Mejana - Lebanese Cuisine — Restaurant in Arlington

We were looking for a Middle Eastern restaurant and I skew toward Lebanese when I can. After looking over some reviews, we ended up at Me Jana. I don't think we'll be seeking them out again although, if we do, it will only be for dessert.

Instead of ordering any main courses, we decided to get a bunch of small plates and share them: Grape Leaves - pretty much just like anyone else's; not bad but not particularly good either Beef Shawarma - Meh at best. Maybe not as good as that. Not much flavor, not much texture... Hommus with Meat - The hommus is fairly good - not too lemony but very smooth and nice. Skip the meat though - it's just the Shawarma which is bleh. Spinach Pies - Light and crisp but very bland. Lahem be-Ajeen - I grew up with these. The meat on top was pretty good but the meat to bread ratio was off and again, just not much flavor here. Seared Halloumi - Ok, finally we found some flavor. Feelings about that flavor were mixed around the table. The cheese is SUPER salty so that salty/sweet thing is going on in spades here. I liked it but couldn't eat more than one or two. We had some left because a few people didn't even eat a whole one. Mussels - These were probably the best thing at the table. They came in a cilantro pesto which is a little problem for me because I don't love cilantro but even with that, they were still pretty good. We enjoyed using the leftover broth from these for dipping.

Now because the food was meh, we were actually hungry for dessert so we got two and we wished we'd doubled them. We got the Achta and the Halawat el-Jeben (which is basically the Achta wrapped in a soft cheese and with a different syrup). They were AH-mazing! Really REALLY good. Lightly sweet and totally outside the super-rich/super-size American style desserts (think slab of chocolate cake that might feed a small family). These desserts actually could feed a single person - they're not huge and they're not so rich. As unexciting as the food was, we may come back for dessert.

We really liked our server - she couldn't pronounce most of the things on the menu and she wasn't super knowledgeable about it but she made up for it with enthusiasm and she was very sweet.

Overall, IF we go back (and it's a pretty big if), it would only be for dessert which is probably worth...

I stopped by Me Jana last weekend with a couple of friends after hearing so much about their Mediterranean menu—and wow, it didn’t disappoint. From the moment we walked in, the ambiance pulled us in: warm lighting, deep blue accents, and just enough background music to make it feel cozy but not overwhelming. We kicked things off with their famous Dip Sampler—every bite felt like a mini trip to Beirut. The red pepper dip and baba ghanouj were absolute standouts, and the pita came out warm and fluffy. Their falafel? Probably the best I’ve had in the DMV area—crispy outside, soft inside, full of flavor without being oily. I’m still thinking about it days later. For mains, I went with the Me Jana Mixed Grill, and each skewer—from the kafta to the lamb—was seasoned perfectly and cooked to juicy perfection. My friend ordered the Branzino and while the presentation was beautiful, she felt it could’ve had a bit more meat—but the flavor was solid. We paired everything with a couple of cocktails (I recommend the French Garden if you like gin with a floral twist). Service was mostly on point—although we had to flag down the server a couple of times, they were friendly and helpful once at the table. The best part? Me Jana feels like a place where you can bring your vegetarian cousin, your meat-loving uncle, or your picky niece and everyone will leave full and happy. It's also just a short walk from the Courthouse Metro, with street parking nearby. Oh—and if you’re looking to unwind after a flavorful meal, I highly recommend swinging by PullUpDC for some top-shelf cannabis products. They've got everything from premium flower to edibles and vapes. Trust me, it’s the perfect way to cap off a chill evening out...

We came to Mejana for my mother's birthday. The service was ok, server was young and there may have been a language barrier. Because we were a large party we were told our only option on the menu was the Lebanese Journey which turned out to be basically a large sampler of many menu items from apps, meats and 1 dessert. I was able to explain that in one sentence but while we were at the restaurant that simple explanation was not given. We had about 20 people in our party and were all very confused. The menu doesn't really give an explanation, the waiter wasn't stating it in a way we could understand and finally the manager came and broke it down for us lol. The food ended up being delicious and the drinks were nice also. I really liked the hibiscus martini and my mom loved her mocktail (which they mad a good selection of). My suggestion would be to add an explanation for what the levonese journey is on the menu and also detail that the "mixed grill" is a variety of grilled meats. I assumed it was grilled vegetables since there was no detail on meat and the chicken shwarma was derailed separately. With all the confusion it took us a very long time to order, we had several children with us who got antsy with the wait for the food once it finally was ordered. Aside from the confusion the establishment had very nice decor and we enjoyed our time celebrating my mom. Be aware that the desert that comes w the Journey is a baklava that's the size of a quarter and what looked like a tablespoon of custard, incredibly tiny portions lol so be prepared 😄 but still delicious. The staff were very patient w our confusion and tried their...