.
The Big Greek Café (Silver Spring)
8223 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Dish: Big Greek French Fries
Comment: A heaping portion of ultra crispy French fries topped with finely crumbled feta, fresh oregano, and other herbs. The Pringles of the Mediterranean world.
6.
118 S Market St Frederick, MD 21701
Dish: Arkansas Brisket
Comment: Toothsome BBQ sauce coated nuggets of melt in your mouth beef that consists of both fatty and lean pieces.
7.
5023 Garrett Ave, Beltsville, MD 20705
Dish: Lumpia Shanghai
Comment: Cigar like fried rolls filled primarily with meat and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Make sure to try some of the other Filipino dishes on the hot bar. We haven’t met one we didn’t love!
8.
Ruan Thai (Wheaton)
11407 Amherst Ave, Wheaton, MD 20902
Dish: Yum Watercress
Comment: Deep fried crispy watercress topped with fried shrimp and squid, onion, shallot, cashew nut and a spicy lime dressing. This dish has more layers than an onion wrapped in phyllo dough.
9.
10606 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, MD 20705
Dish: Chapati With Lentils or Red beans (Chapati na maharagwe ama ndengu)
Comment: Kenyan flattened bread with coconut milk and lentils served with a choice of vegetable. It may not look beautiful, but we assure you, it surely taste that way!
10.
Food & Wine Company (Bethesda)
7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
Dish: The Truffle Burger
Comment: There’s no way to fit anymore umami on this meaty masterpiece. Between the fried and pickled onions, portabella mushrooms, truffle oil, cheese, and parmesan crisp – you’re in for quite a ride.
11.
9713 Traville Gateway Dr, Rockville, MD 20850
Dish: Lollipop Chicken
Comment: Frenched and fried chicken drumsticks standing in honey, walnuts, and Greek yogurt; what all regular lollipops aspire to be.
12.
2319 University Blvd W, Wheaton, MD 20902
Dish: The Falafel
Comment: Don’t worry; the chef will take care of you by mixing this rainbow of salads atop the most delicious falafel that has sat comfortably inside a pita pocket!
13.
Dish: Ravioli di funghi al pistachio
Comment: Homemade ravioli filled with mushrooms and ricotta coated in a pistachio-cream sauce.
14.
802 Hungerford Dr, Rockville, MD 20850
Dish: Taiwanese Hamburger
Comment: Perfectly cooked fatty pork belly with a sugary sweet peanut dust, cilantro, ya cai (pickled mustard greens) all on a heavenly soft bao bun.
15.
Lancaster County Dutch Market (Germantown)
12613 Wisteria Dr, Germantown, MD 20874
Dish: Fried Chicken
Comment: There’s a reason the line is so long.
