Was in the area for an appointment that was rescheduled but had already paid for an hour of parking. So, I decided to pull up the nearest breakfast spot and ended up here at Olive Lebanese Eatery. The menu had a lot of options for breakfast! I decided to try the Lebanese Scramble w/Wheat toast and a Lebanese Mint Lemonade. My food was seasoned to perfection and tasted amazing! The drink was not overly sweet and the mint was fresh! Seating is available inside and on the patio. It is a small spot but service was great and they were knowledgeable with the menu and offering suggestions. This will definitely be a fave for me whenever I am back in the area! I hope to try their lunch menu soon! The pricing was great and the atmosphere was relaxed and fairly quiet. I had a high table next to the window for a view! I walked here but Im sure parking is available on the street. It's kind of tucked off behind a building but you cant miss the red umbrellas on the patio! read more

See all

Went to a brunch on Saturday morning with a group of 20+ people and Olive Lebanese Eatery delivered a solid experience. The establishment is small but don't let you fool that. They definitely can handle crowds! Everything that I tried was super duper fresh. I personally ordered a Sheesh Tauk Salad and Mint Lemonade. The chicken was juicy, the salad was glistening. The dips tasted fresh. Mint lemonade was fresh af! I highly recommend Olive Lebanese Eatery for a great brunch and a good time! 4.4/5 read more

See all

Olive Eatery is one of my go-to spots, and I'm always happy to come back with coworkers for both breakfast and lunch. The food is consistently fresh and delicious. For lunch, I really enjoy the kebab bowl, flavorful, filling, and always well prepared. Their breakfast options are great too, especially when paired with their pistachio coffee, which has become one of my favorites. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the owner/manager is incredibly hospitable, which makes every visit feel appreciated. Definitely a place worth returning to again and again. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The food was not good, everything was extremely salty to the point of being inedible. The service was also bad

I was working in Ballston and needed a quick lunch. I went to eat at Olive Lebanese Eatery rather than getting takeout. It's a cute little restaurant. My server was very attentive and nice. I ordered the vegetable delight platter and it was light and bright with excellent hummus, stuffed grape leaves, tahini, grilled pita, flavorful and moist falafel and a tasty salad. Everything was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be back to give them another try. I want to try other things on the menu. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Veggie Delight - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Honestly I'm kind of timid when ordering in person, so I prefer online ordering. The lady was fed up with me I could tell but she was still really sweet. IMO Olive has decent customer service. I got a burger and Sweet potato tots with a ranch pasta salad sample/side that comes with the burger. It's bra to look at the menu online but they have paper menus as well, soon to be updated I was told! They're pricey but the restaurant is more cafe style and it's intimate with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. It's really cute in there, I liked the ambiance a lot. Very clean and you can tell the food is fresh! The burger was delightful! So so so delicious. I liked the sweet potato tots as well, loved the crunch. The ranch salad was different but actually really fresh and delicious. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Ranch pasta salad - very fresh and light has red and green peppers in it. - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Great little cafe! The menu is expansive with a lot to choose from for breakfast or lunch. The service is good and the buffalo chicken wrap was delicious. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Buffalo Chicken Wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This is a quaint neighborhood establishment that is tucked away in the Ballston area in Arlington. I had a lovely three course meal that included the following: - Banana Smoothie - Falafel Platter - Chicken Shawarma Platter - Baklava - Caramel Gelato The standouts for me were the Banana Smoothie which was a meal in its self and the chicken shawarma that was packed with protein. read more

See all

Flavorful, zesty, organic, wholesome and clean - these words I'd use to describe my vegan kabob and experience. This cafe-style vibe and restaurant is a great place for Middle Eastern food. The one entree I ordered for dinner was sufficient for myself. Yes, the price at ~$20 was a bit higher than expected (given it was salad/greens and hummus), but the taste was so good, I am giving it a near perfect score at 4.5/5 Perhaps it might be better to come here for lunch (if they have lunch specials) instead. If prices were slightly cheaper, I'd come here more often. Nonetheless, great job. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Vegan Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Ordered the combination steak and chicken shawarma for take out and the order was ready right on time. The steak was just ok but the chicken was amazing definitely recommend! Looks like there is both indoor and outdoor seating available read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Combination steak and chicken shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Let me be clear, I really love olive! However, I felt it really necessary to come back and adjust a star. Typically, the employees at this restaurant are great. However, I recently had a negative interaction with the assumed owner of the restaurant - the woman who is always there. I requested an additional sauce, which is less than a true tablespoon amount and she attempted to charge me $1.25. Ma'am, I come here 3+ times a week. And sometimes, you forget the sauce altogether. And I order online, which results in an additional $1 fee. Good here is still great, but that's not how you do business. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Chicken Shawarma Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

A neighborhood gem tucked away in an unassuming sea of office buildings. This eatery has solid breakfast/lunch food. We got the gyro, breakfast burger and french toast. I highly recommend the sweet potato tots!! So good!!! To find a place in this area with no line and tastes amazing on a Saturday morning is heaven sent! Would recommend! read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Olive is delicious! I've had a couple items from their menu and they never miss. Great for all times of day! I didn't love their matcha, but I'm always quite picky with that. The restaurant is always quite clean and the staff is friendly! There's not too much parking but it's easily walkable from the metro read more

I went to culinary school. I got the chai latte, shish taouk (chicken) plate and the homemade cheesecake. The chicken plate was presented well. The salad was fresh and wasn't drenched in oil. The bread seemed to have a light crisp to it, possibly pan fried. The bread was also covered in sumac, personally I would have preferred a lighter amount. Between the bread was a handful of pickled onions, consider letting them marinate for longer as the flavor was lost. The amount of chicken served was disappointing, it seemed to be around 3oz. The rice on the other hand covered half of the plate (more is hidden under the bread). I think you could do a little more with the rice. For example, some sauteed angel hair, or tumeric/cinnamon/cloves/bay leaves. The cheesecake was well made, although I think every cheesecake can be better with a vanilla bean. The menu listed kataifs which weren't on the plate. I think the quality of chocolate used could be a lot better, it almost tasted like Hershey's. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Shish taouk plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

This place is awesome! The fresh baked pita bread was the icing on the proverbial cake! I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and I think you will too. I ordered the mint lemonade which was freshly squeezed and freshly minted! The salmon kebab was perfectly seasoned and seared! The healthy portions of almond accented rice and Greek salad was just what my hungry tummy needed! The waitress was also so kind and helpful. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the area! read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Salmon Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

This place is a true hidden gem. If you love Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food, you will love Olive. I need to go back and try more! read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Dip platter and cigarette rolls - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Went here today to do brunch with some friends! I did not see a reservation system online, so my friend called and made a reservation for three at 11, which I would highly recommend on a weekend as they get very busy and very full! The place is right in front of Sola salon, we went around in a square because we couldn't find it, but it's behind the building, not on the street side, and we paid to park in the garage. Paid street parking is also available. Service here is very slow, but it's not bad at all; my friends and I had a really great time catching up and sitting there for a few hours, but if you're someone who wants to get up and go maybe it would irritate you. They are so nice and greet everyone who walks in, it feels very personal ! The meat is all Halal, which is very nice :) my friends got the chicken and OE kebab and I got the Beirut breakfast - everything was delicious and portion sizes were good! The drinks were delicious as well, my friend got a pistachio latte, the other got a peppermint hot chocolate, and I got the mint lemonade (I appreciated it was not slushy). We also got the chocolate cake and baklava. The baklava didn't have a lot of syrup so it felt a little dry but was still good and the chocolate cake was so rich! Bathroom was also clean - you do have to ask staff so they can give the key. I will definitely come back again !! read more

See all

Fresh, delicious, fair prices and friendly staff. This has become a go to place for lunch for me. Space is well lit and there's even outdoor seating. read more

I visited Olive today for the first time in a while, and was really pleased. First thing I noticed was the service- it used to be quite slow, but today it was noticeably quick. They also had employees taking orders from tables which was nice. I ordered the chicken shawarma platter; the chicken was cooked to perfection and was so flavorful. I really enjoyed the quinoa too. The cucumber and tomato salad was also delicious and I really love that garlic spread (though be prepared with mints for the rest of the day!) I'll definitely pop in again sooner rather than later. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Chicken shawarma platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My new favorite Arlington restaurant! I was recently diagnosed with histamine intolerance, so I need to avoid a long list of ingredients. This morning, the owner and staff offered me many options to avoid problematic foods while enjoying a taste of Lebanon. I've now tried breakfast and lunch at Olive, and I can recommend the Beirut breakfast, the salmon kebabs, and the Mediterranean salad as really delicious. The interior space is charming with Lebanese music playing at a good volume. There are a few small tables on the sunny patio for those who want to enjoy the fresh air. Olive gets very busy for lunch, but I practically had the space to myself for my big breakfast. I will come back to try the special coffee drinks on another day. Those look excellent, too! read more

See all

Fabulous takeout lunch! Everything is fresh and soooo flavorful! I was a regular customer when this business was in my Herndon office building, but the pandemic hit the location irreparably -- I am delighted to find them in Ballston. Chicken is amazing. Hummus is killer! Love the spices and garlic levels I. Everything. Just YUM overall! read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Takeout - Lebanese chicken platter - fantastic!!! - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Oh my goodness!! This place is the definition of a hidden gem. Tucked away in a quieter part of Ballston, this eatery serves as a reminder that the hospitality of small businesses is truly unmatched. Despite being fairly busy, the staff greeted us as soon as we walked in. I had the Beirut breakfast, which was basically a platter of halloumi, hummus, and falafel. The hummus was delicious and flavorful. Others in my party enjoyed the shakshuka and chicken shawarma sandwich. Next time, I'll have to try one of their coffees - they have Turkish coffee, as well as an assortment of flavored lattes (rose water, pistachio, honey lavender, etc). They also have cool Mediterranean inspired takes on traditional breakfast - the Pistachio challah French toast and Lebanese scramble come to mind. Our server, Ely, was amazing - incredible attentive, patient and helpful. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Beirut breakfast - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Enjoyed brunch here with some friends and the food was solid. Tons of good options for a solid price. Only complaint was the shakshuka was a but watery but overall very enjoyable meal. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My friend and I have been eyeing this restaurant for a couple months and finally got the chance to try it out yesterday for lunch! All the Wilson Blvd restaurants definitely overshadow other Ballston establishments, but am glad to see equally good (if not better) options outside of that strip. The interior is very cafe styled - not many indoor tables but each one has a nice plant decor and overall a clean feel. This isn't a cafe you'd stay at for a long time - very much order your food, sit and eat then dash. CHICKEN SHAWARMA PLATTER - 11.99 This was a huge plate of food! Lots of carbs - the basmati rice was seasoned well and could be eaten by itself. The pita bread was fluffy and soft, pairing well with the hummus (smooth and delicious, but a bit too salty for me). The chicken breast was pretty thin and there wasn't much of it. It was too salty and I had to eat a lot of rice to dilute it. The garlic sauce was delicious with the rice, and the greek salad was a nice veggie option! I'd be interested in checking out their kabob options next time! My friend enjoyed his SHAKSHUKA (not a lot of food and essentially no carbs, so you might need to get something else to be full). read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Chicken Shawarma Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I went here for brunch with a couple of friends and we really enjoyed it! The food here is excellent and comes in large portions and is really fairly priced. I ordered the shakshuka and it was made fresh and comes out piping hot. The location can be a bit difficult to find but it's definitely worth it! read more

The lebneh was outstanding! The texture smoother than ice cream and paired with a really delicious olive oil it was heaven. The sprig of mint made it perfection itself. Thank you. I'm not even going to complain about the(only) One tablespoon of sauce I got for my falafel. read more

Wrapping up some college visits we wanted something good where we could sit down, talk and enjoy our meal. Olive was the perfect spot. The place is clean, service was great, and the food.... If we lived closer we'd be in at least once a week. Fresh, hot, flavorful, and large servings made for a great lunch. read more

See all

Love this place! It is the perfect brunch spot, everything is fresh, delicious and authentically Mediterranean. I love the labneh, their hummus, and the Beirut breakfast which comes with fresh fruit and veggies and the most delicious dips, falafel and bread. The pistachio French toast is incredible - that comes with two thick, delicious slices of toast and an incredible nutty topping. No pictures were taken because we ate everything too fast since it was incredible. I only wish they were also open on Sunday and offered their Saturday brunch menu on both days. Definitely check this place out, you won't regret it! read more

Would've given 4.5 stars if I could've. Placed a delivery order for a Cobb salad, lentil soup, baklava, and lemon bar. The order was delayed but that wasn't a deal breaker. The Cobb salad was generously portioned. The lettuce was crisp and fresh, the grape tomatoes firm and sliced in half, the avocado was just right - soft, creamy and succulent. While the chicken breast was deliciously seasoned, it was a tad dry though not inedibly so. The boiled egg was cooked well and the turkey was fine. The downside was that the salad did not contain blue cheese crumbles as described, a disappointment - though I thoroughly enjoyed the salad and devoured the entire serving. The baklava was a smaller sized portion than I expected, but that said it was some of the best baklava I've had in the area. It was in a word - perfect! Flaky shatteringly crisp layers of dough, plenty of nuts, sweet but not too sweet, hints of honey but not drenched into a soggy sticky inedible morass. A delight! The lemon bar was enormous but as yet untasted. Based on the baklava I have high hopes. The only fail for me was the lentil soup. The spices were tasty and the texture was fine, but it was so salty for my palate that I gave up after 3 bites. The salt overwhelmed the dish for me. I like salty well enough, but it was just too much for me. Perhaps my taste buds were on the fritz or maybe the kitchen had a misstep. In any event I would definitely order from them again and hope to drop by in person one day. There are just too many delicious sounding dishes to try. Highly recommend. read more

LOVE this place. Delicious, authentic Lebanese food. Service is always fast and friendly, in a beautiful bright space. The fattoush is SO good as is the Lebanese rice bowl and don't sleep on the turmeric latte! read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Fattoush - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Extremely disappointed that the dishes have changed. My favorite chicken shawarma platter has gone from a mostly authentic dish to a bland dumbed down version that you would expect from a commercial deli. The chicken used to be small well marinaded strips and the rice was delicious. Now you get a small breast sitting on some boring yellow rice. To add insult, there was a pickle included! A pickle!! Sadly I will not go back here. You get less food, bland food and now it costs more than it used to. Very disappointed because this is within walking distance and I would like to support local small business. read more

Was really surprised by this space. Staff was really welcoming, food was great and tasted fresh and cared for, space was clean. My only issue was parking, which I had sooooooo much difficulty finding. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I have been here before for eat in and was very impressed. Tonight got take out and very disappointed. I ordered the fattoush salad - I was surprised for takeout the dressing was not on the side but even worse it is soaked in the salad dressing. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Fattoush Salad with Shrimp - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My wife and I really enjoyed some great Shakshuka, eggs and tea. A lovely environment for a relaxing meal!

This place really has that close-knit small restaurant vibes. The service was so good and our waitress was so friendly and attentive. I ordered the habibi omelette and it had a great mix of flavors. I also ordered the chicken kabob and the chicken was cooked perfectly. Soft and juicy and not dried out. This is a great place to go for some quick bites and just hang out over some good food. Will definitely come back again soon. read more

See all

Super yummy food and great customer service. Love this place! I definitely recommend. read more

See all

I wish there was a way to separate the experience from the taste, but I have to go on pure customer experience for this review. I don't like putting up one star reviews because I'm well aware of how they can affect a business, but I think this one is warranted. I'll start with the good! On taste alone, I though my steak shawarma was pretty good. Let's call it 4 stars or maybe even 5. It's hard to say, because I had to eat it in the car on my way back to work. Why? The not so good: I waited 1 hour wait for a sandwich! I ordered a steak shawarma and a veggie pita for lunch their own website. The email said my food would be ready at 12:22 PM. I arrived early and checked in. They told me to wait 10 minutes. I checked in again and they said to wait 5 more minutes. 5 minutes passed and still no shawarma. I told them I would be back in 10 minutes and the food still wasn't ready. I think you get the point here. Eventually, someone checked in with me, cross checked their order system and my guess is there was some sort of internal error. But that should have been done at 12:30, not 12:50. I got my food and while they were nice and apologetic, it's not reasonable to wait 50 minutes for a sandwich! Especially on a to-go order. I had to inhale the good in the car on my way back to work. And if you're reading this Olive management, if your customer is waiting 45 minutes for food, offer them a cup of water at the very least. read more

See all

So good!!! I have high standards for Arabic/Levantine/Mediterranean restaurants and this one definitely met them! The restaurant was clean, good music playing, and the staff were very nice. I got the falafel bowl and it was amazing. The falafel was fresh, good crunch not too hard, and flavorful. The salad was fresh and the hummus was even better and lastly the tahini sauce was my favorite part. I will be returning for more 10/10 so far. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Falafel Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

3.5 stars My friend and I went for a late lunch on a rainy late spring day. We both got sandwiches that were tasty and satisfying. It was a little slow as we were past the lunch hour a bit, but once we got the attention of the one server, she got us what we needed. It's a small work week cafe that has more to it than initially meets the eye based on its Lebanese inspired menu. Will be back for more but for a quick bite and a cozy cafe, it's more interesting than a Starbucks for sure. read more

I want to emphasize that poor experiences oftentimes are not the faults of the service staff, but poor planning from ownership. That appears to be the case here. Olive Lebanese Eatery is located next to where I work, and I decided to drop by last week to grab a few things for some co-workers. I'd give it a five-star for its convenience factor, but truth is that it's convenient for me, but will require everyone else not working with me to take somewhat of walk to get there. As for the restaurant itself, people often use the words "quaint" or "intimate" to nicely describe spots that are limited in size in seating. Such is the case here. But rather than using the cliches, I am just going to use the word "plain." There is nothing about this place that might have stood out. It just exists. It's the food, however, that I am a bit concerned about. I ordered the chicken shawarma bowl with quinoa - and what came out didn't resemble any shawarma I have ever had. Instead of the shaved chicken I am used to, I got something large slices of chicken breast chunks instead. The sauce it came with was also too thick to be shawarma sauce in the first place. Because I was hungry, I did finish the entire meal, but it's certainly not the type place I would return to or include on my recommendations for a potential dare when planning a dinner. The staff, however, was incredibly nice and solely responsible for the 3- instead of 2-star rating. Given how busy they were, that the staff was so friendly and helpful is a testament to them. Bravo. In all, one of the most beautiful things about the DMV is its diversity in culture - and if a restaurant can't get it right, as is the case here, there are other places to visit. Then again, some people are just looking for sustenance instead of experience or authenticity. If that were the case, this place will certainly fit the bill. read more

Olive Lebanese Eatery - Pieces of chicken breast are flavored and called "shawarma." - Mediterranean Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all