Moby Dick House of Kabobs has recently opened its 26th restaurant at 11431-A Rockville Pike. This marks the Persian kabob chain’s seventh location in Montgomery County, where it originally started in 1989 with its Bethesda location.
Founder Mike Daryoush, who emigrated from Iran to the United States in 1975, opened a small sandwich shop in 1987 in Bethesda, Maryland, initially serving a few Middle Eastern dishes. In 1989, he transitioned to a Persian menu and added a clay oven. The restaurant’s name, Moby Dick, references one of the biggest kabob joints in Tehran, located near the American Embassy during the Shah’s time. The Tehran establishment was named Moby Dick because the owner was a fan of the book.
Mike Daryoush passed away on May 9, 2019, just a week after the chain celebrated its 30th anniversary. The new Rockville Pike location is situated in the storefront that was previously occupied by Verizon, next to Matreshka Russian Gourmet.
The Moby Dick House of Kabob story is not unlike many other great ‘realize the American dream’ stories: have an idea, work hard to make it happen, create value for others, and your idea matures into a successful venture. Through it all, Moby Dick continues to be unyielding in the belief of “never cutting corners.” This is the inspiration behind the kabobs, gyros, falafel, baklava, and our other food items with the character that you love and crave.”
h/t @pike.and.rozay on Instagram
Featured image courtesy of @mobydickkabobs on Instagram
