First time dining there. Had the shrimp scampi and cheesecake dessert. All very well done. The fried calamari appetizer was the best I've had outside home made . The service was great, especially considering it was a busy night . Ambiance also good but expect some noise since it was nearly full on Monday at 6pm. read more

Great outdoor ambiance. Good service. And a delicious Italian margarita! It's a reliable and pleasant place to dine. Enjoy your evening!

We generally like their food a lot but the smash burger was disappointing last week. Stick to. Their delicious pizzas

I'm so sad to have to give this lovely spot such a poor rating; but after a very trying day involving an illness in the family, unexpected travel, shlepping of heavy suitcases up and down stairs and in and out of terminals, and delivering a mass of groceries to shut-in mother-in-law, we took our weary selves to the reception desk at this restaurant at 10 minutes till 9:00 p.m.Their signage declared that they were open until 9:00. However, when we asked to be seated and served, they chose to turn us away, saying that the kitchen was closed. A pet peeve of mine, as it happens, is restaurants that state that they're open till a certain hour only to disclose that their kitchen closes earlier. This is deliberately misleading, in my opinion. I simply can't give Lia's a positive review after the deep disappointment I experienced as a result of their poor hospitality. read more

Muffaletta pizza has been my favorite, closely followed by wild mushroom, though I missed the sweet potato one while it was in rotation. Pepperoni is cut thick and includes greens for balance. Calzone varies widely in size by visit. Ricotta gnocchi had good flavor, but not enough chew for my preference. House salad is simple, but the fries are evenly crispy. Consistency is my biggest lament. Besides the occasional overcooked burger, we've ordered 2 of the same pizzas and received completely skewed topping ratios in comparison. Plus when it's peach season, putting canned peaches with brie on bruschetta seems really lazy. Three and a half stars for better food than drinks, assuming you're looking for something more than an affordable supermug. I keep meaning to check out more of their bacon night and full dinner menu, but their happy hour in the lounge keeps distracting us every day from 3-7 pm (all day Mondays/Tuesdays). With friendly service, TVs over the bar, twilight prix fixe, and so few dining options in the neighborhood, even the patio gets pretty busy when the weather is nice. Future hit list: braised short rib tortellini, wild boar ragu pappardelle, octopus puttanesca, braised pork cheeks, pan roasted salmon; tuscan eggs benedict, croque madame, big shrimp and very gouda grits, ricotta donuts. Update: risotto balls are okay, and the new country ham flatbread is quite good. Skip the tuna tartare, the diced apple is nice but the accompanying chips aren't crispy. Pasta portions are robust, osso bucco is fork tender. read more

See all

Went Lia's today for lunch with a co-worker. Best spaghetti I've ever had. Great ambiance. I wanted a side salad. They only had entree salads. The lady offered to split it in two and bring 2 bowls. She even spoke Italian. I will definitely return in the future. read more

Went to Lia's with coworkers for Happy Hour and we sat near the bar. Tasty bar burger and the supermug of beer hit the spot Would go back for Happy Hour again. read more

Our mild mannered sweet boss decided to take us out on Sept 14 for happy hour to lift our spirits. He nearly succeeded had it not been for the obnoxious attitude of the bartender who raised her voice in disgust when our boss politely asked to check on our appetizers (which was taking some time). Our entire team heard her yell at him "THEY WILL BRING IT HERE" (pointing to the front of the bar where my boss was standing). I'm not sure if we liked the food and the beers would we go back after this but that too was not something memorable. read more

carlos was amazing he provided us great service!! food was amazing - best Turkey I think I have ever had

One of our favorite neighborhood hangouts. Their happy hour deals are really attractive. In the colder season we hang out at the bar area and in the summer on the front patio. Great to wind down after a busy day or week. The food is always great. We love the Brussels sprouts and the wild mushroom ravioli. The burgers are another favorite of ours. We are regulars here and will certainly be back. read more

LIA'S - Wild mushroom ravioli - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

A good place for a group with diverse tastes. I love the twilight menu -- get in before 6pm for very, very cheap prices. Some quick thoughts on the food -- our salmon was overcooked, which was a bummer. And they were out of coconut sorbet, which half of the table had planned to order. The quail was unique and flavorful. Usually fairly solid. read more

LIA'S - Umm, bacon bar - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

I liked ..no loved it all! We went during restaurant week so I got a great taste of a full course meal here. The ambiance is simply beautiful. I should've had a man there! Lol but even with friends it was great. I started off with their calamari. The crispiness was everything I needed it to be. I kept eating and eating knowing I needed to save room but honestly it was too legit to quit :) I ended up going with a lemon butter magic dish and every bite caused me to roll my eyes in the back of my head a little. No joke. I was already full but do you think I left anything on the plate? Eh, no. Dessert was a lemon cake or something. I'm not really a sweets person so I can't go into detail here. Either way- you should and need to make yourself happy by going! read more

See all

Lias is really good food. Steak with red wine sauce on brocolini , with creamy mac and cheese. A 9 once happy hour cabernet with apple cobler.....SWEET! Very friendly service with warm fire on a cold day and big terrace overlooking streetscape for outdoor dining. read more

My girlfriend and I came for date night and right off the bat, calling in was a tough experience. The man I spoke to on the phone was extremely rude. We decided to go for dinner anyways because we have been excited about trying Lia's for the first time. The service was pretty average and somewhat slow for a night where they weren't busy. However, the food and wine were great! They have great appetizers and drinks, but the service is very average. read more

While celebrating a birthday last night we decided to try LIA'S. This was my first experience with the restaurant and I feel like I may have given more stars if I had eaten in the restaurant. We don't live far from the restaurant (maybe 4 minutes) but the food was cold when we got home. I'm not sure if it was ready in advance or what but it was slightly disappointing. We basically ordered everything. -crispy calamari: $15 I didn't try it but people loved it -Brussels sprouts: $11 salty and not very good once we got home. They can only assume they'd be better in the restaurant. I would actually try them again. -sweet and spicy cauliflower: $10 very good, large pieces -wild mushroom pizza: $15 super good (even cold). Able to pick off mushrooms if you're like me and like the taste but not the texture. -original Greek salad: $12 people loved the salad -Mushroom Ravioli: $20 amazing, favorite thing I ate. However: portion was small. I could've eaten two healings myself lol. -pasta red: $10, basic but good, hard to go wrong. -pasta white: another example of probably being better eating there as it wasn't great cold. We also tried some other dishes that I don't remember the name of but were good. I think I would return if I could eat there. There's great options and I would recommend getting a bunch and sharing like we did. read more

I've been there twice in the last two weeks and have been pleased. Why? There were things on the menu for everyone. The atmosphere inside was great. The food that was presented was also great. I walk by Lia's often by for whatever reason, didn't have it on my list of places to visit. No longer. I read their bulletin board of specials throughout the week and will be visiting depending on the occasion -- for instance, Brunch on Sat/Sun. Didn't know that! Hence why I wanted to post -- they're worth checking out. read more

This place definitely exceeded expectations. The food here deserves 5 stars. It's reasonably priced (the Sunset special is salad, entrée and dessert for $28) and very tasty. Vegetables were fresh and tasted like vegetables, not too much salt, bread was crusty. I love that the food looks more expensive than it is. They were also very accommodating towards allergies and dietary restrictions :) Why I took off one star: The outside seating is pretty noisy despite being far from the street. There must have been five people smoking outside the bank next door, and of course it all blew right over into my food. Would be nice if they had trees or something to close off the eating space and lessen the echo. The inside of the restaurant looked pretty, though. Also, for some reason the bussing staff would come right up to our table, smile serenely, then walk away without saying anything. It was slightly uncomfortable, especially when the lady clearing our table put her hand on the back of our chairs (personal space please!!!), and dropped fries onto the table. Mediocre. At least they have nice uniforms. read more

LIA'S - Herb Crusted Salmon - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

I went for brunch. : the melon wasn't ripe, there was garlic in the omelette, and the coffee was bitter. Very disappointing.

Me and my fiance just ate here around 4pm on a Saturday afternoon. We were the only customers inside. We ordered their CG burger and the grilled chicken burger. Both were excellent and we would love to come back for more. They have a lot of seats inside and outside. Bathrooms are clean. Parking is easily available through a garage. Service was quick and friendly. Price is fair with the quality of food you are getting. I would love to come back again and I highly recommend this place read more

LIA'S - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

First time to Lia's, and our waitress Lindsay was incredible. The three berry salad [with chicken ] was a fantastic recommendation too. Thank you! read more

We went for happy hour on a Monday when there is no time limit on the HH menu. You can sit at tables, high tables, or at the bar so it is quite flexible. The food menu is quite extensive and the beer options are good. There are not as many wine options on the HH menu but the daily Cabarnet was quite good. We all tried a different pizza pie, which come quite a decent size and would be filling for dinner. The crust and toppings were both good. The service is a hit or miss. We did get a few different waiters and their attitudes were very different. Overall, nice, not too loud HH with decent food and drink options. read more

LIA'S - HH menu - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

The Friendship Hts has always been the EpiCenter for me and I would argue it is the Future Culinary Epicenter of the DMV! Risotto Balls, crispy calamari, Fig & Prosciutto Bruschetta! I miss my DMV Home! read more

Came here for lunch and started off with the risotto balls. They were good but not great. For my entree, I went with a salad. I would tell you what it is... but none of these descriptions on the menu match my picture. It's been a while, sorry. #LaterYelp (Like #LaterGram... get it? lol). Anyway, I added salmon to it and I thought it to be a perfect lunch. It is probably the chopped salad, but I have avacado on here too so maybe I added it extra. My friend went with the mussels and also really enjoyed her dish. The service here was a tad slow-- they could use a few more waiters. It's nice that they have outdoor seating during the summer time though. read more

See all

Yum! I was really impressed with the food from Lia's! We ordered delivery from here through a third-party app, so this review is solely about the food and not the atmosphere, service, etc. This restaurant has a number of excellent Italian and American options. We ordered the following: -Burger and Fries -Prosciutto Bruschetta (with gorgonzola and fig jam) -Burrata, Kale, and Pesto Bruschetta (SO GOOD) -Crispy Brussels sprouts (lemon zest, parmesan). I had this as an entree and it was big enough to fill me up! So delicious! I would love to actually visit the restaurant in person. I looked at photos online and it looks adorable. It also appears to be affiliated with Chef Geoff's, another restaurant I really enjoyed. read more

See all

I came here for brunch on Saturday with a friend. The restaurant was pretty quiet indoors save for a large party in the banquet room adjacent to us. This place has nice vibes and is really intimate with the lighting. We ordered the ricotta donuts, risotto balls, and the Amora pizza. The risotto balls didn't have any flavor. The marinara sauce saved them. But the donuts were definitely my favorite part of the meal. We also got bottomless mimosas. We spent like $50/pp and my waiter gave me a to go mimosa. I would go back if I'm ever in the area again. read more

Off the main drag from 355, this little gem with a large patio knows how to take care of the local residents. I visited yesterday before a movie screening, and was greeted immediately by the bar tender, who poured me an ice cold Peach Sangria, no fruit in the Sangria, and not much booze, but refreshing. We chose the trio of Bruschetta, the peppers, the Prosciutto and the burrata. All delicious for $12. Still a bit hungry, I also ordered the CG Burger, all 3 burgers are half off on the Happy Hour Menu. I added Sweet potato fries, which were the best I have had in a while, cut thin and just the right crispness. The burger, tasted great, yet the patty was a little on the thin side for the price. It came with shredded lettuce, blue cheese and sauteed mushrooms. Parking is validated after 5pm which is a rare occurrence in that neighborhood. read more

Amazing Happy Hour & Brunch Deals! I love this place! It's definitely a hidden gem in Friendship Heights and only a few minute walk from the metro station. They make excellent wood fires pizzas and offer a wide variety of other happy hour specials. For brunch, they offer several courses and bottomless drinks at a fixed price which is always a great deal. Their food is fabulous and the atmosphere is relaxing but is at a slow pace. So don't come if you are in a hurry! It's a great place for after work happy hour with friends or colleagues or even to grab a bite/drink before a movie. They participate in Restaurant Week as well if case you want to check out their dinner menu on a budget. They offer a very seasonal menu and a wide range of amazing dishes made by their talent chef. Can't wait to go back there! read more

See all

We've been several times over the years and have greatly enjoyed their food. However, the last time we dined here (last week), my steak (and my daughter's) wasn't good...and didn't get any better after we complained. We started with the focaccia and it was great! Salads were also great as was our server (forgot her name). My daughter and I ordered the steak and it came out with everyone else's food. Both of us noticed ours was barely warm. I had ordered medium and she had ordered medium rare. They were both very chewy and very underwhelming...and she had au jus and I didn't. When I told the server I'd like some au jus she told me they don't have it...then I pointed it out in my daughter's plate! What?! After taking a bite, we told our server the steak and vegetables weren't warm/hot and she offered to take them back. They brought the same ones back but reheated. They were still very chewy and hard to eat. The manager brought them back and asked us to try but not once did she offer an apology. She even went back and forth with me when I told her a piece of mine was missing (I had cut it to see how it was cooked). I tried to eat it but only had a few bites and ate all the veggies instead. I thought we'd be offered something else or comped for the steak but nothing was mentioned so I didn't feel good about the meal (and I'm the one who recommended going to Lia's). My daughter ate it and said "it was fine". Steak for $40 shouldn't be just fine. When we got the bill I saw they took one of the steaks off the bill...so thank goodness...but no one bothered to tell me or apologize! Never had that happen before. We left without having dessert which is rare for me. I usually always have the salmon here and it's always great so big miss on the steak! Bottom line, food here is usually very good as is the service...just don't order the steak! And maybe manager can be more communicative and friendly. read more

Lia's is a restaurant that I have tried hard to like over the ten plus years that I have lived next door. Alas, it is simply, as this three star review indicates, just okay. On the food, the menu always strives for more than it should. Rather than do simple dishes well, the restaurant seems to think it's on the itinerary of Michelin scouts. They seem to think fancy sounding ingredients or combinations make their's a Chef's Table establishment. Often these ingredients are put together like basic arithmetic without proper elaboration. I just ate, for instance, sweet and spicy cauliflower. Basically they dunked the cauliflower in an overly syrupy sweet sauce like it was a dish at a cheap Chinese take-out, and then threw chopped jalapeños on top. No subtlety or real thought about how to combine the sweet and savory flavors. I will say that Covid has improved the menu -- it's more paired down, less ambitious which has brought greater consistency to the quality. Finally, on a personal note, I know that Lia's is part of a corporate group that operates several restaurant but you'd think that if you went there a lot and ordered several drinks you might get comped once in a while like a normal neighborhood establishment. Never. I've dropped $100 on many occasions and never had a single beer or wine comped. There's a corporate vibe to the place which is tiring. Everyone who eats there is local, most live in walking distance. They could warm up a little to us locals in their demeanor. Rant over. read more

Delicious food and great service. Parents who were visiting out of town really enjoyed their meals. Thanks Ashley!

Anne was amazing. My previous server, Michael, was a king, but he didn't sing with me, like my new favorite server, Anne. My favorite song came on, Dream on by Aerosmith, and I decided to sing and play the air guitar. Anne saw me singing (I did a cappella for 25 years) and she decided to join. Turns out she can really belt. Man can that girl sing. Now, I may have been a few glasses of Pinot deep, but I think we sounded good. I was Steve Tyler and Anne was Joe Perry. We f-in rocked. Thanks Lias, as always. read more

We had a friendly, energetic server BRYONNA. It was a hot evening but being outside under the umbrellas near the fountain was lovely. We started with melon soup that was cool and refreshing-and they divided into two bowls for us to share! We drank Pinot Grigio and had seared salmon (medium was perfect) with mushrooms and broccoli and skewered swordfish with with pesto and artichokes and potatoes. All was fresh and delicious. We will be back for a burger date night soon read more

Really enjoyed my meal here. The staff was very friendly and attentive. We didn't have a reservation but they were able to accommodate our party of 2 at one of the outdoor high tops. The Brussels sprouts were delicious! read more

Service was very friendly and the passion fruit mimosa was very tasty. My friend had the salmon which smelled amazing and I had a pizza which was also delicious. read more

Had lunch here with friends from out of town. There were plenty of seating both indoor and outdoor. We decided to take indoor seating. We started with our drinks and ordered calamari and pizza for appetizers. Overall food were as expected for the typical Italian fare. Our server was not attentive at all . I asked for tap water refill and was not given one through out the entire time. I ended up asking some carbonated water from the bottle of my friend since I was too thirsty. Parking validation was not honored since we used the other nearby parking. read more

Delicious food and a very pretty patio by the fountain. Our server was Britney and she was warm, friendly, and had super helpful recommendations. All around a great time and recommend going. read more

I've been here a few times now and have enjoyed it a lot. Happy hour is great, if you can snag a seat, with lots of food options as well as drinks. The last time I went for happy hour we got the sangria and split Brussels sprouts and bruschetta. Everything was delicious. I also just went for brunch for the first time and was very impressed. Our waitress was a delight, and she brought out some pumpkin bread with honey butter. It was warm and full of all the right spices. I ordered the smoked salmon Benedict, which came on a biscuit and had potatoes in the side. It was amazing. So many flavors, and amazing crisp potatoes with a fluffy ketchup/hollandaise dip. The plate was a little pricy, but once we saw how much food it was it seemed worth it. My sister ordered the steak and egg sandwich, also a massive plate, that she enjoyed. We all had doggy bags at the end. read more

See all

Lia's is a great neighborhood restaurant if you're in the friendship heights area. I'd particularly recommend them if you're looking for a happy hour. They have great HH specials like $10 'mega' beers (alcohol at reasonable prices is nearly impossible to find in the Chevy Chase area) and $10 mussels. The portions are very generous and the food is always fresh and tasty. I am rating them 4/5 because their menu could use a bit more variety and also their options outside of happy hour are a bit limited. That said, this place has good atmosphere and with only one exception that I've had here, their service is typically good. If you come for happy hour you just want to make sure you are in sight of a bartender or waiter because they're not exactly on the lookout in case you want to order more drinks / food. Overall, I'd recommend going here if you're in the area and are looking for a bite to eat or a happy hour drink. read more

I came here in February 22 and now in may 22 and the food is not the samr quality. The pizza dough was not crispy. I did not like it as much as did before. read more

LIA'S - Pizza from may 22 no very good - Italian Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

See all

ashley was great. very friendly and professional. Kudos to her. in addition; we really enjoyed our delicious brunch. highly recommend the chicken sausage Benedict. and the ricotta donuts were outstanding! we will come back again. read more