More signs of Dave's Hot Chicken in Rockville

Dave's Hot Chicken still hasn't served any hot chicken at its future Rockville Pike location, but it continues to serve up plenty of "coming soon" signage. The latest is a large banner with the chicken logo. Inside, construction continues at a glacial pace, and is far from completion. Located at 11564 Rockville Pike in the White Flint area, the building was formerly a McDonald's.

Fontina Grill to open at The Laureate in Rockville

Fontina Grill, a longtime fixture in the Rockville dining scene, is relocating. In the fall of 2026, it will move to a 5,135-square-foot space at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Gramercy Boulevard. That is at The Laureate, a new multifamily building at the Westside development near the Shady Grove Metro station built by EYA. The popular Italian restaurant has operated at the King Farm Village Center for 15 years. 

"We are thrilled to bring Fontina Grille to The Laureate," Fontina Grill owner Ali Abduljabbar said in a statement. "This new chapter gives us the opportunity to continue serving our loyal guests, while welcoming new neighbors in a dynamic and growing community.

"We are thrilled to welcome Fontina Grille to Westside," said McLean Quinn, President and CEO of EYA, LLC said. "As a beloved part of the broader community already, Fontina Grille will bring a new gathering place to the heart of Westside, serving as a lively community hub where neighbors can come together and enjoy an exceptional dining experience."

La Baguette Antojitos opening in Rockville

La Baguette Antojitos is "coming soon" to Rockville, according to signage posted in the windows of their future storefront. The bakery will replace another bakery - Lavande Patisserie - at 275-B N. Washington Street in Rockville Town Center. Images displayed include baked goods, coffee and tacos. This appears to be an independent, small business, as this appears to be the first and only location for this enterprise. There are no social media accounts for La Baguette Antojitos as of this writing, either.

Guapo's to open new Gaithersburg restaurant

Guapo's is opening a new restaurant in Gaithersburg. It will be a Guapo's Rotisserie Chicken & Tex Mex Grill concept, of which the local company operates three in Northern Virginia. This would be the first on our side of the Potomac. Guapo's has full-service Mexican restaurants in Bethesda, and at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg.

Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken is the specialty at the Guapo's Rotisserie Chicken locations. The new restaurant will be located at 12211 Darnestown Road, at the Quince Orchard Marketplace shopping center. That was formerly home to California Tortilla.

Andy's Pizza opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Andy's Pizza is speeding up its expansion within Montgomery County. The award-winning pizzeria that has had tremendous success in downtown Bethesda will soon open a second Bethesda location at Westfield Montgomery Mall. It will be in the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2, in between CAVA and Chipotle. A third MoCo Andy's Pizza shop will be opening soon at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg.

Gold Bunny Donut opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gold Bunny Donut is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It will be taking over the end space just vacated by another donut shop, Donutchew, in the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2 of the mall. At Gold Bunny Donut, the donuts will be handmade fresh each morning, and each afternoon. You can check out the flavors here.

"Gold Bunny Donut transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary," the mall said in a statement. "The goal is to lead the new wave of donut innovation, offering a premium and delightful dessert experience you can feel good about sharing with your loved ones."

"Gold Bunny Donut believes in creating moments of joy with every bite. With donuts that are crafted with unique textures and flavors, especially the signature creamy varieties that elevate the traditional donut experience. Gold Bunny Donut is dedicated to using only the finest ingredients, free from preservatives and artificial additives, ensuring that treats are not only delicious but also safe for everyone, including your little ones."

"The inspiration comes from a desire to provide clean and wholesome desserts. The bunny symbolizes purity and care, reflecting our commitment to quality and family-friendly treats." 

Sixty Vines opens in Gaithersburg

Sixty Vines has opened at 212 Ellington Boulevard at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. "The winemaker's restaurant" is now the wine drinker's restaurant. Your choice of sixty wines will be poured from the restaurant's "sustainable wine on tap system." Sixty Vines replaces Pour House at the development.

Dave's Hot Chicken "coming soon" to Rockville (Photos)

Dave's Hot Chicken is "coming soon" to Rockville Pike, according to a banner posted on the restaurant building. It will be at 11564 Rockville Pike in Rockville. That was formerly an old-style McDonald's restaurant, until the golden arches moved a short distance north to the old Arby's site. Before expanding to Montgomery County, Dave's Hot Chicken was best known to Marylanders as the fast food company that promoted itself via influencer videos on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Other Maryland locations have already opened in White Oak and Waldorf.

K Bap Express opens in Rockville

K Bap Express is now open at 121-B Congressional Lane, at the Congressional North shopping center in Rockville. The Korean restaurant replaces Pines of Rome Express. Dishes served include bibimbap, mandu, and kimbap. They have a couple of small tables for outdoor dining, and a small indoor dining room, so takeout sales are the primary focus here.

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings holding soft opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The restaurant is currently operating under special soft opening hours. It is open 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM seven days a week. Look for Nan Xiang right by the main outdoor entrance to the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2 of the mall.

Charley: A Chesapeake Chophouse & Bar opening today in Gaithersburg

Charley: A Chesapeake Chophouse & Bar is opening today, Thursday, October 9, 2025 in Gaithersburg. It is located at 9811 Washingtonian Boulevard at Rio Lakefront. The restaurant has dropped its original name, Charley Prime Foods, and has switched concepts from American cuisine to steaks and seafood. At the bar, the headliner is now the Orange Crush, to fit the restaurant's new mantra that "Summer never ends at Charley."

Meow Claw relocating in Rockville

Meow Claw is relocating at the Shops at Congressional Village in Rockville. The claw machine arcade will make a short move this month from the storefront at 1701 Rockville Pike Suite B-9 to 1701 Rockville Pike Suite B-6. Equipment is already being loaded in at the new space, as you can see below. Their existing space is still open for business until the move.

Current location, which is still open

Pickpocket strikes at restaurant in Rockville

Watch your wallet! Montgomery County police responded to a report of a pickpocketing incident at a restaurant in Rockville on Monday, September 29, 2025. The stealthy theft was reported at a restaurant in the 12200 block of Rockville Pike at 5:04 PM Monday. Later, the thief attempted to use at least one credit card from the wallet at an unidentified store. Remember to keep your wallet in a front pocket, if possible, especially in crowds.

California Fish Grill aiming for November opening in Rockville

California Fish Grill is now targeting a November 2025 opening at 12238 Rockville Pike at Towne Plaza in Rockville, according to Google. This is one of the first East Coast locations for the Newport Beach-based fast-casual seafood chain, which previously had been limited to the southwestern states of California, Arizona, and Nevada. It won't be the very first to open, however, as their Fairfax location opened a week ago at 11048 Main Street, while construction has taken longer here. 

Construction barriers at the Rockville location prevent getting a sense of how far along the interior fit-out is here. There is a recently-posted video giving a preview of what types of dishes you can expect to find on the menu at California Fish Grill. The restaurant is similar to the short-lived Slapfish in operation, in that you don't sit down and give your order to a waiter. Orders are placed on flatscreens.

Cold Stone Creamery "coming soon" to Rockville

The devastating loss of Baskin Robbins is still being felt along Rockville Pike. But a cone-solation prize may soon be at hand. Cold Stone Creamery is "coming soon" to 891-H Rockville Pike at Wintergreen Plaza, according to signage posted at its future storefront. It will be located between The UPS Store and Paisano's Pizza. 

Cold Stone Creamery's ice cream is made fresh in every store. Products include sundaes, Signature Creations, prepackaged pints of ice cream, ice cream cakes and pies, Silk Almondmilk frozen desserts, milkshakes, and smoothies.

Fork & Kitchen "coming soon" to Rockville

"Coming soon" signage for Fork & Kitchen has been posted in the windows of its future space at 150 Gibbs Street at The Square at Rockville. The restaurant's arrival was announced back in May, and it had a successful liquor license hearing in June, but only now does the interior fit-out seem to have finally begun. This space was previously home to Bar Louie and Eko House. The highly-secretive restaurant does not yet have any social media pages that I can find, and faces the challenge of a hidden location on currently-closed-to-cars Gibbs Street.

Marble Slab Creamery closes in Rockville (Photos)

Marble Slab Creamery has closed at 100 Gibbs Street at The Square in Rockville. The closure is permanent, according to a sign posted at the ice cream parlor. Marble Slab opened here in 2011, so they had quite a successful run, especially for the Town Center area. Another vacant storefront.

Sixty Vines Gaithersburg construction update (Photos)

Sixty Vines, "the winemaker's restaurant," is nearing completion at 212 Ellington Boulevard at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. The interior is looking fairly posh, even compared to some of the other wine-centric restaurants in the area. Outside, signage has been installed, and is already lit up at night. Another sign indicates they are currently interviewing prospective employees. Sixty Vines is expected to open next month.