It's been a few weeks now since my visit but I can still remember and taste the fresh ingredients…read more It's a small shop in del ray but with plenty of seating inside and outside. The staff and extremely friendly. They were so welcoming and really patient with us as we had lot of questions. Even gave us a sample of their lemonade which was refreshing and so delicious had as craving more! Complimented the food so well. We all were so full by the end of our meal but wish we didn't so we could have more. You can tell everything is made in house with so many veggie toppings which I love!! You can get as much toppings as you want, either into a wrap, bowl, or salad. 10/10 recommend!! We also tried the cookies. She said to give them 6 or 8 minutes (can't remember) and they will be ready. Cookies are fresh fresh and always warmed up per order. They were perfect. If you go to their website they have a rewards program check it out first!!

This is my second time here and it reminds me why I went back. This place is so neat and organized…read more The staff were straightforward with their service and so nice. They have indoor and outdoor seatings. The menu offers outside the bowl they have desserts and also drinks. I ordered gyro bowl with Cucumber Lemonade and it's the best partner! Gyro was moist and all the added stuff tastes fresh. Of course will go back again to try other food in the menu. The only thing you need to consider the parking. This place is so good that it could get packed especially weekends and dinner time. It is somehow close to the King Street Station but it's still quite a walk.

We stopped just for happy hour and had the grape leaves - very good! Also my Espresso Martini was…read moredelicious. The restaurant was very clean and tables were nicely decorated. The music was relaxing and just the right volume so we could talk without hearing others. Wish we had time for dinner. Hope next time.

Unfortunately their food wasn't good at all. We ordered three different dishes and were…read moredisappointed with all of them. It all tasted like canned food items. The meatballs on the sampler were raw, we informed the server and he took it to the cook who said it was fine and is supposed to look like that. The server did a great job although I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

When we lived in the middle east, I would destroy Lebanese food. It's been hard to find authentic…read moreLebanese food. They had the garlic paste I love and their chicken is the best I have had. Very tender, and very flavorful. I ate so much that I had heart burn all night, but so worth it It's a great restaurant inside and out. It has great lighting and the service was perfect. I'll be back.

The restaurant was cute. There was indoor and outdoor seating available. I ordered the calamari and…read morea Greek salad. The calamari was delicious, however, it could have been fried longer. The Greek salad had so much flavor. I wish I ordered it with a piece of salmon. I'll definitely be back. The service was great.

Lots to like at Smyrna!…read more I highly recommend the 3-course express lunch menu, which includes a starter and dessert. At $24 as of this writing, this is a great value! Decorated in clean blue and white colors, Smyrna has an appealing feel. Smyrna also has a rear patio open during good weather. We were started out with very decent complimentary warm pita bread. For my first (starter) course, I ordered the chicken avgolemono soup. While the soup was packed with tender chicken, I was disappointed that the soup didn't really have much of a tart, lemony flavor. It actually was bland. But what more than made up for the avgolemono soup was the beef Keftdedes I chose for my second course. This dish came with absolutely the best tomato-based sauce I've ever had anywhere anytime! Delicious and fabulous!! The beef keftdedes were plump ground beef patties served over little squares of pita bread and topped with the tomato sauce and also a yogurt sauce. JP ordered the Imam Bayildi, which was good. It came with roasted eggplant, diced tomatoes and diced onions. For our third course (dessert), I ordered the Revani, which was a moist dense semolina cake topped with ice cream and chocolate shavings. Outstanding flavor and texture. Perfect! JP ordered the walnut baklava which was excellent. Service was friendly and fine. Other than the avgolemono soup, this was indeed a five star dining experience.

Smyrna is a very unassuming Mediterranean restaurant located at a shopping center. If you blink you…read moremiss it, but you do not want to miss it. I visited on a Sunday evening with some friends who hosted me in Alexandria when my flight out of DCA was postponed. I would recommend bringing a couple of friends here to dine, ordering a lot of items and sharing. We started with a couple of spreads, and the Baba Ghannush was my favorite. I also had a Greek salad, and we had some chicken souvlaki. The entrees are shareable and a large portion, and my friend also got an order of soup for the next day, since we knew we'd be snowed in. The service was wonderful, and the inside of the restaurant itself is gorgeous. One word of advice- do NOT sit near the door on a cold day because that wind kept coming into the building. The happy hour and lunch deals are excellent, so if you're nearby, it is worth stopping in.

Were we on the Spanish coast or Old Town? On the riverfront, on this warm spring day, we could have…read morebeen anywhere in the Mediterranean. We were instead on the pier in retrofitted shipping containers enjoying Spanish shareable plates with a great view. This place was crowded that's for sure. Primarily because there's no closer place to the water than this. (We were lucky-- the day after was rainy!) The food was great--we went for shareable small tapas and we still overordered. Service was great. We had a small wait upon check in but they made up for it by putting us in a nice location. Overall this was a great choice for a weekend lunch with friends.

Went to Barca for brunch and sat outside. Even though the weather was gloomy that day, we still had…read morea great time outside, and the staff was very attentive and helpful throughout the meal. For drinks, we got the Espresso Old Fashioned and the Pineapple Express. The Espresso Old Fashioned was probably a 6.5/10 for me. The flavor itself wasn't bad, but the presentation definitely needed work. I'd suggest using a better glass and the appropriate large cube ice instead of regular pebble ice, especially when you're paying $14+ for such a small cocktail. The Pineapple Express, though, was great -- not overly spicy and the pineapple paired perfectly with the tajín rim. From the brunch specials, we ordered the empanadas and the breakfast croquetas. The empanadas had really nice flavor and were well seasoned. They came with a green cream underneath plus pickled onions and a tomato-based hot sauce on the side, which complemented them well. My only issue was that the filling wasn't proportional to the amount of dough -- it needed more filling. The breakfast croquetas were exceptional and honestly something I'd go back for alone. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and served over hot honey that made you want to keep dipping every bite into it. We also ordered the Catalan-style mussels, and those were definitely one of the highlights alongside the croquetas. The mussels were very well seasoned, and the sausage and vegetables paired perfectly with them. The bread served with it was also delicious, especially dipped into the sauce. The fried calamari had good seasoning, but the batter was too thick, making it hard to really taste the calamari itself. The sauce it came with was delicious though, and there was one battered lemon slice mixed in that was AMAZING. They honestly should add more of those because that flavor combination was so good. For dessert, we tried the burnt Basque cheesecake and the chocolate torta. The Basque cheesecake was fine, but honestly tasted like a pretty ordinary cheesecake. The chocolate torta itself was good, but I personally didn't think the Pedro Ximénez mousse and bananas paired that well with it. I think black cherries would complement the chocolate much better, but that's just my opinion. Overall, a decent brunch spot with some standout dishes, especially the croquetas and mussels.

Great place! Lovely atmosphere, we sat outside on a beautiful evening. They have a really great…read morepatio, and the inside looks very inviting as well. Food was really good, I wasn't blown away but I did like it, it was fresh and presented very beautifully, the eggplant mezze was good and the poached apricot dessert was also quite good-needed more apricot for the amount of yogurt though. The service was excellent, everyone who works there was very pleasant, and they did separate the checks for our group which was really convenient. I would definitely go back. Downsides are it's a bit pricey and the parking is a challenge.

My only regret is forgetting to take photos... this place gives off Greek family energy! They can…read morepull tables together or apart for any size party and they have ample space to do it whether indoors or on the cute outdoor/ covered balcony area. Felt like I was in greece! Service was phenomenal, our host and server were very friendly, helpful and fast. My water never ran out, constantly refilled which I noticed! The food was also amazing I had the Arni youvetsi and that is a healthy lamb shank portion paired with creamy orzo ! The baklava was also really good for dessert. I appreciated the selection of Greek wine available and the waiter was able to select one that matched my taste! I will def recommend!

This place is in a great corner location, the food was delicious, and the staff were friendly…read moreoverall. We had a reservation to make sure we got a table, and the restaurant was completely full when we arrived. The only downside was that after being seated outside, we felt a little forgotten for the first 30 minutes or so. No one came by with water or to check in, and it seemed like the staff may not have realized a new table had been seated until we flagged down the outside host. There were also swarm of flies hovering around the outdoor tables, which another table pointed out and then we started noticing too. Aside from that, the experience was good overall. The inside dining area definitely had a dressier vibe compared to the patio seating, and once we were helped, the food made up for the slow start.

Placed a large order via Uber Eats since restaurant will not accept takeout orders directly…read more Restaurant does not allow any specifications when ordering through Uber Eats - for example, one person wanted one ingredient held from her salad. Uber Eats lacked description for Zaytinya's food items (such as the ounces of the drinks) and some items (such as the horta salata) were not as pictured. There were no extra napkins in our bag. The Coke came in bottles but we didn't receive any bottle openers. To top it off, we had three food items missing. I called the restaurant again to let them know about the missing food - they were unapologetic and didn't know what the proper protocol was to fix the situation. The service was subpar and the servings were small. Won't be back. The next day we had food delivered from another local restaurant where both the food and service were outstanding, unlike at Zaytinya. UPDATE: After writing the Yelp review, a general manager at Zaytinya emailed me the following: "..."The restaurant normally offers takeout, but the location was actually closed that day for a private event. However, since the order had come through, we tried to honor it. The mujadara and 2 orders of rice were missing because we hadn't prepped those items, as they were not offered for the buyout..." The restaurant knew on Friday what I was ordering for Tuesday. They had plenty of time to reach out to me and tell me they would be closed and wouldn't be able to fulfill the order. Instead, they knowingly sent out an order without all of the food for our group and charged as if we received everything. This shows a lack of professionalism and is disrespectful.

I came here for my 30th birthday celebration and all I can say is WOW- what a way to ring in a new…read moredecade. I left feeling full, grateful, and with a new love for middle eastern cuisine. The service was impeccable- the waitress and sommelier were both extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Nadia, our waitress, offered suggestions about what dishes would pair well together for the tawle experience and shared her favorites. The sommelier went over the extensive wine list and helped us pick a nice red that paired well with our chosen dishes- it was called Yacoubian Hobbs from Armenia. The ambiance was comfortable and welcoming- you could dress up or down, pretty much anything goes! The walls are lined with colorful patterns and draped tapestries to create a high end living room vibe. Now for the fun part- THE FOOD! The first dishes brought out were the mouneh (pickled veggies), the honey soaked dates, and the three spreads (we selected the hummus with lamb on top for an additional $15, havuc, and beet borani). I'll add that they continuously bring out fresh, warm pita throughout the whole meal. The lamb hummus was savory and well-balanced, but very rich. The havuc had a beautiful lightness from the carrots and I loved the textural element of the crispy onions on top. The beet borani also added a welcomed freshness throughout the meal and was vibrant, light, and had wonderful yogurt flavors. The underrated dish were the pickled veggies because INSANE. I used these in bites during the entire meal and they all had a unique flavor as if they were each pickled in a special way- my favorites were the white radish and scallions. The honey dates were a sweet palette cleanser and cut through the savory elements of the meal. We continued on with the next round consisting of the field lettuce salad, the three condiments (we chose the toum, chermoula, and harissa), halloumi, omani shrimp, and chickpeas. The field lettuce salad had a zesty vinaigrette and I appreciated the acidity addition of the sliced oranges and the crunchy, salted pistachios. The toum was a garlicky aioli that I felt was best paired with the chickpeas- although all the dips were delicious with all the dishes and the pita. The harissa was a lighter version than I am used to, spicy, and paired well with the veggies and ribeye. The chermoula was my favorite and paired best with the ribeye- it reminded me of a flavorful and herbaceous chimichurri. The halloumi had a sweet honey and was grilled perfectly, paired with nice crunchy nuts. The chickpeas had a lovely consistency and were well seasoned- I think it was sumac, but whatever it was, I couldn't get enough. The shrimp were ONE OF MY FAVORITE dishes from the whole meal. They were juicy, seasoned perfectly, charred, and just chefs kiss. I enjoyed them with the chermoula and squeeze of lime. The main dishes and veggies came during our final (besides dessert) round. We ordered the sayadieh as part of the table experience and also added a ribeye to the order. We had ordered the charred carrots, but they accidentally brought us the wildflower honey zucchini instead, so we were lucky enough to be able to try both. The branzino (sayadieh) absolutely blew my mind. It was citrusy, spicy, seasoned with bright spices, and incredibly moist. I would honestly skip the ribeye- it was cooked to a nice medium rare and had a nice flavor, but I don't think it compared to the rest of the meal. The charred carrots were spicy, cooked soft- also one of the standouts. The zucchini was served beautifully and I enjoyed the sauce, but could also skip next time. We ended the meal with the bitter orange sorbet and the chocolate mousse. The sorbet was a nice palette cleanser as it had zest in the mix and was very light after the heavy meal. The chocolate mousse was very rich and had a new balance of chocolate and peanut flavors. They brought over complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate my birthday as well :) I cannot wait to come back to try more of the menu and I am so happy to have had a diverse taste of the Middle East. I'll also add that we had a HUGE bag of leftovers that lasted several meals and they packaged it up like true professionals. A food lover completely satisfied and eager to get back :)

A popular spot near Adams Morgan. The restaurant features Middle Eastern grilled food. In fact,…read morethere were several fire grills in the center of the first floor of the restaurant (it has two floors), and you can see the staff constantly grilling the meats, fish, vegetables and pita. This, together with the dark vibe, made me feel as if I were eating with ppl. from B.C. in a cave. Very interesting. I like that. For food, I got the Carrot Havuc, Omani Shrimp and Halloumi. But first I was served with some freshly made whole wheat pita. They were soft, chewy and earthy. The Carrot Havuc was basically a carrot+garlic puree. Very silky, refreshingly sweet, and a bit sour. The sourness may come from the garlic and lemon. Paired well with the pita and meats. The Omani shrimp came with 5 pieces, each shrimp was ~1oz so it was not very filling. The shrimp were meaty, fresh, juicy, though I wish it could be less salty, even if I already asked for less salt. The shrimp was said to be marinated with dried lime and tamarind but I could only taste the flavor of dried lime. The Halloumi cheese was brushed wild flower honey and topped with Egyptian dukkah, then baked until the outside was golden brown. It was salty and sweet, and the (tons of) sesame seeds added some fragrance to it. However, the peanut was too roughly chopped so that they fell off from the cheese when I slice it, and thus difficult to eat with the cheese. Service was not worth the 20% mandatory tip. For example, when I asked about the sourness of the Carrot Havuc, he did not know why and said he would "taste it and let me know where the sourness came from". Unfortunately, he did not tell me until I asked again when doing the check (I doubt if he tasted it in the first place). Neither did he ask me about the other dishes. Overall, the dishes were great but not impressive, and was mostly heavily flavored. The service could be improved.

This is definitely a go-to spot if you're looking for quality flavor and value for your money…read more We usually do a mixed platter with chicken and lamb, lettuce tomato onion, and sauces on the side. Omar's signature and white are our favorites, but know that you can order unlimited sauces. "Don't be shy" they say. Flavors are balanced, and the portion size is generous. For those with a medium sized appetite, a platter could last you two meals. Service is pretty quick, but know if there is a line or mobile orders, you could be waiting between 5-10 minutes. Parking is limited and seating is only outdoors. It's nice to eat outside when the weather is right - they have string lights! They're also open until 1am which is nice if you need a late night option (most places around here close at 9 or 10pm). I recommend giving Omar's a try!

Grabbed dinner at Omar's since it was on our way back home. Our food was ready for pickup in 5-10…read moremins. There weren't any seats inside so we grabbed our food and took it home. I had the jerk chicken (no onions) platter with the hot pepper, green chutney and jerk sauces on the side. The sauces were amazing! My mixed my hot pepper and jerk sauces together and it was fireeee! Then had some chutney to cool it down. The jerk chicken was flavor and the rice and side salad complimented it well. My husband got the crispy chicken (no onions) platter with the white sauce, spicy white sauce and Omar's signature sauce. The crispy chicken was a little too fried/overcooked for me but was very crispy. My husband loved it though! His sauces were also good but I def preferred mine. Both platters had a generous portion of chicken. Overall a great place to grab a casual meal.

The staff is amazing. Friendly and very responsive. The food is delicious and consistent. My go…read moreto is the Village Salad!

I've been meaning to get her for a long time. A cute little restaurant tucked away in a north old…read moretown neighborhood with the icon Dixie Pig neon sign on the roof. The service was friendly and swift. An excellent Greek menu. I enjoyed the Chicken Marsala special. Tender cuts of chicken with mushrooms. So tasty. A side of pasta which was well prepared. No dessert. I love the relaxed friendly atmosphere and neighborhood feel. Reservations are recommended because of limited seating. They do have outdoor spots for beautiful days.