The Source has confirmed that Cubano’s Restaurant, located at 1201 Fidler Lane in downtown Silver Spring, will not reopen after being temporarily closed for renovations.
The former Silver Spring location’s Instagram profile confirmed its closure via direct message.
“Yes, we did [close], but we are now in Bethesda, MD!” a restaurant representative told the Source last month.
The Mendez family opened what is formally known as Cubano’s Authentic Cuban Cuisine and Beyond in downtown Silver Spring in 2001, expanding to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2019 and Bethesda in 2020. José Guzman, a chef at the former Silver Spring location since it opened, oversees the Bethesda kitchen and the execution of the Mendez family’s Cuban recipes.
According to MoCo360 food critic David Hagedorn, the menu at the Bethesda location is smaller due to the reduced kitchen space compared to Silver Spring. However, there is still a diverse selection of snacks, appetizers, casserole dishes, and entrees.
In his 2020 review, Hagedorn gave the Bethesda restaurant a B+ rating. His favorite dishes included the Cuba pina colada, plantain chips with garlic oil, fried calamari and shrimp, Spanish tortilla, seafood and rice casserole, sea bass with garlic butter, and flan with berries.
A replacement tenant for the downtown Silver Spring location is currently unknown.