Cava Mezze

Address: 527 Eighth St., SE, Washington, DC 20003

Phone: 202-543-9090

Neighborhood: Capitol Hill, Southeast, Capitol Hill

Cuisines: Greek/Mediterranean

Opening Hours: Open Monday 5 to 10 PM, Tuesday through Thursday 5 to 10:15 PM, Friday 5 to 11:15 PM, Saturday 2:30 to 11:15 PM, and Sunday 3 to 10 PM.

Nearby Metro Stops: Eastern Market, Capitol South

Price Range: Moderate

Dress: Upscale Casual

Noise Level: Rowdy

Reservations: Not Needed

Website: Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes Spicy lamb sliders; watermelon salad with feta and mint; pork souvlaki; meatballs in tomato sauce; avgolemono soup; “disco fries”; Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts; loukoumades (Greek doughnuts).

Price Details: Mezze, $4.95 to $16.95, shareable platters $21.95 to $44.95.

The all-mezze menu at the Capitol Hill spinoff of Rockville's Cava ranges from faithful renditions of Greek classics to inventive modern interpretations, and the high-energy dining room and bar dispense with Zorba the Greek clichés. When the weather is warm, the rooftop patio is the place to hang out. 

What to get: Cubes of feta with clover honey and fresh mint; a refined taramosalata; saganaki, the salty Greek flambéed cheese; village sausages and meatballs grilled over charcoal; the cinnamon-braised beef dish known as kokinsto, with a side of olive-oil fries for catching the juices; honey-drizzled Greek doughnuts called loukoumades.

Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch, daily for dinner, and Sunday for brunch.