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Bobby's Crab Cakes, Bob Bloch's Wonderful Crab in Rockville Town Square - Closed


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If the prices are going to be the same as "real" restaurants, then they shouldn't have counter service. If I'm going to pay $25 for an entree, I want a nice relaxing dinner with service - not to have to get up and get my own refills.
Hm. We placed our order at the counter yesterday but had full table service once we sat down.

My lobster roll was very, very good and nothing like the one described on the Post. Nothing but sweet claw meat with a minimum of goo and fuss, piled in a crisp bun. My friend's crab cake had a shade too much butter, but was still very fresh with a minimum of binder. The fries are addictive.

I can't believe anyone would choose RedRock Canyon Grill over Bobby's. :mellow: That place is mediocre in every way.

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This piece by Nancy Lewis illustrates why TS doesn't comment on restaurant architectural elements much:

Tucked away on the secondary street of the faux old-town development, Bobby's Crabcakes looks like the classic crab shack it is destined to become. The walls are red brick, punctuated with crisp black-and-white photographs of watermen. The floor is tiny black and white octagonal tile. There are about 50 seats spread among a couple of booths, a banquette that stretches along one wall and a bar-height counter that rings two more walls. The tables are marble and the chairs are wood, the traditional library style.

<snip>

He had hoped to open last spring, with the first wave of restaurants, but the time-consuming detail work of the interior design pushed the opening to Oct. 27, not prime crab cake season.

Even this piece catches that the design is deliberatly NOT crab shack. Maybe a Back Bay Bistro or Chophouse, but Florshems not flip-flops. That said, I'd feel comfortable walking in, weather permitting, in sandals, shorts and SPF 45. Very nice staff and good newspapers. I would NEVER have made the effort to find this place without the encouraging input from DR folks.

Has anyone tried the Chili?

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Forgot to post that we tried Bobby's on Friday night. We were up in Rockville around dinner time, so picked up an order to go. We got a 2 crabcake platter and a lobster roll with fries to split. I loved the crabcakes. Very light and sweet. I also really liked the tartar sauce, even if others have found it to be overly sweet.

The lobster roll was my husband's favorite. Our's had little to no mayo, just chunks of lobster. I grew up spending summers on Cape Cod and so I *liked* Bobby's version, but I feel I am too spoiled to say that I loved it.

The fries are awesome. We'll be sure to go back when we are up that way again.

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To echo what everyone else has already said, the food here is indeed very worthwhile. The descriptions in this thread are very accurate. The lobster roll is very good and is loaded with meat and not much of anything else. The crab cakes are much the same way and the tartar sauce is on the sweet side, but they do go well together. The cheeseburger I ordered was done just a little more than I would've liked, but was still very juicy and good. The fries are AMAZING! They are the best fries in the area, hands down. However, they are best served in the restaurant where they are still crispy. We got food to go a couple times and the fries really lose their crispy texture and end up a lot more soggy after being packaged up for a while. The key lime pie is delicious and the crust is outstanding. The cheesecake is pretty good, but is nothing to write about. The biggest problem is the lack of seating, albeit this has only been a problem once, but a problem that might be worse in the future as Bobby's becomes busier. Our party of three had to sit at the bar-type seating (on stools) since there were no tables available. We got a table once one opened up, but it kinda sucked to wait around for one.

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An issue is pricing. My son's hamburger was $11, the large crab cake was like 4 bites, etc. I do not see the attraction and why it was packed. Mt wife and son ate there last Friday for like $60 with no Alcohol... The portions were tiny and some folks kept opening the door to create a draft.

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An issue is pricing. My son's hamburger was $11, the large crab cake was like 4 bites, etc. I do not see the attraction and why it was packed. Mt wife and son ate there last Friday for like $60 with no Alcohol... The portions were tiny and some folks kept opening the door to create a draft.
My small crab cake was more than four bites, but then again I chew my food and take the time to enjoy the taste.
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An issue is pricing. My son's hamburger was $11, the large crab cake was like 4 bites, etc.

The large crabcake is 5 oz. - if you can cram 1.25oz of crab into a single bite, the circus is looking for you to replace their sword swallower. With fries and slaw, that large crabcake is under $17, and the smaller 4 oz. cake is $14. If you know of a cheaper place in the area to get an all-blue-crab-no-filler cake, please let us know...

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I think it's expensive if you walk in expecting fast food prices. Bobby might want to rethink the counter service - with full table service the prices might not be as objectionable to some.

As for tiny portions... the crab cakes appear to weigh what the menu says they should weigh, so I am not sure what the complaint is there. Four or five ounces is pretty standard for a crab cake without much filler. The sandwiches come with a fair portion of cole slaw and a big heap of fries, large enough that I haven't been able to finish the sides after eating a crab cake sandwich or a lobster roll. Can't comment on the burger.

I did have a minor service issue the last time. The young woman at the counter didn't seem to know that the macaroni & cheese was gone before she rang up the order and I paid, making it necessary to void and redo the order. The mac & cheese was still listed outside and on the board. I might be nice if the person taking the orders was made aware as soon as things run out.

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My comment was that the prices seem high for the Atmosphere. I think the prices for a glass of wine seemed steep if I recall and there was no side salad option only a 7 or $8 entree salad. When I make crab cakes at home mine are about the same size except that I serve two per portion. The 5 oz one was a tease.

The place will do well but this is certainly not Ray's with the cowboy steak.

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My comment was that the prices seem high for the Atmosphere. I think the prices for a glass of wine seemed steep if I recall and there was no side salad option only a 7 or $8 entree salad.
Are the other side portions the same size as the cole slaw? I would be annoyed to pay $5 for a half cup of creamed spinach. I agree about the atmosphere, although I have certainly eaten more expensive food in worse surroundings.

No, it's not a value like Ray's. I imagine the rents at Rockville Town Square are at a premium, and crab is very pricey.

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An issue is pricing. My son's hamburger was $11, the large crab cake was like 4 bites, etc. I do not see the attraction and why it was packed. Mt wife and son ate there last Friday for like $60 with no Alcohol...

I agree with your opinion. I've tried Bobby's a few times and haven't been impressed either - and the price definitely factors into that opinion.

In reading threads on this board, it seems many people take it personally and get defensive when someone doesn't like a place they like. Everyone needs to remember opinions on a restaurant are purely subjective. There isn't a right or wrong review.

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My wife and I went yesterday. Overall we were very impressed. We tried the crabcake sandwich and the lobster roll. Both were good but we preferred the crabcake. Nothing against the lobster roll but lobster is lost on us. The fries are top notch, done perfectly.

We also tried the key lime pie and it was very good. I told my wife that I was not sure that it was better than Ray's and I would have to go back to Ray's to compare the two. Strictly in the interest of science.

A special shoutout to the food server who worked the lunch shift yesterday. Some of the most polite and attentive service we have had. Especially noteworthy because it is not a full service place.

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Went for lunch yesterday, shared a double order (regular size) crabcake sandwich with a friend. I thought they were great (as others have noted). The fries were also fantastic. It was a much nicer space than I expected. Didn't get any sides or dessert. Friendly service.

Would definitely return.

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Here's a quick take on Bobby's from new dad Todd Kliman. When is local crab season?

... Putting your name up on a restaurant takes guts. Not because a proprietor could always hide behind the name of his kid (the option for a lot of high-end chefs who aim to assuage the guilt of their long working hours) or slap up one of those single word titles that are meant to imbue the place with exoticism (mostly, because no one's ever heard of an oyamel or a ceiba). No, it takes guts because it's so little in fashion. Also, because it's so plainspoken and blunt. Call your place of business Bobby's Crabcakes (101 Gibbs St. Rockville; 301-217-0858), as restaurant vet Bobby Bloch has, and you're not leaving yourself a lot of wiggle room. Those crabcakes had better be good.

Well, they are. All lump, little binder, smartly seasoned, and broiled, not fried (and with a minimum of butter atop, the better to preserve the sweet delicacy of the crabmeat). RIght now, the meat is coming from the Gulf of Mexico; in warmer months, Bobby's is going to be getting its crab from closer in to the Chesapeake.

Prices are good, too. Thirty bucks for a platter of two six-ounce crabcakes, with fresh coleslaw and boardwalk-style fries -- long, skin-on and done to a golden, crispy turn. One way Bobby's keeps the costs down is by eschewing a wait staff. Which isn't to say that someone won't come by and refill your drink if the place isn't slammed. And it isn't to say that Bobby's is bare-boned. The order-at-the-counter set up is belied by the handsome brick walls, the classic fish house flooring, three kinds of soft light (including a wrought-iron chandelier), a couple flat screen TVs, and good bop on the sound system.

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After weeks of hearing my parents rave about it, I tried Bobby's for the first time last night with my boyfriend and his grandmother. The owner's greeting was so warm and friendly, I knew immediately I was going to be a fan of this place. We started with the shrimp cocktail and the vegetarian split-pea soup. The soup was wondefully tasy, garnished with a bit of parm. cheese (I could have done without this personally) and some toasty croutons. Truthfully, I was surpised at how tasty and satisfying I found it because I grew up on my grandma's split pea, which was def. not vegetarian. All three of us also got crabcake platters and WOW. I can't understand how people can complain about the prices- the prices are in line with what most good restaurants charge for a crabcake platter and unlike most of those restaurants, here it was pure jumbo-lump crab- virtually no filler. While I usually shy away from fries, they were too good to pass up and I don't regret it for a moment- perfectly fresh and crispy and not greasy at all. They were out of the key-lime pie but we got a cheese-cake and brownie sundae for the table. Both were good but not great- the brownie was def. my favorite of the two because of the dark chocolate sauce, which was devine. I can't believe I am saying this but the cheesecake's crust almost had too much butter in it- after two bites I had had enough. The service rounded out the experience. The owner's friendliness set the tone for rest of the staff and the service was nothing like what I expected for a casual place where you place your order at the counter. The staff was so attentive- we never once got up for our own refills and they removed our plates the moment we finished. Overall, we all left very full and very impressed.

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Dinner at Bobby's on Friday evening was really enjoyable. It was our first time there, and my impression of the place is that Bobby's Crabcakes is to traditional crab shacks as Eamonn's is to traditional fish & chips places.

That is to say, both feel like they've taken the elements of a good crab shack (or a good fish & chips place) and improved upon them for their local environment. The restaurant space doesn't feel like a crabhouse (nor should it, for Rockville Town Center, in my opinion). Our crabcakes were delicious, hearty, and a good meal. The fries, once properly salted, were really enjoyable. As mentioned above, the key lime pie is a great dessert--the crust stands up well against the filling, and that filling is lime sour but has a short-lived aftertaste. For me, really a perfect dessert. It would be great to see a few more interesting beers on the chalkboard, but I didn't mind having a diet coke with my dinner at all.

Others have commented on the ordering/food delivery system. We had no issue with it, and the service was very affable. The owners circulated around the room and were very friendly.

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My wife and I stopped by Bobby's to see what all the fuss was about (my son had been there and liked it a lot.) We both ordered crab cake platters, the regular (4oz) for her, the large (5oz) for me. While the crab cakes were excellent, I thought they were overpriced for an over the counter place. I've had crabcakes at a couple of local sitdown restaurants that were as good, and no more expensive. The fries were pretty good, but a little to brown for my tastes, and the cole slaw while bland, was still better than many places, and not blender chopped to the consistency of confetti.

On the other hand, I was very impressed with the fact that the few wine selections )about 8 in total I think) were all wines that even a wine snob like me wouldn't turn his nose up at. Not that it would impress, but there wasn't a Woodbridge or Fetzer in the lot. (In fact, one of the whites was a Conundrum California for $10 a glass or $42 a bottle, not excessive for MoCo)

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I did have a minor service issue the last time. The young woman at the counter didn't seem to know that the macaroni & cheese was gone.
Go back and get the macaroni & cheese. I had a crabcake sandwich with the mac & cheese for dinner tonight. The cheese is creamy but not overkill, with nice flavor.

I know that everyone raves about the key lime, - Get the cheesecake, made fresh in store and very sweet. The perfect topping for this meal.

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I had my first non-great meal at Bobby's last night. It was good, just not great.

First of all, the NE Clam Chowder was outstanding last night. There was barely room for the broth with all of the clams and vegetables piled inside, perfectly seasoned, and bowl cleaned in moments flat.

I got the 4 oz. crabcake sandwich. Now, the crabcake was great, as were the fries and slaw. But I must have gotten the runt of the litter - there's no way that was 4 oz. of crab. My wife got the 5oz., and mine was far more than 20% smaller than hers.

The lobster roll, which had previously been a highlight, was not that good last night. The bun was way overtoasted, near burned, which does not pair well with the delicate sweetness of lobster. Worse, the lobster was ever so slightly fishy, and there was no seasoning to be found - I had to add salt and pepper.

Both of the kids' meals were overcooked - the chicken fingers to the point of dryness, and much more seriously, a medium-rare burger showed up well done.

I will also admit that I am not as big of a backer of the much vaunted key lime pie. The crust was too thick, and the filling, while properly tart, was too light and mousse-like in consistency. Landrum, you have nothing to fear - yours is better (speaking as a former resident of South Florida.)

I will certainly return, as the crabcakes are still great and reasonably priced, and my experiences in the past show that this off-night was an aberration, not the norm.

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This is a report on my 4/19 visit. Just one quibble: It was 1 p.m. on a Saturday, and the mac and cheese had run out. However, this led me to try the creamed spinach, which was very good.

I think I enjoyed this visit (my second) more than the first. I ordered the jumbo sized crabcake sandwich. This was a plump and meaty piece of work. No flaws at all. I do wish, though, that you could work other sides besides the french fries/slaw combo into the platter option. But the "sandwich" allows for this, I guess, since it just means a bun comes with it and that doesn't really alter the cost of a standalone crabcake.

My companion also raved about the Lobster Roll, which I had enjoyed the previous time.

And this time the Key Lime was in stock! And well worth the wait. The flavor might not have been better than Ray's (can't really remember, to be honest), but it was a generous portion with lots of filling.

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Very groovy joint. I loved the Mac&Cheese, crab, and the best fries I've had in ages. My wife doesn't like crab (surprise, surprise) so she had the excellent burger.

I think they're onto something here. It's a great concept, so get there soon and often before they go the way of 5 Guys-- I think Bobby's has "FUTURE CHAIN" written all over it.

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Even though I rarely get to Rockville, I found myself at Bobby's twice in the last two weeks.

The first visit was perfection. I tried to order the shrimp salad, but they were out. (So I was "forced" to get the lobster roll.) But they did have both the key lime pie and the mac and cheese. The mac and cheese is excellent, and definitely unique. The lobster roll had so many intact claw pieces I lost count. Had some cole slaw, too. And the only problem I previously had with it -- too much green onion -- has obviously been rectified.

My visit today was a slightly different experience. When my party walked in, one of the staff actually escorted us to a table and acted as our waiter. This was the first time I've experienced this here. And it actually served to our detriment -- our order of mac and cheese got lost in the shuffle. It didn't come with our entrees, but since they arrived well before the 20 minute cooking time of the mac and cheese, we figured it was on its way. When we were nearly done and inquired about the lost dish, we discovered that the order had never been placed. Not wanting to wait another 20 minutes, we had them take it off the bill.

But the shrimp salad was in today, and it was good. However, the roll surrounding it was just OK (too chewy).

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My visit today was a slightly different experience. When my party walked in, one of the staff actually escorted us to a table and acted as our waiter.

OK, this explains something my father told me the other day. He paid his first visit to Bobby's this past week and called to tell me about it. He told me how much he loved his server, and while it perked my interest what he meant me got to talking about something else so I forgot about it. But I wondered why he described having a waiter. Now I know.

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I ate there once, just over a month ago. There was a guy who greeted us at the door and waited on us at the table. I just assumed that it was the norm. The crab cakes weren't bad.
Hmm. I went once in mid-August for dinner. No server, no waiter to take order. Ordered at counter (same friendly guy as a Sat. lunch many months ago), food brought out fairly fast. Again, I liked it quite a bit. Tried the key lime pie this time and really liked it, but I don't claim to be an aficionado of key lime pie.
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There seems to be no pattern as to when there is a server, and when there is not. The food comes just as quickly whether you order at the counter or from a server. The tea and soft drinks are in the dining area anyway, so it becomes a question of whether someone gets refills for you or not (or takes an order for another beer or wine rather than going back to the register.)

It's nice when the server is there, but it doesn't detract from the experience for me if they're not. If having one there only sometimes (though it doesn't seem to be tied to busy periods) is what makes the business model work for Bobby, bravo.

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Was here on Friday for lunch.... I'm going to have to break down and get a burger here sometime or one of the sandwiches, but I so rarely get a good crabcake that it's hard to pass up. Anyway, I ordered at the counter and the food was quick... but when I tried to get my soda I was shooed away by the friendly guy who told me he'd take care of it and just asked what I wanted... then he got me a refill also, which was nice.

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Was here on Friday for lunch.... I'm going to have to break down and get a burger here sometime or one of the sandwiches, but I so rarely get a good crabcake that it's hard to pass up. Anyway, I ordered at the counter and the food was quick... but when I tried to get my soda I was shooed away by the friendly guy who told me he'd take care of it and just asked what I wanted... then he got me a refill also, which was nice.

Kind of a quiet night here, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We split an order of very good, perfectly fried fries, then each had crabcakes and the three cheese mac and cheese, which only took a few extra minutes to prepare and was the perfect stomach warming and tasty complement to our crabcakes on a cold night. We were too full for the key lime pie, unfortunately, but once again had a nice meal at Bobby's.

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It's springtime, and change is afoot at Bobby's. For starters, there's now table service. The counter and menu boards are still unchanged for take-out service, but there's now a dinner menu for dining-in, although you can still order off the original menu. The new menu began a few weeks ago and is still undergoing some tweaking; it'll be a couple more weeks before the news makes it to his website.

Fried Ipswich clams were medium-sized, and spot-on. Served whole-belly, battered with an appropriately thin cornmeal batter. At first I wondered if the clams weren't very slightly gritty, but I'm certain now that it was the use of whole cornmeal. They come with housemade tartar and cocktail sauces; we both thought the former could have used a little less sweet pickle in it.

post-710-1239070025_thumb.jpg

He's also offering a fish and chips plate (cod only), but ran into a few snags tonight and promises to have the kinks worked out in another week or two. It looks like he'll be dishing up a conventional filet (and not the luxurious slab that Eamonn's uses) but I snagged a taste of the "failed" piece and it was still very promising. A substantial batter, not the ubiquitous characterless beer-batter, applied in a thin coating and fried up to a nice crispness. I thought it was appropriately salty; Gubeen thought he could go even crazier with the seasoning. We'll find out in a couple of weeks.

A platter of four jumbo crab-stuffed shrimp seem a bit dear at something like $26 if I remember the menu correctly, but each shrimp is basically supporting an individual crab ball of high quality lump blue crab meat. It's kind of hard to tell from the picture, but that's a full-sized dinner plate...these things are big.

post-710-1239070042_thumb.jpg

I'm mainly excited about the fried clams, and the prospect of decent fish and chips out this way. Oh yes.

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Dinner at Bobby's on Friday night suggested that they are still working out the kinks a bit on the table service and on the dinner menu, but we still really enjoyed our evening. The service was initially a bit confused and slow, but smoothed out after our orders were taken. I ordered the fish and chips off of the dinner menu, only to have our server return to tell me that they were out of fish. So, I went off the seafood grid, so to speak, and ordered the burger. It was great--not up there with the Palena burger, in my opinion, but very solid and something that I will definitely order again.

The entrees on the dinner menu (outside of the fish and chips) don't really wow me, but I'm happy that you can still order everything off of the 'regular' (now lunch) menu. That said, it seems like what they do at Bobby's they always do well, so I anticipate that it will all be at a high standard.

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A few updates: No more cornmeal on the fried clams; the grit was confusing other folks too. The issue with the fried fish has been solved, and it's very good. You can't compare it to the luxurious hand-cut chunk at Eamonn's nor even the dead perfect British delight from Brooklyn's Park Slope Chip Shop, but it's a superb example of the usual pub-style plate of cod and chips, and better than what you'll find at pretty much any of DC's would-be pubs. The tartar sauce has also been adjusted, and is pretty close to perfect now.

The next rumor I need to investigate is that Bobby is now searing up a good steak. Stay tuned.

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On that block this evening dining elsewhere, I glanced at the chalkboard with specials. Didn't see a steak, but did see Softies (sauteed or fried), Fish & Chips, and Whole Bellied Ipswitch Clams.

I was there last night and they were out of the soft shells, fish and chips, and the clams. We did quite well with the crabcakes, scallops, and fried shrimp, topping it off with key lime pie. The staff was quite accommodating and friendly and the place is certainly worth a side trip although we haven't quite figured out the parking. We did get a meter down the street.

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I was there last night and they were out of the soft shells, fish and chips, and the clams. We did quite well with the crabcakes, scallops, and fried shrimp, topping it off with key lime pie. The staff was quite accommodating and friendly and the place is certainly worth a side trip although we haven't quite figured out the parking. We did get a meter down the street.

They just completely redid the parking on that street. It's a one-way, and there used to be a walkway on the right with meters on the left. They seem to have removed the walkway and put the meters on the right. If you don't want to take your chances on the meters, coming west on Middle, don't turn right on Gibbs. Just past Gibbs on Middle there's a garage.

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They just completely redid the parking on that street. It's a one-way, and there used to be a walkway on the right with meters on the left. They seem to have removed the walkway and put the meters on the right.

Also bafflingly, they also added these great huge f*n concrete planter boxes on the left that now occupy roughly the left half of each parking space. I guess they figured they didn't really need the pedestrian area while all that re$idential space overhead goes unoccupied. WTF Rockville?

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Also bafflingly, they also added these great huge f*n concrete planter boxes on the left that now occupy roughly the left half of each parking space. I guess they figured they didn't really need the pedestrian area while all that re$idential space overhead goes unoccupied. WTF Rockville?

I think they're trying to say don't park in those spaces, since there are now meters on the right.

Though they need to move the bushes that are right up to the curb on the right, because you can't park at those meters and get out of the passenger side of the car right now.

collije - that's the garage I'm referring to in my previous post. You can enter on N. Washington, but there's also an entrance on Middle, just past the corner where Bobby's and the Chevy Chase Bank are.

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Sorry yeah I thought so but knew I had a handy webpage w/ a map to the local garages & perhaps some folks would want a visual representation [in case they're coming from Rt. 28 for example].

I should've clarified that.

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Stopped by Bobby's yesterday @ 4pm. They were out of the soft shell crabs, but I had a crab cake sandwich platter. Everyone tasted great. I think their cole slaw is quite unusual. Large chucks of cabbage in a very creamy slaw sauce. It tastes like a little blue cheese in there?

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I think their cole slaw is quite unusual. Large chucks of cabbage in a very creamy slaw sauce. It tastes like a little blue cheese in there?

It is unusual. To me it's at best ok, but it is worlds better than the previous recipe they used which was even more bland and really a waste of produce. It's never made sense to me how everything else is so good and that coleslaw has always been bad.

By the way, I've always wanted to say this: The male server with the long braids makes us smile everytime we go there simply b/c he's such a nice dude. I wish I could be that pleasant and chill.

Pax,

Brian

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By the way, I've always wanted to say this: The male server with the long braids makes us smile everytime we go there simply b/c he's such a nice dude. I wish I could be that pleasant and chill.

Agreed. One of the best servers we've ever had.

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