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    Mama Ayesha's Restaurant

    4.0 (617 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    MAMA AYESHA'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Mama Ayesha's Restaurant

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    Grape leaves with lamb
    Carol R.

    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.

    Mouzat
    Andrew-Brian N.

    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.

    Kibbe...delicious.

    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.

    Zaatar Fries
    Nathan N.

    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.

    Verina B.

    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

    Hummus and lamb
    Roxy A.

    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.

    Baklawa
    Daniel R.

    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!

    our 30 person group enjoying MAs food, service and ambiance
    David W.

    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.

    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!

    Baba ganouj
    Alexis C.

    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)

    Lamb shank
    George A.

    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.

    Joyce W.

    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!

    Musakan
    Julie W.

    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!

    Sujok

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    1 year ago

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

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    2 years ago

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

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    Page 1 of 16

    Ask the Community - Mama Ayesha's Restaurant

    Is this place provide Hala food?

    yes

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    Agora DC - Cauliflower**

    Agora DC

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    1.0 miDupont Circle
    $$$

    Was able to do a walk-in on a recent Thursday evening…read more I had been many times before, but it had been a while, so it was great to dine at Agora again. Everyone in my group loved the assortment of small plates that we had. We considered getting the lamb chops, but it only comes with 2, and there were three of us, so we opted against it. The dishes we got instead (an assortment of vegetables, meat, and seafood) were all delicious, and we would all be happy to get them again.

    I've been here twice now and have had a great experience. I recommend getting a spot on the outside…read morepatio if the weather is nice. It is covered and you can watch all the Dupont atmosphere pass by on the street. I'm a big fan of Mediterranean food. And it didn't disappoint. They were also really good with kids as my partner and I have 5 year olds. They not only have kids menus but crayons and unique coloring activities that were perfect for our son and daughter. We ordered the dip sampler, the grilled chicken and manti, which are dumplings stuffed with meat and topped with cream. The kids loved the pita bread, as did their dads. The pita was so delicious and we kept dipping it in the complimentary olive oil with black olive tapenade. The dip sampler was good, but we didn't love all the options as part of that mix like the red pepper dip or the fishy roe. Finally, the wine selection is unique here. It consists of a lot of Greek and Turkish wines. We aren't as familiar with this regions o appreciated our server allowing us to taste the wine before committing. Overall, service was attentive and they did a great job checking in with our family. I'd definitely recommend this spot. It's a higher end place on the strip!

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    Gypsy Kitchen DC - Assortment of Small Plates & Cocktails

    Gypsy Kitchen DC

    4.3(1k reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Rooftop seating

    Gypsy kitchen This…read moreplace is quite good. I really love the charcuterie board and the cauliflower was amazing. This was the first time I've been impressed by charcuterie from a restaurant. The Spanish cheese (Mahón) along with the crackers and mustard sauce was superb. All the meats had their own characteristics and unique flavors but the jamón stood out to us the most. It even went well with the sauce that came for our cauliflower dish. It was fun piecing the components together to make unique tasty bites. I would come back just for the charcuterie alone. The drinks we got were Angelli's Ferrari along with the espresso martini-ish. My favorite was definitely the Ferrari one, but the espresso martini was super mild and had a slight coffee flavor. Good for people who like very light coffee. The Ferrari one was very bright and had lots of fruity notes to hide the alcohol. For entrées, we had the shakshouka, crispy, cauliflower, and brunch pork belly. Out of all these the cauliflower was definitely my favorite; super light with good earthy flavors and nuttiness and acidity from the lemon. The brunch pork belly was good too. The meat was perfectly cooked, but I found the beans to be a little bit overwhelming. I'm not a fan of baked beans personally so that might've been my fault for picking the dish, but I still did enjoy it and the pork that was well cooked made up for it; definitely for someone who likes beans. Shakshouka was very hearty with a lot of tomatoes and red vegetables in general. If you like lasagna or any sort of tomato spaghetti dish, you will like this one. I found this to be a bit much though. I was slightly tired of the flavor at the end. Just be aware it is a bit spicy. We had a pear tart for dessert. Honestly, it reminded me of an apple pie and it was good, but I think that some of the other desserts would've been a bit better. Had a lot of sweet cinnamon notes along some crispy flaky dough from the outside. It was an interesting take but it was still good. The atmosphere is great here; we had seating on the second floor, so it was different from the busy first floor. Very relaxed and there's a lot of natural light coming around which made everything feel very welcoming. Our server was also super friendly. I will definitely be back at this place

    We paid $130 with tip for croquettes, lamb skewers, tuna crudo, hummus, and two 50 Shades of Purple…read more(drinks with butterfly pea gin). We sat outside on the patio and it was a gorgeous day. The decor is perfect and I love that they've added plants to cover the staircase. Drinks were delicious and the food came out quickly. Our water glasses were rarely empty. Service was kind. Food wise if I were to stack rank I would say the hummus is the best of what we ordered. The pita bread is thick and garlicky and oily and massive. The croquettes would be at the bottom of my list simply because they're dissimilar from any I've had before and a little bit underwhelming. The tuna was fresh but it's a small dish and not much to write home about. The lamb skewers have a subtle kick to them and they're pretty substantial. I'll definitely be back to try more! Highly recommend on a warm summer day as you're covered by the canopy above, if you're looking for a rooftop vibe.

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    ala - GOLDEN CAULIFLOWER

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    4.2(1.2k reviews)
    1.1 miDupont Circle, Downtown
    $$$

    Brunch review ahead!!!!!…read more Ambiance- perfect for a cute date, time with friends, family members, or coworkers. The ambiance welcomes it all. Hospitality- The hostess was incredibly friendly and seated us upon arrival. Waiter- Eric was an AMAZING waiter. Bubbly personality, very polite and personable. His service was definitely a 10/10 Brunch- My friend and I decided to try their Easter Sunday brunch and my only regret was not visiting here sooner and not selecting an earlier time to dine, LOL! The entire experience was phenomenal! Bottomless mimosas- SO worth the extra $ Standout dishes: Adana meatballs Braised lamb Chicken Golden cauliflower Crispy Falafel Desserts: Baklava Brownie Kadayıf Sadly we did not get to experience all of the brunch menu items because brunch ends at 3pm and our reservations were at the heel of this time. Nonetheless, the standout dishes and desserts were enough for me to come back. I've enjoyed their happy hour, cafe area, and now their brunch. Can't wait to return.

    Three stars isn't the actual rating; I'd say more 3.5. Stopped by after visiting the Dupont…read moreCircle's weekly farmer's market to try their Sunday brunch buffet. Was warmly greeted, seated, and given an overview of the menu and brunch package options; decided to opt-out of the bottomless drinks, which had an alcoholic (mimosas and Bloody Marys) and NA (juices, sodas, drip coffee and black tea), as I wanted to try their more speciality coffee and tea. The drinks I ordered were the Turkish coffee, Levantine-style tea and digestive tea. All were quite solid. The Turkish coffee was as robust as espresso, yet not overwhelmingly bitter and slightly sweetened. The Levantine tea was a smooth black tea with natural sweetness and layered with a mint steep and floral notes of hibiscus, and rose petal. The digestive was more herbaceous with fennel and pomegranate zest, in addition to a steep of spearmint. The food was more hit-or-miss. On one hand, the meat and seafood was all very delicious and well-made. The braised lamb shank is their speciality, and well-deserved, as it's moist, savory and tender. The short rib similarly so, and the chicken casserole, lamb biajeen, Adana kebab and steamed lavraki (sea bass) were all similarly flavorful. On the other hand, the sides and mezze options were more mixed; the dolmas and fresh bites cheese with za'atar/nuts were delightful, however, the borek, cheeses, and some of the dips tasted reheated and/or not super fresh, the Brussels sprouts were quite scorched, and the savory salmon waffles were bone dry and flavorless. The French onion soup had the right flavor profile, but not the intensity; it tasted watered-down and even looked it, due to the noticeable oil blebs on the surface. Dessert was similar; the melon and fruits were fresh enough, the yogurt bar was quality, the kadayif nutty with the sweetness balanced, and the layali lubnan was intoxicatingly tasty, but many of the baked goods looked rather packaged and the fondue station was mediocre. The staff, however, were extremely friendly (my special regards to Mia, she's a great conversationalist and a sweetheart!). They answered all my questions, and one of the bartenders even gave me half a lemon to zuzh up my tea with. As I said at the start, more 3.5 stars than 3 stars. The core of their offerings are all quality, so I can't quite dock them a full two stars for the food quality because they had buffets aren't usually renown for said quality. You really can't expect perfection from AYCE, even though I naturally encourage the management to avoid sourcing pre-made items from Sysco if possible. The friendly staff and eloquent Eastern Mediterranean ambiance allows me to still say I enjoyed this experience, and may be back for dinner in the future.

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    Zaytinya

    Zaytinya

    4.2(6.3k reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$$

    I made reservations for Sunday Brunch and was looking forward to experiencing another Jose Andres…read morerestaurant. We were seated immediately by the matra-dee before our reservation time slot. The decor is open and airy and there's a large patio if you prefer to dine alfresco. We wanted a variety of items and began with Hummus, smoked beet salata and baba ghanoush. Followed by Crispy brussels afelia, Chicken shakshouka, Soujouk pide and shish taouk. For dessert we enjoyed Greek yogurt with apricots and olive oil cake with champagne. The presentation of all the entree's were plated professionally, tasted outstanding, and service from our waiter was on point. I highly recommend this restaurant by Jose Andres.

    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.

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    Casamara

    Casamara

    4.3(47 reviews)
    1.1 miDupont Circle, Downtown

    What a night in DC!…read more Barrett & Whitney (representing the locals), Andy & Alisa (in from Birmingham), Spencer & Phoebe (holding it down from NYC), and I (representing hometown Dallas) set out in search of a spot for a family dinner that felt special but not stuffy. Ivy pulled baby duty with Warner--she was definitely missed--but the rest of us rallied. After scrolling through options, the description of Casamara on Yelp sealed the deal, and wow, did it deliver. Whit had the genius idea to do everything family-style, which turned out to be perfect for our crew of seven. Once drinks were in hand and the menus ogled over, I teamed up with our stellar waiter, Louis, to orchestrate the feast: - Two NY Strips, perfectly cooked and pre-sliced for easy sharing - Two butterflied whole Branzinos, meaty and crisp-skinned - One Harissa Chicken with just the right kick - Plus a lineup of sides and starters: Wild Boar Gemelli Pasta, Roasted Beets, Roasted Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and plenty of warm Focaccia Every dish hit the mark--beautifully presented, bursting with flavor, and portioned just right. Service was spot-on, too--Louis and the team had us covered without a hitch. Our only tiny gripe? The volume! The energy was great, but the noise level made conversation a bit of a challenge. Still, minor quibble aside, it was another picture-perfect evening for the Gold-Sokol-Lewis crew.

    I visited this rooftop and was pushed by this white woman bartender/waitress…read more I also was with my fiance. And the bouncer carded him and my friends, saw me with him holding his hand, and chose to let in the group of white people next to us and made me wait to be carded even tho we told them we were a group of 10 and we were all together.

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    Maydan - Roasted carrots

    Maydan

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$$$

    Maydan had been on our list of places to try for a while. It can be tough to get a reservation. We…read morewere able to add ourselves on the OpenTable waitlist and receive alerts if a table opened up. Luckily we were able to get a table outside at 6PM on a Friday night for four people. The tawle tasting menu is about $100 per person and it was a great way to try the menu. We were able to pick from a list of spreads, vegetables and meats and at the end we were also able to choose two desserts based on our party size. You start with Mouneh - pickled vegetables, Honey Soaked Dates, and the most delicious Halloumi. You then select 3 spreads - Muhammara, Walnut Casik, and Beet Borani with warm pita bread. For entree we ordered Chicken Shish Taouk, Ribeye, and cauliflower. They had a nice cocktail list so we tried a few cocktails. The espresso martini includes gelato, and there was a green cocktail that was very refreshing. The service was really good. Please be aware that they do add a fee on the bill and guests may not notice this and may tip an additional amount which we did, but the service was outstanding. We were able to walk inside and see the open fire grill where they make the pitas on and go to the bathroom. We really enjoyed sitting in the alley on a nice evening.

    Went here to celebrate with my family and had a party of four…read more Drink order took 10 minutes, delivery of said drinks took another 15. The appetizer was dropped on my lap as the waitress cleared the plate. She didn't seem to care and said "slippery little things". $300 worth of food was delivered and not once were we asked how the food quality was. The problem is the $75 flat iron steak we ordered as medium came out as rare and was to the point it was hard to cut it was so chewy. Spoke to manager about the situation and his care meter seemed to be broken. It's a shame because ambiance and environment is great. The service was not.

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    Iron Gate

    Iron Gate

    4.0(823 reviews)
    1.2 miDowntown, Dupont Circle
    $$$

    We went to this restaurant for Valentine's Day. We were here from out of town and had no idea what…read moreto expect. From the start, the experience was wonderful. The staff was so warm and friendly and we were seated next to the fireplace, which made the whole experience nice and cozy. The food was nothing short of amazing and the servings were generous. The factor that made the experience even more special, however, was our server Cameron. Not only was she incredibly charming, she also oozed professionalism. She seemed to know what we wanted before we did, making the entire evening that much more memorable. We vowed to one another to come back during warmer weather to enjoy the wisteria-adorned patio in bloom and hope for an experience even half as special.

    stopped in recently and had a decent, but unmemorable meal at Iron Gate. It's a cute restaurant,…read moretall ceilings, nice patio in the back with some seating in front and back and a bar in the middle. Service was warm. Went with the family table pre-fix menu, which includes all meze, and your choice of pasta, entree and dessert to share. overall, thought the dishes lacked flavor and depth. highlight was the pasta which you can tell is made fresh. but that is the one dish I would return for. short rib and maitake were dry, served on a bed of duxelles. caesar dressing was not bright, croutons were stale. citrus salad and beets were ok. none of the meze stood out

    Photos
    Iron Gate - The "Tunnel of Love"

    The "Tunnel of Love"

    Iron Gate
    Iron Gate - Courtyard

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    Courtyard

    Mama Ayesha's Restaurant - mideastern - Updated May 2026

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