good food kinda loud and crowded most of the time ,,, pretty expensive too ermmmm decent tho

So sad to have to write this. I used to LOVE Cafesano, but after today I will not be going back. Not only was the amount of time taken to receive what we ordered 30 mins (just 2 wraps nothing else), it lacked the lemon tahini sauce as promised (or if there was any on it, there was no flavor to it). The restaurant was not crowded or I would have be patient with a delay and there were at least 8 people "working" there. I also witnessed a table that was seated before we arrived, waiting for their food - which was finally delivered as we were leaving. The staff seemed confused on who was supposed to be getting multiple orders and came back asking someone behind the counter which table for a few orders. The quality of the food and the service has definitely changed. Really sad for one of my go-to restaurants which will now be crossed of my list. read more

Great food and good service. Only have one gripe, the price. They charge a lot. I do understand that good food is more expensive but I don't think they buy local or use organic so I'm not sure why the prices are so high and the portions are so small. read more

I've been here a few times and it's one of my favorite places. I always know the food will be good and the Greek salad is my favorite one I've ever had. That being said, the service is always slow. For a walk up counter, I would think I would have to wait 15/20 max for food. Today I waited a half hour for a panini and a Greek salad. They were really nice about it and apologized, but you should never wait that long. And I wish it was a once in awhile occurrence- but that's happened every time I've been here. If you want good food- they've got it. But be prepared for slow service. read more

Delicious shawarma & hummus! They also make great fresh lemonade. Very happy with our experience.

Great food and healthy. Love the shawarma wrap with chicken and the meatball panini! The food is light, fresh and tasty. The service is friendly and the place very nice and upscale! Love it here:) read more

While I've had numerous delicious meals at Cafesano, inconsistency with food quality and customer service are a regularity. When eating here I typically order a chicken kabob platter. I began to notice after several experiences here that the chicken sometimes came out dry and the rice undercooked and crunchy. Be wary of the specifics on special orders if you are a person with dietary needs or specific requirements for food preparation. The cashiers and kitchen staff often forget to leave off bread for my partner who is gluten intolerant - she has clearly stated her needs and reiterated the importance of this to the staff. We have also routinely waited 20-30 minutes for our food during a moderately busy service hour. read more

If I had a go-to spot. It would be Café Sano. As a Yelp reviewer (going to pretend that someone reads my 2 cents that no one asked for), this should have been the first place I wrote about. I've been here more times in my life than I can count and it has been 100% perfect each and EVERY time. If you're looking for fantastic Mediterranean food at what I call a fair price, come here. This is when I tell people, you get what you pay for. I'd gladly pay more when it comes to this level of quality food. It's hot, it's seasoned well. It's healthy! No frills, meat lovers delight (more for me than my wife) haha. They can put beef on everything, and they offer salmon too now. It's just, I like this place a lot. What else could I say? You should really try it and see for yourself. PS, try the pizza too! read more

Great Wholesome delicious Mediterranean food with awesome customer service with aa smile! I have the falafel wrap and Greek salad. The size of the order was quite large and fresh. read more

I love hearing the words "pizza," "Italian," and "Mediterranean" in the same sentence. This place was beautiful and you could see out on the lake as you ate so it brought some zen during a rainy Saturday night. We showed up around 8:40 pm and they close at 9 pm so we felt bad coming so late. The staff was really sweet and let us finish our food until they were done cleaning. They were also friendly and accommodating even though I'm sure they were tired from a long day. We ordered a few different items: the grilled portobello mushroom panini, avocado parmesan wrap, and melanzana pizza. Everything was very tasty and I enjoyed the variety in items. We had enough for lunch the following day as well. My favorite was probably the melanzana pizza, as I am biased towards anything with eggplant and loved the fact that baked eggplant instead of fried pizza was involved as an ingredient. The fresh basil, onion, and garlic gave it great flavor. The wrap and panini were excellent options too. I'd love to come back to try other wraps, such as the falafel wrap! read more

I heard good things about this place and expected it to be good. We got three things, the dip sampler, Arrabiata pizza, and the Del Mar pizza. The dip was pretty tasty with the eggplant and red pepper hummus. With the appetizer being delicious, I was looking forward to the pizzas. Unfortunately, the pizzas were a MASSIVE letdown. I am going to go in more depth about the Arrabiata pizza. 1. The sauce was not spicy at all and almost had no flavor. 2. The cheese had a nice stringy texture, but also had no flavor 3. There was so much caramelized onion on my pizza that it made my pizza taste almost dessert-like. It was very disgusting because the caramelized onions tasted like they came from a can where it was constantly in some syrup water. 4. The spicy sausage on the pizza was not spicy at all and also bland. The pizza was just about the blandest pizza I have ever eaten! You know the pizza is bad when you enjoy the crust more than the rest of the pizza. Not to mention this is the first time I thought I could get diabetes from eating a pizza. The Del Mar pizza was okay, but subpar to any other places that specialize in making Italian food. What a disappointment. This is one of the few times where the food was so mediocre and bad that you have no desire to eat the leftovers even though you paid 27 dollars for the two pizzas. read more

The hummus here is SO good! I'm always happy with the fresh ingredients from the creamy avocado and tomato bruschetta... to the Lombardi pizza with prosciutto and arugula ....to the tart limoncello dessert. read more

Cafesano wins my heart! Located in a busy shopping center, you're lucky to find parking, let alone anything close by. But I lucked out. If you're coming for lunch, give yourself some time. The line in here can be long and the food is fresh, so it can take some time to come out. But it's worth it! I got the chicken pesto with the kettle chips. Delicious! The sandwich is flavorful and I love the zucchini on it. The chips aren't your typical kettle chips - they are made from sweet potatoes and not all greasy. The place is nice for a lunch date or to just escape the office. read more

I love Italian food, and every time I go to a restaurant I order tiramisu for dessert. The cafesano tiramisu is very good! it felt morbid and fresh! read more

This is one of our favorite lunch spots. The salads are to die for. I normally get a side salad with chicken on top which is the perfect size for lunch honestly. They give you plenty of meat and it is affordable. They have awesome lemon-aid and tons of options to switch up your meal routine. This is a go for sure! You also wont have to pay for parking like you would at Town Center. read more

Horrible customer service. We brought our dog to sit on the patio to eat and someone came out and told us they wouldnt allow us after they let me order my food? Ridiculous. Ive been to several restauraunts with the dog and as long as there is patio seating there should be no problem. Our dog is 4 pounds and sat on our lap the whole time we were sitting outside and didnt go near or disturb anybody. No one seemed to have a problem with him. Never coming back here they handled it in the worst way possible after a manager came out previously and told us we could sit on the patio and then a different one came out and said there was absolutely no place we could sit on the patio with the dog. Im stunned honestly. Never going to give this business my money as i see they dont care at all about their customers. read more

Let's get this straight, guys. For me, the entire point of Yelp is to discover and research local vendors that I might be interested in patronizing in the future. I'm not here under any false pretenses or to claim myself a "critic" of any sort - these reviews are simply here to recommend and warn my fellow Yelpers. That being said, considering its geographical context (Northern Virginia) and the simple fact that it is one of five decent dining venues within 20 minutes from me, Cafesano is the only restaurant I visit on a regular basis (weekly, usually). Their menu is composed of standard Mediterranean fare - kabobs, pizzas, paninis, and a vast array of chickpea-related dishes. Having tried a large selection of their menu, I have very little to complain about. While their falafel may not be the best (see Amsterdam Falafel in DC), it's also not horrible. As a creature of habit, my usual is their Caprese Panini (I'm biased towards just about anything with mozzarella and pesto in it). I would also like to mention here that the baked lavash chips (served with all wraps/paninis) are absolutely delicious. The average meal here usually runs me about $10-15, perhaps a little more than McDonald's or Burger King. Considering the surrounding area and complete lack of dining choices however, it really isn't that expensive. Cafesano overall is a casual, yet delicious dining experience set in a pleasant environment in the heart of Reston. (Oh, and make sure to sit at the table on the far left side, all the way in the back next to the window. You'll get a nice view.) read more

I've been twice when visiting from out of town. I completely fail to understand the love affair with this place. Both times I've been it has been mediocre at best, especially for the price. This cafe strikes me as one that has outgrown itself; maybe before it was so popular it was really good. Now that there's always a line and it apparently is loved by so many locals, it suffers visibly. Having been twice and having gotten really poor, apathetic, crappy service both times, I can't say it was a one-time fluke. It's just consistently bad. All bets are off if you dare ask a question or ask for a recommendation at the register. For the price? The line will be shorter by 1. read more

Their food is always top notch. I like to get the chicken pesto sandwich for lunch. It's filling and delicious. Their lemonade is amazing too! Decent prices, nice views of the water and has a Mediterranean vibe. It's cafe style, no waiters taking your order. read more

This was my first visit to Cafesano and I will absolutely be back! They have a pretty big menu centered around Mediterranean-type food including a variety of appetizers - we had amazing tzatziki and bruschetta. Their pita bread is toasted perfectly. There are kabobs, salads, paninis, pizzas, and so much more. I also had grape leaves that were great. The atmosphere is really relaxing. There are places to sit inside at booths or larger tables as well as outside. It was crowded the entire time I was there but it was never too hard to hear everyone I was with which I really appreciate. You have to order your food before you sit down at a table. I didn't realize that until we were in there. I can't wait to go back, try more items, and bring friends along this time! read more

Super cute, super charming, super delish. Perfect for a date, a girls meal, a family gathering. It's right on Lake Thoreau. There is a delightful al fresco area that is usually always packed. Pasta is only served for dinner, but boy are the pasta dishes superb! I usually get the angel hair marinara or the penne arrabiata (medium spiciness) and the garlic bread that comes with the pasta is to die for (I usually fight Hubbs for his). The paninis are perfect, the shawarmas are solid goodness. The super-garlicky pita chips are yummy but the taste remains in your mouth hours after dining, so probably not the best lunch choice if you've gotta go back to work and interface with lots of people. The kabob platter (steak AND shrimp) is so fresh and mouthwatering. The dishes are never dry, never greasy, and the rice is A+. And I am a rice connoisseur if you've ever met one!!! read more

Atmosphere: casual, chic, comfortable, bright... it would be a great place to study during non-peak hours FOOD: delicious pollo pizza (love the caramelized onions and feta!). The chicken shwarma was decent, not bad, not great... I'd rather have something else here... The dips were excellent- (and the lavash was sooooo delicious!!) the red pepper hummus is my favorite. The babaganoush tastes like tahini, which isn't a bad thing. The cucumbers in the tzakiki were still crispy. Overall, the food was great. The only thing that annoyed me is when you buy a side of dip it doesn't come with lavash or pita... what am i just supposed to eat my babaganoush and hummus with a spoon? How cheap to make the dips and lavash a la carte! read more

Three strikes- off the list. We won't be coming back here, or ordering take away again. I suspect that management has changed since every experience I had prior to the past year was a great one. It was worth the hassle of yet another poorly designed parking lot in Reston to go here. True, it is more expensive than "cafeteria style" food but since the quality was quite good, that could be over loved as well. The downfall happened as follows: First, I ordered some take away. Hummus, pita, falafel and a salad. I didn't get the hummus or pita. When I called the woman said she would refund my card for the hummus and pita. She never did. Fine. I can overlook that once. More recently my S.O. and I went on a Saturday afternoon. Great salad and appetizers. I still think they have great salads despite my annoyance. We decided we wanted coffee and a baklava. When I ordered the coffee, the guy at the counter said they didn't have any and would I like an Americano. "Same price as regular coffee?" "No. " "Okay, are you sure you don't have coffee?" "Hang on" (checks in back) "They didn't make any." "So...you don't have coffee?" "No." Strike two. Tonight: Two pizzas for a take away. Neither one of them was right. When I talked to the guy on the phone (my fault for not checking the order before we left) he told me that they couldn't do refunds, would I like another order made. Generally that would be fine but the place was closing in 5 minutes and we didn't have time to get there, which I pointed out. He then suggest that next time I ordered out (rather presumptuous) to just tell the manager that he (the guy answering the phone) said that it was okay to get the pizzas for free, as a replacement...? Yikes, who would do that? He assured me that this happens all the time. Well, I certainly don't want to come back if you get things wrong enough times that managers just take your word for it and give you pizzas. Strike three. read more

The Pita and Hummus are excellent (although, not as good as the original Lebanese Taverna in Arlington). The Fallafal sandwich was a little dry for my taste, but that was easily fixed with some Tahini sauce! read more

The go-to place in Reston at lunch. The quality of all their meals is second to none. I can't count the number of "Signature Salads" I've had there over the many visits I've made with my team from work. And any of their pizzas are divine. I haven't tried too many tiramisou that are better than the one I get at Cafesano . The value is the best in the area. The setting over Lake Thoreau is ideal. Cafesano is a "fast casual" restaurant; you need to order at the counter and then a waiter delivers your meal to your table...generally quite quickly. Catering is also great. We've ordered meals for business meetings in the office and the food was terrific. Other restaurants in Reston take note: Cafesano is THE bench-mark for quality dining here. The only reason it hasn't reaped more of the lunch time crowd from others is that many have not yet discovered this oasis. read more

I absolutely love Cafesano. I have been going for years and taking family and friends here too. I usually get either the falafel or a pizza. My parents love the kebabs. They have a wine flight which is fun too. The food is consistently good and great lake views. I would go here for a casual experience. read more

Not sure what is going on with the management of this place. The girls at the registers are not properly trained to answer questions and when they go to ask another person for help, they roll their eyes and it's like every word out of their mouth is a major task that they can't be bothered with. I ordered a Greek pizza with chicken. What I ended up getting: Greek pizza AND a skewer of chicken. I don't believe adding chicken to a pizza is an uncommon practice. I figured the cashier was just absent-minded and didn't realize what she entered--no harm, no foul. What really upset me: she says, "well, it's still chicken and you can just add it to the pizza." I am aware that I can add whatever I want to my pizza...but when you're in an industry of service, do your job! You made a mistake, own it, fix it, and move on. Don't argue with the customer. The skewer also cost slightly more than just adding the chicken. All in all, if the employee didn't have an attitude, then I would just sum it up to a simple mistake and be done with it. It's the negative service that irritated me. The premises were beautiful with a great view overlooking the lake and the food was tasty. But I'm not sure I'll go back here again...I want lunch WITHOUT the side of attitude. I'll gladly go elsewhere. read more

This was pretty darn tasty- and most importantly, it had a good selection for the whole family. We made a trek out to da suburbs to meet our friends with a baby... and thus, we ended up at Cafesano. You order at the register-- menu holds a plethora of pastas, salads, kabob plates, and Grecian deli delights (baklava included!). After the order- you go find a table either in or outside. This eatery borders one of Reston's lakes, and you can enjoy the scenery of the lake if seated at the correct angle. I had the avocado salad (petite, and crisp taste) and penne pesto. Pasta was okay- nothing to get excited about- but it hit the carbohydrate crave. Also, would recommend getting a glass of wine.. they have a standard selection of suitable house wines. After dinner, take a stroll down to the lake for a moment of suburb bliss. Quiet. Clean. Ahhhh.. read more

Best eggplant pizza I've ever had. The regular salad with ranch dressing pairs perfectly. Great ambience and setting. Indoor and outdoor seating is comfortable. read more

Just changing my rating for Cafesano from 4 to 5 stars. We are now regulars at Cafesano and not once have we had a bad experience. The restaurant is reliable, healthy, and delicious, and I want them to open one next to my house. Since my last review, they've started a "Create your own pasta" deal, where you pick from your choice of noodles, proteins, sauces, and vegetables. No matter what combination I've tried, it always ends up being fantastic. Highly recommended! read more

Thus is a great local Cafe that serves great food at good prices. Sound cliché but it's true. Costs can add up of course with appetizers and adult beverages but that is typical. I have enjoyed all of their for but my favorite is the pizza. It is fantastic and they have a small size for one, it is very filling. The atmosphere is casual nice and it is always clean. Even the bathrooms. You have the option of window seating with a view of Lake Thoreau or outdoor seating with a similar lake view. The non-binding seating is also good and comfortable. This is a great local hangout where the food is great and never feel rushed. read more

The decor is nice, good service and the food is very healthy and good but it is way overpriced. If you are a vegetarian, this is a good place to go. Parking is a mess during work week lunch hour. If they weren't such a ripoff, this would be one of my favorite places to go. read more

I came here today with two of my coworkers. I had never been here and they suggested that we should. I was game, I've heard a lot of good things about this place. This isn't a typical sit down place. You walk in, look at the menu, then order. You pay, they give you a number, then you go find a table. I looked over the menu and decided to get the Meatball Panini and a side order of red pepper hummus and some water. I paid and off I went to meet my coworkers at our table. About a minute or two went by when an employee came to our table. He asked who ordered the Meatball Panini. I said me, he said, sorry, but they were out of the meatballs. The distributor did not deliver them today. Hmmm....not made fresh...oh well. No biggie. He asked what else I would like instead. I couldn't remember what was on the menu. He suggested the chicken parm Panini because it was similar in flavor. I agreed. Soon my coworkers food came out. They both got the same thing, some avocado wrap thing. Mine came out about 3 minutes later. I will say this place is fast. All the sandwiches came with grapes and chips. I first tired the red pepper hummus, it was very tasty. The side order doesn't come with bread, so I used the chips. I took a bite of the chicken parm. It was warm and very tasty, a little small side, but it was tasty. I think that is the more important part here. If I didn't order the hummus, I would have still been hungry at the end. All together this meal cost me less than 10 bucks. Not too bad for lunch. I will come back and try their pizzas. I heard those are good. The restaurant itself is very clean inside. The employees were all friendly. While we were eating, an employee was walking around asking how our meals were. I've never seen that at this type of restaurant. I thought it was a nice added touch. So if you are in Reston, give this place a shot. read more

We found this lil jewel a few weeks ago when driving through the South Lakes shopping center, and knew we wanted to try it out but just got around to it last weekend and holy $%@#, it was such a great treat! It didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous day outside so we got a table on their patio. We started out with the falafel, which was the best I've ever had. so fresh and perfectly seasoned. My husband had the Chicken Pesto wrap and that was really delicious. Not your run of the mill chick pesto in my opinion but a zestier, more refreshing one. I got the avocado asiago wrap and I moaned with every bit. It started embarrassing my husband so I had to try to internalize as much as possible. They have some nice wines there for your average by-the-glass wine price, which added to the indulgence. We ended up going back the next night and I've craved it every since. We'll likely end up going tonight. I write that off as supporting a local business and satisfying my cravings all in one. read more

Great concept cafe. Light and airy atmosphere. Beautiful views of Reston's Lake Thoreau. Outside seating, too, for those incredibly beautiful, but infrequent, days and nights. I absolutely love their red pepper hummus and steak stewer. I often get those two items as a lunch. The red pepper hummus is served with warrrmmmm pita bread. We get their pizzas for takeout--the Del Mar and Arriabiatta are particularly tasty. At Cafesano, as others have said, you order and pay, then someone delivers your food to your table. Giant cookies and brownies tempt you at the register. I have had both and continue to pass on both after the first impulse buy. read more

This place is one of my favorite lunch spots in Reston if I'm looking for something light. Normally, places with huge menus tend to lose a bit of their specialty and taste, but Cafe Sano somehow manages to preserve that. The pizzas here are good - usually enough to feed you if you're really hungry. But if not, you'll certainly have leftovers. I'm also a big fan of the Tuscan Tuna Wrap and Red Pepper Hummus. That's another big lunch that's a symphony of flavors for my mouth. The nice touch is that they will put some pita strips and grapes on the sides of your sandwich orders - the grapes are great for cleansing the palate after a good meal. Wine and beer are served here but since I don't want to give away the fact that I'm a wino, I don't drink during my lunches if I'm heading back to work. Now for the sucky part - the parking is HORRENDOUS. The fact that the town center there is one of the few spots nearby the office parks lends to spending 15 minutes of your lunch hour looking for parking if you're not careful. But it still doesn't keep me away! read more

Reasonably priced with a pretty large menu - I've been here a few times and not yet been overly disappointed. While there are plenty of options, the oddest thing to me is that although they have a choice of different soups, they are almost exclusively legume-focused. The place is usually busy with a nice buzz as numerous professional types make their rounds, discussing business deals and eating off the pretty expansive menu - the menu, to me, is the real seller. There is a wide variety of panini sandwiches (Prosciutto is my favorite) as well as other Mediterranean favorites, such as your usual schwarma and hummus (red-pepper is awesome, which if you look at the reviews will see as a common theme.) There are tons of varieties of brick-oven pizza that can also serve in a pinch. My main complaint is that the portion sizes are not created equal, depending on what dish you order. A shwarma plate will leave you significantly more full than a panini, but a lot of that comes down to personal preference. Some things to avoid - the dolmas are pretty lame. Lacking in any real spice profile they pretty much serve only as a leaf-wrapped carb delivery vehicle. I recommend skipping them. The lentil soup is also exceptionally bland; like a bunch of little church-hosts floating in tepid brown liquid. Not appetizing? That's the point. I like to stop in for lunch or dinner once in a while when I'm sick of eating my bagged lunches from home, and plan to continue to do so. read more

As others have mentioned, this is an unexpected gem in a strip mall with a Safeway and a Starbucks. If I lived closer to Reston, I would definitely be a regular here. This is the type of place were you order at the counter and they bring you your meal, but its a bit more upscale (and definitely tastier) than a place like Panera. I split the dip sampler with my friend - both the hummus and tzatziki were great. I had the tomato, mozerella, and avacado salad which was an unusal and delicious twist of your average caprese. When I go back with a bigger appetite I will try the create your own pasta. The pizzas also looked pretty good. There's a lot of outdoor seating, so I suggest trying this place out when it finally gets warm! read more

This place is unbelievably overpriced for the quality of the food. I've tried a couple pizzas and wraps, all with some kind of half price coupon. For half price, the food is great, but given what it actually costs, I have no idea why people frequent this place. Part of my bitterness is that this restaurant replaced Marie's, which was a staple of this shopping center for over a decade, truly felt like a neighborhood restaurant and had the best gyros in the area by far. Marie was not offered a chance to renew her lease at any cost and was essentially forced from the area, from what I understand. Cafesano replaced Marie's friendly neighborhood atmosphere with entirely impersonable slickness, and for what? 11 dollar personal pizzas? I really don't get it. If you want a Chipotle-esque take on Mediterranean food for twice the price of Chipotle, this place is for you. If you remember the days when Reston felt like a real community, this place will make you really unhappy. read more

Sandwiches: good. Cafeteria style - no tipping: good. Lasagna: bad. Sandwiches are very good though and they make a good panini and hummus. I would just stay away from the pastas. Stick to salads and sandwiches. read more