It's been a few weeks now since my visit but I can still remember and taste the fresh ingredients…read more It's a small shop in del ray but with plenty of seating inside and outside. The staff and extremely friendly. They were so welcoming and really patient with us as we had lot of questions. Even gave us a sample of their lemonade which was refreshing and so delicious had as craving more! Complimented the food so well. We all were so full by the end of our meal but wish we didn't so we could have more. You can tell everything is made in house with so many veggie toppings which I love!! You can get as much toppings as you want, either into a wrap, bowl, or salad. 10/10 recommend!! We also tried the cookies. She said to give them 6 or 8 minutes (can't remember) and they will be ready. Cookies are fresh fresh and always warmed up per order. They were perfect. If you go to their website they have a rewards program check it out first!!

This is my second time here and it reminds me why I went back. This place is so neat and organized…read more The staff were straightforward with their service and so nice. They have indoor and outdoor seatings. The menu offers outside the bowl they have desserts and also drinks. I ordered gyro bowl with Cucumber Lemonade and it's the best partner! Gyro was moist and all the added stuff tastes fresh. Of course will go back again to try other food in the menu. The only thing you need to consider the parking. This place is so good that it could get packed especially weekends and dinner time. It is somehow close to the King Street Station but it's still quite a walk.

We stopped just for happy hour and had the grape leaves - very good! Also my Espresso Martini was…read moredelicious. The restaurant was very clean and tables were nicely decorated. The music was relaxing and just the right volume so we could talk without hearing others. Wish we had time for dinner. Hope next time.

Unfortunately their food wasn't good at all. We ordered three different dishes and were…read moredisappointed with all of them. It all tasted like canned food items. The meatballs on the sampler were raw, we informed the server and he took it to the cook who said it was fine and is supposed to look like that. The server did a great job although I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

When we lived in the middle east, I would destroy Lebanese food. It's been hard to find authentic…read moreLebanese food. They had the garlic paste I love and their chicken is the best I have had. Very tender, and very flavorful. I ate so much that I had heart burn all night, but so worth it It's a great restaurant inside and out. It has great lighting and the service was perfect. I'll be back.

The restaurant was cute. There was indoor and outdoor seating available. I ordered the calamari and…read morea Greek salad. The calamari was delicious, however, it could have been fried longer. The Greek salad had so much flavor. I wish I ordered it with a piece of salmon. I'll definitely be back. The service was great.

Lots to like at Smyrna!…read more I highly recommend the 3-course express lunch menu, which includes a starter and dessert. At $24 as of this writing, this is a great value! Decorated in clean blue and white colors, Smyrna has an appealing feel. Smyrna also has a rear patio open during good weather. We were started out with very decent complimentary warm pita bread. For my first (starter) course, I ordered the chicken avgolemono soup. While the soup was packed with tender chicken, I was disappointed that the soup didn't really have much of a tart, lemony flavor. It actually was bland. But what more than made up for the avgolemono soup was the beef Keftdedes I chose for my second course. This dish came with absolutely the best tomato-based sauce I've ever had anywhere anytime! Delicious and fabulous!! The beef keftdedes were plump ground beef patties served over little squares of pita bread and topped with the tomato sauce and also a yogurt sauce. JP ordered the Imam Bayildi, which was good. It came with roasted eggplant, diced tomatoes and diced onions. For our third course (dessert), I ordered the Revani, which was a moist dense semolina cake topped with ice cream and chocolate shavings. Outstanding flavor and texture. Perfect! JP ordered the walnut baklava which was excellent. Service was friendly and fine. Other than the avgolemono soup, this was indeed a five star dining experience.

Smyrna is a very unassuming Mediterranean restaurant located at a shopping center. If you blink you…read moremiss it, but you do not want to miss it. I visited on a Sunday evening with some friends who hosted me in Alexandria when my flight out of DCA was postponed. I would recommend bringing a couple of friends here to dine, ordering a lot of items and sharing. We started with a couple of spreads, and the Baba Ghannush was my favorite. I also had a Greek salad, and we had some chicken souvlaki. The entrees are shareable and a large portion, and my friend also got an order of soup for the next day, since we knew we'd be snowed in. The service was wonderful, and the inside of the restaurant itself is gorgeous. One word of advice- do NOT sit near the door on a cold day because that wind kept coming into the building. The happy hour and lunch deals are excellent, so if you're nearby, it is worth stopping in.

Were we on the Spanish coast or Old Town? On the riverfront, on this warm spring day, we could have…read morebeen anywhere in the Mediterranean. We were instead on the pier in retrofitted shipping containers enjoying Spanish shareable plates with a great view. This place was crowded that's for sure. Primarily because there's no closer place to the water than this. (We were lucky-- the day after was rainy!) The food was great--we went for shareable small tapas and we still overordered. Service was great. We had a small wait upon check in but they made up for it by putting us in a nice location. Overall this was a great choice for a weekend lunch with friends.

Booked a reservation for 4 on a Saturday night, and had to wait 15 minutes after our 7:30…read morereservation to be seated.. I would note water bugs are a huge issue at this restaurant, but that's just because you are on the pier and sitting on/near the water but the water bugs are constantly hovering you and getting in your food and drinks. Other than that, service was OK, just because the service was also delayed due to being so busy that Saturday night. Unfortunately, our group of 4 was sat and then we did not get to order food for another 15 minutes after getting our water. Once we ordered, Our group got a few appetizers to share for the table and along with a cocktail each, but it was disappointing because we did not get our cocktails until after the table finished the appetizers. I would say this place would be best for a midday quick bite or during non-busy/peak hours.

Great place! Lovely atmosphere, we sat outside on a beautiful evening. They have a really great…read morepatio, and the inside looks very inviting as well. Food was really good, I wasn't blown away but I did like it, it was fresh and presented very beautifully, the eggplant mezze was good and the poached apricot dessert was also quite good-needed more apricot for the amount of yogurt though. The service was excellent, everyone who works there was very pleasant, and they did separate the checks for our group which was really convenient. I would definitely go back. Downsides are it's a bit pricey and the parking is a challenge.

My only regret is forgetting to take photos... this place gives off Greek family energy! They can…read morepull tables together or apart for any size party and they have ample space to do it whether indoors or on the cute outdoor/ covered balcony area. Felt like I was in greece! Service was phenomenal, our host and server were very friendly, helpful and fast. My water never ran out, constantly refilled which I noticed! The food was also amazing I had the Arni youvetsi and that is a healthy lamb shank portion paired with creamy orzo ! The baklava was also really good for dessert. I appreciated the selection of Greek wine available and the waiter was able to select one that matched my taste! I will def recommend!

This place is in a great corner location, the food was delicious, and the staff were friendly…read moreoverall. We had a reservation to make sure we got a table, and the restaurant was completely full when we arrived. The only downside was that after being seated outside, we felt a little forgotten for the first 30 minutes or so. No one came by with water or to check in, and it seemed like the staff may not have realized a new table had been seated until we flagged down the outside host. There were also swarm of flies hovering around the outdoor tables, which another table pointed out and then we started noticing too. Aside from that, the experience was good overall. The inside dining area definitely had a dressier vibe compared to the patio seating, and once we were helped, the food made up for the slow start.

Placed a large order via Uber Eats since restaurant will not accept takeout orders directly…read more Restaurant does not allow any specifications when ordering through Uber Eats - for example, one person wanted one ingredient held from her salad. Uber Eats lacked description for Zaytinya's food items (such as the ounces of the drinks) and some items (such as the horta salata) were not as pictured. There were no extra napkins in our bag. The Coke came in bottles but we didn't receive any bottle openers. To top it off, we had three food items missing. I called the restaurant again to let them know about the missing food - they were unapologetic and didn't know what the proper protocol was to fix the situation. The service was subpar and the servings were small. Won't be back. The next day we had food delivered from another local restaurant where both the food and service were outstanding, unlike at Zaytinya. UPDATE: After writing the Yelp review, a general manager at Zaytinya emailed me the following: "..."The restaurant normally offers takeout, but the location was actually closed that day for a private event. However, since the order had come through, we tried to honor it. The mujadara and 2 orders of rice were missing because we hadn't prepped those items, as they were not offered for the buyout..." The restaurant knew on Friday what I was ordering for Tuesday. They had plenty of time to reach out to me and tell me they would be closed and wouldn't be able to fulfill the order. Instead, they knowingly sent out an order without all of the food for our group and charged as if we received everything. This shows a lack of professionalism and is disrespectful.

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

A popular spot near Adams Morgan. The restaurant features Middle Eastern grilled food. In fact,…read morethere were several fire grills in the center of the first floor of the restaurant (it has two floors), and you can see the staff constantly grilling the meats, fish, vegetables and pita. This, together with the dark vibe, made me feel as if I were eating with ppl. from B.C. in a cave. Very interesting. I like that. For food, I got the Carrot Havuc, Omani Shrimp and Halloumi. But first I was served with some freshly made whole wheat pita. They were soft, chewy and earthy. The Carrot Havuc was basically a carrot+garlic puree. Very silky, refreshingly sweet, and a bit sour. The sourness may come from the garlic and lemon. Paired well with the pita and meats. The Omani shrimp came in 5 pieces, each shrimp was ~1oz so it was not very filling. The shrimp were meaty, fresh, juicy, though I wish it could be less salty, even if I already asked for less salt. The shrimp was said to be marinated with dried lime and tamarind but I could only taste the flavor of dried lime. The Halloumi cheese was brushed wild flower honey and topped with Egyptian dukkah, then baked until the outside was golden brown. It was salty and sweet, and the (tons of) sesame seeds added some fragrance to it. However, the peanut was too roughly chopped so that they fell off from the cheese when I slice it, and thus difficult to eat with the cheese. Service was not worth the 20% mandatory tip. For example, when I asked about the sourness of the Carrot Havuc, he did not know why and said he would "taste it and let me know where the sourness came from". Unfortunately, he did not tell me until I asked again when doing the check (I doubt if he tasted it in the first place). Neither did he ask me about the other dishes. Overall, the dishes were great but not impressive, and was mostly heavily flavored. The service could be improved.

This is definitely a go-to spot if you're looking for quality flavor and value for your money…read more We usually do a mixed platter with chicken and lamb, lettuce tomato onion, and sauces on the side. Omar's signature and white are our favorites, but know that you can order unlimited sauces. "Don't be shy" they say. Flavors are balanced, and the portion size is generous. For those with a medium sized appetite, a platter could last you two meals. Service is pretty quick, but know if there is a line or mobile orders, you could be waiting between 5-10 minutes. Parking is limited and seating is only outdoors. It's nice to eat outside when the weather is right - they have string lights! They're also open until 1am which is nice if you need a late night option (most places around here close at 9 or 10pm). I recommend giving Omar's a try!

Grabbed dinner at Omar's since it was on our way back home. Our food was ready for pickup in 5-10…read moremins. There weren't any seats inside so we grabbed our food and took it home. I had the jerk chicken (no onions) platter with the hot pepper, green chutney and jerk sauces on the side. The sauces were amazing! My mixed my hot pepper and jerk sauces together and it was fireeee! Then had some chutney to cool it down. The jerk chicken was flavor and the rice and side salad complimented it well. My husband got the crispy chicken (no onions) platter with the white sauce, spicy white sauce and Omar's signature sauce. The crispy chicken was a little too fried/overcooked for me but was very crispy. My husband loved it though! His sauces were also good but I def preferred mine. Both platters had a generous portion of chicken. Overall a great place to grab a casual meal.

The staff is amazing. Friendly and very responsive. The food is delicious and consistent. My go…read moreto is the Village Salad!

I've been meaning to get her for a long time. A cute little restaurant tucked away in a north old…read moretown neighborhood with the icon Dixie Pig neon sign on the roof. The service was friendly and swift. An excellent Greek menu. I enjoyed the Chicken Marsala special. Tender cuts of chicken with mushrooms. So tasty. A side of pasta which was well prepared. No dessert. I love the relaxed friendly atmosphere and neighborhood feel. Reservations are recommended because of limited seating. They do have outdoor spots for beautiful days.