It may (finally) be spring, but your garden isn’t the only thing getting new life this season. In DC, along with the warmer temperatures and verdant views, it’s normal for locals and visitors alike to anticipate a clean slate of new restaurants to hit the scene.

And this year, with the restaurant industry finally starting to see the light after a debilitating, two-year pandemic, many owners and chefs are marking this spring as a symbol of rebirth and renewal — and a better time than ever to open their doors for the first time.

So — from Maryland blue crab hotspots to restaurants where breakfast takes center stage, here’s the lineup of new places in and around DC just waiting to be discovered.

#1 Cracked Eggery: Born out of a food truck in early 2020, DC’s fledgling breakfast brand is tacking on a second brick-and-mortar locale that caters to Shaw’s late-night, 9:30 club crowd. The eventual 24-hour operation means customers can stroll into the snazzy, neon-lit shop any time to fuel up on inventive, delightfully messy egg sandwiches, and bowls built on tots or veggies.

➤ Learn more about the Cracked Eggery right here.

#2 J Hollinger’s: Mike Ellis, the former executive chef behind DC’s Charlie Palmer Steak, is teaming up with Jerry Hollinger (The Daily Dish) to open a modern American restaurant in downtown Silver Spring. Look for a la carte cuts of meat along with produce sourced from DC-area and Pennsylvania farms. The completely renovated space next to the Fillmore is shooting for an “urban rustic” vibe, says Ellis, who helped Palmer win a Michelin star at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, California.

➤ Learn more about J Hollinger’s right here.

#3 Bindaas Bowls & Rolls: In the mood for some new options to take with you on the go? Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj (Rasika, the Bombay Club) is opening his first fast-casual operation as an outgrowth of Indian street food brand Bindaas. The Bowls & Rolls version, located around the corner from the original Rasika in Penn Quarter, will feature chicken kathi rolls, masala popcorn, and gunpowder fries that James Beard award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam introduced at Bindaas locations in Cleveland Park and Foggy Bottom. Bowls can be customizable by protein (lamb, fish, chicken, and shrimp) and sauce, with vegetarian options too.

➤ Learn more about Bindaas Bowls & Rolls right here.

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➤ Want to learn more about the DC’s communities? Here are some of our most poplar local area guides:

• See Our Complete Guide to Living in DC
• See Our Guide to Columbia Heights, DC
• See Our Guide to Capitol Hill, DC
• See Our Guide to Shaw, DC

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#4 Santa Rosa: Can you say Taco Tuesday? After a two-year hiatus, the Mendelsohn family’s Sunnyside Restaurant Group is reopening Santa Rosa Taqueria in a new two-story home on Capitol Hill. Located just a blocks from the original, the fresh space sports a modern and airy look with a 60-seat patio and large Day of the Dead-themed mural from local artist Rodrigo Pradel. Chef Brian Lacayo brings back the brand’s beloved barbacoa and carne asada tacos to go along with new debuts like a Korean barbecue taco, wings, and more. Meanwhile, beverage director Gina Chersevani (Buffalo & Bergen, Last Call) will oversee a liquid menu of 10 different margaritas, plus a list of specialty beers.

➤ Learn more about Santa Rosa right here.

#5 Causa: Lima native Carlos Delgado, who led the kitchen the at José Andrés’s China Chilcano before the pandemic, is teaming up with Service Bar partners Chad Spangler and Glendon Hartley to open an ambitious, two-story Peruvian restaurant in beloved Blagden Alley. Coastal and Andean cooking will be points of emphasis for Delgado, who will roast whole fish in a Spanish Josper oven, slice up ceviche, and grill beef heart anticuchos (and other skewers) over a Japanese robatayaki setup.

➤ Learn more about Causa right here.

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