Restaurants in Germantown

With myriad meats, vegetables, sauces, and spices, bd's Mongolian Grill combines do-it-yourself dining with communal pan-Asian traditions to forge a distinctly customizable feasting experience. Guests can create their own stir-fry meal in one bowl for lunch ($11.99 for unlimited vegetarian; $13.99 for unlimited stir-fry) or dinner ($15.99 for unlimited vegetarian; $19.99 for unlimited stir-fry with soup and salad). Pair lamb with bean sprouts and pineapple in a stir-fry you'll deem the "Lamb with Bean Sprouts and Pineapple," or combine calamari with egg, peppers, peanut sauce, and chili powder for a meal you'll name after yourself—the "Reginald." With ingredients assembled, guests will pass their stir-fry bowls on to bd's Mongolian Grill's expert grillers, who will give the appetizing assortments a trial by fire on the restaurant's large, flat grill. After the sustenance ceases to sizzle, diners are free to take their custom cuisine back to the table.

With a savory selection of fresh seafood, delectable steaks, and tasty sandwiches, Gaffney's menu features classic American cuisine with a Cajun and traditional Southern influence. Land-meat lovers can hunker down with steaks ($21–$29) and barbecue pork ribs ($22), while diners desiring delicacies of the deep can partake of the specialty Maryland crab-cake sandwich ($16). After tasting the jambalaya ($20), the New Orleans shrimp etouffee ($21), or the bayou stew ($24)—a hearty helping of shrimp, scallops, and crawfish in Creole-mustard sauce—tone-deaf taste buds find themselves serenading incisors with John Fogerty lyrics.

Chefs at Taste Mezze craft small plates of Mediterranean fare laden with meats, seafood, and veggies—all based on the owner's family recipes. Flaming kasseri cheese and feta cheese whipped with chilies appear on tables alongside gyros, pan-seared scallops, and spanakopita. Smaller portion sizes enable patrons to share dishes or slip them into pants pockets where they keep a tiny but constantly hungry black hole.

Head Chef Duarte Rebolo‘s career began on his native island of Maderia, where he cooked for tourists before embarking on a journey that saw him creating luxurious dinners on Celebrity Cruise Lines and working with world-renowned chefs at the Watergate. Today, Rebolo recreates the authentic tastes of Portugal with Tavira’s menu of fresh seafood, goat-cheese-stuffed peppers, and colorful pasta. Music from a live classical guitarist mingles with the scents of mussels, steaks, and warm apple tatins. Diners sip fine wine at the full-service bar, or dine on lunchtime sandwiches of marinated lamb or dinners of grilled chicken in spicy piri-piri sauce. The bill of fare celebrates Portugal’s rich maritime history with ample selections of salted cod, salmon, and shrimp, as well as a pop-up book insert detailing all the fish that got away from Prince Henry the Navigator.

At The Pollo Factory, three generations’ worth of Peruvian-cooking expertise infuses dishes such as crispy fried yucca and plantains, savory chicken, and ocean-fresh ceviche with years of cherished tradition. The scent of roasting la brasa chicken sends stomachs into quivering, hungry rumbles, and the sight of endlessly swirling rotisserie skewers hypnotizes eyes. Shellfish and squid mingle with zesty citrus marinades on plates of ceviche as scallop paella blends presentation and flavor with colorful yellow rice, red pepper, and green parsley. Other Peruvian specialties such as imported choclo corn, marinated beef-heart kebabs, and olive-stuffed tamales introduce taste buds to new horizons.

Juan Carlos and Edwin Balcazar aren’t shy about showing their pride. When searching for a title for their Latin American restaurant, the pair settled on Parva, a Colombian word that translates to “best of the best.” By fusing recipes from their native Colombia with Peruvian and Argentine culinary techniques, the cooks at Parva uphold the high standards their name promises.

Parva uses fresh seasonal ingredients in its made-from-scratch dishes, which range from creamy quinoa risotto to Argentine new york steak. Though Parva’s cuisine has roots in traditional Latin dishes, its ivory interior exudes modern style, with lounge-type seating offsetting plush booths where patrons can sip on Argentine malbecs and Spanish sangrias.