La Shukran has been one of our favorite restaurants in DC (if not the country) for a long time, but…read moretonight was our best experience. Our waiter, Rodney, truly made the night. He was thoughtful, make fantastic recommendations, and went the extra mile to make our experience phenomenal. Rodney's service was the kind that makes you realize you've been only getting mid service at every other establishment you've been to recently. 10/10 always.

La Shukran delivered from start to finish. Easily one of the best dining experiences I've had in a…read morewhile. We had a reservation but there was a short wait, so the hostess directed us to the bar. When we were finally seated, we found out our drinks had been comped. Such a thoughtful touch! We started with the BBQ'd Maitake spread which was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. It was served with French baguettes. We also had the lamb sausage dumplings, which were absolutely delicious. I had the Rumaan to drink which paired perfectly, and for my main, the slow grilled lamb. All were outstanding. I closed out with the Filfil cocktail and chocolate macarons, which were the perfect ending. The food was flavorful and consistently top tier, the vibe was great, and the service was truly one of a kind. Warm, attentive, and genuinely memorable. Five stars without hesitation!!!

SUCH a vibe. My date is vegan so this was the perfect spot for us to each get what we wanted in a…read moretrip to DC. To be fair, I'm a picky eater so we usually order a bunch of sides to make our own meal. We ordered two nonalcoholic drinks, a salad with pita croutons on the side, falafel served w tahini dip, potatoes served w cilantro dip, and duck sausage. My least favorite was the sausage as it tasted too vinegary. Favorite was the potatoes, so simple yet so perfect - and the cilantro sauce was everythingggg. Service was prompt, friendly and not pushy. There are staff to bring/clear plates so servers are encouraged to focus on other aspects of service.

Came for brunch and was pleasantly surprised! The lamb belly was my favorite. baba ghannouj, rosti…read moreand grandmas toast were also really good and they gave a ton of pita. It also wasn't too crowded on a Saturday

My wife and I have been trying for a long time to grab a dinner reservation at Albi and we've never…read morehad any luck. So for my birthday, we decided to walk in right when they opened to try our luck. Lucky for us, the staff was super nice and were able to accommodate us with a table near the bar. We went for their multi-course Sofra meal and their wine flight (pairing?). Every course was amazing. Our favorites were the meat pies, bread and hummus course, the lamb kabobs, and the desserts! Really we loved every single thing and the wine pairings were on point. Service was amazing and everyone we interacted with was some warm and welcoming. Definitely one of my favorite meals I've had in a while and will come back as soon as possible. Parking can be rough Friday-Sunday but there is a few garages nearby.

Craving for some Middle Eastern eats, we decided to check out Albi…read more We started off with: +the Crispy Kibbeh - kibbeh is one of my favorite snacks, so I was excited to find these on the menu +Jericho Dates - blistered, and prepared with ras el hanout and brown butter +the Mushrooms Lightly Smoked on hummus - with confit egg yolk and black garlic; served with wood-fired potato pita +and, the Sfeeha - wood-fired lamb meat pies, topped with toum and lemon juice For our mains, we ordered: +the BBQ'D Lamb Kebabs - marinated in dill yogurt +the Maqluba - softshell crab upside down on rice with ramps and crab fat yogurt; served with crab dagga gazawiya smashed tomatillo, dill seed, and chilis; note that this dish runs out Service was friendly, and the space is cozy and intimate; loved the seating setup and the coal fire oven! We were thinking of trying out the Sofra, but we decided to order a la carte; maybe next time! Metered and garage parking in the area. +shareables +friendly staff +metered and garage parking available

The baba ghannouj is well-balanced -- smoky char from the eggplant comes through clearly without…read morethe tahini overwhelming it, and it's not overly heavy despite the richness. Good start to the meal. The lamb kleftiko is the standout of the three. Slow-cooked until it falls apart easily, with the seasoning penetrating all the way through rather than sitting on the surface. It's a dish that rewards the time it takes to prepare -- nothing rushed about it. The kofte kebab holds its own too -- well-spiced, good char on the outside, moist inside, not dried out the way kofte can sometimes end up. Solid textural contrast against the kleftiko. Overall a strong meal across the board -- each dish distinct but all working within the same confident, well-executed style that Zaytinya is known for.

A coworker recommended Zaytinya, and I quickly agreed--without realizing it's under the direction…read moreof celebrated chef José Andrés. That made the experience feel even more special in hindsight. We walked in on a Monday night without reservations (clearly a theme for us!), not knowing they were needed. Thankfully, they were able to seat us in the bar area, which turned out to be a perfect spot for a relaxed dinner and a glass of wine. We ordered a mix to share: hummus, spanakopita, kofte kebab, and adana kebab. Everything was delicious, but the spanakopita really stood out. It was a bit unexpected--not layered like the traditional version, but more of a rolled presentation. Even so, the flavors were wonderful and elevated in a way that made it memorable. The only slight disappointment for me was the wine selection. The red wines leaned more dry than I typically prefer--I tend to go for something more fruit-forward--but it didn't take away from the overall experience. Dessert was the one miss. We were really hoping for baklava, which wasn't on the menu. Instead, we ordered the walnut delight. While it had all the right flavors, it didn't quite deliver the wow factor we were hoping for. That said, the food, atmosphere, and overall experience were still impressive. I was excited to learn that Zaytinya has locations beyond D.C., including closer to home in the Bay Area--so I'll definitely be visiting again. Highly recommend, and maybe make a reservation!

Went here recently and got the Lamb wrap and the fries. Fantastic food and will be back again . The…read morewrap also reheated pretty well the next day!

TLDR: it's like a 3.5/5 personally. The entrees were good but nothing worth going out of the way…read morefor. The fries were very floppy and left something to be desired. My wife and I stopped here on our way to NYC since we had some time until the train arrived. The restaurant has a cafe feel to it throughout with an actual cafe to the right as you walk in. We started with the fries to munch on, but they were floppy and a bit oily. Left something to be desired. I ordered the lamb tagine for my entree. I would say that the tagine had good flavor but there was only a little lamb in the sauce from what I could tell. And some of the couscous was very hard as well. My wife got the beef kabob and it was better overall in terms of flavor and completeness. The service was fine and what you expect from a sit down restaurant. Nothing blew us away about the interior either but it's very cafe themed throughout. It's newer feeling a modern inside. It's right down the street from Union Station so not that far if you decide to take the train.

Maydan was one of the most anticipated dining experiences for my partner and I on our DC trip and…read moreit was even better than I expected. Gorgeous restaurant centered around a giant hearth, the heart and soul of the space where much of the food is cooked. We went with two friends and opted to do ala carte, and ordered a bunch of items to share. - Muhammara & hummus spreads were both phenomenal - creamy, delicious goodness served with piping hot, generous portions of freshly made pita bread. - Halloumi with a nutty honey glaze - perfection - Sweet Potato - soft and just melts in your mouth - Mushrooms - super unique preparation, definitely worth a try. Very delicious. We also ordered every kabob on the menu (shrimp, scallop, chicken and lamb). The shrimp and chicken kabobs were excellent - charred to perfection and bursting with flavor. Paired with zhoug sauce, I was in heaven. Do not miss these! Scallop and lamb kabobs were just okay. Incredible service, beautiful ambiance, and a memorable meal that will stay with me. Grateful to have experienced Maydan!

Finally! I've been trying to make it to this restaurant, and my gfs took me for my birthday…read more The best experience. I can't quite tell you that you'd have the same experience each time you go because it all depends. I believe it also depends where you're sitting how impactful it will be on your experience as well. Whatever you do come back each time and try something else because I will Love Amb

Randomly stopped here on a night walk, wasn't super busy so I decided to check it out and i was not…read moredisappointed at all! To say the least the guys were super friendly and helpful with picking out what I should order they recommended the lamb and chicken. Everything was Hot, fresh and flavorful so memorable! You can have a kabob a lot of places but a lot of places don't have Mango Lassi! I was pleased to see real authenticity throughout their menu so stop by if you have time for lunch for quick grab and go dinner option.

The food is so good and so cheap here. The portions are enormous (the pitas are huge and the…read morefalafels are the size of a hamburger patty) and you get the food quickly on cute little red trays. Order at one of the kiosks and then wait for them to call your number. There's also free water cups which was nice. I'm honestly astounded there's any bad reviews about this place, they're so nice and the food is so good, yet still enormous portions and low prices.

Same taste regardless of where you go, and the customer service was pretty fast…read more Not too many people actually eat at Halal Guys in Washington, D.C. compared to what you'd see in New York, but I did appreciate the convenience of the Washington Union Station location, where you can sit down and eat without feeling too disturbed since there isn't a lot of food traffic. I think it's relatively new, and as they continue expanding into the D.C. area, it seems like you're more likely to get a quiet meal there.

I come here on occasion for lunch when I'm in the mood for "something different." It's never busy…read morewhen I go, and yet somehow, it always takes about 10+ minutes for food. Service is friendly but slow. As a fast casual place, you would think that the food would be ready to scoop to get you your food quickly. The first time I visited, I ordered the falafel, and they made it to order. While I appreciate that frying to order means the proteins are hot and fresh, it's not good if you're in a rush or trying to catch a train. Another time, I ordered the beef gyro at the counter, thinking it would be quicker than the falafel, but it still took about 10 minutes to get my order fulfilled... and no other customers were in the store. I'm not really sure what the hold up was... there were a few employees simply standing around. We have ourselves another fast casual restaurant at Union Station that isn't so fast. The small platter is about $12 (before tax; $13 and change after tax) and they also have a regular platter for $1 more ($13 before tax; $14 and change after tax). The regular platter container is technically bigger than the small, but I didn't find the serving size of the regular platter to be significantly bigger than the small. The platter comes with your choice of protein and rice, sauce, plus lettuce, tomato, onions, and green peppers (if you so desire). I don't do spicy, so I skip the red sauce and only ask for the white sauce. The white sauce is good, but not quite flavorful enough to be a dressing. The toppings add nice freshness and crunch to the platter, but it eats a little bland (I guess this is where the other sauces come in). It also comes with a side of pita (yum!). I do like that they honor the app, which has rewards like free drinks and sides with purchase. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but it's good every once in a while.

Really enjoyed this newest option inside the Bryant street market. I got a falafel wrap with fries…read more It took about 13 minutes for it to be made, so you know it's fresh (but be prepared to wait a bit). The fries were absolutely delicious. I love the seasoning blend they use. I wish they had a feta or tahini dipping sauce instead of just ketchup and honey mustard. I'll be back!

Really great spot for a falafel wrap! It was super delicious and loved that it came with fries…read more Service was great, loved all the sauce options they had sitting in their location in Bryant St Market. Their honey mustard was sooo good.