Montgomery County Public Schools has the No. 1 public middle school in Maryland, with 10 MCPS schools appearing among the state’s top 25 in Niche’s 2027 Best Public Middle Schools in Maryland rankings. The top 25 in the state can be seen below.

Thomas W. Pyle Middle School earned the No. 1 ranking statewide, ahead of Mount View Middle School and Burleigh Manor Middle School, both in Howard County. MCPS also placed three schools consecutively in the top six, with Robert Frost Middle School at No. 4, Herbert Hoover Middle School at No. 5, and Cabin John Middle School at No. 6.

The full top 25 public middle schools in Maryland, according to Niche, are:

1. Thomas W. Pyle Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
2. Mount View Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
3. Burleigh Manor Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
4. Robert Frost Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
5. Herbert Hoover Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
6. Cabin John Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
7. Stephen Decatur Middle School – Worcester County Public Schools
8. Clarksville Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
9. Ellicott Mills Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
10. Lime Kiln Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
11. Folly Quarter Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
12. North Bethesda Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
13. Hallie Wells Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
14. Patapsco Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
15. Glenwood Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
16. Westland Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
17. Berlin Intermediate School – Worcester County Public Schools
18. Snow Hill Middle School – Worcester County Public Schools
19. Hammond Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
20. John H. Poole Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
21. Urbana Middle School – Frederick County Public Schools
22. Takoma Park Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools
23. Frederick Classical Charter School – Frederick County Public Schools
24. Dunloggin Middle School – Howard County Public Schools
25. Rosa M. Parks Middle School – Montgomery County Public Schools

Montgomery County schools accounted for 10 of the top 25 schools in Maryland, including four of the top six. The MCPS schools on the list are Pyle (No. 1), Frost (No. 4), Hoover (No. 5), Cabin John (No. 6), North Bethesda (No. 12), Hallie Wells (No. 13), Westland (No. 16), John H. Poole (No. 20), Takoma Park (No. 22), and Rosa M. Parks (No. 25).

Howard County had 10 schools in the top 25 as well, while Worcester County had three and Frederick County had two. All 25 schools received an overall Niche grade of A.

According to Niche, its 2027 Best Public Middle Schools ranking is based on an analysis of statistics and reviews from students and parents, using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, student-teacher ratios, student diversity, teacher quality, middle school ratings, and the overall quality of the school district. The full list can be seen here.

Always Ice Cream Company is targeting a late November opening for its new shop at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda.

The shop will be located at 11802 Rockville Pike, next to Chipotle and Visionworks, in the space formerly occupied by PetWellClinic. An exact opening date has not yet been announced.

Known for its small-batch ice cream, Always Ice Cream offers more than 200 rotating flavors, along with soft serve, handcrafted sundaes, old-fashioned milkshakes, root beer floats, ice cream cakes, vegan and dairy-free options, and seasonal specialty creations.

The Pike & Rose location will be the company’s ninth Maryland shop. Co-owners Adam and Mark Cohen previously said the opening holds special meaning because many of their family members live in the surrounding communities.

“Opening our newest location is a dream come true. As our ninth Maryland shop, we are thrilled to join the vibrant Pike & Rose neighborhood,” Adam Cohen said.

Always Ice Cream has earned numerous accolades, including being named the No. 1 ice cream shop in the country by Fodor’s Travel. The company has also received “Best Ice Cream” and “Best Dessert” awards from publications including What’s Up Magazine, the Capital Gazette, the Baltimore Sun, and Severna Park Voice.

Smashwala recently opened its new College Park location at 7110 Baltimore Ave., celebrating its grand opening on Friday and Saturday.

The food truck specializes in stuffed smash burgers with creative toppings and house-made sauces, with a menu featuring flavors inspired by countries including Korea, France, India, Mexico and Pakistan.

Burger options include The OG, made with house patties, creamy Cooper Sharp cheese, grilled onions and Smashwala’s special sauce; Patties in Paris, topped with Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms and truffle-Dijonnaise; and the Seoul Smasher, featuring Cooper Sharp cheese, grilled onions and Seoul Smashing Aioli.

The menu also includes Jalalujah, made with Carolina Reaper cheese, grilled jalapeños, jalapeño jelly and Smashwala’s achar-inspired “BBB” sauce, as well as The Pinche OG with grilled jalapeños.

Customers can choose from a classic brioche bun or upgrade to a croissant or paratha. Smashwala also serves several fried chicken sandwiches, including the Nashville-inspired Chick Happens and Brown Seoul, which combines Korean-inspired flavors with the restaurant’s achar-inspired sauce.

Sides include fries, Cooper Sharp cheese fries and loaded fries, while drinks include a Lychee Arnold Palmer. Smashwala’s menu is halal.