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    Zorba's Cafe

    3.9 (824 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Zorba's Cafe Photos

    ZORBA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Gyro platter was subpar, not much meat, bad value. Grape leaves good at least.
    Leigh D.

    Rounding out with last of the alphabet series with part 2 of 2 for letter Z, which unfortunately is a negative review. Went with the positive Z restaurant review 1st to go chronologically. 19 days after that 5-star restaurant was Zorba's Cafe on Friday, May 17, 2024. My girlfriend & I were down in DC that Friday evening for an event, which ended up being kind of a bust. We ate some food there, but more small appetizer, so we were moderately hungry. We saw Zorba's, and it seemed like a good what we thought would be an easy option. When we arrived, it's a narrow area where people wait in line to order. It took a little time to get to the front. It was also hot in there, which is a big complaint of places. When we got to the front to order, we decided on splitting a Gyro platter which is pita, beef/lamb blend, fries, & greek salad and got the DOLMATHÁKIA, which are 5 hand-rolled grape leaves with rice & olive oil. We walked upstairs, and we waited a very long time for our food. I went down to check a couple of times, and the staff seemed disorganized on if they were even working on our order or not. Meanwhile, it's hot in there, we're hungry, we have to go up & down stairs to check. There was nothing I liked about this situation. We really just wanted to eat and get back to MD! Eventually, after over 30 minutes of disorganization, we FINALLY got our food. This was also a disappointment as it wasn't much meat to split for the 2 of us, a pita bread which was standard, and not even that many fries. Salad was fine. Grape leaves were very good. Other places give you more food for the money. Quality of the food was a bit subpar; I've had a lot of better Mediterranean options. We know to avoid this. One silver lining was that because the service took so long, it timed well for my g/f to meet one of my friends that night.

    Chicken shish kebab
    Richard S.

    Good service good food. Reasonable prices. Cozy on a cold evening. Comes with a Greek salad that's not pictured.

    Zorba's Combination Plate
    Billy T.

    I took some of my out of town friends here who had never been to DC before after hearing great things about this place. It wasn't too busy on Memorial Day weekend Sunday when we came by for lunch, and didn't take long for the food to come out after we ordered. I personally ordered the combo platter, which I found to just be too salty (the meat). In addition, we ordered the caviar dip as an appetizer which was also far too salty.

    Menu
    Jenn J.

    After a nice stroll through the weekend farmer's market, we grabbed lunch with the family here at Zorba's. We like best the 2 meat entrees: - souvlaki - combo plate Meat was succulent and grilled with a masterful hand. Servings were a tab carb heavy - it makes the plat look full, so I get it. But you can avoid the fries, rice and pita easily. Temptation be damned. Salad dressing could have been more flavorful. Greek beer is light, which isn't my favorite, but we have fun trying new things.

    Souvláki Plate
    Kevin G.

    While visiting DC for a conference, I came across Zorba's Cafe. What an amazing find! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was comfortable, and the service was top notch. Being gluten free, I really appreciated the time that the employees talked to me about the steps that they take for their gluten free customers. Portions were perfect size, and this has been some of the best Greek food I have ever had! Thank you for making my trip amazing--this was the best food experience I had all week!

    Inside restaurant
    Delaney S.

    I visited here to order food to go. Whether you're eating in or to go, you place your order at the counter in the back and receive a number and find a seat. I line moved fairly fast. I only waited maybe 5-8 minutes for my order. I ordered the Aegean salad. It's a Greek salad with 2 chicken skewers and a roll. This is $17. The salad was fresh, and chicken was seasoned well. It could have used a little bit more toppings. The dressing was tasty. The salad was average size. It's not huge but decent. The to go order was packaged well with cutlery. Seems like the restaurant had a good amount of people dining in. It has a cute aesthetic and front of the building. It gives the Greek vibe. However, I don't believe staff is Greek. A solid choice for a decent meal while in Washington DC.

    Zorba's Combination Plate
    Nicole L.

    This is a popular spot in dc that I finally got a chance to try. It's a great alternative to the popular chains around DuPont circle for lunch (cava, chipotle, etc). Two levels plus a patio - all tables are self seating. It's a fast casual setup where you order at a cashier abs take a number to sit. The menu items have all the popular greek dishes but if you're not familiar with the cuisine each item is well explained. Everything was good! I only had a couple small things that I didn't love: The pita with the spinach dip was fried too hard, it was difficult to eat. And the fries were a bit limp and undercooked, they could have used a couple more minutes. The food came out super fast so I'm sure they're used to managing crowds when they're busy- so maybe just taking a couple extra minutes to make sure everything it's cooked well before sending it out would help

    Hummus, gyro platter.
    Steven F.

    Zorba's needs to decide if they're fast food with counter service or a restaurant with table service. Don't offer appetizers on the menu if everything comes out together. Disappointments: stale bread with the bland hummus, and a gyro (spelt yero) that's just meat on a piece of bread with some thin taziki. Luckily they gave me a small greek salad, so I had some vegetables to put on my sandwich. Lots of articles on the wall about winning "cheap eats" Rewards. But at $34, it didn't feel that cheap.

    Spanakopitta A La Carte Souvlaki Plate Dolmathakia
    Justin N.

    I've been visiting Zorba's every time I'm in town for over 15 years and it never disappoints. Zorba's has a relaxed, vibrant atmosphere with great seating, perfect for lunch or dinner. We ordered chicken souvlaki, spanakopita, and dolmathakia. I've enjoyed stuffed grape leaves of many variations, including canned, and Zorba's are by far the best! The food was excellent as always and the staff were polite, prompt, and friendly.

    Greek Salad
    Kerri C.

    My mom and I popped into Zorba's because we were nearby and wanted a quick lunch. We were super pleased with all of the food we ordered. We had a vegetable plate, a Greek salad, and the garlic pita. On the vegetable plate, my favorite item was the falafel. It was flavorful and so crispy, and was perfect dipped in the delicious tzatziki sauce. The pita in hummus was great, as was the spanakopita. There was also a really good butter bean dish that was quite filling and hearty. The grape leaves were a bit salty for my liking. Mom and I both agreed the Greek salad was awesome, and that the garlic pita was really good (it was huge!) The center was crispy which mom preferred, and the outside chewy which I did so it worked out. It was also super interesting that they don't accept tips. I appreciate that. I hope that means their staff are well paid. They all seemed friendly and quick! (You ordered inside and they brought the food out to you). I'll definitely pop in next time I'm near Dupont Circle- I want to try some of the Greek wine they had on display!

    Arrt T.

    Had the Gyro. Tasty, warm pita, love the sauce, and meat was well seasoned and tender. No complaints. Great venue, lots of history to this family-owned place. Order down front, pick up a number, then wait for your thing to be delivered to your table. Recommendedn

    Shish Kebab beef tenderloin

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    1 month ago

    Delicious food, great location, and nice patio, plus decent prices. I love the spicy feta dip

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    11 months ago

    One of my favorite casual restaurants for a quick bite in DC. Great price and great location in DC. Highly recommend.

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    Page 1 of 21

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    Your Only Friend - Sub club

    Your Only Friend

    4.4(153 reviews)
    1.2 miDowntown

    We had a gift certificate to Your Only Friend. Glad we did! This spot is a gem! Get here early…read morebecause the seats will fill up! The service was superb and the ambiance was awesome! All the way down to the mayo wallpaper in the restroom! As a Dukes Mayo fan, that's awesome! To the food and drink. We had a pickle soda and local sour beer. Both were great and tasty on a hot day. We had three various appetizers from the cool ranch onion rings to the Seattle fries with a mix of dope beet salad in there. All were good, the onion rings were definitely my favorite and judging by all the orders I saw around, it was everyone else's as well. The mains were the RPG and the fish special. The RPG was a bit heavy on the mayo, next time would ask for less mayo but it was still delicious as a char su pork fan. This hit the mark. The fish sandwich was tangy and spicy which made it delicious. It was a bit messy and the bun didn't hold up great but that didn't detract from the flavors. All in all this place is a gem of a sandwich shop / bar. Would recommend if you are in the area.

    Wanted a quick meal near my hotel from a conference. This place had a bib and some interesting…read moresandwiches. I got the hot nug and Cacio e Pepe fries. I ordered to go and it was quick. The food was good. The hot nug sandwich had a nice tangy taste. Not too spicy and was very manageable. I'd had lived more spicy but the flavors were still very satisfying. The fries were great too. I really enjoyed the sauces and couldn't stop eating them. I'd definitely recommend Thai place if you are looking for a good sandwich and a quick bite!

    Photos
    Your Only Friend - To go order area.

    To go order area.

    Your Only Friend - Cacio Pepe fries are also a must!!

    Cacio Pepe fries are also a must!!

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    Compliments Only - Berger Cookies - 2 pk

    Compliments Only

    4.4(228 reviews)
    0.1 miDupont Circle, Downtown
    $$

    I tend to default to Compliments Only when I'm grabbing lunch or even just walking in Dupont. It's…read morea tight space with some bar stool seating and 2-3 tables. Most people order their sandwiches to go. The line can get pretty long, but you get through at a decent pace, I wouldn't say fast. Simple and straightforward ordering process, just remember what you ordered because they don't take names. I go between the Crunchy Boi and the Marisa Tomei Eats Free, which are both great. The Crunchy Boi is probably their most popular sandwich and it's lighter than you would think considering it's filled with potato chips. I think it's worth trying once. The Marisa Tomei, on the other hand, has never failed me. It's balanced with an absurd amount of arugula against the meat, and it's never dry. The portions are generous, like you could definitely split it into two meals, but they're not so heavy that you couldn't finish a sandwich in one sitting.

    I ordered the Hot Pants sandwich and really enjoyed it. It was huge, packed with flavor, and…read moredefinitely worth the price. The combination of meats, peppers, and Cholula mayo was delicious. Just a heads up, this place gets very busy around lunchtime, so I'd recommend ordering ahead for pickup or being prepared to wait a little. There's also limited seating inside. Overall, a great sandwich and I'll definitely be back.

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    Compliments Only - Interior, menu board and ordering area

    Interior, menu board and ordering area

    Compliments Only - Turkey Caesar Sub

    Turkey Caesar Sub

    Compliments Only

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    Capo Italian Deli - Fauci Pouchy (Strawberry Lemonade)

    Capo Italian Deli

    3.8(342 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    My family ordered subs from here on a whim, through DoorDash, while we were visiting DC, and…read moreeveryone loved them so much that we ordered from them two more times during our trip! The roast turkey subs were huge- with thinly shaved turkey packed in so full- and my kids ate every last bite. I ordered "The Italian" as it was the special, and it was so delicious! It has their homemade Italian dressing, salami, hot capicola, and provolone. I re-ordered it again! My mom also ordered several desserts: house made cannolis, banana bread pudding, oreo cookie mousse, tiramisu, and chocolate mousse cake. Everything was wonderful! I really liked the banana bread pudding. The real gem was the chocolate mousse cake, which was so amazing that we ordered more slices in our next orders.

    We came out famished from The Howard Theatre. This place was opened late and it hit the spot!!…read moreOrdered a Caprese sandwich, and a tuna sandwich. Both were done on Italian bread with sesame seeds (love). Ingredients were fresh and well filled. The tuna salad had mayo, celery, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. It had cheese which I don't care for but I was so hungry I didn't mind it. Was curious about the speakeasy doorway but too tired to venture in, next time! There were a lot of delivery drivers picking up orders so it took a while for me to place my order. Wish they'd have a separate order area apart from pickup. I wanted to eat there but it was way too chaotic with security, delivery drivers and people coming in and out of speakeasy door. We took the sandwiches to our car ate them while listening to music and enjoying the hell outta em samiches!!!

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    Capo Italian Deli - Fauci Pouchy Painkiller

    Fauci Pouchy Painkiller

    Capo Italian Deli
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    A Litteri - Ham sub

    A Litteri

    4.5(493 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    I'm so glad I stumbled upon this centurion deli. I love their entire menu. My go to is double beef…read morepressed sandwich. I also tried the pastrami. It's good. Nothing like Katz though. I returned nearly after a year and happy to see improvements in packaging. Love foil wrapping because it does not leak and holds the sandwiches better. It's extra work back so I hope they are being compensated for it cuz the sandwiches cost the same. Don't change that.

    UPDATE: This platform will not allow me to post the photos to my review but they are posted to the…read morepage for now. Very interesting This was my first time coming to this shop. I heard good things about their sandwiches. My go to is normally Mangialardo's on Pennsylvania Ave in SE DC or Carl's Subbs on Rhode Island Ave in NE DC. I think I will stick to both of them next time. The staff was very friendly and helpful to me as a first timer but the sandwich was totally disapointing! NOT worth it, at all. I ordered a 9 inch capicola, ham, and cheese sub on the hard roll. The roll was very good and fresh but I couldn't taste the cheese or meat in the sandwich because there wasn't enough of it. I tasted the bread, the toppings of lettuce, tomato and onions. I decided to deconstruct the sandwich and found exactly 4 very thinly sliced pieces of meat and 2 very thinly sliced pieces of cheese as pictured clearly in the photographs. I also noticed that the they have different prices for the same type of meats. For example, they have a $29.99 per pound Capicola and one for $9.99 a pound. I asked which went on the sandwich and of course it was the cheaper one. That wasn't surprising and getting my sandwich back to the office. I decided not to eat the rest of the meatless sandwich and just take the loss. I wouldn't come back nor would I recommend a friend to try it

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    A Litteri - Inside

    Inside

    A Litteri - Meatball sub

    Meatball sub

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    Neopol Savory Smokery - Smoked Salmon Salad Sandwich

    Neopol Savory Smokery

    4.6(309 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    This is the best sandwich in the city. I've never said something is the BEST with as much…read moreconviction as this. As a certified sandwich girlie I can't go a single WEEK without heading to union market for this BLT. Neopol Smokery single handedly CARRIES this place the absurdity of quality of this sandwich is off the charts. Smoked salmon BLT stuffed to the brim with beautifully cooked smoked salmon, bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion tied together on a bed of Romain with the most perfect gravlax mayo. Be sure to get it on the sunflower flax bread TRUST!!! Add sliced apples to it when your back in ten min for a second sandwich. I mean it. You will turn right back around the second you take a bite. Friendly staff and quick service make me love them even more. Also LGBTQ owned!! Don't forget the smoked mussels. Thank me later. They're 12 for $12 and I would do a disservice trying to explain how flavorful these bad boys are! Follow my TikTok for the full review and more! @thegutgoblin

    While visiting DC we yelped for a place to grab lunch at the Neopol Savory Smokery restaurant. The…read moremenu sounded appetizing so we decided to take the listed 10 minute walk from our hotel. Despite following our GPS we soon realized that we were walking in circles! There was no restaurant by the above name at the listed address of 1309 5th NE. After much frustration we decided to contact the restaurant directly who ended up giving us an address in Maryland! The person stated they were not even aware of the DC address on yelp. We decided to choose a seafood restaurant at the Union Market. Please correct this obvious error in yelp as it is VERY misleading!

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    Neopol Savory Smokery
    Neopol Savory Smokery - Smoked Salmon BLT Sandwich

    Smoked Salmon BLT Sandwich

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    Zorba's Cafe - desserts - Updated August 2026

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