New Wonder Location Offers Customers More Than Twenty New Cuisines All Under One Roof

Written by: Sophia Tamayo 🇨🇴

Wonder Location College Park (via Wonder website)

Wonder, a new multi-concept dining experience that has been steadily expanding across the East Coast, opened a new location in College Park, MD about four months ago, bringing its many  cuisines to the area. 

 The concept of Wonder is anything but small. Upon entering, customers can make their way to the self ordering tablets where they can browse and place orders from more than 20 restaurants all in one place. Their wide selection of cuisines makes Wonder a perfect place for big groups. For those who choose to dine-in, the space is modest in size, fitted with a few tables.

The College Park location had larger than expected crowds during a recent visit on a Friday night. There was a notable backlog of both online and in-person orders keeping staff working at a steady pace behind the counter. For a newly opened restaurant, the volume was considerable. While the team managed to keep the line moving, the wait time left some doubts about how quickly orders could be fulfilled. 

Among the more than 20 cuisines available, Teja’s BBQ stood out the most. Their menu offers authentic Texas style oak wood smoked barbeque.

The chef Scott Moore, fifth generation Texan first, made a name for himself with chocolate before adding barbecue to his menu on a whim. Locals quickly took notice, and national acclaim followed soon after. On this visit, I chose the brisket and cornbread to review. 

The cornbread was amazing. It was moist and subtly sweet, without being too over-bearing. Overall it was a well executed side that delivered and complements smoked meats without overshadowing them. 

The brisket, unfortunately, fell short. The slices were noticeably dry, a significant detail for a cut that depends on proper rest and moisture to reach its full potential. Whether it was the timing, volume related or simply a byproduct of the kitchen’s multi-concept demand is unclear, but the texture and taste was a let down. 

The sauces were a redeeming factor. They were flavorful and well seasoned, adding enough depth to add flavor, although the meat itself needed work. 

Wonder College Park shows early promise. The ordering experience is seamless, the variety of cuisines is genuinely impressive and the concept helps fill the gap in the local dining. The execution, at least on this visit, still has room to grow.