Cafesano — Restaurant in Reston

I’ve been eating at Cafe Sano for about two years now, and it’s always been a great experience. The interior is welcoming, the view of the lake is beautiful, and the staff have always been kind. My family and I have shared many great meals there and always look forward to returning.

That said, there’s been a persistent fly problem at the restaurant. While I’ve always brushed it off because I understand that occasional flies are inevitable at any restaurant, our most recent visit left us genuinely concerned.

My sister went to grab the wine vinegar from the condiments section for her steak platter. When she poured it out, we noticed a dead fly in the puddle of vinegar. We were grossed out but assumed it was just an unfortunate one time thing. However, when she poured out another vinegar bottle onto a plate, we were horrified to find multiple dead flies—at least five, floating in the pool of vinegar.

From this, it seems the bottles had been left out for an extended period of time without any protective covering. While I understand that condiment bottles may not be replaced until they’re empty, leaving them uncovered could lead to serious health code concerns. Adding a lid or dispenser top could easily prevent this type of contamination.

Additionally, I’ve noticed that the parmesan cheese in the shakers often look old and stale, not fresh. I assume that these condiments and shakers at Cafe Sano are not being regularly checked or replaced, which concerns me for a restaurant that otherwise has great service and quality.

I want to say that I truly do enjoy dining at Cafe Sano and their food is always lovely. However, cleanliness should be a guarantee, especially with self-serve condiments which everyone shares. I hope this issue is taken seriously so that all customers can continue to enjoy...

When it is done right the food itself is pretty good. However, the customer service here is horrible. The last several times I have ordered from Cafesano the chicken kabob was dry and overcooked. The pita bread was also burnt and hard and impossible to eat with the hummus. It was absolutely inedible.

So on March 29, 2022, I thought I'd give them one more try and maybe if I told the manager of my previous experience and placed an order with him perhaps it might turn out better.

When I asked to speak to the manager I was told he was "busy" and couldn't speak to me. Since I was the only customer in the restaurant at 5pm I insisted to speak to the manager and was told I would have to wait. I responded by asking what restaurant would tell a customer that and was looked at with a blank stare and again was told he was busy.

After 15 minutes the manager finally came out and I expressed my concerns about the food and service. I told him about my last experience at CafeSano and that I wanted to place my order with him. I told him I was hoping he would personally make sure the order was correct. He said he was too busy and couldn't do that. I told him that I had never experienced a manager who had so little concern for his customers and perhaps that was why no one in the restaurant at 5pm. I gave him one last opportunity to keep my business and he said nothing. He just turned and walked away.

I left and will never go back. I don't know how a restaurant that operates with complete disregard for their customers can keep the doors open. Hopefully, my review can help others from having such an...

This is a quaint little restaurant near a little lake in Reston offering great Italian - Mediterranean fare and good ambience. My friends and I prefer different tastes - some like kebabs and some love pizza. So this place was perfect for a nice evening get-together. They have wraps, pizzas, kebabs, hummus and other Mediterranean dishes. I tried the falafel wrap and a kebab combo with shrimp and chicken. Both were great. My friends tried the Mediterranean pizza with their own choice of toppings which was excellent. The food is not expensive. The ambience with the candle - lights makes you feel very relaxed and cozy on a cold wintry night. The only pain - point was that this place has canteen style seating and service. So you order your meal and find your own place to sit, which can be a challenge as the place gets super busy in the evenings. No reservations. However, they do have a large table in the center for bigger parties. But I wouldn't recommend this place for a date night. Overall, good food and good ambience. Definitely going...