Day 84 of eating at 100 Asian restaurants in Maryland, and this one might be my favorite dessert stop of the whole series. I’ve been a fan of Sweeteria ever since I visited their Silver Spring location years ago, but their Bethesda spot on Old Georgetown Road, which opened at the end of 2025, is honestly my preferred version of the two.
It’s more spacious, it’s got savories and cocktails in the mix alongside their incredible sweets, and the whole experience feels like a real treat. Sweeteria Bethesda’s a Thai dessert cafe run by a family team, and it’s already one of the most fun spots I’ve visited in the Bethesda area. If you love beautiful, creative desserts with real Thai flavor, think mango sticky rice in toast form, custard-stuffed buns, and matcha everything, you need to get here. Seriously, go.
View this reel on Instagram
What Makes Sweeteria Bethesda So Special
Sweeteria’s whole vibe is Thai dessert culture done in a warm, fun, and visually gorgeous way. The original Silver Spring location opened in 2020, and the Bethesda spot expands on that concept with a bigger space, a savories menu, and a full cocktail bar with daily happy hour. The same family team runs both locations, and they also own Kao Thai restaurant right next door to their Silver Spring spot if you want to experience their full Thai cooking range.
What makes Sweeteria stand out is the range. You can start with savory Sichuan wontons, move to a mango sticky rice dessert toast, and end with a ceremonial matcha cocktail, all in one visit. The happy hour deal especially is SO worth knowing about: small bites, $5 beer, and craft cocktails for $10, available every evening at the bar from 4pm to close. This is a great date night spot, a solid group dining option, and a definite must for anyone in the Bethesda area.
If you’re already a fan of Thai food in the DMV, Kook Kai’s in Silver Spring is another Thai spot nearby that’s well worth your time.
For something on the Virginia side, Neisha Thai in Tysons serves scratch-made Thai classics and is an easy add to a NoVA dinner night.
What to Order at Sweeteria Bethesda
Here’s everything we got on our visit:
Mango Sticky Rice Loft Toast
This was almost too beautiful to eat, and it’s an absolute MUST if you’re a fan of mango sticky rice. We’re talking a gorgeous dessert toast served with super sweet mango, homemade coconut sticky rice pudding, mung beans, and mango cream. The coconut sticky rice pudding is SO good here, and the mango’s perfectly ripe and sweet. This is the most Instagrammable thing on the table, and it tastes just as good as it looks.
Bun Ping
House-made custard buns, two per order, and you pick your fillings. We tried the pandan and golden thread with coconut cream, and the pandan was our clear favorite. I’d go back for these alone, tbh. They also have thai tea and matcha flavors that I’m 100% trying on my next visit. FYI, the pandan is def the move as a starting point.
Kao Mun Gai (Hainanese Chicken Rice)
This was a surprise standout for me. Kao Mun Gai is the Thai version of Hainanese chicken rice, a dish with roots in southern China that’s been adapted into Thai cuisine with a punchier dipping sauce. Sweeteria’s version features Hainanese poached chicken over seasonal rice with a Thai spicy garlic ginger bean sauce. Really, REALLY good. It’s SO satisfying and a perfect savory counterpoint to all the sweets.
Sichuan Wonton
Housemade chicken wontons tossed in a Sichuan malt sauce with scallions and sesame oil. These had a GREAT kick to them. If you like heat, order these first as a spicy starter. If you’re spice-sensitive, consider yourself warned, lol. The sauce has serious heat and the wontons are housemade, which you can taste.
- Mango Rice Martini ($15): dessert in a glass. Super silky, perfect for summer, and absolutely delish.
- Matcha drinks: made with 100% ceremonial matcha; several options on the menu.
What Is Bun Ping?
If you haven’t heard of bun ping before, now you need to know. Bun ping (sometimes spelled “pang ping”) is a Thai custard bun, a soft bread bun stuffed with flavored custard filling. The style originated in Bangkok’s Chinatown and became a wildly popular Thai street snack. Sweeteria does their own take with house-made buns and flavored custards, and you get two per order. The pandan flavor’s a great starting point. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to order a second round before you’ve finished the first.
The Vibe and Experience
Sweeteria Bethesda’s got a warm, airy feel that makes it a great spot for a date night, a friend group outing, or even just a solo dessert run. The space is more spacious than the Silver Spring original, and the cocktail bar adds an evening energy that makes it easy to linger. A huge thanks to Ting Ting for sitting down with us and hosting us for the meal. A great spot to pop into before or after exploring Bethesda, and it’s right near the Metro if you’re coming in from DC.
Good to Know
- Location: 📍 7525 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814 (near the Bethesda Metro, Red Line)
- Also in: Silver Spring at 8646 Colesville Rd; they also own Kao Thai restaurant at 8650 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring
- Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 7:30am to 9pm, Monday 8:30am to 9pm
- Happy hour: Daily at the bar, 4pm to close; small bites, $5 beer, craft cocktails $10
- Ordering: Online ordering via Toast (toasttab.com/sweeteria-bethesda), Uber Eats, and Grubhub; website at sweeteriacafe.com
- Parking: Montgomery County public parking garages nearby on Woodmont Ave; free on Sundays and holidays
- Pricing note: Most menu prices weren’t captured on this visit; Mango Rice Martini confirmed at $15 from the caption
Is Sweeteria Bethesda Worth A Try?
Absolutely YES. Whether you’re coming for the mango sticky rice toast, the bun ping, the Sichuan wontons, or the happy hour cocktails, Sweeteria Bethesda delivers something genuinely special. It’s one of the most fun, creative, and delicious spots I’ve visited during the 100 Asian Restaurants in Maryland series, and it’s a great addition to the Bethesda dining scene. If you’re looking for more Bethesda spots to pair it with, Simona Cafe is another great Bethesda find worth checking out on the same trip.
Have you guys been to Sweeteria Bethesda yet?! Let me know what you ordered in the comments below, Nomsters. And if you’ve been to the Silver Spring location, tell me which one you like better because I’m curious to see how you feel, lol.