Restaurant With Maryland Location Wins “Hottest Sandwich Shop of the Year” Award

Published On: August 20, 2025

On Sunday, August 3, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) presented the 2025 RAMMYS Award winners at the 43rd Annual RAMMYS Awards & Gala, which brought together restaurateurs, chefs, professionals from the restaurant business, and visitors at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Hottest Sandwich business of the Year award went to Jetties, a sandwich business located in Bethesda, Maryland at 4829 Fairmont Ave.

A group of partners who were all passionate about food and the New England seaside hamlet of Nantucket established Jetties. In the summer of 2003, Foxhall Road in Northwest Washington, D.C., saw the opening of the first Jetties. The Jetties Beach on the island served as the inspiration for both the restaurant’s name and its unique beach-themed décor, which includes hand-painted murals and furnishings that are fitting for Nantucket.

Bo Blair, David Scribner, and David Simone were among the founders who aimed to create the atmosphere of a New England seaside village in their native D.C. Their goal was to establish a laid-back, neighborhood restaurant with a menu centered on premium, fresh ingredients. Their house-roasted, hand-carved turkey breast has been a mainstay of their menu since the outset.

Once a High’s Convenience Store that Bo Blair recalled from his early years, the original site swiftly established itself as a local landmark. With new sites emerging in Bethesda, Maryland, and other parts of the DC metropolitan area, the restaurant has grown over the years. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, Jetties has been a neighborhood favorite for almost 20 years. Fresh food, a welcoming atmosphere, and the ability to take patrons to a tranquil coastal getaway in the heart of the city have all been credited with the restaurant’s success.

Nominations were accepted in the restaurant, individual award, and publicly voted categories for any RAMW member in good standing who satisfied all category eligibility conditions. All finalists and winners were chosen by an anonymous panel of judges, with the exception of the Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year category, whose finalists were chosen by peers and the winner chosen by RAMW’s Executive Committee, and the winners of the four publicly voted categories, which were decided by public vote earlier this year.

The following are the 2025 RAMMYS winners (* indicates a category that was openly voted):

Keany Produce & Gourmet was named the Allied Member of the Year.
Atlas Brew Works is the beer program of the year.
*Tune Inn Restaurant and Bar: Best Bar of the Year
*Le Diplomate: Best Brunch of the Year
2Fifty Texas BBQ is the Casual Restaurant of the Year.
Chef of the Year: Amazonia’s Carlos Delgado
Jane Jane’s Cocktail Program of the Year
Juan Sanchez of Café du ParcandWillard’s Peacock Alley was named Employee of the Year.
La Tejana is the Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year.
*The Dew Drop Inn is my favorite gathering spot of the year.
Restaurant of the Year for Formal Fine Dining: MITA
*The Year’s Hottest Sandwich Spot: Jetties
Founding Farmers’ Manager of the Year: Lorena Reyes
La Shukran is the New Restaurant of the Year.
Baker of the Year or Pastry Chef: Alicia Wang, Yellow/Albi/La Shukran
Restaurant of the Year: Padaek, Thip Khao, and Seng Luangrath Baan Mae
Suresh SundasDaru is the year’s rising culinary star.
Elcielo’s service program of the year
Tail Up Goat is the year’s best upscale casual restaurant.
Era Wine Bar is the wine program of the year.