The Most Delicious Middle Eastern in Washington

The Halal Guys

★★★★☆ 3.8 (134) • $$

"I have ordered Halal Guys from this location a few times on DoorDash, and overall it's a good option, considering the quality and the price.This is the restaurant that I order from when I have a hankering for crispy gyro meat. The  meat here is not thick cut and flabby, and is borderline over cooked, but that is how I like it. Compared with some of the other Gyro places, this one gives the most meat per serving. Also, they have a family deal where you get a huge amount of chicken or Gyro meat with rice and all the fixings to make your own platters at home for a group. It's a very good price for how much food you get and there's a lot more customization available than ordering one of the regular options."

Sheesh Grill - Chantilly

★★★★☆ 4.4 (447) • $$

"5 stars in one of the best vegetarian dishes I've ever tasted in this area. Yeah I was a person who ordered the Cauliflower Shawarma so you didn't have to, LOL. It was so flavorful and nutritious, and I didn't feel bad eating them afterwards and undo the workout I just did at Hotworx next door."

Bawadi Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (509) • $$

"Well if your GPS takes you around to the back parking lot like mine did, it might look rather unassuming BUT go INSIDE! You will not be disappointed!The pita is made fresh in house in a wood fired oven! You pass it as you head to the inside seating area. There's also an outside area and they have hooka too The food is buffet style with different hot options depending on the day. Kabobs, roasted chicken and rice seem to be staples. Then different stews and rice. Salad, hummus, tzatziki, and babaganush are cold option staples. Different coffees, espresso, tea, FRESH lemonade (gotta try it!) as well as canned sodas.Deserts are plentiful variety of baklava and other sweets I can't remember the name of. They are all delicious.Folks are friendly and happy to explain the different foods if you're not familiar.We'll be back again for sure!"

Food Corner Kabob House

★★★★☆ 3.8 (95)

"This is our go to kabob spot and our five years old favorite "orange chicken" she's been eating the chicken and rice here since she was two! It's her birthday meal every year and everyone we've brought here has been impressed. Not just the flavor and sides but the staff here is unparalleled. You may walk in the door a stranger but you will be greeted like family and always want to come back!! Parking can be tricky... and the nearby lots are almost always packed, but you can wait inside, swing by shilla next door for some pasty deserts, or call ahead (which is what we usually do)."

The Green Zone

★★★★☆ 4.1 (204) • $$

"I came here on a Saturday at 5:30 pm with my mom and we were able to get seats right away. They have two levels, both levels having a bar, and they have live music upstairs on Friday and Saturday nights. We ordered the mint lemonade and janissary corps, which I believe are their two most popular drinks. They also have a drink called the "fuck Trump punch" which we didn't order this time, lol. They were both delicious, my favorite was the janissary corps. For a bar, they have a pretty large food menu. We ordered the fried halloumi and baklava with clotted cream- both were delicious. My mom said it was some of the best baklava she's had. The service was good, the bartenders were friendly and everything came out fast. This place is always busy, and if you come late at night, there is usually a line to get in."

The Hanging Gardens Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (9)

"Great coffee. Great decor. I assumed the food would be classic coffee shop microwave cuisine but I got the chicken pide and it was made to order and absolutely delicious. Everyone there was so smiley and friendly so come show this place some love!!!"

Kabul Kabob House Express

★★★★☆ 4.2 (280) • $$

"A nice find off Van Dorn near LA Mart. We had a hankering for meat on a skewer so we tried out Kabul Kabob.We entered a comfortable, clean restaurant and placed our orders with the staffer at the back next to the little buffet, which we could have opted for. Instead, JP ordered the #8 Lamb Shank and I asked for the #3 Beef Kabob. With my order, I was allowed to pick a vegetable side. Peering into the buffet cabinet, I saw spinach and chickpeas. I wanted to get chickpeas, but I saw little bits of green mixed in with the chickpeas. I asked what the green was, and sure enough, it was Lucifer's weed, cilantro. So I was going to get the spinach instead, but the young guy behind the counter said they had chickpeas in the back that had not been desecrated yet, would I like some? I said we gotta deal!Our orders came out with a separate tray loaded with hot freshly baked Tandoori bread the size of elephant ears.Our entrees were excellent. The tossed salad was as fresh as could be, accompanied by a very delicious, slightly sweet ranch-like dressing. The beef portion was generous and I was introduced to new spices that I liked and found light and pleasant. My entrée came with two types of an excellent basmati rice. JP's lamb shank also came with salad and two rices.What we did was tear pieces of the Afghan Tandoori bread and top the bread with things from our entrée and eat them like tacos. We had lots of bread left over. The Afghan bread is more like American bread than like Indian naan.In a shaker on the table was a light pleasant ground spice the color of saffron. We used plenty of it."

Shawarma Express

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (94) • $

"Stopped in from the airport tonight for a quick bite. The chicken shawarma wrap was excellent. The meat was fresh and the green sauce that comes on the side was just the right amount of flavor to spice things up. Very friendly and accommodating service. I highly recommend this place if you are in the area. I'm looking forward to trying the beef and gyro meats to see where they stack up, on future visits."

Little Sesame

★★★★☆ 4.3 (285) • $$

"Service here was SPEEDY! The only thing I tried was the chocolate soft serve (which is vegan!) and it definitely put the soft in soft serve. Despite scarfing it down, it was definitely melting very quickly. The soft serve was flavorful without being overpowering. Would want to return to try the vanilla tahini soft serve!"

La' Shukran

★★★★★ 4.7 (56)

"Since this is my first major review of the new year and I'm seeing a lot of these lists flying around, I'm going to do it like they do:Out: Vibe that is too loud!In: This place has the vibe juuuuuust right! It's giving sexy late night middle eastern market with a hyper sleek and modern bend. Candles are everywhere, the music is on point and juuuuust loud enough that you kinda dance in your seat a little bit but can still hear your table talk!Out: Levantine Stereotypical Food!In: Thoughtfully crafted dishes that don't sacrifice flavor for aesthetics! We've all had humus with a meat on top, but have you had humus that is PERFECTLY whipped with spots of tzatziki, pickled red onions and thinly shaven and perfectly flavored beef tongue (it was giving perfect jerky consistency)? Have you had pillowy and perfect bread instead of pita with said humus? Have you had falafel topped with caviar? Or dumplings with shaved truffles? An elevated beef kebab that is really just perfectly cooked steak that happened to be on a skewer and smothered in amazing gravy that had to be sopped up with the aforementioned bread!!!? Every dish was wonderfully flavored, simply presented and traditional in intention but modern in execution!Out: Lack of service!In: Smart fun service, educational service, calling the cocktail menu creator to your table to walk you through the amazing and deliciously inventive drinks service. Food coming out hot and fast, table being cleaned and new plates and cutlery coming out service. Refold your napkin when you go to the restrooms with the best smelling candles service! Doing all this but making you feel comfortable enough to come in in jeans and a t-shirt service, but also dressing up and going on a date service!Out: To dim to eatIn: Candles and Candles and more Candles. Did I mention vibes? Oh, and a sexy bar!I've loved everything the folks behind Yellow have done and this is no exception! La'S delivers the future of DC dining in a small but mighty space. Reservations are still tough to get, but come alone and sit at the bar, or just plan ahead cause the bar has been set and there's no going back!"

Al Ha'esh

★★★★☆ 4 (99) • $$

"This is a small local restaurant in small shopping center by the Jewish Grocery. I love the decor inside, it is clean and modern.The day we went, arrived at 5pm and there were only like 2 people seated. It was amazing how packed the restaurant was after we showed up. Our server, Kyle, was quite awesome. He explained some of the dishes and took our order very quickly. Their bread is different then pita, it is heavier/more dense, and more like a thick fry bread. It is complementary, and can have more if you want. It was different and good, just too heavy to eat with all the salads.The "Salads" are simply good, there are a lot of them and they gladly refill any you seem to have a "love" for. My favs were the chickpea salad, tomato salad, and the Baba Ghanoush. I liked the pickled beets, which is something I usually don't eat. All of the varieties of hummus were on the appetizer menu, so we wanted to try to the hummus with meat. The Hummus was very good, not exceptional, but good. It was missing extra garlic or lemon juice, still traditional and was made smooth and creamy. The meat also was good portion, but still bland. Needed extra sumac or allspice, just missing flavor. I think Lebnah would have been good as one of the sides. The Entrees to choose from were more traditional and less "trendy". My Jerusalem Mix was good, I added the chickpea salad, some tomato salad with Tahini and was really flavorful, which is why the salads are good with your Entree, it will add flavor and I asked for Harissa and they gave me their version of hot sauce. It was perfect. I would like to go back again and order something different. Try the Falafel, The Variety of Kabobs & Lamb. Really, the salads alone are worth going back for! I hope they will put Lebnah (yogurt) on the sides menu."

Haifa Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (310) • $$

"Driving here put me in a bad mood haha The awkward turns to get into the parking lot and then finding out the parking lot is very small and incomplete... whew, I had to park in the lot next door. I wasn't sure what to expect inside after that fiasco, but wow, i'm glad I made it inside. I got the Chicken Shawarma Shrak, all spreads and toppings included (pickles on the side). This was one of the BEST Chicken Shawarma wraps I've ever had in the area. A lot of places make it too dry, but Haifa's was moist and full of flavor. Very generous in size too.Worth the headache of driving and parking there, I promise you!"

Aden Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.2 (134) • $$

"Called for delivery On Christmas day eve and immediately got through to an extremely pleasant knowledgeable and helpful Staffer. We ordered an extra large pizza with multiple toppings and a no cheese pizza for someone with a dairy allergy. Also three Mediterranean salads and an order of DolmadesThe pizza was fabulous. Clearly freshly made dough wonderfully complex sauce, spicy pepperoni and fresh cut mushroomsThe salad was fresh, crunchy, and a great balance of vegetables. The dolmades were wonderfully firm and expertly seasonedThis will be our pizza place from now on.Thank you Aden's!"

Maman Joon Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (111)

"We found our new favorite kabob spot! 1) all the staff there is so nice. Talkative, friendly, and explains their food if unsure. 2) indoors and outdoors seating area. It's nice and bright inside with a huge window, so the ambiance is very nice. Outdoor seating has that picnic vibe. 3) gender neutral bathrooms. 4) kubideh is delicious! Rice is perfectly done. And hummus was yummy. They're not stingy on the bread with the hummus though! We will be back for some moreeeee!"

Yekta Market & Kabob Counter

★★★★☆ 3.9 (467) • $$

"I love this market for the trove of Middle Eastern goods, but I was blown away by the frittata sandwich I bought at the deli. As a vegetarian, I was happy there was an option for me, but I was even more delighted when I bit into the goodness that was this sandwich. Imagine an herb-stuffed layer of egg topped with crunchy pickles and tomatoes, all encased in a warm hoagie roll. Pricey to be sure, but I would eat this every day for lunch if I could. Thanks, Yekta!"

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill - Falls Church, VA

★★★★★ 4.6 (112)

"Very tasty food. My wife got a lamb/beef platter and I got the chicken gyro. Gyro is loaded as you can see, doubt you'll come out hungry. The chicken is well cooked and it seems like they add lemon or something to it and the lamb as well. Their lamb/beef doesn't seem to be housemade but they definitely add some more flavor to it and I thought it tasted better than the chicken. Yogurt sauce is also amazing. You can see the fresh dill. Service was reasonably fast, probably took 7-8 min. The ambiance of the place was more casual, but enjoyed the flag decor."

Olive Lounge & Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (157) • $$

"The happy hour was truly delightful, and the service was commendably swift. The gin and tonic was expertly crafted and satisfyingly strong. The culinary offerings were unique, and I wholeheartedly recommend coming here."

Halal Kabab House

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (128) • $$

"Spicy chicken Shawarma. It's definitely a small hole in the wall location, but they always have delicious food especially the spicy chicken Shawarma!! Never been disappointed."

Hilana Falafel

★★★★★ 4.9 (24)

"Best Falafel this side of Jerusalem. The Falafel is has a thin crispy crust and moist tender center. It tastes fresh and not over-fried so you can enjoy the delicate flavor. The Pita is thin and does not overpower the meal.Fantastic and great owner."

Shawarma Taco

★★★★★ 4.7 (54)

"Wanted to try something new. Off the path of what my kids usually eat. I decided to try this place since my kids have taken a liking to tacos. The chicken was really good. The beef, the kids didn't take a liking to. I think the seasoning was a bit off for them. The sauce was pretty good to me. Portion sizes were huge and very filling. The meat was overflowing. Everything was made to order, so it came out super hot. The service was great. It is so kind and helpful. The seating area was a bit small, but it worked because we went during a weekday, so it wasn't too crowded. It's definitely worth a try if you're in the area and want something a but different."

Lebanese Taverna

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (212) • $$

"Finally some excellent hummus and baba! The falafel were fair, better than cava. The chicken was tiny small pieces, not big chunks on a skewer like I expected. I loved the cucumber yogurt dip as well as the tabouli both were so fresh. My husband said the basmati rice & hummus were both delicious but he thought the chicken was dry."

Sacrificial Lamb Kabobs & Wraps

★★★★☆ 3.6 (370) • $

"Wow, been a long time since I wrote a review. This place deserves some praise. It is a tiny restaurant that requires you to walk down some steps to enter. There are some tables, but this is mostly a to-go spot. The owner told me as much and said 95% of their orders are for takeout. You can eat there, but don't expect spectacular ambiance. There isn't much parking, I double parked on the two occasions I picked up.The food is amazing. I have had my fair share of Indian food in my life, and this ranks up there. I feel like chicken Tikka masala is a good measuring stick, and this was excellent. Sauce had spice and depth to it, even the texture was nice and thick yet smooth, with tender chunks of chicken. All the dishes we got were great. My cousin got a vegetarian dish that she loved, I forget the name. Butter chicken was on point. The second time around I got the Chicken Kali Mirch. Excellently seasoned sauce with tons of flavor and spice. Once again big pieces of perfectly cooked chicken. Their rice is not dry and the Naan is fluffy. My mom got some lamb kabob, nice pieces of meat. And the samosas were on point too.Prices are perfectly reasonable. Definitely worth a visit."

Kirby Club

★★★★☆ 4.2 (204) • $$$

"4.5: Great tasting food, good service and ambiance in a cute shopping complexCame here on a Monday afternoon and it was empty. The menu isn't big but if you are open to kebabs, hummus, pita type things you'll be fine. The lunch special chicken Shwarma dish was delicious! Chicken tender, fragrant rice, nice salad, hummus, chips. Best thing was you didn't feel gross afterward. The seating surrounds a bar area and there's also outdoor seating if you prefer.I'd love to return when it's a little more bustling. There are quite a few good food places in this area including True Food and I think most people would find something they'd like!"

LEBTAV

★★★★☆ 3.6 (46)

"One of my FAVORITE spots for lunch in downtown DC--I come here once a week because I enjoy it that much! Food is reasonable priced and huge portions. I highly recommend the Taverna Platter so you can try a few sides, rice, plus the main meat of your choice--I LOVE their Chicken Shawarma!! The hummus, pita bread and kibbeh are DELICIOUS as well, better than most places in the area. The Traditional Platter is another good option too. Also, they do have salads, bowls and sandwiches if the platter is too much.They have a small condiment bar, with different dipping sauces--the Garlic Toum is AMAZING and definitely gives the food more flavor! Food is prepared fairly quick--an ideal spot for lunch."

Shawarma Guys

★★★★☆ 4 (357) • $

"I'm back in the DVM for work after leaving 3yrs ago due to COVIDand let me tell you I missed this place so much reminds me of being back in Manama Bahrain.The food is amazing hot and fresh I'll be coming back once a week to get my Grub on :)"

Kabob Bazaar

★★★★☆ 4 (443) • $$

"I always walk by this place and want to try it but didn't get around to it until a few weeks ago. Placed a pickup order and it was ready a couple minutes before they said it would so pickup was very fast. The employees at the door and the bar were both very friendly. We ordered the kubideh kabob, jujeh kabob, kashk-e-bademjan, and a side of shireen polo and plain basmati. The chicken was surprising juicy (I don't love chicken breast) but the kubideh was just a tad dry. Both had very very good flavor though and I would get both again. The kashk-e-bademjan (eggplant dip) was incredible and I will probably get this every time we go here it was that good. The shireen polo was a tad sweet for me but still really good. We want to try the other 2 specialty rices as well, but the plain basmati is hard to beat. It looks like it still has saffron and some kind of butter or oil on it, it was anything but plain, so good. Last thing is the portion sizes. 2 meals and 2 sides was enough for probably 3.5 meals for us so the portions were definitely generous Will absolutely be back to try more of the food!"

Afghan Kabob

★★★★☆ 3.9 (225) • $$

"My wife ordered via food delivery service which offered a nice BOGO free offer on select items. I chose the Shami which is broiled ground beef and came with rice, chickpeas, and salad. I thought it was ok but didn't overwhelm me with flavor or wow factor to give it a higher rating. My son ordered Shami as well, felt the same, and is somewhat of a rice snob to where he didn't eat much of his rice. The naan was plentiful in quantity but not taste as it was simply bread. I also ordered the baklava as I typically do at restaurants who make it given time spent in the middle east, and hoping to find something comparable. The baklava here was small for the price, overly sweet, and seemingly saturated instead of flaky. I would try other options before returning to this restaurant given my perceived lack of flavor in the food with this experience."

Moby Dick House of Kabob

★★★★☆ 4.3 (10)

"After doing some grocery shopping nearby we decided to pick up lunch at Moby Dick House of Kabob. It was our first time there and we ordered two chicken kabob platters with rice and salad to go. The platter included chunks of marinated white meat chicken, rice and a side salad. The chicken was tender and delicious. There was a very very generous serving of lightly seasoned rice and in a separate container a side salad. The side salad was much nicer than I would expect for a "fast food" style restaurant. Our meal included two small containers of condiments. I absent mindlessly opened one and poured it on the salad. Oops, it was the tzatziki sauce for the kabobs, the slighly smaller one contained a nice vinaigrette for the salad. Lesson learned. The portions were so generous we ended up sharing one order and saving the other one for lunch the next day. When we went back a second time we just ordered one lunch and an appetizer of falafel. I'm not a huge fan of falafel but Rich loves it and thought this version was nice and crispy and he thoroughly enjoyed it. We will definitely be picking up lunch at Moby Dick again. For us it was a perfect light and satisfying meal. And after reading other reviews I am looking forward to trying a salmon platter next visit."

Food Corner Kabob House

★★★★☆ 3.8 (290) • $$

"I came to Food Corner Kabob House on a Saturday afternoon. I had heard great things about this spot from a friend so I was excited to try. This restaurant shares a huge parking lot with multiple retailers so parking should not be an issue.My husband and I each ordered Boneless Chicken Kabob with Rice, Bread and Fried Spinach. The chicken was so juicy and full of flavor, bread came out steaming hot and fresh and the fried spinach was better than I thought it would be. I can see why my friend liked this spot so much. It took about 10 minutes after we put in our order for the food to come out, so be patient if it is a long wait... it is worth it! Luckily it was not super packed so we only had two customers waiting ahead of us. Overall the staff were friendly and polite and the food came out freshly made and secure in a takeout bag. I will definitely be back here soon :)"

Cafe Fili

★★★★★ 4.6 (132)

"What a nice little cafe! It's a great spot to get your Mediterranean fix, whether you want to eat light or enjoy some heavier options. I've been twice so far. The first time, I got the hummus trio and was a fan -- I wasn't too hungry, so it was perfect. The second time, I got the lamb tagine -- definitely a more filling option, especially with that couscous. Loved the little salad and hummus that came with it, too.Both times, it was never too crowded... and they happen to have a full bar. You can grab cocktails, mocktails, and flights to taste. Staff were super friendly and attentive on both occasions too, always willing to spark conversation if it didn't keep them from other tasks. It's a great spot for anyone traveling... and easily a recommendation I'd give to those at or near Union Station."

Jerusalem Restaurant & Catering

★★★★☆ 3.7 (349) • $$

"My picky friend and I revisited Jerusalem restaurant last night. We were once again impressed with the expertly prepared dishes: the lamb dishes, appetizer and dessert were utterly delicious. And this place has such beautiful décor, perfect for a date or family gathering. Highly recommended."

Humitos Grill Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (24)

"This is not the hole in the wall Greek places I'm used to. Humitos is a fantastic restaurant with great interior space. We ordered the beef and lamb gyro sandwich and a Greek salad with falafel on it. The sandwich had great flavor but it was so loaded with lettuce and tomatoes that it was essentially a salad with some meat at the bottom. I'm also used to double the meat on my gyro sandwiches, this one was a bit hidden. The Greek salad was exactly what we were expecting but they didn't include the black olives which is a BIG deal for a Greek salad and what my wife and daughter loves the most.I'm excited to try something else like maybe the moussaka would be better? But the sandwiches I'll pass on next time."

Omar's Pitas & Platters

★★★★★ 4.7 (48)

"SO good! I passed by on my way to another store and saw the reviews were great so I decided to try it for lunch. I told the cashier it was my first time and I was deciding between the crispy chicken and the jerk chicken and she recommended the jerk chicken.I had the platter with jerk chicken and white, spicy white, and Omar's signature sauce. I meant to ask for sauces on the side so I could try them individually but forgot to ask so definitely recommended doing that. I tried the French fries and mozzarella sticks as well; both were fine but the real star of the show was the platter and the drinks (they have Palestinian Cola!). I'd recommended trying the spicy chicken first with sauces on the side, that's definitely what I'll be doing next time.Interior is small but nice and clean. No space to eat inside but there's outdoor seating."

VA Kabob House - Springfield

★★★★☆ 3.9 (433) • $$

"One of my go to kabob restaurants in the area! Really good food and great customer service. Staffs are always very nice and friendly! If you have large orders they always help you carry the items to your car. I always have a great experience every time I go there."

Caspian House of Kabob

★★★★☆ 3.6 (177) • $$

"I come in a few times a month for lunch and always get the kubideh with half rice and half salad. Everything is is fresh and hot. Soda and fresh pita included. Not sure about the other reviews but for 15 bucks it's good and filling."