I have never sat down at this restaurant. I've always ordered carry-out. This is my go-to spot when I'm at work for kabobs and middle-eastern cuisine since the Afghan restaurant in Vienna closed up shop. I believe this establishment is owned by Iranians and they have made some pretty vast improvements over the past few years. I'm no expert at middle-eastern food, but I've always enjoyed the selections I've had since I started using this place some three or four years ago. I usually get either the Beef and Chicken Combo II or the Lamb kabob. The only complaint I have is that the bread is not crispy. I like my brick-oven bread slightly burnt with a crisp to it. The place is often times packed full of youngsters and people smoking hookas. It's loud and the service leaves much to be desired. The outside seating is a nice addition but the parking available is inadequate. Prices are a little on the high side in my opinion. With an entree, drink and side you can expect to pay around $15-20 per person. read more

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I usually pickup lunch from here, and the food is always fresh and good. The kabobs are very flavorful. The kabob sandwiches are great, they are covered with an awesome tasting sauce. Kind of random but the french fries are really good -- always very crispy and seasoned nicely, would recommend with a sandwich. read more

Hole in the wall kind of place, great atmosphere, great customer and great food. I've been coming here for a few years now and never disappoints. I've always been given great food and customer service. My only recommendation is to look at the menu and then placing an order as they get very busy and is annoying to see indecisive customers ask so many questions while others wait their turn (for takeout specially). read more

We ordered the specials and were quite impressed. The first on Saturdays and Sundays was Abgoosht (Lamb Chickpea Soup). The owner's father helped us smash up the soap and cooked meat. It appeared very authentic to me. The other special was GHORMEH SABZI (Stew) 12 Parsley & Scallion Simmered w/ Chunks of Beef, Red Beans & Dried Lemon and very strong flavor. However, this is a combined Hookah bar and restaurant. So, if you mind people smoking Hookah this is not the place for you. The decor is bare bones. These two things might turn some people off. It's true the services was not fast, but it was not as poor as some of the reviews I read. read more

Excellent service, hookah is great, nice crowd definitely gets packed in outside seating. We ordered hot tea and it is also perfect! read more

Friends Kabob - Beautiful smooth hookah - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Service here is a little slow depending on the time. We ordered a kubideh to split but it was nothing special. I thought that the bread and salal were great but the meat left a funny after taste in my mouth. Finished off the meal with their persian ice-cream that was freezer burned so I knew it had been sitting there for a while. Not worth your money. read more

You should always go with your gut instinct. I told myself two years ago I won't try this place again, but I did. Today marks the day that I will never come back to friends kabob, worst friend I ever had. I call in a order, because I'm super busy at work. They said they deliver, but they have a $20 minimum, no problem. I ordered a spicy thigh, gyro, hummus, and a soda just to get the food in. They guy kept saying "it's not $20 yet" well tell me how much it is so I can tell you to add another soda or another meal. The worst part of was the driver, they guy couldn't tell you if his hands were hands or feet were feet. I was on a wild goose chase trying to find this guy in my building. Very easy, floor three suite 300. Still gave him $5. I open the bag, no napkins, fork, knife, and only one green sauce for all the food I ordered. Get your business together. Food was very sub par. read more

Friends Kabob - This is my gyro - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

I'm so shocked by the low ratings. Makes me think people are intentionally giving them low ratings. I worked in Tyson's for two years. These are hands down the friendliest and cleanest and tastiest place in Tyson's if you want Kabob. Oh sure go to Lebanese Taverna or Money Dick The one thing they need to improve is the quality of the seating and specifically outdoors. The fan is face level which means if you sit near it, good luck keeping your hair out of your face. NICE PEOPLE. read more

I came here all the time back in 2013-2014, when I was 19 or 20, and ALWAYS felt welcomed. Lately I've been going again and the experience has much to be left desired. The old owner and workers were very kind and respectful and welcoming to me but that is no longer the case it seems read more

Great food and excellent hookah, this place is amazing also you can find some vegetarian food

Foods good, but delivery sucked. I ordered and asked for a delayed delivery, and they delivered almost four hours too early. When I called they were annoyed, and said they'd said someone to pick up the food, and never did. Unfortunate service. read more

Came here for a late night bite and was so excited for kabobs but unfortunately I did not like it at all. We threw away both boxes after one bite from each and I'm so sad I wasted my money here. We got the chicken kabob and the spicy chicken kabob. BOTH tasted like nothing and was so plain. The rice was decent I guess and the bread was hard and horrible. Save your money and find a new place. One good thing is that they're open very late so if you are desperate for food one night at least they have something. read more

This place is a hookah cafe with typical kabob offerings. I got a beef kabob sandwich for $9 (gyros were $8). It was not large, but filling enough for a meal. The bread was good quality. The other fillings were unremarkable (tomato, lettuce, pickle, a light sauce). The included sauce was great--a little spicy, cool, and herbal. The meat was well-spiced, but fatally flawed by a lack of (any?) salt, unfortunately. If I had some available to add, the whole experience would've been much better, but sadly I carried out. Which gets to the crux of this place: It's a hookah cafe, and not a very well-furnished one. Chairs, tables, some big TVs, a couple flags on the walls, and that's pretty much it. I had time to eat-in, but since I didn't want to smoke and it just feel inclined to hang out, I carried out. The food here could be great. The atmosphere...well, it needs work. All that said, there were a decent number of people smoking that didn't seem to mind, so each to her/his own, I guess. read more

Today Sunday Aug 27 I go to this restaurant an ask for 3 order of kobob I told him I need to go it take them 10 minutes an the food was ready to go first the the guy was so route an I take the food an go to the park to eat I open the the bag there was no fork no spoon nothing I open my food to eat the food was not cook right omg I put everything in trash I can't eat the food such bad experience this was my first time to go to this cheap restaurant the food was not cook smell treble I am so sick now at my home I will never go to this restaurant again an I will tell all my friends an any body I see about this place an I don't recommend any body to go to this restaurant. read more

My food arrived quickly and was amazingly good. I got the falafel platter and it came with a side of some kind of mustard-like sauce that is absolutely delicious. Falafel was crispy, salad was simple and good, rice was especially tasty, and it was all very affordable. Convenient, fast delivery, good portion sizes, affordable, and good quality food. Very happy read more

You know how everyone gets excited to go into an ethnic restaurant and see patrons, or hopefully at least proprietors, of the ethnicity of food being offered? I know it doesn't necessarily mean it will be great, but it's at least a good sign. Well what about the opposite, where you go to a place and see a completely out of place proprietor? Not to prejudge anyone, but why is a kabob place being run by latinos?? I'd be just as excited to go to a sushi bar and have some whiteface guy say "hi, I'm Billy! Would you like some sushi??". Despite my initial concerns I still went in with an open mind. But after seeing their outrageous prices here ($12-$15 for a kabob??) my mind started to close; when they told me that they don't have water, just "soda water", my mind continued to close; when they gave me a pitiful plate of bread that looked like a glorified saltine, my mind was continued to close; and when my order finally came with dry & flavorless meat, bland, greasy rice (WTF blob of butter on the rice??) it was all but shut. The chicken tasted like chicken, the kubideh tasted like ground beef, and the rice tasted like rice. I detected no flavor, no spice, no nothing. I like that they offer a tiny cup of soup, and a semi-decent salad, but this is one of the worst kabob places I've been. If prices were about $3-4 less, I might be able to go for a 2 star rating, but for these prices they need to do better. I was pretty irritated that after spending over $12 I was without beverage, and left feeling like I had barely eaten anything. No thanks. With Shamshiry down the street, Rose Kabob in Vienna, and Amoo's farther into McLean, there is no justification for the existence of Friend's Kabob. I guess it's cool that they have an outside porch? That's the only thing I can think of. read more

Visited here a year ago during the winter. While the volume of food was impressive, the kabobs were poor for the money (as affordable as they were!). And, of all things, the owners kept the place bitter cold in the winter. If I'd had a thermometer handy at the time, I would have been shocked to see it read over 50 degrees F. Go to Rose Kabob in Vienna instead. Please. Really. Avoid this place. Do yourself a favor. read more

Friends Kabob, why do you exist? The meat for the kebabs was very tough and low quality. I've never found such a high concentration of grizzle and hard chunks in a kubideh kebab. The bread was also tough. The hummus tasted like straight tahini and garbanzo flour with a thick layer of canola oil on the top. I can understand a layer of olive oil, but canola oil?? There was also WAY too much tahini, to the point of extreme bitterness-in the hummus and in my soul. The chick pea soup was edible compared with the other "food", but it was mud compared to the chickpeas at Charcoal Kebab and..um, pretty much anywhere else. The best thing about dinner here is that now I have a little joke. I say "let's go eat at Friends Kebab, ha ha ha!" Lee says, "Friends don' t let friends go to Friends Kebab" read more

The food is delicious but the customer service is always very inconsistent as you can tell from the wealth of reviews. Most of the guys that work there lack a friendly demeanor. Recently I called in an order for pickup. I was told that the order would be ready in ten minutes. When I arrived, I paid and was told that my order would be out shortly. 10 minutes passed and I followed up with the front desk. I was told that it would be ready shortly. 25 minutes passed and the front desk asked me what I was waiting for... 35 minutes passed and I finally received my order for pickup. During this time, I saw dozens of orders go out for chicken kabob, the dish that I initially called in for. This experience makes me not want to order for pickup ever in the future. On another note, they charge 6 dollars for an extra serving of chicken. I will order from shanshiry or alborz in the future. read more

I'm kind of surprised at the ratings for this place. I've not had an experience nearly as bad as what has been described. The food isn't wonderful, but its hot, plentiful, and tasty enough. The chicken and beef has always been of fine quality and the kubideh I've had melts in the mouth. The chickpea soup is under seasoned however and the salad dressing is way too bitter. It is also a bit expensive. I've been in a few times and the staff knows me now. They seem polite enough and I've never experienced a problem with the drinks machine. There is no alcohol available, which is unfortunately common for middle eastern food. They do offer a non-alcoholic beer which I've never seen before. I've not tried it, so I can't say more. The outdoor seating area is very nice, and I've not tried the shisha yet, but it seems to be very popular and looks like a good place to waste some time. Give this place a chance if you are in the area. Though why you are in the area, I have no idea, since there's not much near by. read more

Completely mediocre, the portions were relatively small for the price, The atmosphere isn't at all welcoming. Food is kinda bland compared to other places in the area, I wish I would've went to somewhere else to be honest. read more

This place doesn't have the best kabob, but they're open really really late annnd best of all they have hooka's for only $10!!!! The kabob was served with a side of american style salad, a hot dipping sauce, a little bread and a bizarre chickpea soup thing that was tasty but something I've never had before friend's. read more

Horrible disgusting food! The meat was over cooked and non seasoned. I ordered food for a catering event I was so embarrassed. The beans were watered down with tomato sauce. Very low quality rice. I view myself as a foody...so take my advice and save your pepto and go to Moby dicks! read more

I wasn't all that impressed with this place, except for the quantity of food which was quite good. The extra soup is a nice perk, minus the fact that I don't like chickpeas. Well, it's the thought that counts right? I think the decor is what really threw me off with this place. The building looks quite unappetizing, and the seating is sparse. I came in the winter, and there was a lack of good insulation. My meal got cold quite quickly with the amount of foot traffic going in and out of the restaurant. read more

I don't know if they've been reading the yelp reviews or what - but i've seen a MAJOR improvement. The shisha is on point - the service has made leaps and bounds. Even the food! Ok, the kabobs are the same, but if you just want to snack - the selection is much bigger now. the patio is perfect during the summer. and the disposable hoses definitely give you piece of mind when you are smoking hookah. all in all, they've been listening and it's showing!! My recommendations: try a strawberry smoothie with a watermelon + mint shisha read more

The NOVA area is filled with good Middle Eastern food. Friends Kabob is not one of the good ones. I have visited a number of time. Each time has been a disappointment. Here are some of my issues: 1. The bread is packaged. In fact I saw one of the employees removing bread from a plastic package and placing it on a plate. 2. I tried the chicken shwarma. I could be wrong, but I believe the chicken had been deep fried. 3. The lamb was overcooked and dry. 4. The portion of rice was small. It was overcooked. 5. The individual who takes the order was not particularly friendly. It is not that any specific event happened, but it was just a sense that he was pissed off about being there. 6. Most of the available tables were dirty. 7. There is a small no smoking area. 8. Seating is uncomfortable. On the positive side: Friends Kabob looks like a great place if you are into hookah. read more

One thing I've never understand about this place is why the cashier that takes your order always seems to be angry. Every time I've been there, he just stares at you angrily when you come up to the counter to order. He makes zero effort to greet you and actually ignores you unless you say something to him. Friends Kabob is a self serve place. A smile or a nod would be nice. It's not like I'm begging for free food. I do actually have to pay for it. If you ever have to ask him for anything after paying for it he just answers rudely to you. Customer service is important because you can have good food but horrible service and nobody going to come. I have eaten at Friends Kabob a few times and it almost always packed to the brim. They have however recently expanded and have another section which is mostly filled with hookah smokers. This helps clears out the small dining area for others to eat. I enjoy smoking hookah but I don't like to inhale/smell it as I eat. If you come late after the dinner hour it can get very crowded. The last few times I was here I notice there were more teens than usual here. I guess it's a popular hang out for them to smoke hookah. Nothing against teens it just an observation. I like the beef kabob when I'm here . It comes with rice and naan. I don't know what it is but I love the rice they serve with the kabob. It's so damn yummy. The kabob was prepared well. It was nice and flavorful. read more

We live a block away from this place and we generally order it for delivery. out of the 3 times that I ordered they only got it right 1 time. 1/3 delivery success isn't the best, so they have lost my service. The first time they got my order completely wrong and when I called they wanted me to bring it back. The second time I waited an hour for them to deliver it. When I called to ask where my food was. They said that I was supposed to pick it up. I clearly asked for delivery. read more

Best Kabob joint I have found in the Tysons/Vienna area. The chicken is always juicy and the lamb is the best! So far the only sub-par meal I have gotten from them was when the hired help was running the store (it was like a bad Salvadoran version of the usual goodness). If everyone behind the counter is speaking Spanish, then come back later. So far I have been for lunch, dinner, and take-out to bring home or take to friends' places (see what I did there?). One of the main attractions is that it is also a hookah bar outside on the porch. read more

Dear Friends, The kabobs are not $2.00 like the sign says false advertising. Oh wait, it's not for them, never mind! I think this place is good if you want a no-frills place to hang out with the bros and smoke some hooka and talk about what your next purchase will be at Tysons Corner, but for kabobs...average. Kind of dry. I had the chicken and the beef, the beef was better, but I've had better kabobs and better naan, and better salad, and better environment, and better service, and better everything. Some leak from the ceiling dripped on my face. My chair was about to fall apart, and not because of my fat ass. Rose Kabob in Vienna - is where you need to go for godly melt in your mouth kabobs. True story. Note: Ravi Kabob in Arlington pwns everyone though, sorry. read more

I love the kubideh (sp??). You get a good sized portion and the meat is tasty as well as the salad and rice. I love this place to death and I really hate middle eastern food-so this is saying something... Also it is nice that you have the option to sit inside away from all the smoke if needed. read more

Lunch on a Saturday. The menu has all I may want, but then I see the Saturday special. Abgoosht. I've never heard of it, and not so familiar with Persian food. I tell myself that I must eat the special traditional stew, how can I pass on this opportunity. I order it. I'm asked if Ive had it and I say no, and he says OK. My meal is delivered and explained. I try. I'm not sure what I'm doing. Someone comes to me and asks if he can prepare this for me properly. He says I am not doing this correctly. He returns. He presents it to me properly and carefully assembled. It is wonderful. It is healing. Delicious! I appreciate this experience so much and I will never forget how hospitable it is to be shown how to eat this properly. Abgoosht is wonderful! Friends indeed. Thank you! read more

I have gotten take-out from here at least a couple of times and the food is so good! They are always consistent with how the food is made and I have been pleased every time. I always call in my order when I am leaving my house and it typically only takes about 10-15 minutes for the food to be ready. I also like that they give decent sized portions for take-out. I always have leftovers because it's so much food. The restaurant is always busy, which makes parking a challenge here. The parking strip is a very small lot down the side of their business and it's not well lit. I wish they would add some lighting towards the back because that's typically where I have to park. Otherwise, I will be back! read more

Food = good Hookah = got me sick Seating situation = needs improvement The manager/ owner = needs to brighten up The end read more

Don't go here for the food or the service or alcohol (because there is no alcohol here)... GO for the tea and the hookah. Visited this place on a Friday evening right after work with a bunch of friends and had a great time. It's laid back, casual, and good for groups. There were about 10 of us, and we all managed to eat and smoke hookah. At around 9:30, people start trickling in and the place is packed by 10pm. Though I am not a fan of the kabob or the salad, the lentil soup was decent. Just don't go here to eat... I went to play cards, socialize and chitchat, and smoke. Our favorite flavors were BLUE MIST (highly rec) and MELON. :D read more

One of the things I have enjoyed when I started Yelping is taking the opportunity to visit some of my "old haunts" in the area and see if they still were at the caliber I remembered them. My wife and I recently had to visit the Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Tyson's Corner, and I suggested we eat at the nearby Friends Kabob. I worked in Tyson's from 2006-2008, and this was one of the handful of go to lunch spots we had. This was our kabob spot, and we loved it. We started going under the old ownership, and while the food was great, the interior was a bit dingy and could get VERY hot on a hateful DC summer day. We saw the transition from to the new ownership over the last few months, and the food quality seemed to go unchanged while improvements were undertaken inside. This was my first time to Friends Kabob in over 3 years, and I could instantly tell that the work on the interior had paid off. It was much cleaner and nicer looking than in the past, and they added an enclosed deck area for additional seating and hookah usage. Hookah isn't my thing - I was here for the kabobs. The menu has changed slightly, and I did find the new menu a bit more confusing. The prices had also gone up slightly, but that didn't surprise me. In the past, I would order a lamb kabob for about $10, and it would come with rice, salad, and soup. Now the menu has three price options - with bread, with salad, and with rice. What if I want salad and rice? Or all three? Then I glanced at the "sandwiches" menu and saw that on there was a Lamb Kabob platter for $8.75 that came with, you guessed it, rice, salad, and bread. It probably has less meat than the more expensive option, but it sounded like enough for me. No issues with the service mentioned in other reviews. I ordered the lamb kabob platter, and my wife ordered beef kabob at the counter, with drinks, and we were given our number and treated politely. After a short wait, our orders were announced over the small PA system (necessary because of the separate hookah area) and we received a nice portion of meat, rice, small salad, and a nice piece of flat bread each. The lamb was succulent, and was generally preferred over the beef, which was also very good. Rice was also good. Bread was a tad spongy but fine. The wife said that she preferred this to our go to kabob spot in Manassas, and for me it still remains my "standard bearer" for kabobs in the area. I hesitate to give it 5-stars as I see some mixed reviews and wonder if I may have just gotten lucky, but to me it was good as I always remembered it. read more

First time here though I have driven past this place for over 4 years almost. I am giving it a rating of 3 stars because they didn't produce 4 stars for me. Food was good however, service was not up to par. But what can you ask for from a Kabob place. It could have been a little cleaner. I sat outside which was a great view of Chain Bridge Road and the toilet bowl "horseshoe" building across the street. This lunch was a treat for me. So the question is would I return... I would say most definitely. They deserve my business I just won't hold their service against them. Though I will grade them on their neatness and cleanliness the next time. read more

Its no Reston Kabob, Its more of a Moby Dick's as far as food is concerned. small bread with lentil soup, tiny salad, decent kabobs (chicken), and rice with butter on top. Its virtually identical to Moby dicks in taste. That leaves more to be desired from a true Lebanese place. The only thing they have holding them is the $10 Hookahs. If you want real good kabobs go to Ravi in Arlington, or Reston Kabob. I would eat here again, but like I said.. its mediocre at best. read more

I am picky about my kabobs. I do believe that they do not all taste the same. This is one of the best kabob places that I've ate at. I always get the chicken kabobs, but I've had all and they are delicious. I usually eat inside because the outside deck is for hookah. It's not a fancy restaurant. Inside they have several booths and smaller tables. The hummus is tasty, a bit different than the normal hummus that I have but in a good way. I definitely recommend this place for kabobs!! read more

I got the Friends Combo #1 - Chicken was slimy and under-cooked - Beef was under-cooked (but ok) - Rice was of lower quality than Uncle Ben's Minute Rice - Facility was the dirtiest hookah bar I've been to in Northern Virginia I will not return. read more