DENIED WATER I've…read morebeen to many other CAVA across MD + a couple in northern VA & PA. This is the only location who has ever denied a courtesy cup of water. I went through the steps of getting everything I wanted in the bowl. I told the cashier then the manager that if they deny the water, they won't get a dime from me. Manager said it was the owner and blamed me for not knowing their policy for 2 years to which I responded I've never been to this location. The manager was snippy about it. She wouldn't give her name or the owner's name or email and said just email CAVA in general. Ultimately, I ended up at El Gran Pollo next door paid full price of almost $16 instead of about $6 at CAVA (as I had a half off promo), which I'll get around to writing a 3-star review of tomorrow. Incredibly, they were almost going to deny the water, but they didn't when I explained what CAVA did, he gave me a courtesy bottle of water.

The wide selection of food is great, but ever since they removed the cup for water, I have hard to…read moretime find any cup or drink to drink. But place is great, service ok, atmosphere is ok too. But they need to bring back to cup for water.

Always delicious!! I always get their chicken kabob platter and it's grown to be a comfort meal for…read moreme.

I rate it 5/5 as a takeout place because the food is so good and I find it sad they only have a 4/5…read moreaverage. But it's true that this place is 4/5 or possibly worse for sitting down, so they kinda deserve it for that. Got takeout from here today and have dined in thrice before--excellent, never had anything slightly bad here. (Those who complain of bland rice must have never had the displeasure of eating over-salted polo--here, it does range from slightly under salted to perfect, but is never too salty.) When I've sat down, the service was good and servers were very polite (and kind about my attempts to speak Persian), but man I cannot get over the weird ambiance--it seems like others can't either; takeout orders predominated by at least 5:1 every time. Walking in you're nervous the place will be dirty with bad food, but it's actually neither, just dim, dated and not well maintained--please at least trash the dead roses so I also prefer the takeout experience. In descending order of absolute best to just good things I've had here: Gheymeh (!!), lamb shank (!!), kashk-e bademjoon (theirs is my favorite!), all kabobs, ghormeh sabzi (not the best I've ever had but pretty good), fesenjoon, salmon (wasn't very Persian, but good) Mast-based appetizers are a bit eh to me but they're the same here as everywhere else. I always get ice cream, it's a really nice treat. I love Persian food and I love introducing people to Persian food, so I wish this was a nicer sit down place to bring people to. I would be up here all the time if it were--there's other middle eastern restaurants northwest of and in Baltimore that I LOVE taking people to because they're both beautiful inside and delicious. But I do so love the food here.

This place is truly a gem. Best Persian food in the area. And that's saying a lot since there are…read moremany excellent Persian restaurants in the Baltimore area. Everything on the menu is fantastic! Get the hummus app. Get kabobs... any kind. Also try the Khoresh!

Best Iranian food i've had in a while and one of the better places overall in Baltimore. We tried…read morethe grilled chicken thigh and the barg filet mignon and they were both excellent. The beef koubideh was decent but much preferred the grilled meats. They were out of tahdig unfortunately but would love to try it next time.

Slid through late and was rather impressed. Food was fresh and staff had good customer service. We…read moreordered the following: Otoman Signature platter: 10/10 very very good. I made a mistake and added peppers and onions thinking they would be cooked, have to specify next time Lamb quesadilla: 10/10 very flavorful and packed for $9 Recommend this place highly.

This is a decent spot if you're looking for a decent Mediterranean meal on the cheap…read more Very clean space, friendly staff and fairly quick service. I got the falafel platter with fries, and how were the fries the standout of the whole meal? The falafel was flavorful enough, but fried a little too hard for my liking. I'm still on a quest for the ultimate falafel experience, so I'm always looking for suggestions.

These are a Kiosk type set up in the Southern Marketplace on Queen St. Lancaster. So you order your…read morefood and they prepare somewhat fresh. I ordered the Chicken Shawarma Platter it came with Rice and 2 sides which I ordered the Hummus and a Salad! Very nice looking plate display! To me tge marinated chicken was a bit dry but edible and nicely spiced! Counter guy was friendly but plating was very slow approx. 20-25 minutes from order to received. The Falafel Platter looked really good! Maybe next time!

Everything was delicious. The tender spiced lamb, with the vegetable mix and rice, and the salad…read morewith pita. The hummus was creamy and not too garlicky. The pitas were thin and a perfect vehicle for the hummus. Delicious. Reasonably fast service given it was a very busy First Friday at Southern Market. Loud food hall, but entertaining with a DJ & corner bar seat.

My go-to spot for authentic Mediterranean food in Baltimore…read more I like to order online and pick up my food to go usually, but I have also dined in. It's a bit dark and outdated inside, and they do not sell alcohol. Their shawarma is great, I love their chicken shawarma wrap with fries. They also have a mint lemonade which is extremely refreshing.

Pleasantly surprised! I always walked passed Zaatar and never stopped in but we needed a later…read moredinner the other day and with Zaatar being one of the only spots open (why does everything close so early in Baltimore!?) we stopped into Zaatar. I had the mixed shish grill and truly enjoyed it! I am not typically a steak or lamb person but both the steak and lamb shish kabobs were great! Service was on point and friendly and the ambiance was perfectly casual.

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Everything was made fresh so it…read morewas about 15-minute wait but that's ok, I took the opportunity to look around the market. I picked up a few things. We got a medium Falafel sandwich and a Shawarma sandwich. Wow. Delicious. I actually may have liked the Falafel just slightly better but both were excellent. I also got an extra garlic sauce on the side... just love. Until next time.

I feel like I found a favorite near us. It's not one of those places where I would travel to, but…read moreif you're relatively close to Urbana, it's worth a stop. It's a small mart that specializes in middle eastern Mediterranean cuisine and ingredients. They place does not have seating inside, but plenty of seating outside. So plan on either take out or picnicking. They make the food right as you order so things are fresh. The part I really liked about this place was that the sauces were not overly salted - to increase shelf life - and the amount of oil/butter was not overly used to try to mask the ingredients. It's more on the "let the ingredients speak for itself" which I really dig. In the end, you don't feel heavy after the meal and you feel like you had a hearty and healthy meal. My favorite was the lamb shawarma. He toasts the outside pita and it gives it a nice crunch. The lamb is fresher than other places and he doesn't over season it to hide the lamb smell. Other places - if you notice - tends to use cumin a lot of mask the lamb smell. Not here though. The falafel sandwich was okay. It was colder than the lamb shawarma. But the falafels were made right there in front of you. I got the sujuk sandwich too (which is a type of sausage). It was a breakfast burrito basically. Our order took 20 mins to make and he makes it right when you order. So be prepared to stay there and peruse around. Some ingredients there were interesting. The one thing that caught my eye was a bottle of pomegranate molasses. He sells it close to 50% what Harris Teeter would charge and he has various brands of pomegranate molasses. I use pomegranate molasses to make grenadine for cocktails. Also has orange blossom and rose water (also both used for cocktails) I like this place and the guy is nice and sweet.

My best friend has been wanting to bring me here because she came a while back and said she had an…read moreexperience that was out of this world. I am Lebanese, and she thought I would enjoy the atmosphere and cuisine given that Ammoora is a modern Syrian restaurant. And she was right! Although it's listed as a modern Syrian restaurant, you will find products (such as some of their alcohols/liquors) representative of much of the Middle East. And as I'm sure you know, many dishes are similar or the same! I cannot say enough great things about Ammoora. I arrived 30 minutes before the rest of my group since I had a long commute, but I had a great time sitting at the bar enjoying some Arabic coffee. I also had the "Ashta Affair" which is a silky smooth cream based alcoholic beverage with just a touch of spices, and was such a great take on the very same Ashta I make at home. The bar tenders were such a delight to talk to. They made me feel like I was right at home. My party arrived and we were then taken to our table, where I felt I was transported back to the Middle East, as the dining room is decorated floor to ceiling in colors, patterns, furniture and linens. I was met with a sense of nostalgia that only added to this amazing experience. Then came the food. You can go to a thousand Middle Eastern restaurants, and each will have their own take on a dish, and that's what I loved about Ammoora. Their dishes were still very authentic, and had its own slight spin on it, making it even more incredible. We had a sampling appetizer that consisted of hummus, baba ghanoush, olives, and various other dips, followed by fettoush, the lamb, and the semki harra. I came with two non-middle eastern friends (one who had been there before) and both of them said that the food was out of this world, and I couldn't agree more. There is something for everyone here. You could come here for their extensive and unique drink menu alone and have a great time. And if you don't care to drink, then the dining menu will absolutely transport you and your tastebuds to a place of nostalgia, whether you've been to the Middle East before or not. I cannot wait to bring my whole family for unique and excellent dining experience. Everyone from the owner to the wait staff were extremely hospitable, and you can tell that their priority is in making sure your experience is unforgettable.

Drinks and food were so good! We enjoyed Ammoora so much the first time that we came back for a…read moresecond visit earlier this yeaon January 30th to celebrate my husband's birthday with our family. As someone who eats plant-based, I really appreciated that they offer a separate vegan dinner menu--and not just a few side dishes thrown together. I could actually enjoy a full, thoughtfully prepared meal! My dinner: Muhamara + Baba Ghanouj to share Harissa Roasted Cauliflower + Saffron Jeweled Rice Pistachio Ghazal el Banat for dessert. Everything was delicious. The service was exceptional again, which says a lot about the consistency of this restaurant. And although it was absolutely freezing outside that evening, Ammoora was warm, cozy, elegant, and beautiful inside. Another wonderful experience. We'll definitely be back!

Not frills with the service or the ambiance and it's hot as all outdoors in there. I sat in and ate…read moreanyway. I tried the Lamb Haneeth which is pieces of lamb slow cooked for 5 hours, served over rice with a few root vegetables. I LOVED IT! I took one bit and couldn't stop. I had enough for leftovers the following day. It was served with a lamb soup that was served piping hot but not much flavor. On my visit, they didn't have salad, which normally comes with it. No biggie. I'll be back! The complementary hot tea was out of this world good, perfect amount of sweetness and spice.

My brother and I stopped I here for lunch and ended up loving it! We both got the lamb fahsa, which…read morecomes with lentil soup and an enormous slab of bread. They do not skimp on the lamb at all! The stew was wonderful - very rich and mostly meat, and the bread was delicious and perfect for eating the fahsa. The complimentary chai was also delicious. Couldn't believe it was only $15 for such a huge meal. We rolled out of there very happily, and I know I'll be back for more of their menu (especially if it's lamb)! Fast service, good food, and very reasonable prices. It's small, though, so if they're busy you might need to take your order to go.

I've driven by this spot several times and just never gave it a shot. On this particular day, I was…read moresearching for dinner ideas and Tikkaville popped up. On the strength of reviews, I decided to try it out... which was definitely a good move. Nestled in a shopping strip along Bel Air Road, it's conveniently located and offers an abundance of free parking. Upon entry, I was warmly greeted with a smile. The space is clean, airy, and nicely decorated. After looking over the menu, I decided on the Chicken Tikka Kabob entrée (mild, not spicy) which is served with rice, salad, and naan. After approximately 25 minutes, my order was ready for consumption. The chicken was tender and flavorful with the right amount of spice, paired nicely with the rice and salad. My only gripe is that the naan was a little too charred for my liking. Either way, I'll definitely be back. Tikkaville is a solid option for lunch or dinner. Definitely swing by if you're ever in the area!

I have eaten at many establishments and very rarely am I left speechless and unable to think of…read morethings a dish might need. This place is one of them. We tried 3 different items and each dish was unique and possessed different profiles. GET HERE IMMEDIATELY!!! We ordered the following: Tikka reloaded fries: 10/10 best loaded fries ever. Fries seasoned and crisped. Meat tender and flavorful. The sauces and cheese elevate the dish. Malai kabob roll: 10/10 whatever cream sauce is on the chicken, I would drink by itself. Wrap and fixings had its own flavors. I wish we ordered 2 so we wouldn't have to share. Lamb quesadillas: 10/10 although simple, lamb was tender and juicy. White sauce wasn't even needed but still complimented the quesadilla. Even thought they seem low manned, there was no disruption to customer service or food delivery. We are thoroughly impressed and will be returning. Almost afraid to go back again due to not wanting the experience to change. GET HERE.