matchbox - rockville

by:  lauren rittermann matchbox restaurant inrockvillejust added 4 brand new delicious items to their brunch menu.  and if you didn't know already, matchbox inrockvilleserves brunch every saturday and sunday, as well as holidays.  on sundays they offer jazz brunch and you can enjoy your meal while listening to live jazz music. the look and feel of matchboxrockvilleis very different than the other locations.  its big, open, and very modern.  i've always been a big fan of matchbox so i was excited to check out the new brunch items. the staff at matchbox could not have been more welcoming, personable, and helpful.   i started with one of their signature bloody mary cocktails, and because i like them very spicy, my server recommended the fire bloody mary which is made with matchbox bloody mary mix,  absolute pepper vodka,  a dill pickle, and a sriracha rim.  matchbox offers six different bloody mary cocktails and various champagne cocktails.   each of the 11 brunch menu items looked

disappointing overall. great building, but loud, very crowded, and chilly temperature. slow, but friendly service. drink order for our table was screwed up as it was for the table next to us. appetizer was great, but entrees were luke warm when they arrived and not worth the price. the pizza was the biggest disappointment...it had sat for a long time before it got to our table, and was too spicy to eat (even though the menu didn't say it was spicy). short ribs entree was 75% fat. all in all, it felt like an average chain, family restaurant, not the hipper, unique experience we were hoping for. much prefer some of the other more established restaurants inrockvilleover matchbox.

i was waiting forever for this location to open! i've heard so much about matchbox 's wood-fired pizza in chinatown, so when their newrockvillelocation opened i went with a group of friends to try it. located in wintergreen plaza, there is plenty of parking. the closest metro stop is twinbrook on the red line. the space is so huge! there is a full ground level, part of a second floor and then one larger table above everyone else, which is where we sat. i love the front wall . it reminds me of some alien-invaded barn (strange, i know), but it looks super cool. even though it looks nice, i think there is a lot of wasted space. when the weather is nice, there are 2 outdoor patios and fire pits. i ordered a cocktail, pamatea (firefly sweet tea vodka, pama pomegranate liquor, lemon zest) for $8 , which i actually hated. it was so strong i couldn't enjoy it and ended up giving it to a friend. 2 of my friends ordered cream of crab soup (jumbo lump crab, sherry, gruyere) for $6 . we all trie

i am really fired up about having a hot new restaurant onrockvillepike. in fact, i had such a burning desire to get to matchbox during opening week, that i was willing to put up with crowds, the potential for poor service, and the likelihood that the food would not yet be up to par. so, i lit up when we were able to get a table for six this past sunday night. i couldn't decide which of these imaginative fiery phrases to use when describing matchbox in rockville, so i threw them all in. i'm done- for now.

great opening. while i'm normally reticent to review a restaurant after only one week i have to comment on how well matchboxrockvillehas opened. i've only eaten in chinatown once and i can't compare but therockvillebranch may finally break the curse of the places that have come and gone at this location. they clearly have brought some people from the other branches to help with the opening as the pizza is already properly cooked and even though they have been slammed sinced opening, the kitchen seems to be able to keep up.

i love the space, but i do find it a bit corporate, with the pf changs's place settings and newspapers at the bar, and the beepers given out at lunch even when the place isn't full. however, for an opening this place is great.

surprisingly, the wine for a pizza parlor/bistro is perfectly kept, and they prove that it is possible to offer an interesting beer selection in montgomery county without ripping off their customers. (yes i'm looking at you mussel bar)

only disappointment, i don't remember the onion rings accompaning the sliders beings so salty and covered in the so called parmesean from a jar in chinatown.