Back in 2021, Tara Thai was one of my favorite restaurants. So you can imagine how sad I was when the Tara Thai in Rio, Gaithersburg (where I was living at the time) had closed.
Flash forwards to 2025, I was hanging out with a friend (same one that I went to Mamma Lena Tattoria Napoletanas with; you can find my blog post about it here.) and she took me to Charley’s Prime Foods, which actually replaced Tara Thai.
We sat at the bar and to her dismay, and it was pretty empty actually. We went after church, but it was still 12:30 or so, I don’t know if weekdays don’t get as many people or what the deal was. She shared some of the history of Charley’s Prime with me.
It was originally created by a college student in 1986 at the Ohio State University. He opened a restaurant in just a 450 sq ft space across the campus. His mother dedicating her life savings to helping him fulfill his dream. In 2002, it was rebranded and currently it has over 700 locations in 46 US states and 17 countries. Charley’s partners with many large companies and places restaurants in strategically convenient locations, such as airports. So the moral of the story? Make sure if you’re a mom- you dedicate your life savings to your college kid’s dreams. KIDDING! That is not the moral of the story, although pretty cool how such a humble start fostered such a successful and large restaurant chain.
Food.. yes, of course. I had actually forgotten my ID, so I did not drink alcohol because while I can PROMISE you that I’m 27, I don’t usually look legal drinking age. People say I’ll be happy when I’m older, and I’m sure I will… but that time has not yet come.. HA!
I got North Atlantic Salmon & Heirloom Tomato Risotto which is plated beautifully below and was absolutely scrumptious!
We shared the appetizer which was called Five Spice Pork Shoulder & Crispy Rice which was absolutely delicious. My friend didn’t get an entree, I suppose she wasn’t hungry but I always feel weird when I’m eating a full meal plus sharing an entree and the other person is eating so little. Maybe it’s just me? Am I being self-conscious or is this a thing?
The Five Spice Pork Shoulder & Crispy Rice is made up of slow roasted pork, crispy rice, Korean BBQ and topped with jalapeños. (Yelp).
Do I recommend Charley’s Prime?
Yes! I thought the food was yummy, the bartender was nice and funny. Like most bartenders, I don’t know how they do it (are they sneaking drinks when we’re not looking?) but they’re always pretty calm under high amounts of stress, “chill” as the teens now-a-days might say and the location wasn’t that full and the interior decor was welcoming and pleasant. Really no complaints. They also have outdoor seating, overlooking the water but we wanted to sit at the bar with the AC!
Website: https://www.charleyprimefoods.com/
Address: Washingtonian Center, Rio Lakefront, 9811 Washingtonian Blvd L9, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Cheers friends and travelers!
~ Backroad Butterflies ~
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