These Maryland restaurants are up for the area’s biggest food awards. Here’s what to order.

A new class of the best restaurants in the capital region will soon be anointed. In the meantime, you can eat your way through the menu and decide for yourself.

Eight Maryland-based restaurants have a stake in the 2026 RAMMYS Awards, which will take place June 29 and honor the D.C., Maryland and Virginia restaurant scene’s annual accomplishments.

These are the Maryland restaurants in the running — and what you should order when you visit.

San Pancho

7056 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park

The first of three Maryland contenders in the Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year category is a family-owned San Francisco-style burrito joint in Takoma Park.

San Pancho is famous for its breakfast burritos, which include flour tortillas imported from Mexico stuffed with french fries, eggs, refried pinto beans, peppers, onions, cheese and a protein of your choice (both the chorizo and barbacoa are great). Don’t forget the guava pomelo and Jamaica slushies, which can also get a shot of tequila or mezcal to make them frozen margaritas.

2fifty Texas BBQ

4700 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park

The Texas-style barbecue joint, which also has a location in D.C., is up for three awards: Manager of the Year (Debby Portillo), Restaurateur of the Year (Fernando González) and Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year.

Sandwich highlights include a melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu brisket, pulled pork and chopped beef sandwiches. Elsewhere on the menu, regular brisket, decadent macaroni and cheese and cake-y corn bread are also must-orders.

Call Your Mother

11807 Grand Park Ave., North Bethesda; 4599 Van Buren St., Riverdale Park; 2574 Solomons Island Road, Annapolis

Competing in the Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year category, the self-proclaimed “Jew-ish deli” is known for its hot pink and teal branding and its loaded bagel sandwiches.

The Bacon Sun City is Call Your Mother’s version of a classic bacon, egg and cheese with American and cheddar cheeses and hot honey on an everything bagel. If the thought of a traditional bagel sandwich past noon seems ludicrous, the Don Cesar (grilled chicken, romaine, parmesan crisps and Caesar dressing on a pretzel bagel) may be calling your name.

Pizzeria Paradiso

4800 Rhode Island Ave., #1, Hyattsville

The Neapolitan-style pizza place, which also has several locations in D.C., is up for two RAMMYS this year: Beer Program of the Year and Manager of the Year for Lauren Montana of the local chain’s Dupont Circle and Georgetown locations.

There’s something for everyone on the beer menu, which boasts around 70 beverage options, including several local to Maryland. The lineup may vary, but those who enjoy everything from refreshing lagers to bold IPAs and sours so fruity you might forget they contain alcohol at all.

On the pizza side, the cheesy, garlicky quattro formaggi and macellaio with pepperoni, mozzarella, pork sausage and red onions are great options. And don’t brush off the out-of-the-box monthly special — June’s hot dog pizza is surprisingly tasty.

Caruso’s Grocery

11820 Trade St., North Bethesda

Chef Matt Adler of D.C.’s Cucina Morini and Caruso’s Grocery (with locations in Montgomery County and D.C.) is in the running for Chef of the Year.

Spice lovers should go for the spicy Neapolitan ragu, a flavorful meat sauce mixed with fresh Bucatini pasta and whipped ricotta. Other must-orders: the creamy, garlic-forward Caesar salad and whopping chicken parm. (Pro tip: ask to replace the marinara with vodka sauce.)

Zinnia

9201 Colesville Road, Silver Spring

Zinna, an all-day upscale casual restaurant, beer garden and cafe, boasts an Employee of the Year finalist in Jose Luis Salgado, a longtime employee of both Zinnia and its predecessor, Mrs. K’s Tollhouse.

Swing by for a casual breakfast or lunch at the cafe, grab a drink at the tavern, settle in outside on the patio or sit down for a more upscale meal or tea time in the dining room. Some brunch favorites include the challah French toast, avocado “croast” featuring smashed avocado and poached eggs on a griddled croissant and Zinnia Benedicts (your choice of maple bacon, smoked salmon pastrami, braised short rib and caramelized onion or mushroom and kale).

Andy’s Pizza

4600 East West Highway, Bethesda; 7101 Democracy Blvd., Space FC-17, Bethesda; 145 Commerce Square Place, Gaithersburg

The local New York-style pizza chain is up for Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year alongside Call Your Mother and San Pancho.

Whether by the slice or whole pie, the mushroom and onion pizza and the pepperoni special — red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, burrata, basil and hot honey — are elevated crowd-pleasers.

The Bethesda location also serves up bagels using its pizza dough. (ICYMI, The Banner previously ranked it the fourth best bagel in Montgomery County.)

Soko Butcher

7306 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park

If the sheer magnitude of a sandwich has any bearings on how voters choose the winner of the Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year, Soko Butcher has great odds.

The Takoma Park butcher shop and deli offers two dozen sandwich options. But the real star is its 2-pound Philly cheesesteak, a gooey mix of prime rib, caramelized onions, housemade cheese wiz and mayo that has the stamp of approval from actual Philadelphians.