Bethesda diners can score three-course meals at nine neighborhood restaurants when Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week kicks off Monday, Aug. 24, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 30.

The weeklong promotion, organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, features more than 380 restaurants across the D.C. region. Bethesda claims the largest cluster in Montgomery County, with spots ranging from the RAMMY Award-winning Salt Line to Morton's The Steakhouse to Pisco y Nazca's Peruvian gastropub.

The deals are straightforward. Brunch and lunch menus run $25 or $35 per person, while dinners cost $40, $55 or $65 per person for on-site dining. Nearly half of participating restaurants regionwide are adding cocktail, wine or nonalcoholic pairings, according to Montgomery Magazine.

Bethesda's nine participants

  • Agora Bethesda: Mediterranean cuisine
  • ala | Bethesda: Levantine-inspired dishes at 4948 Fairmont Ave.; 2022 RAMMY finalist for Best Brunch of the Year
  • Benihana: Japanese hibachi grilled tableside
  • Beth's: casual American fare and cocktails
  • Morton's The Steakhouse: aged prime beef and seafood
  • Mussel Bar and Grille: Belgian-style mussels, oysters and cocktails
  • Pisco y Nazca Bethesda: Peruvian cuisine in a modern setting
  • The Food Market: elevated American comfort food
  • The Salt Line: casual seafood; 2020 RAMMY winner for Favorite Gathering Place

Two Chevy Chase restaurants round out the local options: Elena James, a New American spot offering dinner and weekend brunch, and Lia's, serving homemade pastas, pizzas and steaks.

Local roots

ala | Bethesda owner Deniz Gulluoglu, a Cabin John resident, opened the Fairmont Avenue location as a second outpost of her Dupont Circle original. The restaurant seats 90 indoors and 30 on its patio.

"We have always wanted to open a second restaurant closer to our home, in our community," Gulluoglu told MoCo Show in March when the restaurant was named a RAMMY semifinalist for Casual Restaurant of the Year.

How to book

Menus are being added daily to the RAMW website, where diners can browse offerings and make reservations. The promotion runs Monday, Aug. 24, through Sunday, Aug. 30.

Coming up

  • Restaurant Week: Aug. 24–30, various Bethesda and Chevy Chase locations
  • Butchers Alley 10th anniversary cookout: Saturday, Aug. 29, free admission
  • Taste of Bethesda: Saturday, Oct. 3, Woodmont Triangle