Aladdin’s Eatery

While the flavors here are great, and the atmosphere is nice the service is less then was expected. The water glasses were kept full, and that was about it.
We ordered an appetizer, which was nice.
When our meal came the follow up was not until we were half way done. My sample platter had a dry brick for one of the chicken items. The other whole chicken breast was tender and very flavorful. Our garbanzo dish was excellent, worth having again.

How I heard of this place: My good friend and Arlingtonian gourmand invited us to join him before his LivingSocial deal expired.
Type of cuisine: «Our intention at Aladdin’s Eatery [where they serve Lebanese/​American food] is to provide our customers with unique natural foods of the Middle East, while at the same time cater to their increased awareness and concern regarding health and nutrition.»
«Aladdin’s Eateries feature distinctive rolled pita sandwiches, pita pockets, and „Pitza’s“ made with homemade pita bread. The pita bread contains no fat, cholesterol, or oil. No sulfites or preservatives are used. Only fresh vegetables and meats appear on the menus. Over seventy menu items are Vegetarian or Vegan. Imported olive oil is used for both homemade salad dressings and sauté’s. Aladdin’s Eatery offers twelve varieties of natural herb teas without artificial flavoring or preservatives. Juices are squeezed to order to ensure maximum freshness. In addition to the best tasting Lebanese/​American food, Aladdin’s Eateries also offer the unique „Smoothies,“ a tantalizing blend of fresh fruits and juices.
Good tasting, high quality and exciting meals are only the beginning. The menu also features a wide variety of meals suitable for Gluten Free, Diabetic and Heart healthy diets. Aladdin’s Eateries emphasizes simplicity in both customer service and preparation. Return customers are the lifeblood of the business. Quality, consistency and friendly service keeps them.»
Ambiance: «Aladdin’s Eatery Systems, Inc. strives to lead the way in serving healthy, nutritious Lebanese/​American food in a relaxed, casual and smoke-​free atmosphere with superior service. Founded in 1994 by Fady and Sally Chamoun, their dream has become a highly successful business promoting health and friendliness.»
«Aladdin’s Eatery is environmentally friendly, smoke-​free and uses recycled non-​food products.
Aladdin’s Eatery maintains an affordable, elegant, yet casual atmosphere.
Aladdin’s Eatery supports its community through involvement in community social events.»
What I ordered: My husband started with a tall glass of freshly squeeze orange juice ($ 4.25), and when I sampled it, I, too, had to have my own! For our main entrees, my husband, again, knew exactly what he wanted: the Mediterranean Beef Kafta Plate ($ 15.25) withl inks of char-​grilled ground lean beef mixed with onions, parsley, herbs and spices, served with seasoned white rice with vermicelli and garnished with pine nuts, almonds and a hint of cinnamon. His choice of Garlic Sauce and a helping of pita on the side. Our local gourmand selected the Hummos Shawarma Plate ($ 12.55) — Hummus topped with Shawarma, pine nuts, diced tomato, and parsley — and served with pita bread. He requested the additional side of Garlic Sauce ($ 0.75), as did me and my husband! His flatmate chose Jasmine’s Favorite ($ 9.95) with Shawarma (additional $ 4.30), which included a fresh mix of cooked beans, vegetables tossed in rice seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices. I selected the same with Tawook (chicken).
What I loved: Garlic Sauce. We brought home the leftovers and indulged the next evening!
Why I loved it: Simple yet classy atmosphere with a plethora of Mediterranean-​inspired dishes that everyone will love.
Cost: Average ($ 10-​$ 15 per dinner entrée)

My boyfriend and I had a very pleasant experience at Aladdin’s Eatery a few weeks ago. The service was attentive, efficient, and friendly. They have great food options full of quality and variety. And the atmosphere is casual, but still classy. My only qualm is the portion sizes — they sort of skimped on the meat in both of our meals.
I ordered Aladdin’s favorite platter (Beef Kafta, Shish Kabob, and Chicken Tawook served on a bed of seasoned white rice with vermicelli. Served with mixed greens, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and your choice of dressing). I really liked the combination of the different types of meats and they were really high in quality, but I only had one little slice of each. I really think they could have been more generous with that.
My boyfriend ordered the Hummus Chicken Plate (hummus topped with Chicken Mishwi, diced tomatoes and parsley. Pita on the side). He really enjoyed this, but again there wasn’t much chicken and it was mostly full of hummus.
On the whole, we had a good experience at Aladdin’s. My bf and I will certainly be back.

I had not been here in years and was only disappointed that I had stayed away for so long. The Hummus was delicious and a large portion. We also got the Fatayer (spinach, onion, and feta cheese pita pie) and it was quite flavorful. For entrees I had the Aladdin’s Favorite Combo which had 3 items with brown rice and salad. My dining companion had the lamb plate. His lamb had a few gristly pieces but was flavorful. Service was excellent. The weather was so gorgeous that we sat outside. We did not have room for dessert. Meal was about $ 59 before tip.

Menu long confusing shish tawouk is so deceiving. Looks like sliced baked chicken. Not shish tawouk! Come on u r lying to your diners! Feel sorry for. Thumbs down!
Taboulee is lemony
Falafel over fried
Serves both hummus and baba ganouj without olive oil!
U know olive oil is huge in Lebanese cuisine. And olive oil should come with both!
We were craving for Lebanese food but apparently we picked the wrong Lebanese place!

Portions are generous and delicious; service is very weak.
My wife and I loved sitting outside watching everyone pass by while eating the hummus plate along with the kibbeh and falafel appetizers. More than enough for the two of us. We also tried their cheapest bottle of Lebanese wine which was surprisingly good. All told: $ 60 for wine and being stuffed on good food. A deal for a date night if I’ve ever heard of one.
Our server was charming, but only refilled our water glasses twice and then disappeared for 30 minutes while we wanted the check. Weird.

Died and gone to heaven. Fresh made Lebanese foods with all the trimmings. Juice bar with delicious juices, desserts, what more do you need? Love it!

This is an update to a review that I had previously given them back in 2012. (I gave them 4 stars).
I wish that I didn’t feel compelled to come back and change my rating of them, but I felt like I had to downgrade them after a couple recent visits.
First off, the service is terribly slow. I’m not expecting «Fast Casual», but I’m also not expecting to wait 45 minutes on average (I timed it the last two times I was there), when there are only 9 other people in the restaurant (I counted the last two times), making the total amount of people being served 10.
Secondly, if I’m waiting 45 minutes for cooked food, it shouldn’t come out room temperature to barely warm.
Lastly, if for some odd reason I have to wait 45 minutes for food, the waiter/​waitress should check up on you to see if you need to have your drinks refilled. It shouldn’t be a chore for me to try and get their attention.
This restaurant has done much better in the past. They had great food. I’ll definitely edit this review if I see that they have improved.

Came here for dinner w a living social deal and was really happy with both the food and the service! Our deal was for an appetizer, two entrees and a dessert. Our server also sold us on trying the Lebanese red wine which was really smooth and easy to drink.
We got the vegetarian platter for the appetizer — so nice that this was included in the deal since it was so much larger than all the other apps. It had a bit of everything — the homemade hummus, tabbouleh, dolma, eggplant, and some pita. Great way to try everything, but definitely enough to share among three or four people!
I got the chicken sambusek, which was chicken and peas and onions stir fried in a mild curry and pressed together into a pita. Also came with salad. So good! The chicken was moist and the curry was fragrant and delicious. My husband got the Mediterranean shish kabob plate (beef) and that was also great — meat was tender and the rice was really flavorful.
Also highly recommend the chocolate chip cookie cheesecake which came with a huge piece of cookie on the top!
Our server was really friendly, knew the menu well, made excellent suggestions, and Always made sure we were well taken care of. We will definitely be back!

I stopped in here for a light lunch. I really like the healthy choices available, so I went with the lentil chicken soup and some tabouli.
The lentil chicken soup was perfect on a cold day. They put a lot of lentils in it and a few small chicken chunks. I just started liking lentils so this was perfect. The soup wasn’t too salty either, just some great flavors.
The tabouli was much larger than I imagined. I think I only finished half of it even when I shared with a friend. I wish I could’ve taken it with me. It’s actually very well-​seasoned. Some places you can eat it plain like a salad, but at Aladdin’s, you really do need pita bread to go with it. Their pita bread is decent.
I think this place was more sit-​down than I realized. I thought we could just get the food really quickly (like a Panera) and just go. Service was a little slower than I expected, and it’s a little strange to me that an establishment like this would have recyclable-​napkins wrapped around their silverware, but ok. I can see that we’re being healthy and mindful of the environment. Overall, I’m giving this place 3 stars because nothing wowed me.

This was my first time in shirlington and I must say it was a pleasant experience. I’m not too fond of Lebanese cuisine but I’ll try anything once. I think I had a honey chicken wrap or kabob and it was delicious. I topped it off with a triple chocolate cheese cake and that put me in heaven.
Will come back!

We often go to the movies in Shirlington, VA as it’s a quick drive from the center of DC, so sometimes we eat there first. This past Saturday evening we went to this Aladdin’s place and had some delicious appetizers and drinks and dessert. This included the lentil soup (okay but not as super as I make myself!), a fatayer which was spinach and feta in a rolled toasted pita pie and was totally yummy, a tasty hummus veggie pita roll thing, a baklava which was delish, a martini and a beer and a coffee (all for $ 40 plus tip). Service was excellent and the owner was friendly and told us he’d taken the place over about 3 years ago (we vaguely remembered it from before) and he’d redecorated and redone the menu. Parking in the nearby city lot is free and it’s wheelchair accessible! Maybe next time we’ll try a lamb dish or two…

The place to go for healthy eating… On top of that it’s Lebanese food. It’s a cool name. I was stoked to give this place a shot.
Definitely start off with the hummus. The olive oil makes each bite even better.
I had to go with the Spicy Kafta: ground lean beef mixed with onions, parsley, herbs and spices, and then char-​grilled topped with tomato, onion, Aladdin’s hot sauce, and Tahini Yogurt dressing, all rolled in a pita. Each bite had a bad ass kick to it.
The pitas are just that so I suggest adding a salad. We picked up the Alladin’s version. Feta on any salad makes the world go better.
If you’re local and you have a membership to The Energy Club you get a 10% discount.

So disappointed that this place is so amazing. I was really hoping for mediocre (especially with a name like Aladdin’s) as it’s about a five minute walk from my apartment. Now I’m always going to be tempted to stop by for take-​out instead of cooking dinner.
A friend and I split the kibbeh and dolma, and I had a spicy kefta wrap. Everything was perfectly seasoned and served quickly. I’m really surprised by the bad ratings. The service was friendly and charming, and the food was way too good.

I’m a fan. Is it the best Mediterranean food in the area? Of course not. BUT, for a small chain, it’s really, really decent. As I vegetarian, I REALLY appreciate the huge selection. The costs are also very reasonable.
And, I was VERY impressed with the dolma!
I would advice against any cocktails, however. Stick to beer and wine and the awesome teas!

We decided to give this place a try since the little lady had seen it while out with some friends.
It was a nice sunny day and the patio area was full, we gawked at people’s plates as we walked by and it all looked delicious. We requested outside seating as well and noticed that a lot of people had ordered the hummus so we decided to give it a try. It seemed a little expensive for an appetizer, but it was our first time so we gave in, I also ordered the pomegranate iced tea. Our order was out within a few minutes.
The hummus came with some pita (which is the norm), but we immediately noticed it was store bought pita, straight out of the plastic bag because they didn’t even attempt to warm it up. As soon as we dug into the hummus we also noticed it was store bought hummus and not even good hummus. Sabra is better than that crap. I tasted the «pomegranate» iced tea (that was over $ 2 for) and it did not taste like pomegranate what so ever!
We immediately cancelled the rest of our order, paid for the crappy store bought pita, hummus, and bootleg pomegranate iced tea and left.
I really don’t understand why people like this place!

There is a lot on the menu so lots of choices — although several of them are pretty much the same ingredients in a slightly different form (app, pitza, or roll). They have a surprisingly huge selection of cakes, baklava, and dessert bars as well. And the prices aren’t too bad so not much to complain about!
We started with the lentil soup & chili combo with chicken (I’d recommend this) as well as the falaffel app (this one was ~meh). Entrees were the Arayiss Pitza (pita pizza with hummus and seasoned ground beef) — decent sized and filling but could have used more of the beef; not bad. We also got the Hummos Tabouli Garden Roll (that stuff rolled up in a pita… see what I mean? Lay that baby flat and you have a pitza!) — too much hummos and not enough tabouli but good.
We also had a slice of a chocolate cake (forgot which one exactly) that the server said was very good. I thought it was sub-​par — cake portion was dry and tough, and none of it was too flavorful. Disappointing on that one.
Average overall — good place to bring a group.

Consistently good!!!
I figure the phrase should be enough to convince you to eat at Aladdin’s but I know there is always one skeptic out there (myself included, hence why I Unilocal) so I’ll say a little bit more.
I’ve been eating to Aladdin’s for a few years now, specifically the Shirlington location and I haven’t yet had a bad experience. The ambiance is great, both dining indoors and outdoors during the summer. The service is good too. The waiters are constantly checking (but not in a bad/​annoying way) to make sure that you beverages are filled and everyone in your party is taken care of. Their menu has a wide variety of options for both meat-​lovers, vegetarians, and people in between. The prices are good and they have different portions depending on your hunger pangs. I recommend the shwarma rolls if you aren’t that hungry and if you are, they have many tasty platters. I also really like their smoothies. Fresh, delicious, and a perfect way to cool off during the sometimes unbearable DC humidity.

A great place to eat a healthy meal!
We were definitely impressed by the number of food and drink options and at how healthy each option was. Aladdin’s offers approx ten smoothie drink options and raw fresh pressed juices. My friend and I tried the Honeymooner (fresh pressed carrot, grape and cucumber juice) and it came in a huge glass. The juice definitely tasted fresh and did not have any extra sugar added so it tasted «healthy» to say the least. Even though the juice did not taste that great, it was a healthy choice and I did feel better after drinking it. Basically their juices are not overloaded with sugars. My other friend had the strawberry smoothie and he enjoyed it. Smoothies and juices cost approx $ 3 — $ 4. They also offer approx. ten types of tea.
Aladdin’s offers a ton of food options. As a vegetarian I am not used to having more than three options and at Aladdins I had more than ten options. They serve appetizers, soups, salads, pita pockets, salad pockets, specialty salads, rolled pitas, pizzas, and huge combo platters. We started with an appetizer combo platter that contained hummos, tabouli, baba, falaffel, and dawali. Everything on the platter was healthy and flavorful. My friend and I both ordered a salad with their house dressing. It was tasty. The main salad (not side salad) is huge. I also ordered some of their V-​9 soup, a tomato based soup with nine vegetables. It was super healty with very little salt (they don’t even put salt on the tables) and chock full of vegetables. The food is priced reasonably well. Both the side salad and vegetable soup cost under $ 5.
My friends and I all left feeling satisfied and healthy. We were not quite «full» but not hungry either. It was the perfect amount of food and it did not bring on a food coma.
Some of my goals/​inpirations for the year are to eat more veggies and to find serenity (avoid things that bring on stress) and Aladdins’ definitely helped me achieve both of those things. They offer tons of vegetable options and they create a comfortable non-​stressful ambiance. The chairs are comfortable and the lights are dim. We did notice that they somehow maintain the perfect patron ration. When one group left, a new group entered the restaurant. We only had to wait a few minutes for a table. Service was a little slow, but also not rushed.
We will definitely be back!
Update: I have been back for a pickup order. I had the banana chocolate smoothie. It had less sugar in it than a typical smoothie and was a little watered down but seemed somewhat healthy. I also had the Mujadara pocket that comes with pita, a bed of steamed lentils and rice topped with Lebanese Salata, and garnished with toasted onions. This meal was humongous! It looked like a flying saucer and weight about as much. I was eating it for 20 minutes and barely mdae a dent. Make sure you LOVE lentils though b/​c this dish is 90% lentils. There is very little bread to this dish once you actually up the bread. The dressing was amazing. I believe they used the aladdin’s house dressing. it was super tangy; it actually made me pucker.

We had a great dinner here. The service was fast and friendly and the outdoor seating was nice. We started with the Fatayer (spinach and feta pita) appetizer which was great and had the tuna steak rolled pita with garlic sauce and the Ali Baba pitza with eggplant and tomato. The mint tea was also great. The hunks of very well done tuna in the tuna pita was my least favorite part of the meal.
We didn’t get dessert but they looked great.
The restaurant is a 2-​minute walk from the Shirlington transit bus stop if you take a bus from the Pentagon.