Made my first visit due to a recommendation from a neighbor.  The salmon kebabs were amazing and I already know when I return, that is what I will again be ordering.  If a person can judge food by looks, the Greek salad carried past our table looked amazing.  Friday and Saturday they have live music and the bar was beautiful.  Service was decent and the menu was limited.  The owner was just charming and friendly.  I thought the décor was a little dark but I will definitely be back. Thanks neighbor!
Review Source:Cafe Shiraz is a middle eastern kabob house and wine bar that looks like a saloon. The antique wood bar is a work of art. everything on the menu is excellent.The kubideh is my favorite. It is juicy and has that perfect grilled burger like char on the outside. You can smell the dish before it even arrives at the table. Order it with the saffron rice. The bread and side sauces are great. One is spicy green sauce and the other is a yogurt cucumber. Five stars when they get beer on tap and the espresso machine back working. Lots of really good wine.
Review Source:This restaurant is truly a find. Â There were only a few customers so I felt like I needed to leave an accurate review so they don't close. Â Shiraz has been open only about a year; the dining room is a bit sparse but sufficient.
But the reason to go there--Great food! Â Â And their prices can't be beat--I had the chicken kabob for ~$10 and my date had the lamb kabob for ~$12. Â One ordered salad and the other had rice so we shared the very plentiful sides. Â The meat was excellent, very tender and lean, and not of questionable quality like one reviewer noted below. Â The flavor was close to the more renowned Persian restaurants such as Moby Dick but without all the extra grease, a real plus for me. Â
The salad did have dressing on it, but not too much--if you don't like dressing, ask for it on the side. Â It was huge, much larger than expected. Â The rice was also very plentiful and not saturated in oil. Â I do think the prices for salads are a bit steep ($7) when for three bucks more you can get an entire meal including a huge salad. Â Might sell more if they lower the price for those. Â
And they gave a coupon as we left for the next visit, which I believe we will use soon. Â
One comment is that they had the TV and radio on at the same time; that could be better managed.
We visited Shiraz when they opened in February and it still had a lot of potential. We love the Kubedieh kabobs with the tasty Greek salad or rice, but the service and atmosphere is terrible. If you are really hungry, you may not want to go because you may be sitting there pissed off wondering what's taking so long when there's only a couple of tables in the whole restaurant. I Â do credit that there food is tasty, but the experience is awful and have decided to not go back even though we did show our support for 7 months.
Review Source:As I sit here in my 5-by-7 cubicle, on this disgustingly cold and wet day in Alexandria, Virginia, I smile to myself and think, life's not all that bad.
Why you ask?
Well cause I just had some bomb ass Kabob, that's why.
Growing up as a young Iranian immigrant, I was taught that any problem in the world can be solved with food. Well, good food. Which is actually pretty hard to find around my office. That is, affordable good food. But Cafe Shiraz is one of the few establishments around here that fit the bill.
I was tempted to not write this review because it seems like Cafe Shiraz is an unknown neighborhood gem. But I can't be greedy. This is some legit Persian food. Like Moby Dick but not fast-food, so it's less greasy and you get waiter service. Almost as good as Kabob Bazaar but lacks the decor and warm atmosphere. Cafe Shiraz, for what is it, is well done.
The food is made fresh to order and the service is genuinely caring. They're never crowded, which results is some major customer spoiling. They check on you constantly and thank you when you walk out with coupons. Seriously what's not to love about this place.
They even have a full bar in the restaurant, racked with bar seating and stools and tables on the side of the wall. Along with their regular dining tables, the restaurant accommodates any style of dining.
As you can tell, I'm a big fan of this place. I hope everyone gives it a chance, so it'll succeed and I'll continue to have a happy place to go for lunch. Don't fail me Yelp!
Please read this one: Â I travel a ton and just ate at this place, all I can say is WOW! Â I eat this type of food at least once a week wherever I am, this is by far the best food along with some great service I have had in a while. Â Hummus was great however the topper was the 3 meat combination, the owner came to my table and let me know that he would blow the doors off of anywhere I had eaten before, that's big, by the time I was leaving I let the waiter know that the owner was correct, he blew the doors off of the competition. Â I will be visiting this place again next time in the D.C. area.
Review Source:Salads are saturated with dressing. Â Mezze sampler was average at best and the hummus was very bland. Â Bread is hot but has no flavor. Â Lamb was good but the plate was piled with rice and only a small piece of roasted onion and tomato. Â
The atmosphere isnt anything like a Middle Eastern establishment.
And some menu items werent available - only one of three soups and no shrimp.
For $50 for two I could find better eats within 5 miles of this place.
My first time there was for lunch. Â We got there at 11:33ish and the doors were still locked and I thought darn...we should've met up are Shirlington. Someone finally opened the door (only because one of there workers had showed up for work so they had to open the door). Service was really slow even when we were the only ones there. But when we finally got our pita bread and sauces things were looking up! Pita bread was nice and warm. I ordered the mezze combo and that was really good. Vegetables were fresh.
The only thing I didn't like were the flies around our table. Â If they spent time the wacking those flies before they opened the doors....
This was our first time here, as it is a relatively new place. Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food is a favorite of mine. The place is very nice; well-decorated, clean and a nice ambiance. The service was very friendly, but very slow, and inattentive. I thought the food (chicken and kabuddeh) was especially well seasoned and the falafel was delicious. The menu looked like a combo came with salad and rice, but it turned out to be one or the other, and we had to order rice after the food came out. Drinks were never refilled, nor was water served. They don't have their ABC license yet, so you can't even order a glass of their namesake.
All in all this place has a lot of potential, but they have to mature first and iron out some service kinks. I'll come back a few more times and adjust my rating as appropriate. I'm crossing my fingers they get as good as they can!
EDIT: We went back again and many of my original complaints have been addressed as they've been in business. The food is still great, and they have booze now! I'd recommend checking it out if you are unfortunate enough to be in Bradlee Shopping Center.
Just went here for lunch. I had been one other time when they first opened but decided to hold my review for a return trip. All in all not too bad. Â The chicken was moist and the salads were good and flavorful. A little overpowering on the onions. The meat was fresh though and not dry at all. Seasoned well. A few complaints:
1. The saffron rice could be better. Maybe use real saffron? It can be expensive so
This restaurant may be trying to cut corners.
2. Softer pita bread. It was a little stale tasting.
3. Better falafel. Â A little over fried.
4. Faster service
Great Kabob. Great service. Better price.
I've been here four times now--once for takeout and thrice for dining-in. The food has been incredible every single time, as has the service.
This last time I ordered the salmon kabob. The owner forgot to put my order in at first, but made up for it by refilling my $6 glass of wine twice for free. Once the salmon came out, it was perfectly cooked and incredibly delicious. According to the owner, they do not freeze their meat. The salmon was delivered that day.
We talked for awhile, and I mentioned that the walls looked somewhat bare. "I'm not just going to fill them up with stuff from Target and Ikea...I want unique pieces. [He points to a 50lb copper engraving on the wall] This one belongs in a museum! [He places his hand on the bar] this bar I salvaged from a closed-down hotel in Chicago. [He grabs the light fixture above the bar] These lamps have been with me since 1975!
The point of this unnecessary anecdote is to say that the man cares about his restaurant, he cares about the food, and he cares about the customer...and it totally shows!
Go to Shiraz and then go back again. Maybe I'll see you there.
I went with my Persian girlfriend to Cafe Shiraz for the first time. Â Ironically, her family is from Shiraz. Â We thought the kabobs (lamb, beef) were excellent. Â The yogurt was also very good. Â Overall, an excellent meal at a reasonable price. Â Staff were friendly. Â I would come here again when I am in the neighborhood. Â The wine list could use a bit of work but I was there for lunch, so wasn't an issue. Â By the way, you can bring your own and pay a small corkage fee.
Review Source:My husband and I ate their for the first time yesterday and then decided to eat there again today. Â Not only that, but I ordered some of the kubideh kabobs to go too. And I am really picky about my kabobs...
Everything was perfectly cooked and was very authentic. Â The meat was seasoned well and cooked just right --- not overdone as is common with other kabob places. Â The tzatziki (yogurt/cubumber dip/sauce) was excellent and is homemade. Â They also have this spicy green sauce (I can't remember what it is called) but it has just the right amount of kick to make it not so overwhelming/nose sweat inducing. Â The lentil soup (full of lentils, vegetables, and flavor) Â is kind of pricey as an appetizer, but they give you a huge bowl of it, so it would probably be good as a meal on its own. Â I was able to share with my husband and still have a little leftover before our food came. Â We had kubideh kabobs, which is seasoned minced beef (not sure what Kristy R. thought she was going to get, but that's how they are made) and the chicken kabobs. Â Both great choices. Â I will definitely have to try to the lamb and the steak...the steak was unavailable when we were there because it was still marinating.
The staff was very polite and welcoming. Â The owner/manager came by to say hi to us twice and answered my husband's question about the spices used in the dishes. Â Â I think it's awesome and evidence of a good establishment when the folks can tell you all about the food....not just what spices they use, but where the spices come from and how they are made. Â
The prices are about average from other Mediterranean places around, but I am telling you, the quality and the service is MUCH BETTER. Â We got our food in a decent amount of time - 10-15 minutes - but got some bread (lavash, i think?) and tzatziki while we were waiting . Â I mean, this isn't fast food people. Â
We're kind of sad that we discovered this place just now as we're moving a little further away, but we're definitely going to be coming back here as often as we can. Â
(Also, I recommend dipping the kubideh in the tzatziki...really good)
I don't understand how anyone could give this place a bad review. Â We stopped in on Saturday evening (St. Patrick's Day!) because we didn't want to fight the crowds at any of the other nearby watering holes. Â It was an EXCELLENT decision. Â The kabobs were great, the dolmeh was delicious, the service was sincerely pleasant, the decor was elegant and tasteful, and the overall experience was very satisfying. Â We will definitely be back many times now that we've discovered it. Â Their prices are great, too ... Shiraz represents a great value in this market. Â Two quick notes: Â they serve wines but don't have any beer (which seems odd) and these are Lebanese rather than Persian kabobs. Â They're just as delicious, but different.
Review Source:My wife and I stopped at Cafe Shiraz today for lunch. Â This was our first visit but we will definitely be going back. I had the chicken, my wife had the koubideh and we split the appetizer sampler. Â Everything was great. Â Our food came quickly, but we were there at an off hour so I can't speak for how quick the service is normally.
Review Source:I think some of the bad posts were from friends of the other restaurants in the shopping center because the kabobs at this place were awesome. It's about as authentic as you can get and the koubideh melts in your mouth like real kabobs should. Could probably be a bit more decorative because the walls are bare but that has nothing to do with the food.
Basmati rice takes about 45 minutes to cook correctly Allison H, You fake Yelper and probably employee of Kyoto
They are recently opened, so maybe I'll give them another try in six months, depending on whether reviews improve. Â They have a liquor license now but only have 4 wine options and they're all red (reasonably priced, though, the Lindemann's pinot noir was $18). Service wasn't great. Â Asked four times for bread before finally being told that they had run out and the owner had gone out to get more. Â Hard to eat the hummus appetizer without the bread (it came almost at the end of the meal). Â Appetizers and meals came all at the same time, just one of my pet peeves...meals should come when appetizers are finished. Â I ordered lamb kabob, which really wasn't very good...about 8-10 small pieces of lamb that were overcooked and most of the plate was taken up with a pile of rice. Â Prices were reasonable but they need to make some fast improvements in quality of food and service or they won't survive very long.
Review Source:Not a fan of this place at all. Â First, I ordered what i though were persian style kabob and received skewered hamburgers instead. Â They must get their beef from the same place as Wendy's. Â Second, the yogurt sauce tasted like yoplait with cucumbers. Â Third, the staff is totally surly to patrons. Â Not going to come back. Â No way.
Review Source:Nice, little Mediterranean  eatery in the area. I love their chicken kabob and chickpea salad. Both dishes were reasonably priced and prepared quickly. The restaurant is very clean and has a friendly staff which add to its appeal. The only down side is it's always difficult to see that its open. From the outside, the restaurant looks dark when the restaurant is well lit inside.
Review Source:Went there for the first time  and was very impressed by the quality of the food and the service. The waiter went out of his way to be congenial and the even though I got take out, simply warming it in the microwave for 40 seconds did the trick. The salad was delicious and there was plenty of food for the money.It's a new place but I highly recommend it.
Review Source:Excellent food, we need a Persian restaurant in Alexandria, very nice owner will go out of his way to make sure the customer is happy. Â Hope this place stays in business a long time as we will be visiting at least once a week.. Excellent Kabob, no need to complicate the menu any further.
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