Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in Gaithersburg

Oh my! I’ve been going to Clyde’s restaurants for decades. They’ve been special in their own ways: very good, mid-priced food, nice decors, and excellent service. This was my first time at Tower Oaks and, as soon as I walked in, I wanted to spend the week! Though that’s not possible, I do think their setting and ‘lodge’ decor are like the most exquisite National Park or luxury lodge I’ve been in. In the same Clyde’s fashion, no detail is spared and the tables are spacious and not at all crowded! Dawn was our server and she was top-notch; including when we wanted mussels but couldn’t eat the spicy preparation on the menu, she volunteered to speak with the kitchen about using the lemon butter on the cod and throwing in some garlic. It was divine! And we complemented it by a market salad with greens, apples, and pears and a white Balsamic dressing. We were seated in a large booth overlooking the forest. As we walked out, I saw a formal dining room with large round tables. I’ll be sure to bring our family group of 6-8 to enjoy what a round table offers. Could not have been happier! Since covid, we’re still not eating out a lot; this was a rare and perfect treat! Kudos!

Fantastic food as always. Ambience is just Romantic in the evening with the dim lights. Waiter was top notch in all areas. This is truly one of my favorite restaurants

Small plates only, which was fine for us. Pacing of the plates was decent. Quantities of items was not clear on the menu so complicated when dividing amongst a group - (I wish these tapas type resturants would have some scaling factor with these plates - one order too small, two is too many - but that is a general complaint). Everything we tried was very good, and the drink menu was a nice surprise. We were in what I would assume was an event space/overflow room, which was not the best space for a small group dinner, but that is being picky. Recommmended.

I have been coming here for 12 years and it’s always fresh and exciting. We celebrated my birthday here on a quiet Tuesday night and found the food to be magnificent and more intimate than any other night since there weren’t many people. The food was fantastic! Honestly the best food I’ve had in all of 2024 and my previous visits. Not sure what changed but the subtle flavorful changes were perfect. We had the tzatziki and crazy feta taster platter, pita and harissa, fries, the village salad chicken souvlaki, lamb chops and French toast and enjoyed the dirty martinis and espresso martinis(a must try) with barrel aged old fashioned! A+++++

Mary and Francisco were so kind and attentive. Made our evening unforgettable