Cafe Ivy was decent overall. The views were really nice and definitely the best part of the experience. The food and vibe were okay, but the setting makes it worth checking out at least once. read more

After looking at Ivy By The Lake's menu online, we decided to give them a try. They open for dinner at 4 p.m., and we showed up shortly after. While there are some good things about the place, which I will list first, there are some not-so-good things. The good --- When we arrived, the place wasn't busy at all. There were a few people sitting outside. The dining room was empty. Throughout our meal, we had the place to ourselves. Our server greeted us and seated us. Masha was very friendly, polite, and efficient. The dining room was decorated with artificial hanging plants. Also, there was a large mural of Eve holding the apple with the serpent coaxing her to eat it. Now for the not-so-good things --- getting to the entrance wasn't easy, especially for my husband, who is waiting to get his knee replaced. To reach the entrance, you had to walk down a paved path with descending steps after parking the car. Upon entry, we had to climb a somewhat long staircase. On the way out, Masha stated that there was a ramp and pointed to a door leading to the kitchen and said we could go out that way. We chose to exit the way we entered. Also, they don't have any printed menus -- just a QR code to scan for the menu. We found that to be off-putting. Fortunately, we had already decided what to order before coming here. We chose to start with "Zaytoun", which consists of "Mixed Pitted Olives Tossed In Extra Virgin Oil. GF". This was a tasty starter. There were a few different types of pitted olives. However, we didn't think that there was any olive oil in the small bowl; rather, it appeared to be brine. For our main course, we both chose "Beef Kofta" which consists of: "Beef rolls served with Lebanese Couscous, Refreshing Tomatoes, Cucumber, & Labneh". The beef kofta was very dry. Growing up, I sometimes had Kofta, and it often turned out quite dry. The kofta did have some kick, and the small amount of very tasty labneh helped mute the spiciness. The Lebanese couscous portion was huge. That, too, helped give moisture to the kofta. This was a filling meal, and we ended up taking some home. Weighing the pros and cons, the cons, alas, outweighed the pros for us. read more

Ivy By The Lake - Olives - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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Ventured out for a change of scenery and decided to try Ivy by the Lake. We arrived around 8:30 PM, and the ambiance was really nice-- really cute spot with good music. We ordered the hummus and pita, which were excellent. The hummus was incredibly creamy and smooth--one of two the most memorable I've had--and the pita was full of flavor and extremely soft. I ordered the Chapli Kabab Burger, which was just okay for me. It comes with two patties, making it a bit too heavy, and while it had some spice, it lacked depth of flavor and had more jam than I preferred. The Brussels sprouts were heaven sent, and the hookah was very smooth. Service was good--nothing standout, but nothing negative either. A DJ came on later in the night, which added to the atmosphere and made it lively and allowing us to talk comfortably. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and I'd definitely go back. read more

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This place has a wonderful view of the river and an ethereal ambiance as depicted by murals of what appears to be Eve and beautiful gardens.. The staff was so attentive and helpful! They recommended the Mixed Grill and it was extraordinary!! Lots of spices (some very hot!) and an epic burst of flavorful kebabs and grilled vegetables! It was more than generous serving all three of us, with delicious leftovers! The beef kofta, steak chimichurri, and the grilled chicken were so flavorful and tender! They also had lively music playing in the background. Overall, we had such a wonderful experience! Highly recommend this place for the service, atmosphere, and excellent Mediterranean fare! It's fresh and fabulous!! We are now waiting on dessert and can't wait!! read more

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Loved this place! From the food to the ambiance to the service it's all spectacular. They really know how to excel in the restaurant business. The inside is beautiful and the waitresses are soo helpful and kind. The presentation of the food is stunning and the taste is also excellent. They have an outdoor area for hooka and view of the lake. The music (DJ) starts in the later part of the evening. I highly recommend this place for all occasions. They have a bunch of vegetarian food options in appetizers and 1 main course vegetarian option. The chicken kabobs were soo tender and tasted great. I highly recommend this place for your next night out or special occasion! read more

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Meh this place is fine. we ended up here because it was on the way home after visiting Kings Spa. The lake is a manmade lake, the space is giving IG asthetic from a few years ago but the glassware was cute and I found it at IKEA while waiting an interminable time for my cold fries. This was a Sunday mid day and absolutely no one was in the place so why did the food take so long? beats me. My group tried a couple things, like the chicken kebabob platter, fries, and steak bites appetizer. The steak was good not medium like I asked but still tender. My friends didnt finish their chicken kabobs and just said it was ok. Those who ordered drinks said they tasted like the space looks, cute on the surface lacking real flavor. Looks like they have a DJ and Hookah service on other nights so maybe I shouldnt be expecting a lot from this multi service establishment? Either way I dont live out here so wouldnt make the trip to come back read more

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Food was mediocre. Prices were high. The Maitai was definitely not it. It was different from the normal recipe and did not match the picture they showed at the entrance. It was just rum, lime juice and simple syrup with a fresh mint garnish. read more

Great food and drinks. I like the vibe and location of this place. Literally by a lake. Good customer service. Great place for casual hanging with friends or a date. read more

Ivy By The Lake - Some platter with almost everything - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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I was in the area over the summer and decided to try this place. It was nestled in the back of a few buildings but opened up to a lovely lake! The ambiance was absolutely lovely! So pretty! The view of the lake was very romantic! We ordered hummus, chicken kabob and a beef dish that were decent. It was more about ambiance and catching up with an old friend. Lovely place to meet for happy hour! The service was okay as well. Nothing spectacular except the views and all of the lovely floral decorations! read more

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Perfect place to hangout with friends and family. Loved the cheese platter and kabobs. Hookah needs more flavors.

Went here for a friend's birthday the decor is really pretty with flowers on the wall and nice ambient lighting. If you're looking to go here for a happy hour or to host a party venue is a good and it's right near the lake. We ended up ordering individual drinks and plates to share. They had happy hour until seven Monday-fridays for a decent price. For my drink I had the garden of Eden. The gin in it was nice and sweet and the price was only $12 per drink which was affordable ,They also offer mocktails too. Our table got food to share. We ordered chicken, brussels sprouts, zaatar fries, pita pockets, and fried cauliflower. I can't even lie. All of the plates were delicious.My favorite was the Crispy Brussel sprouts they cover them with a pineapple sauce that's to die for I left happy and full. The servers were also very attentive and quick with service. If you're looking for a cute bougie vibe with delicious Mediterranean food this is the place. read more

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Bad food super oily and over expensive This is only good for drinking and hukka I would not take kids there or go for food The desserts are also tasteless so I will not recommend this to anyone going with family for food read more

I attended a Company Holiday Party for my husbands work here. The food is middle eastern cuisine and it tasted absolutely delicious! We were supposed to have an open bar starting at 6pm but ended up getting charged for our first two drinks even though it was after 6pm. Service and drinks were awesome after that! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves at this restaurant! read more

Ivy By The Lake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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Ambiance: lovely interiors, with lots of green every where. Service was prompt despite the place being packed. If you are looking for a quiet dinner on a weekend, please avoid this place. We went there on a Friday night and it was super loud. Food: We had baba Ghanoush, falafel and Chicken kabob for dinner. Baba Ghanoush was served with a bread and it was delicious, one of the best I've had. Falafel was really good too, can be a repeat order. Chicken kabob was okay at best. The salad and rice that came with chicken kabob were good, but the chicken itself felt like could have been better. It was chewy and rubbery. Parking: This space has combined parking lot for the 2-3 restaurants in the area. read more

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Decided to give this establishment, a try. Sat at the bar with a very engaging gentleman bartender, the food was exemplary and the service spectacular. Probably the best LAMB stirfry I have ever had... And I'm old so I've had a lot of them LOL read more

Ivy By The Lake - Lamb Strfry - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

I love the ambiance and food it was so yummy this is my favourite place for food the service was so good read more

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No where on website its mentioned that, kids not allowed after 9:30pm. I had booked a table but hostess did not allow us saying restaurant owners has passed a policy of No Kids after 9:30 as we had our 8 year old daughter with us. Not sure if this is the policy or blatant discrimination. Time of this incident was Fri May 15 at 9:30PM read more

This is a great place to come for a birthday event. They have the main things your looking for in a place you wanna celebrate your big day at: food, great music, good drinks, and hookah! Lol The service here is pretty quick for the most part. The only thing I didn't like was having to sit in the outside patio area. We made the mistake of not making a reservation on the weekend, and we had to sit at a table on the patio. They had heat lamps, so it wasn't too bad, but it looked much more fun/engaging inside. The food wasn't bad, I just feel that the fries could've been crisper. I think I would come back here. All in all, the bill for five people, using the late night menu with hookah and drinks, came out to about $230 ish. Give this place a visit and tell me what you think :). read more

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Came on a Saturday to watch NBA at night. Sat outside and there was heaters with a beautiful view of a lake. Asian girl waiter was extremely good (forgot her name). She was on top of everything, drink refills, utensils, checks, and coming to see how we were doing. I didn't like the kofta as much. Not sure what the base was I think it was corn or something but it was over buttered. I prefer rice with kofta. However the French fries were so fresh, flavorful and crunchy. Beautiful ambiance of course read more

Ivy By The Lake - Beef kofta - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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(From May 2023) Heard mixed reviews about this; decided I had to check it out for myself. My friend and I rolled here after a round of golf on a Thursday afternoon in May for some hookah and eats. We're thrilled with what we found and this will be on our rotation for spots to visit when I'm back in the Loudoun area. They do hookah, have a full bar, and a solid food menu. Happy hour Tuesdays-Fridays from 4-7PM which has food/drink specials. Fortunately we arrived around 530ish so we got to work with the brussels sprouts, fried shwarma bites (fried chicken tenders), and the batata harra (fried potatoes) which were on the happy hour menu. Also order a few ol' fashioneds ($4 off at happy hour) and the watermelon mint hookah ($25 at happy hour). All the food dishes were amazing with the spices and sauces especially the brussels sprouts with it's pineapple chutney. The Ol Fashioneds have a cool presentation where it's delivered smokey after removing the wooden chute on top. The hookah was smooth and easy as well. We were still hungry afterwards so we went with the beet hummus and the sliced hanger steak. The hummus had a nice kick to it and I dig the beet flavor. Hanger steak was extremely tender and the chimichurri and tomatoes on top was a nice presentation. We also got some martinis to wash them down. A very satisfying meal after a day of golf! One of the perks is the patio area as you get a nice view of the lake. They have QR menu codes you can scan at the outside tables and the area is covered for those bad weather days. You can't beat the view as you smoke your hookah, sip your drink, and converse with the other parties. Our server was always there to take orders and get what we needed so we weren't empty handed on anything further enhancing our time there. It's tricky to find this place as the entrance is along the trail behind two other restaurants. There's signs that will direct you; FOLLOW THE SIGNS! Cause you won't regret the food/drinks/hookah and gorgeous lake views! read more

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Finally, I made it here. One of my fellow foodies and I have been following Ivy on IG since they opened just over a year ago. Disappointing experience though. Made reservations online. I read that we needed to call 24 hrs ahead to request the tableside "feast" experience. Honestly, I can't say it was worth it for the price. It comes with a sauce and bread, a mezze, fries and chicken swharma. We got the hummus, brussels. It was just ok. Not the best I've had! Drinks were not strong. Granted I may have a higher tolerance than the average drinker but I literally felt nothing after two cocktails. Like was there alcohol in them?! I got the safari mezcal and spicy margarita. The decor is cute. Definitely IG worthy. The service wasn't bad. Our servers were friendly and engaging. We sat inside, but I'd come back for happy hour and sit outside by the lake. For less than what we paid here, could have gone to Fogo. Yep, that's it. read more

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The food was overpriced, mediocre, and had small portion sizes. The service was not good either, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. Food: We started with the Batata Harra, which was described as "Fried Potatoes Tossed In An Irresistible Fragrant Peppers & Spices", what we got was cubed fries with not much seasoning, that started the disappointment which became much worse when we got our mains. I got the chicken kebab, which was $24 for 5 small chicken pieces, rice, and a salad FLOODED with dressing. I was disappointed with the small portion size of chicken and the pool of dressing on the salad which leaked to the rest of my food as I ate. My girlfriend got the Lobster and Prawn Risotto and for $39 we were extremely disappointed. We got 2 prawns and a little bit of lobster, for $39 I expected more than that, and it was the worst thing I've ever tried at a restaurant. Didn't try the desserts since the food wasn't good so can't say much on that, but they looked overpriced. Service: For a restaurant charging this much for food, you expect good service. The appetizer was delivered with my food, and then my girlfriends food came out 5 minutes later. The appetizer was warm so I assume she didn't realize it was ready and then when my food was ready it was just brought out together. When we started eating our food we finished our water, the waitress did not ask us if we enjoyed our food or app, just quickly grabbed the water and replaced it without saying a word. If a restaurant is charging this much I expect better service than that. Atmosphere: The atmosphere is probably better during the nightlife, seems they have a dj booth. I gave it 3 stars because when we walked in it smelt kind of weird (not from the hookah), and they were playing MSNBC on both TVs. read more

Unclean dining surface and food. Unpleasant surprise. Discovered a broken nail in my meal Upon informing the staff, they promptly responded, "What do you want? Your money back? We can only provide you with a replacement dish if you want." I was not looking for my money back or replacement of my food. We just walked away. read more

Ivy By The Lake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Such a cute place! Loved the decor & music. Every single plate we got from the lobster risotto, brussels, roasted eggplant, fries, to wontons were absolutely fantastic. Big fan of the gin cocktail as well. 10/10 read more

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Super Cute Place! Entrance was rather weird! Keep in mind they're located in the BACK of the two restaurants you'll see in the front. Please take the sidewalk entrance under the Ivy By The Lake sign...and not the lil ramp that doesn't have stairs! The bitter heart was a boring drink but the "peche my butt" made up for it. The prawns appetizer was good...steak was rather not...majority of the steak was burnt and we ordered medium rare. The cauliflower appetizer stole the show! The lobster risotto was good!!! The s'mores addition was super cute especially if it's your birthday....they add nice additions to make you feel special and maybe even a free birthday shot =) Definitely will go back! Service was good...I'm my opinion could've been better due to our waitress not being knowledgeable to give us recommendations read more

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My husband just got back from a trip from dulles, so we decided to head over as a family to this cool find. The experience was awesome. We arrived right when they opened and sat in patio area. We had a kiddo with us, so that worked out entertaining them with with wildlife from the pond. The workers were super nice and lowered the music level outside so it was enjoyable to eat and talk. We saw they had a happy hour and started orderng drinks and food alike. We tried multiple cocktails, I really enjoyed the egg white rasperry cocktail. The bartender even offered a blueberry version, which I tried, but didn't care for as much. We ordered schwarma bites, fallafel, humus, lamb, brussels, pita, etc. I really liked how the servers were able to accomidate, and offer some celery with humus, as I prefer celery and the kid should eat more wholesome food. Our favorite item ended up being the humus. Fallafel and lamb were out of stock when they first opened, which is a bummer, but not bartenders fault. This is a huge reason why 4 instead of 5 stars. The bites were meh, uneven on texture between the four bites. The experience when they first opened was lovely. Attentive service, great outdoor space, atmosphere was nice and relaxing. I liked the variety of food on the menu and that they had a happy hour. It was a good experience with a kid, and it was super fun bird watching and watching the ongoingings of the pond. I would def come again and bring more friends to try all the goodies! read more

Ivy By The Lake - Shwarma hh - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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I came here with the ladies for brunch and I loved it! We made a reservation but it wasn't overly busy for a Sunday at noon. Ambiance here is always perfection! The food "bottomless brunch" is $35. Although, it's really not bottomless and not worth $35. You get one starter and one entree for that price. You can add bottomless drinks for an additional price. The fries were really good Brussels sprouts here are delish The chicken and waffles are not bad but didn't wow me The hummus and pita is always a slap ! Service was alright, not that great. The patio is heated and closed off in the winter which is nice read more

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Went for a friends birthday outing and we went later in the evening so we had small plates of food and they did hookah. We sat in the patio section and music was loud. Didn't get the dancing vibe and got more of a lounge vibe. Good vibes over all though. Good place for a birthday! read more

Ivy By The Lake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Good place and the happy hour was pretty solid. Nice view of the lake. Service was good, but I was the only one there at dinner time for some reason. Would come again read more

A hidden gem with nice outside lakeside seating. Nice ambiance. Hooka, cocktails, Mediterranean food

The snow and ice in the parking lot didn't make for a nice trek behind the building, but restaurant had it adequately salted and cleared. There was no safety concern. Only concern was my elderly mother having to climb a bunch of steps to get to the front door. It's okay she tends to complain a lot. The food was great. We ordered the HH chicken bites, tzatziki, hummus, mantu, bread, battata hara potatoes, tabbouleh, and a mixed grill with chicken tikka, chicken kabob, kofta, hanger steak, veggie kabob, and pickled vegetables. The food was shared between 5 people and we had leftovers. Sorry I forgot to take picture of the appetizers! read more

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The food was fantastic. The service was so good. The drinks were amazing. Our favorite was the halloumi and mantu. The atmosphere and ambience was so cool. Can't wait to come back. read more

We wanted to try everything and that's pretty much what we did and everything was delicious. A run down of what we got. Started with pita bread and had to pick three spreads. The spreads we went with were Baba Ghanoush (Finely Chopped Roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice and tahini), Roasted Beet Hummus (Savory Chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, labneh and pureed red beets) and Cacik (Turkish yogurt with cucumber and herbs) Mezza: Batata Harra (fried potatoes tossed in an irresistible fragrant peppers and spices), Crispy fried cauliflower (tender bites of breaded cauliflower served with creamy ranch and juicy pickled bell peppers), Crunchy Chicken Wings (perfectly deep fried battered wings with soy garlic. For the main course we did the Feast Option which consists of Beef Kofta, harrisa bbq chicken, hanger steak, chicken kabob, cilantro toum, harissa, garlic toum We wanted to do the Tableside chicken shawarma experience but heads up, you must put in this request 24 hours in advance. read more

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Delicious food and friendly service. Their falafel is the best I have had anywhere in the United States and we travel and dine out often. Try their juicy excellent chicken kabob as well. read more

After seeing so many posts on IG, we had to try it out. Came here to celebrate my friends birthday and I wasn't as impressed with the setup. Drinks were good, I tried Red Sea Margarita and the food was really tasty, I enjoyed the Mantu dumplings and nibbled on their pita platter. Tons of flavors! My biggest complaint was their service, we made reservations (easy to do) and were seated near the door. It was like that seat made us invisible, we put orders in and had to wait 20+ minutes for our orders, (it wasn't packed, we arrived at 7:30 on a Saturday night) which was bizarre. Videos made this place look super impressive, but it wasn't worth the drive from DC. read more

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This place is beautiful! Perfect photo opportunities if you're into that and of course it's by a lake. The staff is very friendly, and the food was pretty good. We tried a bunch of appetizers and I tried their cheeseburger and truly enjoyed it. The dj arrived around 10 and got the place hype. It was surprisingly empty when we went but that's cool because it made the staff just that more attentive. I didn't get any pictures of the food because we were so busy having a good time but here's a picture of me lol. read more

Ivy By The Lake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

The ambiance and flavor and passion is a superb combination! Our server Linda was very responsive and helpful. We had 2 appetizers and the eggplant and chicken kabob. All were excellent. 5 stars! read more

Ivy By The Lake - Grilled Eggplant forefront and chicken kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Why list on DoorDash if you're going to cancel the order after an hour. Cancel the order from the beginning.

Food and drinks were fantastic all the meats were seasoned well and very tender. Service was great as well. read more

Ivy By The Lake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Well for one, our server knew what alma mater was so that was great. Also, the food was really great. The outdoor area is surprisingly super warm for the middle of the winter! Highly recommend. read more