Zikrayet Reviews

YELP REVIEWS:

1 /20/2010

My friends and I spent most of our under-21 years just praying for the day that hookah would come to Old Town. We were tired of hauling our asses out to Skyline whenever we needed our shisha fix.
Now, not only is there a hookah bar in Old Town, but there is a hookah bar+bar bar! Something everyone from 18-118 can enjoy!
I went to this bar when it first opened, and I've been back a handful of times since then. The wait staff has always been extremely accommodating. The hookah costs a bit more than it would at Aladdin, but think of what you get for the price:
hot waiters and waitress super super nice places to lounge and smoke not having to worry about whether or not your car will still be there and not riddled with bullet holes when you get out
the ability to get your drink on, if you'd like an extensive menu a bellydancer class. Order the Jalab. And get some Starbuzz hookah. You won't regret it!

8/29/2009

Go at night, after happy hour, and have the place to yourself. Very good middle-eastern food, excellent drinks, reasonable prices, and lavish service from, if you're lucky, the very attractive lady manager. Won't try the hukkah--and appreciate that it doesn't have a strong odor.

8/7/2009

Watch out Joe Theismann's, Zikrayet is fast becoming THE happy hour hangout in the King Street Metro area of Old Town!

I. Love. This. Place. Over the past couple of months, I've been to Zikrayet at LEAST once a week for lunch or happy hour/dinner and have never left hungry or disappointed!!!

First of all, it's super-convenient to my place of business AND public transportation -- it's in easy walking distance of BOTH the Eisenhower and King Street Metro stations AND right on several DASH bus lines.

The hip lounge atmosphere indoors is well-complemented by plentiful outdoor seating -- it almost makes me feel like I'm back in NYC to be able to pop by after work and have a drink outside with other interesting, young professionals in such a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. AND, unlike other eating establishments in this area, service in the outdoor seating area is GREAT -- there always seems to be at least 2-3 servers working the outdoor area so you don't feel "forgotten about."

Secondly, I L-O-V-E Lebanese food and Zikrayet does not disappoint. From the stuffed grape leaves to the baba ganoush to the lamb shank - it is all delicious. The food is well-seasoned, the portions are generous, and the friendly wait staff is quick to keep your glass full while you dine.

Joyce, the owner, has been on-site almost every single time I've been there and she's super friendly and is always milling about making sure her customers are adequately taken care of. Often times, she's stopped by our table to offer us complimentary treats or discount cards for future visits -- this woman pours her heart and soul into her retaurant and it shows.

Welcome to the neighborhood Zikrayet!!!!!

OPEN TABLE REVIEWS:

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"I work nearby and had enjoyable lunches there on several occasions, dining both inside and outside on sidewalk patio. Service is very courteous and attentive. The food offering is a tasty selection of Lebanese cuisine, including hot and cold mezze (hummus w/ meat, excellent), lamb kabob, and many other dishes. There are good choices for vegetarians too.

Thursday outing started at 5 PM, a friendly reunion of 9. We sat in the lounge, dined on mezzes, (calamari is very good), and enjoyed many bottles of Lebanese red wine. I met the owner and his wife. Very nice. The lounge filled up later in the evening and many hookahs were stoked up. I (over) enjoyed the mild grape-flavored smoke, but not the next morning. Overall, highly recommended."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, late-night find, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Great Friday/Saturday hangout with friends. Love the ambiance and music, however certain sections of the restaurant need better or extra speakers to improve sound quality. Hookah is excellent. Appetizers were good. Tabouleh needs more authentic touch however (this coming from a Lebanese.) Waiters are fast and friendly."

Zikrayet

Reviewed by Cynthia Hacinli @ THE WASHINGTONIAN

Very lively Lebanese lounge.

Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, late-night find

One of that new breed, a hybrid of restaurant and lounge, Zikrayet—in Alexandria’s “Carlyle” neighborhood—has diversions aplenty. A belly dancer undulates through the dining room on weekends. A DJ plays Arabic and house tunes on Fridays. Hookahs packed with aromatic fruitwoods are there for smoking every day of the week. And there’s food, too.

Chef Samer Ramadan, formerly of Georgetown’s popular Neyla, has put together a menu of mezze and bigger plates. Dips are a strong suit: Olive oil adds depth to the silky hummus, and the baba ghanoush is wonderfully smoky. Tabbouleh is a true parsley salad with flecks of bulgur and tomato. Also good: a salad of beets with well-dressed beet greens.

From the lineup of hot plates, pan-fried halloumi cheese is nicely crisped, and kibbeh batata, a wedge of spiced ground beef, pine nuts, and potatoes, is a less familiar but delicious pick—the bar’s orange-blossom-spiked lemonade makes a great foil for the savory pie. Kebabs tend to be dry, and the tiny Lebanese sausages known as makanek are gritty-tasting. Better to go for juicy beef kofta or shawarma, marinated strips of beef or chicken, with spiced red onions, pickled vegetables, tahini sauce, and a mound of almond-studded basmati rice.

Service and pacing have come up a notch or two since the early going, but there’s still room for improvement. If you’re intent on covering all the bases, getting the right plate at the right time counts, too.

This review appeared in the January, 2009 issue of the Washingtonian.