Shawarma Bistro — Restaurant in Virginia

Unfortunately, there is no less than one star.

It was very cold out side but all tables inside were busy. We asked the waitress if there is any reservations for any inside tables, and she said no. We decided to take our chances and sit on a table outside until something gets available inside. We placed the order and stay watching waiting to move inside whenever a table becomes available. 10 minutes later one of the table became available, we told the waitress that we would like to move inside since it’s freezing outside. The waitress surprised us and said: “No, you decided to sit outside so you cannot move inside. The inside table will be for the first customer comes in”. (??????). We were shocked from her response, and when we asked her to check again with the owner, she said: “That’s what the owner said”. As this point, we were still waiting for the food, so we decided that we will not eat in that restaurant who has a horrible customer service and doesn’t care about their customers. We told her we want to cancel the order, then she shocked us again and said: “If you cancel the order now, you are not welcome here anymore” (???????)

What?????

You are the one who disrespected us and treated us like trash and all what you wanted is to get our money and you don’t care about how do we feel.

You are the one who decided that, since you guaranteed the order from the idiots sitting outside, to keep the inside table EMPTY to wait for another idiots to sit inside and you make more money.

We left and told her very politely: “that’s fine”

FYI, since we ate there at first time in that restaurant, we have sent numerous friends to eat there to support the local businesses, but I think we were wrong. We have...

Overall I really enjoyed my meal. The toum (garlic sauce/paste) wasn't quite as strong and more like a mayo than I prefer but was good and a great compliment to the shawarma and fries. My only complaints are 1) the seating was sparse inside and as it got busy it was difficult for people to find seat but the server was clearly trying to make everyone happy and comfortable despite this challenge (and also being the only waitress/host on the floor). 2) It would be nice if the gratuity wasn't included automatically in the bill. If the server wasn't stretched so thinly today I wouldn't have added anything extra to the tip but she deserved it. The customers need to be trusted, this is the only thing that made me feel a bit untrusted and unwelcome. Food overall was excellent and authentic.

Fries crisp, toum on tap (not many places Ive seen lately that has this awesome condiment), chicken well seasoned and tender, and the bread was awesome. Appeared to be made fresh. Server was friendly and accommodating.

For positive criticism/feedback I would like to see the shawarma served whole or given an option to cut. Served as a whole sandwich rather than cut into pieces changes the experience, for the better! Additionally IMHO the manakeesh should be served whole or folded in half, not cut into pizza slices. I think costs could be cut and the food presented more authentically if not served in a pizza box and cut into pizza wedges when ordered for takeaway. Lesson learned for my next visit, order uncut sandwich and...

Shawarma Bistro is a hidden gem in Henrico. For people how love Mediterranean food, this is the place! Service was quick and friendly, the three girls working in the restaurant took turns checked on us during the meal. I had the pleasure watching the chefs preparing our dishes in the open kitchen. As much as I wanted to try everything on the menu, we have sampled a few popular dishes. Half and Half Shawarma gave us a taste of both Chicken Shawarma and Lamb & Beef Shawarma, indeed they were broiled to perfection. All entrees are served with two generous portions of sides such as Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, Tabbouleh, Arabic Salad, Fattoush, Grilled Tomato and Onion Sumac, Rice, Fries, Jajik, and Pita Bread. The complementary Pita Bread was so fresh and it was one of the best that I have ever tasted. The Lamb and Beef Shawarma Sandwich was slightly salty from the garlic sauce. Other than that everything we had was fresh and delicious! Definitely will have to come back to try other things on the menu. Please note that 15% gratuity will be charged automatically before tax. I highly recommend...