Love this hidden gem. We've been here several times. All food is delicious, but we keep going back for the cevapcici. Service is friendly and helpful. Vibe is grab and go counter style with a few high top chairs if you want to dine in along a bar top on the wall. read more

This place is good! Food is good, service is fast, and super accessible from the metro! The only downside was that some of the stuff we ordered was never made. But they also didn't charge us for it, so can't complain too much about it. read more

We come here for two big reasons: the Friday trout salad special and the lentil soup. Love them both! Balkan Grill is a small restaurant located in the same strip mall as Bob & Edith's. There is one table plus a fair amount of snack bar seating. In the summer they put a table or two outside the front door. The trout dish comes with a a very freshly tossed salad dressed with a light and pleasant vinaigrette. The trout is lightly seasoned and very good. The pureed lentil soup is absolutely delicious and is accompanied by a very generous serving of fresh, soft and warm bread. They make the bread on the premises daily. I do wish the soup was served at a lower temperature. It is scalding hot and takes a bit of time to cool off. Service is friendly and very good. read more

Balkan Grill - Friday special: trout with salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Best affordable Balkan food in Northern Virginia!!!! Turkish Small Business that serves authentic Balkan -- Eastern European -- food. Go to: - Cevapi: Balkan Kabob Cevapcici grilled dish - Made to Order - minced meat - national dish of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and common in Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and Austria. 10 piece is the way to go. Flatbread, with chopped onions, (either sour cream or kajmak -- creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk). - Baklava: Sweet treats. Paper thin dough. Deeelish as a splurge. - Börek: pastries made of a thin flaky dough, such as filo with a variety of fillings, like meat (my fav) or cheese (second fav)! Brings back memories. A must try. Support this Small Business. Next door is a Balkan grocery store (imports, like chocolate bars). One table outside. Few chairs inside hightop. First come, first serve. No reservations. Mainly takeout. Get in to my belly!! read more

See all

Balkan Grill is a small locally owned spot right across the street from the Huntington metro. In an area dominated by Latino food (which we eat our fair share of) it's nice to have something different every now and then. We've been to Balkan Grill a few times and everything we've tried has been good. Our favorites include the fried mushrooms, Adana Burger and cheese Borek. The baklava is also excellent. Whike you are there, don't forget to check out the little Balkan market next door. They have all sorts of imported foods and snacks that you won't find elsewhere. read more

Balkan Grill - Falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

8$ for an average burek is ridiculous. It is a simple item from a bakery that is under 2 euros in Serbia, Bosnia, etc. Usually even 1.50. Cevapi is too dry. read more

Balkan Grill is hands down one of the best-kept secrets in Alexandria, VA. From the food to the ambiance, it ticked all the boxes with ease and flair. Don't be misled by the relatively simple name inside and out; the restaurant is home to some of the most authentic Balkan-style food in Virginia and beyond. Balkan Grill is truly a diamond in the rough. The hospitality is immediately felt upon walking in with the employees coming over to greet you with warmth and kindness, doing the same as you leave while ensuring you enjoyed every bite and sip. The food is nothing short of amazing, with cigars, fish, and soups that are top-notch, making the mouth water just from the strong aroma. Their Balkan-style specialty items are a must-try. The restaurant's decor gives you an instant feeling of welcome, evoking this sense of comfort that makes the restaurant stand out. The dining area has a pleasant enough feel, with beautiful and bright designs offset with warm lighting. Given the small size, which I appreciated, it gave a wonderful cozy feeling that if you were eating with family, you'd experience the same warmth and ambience. All in all, it's hard to didn't enjoy Balkan Grill. The service was swift, understanding and genuinely helpful, far from the more mechanical type that we could expect at this level. This restaurant genuinely outperforms its approachable and unassuming appearances, providing a wholly impressive experience for the most discerning eaters. For lovers of this European and Middle Eastern cuisine, the Balkan Grill is waiting for you, wonderfully delicious! read more

See all

I studied in the Balkans for a while on an archeological field school and fell in love with the cuisine of the region. When I got home I tried to find Balkan places near me and was very disappointed in the lack of anything near Frederick. Ambar is good but expensive and sit down so I was happy to find a cheap take out a little out of the way in Alexandria. I can only go when I'm heading to southern Maryland for work but I'll always redirect my route and brave nova traffic to get here. The cevapici is delicious in its simplicity, the chocolate baklava is incredible and this is the only place in America I've ever seen Tulumba. The people are nice, attentive, and always willing to hear me talk about Balkan cuisine. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Lured by the promise of a 'cheap eat' gem. I dove into their Bosnian Burger for lunch, a hearty choice that came with a side of fries, some tomato and raw onions. While the patty itself was flavorful, it was crying out for a sauce companion to counteract the dryness that the bread brought to the party. The side of yogurt was like bringing a kazoo to a guitar solo - nice, but not quite fitting. Adding the tomatoes and onion definitely helped. It's probably how tradition goes, but my tastebuds were left dreaming of a little more moisture. On the flip side, the Doner Kebab platter I grabbed to-go was a hit back home. It was like the culinary version of a warm hug - beef kebab, rice, and a side salad that apparently was just waiting for a little home-cooked love. My spouse jazzed it up with some peas and a reheat on the rice, turning it from a simple takeout dish to a 'more, please' kind of meal. read more

Food 4.5/5: The food was pretty solid here. The Adana Burger and the Doner Kebob platter were both solid and the Kebob platter in particular was a lot of food, particularly the meat. I do think that the platter could use some hot sauce, which they provided. Service 3/5: The service was a bit off, but nothing offensive or out of the ordinary. I just think they were a bit curt and a bit extra hospitality would be helpful. Cleanliness 4/5: This is a small hole in the wall but I didn't notice anything that was not clean. Ambiance 4/5: Again, a small hole in the wall. Some of the wall art is interesting to look at, but other than that, I would recommend take out to enjoy the solid food in the comfort of your home. read more

See all

About a 1-1.5: I hate to do this to you, Balkan Grill, but not sure what happened! They have a nice menu with a variety of items, such as: appetizers (baba ghanouj, hummus, burek (homemade phyllo pastry dough filled with either beef/cheese/spinach/potato & zuchinni); salads; specialties (cevapcici, Bosnia burger (pljeskavica), adana burger, veggie/steak/grilled chicken sandwiches, raznjici (grilled & spiced meat with fries), pikata chicken schnitzel, fish of the day (such as trout and tilapia), and mixed grill platters. They also have desserts, fresh 'ayran' yogurt beverages, as well as other Turkish cold beverages in bottles/cans. I'm thinking that the chefs have have changed since the last time I've been there, or there's just a lack of quality control before the food gets sent out. We came here during lunch, and we ordered a moussaka and a doner kebab platter (thinly-sliced beef served over rice). Both were pretty terrible - it seems as if these were all pre-made and were zapped in the microwave, as when you gradually made your way to the center, it was just solid cold. We let the staff know, in which they had it reheated, but to no avail - the dishes were still cold/lukewarm at best. Also, the flavors were just not there - all we can remember is that it was just a watery and a tomato-y mess! I was pretty disappointed, as my initial experiences, both with take-out and dining in, were tasty memories; I'm hoping that it was just an off day or that they change their kitchen staff soon! For now, I'm pretty reluctant to return. +carry-out or dine-in (limited seating) +cold dishes - not heated/re-heated well +items were watery and flavorless +plenty of parking in plaza lot read more

Not exactly a dine-in place, as there's really only one table and a standing bar area, but the food was excellent and staff were lovely. The food tasted fresh and homemade-style presentation. The portions were nice sized and filling. I will definitely be back but probably for take out, next time. It was neat to stroll around the attached store while waiting for our order and seeing different types of imported foods. Definitely worth a try! read more

Haven't been here in years. Stoped by today and the food was just as good as I remember it. The customer service is also still top notch. Definitely a must try in the area! read more

I really like their sandwiches here. Pro: makes everything fresh and made to order. Meat is delicious and the sauces are good. Cons: the wait can be long at times and you may need to add extra sauce to the sandwich as it maybe too dry. Other than that, the place is highly recommended. read more

This is a hidden gem in Alexandria and well worth the visit. I literally visited Balkan Grill twice this week! The first visit I devoured their Cevapcici, which is 10 pieces of beef sausages for $12.90. My second visit I ordered the Trout Salad which was their Friday special for $12.90. What a value! Portions are huge, the quality is top notch, prices have not increased due to Biden inflation, and the employees remain hard working and gracious for your business. If you haven't tried Turko-Bosnian cuisine, you should. Please note, they are primarily take out however they do have 2 outdoor tables with chairs if you decide to eat there. Happy Eating!!! read more

Pretty good. I'm writing this review to emphasize something kinda small - the hummus here ROCKS. It's not anything like hummus I've ever ordered or made, but it's absolutely amazing and worth trying on its own. I'd highly, highly recommend trying it. The doner kebab here was decent, but a teensy bit stale and weak. I might have had a bad experience, and suspect their other dishes are much better. read more

We've followed this establishment since its Rockville days. Further to drive, but so worth it! Borek for me and steak sandwich for my date, served hot with fresh veggies on china plates. IF you're lucky enough to get a seat! read more

What a wonderful evening, felt like I landed in Turkey. Though I only know the country through documentaries and books, what I have read and heard.. And mostly through my unending love for their food. Everything I tried here is amazing - I cannot forget their hummus and will drive an hour for this alone. A small business owner but so much warmth and hospitality that you'll leave the place stomach and heart full. read more

Balkan Grill is back! I have been eating here for 15 years and recently it went through a few new owners and lost some consistency but one of the old Chefs just took over ownership and it is now better than it was in the old days! If you are like me and noticed the change, it's time to come back... excellent chicken piccata, falafel , cevapi, burek, fresh salad and crisp French fries !!! read more

The food here is fantastic, I used to live in Croatia, and when I was introduced to this place it reminded me of a lot of experiences of the cuisine in the fatherland. read more

Food was amazing! Quick service, kind and friendly. Atmosphere was relaxed, will visit again read more

Balkan Grill is not just another food place. It's a spacial venue where you can taste delicious fresh balkan style foods prepared by these nice and friendly Turkish guys, as well as meet people from that region of the world. My morning go to is the freshly baked cheese borek coupled with the strong Turkish coffee! The grilled trout is another spectacular dish not to miss! Visit Balkan Grill and enjoy their delicious food! read more

We ordered delivery during COVID. The vegetable sandwich was great. It had a delicious smoky grill flavor. We definitely recommend it. The other item we ordered, was okay, but not great. The cigars and the fritters weren't cooked thoroughly. They were a bit doughy. The dolma was good and the baba ganoush was good too. I wish they served it with more bread. The platter only came with one smallish piece. :( We'll probably be ordering the vegetable sandwich again because it was the best one we've had from a restaurant near us! read more

Still our favorite place for take out ! Try the savory pastry Boraks, the Bosnian Burger, and schnitzel! Yum. Always hot and fresh. Call ahead to assure availability as they sell out! The Boraks are like what my grandma used to make ! read more

Adana burger was amazing! And while you are onsite, check out the mini grocery store.

We got Uber eats to bring us a steak sandwich and Mousaka. Both were excellent. The Baklava we ordered was mush with lots of sugary syrup. Not recommended. read more

Mediterranean food with an Eastern European flair. We had the Doner kebab platter and Balkan sampler platter - which takes longer because they have to cook 2-3 of everything. We went next door to buy some exotic snacks. Satisfying and sublime. Spices and flavors but without being spicy or sour or salty. Will definitely come back. read more

Balkan Grill - Order counter - Mediterranean Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I don't balk at Balkan food, but this place makes it sort of average compared to the best ones I've had... Balkan Dining in Buffalo and Cafe Pita in Houston. I ventured significantly out of my way to give it a try on my first or second extended DC food tour. I like that it's nice and cheap, and for sure it tasted decent, although admittedly a bit dry and the meat was a bit shriveled and stuff, you know shriveled in the same way that one time you walked in on your Uncle and his thingy was like... oh anyway next paragraph. Really nice service as well, I might add, helping to contributed to a positive 4-star rating, but it has nothing on my fave Bosnian places. This place is very popular with Americans, which I appreciate. It's tiny, and like how cosy and tiny it is. I don't always like tiny things, but in this case it works. Anyway stop grilling me about my fave DC eateries pls. read more

See all

I had my cousin visiting from out of state and he was in the mood for cevapcici. I don't know what that was but my cousin explained how good the food is and where it comes from (Bosnia). So we drove to VA from MD because this place had what we were looking for. My goodness is it a heavy and big sandwich. The meat was plentiful and soft, but a bit more dry than expected. It also could've used more seasoning. They provided white sauce (not sure it it was tzatiki sauce) and that helped. The price was also okay. If it was closer to me, I may try other items. read more

Balkan Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Not sure how we ended up here, but it probably involved looking up "Döner kebab", and honestly there aren't many places around. It's a little restaurant connected to a small grocery store in a strip-mall. Pretty small, two tables outside and not a ton of inside seating space. We ordered two döner kebabs, and hummus. Not much to say but all of it was pretty good. The kebab was good and the bread it was in, was what really makes it great. Definitely will go again sometime. read more

Lovely little place with excellent lunch food. It is in the same space as the European Food small market with fantastic sausage/salami selection and canned food from the Balkans and Eastern Europe. This time we stopped for a quick lunch. We were in a rush, so just followed advice of fellow Yelpers - ordered Adana burger and it was excellent!! read more

When I first walked in, there was nobody behind the counter and nobody in the kitchen that I could see. The only people in the restaurant were two girls in their late teens to early 20s to the left who look liked like they were eating or drinking something, and one girl in her 20s to the right who looked like she was eating something. So I went to the counter and stood and waited for somebody to help me. And I waited. And I waited. Several minutes. Finally I rang the bell. Nobody came. Eventually the two girls who were sitting to my left when I walked in and appeared to be eating and/or drinking, walked behind the counter and went to the drink machine to refill their drinks. Then one of them looked at me and said, "They'll be right out," apparently referring to whoever was working there. Eventually two guys who appeared to be in their early 20s came from the back of the kitchen around the corner, and one of them approached me and asked if he could help me. I had called my order in and it was sitting there waiting for me, so I told him that and he gave me my order and I left. Pretty poor customer service, made worse by the fact that the girls, who are obviously friends with the guys working there, had access to the back area where the guys were, but they didn't even tell them that I was there when I walked in. They just sat there and watched me stand at the counter twiddling my thumbs waiting for somebody to come help me. Very annoying. As for the chevapi, I spent six months in Bosnia and Herzegovina last year and I must've had chevapi at least 15 times. And my Bosnian friends took me to the places that had the "best" chevapi. So, I know chevapi pretty well. And I have to say, this chevapi was pretty good. It reminded me of the chevapi that I got all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. So that was good. However, the bread was not like what I got in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The bread there is flat, almost like a pita, and they brush it with some sort of butter or oil and it is incredibly delicious. The bread here was more like a thick hamburger bun. Maybe that's the way they serve chevapi in other countries, but that's not how they do it in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nothing wrong with the bun if that's what you like, but if you're looking for a Bosnian type of chevapi, then you're going to be disappointed. But, the chevapi was good, so overall if you're looking for some chevapi, I would recommend this. I just wouldn't recommend the restaurant because of the poor customer service I received. read more

See all

Ordered delivery from here and ordered the Steak sandwich and fries. The steak sandwich was very good, I really liked the fresh homemade bread. The was was on the thin side, but very flavorful and ther were plenty of grilled peppers and onions on top. They also gave me plenty of crisp French fries. Definitely will order again in the future. read more

Everything I've tried here is delicious but we mainly come for the cheese borek. We always call ahead for 4-5 boreks & they come out crispy & fresh. They toast up magically in the oven as well! The cheese mixture in the center is perfection - wonderful balance to the crispy pastry dough shell. They're huge & fairly priced. My hubby is Bulgarian & he said these are comparable to the ones back home. Service is wonderful & they're always so courteous & friendly. We love going next door to the market to grab some European chocolates/sweets for dessert. read more

I'm so confused by the good ratings. Was there an ownership or personnel change recently? This was legit one of the worst meals I've had in recent memory. We got a durum wrap, and I swear the wrap was just a grocery store-bought whole wheat tortilla. The veggies were roughly "sliced" (read: HUGE), the meat was cold and dry, and there was no sauce of any kind. The adana kebab platter was slightly better I guess? Mostly because the rice was done pretty well. But the meat was - again - super dry, there was no sauce at all provided, and the veggies on the side were unseasoned and again chopped super roughly. The guy at the register was very friendly, so I do feel kind of bad about giving such a poor review, but the food was legitimately so bad it was confusing. read more

We came here with friends, one who was born in Bosnia. It was our first time trying Bosnian/Turkish food and it's delicious. Our friend made a few suggestions and we may have over ordered. This restaurant is perfect for carry out and connected to a really cute European grocery store. All our food was really good. There is only one table inside and some bar seating along two walls. They give really good sided servings. They're also super friendly. read more

See all

The food here was excellent. This is mainly a takeout place and the food was hot when I picked it up. I didn't realize that Turkish food was so similar to Greek food. The owner is very personable and I will definitely be back!! read more

See all

While I had great hopes for Balkan Grill, it was not good. Similar to another review, the food was cold. Not like it had cooled down in the 15 minutes from order to opening, but like it had been taken out of a fridge and not fully microwaved. Not all items on the sampler platter were present, which was a bummer. While the baba ganoush was tasty everything else was very one note. For dinner I tried the Pikata Chicken Schnitzel with fries. It was ice cold and cooked hard and dry. Overall flavorless. The fries were cold and limp. While the portion was large, it's a lot of food to throw away because I'm not going to be eating them. Hubs had the Iskender Kebab. He reported that it was "ok", but again ice cold. read more

Not a whole lot of Balkan restaurants in the area, so competition would seem to be fairly light for this niche carryout place. However, even if there were a hundred, this spot would still be at the top of the list. They serve combination of Croatian and Turkish fare that is as good as anything I have had in those countries. I had the Borek (filo) stuffed with creamy cheese that was very similar to ricotta and the Cevapcici (sausage sandwich) which was very flavorful. The bread complemented the meat perfectly and I instantly thought I was back on the streets of Istanbul for a moment. The people running this place were extremely friendly and patient, and I could see how a newcomer to this type of cuisine would have no trouble navigating Balkan Grill's menu, for they made me feel right at home. I also like the fact that they are a carryout with limited seating. To get anything close to this style of food in this area, you would most likely have to go to a Greek restaurant which means dinning in or a fair amount of waiting on a take out order, but not here. I timed my order and my Borek was out in 3.5 minutes and my Cevapcici in just under 9 minutes. All of this makes my new Balkan discovery an excellent spot to stop by after work and pick up a quick dinner on the way home from work, There is also a cool little Mediterranean store next door for some exotic taste treats. Finally, they are very proud of being awarded with a "People Like US on Yelp" ranking. They proudly display it and the letter at the front of the shop. And I have to admit, I came into this place wanting to be edgy in my ranking, to demonstrate that I just wasn't following the herd of 4 and 5 star reviews this place has racked up, but one bite of my Cevapcici and I understood why the herd was traveling in the right direction. read more

See all

Awesome first experience here! My dad and I love trying new food and we saw a nice review written in the Washington post, so we decided to go check it out. They're known for Mediterranean food but more specifically, Bosnian/Turkish. Located in between Ivy Nails and Euro Foods, which is the supermarket next door that sells goods from Eastern Europe like Croatia, Bosnia, and etc. This whole in the wall place featured in the post definitely lived up to its review. There is barely anything negative I can say about it because everything was great from the service to the food and etc. Considering that they have only bar seating available, most people get take out. We decided to sit down and eat for the whole experience. The service was great, they were patient and willing to offer suggestions and quite accommodating to whatever we asked for. It was much appreciated, considering we were contemplating what to get for a while. We ended up ordering the Spinach börek as an appetizer, which was very delicious! It was made with puff pastry and spinach, much like another type of food I know of known as spanakopita. Other than that we also got the Adana burger, and the meat platter which came with assorted meats, both came with the yogurt sauce as well as chopped onions and tomatoes. The food was delicious and different from what I'm used to. It was a pleasant kind of different that was definitely satisfying. All the food came at a reasonable price as well, and well worth making the trip. It's one of those places you just have to try out for yourself to see what the rave about. The food may look basic and plain but the taste is a whole other story! I found everything here quite refreshing as I got to experience some culture just being here. While we waited for our food, we walked around the market and I got a glimpse of all the unique products and goods they have. So great food, great service, and a little bit of culture? What's not to love? read more

Balkan Grill - Delicious :) - Mediterranean Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia