House of Mandi

Excellent food. The prices are alright. The place has a nice Yemeni vibe and smells distinct! The only thing I disliked is that they use tea bags for making tea. I was expecting something more authentic.

I think this place lacks some serious marketing. Hidden gem. Authentic and great flavor, very nice hosts and a comfortable area to sit relax and enjoy some of the best meats…

Maybe it was an off-​day. After all, they did run out of lamb. The hummus was great. The sayadiyah was good. The fahsa was okay. I liked the mint lemonade. However, nothing really made me want to return – I won’t be craving anything. Not very clean – our cups still had remnants of tea from the last group. Wait staff were friendly.

If a café is named after a certain dish, you can’t go wrong asking for the specialty of the house, and the lamb mandi is a very nice dish. Very tasty and tender, albeit messy and served bone in. The rice is served piled high and fragrant. It is preceded with a salad that I remember had onion but can’t remember it very well. We also tried the fahsa, which is a shredded beef stew served with a bread that looks kind of like rectangular naan. My fahsa wasn’t served with rice but I stole a good amount of my friends rice from her mandi serving. Served the way they prepare it, with bread, no rice, it was ok but missing something.
We also had a green mint lemonade that was delicious.
Ahmed was our server and he was attentive and on the ball. Food prep was a bit slow but it was worth the wait.

This place is amazing, authentic, and real.
You can feel the family values of this shop from the service to the physical space as the owner’s children can be seen running around.
1. The service is impeccable. My favorite server is Ahmed. Every time he is my server, I feel as if I’m an Arabic prince. He is incredibly accommodating and makes sure all of his customers are satisfied/​comfortable.
2. The food is out of this world and always in perfect portions. Definitely get the Mandi lamb which is fall off the bone — served on a bed of fluffy rice and browned onions. The fascha, is a must, don’t ask just eat it.
3. And for dessert, you have to get the bread pudding thing made with honey and bananas? The baklava with chai is also unreal.
Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this wonderful restaurant. Feel at home, get treated like family, and feast.

As a tourist it’s always nice to get off the beaten path to find good food. This Yemen restaurant did not disappoint. Food does take a little longer to cook as everything is homemade so don’t expect your food to come out quickly. Everyone at my table enjoyed the freshly prepared bread.

Off the beaten path of the usual (boring) Arlington hub and SO worth it. Started with hummus and hot, fresh naan. There was. 30 min wait for the lamb mandi and I chose to wait and I’m glad I did. Delicious food, good service, comfortable dining room, and good service. If I lived remotely nearby I would certainly frequent House of Mandi on a regular basis!

My wife and I came here per the recommendation of a friend and the review on Unilocal.
We ordered the meat sambosah, the lamb mandi and the kanafah for dessert.
Overall our experience was very positive and we enjoyed our visit very much. From the quiet and clean setting, the friendly and quick service by mr. Ahmed to the yummy food.
The sambosah was super hot when it arrived and came with a green sauce mixed with some chili, cilantro and mint (I think). It was packed with meat and was crunchy.
Our entrée, the lamb mandi, came 10 minutes after the sambosah was served, which was nice. The portion could easily serve two. It had plenty of rice and 3 chunks of lamb garnished with fried onions. With the dish came three sauces; a chili hot sauce, a cucumber yogurt sauce and the same green sauce that also came with the sambosah.
We really enjoyed the whole dish and completely finished it. The lamb meat was super tender and juicy and the rice and friend onion garnish went very well with it. I found myself using all the chili sauce while my wife used the cucumber yogurt and the green sauce. Overall we felt the dish could use some additional salt which was available on the table along with pepper. This was also the case for the meat sambosah.
Last but not least the waiter served our dessert, the kanafah, just when we were finishing our entrée which was very nice that we didn’t have to wait or ask for it. The kanafah was crunchy, very tasty and sweet, I wish there was a little bit more of the cheesy thing in the middle. My wife thought it was slightly burnt but still enjoyed the treat.
When we were done and stuffed our waiter actually came and politely asked if we would like the bill. Again we didn’t have to wait or ask for it and we felt we were not rushed to finish and leave like some other places.
I would definitely come again and to taste other items on the menu and recommend this place to anyone interested in middle Eastern cuisine.

House of Mandi was absolutely amazing. We drove all the way from Williamsburg to try it and it did not disappoint!
We ordered Hummus for appetizer and lamb Mandi for main course.
The hummus was served with freshly baked bread which was so GOOD!
The main course Lamb Mandi was very tasty and was served with yogurt sauce and a spicy sauce. The Lamb was tender and delicious.
The staff were very friendly and helped us with some food recommendations.
I highly recommend this place

I always get the chicken Mandi. It was perfect chicken dish for me. The rice cooked very good, the chicken cooked perfect! It kind like melted in my mouth. This chicken come with spicy sauce, yogurt and house salad on the side. It’s a little take time. (About 15 mins) but worth it! So, food good, service good!
About the drink, I love their fresh lemonade with mint.
Parking: They have parking in front of restaurant.

I’m already hooked to this place! It’s absolutely delicious homey food. Very Authentic and traditional.
One thing you should know about this place is everything on the menu fresh and made daily. I stopped once at 8:50pm «10min before closing» they were out of everything. So yes everything is cooked DAILY.
I’ve tried few dishes. My favorite is salta, and fahsa.
Fahsa: a very authentic Yemeni dish. It’s a stew made with chunks of beef, well spiced with the traditional Yemeni spices, slowly cooked served with home made bread. Absolutely a must to try.
Saltah: it’s also an authentic dish. its a vegetables stew. Perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Okra and potatoes stew was fantastic.
Kebda: which is «lamb liver» cut to small cubes sautéed with onions, tomatoes, jalapeño and some spices! Must to try!
Mandi lamb: slow oven roasted lamb served over rice! Topped with some fried onions! It’s a very popular dish! And it comes with a small side of salad.
Dessert: maasob, I’ve had better… but give it a try. It’s mashed banana mixed with bread, drizzled with honey and topped with cream!
FYI: the portions are very generous! Good for sharing!
Teas selection is good too. I’ve had a tea mixed with some spices! I really enjoyed it.
The restaurant is nothing fancy! It feels more like home than a restaurant. It’s small, cozy, simple. They have a section set with the traditional Yemeni sofa. Usually that’s my spot!
Service is pretty good. The servers Ahmed and Mohamed are friendly, attentive and always with a smiley face!
Overall was a great experience and can’t wait to come back again

5 Stars and not even 5 minutes from my work? I had to try it. It was my first time and I didn’t know what I was ordering; My waiter must have sensed that. He basically ended up ordering for me, which I was totally cool with. I ended up Loving what I had! Although bad on my part, I don’t recall what I ordered!
Definitely go. Total YUM!

Middle Eastern food is one of my favorites so I am very picky, but we had a great experience with the authentic Yemen food.
I recommend the Mandi chicken (also heard the lamb is good if you like lamb) and any of the kebabs. I got the chicken kebab and it was very flavorful. All chicken was cooked perfectly and was moist as well.
The desert was bachlawa (or bachlava) which is different from the Greek style as it is not saturated in honey, but the top layer is pleasantly dry with a subtle butter taste. Get the one with the pistachio.
The kenafeh is unique, not to most American’s taste but was delicious. Gooey mild cheese with a stringy/​flakey dough topped with sweet cream and honey drizzle.
Service was great and the owner, a beautiful and sweet Yemen woman greeted us cordially and made sure we were doing well.
Overall awesome experience.

Visited this place 7jan2016. First time and i had nothing to complain about.
Chicken mandi was super moist… Meat fell off the bone.
Chicken kebab was full of flavor and the grilled veggies were a great yltouch.
The pistachio baklava was awesome. Crispy, buttery and enough honey.
The kanafa is a middle eastern pastry with a stringy crispy dough filled with mild cheese and a light sweet cream drizzled in honey. Wasn’t my favorite but the girlfriend loved it.
This place is a Yemen resteraunt and really I can’t tell the difference between all the middle eastern food. Other than… it tastes good and was moist. This place is definetly that.

I certainly hate being the one who give this restaurant anything under 5 stars :(
Let me start out by saying that the establishment is very cute and has a nice authentic touch. The service deserves 10 stars! The staff was phenomenal from the time that we walked in. They were very kind, informative and patient with every single customer in the room. They gave the same amount of time, respect and attention to everyone in the room. Since this was our first time stopping in, our waiter was kind enough to walk us through the menu and make suggestions. We ended up ordering the Chicken Mandi, a Lamb stew dish (I apologize, I forgot the name) and their Spinach and Feta cheese Sambosas. The chicken came out buried in a bed of rice. The chicken was cooked to perfection, the meat just fell of the bones, which was nice but i kept chewing on pieces of bone which was not fun LOL. The lamb stew comes out in a little clay like pot and it was boiling hot, so give it a minute before you dig in :) It also came with a side of rice and bread. The bread was PERFECT, warm and soft :) I would’ve loved just the bread with a side of feta cheese and some hot tea, haha. The Sambosas were really good, I think it was the one dish that I enjoyed most. Oooo… I also had their homemade lemonade which was delicious! I would highly recommend it to anyone!
You’re probably wondering why i’m giving this place 3 stars instead of the 5 it deserves? Well, even though everything was cooked perfectly, it all lacked spices. Everything tasted bland, with the exception of the sambosas. As a Persian, i’m used to having more spices in our dishes, so with that being said, i’m positive that the dishes were made to perfection here for those who are used to Yemeni dishes.
We ended our visit with their Kenafa :) It was hands down the BEST kenafa I have EVERRRR had anywhere! I would probably go back just for the Kenafa alone, it was THAT good!
I would recommend this place to friends and family, but would also suggest that you ask for a little more spices if that’s what you’re used to.

So I’m torn about reviewing this place. On the one hand, I love it beyond all reason. On the other hand, part of why I love it is that other people don’t know about it. It’s out of the way, undiscovered, and glorious. The food is delicious. The owner is wonderful and makes you feel welcome and at home. So don’t come if you’re not into tasty food and wonderful people. But sadly you’re probably into those things and will discover the joy that is this place.
I first discovered it on accident, but came in for some tea. The owner came out and met us, and he brought us some baklava just to thank us for coming in. Menu looked tasty and we loved the environment so much that we made it a point to come back another time for breakfast. We weren’t disappointed — the Chapati was chewy and tasty, and the muttabak and kaltah were both delicious. And the owner and staff were still wonderful.
We have been back many times since and have introduced our friends to it as well. The Fahsa and Saltah are particularly wonderful. The mint lemonade is delightful, especially on a hot day. The desserts are delicious. The hummus is literally the best hummus I have ever had in my life.
I heart this place. heart it heart it heart it heart heart it.

Came for dinner the day before Thanksgiving so it wasn’t a full house, but busy none the less.
I’ve had middle eastern cuisine before, but limited to the cliched items like Kabobs and such (which to be fair, aren’t truly middle eastern foods [more like a fusion]). Anyway, due to this, I was a bit intimidated by the menu because they were all items I’ve not seen before. Yes, they have kabobs/​grilled meats here, but much, much more!
Luckily, and thankfully, the waiter happily took time to answer many questions I had about the menu. He explained what made each dish unique, and with that, we placed our order. If you have any menu questions, ask. The staff is super helpful.
Sambosah (meat) — simply phenomenal. The crust was fried up crispy, with the spices blended to perfection. I love non-​bland dishes and this was fabulous. They serve it with a homemade salsa (yes, they call it salsa) which compliments the flavors of the Sambosah, perfectly.
Fahsa (main) which is a lamb stew served in a clay pot. Perfect, because it keeps the dish warm. Again, tender pieces of meat blended with the prefect spice blend! Served with home made bread for dipping… I took home the extra stew and ate it this evening with some rice I cooked at home. The flavors only got better.
The gem of the evening really came with Makboos Lamb and Chicken. OMG. First, I never enjoy chicken at restaurants because it’s dry. Whoa no, not here. The chicken was moist and falling off the bone. We also ate the Makboos lamb and again, falling off the bone. Then, and OMG then, we have THE RICE. The Makboos rice is a gem in and of itself. I’ve never had rice this fragrant, soft, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. We couldn’t get enough of this. Sorry, I didn’t take pictures. I even ate my mother in law’s left overs despite her double dipping and such. It was that good.
For dessert, we had the balklava with pistachios and the second gem of the night: House of Mandi Kanafah. Wow. Just, just, just… WOW. I’ve had Kanafah before and this is the best, yet. Perfectly fried with the right amount of sweetness.
The service was very good and is truly family run. Don’t expect Applebee’s service where they bring you the check without asking for it, or check in on you every second. The food is all homemade to order. We met both chefs, a lovely husband and wife team (and their cute little daughter, Nora!!) and by the burns on their fingers and pride in their faces, they put a lot of love and care into it.
I highly recommend eating here because not only is the food phenomenal, but you can also can try something you won’t find else where. Lovely Yemeni food in Arlington!
PS: Breakfast served all day!

House of Mandi has got to be the coziest restaurant I have ever been to. The restaurant owners and employees are all so friendly and accommodating it’s so refreshing. The Arab hospitality is definitely radiating all around. My friends and I went, had dinner and tea and didn’t even notice that three hours had past. I highly recommend this place for anyone that wants a HOME COOKED meal in a very homey environment!
Must haves: Kalta, fa7sa, Salta.
Also, for dessert ask about the basboosa!
Their Shai Karak is the best!

I have never had Yemeni food and I was excited to check out this family owned restaurant which everyone was raving about. Since it was Ramadan (holy month of fasting for 30 days for Muslims), they were just getting ready to open for iftar (breaking of fast) when we walked in. They let us come in earlier and opened their kitchen for us. We ordered the meat sambosas for appetizers (small meat filled pies) and a chicken mandi (according to our server and the pictures, one order seemed enough for two people) and a chopped salad. I also got myself the mint lemonade. The samosas were fresh and good. The chicken mandi was just as described — chicken falling off the bone and the rice fragrant. I guess we were starving because we were still hungry once we got done. The mint lemonade did not impress me because it needed to be chilled to taste better.
Since we were still pretty hungry, we ordered chai (milk tea) and kunafa. The chai was pretty good but the star of the show was def the kunafa. It had just the right amount of sweetness to it along with the oozing cheesy meltingness which was well proportioned with the sour cream on top. A perfect end to a delicious meal.

House of Mandi is the best Yemeni restaurant in the DC area. The food was wonderful and I had really been missing Yemeni food since I used to eat it twice a week when I lived in the Middle East.
The chicken mandi was the best chicken mandi I’ve tried anywhere in the world. Really amazing! I tried lamb bormah for the first time which was lamb in maraq soup in one of the traditional black pots. The lamb meat was incredibly tender and delicious. No gamey flavor and we could tell that it is extremely high quality. The sayadiah grilled fish was also very nice and fresh with simple flavor.
The rice is delicious and perfect. I couldn’t stop eating it! The khobz bread was freshly baked and also very good. The lemon mint fresh juice was also good.
There were two types of sahawiq, one with a lot of jalapeño and one without any jalapeño. The one with a lot of jalapeño was very spicy. The other one which was mostly tomato was a bit spicy but perfect when mixed with the yogurt.
The staff were very kind and helpful. There are so many other dishes on the menu that I want to try. I will certainly be back and I’ll bring friends!
More information about Yemeni food: