Spice

Tried the tacos, the place was really great. Went back a few days later and tried other food. Just as good

Do not come here. My husband and i came here after buying a Groupon deal to check out the restaurant. We went on a Friday night and the place was completely empty. The only guy working there was not friendly. He acted like he did not want to help us. We finally asked for a menu and he handed us a paper pamphlet of the food and prices. Albeit the food WAS delicious (we had the lamb dish) he attempted to charge us 4 more dollars per meal AND the total to be paid on our end was more than mathmateically possible with the Groupon credit applied. The prices on the pamphlet menu are different than the prices on the wall. The way he handled the discrepancy was poor and while 8 dollars isn’t the end of the world, a little owning up to your mistakes can go a long way.

Best kept secret on Wilson Blvd. Love the fish Tacos. The only bummer is that their closed on Sundays.
P. S. they have a Bitcoin ATM machine. Very cool!

I wish I can give a zero! I went to one Saturday, as website said open, but closed!!! No notes or anything! Second time, another Saturday dinner time, closed again, even after I called the Friday before that, the person said they will be open on Saturday!!! Fraud! No matter how good the food is, the dishonest and no such concept of opening as promised, you should be ashamed of yourself!!!

The chicken was SO dry! The rice and potatoes had no flavor. The tacos looked decent and my friend said the sandwich was good, I had a bite– nothing special. Overpriced for the quality.

The lamb shank was really delicious! Fall-​off-​the-​bone, tremendously marinated and juicy meat, rich and fatty. Indulgent. Comes with marinated boiled potatoes and carrots on top of rice, and a side salad.
An extra bonus was sucking on the lamb bone for yummy bone marrow.

For a place called Spice, what I experienced here was false advertising. Photogenic food for sure. The lemon chicken, rice, and salad were super bland (not spiced), bone-​filled, and oily. The meat is pre-​cooked/​tepid, just sitting in vats of fatty oil that they drizzle all over your plate for «flavor». The potatoes and carrots are soaking in the same fat. The rice was the most basic, un-​textured, flavorless rice I’ve ever had. Isn’t Mediterranean rice meant to be flavorful?! Veggie platter might’ve been a better option and I’m sure the lamb is good, I just won’t be back to try any of it. Any place that calls itself Mediterranean and than serves tacos and hoagies should be tried with caution. Also, the owner was inside but made no greeting or friendly gestures so it wasn’t a welcoming environment. Overall 2 out of 5.

Cool spot near Clarendon. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. We tried the lamb shank and roasted chicken. I was pleasantly surprised.
Lamb fell off the bone and was perfectly cooked. Chicken was tasty, but subpar compared to the lamb. Both dishes came with tasty rice and a nice salad.
I was disappointed in the actual plates, they are long rectangular plates that are packed to the brim. It is nearly impossible to eat without spilling all over the table.
They had a lot of other things on the menu that I want to try in the future. Tacos look superb and they have a whole page of sandwiches on the menu.
This is a great spot for a quick bite to eat with high quality food and a cool atmosphere. They even have outdoor seating.

Small lunch spot with a big lunch flavor! I got the lamb shank with rice, carrots, potatoes, and a salad. All for $ 14.99 (including a can soda). I had to check a few times that I hadn’t fallen into my grandmothers house. The lamb falls of the bone and is VERY juicy and flavorful. You’re going to probably need a nap after this meal. The cooked carrots and potatoes are a welcomed addition and are spiced perfectly. The salad isn’t anything special but is a perfect match of fresh with the meat. The dressing is a little strong so ask them to go light if you’re not a vinegar fan! The ambience is lovely, staff is friendly and not pushy during busy lunch. They have a small selection of beer and wine too that I’ll have to come back and try! Not necessarily a sit down dinner place, but the perfect escape from the typical corporate world lunch time. I’ll be back soon!

What SPICE is doing fantastically well, is showcasing Mediterranean/​middle-​eastern food to suit a fast American pace. Their platters (which you must try) featuring a main meat atop rice, side vegetable and salad are a case in point. While the salad style, overall presentation, and portion size is American, the meat is deliciously spiced to authentic Mediterranean taste. Their lamb shank and salmon are particularly recommended.
The meats are cooked in and served in a sauce, including base-​cooked onion, aromatics, and tomato, which stands up to all the meat and leaves a little to sop up rice with. The sauce is not greasy. Fresh is the word that comes to mind even though the meats are prepared ahead and you pick from the counter display. The salad dressing is zingy and the salad is crunchy.
I am just sad I normally work in D.C. and have to resign myself to food trucks because I would much rather have a healthful lunch here in an elegantly pleasant bistro café setting. (Approximately $ 11 for platter and drink combined, outside seating also available)
I’ll plan to return for dinner sometime and enjoy some bottled craft beers they offer to complement their cuisine.
Other Unilocalers have noted the selection of subs available in this bistro café. Now they are offering tacos on select days of the week (wondering if this is a bleeding of influences from their cooks and servers who are Latino).
One curiosity: a regular walked in, had a friendly exchange with the server and got a ‘special thing’ (unlisted on the menu board). That made me feel left out. I asked the server where their ‘hot chicken’ sub was since it wasn’t written on the menu board and I immediately noticed the omission! She replied that it was actually an offering even though it wasn’t actually posted. Me and my bionic (over)hearing figured that out! Hmm… if I’m not a regular, I’d still like to enjoy your food! Please get the chalk out!
Our salmon lunch was just so perfect and hit such delicious notes, that my friend called her boss up and asked if he’d eaten yet, and if not, should she bring him a delicious lunch. Lucky for him, he got a SPICE salmon lunch special to go.

Try to lamb shank. There’s a reason that everyone raves about it from Spice — and trust me, after trying it, you won’t regret it.
You order at the counter, where most of their hot foods are on display. I’d recommend actually telling the waiter which piece you want (e.g., more or less fat on the meat). I opted for a leaner piece of the lamb shank with a side of vegetables and rice. Very reasonably priced and just the right portion for my big appetite. The meat is so tender — it literally can be pulled off with your fork.
One thing I’d change: because the food is prepared in advance, the meat was closer to room temperature than I would have liked. This is probably because we got there close to their closing time, so they weren’t bringing out hot portions off the grill. I’ll have to come back at a peak time — I bet it’ll be even better!

3.5 solid stars. I actually came here based on the steller reviews. Huge portions, reasonable prices — this place was just a bit sad on a saturday night (especially when everywhere else was bumpin). This place has an awesome patio which makes for awesome drunky clarendon people watching. Also the ½ chicken special is absolutely massive, and the sides of potatotes and rice and salad are delightful. My husband had the salmon and it was actually pretty good. Since most of the stuff is pre-​made, your food will come out right away, which is also a perk for the especially hungry!

Update: Came back here on a Monday recently to try the vegetarian platter. I was disappointed because the babaghanoush, hummus, and moussaka did not taste fresh. I hope this was an isolated experience. The best places always have one thing in common; consistency. Also, they totally changed their hours and are open for breakfast. Perhaps they saw my last review ;)

Stopped by Spice for a quick dinner and sat on their small patio to enjoy the warmer weather. Spice is a small casual Mediterranean restaurant that is café style w. It’s a great place to pick up a quick casual and affordable meal.
Slide up to the counter to pick your meal and pay at the register. Then pick your seats either inside or out on the patio. They do have a small selection of beer and wine with a modest happy hour. Wine selection could use some improvement. It was a little harsh.
I had the lamb shank and it was a pretty amazing $ 14 dish. Not usually a huge lamb fan this was slow cooked, falling off the bone goodness. Flavor was great and the plate arrived heaping with food. The roast chicken dish was also very generous sized portion but no where near as good as the lamb shank.
They do also offer some subs. I know I’ll definitely be back to give them a try too!

This place is positively amazing. I ordered the ¼ chicken with rice, veggies, and salad and the hubby ordered the lamb shank that also comes with the same sides. I didn’t get to pause to take a pic of my chicken but we did get a pic of the lamb shank. The meals were absolutely delicious. We are definitely going back. They also have salad options, tacos, subs/​hoagies, and breakfast options. This place is positively amazing!

Visiting from San Diego.
My son tried the Turkey sandwich and I ordered the Special of the day «Roasted lemon chicken.»
The bread on the Turkey sandwich was good but the rest of it was nothing special. They piled on the Mayo, so make sure you tell them light Mayo or else you are in for a surprise.
–The Special of the Day– was below average. The chicken was dry and the rice was hard. The taste was bland.
I like the way the place is set up– it gives out that «local kitchen vibe» I think with a few minor adjustments with the food, this place would be better.

Love it here. As far quick and in expensive but high quality meals go, there aren’t many better places than Spice in Clarendon. Each day, Spice offers a few different dishes plus their usual choices of subs. I’ve had their chicken and salmon dishes and I’ve been pretty happy. Granted, the food sits under a buffet line but the food is full of flavor and an excellent deal given price. The service is fast and very friendly. In terms of alcohol, they have a limited number of beer choices but they offer some choices beyond your typical domestic cheap choices. ‘

This is a fantastic place from the food, to the service, to the décor. I had 2 sandwiches — the parma was very good, but the duck prosciutto was incredible — thick cut and extremely flavorful! The baba ghanoush was also very good.
The service was second to none. The owner (Rama) served us and wouldn’t think of letting us pour our own wine. The interior is also very nice and inviting.
Rama told us that they will now be serving lunch and dinner, 7 days a week.
Bottom line is that this is a family-​operated, small business that serves great food, and needs people to give it a shot to ensure it survives.

I give my 2^nd visit 2 ½ stars.
On my 2^nd visit i decided to give the Italian Hoagie a try. Some good reviews from others made me think it was a good choice. All i can say now, is, they must have never had a good one before. A Litteri? Mangialardo’s and Sons? Stachowski’s? Taylor Gourmet? Or even the Italian Store? Ever tried these?
Here, the bread was dense and doughy and was not of good hoagie quality, the ingredients were ok, but very lean compared to bread ratio. Also the owner (Larry’s Ice Cream) was behind the counter and was not friendly at all. He seemed to be angry about something. His wife and all the ladies there are super nice. I will return, but will stick with the plate lunches and the great salad.

Just opened today! Here’s hoping that Spice breaks the curse on the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Garfield Street.
I’m a frequent customer of the owners’ other establishment across the street, Larry’s, so I was keen to give Spice a try. The interior is clean and has these great chunky wood chairs that will likely help it bridge the gap between lunch and dinner. The menu is split, with Italian hoagies and salads for lunchtime, and then heartier dishes (spiced lamb etc) priced $ 10-​$ 14 for dinner.
Much of the menu is meat, so my rating is for my salad, general enthusiasm, and the vibe of the place. I had a huge $ 9 veggie salad with lentils, chickpeas, eggplant and grape leaves that was I think an impromptu improvisation on the $ 5 mezze sideplate. I’ll put up a photo shortly.