Silver Spring is back in the regional spotlight. Washingtonian Magazine Full Article
In its February 2026 issue, Washingtonian Magazine published a full Neighborhood Guide dedicated to Silver Spring, highlighting the restaurants, small businesses, cultural anchors, and community spaces that continue to shape our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
From longtime institutions to new arrivals, the feature captures what so many of us already know: Silver Spring is layered, diverse, creative, and constantly evolving.
The article traces our story from the original “mica-flecked” spring that inspired the name, through decades of retail growth, reinvention, and revitalization, to the continued momentum fueled by new development and the long-anticipated Purple Line. Along the way, it spotlights the food, music, arts, and gathering spaces that define daily life here.
Below is the full article as published in Washingtonian, February 25, 2026.
Neighborhood Guide: Where to Eat, Shop, and Play in Silver Spring
In 1840, when Francis Preston Blair and his daughter came across a “mica-flecked” spring near present-day Georgia Avenue, he fell in love with the land and built a summer home there—calling it “Silver Spring” after the minerals he spied in the water. The area boomed as a major retail center after World War II, suffered through a period of decline in the ’80s when prominent businesses including Hecht’s department store relocated, and enjoyed a rebirth in the aughts after construction of a downtown mall, now called Ellsworth Place. More development is on the way—including completion of the long-anticipated Purple Line light rail. Here are some of our favorite new spots for dining, shopping, and playing—as well as old favorites.
EAT AND DRINK
Punta Cana Tropical Grill
9324 Georgia Ave.
Plantains are the thing at Punta Cana Tropical Grill, a Dominican lunch counter founded by Maryland native Margarita Rodriguez in December 2024. Try the plantains in the made-to-order mofongo, which is mashed and fried with shrimp, chicken, or chicharrón. Or opt for the plantains at the steam table, where you can build your own bowl with rice, beans, and stewed meat.
Kantutas
2400 University Blvd. W.
A longtime favorite in Wheaton, the Bolivian restaurant Kantutas reopened at a larger Silver Spring location in summer 2023. Find comforting traditional dishes like silpancho, rice topped with breaded chicken or beef cutlets, baked potato, and fried eggs in a tomato-onion salsa. Weekend specials include slow-cooked pork-rib stew and lamb’s-head soup.
El Viejo Central American Kitchen
9224 Warren St.
Henry Blanco grew up in the restaurant business, working with his father, Juan, who fled El Salvador’s civil war in the 1980s and founded the Gaithersburg Salvadoran/Tex-Mex eatery Ay Jalisco. Now Henry and his parents have opened El Viejo Central American Kitchen, which offers affordable Salvadoran favorites, including the plato tipico breakfast featuring scrambled eggs, refried black beans, and plantains, and the fritanga Nicaragüense: grilled chicken or steak alongside plantain chips, rice and beans, and pickled-onion chilero. As for the indulgent fried sweet-corn tamal, critics chose it as one of their favorite dishes in 2025.
Breakfast Club
8240 Fenton St.
Jason Miskiri, founder of the Silver Spring restaurant the Angry Jerk, expanded his culinary empire in 2022 with the Breakfast Club. All-day breakfast and brunch options have a Caribbean twist, think deviled eggs topped with shrimp or gravy-smothered oxtail and grits. The Art Deco–inspired decor pays homage to Miskiri’s father, as does a bourbon drink on the cocktail menu: the “Papa Sherman,” finished with lemon, Earl Grey syrup, and egg-white foam.
Firepan Korean BBQ
962 Wayne Ave.
The latest local offshoot of Firepan Korean BBQ arrived in downtown Silver Spring in late 2022. Expect a classic all-you-can-eat KBBQ experience featuring cuts of bulgogi, pork belly, steak, rib eye, and shrimp. At the bar, happy hour runs every weekday until 7, with half-off signature cocktails.
Milk & Honey
9326 Georgia Ave.
Milk & Honey, the soul-food restaurant originally started in Beltsville by Chopped: Redemption winner and former Nobu chef Sammy Davis, has come to Montgomery County. Space is more limited at the Silver Spring outpost than at some of the other area locations, but if you manage to grab a seat at the counter or opt for takeout, you’ll find comforting staples like shrimp and grits, gumbo, and banana cheesecake pudding.
Commas Food Hall
8661 Colesville Rd.
Commas Food Hall opened on the third level of Ellsworth Place mall in September. A globetrotting upgrade to the standard food court, its 12 vendors serve a variety of cuisines, from traditional Nepali dumplings at MoMo Hub to jerk chicken wings at the Champs Kitchen and loaded fries at Tato’s. The cocktail bar C³ offers beer, wine, and signature drinks such as the “Old Ellsworth,” made with whiskey from Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirit Distillery.
SHOPPING
Elegant Look
8661 Colesville Rd.
Shopping for an impressive outfit for a fancy occasion? Elegant Look opened in 2024 inside Ellsworth Place, taking over the former TG Jewelers space. It carries formalwear for men, women, and children, making it a destination for weddings, proms, and other events.
Pure Panic Comics & Games
8317 Fenton St.
Pure Panic Comics & Games is the latest in a long line of comics shops that have graced Silver Spring. Co-owners Grady Page and Ala Aladdin envisioned the place as not only a retail store but also a community gathering spot. It carries new-release comics, trading-card staples like Pokémon, as well as politically themed, LGBTQ-focused, and small-press zines. The store also hosts game nights and other events, including a horror-comic club that meets every other Wednesday.
Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff
8401 Colesville Rd.
A lifelong collector of books and vinyl, Michael Abate opened Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff after noticing that many of the used-book stores he loved growing up in DC had closed. The family-owned shop sells a curated selection of new and used titles, LPs, comics, movies, games, toys, and other “cool stuff,” including prints from local artists. Mojomala also hosts events featuring graphic designers, musicians, and authors such as George Pelecanos.
THINGS TO DO
Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center
1319 Apple Ave.
Home to a gymnasium, a fitness space, multiple pools, and two hot tubs, the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center has become a gathering space for the community since opening in 2024. The fitness studio offers karate, ballet, Pilates, and other classes, including water fitness. After your workout, grab a coffee or snack at the center’s Kefa Cafe.
CREATE Arts Center
914 Silver Spring Ave.
A Silver Spring staple since 1986, CREATE Arts Center offers classes for all ages. Young artists can explore painting, drawing, and pottery or enroll in summer art camps. Adult options include printmaking and mindfulness workshops. Grownups and children alike can participate in art-therapy classes run by licensed professionals. As a nonprofit, the center is committed to accessibility, providing free and reduced-fee programs to ensure that all community members can sign up.
OLD FAVORITES
Beteseb
8201 Georgia Ave.
The family-owned Ethiopian spot Beteseb is a multiple honoree on Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list, thanks to its vibrant and flavorful vegetable platters, hearty beef tibs, and standout injera.
Zinnia
9201 Colesville Rd.
Black Restaurant Group chef Danny Wells opened the all-day dining hub Zinnia in 2021, taking over the historic former restaurant Mrs. K’s Toll House. Order coffee at the cafe, snack and drink al fresco, or dine in the upscale restaurant, where American fare is elevated by produce from the onsite organic garden.
Mandalay
930 Bonifant St.
The beloved Burmese restaurant Mandalay reopened after plans to relocate fell through. Longtime fans can once again enjoy the curries, simmered veggie specialties, and noodle soups.
Quarry House Tavern
8401 Georgia Ave.
A longtime local favorite known for burgers, beer, and its basement bar atmosphere.
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Rd.
The Silver Theatre first opened in 1938 and was saved from demolition in 2003, reopening as the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. It remains one of the region’s hot spots for movie lovers, screening new releases, classics, and international films.
Fillmore Silver Spring
8656 Colesville Rd.
Launched in September 2011 with a sold-out concert by Mary J. Blige, the Fillmore has become a local favorite for live music and events.
Joe’s Record Paradise
8700 Georgia Ave., basement level
An institution for half a century, Joe’s Record Paradise serves as a gathering spot for music lovers, selling used records, CDs, tapes, and DVDs across genres.
National Museum of Health and Medicine
2500 Linden Ln.
Established in 1862, the National Museum of Health and Medicine houses Civil War specimens, preserved organs, and the bullet that killed President Lincoln.
FreshFarm Market
1 Veterans Pl.
Since 2005, FreshFarm Market has been a staple of Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District, bringing local produce, meats, baked goods, and artisanal products to the community every Saturday.
Silver Cycles
8307 Dixon Ave.
Serving the cycling community since 2004, Silver Cycles handles repairs, tune-ups, and custom builds.
https://washingtonian.com/2026/02/25/neighborhood-guide-things-to-do-in-silver-spring/