Alsaray Restaurant

I visited Alsaray a few days ago and the quality of the food has declined. It doesn’t smell great when you walk in the door any longer. I ordered the schwarma. It was ok. The french fries that came with mo order tasted bad, like the oil hadn’t been changed in a while.

We’ve eaten here three times since reading the review in the Washington Post (or was it the Washingtonian?) and I’m a big fan. Everything has been delicious except for some really tough beef on the kabobs once. The kushari is my favorite — such a combination of flavors. The staff is friendly, the place is clean, and the desserts are yummy. It is NOT a fancy place, though — you order at the counter, and it’s all on paper plates so know that before you go. It’s never busy when we’re there so I worry it might not last long…

Favorite restaurant in Springfield for both me and my wife. We always eat here when we’re in the area. Their food never let us down.

Excellent food especially the Koshary, eggplant and Omm Ali. Reasonable prices and very clean. Best Shawarma in town!!!

After all of the rave reviews I knew I had to try this restaurant out and I’m sorry to go against the trend but I have to say I was disappointed. Took my parents out to dinner here last night and was caught off guard…
On the positive side, it’s very clean and the falafel were okay. Kinda ends there, sorry to say…
On the negative side, I was very disappointed to be served a sit down dinner, at sit down prices, on paper plates with plastic utensils. NOT a dinner date spot. Falafel were good, hummus was okay and baba ghanoush was also okay but nothing to rave about, seriously I’ve had much better. The kibbeh had a strange texture, kinda weird rubbery outer shell, not the expected crispy bulgar wheat shell with a tender filling. All of the accompanying dipping sauces were served in teeny plastic containers, again a bummer… Biggest bummer was the kushari which I was dying to try. Basically ended up as a massive carb-​fest topped with stale fried onions. Doesn’t take much to throw together a bunch of rice, macaroni, unseasoned chick peas and lentils then dump some tomato sauce on top from cafeteria style warming pans, which is how they dish out a bunch of the food (yet again in an aluminum foil pan) but then to top it with stale fried onions really ruined it for me.
On top of that I had to keep going up and asking if I should get utensils or napkins or ask if our tea was coming soon or not and what to do with the plastic cafeteria trays the food was served on…
Just so you know so you don’t get bummed out after reading other reviews, there was NO FREE tea or hummus or anything offered to us although we were 3 of the only 5 customers in the place the entire time we ate. The waitress was very kind but way too consumed with watching the talk show on the TV to attend to us and I simply got tired of doing her job for her.
My parents who I took out to dinner are NOT foodies, they are typical white suburban folks who are 84 years old and they love Mediterranean cuisine, but they even had to say that they were less than impressed with the service and food we received. I’m just going to have to assume that the people who rave about this place haven’t been to Eleni’s or Cedar Café in Burke or the Mediterranean Gourmet Market on Franconia Rd… I’m not advertising I’m simply saying…

First time visiting an Middle Eastern food joint. Very good food, especially when you consider it’s in a strip mall. When I searched Unilocal,I thought I was going to a sit-​down restaurant, seeing as how I could click on ‘get reservations’.
All things considered, wouldn’t hesitate to go back and try more food.

The koshary was delicious but the kibbeh was a little plain and I couldn’t taste the true favors in it.

The one staff we saw was cordial. We were a group of 12. We got there by 7 ish. We had to go up to counter and make separate orders. The food was not fresh. It tasted like it was leftover, old and microwaved. The only thing amiable was comp dessert (too sweet).Would not recommend!!!

This place is fantastic! I enjoyed my first visit so much that I came back 2 days later with a group. Their kabab is delicious. Well cooked and well seasoned. I also really enjoyed the hummus. The portion sizes are very nice, especially for the price. I would also strongly recommend their mint tea. It’s got a well balanced flavor, and one cup quickly turns into 3 or 4.
The service is very friendly, and the place has a nice relaxed feel. My new favorite eatery in Springfield.

First thing you will notice when you walk into Alsaray is the cleanliness of the restaurant. This is one of the cleanest establishments I have been to in a long time.
The food was great. Sampled the kushari, hummus with beef shawarma, falafel, and kebbeh. Based off of previous reviews trying the kushari was a must. It’s hard to imagine that a combination of rice, pasta, lentil, and chickpeas in a tomato sauce would taste remotely good but it was great. Everything else we got was just as good. The falafel was probably the best falafel I’ve had. It had a great crunchy outer texture and the inside was not dry at all. I’ve never had kebbeh before but it was great, also highly recommended.
Loved the hot tea that came with the meal. It was a nice, unexpected treat that paired well with all the food we got.
This is my go to place for middle eastern cuisine in Springfield.

Meets expectations. Very friendly service. Owner is very nice. Tea served is complimentary.

Wasn’t planning to eat here. I originally planned to eat at any of the nearby Asian restaurants in the vicinity. As I was walking toward my original destination for a good hearty dinner, I was intrigued by this fairly new restaurant’s middle east cuisine sign.
I stepped into this small place thinking that it would be a typical kabob place (schwarma, of course, — which is also listed on their menu) after an initial look inside. I found it to be more than that.
The young ladies at the counter were very friendly and helpful and answered my questions promptly. We had a good dialogue going, and they were surprised I had any knowledge of Middle Eastern food (which wasn’t really much). They told me that they would be changing/​updating their menu (another reason to visit) to include fish dishes. I don’t think I’ve ever tried Middle Eastern fish recipes.
While I waited for my dinner to arrive, I looked at the other foods on display and asked for samples. The ladies quickly got me a small plate to try the beans/​lentils and fried onions. Delish.
For my meal experience, I started out with an Arabic/​Egyptian tea which was recommended by the hostesses. Quite strong, heavy and minty. A good beginning so far.
Because it was my first time here, I ordered the Mixed Grill of 3 skewers of beef, chicken, and lamb. I wasn’t disappointed. I like how Middle Eastern restaurants/​cafes grill their vegetables, and they were on point here. The skewers was moist enough and this item has the typical cucumber sauces for dipping. One very milky and soothing and the other one was quite spicy.
Then, dinner ended with a very thin slice of their gourmet booza ‘pistachio-​laced’ ice cream and freshly made basbusah (fresh out of the oven). It was my first time trying basbusah, a sweet cake made from semolina and soaked with a simple syrup that I think was made from rose water. The ice cream was okay but the basbusah was quite good and very warm.
Like a good wine, I hope this place gets better with time. It sounds like this place is still adjusting with its newness (opened a month ago?) but there is much hope as the food is quite good here. Also, the staff asked at least twice if I was staying or taking it to go. I mentioned it I was staying. Then they give me the main dishes in a «to go» bag. Oh, well. :-)
It’s still a good beginning for this restaurant, and I hope it will be able to maintain its presence in this already restaurant-​crowded area of ethnic restaurants. I look forward to trying their other menu items.

Very nice restaurant, quiet and definitely a good customer service. I even sampled dessert and he gave my husband free bread. If he continues this way, I see the business growing in the area. I will come back for sure.

I had dinner at the new Springfield location. I ordered lamb chops and they were great and juicy. Not much flavor in the meat I’ve had better, but you can ask for a nice flavorful green yogurt sauce they have. Also Comes with rice and a small salad with their own vinaigrette type of dressing for it. Over all I enjoyed my meal. Definitely will be going back in the future to try more items off the menu. Portions are great and so are prices.

Tried this place tonight after reading all the great reviews. I have a favorite Lebanese place in Springfield (Cedar Café) but this place was described as Egyptian /​Lebanese. With the many rave reviews about the Kushari, which I had never tried, I knew I had to order that. I also ordered the Tahini Salad appetizer. My husband ordered a chicken kabob.
The first item to come out was my main dish, the Kushari. I apologized to my husband and dug in as I wanted to eat it while hot. It was really delicious, and definitely I will have this again. So I’m partway through eating that when my appetizer arrives, followed sometime later by my husband’s chicken kabob with rice and salad.
The food was amazingly delicious, but the enjoyment was dampened by the out of sync service, and us not actually eating our meal together at the same time. Also, the restaurant is kind of nice, comfy booths, clean, yet paper plates, foil bowls and plastic cutlery detract from the experience.
The staff is lovely. Friendly and helpful. We were offered «traditional» tea and it being quite a raw wet night happily accepted. It was served in little glass teacups, minty and sweet. A nice touch to end the meal.
We’ll be back, the food is really good and different from other middle eastern places. I’m hoping the kitchen was just having an off night and that the food service will be better coordinated next time. Real plates and cutlery would be a very welcome addition.
Addition to review, it says they deliver, but when I called the other night I was told «not yet.» So just fyi, you need to pick up yourself

Tried the Kushari with the magical sauce, loved it. Being a first timer to Egyptian cuisine, I was happily surprised and so were my taste buds. The food was great, fresh, and flavorful.
I paired it with some shawarma, both a beef one and chicken, in a wrap (light pita wrapped like a burrito) and they both tasted great.
Tried the booza ice cream and it was a nice ending to to meal, enjoyed it.
Loved the restaurant for its great location, bright dining room, easy to read menu, and friendly staff. Will definitely come again.

«Foreign types with the hookah pipes say
Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh
…Walk like an Egyptian…» said the Bangles. Well, instead of a foreign type with a Hookah, it was an American-​Korean eating spicy corn who told me to walk TO the Egyptians… and so we did.
Hannah H told me there is koshari just miles from DC. My husband couldn’t believe it. And so we went on a Sunday evening just an hour before closing.
The owner was running the show, a Mr Tarek. He was so welcoming and had the amazing Egyptian sense of humor.
The menu is on a screen right behind the counter. It’s big, clear, and easy to read.
We ordered koshari, Alexandrian Liver (kibda eskandariya), falafel, fatoush, and basbosa.
Koshari: lentils, spicy red sauce, rice, chick peas. The Essence of Egyptian cuisine. They even had the vinegar type sauce on the side. It was great. Well cooked, crispy onions on top, full of flavor !!
Falafel: made of chick peas. Some Egyptians make their falafel from fava beans only. So we thought they would but they didn’t and I’m ok with that because the falafel was so unique. It’s a dense falafel with a different spice and kick. Tasted great with tahina. It was a thick tahina too.
The liver: I didn’t try it that much so can’t comment.
Fatoush: it has the right amount of sumac the spice. I loved the fried pita chips, they were crispy and not burned. The salad was super super fresh. I wish they had an even bigger size so I can order more!
Egyptian Basbosa: they had different basbosa so we ordered the Egyptian one. Not too sweet and not too soft. It is perfect with the Egyptian tea they serve. Don’t add sugar to your Egyptian tea if you get the basbosa because they pair perfectly.
Store: super clean and super brand new.
Bathroom: super clean. I always respect a restaurant when they go out of their way to give their customers a clean and comfortable bathroom.
In summary,
1. Location not too far from DC (22 minutes)
2. Variety of cuisine
3. Egyptian and other food types such as Lebanese available
4. Plenty of parking
5. Clean store and clean bathrooms
6. Delicious cuisine
7. Friendly owners
8. Decent prices
We are going back soon for omm ali and shawarma for sure.

Alsaray is definitely one of my favorite restaurants! A newer addition to the Springfield Plaza (next to Subway), this restaurant has been around for about a month. They offer Egyptian/​Lebanese cuisine, with items such as baba ghanouj, tabouleh, kibda iskandarani, shwarma, kabobs, and kushari. I tried the Hummus (chick peas paste with tahini sauce, drizzled with olive oil; this was a little less creamy than I would have liked); Baba Ghanouj (smoked eggplant with tahini sauce, with fresh lemon and garlic; this had a lovely smokey taste to it and literally one of the best baba ghanouj I’ve had! YUM!); falafels (came with 5 pieces, these were more on the ‘mushier’ end and not as crispy; however, they had a nice herb-​y unique taste to them); kibbeh (comes with 3 pieces; these were meaty and tasty, and definitely better prepared than the other typical kibbehs found in restaurants); Fettoush (just a Mediterranean salad with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, topped with fried pita chips; I prefer the creamy sauce to it, rather than the vinaigrette); Pickled Eggplant (came with 3 pieces; these were small baby eggplants stuffed with garlic, hot peppers, lemon, and coriander; not too vinegary, but a nice little ‘veggy-​like’ dish); Kushari (with rice, pasta, lentil, chickpeas, all topped with fried onions and tomato sauce; this is one of the main Egyptian comfort foods; it was pretty okay, but I’ve had better); Lamb Chops (comes with 3 chops; these were definitely meaty and juicy, and cooked more to a medium-​medium rare; definitely flavorful; this was served with rice and salad); Shwarma with Rice (your option of chicken or beef/​lamb; we opted for the latter; these were small strips that were perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and not game-​y at all!); and, for a sweet finish, an Om Ali (cooked pieces of puff pastry with nuts, raisins, and coconut, all drenched in a hot sweetened milk and cream — think of this as a Middle Eastern version of a wet bread pudding — it is just SOOO GOOD!!!). There was also a Syrian ice cream that I tried, the Gourmet Booza Ice Cream, made with cardamom, pistachios, cream, and a subtle hint of rosewater — not overly sweet. One of the owners, Mr. Tarek, was very sweet, and made sure that everything was good. I just wished they had specials/​deals with lunch/​dinner orders. The restaurant itself is small, but very clean and modern-​like. Alsaray is definitely going to be part of our dinner rotation: D
+Baba Ghanouj
+Kibbeh
+Lamb Chops
+Shwarma with Rice (beef/​lamb option)
+Om Ali: D
+ask for Mr. Tarek: D
+located to the right of Subway in Springfield Plaza
+plenty of parking

I ordered the chicken kabob and it was extremely flavorful and affordable. I was also offered a complimentary hummus appetizer from the staff. Everyone that works here is so sweet and attentive. I will definitely return!

Delicious food, very good prices and friendly service. There was a generous amount of food… We ordered the Koshari (Which was the star of the show) kibdah (pan-​fried beef liver with garlic) and some kofta with rice… Everything was good … We also got some biriani rice with chicken, also good