My wife & I visited this afternoon following attending services at the National Cathedral. We enjoy Mid Eastern cuisine, and were interesting in the Israeli Brunch Feast. For the first pick, we had Roasted Halumi and Smoked Trout. Both were wonderful. For the second pick, my wife chose the Sumac & Onion marinated steak kabobs and I chose Salmon with Pomegranate- Labenz marinade kabobs. They graciously swapped an Israeli salad for rice on my order. Food was wonderful and we were pleasantly when finished. read more

What a warm, inviting restaurant. Wonderful service, mood lighting, and elegant dishes come together at Sababa to create a wonderful dining experience. Our waiter was knowledgeable and helpful in picking out what to eat from the menu and his recommendations lived up to the hype. We had the hummus tahina with puffy whole wheat pitas, still warm from the oven. Next came roasted halumi, a small plate with plump dates, honey, and dill. Finally, we had the lamb and beef kofta which was bursting with flavor and smelled of cinnamon. Every flavor was fully developed and sophisticated in the plates and made for a delicious meal. I will definitely be returning to Sababa. read more

Great food Excellent service Every small plate dish we had was absolutely yummy!!! We tried all the desserts and they were out of the world. read more

Very good food! Well prepared, creative, and tasty, without being edgy or pretentious. Our group of five adults shared two large and two small plates, and two kebabs, which seemed like the right amount of food. The meat eaters liked the lamb shank, and everyone liked the eggplant small plate. A good choice for vegetarians. read more

The food is wonderful. The service here is deplorable. We were relegated to a corner because we had a baby. Then we got only one of our dish. 35 minutes later, the second. The third and fourth were delivered to us... only they weren't. Mass confusion. Apparently the kitchen was slammed. For a new parent, a night out is important. This made my night out horrible. I did however enjoy the food! No complaint. Because of the service, I won't be back. Update: they delivered our same order again, and still didn't get the missing item. This is an amazing class act. Wow. At least we have something to laugh at now. read more

Coletta was our waitress and she was wonderful! We sat and ordered Jack and Coke. When we got our drinks we knew immediately they did not use Jack. I walked over to the bar and questioned our drinks. The guy who.made our drinks told me he made them with Buffalo Trace instead of Jack Daniels. He also told me that he informed Coletta of this fact and asked her if we minded the substitution. According to him, she lead him to believe that we did not, even though we had not been told the ran out of Jack. The apps were amazing! The salmon was over cooked. We were not asked if we wanted a particular temperature. Dessert: before we made our reservations there was a dessert course published on-line (Konami cake and golden mahalabia). When we actually finished our dinner, I asked about dessert and was told they are not serving it as part of their restaurant week menu. Very disappointing. We will return to try the lamb shank, and I recommend trying the restaurent. read more

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Delicious beef kabob super juicy and full of flavor. Salmon was delicious also . Price wasn't too bad either and the resturaunt is very cozy with very friendly staff. Be careful if you have a sesame allergy . Many things are marinated in sesame sauce . My options were very limited. read more

Sababa - Beef and salmon kabobs - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

When I left Sababa I was hungrier than when I arrived. If Sababa were to open its doors in any middle eastern city, it would go out of business immediately. You think Beirut or Tehran or even Jerusalem would accept such nonsense of food? I think not. My review is coming from a person who is middle eastern and grew up eating this type of food. I am giving a full, unadultered, pure and authentic review of the taste, flavors and ingredients used. For appetizers we ordered the Hummus, Eggplant, Cauliflower and falafel. For entrees we ordered the salmon kabob, steak kabob and kofta kabob. Lets start with the hummus. This dish was nothing special. It was so small though. I have had hummus in hundreds of restaurants. This one didnt speak to me. It was simple plain ole' hummus. Hummus is not expensive. The ingredients are fairly cheap, so why the ungenerous portion? It comes with two tiny pita breads. Not enough for four people. Pita bread is $2 per pita. We were charged $12 for 6 pitas. Tip for the chef: get bigger pita bread that is actually worth $2. Each of us got one tablespoon of hummus only, from this dish. The eggplant was also super tiny pieces. Why is everything here kids sized? It was seeping in oil. The pistachio sauce on the eggplant was uneccessary. Pistachios have very little flavor. Most nuts are bland. Making a paste out of nuts adds no value to a dish. Instead of adding the pistachio paste, the chef could of drizzled a zesty tahini ontop of the eggplant. It would have been delicious. Tip for the Chefs: next time you make eggplant and fry it, please sprinkle salt on the raw eggplant and let it sit for 45 mins so that all the water can come out of the eggplant. This way the eggplant doesnt soak in all the oil. The eggplant was not seasoned well either with salt. It was flat. Taameya is what Egyptians call Falafel. So in Lebanon Falafel is called Falafel. In Egypt its called Taameya. Not sure why the owner is refering to this dish by an Egyptian name, when the restaurant is allegedly Israeli. The size of the falafel is the size of pigeon testicles. Very very small. They brought out 5 falafel balls which equal one falafel ball in an ordinary Middle Eastern restaurant. Sesame was sprinkled on the falafel which is odd. I am indifferent to this dish. I cannot say I tasted anything spectacular. The Tahini was weird. It was a red paste that came under the falafel. There wasnt enough of it to sustain the 5 balls. This dish had its originality tarnished. This tiny dish was $10. Most other Middle Eastern restaurants in the area give you 5 or 6 Falafels, but they are way bigger and are about $6-$8. The Cauliflower never made it out. The waiter forgot, I guess. He charged us on our receipt and when we pointed it out he removed it. The Salmon was probably the best thing out of the entire meal. It was so tender and melted in your mouth. Job well done. I doubt all salmon pieces come out this fantastic though. If I were to come in tomorrow, Im sure the salmon would come out cooked differently. Anyway, A+ on the salmon. The Steak Kabob was overcooked. The meat was very chewy and rubbery. The rice was also overcooked and kind of crunchy. You get one skewer of steak (maybe 5 small pieces) and probably 1/4 cup of rice, two cherry tomatoes and two poblano peppers. The pomegranate soda was the other tasty item. It was tangy and zesty. Refreshing and wonderful. One thing which upset some of the guests in our party was that the food was coming out in sections. The 2 guests received their entrees first, while we waited for ours to come. When ours came out, theirs was cold. We specifically instructed the waiter that we want ALL the food to come out at once. They could not. Food was coming out delayed and not organized. Please reorganize the serving method. If you cannot bring out the appetizers all at once, at least bring out the entrees all together. I dont forsee myself returning to Sababa unless there is a drastic improvement. If you claim to be a Middle Eastern or "Israeli" restaurant then cater to that. Dont ruin the originality of some dishes, because people from this region will wonder what the heck are they eating. Anytime a restaurant tries to modernize a dish, the authenticity and tradition goes out the window. Unless you are really improving a dish and allowing the flavor to go to the next level, then go for it. But if this modernization is going to depreciate the integrity of the flavor then please dont. Salatim in Israel are free, but not here. Pita bread is usually complimentary anywhere you go, but not here. The culture in the Middle East is one of the most generous cultures. I understand your rent is high, but come on, be a little generous in your portions. I say all this not to bring the restaurant down, but to open their eyes to the flaws that I have seen and others have seen. This is not to hurt them, but to better them and make them realize they are capable of so much more. read more

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Where do I start? The servers are inexperienced and pushy. One had to ask several times whether or not I wanted to order something from the bar after I had politely declined already. I was also served under-cooked chicken (pink line in the middle was too obvious to miss) and when I pointed it out to the server, she reluctantly took it back to the chef and on her way back slammed it on my table saying, the chef said it was okay. She was disturbed when I said I would't finish the meal and that I just wanted to point it out. The same was true of the highly praised pickles and side dishes they served - too small, not tasty. The place is over-prices, over-hyped, and doesn't serve authentic Israeli food (trust me, I know - that's my neck of the woods). Prices for the portions they serve are way out of charts. Trying to replicate the recent success of ethnic restaurants, some guys with deep pockets probably thought you could just fake authentic, I'm afraid not. Stay away! read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this! I hadn't had Israeli food, but am always up to try the next cuisine! Wow, was I surprised! We ordered the charred eggplant (a must!), roasted halumi (not a cheese person but OMG was this good!), and salatim to share. read more

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My husband and I, along with two other couples, ate at Sababa recently. It was a great experience in many ways. First, an employee named Leo made our evening a success by magically finding a table to reserve in a fully booked restaurant. Thank you, Leo! Second, the food was delicious. We shared a bunch of small plates, each one beautifully presented and scrumptious. As a main dish, I had the fish of the day, branzino, wrapped in grape leaves. It was so fresh tasting! My husband and I lived in Israel for four years, and I have to say, the food is truly authentic.The table service was excellent, as were the signature cocktails. Sababa is a little loud, making conversation tough but not impossible. Enjoy! read more

I've had some of the best meals EVER here. The food is downright amazing, especially that hummus!!! The chef is so talented and you can tell he takes great pride in the food. I highly recommend Sababa to everyone I know! read more

I love this restaurant, the food is amazing. I recommend the roasted halumi and dessert Golden Mahalabia. Delicious snd great service. read more

Fantastic, creative middle eastern food with plenty of patio space and outdoor heating. In October they had a spiced squash falafel that perfectly captured the season but still had a familiar light crispness. The eggplant was perfectly soft and smoky. All the dips are excellent, and the whole wheat pita is warm and chewy. read more

I was so excited to try this place. There are a ton of 'Mediterranean' restaurants in this city but very few 'Israeli' ones. My friend and I made a reservation online and that was all easy and seamless. The food was also very good. - 4.5 Stars. The reason for this 3 star review is the service. I know they are new but they have some kinks to work out. Specifically, I asked before I ordered the Shakshuka if there was a gluten free option for dipping instead of pita bread. I was assured it would be no problem to get some veggies from the kitchen. The food arrived and 10 min later I flagged down our waiter to ask about something for dipping. It was only then that he told me the kitchen was unable to honor that request. So I had shakshuka with nothing to dip it in... ugh. I finally asked for a manager who, after some attitude, went and got me some carrot sticks. Had I been told when i ordered that this accommodation couldn't be made I would have ordered something else... and neither my waiter nor the manager really seemed to understand that. I'd go back... there are other things I'd like to try... but I'd bring my own carrot sticks just in case read more

This is a tough one to rate. The cooking is very good here, for example the eggplant dish (best on the menu) is a rate example of eggplant properly made. But unfortunately the chef here does not do Israeli food properly. The menu is a collage of Middle Eastern dishes, some Moroccan, some Lebanese, some Israeli, all not brilliantly made. Like the choice of the name, Sababa, the restaurant is extremely mundane. I like to visit Indian restaurants that actual Indian would go to, or Ethiopian restaurants that actual Ethiopians enjoy. Israelis would not harbor this place. Service had problems. And nevertheless, good cooking. read more

I was here over the holidays weekend with friends, including one with a really severe nut allergy. The staff here were GREAT at making sure she felt comfortable and guiding our orders to avoid anything that could pose a risk. It also helped that there's very little on the menu that even contains nuts to begin with. Tapas for four plus six drinks came to $150 before tip, and the bartender was excellent--really went above and beyond to help us out. Food wise, we loved the grilled broccoli--when multiple staff tell you they love something, listen! The hummus was also tasty and not too garlicky. Portions were fairly generous, and we didn't have to order as much as you would at say, Jaleo, to feel full. The $12 cocktails are tasty and cover the full flavor spectrum--but when the menu tells you something is sweet, that's definitely true. It's not in the budget for us to come here often, but I wish we could--service was outstanding and food was top notch! read more

Great new restaurant in Cleveland Park. The place was hopping when I stopped by on a Sunday night. Lovely seating on cushioned benches in the front to enjoy the evening sunset. There is also a high top community table in the bar area and regular table seating in the back. There are small plates available with interesting, delicious choices. The sardines and the eggplant are very special. The wine list offers many individual glass and bottle choices that compliment the meals. Great new neighborhood restaurant! read more

Out of town. As always in the mood for Mediterranean food. So took the drive and went there. A busy place with bar and lots of young couples. Night atmosphere. Orders Hummus and a main course. Had a nice beer for 8 bucks. They brought the hummus and main dish together. I complained. I said I know a thing or two about Resturant's. You don't bring everything together. So they took main dish back and brought it later. Hummus was original. Main dish was good bought not enough. Could not find other choices in the main DC area. read more

We've dined in and ordered out several times and the quality of the food is constant. It is quite flavorful and delicious. One of our favorite neighborhood spots! read more

Arrived an hour early as i was flying into DC and wanted to make sure sure we weren't late. Spent and hour in the adjacent bar at Bindaas until our appointed hour only to be placed at a table in the walkway. Server was polite, but without much personality. read more

Oddly under-flavored for a new-Med. restaurant. The menu had many decent options, but most lacked the burst of flavor that should have been present. A fine neighborhood restaurant, not one to travel to. I expected much more from the empire that brought us Rasika, and Bindaas! read more

I've been to a good number of DC restaurants so far, and often I'm not that impressed. Sababa, however, is excellent. Super cool restaurant design that is evocative of the Middle East. All dishes were excellent. Definitely order the spreads sampler. Also make sure to order the fried cauliflower. The mixed grill was good -- but not as good as the other items we tried. It's strange that there are no sausages, etc., which are usually on a mixed grill. Sababa seems to do veggies better than meat. Overall, though, great setting, good service, fair prices, awesome food. Sababa won't disappoint. read more

I would argue that this is one of the best brunch spots in DC. The eggplant dish is the best, and truly bottomless mimosas for only $15. I am definitely coming back!!! read more

As someone who thoroughly enjoys Mediterranean food, Sababa was highly recommended to me. Wow, did the Chef and staff not disappoint. From the moment I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted by friendly and enthusiast staff and instantaneously felt like I was at home. The decor and ambiance was soothing yet sophisticated, preparing me for what was surely to be a gastronomical delight without the pretentiousness. I arrived a bit early, so I had time to imbibe on a cocktail. You could tell right away that every bit of care was taken in developing the cocktail menu: from the assortment of liquors to the freshly juiced carrots and carefully selected accoutrements. The mixologist was just that: someone who took pride in his craft by getting to know me and my guests and ensuring every element of the drink was prestinely looked after. The menu offers numerous dishes to please any palate. My friends and I tasted every small plate dish and all were seasoned to perfection and beautifully displayed. It's a nod to the Chef when you can claim your pitas are made in house and craft a menu that highlights an array of ubiquitous Israeli food with a personal touch. Personally, food is meant to be shared and a region's cuisine respected. The Chef's dedication to keeping to tradition while providing his unique style was spot on. Sababa should definitely be on your list of restaurants to try! read more

Amazing! The service was a little hectic to watch but everything came out relatively quickly. The charred eggplant was the star of the meal - the sauce is next level. Lamb shank was delicious with the grains and salad sides. Falafel was very good but tiny - not sure I would get again. Strawberry/rose dessert was a pass - ours came out as a soup consistency flavors was there but something tells me the actual dessert was supposed to have a thicker consistency based off of other pictures on yelp. Highly recommend making a reservation rather than walking in. I'll be back! I read more

My wife and I wanted to try some middle eastern food. So we get here after making our reservation in advanced; but they still made us wait for 20min. Our waiter was nice, but I wish she checked more often on our table. Now, the food was terrible!! I've eaten all sorts of middle eastern food at numerous restaurants. But this one is surely the worst ever! The mixture of spices is horrible. My guess is that they're trying too hard to put a twist on the Palestinian food and/or middle eastern food, but it's just not working out. Also, they really need a better seating arrangement. It's just too close and random. Last but not least, please take better care of the bathrooms. Anyway, never again. Will try other more authentic local restaurants. read more

So so so delicious. We had the charred eggplant, halloumi, lamb Benedict, and hummus (grabbed a Harissa bloody Mary while we were at it). Also, our server Andrea was such a nice and warm person! read more

There's good reason for the hype, Sababa is SO good. The halloumi small plate is to DIE for if you are a sweet/savory flavor fan. Their pomegranite soda is also very refreshing and not too sweet which is much appreciated. Hummus and pita are fantastic. I also loved the vibe and decor of this place. Very casual elegant with moss hanging from beautiful wood planking on the walls and dim lighting. Great for date night. Note, it does gets pricey, especially since most everything is served small plate style and yet $12 a plate. read more

Fresh and potion sizes make for good eats. The right amount of food, if ordered with appetizers.

(4) ~ very good overall food & service. NOTE: This is Israeli cuisine. DRINKS: ** French Press Coffee = (4.5) Very Good & Fresh! * Pomegranate-Rose Hip Soda = (3.75) Good * Water(tap) = (3.5) good FOOD: ** Hummus of the Day(w. Eggplant) = (4.75) Great with a Toasted Note! ** Roasted Halumi = (4.5) Very Good! ** Mahalabia(dessert) = (4) very good * Lamb Shank = (3.75) Good * Pomegranate Glazed Chicken Livers = (3.75) Good read more

So fresh and tasty!! Pita is warm and tasty. Really great to have in the neighborhood.

This place is getting hot in Dc area. And also I like Israel food. Deliciois food exept for Lamb shank. read more

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I've been here twice--each time was SO good I had to write a review. I usually try to eat vegetarian but the Mediterranean Sea bass looked so good I couldn't resist. It was delicious, cooked with lemon and wrapped in grape leaves and there were two spicy chilli sauces to go with it. I also had the charred eggplant which was amazing, and I was surprised because I'm not a huge eggplant fan. It came with a labne sauce and the consistency of the eggplant melts in your mouth. Service was quite good, there was always someone pouring water or clearing your plates but not in the type of way that makes you feel rushed. Overall great ambiance. Will definitely come back here next time I am in dc. Oh- and don't forget to order the salatim and hummus for starters! read more

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

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We've been a couple of times now and love the food, it's reliably delicious. Some standouts are the ful medames, salmon kabobs and the vast majority of the salatim (which is six small portions of different salads). The fried cauliflower is seriously delicious and the desserts are fantastic. The prices are somewhat high and the portions somewhat small, but I think that describes most high-end restaurants in the city. I also enjoyed the wine menu, a lot of wine from the Golan Heights that you can't order in many restaurants outside Israel (my favorite is the Pelter blanc de blanc sparkling white). The service is great too! Parking can be a chore in the neighborhood, which is why you should Uber or take metro. read more

Stopped by Sababa on Saturday night for a double date. Upon walking in, it's more of an upscale modern-Israeli-fusion in the atmosphere and menu. It is also a restaurant that serves smaller portions, so if you oppose to paying for bread or ordering multiple dishes to fill up, I would pass. You can get authentic, excellent, and large kabobs with all the sides for a fraction of the price somewhere else. First, we ordered salatim for the table, which was really disappointing. Except for the labneh, everything lacked flavor. Even the options with zhug had zero spice. However, the hummus and pita were pretty good, and the cocktails reminded me a lot of the ones offered at Zaytinya. I ordered the fried cauliflower, halloumi, and charred eggplant. All were tasty. I'd say all tasted similar to modern Israeli food we tried in Tel Aviv. I wish they offered sabich on the menu! My husband and friends got the kabobs. Thankfully we ordered a bunch of appetizers, because everyone only received one sad skewer of meat on a bed of rice for dinner. They all reported that they were pretty good though! I enjoyed my dinner out, especially some of the small plates in the beginning. However I don't think I will become a regular as it is more of a splurge and trek into the city. read more

I had a terrible experience on 2/23/24. After placing an order via phone in advance, I waited inside the restaurant for more than an hour to pick up the order. The female hostess who I talked to on the phone forgot to put in the order to the kitchen, but managed to charge my credit card for $124, even though the order should have been $51. The whole time I was waiting in the restaurant, the hostess never bothered to place the order with the kitchen even though I kept asking for an update on my order. Fortunately, the manager was there to finally put in the order. The most frustrating part was how the waitress was very dismissive of my concerns. After waiting for approximately an hour, I repeatedely asked her to tell the manager to cancel my order. She refused to tell the manager because "she would have to look for him." Instead, she seated other patrons as they entered the restaurant. I appreciate that the manager eventually brought out my food (which was very delicious), gave me a full refund, and was apologetic. I can't say the same for the hostess. I understand that some employees such as the hostess have less experience (we are all beginners at some point), but she just didn't care. read more

Great brunch option. Right next to Bindaas from the chef who brought us Raskia. Sababa is an Isreali-themed restaurant. Anything with a lamb option will be a great choice. Hummus was average. The Shakshuka was spot on and the Isreali breakfast is a good tour of the available options. My favorite dish was the beets spread. read more

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

It was delicious! It was restaurant week when we were there. Loved it! Would go back again.

I came for dinner with a friend from out of town and we both agreed that we need to come back next time she visits DC. The food was delicious and the rooftop patio seating was a nice bonus. We also noticed how kind the staff was - we needed to move up our reservation on short notice, and they were very accommodating and seemed genuinely grateful that we picked Sababa. Service was a bit slow, in the sense that flagging down our waitress was a bit tricky, but the food came out pretty promptly and her dessert recommendation was delicious. As for what we ate: we shared pita bread and the hummus of the day (which was made with fava beans), the charred eggplant, roasted cauliflower, a salmon kebab, and the konafi cake. Everything was delicious and we were stuffed at the end! My favorites were the pita bread (so delicious that I almost didn't mind paying $2 for a single extra piece) and the roasted cauliflower, which I didn't expect to love but totally did! It comes in a tahini sauce that complements it perfectly. Next time I come, I want to order the veggies again, plus the halloumi cheese and something with lamb - many other tables got the lamb shank and it was huge and smelled great. And get the konafi cake - it's made with apricots, labneh, and shredded filo and topped with pistachio whipped cream for a great mix of textures. read more

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