PROJECTED OPENING: Late 2026 4905 Fairmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD Chef Victor Albisu will be opening the 17th location of Taco Bamba in Downtown Bethesda later this year in the space formerly home to Casa Oaxaca. This new Bethesda location will occupy 1,850 square feet of interior space, with a 2,000-square-foot patio. The space will also feature both interior and exterior bars. The Bethesda menu features Taco Bamba's lineup of traditional fillings and original mashups, along with dishes unique to the location. Returning by popular demand from the Chinatown location is the Mike Honcho, a chili relleno riff with an Anaheim chili stuffed with smoked brisket, Chihuahua cheese, rajas, nacho cheese, and poblano ranch dressing. In addition to the location-specific offerings, Bethesda will feature rotating seasonal cocktails and menu items, such as summer’s fan-favorite double smashburger and its winter counterpart, brisket chili con queso.

PROJECTED OPENING: Late 2026 11802 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD Always Ice Cream will be opening a new location in Maryland’s Pike & Rose development later this year, making it their ninth location in the state. Known for its award-winning, small-batch ice cream, Always Ice Cream offers more than 200 rotating flavors, creamy soft serve, handcrafted sundaes, old-fashioned milkshakes, vegan and dairy-free options, ice cream cakes, root beer floats, and seasonal specialty creations. For more information, visit their Instagram here.Logo Courtesy of Always Ice Cream Company

PROJECTED OPENING: Summer 2026 69 Q Street SW Croix, a Caribbean restaurant and Botanic Bar that brings the full breadth of Caribbean cooking and botanical tradition, will be opening this summer atop the Cambria Hotel Washington D.C. Navy Yard Riverfront. Croix will add a unique and elegant dining experience to the city's rooftop landscape through a menu rooted in Crucian culinary heritage, an immersive botanical cocktail program, and a hospitality experience designed around connection, culture, and discovery. Croix is not a Caribbean-inspired concept—it is a Caribbean-rooted one. The restaurant's culinary program will draw from generations of Caribbean tradition, celebrating ingredients such as breadfruit, callaloo, sorrel, pigeon peas, cassava, and Scotch bonnet peppers through both classic and contemporary techniques and refined presentation. The dinner menu will showcase 25 dishes spanning five categories honoring the culinary traditions that define St. Croix and the broader Caribbean region. At the heart of Croix is the Botanic Bar, anchored by a dramatic backlit infusion wall featuring ten Caribbean botanicals infused in-house and displayed in glass vessels. Launching with the restaurant is Croix Veranda, the outdoor extension of the space.