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    Zorba's Cafe

    3.9 (820 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    ZORBA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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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.

    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.

    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!

    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!

    Babaganous
    Sophie S.

    Cute, casual, quick spot for authentic Greek food! We stopped here for lunch in DC and loved the pita sandwiches. The falafel was so soft and flavorful and the chicken shawarma pita was so tender and had lots of flavor. The fries were also fresh and crunchy! The service was friendly and very fast. You order and they bring you the food. My only complaint is the babaganous was lacking flavor and the pita that came with its seemed the same as what you would get from the store. Overall would return here for Greek food when in the area again!

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    3 months ago

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

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    1 year 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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    Your Only Friend - Sub club

    Your Only Friend

    4.4(163 reviews)
    1.2 miDowntown

    Lowkey my favorite Sandwich place in all of DC. The people that created this restaurant are…read moregeniuses. I'm speechless when I eat these: RPG The Hot Nug Gotta have it: Cacio e Pepe fries Onion Rings The shallot dip

    I only ever stop by here whenever I'm going to an event at the convention center and don't want to…read morepay for overpriced under-flavored convention food nor fight the scores of illegal food truck mafia members with their unlisted prices, I always seem to forget about it otherwise. But maybe that's better for them too. You can order to-go at the window and/or request a spot in the limited spaced dining/bar area. I've only gotten the Sub Club the few times I've gone here but what can I say? its a fail proof staple that is hard to get wrong and that they do very right. I often pair it with one of their drinks, this time being the spicy ginger ale which was solid as well. There's really not much place to dine-in if you're trying to dine and go - I recommend only using the dining area if you're solo, a couple, or part of a small group (at MOST maybe - a hard maybe - on 4 people) and only if you want to use the bar. One couple tried to squeeze in a baby stroller into the bar/dining area. Its really not suitable for things like suitcases or strollers so if you're in that camp maybe try some other spots because that also made a tiny space all the more difficult to navigate. Also, if you have a mobility device, this might not be the best spot for you either. I've never used their restrooms before so can't comment on that one. I still will say it is good for when you want to grab and go - so if you're in that category, and you like moderately priced sandwiches (for this part of town) this might work for you.

    Photos
    Your Only Friend - To go order area.

    To go order area.

    Your Only Friend - Cool Ranch Onion Rings - Doritos(ish) Cool Ranch pow-pow, beer-battered onion rings, fancy ranch

    Cool Ranch Onion Rings - Doritos(ish) Cool Ranch pow-pow, beer-battered onion rings, fancy ranch

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

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    Cacio Pepe fries are also a must!!

    Compliments Only - Berger Cookies - 2 pk

    Compliments Only

    4.4(229 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.

    If you love sandwiches like me then this is the shop for you…read more Hands down one of the best sandwich shops around. Exceptional service and even more exceptional is the food. Everything is fresh. The bread is from Cardinal Bakery (bonus). They have several popular and unique sandwiches like The Crunchy Boi. Usually split one with the boyfriend. It's turkey, provolone, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo (we get it on the side) and potato chips. Wow-wee get in my belly goodness! One bite and you're hooked. For real. Get your sammy fix on!

    Photos
    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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    A Litteri - Ham sub

    A Litteri

    4.5(494 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    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

    This place is Perfect. I'm here at least 3 to 4 times a…read moreweek sometimes every day. I love the feasibility. I love the prices. I love the people. I love the style. The only thing I don't love is the parking.

    Photos
    A Litteri - Inside

    Inside

    A Litteri - Meatball sub

    Meatball sub

    A Litteri - Burgundy wines

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    Burgundy wines

    Zorba's Cafe - desserts - Updated September 2026

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