The Mussel Bar and Grille Restaurant Story

Inspiration for Robert Wiedmaier's Mussel Bar is an old-world Belgian roadhouse serving Bière, Moules & Frites, the kind of place where Chef in his youth would head late night to unwind with kitchen colleagues, eat simple food and listen to good music. He's one of the first to 'muscle' the craze and honor his Belgian roots in the DC area with bringing the savory mollusks to the forefront of his own gastro-pubs with the original location in Bethesda, MD that opened in July, 2010.

Much more than mussels, Mussel Bar & Grille offers a wide-range of casual dining fare that include grilled and wood-fired dishes of meats, fish, and pizzas (Belgian tarts), seasonal salads and soups and crafted desserts. Belgian classics of Carbonnade, iced seafood platters, onion soup with Gruyere cheese and chocolate weave its way thru the menu to accompany the expansive Belgian beer list led by beer expert Dean Myers.

Mussel Bar & Grille is place to stop in for a quick bite or a leisurely meal in a stylish, but edgy setting that is welcoming to all.

Our Food

Mussels

Mussel Bar & Grille's menu is Belgian inspired but the mussels are from the USA! Proudly serving Penn Cove mussels from Washington state, there are many good reasons Chef Wiedmaier uses Penn Cove over the common PEI mussel. The mussels, farmed in the pristine waters of Quilcene Bay, two hours north of Seattle, are harvested to order.

Wiedmaier's standing orders will be delivered fresh, three times per week to all his restaurants. Different combinations of mussel preparations display our commitment to using the freshest and most seasonal ingredients available. The classic White Wine mussels of roasted garlic, parsley and cream is always on the menu, but looking for something heartier, try the Mediterranean with Mergquez sausage, goat cheese, cilantro and smoky tomato broth or the Kennet Square Mushroom mussels with applewood smoked bacon and truffle cream.
The Grille

Beyond the signature moules and frites, Mussel Bar & Grille serves up an unexpected menu of meats, poultry and fish both from the grille and the wood-fired brick oven. You'll always find the classic steak, frites on the menu, but look for the Flemish comfort food varietals of Carbonnade made with different Belgian beers and Atlantic seafood served with root vegetable purees, sourcing local and/or the best product from farms Border Springs Farm, Creek Stone Farms and Vanderose Farms.
Brick Oven Fired Pizzas

Also known as tarte flambée, "cooked in the flames" our version comes from a wood-fired oven on a thin, house-made dough smothered with versions of spicy lamb sausage, fennel & pork, Gruyere, sun dried tomato cream and seasonal vegetables. Perfect for sharing at the beginning of a meal or by yourself while enjoying a perfectly paired, Belgian beer.
Beer

Beer. Belgian Beer. Some would argue Belgian beer is the best in the world and we're inclined to agree. From our Antigoon Double Blond by Robert Wiedmaier (brewed in Belgium) to the latest and greatest rendition of Belgian-inspired beers produced by today's top American craft brewers, the possibilities are endless. A sip of an artfully crafted beer can be an ethereal experience, one that we try to create daily. We seek to inspire that "wow" moment for everybody, old aficionados and new enthusiasts alike.

That moment where you ask yourself, "Where has this beer been all my life?" We do this by selecting beers that we've fallen in love with both in Belgium and here in the US. Beers that speak to us with their complex aromas and flavors. Beers that enhance the already amazing cuisine prepared by our highly skilled chefs. Beers that are as thought provoking as they are tasty. Beers that we feel belong at Mussel Bar and Grille.

Do we wish to have the largest beer list in town? No. Do we want to have a vast array of options that define the styles we serve? Absolutely. Classic representations meet forward thinking innovations at Mussel Bar & Grille.