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Mama Ayesha’s Restaurant is a family-owned institution that has proudly served Washington, D.C., since 1952. As the first Middle Eastern restaurant in D.C., we’ve introduced generations to the rich, vibrant flavors of the Middle East. Our restaurant is located in Adams Morgan and features authentic cuisine prepared using Mama Ayesha’s original recipes. Our menu includes tender kebabs, flavorful stew, and fresh Mezza like hummus, baba ghanoush, and tabbouleh. Each dish brings the taste of tradition to every plate. As a celebrated Washington landmark and home to the iconic presidential mural, Mama Ayesha’s offers a legacy of history, community, and irresistible Middle Eastern flavors.
Named for its 1960 founder, this long-running Middle Eastern spot has grilled meats & exotic decor.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 1967 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 232-5431
Website: https://mamaayeshasdc.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.commamaayeshas.comtoasttab.com
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Related Web Results
Mama Ayeshas: Must-Visit Middle Eastern Restaurant in DC
Our founder, Mama Ayesha Abraham, was born in the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem in the late 1800’s. After running 24 farms by the age of 21, she came to the …
Mama Ayesha’s
See our latest menu, find our hours, and order online directly from us. Locations in Washington, DC.
Mama Ayesha’s Restaurant (@mamaayeshas_dc) – Instagram
1.2K+ followers · 153 posts · Family owned & operated restaurant known for its authentic Middle Eastern cuisine 1967 Calvert St NW, Washington D.C. 20009.
Reviews
James Walkup
It was my first time here. I was seated immediately and my server, Mohammed, was attentive, pleasant, and extremely helpful with helping me select my meal. I had the hummus, kibbeh, musakhan, white wine, baklava, and some lemon ginger tea. Everything was made from scratch and delicious!! The chef came out and asked how everything was and also gave me a little history on the place. They’ve been open for 75 years and have had presidents come and eat there, I can definitely see why. I highly recommend this restaurant and will be returning there in the near future!
… moreDaniel Alvarenga
Pita was really burnt. Tasted like burnt popcorn, possible bite mark??
Edit: falafel was also burn.
This place is doing dow hill. Never ordering again.
… moreEdit: falafel was also burn.
This place is doing dow hill. Never ordering again.
Iman B Tabar
Food:
The Bamiya (okra/lamb) bowl was filled with okras and exactly 3 pieces of meat. A LOT of okra and little meat. The lamb is what makes okra dish tasty!
The eggplant dish was heavy and plating was poor for the $23 they charge for it!
Service: took close to 40 minutes for food to arrive, had to wave at waiter to get water glasses refilled. Waiters overworked and under trained.
Atmosphere: they charge upscale restaurant prices but neither the atmosphere nor the food lives up to expectations and prices
… moreThe Bamiya (okra/lamb) bowl was filled with okras and exactly 3 pieces of meat. A LOT of okra and little meat. The lamb is what makes okra dish tasty!
The eggplant dish was heavy and plating was poor for the $23 they charge for it!
Service: took close to 40 minutes for food to arrive, had to wave at waiter to get water glasses refilled. Waiters overworked and under trained.
Atmosphere: they charge upscale restaurant prices but neither the atmosphere nor the food lives up to expectations and prices
Liana M. Pierluissi
Great food & service. Everything we ordered was delicious, but the Zahir cauliflower is my personal favorite. Was able to accommodate our large party in a reasonable amount of time. Just FYI, there is a 3% charge for paying with a credit card.
… moresolosian
We had a lovely time here for a Saturday dinner. Comfortable environs and pleasant service. The food was excellent. I recommend getting several appetizers to share, and picking things that might seem unfamiliar on the menu. We tried the halloumi, sausages, labneh, and the lentil/rice dish and a combination of stuffed items. All was excellent. Our drinks were quite good as well, highly recommend the pomtini. We will certainly come back.
… moreAjay Jain
I really wanted to like this place. The exterior is super cute, the interior has, for the most part, the structure of a place with charm and actual thought into the decor. In fact, I was so excited that I took the risk of bringing a visitor from outside DC this evening to try it.
However, the food was just bland and not good. The hummus, baba ghanoush, and foole tasted like what I could get from Costco for cheaper. The mujadarah was decent but the rice was not spiced well, just the onions.
But honestly what really annoyed us was that all of our food was vegetarian and when we additionally ordered grape leaves that we specified were vegetarian as well, we were served lamb grape leaves. When we told the waitress that we ordered vegetarian grape leaves, she asked us “Are you sure?” We were taken aback by this comment. I do think that the waiter that we asked about the grape leaves did mishear, and that’s not his fault. But the waitress this evening asking us if we were sure we ordered vegetarian food when all the food on our table was vegetarian was offensive. Additionally, we felt the service was not attentive. Drinks came after our mezze, and water was only refilled once.
On the way out, I noticed that the fountain that was probably once gorgeous and a centerpiece was very dirty on the bottom, and the brush to clean it was serendipitously lying at the bottom of the fountain as well. This felt sad to see. You could tell that the interior and exterior were at one point designed so thoughtfully, and the food at one point must have been amazing and homemade. But everything, including us and our tastebuds, felt like an afterthought.
I think this is the most disappointed I’ve been in a restaurant in a while given my expectations going in.
… moreHowever, the food was just bland and not good. The hummus, baba ghanoush, and foole tasted like what I could get from Costco for cheaper. The mujadarah was decent but the rice was not spiced well, just the onions.
But honestly what really annoyed us was that all of our food was vegetarian and when we additionally ordered grape leaves that we specified were vegetarian as well, we were served lamb grape leaves. When we told the waitress that we ordered vegetarian grape leaves, she asked us “Are you sure?” We were taken aback by this comment. I do think that the waiter that we asked about the grape leaves did mishear, and that’s not his fault. But the waitress this evening asking us if we were sure we ordered vegetarian food when all the food on our table was vegetarian was offensive. Additionally, we felt the service was not attentive. Drinks came after our mezze, and water was only refilled once.
On the way out, I noticed that the fountain that was probably once gorgeous and a centerpiece was very dirty on the bottom, and the brush to clean it was serendipitously lying at the bottom of the fountain as well. This felt sad to see. You could tell that the interior and exterior were at one point designed so thoughtfully, and the food at one point must have been amazing and homemade. But everything, including us and our tastebuds, felt like an afterthought.
I think this is the most disappointed I’ve been in a restaurant in a while given my expectations going in.
Farah Mustapha
authentic Palestinian food with a beautiful story behind the Resturant itself, the service was okay. I tried the chicken maqloba was really good, spiced up really well and the portion was generous. I tried their mint tea was good but the knafi was disappointing, didn’t taste fresh and was hard as a rock and cold. my friends ordered the okra stew and musakhan and they liked them very much.
… moreMyrah Osmani
I ordered Mama Ayesha’s for Iftar and to say it was one of the best meals I’ve had in DC would be an understatement. Everything was seasoned so well, I felt like I was eating a home cooked meal made my someone’s loving family. Obsessed, if you’re in the DMV for sure go here!
… moreMiriam Chaponniere
Gréât atmosphère and ambiance, we enjoyed the dessert dishes the most, the rice pudding with the rose water was excellent. We also had some mezza plates to share, and some entrées . My mom loved the garlic sauce, and I particularly liked the Kibbah.
… moreChris Rowe
I have lived in the neighborhood for a long time and finally decided to spend the evening at Mama Ayesha’s after passing it several times. We ordered several small dishes and one entree. The falafel was the best I’ve ever had in my life and everything else was great as well. Our waiter was extremely nice and the interior of the restaurant is beautiful. I will definitely be coming back!
… more