Souk Review

We made it to Souk this weekend. . . well, twice. The first attempt was on Friday and my hunger pains and the huge line made us head to the Argonaut instead for a burger. On Saturday, we made it in. I have to say, with the small space they have, the folks at Souk really made it shine. The colorful walls and tile really add a lot to the space and the overall simple and clean decor make it a welcoming place. At this point, I am into any renovation, and this little commercial rowhouse was done very well.

Now, the food. The deal here is that you order at the counter, and you take a number to your table. When the food is ready, they bring it to you at your table. You help yourself to the silverware and glasses, but they clear your table for you. Real plates, and real silverware were a welcome sight. I always think about all the trash when places use disposable dinnerware.

Sidetrack: have you see the show "18 and counting..." with the Duggars? They have 18 kids and they use paper plates and utensils at every meal! Yikes!

I was pleasantly surprised they delivered the order in the appropriate courses. Hummus came out first, followed by the Lebanese salad, then the chicken shawarma and lamb chops. The hummus was delicious, the salad was great (though I assume the beets were from a can - but seriously, who cares they have a tiny tiny kitchen), and the entrees were good (though a little overdone and came with different sides than advertised). All in all, it was their first week, they did fantastic! One of the women working there came over after we had finished to ask if everything went well - that's always a nice touch. Oh, and the prices are great! Where in the city can you get an salad (enough for two people) with arugula, beets, pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds for $6? Nowhere.

We decided after our meal we will probably be eating there twice a week. Unless the line is too long, I expect this place to do a killing!

Souk is located at 1208 H Street NE.