Alshami Restaurant

Shockingly Hostile Experience – Avoid at All Costs

I have never written a negative review before, but what happened at Alshami Restaurant in Arlington, VA was truly unacceptable.

The restaurant offers a self-serve Syrian breakfast buffet, but it was extremely overcrowded and poorly managed, with long waits and limited seating. My party waited about 20 minutes to be seated, and after only 30 minutes of eating, an older man who appeared to be the owner approached us multiple times asking if we were leaving—making us feel rushed and very uncomfortable.

Ironically, despite it being a buffet, the owner clearly doesn’t want people to enjoy it. He stood there hawkishly watching every plate and table, creating an atmosphere of stress instead of hospitality.

While we were still eating (and had just gotten some sweets), the owner aggressively began yanking plates and cups from our table, even though we were clearly still using them. When we questioned his behavior, he became hostile and caused a disruptive scene in front of other guests. Things escalated when he attempted to swing or slap me after I calmly stated that we had paid for our meal and deserved to finish in peace.

When I demanded a refund, he refused. We left immediately, deeply disturbed—not only by his aggression, but also by his shocking remark: “This is why I don’t like Arabs in my restaurant.” Keep in mind, this is a Syrian restaurant, which made the comment even more appalling.

I strongly advise everyone to avoid this restaurant entirely. No one deserves to be treated this way. Please check other reviews on Google and Yelp—there appear to be multiple reports of similar behavior. This establishment needs to be held accountable for its unprofessional, discriminatory, and abusive conduct.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

I was genuinely excited to try Al Sham Restaurant after seeing all the posts on social media, but the reality was a total disappointment. The food quality was far from authentic or fresh. The hummus and baba ghanoush tasted like they came straight out of a can, lacking any real flavor or homemade touch. The croissants seemed to be store-bought, possibly from Costco. The falafel were clearly frozen, refried, and came out dry and overcooked. The tea was served before it was ready and tasted like plain water. To top it off, they didn’t have any manaesh available.

We waited close to 40 minutes just to get in, and once inside, the experience went downhill fast. The buffet, if you can even call it that, had only about four items, most of which were empty. Staff made no effort to replenish anything, and when we asked for plates, we were handed tiny dessert sized ones. There was also no silverware available until we repeatedly requested it.

The staff seemed overwhelmed and unprepared, and management was more focused on collecting payment upfront than ensuring guests were actually served properly. I can understand why, many people probably would have left after seeing the lack of organization and poor presentation. The whole place felt like a cheap two star hotel breakfast buffet rather than an authentic Syrian dining experience.
To make matters worse, the price was misleading. Their social media advertised 20 dollars per person, but the final bill came out to 27 each after taxes and fees, completely unjustified for what was offered.
Overall, Al Sham was an unfortunate waste of time and money. I would not recommend it to anyone looking for genuine Middle Eastern food or a pleasant dining experience. Save yourself the frustration and go to Agora or anywhere else, this place simply is not worth it.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

We came for brunch, which runs from 11 AM to 2 PM. When we arrived, an older man—who seemed to be the owner—opened the door and asked if we had a reservation. We said no, because the day before we had called and were told that no reservations were needed. After a short moment, he let us in.

It’s a buffet-style brunch where you pay first before getting your food. We paid and started to get some items. When my husband went to get some hummus, the owner said something to him in Arabic, asking if we were planning to leave. That comment felt very uncomfortable and unnecessary, especially since we had already paid. It gave the impression that he didn’t want us to go back for more food, even though it’s supposed to be a buffet.

The food itself was okay, but the service and attitude from the owner made the experience unpleasant. We left disappointed and won’t be coming back.

I would give “-10” if negative score available.
After seeing adds on social media, we decided to try this place for Brunch. Came there 12:50pm and joined the line of people outside the restaurant. When we were close to the gate, around 13:20 one of the restaurant staff came out and announced that there was no food left and no buffet available at all.
That was absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. All this time they saw people waiting outside and said nothing. After spending all that time in line, we got nothing even it is mentioned that brunch time is 11am to 2pm.
Such irresponsible and disrespectful behavior never ever experienced before.
This place is not exist for us anymore.
We are lucky to have a great choice of amazing places with great food and wonderful customer service. But Alshami restaurant - never ever again!
DISGUSTING AND SHAME ON YOU!

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

Today, I made a grave mistake by visiting this appalling restaurant. After enduring an excruciating wait of over an hour in a lengthy queue outside, a cheerful restaurant worker approached us and informed us that the food was over and they wouldn’t be giving us any charity. Despite it being only 1:20 p.m., we still had approximately 40 minutes left. It was a frustrating and disheartening experience. To waste all this time and be subjected to such absurd nonsense simply because the owner had made a decision is unacceptable and utterly appalling. What a terrible day it has been. I firmly believe that someone with pride and self-respect would never repeat this regrettable mistake. 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

Date of Visit: November 2, 2025
We came for brunch and waited 30 minutes to be seated. Unfortunately, our table had to be moved three times due to a confusing and poorly arranged floor plan.

The food was a major letdown. Most serving trays were empty for almost an hour, and the fava beans were cold, hard, and undercooked. Despite staying and asking multiple times for 45 minutes, no tea was available. Croissant are from Costco or Walmart....., olives are out of the can not even washed and smelly, hummus is from can, old bread from freezer,......... list is long of disappointments.

Guests are charged upon entry, yet there was little to no food and no service. Even though it’s a self-serve setup, a tip is automatically added—which feels misleading.

Overall:
- Poor service
- No food available
- Unclean environment
- Not representative of Middle Eastern cuisine

Recommendation: Skip this place. It’s not worth your time or money. Disgrace to middle eastern cuisine.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

The food was okay.. as a Syrian, I can say there’s nothing particularly special or authentic about it. We arrived around 11am and had to wait in a long queue. Once inside, the waitress was quite rude, and they even locked the door so people waiting outside couldn’t come in. Overall, not a pleasant experience.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

Bad service

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Absolutely amazing! I came across their restaurant on Instagram and decided to give it a try for their Sunday breakfast. The line to get in started before they opened, and as time went on got extremely long. Which is understandable for the price and the deliciously authentic food. The staff (family) were all so kind and the service was also great. I'm definitely recommending this place to more people.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Unfortunately, the food was very disappointing. The Fava beans dish was straight from the can and wasn’t spice very well. The fatty was ok but too salty. The manakyyish Zaatar were basically a toasted pita bread with some Zaatar over it. Sojok tasted like normal ground beef with some spices. The only thing that was acceptable in my opinion was that Falafel. It tastes OK. In general I’m disappointed at this place

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

We were really looking forward to trying this Syrian restaurant, but unfortunately it was a huge disappointment. The labneh man2oushi was made on plain pita bread and tasted nothing like a real man2oushi. The flavor of the foul was also off, it just didn’t taste right at all, and the Zaatar fries came cold and not made from fresh potatoes. Overall, the food was far from authentic and definitely not enjoyable. It completely ruined our experience, and we won’t be coming back.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 2

Recommended dishes: Hummus, Fries, Damascus Falafel

First time visiting this restaurant, the food was fresh and delicious! The owner was very friendly and welcoming. I’ll definitely be coming back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

By far, the worst service of any restaurant I’ve been to in the DC area. I went for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I understand it was busy, but that doesn’t mean the following had to happen when not even all tables were full:
-had to wait ten minutes to be seated, even when some tables were empty.
-had to flag several servers to come to me just to take my order, after waiting another 10-15 minutes.
-first the wrong food came out, then my entree. Appetizers came out long after I was done eating my entree. So I got my chicken shawarma sandwich, finished it, then zaatar fries, finished it, and then hummus. Had to ask two different waiters to bring me bread, had to ask for silverware and napkins.
-sandwich was alright (not cold but definitely not hot), fries were soggy and could definitely tell they were frozen before. Hummus was the only good dish I got.
-I ordered a lemon mint smoothie, that should’ve been the first thing out but I had to ask literally four times for it to be brought out. After sitting for 40 minutes, I told my server just to give me my check if it’s not even ready yet. Miraculously, the smoothie came out two minutes later. I would’ve ordered desert, tea, and maybe another appetizer or dish but after the service I experienced, I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

I’m Syrian, have been to several other Syrian and middle eastern restaurants and have never had this poor of a service. I’m always understandable if it’s busy, but that doesn’t mean the quality of service has to be as bad as it was here. Probably never going to come back. Plus, why charge a “supplemental fee”? $40 for lunch for one person is already too high for this quality of service and food, I would’ve had a lot better experience at Illilli or Villa Yara for less.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

Best halal food in the DMV area. Food taste and presentation, service, and hospitality are like no more. Highly recommended!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Authentic, incredible Damascene cuisine. Everything was delicious! Even the food presentation was great. A very underrated spot!