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

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

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

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

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

I am a panini fanatic, and by far Cafesano's was one of my favorites! The atmosphere is very casual and deli-like, but the food is the furthest thing from low-quality. My grilled chicken pesto sandwich was thick and hot, with great seasoning on the chicken and a fantastic pesto. The chips on the side were homemade and equally as awesome. My dining companions also had a variety of dishes - a meat pizza, kebobs, tatziki, etc, and none of them had anything but kind words to share. Will definitely want to go back to this place next time I'm in VA! read more

Today for lunch we decided to go out. We were looking for something relatively healthy, but lunch-like, so we decided to try Cafe Sano. Cafe Sano is "fast. fresh. mediterranean." It is cafeteria style, however they bring you hot foods, similar to how la madeleine does it. They have a variety of salads, wraps, pizzas, kabobs, and paninis. I decided to try the dip sampler and a salad. I chose hummus and Tzatziki in the sampler, which came with hot, fresh, pita wedges. My salad was mixed greens, green beans, cherry tomatoes and house dressing. The house dressing was good with a bit of a kick. The Tzatziki was one of the best I've had around here and will definitely go back for more. Mr. JT got a house salad and marinated chicken salad with spinach, caramelized onions, and olives. The pizza was really good, but big for 1 person. L tried the chicken kabob which came with a skewer of vegetables, rice, salad, and side of tzatziki. K had the caesar salad with chicken and said it was just okay. The restaurant overlooks Lake Thoreau, which was completely frozen over today. There are a bunch of booths and tables and it is very bright and clean. We all really liked it and will definitely go back. read more

This place is amazing! I was recently visiting some family a town over in Herndon,VA and we decided to stop here after a trip to the zoo in D.C. The food was delicious! I had a small cheese pizza and I don't know if you like this kind of thing but it had the best thin crust pizza I've had in a while. I later bought a cookie and had one with my lunch and one later with dinner. Let's just say I LOVED IT! My aunt had a dish called the beef shawarma*. It has a lot of garlic so I do not recommend for anybody who is not a huge fan of garlic. It has beef and lettuce in a tender pita roll. They give you the garlic paste so you can decide how much you want. My other aunt had a chicken kabob which she thought was also delicious. We ordered some other stuff but that's all for now. Bye! Emily! read more

I really like this place! As someone who needs to avoid gluten, their gluten-free options make it easy without being too limited. The food is delicious and very, very reasonably priced. Try their salads... they never leave me disappointed! I really do recommend Cafesano if you're looking for something cheap and relatively healthy. It's a great neighborhood restaurant for a quick weeknight dinner! read more

The only thing I didn't like is my funky garlic breath! Awesome lunch spot! I ordered the Chicken Shawarma that was perfectly seasoned with a great char like flavor on the chicken. The chicken wasn't dry either which is sometimes the case when its charred. It came with a side of pita chips which were beyond awesome. Really great Mediterranean flavors. I also got a side of red pepper hummus which was tasty. I told the cashier I wanted the "side" which was half the cost of the "appetizer" but because I wanted pita chips he charged me the app price which turned out to be too much hummus. I guess I will have enough for later too. For $2.75, I will skip on the brownie next time. It actually tasted about a day old but because my main dish was so awesome I am still giving this place a 5 stars. The order process was easy and I waited less than 5 minutes for my food to be brought to the table. There is one long table in the middle - so when its busy - sit, eat and make a new friend! read more

I am updating the review. All the menu items that I have had here were not good except the pizza. However, I would say this pizza is the best one in the reston/ herndon area. I like the greek pizza but the others one are good as well The brick oven gives a perfect crust that also holds up when you eat it. The crust is thin and crisp. They put the right amount of sauce and toppings for the pizza. read more

Came here for lunch yesterday with a group of co-workers. I liked the atmosphere and the service provided by the staff. There is a lake in the back that you can see through the windows and i guess sit outside too. I got the chicken shwarma which came wrapped tightly, i mean very tightly, in a pita. The tziki (how ever its spelled) was a little watery but fairly flavorful. I first dipped some cripsy chips in the sauce and enjoyed a delicious crispy bite. The shwarma was pretty good, it had a nice flavor, but I am used to more in your face flavors, so it was a bit bland to me. Overall, everyone enjoyed their meals and the pizza looked real good. Maybe next time. I would come back again. read more

Love the Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella salad and Signature Salad. Both taste good and allow me to stick to my ketogenic (Keto) diet when eating out. read more

This is (becoming a not so) hidden gem in Reston! I absolutely love this place! positives: - a huge menu to please anyone (pasta, pizza, sandwiches, soup, salad, you name it) - pretty quick service (you order at the counter and then they bring your food to you) - the food is delicious! - serves both wine and beer (in bottles) - a nice outdoor seating area overlooking the lake - the staff is SUPER friendly, nice and accommodating negatives: - tables are all up for grabs so sometimes on a busy night it's hard to find a spot - the outdoor area isn't dog friendly my favorite things to order: pesto chicken pasta, any of the pizzas, falafel sandwich, baba ganoush, hummus platter, fire zucchini read more

Love this place. They have best pizza around. Salads and sandwiches are also great. Grilled Chicken Pesto sandwich, Pollo and Del Mar Pizzas are great read more

Lunch in Reston is limited so of course I just had to try this spot. I ordered kabobs to go and went to pick them up. They were slow as ever. i thought that by calling the food in everything would be ready...NOT!!! The kabobs were subpar to other restaurants that actually specialize in them. I've also had the hummus which was actually very good. Not really my favorite place to eat for whatever reason, so whenever someone's ordering, I opt out. I will say that everything looks good. read more

Hit this place up with my friends who live in Reston and are vegetarians- this place is an awesome compromise for meat eaters and vegetarians so everyone can be happy. I had a steak kebab which was yum! Moist, tender, yummy grilled veggies. The BF had a greek pizza which I tried, it was also very tasty and had surprisingly great crust! I also like how it's fast casual like Chipotle, makes paying separately very easy and you get to look at all the food behind the counter as you go (it all looked really good!) The reviewer who made reference to the Barry White-voice guy hit the nail on the head! He wasn't a the counter but he did come by and bring our friends some crayons, a coloring page, and oyster crackers for their little kid which a) was just really nice to do b) his voice was indeed totally amazing! read more

My favorite place in Reston. Amazing lake view, great Mediterranean food, best gluten-free pizza I tried, good lemonade (mix it with ice and water, it might be too sweet/concentrated for you), great tzatziki sauce they bring along with crusty pita-croutons for fabulous wraps, I just love their food and service. They have open kitchen so you can see your food being prepared and pizza baked. read more

Ordered here multiple times and love it! Everything I've had so far tasted great every time.

Pretty good. I was on the stupid souf' beach diet when I went...so my experience is pretty lame. I had a ceaser saled. It was pretty good. Their pizzas looked REALLY REALLY good. I did not like the parmesean cheese chip things they serve with the saled, it is way too much flavor. The decor was a cool modern Mediterranean tile type thing. It is a good pick for grabbing a good cheap fresh bite of Mediterranean food. read more

Mmm. . . super good everything, with lots of variety. Love the panini, and they have great prices on wine by the bottle. A great stop to dine in or take away for about $10. Both times I have gotten the chicken parm panino I waited for at least ten minutes - argh. Otherwise a great spot. read more

This location has really gone downhill. Nowhere near the level of service and quality compared to the Dulles location. From the start, the customer service is bad. Last two times I've called in for take-out, the staff answering the phone didn't know the menu. I had to talk to two people just to order a wrap and panini. My order came out wrong both times. They forgot the chicken on the chicken club wrap two times in a row. The chicken parmesan panini was burnt and extremely over salted. There seems to be no management organizing and overseeing the restaurant. It's really disappointing because I like Cafesano but will only be going to the Dulles location. read more

This place is definitely a favorite of mine. The food is tasty and well-prepared. Definitely try the hummus as appetizer. I suggest an 8" pizza afterwards. Another suggestion is a half-salad with a kabob on it. They offer generic wines if you're in the mood for some. The decor is clean and elegant. The toilets are wonderful. I'm not kidding. It's just nice for once to go to a medium-priced establishment that does not skimp on the toilets. I'm not sure if the space is family-friendly as it's a little tight, but the arrangement works pretty well. On sunny days, there's a small outdoor sitting area. Go eat here after a day's work. Shop in the Safeway nearby. Go home and relax. It's that simple. read more

Cozy and clan place. A great spot to get a variety of Mediterranean food: Italian, greek and middle eastern. The lake view from the inside and and outside patio is beautiful in the Spring and summer times. If you telework like me, the place is very conducive to work/study on weekday mornings when it's not too crowded. read more

One of the best place to have lunch, food is really good also the view is good as it is next to lake Bit busy if you go on lunch time during weekdays read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE. This place never fails. Pizza-great. Hummus & pita - great. Wine selection - good. Salads - great!

So simple yet so great. I think Cafesano is a hidden jewel. I would've never guessed this placed to be hidden in a strip mall in suburbia facing a Lake _ Wow! plently of organics in the mix and always "fresh" food from a variety of soups, to mediterranean favorites. The Tzatziki is just dynamite with fresh cucumbers and Dill served with grilled pressed Pita. The Pizza - gourment style with a thin puffy crust - The Greek Piza is my standard order of choice with large Feta, fresh spinach, Tomato, Olives..and more. The decor is super clean casual with a white refreshing calming feel supported by high ceilings... The staff are always super nice and attentive with a smile. Moderately priced...Dam I still can't believe how good this place is.. Did I mention a good limited selection of full body wine and beers and desert from a Gelato to Baklava...! Terrific! read more

As rare as they come---me giving any place a 5 star rating is like Joan Rivers being nice on Fashion Police. Doesnt happen. I come here now at least twice a week as I work in the area. Hands down the thing to get is the signature salad (Romaine, artichokes, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and red onions, topped with fresh avocado and mozzarella. Served with their house dressing, our Parmesan crisp and grilled ciabatta). It really does not get better. It makes Sweetgreen look like a one armed homeless man. Every bite is flavorful and most importantly FRESH. They are not cheap with their ingredients. Have also tried their Greek pizza which again is incredibly delicious. The feta cheese is real and the personal pan is more than filling for one person at lunch. Paninis here also decent. This place is the not so hidden anymore gem of Reston. read more

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While looking for places to eat near work, found this place and was real excited to try it. Came here on a Friday for lunch around noon. The place is in an unexpected area, small shopping center. I must have come during peak hours when everyone and their neighbors were out. Parking was kinda crazy, it took me a bit to find a spot and you'd think in a shopping center with multiple establishment with ample parking would be enough, not so on this Friday. I walked in the restaurant, the place is busy and there's a short line which is moving pretty quickly. You order your meal, take a number, go find a seat and they'll bring the food to you by your by your number. Because of the time it took me to find, parking and get through the line, I decided to take mine to go. I ordered a chicken kabob wrap and was really looking forward to it. But it really wasn't what I expected. It was good, but didn't think it was kabob style. I definitely want to return and try other items on the menu though! A place being busy is also a good sign as long as they keep up with the quality of their dishes. Since this is close to work, I plan to stop by again to sit down and enjoy a meal. read more

Good prosciutto mozzarella sandwich. Order the baked chips with your meal, they're not greasy and have more flavor than potato chips. They have a varied and extensive menu so take a minute to check it out. If you want to sit at lunch get there early as the line can be long by around noon. read more

Falafel is very good for my falafel fans! The food is fresh and yummy. I always order the falafel, greek salad is good too. They also have pizza and sandwiches. Great place if you want to eat yummy but healthy food that you wont feel guilty over. Great place for lunch and prob for dinner too! read more

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Come here all the time, it's a 2-minute walk away. Pretty little place, clean. Not super-fancy or anything, but nice. Food is quite good, absolutely love it. Have had a bit of everything on the menu -- soups, sandwhiches (love the portabella), pizza, shwarma, kabob platters, etc...all yummy. Only complaint is they're kind of slow, so if you're doing take-out call in advance. read more

Loved it, we had a semi quiet date night, great food at affordable prices and it's quite laid back. I enjoy the kabob combo platter, chicken and kafta, the kafta was very tender, great flavor, the chicken was a bit dry, but still flavorful. My boyfriend enjoyed an Arrabiata pizza, so very great, the kalamata olives with the sausage and the crunchy crust, perfect medley. We then took home 2 cannolis one regular and one chocolate, awesome blossom!!! We will definitely go back to enjoy their wide menu, they also seem extremely popular for take out. We also need to check out their market. read more

One of THE BEST LOCAL PLACES in Reston -- simply superb. The falafel appetizer and chicken pita wrap entree are amazing. I adore the pita chips served as a side with every entree. Parking can be a tedious and prolonged experience during the lunch rush -- the parking lot is just too small for the traffic it experiences -- so plan accordingly. The staff are helpful, polite, and friendly. The food is superb -- I've brought countless groups here and have yet to have someone not rave about it afterwards. read more

A great little place with a nice gluten free menu, tucked in a shopping center with views of South Lake. They have a limited, but delicious, gluten free menu. I Love their grilled platters, especially the shrimp. Their kids menu also offers large portions at a good price. Their patio is great, but like the rest of his restaurant, a bit cramped. Due to size constraints, this place can get nuts during the lunch hour. You may have have to wait for a seat. read more

My lord that place is crazy busy. They're renovating the parking lot surface and I sure hope they WIDEN the parking spaces. They're insanely narrow. Seating fills up fast! I would strongly recommend doing early lunches there by showing up between 11:30 and 11:45 because after that, good luck finding a seat. They do have a community style table in the center which I've only seen in NYC but I'm okay with it. Tables are tight in there as well; meaning close together. After a few minutes, you forget that the next table is literally 6 inches and can hear every word you say to your friends. Drink station is located in a high traffic area and causes 'traffic jams' of people waiting for the machine and people just trying to get past us. Note: If you are finished at the soda machine, kindly do not hang around it and chat while others are patiently waiting to refill their drinks. Fill up your cup, grab your supplies and MOVE ON. Common courtesy, folks. Anyway, not sure what they could do about that drink station because the place is limited on space. The service was excellent and my food very tasty. I'd be very happy to return at non-peak times to try more of their yummy looking creations. read more

The food here is always fresh and fairly consistent. I'm a great fan of the Quattro Staggione Pizza - always delicious but admittedly, some days provide me with more artichoke hearts and prosciutto than others. I also very much enjoy the avocado, tomato and mozzarella salad. My husband drools over their hummus (not yet a true foodie, he is asking me to write "much better than Sabra" - a store bought brand). The kabob here is pretty good, although sometimes the chicken can be Gobi-dry. I would consider selling my soul to the devil for an endless supply of their Parmesan crisps. It's not all good news. The service is spotty - the bus boys stay busy and tables are promptly cleaned. But, it's hit or miss with timely delivery of an order. Or, delivery of your order with those of your dining companions. On several occasions, apologetic staff have brought us hummus or baba ghanoush or something with bread to satisfy (mollify?) on a long wait. And, though this may be a force majeure sort of thing, parking blows. You're better off parking on the far side of the lot and walking than risking an aneurysm or road rage incident trying to get close to the restaurant. And now for a shout out: one Cafesano staff is just the best: Luis. He works very hard and, while all business, is always polite and happy to see familiar regulars. Clone Luis, focus on the service times, and I'd upgrade my rating to a four straight away. read more

Upon first glance, it's one of those places you think you'd really like. Has a good ambiance, nice view of the lake and the diverse menu looks very tantalizing.... and it used to be that way. But recently they've been skimping on the ingredients! Get a chicken parmesan sandwich to find two chunks of chicken (chicken nugget sized)... or get the mergherita pizza and see that they cut up 2 basil leaves and spread it on top of the pizza. Meats in general are overcooked but well at least there are few things still worth getting like the hummus (which isn't a real meal). It's really a shame that the quality of the food has gone down so much. Service is somewhat similar to La Madeleine where you order something at a counter and they deliver it to your table. Drinks are self-serve and you're supposed to clean up after yourself although when business is slow they will come and take your dish for you. The place is long and still is somewhat crowded with first come first serve seating. It's also very loud so I would not recommend this for large groups unless you go during non-peak hours. read more

This is a great spot for reliably good, usually healthy food. It's a nice option for when you want to have a sit-down, take-your-time experience, but don't want to spend as long as it would take with a waiter etc. You order your food at the register, and they gave you numbers and you sit down and wait for it. The atmosphere is really nice, especially at night (it is lit in a pretty way that makes it feel warm and glowing). The tables by the windows with views of the lake are pretty during the day. If it's busy, it can take surprisingly long for your food to come out, but all in all it is much faster than a normal sit-down place with the atmosphere of a leisurely restaurant. The food is always good; my favorites are the pizzas they make in their brick oven--you can get smaller or larger sized, and the smaller ones are perfect for one person and so delicious and fresh. My only complaint about this restaurant is, I live 5 minutes away so it is very convenient and I've come often over the past 4 or 5 years...they haven't changed their menu at all. It would be nice for us regulars if they could add some new thing in and switch it up every once in a while, because after some time it can get pretty repetitive. I don't go as often anymore because I'm simply bored with the choices. All in all a great spot for casual, semi sit-down, good food for lunch or dinner, especially when you're looking for something on the lighter or healthier side. read more