Middle Eastern Restaurants near Annandale, VA

“In a world where customer service is scarce, this place goes above and beyond to make you feel welcomed AND appreciated. It’s not fake! It’s not forced, it’s just an amazing positive environment.
The food: phenomenal. I’ve frequented the restaurant a few times in the short time I found them and everything I’ve had is SEASONED to perfection. I’ve had the chicken, beef, and lamb kabobs. Whichever meat you prefer to eat, choose that! Cant go wrong with any of their kabobs. I had a dish with meat sauce and rice, and a few different sides. My favorite side are the potatoes. Those potatoes are made with love!
Overall, if you’re thinking about trying this place out, go for it!! If you don’t know what to try, just ask them!“

“Amazing food ! AMAZING SERVICE !!! Will be coming back 😍🤤“

“We've been driving all the way down to Moby Dicks at the Kentlands, and then to the new Shady Grove restaurant, from Thurmont, MD. Yes, the food is that good! Now there's one in Frederick.���“

“ما شاء الله مطعم مع اراكيل شي راقي ونظيف استقبال روعه اسلوب تعامل حلو جدا ..... شكرآ لكم وفقكم ربي“

“Always delicious traditional Egyptian fare. My Egyptian husband makes me drive two hours just to eat here. Although the food is delicious and healthy, my fav thing is the mint lemonade which they make by hand.“

“I’ve been to a couple of Afghan Kabob restaurants but this one was truly really great and tasty. The food was delicious and the customer service was the best. I highly recommend trying out Fairfax Kabob!“

“Yafa Grille location in Lorton, VA is out of this world! We ordered the chicken shawarma, steak shawarma, and a chicken bowl — and every bite was absolutely incredible. The chicken was juicy, the steak was tender, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. The chicken bowl was overflowing with fresh, vibrant toppings — crisp arugula, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, briny olives, and sumac-seasoned onions. Everything was unbelievably fresh. Their garlic cream (toum) was next level — light, fluffy, and made fresh with healthy ingredients. The hummus was velvety smooth and full of flavor. You can truly taste the quality and care they put into every dish. This was hands down one of the best Mediterranean meals we’ve ever had. Can’t wait to go back!“

“Great Mediterranean food! The chef is the Master!“

“Never disappointed!! The veggies taste amazing, the bread is perfect/not overdone, and the chicken is always so moist. I wish there was a larger seating area, but not a big deal. If I could change anything, it would be the music. Doesn’t fit the vibe.“

“Nice Shawarma Tasty food.“

“It was such as a wonderful experience; I loved it so much everyone was so kind and welcoming, the food was great, tasty and Full of flavor. The service was 5/5 and very friendly. I'm definitely going there again with my friends!“

“I tried the kabob platter at Kabul Castle Kabob and it was a great Afghan meal. The rice was fluffy and flavorful, topped with sweet carrots and raisins. The kabobs were tender and nicely grilled, especially the chicken which was juicy and well seasoned. The meal also came with fresh bread, a crispy samosa, chickpeas, sabzi, and a fresh salad, which made the plate feel complete. The portions were generous, the quality was high, and the price was very reasonable for the quantity you get. A very satisfying and authentic Afghan meal.“

“i thought I cooked good basmati rice. The rice I had there today kicked my rices butt!“

“Excellent presentation and great tasting food. Tried kibbeh, falafel and fatoush as well eggplant fette and it was all authentic Syrian made with love.“

“Good food. Been around for decades. Only issue is take away is served styrofoam and the rice tastes like styrofoam… why can’t they learn? Old owners hate change.“

“VA Kabob House is absolutely amazing! The kabobs are incredibly delicious—perfectly seasoned, juicy, and cooked to perfection. Every bite was full of flavor and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. The service was just as fantastic as the food: friendly, welcoming, and attentive, making the whole experience even better. If you’re looking for great kabobs and outstanding customer service, VA Kabob House is definitely the place to go. Highly recommended!“

“Exceptional Service. Culinary Excellence. Our dining experience at JOON was extraordinary, made even better by the exceptional service from our server, Yacine. His thoughtful recommendations, warm demeanor, and perfectly timed attentiveness made for an unforgettable evening. Even as the restaurant got busier, Yacine maintained his focus on us— a warm and welcoming touch that elevated the entire experience. Thank you! As fans of Persian cuisine and frequent shoppers at Yekta Market in Rockville— having recently tried our hand at making Persian dishes like Fesenjan at home— coupled with all of the culinary accolades— we had high expectations for JOON. It not only met but exceeded them. Mast-o Musir, yogurt dish with Persian dried shallot and rose petal, was exceptional— more elevated and nuanced than any we’ve had. The mushroom Khoresht stew with white truffle was another highlight, offering perfectly balanced flavors something hard to do with white truffles and a satisfying richness, complemented by the perfectly crunchy Tahdig, iconic golden rice crust. The braised lamb shoulder which Yacine suggested was the undeniable highlight of the meal I which each dish was excellent. Tender and flavorful, it was paired beautifully with texture. It’s a signature dish that rivals the best we’ve ever had, bringing to mind the legendary Bo Ssam pork shoulder from David Chang’s Momofuku— bold, unforgettable, and expertly prepared. The Gormeh Sabzi, short rib stew with its delicious sour depth, was excellent but couldn’t quite match the lamb’s showstopping brilliance. Two very minor points. While the food and service are exceptional, the main dining room lighting would benefit from dimming. A water filtration water system could make a big difference as well. JOON has firmly secured its place as a must-visit dining destination for us. We can’t wait to return and explore more of the menu.“

“I had a wonderful experience at Simsim . The food was absolutely delicious, especially the mint dish I ordered—it was fresh, flavorful, and really stood out. What made the visit even better was the exceptional service; the staff were friendly, attentive, and made me feel very welcome. Overall, a fantastic place for great food and a pleasant dining experience. I’ll definitely be coming back!“

“I love it here. I wish I took pictures. But I was just so happy the entire time I forgot. Everything about Saba is beautiful. The food is amazing. The people are kind and sweet and happy to have you there. Our waiter was Hamza. He was wonderful and helpful and so sweet. Whenever anyone asked me any question all I could say was “I’m so happy”. Because truly, everything was lovely. I cannot wait to come back. I will be telling everyone I know about my very happy experience here.“

“Maman Joon Kitchen makes some of the most delicious kebabs I’ve ever tried. Very juicy, fresh, tender, and packed with flavor. Everything tastes clean and homemade, and the quality is consistently excellent. If you love authentic, flavorful kebabs, this place is a must-try!“

“Friendly & efficient service! Great tasting food, check it out!“

“Stopped here by chance while driving by.
The food was excellent. Fish was fresh and well fried.
Rice was very flavourful, meat tender and sauces were worth trying.
And the service was A+
The whole place was bright and clean.
Definitely recommend if you are ear by“

“We visited this cozy little restaurant tonight for the first time. Excellent food and service. The people who work here are very friendly. Very diverse menu. They specialize in Yemeni and Ethiopian food. We shared the vegetarian platter, which is Ethiopian. We also shared a pot of wonderful Middle Eastern tea, boiled with milk, cardamon, sugar, and maybe some saffron. We will be back.“

“the whole thing - the people - the food - all good“

“Second visit to this location . Quality , value and excellent taste . What more can I say .“

“Great people, and delicious food.“

“The gentleman at the counter had wonderful customer service. We paid for our food even brought it to the table, which was very nice. It felt like fine dining, he gave us a bit of conversation and seem like such a pleasant gentlemen. I enjoyed the food. It was amazing. I eat every drop and the baklava ice cream with everything took a friend for the first time. My friend said he enjoyed it, and we will definitely be back again. I recommend this place highly if you love Greek food and gyros.“

“Been eating Moby dick for over 20 years now. They've managed to preserve the quality in everything except the pita. This bread is obviously now shipped in from a factory and not made fresh. I understand that y'all are expanding rapidly but I would ask that you bring back the fresh baked pita cuz this dry cardboard is tanking my experience“

“To start with Shamshiry in Tysons is still halal except for their steak. I asked them and they reconfirmed. I am sure a lot of you have been to Shamshiry , and their food has not changed since forever and it’s always so flavorful. I also love their newly renovated restaurant, it give such a nice feel to the experience. As always, the restaurant was full as usual and we added our name to the que. The new change is, this time they gave us a buzzer, something that I would love all the Muslim establishments have. It makes wait looks more reasonable. While we waited I saw live grilling from their kitchen which is in the wait area. The kitchen looked clean and the staff seem to look happy and enjoying what they do. After about 20-25 minutes wait our buzzer went off and we were promptly seated. We all love their Kubeida Kabob (Beef skewers) and every individual in the family ordered that. We also got cokes and small pitcher of Doogh. While we waited for our food, complimentary fresh baked breads (Roti) with butter, and spicy chutney was served. My boys love making the bread sandwich, by spreading butter, adding samak and a few drops of olive oil with a hint of spicy chutney and making it to a roll. While we enjoyed the self made rolls our food came out in a timely manner. Kubeidas were freshly made and the flavor was amazing like always. It was moist and juicy. If you like Doogh this is the place to get it. They make fresh Doogh with perfection in house. The wait staff was not readily available as the restaurant was full, but always responded back when asked for help. Shamshiry not only upgraded their restaurant but overall experience. Instead of serving pre-made bread they now bake their own bread. The wait buzzer is a good addition as well as it reduces the crowd near the counter. The water bottles are with the restaurant name engraved. It’s a nice blue bottle and for some reason the water tasted crisper. It might be in my head. The food is always on point and I’ve never had bad food there since 2006. If you haven’t been to Shamshiry lately, give it a shot. Be ready for long wait and not the best service, but the food is gonna make up for it. For all you bathroom lovers, you may not wanna come out of it, nicely upgraded with upgraded no touch faucet and dryer with real towels to wipe hands.“

“New location in McLean was modern and bright, very clean. They now gave a Market on the lower level. Food was yummy and fresh, hummus was a little different, not the smooth, great flavor as in the past; bland flavor. The restaurant was busy and there were several employees working, yet the wait time for the food was 30 minutes. I'm sure it will get better as the staff gets accustomed to the number of guests! Try it! Enjoy!“

“Great food and service! Thank you.“

“The food was delicious!! It was a great , more than enough to eat Very friendly place!!!awesome staff Highly recommend!!!“

“Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.“

“AMAZING experience here at Balqees. I recommend this place for family events and activities. Really is phenomenal, never had an experience like this before“

“AMAZING FOOD!! Me and my family went there two days ago and everything was just perfect. We had chicken, lamb, and beef kabob and it all just tasted amazing. Make sure you try their food with their special hot sauce and BREAD, you won't regret it. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for that original kabob taste.“

“I had dinner at Shawarma Gyro Express in Arlington and absolutely loved it. The buffet had great variety, everything was fresh and flavorful, and the service was amazing. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. Definitely a place I’ll be coming back to!“

“Amazing food and service! definitely will be going back!!“

“Les recomendados muy delicioso la tensión ni que decir Carlos el nuevo trabajador muy amable“

“I love this kabob takeout spot! The food is always delicious, and the kabobs are cooked perfectly every time—never burnt, always flavorful. Andrea is especially kind and friendly, and she makes every visit feel welcoming. Highly recommend if you’re looking for great food and great service!“

“They’ve ruined me for Lebanese food anywhere else lol“

“Excellent food. My whole family loved it. Will return again.“

“Their Afghan cuisine is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY delicious! I ordered the grilled lamp chops and chicken/beef kabob platter. It came with 2 difference styled of basmati rice (plain and sessoned); alot of food and a good value! They also have a buffet. Oh and their sides spinach and chickpeas are scrumptious! I highly recommend this place...check them out!“

“We had an event at the Springfield location. The food, service, and staff were wonderful. I've never had Yemeni food, but HOLY! It was all delicious. Im hoping they sell the baba ganoush, hummus, freekeh, and baklava so I can buy some for parties.“

“First customer of 2019 here! Had the loobia polo, ghormez sabzi, and so much more. Everything was delicious and the service was wonderful! They're super friendly here and make you feel like family. I will definitely be coming back!“

“Well, yesterday I stopped by this amazing place for the first time. All what can i say is I truly enjoyed the experience. Food was great and service was fantastic.
Thank you so much for the hospitality.
Prices were reasonable well.
Keep it up guys!!!“

“This was my first experience with this type of food, and it was good! Very filling, the single protein platter was more than I could eat in one sitting, and I'm a rather large eater. I would go back. However, I would say The Halal Guys are comparable to the Little Ceasars or Domino's of their place in the industry. If you want to play it safe with a commercialized version of Halal food, then this is it. Please don't take that as a negative, Little Ceasars has its place in the market & it's time for when necessary, and so does The Halal Guys.“

“Great authentic south Asian cuisine . The restaurant is know world wide for its authentic and delicious curries , Kabab’s and samosa and chats run by customer friendly staff and managers“

“I spoke with a man named Taha to order a variety of Persian kebab, etc. for a Surprise Birthday Party and was very satisfied, as well as the 30 guests who attended and (most being Persian) on the quality of the food. The kebabs were tender, the rice was good quality and the extra sides very plentiful. I would highly recommend this for a large gathering because the price was very reasonable and service very customer friendly, especially ordering from Taha. Kudo's to him and all his help in making this special birthday even more special and worry free for me.“

“I eat at this Halal Guys almost every day and it’s always a great experience. The food is always fresh, portions are generous, and everything tastes just right. The staff is super friendly and welcoming, and the manager runs the place really well. You can tell they care about their customers. Definitely a five-star spot in Fairfax“