Taco Bamba Is Moving Into Maryland to Open Its Biggest Location Yet

Taco Bamba’s brand of culture-mashing, pop culture-referencing Mexican street food has proven to be fairly pandemic-proof. Chef Victor Albisu is planning to bring the Virginia-based chain’s first Maryland location to Rockville this spring, Washingtonian reports . That marking the second opening for Taco Bamba during the coronavirus crisis; An Arlington location debuted in August. A lineup of “nuestros tacos” at every Bamba location packs in references to individual neighborhoods. The suburban Maryland shop will reportedly serve a crabcake taco and a Chinese-style fried fish taco. The restaurant, which will join Congressional Plaza, will feature indoor and outdoor seating. At 2,766 square feet, it will be the largest Bamba in the collection. Taco Bamba’s lone D.C. location, in Penn Quarter, officially closed in September.

In other news ...

• Chef Marcelle Afram, who recently left a lead job at Maydan and Compass Rose, has partnered with Roro Asmar on an Alexandria-based ghost kitchen selling Palestinian-spiced rotisserie chicken. [WCP]
• Northern Virginia Magazine has published a rare rated review during the pandemic while other publications have done away with stars. Alice Levitt awards four out of five stars (excellent) Smokecraft Modern Barbecue in Clarendon. [NVM]
• Tim Carman gets philosophical about the comforting properties of the Philly cheesesteak, and shares some of his favorites in D.C. [WaPo]
• Socially conscious D.C. cafe/bookstore Busboys and Poets plans to open a Baltimore location in two to three months, owner Andy Shallal says. [WBJ]