If you’ve lived in Montgomery County long enough, the name Mrs. K Restaurant Silver Spring—properly known as Mrs. K’s Toll House—probably triggers a specific kind of nostalgia. You think of the sprawling gardens. The lace tablecloths. That distinctive stone building at the corner of Colesville Road and Dale Drive that looked like it drifted over from a British village. It was a landmark.
But here’s the thing: people still search for it like it’s waiting for them to walk through the front door for Sunday brunch.
The reality is a bit more complicated. Mrs. K’s didn't just change owners; it underwent a total metamorphosis. While the physical structure at 9201 Colesville Road still stands as a testament to 1930s architecture, the restaurant as the community knew it for 90 years is gone. In its place is a concept called Zinnia.
It’s a bit of a local heartbreak. Honestly, when a place survives the Great Depression and the 2008 crash, you sort of expect it to be immortal. The pandemic had other plans.
The 90-Year Run of Mrs. K’s Toll House
To understand why people are still obsessed with the Mrs. K Restaurant Silver Spring legacy, you have to look at how it started. In 1930, Olive Blanche Kreuzburg and her husband Harvey turned an actual 19th-century toll house into a tavern.
It wasn't just a place to eat. It was a vibe.
Mrs. Kreuzburg was a collector. She filled the rooms with antiques, Staffordshire plates, and enough lace to make a Victorian grandmother weep. For decades, it was the "special occasion" spot. If you were getting married in Silver Spring or celebrating a 50th anniversary, you went to Mrs. K's.
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By the time the restaurant celebrated its 80th anniversary, it had become a hybrid of old-school Maryland charm and a serious wine destination. They spent over $1 million in 2008 to renovate the wine cellar, which became a cavernous, brick-lined sanctuary for oenophiles.
The food? It was classic American. We're talking fried pork chops, blackened rockfish, and a Sunday buffet that was legendary in the DMV area. It wasn't trying to be "fusion" or "avant-garde." It was just solid.
Why Did It Close?
The closure of Mrs. K Restaurant Silver Spring wasn't a slow decline in popularity. It was a sudden, jarring halt. When the state of emergency hit in March 2020, the owners—who had held the torch since 1996 after the Kreuzburg family sold it—initially hoped to wait it out.
But the building itself was the problem.
The charming, intimate rooms that people loved were a social distancing nightmare. Tiny hallways and cozy nooks don't exactly scream "safe airflow." By December 2020, the "For Lease" sign went up. It was the first time the property had been on the market in nine decades.
The Transition to Zinnia
A lot of people think the building is just sitting empty or that it's still "Mrs. K's" under a different name. Neither is true.
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Chris Brown and Seth Cook (the team behind Takoma Beverage Co.) took over and launched Zinnia. They didn't just slap a new name on the door. They re-imagined the whole footprint.
The gardens are still there, thank god. They've been revamped with raised beds for herbs and vegetables, but they kept that manicured, "secret garden" feel. The interior has been split into different zones:
- The Tavern: A cozy, wood-heavy spot for casual drinks.
- The Cafe: Serving Counter Culture Coffee for the morning crowd.
- The Gardens: Now functioning more like an elevated picnic and beer garden space.
- The Dining Rooms: More formal seating that nods to the original history but with a modern American menu.
If you go there today expecting the exact "Mrs. K" experience, you'll be disappointed. There’s no more buffet. The menu is tighter, more seasonal, and definitely more "2026" than "1950."
What You Need to Know Before You Go
If you’re planning a trip to the old Mrs. K Restaurant Silver Spring site, here is the ground reality.
The address is still 9201 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. It’s right at the intersection with Dale Drive. If you’re driving north from Downtown Silver Spring, it’s on your right. Parking is still in that same small lot that fills up way too fast on Saturdays.
Hours have shifted significantly from the old days. The Tavern usually opens at 4:00 PM on weekdays, while the weekend sees earlier action starting at 10:00 AM for brunch.
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- Vibe Check: It’s less "white tablecloth" and more "outdoor chic."
- The Wine Cellar: It's still there! Now called the Barrel Room, it’s arguably the coolest place in the building for a rainy-day cocktail.
- Accessibility: Because it’s a historic 1930s structure, the upstairs can be a bit of a climb. The garden is your best bet if you want to avoid stairs.
Is the Spirit of Mrs. K’s Still There?
Basically, yes and no.
The antiques are largely gone. The specific "frilly" atmosphere that defined the Kreuzburg era has been replaced by clean lines and modern lighting. But the bones of the place—the stone walls, the massive fireplace, the way the light hits the garden at 6:00 PM in July—that’s all still there.
Most people get wrong the idea that it’s just a "name change." It’s a complete cultural shift for the neighborhood. Mrs. K's was a relic in the best possible way. Zinnia is a modern community hub. Both have their place, but they are distinct entities.
If you have a gift certificate or a voucher for Mrs. K Restaurant Silver Spring, you’re likely out of luck. The new business is entirely separate from the old entity.
Moving Forward
If you want to experience the legacy of the old Mrs. K Restaurant Silver Spring site, your best move is to visit for a late afternoon drink in the gardens. It’s where the history feels most alive.
To make the most of your visit:
- Check the weather: The outdoor space is the star of the show now.
- Book ahead: The Tavern and Dining Rooms fill up, especially for the "new" brunch.
- Explore the grounds: Walk all the way to the back of the property to see the old toll house architectural details that have been preserved.
The era of the $4 toll per horse is long over, and the era of the Mrs. K buffet has joined it in the history books. But the building remains one of Silver Spring's most important landmarks, proving that even in a rapidly changing suburb, some walls are worth keeping.