Balqees

Shahed Amanullah

Apr 16, 2023•214 reviews

5

I feel like I'm on the banks of the Nile. Great tea!

Anonymous

Yelp

Oct 7, 2024

3

Was in DC and I decided to pay a visit to a local restaurant. I was hoping to give a better review but this place needs more attention. Food: Order the Haneeth and it wasn’t tasty and the flavor was off. Rice seems a little old. For the salad I was really upset why would you serve something that it’s not fresh anyone can tell from the look or taste it from 2 or 3 days ago. Service: the place wasn’t busy when we visited so the service was quite ok. One thing to mention… they had nothing on the table. NO Napkins, Salt, Pepper and when they served us they only gave one tiny napkin for each. Being quite cheep not a good thing. Atmosphere: this place needs a tear down. Definitely requires new upgrade, not to mention also they have to stay consistent with deep cleaning because you can tell it’s not. Maybe with more upgrade and attention this place would do better.

Anonymous

Yelp

Jul 7, 2024

5

Had a wonderful dining experience. Fantastic falafel - perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and mealy on the inside with delicious flavor. Tried the chicken kabsah which was incredibly tender and moist and served with well seasoned rice and crispy caramelized onions. The hummus was also superlative, some of the best I've had in the area. Service was excellent. Great range of non-alcoholic beverage options too. I hope to come back someday!

Anonymous

Yelp

May 6, 2024

3

This place isn’t too bad, this place is located around other restaurants and supermarkets, I usually go to the supermarket around the corner, so when I saw this place I was tempted to try it out. The inside and outside sitting area are clean spacious and decorative. They had some beautiful decorations inside representing Islam, which I find beautiful. The place was clean and the employees were friendly and polite. So far this place sounds amazing so why did I leave a three star? Well the photo can show you why. In the photo you can see, I ordered a meat sandwich that usually comes with sauce and some veggies, and an order of fries. The fries came just how it looked, small portion am I right? The fries aren’t fresh neither it’s like seasoned fries you get from the store you could already tell. The sandwiches were okay but it didn’t have enough meat, it was about 70% veggies and 30% meat. I didn’t like that because I had to take 4+ bites to taste the meat. No diddy, but like for real. I didn’t like that. Anyway, their menu is pretty nice and lengthy. I like that they added photos to dishes. I will probably go back to try other dishes though.

Anonymous

Yelp

Apr 7, 2024

3

I recently visited Balqees Restaurant to try their Yemeni Mandi. While the food was decent, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. The meat portion was noticeably smaller compared to what other Yemeni restaurants usually offer. It was nice to try this spot, but I don’t see myself returning.

Anonymous

Yelp

Mar 30, 2023

5

Authentic Arabian restaurant . The seating is comfortable with cushioned benches and pillows . Lots of detailed decorations to give it an Arabian flair . Server was very polite and accommodating got out order rite . I think he was new . Food was great big portions . The tabbouleh could had a little more bulgur in it seemed more like just parsley salad Over all the lamb was amazing very tasty juicy not dry and served hot . And the stew came piping hot . Very tasty . We finished it with chai . Great atmosphere and tasty food . Lamb rice and salad $27 Stew with bread $19 Tabbouleh $9 (seemed a little high ) Chai around $4 Will be back

Anonymous

Yelp

Feb 8, 2023

4

We tried mixed grilled platter, hummus and Haneeth. The hummus was best. Other items were just okay. The service was also a little slow.

Anonymous

Yelp

Oct 21, 2022

3

The mandi and shawarma were good but didn’t like the hummus and the Turkish coffee. Loved the cozy atmosphere but the service was too slow like I had to wait an hour for the food and then another hour for the dessert

Anonymous

Yelp

Apr 21, 2022

1

I rarely leave reviews, but my experience at this place was so disappointing that I felt compelled to share it. I visited with high expectations, but it turned out to be the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. First, the food took an incredibly long time to arrive, and when it finally did, it was cold and one of the dishes was wrong. I politely asked the server to warm up the shawarma and replace the incorrect dish. Instead of resolving the issue gracefully, the staff seemed visibly annoyed, even though it was their mistake. The shawarma was reheated so much that the bread became hard and unpleasant. The drinks were also wrong, and everything else we ordered took forever to arrive. Basic things like napkins, which should have been on the table, weren’t provided, and I had to go up to the counter to ask for them. To make matters worse, the customer service was appalling. The manager (a young woman with dark hair) and two other staff members were unwelcoming and unprofessional, making us feel like we didn’t belong there. We paid for our meal—it wasn’t free—so we expected at least decent service and a welcoming atmosphere, but neither was provided. This was a truly awful experience. BALQEES has a great reputation for its ambiance and food, but this type of service will ruin their business. People won’t tolerate such poor treatment, and I hope they take feedback like this seriously to improve.