Kababji Grill

My partner and I went to Kababji Grille to try out a restaurant we hadn’t been to, and overall, this place has some of the worst service I’ve experienced in DC with boring food. (We went there with a Capitol Deal, which came with a appetizer, entrée and dessert for each person — but that was half the trouble, really, since no one knew how to handle that.)
When we walked in, the hostess kind of ignored us for a good 20 seconds and then we chose a table we chose a table in the window to sit out, even though it didn’t have any placesettings. The inside décor is rather modern, and if there is one good aspect to this restaurant, it’s that the restaurant is not old and stuffy and has high ceilings and new furniture.
We sat down, and had to wait a good 15 minutes before we were even acknowledged by anyone. Writing that down now, it doesn’t sound like a long time, but when everyone around you has food and no one is really needy attention or service besides us, 15 minutes is a long time to wait. And what’s more, the guy who we thought would be our server kept walking back-​and-​forth and not even acknowledging us. (They clearly do not have enough servers, and that is a management problem.) He seemed frazzled and running around the entire time we were there.
When we finally got water, I just decided not to ask any questions because that would give him an opportunity to run away and keep us waiting more, and we quick ordered some food. He didn’t even have anything to write on when he started taking orders, and in the middle of me telling him my order, he literally just walked away in mid-​sentence to go to the back of the restaurant and get a sheet of paper. What is that? I would describe the waiter as helpless and oblivious, but not malicious.
After we ordered, we kept getting dishes that we did not order. Our Capitol Deal came with more than enough food, so I sent back any dishes that we didn’t order because there was no point. I don’t know where those dishes came from, but when I would mention that we got dishes we didn’t order, the waiter seemed understanding and couldn’t imagine how that could possibly have happened. Yeah right. When the bill came, it added just more distaste in my mouth. He had no idea how to operate with Capitol Deal and we ended up getting overcharged as well as charged for dishes we didn’t even order.
This shouldn’t be surprising by now, but we didn’t even get our dessert correctly. We ordered two traditional Lebanese desserts as part of the Deal, and when only one came, we told the waiter, and he asked which one we got. Well, it was right in front of him barely even eaten at that point, does he not recognize the food in his own restaurant? We didn’t know which one came and which one didn’t come because we are not familiar with Lebanese food, and so when we got our second dessert, it was a the same dessert as the first one because he didn’t know what we ordered! Honestly, this was getting comical. But at this point, I just wanted to get out of there so much, we overpaid a bit just because I was tired of telling the waiter had to do his job.
Nothing about the food here was special or spectacular. The prices were average, and so was the food. They had a huge bar with a lot of liquors, but didn’t have a cocktail or wine menu — that we saw anyway — and no bartender to speak of.
I don’t give one star reviews very often considering how many times I go to restaurants and hotels, but there’s nothing — absolutely nothing — redeeming about this restaurant. Lebanese Taverna has better Lebanese food, and there are better Mediterranean options even DuPont Circle.
Definitely not recommended.

I was excited to try this cuisine,
as I’d heard them mentioned in the DC food scene.
But wow, this fell flat
(especially for this Israeli ex-​pat),
so consider it warned you have been.
The lentil soup is tasteless and bland.
The pitas are not made by hand.
My chicken taouk wrap was surprisingly above-​par
(hence this review’s extra star)
but my companions’ meals were equally un-​grand.
Even if the kabobs are fit for a king
— and from what I hear, of 4 stars they’re deserving —
this food, at best, is just «good,»
and in this neighborhood,
I’m surprised this joint is still serving.

Three stars is a stretch! I eat middle eastern/​Lebanese/​Turkish food a lot and this is by far the worse I’ve had. My lamb kabob was gross. I’m not sure what was up with the lamb. The stuffed grapes were meh! I didn’t even finish my meal. Took three bites and paid my bill.
The only good thing about my experience was that the restaurant was open late. Oh, the décor is nice too.

I’ve been at this place twice, both times we used Groupon.
The location is good, the décor is nice and inviting and the customer service is outstanding (from manager to the busser!)
I love the way they cook fish, it is always fresh! Seafood places refrigerating their fish or freezing it should be ashamed! Both times I ordered seafood and was absolutely happy with the quality and freshness.
The second time my swordfish was slightly undercooked, which is not a biggie, it is not that simple to cook fish perfectly all the time. I was pleasantly surprised though, the issue was elevated to the management level and was handled flawlessly.
As for kebobs and other meat dishes — one of our Arabic friends who knows what a good kebob should taste like confirmed that it was GOOD. Both his dishes contained meat and he literally inhaled them :)
I should also point out that hummus is freshly made and yummy, and the drinks from the bar are tasty.
Will definitely be coming back and suggest the place to my friends.
Giving 4 stars, but would give 4.5 if such option was available on Unilocal

We ate lunch at Kababji Grill in early April and though the food was tasty, it was nothing spectacular. The service was decent but for some reason, it was pretty empty at lunchtime on a Saturday. I love Lebanese food and ordered the Kafta Kabob (beef kabob), which was comprised of ground beef, a blend of spices, and chopped parsley, and came with bread, grilled veggies, and rice. It was a pretty good meal, but quite pricey — $ 15!
The service was decent here and I would definitely go back if I had another occasion to, but compared to Lebanese Taverna and other Lebanese /​Middle Eastern restaurants in the city, I don’t really think Kababji Grill truly stands out.

Very pleasantly surprised by this place after seeing middle-​of-​the-​road Unilocal reviews. It’s the low side of 4 stars, but far, far better than a 3-​star «not going back» place.
Hummos and accompanying veggies to start were fresh, but the pita may very well have been store-​bought /​frozen /​microwaved. Don’t want to point a finger, but there’s a lot more doubt about freshness here than, say, Zaytinya. This is an easy fix, and I hope the restaurant makes a bigger effort to fix something as small, but significant, as this.
The entrees, however, were fantastic. Mixed kebab and chicken kebab were among the best we have had and good-​sized portions. Loved everything about them.
No two ways about it, though, the place is freezing. Most of the patrons were wearing coats.
Service was very attentive – very quick on the refills, clearing plates, and asking what else we wanted.
Will return, but will be smarter about where we sit.