The wait was longer than expected, and the meal didn’t feel worth it.”
Emily
Everything tasted a bit flat, like the spices were held back.”
Charlotte
Portions felt small for the price. I left still hungry.”
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Raza khan
The food was decent, but it didn’t stand out. I expected more bold, layered flavors.”
Joseph Kotva
Wonderful food and attention from staff. Although the dishes are broadly Mediterranean, the Egyptian take on them is both a bit different and delicious. There were five of us. Everyone enjoyed the food and atmosphere.
L Y
Amazing food, great atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Galen Vandergriff
$5 first Wednesday of the month deal for a half bowl is a steal! Tried the kofte bowl and it was delicious. I do think it could use a little something green, maybe just a touch of lettuce or something to help balance the meal. But the flavors were great. Will definitely be going back.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tejas Aralere
Just went for kanafeh. I dont know if they use a frozen kanafeh which they heat up in a microwave but it was not good at all. Cold in the middle so i asked them to reheat it twice. If you can’t make a good hot kanafeh, dont put it on the menu!! Friendly staff, but nothing is more disappointing than a cold kanafeh.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Farhad Shah
One of the best, authentic Egyptian food places I have ever been to! Great friendly service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Despina Petradakis (Δέσποινα Πετραδάκη)
My friend and I wandered, saw “Egyptian”, walked in. Amazing. Flavour, quality, and quantity. Try their tzatziki!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Chicken with Zaatar Bowl
Three friends and I are from far out of town and found this restaurant on some reddit list. It happened to be a unique cuisine (Egyptian) and within a 30min walk from our hotel.
Tl;dr: cozy dining room, pretty much self-service. If you don't know what to get, ask Youssef for recommendations: he won't steer you wrong! Standouts: Gollash, the feta with the Fetter Meshaltet, the Hawashei sandwich, the Mosaka bowl and the Kunafa Nutella.
The location was easy to find and the interior was quaint and unpretentious. Wonderful mural highlighting famous and influential Egyptians in our world. We sat in the window which was cozy and out of the way.
Youssef greeted us as we walked in and when We told him that it was our first time having Egyptian food, he gave us menus let us pick our table and then explained what his favorite dishes were in each section of the menu. Since we were four, he recommended that we eat family style, ordering a few dishes and sampling each of them. Best recommendation he could have given! The dishes he recommended were wonderful. There wasn't anything bad that we put into our mouths that he recommended. Even if there were ingredients that we weren't particularly fond of, the dish was still good!
Even though he stood by our table and gave us his recommendations and answered all our questions, we still had to decide what we wanted and go up to the kiosk to order and then help ourselves with utensils and napkins. When the dishes came out, though we were eating family style, they didn't serve us utensils -- except for the Mosaka -- to serve each other family style. So we had to keep getting up to get more utensils for each dish as they came out. If you don't want to order any drinks, they do offer small plastic cups with DC tap water.
From the Starters we had, Macaroni Bechamel (like a macaroni and beef lasagna), Gollash (kinda like a beef quesadilla with flaky phyllo dough), and Fetter Meshaltet (the spicy feta was so flavorful and the honey was thick!) Each of us had our favorites. The Macaroni Bechamel does take a bit of extra time, along with the Mosaka bowl - because they're both baked in the oven.
We also had a few bowls: Mosaka, Chicken Kabob, Kofta, and Egyptian-style Liver. Our liver lover was elated with the liver dish! You can't go wrong with the chicken kabob; all are served over fluffy Egyptian rice, and the kabob is not an Americanized dish at all - still Egyptian flavors and style of cooking: it was very good! For our lamb lovers the kofta was cooked so nicely! The Mosaka was flavorful and the texture was creamy and rich. It worked really nicely with the sides presented.
We also had the Hawashei sandwich. If you're showing up for lunch and want a quick and easy bite, this is our pick! It's grilled and has a nice charred flavor without being too overpowering. And the meat was great! It would be a nice meal to walk and eat with.
The iced mint lemonade was soooooo good! We made sure to savor it and not drink it too quickly.
We finished off with the Kunafa Nutella and the Om Ali Pudding. The pudding had a nice flavor, and came to us warmed and not too hot. I do think it was a little on the soft side. It was the last one of the night, and maybe had sat a little too long, so it was a little goopy, but flavor was perfect! The Kunafa Nutella was amazing. The crispy shredded wheat pastry sandwiching the perfect layer of Nutella, served with the sides of honey syrup and pistachios to top as you like. Even when drenched in syrup the pastry was still crispy and the flavor of the honey syrup didn't overpower the whole thing. The pistachios added another crunchy element to it and brought another layer of complexity or the hazelnut of the Nutella. I'd come back for that dessert!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Arthur Busick
Go for the lunch special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Allison Johnson
So glad I discovered this spot. Everything we ordered was great. Easily one of the best falafels I've had in my life. Service was warm and the food came out super fast. 10/10 would recommend. We'll be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chenar Ghafur
Real falafel and shawrma
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Xinyan Zhang
This DC gem serves authentic, soul-warming Egyptian fare in a cozy, inviting space ! The star koshary blends rice, lentils, macaroni, and crispy onions with fragrant tomato sauce, hearty and addictive. Silky lentil soup, brightened by lemon and cilantro, pairs perfectly with warm flatbread. Creamy hummus, elevated by olive oil and cumin, is sooooo good. The spiced chicken mushroom bowl, with tender chicken and savory sauce over rice, is rich and satisfying. Attentive service, generous portions, and unbeatable flavor make it a DC favourite !!!
The wait was longer than expected, and the meal didn’t feel worth it.”
Everything tasted a bit flat, like the spices were held back.”
Portions felt small for the price. I left still hungry.”
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The food was decent, but it didn’t stand out. I expected more bold, layered flavors.”
Wonderful food and attention from staff. Although the dishes are broadly Mediterranean, the Egyptian take on them is both a bit different and delicious. There were five of us. Everyone enjoyed the food and atmosphere.
Amazing food, great atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
$5 first Wednesday of the month deal for a half bowl is a steal! Tried the kofte bowl and it was delicious. I do think it could use a little something green, maybe just a touch of lettuce or something to help balance the meal. But the flavors were great. Will definitely be going back.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just went for kanafeh. I dont know if they use a frozen kanafeh which they heat up in a microwave but it was not good at all. Cold in the middle so i asked them to reheat it twice. If you can’t make a good hot kanafeh, dont put it on the menu!! Friendly staff, but nothing is more disappointing than a cold kanafeh.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
One of the best, authentic Egyptian food places I have ever been to! Great friendly service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My friend and I wandered, saw “Egyptian”, walked in. Amazing. Flavour, quality, and quantity. Try their tzatziki!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Chicken with Zaatar Bowl
Restaurantji Recommends
Three friends and I are from far out of town and found this restaurant on some reddit list. It happened to be a unique cuisine (Egyptian) and within a 30min walk from our hotel.
Tl;dr: cozy dining room, pretty much self-service. If you don't know what to get, ask Youssef for recommendations: he won't steer you wrong! Standouts: Gollash, the feta with the Fetter Meshaltet, the Hawashei sandwich, the Mosaka bowl and the Kunafa Nutella.
The location was easy to find and the interior was quaint and unpretentious. Wonderful mural highlighting famous and influential Egyptians in our world. We sat in the window which was cozy and out of the way.
Youssef greeted us as we walked in and when We told him that it was our first time having Egyptian food, he gave us menus let us pick our table and then explained what his favorite dishes were in each section of the menu. Since we were four, he recommended that we eat family style, ordering a few dishes and sampling each of them. Best recommendation he could have given! The dishes he recommended were wonderful. There wasn't anything bad that we put into our mouths that he recommended. Even if there were ingredients that we weren't particularly fond of, the dish was still good!
Even though he stood by our table and gave us his recommendations and answered all our questions, we still had to decide what we wanted and go up to the kiosk to order and then help ourselves with utensils and napkins. When the dishes came out, though we were eating family style, they didn't serve us utensils -- except for the Mosaka -- to serve each other family style. So we had to keep getting up to get more utensils for each dish as they came out. If you don't want to order any drinks, they do offer small plastic cups with DC tap water.
From the Starters we had, Macaroni Bechamel (like a macaroni and beef lasagna), Gollash (kinda like a beef quesadilla with flaky phyllo dough), and Fetter Meshaltet (the spicy feta was so flavorful and the honey was thick!) Each of us had our favorites. The Macaroni Bechamel does take a bit of extra time, along with the Mosaka bowl - because they're both baked in the oven.
We also had a few bowls: Mosaka, Chicken Kabob, Kofta, and Egyptian-style Liver. Our liver lover was elated with the liver dish! You can't go wrong with the chicken kabob; all are served over fluffy Egyptian rice, and the kabob is not an Americanized dish at all - still Egyptian flavors and style of cooking: it was very good! For our lamb lovers the kofta was cooked so nicely! The Mosaka was flavorful and the texture was creamy and rich. It worked really nicely with the sides presented.
We also had the Hawashei sandwich. If you're showing up for lunch and want a quick and easy bite, this is our pick! It's grilled and has a nice charred flavor without being too overpowering. And the meat was great! It would be a nice meal to walk and eat with.
The iced mint lemonade was soooooo good! We made sure to savor it and not drink it too quickly.
We finished off with the Kunafa Nutella and the Om Ali Pudding. The pudding had a nice flavor, and came to us warmed and not too hot. I do think it was a little on the soft side. It was the last one of the night, and maybe had sat a little too long, so it was a little goopy, but flavor was perfect! The Kunafa Nutella was amazing. The crispy shredded wheat pastry sandwiching the perfect layer of Nutella, served with the sides of honey syrup and pistachios to top as you like. Even when drenched in syrup the pastry was still crispy and the flavor of the honey syrup didn't overpower the whole thing. The pistachios added another crunchy element to it and brought another layer of complexity or the hazelnut of the Nutella. I'd come back for that dessert!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Go for the lunch special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
So glad I discovered this spot. Everything we ordered was great. Easily one of the best falafels I've had in my life. Service was warm and the food came out super fast. 10/10 would recommend. We'll be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Real falafel and shawrma
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This DC gem serves authentic, soul-warming Egyptian fare in a cozy, inviting space ! The star koshary blends rice, lentils, macaroni, and crispy onions with fragrant tomato sauce, hearty and addictive. Silky lentil soup, brightened by lemon and cilantro, pairs perfectly with warm flatbread. Creamy hummus, elevated by olive oil and cumin, is sooooo good. The spiced chicken mushroom bowl, with tender chicken and savory sauce over rice, is rich and satisfying. Attentive service, generous portions, and unbeatable flavor make it a DC favourite !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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