Wheaton

Wheaton is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a suburb of Washington D.C.

Do: 4
Eat: 17
Drink: 3
Buy: 2

26 places

Brookside Gardens

Beautiful and expansive botanic gardens. Visit the butterfly pavilion in the summer months—otherwise just take the opportunity for a romantic stroll.

Sunrise-sunset daily; conservatories and visitor center to 5PMGardens: free

Eat

Universally acclaimed in local, national, and international food circles is Wheaton's El Pollo Rico, serving unbeatable pollo a la brasa—Peruvian chicken roasted over smoky wood charcoals to just the perfect point at which a slight crisp falls upon the skin, over succulent, moist white and dark meat, and the spice fiesta of salt 'n pepper, huacatay, aji, cumin, achiote, garlic, and lemon magically penetrates the meat straight into the bone. EPR for a long time ran out of a can't-see-your-hand smoky little take-out only shack, but that burned down, and it's now in a cheery little eatery with tables for the few who aren't taking the bird home to the family. Lines are long, but move fast. Placing your order is simple: yell whole, half, or quarter, and then enjoy the sound of the lady's meat cleaver hitting the counter through the meat.

10:30AM-10PM dailyChicken: $5.30-14.20

Eat

Full Key Restaurant

An unassuming but pleasant little eatery, offering Hong Kong cuisine into the wee hours of the night—wonderful noodle soups, soup dumplings, congee, and barbecued meats—the roast duck tends to run out, but you can call ahead to reserve a portion for a late night visit.

11AM-2AM daily$3.50-20.00

Drink

Kefa Cafe

Delightful coffee shop with excellent coffee and a few snacks, run by two Ethiopian sisters.

Mon-Thu 9AM–6PM, Fri-Sat 10AM–5PM, Sun 10am–6PM

Drink

Legends Billards

A sports bar and pool hall. The bar offers specials on certain nights. Hosts parties for all sporting events year round such as March Madness, and Superbowl Sunday.

Mon-Wed 11AM-10PM, Thu 11AM-midnight, Fri Sat: 11AM-2AM, Sun noon-11PM

Eat

Moby Dick Sushi

Odd name for a Korean-run Japanese place. Korean-run Japanese restaurants are usually a lesson in cross-cultural misunderstanding, but this is an exception, run by an eminently competent and seasoned preparer of Japanese cuisine. Three reasons to come: great tempura, good sushi, and impressively low prices.

Mon-Thu 11:30AM-9:30PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10PM$7-15

Eat

Nava Thai

Served in a space that is comically and unmistakably a former cheesy Tex-Mex restaurant, Nava Thai's food is incredible, with a menu full of items Thai food lovers of the Western variety will not recognize. Dishes range from those ablaze with chilis, garlic, and curries, to those with a more subtle cilantro or perhaps pig's blood. The sweet and sour squid is famous, but if you want to play it safer, the husband and wife team here are experts with the noodle dishes, and you'd have trouble finding a better pad thai anywhere, except Ruan, of course.

Sun-Thu 11:30AM-10PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10:30PM$6-20

Eat

Nick's Diner

Old-school family-run diner with Greek menu options. Breakfast and lunch only.

6AM-3PM

Eat

Paul Kee Restaurant

Delicious, authentic Cantonese food served to a mostly Cantonese clientele. The service and ambiance are also authentically Cantonese, but they are also hallmarks of a place that serves great food at low prices. The roast and crispy meat dishes tend to be especially good bets.

Sun-Thu 11AM-1AM, Fri Sat 11AM-2AM$5-25

Eat

Ren's Ramen

D.C.'s ramen scene is not as well-developed as New York, but this place comes pretty close. Very flavorful broth and delicious chewy noodles, no matter which variant of ramen you choose. The dumplings are also tasty.

$10

Eat

Ruan Thai

Trying to decide whether to eat at Nava or Ruan is best decided by a coin flip—they are both fantastic, small, and as authentic as they come. Aside from walking distance, Ruan is a little divier and marginally less expensive, which is either a plus or minus depending on your outlook. It also serves an incredible smoked eggplant salad, a fiery crispy whole red snapper, and killer larb.

Mon-Sat 11:30AM-10PM, Sun 4-10PM$6-18

Buy

Thomas Market

A gourmet food store specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.

Buy

Westfield Wheaton

Large indoor shopping mall that includes Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Champs Sports, Charlotte Russe, Children's Place, Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, DSW Shoes, Express, Foot Locker, Forever 21, FYE, GameStop, G by Guess, H&M, Hot Topic, JCPenney, Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, Kay Jewelers, Lids, Macy's, Target, Vans, Victoria's Secret, and Zales Jewelers. Restaurants include Nando's Peri Peri, Panera Bread, Panda Express, Sarku Japan, Popeye's, and McDonald's. Also has an AMC movie theater.

Mon-Sat 10AM-9:30PM, Sun 11AM-7PM

Wheaton Regional Park

Established in 1958, this is a 538-acre regional park with a playground, picnic areas, miniature train rides, carousel rides, stocked lake for fishing, botanical gardens, nature center, hiking trails, riding stables, campground, ice skating (year-round), tennis courts, covered fields, and a dog park.

Free

Wheaton Veterans Urban Park

Established in 1978, this park was created in remembrance and dedication to veterans.

Do Not mapped

Taste of Wheaton

Food samples from Wheaton's best restaurants as well as live entertainment. Family-friendly event with activities for all ages, including face painting and balloon sculptures for children while parents can enjoy the sultry music provided by the DJ and live bands ranging from hip hop to jazz to country. There are also performances from organizations in the area, such as the Wheaton Studio of Dance.

Eat

Ben Yehuda Cafe & Pizzeria

Kosher dairy restaurant with pizza and vegetarian mock meat.

Sun-Wed 11AM-8PM, Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri 11AM-2:30PM, Sat: 90 minutes after sunset until midnight

Eat

Nut House Pizza

Voted the best kosher pizza by Washingtonian Magazine.

Mon 11:30AM-9PM, Tue 11:30AM-9PM, Wed 11AM-9PM, Thu 11:30AM-9:00PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-2PM, Sat open 1 hour after sundown until 1:00AM

Eat

Thai Taste by Kob

Street-style Thai food.

Eat

Woomi Garden

Korean barbecue, hot pot, sushi, and Japanese food.

25 of 26 places have map locations.