The flavors REALLY pop in the BABA GANNOUJ, TABOULEH, and GRAPE LEAVES rolls (all vegan) that my…read moredaughter and I enjoyed on our road-trip this evening. We took our food to-go, but the interior of Layla's is comfy and inviting for dine in as we saw. Very easy to order vegan items as the hostess is happy to answer questions about ingredients and knows the vegan options. YES: Vegan friendly

I had the lamb, it was delicious. The customer service was excellent. The waiter was very…read moreattentive. I lo because it's very intimate. This is a good date spot. Of course, I had to top it off with Xpress.

I have perused a number of restaurants in the Woodbridge area and this my friends IS IT! Their food…read morewas absolutely delicious. I had ordered through Grubhub (I think) and I just wanted something different from the "run of the mill" fast food place. Tired of McDonalds, Chic-Fil-A, Wendys etc. I just wanted something light and promising. I went to pick up my order and yes the entrance was a little confusing (there was a Shopmart right next to the restaurant portion). However, one of the cooks greeted me and although she was unable to speak English well, she got someone to help me right away. I was sure the bag on the counter was mine but I did not want to take it right away until I got assurance from someone it was. A gentleman came out and offered, "Let me wash my hands first please." (Yessssssss this is what I'm taking about pre and post Covid!) He assured me the bag was my order and thank me for coming. I got home not knowing what to expect as the big was closed up. However, when I opened the containers and tried to the Taboulehhhhhhhhhhhhh (yes I'm saying it like this exactly!). It was so light and refreshing, I couldn't believe the sun just hit my orifice. Then there was the Beef Sharwarma. This is a step above a regular Gyro. The Beef Sharwarm was so flavorful (something I regret not experiencing as much in the area) and to top it off I had some Baklava that rounded out my meal. Needless to say, I'll be back!

Food is very flavorful and cooked with love!! If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I…read morewould! From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive without being overbearing, which really made the experience feel personal.

For mains, I went with the kafta platter and loved it. The meat was seasoned perfectly and the…read morevegetables were great. My partner had the chicken kebabs and was equally happy. Others in our group got shawarma sandwiches and spinach pies, and everyone was raving about their food. We wrapped up with a baklava sampler for dessert, which was the perfect ending. The food alone would've made the night, but our waiter really took it to another level. He was warm, personable, and clearly remembered my grandparents from past visits. He greeted them like old friends and was genuinely helpful throughout the meal, steering us toward dishes we'd love based on what we were in the mood for. That kind of attentive, personal service is hard to come by. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a great Mediterranean/Middle Eastern meal with excellent service to match. Already planning our next visit!

I came here during lunch and got a a spinach pie ($4.5) and chicken shawarma pita ($10). They…read moreoffered these free chips "on the house" and they were a nice little appetizers to munch on. The spinach pie was quite good! And after about 10 minutes my shawarma came out. It was seasoned good even though a little dry. The garlic sauce was very flavorful and helped with the overall flavor and texture. I was quite happy with the food as well as the price! I would definitely recommend and come back to this place! Food(50%): 8.0 Staff/service(25%): 8.5 Value(25%): 8.5 Overall: 8.3/10

Representing November 2023 in my scrapbook series is Cedars of Lebanon. On Saturday, November 18,…read more2023, I had 1st of 2 dates with a woman who lived in Lanham. We met that Saturday morning at New Deal Cafe for coffee. Date was going well, and we went to lunch in this center here. Wow, this was amongst the best Mediterranean I've had. I got a platter with rice, meat, & more. I don't remember the exact specifics, but I remember I thought it was excellent. Staff was nice too. It's a pretty small place, but we were comfortable in this as Saturday lunch business wasn't too busy. Conclusion with this woman & a better new era: As for this woman & our 2nd date, we met for lunch near where I live on a rainy Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend (See my 5-star review of Notos in Maryland City). She was from Indonesia, here working for a family, and said the host family was moving to California next week. I said how crappy that was as you just got to Maryland in October. So, there was no future with this woman. Incidentally, a little more than 2 months later was my first date with my girlfriend of now about 2.7 years, which has been great.

The Cedars of Lebanon is an easily-overlooked cafe right on the corner of the Old Greenbelt…read moreShopping Center which is a lovely hidden gem. I spent every summer in this town, growing up, and I never discovered this restaurant until a precious friend brought me here a few years ago. It's a dated, though efficient, and charming, cafe with fresh dishes you might love. Firstly, if you plan on having lunch here on a Monday, make sure you are able to finish by 2:45 since they close by 3pm. All other days, they are open past 8pm. We started with the sweet potato soup despite the fact that the reviews for the lentil soup here are the highest. Yes! If it's featured: get it! The turmeric and coconut milk make this soup delightful. The herbs made it so fresh and there was just the right amount of sweetness and gentle heat. Parsley really adds to this recipe and I'm not usually a fan of this herb. The pitas are soft, thin and light. Love them. We needed to order more. I've never had such paper-thin pitas. Yum! I love love love the hummus, here. It is nothing short of divine. The flavors are fabulous and deeply complex. You can really taste the tahini. The olive oil is mild and delicious. I exclaimed, "the hummus was the best ever." And then 5 minutes later, I read a review by Yelper James H. where he says it's the best ever and, "... this hummus at Cedars of Lebanon might have ruined all other hummus for me forever." While I've had similar swooning feelings over the hummus at Lebanese Taverna in Tyson's Corner, this hummus is at least a top contender if not the metro DC area's hummus winner. The cucumber mint yogurt salad is nice, cold and refreshing. You can really taste the mint. I would order this yogurt salad with every meal. The falafel pizza is unusual and fresh. Straight away-- you can taste the tahini, parsley and couscous. The dough is grainy and natural. And there are radishes on this falafel pizza: not overpowering. For the $9 or so pricepoint, this dish is a true labor of love. To prep all of these vegetables, even with food processors, must take time. How novel of a dish! Put the yogurt salad on this pizza. You will thank me. And I only did it because I was watching someone else slather it on. There were at least 12 desserts on the menu. Meow. If we weren't so full of pita, hummus, tahini and fresh veggies, we certainly would love to taste a few of these. As well as the Turkish coffee, with an authentic ceramic and metal carafé presentation.

I called in an order for a beef shawarma sandwich and side salad…read more The order was ready shortly after I arrived. The restaurant is quiet with music playing in the background, but not so loud that you cannot talk. It was very clean with tables spaced well enough that you do not sit right next to someone else. The food, I was happy to see that they used Romaine instead of iceberg lettuce in the salad, the dressing is vinegar based with oil and herbs. It was a nice side. The shawarma sandwich has a very nice complexity of flavors and textures. The smell and flavor of the spices are warming. I would order it again and I would like to try the chicken shawarma sandwich next.

We stopped here for dinner for the man's birthday. We have been planning something fancier, but in…read morethe end there we were. We started with an order of grape leaves, which tasted good, but were really tiny. He ordered the chicken kebab platter for his meal which he says was great. I ordered the moujadarah, which was quite dried out and overcooked. I mentioned this to the manager/server when he came to check on us. He looked at my dish and replied that yes, it was overcooked. He did not offer to bring me anything different, he did not offer to bring me a fresh meal, and he did not take the cost of the meal off our bill. The two guys working in the restaurant were both nice, but I was disappointed that, although they knew we were there for a birthday (they overheard us and told my partner happy birthday), they did not attempt to make my meal right in any way.

This is probably the best Lebanese restaurant in the DC area. It has a beautiful ambience, a very…read moreextensive and varied menu (which includes numerous classic Lebanese dishes), and the service is great. My daughter has some food allergies and our server helped guide us through the menu as to what she could safely eat and made sure that certain modifications were made. We definitely will be back.

A definite return in the near future and definitely recommend to colleagues. The ambience was…read moresuperb , not overly loud or chaotic, very relaxed.

My bf and I came to Natalie's on a Sunday for dinner within the last 30min before closing. Since…read morevisiting in 2020 they have now moved to Forest Hill and have new management. We were starving and knew what we wanted. They were very accepting and welcoming and sat us down. Since we were the only ones on a quiet Sunday, it was almost like a private dinner! Very romantic. The owner shared w us some details of the move and how their current spot used to be a bank, so awesome! We started w the grape leaves, babagounush and tabouleh which were SO fresh and delicious! The tabouleh was zestier w more lemon, which is how I like it and the rice in the grape leaves matched perfectly. The baba was PERFECT bc we could taste the smoked eggplant and savored every biteThen we split a shawarma dish which came w rice and pickled onions; SOOOO goood! Everything was cooked to perfection and super fresh! So grateful for the owner and our server and being welcomed even on a slower night, I'll be back!

The food, the service and the atmosphere make this restaurant my absolute "go to"Richmond eatery…read more I tried working my way through the menu but I can't go too long without eating Shish Tawook. I often stop by for an appetizer when friends come by the house for drinks. My suggestion is don't finish your meal by asking for a "to go box" so you can order dessert. Trust me, you will thank me after the first bite.

I wasn't feeling well today, so I went to Fettoosh for harira soup. It was warm, flavorful, and…read morejust the light, balanced meal I wanted. I've been here many times and have tried almost every vegetarian dish. I've enjoyed them all, especially the zalouk. I've also visited with a Moroccan friend, who says the food is authentic. The service is always excellent and personal. Every visit feels like being welcomed as a special guest. The food is great quality for the price, and the mint tea and baklava are delicious too. I'm always happy to come back.

Good food with even nicer service. This place feels very authentic and the man who owns it is very…read morekind and friendly. He chatted with us the whole time and recommended the mint tea to us which was delicious and well worth it. My first time really eating Moroccan food but the flavor combinations were good and the preserved lemon and olives used in the dishes were tasty. My favorite dishes here were the chicken tajin and the mint tea

Terrific food, very fresh. Pita with the hummus was almost hot. Loved the seasoning on the fries,…read moretoo. So many great looking items on the menu. I'll definitely be back.

From the address, I expected a hole-in-the-wall but it's…read morewas really very nice. Felt like dining rather than merely eating out. I was only familiar with three of what we ordered so: Branzino - as good as any I've ever had. And as an option it was served filleted, so we didn't have to cope with the head and tail ; Hummus - better than any I've ever had; Wine - outstanding Cote de Rhone by the glass! A bit expensive but well worth it. As for the rest, I am not familiar with Lebanese food so I don't know what it should taste like but everything was absolutly delicious. The grilled calamari was really good but I prefer the regular fried. The Kibbeh Nayeh was amazing with a garlic whip that was out of this world. The Fatteh was incredible, who knew eggplant could taste so good. Seray will become one of our regular places.

Every single time that I order from this place, it's like the food gets better and better. Packed…read morewith lots of flavor and you can tell it takes a lot of time and care to make it taste so good! Love this place!!!

Was feeling hungry after a round of errands and decided to try out this kabob spot. Didn't think…read moreanything of it and boy I'll tell you I was happily surprised. Located in a non discrete location with just a small sign outside it's easy to miss this hidden gem. Walked in and was quickly greeted by the staff. The interior is a little tight so take out is probably your best option. Menu has your typical kabob dishes with a few added additions. I placed my order and sat ace waited. Now I will say there was a bit of a wait time to get my food but you know a place is good when it's busy. As I was sitting many people came and went either with to go orders or to sit an eat. And that's how you know you've found a hidden gem. Once I received my food it was delicious. I'll happily come back if I'm in the area again.