The food at Mama Ayesha's was delicious, and packed full of flavor! The service was also great--very attentive and kind. The restaurant itself is a bit dated, both the patio and dining room. It looks like the decor hasn't been refreshed in a few decades. Mouzat, 5/5, delicious, tender lamb with seasoned rice Maklouba, 5/5, tender chicken that fell off the bone with delicious rice and vegetables Pomtini, 2/5, somehow tasted like Hi-C or some kind of chemical citrus read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Makloobah with chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The food here is very authentic but not reasonably priced. The service is lacking. It is as though they are doing you a favor to wait on you. read more

I was excited to try Mama Ayesha's Restaurant and placed a carry out order. When I arrived at the pickup time, my food wasn't ready. I waited half an hour for my food to be prepared. The restaurant was completely empty so it seems they just forgot to prepare my order. When I finally got my food, while they did apologize, they did not offer any discount or additional benefit. My time is valuable and I don't appreciate the lack of service or the lack of any attempt to remedy the situation. When I did bring my two entrees home, I saw that I received a half portion of rice when I ordered two sides for one of my entrees. Since I paid a few dollars extra to include an extra side, it was frustrating to me that I received half portions rather than full portions. The food was fine. Nothing spectacular. Definitely not worth the money though especially with the poor service. read more

We were visiting our niece at Georgetown University and after a day of museum-going we wanted a good meal. We found this restaurant on Yelp and decided to try it. Even on a Saturday evening with less parking restrictions, finding a spot was really difficult. But we finally found one nearby and walked a short distance to the eatery. There is dining inside and outside and the service was superb. We had cocktails, a grape leaves with lamb appetizer, four orders of shish kabob and one order of lamb shank, along with baklava and rice pudding for dessert. Everything was really delicious. The shish kabob was tender and the lamb fell off the bone. Cocktails and appetizers are about $12 each, entrees average $30, and desserts are about $6. Best Middle Eastern food we have had in a while, and we recently visited Greece in March. read more

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Went to Mama Ayesha 's for a Friday night dinner, and the entirety of the experience was memorable. As appetizers, My friend and I ordered their lamb hummus and kibbeh, which paired beautifully together, the flavor set the tone for the rest of the dinner. 8.7/10 We followed through with the main course. I ordered a Mouzat (lamb Shank) and my friend opted for their grilled meats assortissement. I was exceptionally surprised when I tasted the grilled meat plate. Each meat option was seasoned to perfection (to my palate) and has now raised my expectation of its kind for life! 9/10 The mouzat was delicious, exactly what you would expect from a patiently cooked shank. 8.6/10 Dessert was delicious as well; We got Arabic coffee, baklava and rice pudding. 7/10 Service was friendly and very helpful. I would say that the place has a great potential for a beautiful ambiance but there weren't enough people! Nonetheless, It remains deep conversation friendly. You should all share this beautiful experience with your loved ones. read more

Nice menu selection. Food came out quickly, and server was very pleasant and really attentive, even though short staffed. Lamb kebabs were extremely salty, appetizer was a spinach turnover that was clearly microwaved as part of it was cold and part of it was hot. Quality was disappointing. read more

So this review is more like a 3.5 than just 3 stars, keep reading and you'll see why! With that said, I still plan on returning. Came here on a Sunday evening for dinner and it wasn't too busy, perhaps 6 or 7 tables were there when I got there at 7:30pm. We got a booth, which I'm always into! Service was warm and welcoming, but could have been a touch more attentive, it wasn't a big deal though. Not newly renovated or anything, so not somewhere I'd go for ambiance, but certainly nice enough for family for a casual meal with friends and loved ones. The highlights were the meat dolmas and each of the 3 meats from the Mushakal Mashawi platter. I've never had dolmas with meat in it, and it was a pleasant savory experience paired with the labneh. There were also so many in one order! The kebob platter was a surprise to be honest. I usually find grilled kebobs to be dry, but whatever they're doing here, they're doing it RIGHT. All the meats were well seasoned and cooked to perfection. We requested medium rare for the beef and we ate tender and delicious beef. YUM YUM YUM! Now for the rest... The pita wasn't as soft/pillowy as I prefer. The foole is supposed to be made of fava beans, but I swear this tasted like refried beans from a can. It tasted good, but these definitely weren't fava beans. The falafel tasted fine, but the exterior was quite crunchier than I'd like. If you remember Amsterdam falafel, these would disappoint. The mouzat lamb shank wasn't bad, it just wasn't special. Lastly, I had high expectations for the menzalah eggplant and ground beef casserole thing, but it was kind of one note in my opinion. Now that I know the kebobs are done well, I'll come back for those and try some other things. Also, the price for this meal can't be beat. DC has some outrageous prices for small portions right now, but Mama Ayesha's isn't one of those spots. read more

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Wonderful atmosphere with very attentive staff. The food was excellent and the staff really goes all out to make you feel at home and looked after. The portions are generous and we all had leftovers for home. read more

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I had Mama Ayesha's on my list for quite some time, and I am beyond excited we were able to venture here. Just on the border of Adam's Morgan and Woodley Park, this middle eastern family owned restaurant is an institution in this city. Aside from its fun exterior mural including Mama Ayesha with a handful of Presidents, the warm interior is met with friendly staff who are kind and attentive. We ordered four amazing dishes and absolutely loved every one. The pickled vegetables included with the Jibna and Zaytoon were perfect and paired well with the olives and haloumi. My personal favorite was the shish kabob in the Mushakal Mashawi platter. Put this on your short list of places to try, we will definitely be back soon. read more

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It's a classic DC restaurant with great food! For years Mama Ayesha would greet people herself at the restaurant. read more

What a gem of a place. Great Palestinian food and amazing vibe. Everything was executed pretty well. I will say some dishes were better than others but if you want authentic food, this place has it. Unfortunately the service a little slow read more

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3.5 stars! Came to Mama Ayesha's with a friend on a weeknight around 7pm and had an overall good experience. We had a reservation but the dining room was totally empty with only two tables dining so walking in without a reservation would be easy. A server came to me immediately to take my drink order. I had a "fresh mint lemonade" which ended up being I'm pretty sure just minute maid with mint. They graciously let me trade it in for another drink. To start we had falafel and labneh with pita. Both were tasty though the falafel was way smaller than expected. For my main I had chicken skewers which has a few roasted vegetables on the skewers and a side of rice. The portion was a good sized. Enough to take home for a second small meal and everything tasted good. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The rice was lukewarm and not super flavorful but totally fine. For dessert I had baklava and coffee. Baklava was a nice treat and the coffee was good. Overall a 3-star experience made better by the really attentive and friendly staff! Wonderful service all around and a very nice team that let us stay chat and sit around way longer than most restaurants would. The atmosphere was cute and pretty quiet overall so it was the perfect environment to catch up with friends. The place started to fill up around 9 and I got the impression that this is very much a loved neighborhood spot. Worth a visit for the friendly service and good vibes. read more

This place is nice! It's a classic DC spot located a bit away from the chaos of Adams Morgan. The food is good, flavorful. It is a tad bit on the pricier side and the decor could be a little nicer. But, this all adds to the charm of this staple spot. The food is halal and there is plenty of seating inside, which is a bonus. The mural on the side of the restaurant is really cool too. read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Hummus and lamb - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This restaurant is an absolute delight! I came with a friend on a Thursday evening around 6pm and found a very quiet and intimate restaurant with a beautiful waterfall in the center. The food was outstanding! We started with a hummus appetizer that had delicious pickled vegetables on top as well as perfectly warm pita on the side. For our entrees, I got the menzalah, which is a delectable eggplant and ground beef combination. My friend is not partial to eggplant and still thought it was delicious! He ordered a kifta and was very satisfied as well with the super flavorful meat. For dessert, we shared baklava and namoura, which is like a cross between baklava and kanafeh. They were the perfect way to end the evening! The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is great as well. Highly recommend! read more

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I can't say enough great things about Mama Ayesha's and their food, staff and ambiance. They hosted our group event of 30 in their restaurant and were extremely easy to work with. Mo Jr and Mohammad were a joy to work with and everything was exactly as expected. I don't typically love Baba Ghanoush but it was wonderful. The Foole m'damas (fava bean dip) was delicious. Our main dishes, Shish Kabob, Kifta Kabob and Shish Taouk were all prepared well and the portions were plentiful. And, the deserts (my favorite was the Ruz bil Haleeb Arabian Rice Pudding) were awesome. We were a large group that sang songs and played a guitar. The staff was so happy we were there, and even their other patrons were so kind and appreciative that "people need to be happier like you are" - so that made us feel very welcomed. Thank you to Mama Ayesha's and we're so thankful that we found them. read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - our 30 person group enjoying MAs food, service and ambiance - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was great! We had hummus, foole, and cuba which were all great choices and served with warm pita bread! My husband loved the Mouzat (Lamb Shank which came with rice and green beans!) He said it was like homemade! For dessert I recommend the Knafeh! read more

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I really enjoyed Mama Ayesha's overall! Definitely an underrated spot in DC. Vibe: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Baba ganouj: 8/10 (I just don't love baba ganouj in general!) Mushakal mashawi (mixed grill kabobs): 8/10 Mouzat (lamb shank): 9/10 Overall: 9/10 (4.5/5) read more

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The food is always fresh and delicious. Some of our favorites are the vegetarian dolmas and the maklooba. The rice is very fragrant too!

Super nice inside here. A good date spot. For $22 the lamb shank was pretty good. Service is super nice. I may come back here if I'm back in town. Currently top 5 spot to eat if you are in Adam's Morgan area. Mango martini was good as well as the okra stew dish. read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Lamb shank - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We got the moulamb shank and the eggplant and ground beef entrées, both of which came with a bed of rice. The lamb was so tender that it fell off the bone easily. The rice soaked in the sauce was delicious. The ground beef was really flavorful as well. Hummus came with warm pita bread and you also have the option to add lamb on top. You can taste the tinge of olive oil. It was delicious. Parking is really tough on a Friday night in Adams Morgan. but we didn't have a problem getting a table. Reservations available through yelp! read more

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Always giving this place 5 stars. So delicious. Always recommend their traditional specialties, I've genuinely never gotten anything bad here. Also love the hummus, baba ganoush, and baklava is nice and warm sometimes which is delicious. Also the servers are so kind and sweet, I can only imagine the same for the owners. Always a favorite in DC! read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Musakan - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We came here on a Friday night after making a reservation through Yelp. We got delayed after difficulties with parking around the area, and had to park about 8 minutes walk away. After we found parking our reservation time had passed, so we called and asked if we could reschedule to a closer time and they were very accommodating which made me happy. We sat inside since it started getting windy outside, and so I was able to see the beautiful interior that transported patrons to the Middle East with the designs, colors, music, and architecture--very cute. We ordered the Sujok to start, which was spicy beef sausages with garlic potatoes. The beef was tasty and wasn't that spicy actually so non-heat lovers can also consider it, and the garlic potatoes were mashed. Then, we placed an order of the Bamya--a tomato stew with okra and chunks of lamb in it accompanied by rice--as well as the Reeash--loin lamb chops with mashed garlic potatoes. Both dishes were very tasty; I particularly liked the small sizes of okra in the tomato stew and the lamb chunks were very tender in the Bamya. The loin lamb chops tasted smoky since it was grilled and it was also tender and well seasoned. I enjoyed the meals but wish that the serving was a little more generous for the Reeash. The staff was amazing throughout our experience. We shared a waiter with about 3-4 other parties but he always maintained a very welcoming and calm demeanor at our table. Our waiter was also friendly and didn't hold back when we asked for specific recommendations from the menu. For a Friday night there weren't too packed, and with both indoor and outdoor seating areas as well as takeout, I would recommend this place if you're in the area! read more

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This place is a DC staple. The Menzalah is one of my top 10 favorite DC dishes that everyone should try at least once. I just walked by on Tuesday evening and it seemed pretty empty so please help me with keeping the gem in business and stop by when you can. You won't be disappointed. read more

Very friendly family- Muhammad was an excellent server- prompt- the food was excellent especially Malfoof - very hard to find Malfoof loved they had it in the menu. Tabbouleh was disappointing- bland taste and bitter. Overall a great Palestinian restaurant in Washington DC. Highly Recommend- Next time will get the spicy sausage and Kifta. Great variety of menu items. read more

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Go here for authentic middle eastern food. This is the type of place that has both the classic land and beef dishes but the more authentic dishes that you'd find in an Arab home like bamia and mujadara. I had the muskhana and it was phenomenal. It's incredibly flavorful. I had the kunafeh for dessert and that never disappoints read more

I can see the draw to the place. It feels like your at your neighbors house eating dinner on a Tuesday night. Flavors of the Middle East presented to you as a family member made it. The furnishings could use updating and have the dust knock off them. If your looking for middle eastern comfort food this would be the spot. read more

Best falafel and hummus I've found in this city! The falafel is not dry, it is moist and juicy and everything! The hummus is so so good with absolute wonderful olive oil topping. So flavorful! This is clearly a family run business and the owners are so nice. read more

What a delightful feast! Walked in without reservations around 645PM on a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was 90% empty. Love the authentic middle eastern food, albeit being slightly pricey. read more

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Food was authentic and delicious. The atmosphere was so cute, I always love listening to running water in the background as it's very relaxing. Booths and chairs were comfortable. We had hummus, mnskhan, lamb chops, and knafa. The hummus was smooth and very tasty. The mnskhan and lamb were delicious and tender. The knafa was such a great pick me up on a cold day, it was perfectly soft, sweet, and hot. Customer service was great. Will definitely be making the trip to return! read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Lamb - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have never ate at a middle eastern restaurant before, but both meals were excellent. The rice had excellent flavor and both meals meats were perfect. Neither of use were that hungry and planned taking a box home before we got there, but it was so good we finished both our plates. Service was also good, not rushed, but at a good pace still and drinks were always refilled without asking before they ran out. Will definitely return when in the DC area again read more

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An amazing restaurant with a great atmosphere, amazing flavors and great customer service! We felt right at home! read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Met for dinner with an old friend who lived in Adams Morgan back in the 1980's, when we worked together. She drove to our house in the neighborhood and as we walked we decide we wanted to eat in one of the places from back in the day. Back then, there were a handful of places where you could reliably get a meal for five bucks; two of them are still around (including El Tamarindo and and this one, known at the time as Calvert Cafe). Of course the prices are a tad higher now, but it was still a good feed for a reasonable price. She got a beer and I had the Arabian Mule -- sadly the strong anise flavor of the arak rather overwhelmed all the other flavors. For appetizers,tried and true taboule was as expected and a sujok sausages were spicy enough for me, maybe a tad more spice than my friend might have preferred butshe gamely at her way through it. Our main course were mujadara, unfamiliar other but it seemed authentic to me. The musakan (chicken) was flavorful. The food was more than we could eat so we took away containers and passed on the desserts Our respective spouses were under the weather and hie dinner was mostly a chance for some old friends to schmooze for a couple of hours. The place was emopty when we first arrived but there were several tables filled nearby eventiually. We had no trouble hearing each other. A good place for friendly meal read more

Stopped here with a friend upon recommendation from her sister. We opted out of getting entrées and instead ordered a bunch of appetizers to share. My friend being Palestinian is very knowledgeable in Arabic food (and swears her mom makes the best!) and said almost everything was up to par. Very authentic kibbeh, even I loved it, and hummus. The fattoush was okay. Neither of us were impressed by the tabbouli. The Betin Jan was good. I had never had anything like it before and would order it again. Same with the halloumi cheese. It was very tasty! I liked the falafels although they were tiny little bite sized things. Overall, good spot in a scenic neighborhood. read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Incredibly authentic Indian cuisine with a family owned feel. Quality of food exceeded expectations and decor is warm and inviting. Friendly staff. Would highly recommended! read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - Hummus & Kibbeh - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was delicious. It was the first time visiting this location and was really impressed with all the reviews and I still am. I really like the art made on the wall of the store. I do not remember the name of the food that I ordered, but I remember it was a half chicken and I like it. People were welcoming. However, the restaurant was not clean. I was very hungry before I came in and after arrival, I saw dirty seat cover on the booth, the carpet on the floor looked very dirty, the cheap self made "waterfall" looked something unintentionally made. Overall, the cleanliness 2 out of 5. The lady who welcomed us was very nice, server was nice. I would not come back because the cleanliness of the store is the appetite reducer. read more

Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - The Tree - Middle Eastern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

What a unique and delicious spot! Boyfriend was in the mood for middle eastern food so got us reservations here one night. When we walked in, we were greeted by beautiful inviting decor including a waterfall feature and dim lights to set the mood. We were seated in a comfy corner booth near the front. I haven't heard of half the dishes on the menu but they all sounded delicious so it was really hard to decide. We started with the baba ganouj which was so yummy and the accompanying pita freshly out of the oven. I don't think I've ever ordered baba ganouj at a restaurant before, let alone had it homemade! For my meal, I had the menzalah which was a ground beef dish. I was greeted with the lovely smell of toasted pine nuts and almonds when it came out. It was very good, especially the eggplant on top! The boyfriend had the malfoof which was a lamb stuffed cabbage dish. I had a bite and it was equally as delicious, and the sour cream on the side went perfectly. After dinner, the boyfriend had a sheik which was coffee with a shot of galliano. Man could you smell that galliano! I had a sip and it was very good and VERY strong! Overall, great place for a relaxing date night in a lovely environment with some delicious food! read more

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the food is the worse the people who work there are so rude and they say that I didn't pay when I payed my credit card they say that I have no money then I checked my bank account and I had money in my credit card read more

Baba Genush is to die for, Very good service nice people, delicious food! try stuffed grape leaves.

The last time I was at this place was ten years ago when I was in DC - I decided to stop by on my trip last week and was so glad I did! The food is as good as I remember - the musakan is one of my all time favorite dishes. the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and great service. This is a hidden neighborhood gem where you can get in without a reservation. read more

No other way to describe this place other than incredible. The decor was perfect, service was wonderful, and the food even better if that's possible. We began with Baba Ganouj, Fattoush, and Meat Rolls, then the three of us shared two orders of Mushakal Mashawi. My husband had a Mango Martini that was also excellent. Wish I lived in DC -- we would be regulars! read more