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.

What an absolute amazing dinner that ended on live music performances by various artists…read more I was suppose to meet a friend at Nabiha's after a long time. I was very hungry that day, so hungry that I didn't even wait to take a picture for yelp. I ordered the appetizer sampler and the makloubeh. I think my friend ordered fattet jajj. Everything was delicious though I couldn't focus much on the food since I was catching up with my friend after a long time. After we finished the entrees, we ordered kunefe for dessert and it was amazing. A proper end to the meal. Then we heard live music coming out of the other hall and the owner was kind enough to let us sit wherever we wanted to listen to the performances. The staff of Nabiha is delightful and they made sure that me and my friend are well taken care of. More than a restaurant this felt like visiting a friend's home. 5/5 must try!

Been eyeing this place for a while and finally got around to trying it! We ordered the Chicken…read moreFreekeh Maqlouba and the Fattet Jaj. The Fattet Jaj was okay, the rice was a little clumpy, but the Freekeh was pretty good and tasted authentic. It's also connected to El Secreto de Rosita, so there's a combined menu and you can order from either place, which gives you plenty of options. The service was great; our waitress was very sweet and welcoming. The ambiance was chill, and there was live music playing, which was fun to watch. Overall, a cozy spot for a relaxed night with good vibes and live music.

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.

The food at Mama Ayesha's was delicious, and packed full of flavor! The service was also…read moregreat--very attentive and kind. The restaurant itself is a bit dated, both the patio and dining room. It looks like the decor hasn't been refreshed in a few decades. Mouzat, 5/5, delicious, tender lamb with seasoned rice Maklouba, 5/5, tender chicken that fell off the bone with delicious rice and vegetables Pomtini, 2/5, somehow tasted like Hi-C or some kind of chemical citrus

The food here is very authentic but not reasonably priced. The service is lacking. It is as though…read morethey are doing you a favor to wait on you.

The place does not disappoint, I would fix that citrus shrimp thou. The staff is really welcoming…read moreand the wait isn't that long for food and drinks. The night time really opens up ... Reggae on the Roof is something to experience on a Sunday

Yalla to Yalla!…read more This place is immaculate! We walked in right when it opened since it opens around 5pm. We were the first people there and honestly felt like we were treated like royalty! We got to decide where we wanted to sit since there was about 7 of us! I didn't think my party was hungry, but the second we saw the menu our mouths began to drool. We ordered - Fries: 5/5 - honestly, you can never go wrong with fries, but these were hot, crispy and seasoned well! Hummus: 4/5 - nothing to rave about here, just your typical hummus Falafel: 3.5/5 - I've definitely had better falafels Halloumi: 10/5 - this was the best item on the menu! So good, we ordered a second plate! It was seasoned and cooked to perfection! They didn't have our usual flavors for hookah so we ended up with Double Apple and Watermelon mint. Not my favorite flavors, but this was probably the smoothest hookah I've ever had in the DMV! I was genuinely so shocked! Besides all the above, the place is super aesthetic and fun cute post brunch vibes. I'll definitely be making myself back here for the halloumi and smooth hookah!!

Brunch review ahead!!!!!…read more Ambiance- perfect for a cute date, time with friends, family members, or coworkers. The ambiance welcomes it all. Hospitality- The hostess was incredibly friendly and seated us upon arrival. Waiter- Eric was an AMAZING waiter. Bubbly personality, very polite and personable. His service was definitely a 10/10 Brunch- My friend and I decided to try their Easter Sunday brunch and my only regret was not visiting here sooner and not selecting an earlier time to dine, LOL! The entire experience was phenomenal! Bottomless mimosas- SO worth the extra $ Standout dishes: Adana meatballs Braised lamb Chicken Golden cauliflower Crispy Falafel Desserts: Baklava Brownie Kadayıf Sadly we did not get to experience all of the brunch menu items because brunch ends at 3pm and our reservations were at the heel of this time. Nonetheless, the standout dishes and desserts were enough for me to come back. I've enjoyed their happy hour, cafe area, and now their brunch. Can't wait to return.

Three stars isn't the actual rating; I'd say more 3.5. Stopped by after visiting the Dupont…read moreCircle's weekly farmer's market to try their Sunday brunch buffet. Was warmly greeted, seated, and given an overview of the menu and brunch package options; decided to opt-out of the bottomless drinks, which had an alcoholic (mimosas and Bloody Marys) and NA (juices, sodas, drip coffee and black tea), as I wanted to try their more speciality coffee and tea. The drinks I ordered were the Turkish coffee, Levantine-style tea and digestive tea. All were quite solid. The Turkish coffee was as robust as espresso, yet not overwhelmingly bitter and slightly sweetened. The Levantine tea was a smooth black tea with natural sweetness and layered with a mint steep and floral notes of hibiscus, and rose petal. The digestive was more herbaceous with fennel and pomegranate zest, in addition to a steep of spearmint. The food was more hit-or-miss. On one hand, the meat and seafood was all very delicious and well-made. The braised lamb shank is their speciality, and well-deserved, as it's moist, savory and tender. The short rib similarly so, and the chicken casserole, lamb biajeen, Adana kebab and steamed lavraki (sea bass) were all similarly flavorful. On the other hand, the sides and mezze options were more mixed; the dolmas and fresh bites cheese with za'atar/nuts were delightful, however, the borek, cheeses, and some of the dips tasted reheated and/or not super fresh, the Brussels sprouts were quite scorched, and the savory salmon waffles were bone dry and flavorless. The French onion soup had the right flavor profile, but not the intensity; it tasted watered-down and even looked it, due to the noticeable oil blebs on the surface. Dessert was similar; the melon and fruits were fresh enough, the yogurt bar was quality, the kadayif nutty with the sweetness balanced, and the layali lubnan was intoxicatingly tasty, but many of the baked goods looked rather packaged and the fondue station was mediocre. The staff, however, were extremely friendly (my special regards to Mia, she's a great conversationalist and a sweetheart!). They answered all my questions, and one of the bartenders even gave me half a lemon to zuzh up my tea with. As I said at the start, more 3.5 stars than 3 stars. The core of their offerings are all quality, so I can't quite dock them a full two stars for the food quality because they had buffets aren't usually renown for said quality. You really can't expect perfection from AYCE, even though I naturally encourage the management to avoid sourcing pre-made items from Sysco if possible. The friendly staff and eloquent Eastern Mediterranean ambiance allows me to still say I enjoyed this experience, and may be back for dinner in the future.

Delicious and authenic falafel in Adams Morgan. Food service was fast and everything tasted…read moreamazing. Definitely the place to hit if you're having a falafel craving in Adams Morgan. Note they are closed on Saturdays.

I have had Oh Mama Grill in Rockville and glad the DC location opened. We haven't been in person…read morebut ordered delivery and loved the food. It is great to have another location when Max's closed.

Still my favorite bar in DC. Coolest vibe, great DJs, I love when it's warm and they open up the…read morefront for an indoor/ outdoor vibe. The decor is beautiful. The Turkish coffee is delish.

Food, ambience, and drinks are great! Happy hour is generous given the caliber and breadth of the…read morecocktail menu. I recommend the Fuck This! Punch and Kubbat Halab. Unfortunately, the only friendly interaction I had was with the manager. I wouldn't mention it if it were only one bartender or seating host who had a bad attitude; HOWEVER, every single person was rude?? The seating host rushed our group to sit down, which was weird. The upstairs bartender was unfriendly to the point where I was questioning if I had done something wrong (I had not). Anyways 2/5, don't recommend. Maybe on a different day with different staff.

My husband, eight month old baby and myself thoroughly enjoyed the food here. We both ordered the…read morebeef kabob platters, which came with a saucy chickpea soup (unsure what it's actually called), a piece of bread, rice, salad and the beef kabob. Ordering was easy and the kind lady at the front was helpful when we were trying to figure out what we wanted. The food was delightful. The chef even came out personally to see if we were enjoying the meal, which we very much were! Even the eight month old was loving bits of the bread, chickpeas and steak. The seating area itself was pretty clean and had a high chair for the baby. The soda fountain is currently out of order, but they do have bottled sodas and waters. I would 100% eat here again as the prices are reasonable and the food is delicious!

Food was excellent. We had hummus , lamb over rice with salad plate & a gyro . Order at counter and…read more choose a table . The lighting was harsh, music loud ( some kind of droning pop ) and not very cozy. With a few small changes decoratively it would be more comfortable. Felt like a cafeteria . The food was spiced perfectly, rice cooked to perfection. Could jazz up the side salad a bit . Fountain soda machine was broken , but there were available bottles in fridge for sale . Turn down the lights & music . Add a few decorative touches & it will be more cozy !

We stopped in here in May while in town for a conference and we enjoyed our visit. We had a late…read morelunch that day, so just wanted a small nosh and a drink and this was perfect. The mojitos were flavorful and tasty and we really enjoyed our katmar dessert (a phyllo pastry filled dessert with pistachios, cream, and honey). I also had some raki, which was delicious and was a nice way to end the meal. Service was pretty good and we'd recommend stopping in here if you're in the area.

Service was really good! Thank you Cengiz. He look after us very good…read more İ like the dolma, sigara böreği and the olives. Rakı was delicous aş usuall. And the music was really good. If you want to see typicall Turkish Rakı-Meze-Music day you can come Meze for sure!