Moby Dick House of Kabob

Moby Dick’s is kind of a mixed bag. When they’re on, the food can be quite excellent for a counter service kabob place. The chicken kabob is moist and well-​flavored. The beef, lamb, and kubideh (ground meat) are also good. I enjoy the falafel, as well. It’s crispy on the outside and has a nice chickpea flavor. The buttered rice is absolutely addicting. I can’t stop eating it way past my carb limit. The bread and cucumber sauce are also dynamite. The salad is just okay. Mostly iceberg lettuce that’s barely fresh. Skip it and get extra rice.
My biggest gripe with this place is every once in awhile the chicken is underdone. I’ve been here about 50 times and I’d say the chicken has been underdone about 3 times. That’s not a horrible percentage, but undercooked chicken period is really unacceptable. Luckily, I usually get take out, so I can just cook it extra at home, but honestly, that should never happen. Also, the service is kind of meh. Most of the counter people aren’t very friendly, and one time we got a take out order and they gave us another person’s food by mistake. We had to drive all the way back to get the correct order and they weren’t very apologetic.
Overall, I like Moby Dick’s, but always check to make sure your chicken is fully cooked and that your takeout order is the correct one before you leave the place.

Was visiting family and went there to eat. Food was awesome, and atmosphere was so very inviting. Server named Rachel was the best. She was very attentive and pleasant. Will definitely be back whenever I am in the area again. Would absolutely recommend.

Service is nice and the food is outstanding. I eat here on a regular basis. The staff is always friendly and I love the hummus and ice tea they have. I’ve dined in and had take out, both with good experiences.

Let me be clear, this review is for the «manager» Maria only. She has the WORST customer service skills I have ever had the displeasure of encountering. SHE made a mistake on my order (only inputting one meal instead of two even though we ordered 2 hummus as well) and then when I got there she accused me of ordering incorrectly. She was INCREDIBLY rude and even called me a BITCH at the end of our conversation. I drove 30+ minutes to get there and she said her chef had left already so she couldn’t do anything. I asked for a refund due to my inconvenience and she said she wouldn’t give me a credit and my food because she didn’t want to. I told her to call her manager or the owner and she said she didn’t want to do that either and that I should come back tomorrow to discuss it. I have been a loyal customer since this place OPENED and I have dealt with the HORRIFIC customer service from the people at the register since then, but this is the last straw. Depending on how the owner handles this situation tomorrow, they might have lost a customer for life. I am the type of person that brings you customers if you treat me well, but I am also definitely the person who will take customers away from you with my reviews and word of mouth as I meet a lot of people in my line of work. So think about that the next time you want to call a customer a BITCH, Maria, and owner, before you hire another HORRIBLE employee like Maria.

Good location with helpful staff. They could be a little bit friendlier. Food is great like all other Moby Dicks.

Giving an order to someone at the front counter is like playing charades. Try to know what’s on your menu and if you don’t know what someone orders, ask a fucking question.

The food is really good
The service is kind of slow, the food takes about 15 – 20 minutes
Overall the place is a good place to eat at and chill

Food is always great and well prepared. Nice moist kabobs. I like the sides in the little deli cups but be careful that you don’t order too many – while moderately priced, diner for two can cost more than $ 65. Sure, I got the lamb but this is fast food, right?
Counter staff could not be more pleasant or appreciative of the business. Yes, I’m saving my allowance to go back.

I wasn’t sure what to eat on a gloomy, damp day. One of my friends suggested Moby Dick’s House of Kabob and although I was skeptical at first, I’m glad I went with her recommendation.
They have a nice, clean interior with plenty of seats for a casual dining experience. The service was pretty friendly and my food came out promptly. I ordered the kabob-​e joojeh.
The kabob-​e joojeh are chunks of boneless chicken breast seasoned for a full blast of flavor, and marinated in their citrus-​y house sauce. The chicken was served over a bed of aromatic basmati rice, two chargrilled tomatoes, and a big piece of pita bread. The lemon juice marinade made the chicken tender and delicious, although some pieces were a little bit dry to the taste. The basmati rice was flavorful enough to eat alone, and the tomatoes were a nice touch to accompany the pieces of chicken.
Their yogurt sauce is something worth trying. I wasn’t too sure of how it was going to be because when I taste-​tested it alone, it had a weird flavor. My friend said it would be better with the chicken because it complements the marinade well. She was right because when I drizzled the sauce over the chicken bits, it brought out the flavor even more (and helps with some of the dryness)!
It was a pretty good meal, and was decently priced for the value of it all. I need to try what else they have to offer on their menu the next time I visit.

Can’t good wrong with the family platter. Kid friendly. Outside seating. Seating is issue sometimes, but overall food is good.

The restaurant is in a nice area. The interior could be a little more spacious but not bad overall.
The food is delicious. I always stick with the Chicken and rice (not sure what the actually name is). The chicken is always well done, never overcooked. The rice is also extremely delicious, sort of hard to explain the actual taste. BUT THE SAUCE, is amazing! It is a creamy sauce with slivers of cucumber mixed in. All entrees are served with pita bread as well. But sometimes it can be a bit hard.
When dining in, the cashier did a great job in making sure we had everything we needed. Very friendly.
Overall they have GREAT food. So if your in the area I highly recommend stopping by Moby Dick’s opposed to any of the other 20 restaurants in Olney.

I’m of the belief that not all Moby Dicks are the same… This one is better than the Germantown location, but not nearly as good as the one off of Shady Grove Road in Rockville. Seems like the quality of the restaurants is based more on the competence of the management at each location.

Love the kabobs! Wish they we a little cheaper but the quality makes it worth it. One of my favorite carry out restaurants. Great tasting food.

Very underwhelming, not what I was expecting judging the crowd.

Only ordered the hummus and the shirazi salad. The salad was okay but the hummus was delicious. Felt a little pricey but I’m from out of town and might be reasonable for this area. Sure was crowded with local families coming in from ball games and karate lessons.

Had a gyro for lunch from here. Good flavors. Thick pita bread tightly wrapped. Pretty good yogurt sauce. No complaints here.

I am a BIG fan of Moby Dick’s! It is a little pricey so I usually end up getting a family platter which is more bang for your buck. You get kabobs, rice, salad, bread, and two sides of either appetizer or dessert.
My favs are lamb, ground beef, and the Masta-​mooseer (yogurt shallot dip) soooo good!

I wish I would have been able to even order! I came in at 9:45pm and was told they were not cooking anymore after I had driven an hour to even get here. I explained to him how I had driven an hour to get there and I had planned to spend at least $ 100 since I was ordering for 5 people, but all he could say was «Sorry, kitchen closed» and that is all he said repeatedly. They claim they are open until 10pm but that is not the case. It’s not very good business, all he had to do was throw a couple kabobs on the grill. It is funny because I had done the same thing a couple weeks earlier at the same time. I think they just wanted to go home.

Eh… I had high hopes as I loved Jasa Kabob in Canton in Baltimore. This was ok but different I guess. Naan was flatter and less doughy than I like. Good size portions and healthier than most take out. Pretty good.

The WORST food ever! I ordered the bone in chicken. The chicken was seasoned… really!!! Bland, bland, and bland. This dish was mostly rice with a little salad thrown in with a few pieces of chicken. I’ve had great Iranian food and Persian food and this place doesn’t come close. The customer service made me uncomfortable… felt like I was in india where the men just stare. I will never come back. Not worth the food, price, or customer service.

I stopped in here for lunch because a friend wanted to try it. Kabob is not my favorite food so I may be a little jaded. I thought the place was rather expensive. Paid over $ 10 for a lunch and a drink just for myself. Lots of rice. The meat was ok but nothing special. I guess if you like kabobs and have deep pockets, this place isn’t bad. It’s not my bag though.

I think I stand by what others have mostly said about this place. The food is… average, I suppose. And that’s assuming they actually get the order right. At least the staff isn’t stuck-​up like a lot of other restaurants in the area…

Not really sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, this place didn’t really live up to it. And I’m really not sure about the name… but I digress…
I stopped in with a girlfriend for a quick bite before a show at the Olney Theater, and since the parking was INSANE at everyplace nearby, this was the only place we could actually get into. We stepped up and placed our order, then were told to have a seat. So we sat and waited… and waited… and waited… it seemed to take an eternity, but finally our food was ready. And yes, we were starving, but even then the food was just OK. The falafel was bland, and small portions at that. There was a LOT of rice and lettuce, but for the prices (around $ 30 for two of us), I expected better.
The hummus was good, so I’ll give them that. But not good enough to get me to come back.

My wife and I have been eating food from Moby Dick’s in Olney since they opened several years ago. More often than not, we carry the food out and enjoy it at home. To date, we have NEVER been disappointed, although the cost has risen over the last 2 – 3 years.
We usually order the Kabob-​E-​Joojeh, that is chicken kabobs. Wonderful chunks of white meat chicken marinated in Persian spices and char-​broiled. All food is served with their style of pita bread. Sadly, now that I am gluten free, I can no longer enjoy their pita. Their pita is very different from the Greek style with which you may be familiar. It is heavy and somewhat rubbery. Before going gluten free, I found that toasting it to crispness was very much to my liking.
Their entrees come several different ways: as an entrée, or as a platter, for example. The platter is slightly less expensive but comes with less meat. The platter WILL include rice or salad (btw, I love their salad and very light dressing). The entrée version comes with grilled tomato that I also love.
This is a chain of restaurants at least in the Washington, DC area. While I think I’ve eaten at several, the vast majority of the time it is from the Olney location. As noted before, we have never been disappointed.
I have also had their Kabob-​E Barreh. Whatever you may think of lamb kabobs, described by Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory as «lumps of charred meat that taste like sweat,» this is NOT the case. I had them last night from Moby Dick’s and they were AWESOME. Cooked to perfection; tender and tasty!
Moby Dick’s also offers daily specials. This is a chance to sample foods very unique to Americans. Their barley soup is quite good, but I particularly enjoyed their Ghormeh Sabzi that is a beef stew. They also offer wonderful Middle-​Eastern deserts.
For carry out, expect your food to take 15 – 20 minutes. It is made fresh! Two entrees will cost you around $ 23 without extras. Platters will be a little less expensive.
The restaurant DOES have seating, but it is not too comfortable and it is noisy.

Ordered Gyro and husband ordered Moby’s Super Combo (lamb and chicken). Service is friendly but so slow. We were the only two people in the store so I can’t explain why it took over 20 mins to get our food. The store is so clean, I love this but what I do not like and will be why I will not eat at any Moby Dick’s again is the price. We paid $ 29.75 for the two dishes and two fountain sodas. $ 30 is just too much for a massive plate of rice with some pieces of meat around the mountain of rice.
The gyro meat looked like processed sausage that was cut into slices and so greasy. The handmade bread is wonderful though.
Didn’t appreciate being stared at constantly by the guy in the kitchen. Every time I looked up to the kitchen, there he as just standing there staring. It was very uncomfortable.