Scion

What a great find! I can’t believe I’ve been in Silver Spring for years without a visit. The beer list is solid and the bartender will help you find what you like. The two entrees I’ve had, the mushroom ravioli (decent portion, rolled thin pasta filled full with flavorful filling, not too cheesy) and duck succotash (great balance, tasty duck, runny egg by request, hit the spot) were delicious. They also hit that $ 14 – 20 spot which other places miss. Food didn’t come out quickly, but at the bar with a beer I never minded.

Happy hour was lovely and getting bao from Nainai’s next door was a treat, try the fried chicken one. Little slownesses and issues are politely resolved (got a lipsticky glass, got a new one and it removed from the check, for example). Go try it, you won’t regret a visit.

Public parking across the street. Our waiter was very friendly and funny. We started with the spicy chicken wings, that were deliciously spicy, but not too hot. The standout dishes were the duck succotash and the maple cider pork chop. The duck had a spicy kick to it that added to the flavor. The pork chop was a large piece cooked just right. The spicy yogurt chicken was a disappointment. I would definitely go back again.

Food was delicious, service was atrocious.
My friends and I recently came here for brunch, and although we were quite impressed with the quality of the food and the options available, our server (Alex) completely ruined the experience for us. He was exceptionally condescending and just lazy, time and time again:
— When checking our IDs for our drinks, he rudely told me I need to get a new ID. I’m 25 years old and have a vertical Virginia license, since it doesn’t expire until 2018. In the past 4 years, I’ve never been refused a drink anywhere in the country, nor warned about my license. It’s fine to tell me that Maryland may have different rules, but seriously — learn how to talk to your customers.
— When my friend was ordering her meal and wanted to substitute egg beaters for egg whites, he said it would be a «MASSIVE UPCHARGE» without even saying how much it would be, and instead giving excuses about how the chef is very anal about how the eggs are arranged for a particular dish. The menu says substituting egg whites is a $ 1 additional charge. Not sure where this «massive upcharge» came from or why he couldn’t explain it.
— It took nearly 30 minutes just for him to come pick up our bill. We had put 7 cards (for 7 guests) in the tray, which he saw when he came by our table and ignored. We spread the cards out on top of the bill and put it at the edge of the table so he could clearly see it. Upon (eventually) returning to our table, he said he can’t split it that many times, and it would cause their entire system to shut down, and «everyone in the restaurant would hate us» so he couldn’t do it. The maximum cards he could do was 6. We decided to double the charge for one card so we could split it 6 ways, to which he said that was «way over his head» (with a hand gesture of it going way over his head) and he didn’t understand what we meant, then left. So, we literally wrote down on the back of the receipt 5 cards with the same amount and the sixth with the doubled amount. When he (finally) came back to our table, he immediately said «THERE ARE STILL 7 CARDS IN HERE» without even counting or looking. We wrote down all our names and amounts to be charged, and even put them in order so he would need to use minimal brain power, and he still took forever.
— Throughout our entire meal, he hardly ever came over to check if we needed anything, or to refill our water. He informed us at the beginning of the meal that it was is birthday yesterday so he wasn’t 100% — fine and congrats, but don’t come to work if you’re going to be miserable, rude, and seemingly hungover about it. Please, be a professional.
So long as you don’t get Alex as a server, you should be good. The rest of the staff was very nice and helpful and again, the food was delicious.

Scion is a staple for my fiancé, myself and a few of our friends when you want an honest, reasonably priced quality meal in downtown Silver Spring. Salads are occasionally a bit bland, the Lobster Reuben is a bit hit or miss and you can suffer a bit of paralysis by analysis from the long list of brews available, but the majority of the menu is tasty and it has a cozy inviting décor and vibe. We frequently meet friends at Scion and when family visits we always try to make it to there at least once.
The chief complaint is service tends to be a bit slow, particularly in the dining area, as it always seems they are short on waitstaff. Try the bar instead where you can get your drinks rather quickly, but have a similarly long wait for food… but at least you’ll have your drink :-)

I’ve been here twice and both experiences were very good. Both visits have been for brunch. The food is delicious and the mimosas are a must.

My husband and I are here almost every weekend for brunch. He can’t get enough of the huevos rancheros take out. The staff is always friendly and we are usually seated quickly.

Disappointing: the food was mediocre and seemed, somehow, to have been carelessly prepared. Risotto was thick and flavorless. Roasted chicken was bland. Service was robotic. And the noise level was very high, as there is no separation between the dining room and the bar. Not recommended.

I haven’t been there for happy hour but I have stop by a few times for lunch. I find myself often getting the Scion Burger with Ground Wagyu, (most likely not really Wagyu) but it is a solid burger. Lunch service needs to be improved though, it’s hard to get in and out under 40 minutes with the wait staff is often under staffed and kitchen is typically slammed little after 12pm during week days. I would recommend going there just before noon during the week day if you don’t want 15+ minute after ordering.

Great location… A free parking garage was nearby. There were also no babies or kids during our entire visit… SCORE!
Great service… We received a warm welcome from the hostess who may have also been a manager of some sort as we saw her behind the bar, greeting people, and checking tables asking how they were enjoying themselves. We had the best experience from our server Michelle! She was so nice and friendly and super knowledgable! Our glasses were always filled. She brought our courses out speedily while they were piping hot and fresh. She was extremely attentive while not being over bearing at all. We never had to flag her down for anything as she was proactive with condiments, the dessert menu, and bringing the bill. She even helped celebrate my girlfriend’s engagement.
Good food… I could’ve eaten millions of their breakfast potatoes, and I liked having a custom all turkey monte cristo since I don’t eat pork. The lobster hash was said to be delicious as was the lobster and veggie omelette. Don’t skip their poinsettia/​cranberry mimosas. They were delicious and had a great kick!
Nice ambiance… with a cozy feel from the fireplace and the rich dark woods. Perfect for both a date or catching up with friends in a comfy setting. Upgraded to a 5^th star because I love dining out in places that aren’t super kid friendly. Ky T. Loves the kids y’all… I just don’t wanna hear their shouting and table banging with their grubby little hands while I’m trying to enjoy my wine and good times. So take them to red robin or IHOP for your booster seat and high chair demands please and thanks.
Check Scion out… Perhaps I’ll see ya there!

4 Stars for the attentive bartender who knows his beer and gives you good suggestions. If you can, try cider as it’s really good. Food is oK but can get expensive as it isn’t a big portion. You can get Bao from next door and chicken one is highly recommended.
Highly recommended for beer lovers and casual drinking any time of the day.

Came here for a friend’s birthday brunch. We were seated immediately and the waitress started us off with some drinks until the birthday girl arrived. Overall the staff was very friendly, and our waitress was attentive but my food was bleh. I ordered the breakfast nachos and the nachos were so hard underneath all of the cheese and bacon that it was impossible to cut into without the potato cracking. I didn’t think that the potatoes underneath would be fried so hard that they turned white. The flavor was good though, but I probably won’t return. The ambiance was nice and I was in good company, but the food was sub par.

Came here for a Saturday brunch because my friend recommended it. Nice spot. The décor is a little dated. It reminded me of a Holiday Inn restaurant from the 90’s. It was just two of us and I was running about 10 minutes late for the reservation. The hostess would not seat my friend until I arrived which I found a little unusual, especially since it wasn’t a large party. We were seated in the atrium which was nice to get some sun and air even though it was a chilly fall day.
We ordered the avocado toast as an appetizer. It was just ok… I LOVE pistachios and I found that the pistachios on the toast gave it a strange flavor. We both ordered the lobster hash as our entrees. I don’t like poached eggs, so I had mine scrambled but my friend had hers regular. It was really good and had a generous portion of lobster. We also both opted for the bottomless brunch drinks. Our server (I think her name is Jazz) and she was fast and attentive. I overall enjoyed my meal and would possibly come back. It’s just not on my list of favorite brunch spots in DC.

Happy hour is so so. They have a variety of beers for $ 4. Specialty cocktails are $ 7, which is still pricey, in my opinion. Not a diverse crowd for a Thursday after work. It’s convenient to my job. I think their brunch is the best meal out of all. Lunch is pretty good too.
The customer service was outstanding. The bartender, Matt, introduced himself and asked me my name. Also, he gave me three samples of beers offered on the menu. I cannot remember the last time a bartender offered me samples. Lol.
A good place to come to in Silver Spring. I will come back for the brunch, more likely.

Park across the street in the parking deck. Probably will need to pay a meter.
Ambiance off the bat is more spacious than the Dupont location, larger bar area is welcome, and about 20 tables. Quick, friendly service. Tap list was impressive when we visited: Bruery, Elysian, Flying Dog In De Wildemann, Port City, Lagunitas. Food as with the other location is where it is at: Wagyu beef burger with fried pickles was divine, lobster mac n cheese with jalapenos surprisingly good. We were disappointed with the spring rolls– nothing better than normal Chinese take-​out egg rolls. We were expecting Vietnamese rice paper spring rolls. Happy hour special got you half price all drafts until 7pm. They do 4oz tasters here, which is great. We had dinner and spent $ 100 for five people: pretty solid. I hope this place does well as they deserve it and Silver Spring desperately needs a beer-​centric bar.

I have visited this restaurant for brunch twice in the last mon th with 2 different groups and all in all everyone was happy. I ordered the breakfast sandwich with turkey sausage and potatoes. It was yummy! I also ordered the potato nachos which are probably better to share than as a meal. Other favorites were the Scikn burger, French toast, arugula salad, and lobster benedict. Whatever you do you must order the breakfast potatoes! The staff is very friendly and super helpful.

The happy hour food is AMAZING!!! So many options to choose from. I love the burger trio and the jambalaya croquettes. Drinks are good too. They share ownership buns place next door so you can get both Scion food and thier food on the menu.
Overall the space is kinda small, unless there is some outdoor area I know nothing about. Great for drinks and food.

Finally came here for brunch and glad I did. This is a small spot, the décor is okay (wish they had outdoor seating) but you come here for the food. I had the French toast and bacon and it was absolutely yummy. The people next to us were eyeing my food and said they would order that next time. My sister got the breakfast sandwhich with chorizo sausage and she was very satisfied. We also paired it with cranberry mimosas which were reasonably priced and a nice change from your regular mimosa. I shall be returning!

Amazing, amazing brunch!!! We ordered the lobster hash and the steak and eggs… and you know a brunch isn’t complete without mimosas!
The steak was soft and melt in your mouth, and the potatoes that came with it were sliced thin and fried… like thick potato chips! Yum! The lobster hash came with two eggs poached with hollandaise sauce over a bed of lobster and potatoes… it came with sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and the purple potatoes and a good amount of lobster. The eggs were poached to perfection. Their whole menu looked pretty amazing and I want to go back and try the huevos rancheros!
The mimosa could use a little more champagne, says this new mama who missed her alcohol while pregnant! ;)

The frigid weather didn’t stop me from coming to happy hour here last Wednesday. What surprises me is why I haven’t visited sooner!
I love the bar area; snag the couch if you can. The bartender, Gene was awesome. He let me sample two of the drafts before I decided on the pricier one which wasn’t pricy at all because ALL drafts are half off during Happy Hour! (M-​F, 5 – 7) My first drink was Shipyard Bourbon Smashed Pumpkin Ale. I am not a bourbon drinker, but the hint of flavor was perfect on that bitterly cold night.
There are a few discounted food items too. The fried pickles were really good. I did not think I’d like them, but I loved them. The beer battered shrimp were tasty too; maybe a bit gluttonous for one person, so be sure to bring a friend to share.
Now that I know how great this place is, I will return. The regular menu is enticing, but so is their draft menu. Plus they have Sweet Baby Jesus bottles for $ 6.00. Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate?

This is so new American. And I’m a total lush for anything New American.
— Wanna put some truffle oil on my mac and cheese, oh don’t let me stop you.
— Feel like topping my fried chicken with a whipped honey fluff and a cilantro aioli, go right ahead.
— Have the desire to serve some lavender cotton candy with my shortcake ice cream– sounds good!
— Trying to put my burger on a truffled pretzel bun with some melted peppered brie, here’s your go-​ahead
— Leaning towards topping those homemade blue corn nachos with a sea urchin queso and then decorating them with julienned lime flavored jello… you’ve gone to far…
Anyways
I got the surf and turf sliders. A crabcake slider and a regular slider. I think the regular slider was one of the best sliders I’ve ever eaten. The crabcake slider was good. No complaints there either!
I also got the blue cheese croquettes… which were good, but I could not really decipher any blue cheese in them. I appreciate their deft hand with blue cheese (as too much easily overpowers the dish)… but I think the hand might have been even a little too deft.
I also got to try the mac and cheese. I appreciate them making this with cellantani pasta. It was delicious, on a mac and cheese scale I’d put it at a 7.5−10.
I also got a try a piece of pork belly from that sandwich was absolutely delicious. And it was served on a croissant bun. I’m a firm believer that every single thing should be served on one of four breads: croissant, pretzel, brioche, challah. Let’s be honest, their just the best breads. Let’s stop fooling ourselves. Focaccia is NOT THAT GOOD. Stop trying to make foccacia happen, I’m tired of it and it’s been happening for way too long. It’s good if it’s fresh, which it rarely is, but it doesn’t hold a dough hook to the aforementioned breads.
Waitress was super pleasant and was extremely attentive. Getting coffee refills before our cups had ran dry. She was awesome!
I want to go back and try more… sooner rather than later.