Mayur Kabab

Try the Bone-​in ginger lamb kerahi! Amazing. The mango lassi was awesome too. The staff was very friendly and came around to spend time talking to us. My only regret is that it’s too far from my home to order take-​out but I now have something to look forward to whenever I’m in the District.

The staff is very friendly and the food is delicious. Highly recommend the mango lassi!

I make Indian food that is better than this. It was spicy, but that was the only flavor profile. I had shrimp biriyani which appeared to have been made with pre-​cooked baby shrimp and was colorful but tasteless. I had to salt it to try to add some depth. On top of that, the service was non-​existent. Head across the street to Brasserie Beck.

I had the goat karhai for two, I ordered it spicy. It was great, gave me acidity but it was amazing. The serving size was pretty good, but doesn’t compare to Ravi Kabobs serving size. The Naan here was whole wheat, but wasn’t the soft and fluffy naan I’m used to, it was much tougher. Other than that I enjoyed the food, not so much the price.

Food tasted decent until we found a hair in our food. Then the staff could only offer $ 5 back to make up for the hair (which is ridiculous, they should at least take off the whole dish that we found the hair in). Then as we walked out, we saw a dead mouse in the doorway. I pointed that out to the owner as he walked in and he kicked it to the side and said «oh well, it must have come from outside» and did nothing additional for us to make up for the disgusting experience.

Made a stop here before heading back to connecticut from our trip to DC. Decent buffett for 13 $. Good service and comfortable location.

We were here recently for dinner. The chicken tikka masala and butter chicken were both really good. We were very happy with the food. The masala was not as tomato based as some I have had but it was good and the onions in it were something different that I liked. The naan was good. Our waiter was very nice and polite. Overall we were happy and would return.

Delicious food! I am originally from the Bay Area in Northern California, and there are SOO many amazing indian/​pakistani foods there, but I thought this one was a bit better than the best of the best in the bay area. Amazing food. Every single dish was on point, with simply amazing mix of flavors. Even the Chicken Tikka Masala, which is generic almost everywhere you go, had a really unique twist to it here, and was delicious! Their naan are also really good.
The servers, and employees were also so nice to us. Really awesome experience eating here. Would highly recommend eating here!

We were very pleased with every aspect of this restaurant. As Muslims, we were very happy to have zabihah halal.
The food was all so perfectly cooked. The spices were perfect. We had briyani chicken and lamb, chili chicken, and tandoori chicken. It was amazing the the chicken was so soft and tender (which is unusual for boneless chicken). We couldn’t get enough. It was all delicious.
The service was superior, and we were fortunate to have a perfect night to eat outside.
Thanks so much, we’ll be back every time we’re visiting Washington.

This place is one of my favorite affordable Indian restaurants in town. The chole bhature (chickpeas dish with fried puffed bread) is probably my favorite Indian dish and this place has a delicious version. I am not even vegetarian at all and it is one of my favorite dishes of all time– highly recommend it to all who have not tried it.
As for the other foodstuff, the raita (yogurt/​sauce) is solid, as are the rest of the sauces. The lamb kofta is also quite delicious and comes on a bed of salad. The mango lassi is on point, thick and creamy. I like the chole bhature so much that have I really havent tried much else, but one of my Indian friends frequented here/​tried several of their dishes and thought it was legit so there’s that. I haven’t tried the buffet yet but it looks pretty decent for the price. The restaurant is kinda a hole-​in-​the-​wall, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that Unilocal has a 15% off purchase with check-​in deal– I normally get food here for takeout but that’s worth a visit in itself.

Food was really delicious! My wife and I went there for our first diner in Washington DC after driving from Pittsburgh. Yes, we were starving. The waiter was very helpful in selecting the plate since they were unknown to us.
Please be respectful of the culture: I have to say «Mea Culpa». We had a bottle of wine we wanted to drink as BYOB, and when looking up these words «indian food» and «BYOB», Mayur Kabab is the first on the listing, which is why we ended up here. This is place Halal meaning only what is permitted (I believe.) and alcohol is not permitted. Mistakenly, we brought the bottle. Waiter, again, was kind enough to forgive and forget. We respectfully put that away and ate really great food.

Finally, an authentic hole-​in-​the-​wall Indian/​Pakistani restaurant in DC! This place was fantastic!
I came with a friend, and we both ordered the lunch buffet. Everything was delicious, fresh, and had the perfect spice level. The chicken was actually moist and everything was hot. And they gave us a ton of free naan. After the 15% off coupon through Unilocal,it was only $ 11!
Also, I love supporting this restaurant because the owner gives back to his community. He gives free food to the homeless, and serves about 50 people a day.
I highly recommend eating here. I’ll definitely be back soon.

I’ve been going to this place for the past 7 years and have seen it transform, but one thing was always consistent; good service and good food.
The last 2 times I’ve been, the friendly atmosphere was nearly absent, service was poor, but the food was still good.
The 1^st time I noticed this I was dining in. The server sat us and filled our water… then never came back. I had to literally find him to place our order! He never came back to fill our water glasses or take any of the plates from the buffet away.
My dinner companion ordered a simple cold appetizer, which she received a full 30 min after. In between no one gave us an update and I had to point out that I was nearly done with my meal while she hasn’t even received hers. I had to flag down another waiter who was nice enough to help. However, he smelled like he had been hitting the hookah for the past hour. When she did get her food, she wasn’t provided with utensils or even a dinner plate. It’s as though she was expected to eat it from the serving bowl with the serving spoon. After asking, the waiter brought out plates.
When I went to go pay, our original waiter was standing next to the manager/​cashier speaking in their native language. Unfortunately for him, I understood everything he said. Claiming that my dinner companion had been eating from the buffet. I can only assume that he thought this because the plate that was brought to her by the other waiter was from the buffet stack. I held my cool and just stated exactly what we had ordered and parted by stating that the service had never been this poor in all the years I’ve been there. The manager said that next time it would be better.
ROUND 2
Wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt I placed a carryout order. Normally I order online, this time I couldn’t place the order; the site reported the restaurant was closed (only 9pm). I called the restaurant and confirmed they were open, but I would have to place my order over the phone. I let him know I would be using the discount on their website, to which the guy replied, «they don’t accept coupons.» Again, this was a coupon on their own website with an expiration at least a month away. He explained that it was under new ownership.
I decided to keep the order, but can’t help but wonder why management wouldn’t take care of these incorrect listings on their own website?!
Seems like the chef is the same, so the quality of food has stayed nearly consistent, I did notice some of the high end spices of Indo/​Pak cooking missing from the dish this time. I find myself avoiding this place. I hope they get themselves some customer service training and get back to what it was!

We ordered the ginger lamb karahi for two and it was so good I wanted to lick the bowl. It came with naan and rice. It was plenty and very satisfying. I would definitely make a trip to have their food the next time I am in DC.

I’ve been going to this place for the past 7 years and have seen it transform, but one thing was always consistent; good service and good food. The last 2 times I’ve been, the friendly atmosphere was nearly absent, service was poor, but the food was still good. The 1^st time I noticed this I was dining in. The server sat us and filled our water… then never came back. I had to literally find him to place our order! He never came back to fill our water glasses or take any of the plates from the buffet away. My dinner companion ordered a simple cold appetizer, which she received a full 30 min after. In between no one gave us an update and I had to point out that I was nearly done with my meal while she hasn’t even received hers. I had to flag down another waiter who was nice enough to help us. However, he smelled like he had hitting the hookah for the past hour. When she did get her food, she wasn’t provided with utensils or even a dinner plate. It’s as though she was expected to eat it from the serving bowl with the serving spoon. After asking the waiter brought out plates. When I went to go pay, our original waiter was standing next to the manager/​cashier speaking in their language. Unfortunately for him, I understood everything he said. Stating that my dinner companion had been eating from the buffet. I can only assume that he thought this because the plate that was brought to her was from the buffet stack. I held my cool and just stated exactly what we had ordered and parted by stating that the service had never been this poor in all the years I’ve been there. The manager said that next time it would be better. Wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt I placed a carryout order. Normally I order from online order site to make things easy, this time I couldn’t place the order since the site reported the restaurant was closed (only 9pm). I called the restaurant and confirmed they were open, but I would have to place my order over the phone. I did and then stated that I would be using the coupon on their own website, to which the guy replied, «they don’t accept coupons.» Again, this was a coupon on their own website with an expiration at least a month away. He then explained to me that it was under new ownership. I decided to keep the order, but can’t help but wonder why management wouldn’t take care of these incorrect listings on their own website. Seems like the chef is the same, so the quality of food has stayed nearly consistent, I did notice some of the high end spices of Indo/​Pak cooking missing from the dish this time. I find myself avoiding this place. I hope they get themselves some customer service training and get back to what it was!

I was here for lunch today, after a full morning conference session in a hotel nearby. My colleague and I were looking for a restaurant for lunch and found this place.
I asked for their menu, even though they had a lunch buffet going on. I figured I was more interested in seeing whether they have any adventurous options in the menu that wasn’t featured in the buffet. After all, I am also more into quality than quantity.
And guess what? I found they have goat! I asked if they had goat today, and sure enough they said yes. I ordered the goat biryani and the sweet lassi. They asked me how spicy I want the biryani, to which I replied «Indian spicy».
Oh, how heavenly. My forehead released sweat and my tastebuds were definitely aroused. It was so good! The goat was very tender and well cooked, and it mixed well with the spices in the basmati rice that surrounded it. If my desire to discover the diversity of cuisines here in DC isn’t strong enough, then I would even consider going back here tomorrow for another round.
5 stars. I sure hope they are still going to be around the next time I visit Washington DC.

A fantastic Indian restaurant in a convenient part of the city. Mayur Kebab House is a great alternative to more expensive Indian restaurants and the staff are more personal and friendly as well.
The atmosphere is much more laid back and casual which provides for a relaxing dining experience. The food is delicious and the spice is just right. I normally have a medium spice, but went a little hotter and it hit the spot just right.
You will not go wrong with this choice.

When we went to the place, there was a long wait. About 30 minutes. The tandoori naan was pretty good… like regular naan you would get any other place. The curry was very, very good. I ordered the Chicken Kadai. It was boiling hot, worth the wait. The battoora was also good.

Been to that place a year ago and it was amazing i loved their buffet and their service it really nice! We got free chai from the owner

I’ve only been here for the buffet portion of lunch/​dinner. The buffet selection is smaller than most places but for the price I would say it’s a decent offering. Buffet is priced competitively for the DC area. It was a little under $ 13. Buffet selection seems to stay the same the few times that I’ve been there regardless if it’s dinner or lunch. There’s chickpeas, saag (spinach), white rice, briayani, basic salad, butter kitchen and tandoori chicken. They serve gulab jamun for dessert which is pretty standard for a Indian/​Pakistani buffet line. They also offer free naan bread once you sit down for buffet. Just be careful that they charge two dollars extra for garlic naan.
I’ve noticed for the dinner buffet the food is a little colder than lunch. Maybe they turn down the heating table to ensure that the food doesn’t dry up as they have a smaller crowd during dinner time and it’s harder to turn around the food.
Maybe for the next time that I show up I’ll try something different from the menu, I must say it’s not fair to judge a restaurant by it’s buffet line since they serve the cheaper meat like chicken instead of the real traditional meat like goat or lamb. It would say I would not return for the buffet anymore and perhaps try something else off the menu and update my review then.

The staff is very friendly and the food is delicious! You can eat their buffet for only 12 bucks! My stomach and wallet are happy!

I like the way this little timber-​lined place is tucked in between a church and a large modern condo building. It’s a new-​to-​us local spot that serves decent Indian/​Pakistani. We tried the buffet and it was good. Didn’t blow us away, but, who can complain for only $ 12/​pp? A good value is increasingly hard to find in DC.
I enjoyed the various stews. I do think the vegetarian items were more spicy and flavorful than the meat dishes, which were very saucy. Overall, this place hit the spot. It serves a purpose.

Mayur Kabab has been around forever (or at least 15 years by my count), and although I dig the half-​timbered exterior, the interior is pretty utilitarian. It pulls in quite the crowd from the nearby youth hostel, but I don’t get its staying power (price point?). Frankly, I’ve been underwhelmed.
Personally, I don’t find buffet dining the best way to judge a restaurant; they generally try to pack in the cheaper carbs and are chintzy with the more expensive proteins. So, this being a Pakistani/​Northern Indian place, I’ve tried to order from their strengths: the kababs and other grilled items from their dinner menu. However, the last time I was there, even with a Groupon, the mixed grill didn’t seem like such a deal: portions were small and the meat was somewhat dry and bland.
For better kababs, head to Moby Dick in Dupont (or if you’ve got the time and transport, to Kabob Palace Crystal City). For cheap Indian/​Pakistani, Red Toque in Shaw.

Stopped by for dinner buffet while visiting DC with my family. We were looking for an authentic Pakistani restaurant. Overall nice clean ambiance, hostess greeted us at the door and seated us immediately. Buffet was average quality but hard to complain while only paying $ 12 for dinner buffet.
The variety of the options was very limited. Only chicken and veggie. Also, the staff was pretty lazy and didn’t pick up our dirty dishes from the table. The food in the buffet was a little cold as well.
The two co owners of the restaurant were activity involved in the dinner service. They came up to our table to see how things were going.

The place is in a quaint, little cottage-​looking building. But, the atmosphere is pretty comfortable. But, I did not personally like the ambiance of the place. It tried to look fancy, but the place didn’t quite reached to what it was trying to achieve with it’s interior.
I was going to give 4 stars for the ambiance, but the food and service were too good for me to give a 4. The naan is very soft and nice. The meal that I had had so much good food. The meal was around $ 13 for a chicken dinner plate, but I got more than my money’s worth. The service was amazing. They were very attentive, and I felt welcomed by the staff. Fantastic experience.

Phew… Now THAT was a pile of shit.
Sitting here at Mayur Kabob House eating a very late 3:00 pm lunch by myself poking at what I think might be chicken tandoori (which is normally one of my favorite chicken dishes) and second guessing myself as to whether this chicken is really chicken at all; all the while gazing into the pits of sullenly depressing interiors that looks like it could have once been a dingy Irish pub, really tends to put life into a kind of morose perspective… «How did I get to this?»
I am normally a huge fan of Indian and Pakistani cuisine but this food was absolutely ghastly — overcooked, bland, soulless, loveless crud. If you’ve ever walked by and thought about popping in, please keep walking and get over to something like Ravi Kabob up on Glebe Road or one of the other places in the burbs for your fix.
One extra star for the Gulab Jamun which they definitely got right.

The food here was so good I could kiss the owner in his mouth lol. The food was flavorful & at my even when at my max spicy limit (Mild) I could still taste amazing flavors through the heat. I absolutely will be back here to sit down & try their food. The customer service was how businesses use to treat you like extended family or friends & the food speaks for itself. The location is beautiful if you go inside or outside. They were perfect. If I could give them 6 stars I absolutely would.

Mayur Kabob House is another hidden gem in the Metro Center /​Chinatown area. The staff was extremely friendly, helpful, and provided some great recommendations. They even went back to see if they had some ingredients for some items that we asked for that were not on the menu.
The food was inexpensive and you get a lot for your money. We left with a meal for days after ordering a lamb, chicken, and 2 vegetarian dishes for two people. The food was very tasty and well-​spiced (and they offered to flavor and spice it to our palates).
I’ve been to some of the «fancier» and «better known» Indian places in the city such as Rasika and Heritage and found I enjoyed Mayur Kabob much more (and it was much easier on the wallet).
Although I did not partake, they also have a lunch and dinner buffett that looked tasty. I’ll definitely be back!

Health Hazard, Customer Beware!
Went to visit this place for some lunch buffet, expecting good things from all the reviews. Immediately, you’ll notice that the maintenance and upkeep of the inside of this restaurant is less than stellar, but I digress. I’ve eaten at plenty of wonderful dives to know not to judge a book by it’s cover. Here’s the run down:
— A guest, in the form of a 1.5 inch long cockroach decided to join us by climbing the wall right next to our plates [see photo for proof]. Upon moving tables, the waiter proceeded to spray the wall and table (without removing the salt/​pepper mind you) with Raid (yes, the neurotoxin)! The cockroach felt to the floor (he never picked it up). Then Mr. waiter proceeded to wipe down the wall and table with a dish rag. He later used the SAME DISH rag, containing the Raid to wipe down other tables!
— Asked for water, the waiter goes to the service closet to refill a pitcher from a large Gatorade vat filled with tepid water (pretty sure this is the fine DC tap variety). Did Mr. Waiter wash his Raid-​laced hands before dipping his pitcher Into said water vat you ask? NO! Asked for Diet coke and a coke with ice, came back with a can of diet coke. Re-​asked for glass of ice and coke, waiter says ok then goes off, never to return. On FOURTH try, he says they have no ice and still didn’t bring my associate her coke (she cancels).
— Asked for Garlic Naan, brings normal. Goes and comes back with garlic (but charged for 2 garlic naan orders). Throws fit when we insist on not being double charged.
— Food is served from a non-​heated and (no ice) cooling buffet tables. Therefore the hot foods get cold and the cold foods (like yogurt and salad get warm and limp). Read on to find out more as to why this is important.
— The quality of food in the buffet is nothing short of atrocious. The chicken was dry and meatless, the veg options were overlooked and mushy. All dishes lacked what you’d expect when you use high quality spices and real cream (replaced with plenty of cheap oil substitutes). That same yogurt sitting in a warming buffet server? Yea it was soured and curdling (and not the sour you’d expect from good Greek yogurt).
Worst experience in DC thus far. This place needs a serious Gordon Ramsey kick in the a$$. It was cited critical issues by the DC DOH as recent as August 17^th, 2014 for items including improper temperature storage of meats!

Pre review — Already been sitting here for over 20 mins and still haven’t been served our appetizers yet. Secondly, we had to ask for serving plates. The waiter is not attentive and looked tired.
Post Review: I don’t know how to put this but the food gave me the shits. I spent the next couple of hours hugging the bathroom. I have had better so wouldn’t be coming here again. This is just based on my experience, just want to be fair it could be different for others.