Gringos & Mariachis

★★★★☆ 4.1 (998) • $$

"Ambiance is amazing, very chilled and relaxed.Service: amazing staff. Very cordials!Food: incredible"

Yia Yia's Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (620) • $$

"Great for lunch. My sister treated me. Food was very flavorful. Steak was tender. Rice had a nice flavor, I did not need anything on it. Salad was great. I asked them not to include cucumbers or olives. The salad would've been a little fuller had I not, fyi. Will definitely have them again for lunch. Or maybe dinner."

Silk Road Choyhona

★★★★☆ 4.3 (495) • $$

"I just feel so lucky and blessed to have a real, authentic, honest-to-goodness Uzbek restaurant nearby! I love going there & I love ordering delivery from there, too .... If you go it's so very neat & cool because they have partitions made of hanging fabrics & not the kind of fabrics you'd normally see in this area but that are of course thankfully evocative of the place where they & the food are both from. It's very unusual for people or places such as restaurants to present things in such a way -- normally, there might be some kind of evocation of the place of origin of the food in the form of, say, art on the walls but nothing so all-encompassing as what is offered here! It's very different. Uzbekistan is literally in the air here in the form of scents of food wafting from the kitchen ....I enjoy so many of the foods here! This is a lot to say considering the vegetarianness of my food-ordering & eating habits, & I can let you know with full confidence that if you only order vegetarian food here (or from here!), you will not go hungry. The potato manti (dumplings) alone can fill you up. The punch is very tasty & an incredibly good deal, too! When I have this at home, I drink the liquid & there is some wonderful fruit concoction left over in the bottom that I spoon into wine glasses & eat as a dessert -- but don't worry, they have desserts, too! The mushroom soup might be the best thing I've had from here -- I don't know if that sounds exciting to you, but I love soup! This is a really great one. Mmm .... It's super-hearty, extremely tasty, & ... it's got a good amount of something succulent such as oil that I'm afraid to mention given today's current climate of fear around fats but that's what you need on a cold winter day, in my opinion! It's deeply nourishing physically & emotionally & tastes great, too! It's everything you could want or need in a soup! Second-best in my opinion is the Kachipuri. It's nice & salty and I find that ve-ry appealing; it reminds me of the burekas I grew up making with my mom, & I like that it brings back such wonderful memories plus tasting superb, as well. Oh, & it's flaky & crispy & all those other things you'd want in a pastry, too -- baked to perfection & all of that, yummy! The green onion Kutabi wasn't exactly my favourite thing ever but at the same time, I did appreciate the nutrition I was getting from it & of course I must try it with some of the other fillings next time! One thing I know is there will be a next time, & a next time, & a next time ... because I just love this part of the world (central Asia) -- speaking of which, the name of this place is so perfect! Some places that people might consider remote & think of as 'backwards' or 'inaccessible' have actually long been connectors of places and therefore, also very connected themselves, & the name of the restaurant, the décor, & the food all speak to and show this to be true! Of course, if you go in person & talk to, say, your server, then the person with whom you speak will show this, too -- I mean, this is true, whether or not you see it! I always like to talk to people so for me, this is especially true! The mashed potatoes are nice -- maybe a little lumpy -- but ... not too special, in my view. I mean, I think they were very special when they were first made way back when! I just expected a little more flavour in them since I read that they were perfectly spiced but I didn't really experience them as being spiced at all -- but that can be good when you want something to just add to something else; I did add a bit of the mashed potatoes to my second bowl of soup, & it was a good combination! (I'm trying not to repeat 'Mmm' all the time -- but it really fits!) The Medovik cake was good but ... the truth is, I'm not a big fan of cake for the most part, so I'm probably not the best judge of this. I do believe I need to try -- & report on! -- some of their other desserts .... In case you can't tell, I ordered an awful (well, actually wonderful!) amount of food for one meal & this did last two people at least two if not three meals -- plus fruity snacks and beverages! I really wanted to get some other things, too, such as salads but I could see it would all be way too much & so I got things that I thought would last a bit -- and yes, they did! I mean to say that a salad should be eaten sooner than, say, a soup because it could wilt and go bad & all that, and I didn't want that happening so I had to resign myself to trying some things such as various salads later .... I can't wait for the time I get to do that! This is more than just food. Of course, sure, every food must have some kind of tradition behind it, some kind of history -- even if it was just invented & made for the first time ever! -- but this food, when I say it has tradition, I mean it has a deeply meaningful feeling for me that nourishes not only my body but my soul .... It's the best!"

The Greek Spot

★★★★☆ 4 (503) • $$

"Stopped here for a quick bite after the gym. The woman who took my order was extremely nice!! I inquired about the vegan options and she not only directed me to the vegan/vegetarian menu but she also told me about the different modifications that could be made to make it a vegan dish. The food was delicious as well! I got the falafel platter without feta and substituted the fries for the pasta."

Grazie Grazie

★★★★☆ 4.3 (421) • $$

"Grazie Grazie has some of the best sandwiches in the DMV!! The Marathon is a personal fave!"

The Jerk Pit

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (754) • $$

"The food was excellent! The chicken was spicy, seasoned well, and cooked through. Even got jerk chicken sauce. Cabbage and rice and peas were good. Everyone enjoyed their food, jerk Kingfish, oxtail , and jerk chicken. Service was good, but know the wait is long. Only cons/floor is extremely sticky, the tables are unbalanced, and bags are .$.20But I went there for the food."

Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company - Alexandria

★★★★☆ 3.9 (452) • $$

"I've been going to Rocklands since the 90's or whenever it used to be in Carpool. Anyway, I don't know what was going on today, but it seemed like the young guy working the counter at the Alexandria location today seemed to have no idea what was going on.The table behind me had an issue with their order where they got corn pudding instead of cornbread that they asked for. The table next to me only got half of their order. Then we didn't get what we ordered either.We ordered the Texas brisket...and mind you, there is only ONE item on the menu with "Texas" and "Brisket" in the name. I ended up with the plain brisket sandwich. When I went and asked about it, the other guy was trying to tell me "yeah, that's Texas brisket". And I asked "where on the menu is this item was?"...he said the one that says brisket. I was "does it say TEXAS?!?!". I have no idea which one we paid for because they also had taken our receipt and also gave us our items to go when we asked to eat in. I don't know, but it was a really annoying experience. Considering everyone else around us also had issues with their order, maybe I wasn't overreacting and confused about what we ordered versus what we received. It was just a bad experience overall, which is disappointing. The food was okay, but it wasn't the @$@&ing Texas brisket that's on the menu. ‍"

The Grill From Ipanema

★★★★☆ 3.8 (454) • $$

"I was here for a birthday dinner with a large group of 20 people. This restaurant was one of the very few that would accommodate such a large group without booking a private room. I ordered a glass of house Cabernet Sauvignon and the picanha biro. The picanha biro was delicous. The meat was cooked perfectly. The collard greens were garlicky and delicious. The rice was also delicious and I enjoyed the crunchy pieces of potato sticks sprinkled on top. My boyfriend ordered the feijoada which he said was really good. Again, collard greens were super tasty and meat was very flavorful and well cooked. The food didn't take too long to come out and everyone received their meal at the same time. Also since we were celebrating a birthday, the restaurant provided complimentary cakes for our group! One chocolate, one vanilla (both cakes were able to serve over 20 people. Plus there was extra!) Overall we had a great experience here and it was a wonderful place for a large group birthday dinner."

Thai Signature

★★★★☆ 4.4 (306) • $$

"I can't say enough good things about this place. It is my favorite Thai restaurant in Alexandria. The customer service is good, the restaurant is always clean and cozy and the food is incredible. My favorite menu item is the Chicken Basil with a fried egg. The Japanese sidecar is super refreshing and is a great twist on my favorite cocktail. Bathroom as are always clean also."

The Breakfast Club

★★★★☆ 3.8 (362) • $$

"Four of us met at The Breakfast Club this past summer while in town and it was truly a vibe! Once we got seated and settled in at our table, I understood why another colleague suggested our friend not bring her baby. It isn't the most family friendly, depending on when you go and we were there during the height of Sunday brunch. It can get very lively as can the crowd, especially once the adult beverages get to flowing. The table setup can be a little tight for high chairs or carriages also - not ideal.The service was good, the live music was amazing and the food was pretty tasty also! The cocktails were aesthetically pleasing and flavorful with tons of options. The menu is full of great fare to choose from. We shared some delicious wings to start. Everything from the breakfast sandwiches & french toast, to the mac n cheese, to the oxtail & grits and breakfast potatoes was yummy, served hot and in large enough portions. I'll have to remember which cocktails we had but I feel like my second one had sorrell in it - Fenton Street Evening. The first one was likely Mint Prohibition or Dreaming of Paradise.We were able to find close by parking on the street while our friends parked a block or two down the road. Our wait wasn't horribly long. We enjoyed the energy of the spot and are overall happy we went. When traveling domestically I like going to spots that I know I can't get in my own home city so this was a great choice. Check out The Breakfast Club if you like live jazz/ RnB and good brunch food. You'll also be supporting a black owned business!"

DC Vegan

★★★★☆ 4.4 (266) • $$

"OVERALL: As a non-vegan I was shocked by how delicious the food was. It tasted like the real thing! FOOD: I had the calamari, lemon ricotta pancakes, and bacon. Upstairs I got a cheesecake. The calamari was flavorful and had the right texture. The pancakes were my favorite and filling. The bacon was the only miss for me as they were too salty. And the cheesecake tasted just like regular cheesecake I was shocked. The food was so good! I will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu. SERVICE: the staff was super friendly and helpful. Always attentive and made the experience great. VENUE: there are two levels. The downstairs is newer and is where you have the main dining room and a bar. The upstairs has some seating and an outdoor dining area as well as the bakery with vegan cheese! The decorations were super cute and festive. Dim lighting created a great atmosphere."

Quinn's On The Corner

★★★★☆ 3.9 (338) • $$

"This is one of my favorite places! Great spot to watch food all, the management is amazing. Eli and Mario were so attentive to us. I couldn't believe how amazing the shrimp tacos were. DELICIOUS!! And the popcorn- YUMM! Great ambiance and a ton of tvs. Hands down a great time every time !"

Capo Italian Deli

★★★★☆ 3.8 (319) • $$

"Omgggg!! Another Italian hit!!! The Italian sub is excellent!! Definitely a MUST TRY!!"

Tunnicliff's Tavern

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (393) • $$

"I really enjoyed my chili. It had the perfect amount of heat for me and the cornbread was so fresh. If you don't like much spice, I'd recommend having a different soup. The Greek salad was fresh but either lacking dressing or it just didn't have any flavor. Great atmosphere here! It's a cozy neighborhood restaurant with a feeling of tradition. The front is a little more standard pub vibes with barstools and tv's playing sports. Towards the back, is a little bit more quiet with ample tables for families or get togethers. Kids loved it and it wasn't too loud."

Farmsook

★★★★★ 4.5 (214) • $$

"Wow. Just wow. I normally don't do reviews until my third try, but this was THE BEST drunken noodles I've had in a very long time. The chicken was so crispy and the noodle flavor was amazing. Can't wait to go back!"

Giuseppi’s Pizza Plus

★★★★☆ 3.7 (315) • $

"My friend has been going to this place for over 20Years and raves about it. He brought me here yesterday and wow it is pretty good. The prices are great also. Everyday pizza special two pieces of pizza and a soda for $6.50!!!! What!?The owner Steve is super friendly. Love how you can watch them make and bake your pizzas through the glass. Womens bathroom was clean. Sweet and unsweet iced tea in the self serve soda fountain.My slices had mushrooms and black olives. A lot food for the price. Tasty New York style flat crust. Mmmmm"

Lucky Thai Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (232) • $$

"This place is amazing!Walking in, it's clean and organized and the team is quick to say hello with a smile and get you seated. We went on a Thursday evening around 6 so it wasn't too crowded. We ordered an appetizer of spring rolls (comes with 3) and I got the drunken noodles and my partner got the pineapple fried rice. The food was quick to come out, spring rolls first, and then entrees shortly after app was finished. The drunken noodles could have been a tad spicier, so if you like spice ask for some extra spice on the side. The pineapple fried rice was good too. Sweet and savory. Portion sizes are decent for the price too. Definitely going back and trying the curry next!"

The Chicken Place

★★★★☆ 3.5 (314) • $

"I've eaten at the chicken palace. Several times the food is fast and excellent. I generally get the filet mignon, chicken, rice, and salad. It's a great value, and the food is excellent."

Meaza Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.6 (294) • $$

"Overall great Ethiopian restaurant and good for first timers too. They have a huge space and also serve beer and wine. Their coffee is also great like most Ethiopian places, fresh roasted beans and brewed clean. My dad also loved the food last time we were here. Good outdoor seating and plenty of parking. I picked a to-go this time so missed going inside."

Cracked Eggery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (190) • $$

"I ordered the Abe Froman which is egg, cheese, sausage on their delicious sauce on a terrific challah bun. I added avocado. Service was pretty fast. Took maybe 5 mins for the sandwich which felt quick. They were super nice. I ended coming back to get sandwiches for my family when they saw a pic of mine. I asked if they could top off my coffee which they said no to. That was a small bummer. Place is nice, clean, well decorated with stylish pics of their egg sandwiches. Good music ("Change is Gonna Come," "I'll Take You There,") played, perhaps a touch too loud for early on a Saturday. Sandwich and coffee was $18. Not outrageous, but a lot more than the greasy spoon near my office downtown."

Casa Tequila Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.7 (265) • $$

"Who doesn't like a great taco and margaritas on taco Tuesday? We stopped at Casa Tequila Bar & Grill in Lorton Virginia while running errands. We have had a VERY hard time finding a tacos that are cooked well and are flavorful so we did not know what to expect. We were greeted by a friendly host who sat us quickly. The wait staff were all friendly and worked as a team to get the food out to the customer. Inside was a lot bigger than we thought it would be. We loved the all of the seating options they had.The food was delicious! We ordered street steak tacos, the guacamole and chips, the small flight of frozen margaritas, and a classic margarita. The tacos were garnished with cilantro and onions. They were seasoned and cooked like I am use to being from California. My only feedback is that the street tacos should be served with lime and radishes. When you decide to do a flight of margaritas, you have a choice of on the rocks or frozen. You also can choose up to four flavors. We chose sour apple, peach, mango, and raspberry frozen margaritas. They were so good. I especially enjoyed the peach and mango ones. The classic margaritas was okay. Nothing special.Overall we enjoyed everything. We will try their other locations in the future."

Ambar Shaw

★★★★☆ 4.4 (186) • $$

"Ambar is a very very very good restaurant. I typically reserve my "great" reviews for the best of the best in my opinion. In my opinion, the very good versus great distinction I tend to apply to restaurants whose menu items are uniformly and universally excellent. So if and when you're a restaurant with 4 great menu items and 3-4 just okay menu items, I'd typically call describe that as a good restaurant. Having said that, this is another review where I desperately wish Yelp offered a half star option. I'd give Ambar Shaw a 4.5 rating, and I'd say that it leans way closer to a 5 star review than toward a 4 star review. In fact I'm changing my rating as I'm writing this.Onto the food. Ambar is excellent. Maybe not uniformly excellent, but excellent. Now - given the sheer and vast number of menu items on Ambar's menu, it would be almost impossible to be uniformly appealing to all diners with every single one of your dishes. People's tastes are just too diverse for you to be considered the best version of every single menu item you offer when you offer somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 different menu items.Having said all of that here's my experience of the restaurant. First - our server (whose name I sadly cannot remember off the top of my head) was EXCELLENT. One of the best service experiences I've had outside of a five star Michelin type restaurant. Not that Ambar doesn't rival some of those restaurants for a purely food experience, but it's a much more casual and comfortable dining experience than many of those types of places. Our server was hard to forget though as he has an epic beard and movie star leading man good looks (with a great accent) to match.Our party was seven people, and our tastes are all over the map. We ordered a lot of food altogether. I'd definitely suggest the following two things for larger parties at Ambar; be aware of what your table mates are ordering and communicate about that (so that you don't over or under order any of the best or least favorite menu items for your table), and pace yourselves.I felt like we ordered so much for at the beginning of our meal, because we were all so enthusiastic about the food that I was a little worried that we were eating "too fast." The food will come pretty fast in my experience of the Ambar restaurants (this was my second time dining at one after having dined at the Capitol Hill location previously), so you don't want to feel too "pressured" if/when 12 different dishes hit your table at one time.We started with; the veal soup, the beet salad, the steak tartare, and the lamb lasagna. The veal soup was good, and the other three items were all excellent. Very well balanced and not too heavy. Most of us raved about the steak tartare, which I rarely order or try these days in restaurants but this was an exception as it was during my birthday weekend. And I was well rewarded.The roasted baby carrots were a revelation. They were extraordinary and so surprisingly flavored (including the plate sauces). These were a really amazing highlight of the visit to Ambar. The Brussels Sprouts and the cauliflower were also very very good. The asparagus, baked beans, and mushroom pilaf were solid but not "I need to write home about it" dishes compared to the others.All of the wood fire grill items are worth a try, but the smoked sausage and the lamb medallions in particular were both standouts. The pork belly stuffed cabbage was also amazing and one of our table's favorites of the night. It was amazing. The beef short rib goulash was good but not great.All of the seafood dishes were very good with the shrimp being exceptionally good. The salmon was probably the least interesting of the seafood dishes.It's hard to find an "off" dish at Ambar, but some will lift you higher than others. Try everything though. It's a fantastic menu with something for everyone.On a seemingly unrelated (but borderline related) note, the carrot ginger drink on offer was one of the best I had during my last trip through Washington, DC (5 days). It was so good and so refreshing and such a lift that someone in your party has to try it the next time you go to Ambar's Shaw location. Have a great meal, which is a virtual guarantee."

Compliments Only

★★★★☆ 4.3 (177) • $$

"I'd heard about this sandwich all over Tiktok and as a Jersey girl who loves a good sub I had to check it out. Ordered through Grubhub from the Dupont location and was happy to see that the sandwich was packaged well. They have good quality wrapping with a cool tape decal that ensures that the sandwich doesn't get too damp. The Crunchy Boi was what I ordered for $15 (upcharge on Grubhub + all the fees) which is turkey, provolone, chips, garlic mayo, pickles, onion, lettuce and oil + vinegar. Again as a jersey girl I appreciate shredded lettuce and oil and vinegar on a sandwich so this was truly the perfect combination of a sandwich. I wasn't blown away when I took my first bite. Maybe it needed a little more seasoning? Like oregano & pepper? The bread was pretty good, soft and held up well for all of the items inside. The sandwich was large enough to be able to enjoy half of it for lunch and the other for dinner. I'm not sure I would get this sandwich all the time because I wasn't blown away and it's pretty pricey when you order on a delivery app. I would however definitely indulge and get one on a warm summer day by the pool or for a picnic. For now it's the best sub I've had in DC. Check it out and let me know what other sandwiches might be good to try here or any other deli in DC."

Yum Yum Hibachi

★★★★★ 4.8 (142) • $$

"My wife recently placed an online order for this trending hibachi spot in my neck of the woods. I was parked outside the establishment as my wife was discussing the order details with me over the phone. As soon as the order was placed, I walked in to let them know that I'm waiting to receive my order. I asked the gentleman at the counter how long it would take to complete it and he said "7 minutes". Surely enough, after 7 minutes my order was ready. The order was completed correctly with the indicated modifications and allergy alerts. The place is mostly to go. They have some picnic tables with benches outside and a huge order window. On that day it was particularly hot out so their window was closed. Although inside was still relatively cool, considering that they have an open kitchen with two big flat tops blasting heat and it being so hot outside. My wife said the online order process was seamless, straight forward and user friendly. We both ordered their steak hibachi bowls which were generous in portion. The steak was soft and flavorful, we both opted for fried rice and that was tasty as well. The zucchini, onion and broccoli were cooked well and also had nice umami and texture. Nothing was mushy. This is considering that I drove home and the food was consumed about 45 minutes after picking it up. You certainly get a good amount of food for the price you pay and the quality is not sacrificed. I'll be returning to try some of their other offerings next time we're in the mood for hibachi."

Al Carbon

★★★★☆ 3.8 (225) • $

"Im the Heart of Rockville is this amazing spot. I happen to come in the morning and ordered the breakfast platter which came with the most flavorful eggs, rice, beans, plátano, sour cream and avocado on the side. The tortillas are home made and super fresh. Everything about this breakfast was amazing!!! The gentleman who I think is the owner is super nice and is the chef himself. He is extremely friendly made me feel super comfortable sitting inside. I can't wait to take the rest of the menu here. If your in the area I highly recommend this spot. You won't regret it!!"

Chopsmith

★★★★☆ 4.3 (175)

"Chopsmith was a great place to get a breakfast sandwich before we embarked on some more sightseeing in D.C. We went there on Labor Day before the rush started to come around. I enjoyed multiple servings of iced coffee while noshing on the Frenchy that comprised spicy aioli, an Any Style Egg, Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Avocado.The service behind the counter was fairly fast and I received both my iced coffee and the sandwich. We enjoyed our food in the dining area at a table that had high ceilings with dark brown wood paneling and white-painted walls. As a sidebar. the bathroom has a numeric lock pad, which you need to ask the associates behind the counter for the combination."

Sin & Grin

★★★★☆ 4.4 (162) • $$

"S&G is one of our two favorite restaurants in the Kentlands, the other being Kenaki. So far we've loved everything about S&G, from the tasty well-prepared reasonably priced tasty dishes (check out the specialsn!) to the well made drinks and the great mix of music, and particularly the friendly, talented staff that brings in a happy crowd of good people."

Grill Kabob Express

★★★★☆ 3.7 (211) • $$

"It's a gem. They have the BEST kabobs! We tried lots of Kabob restaurants in the area. This place is our favorite! Food is automatically ( in our humble opinion) fresh and delicious! Portion, price, service and quality is very great! Their bread is super good! Can't say enough about their food!"

Walters

★★★★☆ 3.8 (185) • $$

"All love, fun and good vibes Lorraine is amazing and truly shows her passion for her establishment!! Coming from Arizona I felt instantly at home here !!!"

Origin Coffee Lab & Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4 (160) • $

"Probably the best cold brew I've ever had. Delicious breakfast! Loved the Mediterranean Scrambled eggs, hubby loved the Huevos Rancheros and of course, we got breakfast dessert, the croissant french toast. Loved everything! Service was quick and friendly. We opted to eat outside since it was packed but enjoyed it!"

Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas

★★★★★ 4.5 (109) • $$

"Gin ramen is such a gem! Located in the Carlyle neighborhood near the US Trade and Patent Office, Gin is dishing out amazing ramen and izakaya staples like fried squid and chicken.This small, intimate space is well lit, beautifully decorated, and very cozy. Gin is usually busy, but not to the point that you've got to wait for a table or a seat at the bar. The staff is very friendly and attentive, and the food and drinks are consistently good. In addition to some of their menu staples such as spicy miso ramen and chashu donburi, they have a small specials menu that rotates rather often. The specials typically include a donburi, a ramen, an appetizer, and two cocktails. I have yet to see any of the specials repeated, so if you see one you're interested in you should try it! I'm a big fan of their veggie ramen and subbing the egg noodles in for the kale noodles, spicy miso ramen, and gyoza."

BLVCK COW

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (213) • $$$

"Ambiance was good. Service was appropriate. Food: The sides were excellent. The double cut pork chops were inedible, overcooked and dried out. Would not recommend. Prices are not worth the quality of food received. I'd like to support but unsure if I'd go there again."

Piece Out Del Ray

★★★★☆ 3.8 (148)

"We went as a group of five for lunch and had a positive experience. It's a newer restaurant and the insides is very spacious with large TVs for sports watching and booth seats. We got a Breakfast Veggie Pizza, Americana, and "Piece Out!" pizzas. Overall they were delicious but didn't necessarily blew us away, especially compared to other nearby pizzerias."

Mamma Lucia of Olney

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (244) • $$

"Table service was better than I expected given the crowds, but other than that my dinner was very disappointing - starting with the hostess on the phone who refused me a single reservation even though there were a number of vacant tables when I arrived at 7:15. The fried mozzarella appetizer was burnt. The seafood pasta special was terrible - a tasteless brothy "sauce" and flavorless scallops and shrimp. The tiramisu was just OK."

Sherwood Gourmet Deli

★★★★☆ 4 (127) • $

"People are so friendly. Immaculately clean. Food tastes very fresh and is positively delicious. I can't wait every item on their menu. I already know I'll be a regular."