Zikrayet Lebanese Restaurant and Lounge

Ehh… just ok… soggy fries, small portions.
We went to the pre-​opening, they moved a block away, but right across the street from work.
It was ok…

They are back! For what its worth its about the same as it was before. I went to the old location a few times. I live close by so I wanted to check out the new digs.
The location seems a lot bigger. The décor is pretty nice again. However the location doesn’t really change the critiques from before. The food is still pretty decent if not somewhat overpriced. The service is still… very meh. I ordered an appetizer off the half off happy hour menu. This turned out to be a mistake.
My friend ordered the grape leaves and they came out after a few minutes. However my appetizer was nowhere to be found. We then waited quite some time, enough time for the owner/​manager ask us how our meal was.
«We haven’t been served yet»
«Oh. I“m sorry!»
Awkward. We flag down the waitress and ask if my appetizer order had been put in. She said «Oh you want another one?» No. I just wanted the one I ordered. Whatever.
The food comes and the food is fine. About 5 minutes into the meal the appetizer comes. Super.
The staff is nice enough and check on us frequently. The dinner is fine.
At the end of the meal we get the check and my «happy hour» appetizer was charged full price.
I won’t be coming back again unless they change location. I gave them a one star bump for just because they are opening up and maybe everything isn’t quite set up yet. Otherwise I would have given this a one star.

I’ve had the displeasure of dining here twice, once to try and once because there was a work function there. I got sick to my stomach once, but I always try to give places another chance — off night, could have been something else — etc.
The other occasion it took way too long for things to happen at lunch, their buffet is not labeled at all either. I did eventually ask, but was told it was all lamb — ordered a sandwich instead. I asked for no pickles but it had pickles — someone else at my table asked for no tomatoes and yet there were tomatoes. The waitress disappeared long enough that it was just easier to pick them out.
I was excited to see that they’d closed, but sad to see it wasn’t for good. Instead they’re moving across the street a bit, next to Fosters. So now the happy hour patio times at fosters and be ruined by the smell of smoke and their noise. Great.
If you want lebanese food, go to Layla’s or Pita House — they taste better, have better service, and no chance of illness. I’d suggest Layla’s if you can though. I won’t be back here unless I’m forced in to it.

This is a revision to a review I previously posted. I ate here in late October prior to the restaurant closing and moving to a new location. I was very brief in my last review, using a a simple one sentence review indicating my dissatisfaction. I am remiss in not providing adequate details for readers as well as the restaurant itself. Here are those details.
My coworker and I love Lebanese food, so we thought we would try Zikrayet. We went in for lunch around noon. The hostess/​waitress/​barmaid was somewhat rude as she seated us and explained that many menu items were unavailable, as the restaurant was closing in a day or two.
That’s fine, we figured we would find something we could eat. The waitress continued to be rude as she took our order, then returned to tell my dining companion — oops, we do not really have that.
I had a soda in a dirty glass.
I ordered a lamb kabob. The lamb was so overcooked, hard and burned that it tasted like jerky. The vegetables were okay, not great. The rice was cold and stuck together like a rice ball.
I did not finish the lunch and the waitress did not care enough to check on our meals.
On my hurried exit from the restaurant, I used the men’s room. It was filthy, and had a giant hole in the wall behind he urinal that exposed the structure of the building.
All in all, even if I were aware of where the restaurant was moving, I would not go there again.
J

I am going to write this review even though this place is closing on 10÷25÷11 and reopening on April 25^th in a new location.
I came here on a Sunday night so it wasn’t really that busy as friends claim it usually is.
As Egyptians living aborad, my friends and I sometimes miss the feeling of home; you know that chill loungy place where you’re surrounded by Shisha (hookah) and where you can just relax, enjoy the group of friends you’re with, and just laugh out loud.
Zikrayet (which means memories) does just that. I got some fries and my friends got some kofta and sausage sandwiches that they seemed to enjoy. Too bad they were out of a lot of stuff because they’re closing the location in a couple of days.
Would be back when they reopen to see how it is.
Cheers!

Heard this place is closing in a few weeks.
Frankly, I’m not surprised.
I’ve given this place many chances over the past few years. The food and service just got progressively worse. Each time I went I waited for over half an hour to be served the food — mind you the restaurant was empty aside from us. The food itself is ehhh to say the least — certainly not worth the $ 20 they charge for their entrees. It was not uncommon that half of the menu was not available to order.
Out with the old and in with the new, can’t wait for the new sushi spot to open in its place!

Go elsewhere for Lebanese food. In the DMV you have lots of other places to choose from.
At Zikrayet, you get less than stellar service (read: SUPER slow and not terribly friendly), even when it’s during lunch and you’re literally 1 of 5 people in the place. The food would be decently priced, especially in this area, but decently priced bad food is not a bah-​gin.
The lentil soup was just OK. Not particularly flavorful. Ditto with the
Beef Shawarma sandwich. The pita wasn’t even warm or fresh tasting.
**FYI, my newbie teammate just asked me why I didn’t warn him about the place. Just last week, he went in for lunch and never got served, as he was over it after sitting for 30+ minutes sans food. Poor thing. I was hoping that my experience was as bad as it could get.
It’s too bad. There aren’t too many cool sit down restaurants within a couple of blocks from the office, so Zikrayet has a great location to capitalize on the USPTO campus and the surrounding buildings. They just don’t cut it. I’ll continue to walk a little longer to mange in Old Town, take the lovely free lunch loop bus, or hitch a ride with my teammates as they chauffeur me elsewhere. Let’s be real, the PTO cafeteria has some pretty good noms, all of which have been better than the food I was served at Zikrayet.

Plentiful street parking for blocks around if the garage doesn’t strike your fancy. Our saucy server with fantastic eyeshadow was very attentive until the last of our plates had been served, at which point we had to take initiative to pay our check. Brief flashes of Hooters déjà vu as another server squatted in booty shorts to set up a hookah at the next table. Pressed sandwiches weren’t an option for dinner, and happy hour was indoors only but we were rolling a little underdressed for the posh interior. Besides, people-​watching is fun when you see the Jersey Shore MILF in leopard print greeting the peroxide blonde’s latest sugar daddy.
Pita bread was preportioned, chilled, and still baggied in the basket. Kind of a turn-​off. The pita chips were enjoyable though: thin and crispy, perfectly accompanied by olives, labne, and olive oil garnished with sesame seeds. Crème brule martini was nice and sugary but was ultimately a misnomer– not at all reminiscent of the sweet treat. From Beirut With Love struck me as a sweeter, less alcoholic White Russian.
All the other plates were served fresh from the kitchen. Spinach pies had thick crusts, but the yogurt dipping sauce helped immensely. Spinach dominated the filling composition, but there was a healthy dash of pine nuts in each portion. Fried kibbeh also came four to the plate, with the texture of hush puppies but much better in flavor. Probably my third favorite plate of the evening. Will’s meaty kibbeh batata had all the appearance of an ethnic lasagna, the mouth-​feel of a radish cake with ground beef, and was garnished with another fistful of pita chips. Turd-​like appearance jests aside, I much preferred my kafta with its grilled vegetable medley and rice pilaf. The star of our meal was the labor-​intensive, 20-​minute banana fillo. Crushed pistachios garnished the thick drizzle of chocolate syrup over the hefty roll of flaky phyllo dough. Bananas were so hot that I would’ve loved a scoop of vanilla on the side to cut through the heat and sweetness of the chocolate.
Two and a half stars. Soundproofing was so good that we didn’t really check out the DJ as he was starting up. I’ll give it another shot for the hookah and lunch menu because of the convenient location, but I’ll probably be passing on the cocktails and bar peanuts.

A group of 15 of us went to lunch at an empty Zikrayet at 11:45. Service was terribly slow. The waitress didn’t seem to be very good at English, which is something that should be required when serving customers here. So most likely due to language barriers, she got our orders wrong and some people didn’t get their orders until around 1:30. And this was after several attempts at confirming with and reminding the waitress that there were still people in our party waiting for their food. Even with the long wait, a few people got the wrong order. Further, the servers were slow at refilling drinks and checking to see if there was anything else we needed, etc. In the end, it took approximately 2 hours to get a sandwich lunch, and the server made sure to include the 20% gratuity for her «excellent» service (even though the menu stated 18% for large parties).
I would not recommend going there for lunch AT ALL.

If you’re looking for great hookah, this is a nice spot, but be aware of what you’re entering if you head there after Friday or Saturday night at 10 pm.
My friends and I were just looking to head out for a relaxing night where we could talk to each other and smoke hookah. As far as our Internet research went, this place was the only one with hookah in the Alexandria area, so we figured we should give it a whirl.
When we arrived, the host asked us if we had a reservation. Reservation? It was 10:30 PM! But, we didn’t, so we were escorted to an area behind glass, which I determine was for the people who don’t have reservations. Regardless, it was the way to go for us as we wanted to at least be separate from what would turn out to be the «action» of the place.
When we were seated, the server notified us that there was a $ 25 minimum. No big deal, in my mind. Each hookah was $ 15, so a few beers or an appetizer and we were good. Then, we took a look at the menu and it was actually $ 25 minimum per person. Yahtzee! As I had eaten Taco Bell earlier in the day (yeah, I’m awesome) and enjoyed beer during the Browns-​Packers preseason game (even more awesome), I now knew that I was headed for slamming down $ 25 worth of food and drink. Oh well. It provided me with this full review.
I must say that all of the servers at this restaurant are gorgeous. If you are a heterosexual male, you will enjoy what you see and if you don’t, then I don’t consider you a heterosexual male. Though the servers are stunning, their command of English is not as stunning. I ordered the calamari, and was told that they had no calamari. As I had just been hit with the knowledge of the $ 25 minimum, I was a bit annoyed that I couldn’t even order what I wanted and was given no explanation as to why. But, I pushed it aside and went with the chicken shawarma entrée, which combined with some beer over the night would allow me to reach my $ 25 minimum and possible regurgitation given the Taco Bell already sitting in my stomach.
Roughly an hour into our night, the lights turned darker, and all of a sudden a man started singing music in Arabic. Had any of us actually clicked on the link to the restaurant’s website, we would have realized that this explained the reservation aspect. Every Friday and Saturday night after 10 pm is a DJ and then apparently a dude who sings along with the DJ and then eventually people start clapping, dancing, and singing along. This also explained the $ 25 minimum. Let’s just say a few idiots in T-​shirts looking to just chat around a hookah didn’t exactly fit in, but then again, that’s our fault for not doing further research.
The chicken shawarma was good, but I must say that I have had better and at a more reasonable price. However, given the circumstances of needing to shove it down my throat in order to get to the hookah, it was a fine choice.
The hookah was excellent, though. It was delicious, and for just three guys around it, it lasted for a long time.
As I don’t live in Alexandria, I can’t attest to what else is around, but I was told by others seated near us that this really is the only hookah place in the area and particularly in Old Town. Apparently, another potential hookah place recently closed down. So, given that, if what you want is hookah and you’re in this area, you don’t really have much of an option.
All in all, I had a good experience with Zikrayet despite the confusion over minimums, calamari, and random dudes singing. The hookah is fantastic, the food is good but a wee bit overpriced, the ambiance is pretty good but it again depends upon what you want out of a hookah experience (prepare for it to be loud). As for the server, she could have dumped the chicken shawarma in my lap. It would have been worth it to continue to take in her beauty in the darkness and neon lights while the international equivalent of «DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love» was playing.
If you’re just looking for a chill Friday or Saturday night experience, this probably isn’t the place though you may have no other option since this is apparently all Alexandria has to offer in the realm of hookah. Also, if you’re looking to not spend much on a Friday or Saturday night, it would be wise not to go as we reached the three-​digit mark on our bill together easily. Likewise, I’d suggest at least wearing business casual attire to this place on a Friday or Saturday night. The group of us looked like we had just got done with a Fantasy Football draft when we arrived, so we felt under-​dressed and out of place a bit. As I mentioned, it was a good experience, but just know what you’re walking into as it wasn’t what we had expected.

I get my hair done next door and always wonder about Zikrayet, and finally this past week I went for it and found out.
Based on the food alone, I probably would have given 3 stars. I had the fried kibbeh appetizer and the chicken schwarma platter. The fried kibbeh was tasty, but I wish it had said that it comes with cucumber sauce so I could have asked for plain yogurt. The schwarma platter was good — well seasoned chicken (and a lot of it), a garlicky cream paste that was oh so tasty, and a serving of rice with almonds and something else that was probably my favorite thing on the plate. Not the best schwarma I’ve ever had, but far from the worst. Also, the pita chips they give you before your meal, along with olives, a yogurt /​sour cream sort of dip, and some olive oil with sesame seeds, was tasty as well.
But the service was atrocious. First of all, half of the menu isn’t served after 5, but that’s written in small letters way at the bottom. Also, why are you giving me a happy hour menu at my outside table if happy hour is only inside? And finally, and this is really what did me in, the server who took my order and brought my food then disappeared completely — as in, I never saw her again. Nobody asked me how my meal was, not even the other 2 servers working the patio. One of them finally came and asked if I wanted my food boxed up, did it, and then left. I finally had to hand someone my credit card to get my bill rung up. And while the food was good and all, it was absolutley not worth the $ 27 my meal and appetizer came out to.
I’m glad I tried it out, but I probably will not be back. This has the potential to be a neat spot, and others seem to like it fine — hookah is always a draw, and the food really is good — but the execution is seriously lacking.

I go here once in a while because I like to have hookah and drinks. Place is nice. Music is good. Food good. My only problem is the drinks.
I usually will feel something after 3 drinks but whenever I go here I always end up ordering 5 – 6 drinks before I can feel a thing. Ive even asked a couple times to make the drink stronger (which I was charged extra for) but still nothing. So what does this tell me? Water-​downed alcohol!
Very disappointing because everything else is really good there.

On the expensive side, but pretty nice place to hang out. The hooka is generally good, great ambiance (indoor couches, outdoor seating too), food is not spectacular but adequate (although I don’t understand why they serve the pita in closed plastic bags). Service has ranged from excellent to incompetent, but no rudeness or anything.
I like the crowd this attracts (probably because it’s alexandria), older scene than DC (people in their 30s rather than 20s). This is nice as I just hit 30 and I’d rather feel young than old (smiley face). I also like that people come here alone, sit at the bar, smoke a hooka. It’s a laid back kind of scene, fits me well. I’ve only been there on weeknights, so can’t comment on the weekend scene.

This review is way past due. While I have not been to Zikrayet in a while, I was a regular during this past fall. I love it there. Mostly, I went later on Saturday nights, which is the night to go. You pretty much need a reservation on Saturdays. The bar is small and gets crowded fast.
Zikrayet is enchanting. From the outside, it does not look like much — the windows are dark, so you do not even realize people are inside, and the soundproofing good. But once you get inside, it is a different story. You are immediately greeted by the smell of shisha and sounds of Arabic music. Men will perform traditional dances and there is often a belly dancer, later in the evening. The lights are low, and the majority of the patrons are Arabic, Ethiopian, or Indian. You feel as if you are in the Middle East.
You might be the only white person there. Do not be scared. If you have my coloring (though I am super light — I think it is the hair and the eyes), you might be spoken to in Arabic at first, but everyone speaks English. The owner and his girlfriend (Lebanese) are usually there, and they are fabulous, as is the staff. Ladies, you may get hit on if you are in a group without any men. You can wear jeans, but many customers are a little more dressed up than that.
Drinks are good — some better than others. Not a fan of the gin and tonics here, but the rum and cola or whiskey and colas are pretty good. I like drinking arak, a Lebanese spirit. I like the food too — I have had the tabouleh, fried kibbeh, and halloumi. The halloumi is great. I think food service stops at 1 a.m. and last call is 1:45 or so. Definitely do the hookah — it is good here.
If you are looking for something out of the ordinary and have an open mind, try Zikrayet.

Great setup if the interior delivered. Whenever the restaurant opened I’m sure it was the neighborhood gem, but when the furniture is looking its age, cigarette burns in the chairs, it’s time to refurb the place. If you aren’t looking for the ‘wow’ factor and just want to hang out with a mid-​east kinda vibe, choose this place. Don’t expect great food as you won’t find here. If you want great food and a more posh atmosphere, head to DC. Sad that I had to say this since I live so close to this place. I will say it does get busy late, but again if you want to head to a bar off the King Street strip, give it a shot.

This is a hidden gem and exactly what I look for in a place to spend a fun Friday night.
great hookah, good quality and variety.
Atmosphere perfectly blends restaurant and lounge so that you can eat dinner and not feel like you are in the middle of a club and can hang out for the night in a lounge setting and not feel like you are just sitting in a restaurant all night.
Food is surprisingly good. Very good actually. Never had anything I didn’t like and they have a great range of items to choose from.
The crowd is mostly Lebanese and Arab at night, but totally welcoming of people who aren’t. (You don’t feel like you don’t belong, you just feel like you got invited to a really cool party you didn’t know existed but is really fun)
Drinks are stiff, well priced and they have a small, but very good wine selection. The Lebanese wine is killer. Its hit or miss, sometimes they can’t get it but they will tell you about their conversation with the actual vintner in Lebanan and why they are out and that they will get it whenever its available (that much of a small world kind of feel)
TOTALLY WORTH GOING TO!

I came here to have a dinner. I had a falafel sandwich. Falafel seems to be frozen one. They just fried it. It was very dry.
The waiter kept touching my husband. I do not know if he tried to be friendly or not. My husband felt very uncomfortable.
It was nice inside and many people come here to have shisha. Shisha is very pricy.
I do not impress this place.

This was a really happening place. We walked a while to get here and everything around this place for like 5 blocks is dead silent. We walk in here and it’s a crazy party. They must have some very hardcore soundproof walls. We came on a Saturday night. We didn’t have a reservation, didn’t pay any cover, and were seated almost immediately, but from some of the other reviews this isn’t always the case
This place has awesome people. The belly dancer is entertaining, and I’d say almost everyone else there was also dancing at some point, whether on a couch, grinding on a friend or dancing up and down the center aisle in a line.
We ordered a double apple hookah but I am sure it was licorice flavored. We had a side of hummus, which was pretty standard. A little on the greasy side, actually as it had some olive oil in it. My friend ordered a plate of beef kabob which was really tender and juicy. I see a lot of complaints about service in these reviews, but I thought service was pretty good, aside from the wrong flavor of hookah. She quickly and repeatedly refilled our waters, brought food and drinks in a timely manner, took our orders in a timely manner, and was friendly.
It’s just a tad bit too loud in here for my taste. It’s hard to talk to your friends at this volume; it’s almost worse than a club. If possible, you should try to get a table further away from the speakers. We were sitting right across from them; that could have been why it was so damn loud. Other than that, it’s pretty good times.

We went to Zikrayet today and had a tasty lunch. The lunch menu has a nice variety of dishes to satisfy any fan of Lebanese food. We opted for the falafel sandwich special and the beef shwarma sandwich special. Both were good, certainly as good as any I’ve had in the DC metro area.
To pile on to (almost all) the other reviews: the service is sub-​par. It wasn’t that the service was bad only that the waitress seemed very disinterested in us (and we were virtually the only diners in the place today). Perhaps there’s a language barrier. None of the dining room staff we interacted with seemed comfortable speaking english. So maybe I mistook shyness for disinterest. In any case, be ready to speak up when you need a drink refilled or another mezza. The staff was quite efficient filling our requests. They just weren’t good at anticipating our needs.
I’ll end on another highlight. You won’t be rushed out the door. You’ll probably have to as for the bill. Like restaurants in Europe, they bring the bill when you’re ready for it, not when they are ready for you to leave.
So don’t let the mediocre service scare you away. The tasty food is worth a visit. We’ll certainly be back.

Quite frankly.
1. The service is rude/​discriminatory
2. The food overpriced and bland
3. The belly dancing subpar
4. The cover charge on weekends too much (if you’re lucky enough to get in).
It’s just sad we don’t have many good shisha places in this part of the dc metro area to compete. :((