The Grove 7747 Tuckerman Lane, Potomac, MD 20854

"Haven’t tried lunch or dinner yet but the brunch was exceptional! Today was their second day serving brunch. Went with the family and every single dish was really good. I love that they have a kids menu and it’s a paper with games and a drawing to paint. Everything was so good! Highly recommended! The customer service was great, glass of water full and they would check on us as needed!"

"Warning for a TL;DR (Too Long Didn't Read) but I want to provide a full synopsis of our experience for this budding (and aspiring Michelin) restaurant. Great potential, with a clear vision, and some execution hiccups as well as some questionable decisions (lack of finishing on food, and finishing the space). First and foremost, we were very eager to visit given the chef's Michelin star aspirations for the restaurant in CJ Mall and the chef for the most part did not disappoint! We tried the following: Crudo Latin Fusion, Truffle Burrata Salad, Day Boat Seared Scallops, Lamp Shank, Saute Garlic Mushroom, and capped off with the Bunuelos. The restaurant first and foremost at its core is beautiful; its hard to not see its beauty from the outside but once you get inside between the lighting (not bright like others said but cool calm and collected/romantic) is absolutely stunning. They fixed a beautiful bar, lovely seating (albeit 2 person tables are small), and generally its a great use of the space. Questionable decision mentioned above is not renovating the front doors where the original Popeye's entrance was (common for both Benny's and Lahinch before) - leading to customer confusion when trying to find the entrance (which is by the townhouses). Really should have made that just flat windows and eaten the cost in my honest opinion; but overall its a beautiful renovation of the space with an open visual kitchen. The food and service were the star. They swap utensils between courses (primary for many Michelin aspired locations), and ensured our glass was never not full (water or wine). Hats off to service overall. Small call out that was not mentioned to us, they charge for flat water in a bottle; a bit over the top given that our water in the county is great (and thus this feels a bit excessive). Plates that were a star: The Crudo, the Burrata, and the Scallops were to absolutely die for; such care on the cook (or non cook for our two appetizers), presentation Tuiles, and overall flavors were absolutely amazing and fitting of the price. Highly recommend all three. Plates that needed just a touch of finish: The lamb - beautifully prepared and tender off the bone fell slightly flat with a lack of salt, acid, or heat (not common but just encompassing heat as part of the three). It was delicious and at no point did we want to send it back, but it needs something Chef. Potentially finishing salt, or something to ramp the flavor the extra mile. The smoke some have aforementioned was NOT overpowering, and generally gave both a beautiful aroma via the cloche reveal as well a tons of flavor to both the meat, and veggies/potatoes/etc. Plates that didn't land: The Bunuelos candidly having been to Spain fell flat for us; the flavors didn't draw you in and the desert itself was a mix of dry and overtly bitter which given the richness of the Hazelnut may have been the target. That said, based on multiple ones I have had in the past, and my wife as well we would not order that again. Overall thoughts is that this is a new restaurant and one with big goals, aspirations, and an EXCELLENT foundation on food and presentation. Only misses for us is our mushrooms not showing (we took them in a to go instead when they didn't arrive) and some tweaking on the finishing tweaks related to the actual building/and final product of some of the food. Given the prices and aspirations we hope this improves with time. That said, we would go again and look forward to doing so."

"The food was superb!! Recommend the oysters, burrata, tuna tartare, duck, tiramisu. Definitely try the shooter as a palate opener before your meal. Their version of an espresso martini (Choco) was delicious. The service was incredible! Chris, our waiter, was absolutely wonderful and the manager stopped by the table to make sure everything was good. Beautifully decorated space - I love the theme & murals & flowers. Price was really decent for what you get. All in all and amazing spot, not to be missed! Will absolutely be back. Excited for the tasting room to open!"

"Potomac needed a restaurant like The Grove. The ambiance, staff, and food were all amazing. My group was notified of a tasting room that will open shortly, will definitely be booking that! Chris was an amazing server, explained all of the food and drinks. The menu did not disappoint! The truffle burrata is phenomenal as well as the tuna tartare. Scallops were cooking very well and portions did not disappoint. The rest of The Grove staff were extremely welcoming and charming. Cannot wait to go back."

"Wish the food they listed on the menu was available! The service was amazing! The food was good but not sure if it worth the price!"