I came here for my friend's engagement party, and everything was amazing. The food was delicious,…read moreflavorful, and incredibly filling. The large platter was perfect for sharing, and every bite was cooked perfectly. I've been to Bethesda so many times and never even knew this restaurant was here. What a hidden gem. I don't remember our server's name, but he was the bartender, host, and waiter all in one. He was so kind, personable, and made the entire experience even better with his great service. I will definitely be back and highly recommend Bacchus to anyone looking for amazing food, generous portions, and outstanding hospitality.

The servers were really really nice. The pear tart desert WAS AMAZING and lowkey worth a trip here…read moreon its own. The standing yogurt jello looking thing (I'm sorry I forgot the name) was also DELICIOUS. The appetizers were also delicious: hummus especially so. The chicken was amazing. The zaatar dip was also amazing! The entree itself I wasn't crazy about but it wasn't bad. I just enjoyed the other parts more

You will not be disappointed with this true tasting of Mediterranean tapas. Staff were wonderful,…read moresmiled, helpful knowledgeable on the menu and spices offering alternatives, the environment in the dining area is what you would expect in a Mediterranean café. B4 warned you need reservations for this place even at the bar the bar filled up quickly. Tables filled up quickly, and there is a minimum timeframe at the tables Restaurant week options and the menu was quite a deal. I was able to taste three cold three hot and three main dishes wonderful experience overall.

I sat and thought about this review after dinner here last night. Longer than I normally do. 4.5…read morestars. We really liked Ala, despite my nitpicks at the end. We will be back, I just have a lot to say. As a note: they're very good with allergies like gluten. Food was amazing, from the 2 different Kebabs, Manti, Halloumi wraps, Za'atar Pide (flatbread) and a few other plates amongst the four of us--our group split the plates up to avoid cross-contamination and one member of our party couldn't do gluten -- and when it came out everything was amazing and flavorful and delicious. Definitely want to go back and try more. I genuinely feel bad for our server: he got stuck with an incredibly busy section and for the first 45 minutes or so of our meal, as a result of this, service was very slow. It took us a little while to order and then have our drinks come. This was solely due to the crowd. But then our food came out quickly. Our server seemed rather overwhelmed at times. I want to stress that this was solely due to how busy they were and no fault of any of the staff. So, if you go, just be patient. I want to stress that service was great for us. Also a note that all of your hot Mezze will likely come out at the same time after the cold mezze. I have some nitpicks : 1) one of our tables was not level with the other one and kept moving unless we put pressure on the legs or on the top. This probably should've been checked & fixed between patrons. 2) The Garides shrimp mezze was probably the most whelming. The parsley tahini pesto and veggies were nice, but for the price there could've been 4 shrimp at minimum. I didn't get much from the seven spice flavoring. I think I just wanted more from this dish. It's just one that doesn't feel as awesome as the others (especially because a lot of people don't know off hand you can eat the clear shrimp shell and the tail). 3) The mixed spread mezze needs to have at least 2 more pita. 4) The ambiance is lovely but at one point, the background music seemed to have been turned up a smidge volume wise, or the song was just a louder one, which made it a bit hard to hear. This was also right when a lot of our food came.

I took my friend to Ilili to celebrate her birthday. The food was pretty mid, but the ambiance,…read moreaesthetics, and customer service were elite!

This is probably the best Lebanese restaurant in the DC area. It has a beautiful ambience, a very…read moreextensive and varied menu (which includes numerous classic Lebanese dishes), and the service is great. My daughter has some food allergies and our server helped guide us through the menu as to what she could safely eat and made sure that certain modifications were made. We definitely will be back.

This is a fast casual location. The menu is more limited than the full sit down one but more…read moreaffordable and not quite as high quality. Still quite good and service is friendly. They used to be half a block away then moved here. The last time we went to dine in we got the large family platter and couldn't finish it.

On our way to the Regal Majestic, we stopped by the Lebanese Taverna for a snack. But of course, I…read morecouldn't help myself and wound up with the Traditional Platter: hummus, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, a kibbeh, a grape leaf and two falafels. The hummus alone is worth the trip - smooth and creamy, perfect with their pita. But the falafels are also perfect. I was a happy camper! If you're a fan of LebTav, you'll know how good it is. If you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for? Give it a try!

Came back to Ammoora because it is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Baltimore with great…read morefood. The service was attentive throughout our meal, and every dish arrived beautifully plated with great attention to detail.

We had a wonderful birthday dinner at Ammoora. It's in the complex with the Ritz Residences and…read morethere is valet parking for $15 which they add to your check which is very convenient. The dining room and lounge are beautiful and spacious and the staff were so nice and welcoming. The manager came to welcome us and brought me a free drink of my choice to celebrate. I had the date infused old fashioned which was fabulous. The kids had delicious mocktails and the other cocktails were fabulous as well. We had the appetizer platter which comes with a bunch of dips and fresh warm pita bread and the burrata. All amazing. Then we had a variety of entrees. The favorites were the eggplant, lamb shank and branzino but everything was great. We tried a variety of desserts as well. Favorites were the raspberry sorbet, the lemon curd and the one with cotton candy. It's not cheap by any means but for a special occasion it's definitely worth it!

Ok. It's been a while (two years), but I wanted to give this neighborhood place another try. I am…read moremuch more impressed. The service was much better and uniform and the food we had was good. I liked the pita bread they brought over. It's a large piece, with a crunch on the outside, but not doughy on the inside. My mezza plate (called "traditional platter") was good. It is a sampling of hommus, tabouleh, baba ghannouge, a kibbeh, a grape leaf, and two falafels The baba ganouche was flavorful as was the hummus. The tabouleh was bright and fresh. The kibbeh was meaty (lamb) and the grape leaf was well stuffed and flavorful. I liked the falafel, but, although they were warm, I would have preferred that they be hot. The kibbeh was warmer in temperature. The lentil/spinach soup is very good. There's a fountain soda dispenser for free refills. As I said, the service was much better than our last visit and the food good. I'll be back. Probably to try chicken kabob or schwarma.

Food is always greatly appreciated here by my family, especially my son. We came hungry from the…read moreRenaissance Festival, so my husband was craving food from Lebanese Taverna. Our usual order is Anna's Platter. My son likes the baklava pistachio. Service is quick and reliable! Atmosphere is greatly enhanced with good light fixture and is very well-lit. We ate there in the evening, so we came hungry from the Renn Fest and went home full!

Cool spot in Takoma Park that I've wanted to visit for awhile. I'm glad I finally did. Met up with…read moresome friends. Service by Jack and Heather was excellent. Finding metered street parking was easy. Later found out there's a paid parking lot in the back. They're open daily. Olive is a nice mix of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and American cuisine. The space was much bigger than I initially realized. We sat in the front of the space but there's a bigger bar in the middle and outdoor seating! They have happy hour Monday to Friday, 4 - 7, in addition to daily specials! I tried the samosas and they were delicious! The happy red wine (a merlot) was really good. I got a few glasses. Everyone had a good time! I will definitely be back.

This spot has two entrances -- One from the main street in the front and and one in the back…read moreconnected to a parking lot and the restaurant's patio seating. I came in the front not even knowing that the back area existed. There's a whole other bar, some cool decor and everything. The mezza platter on Mondays is such a steal! Money aside, everything in it is so delicious and worth it. And I love that it is totally vegetarian -- grape leaves usually half before lamb in them, so it was a nice surprise to see that they didn't. I'd be excited to try their $10 burger Tuesdays and other great daily deals. Happy hour is every weekday from Monday to Friday ... And the staff were super friendly and attentive, including the one who just recently started (I think her name was Heather?). I would be delighted to return! Mediterranean + bar food makes for a fun time.

Representing November 2023 in my scrapbook series is Cedars of Lebanon. On Saturday, November 18,…read more2023, I had 1st of 2 dates with a woman who lived in Lanham. We met that Saturday morning at New Deal Cafe for coffee. Date was going well, and we went to lunch in this center here. Wow, this was amongst the best Mediterranean I've had. I got a platter with rice, meat, & more. I don't remember the exact specifics, but I remember I thought it was excellent. Staff was nice too. It's a pretty small place, but we were comfortable in this as Saturday lunch business wasn't too busy. Conclusion with this woman & a better new era: As for this woman & our 2nd date, we met for lunch near where I live on a rainy Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend (See my 5-star review of Notos in Maryland City). She was from Indonesia, here working for a family, and said the host family was moving to California next week. I said how crappy that was as you just got to Maryland in October. So, there was no future with this woman. Incidentally, a little more than 2 months later was my first date with my girlfriend of now about 2.7 years, which has been great.

The Cedars of Lebanon is an easily-overlooked cafe right on the corner of the Old Greenbelt…read moreShopping Center which is a lovely hidden gem. I spent every summer in this town, growing up, and I never discovered this restaurant until a precious friend brought me here a few years ago. It's a dated, though efficient, and charming, cafe with fresh dishes you might love. Firstly, if you plan on having lunch here on a Monday, make sure you are able to finish by 2:45 since they close by 3pm. All other days, they are open past 8pm. We started with the sweet potato soup despite the fact that the reviews for the lentil soup here are the highest. Yes! If it's featured: get it! The turmeric and coconut milk make this soup delightful. The herbs made it so fresh and there was just the right amount of sweetness and gentle heat. Parsley really adds to this recipe and I'm not usually a fan of this herb. The pitas are soft, thin and light. Love them. We needed to order more. I've never had such paper-thin pitas. Yum! I love love love the hummus, here. It is nothing short of divine. The flavors are fabulous and deeply complex. You can really taste the tahini. The olive oil is mild and delicious. I exclaimed, "the hummus was the best ever." And then 5 minutes later, I read a review by Yelper James H. where he says it's the best ever and, "... this hummus at Cedars of Lebanon might have ruined all other hummus for me forever." While I've had similar swooning feelings over the hummus at Lebanese Taverna in Tyson's Corner, this hummus is at least a top contender if not the metro DC area's hummus winner. The cucumber mint yogurt salad is nice, cold and refreshing. You can really taste the mint. I would order this yogurt salad with every meal. The falafel pizza is unusual and fresh. Straight away-- you can taste the tahini, parsley and couscous. The dough is grainy and natural. And there are radishes on this falafel pizza: not overpowering. For the $9 or so pricepoint, this dish is a true labor of love. To prep all of these vegetables, even with food processors, must take time. How novel of a dish! Put the yogurt salad on this pizza. You will thank me. And I only did it because I was watching someone else slather it on. There were at least 12 desserts on the menu. Meow. If we weren't so full of pita, hummus, tahini and fresh veggies, we certainly would love to taste a few of these. As well as the Turkish coffee, with an authentic ceramic and metal carafé presentation.

A 10/10 dining experience! From the ambiance to the food, everything was absolutely top-notch. I…read morewas genuinely impressed by the chef's creativity and the incredible flavors in every dish. We decided to go with smaller plates so we could share and try as many dishes as possible. As a clinical nutritionist, I love choosing cocktails made with egg white for a little extra protein, so I went with "Our Lady of Lebanon," while my son chose a drink with a licorice flavor. For food, we enjoyed the wild mushroom, arayes, and dolma. For dessert, we had the brown butter knafeh with plum ice cream--such a unique and delicious combination! Every detail made this experience special. Bravo, Chef! You've truly created something amazing. Please come to LA and open a restaurant--we would be first in line!

Albi Overall Rating:…read more(4/5 Stars) Everyone loves Albi, so my expectations were sky-high for my first traditional tasting menu. While the food was very good, I actually preferred the Sofra Series dinner with Chef Brandon Jew. This menu felt a bit safe and repetitive, especially after what felt like an all-lamb tasting by the end of the night. 12 Course Tasting Menu $165 * Starter: I don't like olives or radishes, so I left this one to the table. The consensus was positive. * Course 1: Oysters with trout roe? Consider me converted. This combination needs to stay in my life. * Course 2: Lamb-stuffed bread is one of my favorite things on Earth. The dipping sauce added just enough freshness to balance the richness. * Course 3: A pea tartare was not on my bingo card, but here we are. Unique, refreshing, and unlike anything I've had before. The mint and lettuce pairing made it even more memorable. * Course 4: Pretty, cheesy, citrusy, and delicious. Sometimes that's all you need. * Course 5: Savory hummus is the superior hummus. Add seasoned pita and I'm a happy camper. * Course 6: I'm not a grape leaf person. The lamb outside of the wraps, however, was excellent. * Course 7: My favorite course of the evening. That said, I've had another version of this dumpling at Albi before, and I actually liked that one more. * Course 8: Tender, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth lamb. No complaints. * Course 9: I genuinely don't know what happened here. The flavors and textures just didn't work for me. * Course 10: Yet another lamb dish. At this point, I was experiencing lamb fatigue. The cinnamon was also more aggressive than necessary. * Course 11: Warm, comforting, and exactly what I wanted from dessert. * Course 12: Ice cream is rarely a bad decision, and it was a lovely way to end the meal. Service: The service was exceptional. If I'm being nitpicky, ordering another round of drinks took a bit longer than expected. Otherwise, the staff was attentive and knowledgeable, delivering the kind of hospitality that keeps people coming back. Disclaimer: These are my personal opinions. Please try these restaurants and form your own judgments--it's what I would do.