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.

Ullico relocates HQ from Silver Spring to Bethesda

Ullico has relocated its corporate headquarters from Silver Spring to downtown Bethesda. Its offices have officially relocated to Avocet Tower at 7373 Wisconsin Avenue. The insurance firm has leased 30,333-square-feet of space at the tower, and their logo signage has just been affixed to the building facade (although I like to see these at the top of the building and lit up at night). 

The move continues two trends: Where Montgomery County has failed to attract a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years, some companies remain committed to the County, and relocate within its borders. Marriott International and Choice Hotels are other examples; both are progressive liberal corporations (though the former didn't start off that way!), and align politically with the County Council even if it costs their firms significant revenue at the bottom line. 

A second trend is the in-county poaching phenomenon we've seen with new Class A office space. While big names like Intelsat famously passed on a brand-new trophy office building at 4500 East-West Highway, new buildings in downtown Bethesda and at Pike & Rose have lured away companies already in Montgomery County in significant numbers. In fact, Ullico joins Arlington Capital Partners and DiamondRock Hospitality Company in moving to Avocet Tower from buildings within sight of it, a remarkable 78,864 SF coup by Beacon Capital Partners and their leasing representative, Transwestern.

Tower crane erected at Westbard Square in Bethesda

A tower crane has been assembled at the Westbard Square development in Bethesda. It will assist with construction of a new 200-unit apartment building, which is the final phase of redevelopment on the former Westwood Shopping Center site at 5400 Westbard Avenue. The stack-and-pack style building will have ground floor retail space, and above-ground structured parking. Greystar is the developer, and the building was designed by MV+A Architects. A mid-2027 delivery is expected for the project.

Police respond to assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this past Saturday night, June 20, 2026. The assault was reported at the mall at 8:21 PM Saturday. This was the fifth assault recorded at the popular retail center so far this year. Last year saw a total of 12 assaults reported at the property. County police officers were visibly on patrol inside the mall this past weekend.

Truck driver ignores clearance warning at Bethesda apartment tower

There's a whole genre of video online that consists of trucks driven by overconfident or distracted operators crashing into overpasses despite signage warning them in advance. It's too bad one of those omnipresent camerapersons wasn't on hand to document what Roscoe P. Coltrane would surely have described as "a horrendous crash" at Triangle Towers at 4835 Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda last week. Despite the large sign warning of an 8' clearance on the porte-cochère ahead, well, the driver apparently just decided to go for it. Doh! In addition to the masonry damage, the driveway had to be sealed off with warning tape. What would Damian Einstein say?

The One Cake bakery opening in Bethesda

The One Cake bakery is coming soon to the Shoppes of Bethesda. It will be located at 4914 Hampden Lane, where the former Tako Grill space is now being subdivided into two, with the other half soon to occupied by Sushi Masato. This appears to be a local small business as opposed to a chain.

Update on Gorjana at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Here's a sneak peek at the construction progress inside the future Gorjana boutique at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Laguna Beach-inspired jewelry retailer is appropriately expected to open this summer at the mall. A look inside the construction wall door that was hanging open reveals flooring, walls, and lighting fixtures in place. Now shelving and other displays are being installed, which means merchandise can't be far behind. When it opens, look for Gorjana on Level 1 of the mall, across from Lily Pulitzer in the Nordstrom wing.

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.

Metro pylon stripped at Bethesda Metro station

I guess this is the transit equivalent of coming out to find your car up on blocks. The new version of the iconic Metro station pylon at the Bethesda Metro station installed last August has been totally stripped. All that's left is the interior frame that supports the familiar brown monolith. Well, if you always wondered what was inside the pylon, now you know.