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Cheap Eats 2007: Ravi Kabob House

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Cynthia Hacinli , Don Rockwell , Michele Kayal

Ravi Kabob

305 N. Glebe Rd.
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703-522-6666

Cuisines:
Middle Eastern

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
Virginia Square-GMU
Ballston-MU

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Cash Only, Delivery, Kid Friendly

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes
Lamb and lamb brains karahi; kebabs, including lamb chops, bone-in chicken, kubideh, and seekh kebab; chana masala; mango lassi.

Price Details:
Appetizers $1.25 to $2.50, entrées $9 to $17.


 

Reader's Rating:
3.5 out of 5

A Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks is no longer a strange sight. But one Ravi Kabob across from another? Owner Haji Iqbal says it’s his way of accommodating all the diners who overran the cramped Ravi Kabob I. Fair enough—even if the new place, like its sibling, is flooded with fluorescent light and doesn’t serve alcohol.

Still, there’s no better Northern Virginia place for kebabs than this Pakistani wonder. The bone-in chicken kebab, slathered with tandoori paste, and the kebab karahi, assertively spiced beef molded around a metal skewer, are extraordinary. And that’s just the beginning. From the hot breads fresh out of the clay oven to a terrific lamb karahi—the Pakistan-border dish cooked in a hammered steel wok and shot through with ginger, garlic, and chilies—to the gently spiced chickpea stew called channa and the excellent gulab jamun, two puffy fried balls of dough doused in a clear, sticky syrup, Ravi Kabob is as consistent and good as they come.

For the intrepid, there’s a wonderful dish of lamb’s brains, its texture of soft, curdled eggs set in relief by currylike spicing.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Reader ReviewsWrite your own review
 
Below Average Not so great
ti2m — November 15, 2011 11:00 PM
My lamb on the kabob was not a great cut but reasonably tender and tasty. The naan was fresh and warm. So much for the good part. The vegetable pakora was large, oily, doughy, and filled with potato but no peas or other discernible vegetable. More ...
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Excellent Simply outstanding!
zivbnd — May 1, 2010 2:41 PM
This is the best chole/chickpea curry I have ever had. Ever. The lamb chops, delicious, succulent, tender. The rice is good, the naan fresh and hot. Chicken kabobs are meaty and very good. The Karahis are very spicy, with a near explosion of flavor More ...
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Excellent Best Pakistani Food in NoVa
Lynn830 — April 7, 2010 7:59 PM
We have eaten here for several years. They expanded to a 2nd place on the other side of Glebe Rd. and in the next block south, near the CVS. The food is very spicy & authentic. My favorite is chicken bone-in. Chickpeas are cooked with jalapenos More ...
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