Good Eats: The Parkway Deli

By District Eats

by jake rake

The Parkway Deli in Silver Spring may be the most far-encompassing culinary representation of the Washington D.C. area as a whole. It’s menu includes heaping platters of smoked fish and the best matzo ball soup in the area representing the region’s large Jewish population, while the baked macaroni & cheese and ridiculously awesome fried chicken wings are staples in a city with the largest black population by percentage in the country. Recent menu incorporations, including tortillas, jalapenos and salsa, reflect the growing influence of Latin American culture, while American staples like burgers, french fries and milkshakes fill in the gaps. As for Asian food, there is a Chinese restaurant next door.

Extrapolating the various cultural influences of the menu is interesting and all, but what is most important about the food at the Parkway is that it’s remarkably good. A single meal at the Grubb Road eatery, which has inhabited the same location for over 50 years and made numerous appearances on the Food Network can (and should) include: a cup of matzo ball soup, a shared order of the aforementioned wings, a bacon cheeseburger or pastrami sandwich on rye, an egg cream (or chocolate shake if you’re feeling over-Jewed from the matzo balls and pastrami) and a slice of turtle cheesecake and an espresso. In between courses, you can burn off some of those calories while ingesting some new ones by taking a trip or three to the dining room’s pickle bar, which features no less than 16 items marinating in various salted broths.

The Parkway’s decorum is a celebration of all things food, with a take-out area in the restaurant’s front area featuring a spread of hot and cold prepared items, as well as a small baked goods section in which every square inch is devoted to pastries, bagels, donuts, danishes, cheescakes, napoleans and a variety of colorful novelties, all courtesy of Georgia Avenue’s New York Bakery, which was formerly located in the same commercial strip as the Parkway. The service is fast and friendly, with the tenure of much of the wait and counter staff spanning multiple Bush presidencies.

Bottom line: Parkway good, go now.


The Parkway Deli is located at: 8317 Grubb Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20910
Check out The Parkway Deli here