Bawadi Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in Falls Church

Bawadi is a delightful Jordanian-American owned restaurant serving cuisine of the Levant and tucked away in the seven corners area near Falls Church. I recommend the mint lemonade which is blended on demand and worth requesting without sugar - it has a cool, refreshing, and - I’m told -authentic flavor. The menu is colorful and sensibly laminated as we kept it around to order several times during our stay. Familiar options are available including the crowd pleasing hummus, baba ganoush, and Arabic salad we decided to share - all served with puffed-up khubez served warm from a massive stone oven; the manufacture of piles of bready pillows can be observed through plexiglass in the center of the restaurant.

The ambiance is meant to give the feel of a Bedouin camp and I recommend sitting outside in the beautiful nooks one might find on a journey through the Wadi Rum. Artworks of the region are throughout the rooms and while it may be a bit over the top at times, including a massive image of Petra, it does add to the adventure. Traditional textiles adorn the space and some are for sale too along with sweets to go; various dialects and languages are heard as crowds of expats and locals from distant suburbs trek here not unlike traders passing through Rose City in the 1st century. The charming namesake sunflower, a vestige from the previous vegetarian restaurant, remains carved on the ceiling.

Bawadi is known for its popular luncheon buffet which, as we had planned, had just concluded as we arrived around 330 on Sunday. We chose the traditional lamb qidra as a main dish and also the shrimp kabob - they pleased by their aroma and taste equally. I did wish that we had tried the mansaf or the stew of the day, but as an unexpected friend arrived as we had just finished our first dishes we hastily ordered the qidra again to ensure she had a chance to sample this great dish - this time with chicken.

I might have preferred a large glass for the freshly blended and thick mint lemonade we all selected versus the lidded-cup with small diameter straw, however this did encourage a slower consumption rate and minimized the chance of spills as we were there quite a long time reaching across the table sharing family style.

After our feast we selected sukseh - aka Arab lazy cake - as we exited the restaurant. At home we regretted not bringing home the heavily pistachio-ed baklava which looked amazing...

Update 10/13/23 at 7:30 pm: In reply to the owner, Thank you for your response. My feedback is indeed based on experiences at Bawadi Restaurant in Virginia. My intention was to provide honest feedback for improvement, not to harm your reputation. I value the commitment you've shown by addressing my review and hope my observations can be constructive.

Original comments:

When my family and I first moved to the DC area in 2019, this restaurant quickly became our go-to spot, offering top-notch ambiance, food, and service. However, based on multiple visits over the past couple of years, it's evident that the restaurant's standards have significantly deteriorated.

Since the onset of COVID, there's been a noticeable decline in the freshness and taste of the dishes. The lunch buffet offerings, especially the salads, often tasted stale, suggesting they might have been sitting out for days. The overall flavor profile of the dishes has also changed, with many items being excessively oily.

It's one thing for a restaurant to increase its prices, but it's entirely another when the hike in cost isn't justified by the quality. During Ramadan, not only did the buffet prices see an unjustified increase mid-month, but the quality remained disappointingly low. When ordering the kabob platter (mashawi) online, it's now mandatory to add a side (like rice) at an additional cost. This is perplexing, especially since most authentic restaurants in the area include a side as part of the main dish without extra charges.

Another point of contention was during the Ramadan buffet. The owner personally oversaw the distribution of meat and rice, often giving out minuscule portions of meat, which felt rather restrictive and not in line with the spirit of generosity typically associated with Ramadan.

Many of our friends, who were once regulars like us, have shared similar sentiments. It's disheartening to see a once-beloved establishment lose its charm and value. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and works towards restoring the restaurant's...

My husband and I went to the 'Bawardi Mediterranean Grill' restaurant last week for the first time. We were well greeted and seated immediately. Our waiter Hassan brought the menu and explained to us the dishes.

My husband ordered 'Maklouba Lamb' on a bed of rice, eggplant and yogurt sauce.

I ordered 'Meat Shawarma Sandwich' house made bread and tahini sauce with sesame seeds.

Drinks two fresh cocktail juices. Meanwhile I started wandering around the restaurant, taking photos and asking questions. Since the restaurant had a few tables with customers, I had more time to talk to Mekela. She was great in explaining the menu and a bit about her culture.

Inside the restaurant it's beautiful and filled with rich Palestinian culture and interesting decor and ornaments that I wasn't familiar with. Also the music was pleasant to listen not loud.

Our food arrived warm and deliciously flavored. My sandwich was great too with the sauce. I tried my husband's lamb plate and it was full of flavor.

The fruit juices are great too. After dinner they offered us complimentary Baklava with black tea and mint infused. Everything was perfect from food to service.

Also we ordered two boxes of Baklava to take home it's just amazing very rich in flavor.

PS: What I didn't like is the juices we're served in a plastic cup. Including plastic forks to eat the dessert. The menu needs some TLC with better photos and improved layout.

They did the best with what they have. We'll be back!

We're planning to go back to try the buffet. I'm curious about tasting other dishes.

It's definitely a hidden gem in Falls Church...