In the flurry of restaurant shutdowns these past few months — some pandemic-related, some not so much — it’s been difficult to keep track of which places are temporarily closed and which are gone for good. As we approach the end of summer, here’s a list of local eateries that likely won’t be back.
- Addie’s at Park Potomac. This three-year-old reboot never seemed to regain the fan base of its fondly remembered predecessor on Rockville Pike. Other restaurants in the Black Restaurant Group portfolio have reopened since the pandemic began, but Addie’s won’t be among them.
- Bagel City on Rockville Pike. This longtime favorite closed in March, and owner George Kavadoy originally expected to return. But as the pandemic dragged on, he changed his mind to protect the health of his ill wife.
- Beefsteak at Westfield Montgomery mall. José Andrés’ veggie-centric restaurant pulled back during the pandemic, leaving only one location in the D.C. area. Beefsteak never did draw much of a crowd at the mall, where it faced tough competition from the Cava across the hall.
- Chuy’s on Rockville Pike. The Mexican restaurant shut down in March after a four-year run at Federal Plaza. The Texas-based chain already had announced some closings before the pandemic, so the timing here was likely just a coincidence.
- CiCi’s Pizza on Rockville Pike. This chain restaurant was a longtime tenant at the Pike Center strip mall, which also had been home to the departed Bagel City.
- Gumbo Ya Ya at Rockville Town Square. This locally owned eatery across from First Watch featured a mashup of New Orleans-style cuisine and traditional Puerto Rican dishes. It didn’t even last six months in a spot that appears to be cursed, having been home to at least six failed restaurants in the past decade. (Remember Bobby’s Crabcakes, Tippy’s Taco House, 82 Steak Out, Ev & Maddy’s and Lab Cafe?)
- Honeyfish Poke on Rockville Pike. This California-based concept was among the first local eateries to specialize in the Hawaiian-style raw fish dish. Owners had planned to open more locations in the D.C. area, but the expansion never happened. Honeyfish Poke went dark early in the pandemic after a three-year run at Congressional Plaza.
- La Tasca at Rockville Town Square. The Spanish-style tapas chain filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May and closed all its remaining locations. La Tasca had been of the last remaining original tenants at Rockville Town Square.
- Le Pain Quotidien at Wildwood and Cabin John Village. LPQ was already struggling before the pandemic, and its U.S. division filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. Some LPQ restaurants have since reopened, but these two won’t be back. (Update: A few months after we published this story, Le Pain Quotidien made an unexpected comeback at Wildwood.)
- Mirch Masala at Westfield Montgomery mall. The Indian restaurant reached its 10th anniversary in June, but the pandemic convinced owner Poonam Chopra not to renew her lease.
- Nantucket’s Reef at Traville Village Center. It looks like we’ve seen the last of this Cape Cod-style eatery, which “temporarily” closed in March but hasn’t been heard from since.
- Pizza CS on Rockville Pike. The Neapolitan-style pizzeria was already expected to exit this summer to make way for the new Wegmans-anchored development project. In this case, the pandemic just accelerated that timetable.
- Subway restaurants in Potomac and Rockville. The sub chain recently closed its doors at Potomac’s Cabin John Village and Rockville’s Federal Plaza. It’s unclear whether the closings were pandemic-related.