A World of Flavor
Exploring Washington County’s growing international cuisine options
By April Bartel
Café Roma
Washington County might be best known for its abundant Civil War history sites, rolling farmland, railways, and industry, but in recent years it’s also become home to an impressive variety of international restaurants. From African fusion fare to Puerto Rican classics, from German schnitzel to Thai basil duck, local chefs are cooking up authentic tastes of home while introducing new flavors to curious diners.
Hagerstown Magazine’s Hot List includes fan favorites that show how wide-ranging the options have become. Here’s a tempting tour, no passport required.
A Taste of Europe
Walk into Café Roma Ristorante on Railway Lane and you’ll quickly realize it’s not your average pizza joint. Owners Luis and Abraham Cruz, brothers with decades in the restaurant industry, pride themselves on serving authentic Southern Italian dishes prepared fresh. Their kitchen is known for making pasta from scratch daily.
“We don’t use anything frozen. All fresh,” Luis explains, noting that even the veal comes in whole legs for in-house preparation.
“Our chicken parm (a top seller) is loaded with mozzarella. People tell us you just can’t go wrong with it,” says Luis. Their menu leans toward seafood and classic southern staples like veal scaloppini, meaty lasagna, and indulgent Alfredo.
Café Roma’s roots start in Montgomery County, where their extended family still operates in other locations, but this is their first Hagerstown venture. The brothers wanted to fill a gap for refined, full-service Italian dining. There are extensive wine and cocktail lists, happy hour specials like burrata and calamari, as well as private dining rooms for parties and business events.
And while their stone-fired, thin-crust pizza is always available, it’s house specialties like fettuccine pescatore, rich spaghetti Bolognese, or delicate eggplant parmesan that keep regulars coming back.
Café Roma
Around the Mediterranean, Dolce Eastern European Restaurant & Pizza has its own devotees. Founder Julia Manea, originally from Romania, started this family business offering everything from generously topped pizzas to Romanian comfort dishes like Julia’s stuffed cabbage rolls (a.k.a. sarmale with beef and pork, simmered for hours) and rustic Moldavian chicken. Their schnitzels and moussaka also point to the cultural crossroads of Eastern Europe. (Don’t miss the homemade donuts.)
North to Bavaria, Schmankerl Stube remains a downtown staple. Owner Dieter Blosel has long described the restaurant as a “destination,” drawing people for special occasions with hearty German hospitality. Friendly dirndl-clad servers, festive beer steins hanging above, and plates of sauerbraten or pork shank with creamy rahm sauce, not to mention the homey goulash or toothsome spätzle, make it as close as you can get to Munich without boarding a plane.
Also downtown, Baile Cask & Kettle starts the day with authentic New York bagels and sandwiches, transitioning to an Irish-inspired pub serving beefy cottage pie and plenty of small-batch craft beers made on-site or a pint of Guinness stout to wash it down. The place is a rising star after winning the local “Battle of the Burgers” in September.
The Mediterranean scene in Hagerstown has grown as well. Aleko’s 2 Go specializes in Greek favorites like gyros, spanakopita, and souvlaki, including vegetarian options. Over on East Franklin Street, the Mediterranean Spot and Shawarma House bring Middle Eastern dishes such as falafel, hummus, and shawarma wraps.
Asian Adventures
Bangkok on Franklin
From sushi to noodles, heady spices and stir fries, Hagerstown has no shortage of Asian cuisine, with each restaurant adding its own regional focus to delicacies in Japan, across southeast Asia to the Indian sub-continent.
When Masahiro “Massy” Hirai opened House of Kobe in 1981, sushi was practically unheard of in this region. He’d start his days at 4 a.m., driving to the Jessup fish market for the best quality fish but, as Hirai recalls, “Almost nobody ate sushi.”
For months, his wife offered free samples to hesitant diners until they caught on to the delicacy. He insists timeliness affects quality.
“Sushi eaten at the sushi bar, and then at the table, and maybe to go, all the quality is different,” Hirai says. That’s why sushi here is never pre-portioned but cut to order. It is a commitment to excellence that has made his restaurant a community landmark.
House of Kobe
As the place cruises up to its 45th anniversary next year, fans can even grab a copy of Hirai’s memoir, Made From Scratch, A Recipe for the American Dream. Today, House of Kobe is a perennial Hot List favorite, known for sushi, interactive hibachi meals, superlative sakes, and traditional dishes like shrimp fried rice, yakisoba, poke bowls, and crispy tempura.
On Dual Highway, Sushi Bomb offers its own spin with an all-you-can-eat experience that is especially popular with younger crowds, while Sakura and Wasabi expand the hibachi and sushi options throughout Washington County.
Downtown, under a bright yellow awning, Bangkok on Franklin is hard to miss. Owner Hana Holmes has more than 25 years in the restaurant business, bringing central, eastern, and northern Thai dishes to Hagerstown. In addition to quintessential pad Thai, her crispy basil duck in sweet-spicy sauce, Lanna curry with gingered pork and roasted peanuts, and tempura-style chili and garlic salmon are favorites among diners.
“Thai food is unique with herbs, spices, and adjustable spiciness to create the perfect blend of taste,” Holmes says. That adaptability makes Thai cuisine a welcoming entry point for newcomers. During cooler months, diners can opt for Holmes’ Winter Bowl Special, a quartet of cozy soups to melt away the chill.
She’s not alone in keeping the local Thai food scene lively. Silk Thai, Mee Thai, and Rice Thai Dining all offer their own variations, from creamy panang curry and drunken noodles to refreshing papaya salad and mango with sticky rice.
House of Kobe
For many locals, Chinese food is a takeout staple. Imperial and Hong Kong Chinese Restaurants are two local favorites that keep loyal customers coming back for familiar delights like savory lo mein, sweet sesame chicken, spicy kung pao shrimp, and fried rice done the way generations have come to expect.
Vietnamese cuisine is also making its mark at Pho Viet, where steaming bowls of beef pho and fresh spring rolls offer a light, satisfying alternative.
Just off Railway Lane, Sitar of India has been serving North Indian cuisine since 2011. Owner Pradeep Rawal is quick to debunk myths.
“A common misconception is that all Indian food is curry and overly spicy. In fact, Indian cuisine is one of the most diverse in the world,” he says, pointing to its continental-sized range of flavors, textures, and cooking styles.
Bangkok on Franklin
Their butter chicken with garlic naan is a bestseller, balanced with choices like smoky tandoori chicken, fragrant biryanis, creamy korma, and a wide array of vegetarian options like Paneer Tikka (cheese), Chana Masala (chickpeas), and Baingan Bharta (eggplant). This cuisine’s bold flavors and aromatic spices pack a healthy punch, too. The spice palette includes turmeric, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; ginger for digestion; cumin to boost metabolism, along with coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves for other essential vitamins and minerals.
“At Sitar of India, every dish is crafted with a thoughtful blend of spices to create meals that are both delicious and nourishing,” Rawal says.
Meanwhile, Mango Grill has carved a unique niche with its Indian–Indo-Chinese fusion, offering Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower) alongside Indo-Chinese stir-fries and Korean fried chicken, while Fusion Flavors by Chef Raj adds flair to traditional Indian recipes that includes a daily buffet so guests can fill their plates with variety.
Motherland Kitchen
Across Africa
African cuisine is still emerging in Washington County, but it has strong advocates. Chef Carol Crosby, originally from Kenya, runs Harambee54 catering and the 19th Hole at Black Rock restaurant. The name “Harambee” means pulling people together in Swahili and “54” represents the number of countries in Africa. Crosby enjoys teaching, hosting community events, and connecting with diners as much as seeing them enjoy her food.
She describes her cooking as Afro-fusion. “I had to dive into my roots,” she says. “It’s about blending the culture and traditions of different African countries and presenting them in ways people can connect with.”
Motherland Kitchen
Her samosas are offered in beef, chicken, mung bean, and even breakfast versions with local Hoffman’s sausage. They’re a hit with golfers and foodies alike. Another favorite is jollof rice, a West African staple cooked with tomatoes and spices until richly flavored. She says folks who are new to African cuisine need not worry because they will find common items like corn, potatoes, leafy greens, and peppers.
“Food is universal,” she says. “Most of the ingredients are the same, just prepared in different ways.” This season, she’ll offer brunches and buffets, too.
Beyond Black Rock, Hagerstown is home to LIMS African Restaurant & Market and the newly opened Motherland Kitchen (noted for its veg-friendly menus), both offering dishes rooted in West African traditions. These spots give diners a chance to taste beyond the familiar, from fufu and egusi to goat pepper soup, fried fish, and pumpkin seed stew.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Sofrito
Few restaurants capture Puerto Rican hospitality like Sofrito, opened in 2024 by Jeovanni and Yahaira Diaz. Yahaira’s grandmother inspired much of the menu, especially the mofongo, made fresh to order by hand with green plantains mashed in a traditional pilon. It is stuffed with meat or seafood and topped with the diner’s choice of sauce.
“It has to be fresh made. There’s no way to do that in advance,” Jeovanni says.
Other highlights include the dramatic chuleta kankan (a club-shaped pork chop with crispy skin) and empanadas, alcapurrias, and bolitas de yuca stuffed with beef. Desserts like tres leches cake come from a Puerto Rican bakery just over the Pennsylvania line. The family also plans to jar and sell its house-made sofrito seasoning, an aromatic blend of cooked onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs.
Sofrito
The Caribbean is also represented by Taste of Reggae, serving Jamaican classics like jerk chicken and curry goat, and Ti Boutik Caribbean and Haitian Cuisine on weekends.
South America’s influence shows up at Sardi’s Pollo A La Brasa, known for its charbroiled chicken, and at venues like El Eden for tamales, Jenny’s Restaurant, Los Amigos, Taqueria Jalisco, and Big Papi’s Tacos; each offering Latin favorites like juicy birria, tacos and enchiladas, even authentic El Salvadorian pupusas, a corn flour dough stuffed with various fillings.
Try Something New
International dining in Hagerstown isn’t just about novelty. It reflects the community’s changing demographics, cultural connections, and growing curiosity. And each restaurant represents a story: of immigrant entrepreneurs, of family traditions carried across oceans, of recipes adapted to local ingredients.
For diners, it’s an opportunity to expand horizons, an invitation to travel the world without leaving Washington County. So, grab a dining partner and pick a cuisine you’ve never tried. The world is waiting at your table.
Hagerstown’s International Palate Continues to Expand
Renowned chef and entrepreneur Sabina Jules is bringing healthy, flavorful, and culturally rich Afro-Caribbean cuisine to Hagerstown. Motherland Kitchen and Catering opened last month on South Potomac Street and is another culinary milestone for what has become a great representation of international cuisine in Hagerstown.
Jules, originally from Cameroon, is a celebrated chef, entrepreneur, and educator who has made a remarkable impact on Maryland’s culinary scene. She is the founder, owner, and chef of Motherland Kitchen, a vibrant restaurant and catering service in Frederick known for its authentic West African and Afro-Caribbean cuisine, including a variety of vegan and gluten-free options.
Before pursuing her culinary passion, Jules spent more than 20 years in IT, a career she left to follow her love of cooking. In addition to her restaurants, she runs Motherland Spices, a line of spice blends inspired by traditional African herbs, making authentic African flavors accessible to home cooks. She is also the author of The Motherland Cookbook: Easy, Tasty, Healthy but Not Fast, showcasing sub-Saharan African recipes with an emphasis on nutritious, traditional cooking methods.
Beyond her culinary ventures, Jules shares her expertise through her YouTube channel, demonstrating recipes and cooking techniques, and as an instructor at Frederick Community College, teaching African and Afro-Caribbean cooking as well as vegan cuisine.
