Chef Tony's Fresh Seafood Restaurant

Someone from this business manages this listing.

733 reviews

#1 of 154 Restaurants in Bethesda$$ - $$$, Italian, American, Seafood

+1 240-858-6735+ Add website

Hours

Sun

11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Tue

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Wed

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thu

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fri

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Sat

4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Improve this listing

What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

733 reviews

#1 of 154 Restaurants in Bethesda

Travelers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Italian, Mediterranean, American, Seafood, Vegetarian Friendly

“I recommend the broiled branzino.”

“Ordered the pasta and shrimp dinner, only 3 shrimp, got the mussels appetizer...”

“Especially loved the plump and tender mussels.”

Special occasions, Romantic, Business meetings

“... started talking the rest of our family here as well for special occasions.”

Location and contact

5225 Pooks Hill Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814

+1 240-858-6735

Improve this listing

Does this restaurant offer free wifi?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

PRICE RANGE

$20.00 – $45.00

CUISINES

Italian, American, Seafood, Mediterranean

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available

Contribute

Write a review Upload a photo Ask a question

4.5

733 reviews

Excellent

517

Very good

138

Average

Poor

Terrible

IRNIE

Nuevo Nayarit45 contributions

Great food service for each patron

Dec 2019 • couples

We have been going to Chef Tony's for over a decade. Since our visit the staff has focused on each patron as an individual, asking the appropriate questions and the senior staff learning our preferences and even food allergies. Meals have always been excellently prepared and the variety of choices makes dining at Chef Tony's a real treat.

Written January 9, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GFBrit

Bethesda9 contributions

Gluten Free dining gets even better

Apr 2021 • none

Visited Chef Tony's again for Easter Sunday meal. Waiter was very helpful and knew what to recommend for gluten free dining - almost everything really! Food was great, obviously freshly cooked. Tables suitably distanced and half price bottles of wine on Sundays. Next thing to try is Lobster Thursday!

Written April 6, 2021

Tony M

51 contributions

Hidden treasure!

Mar 2020 • couples

I had the Crab soup, it was good but had a little too much old bay seasoning. The filet mignon satay was delish! Grilled shrimp was also great! The fried calamari was crispy, fresh and melts in your mouth! I’d probably ad more breading, but that’s me. The crepe brûlée was good as well. The owners even sent me a follow up email the next day! What a great place in local Bethesda Maryland

Written March 14, 2020

ChefTonyMarciante

Thank you so much! Really appreciate it... see you next time and be safe!

Written March 15, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

whitechalk

Washington DC33 contributions

I’m not sure some restaurants

Feb 2020 • family

I’m not sure some restaurants look beyond their own needs when they consider how reservations work. When you reserve a spot for Valentine’s day as a customer, a lot of work goes into that event. Scheduling, synchronizing, persuading, expecting, prioritizing. But Chef Tony’s doesn’t seem to get that. And it’s disrespectful. We showed up on time for a 5:45pm reservation on 2/14 and didn’t get out of there until 9:00pm. Not by choice. We were served cold entrees, which were reheated to dried out leftovers. We had servers visit our table 6 times with the wrong order. We waited 45min for dessert. All while impatient patrons looked over shoulders waiting to be seated. This was bad. Real bad. And the food? Diner-style pablum. Nope, not fresh, not even good. At $69 per person, this was awful. Ruined our evening. This after being pestered during a work day to confirm our reservation by phone. Not sure I’ve ever seen such a mess in Bethesda, ever. I wouldn’t expect more on a regular non-holiday. We won’t return.

Written February 14, 2020

ChefTonyMarciante

I can understand your frustration, and apologize for the experience. I can only apologize at this point, but assure you that we do "get it" overall, and have served many successfully. Your table sounds like some major things went wrong. If you can email me (cheftony@cheftonysbethesda.com) I'd like to find out about your table specifically and try my best to make it right. Valentines among other holidays can put some pressure on our systems, and we had some issues for sure. I hope you can see it to email me and we'll make it as right as we can..thank you for your communication. We take it to heart and as a famly run restaurant, do our very best to make our guests happy. Chef Tony Marciante

Written February 15, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ckaoworldtraveler

Bethesda18 contributions

Mother's Day brunch

May 2021 • family

**Terrible experience** This was there jumbo lump cake and artichoke heart omelette which was dried/overcooked. We had a party of 7 and 4 of us ordered that brunch special. We noticed when the server dropped the dishes that the food displayed omelette was dried & overcooked ^^ w/out eating it. I complaint to one of the server the older waiter with glasses. He apologized. That older waiter informed the older gentleman manager about our terrible omelettes. Manager said why didn't we complaint earlier but how can we when the staff not even give us attention. IHOP can do better with omelettes than Chef Tony's during our brunch. Besides, I rather go Chef Tony's as it's more upgrade than IHOP. Unfortunately, I'm very terribly upset & disappointed that the chef screwed up our omelette dishes. That's a slap in the face with the chef as well as the manager on duty not offering my party any compensation besides "I'm sorry"! I hope this review serves other foodie readers my experience today. My points are for the restaurant to improve some of these hiccups I experienced today. Take these issues and make them positive as "lessons learned" here.

Written May 9, 2021

Tony M

I’m sorry for the omelette, my manager informed me after your party left and apparently the omelette was eaten. We would have easily replaced, had we known. We do have plenty of happy customers , as I’m sure IHOP does as well. We strive to impress, my apologies that we didn’t. After 14 years in Bethesda, we have made plenty of friends, apparently we missed the mark with your omelette. Please email me if you like, cheftony@cheftonysbethesda.com and we’ll invite you back for another try. Chef

Written May 10, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

kro4224

Clarksburg36 contributions

Curbside pick up

Aug 2020 • couples

We were frequent visitors to Chef Tony’s before covid 19. Tomorrow is our 52nd wedding anniversary and chef Tony’s is closed on Monday so we ordered online today. We chose not to dine in because of our age. We are in the high risk category as you probably already figured out based on our years of marriage. I want to say that, as figured, even the takeout was fabulous. We ate on our screened in porch which was not the same as dining in. The food is great. I missed Chef Tony coming around to see ifeverything is ok and to just say hello. You cannot go wrong dining here!!! When we arrived for pickup, they had us wait so the chef could do the grilled romaine so it would be better for us for the ride home!! It only took about 2 minutes!!! Love this place!!

Written August 2, 2020

Greg P

100 contributions

Very Disappointing- far from the best

Oct 2021 • couples

With friends who were visiting we had dined at a number of highly rated restaurants in the DC area. We had not been to Chef Tony's since the moved out of downtown Bethesda but were expecting good things. They are now located in a high rise in a residential area. There are no signs indicating where the restaurant is in the neighborhood and the area is poorly lighted. Overall the food was just ok, the service poor and the ambiance basement like and very loud (over 80 decibels). The menu was rather unimaginative as well. On the positive side the baked oysters were large, tender and juicy and the Italian Seafood Paella (pasta) graced with a nice variety of seafood. Other dishes we had were just ok. The worst part was the service, which was slow and inefficient- we had to ask for water several times and our drinks arrived after our main courses. There are many more easily accessable, higher quality. and creative eateries in just in Bethesda let alone Northern Va or DC.

Written October 9, 2021

Tony M

Well GregP, I'm really sorry to read of your opinions. We are even after the pandemic, serving plenty of people but wish we could expand our signage. It's an unfortunate reality of where we are located. If you liked our Bethesda location, we brought a similar menu as well as adding more options... I hope you may see your way to another visit, we are still highly regarded, and honored to be as such. Be well, have a great holiday season. Chef Tony Marciante

Written December 14, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Harvey C

Cincinnati161 contributions

Fab seafood dinner

Jun 2020 • family

There is one table outside in the bright sun. It was worth it. They should get an umbrella however. All the seafood was fantastic as well as good prices on yummy white wine to accompany the dinner. The server was very helpful with his suggestions. We will return.

Written July 4, 2020

drichrx

Brooklyn1163 contributions

Note: Restaurant moved to The Promenade in Bethesda.

Aug 2021 • none

I always loved the food at their Downtown Bethesda (St. Elmo Ave) location, which is now closed (being torn down and replaced by a large office building), although Chef Tony says they are looking for a new place downtown in addition to this new space. The location is in a large gated condominium complex (The Promenade) next to a host of other retail spaces (hair salon, travel agency, etc.). It is located just up the road from the Pooks Hill Marriott. There is ample parking and the Ride-On 30 bus stops directly at the building. This is a much nicer, spacious, modern facility compared to their old downtown location with a large outdoor seating area. This is an independently-owned full-service seafood restaurant with happy hour, dinner and Sunday brunch. I had brunch here before but decided to try it for dinner. The food is just a good as I remembered. I got the Braised Icelandic Cod that was cooked in a flavorful broth with chorizo. I could not be happier with this dish. My eating companions go the braised beef short ribs and Scottish salmon pasta. Both were declared excellent (especially the short ribs) and we in large enough portions to take half home. Highly recommended for a nice seafood dinner. Prices were very reasonable. (Quality=5, Service/Timeliness=5, Atmosphere=5, Value=4)

Written September 1, 2021

Tony M

Thank you so much for this detailed review that I'm just seeing. We hope that you can come back to see us and continue to enjoy us...be well. Chef Tony & Team

Written April 6, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Adam Lee

53 contributions

Great takeout experience

Oct 2020 • family

This was a great online takeout experience. We had enjoyed this Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week during the pandemic recovery period. The baked eggplant, the carrot soup, the braised mushroom, and the mussels were delicious appetizers. The salmon pasta, the braised cod, the spicy shrimp, the chicken antonio were well made and well prepared. Four sets of appetizers and entrees served out family at home very well. Highly recommend the Chef Tony's Fresh Seafood Restaurant!

Written October 13, 2020

Maia

1 contribution

Customer Service Failures

Dec 2020 • none

Twice I have ordered on Uber Eats the stuffed Cod from Chef Tony's. Twice the restaurant did not call me to say they do not have the meal. I have to wait days for a reimbursement. I have to order again - spending more money on delivery. They should take the responsibility to only have meals on Uber Eats that they actually have. And if they don't have a meal, they should take the responsibility to call the customer and allow them to order something else.

Written December 13, 2020

Tony M

We appreciate your frustration, perhaps shared by many...this year has been pretty brutal on restaurants. Working with Third Party companies is a necessity, yet the systems have not scaled properly to make it easy to manage a daily changing seafood menu. I'm so sorry for your frustration, and for that reason we have our own delivery system now, and to also support our staff, please call us to place your order. If you'd care to email me personally, I'll make sure that your return visit to us will restore your belief in our family owned restaurant that has maintained in Bethesda for almost 14 years. Thanks for your feedback, email me please cheftony@cheftonysbethesda.com Chef

Written March 12, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Glenn F

1 contribution

Chef Tony's new location

Mar 2021 • couples

I had carryout at Chef Tony's new place at the Promenade on Pooks Hill Road. We've eaten at the St. Elmo location for years. The food was just as good as the original. While I always order seafood he had a chicken parmigiana special. Being a big guy I ordered the double breast portion. It came with linguini topped with homemade sauce and sautéed spinach in garlic. I could only finish half so I got 2 dinners for $18.95. The chicken was hand breaded and pan-fried and loaded with cheese on top. My wife had the lobster dinner special and Tony's staff took great care to insure her meal was gluten free as my wife has celiac disease. I'm so glad that the new place is just as good as the original.

Written March 5, 2021

Betsy Bennett

1 contribution

Excellent Dinners at Home with Chef Tony's Curbside Pickup

Apr 2021 • none

We always enjoy Chef Tony's for the best seafood dinners and lunches, and have for years. Last night we had the fun of family pizza night with their new HEMI, Detroit style pizza - also delicious. We really appreciate the curbside pickup option this year that has let us continue to enjoy our favorites and try new Chef Tony specials.

Written April 9, 2021

Adam Lee

53 contributions

Delicious food plus great service

May 2021 • family

This was another great warm pleasant dinner experience. Received a big friendly smiley welcome from Steve upon walking in. Greeted and served by highly polite and gracious Richard. Chef Sonia was working in the kitchen. Started with Cava champagne to celebrate our anniversary. Crab Soup, PEI Mussels, Crispy Calamari, and Grilled Caesar Salad were all well prepared and presented. Dad's Crab Pasta, Spicy Shrimp Pasta, Braised Cod, and Grilled Salmon Filet were all very delicious. Tiramisu, Blueberry Cheesecake, Flourless Chocolate Sin Cake, and Fruit Sorbet were wonderful to end the courses.

Written May 26, 2021

GFBrit

Bethesda9 contributions

Gluten Free Heaven!

Aug 2020 • none

Best experience of dining out that we have experienced in the US so far. I phoned ahead as I am gluten free and was assured that there would be plenty of options for me. There certainly were. I have never had so many options on a menu. From the welcome we received on entering the restaurant, to the knowledgeable waiting staff, nothing was too much trouble. I had the portobello mushrooms for a starter, the surf and turf for main and flourless chocolate torte for dessert. My husband had the calamari which looked amazing, but I too was offered this if I wanted it just fried. This is customer service at its best. I usually am offered few options and a take it or leave it attitude from staff. All dishes well presented and definitely fresh. Will definitely return as for once there are so many more options for me to try!

Written August 2, 2020

Tony M

So so nice of you to write such a detailed and kind review. You inspired us to make a special page on our website for Gluten Free diners, just to make sure we're clear as to what we can do. (we used your testimonial as well). Thanks again, be well and we look forward to dining with you again! Chef Tony

Written March 12, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

…

Showing results 1-15 of 729

Best moderately priced restaurants

See all