Shamshiry — Restaurant in Tysons

I REALLY wanted to be thrilled to be back at Shamshiry. Between the demands of work and family (We live about 40 minutes away, so visiting on impulse isn't practical), then the pandemic lockdowns, and then the demands of business in the post-pandemic environment, I hadn't visited for several years.

As the saying goes, you really can't go home again. The Shamshiry of old wasn't "fancy," but it was homey, welcoming, and fairly serene (though family-friendly). There were white tablecloths, and soon after being seated, a small plate of sabzi khordan was placed on your table. You could hear snippets of Persian among the seated guests and among the staff. The ambient noise made dinner conversation easy, and the food was prepared and presented with care.

What my family and I just visited is a dinner mill. The renovated space is brightly lit, hard-top tables have diners packed in like sardines in a can, and one has to raise his/her voice just to talk to tablemates.

After being seated, a bottle of water and a "cone" of bread are unceremoniously plunked down. The noon in our cone seemed like it had been reheated (perhaps more than once) - - it largely fell apart rather than tearing cleanly.

Starters were a disappointment. Sabzi panir was sold out - - How does a large restaurant run out of feta? Mast-o-musir was thick and "gloppy" and - - worse - - devoid of flavor. The few shallot pieces we detected didn't taste like authentic Persian-style musir.

Following the theme, mains were delivered by a "helper" who plunked them down and scurried off. Our kebabs were fine but not memorable (and certainly not with the depth of flavor that I fondly remember from the Shamshiry of old). And there was some sloppiness in the grilling: My daughter's barg was noticeably more cooked on one end of the skewer than the other. I was the only one at our table to ask specifically for some tahdig with my rice, yet all plates came with some, though mine had by far the smallest piece. Again, it felt like an industrial, food-mill tourist trap - - "Pack 'em in, move' em out."

No staff member returned to the table to check on us. We had to flag down a staffer to get another bottle of water for our party of four, and a little more bread. As soon as we had eaten, we again flagged down our server so that we could pay our bill and make a hasty exit.

It simply wasn't in any way charming, authentic, or restorative in the way that Shamshiry used to be. I'm sorry to say that there now are better options for Persian food, at various price points, in our area, and I don't think we're likely to be returning anytime soon. Sadly, not...

RAW CHICKEN! Disappointing Experience at Shamshiry

Our recent visit to Shamshiry, unfortunately, left much to be desired, as we encountered a series of concerning issues that marred what could have been an enjoyable dining experience. Lack of Attention: From the moment we stepped in, it was apparent that the staff at Shamshiry lacked attentiveness. Despite being promptly seated, we found ourselves waiting excessively for service. Our attempts to capture the attention of waitstaff went unnoticed, leading to a frustrating dining experience. Raw Chicken Incident: The most alarming aspect of our visit occurred when we were served completely raw chicken. This egregious oversight not only violated basic food safety standards but also posed a serious health risk. Rather than addressing the issue with urgency and professionalism, the waiter's response was disappointingly casual, offering a mere "sorry" without genuine concern. Consequences: Regrettably, my wife consumed the raw chicken, resulting in what I can assume, severe food poisoning that left her unwell for 2 days. The situation escalated to the point where she had to forcibly induce vomiting to rid her body of the contaminated food. Such negligence not only tainted our dining experience but also jeopardized our health. Management's Response: Upon requesting to speak with a manager to address the distressing situation, we were dismayed to find that no manager was brought to our table. The lack of accountability and failure to escalate the matter further underscored Shamshiry's disregard for customer satisfaction and safety. Conclusion: Our experience at Shamshiry was deeply disappointing. The lack of attention to detail, coupled with the blatant disregard for food safety, tarnished what could have been an enjoyable dining experience. We implore the management of Shamshiry to take immediate corrective action to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Overall Rating: Given the severity of our experience, it's difficult to provide a favorable rating. However, we hope that our feedback prompts Shamshiry to implement necessary improvements to ensure the safety and satisfaction of...

I’m really appalled by the experience I’ve had and I didn’t even dine in. Last night my husband and I wanted Persian food and he’s been telling me that he really wanted me try this restaurant since my M.I.L and him have been going on how delicious the food was; so I was really ecstatic to try it out. My husband called at 10:06 pm to place our order for take-out and he mentioned to the young man that we would be there in around 18 minutes. When we arrived, I told my husband that I would be entering with our 1 year old so I could use the bathroom and change her diaper, but the parking situation was really bad that we had to squeeze ourselves in. As we were entering, the older gentleman on the right side behind the desk told us immediately “dining room is closed”. Funny enough, I read another review by Sadi Jafrey, saying how “welcomed” they felt even though they went there “not too long before closing”. As my husband tells him “No, we are here to pick- up” his whole demeanor changed. I’m assuming since he realized, “oh they’re paying customers”. My husband asks me if I still wanted to use the restroom since it was super crowded and the energy just felt so hostile, I said yes because I shouldn’t avoid using a public restroom at a restaurant that I am paying to eat at. They didn’t even have a changing table. And it is true about the other reviews saying the waiters are just standing around because they were in my way, just crowding around. When we left my husband mentioned that the gentleman became less tense after he spoke to him Farsi. As an owner or manager to the person responding to the reviews that gets so rude, when you have more than ONE person telling you the same thing, then actually acknowledge the problem. I didn’t feel welcome, AT ALL. In 2024, we shouldn’t even be going through this. I should be treated with respect and courtesy as a customer. I am paying YOU. Unbelievable and shameful. Do better and be better. Disgusting how there are other reviews of people experiencing horrible customer service. You’ll never...