My cousin was visiting from out of town and we were driving through McLean and getting very hungry. I decided to check Yelp to see if there was something close by and thankfully we found Amoo's! The restaurant is clean, nicely decorated, and the service was very good - the (presumably) owner even came over and greeted us during our meal! He was very sweet gentleman who wanted to make sure we were enjoying our food. And man, were we! We ordered the Kashk Badenjan dip as a starter and it was phenomenal! I am usually picky about textures, so was a little skeptical about puréed eggplant, but it was delicious! Very creamy, beautiful taste, and perfect with the fresh flatbread they brought. After the starter, we split the Lamb Soltani platter, which was great because it was a very large portion. Perfect for splitting (would have been too much for a single person). The lamb and beef koobideh were both cooked perfectly, very tender and flavorful. We upgraded our rice to the shirin polo (rice with pistachios, almonds, cranberries, etc.) which was a lovely sweet contrast with the savory meat. The prices were a bit high on first glance, but they have a little note on the menu that prices have increased due to COVID. Also, since the portions ended up being so large and the food was so good, I ended up thinking the prices were actually not unreasonable. Looking forward to returning soon! read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Lamb Soltani with Shirin Polo rice! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

I drove for 40 minutes (one way) to get a take-out. I read the reviews so my expectations were high and I thought the drive will be worth it. I was thoroughly disappointed with the food. Although the chicken was better, the koobideh was tasteless. It was the worst koobideh I have ever tasted. I tried to fix it at home by adding my own spices but there was something stale about the meat. I couldn't force myself to eat it so I threw it in the bin. The food overall was nothing exceptional considering I spent $60 plus fuel. If anything, it was the worst takeout for me. read more

We tried this place first time today and ordered Chimichurri chicken soltani - 2 skewers (one chicken and one kubideh). The meat is so juicy and soft! Also the portion is HUGE. Definitely enough for 2. The restaurant staff are also very friendly. They gave us good food recommendations. read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Chimichurri chicken soltani - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Open for takeout and delivery Amoo's (literally "Uncle") Persian restaurant in McLean has the very best Koobedah (ground beef with onion and spices) kabob around imho. Another great treat at Amoo's is Tahdig. Tahdeg means "bottom of the pot," and is a must-have on any Persian dining table. It is essentially crunchy rice-- that delicious layer placed at the bottom of the pot, cooked until crispy, and then the kids fight over who gets it. . I like it best on a cold autumn or winter day when it's topped with hearty stew! In addition to their delicious koobedah, Amoo's has family-size combination dinners featuring lamb and saffron chicken for takeout or delivery! read more

Awful food - so embarrassed to take our guests from out of town there for dinner. Totally uncooked rice, extremely salty kabobs. Never again! read more

My first time there. Server was very good. Food was excellent. Then all of a sudden out of the blue, a person starts walking around with a microphone and singing very loudly in this intimate room. We left very quickly. Not sure we'll go back. read more

I love middle eastern food - the rice, kebobs and the spice. I knew I wanted to try this place when I heard positive reviews in the Washington Post. My boyfriend made a reservation on a regular cold Tuesday night. This place mildly crowded, dimly lit with some nice Persian paintings on the wall. The service is super prompt and friendly. Amoo, the restaurant owner came over to introduce himself and welcome us. Our server Fatima was very nice, checking in on us and asking if we had any questions. We started with two of the appetizers - kashk-e-bademjan, an eggplant dip and Olovieh salad, the Persian potato salad. Maybe I had a long work day but I thought the eggplant dip would be could and the potatoes would be hot. I was wrong. The potato dish is a Persian potato salad, nice and mild. The warm eggplant dip was a savory dish, it had a sweet aftertaste. My favorite appetizer was the complimentary green herbal spread. It was bright, spicy, a nice palate cleanser. For my main, Amoo recommended the lamb kebob. It was very tender, succulent, tasty. I had it served with a salad. The salad dressing is a house tomato vinegar dressing. It was excellent. My boyfriend had the koobideh, the ground beef and the Cornish hen chicken combo with rice. I ground beef had some really nice spice. At the end of the meal we were stuffed - two appetizers, bread, and two entrees finished! I would have passed on dessert but since it was our first time there, Fatima our sever offered us saffron ice cream on the house. I never had saffron ice cream. It was bright yellow, and sweet but with a spice kick. This place is wonderful - great hospitality, delicious food. We definitely talked about coming back on the car ride home. I'd like to try one of their stews and maybe they're advertised Tahdigh. read more

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Great experience. We went on a Sunday afternoon and ordered 3 dishes: Lamb, chicken and beef and the crispy rice appetizer. Everything is good food. Service was great and delightful. Also, they are kids friendly. If we are in the area again, we hope to eat here. read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Chicken and Beef kabobs are awesome - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

This was my first time here, and my friend and I are already planning to go again it was so enjoyable. The food was wonderful, I had tender and moist Salmon with Shirin Polo basmati rice that was delicious and the portions were very generous so I will enjoy some for lunch tomorrow too! Very friendly service, attentive but not hovering. Great experience! read more

I'm rarely impressed by middle eastern/Mediterranean foods in the DC region but this place is a hidden gem in the VA suburbs. It's located in a strip shopping center with a few places to park so parking and getting in and out was a breeze. Now to the good part the food.... Drooling as I write this... The kabob here is golden standard as I like to say it's literally Gucci!! I got the chicken spicy kabob it wasn't spicy but so mouth watering juicy!! My friend got the chicken and ground beef kabob and I'm not a fan of ground beef but wow!! He took me here because he's a regular patron and the servers all knew him and were just so nice to me as well. The saffron tea was a good way to end the meal. I need to come back and try the saffron ice cream which I was told is house made. read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Chimchuri and Soltani Kabobs - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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Our family brought a large group with us for an early dinner (right before 5pm) and received a very warm welcome from the owner and staff. The restaurant is cozy, and had good bread service. The menu is traditional and quite extensive. We ordered pretty much everything from the grilled menu. We also had a good deal of appetizers. Everything was very well done, but we thought the tahdig with fasenjoon was a standout. Awesome service and great food. Come early (for the weekend) to miss the crowd. read more

This place deserves 10 starts just for the rice. Its amazing, fluffy, buttery, perfect texture every time. I've tried several of their dishes. All were pretty tasty. Some are better than others of course. But the important thing is that they never disappoint. -The chicken is always incredibly tender and moist -I've tried all the stews and they are all great. The one I liked the least was the koofteh and the best was the gheymeh badejam. But they are all great. -Shirin Polo is nice and sweet. -Baghali Polo is also great. Every so often the dill is a little overwhelming. But overall great. Service is usually great as well. The two negative points I have is the wine/beer selection and the parking lot situation. But the food is so good I can deal with it. read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Koofteh - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

You guys, i found my new favorite Persian restaurant and dammit, its again not close to where i live lol and when i say, i found it, i meant to say my brother found it for me because he was the one who took us out to dinner and was all secretive about it but i must say, job well done! We were served hot bread with a side of butter and green chilli chutney (which we asked for more because brown ppl love their spicy chutneys). We ordered two chicken chimichurri soltani (chicken chimichurri and koobeideh) and one order of chimichurri lamb. I also ordered shirin pulao (which is basically the Irani version of kabuli palau) and yogurt with cucumber because you dont eat persian food without some cucumber yogurt, ya feel me?! The meal was delicious. I definetly made the right move with that shirin palau because it beat any kabuli palau i've had in the past. It was the right companion to the kabobs. The chimichurri chicken is a brilliant idea and so was the lamb. The koobideh was also juicy and meaty and all kinds of perfect. We ended our meal with some saffron icecream, which was surprise surprise (also delicious)! We discussed the price of saffron while eating and (smelling) the ice cream because how else would you eat saffron ice cream. Come here for the yummy persian food and great customer service (the owner took good care of us and the server was very attentive). read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Fabulous food. Attentive service. Awesome, authentic Persian. Love the Shirin Polo. Love it.

Great Persian food but price is a little higher than competitors. Nice ambiance and great Wait staff. read more

More like 3.5. Great menu, lots of amazing options and somewhat reasonable prices. My chicken kabob meal was just okay. It lacked a little bit in flavor. Chicken was nice and tender but could've used more seasoning. I'll give it another try and order something else. read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Chicken kabob - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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Love their food! Great hummus, flat bread, thadig and kebabs. Nice staff and good service.

Long-time Yelp user here who, ashamedly, has never left a review despite relying on the recommendations of others. This changed tonight, as my meal from Amoo's is hands-down the best meal I've had all year. Amoo's is the best Persian food I've eaten anywhere, including LA where I lived for a few years. The food was mind-blowing, perfectly spiced and flavored where each element could be tasted with every bite. The best dishes were the fesenjan and the gheymeh bademjan, but truly, all of it was delicious. We ordered $100 of takeout for two with the intention of having leftovers, but literally could not stop eating and now I'm very full but very satisfied. Fancy? Not exactly. But the food was comforting and clearly cooked with love and brought me way more happiness and comfort than any Michelin-starred meal I've had, which is more than anyone can ask for during COVID-19. Highly recommended, and I hope Amoo's gets more national recognition for its cooking soon! read more

Came here with M for dinner. Parking can be a bit difficult depending on what time you come. It's located in a small shopping center, slightly hidden in a corner. I used to visit Amoo's a lot during my college days. I haven't been back until most recently when a friend suggested we meet here for dinner. I'm glad I came back! I believe the owners have changed since I used to visit, years ago. Service was incredibly friendly and attentive. Everyone was so nice and patient. I asked for some more green spicy sauce, and the kind gentleman brought me 3 servings of it! Generous indeed :D M and I took our sweet time with dinner and were the last customers to leave for the night. The employees never rushed us and we felt so at home. When you're here, you're family. The decor is also different, it looks much more inviting and cozy inside now. The complimentary bread they give you also has changed from when I last visited. It's super fresh and almost naan-like. Comes in a basket with a cloth over it. I remember when the bread used to be these cold, stale, square-like things prepackaged in zip lock bags. So happy it's different now. The Kabobs and rice were all delicious as always. One thing Amoo's has always done well, is their food. Fluffy warm rice that just melts in your mouth. Tender kabobs seasoned perfectly. Sprinkle some sumac (found on each table) on your dish and it's perfection. End your meal with some Persian Ice Cream and you will not be sorry. Smooth and creamy ice cream blended with saffron, vanilla bean, rose water and pistachios. It's so good, you'll want more! read more

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This is a fun place to eat kabobs under the watchful eye of the Shah. Seriously, this place has HUGE portraits of the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi on every single wall. This is not even a political thing, I just find that funny. So let's start off by saying that Amoo's House of Kabob is not what is typically considered traditional persian food. The friendly and charming chef, Sebastian, who will inevitably stop by your table a few times, likes to add an unconventional twist to the meal. I've been to Amoo's twice over the course of a year, and have noted it has moved more from traditional persian food to less traditional hybrid menu that introduced items not typically found in persian cuisine like chimichurri lamb. It is definitely worth paying attention to the specials here. I have noticed that the chef is particularly experimental with game meat and different types of fish in his specials. On the night we went they were offering Bison Kabob ($23) (again not typical persian cuisine, European bison don't typically hang out in Iran) but I am a sucker with anything Bison so I ordered it. It arrived as a whole plate covered in meat, basically a meat blanket and it was awesome and juicy and tasted fantastic with the added sumac. Here are some of the other orders from our table: Kashke Bademjan ($8.00)- The menu describes it as "sauteed Persian eggplants, topped off with caramelized onions and drizzled with a mint puree." It is a dip, like baba ghanoush, that you scoop up with the bread. So to explain the "kashke" part is a cheese, technically whey, that is usually mixed in that adds a tangy flavor. In this version, we had the sauteed eggplant and onions lumped together on a plate, with a drizzle of a little whey. It wasn't my favorite presentation of it, I missed the tang of the whey combined with the eggplant. Chicken Breast Filet Kabob($14.00)-Described as saffron butter marinated chicken breast fillet skewered and grilled over open flames, served with a side of Amoo's saffron rice and roasted Roma tomato. I thought this was juicy and well prepared. Zereshk Rice-Here you have the option of substituting saffron rice with either zereshk rice (rice with sweet saffron syrup and tangy barberries), or Shirin (meaning sweet) Rice (Traditional rice covered with orange peel, diced carrots, pistachios and almonds in a sweet saffron mix), or Alabaloo (cherry) rice. All four of us ordered zereshk as a substitution. I'm not used to "sweet saffron syrup" and thought the rice was too sweet and you could barely note the tanginess of the barberries. I would prefer sticking to the saffron rice next time. One plus was that it was indeed a big heaping plateful. Doogh-on point. It's a creamy yogurt drink, blended with mint and Persian herbs that most of my American friends avoid and don't really understand, luckily my coworker's Russian wife and I gladly split a carafe. All in all, a delightful meal. I am only critical of the food prep because I am so used to cooking and eating traditional Persian that it takes some getting used to if the recipes are modified. One downfall, is that service took a long time, and I am not 100% sure of who our server was. In the end it was Sebastian who took care of us and helped us check out. Also take advantage of the 10% off Yelp check in here. They will gladly honor it. read more

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Food was amazing. Service was soo great. Cute little place serving amazing food. Try the saffron ice cream with hints of rose (I usually hate rose). The tahdig with the lamb stew... so good! So tender with warm complex flavors. And the koobideh! Best I've tasted in the area... so moist! read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Tahdig with lamb and chimchurri chicken soltani! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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Service 2 Stars Food 3.5 Stars There is a copy of the Washingtonian 2011 Best Restaurant review of Amoo's at the entrance, which states that this is McLean's answer to Rose Kebab in Vienna. Well I've never been to Rose, but if you are accustomed to disappointment, then Amoo's provides no respite from that. To start, they have a big banner outside that says $6.99 lunch specials. When you roll in, the owner makes it clear that it's only for takeout. Oh really.... Then to kick you while you're down, the menu by the way starts at $8.99. While ordering my father asked if what he was ordering was like something that he had eaten in Beirut and used the name he knew it by. The owner of the restaurant just said "yes it is, it's XXX". My father almost agreed until I probed a little more. Hold on, both of you used different words, are you sure? I asked my father to describe what he was talking about and it turned out that they were not talking about the same thing by a long shot. It irks me when you get people like that who only know "yes" and smile, and then if you don't get what you thought you agreed upon, would be quick to blame you since after all, in this situation he did just keep repeating the name from the menu. Not ok. After getting our food, I asked for some sauce, maybe some yogurt sauce or something to put on my ground beef. The waitress said sure, would you like such and such. I told her I didn't know what that was but could she describe it. She then showed me the menu and there it was listed as a side. I then asked if they had any normal sauces that they would include with the food for free. "oh no, we don't do that". Oh really... The ground meat kabob was good, but the rice a little dry. Honestly, despite the meat being quite tasty, I was so turned off by the interactions with the staff here that it's not worth returning for me. There are other good kabob places nearby that don't do the false advertising, and work harder for your business. Case in point, the Meat in a Box in Falls Church or even Moby Dick which is not far away from Amoo's. read more

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I am highly disappointed with the food. This is the second time I have visited Amoo's restaurant to order their vegan koobideh. The first time, the vegan koobideh was pretty good. This time around, it was incredibly salty with a weird texture, and all in all it was pretty gross ( I couldn't even eat it if I wanted to because it was so salty). I don't live in the area, so I'm pretty upset that I drove all the way to the restaurant and ordered food that was not up to par. Seems like a waste of gas, time, and definitely money. Highly disappointed! read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

I love Amoo's! I've now had it twice for takeout when visiting my grandmother in McLean and it's just so good. We get the hummus, which has cumin in it that just brings it to another level, and the lamb kebab platters. The lamb is always so tender and flavorful and I looooove that spicy green sauce. The portions are very generous so I always have leftovers and get to enjoy it all over again the next day. Will definitely be back for more Amoo's soon! read more

My girlfriend and I went here to ight and although they were very busy (full restaurant of 15+ tables and only 2 servers) they were still nice and accommodating. We ordered the Tahdig with the Gheymeh stew (not my favorite stew, will likely choose a lamb stew next time but my gf doesn't like lamb so we compromised) and the sharazi salad to start. The salad was very good - it's simple ingredients mean the freshness of the fruits and vegetables are Paramount, and Amoo's did not disappoint. They also use more oregano (or I think that's the spice, but not 100% sure) than other places which gives it a nice contrast to the acidic vinaigrette dressing. For entrees we had the Lamb Soltani and Chicken Soltani. Their Koobideh (ground beef) is the best in the area. Our favorite Iranian restaurant is Shamshiry and Amoo's def competes when it comes to the Koobideh, and provides a better sharazi salad. The meat was well cooked and seasoned. The chicken and lamb we're good but I think I prefer Shamshiry in this department. In any event, it is a very close second for our favorite middle eastern food (which covers a lot of other food types, not just Persian) in the area. We will definitely be returning! read more

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Absolutely love this place. Have not gotten anything we did not like in the menu. The prices have gone up hence the 4 stars rather than 5 but overall the portions are great and the food is outstanding. I really enjoy the stews and skewers. Will come back as the wallet allows. read more

It was our first time here. We were looking for Turkish or Persian food in the Northern Virginia area. Called and made a reservation for 6 PM. When we arrived, maybe 1/3 of the restaurant was full so we were a little worried that it wasn't a popular place. our server was very pleasant, answering all of our questions, and being very patient with us. we ordered two appetizers, the eggplant dip, and the olive and pomegranate dip. WOW! Incredibly fresh, made from scratch - really enjoyed both of those. The appetizers were delicious and absolutely from scratch. Alcoholic beverage selections are decent. I was hoping for an authentic Iranian or Persian beer, but only domestic on the menu. Great wine selection, and several mixed drinks. We ordered mostly skewers, including the lamb, which was so tender and flavorful, the chicken, which my wife said was the one of the best chicken kebabs she had ever had and I am GREEK (the spices were so unique and flavor was off the charts), A combo, one with skewer of beef fillet, and the ground beef skewer (tenderloin, of course, crazy tender cooked to perfection, the ground beef (I'm not sure I liked that flavor. There was something in there that was off to me flavor wise a spice maybe? not sure). For sides three of us had salad, which was fresh, crisp and delicious with the dressing and I had the rice, which I found very nice and flavorful. we finished off with the saffron, pistachio ice cream (we had a birthday girl with us) HOLY smokes that was quite a treat to the senses! It was the first time any of us had that, rich and creamy full of finely chopped pistachios and simply delicious. In the end a?great experience! Oh and the restaurant was packed when we left so my worries about it not being popular were obviously dead wrong 100% recommend this delicious restaurant! Yes, parking is a little tight because it's an older property (much narrower and small parking lot) but we did just fine. read more

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Amazing Persian fusion food. Both traditional and innovative dishes on the menu. Chef Seb is amazing. Great service and decor. Also a great go to for takeout. Don't miss out on the Persian ice cream. read more

The best Persian food, small hole in the wall that is a special treat to the locals that know about it.

Great service, best Iranian food I've EVER had. Go, go, go! The hummus is amazing as well as the pita bread.

One of our favorite restaurants in the DC area! We always order the same thing: Saffron Chicken with the Shirin Polo rice, and it is to die for. Amazingly friendly service makes you feel like you're part of their family. Both the owner and the executive chef regularly stop by our table to check in. Such a rare touch that is greatly appreciated. The location and decor aren't fancy, but we love everything about this place! read more

Amoo's Restaurant - Saffron chicken and shirin polo rice... delicious! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - McLean, Virginia

The service is outstanding and personable. As a table of 4, we asked for the various meats to all be put on 1 platter; rice & tomato on a separate platter. That was a wonderful arrangement, so our guests could try a variety. Servers accommodated our request without any fuss or hesitation. We ordered flattened beef tenderloin, lamb, and saffron chicken. All meats were very tender and delicately spiced. Portions were ample. We preceded the main meal with an eggplant appetizer and pickled veggies-- delish, and came with pita. The restaurant contains about 10-12 tables. Ambiance is fine: good light from windows, decent space between tables, appropriate lighting. The restaurant serves wine & beer, along with sodas, and other beverages. read more

Amoo's is my favorite kebab spot in the area! If you're familiar with Moby Dick's, Amoo's is similar but better in my opinion. The restaurant is very nice, the service is great, and the food is delicious. My family and I love the food -- especially the kebabs. From the chicken to the koobideh, it's all delicious. The rice is on point, the tzatziki is zingy and light, and every course I've tried is on point. I've eaten at the restaurant once with a friend and it's nice, but Amoo's makes great takeout -- perfect option during the pandemic. Everyone I've recommended Amoo's to also loves it, and I think it's definitely worth a try if you like Mediterranean cuisine. 5/5! read more

Food is really good. We went on a weekend afternoon during lunchtime though and the place was empty. When I first walked in I was overwhelmed by the smell of cleaning chemicals. It was a turn off and I'm not even that sensitive to smells. The ambiance needs some work. I noticed as we sat there eating that there were quite a few to go orders being picked up. read more

A definite five-star for the incredible service here. It's clear that everyone here is proud of their food and establishment. Unfortunately, for me, the food was a little disappointing, and trust me, I just wanted to love this place! Love the complimentary flat bread and the green chile herbed spinach dip that comes with it. It packs a punch and is delicious. The shirin polo, saffron-glazed pistachio, almonds, barberries, cranberries, candied carrots, orange peel, and basmati rice, topped with kabob torsh, lamb loin with pomegranate and saffron, looked delicious, but was insanely, overpoweringly sweet. Yes, I don't think we should have ordered the two together, but even taken alone or drenched with the green chile dip, the sweetness seemed overly heavy. The gheymeh bademjan with cubed beef tenderloin, saffron split peas, sauteed eggplant, and tomato lime sauce had a great flavor for the sauce (very mild), and the eggplant was perfect, but the beef was very overcooked and dry. The rosewater ice cream was very heavy on the rosewater and too overpowering. read more

Oh my myyy!!!! As everyone already seen and heard about good comments and reviews. And yes, Amoo's definitely has the best classic Persian dishes, and kebabs in town. Most of the time kebabs are dry at some places that I have tried, but not here. Meats are super tender and packed with flavors, even rice too, a lot of herbs and spices that work very well together. We ordered the Barg (flattened beef tenderloin), Chimichurri Chicken Soltani ( chicken and koobideh which is beef), and last but not the least, the Mahicheh (lamb shank stews). The lamb shank stew was phenomenal. Service is excellent, we felt very welcome and the owner actually came say hi, and suggest good options for us to pick. I am excited to come back and try other dishes. read more

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Nothing special at all, so why eat here? Dine for the enjoyment. Life's too short for sub-par.... understand? read more

We tried this restaurant for the first time recently. Many of the Persian restaurants we have been to have almost nothing for vegetarians. Amoo's was amazing with plenty of vegetarian choices. We tried the Mirza Ghasemi, Gormeh Sabzi Stew and Gheymeh stew. Mirza Ghasemi that is made from smoked eggplants was served with incredible bread. The stews came with rice. Everything we ordered was seasoned very well. Portions were large. We loved the food and plan to go back again. read more

i've never been to a restaurant where the owner gets you so much attention. The food is amazing. Generous portion sizes and so authentic. Great place to go with a group of people. read more

Came on a weeknight (made a reservation, to be safe) and had superb customer service that compelled me to write a review. Greeted by an older gentleman (possibly the owner?) who went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed. The wait staff was friendly as well, I didn't catch the name of our server but she was very kind and answered all of our questions. Food tasted great and fresh. Only con is the limited parking in front of the restaurant, but some reviews suggest parking in the Safeway plaza across the street if it's busy. Will return! read more