Traveling from Oklahoma and just got into town this evening for the civil war reenactment this…read moreweekend. I searched for dining places, and this one looked interesting. Myself, husband, and 14-year-old grandson could not have been more pleased!! Not only did we get five star service, but 5+++ food! The delicious bread they brought out was warm & unique . I ordered the bruschetta for a starter, and without a doubt it was probably the best I've ever had and my grandson kept raving about it! The tomatoes were.SO fresh! He ordered the Alfredo with shrimp and they were some of the largest I have ever seen! I had the cheese ravioli with Alfredo and spinach, and my husband had the rotisserie chicken and the Greek salad. The food was FABULOUS! What a little gem we found today

"It's About Thyme", nestled in downtown Culpeper, offers charming European country cuisine. The…read moreambiance was lovely, adorned with fresh flowers, murals, and plush carpeting. Owner John and his staff were exceptionally friendly, providing attentive service-tables were kept spotless, courses were cleared promptly, and water glasses were always refilled. The food was delicious, though on the pricier side. Beyond the listed menu prices, additional fees (like a service charge and an à la mode fee) plus city and state taxes made the bill add up quickly. What We Ordered: 4*Duck Pâté - Served with a fresh salad, crackers, mustard, and jelly. A delightful starter! 5*Pork Collar - Slow-cooked for hours, the meat was incredibly tender, and the sauce was heavenly. We nearly licked the plate clean-worth driving back for! A must-order. 4*Palazzo Pot Roast - The meat was a bit tough and chewy, but the flavors were well-balanced. Despite being full, we couldn't resist dessert-thankfully, the portions were small! Ice Cream Sandwich - very good, though we were surprised to learn it was store-bought, not made in-house. Mixed Berry Pie - A warm, petite slice served with a spoonful of ice cream (for an extra charge). Note: There's no dessert menu, so we didn't know about the additional fees upfront. Overall. a wonderful dining experience with standout dishes, though the extra costs were a slight downside.

Homemade authentic and delicious! Great service and look forward to returning! Homemade Hummus and…read moreHomemade pitas are delicious!!! Greek salad was very good and fresh!

Met friends for lunch at Albania Taverna, mid week, 1 pm. I did call ahead and they had a table…read moreready for us. The service was excellent, the food exceptional. The ambience was very comforting and welcoming. We also found portions ample and pricing very reasonable. We were able to enjoy our lunch with friends, visit and not be rushed. I highly recommend this restaurant. I consider it a newfound gem. Everyone agreed we will return for future lunches.

First of all, know that Babylon is a market that happens to make delicious food. There are about 4…read moresmall tables inside and several more outside. As far as a Middle Eastern market it's pretty typical. They make the best of the shelf space by stocking them to the max. If you've never spent time in the Middle East then it may seem cluttered, but this is normal for this type of store. There were 4 of us and we ate inside. The absolute stars of Babylon are the food and the people. The gentlemen working were very helpful with the menu and super attentive to anything we might need. They're from Kurdistan and were all very very nice. The food was wonderful. We got 2 large sample platters, large hummus, and a small tabbouli salad. One of the gentlemen heard me telling my friends how they make the Saj bread, within minutes he brought out a large fresh Saj for them to try. It was hot and amazing. All the meat on the platter had great flavor. The rice was delicious, flavorful, and extremely plentiful. The hummus was good. The tabbouli was very fresh with a nice citrus flavor. The platter came with falafel, Saj, sauces, small cups of lentil soup, plates of pickled veggies (2 types of cabbage, jalapeños), along with olives, onion, cucumbers, and lettuce. The fresh baklava was absolutely amazing. To cut the sweetness they gave us some delicious black tea to finish the meal. We all loved Babylon and will be going back whenever we're in the area.

The restaurant/ store was busy with door dash, regulars, first timers, eat in and take out orders…read more but the service was attentive and the food came quickly. We ordered the Babylon Special to taste a bit of everything, as we were the first timers. Our plate came with bread, kebabs, flavorful rice, chicken and beef swarma, a "salad " plate and few sauces. The meat was all flavorful. The kebabs were moist , I liked the chicken best and my husband liked the beef best. The bread was amazing with a pocket to fill! We were recommended the beef swarma wrap and we know why yum! The sauces topped it off nicely. We had no space for dessert but it all looked yummy! We will be back!

Went tonight with my daughter who is a total foodie! The…read moreservice was very personal with our server knowing every detail. The managing partner also came by our table very casually and friendly- I just googled their bios and its very interesting. So I wasn't sure I would like everything we ordered- I only wanted the beet salad. It was amazing!!!!!!! We also had the dip trio which I liked the hummus best with yummy bread. My daughter, her friend and her mom LOVED the calamari and said it was light and delicious. Lamb kebob was tasty. Desert chocoholic was scrumptious and the lemon granita was light and interesting with homemade cotton candy that we laughed looked like ratchet barbie hair but tasted so light. Absolutely delicious!

SERVICE We came in for a belated Valentine's Day dinner,…read moreand the staff immediately seated us when we got int. Everyone was friendly and professional without being too formal. Our server served us waters and let us peruse the menu. Most spots will have the waiter come by and ask you how things are, and our waiter didn't come by at all after setting down the food which was interesting -- not good nor bad but probably were also busy. AMBIENCE The space felt upscale but still easygoing, which made it perfect for our Valentine's night out. There's no dress code, but most people looked like they'd put a little effort in, matching the polished but comfortable vibe. Loved the open kitchen all the way towards the back by the bookshelf area gave the room some energy without making it feel noisy. Definitely struck a great balance between date-night fancy and laid-back cool and casual. FOOD We started with the Beet Salad Ribbons and the Meze Trio. The beet salad mixed earthy ribbon-sheet beets with hazelnuts and a bright pomegranate vinaigrette that surprised me! Loved the pairing of the beets and cheese and hazelnut crunch. As a texture fan, this really hit the spot! It was colorful, fresh, and really well balanced. The Meze Trio had charred eggplant, a yogurt-goat cheese dip, and a seasonal hummus. Each had its own flavor and texture, and everything felt super fresh and well-seasoned. Favorite was the seasonal hummus. The yogurt-goat cheese dip was good but definitely sweeter than I personally perferred! The Calamari was also quite good and had decent number of chunky pieces that weren't just breading. The only small letdown was the pita bread since we had more dips than pita left. We expected refills might be complimentary, especially for a place like this, but they weren't. Not a big deal, just something that stood out in an otherwise smooth and thoughtful experience! The Manti Dumplings were a highlight too -- probably so much handwork in making these look like they do! The Sharondale mushrooms gave them a rich, savory flavor, and the pepper butter sauce added just the right touch of spice. The burger was also great -- juicy, flavorful, and paired with house fries and an amazing urfa pepper aioli. You could tell both dishes were elevated but still comforting, showing off the chef's fine-dining background in a really approachable way. For dessert, we shared the Baklava Cheesecake and a Chocolate Hazelnut special. The cheesecake was unique -- cheesecake filling sandwiched between baklava. It was delicious but not what I was expected! It was creamy and nutty with pistachio layers, and the chocolate dessert was incredibly rich without being heavy. Both were perfect finishes. We even took home the leftover goat cheese dip because it was that good. Overall, pices were a little on the higher side ($23-$29 for mains, $14 for dessert), but for the quality and thought put into every dish, it felt worth it and would come back again for a special occasion! This was definitely elevated ambience and the food was well executed in our opinion. I can see the hype! Definitely not a spot I'd frequent often but for the special days -- this is it to impress your date or family!

Aladin Mediterranean Kitchen - Fredericksburg, VA…read more My visit to Aladin Mediterranean Kitchen was delicious and definitely worth the stop! I ordered the Greek Salad with Gyro, the Traditional Hummus, and the Steak Panini -- everything was fresh, flavorful, and prepared beautifully. Our waitress did start off on the wrong foot, and I honestly considered deducting a star. But everyone has a bad day, and to her credit, she returned to our table with a smile and gave us great service for the rest of the meal. I truly appreciated the turnaround. Overall, the food was excellent, the portions were generous, and the dining experience ended on a high note. I'd absolutely come back!

It was surprisingly quiet for a weeknight, but the atmosphere was bolstered by their half-price…read morebottled wine special, which was a great find. The restaurant offers an expansive menu with a lot of variety. I'd recommend staying focused on the Mediterranean specialties. I had the spicy hummus which was smooth and came with a side of olive oil, and the falafel platter--served with rice, tahini, and fresh vegetables--hit the right notes for a traditional meal. While also offer items like pizza, pasta, etc. The service was a highlight; both the staff and the fellow guests at the bar were incredibly welcoming and friendly. It's the kind of place where the people make you feel right at home. In terms of value, the pricing is very fair for the portion sizes and quality of the food. Unfortunately, the evening was dampened by a persistent, unpleasant sewage smell throughout the bar area. It was significant enough to make the dining experience difficult and overshadowed what would have otherwise been a very pleasant meal. #Enjoygoodpeople

Best rice I've ever tasted never had less than a wonderful meal at Sultan Kabob and the owners are…read morefantastic!

I tend to go here with family when we visit Charlottesville and have other things to do in town…read more(catch a UVA game, movie, etc.). Even when they were very busy, the wait for a seat is rather short. It's mainly four-top seats but they can push together tables as needed. There's music always playing and not a lot of padding to soften noise so I'd call the location "average" loud. Downtown Charlottesville doesn't really do free parking. You can park at the next corner in open parking to the left or paid parking to the right. But we're talking $2 or so, not a bank-breaking experience and with lots of shopping across the street it's worth staking out a spot and then walking the area. What I like: The food is tasty. The appetizers are solid. There's a large enough menu that you can always try something new. And the portions are ample enough to share. What I'm not so fond of: The waitstaff spend a lot of time at the front scrolling on their phones. They aren't too keen on refilling your drinks either. I say this as someone who has eaten here about a dozen times. Also, I don't normally mind cameras, but there are enough blinking lights on cameras to make it feel more like a jewelry store than a restaurant. That said, if you are not in a hurry, want some good food in solid portions, and plan to do some shopping or window shopping downtown, this has been my go-to place for years.

I stopped in here for lunch on a weekday after reading about them on social media and seeing so…read moremany positive reviews. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the amazing smell of pizza being baked and it really tempted me to switch my lunch plans from a healthy Greek salad to pizza, but I stuck with my initial desire to order salad. I sat down and was greeted by an older gentleman (owner?) who was very helpful and knowledgeable about their menu and the ingredients (example: I saw "black olives" on the menu as coming with the salad I wanted, but didn't want those little California black olives that are typically put on pizza, so I asked and he explained these come from Spain and are a lot bigger, which they were). He even brought me a sample of olives to try and they were really good. I also wanted some tzatziki, as this is something I prefer to try at every Mediterranean restaurant. The tzatziki was amazing! Yogurt was thick and it was loaded with tasty garlic, perfect amount of seasonings and fresh cucumbers. The salad I chose was their Greek salad and I asked for grille chicken to go on top, so he grilled up some souvlaki and put it on top. The chicken was very tasty, fresh and grilled perfectly. It was all breast meat and it tasted great and there were a lot of pieces for my salad. The salad itself was pretty good. I prefer the thicker (more emulsified) Greek dressing, but this had had a lot of flavor, as it had plenty of herbs in it. The only thing is they use raw rings of white onion cut in half, which are rather pungent, but I cut them up smaller to have a small amount in each bite. The lettuce and all the veggies in the salad were very fresh. The place was really clean and felt like a homely, family restaurant... especially with the family mural on the wall. The restroom was tiny, but again, very clean. Service was great. I asked the owners how long they've been here, they said 40 year! How awesome! I'll definitely return and I'll be ordering pizza on my next trip!

Back at Parthenon loving my lunch. Light meal but taking home pizza. Don't forget to support your…read moresmall businesses! We don't ever want to lose you! Service is always superb with Sophia and manny

I have visited twice and have loved the food both times. Lovely people dishing up your bowl,…read moredelicious food, and calm space to eat. It's a hidden treasure!

If you enjoy Cava or Mezeh this is your spot in Staunton! The food is fresh, tasty and healthy…read more Lots of room to sit and close to other businesses downtown.

The food was trash right off the bat! I ordered a lamb pita sandwich with all the condiment…read moretrimmings. The problem was two things with that sandwich first, they didn't cut nice lengthy, meaty pieces of lamb. It was more like lamb shreds. I'm from Chicago so this is not to be tolerated. I was expecting lamb and beef to be sliced kind of thick and it just simply was not it was like the beef shavings you get on a subway sandwich additionally, my sandwich had no flavor whatsoever with all those condiments on that sandwich. It tasted like nothing. Nothing about the sandwich was distinct or robust and flavor extremely bland. I don't know how that was achieved, but it actually happened. There was absolutely zero seasonings involved in that beef and lamb! Being from a big city and eating like this all the time I know for a fact that the way they slice that lamb into my sandwich was diabolically wrong! And again absolutely no flavor and that meat was dry. They shave that lamb into my sandwich, like pencil shavings coming out of a pencil sharpener that's absolutely just diabolical and for it not to be juicy and seasoned meat had me floored service was very nice. The lady that served me was extremely delightful. Not her fault she's not cooking in the back. Additionally, the fries were soft fried. These weren't good crispy fries like Americans enjoy these were like almost British style from a chip shop in the UK, which was not what I was looking for when she made my sandwich we had to wait for the fries, which meant by the time I sat down with my meal the sandwich was cold! And to top it all off that sandwich and fries ran me almost $30 Hell to the no!!!

One of the best meals I ever had was at a street-side shawarma stand in Manama, Bahrain. Shawarma…read moreHouse was the closest thing to that Bahraini roadside shawarma I been able to find in Virginia. They even have the "white sauce" I've never cared to ask what's in it because it's yummy! One shawarma wrap is almost enough to feed 2 people, but why would you? The wait can be long but they work hard to move the line. After all, they make your meal as you want it. While the ambiance is that of a Mall Food Court, it is one of the cleanest food courts I've seen in a while. Check it out, even if you're not a fan of mall food court.

Yelp has yet to change the name of this restaurant. I put it in as HFR Contemporary Kitchen and Bar…read morebut probably because I entered their website they called it Happy Family Ranch. *FYI so you know what to look for.

Return visit this time for lunch , enjoyed eating outside. Service was very attentive. They bring…read moreyou a complimentary tasting small homemade tortilla filled with pork - the presentation was a 5 star restaurant. It was delicious! Loved my Apple Walnut salad it delightful with apples cinnamon and feta. Hamburger was topped with shrimped - it melted in mouth - what a difference farm to table. The shrimp marinated in lime was amazing with a both " ceviche" style shrimp were numerous large and fresh. Tacos Bria as enough to share 2 sauces came with them but no dipping sauce. Seared Tuna appetizer was large enough to be a meal . It was so tender ! Finished with Flan yummy and smooth and large cut to share . A gem in the hiding. Check it out as it just say HFR. I told them they need better signs!