Outta The Way Cafe

If you are from western PA then this is the place for you. It’s a dark sloppy mess with the blend of crying steelers fans, ranch dressing, and slow service. The wings are market priced like oysters and crabs and the water has a lemon wedge so it’s pretty classy. The WT staff brings it all together with the drink orders being the main priority. Also I’m not sure if they have blue cheese because all they ended up bringing was ranch, which was actually pretty dope.

Business hours say they’re open till 1am. I came in at 12:30 just for one beer. As someone who worked as a server, I know how peeved restaurants get when people come in last minute to a restaurant, but, as I said, I just wanted to drink a single beer in peace. No food. No drama. Paid out right away so they could close out their comps. Anyway, got served the beer along with some very unwelcoming vibes from staff and was berated by the other patrons, who the bartender clearly saw was harassing me but did nothing to make them back off. I typically like divey bars but this one was straight up trash of the white variety.

Went there on a Sunday, was very busy with Steelers fans but that’s no excuse for being served raw/​not fully cooked chicken. My friend and I both had salads with grilled chicken. Sent them back but apparently was not served fresh/​new salad in plate. Both of us were sick from food poisoning! Rather unfortunate since this place is so close.

Great pork chops! It’s nice to have this place close by as there’s a shortage of decent restaurants on this side of Gaithersburg.

This place is great! The food is good, the prices are decent, and the atmosphere is definitely casual. It’s a restaurant and then there’s a partition to separate the bar which is nice for families. They use paper tablecloths so the kids can color right on it. The only downside is that you have to go to the bar side to go to the bathroom which sometimes there is local bar folks there.
I’ll definitely go back.

Huge steelers fan so of course this is the restaurant for me during games. Food is good, but I don’t like how dark the restaurant is. Staff is usually good and attentive, but the last time we went, we stood at the door waited to be seated for over 10min, even after making eye contact with the wait staff & with open tables, so we finally left. I’d go back but only on a weeknight when less people go. Parking is okay too.

…when you enter a sports bar and you’re 1) the only black people there and 2) not a steelers fan, it can get a little awkward. Luckily my date was not fazed by our blatant differences in the crowd, so we grabbed a table and popped a spot right in front of the TV for some Thursday Night Football.
For some odd reason, everyone (and I mean even the waitresses) here was a Pittsburg fan. Baltimore played the Steelers (10−01−15), and no one, I mean no one was here for them. I normally would never cheer for the Ravens (go Skins) but I felt I had to throw in my support, as so did my date, who made matters worse with a Redskins SnapBack lol.
But back to the important stuff: the food. The food was honestly some of the best «bar food» I’ve had in life. Yes, it was that good. We ordered a lot of wings (Dragon Wings to be exact) and I got a cheeseburger with all of the yummy toppings. The burger was cooked to so much perfection you would have to come in person to experience it… just make sure you tell them medium well!
Though the food was great, the service was a little slow/​distracted at times. Of course, it was football night so I can understand. Also, it’s kinda of a hole in the wall — -but hey, it is a neighborhood haunt for locals around the Gaithersburg area, so it works well for them. Just don’t come expecting any sort of fancy ambiance.
I would definitely return for that burger again alone… my, my, my!

Great fun service! Thanks to Judy. They didn’t have the Hershey pie. Argh! We did love the sliders (burger although they also have prime rib and Reuben) and I highly recommend Chip’s Wings! This place is excellent, no frills, not fast, delicious food with great staff. They better have the Hershey pie next time or Judy and I are coming through the service window.

Had Sunday lunch here after church and it was a very good experience. The food was good and the bottomless mimosas weren’t either. Prices were decent and I would definitely come back for another lunch date with my gf!

I first came here maybe 15 years ago with a close family friend who loved this place. He was a regular and we were always like why are you always dragging us out here?! He’s since passed away but would love to know that they continue to keep it real and there’s a reason why we made the trek out here. It’s not just for the food. It’s also for the ambiance, music, and for producing the same experience locals have loved for years.
LOCATION: It may be hard to find but once you figure out where they are you’ll keep coming back! They’re tucked away in sort of a sideways half strip mall but don’t give up if you can’t find them. The food and music is worth it!
FOOD: I’ve never been disappointed with the food here. Most recently I was impressed, as the true Slav I am, with their pierogies. Those are hard to come by around these parts so props for offering them and making them well worth ordering Ronnie D. There used to be a German place down the street way back in the day. I’m so pumped the Polish food still exists in the area to some extent! I’ve honestly had so many dishes here I can’t comment on all of them. You can’t go wrong with the sandwiches in my experience. I don’t say this about many restaurants but honestly you can’t go wrong with anything here. Homemade food at a reasonable price.
MUSIC: Pretty awesome. The music has always been good here. The band that played during my last visit seemed to be an open mic gig as they weren’t on the Saturday schedule. I was dining with all musicians and we were oddly surprised by the quality of the band. Even if I’ve been coming to this place forever we were at first weary about the band as us music types tend to be. Way to prove us wrong! Not only were they good but they covered all sorts of genres and decades making it fun for all! I only wish more people were there because this band was beyond good for the venue (no offense guys!)
OVERALL: Definitely coming back having been reminded of why I was introduced to the Outta The Way Café in the first place years ago! Quality service, food, and music. A diamond in the rough that’s worth finding.

Great lunch. We went at an off hour — 2pm. Had pierogi for an appetizer– delicious! My husband loved his fish tacos. My steak salad was just as advertised– never had one with fries before. Service was great, décor was funky. Good local place.

The service in my experience has been pretty awful with unfriendly servers and overtly rude management. The menu is overpriced and the food isn’t the best. I am amongst several friends and family who have agreed to boycott this established based on our many collective unpleasant experiences there.

Wonderful food, great atmosphere and attentive service! We had an event at the café a few months back and they were very accommodating and helpful. Will definitely go back!

They recently added a new flavor of wings to the menu. Not high on the hotness scale but awesome on flavor. Way to go Chip and Outta the Way. I certainly recommend giving them a try.

The Outta the Way Café is owned by Chip and Brian, who prides in themselves in offering a neighborhood eatery with great hospitality. They have live music (on Fri & Sats) that you can check out the listings of the groups on their website)), as well as a Thursday Open Mic night (where you can play what you like on their drum kit/​sound systems). Their menu is quite extensive, offering items like: wings, pierogies, blue crab dip, chicken strippers, deep-​fried onion rings, soups, chilis, salads, burgers/​wraps/​sandwiches, tacos, pastas, steaks/​chops/​seafood, and desserts. We walked in about an hour after opening and were pretty surprised at how empty the place was. The place had an old-​school charm to it, with lovely stained glass work on the wall to the east, separating the dining area from the bar. The hubs and I shared Chip’s Wings (described as a triple-​layered blend of flavors, with a side of bleu cheese; minimum order is 1lb), and OTWC Sliders (original burger sliders, or other options such as Prime Rib, Arnold Reuben, and Uncle H’s BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger; we opted for the original). We weren’t fans of the wings, as it tasted like buffalo sauce that was totally sugar-​fied — extremely sweet, and not as complex in flavors as it was described to it. I did find it interesting that the owner, Chip, does not share the recipe of the sauce with anyone, and he comes in on a weekly basis to make the sauce. If the place runs out, than ‘Chip’s Wings’ is unavailable! We both thought the sliders were pretty okay — came with 4, the buns were very soft and fresh, and the patties were griddles; it had a small dollop of ketchup, some onions, and cheese — you can request for mayo and extra ketchup, if you wish. Our server was Ms. Julie, who was very sweet, but she had a torn ligament; we tried to consolidate our orders/​request for condiments so that she didn’t have to make multiple trips to our table! When you step in, you can seat yourself anywhere you like — the dining room is pretty spacious. There’s also a lot for your car that is shared by the rest of the stores in the small strip mall.
+okay OTWC sliders
+friendly staff
+nice stained-​glass décor; old-​school charm

Love to support local and Outta the Way is SOMETIMES just the place to go if you don’t want to venture too far from home. The service is spotty… sometimes the waitresses are attentive, other times non-​existent. Another reviewer said they had to get their own condiments and such, and I’ve had to do the same. Friends and I go for the food… their pastas, salads, and sandwiches are great.
Bar scene is very Derwoodian… you’ve got your high school graduates who never left town, local groupies into the live music, your electrician or carpenter, and then some white collar folks in the mix. Don’t go for the service, but try it out for a reasonable bite at a local joint. It really isn’t too far outta the way.

Great friendly service and yummy food make me definitely want to come back! I had the chicken chili which had just the right amount of spice! The spiced shrimp were fresh and steamed just right!

So enjoyable. This is the type of local restaurant every community needs.
Food is comforting, the sauce in Chip’s wings is outstanding! Love the neighborhood feel. Love the fact they support the community.
Music on Fridays and Saturdays.
Just a great place to hang out.

I went here last night for a late dinner. Saturday night seems to be a pretty good time to go. There wasn’t any wait and they had a local band playing some low key cover songs which was entertaining. The wait staff are pretty efficient and friendly. It definitely seems more of a locals place with a following. I had the philly cheesesteak sub and I was far from dissappointed. The meat they used was so flavorful and tender. The cheese lettuce and tomato complimented it perfectly. The sub was massive but it was so delicious I forced myself to try to finish haha. Theres nothing I really can complain about with this place except it maybe could be redecorated a bit, but that is an afterthought. Overall just yummy in my tummyyyy

Looks like I found a new lunch spot! And it’s not really that outta the way.
It’s actually in the middle of a shopping plaza, split between a restaurant on the left and a bar on the right, with plenty of lot parking out front. There were a few patrons at the bar enjoying a midday meal, which was exactly my intent.
I sipped on an ice water while browsing their menu, eventually deciding on their Reuben sandwich with onion rings. The bartender was a friendly guy and I eventually realized this is considered a «Steelers bar» with a bit of Western PA food and flare. Auto extra star right there.
After my meal arrived, the bartender informed me that my lunch tab was being picked up by the waitress who, seeing me in uniform, was thankful for my service. I was naturally surprised, especially since I would have gladly paid full-​price for the delicious sandwich. Instead, I left her a monster tip, extremely thankful for such a kind and generous gesture.
I’ll definitely be a «regular» in the near-​term future.