Absolutely love Sababa. I am so glad it opened in my neighborhood! I have gone there with my boyfriend on a date night, friends when they were in town, my cousin for a girls night, and my parents for a special dinner when they visited. It is that rare place that is perfect for both a "regular" dinner out and a special occasion. I have also ordered curbside pickup from them a few times during quarantine, and they've been very conscientious with precautions. The staff are SO friendly and attentive, and they really want you to have the best experience. My parents really bonded with our server, and they chatted every time he came over. Not to mention the food! The eggplant is to die for. We also always order the halloumi, the Israeli salad, the grilled broccoli, and the fried cauliflower (so... pretty much all of the small plates). A bunch of those (plus the hummus) and one of the kebabs to share, and we are happy campers. We also got a couple of their cocktails recently, which were beautifully packaged in Mason jars for takeout. They also offer a great selection of non-alcoholic sodas, which are delicious. Their desserts are creative and flavorful... a really nice mix of savory and sweet. I LOVE THEIR SAUCES. Can't recommend Sababa enough! read more

Sababa - Such a nice note from the chef! - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Outdoor heaters and a safer one-wall tent! Wonderful, warm, and enthusiastic service, coupled with fantastic Mediterranean cuisine in a cozy setting. The salmon kebab, the charred eggplant, and the roasted halumi were amazing. The hummus was whipped to a delicate cream. The Konafi cake was to die for. Our server could not have been more helpful and generous with his time and going to bat to get us extra dishes. read more

Frank was accommodating, quick and kind when resolving a reservation error made by myself. We all enjoyed the delicious food. Thank you again, Frank. read more

I'm very excited to have returned to Sababa. For a bit I had crossed it off my list as they had implemented one of those horrible scammy restaurant surcharges and I will not visit any restaurants that impose those. However a friend let me know they removed it, so back I went!! Hurrah! The food is delish but I have to admit I really love the creative cocktail variety even more. Thanks for dropping the surcharge- I'm back!! read more

Based on the Michelin listing, we were excited to try Sababa. The Salatin appetizer (selection of dips) did not disappoint. The turmeric-honey-harissa dip was particularly good, the sweetness of the dip offset by the spicy harissa. The garlic labne and the red pepper dip were also delightful. The accompanying pita, a beautiful round that was much puffier than a typical pita, was excellent. It's worth getting an extra pita for those dips. One Salatin was enough for two. We had looked forward to the Jerusalem Mixed Grill as a way to try three grilled meats, and that was definitely a mistake. When I asked for the steak and lamb to be medium-rare, the waitress said that was not possible because the meats are cooked in advance, so they would be medium to medium-well. Grilled meats are definitely not something to be cooked in advance! We tried it anyway, and the marinade definitely helped, but pre-cooking took the expected toll--little by way of meat juices, most pieces dry, and (yes, I was warned) generally harmed by overcooking. If I went back, I'd try the lamb shank, which Yelp photos suggest is juicy and flavorful, something not harmed by precooking. Some meat dishes do profit from being cooked in advance (e.g., stews), but grilled meats should always be cooked to order; it really doesn't take long to grill kabobs or meat slices Service was not stellar. The main came out before we were halfway done with the appetizer, the waiter was nowhere to be found when drinks were empty (I gave up on getting a second drink), and we had to ask another server for our check. The dining room was more than half empty, so there was not much excuse for the poor timing or inattentiveness. read more

Delicious and fresh food. You can eat outside in front under cover or up on the roof (partially covered). Every plate was interesting and easy to share. Our server let us linger which was nice. read more

If you get Salome as your server, you will be thoroughly impressed. He knows his stuff and delivers great service! He answered all the question we had about the menu and granted all our requests promptly. Most of the dishes are served tapas style and are all very unique. I can't vouch for how authentic the menu is as far as Israeli dishes go, but they definitely have a very middle eastern flare. I definitely recommend the hummus of the day. Their hummus is just so creamy and delicious! The most unique dish I tried was the Pan-seared sardine. If you're a fan of fish I definitely recommend you try it. It's bursting with flavor and texture. read more

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Love this place! We have not had a bad experience or meal!! All of it is good, the staff, the food and ambiance. The food is fresh and taste so good. read more

There is nothing - nothing - nothing authentic about Israeli food in this restaurant. Bland food, small serving, and BIG PRICE. Service was less than desirable - I'm sparing you the details. The combination of seasonings and sauces just don't work together! Who hired this chef, shocking. Our first time here and it will be also our last. I can't recommend this place. But, you should try it for yourself. read more

Was so excited to try this place but was terribly disappointed. Place is super cute but food and service is just not up to par. We sat at the bar and quickly ordered the Ptolemy's Lighthouse, after making it they realized the mix they pre-made wasn't right, causing one of the waiters to run around for grapefruit juice. Instead of telling me it would take 30 minutes and asking if there was a different drink I'd like instead I got the drink at the end of our meal. We ordered the roasted halumi which was fantastic, the combination with the dates is perfect, the hummus of the day which was good very creamy, kushri which was fine but I was expecting authentic kushri which from my experience not 95% rice and has more lentils and macaroni, and shakshuka which was a little spicer than I'd prefer. I also order the taameya but I guess the waiter forgot about it since it never came out and wasn't on the bill. read more

Sababa - Roasted Halumi and Kushri - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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As a modern Israeli-American woman, I am thrilled to discover a modern Israeli-American restaurant that is firing on all cylinders. From the small bowl of pickled vegetables that arrives before anything else, to the last sip of an ice cold Goldstar beer, this place gives a robust nod to its middle eastern muse, but the imaginative menu elevates Israeli cuisine to another level. Their hummus is some of the best I've had outside of Israel. Their falafel is the best I've had anywhere. Adding honey, a handful of pickles and a heap of tahini to a plate of chicken schnitzel is a welcome take on a Tel Aviv favorite. The atmosphere of Sababa is cozy and intimate. It's almost always full of happy diners, so make a reservation or be prepared to wait, especially on a weekend. Opt to sit upstairs for a bit more quiet, and there's an adjoining rooftop terrace that's open for alfresco dining in the warmer months. read more

Sabina has terrific vegetarian dishes. We went through almost the entire small plates menu and it was delicious, and a much better value for money than something like Zaytinya. The eggplant with lebneh, the fried cauliflower, the zucchini, etc. we're all just excellent, as was the filo cake dessert. read more

The food was good. We ordered the halloumi (app), eggplant (app), and the mixed grill for two. There were so few people at the restaurant at the time that we went (5ish pm). The waitress was appropriately attentive. However, there was a young man who just sort of hovered around us towards the end of our meal. We were one of two people in the restaurant at that particular time. I didn't see the need in grabbing our plates right away when one of us was done, but I was still finishing up. read more

EVERY dish was full of fresh, bold, unique, and delicious flavors!!! Service was absolute top tier. Food came out quickly and is reasonably priced for how lovely it was. The Salatim is a must. The steak kabob was extremely tender and perfectly seasoned. Our table shared almost all of the small plates and they were all amazing. We also ordered one of all the desserts to share and they were heavenly. My favorite was the strawberry custard but they were all so great. Wonderful ambiance and I cannot reiterate enough that the service was phenomenal!!! read more

This is a very special restaurant and service execution was impeccable. I wish they could start a hospitality training program for other F&B outlets because Sababa runs a super tight operation. No idea what half the things I ate were but the food quality is very high. Good cocktails and good wine but I don't think the desserts are "heavenly" as everyone as says. Maybe I was just too full and wanted something chocolate. Anyway, I definitely recommend this place but make reservations well in advance. read more

Ate here with spouse for the first time today. We were on Connecticut Avenue in the late afternoon and suddenly had time on our hands, so we decided to give Sababa a try. I love Israeli/Middle Eastern food. We had read about the Bindaas/Sababa concept and thought it sounded great. So it's a natural: must try Sababa. We entered around 5 pm on a Sunday. Of the approximately 30 tables in the downstairs dining area, maybe 5 were occupied; we were informed that the entire upstairs was being used for a private party. Having never been there before, we just asked for a table. We were told that we could only sit at communal tables at the front/center at the comfy lounge chairs at the front, or at the bar; the tables at the back are all reserved. We asked again, gee, the tables look empty; 'no', we were told, we are very busy, all will be taken shortly. We took our places at one of two communal tables, each seating 6-8. The entire time we dined nobody else came to the communal tables, and indeed, only one of the dining tables received new diners. We were comfy enough at the communal tables, it was just odd and a bit off-putting to be told we couldn't sit where we wanted, and for the 'reasoning' to be invalid. Better to just say yes. Excellent if limited wine list, with adventurous, well-curated offerings. We had an Oregon Pinot Noir and a Greek red, both very good, at $13-14/glass. We ordered a salad assortment (salatim), hummus with pita's, and a salmon kebab on rice, all to share. The five salads were teeny tiny, maybe two forkfuls apiece, so that's ten forkfuls total per person. Of the five, one was very good, two were good, and two were forgettable. The hummus and pita were first rate. The salmon kebab was very good, I wouldn't call it special. Service is super attentive to the point of being intrusive, it seemed like every 90 seconds someone was fussing, wiping, asking, pouring water, etc. Spouse and I were having a great talk and kept getting interrupted. Total bill including the two wines, tax, tip was $85 for a light late afternoon dinner of small plates. Overall scores and assessment: location 5, atmosphere 5, service 4, food 3, value 2, for an overall score of 3. I don't see us returning here anytime soon despite loving Israeli/Middle Eastern food and the excellent wine list which I would love to try. Not worth the money and fuss. We both felt that we could have made a similar meal at home for much less money and enjoyed it just as much. Compare to Zaytinya or Shouk, each of which is worth a special trip to dine there. Shouk in particular, with affordable fare, delicious and healthy food, and a hot vibe and informal atmosphere, beats Sababa easily. Zaytinya has better food and a fun atmosphere in my opinion. I wish Sababa much success and hope it thrives. read more

This place was excellent!! The hummus was so smooth, the service was great, kababs, awesome. Everything we tried was really good and our service was fantastic as well. Great recommendations and talked a mile a minute haha. read more

Went for Restaurant Week Menu and omg it was like a dream. First of all, cute place. Then my waiter was so cute as well and also helpful in food recommendations. I literally wanted everything on the menu but was already so full before dessert. So I replaced my dessert with a glass of champagne (and it was a big glass, woof). Literally walking smiling like an idiot afterwards. It was such a great start to the weekend though. Highly recommended, will come back. read more

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We've been to this restaurant for dinner twice and enjoyed it both times. I would definitely recommend the appetizers, small plates and dips. The hummus is really outstanding. The kabobs were good, but we'd opt for the appetizers and small plates next time. We also enjoyed the "mocktails" on offer, the cheerful service and the reasonable prices. And the lack of a mandatory service charge. Definitely would recommend. read more

Hands down one of our favorite places in DC! Went today for brunch. YOU HAVE TO TRY THE HALUMI CHEESE! Great bagel sandwiches. Hummus & pita are so delicious and fresh, the kofta is top notch! Loved the zhug bagel sandwich! You have to come here! read more

Sababa was a huge letdown. I had high hopes after a friend recommended it, but the whole experience was less than stellar. We had a reservation, and ended up waiting 30 minutes for a table, despite others being seated first. While we'd requested to be seated in the main dining area, various servers kept trying to take us elsewhere and then someone tried to take us upstairs, but the vibe up there wasn't lively or pleasant at all. To their credit, we were /finally/ given a table downstairs after we asked numerous times. It was as though the wait staff couldn't comprehend our request. Otherwise, the service was average. Our waitress didn't know much about the menu and wasn't really friendly. The food itself wasn't good either. $10 for their supposedly famous hummus is absurd. It was just a bowl of hummus with some watermelon on top--bland. They don't give you enough pita for all the hummus and then charge for additional pita... The chicken liver, halumi, and trout were all ehhh. There were strange flavor combinations and everything was bland or strangely sweet. The only flavor we enjoyed was the lamb/beef kebab, but the thing is, this dish gave me horrible FOOD POISONING a mere two hours later. I've seen other reviews mention this, so beware! I won't return here. read more

Sababa has become my favorite restaurant in DC over the past year. Their food is simply superb. I've done take out many times and sat in their outdoor dining space (in the parking lane on on street out front) this weekend and every time the food was exceptional. Highly recommend the lamb shank with cous cous....it literally fell off the bone! All of the dips and hummus options are yummy and so are the small plates. read more

We went as a family of 4 (2 young kids). Cozy ambience and pretty good food! We were full after eating 3 appetizers - the dips platter (5 dips), Haloumi and corn falafel. Their bread is thick and filling - we enjoyed the food and the mango based drinks! Dessert. -I am a huge Kunafi fan and ordered that but did not much care for it (apricot filling etc). It was good but not what I wanted from the Kunafe read more

Amazing. One of the best restaurants I've been to. We sampled a dozen dishes and desserts and everything was delicious: Lamb staging, chicken kabob, small plates of eggplant, smoked trout, pitas wirh sampler of dips and hummus. The best cake I've ever had. Really recommend this restaurant. Service was excellent too read more

One of the worst restaurant experience I have had in the district. I love middle eastern food as it's my native cuisine but this is just plain awful! It tries to be so different because hey you don't want to identify as Palestinian food but that's what it seems to be the end goal. Anyhow the food is awful don't waste your money! read more

Our meal was absolutely fantastic! We shared a salmon kabob, a vegetable pastry entree, a platter of dips/salads, a lamb tartare appetizer, and the eggplant appetizer. Service was attentive; food arrived with nice timing. One highlight was the pita which came out hot, incredibly fresh, and seasoned nicely. The salmon was lovely (not overcooked or dry as I feared given that it's a kabob). The sauce in which the eggplant was served was wonderful and surprising. The lamb tartare appetizer was great. I enjoyed all of the dips/salads. The vegetable pastry entree was memorably good, with flaky pastry and a nice surprising nuttiness inside. There was no dish that disappointed. My only suggestions to make the meal perfect would have been to bring some items to the table hotter (vegetable pastry and eggplant). The second floor patio is nicely secluded and quiet. However, it was a warm summer DC night, and the patio did not have airflow; it was quite hot and we also had to contend with mosquitoes (with a few fans placed, it would be perfect). The interior of the restaurant had a gorgeous, boisterous atmosphere. read more

5 stars to Andrea for the service, and 4 stars to the food. We found Sababa through the Restaurant Week menus and didn't realize that 1. It is on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for 2019. 2. It is next to another branch of Bindaas, which both belong to the Rasika group. They have valet parking, but the service road also has meter parking. The ambiance goes with the modern, not overly thematic vibe that Rasika restaurants go for. Even on a weekday, probably with the restaurant week effect, too, they were pretty packed for dinner around 7. Their sodas are not regular sodas, so get a sample before you order. Andrea was extremely gracious and helpful throughout our dinner, and her kindness and information about their food made it very special. The restaurant week menu seemed to reflect the main options from the regular menu. Salatim is their tapas plate. Good hummus, pretty standard pita. The appetizers are very exciting. Our favorite was the sun artichokes and the hallumi with a touch of lemon. We actually couldn't finish the eggplant, it was too greasy for our taste. The kebabs are not this spot's strong suit: The rice was dry, so were the meat. But the desserts, especially the apricot cream in their konafi cake was fantastic. Our experience was good thanks to Andrea. We would probably go with appetizers and dessert next time. read more

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I had an amazing experience dining at Sababa last night. We were seated promptly for our reservation The ambience is great, not to loud but lively. We were served by Yosef and his service and recommendations were on point! We started with the Salatim flight of five appetizers. We loved the hummus with harissa and the tangy garlic labne. We then got roasted halumi cheese and it was DELICIOUS! Yosef recommended the sea bass wrapped in grape leaves -talk about flavorful and moist fish. The briny leaves are a great compliment to the fish. The lamb shank was tender and the couscous was light and fluffy. Both excellent. We tried 3 dessert each better then the next.... You cant lose here. I hear brunch is amazing so I'll add that to my list of most haves! read more

Incredible service and food, Sababa was such a great find! Went with family for birthday dinner and enjoyed everything about our meal and dining experience. Will definitely go back! read more

Unfortunately this place has gone downhill, and I can't say it has anything to do with COVID. We have eaten here around ten times and have experienced the decline over a 2 year period. We had a reservation for six people at 8:30 on NYE. Two of us arrived before the others (which included my husband who made the reservation). The unnecessarily unfriendly hostess/sommelier informed me that we requested outdoor seating and would be sat outside in the street under a tent in the rain. The restaurant was about half full, and when I asked if there was a chance of getting a table indoors, she said she had three more parties of six coming in at 9:00, but she could try to squeeze us all around a four top. I decided to sit at the bar and have a drink while waiting for the rest of our party. The bartenders were engaged in a conversation with a young lady who was talking about her plans for the night and barely said 'hello' or engaged us. When the rest of our party arrived, my husband showed me on his phone that he had requested indoor seating. We showed the hostess, who proceeded to argue with us that her computer showed 'outdoor', and that the system puts 'indoor' for all reservations. I then told her that we still did not request outdoor seating. The gentleman manager stepped in and said it was not a problem and sat us at a six too that had been empty for 20 minutes. The hostess proceeded to walk past our table and give my sixteen year old son a nasty look (how mature!), and talk about us to other employees and guests at the bar (how incredibly unprofessional). We ordered three New Year's Eve menu specials, each costing $100 for two people. The food has gone downhill, with flavors not really tasting authentic anymore, but everything was good. A food runner dropped off one entree (duck) in front of my husband and we then literally sat for fifteen minutes waiting for the other entrees (skirt steaks) to arrive. The server acknowledged this and said that my husband must have gotten someone else's dinner and walked away, seemingly unfazed (based on past experiences here, timely and accurate food delivery is an ongoing issue). The other five dishes came out about five minutes later. We ate. The skirt steak was very good, but one third of the plate had couscous with raw turnip chunks, which was not good, and a massive amount of harissa to fill the other third of the plate. Our server came around, while the table was still full of dishes and empty glasses, and dropped the check off to me. She said, ' here is your bill...unless you guys want something else'. I was a bit taken aback that we were not offered dessert or after dinner drinks. So, I paid the bill and we left. The other three parties of six never showed up while we were there. In fact, we did not see a single party come in at 9:00. I don't know why the hostess was just trying to be rude, but she has mastered the art, based on our visits every time she works. Why work in the service industry? This was the last shot we are giving Sababa, based on the fact that the prior experience we had about six months ago was so bad that half our bill was comped by the manager. He had begged us to please try again, and told us to at what we had experienced (terrible and rude service, missing food and drinks, wrong drinks) was not their standard of service. Apparently, it is. We always spend at least $400 when we dine at Sababa, as a family of five with three teens. This place is definitely not worth the price. We loved the Oval room, and apparently it has been rebranded as a French restaurant and reopened. I hope the experience there will be better, as the restaurant group cycles servers through its locations. read more

Just a minor thing. They charged for each Diet Coke,in glasses not bottles or cans. Usually when they're in glasses they come out of a gun at the bar. Again, restaurants don't charge per soda in a glass just if it's served in a bottle or can. . Two of us were charged $17.50 for our Diet Cokes. They should've told us that each glass was a separate charge. They took the glasses for refills even when not empty. read more

Got it via door dash. Had the pomegranate salmon and harissa chicken kabob dishes. Salmon was cooked well but no trace of pomegranate. Harissa was really good. Food and condiments were tasty but too little rice was provided, had to cook rice to have enough food. But not bad overall. read more

Great and innovative Israeli food. Great ambiance Friendly accommodating staff. Great Pita. Some standard Middle Eastern foods but done exceptionally well with unique variations. Had their brunch will be back for dinner. While the restaurant is not vegetarian many of the dishes are vegan vegetarian or meatless. read more

The great: Standout was the hummus (I was a skeptic at first - "can't I just get this at the grocery store" a but this stuff is out of control delicious and flavorful. It's almost like a different food!). The good: the charred eggplant has a lot of different textures and neat presentation, but could have used more flavor. The bad: The vegetarian couscous came recommended but it wasn't as flavorful as the other dishes. It was quite dry. We'll do the lamb shank next time. Friendly service and the upstairs has a patio and a slightly more open and quiet setting read more

I think I found one of my new favorite restaurants in DC. This place is amazing!! My friends and I went here during restaurant week winter 2019 and were able to try a ton of their dishes. There wasn't one thing I didn't enjoy! Highlights: - Dip trio and pita! We tried their hummus, this fennel salad, and beet dip. The hummus was creamy and rich, the fennel was so fresh and the flavors were amazing, and the beet dip was surprisingly creamy but also so fresh. The pita was warm and fluffy, with some tasty spices on top. It was a great spot to the meal. - Next were the appetizers. My favorite was the eggplant. The eggplant was so tender and flavorful and had pistachios on top that added a nice crunch. There was also an amazing sweet salty sauce on the bottom. I was also a big fan of the tomato, onion, cucumber salad that just added so much brightness and flavor among heavier dishes. - The main dishes we tried were their kebabs. I loved the salmon kebab. It was perfectly cooked with great seasoning. The beef/lamb gyro type thing was also super flavorful and juicy, and I liked the harissa chicken thighs as well. - For dessert, we tried the chocolate pudding dish, the strawberry cream pudding, and the pistachio cake. Obviously not the names of the dishes but I think you get the gist ;) they were all delicious. All of them were pretty heavy with this creamy sweet cheese, so would recommend sharing! Overall, such amazing flavors and dishes. Great service and ambiance. I definitely will be back again :) read more

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I'll be honest: I picked this restaurant because it had the best review of any restaurant on the red line in Cleveland Park. But thank god because it was an unexpected gem. Wonderful, cozy atmosphere (could actually hear my table mates talk); attentive wait staff; and the most insanely good food, course after course. After my dining mate told our server they we had never like falafel until tonight, the server brought out the chef and we were able to compliment him directly. He said he personally makes all the hummuses, touches every plate before it goes out. Everything was a riot of flavor in the most constrained way possible. I am a food snob. I could not recommend this place more. Draw your own conclusions. read more

Beautiful and comfortable interior. The food was delicious, we loved everything we ordered! We loved the eggplant, the broccoli and the hummus platter. Our server was excellent, she took extra time to help us figure out how much food/what to order read more

Though the menu is not extensive it hits the high notes and the food is fresh and delicious. Drinks are typically very good (depends upon who is bartending that night). Atmosphere is really nice for a neighborhood restaurant. We like sitting at the bar and eating there too. Service is always good read more

Awesome open space - dark and comfortable inside. We came in for brunch and had reservations but it wasn't too crowded for a Saturday morning. I ordered charred eggplant (a MUST) as well as the shakshuka. I get shakshuka a lot so this one was pretty standard. The Pita bread comes out hot with a soft inside. Overall a really nice brunch and afterwards we head outside to walk around the different stands (there was some sort of child arts/business farmers market/event going on at the time). Oh- and easy walk from the metro!!! Woop woop read more

Sababa - Charred Eggplant - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I came here with a friend a few days ago with a friend. I've had this place on my "to try" list for a while and I'm glad I made it over. It's located right next to Bindaas (same owners) in Cleveland Park. They have inside and also on their patio on the second floor. After looking over the menu and getting a glass of wine we ordered the hummus of the day (purple yam hummus - no chickpeas), roasted halumi (with dates, honey and charred lemon), fried cauliflower (with tahina, golden raisins, dill, and lemon) and salmon kebabs with pomegranate-labne marinade, hawaij-spiced rice, roasted chilli and tomato. We did order something else but we finished eating everything and when we were done it still hadn't come so we told them we don't want it anymore. The favorite thing we ordered was definitely the hummus. It was creamy and seasoned well. The next best thing I'd say was the roasted halumi. The salmon was a little undercooked for me but had good flavor. The service was ok. Our server seemed busy and getting some of our dishes took a while. I' come back and try some more dishes, especially since I like Bindaas so much. read more