ZiZa Kabob has opened its first Montgomery County location at 1675 Chapman Ave. in Rockville’s Twinbrook Quarter development. The restaurant is welcoming customers during a soft opening as it continues building and training its team. A video preview of what to expect can be seen below.

In its opening announcement, ZiZa Kabob asked guests for patience and understanding and noted that table service is not yet available. The restaurant plans to introduce table service once its team is ready. Two hours of complimentary garage parking are available seven days a week.

Co-owner Fahim Rafiq previously told The MoCoShow that the Rockville restaurant would mark ZiZa Kabob’s first expansion into full-service dining. The eventual plan calls for counter ordering during lunch and full service beginning at 4pm, but that transition has not yet been implemented.

The menu features homemade Afghan family recipes, including flame-grilled kabobs, stews and aromatic rice dishes prepared with traditional spices. According to Rafiq, the restaurant is 100% halal, with a focus on fresh food, hospitality and a family-friendly atmosphere. All artwork inside was hand-painted and custom-made for the Rockville location.

ZiZa Kabob’s name combines the names of the owners’ children, Zidane and Zayn. The restaurant’s original location is at 7351 Assateague Dr. in Jessup, and the business is associated with Baltimore’s Maiwand Grill.

Rafiq previously said he had always wanted to open a restaurant in Rockville, an area he and his wife frequently visit. When the opportunity at Twinbrook Quarter became available, he quickly fell in love with the location.

 

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Maryland ranked 12th in ConsumerAffairs’ 2026 ranking of the best public education systems in the United States, dropping three spots from ninth in 2025 and returning to the position it held in 2024.

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team compared all 50 states across four categories: K-12 academic outcomes, school funding and resources, higher education, and school safety. The analysis evaluates the overall strength of public education systems, including student outcomes, college affordability and completion, resources, and safety.

Maryland received a total score of 53.14 in the 2026 ranking. Its strongest showing was in school funding, where it ranked eighth nationally, followed by higher education at 10th. Maryland ranked 26th in K-12 academic outcomes and 48th in school safety.

Here is how Maryland’s results compare across the three editions:

Maryland’s K-12 and higher education placements improved from 2025, while its school funding placement remained unchanged. School safety saw the largest shift among its category rankings, moving from 24th in 2025 to 48th in 2026.

ConsumerAffairs notes that its methodology has been refined each year, including updates to metrics and category weights. As a result, changes in rankings and scores should not be read as direct measurements of how much conditions improved or worsened from one year to the next.

The report also emphasizes that the overall ranking measures more than academic achievement. A state can perform well in one category and place considerably lower in another, as Maryland’s results illustrate.

Massachusetts took the top spot in the 2026 ranking, followed by New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Washington. Virginia ranked ninth, while Pennsylvania placed 11th, immediately ahead of Maryland.

Teas’n You Fusion Tea House will celebrate the grand opening of its first Maryland location on Saturday, September 26, at 11am at 838 Rockville Pike in Rockville. The opening was previously scheduled for September 12.

The celebration will include buy one, get one free specials across the entire menu all weekend long, along with a free cupcake for the first 100 guests. The Northern Virginia bubble tea destination is taking over the space previously occupied by Cuppa Tea.

Founded in Vienna in 2017, Teas’n You has built a following across the DMV with an extensive menu featuring loose-leaf teas, fruit-infused teas, milk teas, slush beverages, desserts, pastries and snacks. The company also describes its popcorn chicken as the “best popcorn chicken in the DMV.”

The tea house is known for its boutique-style interior and late-night hours. Its Vienna location remains open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays and until 2am on all other nights, catering to late-night study sessions, post-movie cravings, shift workers and customers looking for food and drinks after most nearby businesses have closed. “Great food. Great drinks. Great vibes. No curfew,” the company says.

Regular operating hours for the Rockville location have not yet been confirmed.

Mango Lina, a growing dessert and snack chain with locations in Virginia and Prince George’s County, will open a new food truck in Rockville on Monday, September 14.

The food truck will be located at the Shell gas station at 2240 Veirs Mill Road, with a grand opening scheduled for 1 p.m. Mango Lina also plans to give away T-shirts as part of the celebration.

Founded in 2019, Mango Lina currently operates locations in Springfield, Langley Park, Woodbridge and Sterling. The business is known for its Mexican-inspired desserts and snacks, including mangonadas, elote loco, ice cream, chocolate-covered bananas and horchata.

The Rockville food truck will mark Mango Lina’s first location in Montgomery County.

 

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Construction is progressing at the upcoming Bubbakoo’s Burritos at 16822 Georgia Ave. in Olney, near Roots Market. Permanent signage is now up, and the transformation of the interior has begun.

A permit valued at $350,000 was approved this past winter for interior construction. While an opening timeframe has not been confirmed, an opening before the end of the year remains possible.

We first reported in June 2025 that the New Jersey-based Mexican-fusion chain had signed on for the space. The removal of its “coming soon” signage later prompted questions about whether the restaurant was still moving forward. In November, both Bubbakoo’s and the leasing team confirmed the project remained active, with a company representative targeting an opening “sometime in 2026.”

The space had previously been slated to become Ramen Ya, which had equipment delivered but ultimately did not move forward with its planned Olney restaurant.

Founded in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, in 2008, Bubbakoo’s offers customizable burritos, bowls, tacos, and quesadillas. Its menu also includes the “Chiwawa,” a lightly fried, panko-crusted cheesy rice ball, along with “Killer Creations” featuring flavors such as Honey Sriracha and Nashville Hot.

We’ll share additional updates as construction continues and an opening date is announced.