Black Market Bistro — Restaurant in Garrett Park

Found this place spontaneously on Google maps when trying to find some place to eat in the Bethesda area. When we placed directions, we thought we were lost because it was taking is through some neighborhood. But once we came upon the beautiful Victorian style building, we were captivated by the charm and quaintness. There is some street parking and more parking spaces near the building because it's right next to the Garrett Park Station. From the outside, you immediately see a small ramp to get onto the building so we can infer that this place is handicapped accessible.

Upon entering the building, you notice a long corridor. On the right are two small dining rooms and to the left is the main dining area with a bar. The bistro only occupies the second level of the building where the first level serves as the post office and the third level serves as the town hall. One thing to note is how small the dining areas are because it got a little tight when we arrived since it was pretty crowded at 8:30pm on Saturday night. Seeing that all their tables were filled, they put us on the list and thankfully we were already next to be seated. We only waited about 5 min.

They sat us at a bar height table by the window and we were so enthralled by the decor, the ambiance, and the service (so far). We were pretty amazed at ourselves for finding such a gem. I have got to say that I really loved the little live plants they have sitting at each table in their little terracotta pots.

Our server was Layla and she was phenomenal throughout the night. In fact, I was impressed by the attentiveness, promptness, and friendliness of the whole staff working that night. In one instance, my husband was just looking around and was pointing out the coffee beans to me when a server came over and asked if we needed anything. We apologized for seemingly calling her over but it showed us that the servers really do take care of their customers. Layla also took the time to answer any of our questions, one of which my husband asked how old the building was. She informs us that it was over 100 years old, as well as it serving as the town hall and post office for the neighborhood. Apparently the houses in the neighborhood don't have mailboxes so they have access to the building 24/7 to retrieve their mail on the first level. This was a pretty interesting piece of information we learned about this place that night!

So for our dinner, I ordered the Hardwood Grilled Black Market Burger which comes with crispy onions and mixed greens salad (and added cheddar cheese for an additional $2) while my husband ordered the Sausage Italian Style Pizza. While waiting for our food, they provided complimentary bread and butter which was nice and warm. My mixed green salad was tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing and the crispy onions were thinly sliced, coated in beer batter and fried to perfection. The burger as a little meh in my opinion but overall a good and satisfying meal.

At the end of the meal, we had asked if they served caramel lattes and it turns out they do! When Layla brought it out, she said it was her first time making it but it was actually just right.

There are two individual restrooms at the end of the corridor but neither have changing tables. There are, however, booster seats and high chairs for the little kiddos. This is good to know for whenever we decide to come back with the whole...

Great homey restaurant in an old Victorian home with a cozy patio tucked away in a residential neighborhood with unique healthy culinary dishes. Great Sunday brunch spot! My pick is for Sun brunch over the Sat lunch menu.

Highly recommend the fresh OJ and mimosa during brunch! I would skip the bread basket with cold white bread and Irish soda bread and save your appetite for the main course!

Potato Latkes at Sunday brunch (5/5) - The crispy fried potato patties were delicious and 2 come in a serving.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon at Sat lunch (5/5) - While my hubby enjoyed the salmon, the quinoa with roasted butternut squash, red peppers, brussels sprouts, and arugula coated with a creamy garlicky cauliflower sauce was bursting with flavor. Really refreshing to see the standard sides of green beans or broccoli and mashed potatoes swapped out for a healthier and more flavorful quinoa veggie medley.

Veggie Panini at Sunday brunch (5/5) - The warm panini stuffed with veggies with smoked mozzarella and pesto on housemade focaccia bread hit the spot! The server was kind enough to swap out the mixed greens salad for a side of potatoes. Recommend it!

White Bean & Sweet Potato Burger at Sat lunch (3/5) - While I appreciate the housemade burger (so hard to find with the popularity of the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat burgers), the bland patty had a subtle sweet potato flavor. The Asian twist with pickled daikon and carrots topped with miso aioli just didn't blend well together with the patty and missed the mark. Caramelized onions, arugula, goat cheese, and garlic aioli would have elevated the flavor of the burger. The best part of the burger? Nothing fell out thanks to the soft potato bun that held everything into place!

The service can be a hit/miss. One of the male European servers was a bit rude when I asked if the burger was homemade (most places it's not) and inquired about fresh squeezed OJ (which isn't available on Sat but is available on Sundays?).

Another server, Wendy, was super friendly and offered to bring out a water bowl for our pup! We were lucky enough to get her for brunch.

The cozy porch seating is great for pups, there's also plenty of indoor seating. Reservations aren't available for parties less than 6, so recommend calling ahead of time to make there isn't a long wait.

Brunch on Sundays and lunch on Sat end at 2:30pm. There's usually a wait for Sunday brunch, we waited around a 1/2 hour around 1:30pm. If you get there at the tail-end, the staff won't rush you out. By the time we left at 3pm, there were still some people enjoying their meal inside.

One of my favorite brunch spots! The warm homey ambiance and unique flavors are well worth the trek...

A few months ago, my great aunt had lunch at Black Market Bistro. She was sitting on the porch, which is enclosed only by a loose chain rather than a guardrail or fence. After her meal, she pushed back her chair to stand up. The chair caught on the chain and flipped over.

My great aunt - who is an 80 year old woman - was catapulted over backwards off of the raised porch and landed on the ground with the chair on top of her. Her doctor says it's a miracle she didn't break her back. She could very easily have died.

What did the staff of Black Market Bistro do after seeing my great aunt catapult backwards off of their porch? They watched. Watched as my great aunt was picked up and taken away to a doctor by the friends she was having lunch with. They didn't apologize, take down her name, or offer to call an ambulance.

That was four months ago. Since then, my family has been trying to get in touch with the owners of Black Market Bistro to talk about this incident. They have ignored every phone call and every letter - we can't get them to reply in any way.

My great aunt isn't looking for them to pay her medical bills, she just wants them to put a railing on the porch so that no one else has to go through what she went through.

To review: 80 year old woman falls backwards off a raised porch and nobody cares. I hate to imagine what goes on in the kitchens of a restaurant that clearly cares so little about its patrons' physical safety.

Stay away from this place and tell your friends to...