Great place if you have a craving for middle-eastern food. before you even order they bring out tiny-little home-made salads for the table to share. These are delicious. They specialize in grilled meat, but I had the salmon, which was great. My date had another kind of fish, that came whole, and looked good- a little bony, but that was the type of fish. the decor is fun. We had to wait a bit for a table on a Sunday night, but any good restaurant will be busy on the weekend. I would recommend to definitely try it! read more

Al Ha'esh was simply fantastic. Great food and service. The appetizers were fresh and interesting.

I find myself usually being extremely critical of kosher restaurants throughout the D.C. and Baltimore region. Having a kosher certification seems to be enough, and most restaurants just don't seem to feel a need to try to provide a good experience, good service, or good food. Terrible is usually an understatement. I stopped eating at nearly all kosher restaurants in the region for this reason. The previous restaurant at this location fell into that category. I have to start with that preamble to highlight how pleasantly surprised I was. While the ownership hasn't changed, a formerly passive owner has taken an active role in managing the new restaurant. He cares, and it shows. The decor is consistent, and pleasant throughout. There is good attention to detail. While the waiter was new, service was good, prompt, and he expressed a clear desire for self-improvement. The food was a solid good. A lot of kosher restaurants serve bad cuts of meat, or it is over-cooked. Not here. It's not outstanding, but that wouldn't be expected for this style restaurant. The market for high quality kosher meat doesn't really exist, so it's not an available option for most restaurants anyway, unless they manage their own meat supply chain from end to end. And bet of all, they took the time to get a liquor license (so many kosher restaurants seem to be lazy about this), and are carrying a very good selection of mainstream and craft beers. Hopefully they'll be rotating them periodically as well. The beer glasses are chilled. Again, attention to detail. If measured against all casual-plus restaurants in the region, they'd be in the middle of the pack. It doesn't sound like it, but that's a really strong compliment. It's worth trying simply because of the service, food and experience, even if you don't have to eat in a kosher restaurant. That's a measure that no other kosher restaurant in the D.C. area comes even remotely close to. Of course, they're new. At some point the owner will probably hire a manager. I just hope they can keep up this level of service and quality when the majority of their captive customers probably don't appreciate it or even recognize it because they don't have a reference outside of the other terrible kosher restaurant choices in the area. read more

This place is awesome!!! I loved everything about it. I wished we were not in a rush to make it to a show or we would have stayed longer and took our time more. The salad experience was great. We got to try a bunch of sides we hadn't had before. The kebabs were amazing especially the lamb shish kebab. If you are on the area and love middle eastern cuisine you got to try this place. It is a little hard to find but well worth it. read more

What can i say was very disappointed the food was not really good as Israeli i can make better food.

We had a very nice meal at Al Ha'esh during the soft opening. There's no need for an appetizer because entrees include the Al Ha'esh salad experience, which is half a dozen refillable salad dishes (babaganoush, beets, olives, tahini, chickpeas, pico de gallo, fresh pita). We ordered the Jerusalem mix and beef and lamb kabobs. All were very good as was the service.. The room is very nice. It's no longer an extension of Moti's Market like the previous restaurant. It has it's own entrance and ample free parking. I look forward to going back. Since it's not far from Strathmore, this is a great place to go before evening performances Sunday through Thursday. read more

I had eaten at the new restaurant twice in the last three days and it's great. Great food and service.

My Mom and I went for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. Restaurant is nice and I do like the open kitchen. Seems very authentic also with decor and patrons. Hostess greeted us and sat us right away. There were about 3 other tables already being served. We waited at least ten minutes for a server to come by and ask if anyone had helped us (we still had menus, so no.). We waited for him to fiddle around on some device, he gave up and started writing on a paper pad. We ordered the falafel platter with Israeli salad, My mom ordered the Isreali grill (chicken and beef with onions and some odd sauce) with french fries, and an order of hummus as an appetizer. Along with 2 Turkish coffees, not on lunch menu, but noticed on website. Since we mentioned we wanted the hummus, and after we ordered the entrees, the server kind of lost his mind and scoffed at us on how he had to re-write the ticket because we didn't place our order, in the correct order. Shame on us! We got the hummus right away and was tasty with 2 pita breads and a array of samplings of veggies, grains, etc. The hummus was the highlight of the meal. Then the cook came out in a panic (open kitchen, can see and hear everything), couldn't find the table (we were one of only 4 at the time), shoved the food at our server; whom was still making the Turkish coffee, which i understand can take up to 10 minutes to prepare. I find it interesting that the pita was brought out with the hummus and we ate it. We were not aware that the pita was for the entire meal. I think there should have been one pita with the hummus and one each for our meals. But we did not get the unlimited pita option, it wasn't suggested either. In fact, our server, dropped down the food, then came over with a half a cup of coffee. He seemed quite put out when we asked for cream and sugar. Mumbled under breath he put sugar in it. Thankfully I like sugar in my coffee and not a diabetic. He never asked if we wanted sugar it in or for anything to go along with it. He served the food and never checked in on us. Maybe he was still upset because we didn't put the order in the way he thought we should? Falfel was a round shape, not usual falfel shape, which I find weird for a wanna be authentic Isreali restaurant. Why not make this in the usual shape? Salad was as expected and falfel was okay even with odd spice. My Mom's Isreali meat platter was okay, but french fries not on the side and therefore were not crispy and drowned in that odd sauce. I wanted another pita for my falfel platter. We were finished for about 10 minutes and started stacking out plates. The restaurant was not busy but our server seemed to take forever plucking away on some machine in the kitchen. We stood up to go to him and get the check. We felt ignored by him. Not a great waiter or experience. One appetizer of hummus, 2 lunch entrees, 2 half cups of Turkish coffees, one server that didn't want to be there, and the check was over $40! No bar tab. Me thinks not again! So many restaurants serve this kind of cuisine better and for less expensive and by people that are actually glad you were there. We are not Jewish? Did that matter? read more

The food is excellent. The complimentary salads could be a meal by themselves. The prices are reasonable. Good service. Tracy, the manager, very responsive to personal requests. What more could you want. read more

Just opened but has the best ribeye steak in the area!Great service and great atmosphere!

A very strong kosher Middle Eastern restaurant right next to Moti's Market. They have a fine selection of beers and wines, fresh chops and kebabs, and extremely generous portions, particularly when the unlimited pita bread and meze salads are included. The service was extremely friendly, too. It was worth the trip from northern Virginia. read more

Finally a delicious kosher restaurant in the DMV and...the service was friendly and competent. The falafel was good but go for the salads and grilled meats. read more

Al Ha'esh - Lamb chops and the salad experience - Barbeque Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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This is one of the best restaurants in the DC area. The food is superb. The service is great. Try the chicken schnitzel with string beans. You'll LOVE it! read more

Good food and atmosphere. Very casual, lots of families . Great mix of salads presented at the table with fresh warm pita. Kabobs/falafel delicious- ! read more

I stopped by today while out shopping just to try it out. I was really surprised by how great the food was! The staff was incredibly friendly and the food was excellent. For each entrée, they bring out a number of different 'salad' dishes mezze-style, including olives, tahini, cabbage, beets, chickpeas, Israeli salad, couscous, etc. and fresh pita bread to eat with it. This was brought out promptly and was very fresh tasting. Our food tasted excellent as well. Although they were fairly busy that day, the staff was attentive. I will definitely be back and highly recommend!!!!! read more

If your looking for an Israeli meal, this is the place for you! Amazing! Went to Al Ha'esh for lunch Sunday afternoon. Al Ha'esh is a small but comfortable restaurant at 4860 Boiling Brook Pkwy, Rockville, MD. We took 55 people who are going to Israel for the first time and mostly had never eaten Middle Eastern food. They loved it. The restaurant was clean and ready for us. The family veggie appetizers came first and were shared by all for each table. The pita's were hot, easy to open and oh so yummy. When stuffed with fresh "salat" and meat, it held together. The entrees came soon and were hot. The lamb, shawarma and Jerusalem mix were perfectly grilled, succulant, juicy...amazing. A lot of people used their pita as sandwiches and were delighted when they added tahini on top. The Eggplant was nicely seasoned, and the salad was fresh and crunchy. Afterwards, people got gelato that was refreshing and light. They didn't want to leave. They stuck around and talked about their meal and how excited they were to be on the tour. They were no longer apprehensive about the food they'll enjoy in Israel. On the tour, they'll all be ready for falafel and sishlik. Mission accomplished. Thanks to Tracy and her staff for making this a meal to remember. read more

My husband and I went out for dinner to Al Ha'esh for a long overdue date night. From the moment we went in and were seated, the service was impeccable. Everyone was so friendly and went above and beyond our expectations. The salads that came out at the beginning of the meal were a feast for the eyes, and tasted just as good. My husband and I each got the Shishlik Entrecote and it was cooked to perfection. Each bite was better than the last. Thank you for giving this tired couple an amazing night out! We can't wait to go back! : ) read more

Love the salads and the skewers. I've only come for dinner (not lunchtime), and the food was plentiful and delicious.

I have dined here several times, most recently with a family group, and have always found the food excellent. We especially enjoy the little appetizer plates that are presented at the start of the meal. Our waiter the last time, Daniel, seemed to take such pleasure in laying them out before us. A real treat! The lamb is always so well seasoned and worth a visit just for that. The chocolate lava cake is well worth the caloric splurge. read more

Mediocre food, awful service. Four friends went out for dinner 7pm on a Wednesday night. I had the falafel - pretty good- and the salads - very disappointing. The worst thing was the service. The restaurant promotes unlimited Israeli salads as a major feature. Our server brought us a series of small salads after a considerable wait. The dishes were so small we could not even all get a taste of each salad. No problem I think, we can just get more. We ask our server for more salads. Nothing happens. (I should note we all were eligible for the "unlimited" salad.) We flag a passing server to ask for more salads. Nothing happens. We get the attention of a man who appears to be in s supervisory position. He smiles, waves and nothing happens. Eventually we are successful in getting a second round of salads but never were able to get more pita. read more

Just returned from lunch at Al Ha'esh after having heard of some good reviews. I wish that I could concur, but was unable to, after having had one skewer of 5 small pieces of plain chicken and small salad, at a cost of 14.99 for lunch !!! The restaurant was not crowded and I think I know why. I would not recommend it as good value, particularly when there are so many better Israeli restaurants in the immediate area. read more

We came to Al Ha-esh for late lunch on a Sunday afternoon. It was quick to get a table and to receive our order. The warm, fresh pita and salad sampler was a great starter. Our table ordered Kosher burgers and chicken dishes and we enjoyed. The portions were generous --- unable to finish it all -- so we took some of our items home. This was my 2nd visit to Al Ha-esh. Our first visit was with a larger group on a Sunday for dinner. The lunchtime visit was more enjoyable for me since it was quieter. read more

Food was very good, we got eggplant, branzino and schwarma entree and salads. But don't go at 1:15 on a weekday asking for falafel. They said they were out. Then as we were getting the bill, we asked if they got more yet. They said yes, the other guy said no. Seems there is confusion on what the back kitchen will make after 1:30 I guess. We wanted to sample a ball for next time. It was a whole production and tense 3 minutes, no idea why. We expected an apology for being out, and a ball to try since that is what we were craving after all. We finally got a ball to try. It was good, but on the spicy side. Enjoy! read more

Excellent Israeli food and great service. The chicken shishlik I had was moist and tasty and the meza salads were excellent and offered a wide array of tasty items. The only downside was that they did not have a couple of items that are on the menu like Turkish coffee. I don't know if this was a one day glitch or they aren't up to speed yet. The service was attentive and friendly. We will certainly be back. read more

I was surprised to find out Al Ha'esh had been around since January. This was our first trip and we will certainly be back soon. It is so nice to have a nice kosher restaurant in town that actually takes pride in the atmosphere and food. The food was excellent. It came out quickly and was hot. Can't wait to return. And the prices were reasonable! read more

All of the food was delicious- salads, entrees, and dessert. Service could have been better but the restaurant was packed that night. Definitely try the shishlik pargiyot- you won't be disappointed! read more

This was our third visit -- the first two visits were very good, but this one was somewhat disappointing. Entrecote shishlik was tougher than previous visits; getting refills on salatim or water was a challenge, as was getting waiter's attention (place was not filled on this week night). It took them three times to get our bill right -- first they undercharged us (so we told them); then they overcharged us; then finally got it right. I like this place but I hope this was just an off night. read more

The portions are huge and the food is great! I wish the waiters had been a little more attentive, but for a new restaurant I am very impressed. read more

These folks are good with allergies. The chef really knows what's in the food--he was able to tell me right away how various menu items were cooked and which items to avoid. In addition, the food was fantastic! Green beans are crisp, meat is juicy, and the salads are delicious. This is not your typical American-trying-to-imitate-Israeli-style restaurant: they did not automatically serve pita and Israeli salad, which I appreciated as a person with allergies and from a general standpoint. My only wishes are that the water glasses be refilled from time to time, that the salad spread came with more than four olives, and that a greater selection of drinks (i.e. non-alcoholic beverages) be available. I would absolutely come again--and for anyone who was out off by or lost trust in the restaurant previously in the same location due to allergy reasons, I would recommend trying this one. read more

Excellent new restaurant in the area. All the side dishes were fresh and just right. Staff was friendly and helpful. Service was just a little slow, but not unreasonable given how crowded it was. Pita bread was the best I ever had. read more