The newest neighborhood restaurant in Mount Rainier, Maryland, just across the District line, comes from restaurateurs who brought gastropub Bar Pilar to D.C.’s 14th Street.
Pennyroyal Station‘s grand opening was Dec. 1.
The restaurant has been more than three years in the making. Co-owner Erin Edwards was looking for a house for herself in Mount Rainier in 2016 when she was shown the historic Singer Building, originally a sewing machine factory and home to the First National Bank of Maryland in the early 1900s.
Edwards decided it would make the perfect space for a new restaurant.
Edwards, and chef Jesse Miller, who worked together at both Bar Pilar and Cafe St. Ex, also on 14th Street, are co-owners. They sold Bar Pilar in 2019.
“We took the experience of working with the original ownership team of Pilar/St. Ex and being the first in that area back in 2003, and we saw the same potential in Mount Rainier. We were all really looking to get back to that neighborhood vibe,” Edwards said.
Edwards and Miller also brought on restaurateur Garrick Lumsden, of Passion Food Hospitality, as a partner.
Chef Miller’s menu is what he describes as contemporary American comfort food, and includes truffled potato croquettes, slow-roasted suckling pig, smoky brisket with bone marrow Mac and cheese, potted chicken liver mousse and buttermilk fried chicken. Meals can be ordered as entrees, or as family-style meals.
“When I was developing the menu, I thought about the community and the dining options they currently have but, more importantly, what they don’t have,” Miller said. “I really wanted to fill that void by making sure we have a little something for everyone while still maintaining a cohesive menu at a price point that is accessible.
Pennyroyal Station will start brunch and all-day menus in the future.
The outside of the building is painted with a mural by artist Yulia Avgustinovich, and a large patio currently seats 40, adhering to COVID-19 dining restrictions.
“On a personal level, it is important to me that Pennyroyal reflects back the diversity of this neighborhood in our team and stands as a place where all are welcome and celebrated,” said Garrick. “We are honored to join our fellow BIPOC- and women-owned businesses in Mount Rainier who came before us and are doing the same.”
BIPOC refers to “Black, Indigenous and people of color.”
Pennyroyal Station is at 3310 Rhode Island Avenue. It is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner, takeout and delivery.