The best restaurants for 2025 according to the New York Times include one in Maryland and 2 in Washington DC. The Washingtonian magazine also recognized the top restaurants around there region – and Maryland’s restaurants were on the list! Is there a night this week that you want to fill with a special dinner? Not all of these are break the bank account dining spots so you don’t have to wait to save up for one of these restaurants.
The Wren, located at 1712 Aliceanna St. in Baltimore, describes itself as taking inspiration from continental Europe, Ireland and the United Kingdom for its menu, which focuses on seasonal, country cooking traditions. The menu changes daily. It opened earlier this year in February.
According to its website, there’s room for 18 to dine at the bar and 18 to 20 in the lounge. The bar is open from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 3 to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The kitchen is open from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. According to The Wren:
We take inspiration from much of continental Europe, Ireland and the UK, focusing on seasonal, country cooking traditions. Our menu changes daily, often at last moment (you can view a sample menu here). The fun of it all is that the ingredients are the finest we can source and the people cooking for you are very experienced, serious cooks. All of this happening in a casual, good value pub. Being a pub, food comes as ready. Ignore formalities—please eat your food when it arrives and before it’s cold! Unfortunately we cannot cater to many dietary restrictions due to the size and habits of our kitchen.
The two DC venues are: Dōgon and La’ Shukran.
Dogon is located at 1330 Maryland Avenue SW. Dinner hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. According to Dogon:
Chef Kwame Onwuachi is no stranger to pushing boundaries, but at his Washington, D.C. restaurant, he honors them and the West African lineage that helped draw the borders of the District of Columbia. Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi sits along the revitalized Southwest waterfront in Salamander Washington DC, and the acclaimed chef returns to the nation’s capital with a concept inspired by DC Surveyor Benjamin Banneker and his heritage to the West African Dogon tribe. Pronounced “Doh-gon,” the restaurant serves vibrant cuisine through an Afro-Caribbean lens and draws from Onwuachi’s unique Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Creole background.
If you are ready for a real change of pace, you might try La’ Shukran, a bar, bistro, and rooftop terrace in the Union Market District of Washington, DC. Featuring the cuisine of 2024 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Chef, Michael Rafidi, a high energy cocktail program by Radovan Jankovic, and a progressive, natural-leaning wine program from William Simons. The restaurant describes itself as:
A modern reimagining of a Left-Bank watering hole, a retro-modern late-night restaurant transported from the liveliest corner of Al-Bireh to Washington, DC. … La’ Shukran is a gathering place, a decidedly modern and mildly nostalgic space where beverage, talk of art, philosophy, and culture fight for space amidst the jangling guitars and low end theory bass of Arabic rock and hip hop. A place where the sights, sounds, and – importantly – the flavors of Beirut, Jaffa, Barbès, Canal Saint Martin, Wadi Nisnas, and Al-Manara Square share an equal footing.
The Washingtonian magazine also weighed in with its list of the top 100 restaurants in the DC metro area and several Maryland restaurants made the cut!
No. 11 2Fifty Texas BBQ (4700 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park): “Last year, Fernando González and Debby Portillo González opened a DC outpost of their Texas-style barbecue joint and expanded their Prince George’s County smokehouse. What hasn’t changed: Their oak-smoked barbecue is still the best around,” said the Washingtonian editors.
No. 29 Caruso’s Grocery (11820 Trade Street, North Bethesda, in Pike & Rose): “… Calamari and cheesy garlic bread are given the respect they deserve at Matt Adler’s Italian American dining rooms. There’s a Caesar that blows away any desk salad, expertly fried chicken parm, and robust pastas such as bucatini with zesty ragu and a dollop of ricotta,” the food writers said.
No. 41 Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana (12207 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg): “There’s one compelling reason to trek out to Darnestown for this “Neo-Neapolitan” pizza: The dough. It’s a chewy-crispy-puffy wonderland that goes with pretty much anything Tony Conte’s kitchen tops it with, from generous plops of fior di latte for the Margherita to roasted potatoes, onions, and rosemary.”
No. 50 Aventino (4747 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda): “The centerpiece of this downtown Bethesda dining room is its emerald-green bar, which sends out lovely spritzes, Negronis, and dirty martinis with Parm-stuffed olives. Over in the clubby dining room, the menu—overseen by Red Hen chef Mike Friedman—celebrates Roman cuisine, with its hearty pastas (the best here is the lumache all’amatriciana) and robust meat dishes, such as veal saltimbocca. One unexpected hit: a great lunchtime burger.”
No. 58 Northwest Chinese Food (7313 Baltimore Ave., Suite E, College Park): “Knife-cut noodles are one draw to this tiny restaurant, which serves hard-to-find, chili-doused specialties of the Shanxi province. Order them topped with garlicky minced pork; pan-seared into a fluffy pancake with eggs and scallions; or in a blazing-hot beef soup.”
No. 60 A&J Restaurant (1319 Rockville Pike, #C, Rockville): “These no-frills favorites dish up top-notch dim sum, with housemade noodles and dumplings, at great prices. … Hits include garlicky cucumber salad, dan-dan noodles, and Szechuan-style beef-and-tendon soup.”
No. 88 Beteseb (8201 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring): The injera “vegetarian platter is a gorgeous color wheel showcasing turmeric-spiced cabbage, vibrant sautéed greens, and three kinds of lentils, each distinct and delicious. Omnivores: Add the excellent beef tibs to your platter. Even if you upgrade to the juicy ribeye, Beteseb offers incredible value.”
No. 92 Amber Spice (13524 Baltimore Ave., Laurel): True finds include “Hard-cooked eggs bobbing in an aromatic curry; sukka prawns; custardy braised eggplants; and a crispy dosa stuffed with ground lamb and served with coconut-ginger sauce. To finish, get the spiced pudding-like dessert halwa … especially good here.”
No. 94 Melina (905 Rose Ave., North Bethesda): “The Cava founders’ sleek Greek oasis at the Pike & Rose development sends out sophisticated cocktails and riffs on classic mezze. Order a smoked old-fashioned set aflame tableside and graze on tuna tartare with roasted eggplant; crackly potatoes with tzatziki; short ribs over creamy orzo; and shrimp saganaki reimagined as a pasta dish.”
No. 96 Preserve (164 Main St., Annapolis): “Preserving, pickling, and fermenting are a passion at this cozy, brick-walled dining room. Sometimes the approach is sly—a rich crab bake is tempered with preserved lemon, radiatore pasta is kicked up with truffled miso, and fish and chips get a side of malt-vinegar aïoli.”
No. 97 Motorkat (6939 Laurel Ave, Takoma Park): “It serves some of the best fried chicken in town, paired with forbidden rice and a Madras curry that makes the whole thing really zing. Keep to the fried theme—order a Motorpup off the kids’ menu and delight in the crispy, fried exterior of this excellent hot dog.”