Iron Chef Jose Garces To Bring Baja-Inspired Restaurant To Rockville

ROCKVILLE, MD — James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garces is bringing his Baja-inspired taqueria Buena Onda to five locations in the DMV, including one in Rockville.

"I'm excited to see my concept, which started back in 2015, continue to grow and thrive amid an ever-changing restaurant environment," Garces said, in a releass. “Buena Onda is a brand that is welcoming to individual diners and families alike, and the awarding of the first five licenses proves that the brand is an attractive model for investors and franchisees.

The expansion is part of a five-restaurant deal Garces has made with restaurateurs Zong Chen and Alexis Chen, who recently opened Luna Hall in Washington, D.C. The duo's local restaurant portfolio also includes Takumi Sushi, Kung Fu Tea, TKK, Pollo Aria, District Dumpling, Nan Xiang Express, Luna Halls, and Top Pot & BBQ.

The first of the five Buena Onda franchises will be at the Pike Center at 12137 Rockville Pike, Suite 14. Construction on the 2,000-square-foot space is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2024, with an opening planned for the second or third quarter.

In designing Buena Onda's menu, Garces was inspired by the seafood shakes and taquerias of the Baja peninsula.

"My restaurant history has always involved business in the Rockville Bethesda region including early on in my career," Zong said, when asked why Rockville was chosen as the first DMV franchise. "We have another business nearby and numerous businesses in Montgomery County where we consider it to be home to us."