Mama Ayesha'sGrape leaves and mixed grillGrape leaves and mixed grill were astounding. Good service and nice ambiance.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Middle Eastern Comfort FoodThis is the best Middle Eastern comfort food in the city. Bring your Teta!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Lebanese FoodI moved to DC a year ago and was so happy to find this place. I have dinner here regularly as I love Middle Eastern cuisine. I like the ambiance, which is warm and inviting. The food is very good and the prices are reasonable.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful food and serviceAs wonderful as I remembered! The charcoal chicken is fantastic. Service was wonderful: friendly and efficient. I always feel like I am the guest that this restaurant was waiting for. A truly special experience (and very reasonable prices!)5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMUnique both in food and atmosphereA great place for either a romantic evening or a fun night out with a group of friends, Mama Ayesha's is slightly off the beaten path but well worth the trip. The decor is beautiful, the servers treat you like old friends, and the food is outstanding. Especially if you like "Mediterranean" or "Greek" or "Middle Eastern" food (stuffed grape leaves, lamb, kabobs, couscos, baklava, etc.) you will LOVE this place. Instead of hummus, order the Foole M’ Damas (think salsa with fava beans). As for entrees, they're all fabulous! They also have great cocktails and coffee, and an outdoor patio where you can almost always get a seat. Nuff said!!!5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMI remember MamaI have been going to Mama Ayesha's since Mama was alive and it was called the Calvert Cafe. The ambiance has changed, but the food remains wonderful. I didn't have my usual charcoal grilled half chicken, so must go back soon to remedy that.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMMy friends and I have a FINERMy friends and I have a FINER DINERS meal every month. This gem was recommended by an Adams Morgan local and proved to be a god choice. Good food, excellent Martinis, and a older full waiter.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food.The Kifta Kabob brought back memories when I was a younger man, and my friends and I would eat at Fetoosh in Georgetown. Just as good.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMFun mid eastern foodI grew up in the middle east. It's difficult to replicate the fresh ingredients that are used locally in that cuisine, so usually mid eastern food in the US is different in that it lacks the abundance and variety of fresh vegetables. Mama Aisha's is no different. The salads are a reminder that you are still in the mid atlantic, and are generally disappointing. However, in spite of this, most of the dishes still manage to be fun and flavorful, the ambience is pleasant and unique, and the service is always very professional. The restaurant location, in the heart of Adams Morgan, but still away from 18th street, makes it even more appealing. Fun to be back here.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMvery nice dinner. interestingvery nice dinner. interesting decor. excellent Middle Eastern food.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMOh Mama...Great food. Excellent location and free parking. Recommended.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a great experience!Every time I go to Mama Ayesha's I have a great experience. I brought friends here from out of town because the restaurant is such a special spot. The wait staff and ambiance cannot be matched.
The food, starting with falafel hummus and spinach and feta pairs were delicious. The table shared grape leave rolls, cous cous, and lamb shank. We paired it with a wine from Lebanon.
You can't get food like this anywhere else in the city! Thanks Mama Ayesha's!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is a constantly fineThe food is a constantly fine presentation of Levant cooking, well presented with a courteous and friendly staff5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMStill wonderful after many years!I have been a fan of the restaurant since I lived in D.C in the 70s and 80s. Back then, it was a small basic middle eastern restaurant known as the Calvert Cafe. Mama herself sat outside the kitchen and greeted guests, also reading tea leaves on occasion. My daughter began college in D.C. last Fall, and I immediately introduced her to Mama's. It is now much larger, and beautifully decorated in rich Middle Eastern style. Although the menu has expanded and the prices increased a bit, the food remains the same-- delicious homemade specialities, prepared and served with love. the atmosphere is terrific, great for catching up with family and friends. It has become my daughter's favorite restaurant in D.C., and the tradition continues!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst Middle Eastern Meal a HitMy first true foray into Middle Eastern cuisine was not a disappointment. Far from it! Started out with Mahshi - grape leaves stuffed with lamb filling with a homemade yogurt sauce. Delicious. Per my server Hanie's suggestion, I abandoned the safe play of lamb chops for Musakan. It's a half chicken on toasted pita bread. Excellently spiced with caramelized onion and pine nuts on top. The sumac season gave it a lemony sourness that played well with the onion, pine nuts and other flavors. The food was fabulous and very reasonable price-wise for a tremendous value!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great service.Great food, great service. A bit loud for our tastes but we are older!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMA great surprise find in DC,A great surprise find in DC, a few blocks from the subway in a neighborhood setting just off the beaten path. Staff was very helpful in explaining the menu and making up samples. We ended up sharing several main dishes. Outdoor seating would be fun when the weather is warm.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMThis long standing neighborhoodThis long standing neighborhood fixture has only gotten better with age. Middle Eastern food with a gourmet touch, and an elegant and interesting decor, this restaurant always manages to impress.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThird time there, and I keepThird time there, and I keep on ordering the same thing--the lamb shank. Unbeatable.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways consistently good LebaneseAlways consistently good Lebanese food, one of the best in DC, and very reasonable prices.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMI will be back!I came to Mama Ayesha's with very high hopes, and I was not disappointed. We stopped in for an early dinner, so the restaurant was relatively empty. Our meal was quiet, the ambiance was perfect, the service was impeccable, but the food surpassed all!1/19/2013 12:00:00 AM