Silver and Sons BBQ-–a local food truck serving barbecue inspired by Jewish and Mediterranean cuisine-–will open its first brick-and-mortar storefront in Bethesda’s Westbard Square in late fall, according to owner Jarrad Silver.
The 800-square-foot storefront, which will be designed for takeout, will be on the ground level of the Westbard Square shopping center, below the Giant supermarket.
That area of the shopping center also will be the future home to a Tatte Bakery & Café, Starbucks and Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria, according to the Westbard Square website. Currently, the shopping center is undergoing redevelopment with the first phase complete and the second phase poised to be finished in 2026.
Silver told MoCo360 Monday that he plans for the eatery to have an outdoor dining patio and seating inside will be limited to a handful of stools at a countertop. He envisions the Westbard storefront to be a “neighborhood regular” spot where patrons can grab a quick bite to eat or a take-out meal for the family.
The shop also will offer a menu with items slightly different than what the business’s two food trucks sell–with weekly sandwich specials and a rotational menu based on what local ingredients are in season.
“I didn’t want to focus on indoor dining as a main driving revenue source because I’d rather focus on, you know, the food and the feel and the atmosphere and making sure that people get a great experience with us in a short period of time,” said Silver, who is aiming for an opening in late October to early November.
Silver, 36, a Bethesda native and Kensington resident, first started selling barbecue from his home after the pandemic in 2021 and after decades of working in the food industry. The business quickly gained traction and in March 2022, Silver debuted a food truck in the parking lot of Captain’s Market, a seafood market and eatery on MacArthur Boulevard in Cabin John.
More than two years later, Silver and Sons BBQ now operates two food trucks that sell barbecue and brunch options at local breweries, wineries and farmers markets–such as the Bethesda Central Farmers Market at 7600 Arlington Ave., plus at pools and other events in the area.
In July, Silver and Sons BBQ moved into a 6,300-square-foot commissary space in Rockville, which is where most of the eatery’s food production for items including challah rolls, sauces and spice mixes takes place. The space also helps support the business’s catering service.
During the holidays, Silver and Sons BBQ creates a dinner menu for celebrations including Hanukkah, Christmas, Easter, Passover and Rosh Hashanah. Silver said he is looking forward to being able to use the Bethesda storefront as another location for people to pick up catering orders.
Silver, the father of two young sons, said he is also excited to be setting up a shop about 3 miles away from the home where he grew up and to be near Walt Whitman High School, which he attended.
“I’ve always joked about doing something there, and that shopping center has been poised for redevelopment probably since I was born,” Silver said, referring to the Westbard Square shopping center.
Being in Bethesda also means Silver can stay involved with the surrounding community and continue getting help from his parents who still live in Silver’s childhood home.
“They’re going to be right down the street,” Silver said. “My dad is pretty involved in our project. My mom also does stuff with the website, answering emails and schedules. My dad is going to be keeping an eye on construction and making sure that we’re staying on track because that’s what he did for his career. It’s really fun to kind of bring all these pieces together.”
For now, Silver said he is finalizing building permits and hopes to begin construction on the Bethesda shop in the next couple of weeks.