Dee "The Euro-Midwestern Bethesdan" B.'s Profile

A meal is an hour or so, a way to gain nourishment and maybe spend some time with family or friends.  Naturally, it is also something you do two or three times a day.  So, a less than perfect meal will not not ruin your week or month and will not cost you too much.  A less than perfect move, however, could have greater repercussions.  If there is one solid reason why I am grateful for Yelp, it is for leading me to high quality businesses such as My Truck Buddy.  

For me, organizing, culling and packing were incredibly time consuming and pretty painful.  Dealing with Chris and the actual move day were not at all painful - they were actually pleasant.

Chris is super friendly and concerned with getting the job done well and quickly.  When they were a bit delayed due to traffic, Chris called me to let me know.  They ended up being only 9 minutes late.  He and Brett were very efficient, pleasant and even funny at times.  The prices are very reasonable, and I really cannot say enough good things about this company.  

If you are doing a 1 or 2 bedroom move, I highly recommend My Truck Buddy.

*3.5 stars*

The first time I went into The Coffee Bar, I was just looking for a mocha for myself and an iced tea for mom.  The place had only recently opened, and apparently had been something else in its previous life.  The reason I know this is because - as I was standing at the counter at 11.30am on a Saturday morning - an older man (who looked like he'd seen a thing or two in his life) slowly walked in, looked around and then addressed me, "Is the bar gone?!"  Yes, sir, I believe you can no longer get booze here before noon -- caffeine only.

Anyway, my mocha was good.  The next time mom and I got a quick breakfast before my hair appointment down the block at Tromblay.  Service was on the slow side, but food was good.  And it seems the place has gained a foothold in the neighborhood, as every table was occupied.

Wow, I walked in here one day in early November, and it was like Santa's workshop warehouse had relocated to North Bethesda! Honestly, for the love of all things green and red and tinsely, if you are looking for any type of Christmas tchotshke or knick-knack or decorative item, come here first.  Whether you're looking for an Annalee doll or for a German nutcracker or maybe something along the lines of a snowman, angel or cute Christmas tree to put on your mantle, this is the place to look for it.  The regular price of one Annalee doll I picked up is $15, but here it was only $7.99.

As other Yelpers have noted, this place is chock-full of stuff, and as such can be both a bit dangerous and a bit overwhelming.

My love of European sweets means that I spend too much money (and too many calories!) at Rodman's.  They have an amazing selection of European chocolate, candy and cookies -- particularly prior to Christmas. However, this is also my go to place when I need to pick up a bottle of wine.  Yet I've also perused the aisles here to pick up other tasty things.

Why throw away shoes that can just be fixed?  Judging by the piles of footwear at Bethesda Valet, it seems that half of Bethesda takes their shoes here.  As well they should, because the guy at Bethesda Valet does a good job.  This family-owned business also does dry cleaning  and laundry.  If you don't want to plug meters by parking on Wisconsin Ave, there's a tiny lot in the back.

Qdoba isn't my favorite in general. I'd rather have Chipotle or California Tortilla.  However, at the Montgomery Mall food court, Qdoba is the only option in this category.

The service here really leaves quite a bit to be desired.  I've eaten here two days in a row.  The first day, mind numb from training, I walked up to the wrong end of the counter.  First I was just stared at, then I was finally abruptly told that I needed to go to the other end.   As my salad was being assembled, I practically had to yell at the guy not to put cheese on it, because he was not paying attention and chit-chatting with his co-worker.  The lady behind the register was busy biting her nails -- of her right hand, which she used to give me my change. Yuck.  Don't think I'll be coming back here.

This review is for bubble tea only.

I'm stuck in a training class for 4 days across from Montgomery Mall.  The mall food court ain't that great a place.  But today I discovered the bubble tea at Jumbo Jumbo (thanks to Yelp, of course).  First of all, the jasmine green tea on its own is amazingly good.  On top of that, the bubble are great.  I am coming back for more tomorrow!

I also need to mention the fascinating cup cover this place has.  When the guy was finished assembling my tea (nothing fancy - just the green tea and bubbles, no milk, no flavor), he put the cup in some machine behind the counter. I couldn't see what was happening, and didn't understand the point, as my tea didn't need mixing.  He handed me the cup, and I saw that instead of a regular plastic cover with the perforation in the middle for the straw, my cup was covered with a thin airtight (!) plastic film.  Naturally, it took me a good two minutes to figure out how to get at my tea.  The straw wouldn't go through the film, and I couldn't get the darn film off.  Eventually I was able to peel off one side, but I don't quite get it.

Having read such glowing reviews, two colleagues and I visited Bubble Tea Cafe recently.  Yelpers were right on -- it's clean, the owners are incredibly nice, the tea and bubbles are great.  Really cannot go wrong by coming here!

I've been going to this place for years, including back when it was Dryclean Depot (anyone remember the jingle for their ads?).  You definitely cannot beat $1.99 for cleaning any garment.  Plus, they do a very good job.  I once brought in a rather nice gown that I'd converted into a Halloween costume; after sitting in the back of my closet for a couple of years, it had become stained.  They were able to remove most of the stains - for that same cheap price.  Just be forewarned that it gets crazy busy on Saturdays and - as with any place in downtown Bethesda - parking is a pain.  But you really won't get a better drycleaning deal anywhere in Bethesda!

A super solid choice for a great lunch buffet, although service was less than great.  Salad and fruit options on the buffet are a nice touch.  Hot food was all delicious.  $10.99 per person, although with the current special, the 2nd person's buffet is 50% off.