Our Mom Eugenia - Great Falls — Restaurant in Reston

My family and I have dined at all three of their locations and I’m sad to say that due to the rudeness of the manager at the Great Falls location, Eugenia’s son, none of us will be returning to any of their restaurants again.

I’ve dined at many places, worked at a three Michelin starred restaurant/ number one in the world and I’ve never experienced a more disgusting display of “hospitality.” This manager shouldn’t be in the hospitality industry and definitely shouldn’t be let anywhere near the front of house. First off we made reservations a week out. While eating our appetizers and on the first round of drinks in what was an otherwise pretty empty restaurant, he very rudely came over and told us at 2:50pm that he had another reservation for 4:45pm so basically hurry up with your order and get out. We politely approached him and told him we were offended and didn’t want to be rushed through our dinner so please give us the bill and we’ll leave. He became even more rude and combative, raising his voice when at this point all we wanted was the check. This rushing through service seems to be a common experience that people of color encounter at this location. To the owners, please don’t bother copying and pasting a response about the service you strive to offer because it doesn’t seem as if any corrective action has or ever will be taken...

Several of our friends are regulars. This was our first visit. When we arrived, the restaurant was crowded and looked full, except for a single table in the rear corner. Actually, there was a table in the center that we were seated at. The tables are close, giving it more of a coziness than the separation of most upscale places. It exudes a comfortable vibe, romantic or casual. Patrons were obviously enjoying themselves. There was quite the buzz of conversation. Lighting was fairly low in the center, higher in the front and sides.

We usually order an appetizer and an entree, but we like different Greek foods, so doubled on everything. She got the grape leaves with meat, and I started with the beets with pistachios and mashed potatoes. Our entrees were moussaka and mixed grill. Despite my usual aversion to eggplant (it's a texture thing), it was flavorful. I love lamb chops, and was not disappointed. Both the chicken and filet skewers were equally good.

We asked for dinner drinks and ended up with an Ouzo martini for her, and a pino noir, both enjoyed.

The biggest impression was how involved and energized the wait staff was. Our server was Taliya(sp?). Quite engaging. At the end we also met Phil, the owner....

We used Open Table to make our reservation and when we needed to modify the number we were bringing, the restaurant didn’t get the updates they said. They texted us personally to which we responded and check our reservation with Open Table which was correct. We also called the restaurant to make sure they were getting the messages but their phone number was not working (3 attempts were made). On New Years Eve we arrived as scheduled and on arrival two individuals met us at the door (to greet us we thought) and immediately started to question us on whether we had called with the changes. They then said they could take care of us anyways..implying they were making the concession.

We have loved this restaurant in the past and had expected a similar experience. Yet, we could the waiter generally aloof, the courses rushed, and the sea bass unappealing and the sirloin slices, tough. The desert lacked imagination or what should have been, the finale of a special dining experience.

There were no festive accents in decor either. All in all......