Continuing alphabet series for 2025 runner-up to original out of town C pick to local DMV, C is for…read moreCazbar. For a couple of months my friend, who is of Turkish heritage and lives out in Germantown, wanted to meet me closer to my home to go to Cazbar. We went on Saturday, 9/6/25 for lunch (lunch prices are better as why I shot for lunch time). We walked in, and it was fancy Middle Eastern decor. Server was nice & efficient answering questions. I got their take on flatbread pizza called Lamb Pide. Wow, the lamb and pizza as a whole was amazing. My friend got some more expensive platter, which looked good. If I came back, I'd maybe get something like what he got. My friend (& me to a lesser extent) were cogitating on getting a dessert. I think me saying we ate a lot, it's extra calories, & prices are pretty high for dessert, ended up swaying him not to get dessert. Plus, there was a Greek festival and might get a baklava or other dessert there, which I did. Overall, my impression was wow, this place is impression, and I want to go with my girlfriend one of these days, maybe on a weekend before a movie at AMC Columbia or something.

The birthday dinner was so much fun. We ordered the Sultan's Platter, a three-course shared meal…read morethat was both hearty and meat-centric. It included a variety of mezze, followed by an entree featuring two types of chicken, two types of beef, shrimp, and salmon, and concluded with ​Baklava for dessert. The food was well-seasoned with generous portions. Additionally, the alcoholic beverages were fresh, creative, and strong, with a wide variety of options available. The only thing is that it was super loud and the belly dancing lasted approx 30 mins so if you make a resy during the allotted time you can easily miss it like we did. I would definitely give it another shot, arriving on time!

Growing up, I had a lot of Muslim friends and over the last 20 years. I've tried pretty much every…read moreentry in the Middle Eastern category in the area. Maiwand has top tier meat, really well seasoned and marinated. Much better than some of the other places around here. But it really sticks out with my mom is the green sauce. That green sauce is so good you could put it on a flip-flop. There are times when DoorDash offers significant discounts to Maiwands competitors and I still choose them just because no one else has perfected the green sauce like they have. Love the chicken, beef, kofta, and tandoori chicken

I've been coming here for years since they opened. The food is consistently good and the service…read moreis always great. The price is also very reasonable for the portion. You can bring your own alcohol which makes it a great HH spot. The place is always clean and plenty of seatings for everyone.

Me and my parents went yesterday to celebrate Mother's Day! I will say that the atmosphere was…read morebreathtakingly gorgeous with its beautiful Turkish mosaic lamps and little sun flowers hanging from the ceiling. Absolutely fantastic service. The gentleman at the front who I assumed was the owner was an absolute sweet heart and was very friendly with us picking out our seat. Loved the food too. We had humus for an appetizer. My mom had shrimp kabab, I had beef kabab and dad had the veggie kabab. Everything was cooked perfectly and was delicious. Even desert was good. My mom loved her baklava and I had pudding cake. Thank you so much for making my mom's Mother's Day special!

Met my family here for a birthday celebration and it didn't disappoint. None had been here before…read moreand everyone loved it. Ordered hummus and muhammara to start and we crushed it. The muhammara is so unique and addicting, if we didn't have a ton of food coming, I would eat 2 orders. For our entree, we split the family combo and ordered 6 add'l lamb chops because they are exceptional here. Cooked perfectly and nicely seasoned, these aren't the tiny chops you find at most places. These are huge, pork chop size and by far, the best entree on the menu. The family combo came with lamb chops, beef/chicken kababs, lamb/chicken adana, kofta, rice, salad, and more pita. With the exception of the overcooked beef kabab, all other meats were moist, tender, and really flavorful. Service was also very good on a busy dinner evening. Will return soon.

This must be the best shawarma I've ever had. They have the beef and the chicken. I went for the…read morechicken. It was very well cooked and seasoned. The restaurant is also located in a strip and has ample parking. I'm bookmarking for frequent lunch places.

Driving through the area, looking for a place to eat…read more We're fans of shawarma and Mediterranean food and found the place on Yelp. Online, the restaurant boasts a pretty extensive menu, including sandwiches, kabobs, platters, lamb chops, salads, soup and a variety of dips. In house, though, the menu posted at the counter is more limited - shawarma, kabobs, platters, sandwiches and a few dips. We ordered from the in-house menu. I got the falafel wrap. It comes with a small cup of tahini and a few pieces of cucumber and lemon wedge. The whole thing was great. The pita was soft, but not chewy. The falafel was some of the best I've ever had in terms of texture and taste. The other ingredients - onion, parsley, tahini - enhanced and didn't overpower the rest of it. Really good. I recommend the falafel. My partner got the chicken shawarma wrap with a side of fries. Overall, the wrap was good but the chicken was a little dry. The fries were good and a nice portion for $2. The wrap came with cups of sauces - one was mayonnaise-based and the other yogurt-based. My partner wasn't impressed with either one. Sitting inside is comfortable. Nice tables and comfortable, classy faux-leather black chairs. Music appropriate to the restaurant theme playing from the ceiling. The restaurant is small (4 tables plus outdoor seating) is located at the very end of a long strip mall. A little hard to find. My impression is that this is more of a takeout place. The restaurant is Halal.

The most pillowy naan I've had this side of the Atlantic!…read moreI'm very picky on what I consider to be good if not great Indian food. As I come from the curry capital of the UK. I grew up with every form of Indian cuisine already on my doorstep. From Goan to the less gravy based Pakistani foods. So I wasn't expecting much, when we needed to book somewhere close to the pavilion. However I was wrong. Everything g we ate was excellent. From the paneer sizzler to the wife's shrimp tika masala. The only criticism would be that we would have loved to have been asked if we wanted another wine. But the place was crazy busy due to the concert nearby. They were rushed. So I'll let it pass.

We stopped here for a a casual midweek date day and it was great! The restuarant is a smaller size…read morewhich made it feel intimate and personal. It also was a modern design that made this place feel a bit more upscale than typical Indian restaurants. After looking at menu and buffet, we chose the buffet which was a great choice! They had many delicious options to choose from including butter chicken, spinach paneer, Biryani rice, naan pizza, curry goat, and more. And it was all at a very affordable price. (And midday it wasn't super busy which could make it a nice family friendly option.) Our waiter was also very attentive to our needs and kind. Overall, it was a great time and I would highly recommend.

11 years later, I still love my Maiwand Kabob. This is one of six locations of this name…read more All of them are delicious, but a couple of notes about this location: * The printed menu is pretty short, but they do have a much longer menu online (I've found I can order those items in-store also, but you need to know to look for them) * It has a larger dining area, and offers table service for groups or if you have mobility limited folks in your party * Online ordering cuts off an hour before store close, but you can still call your order in after that * Don't forget about dessert! Unsurprisingly they have great baklava, but the cheesecake variants are sleeper hits Afghan remains one of the best combination of affordable and savory in the area, it's a great way to eat well and support a local business while you're at it!

We're foodies who LOVE eating out and I just knew that we'd been here. My husband was right, haha…read more There are two doors to ease the traffic flow. One guides you to the register and the other is the exit. Staff will ask whether you are taking out or dining in. If dining in, you will be given a menu and may choose your table to await table service. They have the cutest little bench adorned with flowers for photo ops. We sat there while waiting for our to go order. There is no music playing, perfect for conversations. The food is fresh and delicious! I have a feeling that we'll be going back!

Ok halal food. The ingredients are definitely fresh. The flavor wasn't great but it was edible…read more Definitely good for when you are in a pinch but not a place I would go out of my way to there.

Went in to grab a quick bite and came out a fan. Got the fish gyro and the staff told me it be a 7…read moremin wait, but it'll be worth it! Hearing that sentiment I was intrigued because I never thought about a fish gyro. So when it came out the staff asked what would I like one it. I'm not gonna lie the fish was cooked to perfection. Golden brown and looking like your favorite uncle made it. I asked for the works and as he struggled to close the sandwich I had a bit of excitement on my face, because I was ready for my 2009 chipotle wrapped gyro (not sure if they still fill them like that). And the first bite I felt like an influencer who got paid to give there opinion. Making one of those OMG I can't believe this food taste so good faces willing to throw anything around (I threw my napkin across the table for the effect). But seriously the gyro was really good, it was satisfying, light and immensely flavorful. The restaurant was clean and tidy. Its worth a trip if your in the area and your welcome for the gem!

I come here all the time--it's one of my go-to spots for a fast, efficient lunch. The setup is…read moresuper convenient: you walk down the line and customize your bowl or pita with all your favorite toppings. My usual order is the power greens topped with chicken and lamb meatballs, hummus, eggplant dip, tzatziki, tomatoes, and cucumbers, all finished with their lemon tahini dressing. It's always fresh, flavorful, and really satisfying. They also have a great selection of fruit drinks--my favorite is the blueberry lavender. Another big plus is their rewards program. You earn points with every visit, and I've already scored free pita chips and drinks. Overall, it's a reliable spot for a quick, healthy, and delicious meal.

The steak bowl I ordered was pretty good, flavorful. Despite ordering a preset bowl, I was still…read moreable to make specific toppings decisions in this Chipotle-esque style eatery. The space was large, bright, and well appointed and the staff was friendly and competent enough, but the cost of the bowl was too much. Paying around $18 for a casual lunch isn't it. Plus the accompanying pita bread was subpar.