Food halls have been popular in Europe for years, but they only started becoming trendy in the U.S. over the past decade, as the demand for healthier, fast-casual dining has grown. Designed like indoor marketplaces or food courts, food halls are comprised of a variety of vendors, often serving food from a diverse range of cultures.
Many of the international food halls cropping up in Montgomery County feature mostly Asian vendors. In one visit, you can enjoy Hawaiian-styled poke bowls, Banh Mi (Vietnamese-style sandwiches) and Taiwanese Bubble tea, among other favorite Asian dishes.
Here are four food halls in Montgomery County that are worth a visit. Just make sure you show up hungry.
The Spot
255 N. Washington St., Rockville
Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Opened in August 2018, The Spot houses six restaurants as well as an outdoor bar that serves plenty of tasty cocktails. Pop in for a refreshing tea or smoothie from GongCha and Taiwanese-inspired crispy fried chicken from CheersCut. Watch as Mian’s chefs prepare ramen with their specialty hand-pulled noodles or grab a customizable poke bowl to go from Poki DC. And for a sweet treat, Alpaca Dessert serves Instagram-worthy bubble waffles stuffed with ice cream and topped with a variety of fruits and candy. Pre-ordering for all vendors is available online.
The Block
967 Rose Ave., North Bethesda
Hours depend on vendors
The Block’s warehouse-style building at Pike and Rose features glass garage doors connecting the outdoor patio with the fully-stocked bar inside. Many vendors had to shut down during the pandemic, but you can still enjoy Anh-Mazing Viet Kitchen’s beef broth and Chinese BBQ pork as well as Korean-inspired rice bowls and handmade Bao buns from Bun’d Up. Not interested in Asian food tonight? Little Miner has a variety of quesadillas, tacos and fiesta boxes for the whole family. Pre-ordering depends on the vendor.
The Common Kitchen
12250 Clarksville Pike, Suite A, Clarksville
Sunday–Thursday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Common Kitchen brings a host of international tastes together under one roof, including Blowfish Poke and Slurpin’ Ramen. Koshary by Misteka offers Egyptian street food, while Tasty Empanadas serves up Paraguayan empanadas, another type of street food. Swing by Trifecto Bar for your morning coffee or come for craft cocktails during happy-hour. This food hall also features local retailers, including Broho Sauce Co., Neat Nick Preserves and District Granola, so you can do some shopping after you eat. Pre-ordering depends on the vendor.
Pike Kitchen
1066 Rockville Pike, Rockville
Open every day from noon to 8 p.m.
Pike Kitchen’s goal is to bring together passionate local businesses that serve up delicious Asian fares. Japomen specializes in fresh sushi and seared wagyu ramen while Viet serves Vietnamese delicacies like Pho and Banh Mi. Pick up your daily coffee — and some Oreo donuts — at Pike Bakery or funky-colored bubble teas and snow cream at Monster Tea. Pike Kitchen doesn’t have a bar, but you can grab a drink with your spicy chicken sandwich or chicken cupbap, made with your choice of chicken over rice and pickled radish, at PK Chicken and Beer. Carry out and delivery available.
Clarksville is in Howard County, not Montgomery County.