So here's what happened...I was researching fried chicken spots, I found one, I went to the spot, I…read moreordered their food, I got the food, I was skeptical, I ate it, and it exceeded my expectations!! Good people when I tell you that the Fried chicken at this establishment is delectable...STAMP THAT!! On my initial review of this place, @janess_backstage_kitchen , I took a bite out of the Halal chicken, and waffle, (pictured-$12) and I gave it the Big Schlim grade of DELICIOUS!! So I finished the review, and started pushing. While pushing, I kept dipping into the container with the chicken in it, taking bites. I did this so much so, that I got viciously honked at while stopped at a green light. I crushed that meal before I arrived at my next destination...and I wasn't even hungry!! That's some good a** chicken my good folks...please believe me...it's officially STAMPED!! So this spot is a licensed, black owned, startup establishment that I decided to give some go too...I'm super happy that I did. With curbside service only, Janess's has a very simple menu that includes shrimp and grits (pictured $12), Belgian Waffles, Halal fried chicken, hand cut Zentachi fries, and a house made mumbo sauce chicken combo that comes with a Belgian waffle. That's it. For now!! I also ordered their shrimp and grits (pictured-$12), that came in a container with enough room to feed 3. It smelled good, but aesthetically it didn't look that great. I took a bite and seemed it DECENT. But once again, I pulled off and I kept dipping!! So this one is officially DELICIOUS!! The more, and more i dipped into these meals, the better they got!! Customer service was excellent (these are some truly kind hearted folks good people), and online ordering is easy. Now In order to perfect your meal, they take their time. So add 30 mins to your pick up time. Online ordering was simple, and parking was available. Good people...trust me on this one...get the chicken, be patient, and enjoy. That's it. #bigschlimsreviews #blackowned #halalfriedchicken #shrimpandgrits #belgianwaffles #housemademumbo #deliciousness #goodeats #stamp #tryit #startup #thatsit

Great coffee Breakfast sandwiches is always freshly made…read more Staff is always welcoming and nice Highly recommended

Takoma Bev has become one of our favorite neighborhood spots for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or just…read moremeeting friends for drinks. The avocado toast topped with a perfectly poached egg topped with Japanese black sesame seeds is my go-to order, and the sandwiches are consistently good. Their cocktails are excellent, and the bar side makes a great venue for private parties or larger gatherings. I am apparently in the miniscule minority, but I find the drip coffee a bit too dark and somehow slightly burnt for my taste. Fortunately, they make an outstanding Dirty London Fog and a wonderful London Fog Chai Latte, either of which I'd happily order instead. All manner of alternative "milks" are available as are a pretty decent selection of local beers in their cooler if you are grabbing take out. Be prepared for a wait on weekends--this is one of Takoma Park's most popular brunch destinations. Like many cafés these days, it's a favorite of laptop-wielding remote workers, so tables can be at a premium. In my experience, though, solo diners are often gracious about moving to the communal table when they notice [or more likely are asked polietly if they wouldn't mind moving] a larger group waiting. It's just one more example of the friendly neighborhood atmosphere that keeps people coming back.

The manager, Bianca, saved the evening. We had reservations for a for a group of 6 to celebrate a…read morefriend's birthday, but the restaurant was experiencing a problem with their air-conditioning. What could have been a totally bad situation turned out favorably when Bianca took control. She made sure the birthday girl had a cake for us all to enjoy. She even covered the food for our friend. Her positive energy in the midst of an uncomfortable situation was a testament to her leadership. In addition, our server, Naphtali, was very patient and attentive. His soft-spoken and peaceful demeanor added to our ability to ultimately have an enjoyable outing. Again, Bianca, thank you so much for all you did to make our evening enjoyable.

Came here for brunch with my friend on a Monday. The restaurant wasn't packed but a few were seated…read morein the main dining room and outside patio. We stood at the podium for 10 minutes and servers and the hostess passed us several times without acknowledging us or sitting us. We had a reservation. I ordered the chicken biscuit sandwich and subbed the reg eggs with egg whites. My dish came out great. I loved the spicy sauce it was accompanied by. My friend had the oxtail grits which she's had before and loved it. My rating is mostly for the initial walk on and experience. However, our food and server was good! There's street parking in the area but there's some homelessness in the area and feisty so just be diligent and careful.

Went to have breakfast today, and was duly impressed from start to finish! The staff were warm and…read morefriendly, and quick to help. Coffee: on point (and as a coffee lover, I thought it was great!). I ordered the avocado toast with over medium eggs; not only were the ingredients fresh, but everything was perfectly prepared. Hints of lemon and red pepper. Toasted sourdough that wasn't soggy. My family also enjoyed their orders of waffles and a breakfast sammy. Will def be returning!

Whatever Kaldi's did to improve their service, it's turned into one great coffee house. The coffee…read moreand food is excellent. Terrific neighborhood place that welcomes everyone.

Zed's is a great place for coffee. My wife and I went there five years ago before we got together…read moreas a couple. In fact she turned me into coffee drinker after taking me there. We hope to go back soon as it is a very cozy and friendly place with great staff to have a cup of coffee. They temporarily closed due to staffing but we are glad they reopened so we definitely need to go back.

Tried here to work for a few hours this week. It's so cute in the pictures, I've always wanted to…read moretry it. We had neighbors getting construction this week so I worked there Wednesday morning for some peace. The menu is small, but mighty, the service is iffy, and the pastries are store bought and stale. The front of house guy who brings the food and prepared the drinks is awesome, accommodating, and polite. I ordered egg and cheese on croissant, which came with salad and fruit. I also got my standard americano with room for cream. The food was well made, the perfect temperature and had just right seasoning levels. The americano was a bit cold so I figure he'd let it set while the food was being made to run them together. I had asked for cream, it was forgotten, they don't have any Splenda, only sweet n low, and their teaspoons are tablespoons, but the food was good. I also ordered a muffin later just to see what their pastries were about. It had clearly been in the pastry case for more than 3 days. It was REVOLTINGLY stale. I returned and advised and he offered a "fresh one" - from the fridge, in plastic, from a bakery in NEW JERSEY. They'd be better off selling Costco muffins. That muffin was HORRIBLE. Sickeningly sweet, 7 blueberries that were clearly rehydrated in the batter, and tasted like oil and preservatives. Sad. However, I came to work! There were two tables there when I arrived, they left within 15/20 minutes. The bathroom was not clean AT ALL - toilet bowl was gross and it was 10:00 am and they were out of soap and toilet paper. Ewwwww. I pray there was a hand washing sink in the kitchen. Also, the cook or whomever was in the back was watching something on tv, yelling in Spanish loudly, and generally making a racket. This did not make for an easy or enjoyable working environment. The layout is lovely, the chairs are comfy, the tables are just the right size for individuals or small groups (read 2 people) so the vibe is work/co-work, but then the dude is yelling in the kitchen!!! The other thing is, there was NOBODY in the place but me and one other dude who'd long since eaten, and the tables from the other people hadn't been wiped. They were bussed, but not wiped. The floor wasn't swept. It was just a general aura of idgaf but that's young workers in 2023 I guess. The concept is good, but the execution is struggling. I want to hope it's a bad day but who knows. I would try again if I was in the area but would definitely not go out of my way given the parking plus the issues above. Okay, not Great.

I told y'all I was coming back to this cloud kitchen in Takoma right? Well guess what? I'm BACK!!…read moreI'm just in time too, it's a whole new fresh food spot in here that I've never heard of!! LET'S GO!! . Where I am: @freshbiteskitchen6120 . Location Reviewed: 6120 Kansas Ave., N.W. Washington D.C. inside of @takomaeats . Items Reviewed: LIKE THAT! Their Impossible Spice Bowl ($14.99 with Impossible meat, rice, tomatoes salad, peppers, jalapenos, & house spicy sauce). I couldn't tell it was meatless protein!! Spicy, fresh, tasty!! STAMP!! Their Signature Golden Hour Bowl ($18.99 with beef tips, eggs, sliced avocados, peppers, & Kinche-cracked wheat mixed with spices). That wheat taste just like a spicy rice!! Tender beef, & their sauce is spicy, & EVERYTHING!! STAMP!! Their Smoothies ($7.50 Their Berry Blast Smoothie with strawberries, & blueberries, & $8.50 House Special Smoothie with kale, ginger, pineapple, & orange juice). Super fresh, refreshing, & tasty!! STAMP!! Their Tibs Sandwich ($12.99 spicy beef tenderloin with onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, & an Ethiopian cottage cheese). Hearty, mildly spicy without the sauce, with a flavorful cheese!! STAMP!! Their Sun Kissed Crepe ($10.45 with bacon, scrambled eggs, & cheese inside a crepe). This might be my new style of breakfast sandwich!! Get this!! STAMP!! Their Nutella Crepe ($9.25 with Nutella, Bananas, & chocolate sauce inside a crepe). Perfect fresh ending to this food!! . Customer Service: On Point. . Parking: Rough. . Recommendations: Get the Breakfast Crepe, & that sandwich!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly. 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews

Fresh Bites Kitchen is a family-owned cloud restaurant operating out Takoma Eats and bringing the…read morewarmth of homemade goodness straight to your door. They specialize in handcrafted savory crepes, fluffy pancakes, flavorful bowls, and fresh-pressed juices. I had the bowl, strawberry crepe, and juice. The food was delicious. You can place an order on your food delivery app or come in person and wait for them to make it.

We came here on Saturday. The food was solid. I will say the collard greens were yummy…read more If i was to be frank: Seating and customer service was a little lacking. 3.75 stars rounded up.

I ordered my food via DoorDash for pickup and it was a breeze! Cute little restaurant with a good…read moremenu! The staff was very nice and my food was ready when I got there! I got the smothered chicken and biscuits and it was so good! Every bite was flavorful and the eggs were fried to perfection. The biscuits and Cajun sauce were perfect. My husband got the fried fish sandwich and he finished it before I could even get a picture, he definitely enjoyed it and said it was good! I'll definitely be back because they have a bunch of things I want to try!

I was in the mood for a smoothie and Nips just so happened to be staring right at me so I popped…read morein! I asked for some suggestions and ended up going with the peanut butter. I'm a person who likes peanut butter but if you're not into it so much this may not be for you. The peanut butter is thick! It's heavy on the peanut butter and bananas without much fluff of milk or other liquids. I really appreciated this and found it quite tasty. I'll likely pop in again to try some of their other offerings!

Smoothies were amazing! I customized mine with almond milk and it was still a great consistency,…read morejust thick enough! My 9 month old drank from a straw for the first time here with one of their smoothies Forever one of my favs now. Veggie patties are bomb too!

About two blocks from the main cross-streets of Downtown Silver Spring. Worth the brief walk to…read morecome for dinner. It was a nice evening and we decided to sit outside. For starters, we got the New England Clam Chowder and an order of Chickpea Fries. New England Clam Chowder - definitely a chowder and not a soup (heavy cream base) with a nice flavor and a healthy amount of clam bits. Chickpea Fries - A nice portion of well prepared fries. Nice crunch on the outside, but moist on the inside. Well seasoned and not oily. Comes with ketchup and an avocado lime ranch, which was ok. It's a huge portion and we took most of it home to enjoy later. Good use of chickpeas. Branzino - This is a whole fish split in half. Pretty easy to remove the bones oneself. The skin was nice and crunchy with the meat inside moist. Well prepared. I'm not a huge fan of dill and I think the seasoning of dill is a bit overdone here. (I'm pretty sure it's dill. Whatever it is, it's too heavy for me and detracts from the meal.). The wild rice side dish is very good. Lobster Roll - Excellent. My partner ordered this and the only comment was that the large was very big and next time they likely would get the small one. Lots of delicious, cold lobster meat. The fries also were excellent. The service overall was very good. Our food was served at an appropriate rate (apps, then main, which seems not to be important at a lot of restaurants these days) and the water service was excellent. Recommend this restaurant. I probably would not get the Branzino again because of the heavy dill seasoning, but there are other items in the menu that look interesting.

Went to All Set Restaurant with some friends while visiting the area. The place was so nice and was…read morein a nice spot. We were greeted by a host who immediately sat us down The food items looked great and we got smash burgers and their fries. One person got some Old Bay chicken wings and they looked delicious. If you're in the area, come for their great options.