Wow! We had an excellent experience at this restaurant. My wife had lamb chops and she said they were some of the best she's ever had.i had the lamb shank off the dinner special and I stopped myself from demolishing the whole plate so I can have my left overs for lunch the following day and I couldn't be more excited. Service was great! Everyone was very personable. The space was pretty intimate in a very unassuming strip shopping center. Blink and you'll miss it. Plates were $17-$30 with lots of variety including vegetarian dishes. We'll definitely be back. read more

Charlotte's cliff notes: Well seasoned afghan/middle eastern food with a mid-higher price range. Highly recommend chicken thighs if you juicy chicken. Two things I love: rice and kabobs. I've had a range of kabobs, but I've never had homemade, authentic kabobs so take my review with a grain of salt. My boyfriend and I have ordered from here twice through Ubereats. Both times, the food was delicious. We've only ordered their kabobs, but out of what we've ordered, we most definitely agree their chicken thigh is where it's at. The only con I can think of is that I wish the ratio of rice to meat was a bit more, but what can I say, most definitely a rice girl. Based on the other photos on Yelp, it seems you may get more rice when you eat in person so I'll have to do that one day. They also give you this bread that I normally don't eat at similar establishments as it's not worth the carbs IMO, but I finish that bread each and every time. Recommend reheating it a bit if you're getting it to go. Price is most definitely on the expensive end, but well worth it IMO since I don't have a grill and have no idea how to make afghan/middle eastern food. Mostly definitely will be back but due to price it'll probably only be once every few months...unless Ubereats got a deal going on :) read more

Afghan Bistro - Chicken & Ground Beef Kabob - Afghan Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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The atmosphere is very romantic and the people was very nice and the food was very delicious

As many others have shared, this place is superb. A hidden strip mall gem. I had the lamb shank and greens, which was delicious. Will be back. read more

Upon the recommendation of a friend who lives in the area, I met a colleague here for a workday lunch and I was so glad I did! The ambience is inviting, with quotes from the poet Rumi (a favorite of mine) and comfortable seating. My colleague was a bit lost and during my wait I received plenty of chilled water, plus pillowy, crunchy flatbread with three dipping sauces. The smell made it so hard to wait for her! When we finally arrived we chose pumpkin dumplings from the appetizer menu and I got a vegetarian entree of chickpeas and mushrooms in a creamy tomato sauce over basmati rice. The dumplings wrappers were the most tender and light wrappers I have ever had. I'm a fan of if all sorts of filled snacks from empanadas to Korean mandu and these dumplings are my new favorites! They require a fork to eat and I am here for it! My entree was hearty and warmly spiced but not at all hot. I was a little bummed that the rice did not have the carrots and raisins I thought it would. Maybe I was not clear when I ordered. ‍ Service was attentive and unobtrusive. Our cardamom tea was served quickly and our water glasses refilled quickly. I'll definitely be back! read more

Afghan Bistro - Bread and dipping sauces! - Afghan Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

Food here was delicious!!! Great service and ambiance too. Will definitely plan on coming back to try other dishes. read more

Afghan Bistro - Afghan Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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I decided to journey to the distant lands of Springfield to try some highly rated Afghani cuisine. Everything was delicious! We had the hot mazza of the dumplings and the other two dishes pictured below. It was so long ago that I dont remember what exactly I ordered. I do remember it was all delicious though! Although I had no issues with this restaurant it was definitely the type of place I only want to try once which is why I gave it 4 stars. 5 stars for me means I would go there many more times and recommend it to all my friends. Nevertheless, you will not regret eating here! read more

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Non-descript restaurant in a strip mall near Springfield Costco. Windows are blacked out in front so it's hardly noteworthy. But there's a reason why you should make reservations before dining here - it's always crowded. To start, they provide warm naan bread with three sauces. Love the sauces and we always ask for more to put on our entrees. Their Hot Mazza Assortment provides a wonderful assortment of Afghan dishes and definitely recommended. I always order the Bistro Signature Lamb Chops and Beef Tenderloin. The lamb chops and filet mignon are tender and cooked just right. The accompanying rice has carrots and raisins and are amazing. There is also a side of roasted eggplant toped with garlic yogurt, mint and cayenne. I'm not usually a fan of eggplant but it's wonderfully prepared and slight sweet. There are vegetarian options as well. Generally, we're usually too full to order dessert and always have leftovers to take home. read more

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The food was lovely! It was nice and cozy, but not stifling, service was super great! I'm so glad I picked this place for my date :3

I came here with two friends, one of whom is vegetarian. We arrived at 8:20 pm, and even though they close at 9 the man working the front assured us we were welcome to come in and sit. My friends and I really appreciated this since we were excited to try some local Afghan cuisine. The inside was very cozy, with cushioned benches for seating along the walls and small candles lit on all the tables. Our server quickly brought us water which was nice, and bread was brought out with 4 different dips. I tried each one and was repeatedly surprised at how good they were; one tasted a little similar to tzatziki sauce, one was mildly spicy, the third was a little sweet and savory, and the last was pretty spicy. They were all great and my friends and I all commented to each other about how good the dips were. We all wanted to have some definitively Afghan food and we asked our server for recommendations, and he was very helpful in pointing out options we might like. There were many enticing vegetarian options which my vegetarian friend definitely appreciated. Once we ordered our food it didn't take long for it to come out; granted we were there right before they closed but we were hungry and happy to get our food quickly. My friend and I got lamb chop shoulders and were instantly impressed by how flavorful and tender the meat was. The dish also came with rice, raisins, and sliced carrots, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavors, it accented the meat incredibly well. The dish also came with a side of eggplant that was very interesting, it was a little savory and bitter at the same time. I didn't enjoy it as much as the main dish, but it was cool to try it. The man who welcomed us in seemed to be the owner or a manager or something, he was very attentive to our table without being overbearing, and he seemed genuinely happy when we said we liked the food. It always feels nice to have your business appreciated. I've had Afghan food a few times before but this is one of the best Afghan places I've been to, I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the area! read more

Afghan Bistro - Lamb Shoulder Chops - Afghan Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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I had a wonderful meal at Afghan Bistro last night. The restaurant was located in a little plaza which had parking. The interior was cozy and was decorated with beautiful paintings. Staff was friendly, attentive and helpful. My sour Cherry limeade was good, kind of reminds me of eating a popsicle. The complimentary bread was good although I wish I was a little warmer and came with 4 different sauces. The star of the night were the lamb chops and beef tenderloins. They were fragrant, seasoned just right with nice grill marks! The beef tenderloins were juicy and cooked perfectly! The side of Kadoo was good but was a bit on the sweeter side. The carrots on the rice were also sweet. My friend substituted the Kadoo for a side salad which went very well with the dish. I would definitely come back again just for the tenderloins and lamb chops! We got the rice pudding and firni (eggless tart) which were both a little bland imo so if you're going to order dessert, I'd suggest the cardamon cake. It was slightly similar to tres leches with the sauce on the bottom and had a good drizzle of berry sauce on the plate. Prices were very reasonable here! Def a must try if you like afghan food! read more

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If I were just passing by, I would never give this place a chance. From the outside, it looks like just another afghan place. When you go inside, everything changes. As soon as you open the door, you start smelling amazing spices. The inside is pretty charming, definitely not ADA friendly right away since it's a tiny place. I'm sure they would shuffle things around for accessibility if needed (just a vibe I got from how friendly they were). Food is AMAZING, just as I expected. I knew this was a sister restaurant from Aracosia in McLean, so the expectation was high. It did not disappoint; many of the dishes seem to be the same or very similar to Aracosia. The drinks were great! They make a version of a White Russian that is super yummy, and they have a solid wine selection. The bread is good (some might say excellent - the style is not my favorite but the execution is top-notch - so it's me not them), the chutney's are crazy good, the rice is terrific (especially the one with carrots and raisins), meats are tender and so well seasoned, and the stews are just to die for. Do yourself a favor a stop by, you will not regret it. read more

Afghan Bistro - Chicken Aracosian - Afghan Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Be sure to make a reservation prior to showing up or you might get turned away. Hole in the wall located in a strip mall of mixed of tenants. Black tinted windows, 14 tables inside. Never mind the ambiance just focus on the food. I ordered the ox tail and the meat was fall of the bone, so tender and yummy. The wait staff is friendly and efficient. During our experience, the bread basket cloth wasn't clean, it had smears of tomato sauce on it probably reused from the previous guests. Would be back to try other offerings. read more

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Afghan bistro is not only my favorite Afghan restaurant, but one of my favorite restaurants in the NoVA area hands-down. Not only does it have the best Afghan food that I've tried, but the service is great, and the prices are very reasonable on top of that. Everything prepared here tastes fresh, with flavors that are achieved by the perfect amount of spice. The mantu has yogurt and peas are amazing, with the perfect texture on the dumpling wrapper, and the yogurt and tomato sauce with the perfectly cooked peas all mix together nicely. The braised lamb shank eggplant dish is to die for, we already know that braised lamb shank is fall off the bone, but how about a garam masala sauce with eggplant that kicks this dish up 100%, it's my favorite lamb shank dish. Everything else I've had here is amazing, and it is a go-to spot for me, after a Costco run I will usually eat here. read more

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This is our favorite restaurant. The flat bread is amazing. My favorite dish is the Kabuli Palau. Their sauces are spectacular

Excellent service, wonderful delicious food! Loved it! The chicken stew was amazing, great flavors and a big portion. Everyone in our group of five diners loved their meal. read more

we had heard good things about the restaurant so went to try it out. good food, large portions and good service - the only negative was the space as the restaurant is small so tables are closer together we started off with bread and chutney - it was a variety of chutney, most spicy but good. we ordered the appetizer sampler which came with butternut squash, eggplant, veggie dumpling and beef dumplings we ordered the qabuli rice which also came with the veggie side dishes, the eggplant and the lamb shank. the food was good and very flavorful, but a lot of the dishes were repeats (same veggies in appetizer were in main dish) so had we known that the order would've been modified butternut squash and eggplant were the favorite read more

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Small and cozy place Make a reservation Great for date lunch or dinner with a few friends The food is delicious- everything is outstanding Service is friendly helpful and efficient read more

the peach martini is amazing! definitely get the pumpkin dumplings, and the dessert menu

Went here with friends who had been before. I had not heard of it before. Food was amazingly good, we shared many appetizers and each ordered a different entree. I had a Chicken stew with rice, took half home and ate it for dinner the next night. A bit far from home for me, but definitely worth the drive. One of our friends from Boston, who was with us, looked at my dinner, and said "I ordering that next time " we all laughed, because we knew he meant it! read more

I feel like this is afghan food for the bland, Americanized palate. I had afghan bistro bookmarked for a while and was sorely disappointed once I finally tried the food last night. I ordered the chicken karahi which was so underwhelming and lacked the usual flavorful punch of karahi. It tasted like a beginner's version of the dish. The bread accompanying the meal was similar to focaccia, but without any herbs which was odd as well, as Afghan and similar cuisines are usually accompanied by flat breads similar to naan. Disappointing and won't be back. read more

Omg WHAT IS THIS MAGIC? From the outside. Unassuming. Small. Next to a vacuum repair shop (vibes from "better call Saul") do not be fooled!!! From the inside. Cozy. Pretty. Classy. And SO DELICIOUS!!! I have brought colleagues and friends from far distances to eat at this little diamond in the rough. Work lunch, catching up with friends, and even dates!! Ambiance is fantastic. My favorite dish is the eggplant dish in their house sauce. Be warned the portion is HUGE!!! You will either leave very full or maybe have another portion if you have great self control (...i do not). Also the bread is made in House. YUM. Thank you for a wonderful place to dine and delicious food!!! read more

A definite must try! Their lamb in any way you prefer will be delicious! We've tried at least 5 or 6 different plates here and we loved them all! My favorite is the lamb chops, and my boys' favorite is the lamb shank. One star each for food/drinks, service, cleanliness, atmosphere and the "wow" factor! read more

This place is small but it packs a huge punch. If you love Afghan food you will love this place. Hands down the staff is some of the nicest people I've come across. Zak greeted and sat us quickly and was with us throughout the entire experience. I'm big on customer service and this place had better service than some "5 star" restaurant. The ambience is spot on it's not a big spot but seating is nice, with light music playing. Shifting to the food. When ITV all looks good choices choices. While you decide they bring out fresh bread with 4 different sauces. They're all good and don't let the red sauce catch you off guard, it has HEAT. For starters try the sambosa (it's like a donut meat combo tossed in powdered sugar). You can't go wrong with the mix grill mazza, it preps you for wanting more. Main dish chicken thighs kabob and the lamb and beef tenderloin. This place does it right meaning a total package, amazing FOOD, the environment is relaxing and most of all excellent folks cooking, greeting, and service. Hats off to owner, and yes I will be back read more

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Wow! This is incredible Afghan cuisine... fabulous! This Afghan Halal restaurant in an obscure strip mall just south of Springfield proper, is incredibly deceiving when arriving to their parking lot. Look hard and you'll find it. But once there you'll experience some of finest Afghan Cuisine ever - it's no wonder Afghan Bistro has received numerous awards. The moment you walk in you are warmly greeted by this family-owned and operated homey and relaxed establishment. You immediately feel the vibe of the family surroundings. As for the food, Wow! Afghan Cuisine unifies much of the Indian, Central Asian, and Persian foodways and cultural characteristics. Every item of the many we experienced were exceptional! We enjoyed some of the best Sambosas ever. This minced meat stuffed pastry chalk full of tasty lentil gorma fried perfectly with slight toppings of powdered sugar and cardamom were yummy. My Wife's fave, Pumpkin Dumplings, were superb. These delicately steamed with a magnificent stuffing of minced meat, lentil, tender and flavorsome butternut squash, seasoned with mint and cayenne were superb. My selection and I am tremendously pleased with it was the Veal and Mushroom Sabzi Lawaan. Marvelous taste, stupendous preparation, and an amazing presentation of this veal fillet in a yogurt-based stew of greens, mushrooms with cilantro. Everything was served with an amazing saffron-infused basmati rice like I've never had before! If you love Afghan Cuisine or if you're new to it, this is the place for you. read more

Count his as 4.5 stars, we just picked up our dinner at the place and had a fantastic meal. We were attended to over the phone by one of the staff members who was super helpful, accommodating and flexible to ensure our order was ready, exactly when they said it would be. The flavors for the lamb shank are on point, I am picky about my lamb shank, as I love it a lot, and this one is cooked almost to perfection, and the sauce it is cooked in is super flavorful with the spices perfectly balanced in every bite. Trust me, this is the dish I recommended to the lamb eaters. My wife ordered the chicken kabob and it was pretty good as well, with a potato "sabzi". Served with Afghan bread and some really well cooked white rice, this is a solid restaurant in NoVa area for some Afghan food cravings! Will go back for more ..!!! read more

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Please make a reservation. Afghan bistro offers vegan dishes, and my husband mentioned that his steak and chicken meal was also delicious, with very friendly staff and a clean establishment. read more

The food here is five star and the customer service rates a 10. Very affordable. Highly recommend.

Always a solid eat. We have done take out a number of times. And had them cater parties for us. Highly recommend.

I loved this quaint and cozy place as I walked in to sit down. The food was very tasty on spices. I ordered the ground chicken and beef. I upgraded the side dish to butternut squash for $2.00 more. It was well worth it. We ordered an appetizer made with beef and lentils pastry with powered sugar on top. Surprisingly, this combination was delicious. They provide you with bread and four different dips. All were good, but I enjoyed the spicy red one the most. The wait staff is very attentive. I would recommend reserving a table before arriving because there is not a large amount of seating. Parking is free. read more

Their lamb chop dish is superb!! Perfectly cleaned and charbroiled on the grill. Meat is very tender and flavorful. I don't usually order lamb dish, but I always get the lamb from the Afghan Bistro because it tastes SO GOOD. It comes with long grain basmati rice, warm julienned carrot salad with nicely plumped raisins , and roasted eggplant (in stewed tomato sauce). I don't even like carrot or raisin, but the salad is a little sweet and delicious. Veal and potato dish is yogurt based and came with nice veal chunks and big potatoes at the bottom cooked separately in tomato based sauce topped with fresh cilantro. It was delicious. read more

Afghan Bistro - Veal & Potatoes (top) and Lamb Shoulder Chops (bottom - amazing!) - Afghan Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

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Definitely looks a little sketchy on the outside since the windows have like a black film on top of them but when you walk in it feels as though you are at a relatives having dinner. Very small inside, limited tables and close together but the food is really good. They provide the table with naan with four different types of sauces which was a bit fun for us to try them all. Each one has a unique favor. We ordered the samosas for an appetizer which they were really good so I would recommend trying it. They come with diced meat inside and dusted with powered sugar and cinnamon which provides it with just the right amount of sweetness. I ordered lamb which had amazing flavor and was tender. The rice I didn't necessarily care for but the potato chutney it comes with was delicious although was a bit spicy. Overall, great service and quality of food. The price is a bit high and the restaurant is a little crowded but it was a good dining experience. read more

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Afghan Bistro is the best kept secret in Springfield. The owner is kind and welcoming and the food was AMAZING. I would go back 100 times. Make reservations. read more

What a hidden gem! Driving in and walking into the restaurant you don't expect much, but the food and service were GREAT! We had the lamb shank in a curry sauce (resembles chicken tika masala) and dumplings with pumpkin. I think next time I would pick the dumplings with meat, but this is just a personal preference. And I would definitely order the lamb shank again! Also, I recommend checking out their specials/tasting menus online too! I haven't tried them, but they look like a fun experience read more

I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time since I kept hearing such great things about it! I finally got a chance to go for my best friend's birthday dinner. The restaurant is a little cramped but I was surprised that it was still so crowded for a Monday night. I loved the different sauce options that they provided the table with to dip the bread. The portions are decent although the menu can get a little pricey depending on what you order. The only downside to our experience was that the food took extra long to come out. We were waiting quite awhile so we had to keep asking for bread refills to hold us over. Some of my friends' dishes came out burnt or overcooked when the food finally came. I would like to give them another chance and hopefully that experience is a little better than my first time. read more

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Loved the free bread/dip appetizer and the lamb kabobs were amazing perfect. The outside hides what a really good restaurant this truly is.

Was back in town visiting family and had another excellent meal here!! Try the pumpkin dumplings you won't be disappointed! I don't think you can be disappointed with anything on their menu! Great service and friendly staff just like our first visit! Excellent food & service this evening! Visiting my parents for Christmas and they suggested this place after visiting once before! We shared the hot mezza appetizer and everything was delicious especially the sweet potatoes and the beef dumplings! Had the chicken and beef tenderloin dinner combo and the chicken and steak were cooked very nicely and yummy rice and potatoes accompanied it! Also had a bite of the lamb shank special of the evening and it was very good!!! Great service and yummy bread and the sauces that they bring at the beginning make this an excellent place for dinner! read more

Just piling on here to say the almost 5-star rating is 100% earned. One of the best meals I've ever eaten and wonderful staff who were attentive and efficient, despite the fact the restaurant was packed. Food was SO fresh and flavorful, spices were plentiful, but not overwhelming, and all the dishes were flat out comforting. Even wowed my vegetarian sister who said she now has a new favorite place! read more

What a delicious meal. Rarely these days can you find delicious food and fantastic service. Special shout out to Seth, our waiter. He was phenomenal and really enhanced our whole evening. Spicy beef dumplings, lamb shank, and chicken/beef kabobs were what we ordered. Everything was great. read more

I'll start by saying that at the time that we visited Afghan Bistro, we had no idea that it was one of the top 100 highest-rated restaurants on Yelp. Not just DC Metro/Virginia Yelp, but one of the top 100 Yelp rated restaurants in the country! Like, all of Yelp PERIOD! And after going there, it's obvious why. It was late on a Friday or Saturday night a couple of months ago. That night, my husband and I decided to yelp our way through having a multi-course meal eating each course at a different (highly rated Yelp) restaurant. We started off with a couple of DC spots & by the time we arrived at Afghan Bistro, it was just minutes before they were scheduled to close. At first glance, we thought it was already closed because of the black-out style curtains that make it impossible to see any light coming from inside of the restaurant. We hurried to the front door & were relieved to find that we'd just made the cut & they were still open. (We later learned that the black-out curtains were due to the position of the restaurant. Direct sunlight during certain hours made it unbearably hot). With it being so near to closing time, the last patrons were headed out of the door and w/the exception of a couple of customers picking up last minute to-go orders, we had the restaurant to ourselves. Immediately we were greeted by some of the most warm and congenial service staff we'd ever met. They had a familiarity with the menu that I rarely see at restaurants as at this price point. (Now, don't get it twisted, this is not a "cheap" restaurant by any means. While IT IS a small bistro in the middle of a strip center, it is one that is very upscale, yet doesn't break the bank. Their sister restaurant in DC, Bistro Aracosia, is more of a full-fledged white cloth restaurant w/some of the same offerings if you're looking for a more conservative experience.) Now let me pause here for a sec because this is worth noting. Here we are, ordering (LITERALLY) just a couple of minutes before closing. There were no other customers left in the restaurant and the staff was very close to completing their end-of-night/next day set-up duties (if they hadn't already). Folks were likely tired and ready to get out of dodge. On top of that, since we had already hit up 2 restaurants before arriving, we weren't even ordering 2 full meals. They could have easily turned us away with the "our kitchen's closed" bit. But they didn't. Not only did they serve us w/the utmost care, they also never once made us feel rushed. Needless to say, we were incredibly impressed before our food ever arrived at the table. Anyway, back to the meal. After a bit of discussion w/our server, we decided to go with the Mix Grill Mazza and an order of Sambosas. While our food was being prepared, they brought out their complimentary 4 signature chutneys along with fresh baked bread. The chutneys and bread were AH-MAAAZEE-ZIIINNG! Seriously, the words delightful, pleasurable, exquisite and appetizing quickly come to mind. All of them were great, but if I had to pick 2 favorite chutneys of the 4, I'd go with the one that had cilantro + green herbs in a vinegar base AND the one with cilantro + green herbs in a yogurt base w/avocado. At the risk of redundancy, I must repeat that they were truly amazing. Now... The main event. The Sambosas were fantastic and I loved the sweet/savory contrast of the powdered sugar on them. And everything on the Mix Grill Mazza and was phenomenal. It really was... BUT the beef tenderloin STOLE THE SHOW! [Read this paragraph & then] Go with me for a moment. I want you to take a minute, close your eyes and think back to a moment where your tastebuds came in contact w/something so absurdly delectable, mouth-watering & flat out delicious that you INTENTIONALLY had to slow down and STOP with EVERY SINGLE BITE to let the food linger in your mouth so that you could fully savor the delicate mix of perfectly cultivated flavors (for as long as humanly possible) before you would even BEGIN to chew & swallow your food. [I'll wait] Do you remember have this experience in mind?! Well THAT is exactly what our palates encountered with the beef tenderloin at Afghan Bistro. OH-MY-GOD! And while it's totally accurate to say that it was succulent, tender, moist & meticulously seasoned, those words still fail miserably at adequately expressing just how phenomenal it was. Not to minimize it by using the term "foodie" but it was a foodie experience that I'll never forget. The owner, Mustafa, came out to chat w/us a few times during our meal. His outgoing & friendly personality (perfectly fitting for the restaurant industry) made our hop-around date night even more of an extraordinary escapade. The customer service was all around was top notch. I know it may seem that this review is unnecessarily stuffed w/adjectives, but trust me, IT IS NOT. This place is JUST THAT REMARKABLE! We'll definitely be back & highly recommend that you treat yourself to a visit as well! read more

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