Best Restaurants for Birthdays in North Bethesda

The cod and market fish special were excellent. We started with the two different salads. We ended with the donuts, which were a bit much and not super special. We would have preferred a different dessert. We were celebrating an anniversary, and they did make it special with a bit of sparkling wine and a sparkler on the table, as well as a card. We saw a number of special celebrations for birthdays and such nearby. It is a nice place for a special night.

Oh my! I’ve been going to Clyde’s restaurants for decades. They’ve been special in their own ways: very good, mid-priced food, nice decors, and excellent service. This was my first time at Tower Oaks and, as soon as I walked in, I wanted to spend the week! Though that’s not possible, I do think their setting and ‘lodge’ decor are like the most exquisite National Park or luxury lodge I’ve been in. In the same Clyde’s fashion, no detail is spared and the tables are spacious and not at all crowded! Dawn was our server and she was top-notch; including when we wanted mussels but couldn’t eat the spicy preparation on the menu, she volunteered to speak with the kitchen about using the lemon butter on the cod and throwing in some garlic. It was divine! And we complemented it by a market salad with greens, apples, and pears and a white Balsamic dressing. We were seated in a large booth overlooking the forest. As we walked out, I saw a formal dining room with large round tables. I’ll be sure to bring our family group of 6-8 to enjoy what a round table offers. Could not have been happier! Since covid, we’re still not eating out a lot; this was a rare and perfect treat! Kudos!

Overall experience was good. The chef was talented and made sure our food was cooked to our liking. The server was attentive and thoughtful.

Friends wanted to get together and left the venue to me. I suggested MATCHBOX as it was easy to get to and plenty of FREE parking available. I hadn't been to MATCHBOX in years and it was a venue other friends and I would meet up at pre-pandemic. We met up MON afternoon and the place was relatively quiet. I had been to the restaurant after work/happy hour and it would be packed to the gills! It was a pleasant venue for a light lunch and my friends had never been to the restaurant. A surprise for my friends who were experiencing MATCHBOX for the first time was being given a complimentary cheesy bread -- sort of like a thin white pizza with just enough garlic and side of red sauce for dipping. Our waiter was quick to take our order and food did not take long to be served. Honestly, I was very tired after having worked a morning shift (up at 3am to report to work at 5am) so having their Cream of Crab Soup and Simple Salad was enough for me since I planned to go home and "crash" for the rest of the day. My friends enjoyed their meals but what was nice was afterwards, we hung out in the restaurant continuing with our conversation catching up with each other. The staff never tried to "hurry us out" and the whole atmosphere of a quiet restaurant was conducive to our being able to converse without having to rush out of the restaurant. My friends were amazed at how big the place was (their first time being at the restaurant) and were glad of the choice of venue for meeting up. Also, when it came time to pony up on the bill, my friends said it was their treat as a belated birthday gift. Gotta love friends! Thank you MATCHBOX for providing a welcoming venue for 3 friends with an unhurried atmosphere to be able to hangout".

We enjoyed our birthday celebration at Pinstripes, but I have one suggestion. The "truffle fries" were very disappointing - not tasty or hot. They were thinner than shoestring size and not at all appetizing. I recommend you rethink that offering. Everything else was very enjoyable.