New packaging, same taste. It's always going to be the…read morecombo over rice with white, hot & green sauce and added bell peppers and onions for me with added side of fries. Seems like they'll be expanding their menu soon!

I love a good halal plate and heard this chain was a good place for that. I always get the standard…read morecombo plate with chicken and gyro to judge a place by. I thought the meat and seasoning was pretty good and on par with a lot of places. The thing that stood out to me were their portion sizes - there are massive! They also have a lot of different side items you can try that were pretty affordable as well. Skip the fried mac and cheese and get the cheese fries to mix with your plate. You can thank me later. Solid halal plate spot that is super affordable and generous portions. Entrees: Combo Mix Platter Sides: Cheese Fries and Fried Mac and Cheese Bites

Cafe Ivy was decent overall. The views were really nice and definitely the best part of the…read moreexperience. The food and vibe were okay, but the setting makes it worth checking out at least once.

After looking at Ivy By The Lake's menu online, we decided to give them a try. They open for…read moredinner at 4 p.m., and we showed up shortly after. While there are some good things about the place, which I will list first, there are some not-so-good things. The good --- When we arrived, the place wasn't busy at all. There were a few people sitting outside. The dining room was empty. Throughout our meal, we had the place to ourselves. Our server greeted us and seated us. Masha was very friendly, polite, and efficient. The dining room was decorated with artificial hanging plants. Also, there was a large mural of Eve holding the apple with the serpent coaxing her to eat it. Now for the not-so-good things --- getting to the entrance wasn't easy, especially for my husband, who is waiting to get his knee replaced. To reach the entrance, you had to walk down a paved path with descending steps after parking the car. Upon entry, we had to climb a somewhat long staircase. On the way out, Masha stated that there was a ramp and pointed to a door leading to the kitchen and said we could go out that way. We chose to exit the way we entered. Also, they don't have any printed menus -- just a QR code to scan for the menu. We found that to be off-putting. Fortunately, we had already decided what to order before coming here. We chose to start with "Zaytoun", which consists of "Mixed Pitted Olives Tossed In Extra Virgin Oil. GF". This was a tasty starter. There were a few different types of pitted olives. However, we didn't think that there was any olive oil in the small bowl; rather, it appeared to be brine. For our main course, we both chose "Beef Kofta" which consists of: "Beef rolls served with Lebanese Couscous, Refreshing Tomatoes, Cucumber, & Labneh". The beef kofta was very dry. Growing up, I sometimes had Kofta, and it often turned out quite dry. The kofta did have some kick, and the small amount of very tasty labneh helped mute the spiciness. The Lebanese couscous portion was huge. That, too, helped give moisture to the kofta. This was a filling meal, and we ended up taking some home. Weighing the pros and cons, the cons, alas, outweighed the pros for us.

Little gem hidden in Sterling a few mins off of route 28. The place has a few tables but it's more…read moreof a grab and go. The menu has a variety of items such as burritos, wraps, and rice platter but the focus of every item is either the chicken shawarma, beef shawarma or falafel. You really can't go wrong with any of their protein options because everything is freshly prepared and offers generous portions. We got the beef wrap which is really a mix of beef and lamb which is exactly what I wanted. It should be noted that the wrap is cut into 7-8 pieces rather than one long wrap is interesting because it makes it harder to eat. Everytbing basically falls apart after the first bite of each piece. I'd recommend getting the full wrap but not cut. It was packed with flavor and fillings so it more than made up for it. Do yourself a favor and get the spicy version. It's not crazy spicy and gives the entree another depth of flavor. I'll definitely be back again to try the other options.

The best chicken shawarma I've had in the DMV so far. Located in an unassuming small shopping…read morecenter, this place gives a hole-in-the-wall hidden gem vibe. I am a flavor fanatic and need things to be flavor packed and generally in the past, I've had many shawarmas lacking seasoning, toppings, or sauces. HOWEVER, the chicken shawarma here is nicely seasoned with plenty of toppings, sauces, and extra toum/garlic sauce on the side. I never get fries, but even their fries are well seasoned and tasty even when dipped in the garlic sauce! Affordable, filling, big portion, quick service, authentic, well seasoned, and good ingredients- what more can you ask? I'm glad I gave this place a try and will definitely come back when in the area!

Expected a full table service restaurant in this otherwise classy district. Big Buns is a fast food…read morecounter-service McDonalds style place. They claim to have bar service but know little about what this means. Burgers were okay but not worth doing again. We were expecting more and there is plenty of much more worthy competition.

Parking right outside (at least for 30 minutes) is a nice bonus and makes the visit easy…read more What stands out most about Big Buns is the pride they clearly put into both the food and the drinks. You can tell there's intention behind what they serve. I had the Hot & Hefe burger, and it delivered--great texture, well-balanced toppings, and definitely some heat. I ordered it medium well, but next time I'll go for medium to get a bit more juiciness. The truffle fries were decent, nothing standout, but the chicken sandwich was impressive--huge, flavorful, and loaded with good toppings. A fun touch: they actually serve your food to the table with a robot, which adds a bit of novelty to the experience. I also want to highlight the ginger pear drink--fresh, nicely blended, and refreshing. The ambiance sits somewhere between fast food and casual dining--hard to define exactly, but it works. Pricing is mid-range, and overall, it feels like good value for what you get. I'll definitely be back.

I really like this place. I'll admit it's messy but a good messy. This is great food truck stuff…read more I'll order and have delivered. Good staff. I don't think the one piece of chicken and rice is a good value. Go here you won't regret it.

The spicy chicken shawarma was really flavorful and the portion size was pretty big! Their fries…read morehave a nice light seasoning and crispy outside which is my favorite type of fries! Definitely would come back!

Well it's been three services in a row with bad product. I called and specifically told him extra…read moresauce and not dry. Always the benefit of the doubt. I just spent $60.00 plus on wings and pizza , just to have it dry as flour. The pizza had wood chipping or burnt slithers. Talked very highly of this place . Now its product has failed miserably. If you're taking phone orders directly tell the cook the issue and don't let it happen. When you stop caring you lose great customers. Called restaurant no answer!! Man I'm so disappointed

In the mood for pizzas for takeout in the area, this Champ's in Sterling caught my eye…read more Ordered Champs Tandoori Pizza, medium size for a little over 20$. It came with tandoori chicken (Indian style dish) with Onion, jalapeños, and banana peppers. Food was pretty good. I will say a bit overpriced. However it fed 2-3 people. Still had leftovers in the end. Will probably order another kind of pizza eventually. I'd like to try something else on the menu. I liked that there was sufficient protein on the pizza, and was kind of springy taste, also somewhat spicy. I'll give it a pass.

I don't usually leave negative reviews, but this was my second poor experience with the same…read moreserver, so I felt it was worth sharing. I'm a local customer and live just a minute away, so I've visited more than once. I came in for lunch today with my wife and our 1.5-year-old son. After placing our order and sitting down, the server loudly yelled from behind the counter for us to come get our water. It felt uncomfortable and unprofessional, especially with a young child. When I placed my order, I asked for extra white sauce, and I asked again when the food came out. Both times, the request was ignored. I also mentioned that we hadn't received our drinks, but instead of addressing it, the server again yelled for us to get the drinks ourselves from the cooler. The food itself was okay, but the bread was very poor--hard and barely edible. I even called the restaurant later in the evening to share my concerns, but was told the server was off at that time. Overall, very disappointing experience, mainly due to the customer service. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and leads to improvement.

came in on late evening. not too busy…read more But maybe only 2 workers at the time service slightly slow. so be prepared if you're coming in hungry. Had the lamb lawand dish first time very hearty and filling with rice and greens. simple dish but amazing flavor, came with some bread on the side as well - complimentary. good dish for the cold weather. I also had the chicken samosa. More flat in presentation then typical types. still tasted good with the green sauce on side. About 6 pieces? You will be stuffed after finishing both. Price $30+

Ordered as my ifar meal. Unfortunately experience was…read moreunderwhelming. Based from the explanation on the menu, I expected more. I also received 1 side of sauce for all of this food. Decent taste, fair price. Maybe I'll order again. They are halal & the price is great. Maybe I'll go in next time.

I've been to a few Mediterranean and Middle Eastern places in my travels, so I am a slightly…read morefamiliar with a few things. I know baba ghanoush so of course I ordered it and it was amazing. Tasty and comforting with a nice zing at the end. I've never had shawarma and really enjoyed the chicken with the garlic sauce. My server was great and very nice, I can't exactly remember his name and I will get it wrong for sure ... Mousaz I think. Friendly and happy to explain anything I wasn't familiar with. This was a fun place to try something new if you aren't familiar with this sort of fare.