Best hookah in DC. But that ain't that hard to do. Waiters r nice. Hookah reasonably priced. Drinks aren't expensive. But if u stick to basic drinks then you can't mess those up. Haven't gotten food. But I rarely see people actually order food here. More of a hookah joint than food imo. read more

We came for the hookah. Service was poor. The hookah itself was very flavorful. I appreciate a good hookah. My wine wasn't even served in a wine glass. I asked how many ounces, the server could not provide an answer. Our drink menus were taken from us before we were eve asked if we were ordering more drinks. It took us forever to receive our hookah. Overall it felt as if we were forgotten. The music was like being in the 90's, early 200's twighlight zone... the playlist was stuck on the slowest of slow james: I just don't understand why they continually played the slowest of songs. Talk about a buzz kill. If Mariah Carey and Mary J are your thing, then you'll be happy. But for a DC night scene, I'd think more contemporary music would be appropriate. Overall disappointing. The couches were were comfy. We sat in the upstairs area. It's Smokey, but you can smell the hookah before even walking in the building- that's a plus. It smells so good :) Hookah is good but customer service on a Saturday night was horrible. read more

What I probably love most about Soussi is the deck and the hookahs. This place is small and it can be hard to get a table on a busy night but the atmosphere is very chill. Upstairs they will be playing jams and the deck is great for smoking and people watching. The drinks are good and the food is tasty as well. I recommend the Moroccan mussels and the seafood pasta. Although I like this place and think that it is somewhat underrated, the service can sometimes be a bit slow. This is still one of my favorite places in Adams Morgan.... read more

Excellent management amjad was on to of if and the waitstaff was awesome . This place is off the hook read more

I went here on a Saturday night . The food was great. The hookah was fine. But it's the music! The music SUCKS! And it made me fall asleep. And I didn't like that they allow you to smoke cigarettes upstairs. Down stairs outside is fine. But upstair where there's NO windows just UGH! Three people sat beside me and chained smoked cigarettes and the smell was just T E R R I B L E! Wasn't impressed. Won't return! read more

Notable for their great outdoor patio! People-watch while puffing on some delicious, smooth smoke. This place can get a little full, and gains a bit of a clubby atmosphere late on weekend nights (guess it doesn't help that they play really mainstream American top-40 music inside), but it's a fun dependable hookah bar. Haven't tried their food, but I love the Moroccan mint tea. It comes in a little pot so you can have a couple of cups worth, yay. read more

I've been to Soussi three or four times. Each time has been good, not great but good. I'm happy anywhere that there is shisha, food, or alcohol so when you put me in a place with all three it's sure to be a place I enjoy ;) The shisha each time I've been has seemed to get coals in it very early on which is kind of annoying having to ask them to switch it out so much. What I have heard from friends is the food is fairly good but the only food I've eaten there is the grilled chicken sandwich which was good, nothing stellar, but good nonetheless. I also REALLY enjoy that there's a full bar so I can drink a little while smoking and hanging out. Maybe my second favorite thing is the seating arrangement. You can sit outside (my preference), inside at table, or upstairs on the couches. I love being upstairs on a more crowded night with all the smoke in the air so if I can't sit outside that's my second choice. Adam's Morgan is a place I go to fairly often and Soussi is for sure my place of choice to hang out before heading out to Madam's Organ or wherever I meet the rest of my friends. It's a little out of the way for me to go to during the week or on a super regular basis but I definitely will keep going there as long as I'm in the area and would recommend it for sure to anybody wanting a good place to hang out and smoke some shisha. read more

Smoking shisha is an experience. Even if it doesn't come from deep within your cultural tradition, it is still about the process - the atmosphere, how comfortably you can be sitting (or lounging), and how good the smoke filling your lungs really tastes. Having been lucky to have smoked shisha across the world, from lying under a huge fig tree on rugs and cushions in Turkey to the smoke-filled cellars of Prague tea houses, I can tell you that the cramped, table-and-chair arrangements of places like the Prince Cafe is not the way to do it - which is why I instantly fell in love with Soussi. It's nice to sit outside on the patio, but to lounge in the semi-darkness of the upstairs on a cushion-filled couch and watch the lamps flicker is what you should really do. And pull the smoke slowly, let it out even slower, and savor the great flavors offered by this place - never burned, scratchy, or weak. It's not about the beer. It's not even about the food. It's a hookah bar. But the best thing to have with sweet melon tobacco in your mouth is the Moroccan mint tea - and to come on any night other than Saturday, when even Soussi feels like it has to sell to the "Adams Morgan crowd". Trust me. I've been to all the others. I come back to Soussi with a smile every time, and promise myself I won't leave again. read more

Lived in DC for years, used to go there a lot. Management sucks now. It's too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, and that's always been an issue. Why? Because they're cheap. Despite being a hookah bar, the hookah sucks...I make good hookah at home, and considering the turnaround in that place, they should have even better, fresher shisha, but they don't. Why? Because they're cheap AND stupid about management. They buy overpriced shisha and equipment from the local shops and don't save money buying in bulk online. I'm usually all about supporting local shops. But this is a business, the local shops charge twice as much, have poor quality, old crap -- and the prices are marked up at Soussi as a result. So they have unfresh shisha from those places. They don't clean their hoses, pipes or other hookah pieces nearly often enough -- it should be done every day at a place like this, minimally. And they're too cheap to just buy new hoses, grommets and other things online. The food is OK. Couscous is good, fries are good. Drinks are usually pretty good. Bartenders are usually nice. Service is really slow though, so certainly don't go there without several hours and waiting around a little thirsty for a bit. But the waitresses are really nice and usually overworked -- again on management. Honestly, I'd like to like this place, but the management is just horrible. read more

The place is small so it can get crowded quick. The food is GREAT. I'd recommend the Shrimp Tagine, the Merguez Sandwich, the mussels, and the lamb. Service is on the slow side but it's a place where one enjoys the atmosphere and the company. It has an ethnic/european flair and a great vibe. I could sit and chat there for days (with good company of course). Special props to the manager Wilmont who made my friend and I feel at home and our Bartender, "Ceelow?", who makes awesome drinks, even with Patron. bleghhh. read more

Went for hoookah with friends after hearing good things about Soussi. However, the hookah was really poorly made and was rough. We asked to take it off the bill after a couple people tried it and determined it was bad, but they refused to take it back because a couple people tried it. After arguing for 10 minutes with the manager, he finally took back the hookah. Overall terrible hookah quality and even worse service. read more

UPDATE:: After finally receiving service his attitude changed and I enjoyed myself. Food is really good too. Still not sure if I'd be back though. Music selection is not so great. I decided to check this place out after a recommendation from a coworker. Currently sitting here and my sever has yet to come take my order or acknowledge me. When the other waitress told him he would be taking care of me he appeared to have an attitude. Two groups who arrived after me have ordered and been served. This is absolutely ridiculous. He came back to give a group their drinks but couldn't find them. I directed him where they were and he still didn't ask for my order!! He finally comes in my direction and I told him I was ready to order. He pouted and said "ok fine". I asked what his problem was and he said the other waitress was supposed to have me although I CLEARLY heard her tell him he would be taking of me. I won't be back. I should leave now but it took forever to find parking so hopefully I'll enjoy my hookah and be out. read more

A generous Appletini and double apple hookah is as good as it gets! Went there last night with my fellows and thoroughly enjoyed the cozy corner upstairs where it's not as loud as the rest of the restaurant. Strongly recommend the jambalaya and the mozzarella chicken sandwich! Would love to come here again read more

Went here for the first time last night. Atmosphere was great, couches were comfy, hookah was abundant. Only problem was once we were there join, we joined a table of about 10 friends who had been there for a while and suddenly the waitress told us we needed to leave our table. After about twenty minutes, the manager finally came over and told us the reason we needed to move was because the table was reserved. If someone would have told us that 20 minutes earlier there would have been a smooth move to combine our tables! Either way, I'd come back again, beer was moderately priced and my friends told me they'd never seen it that crowded. Plus our waitress let us pay for our drinks separate instead of putting them on the same tab as everyone else. I'm sure you'll get a 4 star next time Soussi. read more

Finally. A decent hookah bar that serves alcohol in DC. We didn't get to eat but I loved the atmosphere. Our server was friendly and prompt. Their mint hookah was great! read more

This is for a Sunday evening: The vibe and hookah was great. My date and I ate and had hookah on the deck(great for people watching). I only wish you could hear the music on the deck also. The inside looked great and I will try there next time. One bad thing about this place was the drinks. Make sure you only order something off the menu. I ordered a Mai Tai and I have no idea what I really got but it wasn't a Mai Tai. When I asked could I exchange the drink for something else the waiter told me no I would have to pay for both drinks. This made me extremly angry and we left right after that. I will give them one more chance. My rule in life is I will try anything legal twice. read more

This place was great. Solid hookah for $16 plus $1 for an extra coal. They've got good beers on tap like Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde. Even the hummus was surprisingly good. Will definitely be going back, this place has a nice variety of seating options to boot, something for everybody. read more

I've been to this hookah spot a few times. The hookah is strong and has a good variety of flavors. Also, pretty affordable compared to some of the other ones in the area. The patio is heated which makes it great year round and the upstairs has a chill vibe if you're on a date. Service is nothing special but overall a cool spot. read more

5 = A unexpectedly positive close to the evening, after a sub-par dinner 4 = Conversation with friends aided by hookah and drinks 3 = Inconvenient time, but it was cold out 2 = Chi Cha was equal distance from dinner, why didn't we go there? 1 = I wish I had been in that snow stuck bus on 18th Great service, staff, drinks and hookah. Too closely packed together, which worked in our case, but could have easily become a problem. Pluses (+) - server responsiveness, hookah, volume Minuses (-) - distance between your group and others After an OK dinner, we went to Soussi, mainly for the hookah. We were quickly seated upstairs and the server was there right away. Arriving at the top of the stairs, you'll come to a room the size of your average living room. There is seating along the wall and straw woven backless seats - they are more akin to short (2 foot) stools than anything else. These seats sit along the interior and seem to move freely between tables as people get up and mover around. In our case, the closeness created an interesting dynamic, as our group of 4 fast became a group of 9 as we merged with the table adjacent to us. It was a group that was on the same page we were and all parties were happy to chat between the groups. However, if the groups had been more private or antagonistic, the distance would have quickly become a problem. The server was very fast to respond to our orders. The hookah arrived with no delay (a common complaint). We ordered two types - one was custom (mint melon) and there was no issue or additional charge. A few minutes after they arrived, we noticed the double apple wasn't hitting well. We mentioned this to the server, and like the custom order, she replaced it with no questions asked. When the coals began to burn out, the staff replaced them right away. There was never a moment when we had to pause because the coals needed to be changed. A solid evening, but the proximity between different groups could be a problem. read more

I gave Soussi 4-stars only because all drinks until 7:30 are half off....you know how much top shelf I can drink during that time! I also love the upstairs atmosphere...very laid back and dim. For a place like this you would never think you could get some real good food, but Soussi's seafood, especially, is excellent and did I mention pretty cheap! I would recommend the the shrimp pasta...definitely delicious! The only con to this place is the patio. It is pretty run down and if you come to early you can see some flies. The chairs outside are beat up and you take a chance that they might break if you sit. I wish they would take some time and remodel this area, because if they did it would be so beautiful! read more

Way too crowded, you feel like a sardine. The space is super small, the food is average and the hookah is way overpriced and who charges a dollar for every piece of coal?? The service was sub par, it seemed to take forever to get anything, our waitress was never around and the coal guy took forever so we hardly got to smoke. Prob will not be going back here. I will give them a star for good music though. read more

I've been to to this place several times and each time I've had a fairly decent experience. There was only one time I've experienced rudeness from a waitress, but I've let it go and figured she was having a bad night since all the other times I've went were pleasant. The restaurant has two floors and if you come for the hookah I recommend sitting upstairs. The ambiance is way better. There are comfy couches and chill music playing in the background. However, upstairs is a small space and fills up quickly. Can't really rate the food because I've only gone there for the drinks and hookah. Last time I was there I ordered a Dirty Soussi, which is a dirty martini and it was extremely stiff. Can say that for all the drinks though. This is a good place for couples or small groups of 3 or 4 max. I've seen bigger groups at this place but it kind of ruins the ambiance and I find it extremely annoying. read more

Great atmosphere, good location, and mediocre service. Went on a Thursday, around 7, with a girlfriend, ordered kefta sliders, muscles, and calamari all of which were GREAT and we smoked lemon mint shisha. Giving them 3 stars because we barely saw our waitress, had to flag her down a lot for water, coals, utensils, and our check. All in all, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone not in a hurry. read more

Beware of shady practices and poor customer service - they say different things upfront and at the time of checkout so you may end up paying more than expected! We were a group of 5 people, and as we sat down we were given two options: either order drinks for $15+ per person (which we weren't in the mood of doing) or order two hookahs ($20 each). We were ready to leave and go somewhere else because of that $15 minimum, but two hookahs sounded reasonable so we went for it. All 5 of us clearly understood it that it was either this or that. When we got the check though, the waitress started refusing her own words and insisted that the total should still be at least $75 for the 5 of us. We called the manager and he was like "I'm sorry we didn't communicate the minimal order requirement to you, but we've charged you the difference anyway as an extra tip". They ended up charging us an almost 100% tip for the difference ($40 for the hookahs + $7.20 mandatory gratuity + $27.80 "extra tip"). The customer service was pretty terrible (well, inexistent - they didn't even offer water), and the hookahs themselves were pretty mediocre too. read more

Came here for hookah and drinks, can't comment on the food. Nice atmosphere with big outdoor seating area, perfect for enjoying hookah. It was far from my first time having hookah, and I thought their tobacco was generous and flavorful. Drinks were half-off at happy hour which was great, and they made a surprisingly respectable manhattan. Staff was attentive without being annoying. Overall, it was a great low-key place for drinks and hookah. read more

Loveed this place both times I went. First time was for a date, it was a Tuesday and the crowd was super mellow I'll attribute that to the heavy Hookah smoke going around. Downstairs was a little bar area, a little too little for comfort if you ask me but everyone else seemed to be enjoying it. We went upstairs where the entire area was couches which was cool, we had out pick of area to sit in also. The music was good nothing too loud a lot of Biggie, they even played Mark Morrison-Return of the Mack (for you old school heads) and a lot of ol school hip hop which I loved! I had a salad, some wine and Hookah so I was set for the night. The ambiance was great! Went back again on a Friday night with some friends. The crowd was rowdier which was good and the music a little louder. Hookah clouds were floating, good music was playing, and the couches were comfy. I haven't "chilled" in one place for that long in a while. We stayed for like 2.5 hours and just talked and drank. Great spot if you don't feel like being in a loud bar, or club. Wouldn't go to meet people, but would go if you were in great company! read more

DO NOT GO HERE! Shady practices! I was in your place last night 10/8 and ordered six drinks plus a hookah for three people. At the end of the night I split the bill for three friends with another friend. She received her bill plus credit card back. I received my bill with no credit card. I immediately told the bartender DJ that my card was missing and we looked at our seating area, the bill books, my purse, etc and the credit card was missing. I was careful not to blame anyone but I wanted to try to find my card. I was traveling and had that card for expenses. DJ quickly seemed annoyed with me and my group trying to find my card. Joe was helpful at first but refused to go through all trash cans and said he'd have nowhere to put the trash but the dumpster. So we offered to do it and he acted annoyed and then let us take one of two trash cans in the area to the dumpster with Golf. The card was not in the recycle bin. Joe told me to go home, but provide contact info and the staff would check after closing and Sunday during the day. I asked Joe if he was working and he said yes. The staffed seems annoyed by me trying to find my card that their establishment lost, which annoyed me more but I continued to keep my cool. Sunday comes and goes and at 5 pm I still haven't heard anything. I call and reach a different manager, Gino or Dino. He says they haven't found a card and the bartender DJ told him he gave me back my card and I lost it so they didn't need to call me to give me and update. DJ knows that's a lie but the new manager refuses to let me speak with DJ. He said he'd call Joe to get an update and maybe or maybe not Joe is working today. It's not been almost 2 hours and no update. I called 30 mins from my initial call and Gino/Dino was increasingly dismissive and gaslighted me telling me I lost my card when we call know damn well that's not what happened. He told me he'd have to check with the other managers, fine. But was 0% empathetic to the point that y'all lost a customers card. And told me he'd check the security footage to try to see what happened--go for it!!!! You'll see DJ, Joe and Golf scrambling to try to find my card that they never gave back to me. I don't know if they think I was a drunk woman but they got 50% of that correct and I refuse to let them gaslight me and manipulate the truth when I was nothing but nice and patient when my card was lost. At this point I want my money back for the entire bill. And they're continuing to be unempathetic to the situation. Please give me a resolution asap otherwise I'll continue to pursue whatever avenues are needed to be refunded. Is this a scam? Seems super shady and at a minimum doesn't believe women! read more

I am so glad that this bar is still able to operate during COVID. They have a variety of my favorite dishes, from fried calamari to angel hair pasta. read more

I am not from here and was recommended to go here. Obviously I understand you need to show ID at late night spots. I walk to the door, only a guy and what seems like a group of friends are talking. One of the friends says gross things I keep walking. When I open the door a grown dude pulls my jacket back. I keep walking thinking it was scary, and he keeps grabbing me. I turn around he yells at me saying " how dare you walk past security" "you aren't all that get in line like everyone else". First of all, nothing seemed like he was part of security. No one was in line either. There was no rope or signs showing we needed to show ID before we walk in. He starts threatening me after i show my ID saying " if you pull that again I'll get the cops involved". I literally just walked to a door and opened it and he went insane. I have no issue showing my ID as I'm 22 . I've been to plenty of hookah bars and don't mind showing ID. But this was taken to far. He could have asked Nicely but instead I was threatened and grabbed by my hook down the stairs. I attached a pic showing the "long line I need to wait in" and the horrible "security" guard they hired. Awful way to welcome someone. read more

Soussi Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Friends and I have been coming here for years, and it's a good place for unpretentious chatting and to simply tie one on (but let's leave that for another review). The lack of a TV fosters the lost art of conversation, and the stiff pours only help. The food and people watching are good, but the best reason for coming here repeatedly are the bartenders and the regulars. On any given evening, the person next to you might be a professor or writer or eccentric millionaire or someone from Kenya or Turkey. The bartenders also make appropriate introductions without formality and play an eclectic variety of music. Futbol and football fans will especially find common ground. Occasionally, the music is too loud and the smoke is a bit much for non-smokers. Otherwise, the consistent lack of pretense, ease of sliding into amusing or entertaining conversation, and the diversity of age/socioeconomic status/ethnicity (especially at the main bar) makes this a predictably good place to whittle away a few hours. read more

This review is for the happy hour specials on Martini's!! They are just about the best I've had in the city and for happy hour they are half off!!!! Amazing. I also ordered the Calamari and it was very good. read more

It was alright. Food: ok. fish was obviously not super fresh, but still very tasty. The veggie burger is amazing though Drinks: they make 'em strong. also very good, but crazy expensive unless you go during happy hour. Like $4 a drink then, and they're medium size. Shisha: ok, leaning towards bad. we got strawberry mint on the waitress' recommendation, and it tasted pretty good at first. Burnt quickly though, and the coals they were using were low quality. You could taste traces of insta-lite, which ruined the flavor. Hookah itself was decently clean, but they could have replaced the hose which was pretty worn. Compared to the other hookah bars on the street (there are 3 or 4), this place is right in the middle. Atmosphere: Dirty. The bathroom was god-awful dirty. And the place was packed, which didnt help with the smell. Don't bring anyone who can't be around hookah smoke, it gathers pretty heavy in there. Overall, I might go back, but not until I've exhausted the rest of what Adams Morgan has to offer. read more

I love Soussi's. Good hookah, nice ambience, and their curry mussels are the best i've ever had!

I ordered the brie appetizer and mahi mahi entrée. The Brie appetizer was good but they could've served more bread for the price and the fish dish was good but could've been a little more moist. My biggest complaint is the Shisha Service. We had to pay individually for every coal chip and regularly ask for it to be changed and for the filter to be blown out. For the price there should be someone designated to do only this and ask people what they need. read more

With all the shisha places in this part of town, don't force your way through the crowds here. Their product, frankly, is undeserving of your patronage, especially for the price. The shisha is fine, but the ambiance is lacking, and ambiance is paramount to a good shisha experience. The most egregious mistake here is poor service. Sitting with an entire table of empty glasses or an extinguished coal on your hookah for 10 or 15 minutes is common. It is a chore to get the server's attention. When you're paying $14 a hookah and $9 or $10 a drink, you should expect more. A note of CAUTION: A SERVICE CHARGE IS OFTEN ADDED TO THE BILL, EVEN ON SMALL PARTIES - EXAMINE YOUR BILL. In my opinion, forcing the hand of patrons to the tune of 17-18% tip, when the service is terrible and your party is small (3 or 4), is crass. Again, the ambiance is poor. The music jumps from old rap (Ahmad) to Fleetwood Mac to electronic. They clearly don't have establishing a mood in mind here. The decor is mismatched and boring - The exciting design elements from North African and Middle Eastern culture that make places like this interesting are woefully unattractive or absent. read more

I came to Soussi with a friend recently and loved it. The lounge upstairs was really cozy and the hookah lasted a decent amount of time. A nice spot for people like to keep things low key on a night out. We came during happy hour and only had to put up about $20 each for the hookah, drinks, and a shared plate of calamari. The music was a little loud, but it was a minor issue in comparison to a mellow-ish overall atmosphere. The waitress was great, too - she came and gave us a happy hour "last call" instead of not mentioning (as some don't) when things switched back to full price. Recommended! read more

Seeing prices of other Hookah lounges led me here, and I was very happy with food, drink, and tobacco selection. Service was great, though granted I got there around 630 and it never seemed too busy. After eating (Steak Frites: 3 stars) just sat around smoking for another hour or two without anyone bugging me, except to ask if we needed another drink or coal for the argilah. I don't know DC very well but it didn't seem too far out of the way. Lots of cabs outside so I'd return to this place next time I'm in town. read more

To my surprise, the food was so tasty. The sliders were well-seasoned, the shrimp were delectable, and the service was great. Thank you Soussi staff and chef. Your spot is classy. My wife and I really enjoyed it! We will be back. BTW, your happy hour is one of the best in D.C.! Keep up the good work. For anyone looking for good quality food at a reasonable price, Soussi is the spot to try. Don't be a snob. Give Soussi a chance. read more

The BEST hookah spot in dc and I say that with confidence! I've been to several hookah spots throughout the entire DMV and Soussi has that humble hospitality feeling. Great prices on food and drinks, amazing happy hour deals, gorgeous waitresses, one in particular who works only on weekends, she's Ethiopian and has great customer service and very easy on the eyes also, the people I meet here are great! It's very cozy upstairs( sofas) so people sometimes are sitting about 2 feet from one another, which is great if you like to mingle, friendly vibe! There is also a full bar and outside seating with a great view of Adams Morgan. Bottom line, Soussi is the red carpet of hookah bars. read more

Chill spot, like the look. My boyfriend brought me here, this is our second visit. I think we will be back.