While it seems that Bethesda, Maryland is not exactly the pin-point map marker you’re likely to add if you’re looking to visit Washington D.C. But that’s exactly the best-kept secret that Bethesda is best known for! Here are some excellent examples of the best things to do in Bethesda that you’ll want to add to your next weekend trip.
What is Bethesda Maryland famous for?
Perhaps you didn’t know that Bethesda is an attractive community and urban stomping ground for affluent folks living near and around the D.C. area. After all, it’s only 8 miles from the nation’s capital and- is the perfect city for business owners. But what makes Bethesda more notable happens to include a wide range of cultural and artistic offerings.
Combining this with an outstanding array of ethnic restaurants, shopping venues, and urban sightseeing, Bethesda is jam-packed with loads of appeal for nearly everyone.
Fine dining for all budgets
In this day and age, if you aren’t vetted by customer reviews, then you aren’t worth visiting. Luckily, review sites including Trip Advisor tell you everything you need to know before making a mistake. Here are the top dining choices you need to visit while visiting Bethesda.
Chef Tony’s Fresh Seafood Restaurant
If you’re looking for an Italian-American eating experience with a Mediterranean-style seafood menu, Chef Tony’s is your best choice. It’s a high-end joint, but the service and food are simply amazing. There are many seafood restaurants in Bethesda, but only Tony’s has a certain bohemian approach to fine dining.
Raku-An Asian Dining and Sushi
For some folks, sushi can be a real hit or miss for food quality and experience. Raku-An meets both of these checkmarks and much more for the mid-range prices they charge. Now you wouldn’t expect that sushi is known for being vegan-friendly but they do offer a fine range of menu options that are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free!
Mon Ami Gabi
A unique French Bistro experience that’s modest enough in pricing that covers brunch, lunch, dinner, and late dinner specialties. They feature many traditional French dishes and also offer vegetarian and vegan dishes for those with alternative diets.
Mortons: The Steakhouse
Some people are die-hard steak fans and everyone has an opinion on what steak should be like. This is where Morton’s helps to establish what a real steakhouse experience should be. There’s plenty of ambiance with 5-star dining. It’s not the cheapest steak on the block but is totally worth it for what you’ll pay. Don’t expect vegan or vegetarian options but they do have gluten-free menu options.
Gringos and Mariachis
Just as the name suggests, this is classic Mexican cuisine with an outstanding southwestern flavor. They only serve lunch and dinner and are most certainly vegan-friendly and gluten-free additions to the menu. If you like eating Mexican food, Gringos and Mariachis will be a satisfying treat and great service all around.
Keep an eye out for special events
Of all the best things to do in Bethesda, special events are a wonderful discovery no matter what time of year you’re visiting. It really comes down to which time of the year festivals and events are happening. Here are some of the major ones to look for:
Taste of Bethesda
His outdoor event is typically held at the start of October with festival food and outdoor performing stages. The admission is free but what makes this one-day event amazing is getting the taste tickets to sample so many kinds of food.
Imagination Stage- Bethesda
Running through mid-November through early January only at the Imagination Stage, you’ll find various productions are presented. It’s a holistic theater geared toward children and youth that welcomes people to perform through classes and training too.
Bethesda Literary Festival
If are you interested in poetry slams or essay contests, then- this is one event that is a real page-turner. It’s held in April each year that is free to attend and further allows you to present your own literary or artistic writing material likewise.
Bethesda Outdoor Movies
Another outdoor event that brings people together is the outdoor movie nights that begin at 9pm at night. This nightly event only pops up at the end of July, for three nights only. It’s similar to the feel of NYCs movies in the park but on a slightly smaller scale.
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival
Here’s a family-friendly outdoor event that features over 165 artists from all over the country for a 2-day weekend typically held in the early part of October. It’s arts and crafts at its finest but also features a jury that will judge the best crafts and art pieces created by professional artists.
Be a trailblazer in Bethesda
If there is one thing about downtown Bethesda that you’ll find the Capital Crescent Trail which makes a great place to trek or walks. It’s a trail that is also suitable for jogging, biking, and even rollerblading since it’s paved. It’s open all year long and extends all the way to Georgetown or Silverspring, so you have a choice of which direction you want to enjoy for hours and hours.
A walk in the park
Glen Echo Park is open all year round and features visual arts, theater, dance, and even environmental education to boot. There’s also a full-size antique carousel and picnic areas and don’t forget to visit the Spanish Ballroom to learn dance styles. There is always something new any season you visit however the summer months are the best time when it comes to the weather.
Activity park fun
Another wonderful addition is Cabin John Regional Park Montgomery County’s largest park with even more things to do than Glen Echo Park. There’s a large playground for kids and plenty of sporting areas for tennis and outdoor athletics. One highlight includes a replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington steam train that actually works and takes kids on a 10-minute ride through the park! There is also an indoor ice-skating rink, picnic areas, and a complete nature center.
Bethesda has the best Blues, Jazz, and more…
Another great find in Bethesda comes from the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club where you’ll find nightly live music and entertainment- with dinner! You’ll be treated to New Orleans-style food while you enjoy state-of-the-art live music within one of Bethesda’s historic and landmark buildings.
Strathmore concerts
If there is one place for upscale performances, The Strathmore Mansion features world-class concerts of all types. It’s home to Pop, Jazz, Blues, and Folk music, but you’ll find that classical music is more fitting to upscale tastes. There are many performances throughout the year and additionally will hold outdoor performances when the weather is good. If you enjoy art and education programs, The Mansion offers exhibition events for all ages.
Round House Theatre
While the Round House Theatre is based out of Montgomery County, they hold over 200 performances in Bethesda each year. The main theater in Bethesda can seat up to 400 people and further has entertainment ranging from traditional magic shows to elaborate stage productions. The theatre also has a fun program that gets people involved in stage production and acting too and is great for kids and teens.
A visit worth every grain of salt
If you haven’t tired yourself to the point of exhaustion just yet, the Bethesda Salt Cave is where you can get your Zen in line once again. It’s an immersive experience that any self-respecting new-age meditation guru would appreciate. They feature their signature Salt Cave, full-body massage, and workshop classes. People with ailments of all kinds will certainly love the salt cave that can treat everything from simple hay fever to Lyme disease!
You might not be able to escape so easily
Not everyone can find it easy to leave Bethesda, but it’s probably not going to be from being held against your will. Or will it? One of the most popular activities for anyone looking for something different is the fascinating world of escape rooms. In Bethesda, you’ll find two exciting choices that test your patience and escape skills.
Escape Quest
At the Escape Quest location in Bethesda, you’ll find three individual escape rooms to enjoy. There is The Black Widow room, The Scorpion Code room, and the Expedition Unknown room. The Black Widow tests your skills to solve the disappearance of a missing husband and takes one hour to solve. The Scorpion Code puts a spin on becoming MI6 agents that need to solve a missing launch code in one hour as well.
The final room Expedition Unknown is an adventure theme that has you searching for info on a famous explorer that has gone missing. Each escape room takes just 60 minutes for you to solve each mystery and find the key that unlocks the door.
Escapology Bethesda
This location in Bethesda is larger than Escape Quest and features a total of 5 escape rooms. This includes Antidote, Budapest Express, Mayday, Mansion Murder, and Saving Santa. Each room will test your mystery skills using a variety of elaborate puzzles, and clues, and pick various locks before the time runs out. It’s one of the best places for Team Building or groups looking for some escape room fun.
They also offer a hall of fame for teams that can escape a room in less than 40 minutes or less. It’s a redundant rule that no two escape room experiences are exactly the same, so even though you’ve been through the same theme before, the clues and puzzles are switched around.