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| Greekburger |
I'm a huge fan of Zorba's Cafe; but every now and then, they fail to impress me. That's not to say the food isn't good... It is, always; but some items are definitely better than others. It probably didn't help that I chose this visit to review Zorba's version of a hamburger (not exactly a Mediterranean staple.) Service was good (especially at the pass... one of the best run, in town) and the atmosphere sublime (we had the entire upstairs to ourselves.) All in all, a positive visit.
Tuesday's visit was a return trip for me, my dad and brother (Zorba's is great for vegans.) We ate here together last August, and had a great time. This time around, Tony had a Falafel Sandwich ($8.50) while Brian went with a Fasolia Plakee (dairy free, $11.50) and a cup of Lentils ($2.95.) Me? I had the aforementioned Greekburger (charbroiled keftethes with lettuce & tomato, no cheese, no mayo for $8.50.) A large order of American Fries ($3.25) rounded out the order (I shared.)
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| Fries (American Style) |
We didn't have long to wait (never do) and went downstairs to pick up our food, when we heard #98 (our order #.) Free waters, all around (regular size, plastic glasses are a nice touch) helped our bottom line - Feeding three people under $40 is becoming a real challenge in DC. Zorba's gets high marks for presentation, and I was satisfied (not impressed) with my burger. There was a lot of lettuce, and not that much meat: Also, the meat was relatively dry and overcooked (similar to a beef kebab.) It was filling, but that's about it. The fries on the other hand were plentiful and tasty, skin-on yet bordering on flimsy (frying them twice would be better.) At least, you knew they were cut fresh, in-house (vs. brought in.)
If asked to grade, I'd give the burger a C+ and the fries a B- (value, value, value.) Service keeps me coming back (as does the food) but let's face facts... I'm spoiled, and expect perfection each and every visit. Zorba's comes darn close most of the time... just not this time. Never fear, I shall return (multiple times.)
