As the manager said, “a restaurant on the third floor of a two story mall is a tough location”, but this Bethesda spot is the perfect location for your next date night or dinner with friends. Why? It is located right next to a movie theater and inside an upscale mall! Once inside the restaurant, the atmosphere in the restaurant is quiet and sophisticated. The booth and bar table set up lends itself to a great night out, yet the restaurant also keeps things casual with a menu that offers comfort food favorites…
At first glance, Met Bethesda’s menu doesn’t look like a gluten-free mecca, but after our waiter graciously walked us through all the options, it was tough to decide which gluten-free option to go with. Not only do they offer gluten-free bread for sandwiches (but not gluten-free buns for the burgers), but they also offer gluten-free corn pasta, gluten-free cider on draft and in bottles, gluten-free panna cotta, and ice creams for dessert. The most surprising GF fun-fact is their use of Tamari soy sauce in all dishes, so any dish made with soy sauce is gluten-free. As for other menu options, there are no gluten-free soups, no gluten-free fried options except the French fries, and all salads must have the croutons and onion strings removed.
As any gluten-free eater could understand, we started with a basket of Met Truffle French Fries that came with a pecorino and garlic aioli. Not only is it a treat that the fries are done in a separate fryer and free from gluten, but they were crispy and paired perfectly with the dipping sauce. After the waiter raved about the Met Rice bowl, which is a nod to the Korean Bi Bim Bap, so we decided that had to be one of our entrées. The bowl did not disappoint and the Met’s own honey ginger soy sauce gave the dish a great sweet tasting twist. The bowl was customizable with gluten-free tofu, chicken, salmon, or steak, and loaded with grilled veggies. We also ordered the Rack of Ribs which were dry rubbed, extremely meaty, and fell off the bone. This entree was paired well with a Brussel slaw that had a garlicy sauce and was topped with red pepper flakes. The other side included was mac and cheese with gluten-free noodles. The creamy cheese sauce was made with a combination of 4 cheeses and topped with gluten-free cracker crumbs, giving the dish a nice crispy topping. Overall, the meal was incredible, with generous portion sizes.
Met Bethesda is a restaurant that I will include on my dining rotation! I would love to come for lunch next time to try out their gluten-free bread and GF options from their char-bar, because if it is anything like the other gluten-free options, it will not disappoint.