Call Your Mother deli prepares for August 3 opening in Bethesda

Staff at Call Your Mother deli at 4828 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda are making final preparations for the opening of the local chain's newest location on August 3, 2026. A final addition to the exterior is a lit logo sign that has already been activated. Inside, the chain describes the interior design as "a fun house that feels like Boca in your backyard. All of the signature bagel sandwiches CYM is known for will be on the menu, including the Jetski, the DelRay Club, and the Suncity. 

Suncity sandwich with bacon

"Bethesda has always felt like home for us," co-founder Andrew Dana said in a statement. "It's a community where people care deeply about supporting local businesses. We received so much love the first go round that we knew we needed a bigger space, and we're so excited to welcome folks back and meet new friends!"

Sneak peek: Shake Shack in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

Shake Shack is expected to open next month at 7535 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda, in the ground floor of the Element 28 apartment tower. The burger chain got overly optimistic this spring in announcing a June 24 opening date, but as you can see, the interior fit-out of the restaurant is now complete. Equipment and supplies are now being loaded in, while seating and ordering kiosks are now mostly already in place. The neon signage has been lit, drawing burger lovers to peer into the windows, which you can do virtually below:

Cubano's closed for today in Bethesda to make "exciting changes"

Cubano's is temporarily closed for the day at 4907 Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The Cuban restaurant says the closure is necessary to facilitate "exciting changes." Sounds of work can be heard from inside the restaurant, where unspecified "home improvements to better serve our guests" are being made, and music is still emanating from exterior speakers. Cubano's will reopen for normal business hours tomorrow, June 29, 2026.

Signage installed at PopUp Bagels in Bethesda

The sign is up at PopUp Bagels at 7607 Old Georgetown Road, in the ground floor of the Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown apartment tower. A sneak peek inside shows that the interior fit-out of the restaurant is nearly completed. PopUp Bagels is in a race against time to open before local rival Call Your Mother deli can open its own downtown Bethesda outpost.

Alatri Bros. closing after today in Bethesda

Alatri Bros. will permanently shutter at the close of business tonight after ten successful years at 4926 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. The pizzeria's head chef, Wilber Melendez, tragically and unexpectedly passed away earlier this month. A GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses and a final trip home to El Salvador for Wilber received tremendous support from the community, meeting its $15,000 goal with $295 to spare. The support by patrons of the restaurant continued yesterday, with diners packing the pizzeria for dinner. You have one last chance today and tonight to enjoy the flavors of Alatri Bros.!

Buffalo Wild Wings GO is coming to Bethesda

Just in time for football season, Buffalo Wild Wings GO will be opening a Bethesda location. It will be located at 4611-C Sangamore Road at the Shops at Sumner Place (a.k.a. Little Falls Mall). This is quite a coup for property owner W.C. & A.N. Miller, as you might have expected Regency Centers to reel in a big name like this for their nearby Westbard Square development. The Bethesda BWW GO will also be unusual in that the existing Montgomery County locations have all been on major thoroughfares. Perhaps the chicken wing chain is looking at the high traffic at this busy mall, as well as at the thousands of employees at the intelligence campus directly across the street. Even the Deep State eats lunch.

Buffalo Wild Wings' "GO" concept took off during the pandemic, when the chicken wings chain sought to capitalize on an explosion in demand for takeout orders, as well as a chance to muscle in on carryout-focused competitors like Wingstop. You'll find a slimmed-down menu at Buffalo Wild Wings GO, comprised of some of BWW's customer favorites. 

An "innovative cooking process" is able to churn out the same crispy wings you find at a regular BWW at a speedier pace, the company says. The interior set-up is designed to get customers in and out of the smaller-scale GO store as quickly as possible, especially when ordering ahead. GO also has some exclusive flavors not found at the full-size BWW. As you can see, construction is just getting started in the former Wild Bird Center space.

Agora restaurant opens in Bethesda

Agora has opened at 1 Bethesda Metro Center in the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel. This is the third location for the local Mediterranean restaurant chain, and its largest. The restaurant has a maximum capacity of 300 guests, including private rooms with space for up to 50, semi-private accommodations for up to 120, and a patio with room for 100 guests. Initially, Agora will be serving a dinner menu only, focused on the culinary traditions of Turkey, Greece, and Lebanon. Later this summer, breakfast, lunch, and brunch menus will be added.

Signature dishes include a slow-cooked lamb shoulder feast designed for sharing, grilled beef and lamb kebabs, grilled branzino and octopus, and traditional desserts like kunefe and baklava. Another signature at Agora is their exclusive use of Laconiko extra virgin olive oil, a premium Koroneiki olive oil recognized internationally for its exceptionally high polyphenol content, naturally low acidity, and outstanding flavor. 

Like 4-star General John Kelly, starting the day with a full breakfast is a non-negotiable must for me when traveling. The eventual addition of breakfast service here is going to be a real boon for guests at the hotel, as well as nearby residents. Dishes planned for the breakfast menu at Agora include gluten-free Mediterranean-Style Fried Eggs with asparagus, tomatoes, and mushrooms; Aegean Avocado Toast with organic poached eggs, sourdough bread, avocado, olive oil, paprika, pine nuts, and microgreens; and a Sunrise Porridge made with almond milk, pine honey, and orange zest.

Agora Restaurant Group, celebrating over 15 years of success in the region, is co-owned by husband and wife team Betul and Ismail Uslu. Ismail Uslu began his career in the hospitality industry at luxury resorts in Turkey, and sees his career coming full circle as his latest venture debuts in downtown Bethesda's most-prominent hotel. “Having spent many years working in hotels, opening Agora inside the Hyatt Regency Bethesda feels like a homecoming,” he says. “It brings together my passion for hospitality and our vision of creating a restaurant that serves both travelers and the local community.”

Fairmont Grill out before even opening in Bethesda

The long-awaited Fairmont Grill Dry Aged Kitchen won't be opening after all, at least not at 4940 Fairmont Avenue. A For Lease sign has now appeared in the window, before the restaurant even served its first steak. It's been 23 months since the Fairmont Grill announced it would be opening in this spot. With window coverings obscuring the interior all that time, it's unclear what construction work was performed, if any.

Call Your Mother Deli sets opening date in Bethesda

Call Your Mother Deli's newest location at 4828 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda has an opening date. The deli is now set to debut on August 3, 2026. They are currently hiring staff. As you can see, signage has been "installed" over the storefront; it's actually a painted logo illuminated by light fixtures above it.

Gold Bunny Donut closes at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Gold Bunny Donut has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Their space was dark today during their typical operating hours. The owner says they are seeking a new location and hope to reopen soon. Gold Bunny was a huge success after it opened at the mall, regularly selling out of donuts, so one has to wonder if the anti-business policies of the Montgomery County Council have claimed yet another victim.

July 4th sundae special at Max's Best Ice Cream in Bethesda

July 4th is going to be a hot one this year, with a forecasted high of 101° in Bethesda tomorrow. And there will be many a boom in the air, from thunderstorms and fireworks at Congressional Country Club and down in Washington, D.C. But you'll have a chance to cool off while staying in full 250-years-of-America celebration mode at Max's Best Ice Cream at 7770 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The ice cream parlor will be open from noon to 11:00 PM on July 4th, and they'll be featuring a special Red, White & Boom Sundae. The sundae features a blue frosted cupcake topped with Vanderwende's vanilla ice cream, strawberry and blue raspberry sauces, star spangled sprinkles, strawberry and blue raspberry Pop Rocks® and finished with a star lollipop. 

The Food Market restaurant opens in Bethesda

The Food Market is now open at 4720 Hampden Lane, in the ground floor of the Hampden House apartment tower in downtown Bethesda. Serving American cuisine, The Food Market is one of the most anticipated restaurants openings of the year in Bethesda. This is the third Food Market to open in Maryland. The other two are in Baltimore and Columbia.

What's on the menu? That's a surprise when you enter the restaurant, as the menu has not yet been posted on the website. But here is a sneak peek at the decor:

El Pike Diamante reopens in Bethesda

El Pike Diamante reopened Friday night after a brief closure, in which the restaurant was locked out of the premises by the landlord. Whatever the dispute was appears to have been resolved, and the no-trespassing and warnings-to-locksmiths signs have been removed from the windows. The listing advertising the space as available for "immediate" lease remains active, however. This is the first time since I started this blog that I've seen a business reopen after being locked out, so this is one for the record books in Bethesda. El Pike Diamante is located at 4906 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Pike El Diamante, Smoke BBQ buildings marketed for lease in Bethesda [UPDATED]

UPDATE - 7:39 PM: The CEO of Pike El Diamante provided the following statement:

"Pike El Diamante is not closed and will be operating as usual. We value the support we have received throughout these two years and look forward to continue serving the community.

If you're looking for a great way to spend your evening, join us tonight 06/26/2026 starting at 6:00 PM for our $7 Margaritas special. We'd be delighted to welcome you in for great food, drinks, and hospitality.

Mario Terrazas

CEO

Pike El Diamante"

Original story:

One restaurant has closed in downtown Bethesda, and the future of a second is undetermined. Pike El Diamante has shut down at 4906 St. Elmo Avenue. The property owner has posted signs warning the business ownership or other parties not to attempt to gain entry to the building, in which the contents of the restaurant remain under lock and key. An online listing indicates the space is available for lease immediately.

Also being marketed as available for "immediate" lease is the building at 4858 Cordell Avenue. That is currently home to Smoke BBQ, which is still open for business at last check. Both properties have not had much difficulty attracting tenants, as both are highly visible storefronts in the Woodmont Triangle with lots of lunch and after-work foot traffic.

Taco Bamba opening in Bethesda

Taco Bamba is expanding to downtown Bethesda. Chef-owner Victor Albisu has signed a lease for the space most recently occupied by Casa Oaxaca at 4905 Fairmont Avenue. Albisu said he will retain the popular outdoor patio from the previous tenant, but plans to strip the interior down to the studs. Expect Taco Bamba to open sometime this fall. Taco Bamba's Bethesda expansion was first reported by Bethesda Magazine.

Update on Call Your Mother Deli in downtown Bethesda

A painting crew is working on the exterior of the future Call Your Mother Deli at 4828 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Gone is the drab gray of former tenant Hardwood Artisans, and in its place is the distinctive blue shade of the CYM branding colors. The windows are still covered, so we can't see the progress on the interior fit-out. Construction has been underway since April 16.

Just Salad opens in Friendship Heights

Just Salad is now open at 5300-D Wisconsin Avenue NW at what's left of Mazza Gallerie in Friendship Heights. The fast-casual salad restaurant is the latest addition to the ground-level retail spaces in what is now known as the Residences at Mazza. Reusable bowls and a large number of plant-based alternatives to meat (the real thing is also still available at Just Salad, though) are part of what the chain calls "Earth-friendly" dining. 

To celebrate the Chevy Chase opening, Just Salad is offering 50% off your first digital order. Use the code MG50 through June 30, 2026. That's a good deal in tough financial times like this in Montgomery County.