About four months ago we had a decent, but not earth shattering experience. A month later we revisited and things were the same. I dismissed the place and didn't take photos or save any notes. Along came Yelp telling me to write something. Here's my best attempt at a memoir: Both of our visits featured a lovely hostess and her sidekick, Robbie the Robot. A sincere Ma & Pa feel to this strip-mall-esque eatery. They've made pretty good use of the limited space with tables and chairs, but no real oomph! The food is just good. A bit bland. Maybe Americanized for the people. I did have a tasty bite of Cornish hen with Basmati rice, but it was also pretty greasy. Trade off, I suppose. A positive is their plating. Many of their presentations are very appealing. We didn't wait for our order to arrive on either occasion. I remember the bistro being very solemn and clean. Parking a snap in the mall's huge lot. read more

We came here for dinner on a Friday night. There weren't any in house diners here but plenty of take out orders, so we were able to get a table immediately. The hostess was very friendly and explained the menu to us offering us her recommendations on popular dishes. We opted for the combination kebab plates which came with the three different kebabs, side of rice and salad, served to us by a robot! The chicken kebab was my favorite out of those three. I was hoping for baklava for dessert but they had run out of full orders, informing us they hand only one piece left so I tried it! I would come back for the chicken kebab. Happy eating! read more

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This place is a joke for the amount of food you get, 30 dollars for a chicken plate w 4 small pieces of chicken and one ground beef kebob. You'd expect for 30 dollars to at least have juicy and non dry chicken that is edible it tastes as if it was sitting under a light for hours. Rice was bland and looked nothing like the Persian rice you see in the pictures. This place needs to either lower their prices or give better quality food for what you pay. read more

Rumi Restaurant - Dry, old tasting chicken with no juiciness - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

My mom was raving about this place having come here for dinner so I had to try it out. We arrived for a late lunch on the weekend around 2pm and the place was mainly empty except for another family. They had lots of to go orders coming through and the girl at the front was welcoming and friendly. We ordered our food and it came pretty fast but wasn't as fresh as excepted. The rice wasn't the usual buttery flavorful rice you find at Persian food spots but rather just a plain basmati that was dry. The kabobs also didn't taste as fresh but the chicken was good and flavorful. Might be hit or miss at this spot so I would be willing to try it out again. The owner was really sweet with helping my parents find the spot since it's a little hidden when they first went and opened later so 4 stars! read more

Rumi Restaurant - Soltani Plate with kooideh - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Saw Too Good To Go, decided to try. I got RICE. Just rice. A very shallow filled, bottom covered to-go box (large size) of rice. Just rice and some (I think) dried Pom as garnish. I laughed. read more

First time trying this place - Menu pictures of plates online where great of course I Ordered takeout for myself and friend of mine This was all that was in the bag. Kindly asked for spicy-sauce and sauces on the side, and utensils when placing the order - saw nothing in the bag once at home. Paid just under $10 for a cup of yogurt Lamb Shashlik Kabob $40 worth Was a bit embarrassed in-front of my guest to say the least. read more

Rumi Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Best Persian restaurant on the Eastside. I've been eating here for 7+ years and the food has always been excellent. The Lamb Shishleek soltani is my go-to and I have never found any restaurant that does it better than Rumi. I've been all around the Persian areas of LA too. I don't know her name but the lovely auntie there has always been nice to me and service is quick. She will even pause in the middle of her candy crush game to service me :). I usually don't dine in but the ambiance is quaint. The location is hard to find, nestled in the back of a plaza. Give the Mirza Ghasemi a try too (smoked eggplant) it's amazing. Also, I'm gluten free and everything I've tried has been GF, no reactions. Some places use a low grade koobideh that has wheat as a binding agent but not here. Pretty sure they make it in house but could be wrong. Thanks Rumi, please never close your restaurant. P.S. I never leave reviews...only when I feel strongly that a business is providing something special to the area. 10/5 I'm telling you! If you're reading this Rumi, I am the Asian guy that only ever eats lamb shishleek soltani. Thanks for the great food! Oh yeah and what's with the low rating on this restaurant? Some lesser competitors are for sure paying a bot company to defame this establishment. Could name a few off my head that charge way more for way lower quality. read more

It took us awhile to discover this place. We knew it existed, but every time we came to the area we had other priorities. Like Aria and Jasmine (two of our favorite places to get food). When we finally tried this place, we were pleasantly surprised both with the quality of the food and the prices (Persian tends to be on the expensive side). Based on the food alone, I would give this place four stars, but the service is mixed at best. I don't mean that they are rude or unpleasant and we've only ever ordered take-out anyway. The people are very friendly, but more than once we've walked up to the restaurant when it was supposed to be open only to find it closed. This happened at least once before the pandemic started so isn't just because of the shortage in the labor market we are now experiencing. We would have tried this place a lot sooner if the hours followed what was posted on the door and online. As for the food, we are vegetarian so the choices are limited. But they have some excellent appetizers and their dolmas are really good as well. As always, excellent Persian rice. Any Iranian will tell you that Iranians make the best rice (and they aren't wrong). read more

I had never tried Persian food before as far as I remember, but one of my best friends knows it and loves it, and was very excited when we were heading to an Indian restaurant and happened to find Rumi's in the same business park. We both turned our cars around and decided to try this place... Staff was really nice but the food was absolutely delicious!! Will 100% be coming back to this place even though it's almost an hour from where I live. read more

Rumi Restaurant - We had already started eating when I took this but we had gotten the Koobideh kabob and the Fesenjan stew - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

OMG Why does this not have a strong 5 stars. I have been transformed. I am the entire ocean in one drop!!! Samin Nosrat would approve!!! The Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (not spicy in this instance, but indicative of warmth) are all here plus Sweet! I died and went to Persian Heaven. The proprietor herself was awesome and separated everything out as we are a Vegetarian / Omnivorous household, that way everyone got to try everything they wanted, excepting the meat for the vegetarians. I really love that they accommodated us in this way. It can be hard sometimes when you're the only person in your family that still shamelessly eats meat. Also they were extremely hospitable and nice. Persian people, I find, tend to be this way, If you're up for an Authentic Persian Treat, check them out!!! We had: Lamb Shishleek, Tender Rack of Lamb chops marinated and cooked to your order. We had Medium Rare. Extremely tender and well seasoned. Lambshank with Baghali Polo, The lambshank itself is tender and falls off the bone, served with a delicious gravy and is amazing with everything else I had on my plate, which was a little bit of everything. The rice itself is flavored with fragrant dill, saffron and Fava Beans. An absolute favorite when done right! Must O Khiar I have had all forms of this from rich and creamy to sharp and tart. Their version is rich and creamy and well balanced. A perfect Compliment to the rest of the meal. Veggie Stew The Veggie Stew is a satisfying mix of Savory lentils and silky melt in your mouth eggplant perfection with just the right amount if seasoning Zershk Polo Rice with Saffron, Barberry and Tumeric. Very Tasty and was a great compliment to the Veggie Stew. Albaloo Polo Rice with Sour Cherries. New to me. I enjoyed this and it was a wonderful complement to the Veggie Kebab Tah Dig with Ghimeh Veggie Tah Dig is a Persian delicacy. It is rice cooked to a crisp in the bottom of the pan. It's almost like its fried, but it isn't. You would have to try it to understand what I am clumsily trying to explain. This was topped with More lentils amd Melt in your mouth eggplant. Very Mild Eggplant. I find that with some eggplant dishes they have a very tanninlike effect on the tongue. This eggplant is very mild, smooth, and creamy in texture. Almost buttery. If you like eggplant, you will want to try theirs. Zeitoon Parvardeh This is essentially green olives marinated in a puréed blend of herbs, pomegranate, and walnuts. I am used to a very tart representation of this dish, but theirs was more sweet-tart. I really enjoyed it, but my kids are partial to tart and sour. I enjoyed their share! ;) Veggie Kebab The Veggie Kebab is very good. Skewered and roasted with herbs are mushrooms, sweet peppers and squash. Cream Puff Pastry puff generously filled with cream and a sugar syrup drizzle. Rollet This is a moist, yet light citrusy cake again filled with a generous amount of cream and sprinkled with cocoa powder. Both deserts are good, but I really enjoyed the meal itself in it's entirety. I can see us frequenting this place as long as we live in the Seattlish area. read more

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I have had a lot of Persian food in many major cities, I can say with confidence that this restaurant does not disappoint. To be fair, we were the first customers of the day, so service was definitely on point. Everyone who worked there was friendly from start to finish. Our food came out quickly and was very fresh. Sad to see other reviewers saying they felt the kebabs lacked flavor. The beef koobideh was my favorite. I was feeling adventurous and tried the Faludeh for dessert. Had lots of fun flavors and textures. Finished off the meal with Persian tea, absolutely delicious. Cannot wait to come back! read more

Rumi Restaurant - Faludeh and Persian Tea - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

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Ordered pick up. The salmon was cooked well. But all rice dishes were not hot and didn't taste fresh. Like all stale rice. Kebob Koobieh was also dry and felt overcooked. I expect more from a Persian restaurant. Dined in the past and found it to be very different & delightful experience. read more

servers were very friendly and great at accommodating our group of 11! Food was delicious and reasonably priced. read more

Rumi Restaurant - Rumi Special - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Delicious! Especially the soltani, the chicken is so tender. Very good service as well. Great place! read more

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The best Persian food in town. The food is not just good, it's beyond the amazing. My favorite is smoked eggplant, koobideh and lamb. Oh, lamb is way too good. It's addictive!!! Service is fast and friendly. Ambiance can be better, but the food is worth to come back! Fantastic read more

I came hoping to try their tea, paying customer here, and they declined to serve me unless I buy a meal with my tea. Came in at 5pm with no customer at all. That's one way to attract customer. Unfriendly and unwelcoming women. read more

I love the service and the food is outstanding. I enjoy sitting and chatting with my server, while my food is prepared. Friendly and RUMI is my Muse. read more

The food was spectacular we ordered the barg beef kebab and the lamb special, the meat was very tender and had great flavor. The service was also excellent she made us feel right at home. Definitely recommend this place and we will be back soon! read more

Mom and pop restaurant in the most positive manner. Traditional home style cooking. The place itself is very modest, with no bells and whistles. Stepping in I couldn't even smell the food, which to me is not a good sign. Nevertheless the food is cooked well! We had two classic stews, Gheimeh Bademjan and Ghormeh Sabzi. They were both good and comforting and came with perfectly cooked Persian rice. I didn't give it 5 stars because the dishes where under salted and I would expect the chef to fine tune flavors. The space itself doesn't offer an experience. I would dine here again whenever I feel like having good Persian food in a modest setting. read more

Love Rumi, most of our orders are take out we order once a week it's like family tradition

Excellent Persian food and hospitality!! The decor, ambiance, and warmth in the homely greeting from Maria, the sister of the owner Mozgan Nazariyan (Moji), were unique and different from any other middle eastern restaurants I had visited in the past. Recommended by my Iranian hairdresser Homa at the Sports Clips in Lynnwood, I ventured out to explore this little secret of Kirkland, not very far from Totem Lake Blvd. What a discovery it was!! I found it very authentic and satisfying to my palate. Maria was a great host who let me know the ten years history of the restaurant, started by her late brother Mazi, who died of a heart attack three years back. A portrait of Mazi was a part of Rumi's decor as a family tribute. The Iranian tea was very flavorful; I strongly recommend it before dinner or at the end only if you are ordering a dessert. A small salad plate with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, along with some cubes of feta cheese and Kalamata olives, came within no time. I ordered a Soltani platter, a combo of one skew of Kubideh kabob and four mouthwatering Lamb Shishleek kabobs wrapped around with foil on the lower half for easy eating, basmati rice, and one whole tomato, broiled perfectly as a side item. In the end, the Rallet Creampuff, felt somewhat like Tiramisu but without rum, did the perfect magic to my tastebuds for a blissful end of the eating session. It was not too sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hats off to the legacy of Mazi!! VERDICT: a must-visit for anyone craving some authentic Persian food. Limited choice for vegetarians, though. read more

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by far the worst persian food i've ever had. low tier, tasteless & exorbitantly overpriced. the place is depressing and dirty. not to mention the i saw ants on the counter, the fish bowl water that looked like it hadn't been changed in a month, & the nasty fountain. even the lights switches looked gross. stay away. there are multiple fantastic persian restaurants near by to go to instead. i regret giving this place a try. read more

When I first moved to the area, I was thrilled to be able to get my hands on one of my absolute favorite cuisines..Persian food. When I was in Nebraska Persian food was unheard of. In Olympia, it was unavailable. Finally..Eastside was delivering up on some delicious Persian cuisine and I was all about it. I could eat koobideh and ghormeh sabzi all. day. long. I even learned to make some pretty fantastic Persian food from an Iranian friend but it's always nice to be able to go to a restaurant when you don't feel like cooking at home. When I found out Rumi delivers and I could actually get zareshk polo to my door, i was undone. How could my life get any more perfect? I ordered from here three times and found that I liked some of their dishes more than others. The zareshk polo was not my favorite but I did enjoy the gheymeh. The koobideh was also pretty good but I usually had to add some sumac and other seasoning. While in general, the dishes I ordered were pretty unpredictable with seasoning there were definitely some good ones. Unfortunately, in my last order there was a pebble about the size of half a dime in one of my rice dishes. Even though I enjoyed some of the meals I had here, and appreciated it is in close proximity to my house, none of the food was good enough for me to overlook this slip up. Sigh..my search for nearby bomb Persian eats continues. read more

Mama always said if you can't say something nice well don't say anything. Yet YELP is the perfect forum to say this place flat out SUCK'S! Well, the first indicator was no one was dining when I entered for lunch, not a soul in the place. Then a little man hovered over me thinking after 30 seconds of reviewing the menu I was ready, NOT! Yet it took 5 minutes to return to order. Well, my order of Koobideh which was two 12 inch meat strips and yellow & white rice.... Viewing my plate I savored it with anticipation and then I took my first bite. Ok it's not like it tasted bad, it absolutely had ZERO flavor at all. Salt didn't even bring out one degree of flavor, how is that possible. I contemplated just sticking my tongue out and salting it. Needless to say I ate very little of it and left. What a waste of time & money and 30 minutes of my life..... Take the review seriously to determine if you'd rather eat here or at Taco Bell. read more

Rumi Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Visit 2, Lam Shank and dill rice with soup and tea it was fantastic! Writing more just to satisfy yelps minimum requirements to post etc........... read more

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Not sure if they wash their vegetables before grilling but the sticker was still on the grilled eggplant that we had. Food was below average too. (Had to revise this review because the owner is obvious oblivious to my review. We ordered the vegetable kebab and there are multiple pictures on Yelp showing eggplants in your food, so no you don't just use tomatoes.) read more

I finally visited Rumi's restaurant in Kirkland for my birthday yesterday. I've been wanting to try them for some time now. First I love that we had choice of our seating, second I loved the decor. Our server was very kind and the food was great. We hope to return again soon! Give them a visit! read more

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First of the quality of the food is amazing. Very authentic Persian food. Hard to find in this area. We had a combination of the chicken kabob and koobideh which is their ground beef. Also the rice was amazing. Could eat it just by itself. The staff is not very friendly and makes it hard for us to want to visit again. Especially the owner. She just is not warm to their patrons and almost makes it uncomfortable to ask for anything or if there's something wrong with the food. Atmosphere plays a major role in going out to eat. Even when ordering to go she seems to be very annoyed when you are placing an order. I used to like coming here but not so much anymore. It's too bad because I used to recommend this place a lot. read more

Came here for Father's Day. We ordered the Rumi plate for 2 adults and 2 kids. We couldn't finish it. Plates are huge and prices are good and so yummy! The attention was good and fast, It's a small restaurant with a family feeling. We'll come back for sure! read more

Rumi Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Rate: 3.5 Food was delicious! Portion size (soltani w/lamb) easily served 2! Price was reasonable. Environment very friendly. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Rumi Restaurant - Soltani w/ koobideh and lamb - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Wonderful place and a great service. Yes, this is our first time here, but we go to Persian places all the time, and their food service, portions, taste, and presentation fare as high as any other high-end Persian restaurant. I bet this place would have 4.5 Stars if everyone reviews, but only the complainers take the time to knock someone's hard work down. I highly recommend this place and try to prove me wrong. Just go there it is Very Good. Moji is the best. read more

Rumi Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

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Mirza ghasemi was great, I ordered the baghali polo with lamb and the lamb was terrible, also very hard to eat and not served with appropriate knife. Service is slow. read more

Authentic Persian cuisine at a reasonable price with great portion sizes! I love this place and the great food that they serve! The kabob is delicious with the right amount of seasoning on it, the rice is perfection, and the grilled tomatoes are my very favorite! The portion sizes are so large that I can usually stretch it into two meals! If you're looking for a great meal, don't pass this place up! read more

We were a group of 12 that made a reservation for 5:00 PM on a Saturday in order to make it easier for management to serve us. When we arrived there were four tables moved together with chairs making a circle, and the promise of delicious food was in the air. i have had Persian food on many occasions, and Rumi's didn't disappoint. From the starters to the stews (must have with the crunchy tadekh saffron rice!) to the kabobs -- all perfect! The amazing food is served with non-alcoholic beverages only, which I found to be a big plus. It's the drinks in most restaurants that can make for a huge tab. If you haven't tried Persian food before, you are in for a big treat here! Be sure to make a reservation, though, it is a small family-style restaurant. read more

Rumi Restaurant provides DELICIOUS and AUTHENTIC Persian food, and service that is filled with the kind of generosity that is built into the history of Iranian culture. We had the pleasure of enjoying their food most recently as a large take out order. Not only were they accommodating and beyond kind when we placed the order; they also helped us make a few adjustments to ensure we had just what we needed. Upon pickup we received a warm welcome and they even cut up fresh white onion for my father, who so enjoys this traditional side - at no additional cost. The rice was warm, fluffy, fragrant and perfectly cooked and the kabob; oh my! We had ground beef, steak, chicken salmon and lamb and it was all wonderfully marinated and prepared with love. The salads and starters are all freshly made and generously portioned alongside their pillowy lavash. Rumi Restaurant is such a treat - if you are looking for comforting traditional Persian cuisine and dishes certain to satisfy any pallet, this is the place for you! read more

Real Persian food on the east side... Finally! If you're not familiar with the Iranian culture and this specific style of food, don't walk in thinking you're going to order a gyro because it seems "Mediterranean." Authentic Persian food is one of my favorites, especially when it's done right, and this place sure hits the spot! Jujeh- super juicy chicken lightly charred from the grill with light hints of smoky saffron. Koobideh- ground meat formed over a metal skewer to get that same lightly charred and grilled flavor like the Jujeh but slightly more fatty as it's beef. Feeling adventurous? Try it with raw white onions as you bite in, with some yogurt to accompany that bite! Ghormeh sabzi- an herb beef stew that looks like a pot of spinach, but what you get is this flavorful aroma of the onions, parsley, cilantro and all the other simmering earthy ingredients that breaks down the chunks of beef to tender and flavorful melt-in-your-mouth texture. Make sure add it to your dish with rice, otherwise it might be a bit overbearing (similar to a curry). Tadig- Technically the bottom of the rice but with extra flavorful as the light oils collect at the bottom, forming a crispy layer that adds the best crunch to compliment the rest of your meal! We also got some side dishes like veggies and such but the above were definitely the highlights! Come try this neighborhood gem and be open to trying something new and delicious! read more

Rumi Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Since we haven't had kababs for a while the Food was very good we really enjoyed it but was Over priced for two jojeh two kobideh and two barg and one Sikh gojeh... no rice no bread no sabzi no onions or butter no drinks (got it for to go) it costed over 80 dollars so it was a bit expensive for a little shop like that , maybe It was because of the location (Kirkland) but overall I will probably go there once in awhile.. read more

This is one of the best places fo eat Persian food. The service is good, the people are nice, and the food is top notch. It is most of the time quite accommodating of various requests and offers excellent deserts alongside well crafted food. read more

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Nothing extra ordinary about this place. We only came for the Persian style food. Food is okay and service is really friendly. I actually had way better Persian food than this place. This place gave us 20% discount due to Passport membership, which is what brought us here in the first place. Most likely will not go out of our way to come back to this place. read more

Rumi Restaurant - a plate of food on a wooden table - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

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If I could give this restaurant less than one star I would! Upon receiving my food from DoorDash(chicken Joojeh and a Greek Salad). The Greek salad was old and soggy, it w0asn't just soggy from being dressed (most restaurants put the salad dressing on the side) but soggy due to the lettuce being old. Old lettuce has a very specific taste, it definitely wasn't fresh. The cucumbers were also floppy, not crisp, again NOT fresh!!! There was literally 4 tiny pieces of Feta cheese on the so called "Greek" salad. The Joojeh chicken was tough not tender at all and the spices on the chicken were definitely not traditional. DO NOT waste your money here if you want Joojeh chicken, I will suggest Caspian in Bellevue for authentic Persian food. When I called the restaurant to let them know my experience, the horrible lady that answered who I believe manages the place, was extremely defensive and has absolutely no customer service skills. She said she made the salad herself and she put plenty of Feta cheese and proceeded to tell me how fresh the lettuce and vegetables were, basically calling me a liar. Instead of apologizing for my experience and asking how she could make it better, she was rude and hung up on me!! Thank goodness for DoorDash as they gave me a full refund. She will never have our business again! This woman should not own a business!! read more