Lebanese Taverna is always delicious! I had this restaurant 2 years ago in Maryland, dreamt about the bread and shawarma since then. They give free flatbread, which was this puffy bread that was piping hot that can be dipped in their sauce, consisting of olive oil and herbs. We ordered a mehshi, which is tomato, eggplant, and zucchini stuffed with rice pilaf, concoction of sauces, and nuts. As simple as the dish is, it's hearty and my boyfriend loved it! The tomato and yogurt sauce go well together, many vegetarian dishes taste very plain, but this dish was flavorful. The Taverna platter is always a safe option, with selection of beef or chicken shawarma, hummus, and veggies. I complain a lot of other Middle Eastern restaurants have dry shawarma, but this restaurant cooked it perfectly. read more

Lebanese Taverna - Mehshi and Taverna Platter - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My wife and I have a routine. I take the train from NYC, where I work and usually live, and she meets me someplace near a Metro stop; she is in DC often, due to elderly family we have look in on. We have eaten at Lebanese Taverna probably ten times over two decades. But we also do takeout with the same routine: she picks me up at the rendezvous, rather than our sitting down at the restaurant. I had booked a table for us, then we decided to go with the alternative of bringing the dishes home. We want to be there for our dog, who is having health issues. I emailed them to apologize, because I want them to know we are not just flaking out. Everything is good. We do not keep halal, but if you do, they promise they meet the certification standards. Our order will consist of the following: Baba ganoush Artichokes Shrimp Arak Fatayer trio Fatteh chicken We already have hummus at home. The baba ganoush I especially like. Their chefs have that consistency and subtlety that even if a home cook is good they aren't that good. I have two friends in particular who are highly skilled in the kitchen. I'd put their meals up against anyone. But when I am at a place such as Lebanese Taverna, I see what professionals are able to do. They also are faster, and, if you account for labor costs, they are much less expensive. My wife and I also have enjoyed dining in. This is a compliment, not a criticism. I would not select Lebanese Taverna for a quiet date. It is for a festive group. When we are there as a couple, we plan getting enough for two meals for two people, or four extra portions. Otherwise, you cannot sample the menu. Service has always been highly competent. read more

Their lentil soup has to be a family secret because it is unbelievable good. I strongly recommend that you go with an apetite and enjoy the maanek (saulteed beef and lamb sausages), the batata harra and the artichokes. Sahtein! read more

Tried out this Lebanese restaurant for an early evening dinner. There is plenty of seating, restaurant is nice and open, it has a medium size bar. The service was good. We ordered the Baba Ghanoush, the chef's platter and the Taverna platter. The portions were a nice sample sizing with a nice flavor. The bread was warm and plentiful. Overall a nice experience. read more

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(5/5) Lebanese Taverna is my go-to spot for authentic and delicious Lebanese food. The flavors are rich and vibrant, and everything tastes so fresh and perfectly seasoned. From the creamy hummus to the tender kebabs, every dish feels like a little celebration. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, with great vibes that make you want to linger over your meal. The staff is friendly and attentive, adding to the overall wonderful experience. Whether you're craving classic mezze or a hearty entrée, Lebanese Taverna never disappoints. Highly recommend if you want a tasty, authentic Middle Eastern dining experience! read more

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We came here for a large group event and the experience was fantastic! The location was convenient across from the Woodley Park/Adams Morgan metro station. Despite our large group, the servers were attentive and quick to provide drink and the food. The food was amazing and would highly recommend the fattoush salad and the shrimp arak/couscous. I would recommend for any large group events! read more

We came here with my family as well as a friend. The inside of this place is really fabulous. You would not know what to expect just looking from the outside. They have an authentic Lebanese menu. We had the lamb and beef Shawarma. It was absolutely delicious! We also ordered a side of hummus. They brought out some of their home baked pita bread. It was fresh and very tasty. The service was excellent. They recommended a bottle of wine, which was paired well with the dinner we ordered. I would highly recommend anyone to come check out this place. It is likely that you will come back many times after trying it once! read more

I hadn't been to Lebanese Taverna for a while and saw that it's undergone a major transformation. I did a double-take to make sure it was the same place and founding family running the show. And both are still true. A second generation is in charge now. I was told that the makeover was accomplished a few years back. I like the new look--captures the spirit of the Eastern Mediterranean nicely. The lamb sharat platter is to die for, can't go wrong with it. Fried artichokes are yummy, come with a garlic/lemon dipping sauce that's slamming. The baba ghanoush is smoky and creamy although I prefer it without the pomegranate seeds on top, however easy enough to work around. The mezza fries, lightly sprinkled with sumac, cumin and garlic, arrive hot and plentiful. Service is gracious. I'm a fan of Lebanese cuisine and think that this restaurant has done a good job of serving it up over the years. read more

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First of all 4 stars are for the nice place and ambiance and good food- The only issue we had was with the wait time of food at a reasonable not-so-busy lunch hour. We literally waited for around 45 mins for our food and the place wasnt that swamped. Yes when we got our food it was really good- especially their bread is amazingggg. Their shwaramas are the absolutee best. Will defo recommend. read more

Lebanese Taverna - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The meal was good but the star was the Hummus and bread, it was exceptional! My main dish was fairly bland, but it may be that I ordered too safe. read more

Lebanese Taverna - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was delicious, good service, 3 kids who've never had Lebanese food were all very happy with their food (kafta, schwarma, hummus). I'm not sure why the Yelp reviews are relatively low - I'm glad I didn't let that deter us from going here after the Zoo lights read more

Walking by and decided to stop. The customer service was good. Food was served quickly!! I really enjoyed the hummus, large servings. read more

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Lebanese Taverna is unassuming from the outside. Once you walk in, however, you're surprised with a spacious and modern interior. Plenty of seating for large and small parties as well as a tall bar with even more seating. There was only one host even on a busy Saturday for dinner. Although we had a reservation, it took a while to be seated (almost 15 minutes). Once we sat, however, we had careful, fast service from the servers and runners. I was also impressed by the bathrooms. I think more restaurants should have bathrooms with sinks accessible to all, for when you want to wash your hands or look in the mirror without actually taking up a bathroom. The decor is quite nice. Comforting, high ceilings, and good flow of air. The food is good. Each table gets a basket of fresh hot pita with seasoned olive oil - hard to resist even though it is filling! I had the shawarma sandwich with rice. Although it looked small it was filling and tasty. I really recommend the passion fruit ginger (non-alcoholic) drink. It's fresh, refreshing, and delicious! Not too sweet, and I believe it is made with all natural ingredients. I subtracted a star from the review because the baklava tasted quite stale. Other than that, the food is fresh and delightful. read more

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Coming in from the heat, the air conditioning was a relief. The high ceilings were beautiful to look at along with the rest of the decor. It wasn't very busy on a Saturday at lunch-- our server was very attentive and helpful. The warm bread and oil with sesame seeds were very nice to start. I ordered the Taverna platter with Chicken Shawarma. Loved that it came with salad, hummus, chicken and rice. Yumm! It's a big portion, so I was able to take some home too! My friend ordered the chicken Shawarma sandwich with a side salad. She enjoyed it, but it was a big portion and she only ate half of it! I've been here before-- and enjoyed a lot of appetizers too. I'll be back. ** They have parking in the back :) read more

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Iban what's the best server ever! So responsive. We asked him to bring us what he would eat, and he brought us a family style meal. That was absolutely incredible! The hummus, tabouli, baba ghanoush, amazing! And then the final entrée! We literally had to roll out of there. 10 of 10. Will come back! Always ask for Iban! read more

Not only was the food fantastic (don't miss the Taste of Lebanon appetizer plate with 9 delicious samplings), but they went above and beyond in customer service -- staying after hours so that I could retrieve a critical item left behind. Thank you!!! read more

Always welcoming and delicious Favorite place to dine when in DC Large menu should suit most tastes with fresh flavorful foods read more

Came here on a rainy Saturday for an early dinner to get some Mediterranean food, and after a long day of walking around DC, this definitely hit the spot. For an appetizer to share our group got the standard Hommus, and it was a pretty good hommus mezza! Really tasty dip with good quality olive oil, and the puffy bread they provided was fresh, crispy, and a solid vessel for the dip. For my main entrée, I got the Lamb & Artichoke Stew; tender chunks of lamb in a savory and slightly sour stew with braised artichoke hearts. Comes with their rice pilaf and the combination of the stew with the rice was pretty dang good! The meat could've used a bit more seasoning itself, but the artichokes and the stew were pretty flavorful enough so not a big deal. Service was nice and accommodating, which I appreciated. They provided us refills on the bread for our hommus when it got low, and one group member's dish was taking a bit longer so they gave her a free Lentil Soup as compensation, which was very considerate! read more

Lebanese Taverna - Lamb & Artichoke Stew - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I tagged along with my significant other to a conference held at the Omni Shoreham, leaving me with the need to find something to do for dinner on the first night. I stumbled across the Lebanese Taverna happy hour and all expectations were exceeded. The bartender was SO lovely, completely knowledgeable about my food allergy, and the exact amount of attentive (this was my experience both times with three different staff). I ordered the hummus and roasted olives, expecting to order something else, instead, the potions were large enough that I took leftovers back to the hotel. This was hands down the best hummus I have ever had and the bread was incredible. The roasted olives were so delicious, and an enormous portion. I truly enjoyed the experience, the ambiance, everything was spot on, and I hoped to return before our trip was over. On our last day, I managed to arrange things so I could visit again for lunch and this time had the salmon over tabbouleh salad, which was served with the delicious bread, and I tried the Lebanese wine in the menu. Perfect again. The wine is a new favorite, the salmon, perfectly cooked. I only wish I lived closer. I would definitely be a regular, especially for happy hour. Plus it is directly across the street from the metro! read more

Our waiter Josefeth was amazing! The food was all stellar as well. Very accommodating for our vegan friend also.

Been awhile since we've been here. Since that visit we have been able to eat wheat again. What a game changer. Those pillowy breads were wonderful, perhaps the highlight of our meal. I asked for a recommendation, and our server endorsed the lamb and artichoke hearts dish. It was a good recommendation. Our son and daughter-in-law ordered the mixed appetizer plate among other things. It was a good assortment of hummuses and other delights. The service was warm, friendly, and helpful. High marks for the service. Food was good and tasty. My wife got the chicken kabob. It was good but on the dry side. Our 4 year-old grandson felt comfortable there. He enjoyed the pita and labneh. The labneh was good. I think this will be on our regular rotation. read more

We were looking forward to trying this restaurant as it's our ethnic cuisine & our family really enjoyed meze. We stuck to their small meze plates. Hummus was light & creamy, grape leaves lemony & well flavored. Fresh pitas & crisp falafel. The kibbe was well spiced & well fried. What was really disappointing was the service. I'm not sure I understand when you have a reservation & a restaurant has good open tables elsewhere, why you seat patrons in the worst possible location? We were placed in the corner booth by the loud open kitchen & bathrooms. We could barely hear each other talk. We were going to ask to move tables but then the food started arriving & my son said he didn't care & switched seats with me so I wouldn't be staring at the open kitchen. It shouldn't be like that. Our server was also very cold & indifferent. Not sure we would be back. read more

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Got a platter to share between 3 people and some additional sides. Was yummy! Went to the location in Tyson's but I can't find it on Yelp. Flavor was good but I do wish some stuff was more flavorful. Luckily, we were seated right away but service was a bit slow as it was a busy night. read more

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I really wanted to like this place since there's really not a lot of Lebanese places that offer kibbeh nayeh in DC (considering most middle eastern places in DC aren't even Lebanese). They were not offering it when I came though, so I ordered stuffed zucchini (not traditionally cored) and a chicken and rice dish. Both of them came rather disappointingly plain. I don't know if it's because of the clientele that comes here (it's mostly a much older crowd that dines here). They sure know how to keep this place popular though. I'll say this though - the complimentary pita bread is amazing and by far my favorite thing here, served with the olive oil and zaatar spices. If you're going to be eating here, avoid the plates and stick to the traditional mezzes and enjoy them with the pita bread. And yes, you can get the kibbeh nayeh as a mezze. On a side note: this place is a bit dressier than casual. read more

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Love this restaurant! I came here for lunch and was not disappointed. I had their hommus with some type of pita bread to start and the quality was amazing! I also got the chicken shawarma sandwich and wow! The flavor of the chicken with fresh vegetables and garlic sauce was perfect. Not to mention, the portion was huge! Our waiter was also extremely nice. I will definitely be going back here! read more

Great food! Great experience! Group of four of us stopped in and each got the Chef's Platter at our waiters suggestion. Best decision, we got to try a little bit of everything and literally everything was delicious. It cost $19 and I highly recommend it. They also bring out fresh bread and oil to dip. We literally made a meal out of the platter, each of us, I also ordered an appetizer of the pickled vegetables, which was fabulous and I got a drink, which was made with passion fruit and ginger, and it was so refreshing. Love the atmosphere of the place, it wasn't too crowded, staff was great, no waiting. We just got seated immediately. I will definitely be coming back, the food was incredible!! read more

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The high points are the ambiance and the service. A fun, lively, and comfortable space to share a meal. We ordered one of the family-style meals allowing our party of 6 to sample quite a bit of the cultural cuisine. Overall, it was food, with some dishes (mostly the proteins) lacking in distinctive flavor. I would certainly eat here again and try other dishes, even if only for the very friendly and helpful service. read more

Excellent lunch with the family! Had the Chefs sampler and a chicken shawarma everything was delicious, service and pricing were both great. read more

Service was professional, fast and proactive! Best service at a restaurant in years. Food was delicious, served hot and all seemed freshly prepared. Ambiance was lovely, clean and we felt like we were able to relax. Overall, superb experience! Well done, Lebanese Taverna. read more

A frequent stop for great food, relaxing atmosphere, selection large enough for everyone's palette. Attentive service, great place.

Let me just say that I really enjoyed this place. I was in town for a conference and my group of 6 headed out for a nice dinner. We decided on Lebanese Taverna. The menu had something for everyone. Most of my group decided on the either Chef's Platter or the Taverna Platter. I decided I was in the mood to graze on some of their other offerings and ordered a bunch of apps. Sadly, they were out of octopus, but I was easily able to find other things to enjoy. Ultimately decided on hommus, halloumi, and kalamar. It was a lot of food. But I got a to-go box and enjoyed a late night snack back at the hotel. Everyone had a great time. We enjoyed great service in a really lovely space. I look forward to going back the next time I am in town. read more

The food was ok. Didn't like the Kibbeh at all. The service was the worst. My server actually was frowning when he took my order. Near the end my server came by to check on me ... but rarely while I ate. But I could see and hear the lone person sitting behind me being checked on periodically by multiple servers. My server almost acted as if he didn't want to serve me at first. I clearly wasn't welcomed at this establishment AND THEY MADE IT PRETTT CLEAR. No worries I will never come back here nor would I recommend it to anyone I know. read more

Lebanese Taverna - Tabouleh Salad, Falafel, Shawarma Hommus, Kibbeh - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food was amazing and fresh. It was a flavor explosion in my mouth. We had the family style mail that fed the whole table. read more

Lebanese Taverna - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Lebanese food is an all time fav so when one of my friends said she was hungry and suggested that we go here for dinner, I couldn't say no. I called the restaurant ahead to see if reservations were needed and they said no and that we could just walk in. We found FREE parking right across the street from the establishment (which is always amazing considering how ridiculously difficult it is to find parking in DC). We walked inside and waited to be seated. Shortly after we walked in, a family of about five (with a baby) came in and they were asked if they wanted to be seated indoors or outdoors. My friend and I looked at each other like ummm did they not see us?! I thought maybeeee just maybe the staff member thought we were picking up food but whatever. We arrived at our table and waited for our server who took a while to get over to us. I ordered the hummus, chicken samosas and curry chicken. Everything tasted SO good! I really loved the spices and flavors of the curry. It could've been a little more spicier though haha. I barely ate any of my curry chicken because I was so full from the appetizers and the fresh bread! My friend ordered the lentil soup and lamb kabobs with extra veggies. I know you're wondering why the three stars right? The reason is because of the service. Our server seemed to be in a rush with everything, rarely checked in/engaged with us and when he brought us our food, he would only place it on one side of the table, at the edge (like just drop it off on the table and then turn away quickly). I get that people have bad days but it shouldn't show nor should it be taken out on the customers. We still gave him a good tip considering COVID but was quite disappointed with the service. Treatment like that will ruin the chances of me wanting to visit the restaurant again and it's sad because the food was awesome. I will say this. We did appreciate the restaurant manager coming over to check in with us and bring us to go boxes. Maybe he could sense we weren't really happy with the service. read more

Lebanese Taverna - Chicken Curry - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Stopped by with two kiddos on a weeknight and the service was impeccable. Aside from having the usual parking issues - Connecticut Ave is sometimes difficult- we had no issues finding it. It's on a row with a lot of options but we (I) wanted hummus so here we were! The service and greeting were great? Our waiter was thorough and advised of the best items on the menu as well as allowed us to take out time ordering. We tried the pita bread with olive oil which was a little bland and required salt and pepper-but the pita itself was warm perfection. We also tried the artichoke hearts, which were amazing and the dressing was so good, the kids tried to eat it with a spoon! I typically don't eat after 7 and since it was much later, I ordered a salad with tabouleh and falafel, of which I finished one. The falafel was a little dry, which didn't make for a great reheating experience but on day one it was great! The kids both ordered the kids meal with falafel which is massive and comes with hummus and rice or fries. He let my picky water get a salad instead which worked nicely. There were a ton of leftovers and we are hearty eaters. I will just say the falafel and tabouleh salad doesn't reheat very well. The tabouleh is as expected, quite wet and if I'd had space to eat it on day one, it would have been a 5/5. As such, I'd give it a solid 4.3. It wilted almost completely in 12 hours even after separating the falafel. But we would go back, the menu is expansive, the service was very good, and the ambiance is perfect for a date night at any point! The high backed booths lend and aura of privacy and the high ceilings swallow conversation in a way that allows you to relax and really talk. Definitely a good restaurant design! If you like Lebanese/Mediterranean food, you won't be disappointed! read more

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I choose this place for my Birthday dinner with my family. I was not disappointed. Food: 5 Stars Service: 4.5 Stars Atmosphere: 4 Stars They start by bringing out hot pita with dipping oil. Hot bread is always good. We stared with the watermelon feta salad and it was my favorite part of the meal. That is a meaningful statement because the sliders are so good. My main dish was very good. It is Lebanese comfort food and was a good size portion. The tobouleh was solid, my husband loved it. The weak point of the meal were the rolls. They are ok, but compared to the rest of the meal they are not as good. I will pass on them next time. Over all I highly recommend this place. read more

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Lebanese food is awesome. And they get extra credit for being mostly gluten-free. We came here for a tiny celebration mid week and had a very nice time. The humus was great - we had both the standard and the spicy. The shrimp appetizer was really good - in a lemon garlic sauce - yum. The falafels were good but they are fried in canola oil which is REALLY bad. We let it go because we were celebrating but won't order that again just because of the oil. I remember when this was the only taverna and it was decorated in a more traditional fashion. Now the decor is very modern (and there are a bunch of them through the DMV). Not a bad thing, but I somehow longed for the traditional with all the cushions and more middle eastern feel. The service was good and I really like the place. The one star I took off was for the canola oil. read more

Lebanese Taverna - people sitting at the bar - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Carry out order for almost 100$ missing food and no call back from the manager. This Co is just not what they once were and there are too many other options to try. Recommend you try some place else. read more

I went on afield trip with my school for our Arabic language class. I LOVED THE SERICE , Thankyou Kamal, and the food was good and no one was mean or mad. It was a magical experience. Marcos - Middle school student read more

The food was soo good, everything was fresh. The customer service was great. The ambiance was intimate. I will be back! read more

Lebanese Taverna - Shrimp Kabob - Lebanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia