quality Mediterranean restaurant in eastern market and close to metro. I must say that their food is delicious. Recommend the Cafe 8 Pide, which is a flatbread type pizza with lamb and feta cheese. It is like eating really good hand-tossed pizza except that it is a tad crispier. The doner kebab is amazing. It's very moist and the sauce adds something extra. I live in NYC and haven't found a place that makes doner like this. The Lamb Shank is very tender and of the fall-off-the bone variety. I would have given this place 4 stars except that the service was not the most attentive and I am pretty sure they didn't give our table any complimentary bread to start. We were certainly hungry. Also, a portion of the dining area is close to the kitchen and gets filled with smoke from the kitchen (due to the grilling) so sit outside near the front or back or towards the interior. It seemed like the back seating was reserved for the hookah crowd. Overall, great restaurant. read more

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Cafe 8 is my go to spot for hookah. The servers here are very friendly and fun and I love the variety of hookah flavors and the atmosphere. The food is pretty average and usually not the reason I come here. If you're a hookah lover I definitely recommend Cafe 8. read more

NYE drinks. It's a hookah bar. So there's that. Very string sense of pride by the owners. Service is good.

Family brunch after graduation on the Mall, and the tummies were grumbling. This was the perfect spot for a larger group with fairly diverse tastes, and it was so great that they offered the full breakfast and lunch menus on Sunday! Servers were friendly (though ours disappeared for the second half of the meal -- made it a little too hard to get the check). Menu is huge. Points for the Greek salad (though it doesn't come with beets), the PIDES (which are BOMB -- we had the sausage and cheese one, and it was fantastic), and the pizza (plain cheese, and surprisingly delicious. great crust). My dad and brother had a lamb wrap which was tasty but dry. Go heavy on the yogurt sauce -- it helps considerably. read more

I've lived in the area for more than a year but had never tried Cafe 8 until this past weekend. Now I'm wishing I had! Although I love Cava for greek food, I also really enjoyed Cafe 8 and would go here anytime. It's a different type of greek/mediterranean food, and sometimes you just can't beat a good gyro. My boyfriend and I wanted a nice, relaxed lunch where we could enjoy the beautiful weather but not have to pay a ton of money. Having passed by Cafe 8 so many times before, we decided to give it a try. We got seated in the rear patio and decided on the Muhammara spread to start. I LOVE the harissa at Cava, so I thought that this spread might be similar. It wasn't as spicy as Cava's harissa but it did have great flavor, and the portion size was huge! The bread that accompanied the spread was cooked perfectly. For our meal, I got the durum, which is basically a gyro, and my boyfriend got the lamb sandwich. Both were very good and, again, the portions were huge. I took home 1/2 of my sandwich for lunch the next day. It came with a sauce on the side that added a nice amount of spice to the sandwich. I got the side salad, which I highly recommend, and my boyfriend got the fries. The service at Cafe 8 was ok -- we got seated right away and our orders were taken as soon as we were ready; however, once the back patio started to empty out, the waiter didn't come by our corner too much. It was hard to get drink refills and it took a while to pay our bill. It didn't kill the experience for us though and it made sense given the late afternoon weekend meal on such a beautiful day. Overall, Cafe 8 was perfect for a relaxed late afternoon meal on a beautiful day. I'd love to go back to try it for dinner, so that I could enjoy the full experience with drinks and dessert too! read more

I've been here a few times over the years and have always had good food. Nice staff and atmosphere. Fireplace in the winter and great outdoor space in the back for when the weather is nicer. I have fully indulged in their happy hour specials ($8 pizzas and $3 Mythos until 6pm!) My most recent visit was for a book club meeting on a Wednesday night. It wasn't too crowded and the waiter never made the 8 of us feel like we were overstaying our welcome. They did run out of white sangria after only one carafe so we switched to red but it wasn't very good. I would just skip the sangria altogether honestly, it's much better other places. Good pizza, good sandwiches, and really nice fresh hot bread with oil served when you sit down. This is definitely a good spot to catch up with friends since it's never too loud unlike a lot of other places on Barracks Row. read more

Chill Vibez (Hookah and Drinks) My boyfriend and I came here after our crab fix. We found this place walking around before we went to the movies last month and decided to try this place again. We sat outside, the place was pretty much empty when we first arrived. People started to come later. We ordered mango hookah with two martinis to start off. They have a special $5 for martinis. I ordered a strawberry and he ordered a mango martini. It was good and strong which is a plus. The hookah was nice, pretty strong, later that night we had a huge headache which never happens when we smoke hookah. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice chill date outing, we came around 4-ish and it was perfect! The inside is medium size, they have a bar to the right once you walk in, it's in the cut. FYI when you order a hookah gratuity is already included! read more

The atmosphere is definitely laid back. Friday nights are nice because the crowd is jumping. From conversation to singing and dancing. My only complaint is one of the bartenders (you tell him what you want and he always refuses to make it and then makes you what he wants. Huh? Yet. Looks confused when he doesn't get a tip?) and the overpriced drinks. Only the regulars get great customer service. Everyone else? You just gotta try your hand. read more

Atrocious service, or rather lack of it. We came on a Thursday night at 8:30pm; the restaurant was no more than 25% full. We were seated and given menus, and got zero attention from the waiter. Ten minutes later, he had yet to take a drink order, or even say a word to us. When he finally came to our section to take the dessert order for the table next to us, I thought that we'd finally get some service. Nope! He took their order and walked right past us and into the back of the restaurant. So we got up and walked out. Another table by us looked ready to do the same. If it takes you more than ten minutes to even make eye contact with a table on a slow night, then you shouldn't be a waiter, and if you're a restaurant that thinks that this is acceptable service, then you shouldn't be in business. read more

We ended up at Cafe 8 when everyone else in the world had the same idea to eat along Barracks Row on a Sunday afternoon. Cafe 8 was the only restaurant that had seating so we went for it. In short, it just wasn't impressive. It was fine, and the free pita was a nice touch (though ick to the lemony olive oil), the meal just wasn't very good, you know? I got a sampler plate and it was all a little greasy. My mom got a pizza and said it didn't have much taste. So this was a totally okay meal, and if people end up there they'll be fine... it's just not a place I'd target or suggest anyone target. read more

The delivery person never showed up, claiming he could not find the building that was clearly marked on the front, and we were sitting out front the entire time. They refused to deliver, and refused to refund our money. They even refused to give us our food by other means after charging. Do not order delivery from Cafe 8, ever. read more

The -only- Mediterranean/Turkish/pseudo-Middle Eastern restaurant in Barrack's row and in the Capitol Hill area, that I'm aware of, anyways. I tried the place last Friday. The owner previously worked at Zaytinya, but I don't think that he took anything with him from my beloved Z. The menu is small, focuses mainly on pide and other things, and there's only 3 types of kebab - doner, iskander, and shish, and only one of which can be served as chicken. Hmm. Not so cool. The food was great though, the service was good, I like the backdoor patio, the place is huge, the decor is tight, and overall it wasn't bad. The great thing is that it's so close (to my house, that is). The sad thing is that I've definitely had better. I'd say that Cafe 8 is good for everyone in the area who wants to have kebab or Turkish food without going across the city. But if you are craving a meal that is absolutely superb... well, then hop on the metro and go somewhere else. read more

Another winner along 8th Street! The food and beverage were excellent for both of my visits (once for happy hour and once for dinner). Like most everyone else who has reviewed this place, make sure you try a pide... TASTY! Also, the pizzas are good, filling, and a really good deal during happy hour. I stuck with Greek beer when I was there, but others enjoyed wine and spirits from the stocked bar. The bartender from my first visit (happy hour) was my waitress during my second visit, so I can only speak to her service, but it was very friendly, attentive, and even helpful (she suggested a few items that didn't disappoint). In addition to the tasty eats and great service, I really enjoyed the layout, decor, and feel of the place. If the weather is right, try to sit out on the back patio, or if its cold outside, sit at the comfy bar and watch some soccer. While there are a number of places along 8th Street that I haven't tried, I'm tempted to keep coming back to this place before checking the rest off my list. read more

Had the Muhammara dip with yummy bread (and a side of sliced cucumber for healthier snacking) and the baby spinach salad with lamb added. The lamb was cooked quite well, boy was it yummy. And the salad was a great size, quite large actually. I over stuffed myself with the salad and the dip, but the dip was totally worth it. I wouldn't say this was my favorite Mediterranean place to eat, but it really was pretty good. The outside seating area is nice, the service was decent, it was really just one girl, but it was not busy either. The food came out fairly quickly, which was good, because I was in a hurry. If Ambar is too crowded and you didn't have a reservation, you should just hop across the street. read more

Cafe 8 - Baby spinach salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is an absolute favorite of mine! At this point, I'd say that I stop by about once a week for snacks and hookah. I've been to a number of hookah spots in the area and no one does it as well as the folks at Cafe 8. Every hookah I've had here (out of 8 or so?) have been perfectly packed. They assemble them quickly and get 'em out fast. And for $14 for a hookah with two coals? I can get behind that! The available flavors are a bit different here. While other spots who have a variety of basics like mango, double apple, mint, etc. and allow you to mix, this place sports a number of shisha flavors that are a bit unusual (such as Pirates Cave and Orgasm -- seriously, what are those?!) I am a huge fan of their dips, particularly the muhammara, baba ghannouj, and hummus. The baba ghannouj is the most reliably solid of the three, though the muhammara seems to get better every time we go. With drinks --- I highly recommend the Israeli Mint Mojito - I've never gotten a bad one here. Depending on the time and day that you're there, the service oscillates between right on point and not too bad. Every now and again, it's difficult to get service on the back patio. Oh, which reminds me, the back patio is an awesome spot to tuck yourself away from all the noise of Capitol Hill and Barracks Row. The decor both inside and out is chill. It definitely helps to build a positive, relaxed environment. I recommend Cafe 8 - it's easily the best spot to puff a hookah in DC. read more

When we arrived, the place looked rather nice. There was an attractive outdoor patio and the indoor seating was inviting. We were sat immediately, all 7 of us. Drinks requests came around about 15 minutes after we had sat down. The happy hour special was descent. But the positives ended there. After we finally ordered our pizza, we waited for over an hour. No check-ins, no 'can I get you another beer'. When we waived someone down to ask where our food was we were very rudely blown off. About 1.5 hours later we all got out personal pizzas (yeah, that long for pizzas). Two of our pizza orders were dead wrong. When we mentioned that they weren't right the waiter responded just 'oh'. We decided not to press the issue because we were so hungry and had tired with the staff. The pizza was fair. The crust was just too fire grilled burnt, and it was all cheese, pretty gross about half way through. It was OK for the price but that was half off due to the happy hour. In no way would I have paid $10-15 for this pizza. Again it was a tremendous wait to get our bill. They hadn't added gratuity even though we were over 6 people. This was great since this was perhaps the worse service any of us had experienced. And then things got worse. Everyone but me paid with cash, I used my check card. We tipped about 5%, more than some wanted. Another waitress grabbed out bill, left for 10 min and came back with our change. Except nothing had been processed. We then had our waiter come get our bill again. When he returned I noticed that he had suddenly added a 20% gratuity and had charged it to my card on top of my portion of my bill with out asking me. At this point all hell broke lose. We talked to the hostess and after much arguing she took the 20% gratuity off. But no compensation for the incorrect pizzas or the unauthorized charge. All in all this was one if the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. I will never go back and will never suggest that anyone else visits either. read more

I was pleasantly surprised - during warmer months, great back patio seating I would highly suggest! Get the appetizer sampler and their limitless, warm pita bread is SO good! I could have a feast on just this... Got the pides, which is basically a calzone. It was nothing memorable and rather greasy, probably due to too much cheese. I would suggest getting a ton of appetizers and loading up on their pita! LOL ;) read more

I came here for a late lunch and split three spreads, a meze platter and a salad. The bread looked like it would be delicious and right out of the oven, but it had clearly been sitting around. The meze platter was ok, but not great. The falafel was moist to the point of being under cooked in the inside and very lemony. I would definitely not order it again. The spreads were decent, but the mediocre bread really took them down a notch. Service was indifferent and the prices were high for what we got. Another mediocre neighborhood spot. I doubt I'll come back here. read more

Only came for happy hour, so not much of a review. HAPPY HOUR: 5 Alright people, this place has $5 martinis all day, and they are strong! My friend and I had a peach martini, and it tasted like real peach juice. The other flavors are strawberry and lemon. Come for happy hour! I would like to try the food because it mostly Turkish food which looked pretty good. Nearby tables had meze going on, which looked delicious. There were two tables of young kids (toddlers), so I would say this is good for children, since who can pass up pita with hummus and yumy dips? The other patrons were clearly enjoying the martinis and the hookah! Plus, this place has a lot of beautiful underutilized space. There is a back patio, 2 bars inside, and a cute cozy cove with brick interior (Very "Eastern Market/ Cap Hill-like"!) Service was fine. The female server who seated us and took our order was super friendly and sweet. However it seemed all the guys working there were not overly friendly, but not mean either --just standing around. I would come back. read more

Great spot for a quick lunch, especially when the weather is nice enough to allow use of patio in the back--it is really pleasant there. I warm up to any place that serves good bread, and theirs is great. We also ordered hummus, which they served it with paprika sprinkled over it (nice!). My actual entree dish--I forget what it was called--was unremarkable. If I was a dude with a big appetite, I might even be disappointed. It was a meat patty + lettuce in a wrap, and it was definitely mostly lettuce. Not all the sandwiches run small though, as my friend's chicken sandwich looked pretty hearty. read more

After consuming several beers at Trusty's we decided to go for a little walk and hit up some food before grabbing the Metro home at Eastern Market. I'd never heard of this place before but friends from the neighborhood ran down the list of options for food and this is where we ended up. Granted, it was a Wednesday night and storms were in the forecast, but this place was pretty empty. We ended up one of only 2 tables on the back patio and it was very nice. We kept it simple for our party and got 2 pizzas. I had the Greek Pizza, it seemed appropriate here, and it was really well done. The problem I usually run into with pizza with so many toppings is that the pizza gets weighed down and soggy. Luckily this was not the case at all at Cafe 8, their pizza was just perfect. Somebody in our party even claimed it was better than Matchbox around the corner. We ran into a slight issue with somebody in our party who ordered the vegetarian stew, who put chicken in there? We couldn't tell if this was a mixup in the order or the recipe. The bread they present to the table is fantastic, maybe even the best part of the meal. We got the 3 spreads and just went to town on the bread, which they were quick to refill for us. Our server was really attentive, he had a bit of a language difficulty with English, but in that understandable charming way. I really liked him. I also got one of the best bloody mary's I've had in a long time. Since beers were $6 and the bloody mary only .50 more I thought I'd give it a try. It really was amazing. Again, this is a neighborhood we don;t get to very often since we live across town but it is always a pleasure to get out an explore new places to eat and drink in this city. I also loved the heavy metal beaded curtain that shields the bathroom from the restaurant, I may have to pick some of these up for the apartment. read more

Not a bad place for brunch. Randomly came in on a saturday afternoon and got the lamb and beef gyro/wrap. It wasn't too bad and was only $8 with a side of fries. Portions seem to be huge here and all of the food that was ordered at my table looked good. Our server was nice and did a nice job getting us in and out quickly. I will have to go back for dinner and try the moussaka. For now I would consider this a good lunch spot! read more

Cafe 8 was ok. The waiter was nice. There are Hookahs all over so if that is your thing then this is the place for you. I really like the music juke box cuz it makes you want to twerk all night. I did ask for the food menu and never got it because it was so busy. The only thing is that when I moved my chair, the chair had wood sticking out and the wood cut my hand so I had to go straight home to get some alcohol and a bandaid to clean up the blood that was all over my hand since the cut was pretty deep. read more

All in all, this is one of our regular spots on Barracks Row. The whole experience is really nice. The outdoor seating area in the back is really fantastic - it may not have the same people watching opportunities that Belga Cafe or Fusion Grill offer, being out on the street, but it is a pretty charming place. The location is clean, and the servers were very helpful when we ate here. Business was slow and it was drizzly, so I guess that attentive servers aren't something unexpected. The hummus was amazing - I had a passing knowledge of hummus before visiting here, but since then I have become an addict, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Their lamb was good, and their pide selection (something I had not even known existed) all sounds delicious. The one that we tried definitely lived up to expectations. I would not hesitate to recommend taking friends here on a Friday dinner. Prices were reasonable, atmosphere was plentiful, and the food was really pretty good. read more

Cafe 8 was a great experience for our Dishcrawlers. We stopped by Cafe 8 on our Gluten Free Dishcrawl and it was simply amazing. I had the pleasure of trying their shaved lamb and beef over rice. It was seasoned perfectly and was definitely a pleasant experience. The only reason I didn't give them a 5 star rating was because the day we came it must have been 90 something degrees at 8:30pm and their A/C wasn't working. It was too hot for all of that, but on the other hand it did give you that authentic Mediterranean feel. Great food! Great staff! I would like to try some of their other menu items. And it also looks like they have a nice patio out back, read more

I wouldn't say you should come here for food-I ordered falafel and it was less than mediocre but I was starving. The hookah was not good either, you can tell how cheap the hookahs are....I wasn't expecting top of the line but It was just not good quality. It was cheap and wobbly and wasn't able to air out I had to ask for a new one....the saving grace was the customer service. read more

It's a nice chilled point but it was a group of females with a baby here i think that's inappropriate read more

Cafe 8 - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My friends and I loved this place for a Friday happy hour, hookah, and dinner spot; so we'll definitely be back. The prices are reasonable. The hookah was nice! And the food was yummy (surprisingly even the mashed potatoes--which I'm pretty sure were instant--were also good lol). We took a Lyft, and I'm glad we did, because parking was competitive! read more

My only real thought on Cafe 8 - how could you not love this place?! I could pretty much eat there for every meal, I've never had bad food there and the service has always been nice - not overly attentive, but always there when you need them. The bathroom is a bit tricky to find and is kind of ridiculous as others have pointed out, with the forest of beads you have to wade through, but that's probably the only negative thing I have to say. They're priced affordably and their bread is always amazing. Do yourself a favor and go here the next time you're in Eastern Market. You won't regret it. read more

I think this place is pretty solid. I agree with a lot that has been said... the place looks empty, but it's bigger than you realize from the outside. The food is pretty good and consistent. The kebabs are grilled just right and the pides are good, too! The combo appetizer plate is kinda generic and the baba ghanoush is really bland, but the bread is great and so are the other spreads (there's a spicy pomegranate one...). There's not much of a bar scene (it's more intimate, date-scene), and I HATE the metal chain "doors" to the bathrooms (just like at Hook in Georgetown), but overall I like the place because it's so quaint and quiet. The service is average, which isn't a bad thing. read more

GO TO CAVA! IT IS SO MUCH BETTER! Although the cusines are slightly different (Turkish/Lebanese vs. Greek), you can find better food of similar style at Cava just down the street. I had the feta and olive pide. It was only feta, little to no olives could be found in the entire dish. The assortment of dips (hummus, czikzi, babajanoush, etc.) were alright, but definitely better at Cava. Ordered feta and olives and expect just that, but it was apparently a tapenade type dish. Menu was not very clear on that. It looked like they had a good happy hour special, so it might be tolerable for that. One of my fellow diners had the lamb sandwich and really enjoyed it, however. So everything was not all bad. Do yourself a favor and go to CAVA! read more

Tried you again with a friend. Not certain why I can't find a balance here. Hoping this comes off as constructive criticism. Falafel was nice, though a bit dry (had to add olive oil). Bread is still tasty and served warm. Sadly, the side dish I ordered was entirely too spicy. My fault for not asking, but I didn't see a warning on the menu either. Now I know. Confused why you don't offer your better tables first (I know Host Rules vs. Guest Rules, I just know of many places that smartly don't use them.) Recommend upgrades in a choice behind-the-beads location. read more

This was my second time here. I was not as impressed with it as I was the first time. I got the hummus and it was so-so and the falafel sandwich was decent. There is a better Mediterranean restaurant in Dupont -- Levante's. Personally, I think that if they make a few changes this place can really take off. However, for now, I will recommend staying clear. read more

Cafe 8 - Falafel sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

3.5 I completely agree with another reviewer as to why this place doesn't have more patrons. Maybe its too dark? One thing is certain, the food is really good and now I am a regular. The service wasn't notable, but not terrible either. Rear patio is very pleasant for seating. Their lunch specials are among the best deals on 8th. The swordfish sandwich is my favorite. Definitely anyone should check it out. read more

Hookah can be hit or miss, but the Turkish flatbreads are good. Interesting selection of Turkish and Greek beers that I haven't tried anywhere else. I recommend Mythos. The main reason I like this place is because it is usually pretty empty, so if you've got a bigger group of people after work it is perfect. Occasionally there will be a birthday party or something, but even this isn't a huge problem as Cafe 8 has more seating (and more servers) than probably any other hookah bar in the city. read more

5 stars for Hookah, 2 stars for service. I really like coming here for a night cap for solid drinks and cheap hookah! For like $14 bucks you get a hookah with 2 COALS. Can't beat it. The music sometimes is super loud and the staff isn't really attentive in the evening - but I don't really mind it since I'm just enjoying the hookah and drinks. I will keep coming back for more! read more

I LOVE everything about this place. Happy Hour was awesome. Service was exceptionally friendly, hookah was good. The drinks strong and food was delicious. It was a perfect chill spot to eat, drink and hang out. Ohhhh and karaoke on Saturday's!!!!! read more

I've been back a couple of times. One time I ordered a lamb dish and was not impressed with it--fairly bland, not that interesting. The second time they brought my friend something totally different from what he ordered. But it turned out to be delicious so we ate it. Their mussels dish, whatever it is, is stellar. Order that. Also, his mojito was pretty delicious. This place had great ambiance--outdoor seating, and a fireplace in the back for winter time--but the food seems to be hit or miss, and we didn't get what we ordered on that occassion. read more

SALT SALT SALT - bleh It was a Saturday night and most places in the neighborhood had a wait. We wanted to go to Matchbox, but didn't feel like waiting over an hour. Cafe 8 had outdoor seating and plenty of tables availible - in hindsight, this should have been a tip off. The service was good and we got a bottle of presecco for only $24 - the only reason I am giving this two stars. The bread came out and was more like pizza hut crust than traditional pita or other bread served at a Medditeranean restaurant. We ordered the falafel and three spread appetizer with hummus, skorthalia, and some kind of chicken swarma type dish. I have NEVER had hummus with so much salt. It was disgusting - we honestly thought we it must just be a bad batch. (Although our server came back and said that the chef tasted it and that it tasted the way it always does) We switched it out for some baba ghannouj, which was also over salted. The falafel was ok, but a little crunchy and over cooked. The skorthalia was the only good dish, but even the chicked was terribly salty. Not sure if the chef had a cold or what, but the food was terrible. All of the open tables should have been a warning. read more

The food was mediocre and service pretty lousy. My girlfriend and I walked in there by chance one recent evening, and at first we were satisfied with the menu and decor (although the menu isn't vegetarian-friendly at all). However, that contentedness did not last long: Our entrees were brought out just moments after we received our appetizer (Greek salad), which made as feel like we were being rushed out of there. There should have been no reason for rushing us, since there was a whole hour left until closing and there were plenty of free tables. When we asked to take the remaining food with us, the server brought out three styrofoam containers and just handed them to me... So I had a table full of plates and glasses, my hands full with these containers, and I somehow had to work wizardry to transfer the food. I've never had a server just plop a bunch of containers on me and walk away. We were very put off by this careless act. The single positive note is that the portions are generous. For us, however, that wasn't enough to make up for the bland food and poor service. read more