Moby Dick House of Kabob

Food is good, multiple options to choose from. 2 Girls at the cashier super nice.

‏Jan 7th 2025, we went to Moby Dick restaurant in Washington, D.C. Don’t expect much from the interior design of the restaurant—it’s more of a takeout place than a sit-down restaurant. However, since we are traveling, we wanted to dine in at the restaurant. We ordered rice with lamb shank and koobideh kabob. ‏When they brought the food, the first shock for me was that instead of grilled tomatoes with the koobideh, they served it with lettuce salad and a piece of feta cheese on top. Everyone knows that koobideh kabob must be served with grilled tomatoes! ‏The plates were extremely small, making it hard to eat. As you can see in the attached photo, my husband tried to eat his food and ended up in this awkward situation. The yogurt and cucumber tasted good, but it wasn’t traditional yogurt and cucumber—it was something they had improvised. ‏The only positive point was the low cost of the meal, but honestly, given the service, they shouldn’t charge more anyway. I’ve also attached photos for reference. I was very dissatisfied and absolutely do not recommend this place.

Not bad. I prefer the falafel Wrap. It could've had more flavor and been a bit fresher, but it was nice.

The new pita bread completely ruined the experience, especially when I had bought extra just to have. The pita used to have such a nice freshness and chewiness to it and now it takes worse than what you can find in a grocery store. Hopefully the change the bread back because I’ve been eating here my whole life and this is truly heart breaking

Had a sit in dinner. You see the menu and put the order at the desk and they’ll call out once it’s ready. Mainly plastic cutlery. Food is reasonably priced and tasted good. The aubergine side dish was pre-made and put in plastic boxes in the fridge and the rest of the food is freshly cooked including their pitta bread which i commend! Portions are huge compared to UK. Tasty kebob along with the pre-made dressing, salad and pilaf rice. The interior is spacious and has some beautiful Persian art. Restrooms are clean. They’ve outdoor seating as wel

We got a comb III, a kobide and a bareh with rice, fresh bread and a delicious yogurt. Portion was big. Both kebabs were good and delicious. Bread was fantastic, and yogurt was good. We also got a kashk o bademjan, the taste was not good, I’m fan of kashk o bademjan and that was not my first time try this dish. It seems the kashk was not very fresh. Serve was good, we arrived very late around 9pm and they got our order.

This review is for the store itself and uber eats. I called the store maybe 5 minutes after I placed my order on the app (I accidentally ordered beef instead of chicken and I can’t eat beef) and the lady said they were preparing my order, not even that it was prepared or picked up, and they couldn’t switch the beef for chicken. I told the woman I spoke to I’d like to cancel and get a refund and they told me they can’t do it uber eats has to. I contacted uber eats and they said they’d cancel my order but I couldn’t get a refund. They’re quick to take money but to give it back it’s an issue. They want to cancel the order but keep the money. Makes no sense. Never ordering from Mobys or uber eats again. Of no help AT ALL

This is one of the best food places I visited. Their king platter was really a king, they are not shy about food and it was plenty for 6 of us. Amazing g food, A M A Z I N G!! This was a great visit to WDC and a great decision to visit MDHoK! Please try it, you will wanna go back...like us 👍👍

We had a pretty good overall experience at Moby Dick. I would call this 'fast casual+' Atmosphere/interior: clean Service: no true service as you order at the counter, but the cashier was helpful and kind. 10/10 Food: -Spicy Chicken Kabobs and Lamb Combo Plate with Rice. The chicken was ground chicken but it lacked flavor. The lamb was quite tasty despite it being cooked well done. 6.5/10 -Gyro Plate with Rice and Salad. Surprisingly, this what we enjoyed the most. The gyro meat isn't cooked in a rotisserie, but still quite tasty. The meal came with some pita bread so we were able to make our own mini gyro wraps. 7.5/10 Torshi, small. For me it was way to sour. Probably really good for the gut, but my friend really liked it. 6/10 Baklava. Still flaky. 7/10 Overall: nothing we had knocked off our socks, but if I'm in the mood for middle eastern food and I'm in the area I'd eat it again. 7/10

You know, I usually like Persian/Mediterranean food. In fact, I almost always like Persian/Mediterranean food. Indeed, I think the food from Moby Dick House of Kabob is ok. When I crave these sorts of spices, I usually head for full on Greek food because, to me, that is the standard against all other cuisines are judged. Bottom line, I am inclined to like Moby Dick House of Kabob. I am even inclined to like it even though all the extras like salad dressing and tzatziki sauce come pre-packaged from some corporate kitchen and are not freshly made in house. However, the service at the Dupont Circle location is abysmal. The cashier did not look greet us, look at us, pay attention to us or be nice to us UNTIL the payment screen lit up for a tip. That is the sort of attention that makes me crazy. I understand that I am getting a service but, when you are so transparent about THE ONLY THING important to you - meaning your tip - that is a real turn off. The food at Moby Dick is not so good that it can survive this sort of bad customer service. So, for that reason, I will write this review and this is the last time I will think of Moby Dick.

First time eating here since it opened. We heard wonderful things about the place from many people and it definitely did not disappoint. The food was incredibly delicious and fresh--cozy and warm ambiance. Absolutely delicious food. The staff were friendly, fast, and efficient. Definitely always come back and support this place!

The food here is always fresh and prepared to order. The chicken is super moist and flavorful. The falafel was just okay. It's a little pricey, but the portions are generous. Overall, solid lunch or dinner option.

Great food and service. Food is savory and rich in aroma and flavors. It is not 100 percent Lebanese, but it is amazing. Highly recommend it!!!

My last review was from 7 years ago when the food and service were stellar. I returned today, ordered from the app, got a 30-minute estimated ready time, was ready within 15, by the time I got there, which is great, but the food and service were both mediocre. One of my biggest pet peeves anywhere is when the employee just stares at you with no greeting. It felt like I was bothering him for asking to pick up my food, asking for a water cup, and asking for sumac. They used to have both cups and sumac by the fountain for self-service. I'm sorry the policy has changed and now customers have to ask for these two. The price for a standard chicken kabob plate has grown by a lot, which is fine, but the portion has also shrunk considerably. I'm okay with one (price going up) or the other (portion being smaller) but both I'm not too excited about and discourages me from returning. Five small pieces of chicken, a tiny portion of rice (which used to be about 4x more), and a meager salad. Their fresh yogurt dip and salad dressing are now prepackaged in cups for mass production, and the yogurt tasted rancid. On the plus side, their rewards program has improved so instead of spending $100 and earning $10, you now have to visit five times, spend $12, and earn $10.

This was catered for my work. The chicken kabob and the salmon kabob were fresh and delicious delicious. The rice too had a seasoning adding great flavor. The tomatoes, I don't know what they do to them, but they are absolutely fantastic. I could eat 4 or 5 of them without stopping. Unfortunately, the beef kabob was dry and I was not particularly fond of the flavor. Now the Roulette cake, that was something special. Something so light, you couldn't stop at 1!

Moby ComboMoby Joojeh Kabob Basmati Rice I love the Naan bread. I've been a customer for almost 30 yr

I am kabob lover. I would like to try any kebab place that I know I didn't try. I ordered my lunch from this place with my coworker for our lunch. It was through Doordash. First of all, the kebab tastes was not authenticate at all. Rice had good aroma but all rice was melted. I tried many kebab place, didn't find any rice like that. My coworker told me that he will never order from here.

Love Moby Dick kebab. First time at this Shirlington location though. Late lunch mid week, sitting outside ( tired of winter). Tasty and juicy kebab, excellent humus

Food delicious. Have been coming here for awhile. Good selection of food. Great flavors. Folks are friendly and service is great. Tried the Barley soup and it was delectable.

Amazing food every time! A must go to in the DC area If you like Mediterranean food then this is the place for you. Need I say more.

Food was soooooo fire! Definitely going back. Got the chicken and beef combo and it comes with rice and a side Greek salad. It's pretty much a premium version of halal chicken over rice. It's a bit pricey (2 combos ended up being $45) but totally worth it in my opinion. Service was nice, we ordered for to-go and the food was fresh. The inside was pretty empty but spacious. We went around 7pm on a Thursday.

No matter where it's located this place is a hit . I would like pumpkin and real tazaki

The food was ok. The staff was very helpful. Hanging something on the walls and ceiling might help with the noise level.

I planned to eat at this fast food Persian restaurant long before I left New Jersey for 3 days in DC. I wasn't disappointed, they were as they described. I had the ground lamb kebabs (Turkey_= Adana Kebab) with saffron rice and my wife the traditional lamb Kebab. The meals were delicious and the servers were nice too. I hope they open restaurants in New Jersey or New York, we have plenty of room for fast food like this. In case anyone wonders why I only give high ratings, I don't mention the bad and I've experienced plenty.

Food: Very good. Only two complaints... you should really offer real Babaganoush and the salad needs a bit more zip. Other than that, really outstanding. Service: Very nice people, much nicer and more engaging than expected for this type of restaurant Ambiance: Meh. Very fast-food like. The food is really a bit mismatched to this. It doesn't need to be like Joe's Seafood, but upscale it a notch for fit/finish. Price: Quite fair. Overall: Good, especially for the price. Would definitely repeat, especially if I'm by myself looking for a quick meal.

I order from here a lot and I love their food! Their chicken and beef kabobs are so good! I ordered a sandwich from here for the first time and it was really good. I added avocado to my sandwich and I wish they put a little more in there but overall, a very good place to get food.

Ordered delivery from here, and have to say, I really enjoyed it. I got a combination platter of kofta and chicken with salad; the meat was excellent, the salad was, I'd say, "okay." It didn't have much dressing on it, so was a bit plain. The pita that came with it was EXCELLENT -- not sure whether it was actually pita or some other type of similar bread, but it was lighter and tastier than what I know as typical pita. I also ordered their barley soup to have the next day for lunch, which was healthy and delicious. I don't know what it's like to order in, if that's even possible, but for a delivery option, I'd really recommend them.

Good. Food good prices good service set on a side street off Connecticut near DuPont. Standard fast food and a bit healthier

My boyfriend and I were looking for a place for dinner and decided to try Moby Dick. We got the chicken and beef combo along with the falafels. The steak and chicken were cooked well but could have used more flavor. We got half rice and salad but they give majority rice which I did not like. The falafels were good and cooked to a nice crunch texture. If the meat was served with sauce or marinated that would greatly improve the taste.

Food taste always great. Portions are enough to satisfy your hunger. Friendly service at all the time.

Moby Dick House of Kabob is kind of an area staple for Middle Eastern food, yet we'd never tried it until the other day. We opted for take-away (because going out with 3 kids, including a newborn, is just not an appealing task right now!). Delivery is available only through DoorDash. We ordered a few combo meals to get a taste of the beef, chicken, and lamb. Must say the meats were all seasoned very well and were quite tasty, even if the chicken tended towards the drier side. Each combo meal was more than enough to fill us up! The side salads that accompanied were a major disappointment. One lonely olive, a single slice of cucumber, and one sad little cube of feta in each bed of browned iceberg lettuce. Check my photo. Not appealing at all and not a great reflection of the restaurant.

Wow very generous portions of food. I got the combo 2 and 3 and the salmon kabob. Everything was perfectly cooked, juicy and flavorful. I personally love the rice and the lamb kabob, but everything was delicious.

Best food to have after you stumble out of a club and are looking for something to eat. Nothing better than kabob. Even if it's from a chain. The koobideh is my go to with a glass of doogh. Staff is friendly and accommodating.

Big servings and kind service. Meat (lamb and beef) was fantastically grilled and very flavorful. Loved how there was a side of sumac provided. However the rest of the plate -- rice, salad, sauces all were lacking a little. Still recommend the place for a quick big (and cheaper) bite round the Georgetown area.

I place an delivery order. I asked for NO onions and on the box they Wrote No onions but it was FULL of onions. I called to get my order replaced but instead of replacing it they said just get a refund. I will not go to them Again and this has not been the first time they have messed up on my order and the manager apologized and asked me to come back so he could make it Right but this other manager.

The food was good, but the Iranian lady who takes the orders I think her name was Trina something she was so rude, she have to be educated how to talk with customers.

Tip #1: Their lunch specials are innovative and literally unavailable on the regular menu - definitely go for the rare choices. Tip #2: TGTG is a great way to try something new at a great price and get a full meal at the same time. Tip #3: Everything you order comes with pita and tzatziki sauce, so I suggest ordering something with a salad for variety. Tip #4: With TGTG you never know what you'll get. I can't guarantee you'll get the day's lunch special from Moby, but it seems like a good chance. Review: Went to Moby Dick House of Kabob to purchase a regular dinner and pick up a Too Good To Go Order in comparison. Rating: Good (4 stars for the TGTG offering and 3 stars for the food) Presentation: Same as standard orders Off-Menu or Menu: Lunch Special full of rich beef Value: $7 Price: $3.99 Pick-Up Time: 8:00PM Too Good To Go (TGTG) is a app used to reduce food waste in major cities by providing restaurants, grocery stores, bars a way to share the bounty of their culinary arts at closing. First, I had no idea that Moby Dick House of Kabob had lunch specials but they apparently do five days a week. Today's special was Khoresht Gheymeh. Why is that relevant? WELL the TGTG order happens to be the lunch special for that day and it was so delicious! When they handed over my TGTG order I was very excited to peak inside and couldn't wait to get home. I found inside everything I could have wanted - the day's entire lunch special. In my bag was: - A large slice of fresh house-made pita bread - A serving of Tzatziki sauce - An entire platter of white rice - A bowl of thick Khoresht Gheymeh Khoresht Gheymeh is a heavy soup with yellow split peas, chunks of beef, and onion in spices. It was absolutely delicious with the pita bread and would be great with the serving of rice they gave. To pick up the TGTG order just go to the counter and tell them how many your ordered any time between 8PM-9PM. I didn't just order my TGTG package this time. I also picked up a regular order in comparison. I picked up the Kubideh Kabob which came with the two ground beef kabob servings, white rice, house-made pita bread, and two roasted tomatoes. I loved the kabobs in the pita with tzaziki sauce. The rice for both the TGTG order and the regular order were drier and less fresh than I have received before. The bread was great but flavorless. The kebab was awesome. Maybe that's a factor of ordering pick-up late at night. But overall the TGTG was half the cost of the same lunch special during regular hours and less than 20% the cost of a regular menu order. I highly recommend trying TGTG to reduce food waste but also think the meat at Moby Dick is a good choice in general if you're looking for Middle Eastern flavors.

This food was pretty good. I'd recommend if you're looking for your basic kebab place. I ordered the falafel and it wasn't crispy or very flavorful. The sauce with the falafel (I'm guessing tahini) had very little flavor. But the chicken tasted good. Portions were big and the salad dressing was great!

I was initially very impressed with the extensive menu, especially the multiple vegetarian options but the falafel sandwich was at most - mediocre. The falafel was not crispy or fresh - tasted very dry and the sandwich overall was bland. I hope the other vegetarian options are better than this. If I ever come back here, I would only order a meat entree. ** Also, now open on Sundays

We ordered today not necessarily from this location, but your location in Georgetown and although we love the food , the containers it was delivered was tasteless. The material is very cheap considering that the price of your food isn't. Hope you change the containers and silverware in the future

Probably the best fast food that I ever had near Farragut north metro. Moby Dick is Iranian kebab place where you can try housemade bread, with white sauce, plain rice and delicious kebabs. They serve chicken, lamb and beef. The meal kebab comes with bread, 1-2 kebabs, rice, tomato and white Sauce. White sauce reminds me of tsatziki sauce but with no lemon. Connecticut location is always busy but always friendly. Two weeks ago, we ordered family platter and because it was busy and we were waiting additional 5-7 minutes, they added a complimentary full sandwich. Two days ago, they were Packed and accidentally forgot to put meat in our sandwich. Today, to compensate us,they gave us two complimentary sandwiches just because. So friendly and service oriented. Btw, as I mentioned before, they have family platters that we love. You do not need to think what to serve and how much to order. You just order a family platter for 3-4, 5-6 or more servings and it is always enough food. Since I am from Central Asia, I would like to have an option to have vinegar onions with my kebab (Mobydick, let me know if you want my simple recipe ;) Overall, I like it. Everything is fresh and delicious. Ps. Dolma is worth to try

Lol skip this place if you want real good food. You've been warned. It's almost like they laugh at you when you order I swear. Oh you want more sauce because it's dry? :D

Fast and the Joojeh kabob is my go to, gorhem sabzi is good on Fridays, nice stew with Tahdig. Good portions for lunch, simple delicious Persian and staff is nice and attentive

We went to this place for lunch. If you want to try decent Persian food in a fast food style, I would strongly suggest this place. The service was fast and professional. You have to order and pick up your meal. As I said, it is fast food style. We ordered today's special that was Ghormeh Sabzi. A type of Ghormeh Sabzi you can find on the table of an Iranian family in Tehran? No! Very different. But still tasty and can be called Ghormeh Sabzi? Yes. Absolutely. We enjoyed our meals and had a pleasant experience.

The service is absolutely Horrid. Even with the long lines, the customer service is extremely sub-par , rude, and disrespectful. The food is at best mediocre. The only reason for the one star is to leave a review. The restaurant also does not know how to communicate with its guests.

recently visited moby dick, ordered kabob and rice. the rice was just awful. bad taste and texture. I have been a loyal customer for many years and they have been pretty good. this last 2 months I've ordered twice and both times they servEd this cheap rice that doesn't even look like rice. with all the competition they better shape up. I will not go again if they do not improve the quality if rice they serve. Just awful.

Came here randomly with a friend when I was visiting DC and was relatively surprised by how fresh and tasty the Kabob was at this place. It's not high class Persian dining but it's simple, quick, and good quality. All you can ask for in terms of this type of restaurant. Definitely stop by here for your Persian food fix.

I recently placed a large catering order for work and the staff executed it to perfection. I ordered 2 large corporate trays and stopped by early to check in. They had everything ready on time. The staff was kind enough to help me load everything in the car. I've always been a fan of their lamb kabobs, Moby's gyro and the kubideh. As for the event the salads, sauces and meats were prepared exactly how we wanted it. Portion wise they were reasonable and so were the prices. Highly recommend this location if you want to stop by for lunch/ dinner or have any catered events. While I was here they had plenty of large orders as well. This location is kept really clean and managed very well. They have a great Level Up rewards program. Parking here is really is with street and garage options.

Moby Dick Kabobs were a must for our family anytime we came to DC. Unfortunately this time it was a total disappointment. From the presentation of the food to the quality, these have decreased significantly. The authentic flavors are not longer there. The yogurt/cucumber was not longer freshly made, no fresh herbs, the rice was dry as was their kabobs. We ordered kabob barg which was not even served, two chicken kabobs and two chicken and lamb kabobs. We will not be coming back.

Consistently really tasty food. I always have the chicken kabobs (and rice) and they come out perfectly tender and flavorful. Service during the lunch hour rush is fine, and there almost always is room at one of the tables to enjoy your meal. Tip: There is a green sauce that I use to dip my bread (and throw on the rice too!) in and it really enhances an already tasty flavor. Try it out!

I've had a lot of kabob in my life, and this place hands down is the best up and down the coast. I've been here several times, each time trying some variation of kabob. My favorite is the jujeh kabob (chicken)- it is juicy, flavorful, and tender to eat. I'll be back for more the next time I'm in DC.

After getting done touring DC, my crew and I were famished and looking for good lunch options. I consulted my trusty Yelp app, and found this place. As my buddy's two room mates had not tried Persian food before, I felt it was my duty to be cultural ambassador. As we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the workers. I checked out the menu, and decided on fish kebab (swordfish was the fish of the day). My order came with bastami rice, naan, and mast-o-khiar. I just had a cup of water to drink. The food came out relatively fast, and it was delicious. This hit the spot, but did not leave me feeling sluggish. This place is a gem, I recommend it as it is a good lunch option.

I have been going here for many years now for lunch. The manager Meysam and the team are always kind and welcoming. The place is clean and food is tasty!

I have been going to Moby Dick for many years. I usually get a chicken kabob, hummus and Kashk-o-Bademjan. Unfortunately the quality of the food has declined over the years. They now use prepackage products for appetizers and sauces. The cucumber sauce used to be thick and delicious, but the prepackaged sauce is watery and tasteless. My last order of Kashk-o-bademjan tasted rancid and I had to throw it out. Also, the chicken was tough.

Quick and easy. Great service. The kabobs were absolutely delicious and a great find in the middle of DC.

Salaam from Persia to DC - Moby Dick I've been to the Middle East twice within the past year: One to Abu Dhabi/Dubai and the other to Israel/Jordan. And I have to say, I enjoy eating the cuisine there. Coming back to the US, I had to find a spot where the food was replicated right and Moby Dick fills that void. I remember eating at Moby Dick two years ago and my experience was a dud. However the Dupont Circle Moby Dick's revived my faith in the chain. Situated on N and Connecticut, the store is tucked behind the Wells Fargo. It's easier to notice the location in the spring/summer/fall since the outdoor seating is a dead giveaway of the restaurant. Inside the store, it's pretty tight (both small and cool). Seating is hard to come by as the tables are for a minimum of 4 and there are alot of solo eaters that take up tables. My gym buddies and I usually come here after a saturday workout because it combines muscle building protein through the lamb/chicken/beef and carbs to restore those glycogen stores! #Science. If I'm eating my own plate, I usually order the Joojeh aka Chicken Platter (~$9). It's a good helping of marinated chicken with saffron rice and two random grilled tomatoes YUMM. However if I come rolling in with a squad, We order the family platter because we family #Squad. There are two types of Platters (#1 & #2). #1 serves 3-4 people while #2 serves 5-7. Even with a group of 5 people, we order the Platter #1. Trust me, you will be full. Platter #1 comes with skewers (Ground Beef, Chicken, & lamb). You then are able to choose two appetizers or desserts. We usually get the Hummus and the Dolmeh (stuffed grape leaves) *drooooool*. The naan is also delicious. It looks like a flatten football, but tastes like an mvp. The cashiers are super fast and this is LevelUp supported! Be sure to keep your receipt as you have to show your receipt to the cashier before receiving your food. If you're in the mood for good middle eastern food, I would highly recommend this joint. Til Next time My Friend, Khoda Hafez.

If you don't want to cook but still want to eat healthy food that also tastes good (and consistently every time) then that's Mobys. My husband and I get the same thing any time we order (joojeh kabob) so really can't speak to anything else. But it's delicious. This location specifically also gets 5 stars for location (pick up on my way to metro to go home) - walkable from Farragut north and DuPont metros - for their staff - always attentive, they even went so far as to confirm I didn't make a mistake ordering a salad without most of the veggies it came with (picky husband) when I came to pick up. Wish they didn't change to charging for green sauce (at least when you order online) but other than that no complaints! Also should mention they work quick! I always order maybe 10-15 minutes before I pick up & have never had to wait even when they looked slammed with orders. Delivery also great! Never had any issues.

I used to come here weekly about 4 years ago. I was excited that I could get them via UberEats. The chicken/rice used to be to die for. I ordered a gyro and got a lot of bread and 3 little strips of meat. It was an absolutely disappointing and unsatisfying dinner. I think the years and covid may have screwed this place over. Stay away from their gyro. It'll leave you hungry, sad and wanting for more.