HalfSmoke has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Its kiosk in the Dining Terrace food court has been totally cleared out, and signage removed. How this didn't work is a mystery, as they had a short but great menu. This venture opening and closing in the time since a long-delayed Rockville Town Square location of HalfSmoke was first announced does not bode well for that larger restaurant coming to fruition. No construction activity has been observed at the Rockville HalfSmoke space since "coming soon" signage was installed over the windows in November 2020(!!).
My friends and I eat at the Montgomery Mall food court every Monday and Friday. We never saw one person getting food from HalfSmoke in the last six months. Also noted: their sister restaurant, Butter Me Up, is closed. Did they misjudge their audience?
ReplyDeleteHalf Smokes are kinda an esoteric DC only thing. Only bona fide indigenous who also.know, for instance, that DC is Straight up half court, no take backs B ball, too.
DeleteI bet mall goers just weren't sure what Half Smokes really are.
Given so many known choices, so close by, who that didn't know about Half Smokes would purchase any sausage that's sounds half cured? Trying to market something that' 'esoteric' just didn't work in a market that doesn't know or appreciate it. Mostly just inner city peeps would be the their market.
DeleteIt appears that Ya Mon! Grill is gone as well, and Malia's and the Greek cuisine may not be far behind. Neither of the last two appear on the mall website. Certain ethnic foods are not doing well in this food court.
ReplyDelete10:24 Malia's and the Greek restaurant are also joked about by my dining companions. McDonald's, Chipotle, Popeyes, and Chick-Fil-A seem to be the busiest, making me think mall customers prefer well-known chains. Even Shake Shack seems slow by comparison.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cinco. There was not only never a single customer at the Half Smoke but I think I only saw a person behind the counter once. Something was very weird about that whole setup.
ReplyDelete11:02 AM and 9:55 PM Are showing the extend of their ignorance regarding local cuisine and culture. Apparently you are transplants from some distant planet or alien, white bread culture, not aware of the true nature of certain foods, before you trash them and their people. Half smokes (FYI) are an established version of sausage dating back to the 1930s, originating from the local meat packing company Briggs. Being a mixture of half beef and half pork meat, smoked like many versions of cured meats, is how it got its name. The first restaurant to sell them was not Ben's Chili Bowl, though they made them nationally famous, selling them at several of their restaurants around the DMV. This sausage first appeared in a restaurant in Shirlington VA in 1954, several years before Bens Chili Bowl.
ReplyDeleteTourist from around the world know of this local delicacy, something these posters are ignorant of. The management group for these two wannabe chains, Half and Butter, seem to be severely lacking in the area of management, thus their downfall.
Thanks, it didn't appear the two early posters were dissin' half smokes, just saying how they weren't appreciated. You just elaborated more on their DC based history. It's my opinion that the newer Half smokers aren't nearly as good as the old ones.
DeleteAgreed. ❤️
DeleteAnd Ben's Chili Bowl is the second most overrated thing in DC, their chili is no better than Hormel and may even be worse.
DeleteThere's never anyone at the counter are Malia's (at least when I go to the food court). I was interested in trying it but they didn't seem to be interested in letting me.
ReplyDeleteNobody needs a hot dog restaurant. Even Dog Haus in Bethesda sells burgers and other fare. Not surprised in the least this place closed. Even if this is some local delicacy, Montgomery Mall is not a place attracting those looking for a cultural institution.
ReplyDeleteExactly my point from earlier: these guys just didn't know their audience.
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