La’Jawab House of Biryani & Kabobs

Good, standard food for a kabob place, but I especially liked the way you could pick and choose from the front sides.

These guys have the best biriyani in DMV. I have tried biriyani in almost all the restaurants in DC and nothing comes close to what these guys make.
Ask for extra spicy if you come from Indian subcontinent. Chicken Tikka Masala was perfect. Wondering how I missed this place for so long. Will def go back every weekend.

The best kabobs in Arlington. Better than Super Kabob or Ravi Kabob hands down.

Great Pakistani kabob and excellent service. It took as long as it should take to cook kabob, around 10 – 15 minutes (places I’ve visited around the Black Sea can take up to 30 minutes to do shashlyk kebob, so I’m not complaining).
The spice level was perfect for me, but I can understand how someone who really likes it HOT would want it spicier, but the woman working there was so friendly, I’m sure she will accommodate you.
I had the #3 and it came with lots of nan bread, sauce, sides, and rice. Excellent!

Probably tied with Food Corner for my favorite Kabob house in the area (although there are at least 100 I haven’t been to yet). I generally alternate between the Lamb Kabob, Shami Kabob, and Lamb Karachi. It can be a tad annoying to park there but the food is great and the staff is very friendly! I wish their carts operated on the weekends– I’d love to grab lunch there when I’m in Ballston (frequently)

I ordered #2 the chicken tikka kabob b-​in. They said 15 mins but I waited longer. It took about 18 mins but was it worth it? This is what I had to find out.
After getting home I opened my meal to find two pieces of huge naan and a large amount of food. I should have taken previous Unilocalers advice and ask for extra spice because the spice didn’t hit it. Even so, I was pleased and will definitely be getting food from here again. Woot Woot.

Maybe the restaurant was having an off day, but the only really «amazing» parts of the food we tried (chicken tikka, chapli kabob, samosas) were the chapli kabob (less dry than the norm) and the naan (the bread was actually not crusty even by the end of the meal). The restaurant itself was rather chilly, the samosas were almost frozen on the inside, the chicken was rather dry, and the sides were not very appealing. Strange, considering I love their food carts.

Blended inside an underdeveloped Arlington strip mall sits La’Jawab. Other reviews call it Pakistani, some say the menu is from Bangladesh. Did I clear up its culinary background? Nope — I’ll let the full time Unilocalists work that out for themselves. But I figured if the world community was competing to lay claim to the food at La’Jawab, it deserved a spot on my to-​do list.
It ain’t pretty, but La’Jawab isn’t looking for a beauty prize. They concentrate on delivering a big ol’ plate full of flavor, that isn’t too heavy on your wallet.
My girl and I went in for dinner around 6pm on a Saturday, and had the place to ourselves. She went for the Lamb Karahi, and I ordered the Chicken Biryani. They tailored the order for our preferences: she likes hers mild. Me? I like it hot — and wow can La’Jawab turn up the heat. I’ll have to remember this place the next time my sinuses are congested.
The food was well-​cooked, my plate was gigantic, and we had a great time relaxing with our orders, some tasty naan, and delicious dipping sauces.
The best part of La’Jawab was chatting with the owner — he was really delivering 5 star service: friendly, willing to answer any questions about the menu, happy to make recommendations, and just an overall nice guy. How many people have you met like that this week?
When my girl and I finished our meal, we wanted something sweet, but La’Jawab does not have a dessert menu. We asked if the market next door had anything sweet they could recommend. The owner offered to give us a sweet dish that is not yet on the menu (but will hopefully be added soon).
I wish I could remember the name of the dessert (fail!), but it was really good. It consisted of a dense, round cake submerged in a bowl of sweet, flavored milk (sweetened evaporated milk perhaps?). Anyway, it hit a our sweet tooth just right, and I really appreciated the owner’s attention to making sure we were completely satisfied with our meal. He told us that he loves to make people happy with his food. Right on, dude!
Will La’Jawab make you a fan of it’s exotic menu? Who knows, but consider that it’s worth a visit to judge for yourself.
4 stars — bare interior (who cares!), tasty food (gigantic rice portion, a little more meat and a little less rice would have earned a 5 star), terrific owner who loves his customers. Happy dining!

This place is wonderful and the best Pakistani Food in the DC/​VA/​MD area bar none. Coming from Chicago I have been disappointed by the lackluster Pakistani food available in this area. I had eaten at Lajawab before it closed for remodeling and I frequent their food cart. We just had a wonderful meal with them last week and it exceeded all my expectations. The Chicken Karahi was delicious, the Chicken Tandoori and the Lamb Kababs were succulent, well marinated and juicy. We also had the Papdi Chaat and the Pani Puri, both reminded me of eating delicious food in Pakistan.
This place is excellent for pakistani food and better than all the other over hyped places in this area. They also provide catering for your events. The four of us ate for $ 40 and had enough food to take home as dinner for the next day.
Must Try!

Great food, very pleasant owners. I used to frequent their metro halal cart in ballston. I came in one day since renovations are complete, and realized the owner was the same gentlemen running the food carts.
The menu at La’Jawaab is pretty amazing. I tried the chicken tikka masala, which came w/​chick peas, basmasti rice, and naan. Very good. I also had the chapli kabob (spicy beef patties) w/​rice and chick peas. Food was well made with attention to detail and good seasoning on the kabob.
next time will try their Biryanis. As a diehard supporter of Ravi kabob, I think folks living along Lee Hwy should definitely give this place a try. It’s authentic Punjabi cooking from Pakistan, which is sometimes hard to find. Lot of flavor, spices. and down home cooking.

They were closed for a while, as the owners were concentrating on their cart business, but have re-​opened. Still delicious. Closed Sundays. Please support it!

The House of Biryani is actually a Bangladesh restaurant specializing in biryanis (rice mixed with meat, egg, and spices) and curries (mostly meat dishes). We ordered chicken biryani and goat curry. The goat curry portion was gargantuan, and it was served with a large, puffy naan bread which was helpful in sopping up the spicy curry. The goat included pieces of bone which enhances the flavor of the curry (although it does make it more difficult to eat). The chicken biryani was likewise flavorful, and I was thankful to find a place here in the DC area that not only serves the dish, but actually specializes in this Asian delicacy. The House of Biryani also has an assortment of lassis to soothe one’s palate during and after consumption of their spicy concoctions.