Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 941-0173
Visited: February 2010
Went to Ariana Grill a few months ago with my client as he wanted me to try out one of his old favorite Afghan places. Walking in the place I noticed that although it is set up as a restaurant, there is a counter towards the end of the room where you would place your order. The place was empty and we decide to start off lunch with an order of the Baba Ganoush and I chose the kabob combo for my lunch entree while my client ordered some lamb kabobs.
As soon as we sat down, the kind lady working both the register and acting as the lone server came to our table holding a small plate and some bread. It was our Baba Ganoush starter. The flavor of the Baba Ganoush was just okay and really made me appreciate the Baba Ganoush from the Lebanese Taverna market. This Baba Ganoush didn't taste too fresh and seemed as if it needed something extra. Not being the Baba Ganoush expert I just couldn't put my finger on what it was....
About 15 minutes later the combo kabob entree I ordered arrived. This combo included some grilled chicken kabobs and some ground beef kabobs served upon a brownish colored rice. The chicken kabobs were tasty but a bit dry while the beef kabobs were okay, but slightly under-spiced...and would have easily benefited from a bit more salt and spices to add a little more flavor.
The rice was tasty as it had cumin seeds which made it one of the better parts of the lunch combo. The fresh bread was okay, but it didn't pair well with the already dry chicken. I ended up using quite a bit of the yogurt sauce to keep everything moist.
Once my client and I had both wolfed down our meals, he asked for the check and paid the bill. Being the kind fella that he is, my client didn't allow me to pay for anything, which made me feel like a mooch, but I thanked him for his kindness.
As we walked back to the car my client was already expecting to hear my thoughts about the food at Ariana Grill. I could tell by his behavior that he wasn't too enthusiastic himself about this experience at Ariana Grill to which I simply said, "It was okay, but there are some other places I'd like to recommend." He nodded and agreed that the food wasn't as good as it was in the past and even apologized for bringing me to Ariana Grill.
I felt a bit like a jerk for being so honest, but knew he would appreciate my honest feedback. I told him next time lunch was on me and that we needed to hit one of the many kabob places in and around our area.
Will I ever return to Ariana Grill? Probably not. The food just wasn't overwhelming and there so many better kabob places closer to work and in Arlington. On the plus side the lone lady working was quite friendly and attentive and made the experience all that much better.
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