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

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Punta Cana Tropical Grill

Plantains are the thing at Punta Cana Tropical Grill, a Dominican lunch counter founded by Mary-land 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—a pork belly fried to crispy perfection by chef Yacelis Cabiales. Or opt for the plantains at the steam table, where you can build your own bowl with rice, beans, and stewed meat.

 

Kantutas

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 zippy tomato-onion salsa. Weekend specials include slow-cooked pork-rib stew and (available only on Sundays) lamb’s-head soup with potatoes and rice.

 

El Viejo Central American Kitchen

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: Our critics chose it as one of their favorite dishes in 2025.

 

Breakfast Club

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

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, and steak, as well as rolls, rib eye, and shrimp. At the bar, happy hour runs every weekday until 7; get half-off signature cocktails, including the fruity “Almond Jello,” made with Disaronno amaretto and elderflower.

 

Milk & Honey

Milk & Honey, the soul-food restaurant originally started in Beltsville by Chopped: Redemption winner and former Nobu chef Sammy Davis, has finally 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 cheese-cake pudding.

 

Commas Food Hall

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—traditional Nepali dumplings at MoMo Hub; jerk chicken wings at the Champs Kitchen, a Caribbean street food stall; and all manner of loaded fries at spud-centric Tato’s. The cocktail bar C³ offers beer, wine, and signature drinks such as the “Old Ellsworth”—a spin on an old-fashioned, made with whiskey from Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirit Distillery.

 

Shopping

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Elegant Look

Shopping for a 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

Pure Panic Comics & Games, which opened last year, 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

A lifelong collector of books and vinyl, Michael Abate was inspired to open Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff (8401 Colesville Rd.) after noticing that many of the used-book stores he’d loved while growing up in DC had closed over the years. 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

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Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center

The Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center—home to a gymnasium, a fitness space, multiple pools, and two hot tubs—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

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

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Beteseb

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

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—steak, catfish, shrimp, and lobster—is elevated by produce from the onsite organic garden.

 

Mandalay

The beloved Burmese restaurant Mandalay closed its Silver Spring outpost in 2021 after more than two decades, intending to move to Georgia Avenue in DC. When those plans fell through, owner Kyaw “Joe” Myint reopened the following year at the old location. Although table service is limited to lunch as well as dinner Tuesday through Thursday—dinner is carryout only Friday through Sunday—longtime fans can once again enjoy the curries, simmered veggie specialties, and noodle soups.

 

Quarry House Tavern

The beloved Burmese restaurant Mandalay closed its Silver Spring outpost in 2021 after more than two decades, intending to move to Georgia Avenue in DC. When those plans fell through, owner Kyaw “Joe” Myint reopened the following year at the old location. Although table service is limited to lunch as well as dinner Tuesday through Thursday—dinner is carryout only Friday through Sunday—longtime fans can once again enjoy the curries, simmered veggie specialties, and noodle soups.

 

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

The Silver Theatre first opened in 1938, designed by the famous movie-palace architect John Eberson. In 2003, after being saved from demolition, it reopened 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. Run by the American Film Institute, the theater in downtown Silver Spring also offers educational programs for students and trains teachers on the best ways to use filmmaking in the classroom.

 

Fillmore Silver Spring

The Fillmore Silver Spring launched in September 2011 with a sold‑out concert by Mary J. Blige. Since then, the venue has become a local favorite for live music and events. Upcoming acts include comedian Roy Wood Jr. and rapper Ghostface Killah.

 

Joe’s Record Paradise

An institution in various locations for a half century, Joe’s Record Paradise serves as a de facto gathering spot for music lovers. The shop, open Friday through Sunday, sells used records, CDs, tapes, and DVDs spanning nearly every conceivable genre. Friday nights feature hip-hop producer showcases, and special events such as Record Store Day spotlight musical guests who talk new releases and spin beats.

 

National Museum of Health and Medicine

The National Museum of Health and Medicine, established in 1862, is not for the faint of heart. Bones and other specimens from wounded Civil War soldiers, collected and studied by doctors during the conflict, document the effects of gunshot wounds and infection. Other displays feature preserved organs, including a human brain and spinal cord. And as a final morbid twist, you can see the bullet that killed President Lincoln.

 

FreshFarm Market

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. The year-round, family-friendly market (winter hours run from 10 to 1) includes more than 45 farmers and producers from the region, whose offerings include Maryland-made wines, beers, and ciders.

 

Silver Cycles

Silver Cycles has been a destination for the cycling community since 2004. The shop handles everything from bike repairs and tune-ups to custom-builds, with free estimates.

 

Tracking New Development

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The idea first surfaced in the 1980s. Now, after decades of studies, environmental reviews, lawsuits, budgetary shortfalls, and delays, the Purple Line finally appears poised to open in late 2027. The light rail will run from Bethesda to New Carrollton, with multiple stops in Silver Spring–effectively serving as an east-west connector linking the two northern spurs of Metro’s Red Line. If you’ve driven through Silver Spring recently, you’ve probably encountered the construction, which has been disruptive for many restaurants and retailers. In response, the Maryland Department of Transportation has started forking over $4 million in grant funding to small businesses that have been affected.

The rail line’s impending completion has helped draw new development to Silver Spring. Last summer, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved a high-rise project spearheaded by Roadside Development, the firm behind the Capital One headquarters in Tysons. The plan calls for a 312-foot-tall building with nearly 500 residential units–plus a grocery store–that will occupy the former Tastee Diner space on Georgia Avenue. The developers have promised to preserve the diner’s historic facade as part of the project, which is expected to be completed later this year. In 2024, the board approved another high-rise project: a 450-unit residential tower atop the Ellsworth Place shopping mall, which will include moderately priced apartments and no parking, thanks to the abundant transit options.

And the former home of Scion Restaurant and NaiNai’s Noodle & Dumpling Bar on East-West Highway will be reborn as the flagship location for Emma’s Torch. A nonprofit that provides culinary training and job-placement services to refugees, asylum seekers, and human-trafficking survivors, the organization operates a catering business and cafes (including one in Brookland, which will move to the new location).

Founder and executive director Kerry Brodie, who launched Emma’s in New York, says she wants to anchor the nonprofit in Silver Spring because of the neighborhood’s “incredibly diverse community” and “amazing small-business culture.” Did the promise of the Purple Line influence that decision? “I grew up in the area, and I’ve been hearing about the Purple Line since I was a child,” Brodie says. “We see it as the cherry on top, but we’re not holding our breath.”

 

What’s Selling

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For homebuyers looking for a suburb in Montgomery County, Silver Spring offers more affordable options on average than Bethesda or Chevy Chase. Spacious townhouses and single-family homes predominate in its quiet neighborhoods. Here’s a sample of recent transactions.

This article appears in the February 2026 issue of Washingtonian.