Events Calendar Photo Galleries Crafty Bastards Best of D.C. In Print This Week
Home
News, Blogs & Columns
Food & Drink
Arts & Entertainment
Classifieds
Promotions

Restaurant Finder

Lebanese Butcher & Restaurant

Cuisine: Lebanese Neighborhood: Falls Church
Rate This Restaurant
2 spork
Based on 2 reviews.
Address
113 E Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA 22046
Hours 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Phone (703) 533-2903
Fax (703) 533-2995

City Paper Review

You expect great, fresh meats from a place with a name like Lebanese Butcher. You expect reasonable prices and generous portions from a small, tidy restaurant with only nine tables. What you might not expect is such gracious, attentive service in such a utilitarian, hole-in-the-wall setting. Indeed, this is no place for the squeamish—your meal may be punctuated by the whir of motorized blade sawing through bone—to say nothing of the carniphobic. But for the rest of us, there are benefits to the arrangement. Meals in the cafe are generously portioned, fresh, and well-priced. And the kitchen does its meats proud. Lamb, in particular, shines, whether it’s the lamb ouzi (soft, shreddable hunks of meat tucked into a sculpted mound of rice), the scrumptious shawarma sandwich, or the lamb fateh, covered in a thick, garlicky yogurt. Lebanese Butcher serves only halal meats—butchered in accordance with Muslim law and widely reputed to be of superior quality—but as the quality of the yogurt proves, the kitchen pays attention to more than just meat, elevating many of the staples of Middle Eastern cooking above the ordinary. Pan-fried pine nuts add a toasty element to a velvety hummus. The tabouleh, heavy on the parsley, is fresh and sharp. And the baba ghanouj bears only a slight resemblance to the ubiquitous version: It’s lush and bright, with a haunting smokiness that lingers long after you’ve eaten it.
—Todd Kliman, March 4, 2005

Rater Comments

These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.
2 spork

Review by Doug Herbert on August 14, 2005

I started not to review this restaurant, since we ate there only once and had a bad experience -- but that rule would mean subpar meals never get reviewed. The decor is utilitarian, which is often a good sign. My shawarma was good, but my wife had a dish that had pita chips in it, covered with a sauce. Presumably these were made from leftover pita, because about a third of the way through the meal she realized that the odd taste came from the fact that they were moldy. We probably should have complained, but her appetite was gone by then and there's lots of other great restaurants around. Cheap is good, but they should have noticed they were using moldy bread.

3 spork

Review by stripmallbandit on March 8, 2005

I want to describe this place as quirky, but I think it's just that one of the waiters always has a funny-looking bow-tie on (while there is no apparent uniform for the rest of the staff).


Anyway, the restaurant has all of the standard Lebanese/Middle-Eastern fare (shwarma, falafel, foul, kabob). Unlike places like Lebanese Taverna, there is less emphasis here on mezze as opposed to the entrees. Most dishes are available as either platters or sandwiches. I like the sojuk--spicy Lebanese sausage.


Also unlike Lebanese Taverna (which, by the way, is far from the gold-standard when it comes to Lebanese food in the area) the restaurant is not too concerned with appearance. In terms of ambience, the restaurant isn't much to look at. However, the viny houseplants and the fountain with goldfish give the dining area a little life.


I have found all of the employees to be friendly and helpful. However, this does not necessarily translate into quick service. Don't be surprised if your dishes don't come out at the same time, or if it takes 15 minutes to get your food.
The butcher next door offers a full array of meats (all halal), cheeses, and other Lebanese specialties. There are also a limited number of side dishes (houmus, tabouli, etc.) packaged to go. If there is a specific type of sausage or cut you want, the staff seem very willing to accomodate.


Note to vegetarians: The falafel here is pretty good (tasty pickled turnip adds good flavor/texture to the sandwich). However, if you don't eat meat you may be a little unnerved by the hanging lamb carcasses and sausage-making-machine in the adjoining butcher's shop.