What is the best restaurant in Woodmoor?

The Woodmoor community, though modest in size, features more than a dozen restaurants and dessert places. In this article, I will be rating each of them on price, food quality, and overall experience. Only restaurants located within the immediate Woodmoor area and primarily dedicated to serving food or dessert were considered; gas stations, convenience stores, and similar businesses were excluded. A recommended menu item is also provided for each establishment. Now, let’s determine which restaurant in Woodmoor is truly the best.

14. Dunkin’

Price: 💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️

For a chain restaurant like Dunkin’, the location in Woodmoor is quite lackluster. The restaurant is not kept very clean, and the quality of food I have received there has varied greatly between visits. 

Menu Recommendation: Maple Frosted Donut

13. Papa John’s

Price: 💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️

Like Dunkin, Papa John’s in Woodmoor fits into the “bad version of a middle-of-the-road franchise” archetype. While I have never eaten in the dining room, I have ordered takeout over the phone, and when I did so, they got my order wrong. While I have also had good experiences, the quality seems to be hit-or-miss. 

Menu Recommendation: Pepperoni Pizza

12. McDonald’s

Price: 💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️

Everything that I said about Papa John’s and Dunkin’ can basically be said about the Woodmoor McDonald’s location: spotty quality, cleanliness, and service. However, the restaurant has a large sit-in area that is well-kept, something the previous restaurants do not.

Menu Recommendation: Quarter Pounder with Cheese

11. Starbucks

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️

This is simply an average Starbucks. There is nothing special about it at all, but I am willing to put it above the previous three restaurants due to its immense popularity among Blair students. 

Menu Recommendation: Iced Lemon Loaf

10. Chipotle

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a solid Chipotle; average Chipotle quality, friendly staff, decent service. The only reason this restaurant is so low on my list is that the other restaurants in town are simply better. Overall, a good restaurant and one that I find myself going to often.

Menu Recommendation: Burrito Bowl

9. Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out of the chain restaurants in Woodmoor, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the best. Their smoothies are delicious, and the food is pretty good too. My biggest issue with Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the price, as it is fairly expensive for what it is.

Menu Recommendation(s): Mango Magic Smoothie, Baja Chicken Wrap

8. Woodmoor Bakery

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything about Woodmoor Bakery seems great: a small local bakery with a large selection of desserts. However, the pies, cakes, and cheesecake are a bit underwhelming. The biggest redeeming quality of the bakery are its cookies, which are excellent and easily the best thing on the menu.

Menu Recommendation: Cookie Assortment

7. SweetFrog

Price: 💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

SweetFrog is easily the best major Frozen Yogurt chain out there. The Four Corners location is of high quality, with friendly staff and a clean dining room. The prices are always reasonable, and I have not had a memorable bad experience there.

Menu Recommendation: Banana Fro-Yo

6. Red Maple Asian Cuisine and Bar

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The food at this Asian restaurant is decent quality, it is very affordable, and my family enjoys it. However, reviews say the service is inconsistent (although I have not had a bad experience), and as far as Asian restaurants go, there are better options in MoCo. 

Menu Recommendation (from my family): Chicken Teriyaki

5. Jerk House

Price: 💰💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jerk House is a Jamaican restaurant off University Blvd that serves jerk chicken, rice and beans, and more. The food is excellent, but the prices are a bit high, and Jamaican simply isn’t one of my favorite cuisines. For those who love Jamaican food, this is a fantastic option and could certainly be higher on this list. 

Menu Recommendation: Whole Jerk Chicken 

4. Nash and Smash

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The concept of Nash & Smash is excellent, and has the potential to be the best restaurant in Woodmoor. For the most part, the execution was good. The restaurant itself is very modern and clean, and the food is pretty good. However, I think the chicken overall lacks seasoning (unless you get Nashville Hot, which is great), and the prices are a bit high. While it is good, I can’t escape the feeling that it didn’t quite live up to the hype people were giving it. 

Menu Recommendation: Nashville Hot Sandwich

Nash and Smash

Photo: Nash and Smash in Woodmoor

Nash and Smash in Woodmoor Photo courtesy of Zach Carter.

3. Santucci’s

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Santucci’s is a deli located in the main Woodmoor shopping center that serves sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and salads. There is a point in time where Santucci’s would have been a lock for the top spot on this list. However, myself and several others have noticed the food and service quality declining in the past few years – that being said, the food is still excellent.

Menu Recommendation: Cheesesteak

2. Four Corner’s Pub

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The food at Four Corners Pub is delicious, but the best part of this pub is the environment, which is cozy and fun. The experience is especially good on NFL gamedays or during March Madness. This is, in my opinion, the best overall pub in the Silver Spring / Wheaton / Takoma area.

Menu Recommendation: Smash Burger

1. Elilta

Price: 💰💰

Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The food here is excellent, and it is certainly the best Ethiopian restaurant I have ever eaten at. While the actual restaurant is a little hard to get to, the service is fantastic and the owner is very sweet. The coffee is very good, and every dish I have gotten there has been amazing. Especially if you’ve never eaten Ethiopian food, this is a must-try. 

Menu Recommendation: Derek Tibs