Motorkat , A Must-Visit in Takoma Park. Motorkat is one of the top spots in Takoma Park, a big upgrade from The Republic. With fresh oysters, creative cocktails, standout dishes, and cozy outdoor seating, it’s the perfect place to soak in the best of the neighborhood.
Shane Yeager
Recommend the sunchoke appetizer and the curry fried chicken.
Lauren N
Edit: Mike at Motorkat reached out to me to offer a refund after my experience with food poisoning. I felt that this was a very professional gesture and was very appreciative that he reached out to apologize and offer a refund.
Original: I visited Motorkat for the first time yesterday. Although the service was excellent and the space was beautiful, I experienced food poisoning a few short hours after eating the seafood stew. It was a pretty horrendous experience and I wouldn't feel comfortable visiting again in the future.
Rory Austin
Great food with large portions. And great service at brunch.
Diana Jacobson
Friendly staff and great ambiance.
Veronica Jarrin
The best
Aditi Shekar
Enjoyed the vibe of this little neighborhood eatery and the service was really lovely. Our waiter was incredibly helpful when picking our food and ordering drinks. We tried the spiced fries (👏🏽), mozzarella sandwich (👍🏽), burger (🥱) and the banoffee trifle (👎🏿). We’d probably come back here for the vibes and service but will try ordering some different things! One small touch I loved is that they serve you a small bonus bite - ours was an onion jam and focaccia bite which was a great touch.
Alicia \u0026 Chanel (Vibesandines)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / $$-$$$
@motorkattakoma has made it’s way to being one of our favorite restaurants. So much so we had to take our entire family over the holidays. They treated us so nice and even gave us this little private nook.
Have yet to make it for happy hour, but we will most certainly be back!
Cameron Hahn
An absolutely wonderful evening. Service was exceptional and the whole staff was full of personality. Everyone went above and beyond to the point where we felt like stars, even though we were just two regular people who really needed a nice night out! Grateful!
solosian
Great happy hour oysters for $1.75 each! We stopped in after seeing the curbside sign and ended up getting a dozen plus for an early dinner. The oysters were fresh, clean, and very well shucked. Other food that we got was also quite tasty and we enjoyed our drinks. Service was great overall--small oddities like not being given forks or condiments for the oysters when we ordered a second round (we eventually went up to a bartender to ask for them), but overall it was good. We'd happily come back. The atmosphere was great too, hitting a middle ground between old school diner and leather booth speakeasy.
Amazing Meal! The plating, the mixture of spices, and the service were excellent. Our waiter, John; was awesome. We celebrated our 55th!!
Andrew Potterfield (Andy)
Such a step up for the neighborhood! As a former long-time resident of Takoma Park, it's been a treat to see how the town has evolved (and improved!) over the years. Who'd have thought a fun oyster bar would eventually take the place of an indie video store?
When we were there on the cold first Friday night of 2025, service was good if a tad overwhelmed. John, our waiter, was friendly and knowledgeable. Our oysters were cleanly shucked and nicely presented, and my brussels sprouts Caesar salad was different and delicious.
I look forward to going back and trying the Happy Hour. Motorkat merits everyone's support. Viva TK PK!
Martha
A great find for us! We went right when they opened, so had the place to ourselves... the best spot is the table in the bay window. Started with oysters ...yum! Especially Chunu, White Stone, and Cannon Cove.... then small plates and they do a very good Cubano. Great service.... thank you Yasmin! The bread pudding for dessert took us over the top and then we waddled around the cool shops nearby to end a fun birthday evening. Oh, and the bathroom was spotless!!
Paul Gibson
Great vibe with even greater food and service! Try the katfish and chips, and don’t skip dessert!
Motorkat ,
A Must-Visit in Takoma Park. Motorkat is one of the top spots in Takoma Park, a big upgrade from The Republic. With fresh oysters, creative cocktails, standout dishes, and cozy outdoor seating, it’s the perfect place to soak in the best of the neighborhood.
Recommend the sunchoke appetizer and the curry fried chicken.
Edit: Mike at Motorkat reached out to me to offer a refund after my experience with food poisoning. I felt that this was a very professional gesture and was very appreciative that he reached out to apologize and offer a refund.
Original: I visited Motorkat for the first time yesterday. Although the service was excellent and the space was beautiful, I experienced food poisoning a few short hours after eating the seafood stew. It was a pretty horrendous experience and I wouldn't feel comfortable visiting again in the future.
Great food with large portions. And great service at brunch.
Friendly staff and great ambiance.
The best
Enjoyed the vibe of this little neighborhood eatery and the service was really lovely. Our waiter was incredibly helpful when picking our food and ordering drinks. We tried the spiced fries (👏🏽), mozzarella sandwich (👍🏽), burger (🥱) and the banoffee trifle (👎🏿). We’d probably come back here for the vibes and service but will try ordering some different things! One small touch I loved is that they serve you a small bonus bite - ours was an onion jam and focaccia bite which was a great touch.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / $$-$$$
@motorkattakoma has made it’s way to being one of our favorite restaurants. So much so we had to take our entire family over the holidays. They treated us so nice and even gave us this little private nook.
Have yet to make it for happy hour, but we will most certainly be back!
An absolutely wonderful evening. Service was exceptional and the whole staff was full of personality. Everyone went above and beyond to the point where we felt like stars, even though we were just two regular people who really needed a nice night out! Grateful!
Great happy hour oysters for $1.75 each! We stopped in after seeing the curbside sign and ended up getting a dozen plus for an early dinner. The oysters were fresh, clean, and very well shucked. Other food that we got was also quite tasty and we enjoyed our drinks. Service was great overall--small oddities like not being given forks or condiments for the oysters when we ordered a second round (we eventually went up to a bartender to ask for them), but overall it was good. We'd happily come back. The atmosphere was great too, hitting a middle ground between old school diner and leather booth speakeasy.
Restaurantji Recommends
Hardest working crew in Takoma Park
Amazing Meal! The plating, the mixture of spices, and the service were excellent. Our waiter, John; was awesome. We celebrated our 55th!!
Such a step up for the neighborhood! As a former long-time resident of Takoma Park, it's been a treat to see how the town has evolved (and improved!) over the years. Who'd have thought a fun oyster bar would eventually take the place of an indie video store?
When we were there on the cold first Friday night of 2025, service was good if a tad overwhelmed. John, our waiter, was friendly and knowledgeable. Our oysters were cleanly shucked and nicely presented, and my brussels sprouts Caesar salad was different and delicious.
I look forward to going back and trying the Happy Hour. Motorkat merits everyone's support. Viva TK PK!
A great find for us! We went right when they opened, so had the place to ourselves... the best spot is the table in the bay window. Started with oysters ...yum! Especially Chunu, White Stone, and Cannon Cove.... then small plates and they do a very good Cubano. Great service.... thank you Yasmin! The bread pudding for dessert took us over the top and then we waddled around the cool shops nearby to end a fun birthday evening.
Oh, and the bathroom was spotless!!
Great vibe with even greater food and service! Try the katfish and chips, and don’t skip dessert!
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