Dirt Cheap Eats 2008: Lebanese Butcher & Restaurant

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Cynthia Hacinli , Kate Nerenberg , Rina Rapuano

Lebanese Butcher & Restaurant

109 E. Annandale Rd.
Falls Church, VA 22046
Phone: 703-533-2903

Cuisines:
Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
East Falls Church

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Intimate

Reservations:
Not Accepted

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

Best Dishes
Baba ghanoush; lamb fateh, a kind of casserole of pita chips topped with braised hunks of lamb and thick yogurt; Cornish hens cooked over the grill and sided with rice; tender slices of shwarma served entrée-style with rice or slipped into a round of pita and slathered with tahini.

Price Details:
Appetizers $3.99 to $5.99; entrées $6.95 to $14.99


 

Reader's Rating:
No Reader Reviews

Butcher Kheder Rababeh’s hand-boned cuts of lamb, found in raw form at the halal market, are showcased on the menu of the adjacent cafe. Grab one of the 34 seats to try shavings of leg rolled into a shawarma sandwich ($5.75) loaded with tahini, fuchsia-pickled turnips, lettuce, and tiny cornichons, or a heaping platter of feteh—braised lamb mixed with labne yogurt over crispy pita triangles ($10.75). We like to start with the soujouk ($6.45), butterflied sausages with a smoky, spicy rub, best eaten with slices of tomato. Vegetarians could make a meal of appetizers: Bowls of paprika-dusted hummus ($4.45) and baba ghanoush ($5.45) have wells of earthy olive oil. Tightly rolled grape leaves ($4.95) and lemony foul moudamas ($5.45)—a mix of fava beans, chickpeas, and garlic—make nice nibbles, too. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

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