El Sapo Cuban Social Club in downtown Silver Spring will permanently close this weekend.
While the restaurant has not yet announced the closure on social media or its website, it no longer accepts reservations beyond Sunday, December 15.
The MoCo Show first reported the closure on Friday afternoon.
Chef-owner Raynold Mendizábal opened El Sapo (“The Toad”) in 2018 on the ground floor of the Central apartment building at 8455 Fenton St. in downtown Silver Spring and featured traditional Cuban dishes on the restaurant’s menu such as ropa vieja, a dish of shredded beef with vegetables, and puerco asado, described as “slow-roasted pork with bitter orange mojo.”
The menu at El Sapo’s opening also included ceviches and empanadas, along with dishes such as tasajo de chivo-tamal en cazuela (goat “jerky” braised with honey and sofrito, creamy yellow corn casserole), rabo encendío (oxtails braised with habaneros, orange and oregano), and bacalao con pán (fresh cod and tomato, stewed with capers and sofrito).
Urban Butcher at 8226 Georgia Ave., also owned by Mendizábal, hit the “pause” button on operations in 2020 but has not reopened.
Photo: El Sapo Cuban Social Club / Facebook