where “If you’ve seen one Chuy’s, you’ve seen one Chuy’s” rings true—eclectic collectibles give each location its own flair. Free chips are served out of a car trunk display. L D J $
CITY PERCH KITCHEN + BAR 11830 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-2312310, cityperch.com. Located above the entrance to the iPic Theaters at Pike & Rose, City Perch offers creative, seasonal American cuisine in a rustic, inviting space. The menu includes raw-bar selections, small plates, shareable salads and entrée options such as grilled shrimp and Long Island duck. ❂ R L D $$$
CUBAN CORNER 825 Hungerford Drive, 301-279-0310, cubancornerrestaurant.com. Pork and empanadas shine at this small space brimming with ethnic pride (there’s a tribute wall to famous Cuban-Americans). Don’t skip the Cuban coffee or the Cuban sandwich, a sub bursting with ham, pickles and tangy mustard. LD$
CSNY PIZZA 1020 Rockville Pike, 301-298-3650, csnypizza. wixisite.com/sneaksite. Carry out a New York-style pizza from this spot by the owners of Pizza CS. Their second Rockville location also offers six seats for guests to dine in, and serves whole pies, hot subs and pizza by the slice. L $
DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE 11800 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-8810308, delfriscosgrille.com. This is the Texasbased chain’s second location in the area. Look for upscale takes on American comfort foods, such as filet mignon meatloaf and short rib stroganoff, plus trendy items such as kale and Brussels sprouts salad, deviled eggs, flatbreads and ahi tuna tacos. Plenty of burgers, sandwiches and salads, too. ❂ R L D $$
DON POLLO 2206 Veirs Mill Road, 301-309-1608, donpollogroup.com. See Bethesda listing. L D $
EAST PEARL RESTAURANT 838-B Rockville Pike, 301-838-8663, eastpearl restaurant.com. Choose from many options of Hong Kong cuisine, including familiar dishes featuring chicken, beef, poultry, pork and even duck, as well as those for adventurous tastes. Try the soups ranging from egg drop to seafood with bean curd. LD$
EL MARIACHI RESTAURANT 765-D Rockville Pike, 301-738-7177, elmariachi rockville.com. Serving Tex-Mex and South American food in a bright, pleasant space made lively with colorful art. In addition to the usual enchiladas, tacos and burritos, look for Peruvian seafood and Cuban beef specialties. L D $
EL PATIO 5240 Randolph Road, 301-231-9225, elpatio international.com. This bustling café with pretty green umbrellas on the patio serves up the traditional meat-heavy dishes of Argentina, as well as pizzas and freshly made baked goods. Look for mouth-watering empanadas, beef tongue and sausage specialties. ❂ J B L D $
FAR EAST RESTAURANT 5055 Nicholson Lane, 301-881-5552, fareastrockvillemd.com. Owned and operated by the same family since 1974, this classic Chinese restaurant greets customers with two royal stone lions out front and sticks to the familiar Chinese-
American basics. Check out the daily specials and dim sum menu. L D $$
FINNEGAN’S WAKE IRISH PUB
Italian wines make even a weeknight meal feel special. L D $$
JOE’S NOODLE HOUSE
100 Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-3398267, finneganswakerockville.com. Irish pub with a nice selection of bourbons, whiskeys and Irish beers and a very limited bar menu offering such fare as bangers and mash, poutine (french fries, gravy and cheese curds), a chicken club sandwich, fish and chips, wings and a burger. L D $
FLOR DE LUNA 11417 Woodglen Drive, 240-242-4066, flordeluna md.com. Latin American fare includes tamales and lomo saltado (a stir-fry of beef and peppers) at this 75-seat restaurant near Whole Foods Market. Tacos, nachos and quesadillas are also in the lineup. Finish off your meal with the tres leches (three milks) cake. ❂ J R L D $$
FONTINA GRILLE 801 Pleasant Drive, 301-947-5400, fontinagrille. com. A trendy spot with its curvy maple bar and wood-burning pizza oven, Fontina Grille is a favorite gathering place for the King Farm neighborhood. Pizza, pasta and salads are the main attractions. Three-dollar pasta dishes available on Monday nights and half-price bottles of wine on Tuesdays. ❂ J R L D $$
GORDON BIERSCH 200-A E. Middle Lane (Rockville Town Square), 301340-7159, gordonbiersch.com/restaurants. The national brewpub chain prides itself on house beers and friendly service. The shiny bar is boisterous, and the menu includes bar favorites with some barbecue and Asian touches, small plates, salads, pizza and flatbreads. J L D $$
GRAND FUSION CUISINE 350 East Fortune Terrace, 301-838-2862, grand fusionrestaurant.com. Diners will find something for everyone seeking a taste of the Asian continent, a full sushi bar, and Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean specialties. Chef’s specials include Crispy Eggplant in Spicy Orange Sauce and Double Flavored Shrimp. ❂ L D $
1488-C Rockville Pike, 301-881-5518, joesnoodlehouse.com. Chinese ex-pats and many other customers consider the Sichuan specialties (soft bean curd with spicy sauce and hot beef jerky) among the area’s best examples of gourmet Chinese cooking. L D $
KUYA JA’S LECHON BELLY (NEW) 5268-H Nicholson Lane, 240-669-4383, kuyajas. com. This fast-casual restaurant that started as a popup in the Rockville area specializes in serving lechon, a Filipino pork belly dish. Chef and owner Javier J. Fernandez, a native of the Philippines, shares the flavors of his home country through ricebowls, spiced wings and homemade pastries. LD$
LA BRASA LATIN CUISINE 12401 Parklawn Drive, 301-468-8850, labrasa rockville.com. A bold, yellow awning marks the unlikely industrial location of the popular La Brasa. Customers rave about the rotisserie chicken, lomo saltado (Peruvian marinated steak), Salvadoran pupusas and Tres Leches. ❂ L D $
LA CANELA (EDITORS’ PICK) 141-D Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-2511550, lacanelaperu.com. Sophisticated, modern Peruvian cooking shines in a regally furnished dining room in a yellow stucco building graced with curvy black ironwork. The menu includes artfully prepared seafood, pork, chicken and beef dishes. ❂ L D $
LA LIMEÑA GRILL 1093 Rockville Pike, 301-417-4922. An offshoot of nearby La Limeña Restaurant, this Peruvian eatery with a spacious patio serves several traditional seafood dishes, including Ceviche Mixto, an appetizer of lime-marinated tilapia served with glazed potatoes and crispy dried corn kernels. The Chicha Morada, a sweet corn-based drink, pairs nicely with authentic and tender braised-beef entrées. ❂ J L D $$
LA LIMEÑA RESTAURANT
GYROLAND 1701-B3 Rockville Pike, 301-816-7829, gyrolandmd.com. Build-your-own salads, open-face and wrapped sandwiches, and other Greek choices star at this fast-casual spot near Congressional Plaza. For dessert, Gyroland serves loukoumades, a bite-size fluffy Greek doughnut soaked in hot honey syrup. L D $
HARD TIMES CAFÉ 1117 Nelson St., 301-294-9720, hardtimes.com. Good American beer selections, hearty chili styles ranging from Cincinnati (cinnamon and tomato) to Texas (beef and hot peppers), and hefty salads and wings bring families to this Wild West-style saloon for lunch and dinner. L D $
HINODE JAPANESE RESTAURANT 134 Congressional Lane, 301-816-2190, hinode restaurant.com. Serving traditional Japanese cuisine since 1992. All-you-can-eat lunch and weekend dinner buffet offers 40 types of sushi, 14 hot foods and a salad bar. Check out the patio with full bar service. L D $$
IL PIZZICO 15209 Frederick Road, 301-309-0610, ilpizzico. com. Setting aside the strip mall location and lack of pizza (il pizzico means “the pinch” in Italian), chef-owner Enzo Livia’s house-made pasta dishes, gracious service and extensive wine list of mainly
765 Rockville Pike, 301-424-8066, lalimena restaurant.com. Diners can choose dishes such as beef hearts, tripe and homemade pastries in this tiny but well-appointed eatery. Desserts include passion fruit mousse and vanilla flan. And of course, there’s rotisserie chicken to go. L D $
LA TASCA 141 Gibbs St., Suite 305 (Rockville Town Square), 301-279-7011, latascausa.com. The Rockville location of this regional chain strives to keep things interesting with 45 tapas dishes and six kinds of paella, including Paella Mixta with chicken, shrimp, chorizo, scallops, mussels, squid and clams. ❂ R L D $$
LEBANESE TAVERNA CAFÉ 1605 Rockville Pike, 301-468-9086; 115 Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-309-8681; lebanesetaverna.com. A casual and pleasant family spot for lunch or dinner after shopping on Rockville Pike, the café is a more casual offshoot of the local Lebanese Taverna chain, serving hummus, pita, falafel, chicken and lamb kabobs. J L D $
LIGHTHOUSE TOFU & BBQ 12710 Twinbrook Parkway, 301-881-1178. In addition to the numerous tofu dishes ranging from Mushroom Tofu Pot to Seafood Beef Tofu Pot, diners at this Korean stalwart can try barbecue, stir-
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