Call Your Mother, Dacha Beer Garden, plus 20 more MoCo dining openings to watch in 2026 – Bethesda Magazine

From bakeries, pizzerias and hot pot eateries to a brewery and a distillery, dozens of new eateries are expected to open in Montgomery County this year. Here are more than 20 to keep an eye on as the year progresses:

Bethesda

Agora, a Mediterranean restaurant with locations in Washington, D.C., is expanding to open a new restaurant in downtown Bethesda. The restaurant is anticipated to open in the spring at One Bethesda Metro Center beneath the Hyatt Regency hotel.

Call Your Mother is making its return to Bethesda with a store opening at 4828 St. Elmo Ave. in the downtown Woodmont Triangle neighborhood. The bagel shop is expected to open this spring, according to Keri Ann Meslar, vice president of brand & marketing at Call Your Mother.

No Regrets Pizza Co., a locally owned pizzeria selling Roman, Neapolitan and New York-style pies, is slated to open a new location in downtown Bethesda in May 2026, founder Richard Weiner said Tuesday in an email to Bethesda Today. The pizza shop will be at 4925 Fairmont Ave. in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle neighborhood.

Woodmont Triangle is also slated to get a new bakery this year with the opening of Rosetta x Best Buddies. The Italian bakery will open in the former space of Pitango Gelato & Coffee at 4901 Fairmont Ave. and plans to employ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Renovation work on the shop is underway. The bakery did not immediately respond to Bethesda Today’s Tuesday inquiry about an updated opening timeline.

Thai restaurant Sense of Thai is in the works to open this year in Bethesda’s Westbard Square development at 5400 Westbard Ave. The eatery is a concept from the restaurant group behind Dok Khao in Chevy Chase and Thai At in Silver Spring. A media representative for the restaurant did not immediately respond Tuesday to Bethesda Today’s request for an update on when the eatery is expected to open.

Shake Shack is slated to open its fourth Montgomery County location in downtown Bethesda at 7535 Old Georgetown Road. The eatery known for its burgers, shakes and crinkle-cut fries was expected to open in late 2025, but the space appears to still be under construction, according to a Tuesday visit by Bethesda Today. A Shake Shack media representative did not immediately respond Tuesday to Bethesda Today’s request for an update on opening plans.

Uchiko, an Austin-based modern Japanese restaurant chain, plans to open a location in downtown Bethesda soon. The restaurant at 7315 Wisconsin Ave. was initially anticipated to open late 2025, but renovations appeared to still be underway during Bethesda Today’s Tuesday visit to the site.A media representative for the restaurant did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for an updated opening timeline.

Near the upcoming Shake Shack, Popup Bagels is planning to open at 7607 Old Georgetown Road on the ground floor of the Solaire apartment complex. While signage touting the new eatery is posted on the windows, the Connecticut-based bagel chain did not provide an opening timeline to Bethesda Today in late December.

Chevy Chase

Kneads Bakeshop, a Baltimore-based bakery and cafe, is expected to open in Chevy Chase at The Shops at Wisconsin Place in the second quarter of this year. The new shop at 5400 Wisconsin Ave. will be the family-owned bakery’s fourth location.

Friendship Heights

Near the upcoming Kneads bakery, a Wonder food hall is expected to open on the ground floor of the Residences at Mazza apartment building at 5300 Wisconsin Ave. in Friendship Heights. The eatery is expected to open in early 2026, according to a Wonder spokesperson.

Wonder, a quickly growing chain with locations across the East Coast, is technically a mealtime platform, according to the company. The eatery offers diners meals from a variety of restaurants that are all prepared in one kitchen.

Kensington

At the Crossroads of Kensington at 10619 Connecticut Ave., two restaurants are expected to open soon: Marathon Deli, a Greek eatery based in College Park, and Mezeh, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain offering wraps and grain and salad bowls.

Marathon Deli is expected to open at the end of January if there are no delays in the final stages of preparation, according to information provided by the restaurant. Updates about the new location can be found on the Kensington location’s Instagram page.

Mezeh did not respond to Bethesda Today’s request for comment on an opening timeline Tuesday.

North Bethesda

In Pike & Rose, two restaurant openings are on the horizon: bartaco, an American restaurant chain serving coastal, Latin fare, and Mui, a modern Japanese restaurant.

During a visit to the mixed-use development in mid-December, renovations at bartaco appeared to be nearly complete and hiring signs were posted to the windows. The restaurant is replacing Mexican restaurant Nada, which closed in September 2024. A media representative for bartaco did not respond Tuesday to Bethesda Today’s email request for comment on an opening date.

Edward Wong, president and CEO of the IVEA Restaurant Group behind Mui, said Tuesday in an email to Bethesda Today that Mui is slated to open in March.

Another Wonder location is planned in North Bethesda at 12240 Rockville Pike, according to the meal platform’s spokesperson on Tuesday. The eatery is slated to open in early 2026.

Rockville

Fork & Kitchen, a modern American restaurant, is slated to open in Rockville’s The Square at 150 Gibbs St. The restaurant is hiring employees, according to its website. Owner Lewis Asare said Wednesday in an email to Bethesda Today that the restaurant is on track to open in early February and will offer “elevated comfort food, craft cocktails and a welcoming, neighborhood-driven atmosphere.”

Fontina Grille, a long-time Italian restaurant in Rockville, is expected to move from its current location at 801 Pleasant Drive in King Farm Village Center to a new space in Derwood this fall. The restaurant remains open in the King Farm neighborhood and it is unclear when the move will occur. The restaurant did not return Bethesda Today’s phone call requests for comment Tuesday.

Silver Spring

Emma’s Torch, a café and culinary training center for refugees, is anticipated to open in downtown Silver Spring this spring. The café and training facility will be on the ground floor of the 1200 East West apartments, which formerly housed NaiNai’s Noodle and Dumpling Bar.

Dacha Beer Garden, a Washington, D.C.-based beer garden, has plans to open a new location in downtown Silver Spring in the former home of Denizens Brewing Co. at 1115 East West Highway. Owner Ilya Alter told Bethesda Today on Tuesday that the restaurant is still moving through the permitting process with the county, but is hoping to open in the summer.

Paris Baguette, a bakery chain with locations in Bethesda, Rockville and Gaithersburg, is slated to open a new downtown Silver Spring location in the fall, the Washington Business Journal reported in December. The café and bakery will be in The Guardian building at 8605 Cameron St., which was converted into an apartment complex.

Top Pot Korean BBQ is slated to move into the vacant space created by the May 2024 departure of Red Lobster at 8533 Georgia Ave. in downtown Silver Spring. The all-you-can-eat barbecue and hot pot eatery signed a lease on the space, the Source of the Spring reported in November. An opening timeline for the eatery was not available.

Momiji Sushi, a Japanese eatery that will offer small sushi plates and ramen, is expected to open in the former home of Cubano’s restaurant at 1201 Fidler Lane in downtown Silver Spring. The opening timeline for the eatery remains unclear, as the restaurant does not have a website or a social media presence.

Takoma Park

Sangfroid Distilling, a Hyattsville-based artisan distillery, has plans to build a new cocktail bar and production facility in a historic former bank in downtown Takoma Park. During a mid-December visit to the building at 6950 Carroll Ave., construction appeared to be underway. Owners Jeff Harner and Nate Groenendyk did not immediately respond Tuesday to Bethesda Today’s request for an update on opening plans.