Rus Uz

3.5/5 stars. We came here on a Saturday night and it was absolutely packed- definitely recommend getting a reservation. We tried several of their infused vodkas which was a fun experience. The food was just alright though, we tried the Plov, Manti, and Chebureki. The plov was not very flavorful and the lamb was a little dry. Service was slow but could be just because it was packed.

The food is authentic, we tried the borsch (good flavor, but could use more meat), the pelmeni (pretty standard, generous portions) and the beef blini (which is pan-fried). The service was quick, but not overly friendly. I would come back to the plov and other dishes. Lovely dinnerware from Uzbekistan, too.

The food was great and original. For dinner, I ordered the "Fish Under Coat" (salad), the "Plov" (entrée), and the "Russian Honey Cake" (dessert). All topped with an "Obolon Zhiguljovskoje" (beer). This is a copious dinner, but I could not resist trying a bit of everything. Only regret: my evening was close to perfect until the staff started vacuuming the entire room an hour away from closing time.

Sumptuous atmosphere, beautiful wall art, attentive and friendly staff who will make you meal a great experience without annoyingly announcing that “they’ll be taking care of you”. Each of the dishes dishes we tasted was authentic, well-presented, and tasty. We weren’t prepared to drink, but we’ll definitely be back to try a flight of vodka shots which sounded wonderful. There’s a small market next the the restaurant which has lost of Eastern European delicacies. The restaurant provides a 10% coupon for the market with your bill. Definitely check this place out!

Beautiful white table cloth dining space. Cozy feel and nicely decorated. Food was phenomenal. The kabobs were flavorful and juicy, the mango rich in flavor and texture, and the lamb chops were delightful. Waiters were attentive and patient, especially considering we had a toddler with us.

Amazing Uzbek & Russian cuisine served in nice dishes at a nice venue! Food was very tasty and the portions although are not large are enough for the price. Tried the Pilov, Manti, Salad Olivier, Honey Cake, and black tee and love them all. The only thing that I would improve was the service. Overall, I will definitely go back to explore the menu and recommend this place to all delicious food lovers.

I had the lamb shank and the cold herring salad which were good. The soup and dumplings were a bit too salty and when we complained, they didnt do anything for the bill. The waitress staff were friendly.

First time at Ruz us. We started with borscht and the traditional potato salad, accompanied with their welcoming bread and sour cream. For their choice of entree, it's quite a healthy plate. We ordered Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff, and they came with rice and a lot of greens. I like the stuffed chicken as it was delicious and not dry at all! Our dessert Baklava was sweeter than I expected, but it reminded me of the Turkish sweets I had before. I guess that was their traditional taste. Overall, I may not say the food was impressive, but all tasted good. I would come here for a casual Eastern European meal. They have a small store at the nearby corner that sells their groceries and cultural goods. If you dine at the restaurant first, they would give you a discount for shopping there!

This was my first time trying Russian/Uzbek cuisine and it did not disappoint! We loved everything we ordered. Highly recommend the samsa, plov, and manti, which I believe were a good intro to the cuisine. I also tried kvas, which was a really nice carbonated drink (I believe it was from a can, like a soda imitation, but the real thing is supposed to be fermented with low alcohol concentration). Service was excellent with multiple servers regularly checking in on us. They do market themselves as fine dining so prices are a bit on the higher end but well worth trying if you're looking for something different in the area!

Over priced tiny servings. I ordered the stuffed cabbage "dinner" ("goluptsi") for $25. What I got was five 3 inch long rolls, enough to make an appetizer, perhaps, but not enough for a dinner. I expected the cabbage rolls to be 5-6 inches long at least. Certainly not worth $25. Cheapskates.

Russian-Uzbek restaurant with extremely authentic and delicious food! Large portions at a very reasonable price! I tried the borscht and a perogi-esk dish, and both were delicious! The servers weren't the most friendly however, and they did not bring my table the complimentary bread basket (which all of the other tables got) The menu is pretty straightforward Have a huge selection of flavored vodka's Very authentic Russian-Uzbek market right next door

Wonderful unique place with great hearty food and good service. They have a smaller menu than before Covid but it's all good. Portions are generous too. Five stars.

My experience here was mixed. I really liked the samsa and plov, but the manti was a bit of a strange texture and vareniki was too heavy to eat as a main dish. Perhaps I am just not used to this cuisine. On the other hand, the flavors were great for all dishes. We went for early dinner and the restaurant was rather empty. Services were quick - we didn't have to wait long for our food.

A bit on the pricey side, as befits the very culturally rich decor and very nice food presentation. The food itself is a duo of selected Russian-Ukrainian dishes on one hand, and selected Uzbeki-Central Asian dishes on the other hand, both very well prepared and very tasty. Definitely recommend a try.

Good service! Good food and great sport in the Ballston area! I love the bread they make fresh in this location!

I'm in Arlington for an event and Rus Uz is by my hotel. Uzbek food is my favorite cuisine and I cook it myself, so my standards are high. I ordered Russian today. The Uzbek naan (bread) was delicious and it came with yummy whipped cream cheese with a pleasant sourness reminiscent of cultured butter. The Chicken Kiev had an excellent crispy breading and juicy interior. I saved the dipping sauce (similar to cacik/tzatziki) for the rice. Finally, I had the honey cake, a favorite dessert of mine. It met my expectations. I shall return, and next time sample the Uzbek dishes.

The stuffed cabbage rolls were super flavorful and good! Tried my friends meat dish and it was kinda dry and chewy but this did what it needed to do (a lil on the pricey side tho)

The chebureki was tasty - good flavors, and tasted like fried empanadas stuffed with ground beef with middle-eastern spices. The plov came highly recommended so I ordered this - and while it was tasty and well prepared, I felt the plov was a bit on the dry side - since I didn't find the meats actually that juicy - was it because they were cubed? I don't know. It wasn't tough either, and it was still a tasty eat. Maybe I felt it would be best served as a shared plate to have on the side rather than having it as a star dish for one person. The star of the meal here though was the dessert - the Russian Honey Cake. It was way better than what I expected, and it was gone within seconds. If you're eating here, do not miss this cake.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon and was seated immediately. Wasn't too hungry so I ordered two of their hot starters, their Piroshki and Chebureki. Both were meat filled and warm and flakey. I love that they even gave warm bread with butter/sour cream as a starter. On top of good service the restaurant was beautifully decorated. I hope to eat more of their entrees sometime soon!

I'm not sure how busy this restaurant usually gets but we easily were able to get a seat without a reservation on a Friday night. We arrived for an early dinner and the place was empty but it did start to slowly fill up throughout the course of our meal. The ambiance is very relaxing and the decor gave the whole place a warm yet polished feel. The plateware was simple and elegant, and I was glad we were dressed up. Rus Uz is definitely a fancier restaurant. While I've had better Russian food, I wouldn't mind trying this restaurant again! One final note, the servings seembsmall but after sharing an appetizer and soup my partner and I were both pretty full. I don't know if it was due to our eating habits of the day or due to the fact that the dishes are just very filling, but be careful not to over order when you go. What we got: Complimentary small basket of bread and what I believe is soft cheese - 4* the bread is fantastic warm but I always like the first piece more than the second piece after it's had a chance to cool down. I really liked that I believe was a soft cheese, my partner did not. Bilini - 4* the pancake was cooked very well. The meat was good and a new experience for both of us. I wished there was a bit more flavor. Borscht - 3.5* it wasn't as flavorful as other versions I've had but I did enjoy how soft the meat.was (except, ironically, for the piece I saved for last). Manti (Uzbek dumplings) - 3.5* this was.good but by the time it arrived we were both pretty full. I look forward to having it as leftovers.

One year later and another birthday party of my Ukrainian friend. This time we were a party of nearly 20. Like before, everything the same- slow service excellent food! Appetizers for the table were ordered by the birthday boy. I got the manti. Generous portion and very meaty. Noodle part delicate. We had birthday cake. Loved the cold salads too.

It was my first time trying Russian/Ukrainian cuisine and it was a great experience. For the table, we got the fish under coat, samsa and pirozhki (potato). I really enjoyed the pirozhki as it was nice and light. The samsa was also good. The table either liked or didn't like the fish under coat; it was definitely different and interesting. I got the chicken kiev and my partner got the plov. The chicken itself was very good with the right amount of breading. The sauce was ranch which was interesting but it worked. Rice and steamed veggies were ok, wished the veggies were at least more flavored. The plov was good and the rice was flavorful. Service was good, but not very attentive. They never came to refill our waters until we asked as several of us had it empty for awhile. I would rate it a 3.75/5, rounding it up to a 4/5.

The food here is excellent. We got the Sherpa soup was very tasty, as was the vinaigrette salad. The Plov is the national dish of Uzbekistan was wonderful. The staff was amazing and they took good care of us. It is a nice quiet place in the heart of Ballston.

I like this place. Lots of interesting choices. The lamb is always good! A good selection of beer and wine. Great service.

I came to this place for some delicious food, and it was a good choice. Food - As always, the pelmini is amazing. The rest of the foods are good but pelmini is the best in my opinion. All 3 soups were good, the fish under beet salad is not good. Service - good Parking - Some streetside parking that you may have to pay for. Overall, this place is great.

I'm going to definitely miss this Russian/Uzbek spot. This cute restaurant has a curiosity/snack shop attached that you can get a 10% discount from if you dine prior. Readily accessible (park in the attached garage, they can validate as their signs indicate) and right next to the AMC for a lovely meal pre/post movie outing. The Plov has been my go to dish since I first came and it never fails: carrot-based lamb pilaf with a tomato/onion/cucumber side salad. It's got a very lovely blend between the sweetness of the carrots and raisins and the spiced lamb. The meat is mildly dry for my tastes, but the rice pilaf was deliciously moist and well seasoned in a way to compliments the meat quite well. The cake was also deliciously subtle; it was baked in a way to really bring out the honey flavor and didn't taste overpoweringly sweet. I heartily recommend this place.

A great place to enjoy authentic Russian and Ukrainian cuisine that's walking distance from the metro. They were kind enough to let us hangout as we stayed till closing. There was a small corkage fee for wine. All the dishes were ordered was great. I would definitely visit here again.

I can't say anything about their food but I am commenting on their blatant disrespect to other cultures. If you serve Ukrainian dish, call it as such, instead of following Russian narrative. For the record, it is called Borsch. Link to UNESCO page below. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/culture-ukrainian-borscht-cooking-inscribed-list-intangible-cultural-heritage-need-urgent#:~:text=Culture%20of%20Ukrainian%20borscht%20cooking%20was%20today%20inscribed%20on%20UNESCO's,Parties%20to%20the%20UNESCO%20Convention

I've come here a few times, since it's one of few Eastern European restaurants in the area, and I love that cuisine. Their dishes are generally good but not great--I'm always a little disappointed with the execution. The food is never bad, but it isn't exceptional in any way. I also have to say, the service tends to be poor. Anytime I've tried to walk in without a reservation, they turn me down even when the restaurant is 90% empty. I usually make a reservation online and come back 5 minutes later and they seat me. It's very odd. They also are ALWAYS out of the medovik honey cake It makes me so sad since it's my favorite dessert!

Who is giving this place high reviews? They clearly don't know the meaning of good food! The dishes were underwhelming and most definitely were pre-cooked. The beef stroganoff was so bad that my husband was only able to eat half of it. Meat was tough and chewy. The varenaki as an entree was very odd and should be classed as a shared appetizer. Tomato salad was fine, but that's hard to mess up. The puff pastry appetizer with potato was very underwhelming. Overall, the food lacked a real chef's touch.

Must try if you are looking to broaden your global palette in the NOVA/DC area. Very comfortable atmosphere for small and large groups, and wait staff were happy to answer basic questions about Russian Uzebekistan cuisine. The Plov was hands down the winner of the meal. Still came away with leftovers despite the meal's balanced portions.

Perfection. Flavor, Beautiful environment & great Service. It easily became one of our go to spots !! Please take your family or date night, you won't regret it!

This was such an interesting place. I'd never tried Russian food before, but I was super curious, and just about everything turned out to be completely delicious. Even though I went for dinner with a large party the service was attentive. The food was amazing. It's probably better to share different plates because the portions are quite large

Price, Ambience, Flavor, Texture, Portion! My in-house Russian picky eater approves of: Variniki- you can taste the butter in the potato filling, so hearty and decadent and topped with sour cream Plov - my husband loved his Pilafs/plovs and this one didn't disappoint! Complex flavors with carrot and chickpea and chunks of meat! The meat was a little dry though but I figure it's part of the prep Lamb shank - fall off the bone and the veggies were a wonder! Borscht - delish and filling

Wonderful food in an elegant setting. Excellent price for an elegant meal in an elegant setting. (white table cloths, oil paintings). Great food. Great service! Deserts are fantastic. Highly recommend!

Quite good! The flavors are strong, perhaps a little too much parsley in the chicken kiev. Not as much butter as expected but tasty. The borscht was delicious. You should definitely try the black tea, they have a very nice tea service.

Borsch belongs to Ukrainian cuisine, not Russian. Kindly revise your menu to reflect this.

Ordered a lamb shank entree and Russian honey cake via Uber Eats delivery. Have to say it's good overall but I'm a little bit disappointed by the food. The delivery came very fast, thank you Rus Uz and the Uber Eats delivery staff. I've been reading reviews of how tender and flavorful the lamb shanks are but the one I got was not very tender and a lot of the sauce had leaked out of the containers so it was pretty bland without sauce. The steamed vegetables and rice on the side were pretty good and healthy. I had been really looking forward to the honey cake (haven't had any since a friend who's a great baker made one for me 3 years ago). A Russian friend mentioned how good the ones from Rus Uz were from his last dining experience 1 year ago. Extremely disappointed as the slices had only 4 layers and seemed to be pretty aged, not fluffy, cream was hard, and the slice was small for the $9 price unlike photos I've been on Yelp. Not wowed by the food, won't be coming ordering from them again.

Good service great food. Everything we had was unique and flavorful. Prices were also reasonable. Honestly nothing to criticize. They're a restaurant that I would return if I'm ever in the area again.

We were on the search of finding a great place that can serve a mean lamb, and dare I say it.. We found just that. We were happy that our research came to fruition with Rus Uz. It was our very first time and our server was very courteous. We ordered the lamb shank and it was absolutely delicious! It was seasoned just right and we loved the variety of vegetables that came with our meal. Everything from the atmosphere, to the food was perfect. Afterwards, we headed to their grocery style store and bought a couple of European goodies. We'll definitely come back again!

Very well deserved 5 stars! Amazing experience at Ruz Uz! Compliment to the chef! The food was exceptional. Great atmosphere. Awesome customer service. There is a nice little store with a large variety or products. We will be come back here again even if it has to be a trip to Arlington, VA just to have a dinner.

One of our friend invited us to go to this Russian Uzbek restaurant. We haven't tried Uzbek food so we were happy to join. We made a reservation and arrived there on time. There are a lot of street parking around here, but you might need to do a little bit of walking. We opted to sit outside since the weather was getting better and I didn't check the inside. They have a small outdoor area with mostly small tables for two people but they were nice to put the tables side by side for our group. We went there to relax and after that we had plan to go to theaters. We decided to start with the drinks. They had a good amount of beer selections and some cocktails. The Moscow mule was good and brought us in the mood. They also had some Russian beers that I couldn't try this time. The service was good but we felt the little bit pressured. Even though the restaurant wasn't busy but I think the servers were coming to us to ask us for our orders way too often. Eventually they came a lot less after we ordered the food but it would something good to improve. For the appetizers we order blini, Russian crepe and Samsa. Personally I liked all of the appetizers but my friends mentioned that it was too much bread. For the food we got beef stroganoff, Manti, and Pelmini. The beef stroganoff is different from the way I make it but it was tasty. The Manti was good and very similar to dumpling. My favorite though was the Pelmeni which is similar to Turkish manti. It is lamb pieces inside the pasta in a creamy, yogurty sauce. In general we had a good time here but I am hoping the service will improve through time. we ended up missing the movie, but it was bad planning on our side :)

Borscht is Ukrainian national dish and not some soup with beets and cabbage. Anyway I was brave enough to give it a try at your restaurant and it was pretty awful.

I may be a rare reviewer who is familiar with Uzbek and Central Asian food--and Rus Uz is the real deal. Expect savory, hearty yet delicate fare that is heavy on meat and sometimes dairy. Also a slightly more upscale vibe than most Ballston spots. My favorite dishes are the plov (which is like a rice pilaf/biryani), the manti (large meat dumplings), and the goluptsi (stuffed cabbage). The former two dishes are Central Asian, and plov is practically synonymous with Uzbekistan. It's one of those dishes that every region and every cook has a personal spin on that is a slight variation. Rus Uz's take is a little greasy, as the dish is supposed to be, though much less greasy than many places make it. (Cooked traditionally in literal sheep fat.) Lagman and shashlyk (kebabs) are also traditional Central Asian dishes. I prefer these to Russian dishes like beef stroganoff, which is too heavy for my liking. Make sure to check out the Rus Uz market a few doors down! Lots of interesting snacks and foods to try.

I used to love this place, but they have gotten worse with the reduced menu. 1.Reservation - still recommended. 2. Food - very limited choice, everything I used to love to get here are gone. No olivier salad, no beet salad, no lagmon or compote.. only thing I like that was left in the menu was the pelmeni. It was disappointing as they just use the store bought dumplings. I don't see myself going back until their full menu is back. 3. Service - pleasant as usual 4. Parking - metered street parking.

Big fan of this restaurant. Favorite things on the menu are the Chebureki (a deep-fried turnover with beef), the Plov (rice with raisins, spices, and lamb), and the Black Pepper and Honey-infused vodka. Service is great, Russian beer is very good, and with a vodka flight, you're leaving happy. Only thing we don't like is the Fish Under Coat (herring with a potato salad-esque presentation). It was...odd. Then again, I regularly eat eel from Japanese restaurants and my wife thinks that's odd, so I can't say Fish Under Coat is objectively bad. Worth a try if you want fish potato salad. Overall though, Rus Uz is a great time and 100% worth the reservation. Will be returning and bringing friends.

Exceptional service and food. Unique beers (check out market next door for more options to purchase and take home). Plov and lamb shank amazing. Meat falls off the bone. K-bobs are delicious. Dessert homemade and big enough for entire table. Side salad of tomato and cucumber really nice touch. Love coming here. Unique, friendly and not blaring music. Looking for good food and service? Stop by Rus Uz. Looking for top notch ingredients? Unique beer and wine go to the market next door.

Uzbek bukhari polov is the dishe I order every single time ， with some lamb kebab and those samosa to start my bukhari table highly recommended

After watching a Food Ranger episode based on Uzbekistan, I had to try some of those incredible dishes for myself. Rus Uz in Arlington certainly didn't disappoint. The food and the service were both exceptional. Dishes to try: Samsa: This appetizer is a must for any Uzbek food experience. Thinly rolled dough stuffed with seasoned lamb, onions, and spices, all baked to a crisp. Plov: This staple of the Uzbek diet is similar to many other dishes you will find around the world, meat and rice, but with a twist. The sweetness of the raisins and carrots in the rice mixed with the seasoned lamb make for a great combination. I like to put the Manti on top of the rice so that all of the sauces mix together. Oi. So good. Manti: These little dumplings were moist and flavorful, with a wonderful selection of sauces and yogurt on top, sprinkled with dill. Perfect to serve along side of Plov. One other thing I will mention about this place is the selection of beers and wine from the entire region. Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine, and Russian wines and beer on tap. I recommend the Ukrainian beer named Obolon Oksamytone. It was a really smooth dark beer.

I walked over from my hotel at about 6pm on a Thursday evening. Weather was beautiful and there were a few couples enjoying their meals outside. I chose to dine inside. I loved the decor, not fancy, but there was some nice art work. I had to resist the urger to just walk around like it was a museum. I wouldn't consider it fine dining, except that there are white tablecloths and the water is served in a wine glass. The prices were reasonable. I ordered the borscht and the chebureki to start. It was just me, so that ended up being my meal. I enjoyed the borscht, it had a satisfying flavor. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it before. It was a very relaxing meal. The chebureki went beautifully with the borscht, a saltier and meatier flavor. I ordered the Ayron, yogurt drink, which is thinned out, salted, and served cold. The salt was rather strong. I wasn't a fan, but gave it a solid try because I wanted to experience something different, it was a very off putting flavor for me. I ordered the sour cherry cake for dessert, which was very much like a tiramisu with cherry pie filling on top. I thought it was delicious and ordered an extra one to go for breakfast in the morning. The service was great, it felt very european, no rush, just take your time and enjoy the atmosphere, the company, and the food. I will definitely be back when I'm in the area again!

Didn't even realize this restaurant was in the area! Easily walkable from either Ballston or Virginia Square metro, we really enjoyed the food. Between the two dishes we got the beef stroganoff was the favorite!

Quality and taste of food? 4.5 Cleanliness of restaurant and restrooms? 4.5 Service and ambiance? 5 I love this restaurant! This is the first time I've been here, and we will be coming back! We arrived early Saturday evening and there were just a few people there so it was the perfect opportunity to take pictures of the restaurant. The restaurant had beautiful and vibrant artwork displayed. The appetizers and entree were fresh and tasted like it was homemade. I suppose you could say it was Russian comfort food. i recommend the Smoked Salmon Plate and the Under Coat salad. We also had the Beef Stroganoff but was surprisingly served with potatoes. Additionally, the Cabbage Rolls just melt in your mouth. They were my favorite. The desserts looked enticing but were not as noteworthy as the appetizers and entrees. The cake was dry and perhaps would be better if served with ice cream. The Russian Napoleon wasn't as exquisite as it's French cousin, but that's probably true of all Russian napoleons, and not just at this restaurant. I recommend that you visit this restaurant. You'll be glad you did!

they automatically add 20% service for five people. imagine, they counted a 3 year old without a main course to make it 5!

Our visit was very disappointing. I have lived in Uzbekistan for over 20 years and the food is only remotely resembles the taste of the real Uzbek dishes. The salads lack necessary spices, the lamb is very bland, not even saying that Uzbek kitchen does not include the side dishes offered here. When we arrived, it was fairly busy night and two of us were seated at the table for three. A few minutes later, a couple next to us was leaving and the manager asked and insisted that we switch to smaller table. His argument was that they had it reserved and we made our reservation only about an hour ago. We refused. It spoiled the entire experience. I would not give it any stars, except the decor. It is not authentic again, but at least it not horrible as service and food. Go to Mari Vanna or some other place if you want authentic russian/uzbek food!

Favorite neighborhood gem! Rus Uz was where I had Russian food for the first time years ago and now that I've tried out a few other Russian restaurants, Rus Uz still remains my favorite. I tried out a decent amount of dishes here and all of them have been great so far. I don't always crave Russian food but when I do it'll always be Rus Uz I hit up!

We were charmed by the decor as soon as we walked in the door. I ordered the plov, my brother ordered the variniki, and my mom ordered the shurpa soup, potato pirozhki, and a mango-infused vodka shot. The vodka shot came in an incredibly cute glass decorated with matryoshka dolls. We were all very happy with our food, but after my brother and mom tried some of my plov I was the envy of the table. It was incredibly tasty. I wish I lived closer so I could eat it more often! I stole a couple of my brother's variniki and loved the soft texture and subtle flavor. By the time dessert rolled around we were feeling pretty stuffed, so we agreed to share something. We got the sour cherry cake at the recommendation of our server and were pleasantly surprised. All of us had been expecting the cake to be heavy. Instead it was light, creamy, and very tasty. I would love to eat here again next time I'm in town!

Picked up stuffed cabbage and lamb dumplings for dinner and was very happy with both. The stuffed cabbage was a favorite and I have been craving it ever since!

The food here was lacking in flavor. We ordered the grape leaves, the lamb dish, dumplings, kebab, salmon with pomegrante sauce, and caviar appetizer. The rice that came with the lamb was pretty good, but I might not be a big enough flavor of lamb itself. The lamb was my least favorite part of the meal. Also, the grape leaves tasted pretty good but i wish that it came with more sauce and that the filling had more flavor. The dumplings were okay. Kebab was decent, but nowhere near as flavorful as a middle eastern kebab. The salmon also lacked flavor but the pomegrante sauce was good. I liked the slight sweetness that was not overpowering. Service was pretty good. I would not return here unless you are just dying to try russian/uzbek food. It was bland.