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Agora Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Greek Restaurants Turkish Mediterranean, Greek, Turkish [Edit]
1527 17th St NW(between N Church St & N Q St)
Washington, DC 20036
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
(202) 332-6767
$12 for $20 Worth of Food and Drink at Agora Restaurant
- Certificate valid for lunch only - Monday thru Friday between 11am - 3pm
- Limit 1 Certificate per table
Reserve a Table at Agora Restaurant
- Nearest Transit:
-
Dupont Circle Metro Station (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 2 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 3 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
213 reviews for Agora Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"My other favorites were the Ottoman rice and the Manti." In 15 reviews -
"Mucver - zucchini pancakes, a hot tasty treat." In 15 reviews -
"And the pita bread is always a big hit." In 10 reviews
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213 reviews in English
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Review from Catherine S.
Washington, DC
5/25/2012
Carafes of wine + tasty small plates + ample outdoor seating = win!
Outdoor dining usually comes with a long wait, crowded areas where you can't stand up without bumping awkwardly into other tables, or hearing every conversation around you, not the case here!
We came for dinner around 7pm on a Friday night, one of the first truly summery nights in DC and U street was bubbling over with kickball teams and friends out for a good time. We expected a long wait but the hostess was able to find us a great outdoor table in under 10 mins!
We took our time picking our small plates - there were so many to choose from, but ordered wine quickly. This arrived quickly with a very animated description of the the red. We have the Agiorgitiko, Notios, Peloponnisos, Gaia, Greece 2010. Simple red with a medium amount of body. Perfect for our tapas.
The olive oil / tapanade that can with fresh pitas was very good - one of my only criticisms of Agora was that ordering more of this took some time and they only gave us one pita - very odd way of cost cutting.
Anyhow, onto food critique: each dish was very unique in flavor. The beets with oranges was very good. As was the flat bread with sausage. The run away favorite for our table were the zucchini pancakes! Perfect little latkes with yogurt sauce. These were so good, we ordered another plate of them!
Looking forward to trying more of the items next time! -
Review from Victor L.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/14/2012
We were very happy. The Hummus was perfect, served with fresh hot bread. The Kibbeh was perfect - crunchy on the outside, hot and moist on the inside. We tried the Karni Yarik for the first time - it is lamb on top of eggplant - highly recommended! The only think we did not like was the Duck Salad - the duck was dry and tough to chew.
Be sure to get the Dolmas with lamb - they are far better than Dolmas without lamb.
We saw reviews about the wait staff being slow - we mentioned this to the waitress when she came to our table lightheartedly - (hey, we see that the service is slow here, they were not talking about you, right?). It worked, our service was just fine. -
Review from Dave J.
Washington, DC
5/6/2012
This is the second time we have been here. The service was excellent and the food was very good and well seasoned. One negative the skirt steak was overcooked making it a bit tough and the flat bread is a bit dry and bland (add some salt and oil). They have a great wine and beer menu and nice ambience
We will be back. -
Review from Marco A.
4/25/2012
Make sure to go inside. The sidewalk patio doesn't beckon but inside is a good looking restaurant with lots of exposed brick.
This is a happy hour review, haven't had dinner here yet . Loved that they had two imported lagers that I'd never heard of before (one greek, one turkish) for $3 The tapas on the happy hour menu are very tasty, some are small but for $4 you can't go wrong. I really liked the Labneh and the Cacik. Some of the people I was with would have liked to see some happy hour wine specials, so there's a little room for improvement.
I could easily be convinced to come back for dinner. For what it's worth I've heard very good things, specifically re the zucchini pancakes.Listed in: Circle Gets the Square
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Review from AJ D.
Washington D.C., DC
4/23/2012
After reading and hearing rave reviews a group of us stopped in on a rainy Sunday. We arrived fairly early for brunch and given the rain it was pretty quiet yet the hostess seemed put out by our arrival given we didn't have a reservation. I understand the challenge of turning tables and how during drunch (drunk + brunch) people sit for the full 2 hours but the place was dead and I didn't need her to come off like she was doing us a HUGE favor.
Anyway, we end up solving our own problems by sitting at one of the high tops near the bar. A few people in our group were interested in the unlimied food/drink special that I've heard about... The waiter quickly informed us it was an ALL in or ALL out philosphy. We were immediately bummed. No worries we figured we could all do a la carte food and those that wanted to drink could just order the unlimited mimossa. Wait turns out they have the same rule if one person in your group doesn't want to drink you can't order it.
I could continue but what's the point. They took a fun drunch potential group and turned it into sober rainy day low ticket table with little tip. I will say the food was EXCELLENT but I wouln't go back. -
Review from Tiffany L.
San Diego, CA
4/7/2012
We arrived at 6 PM. There were plenty of tables, but the hostess said they were booked for the night. Apparently, you should make reservations. Since it was only 3 of us, we sat at the bar and service was just as good.
The waitress described the food as "Turkish Tapas"
Food:
Make sure ask for the complimentary bread. The BREAD was amazing- warm and soft! The bread also came with olive oil and crushed olives. We were not shy and asked for seconds which definitely filled out tummy.
Alabalik- $8.00
Trout with honey, lemon and hazelnuts
Small portion, but tender trout and great flavors
Hellim- $7.00
Pan fried goat milk cheese with fig jam
This was EXCELLENT- the most unique way I've ever eaten cheese. The texture was on the chewy side and the sweet fig jam complimented extremely well.
Mucver- $7.00
Zucchini pancakes
Another unique dish- very creamy and light
Overall:
We didn't realize that it was Tapas-style until the very end of the meal, so we were a little disappointed in the portion. I suggest ordering a bunch of things to share (or order many rounds of complimentary bread if you can). Everything on the menu is extremely unique and you would definitely want to try it . The price is pricey for the small portion, but it is a great experience. -
Review from Amanda A.
Washington, DC
Updated - 5/7/2012
I wrote a previous review about Agora for dinner, but I feel the need to write another one about their fantastic brunch. You can get a pre-fixe brunch with unlimited drinks and tapas for $30. DO IT NOW! Don't even bother going a la carte. The mimosas are great, and they truly are bottomless as you're provided with a pitcher on your table. All the tapas we ordered were fantastic, and there are plenty of vegetarian options. I would recommend coming hungry. You have two hours to eat as much food and drink as much as possible, so live it up. Some dishes I'd recommend are: labneh, kasar, tulum, french toast (made with challah!), and the Peynirli Pide flatbread (definitely). The service is always good, and I've never been disappointed. I don't think you really need as a reservation, as long as you show up around 11 or 11:30.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/3/2011
I went to Agora on a Wednesday night, and it was busy, so I knew it had to good. We tried to find a… Read more »
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Review from Maxie M.
Washington, DC
4/17/2012
My review is solely based upon brunch.
Agora offers bottomless brunch (food and alcohol-- Mimosa, Bloody Mary, Champagne, House Vodka/Gin/Rum/Tequila, House Gin or Vodka Martinis) for $30 which is a deal that I don't think can be topped within the district. There is a two-hour time limit, but you can usually bypass this by sitting at the bar.
A few of the food items stand out for me. The hummus is great. From the cheese section, Tulum is my favorite. It's served with honey and is different than any cheese I've ever had. The flatbreads are hit and miss; sometimes they end up a little too soggy. I'd also recommend the grilled cheese, eggs benedict or the feta and spinach omelet, but they are filling and if you're trying to sample a little bit of everything, they'll fill you up quickly.
Even if you're only going to have 1 or 2 drinks, I'd still recommend going with the bottomless deal. The small plates are rather pricey when ordered alone, and if you're disappointed in a dish, you don't feel as bad because you can just order something else. -
Review from Ashley D.
Washington, DC
5/22/2012
OK. So the food is OK, fine, decent. Not terrible not great. The wine is good. My husband and I (live very close and) went there one random night and liked it enough to take some family when they came from out of town. Here is where the problem occurred. First off the hostess was borderline high... she greeted us, said "let me check to see if there is any table inside." She came out 3 minutes later looked us straight in the eye and said, "can I help you?" She had forgotten us in the 3 minutes she was gone. She then took our name and said it would be 15-20 minutes. 40 minutes later and a lot of inquiring in to our table... we were sat. We were a party of 5 and largely ignored (it was a Wednesday night). We ordered about 2 plates per person, kept a menu to continue to get more to share (as they advise)... Again, food was fine (nothing that good, but nothing bad). The service continued to be awful we were ignored a ton. My aunt waited about 20 minutes for her cocktail, we literally had to wave our waiter down anytime we needed him... and wave him down for A WHILE. Poor service like this should result in a decently low tip (15% or below...) but Agora doesn't give you that option. When we FINALLY got our bill, there was an automatic 20% tip added "for parties of 5 or more." That's ridiculous! I've heard of that for 8+, but 5? We then understood. Why would he put effort in to our 5 top when he already knew the size of his tip?! I was absolutely embarrassed that we had chosen to take our family there. We will never ever go back. Their tipping policy is insulting and just simply bad restaurant practice and their service is awful.
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Review from LaToya P.
3/14/2012 4 photos
*PICS*
This month's 'DC Food Bloggers Happy Hour' was held in the Solen Room (upstairs). Very nice. I'd host a private event here, for sure.
The Happy Hour deals are pretty good. I'm big on pizza, so I chose the Sucuklu Pide. It was so good. The turkish sausage, which tastes like some kinda high-end sorta spiced up pepperoni, really sets it off.
I've only been to a few Mediterranean restaurants, so I was happy to add another item to my "TO Try Again" list. -
Review from David P.
Arlington, VA
4/14/2012
This review is based upon an event that I set up. We had a total of 11 people that planned on attending the event. It was a sit down mezze style prearranged dinner.
When we first arrived, the hostess seemed like she was in another world and stood facing away from us for a couple minutes. Finally she turned and told us that we could not be seated until everyone arrived. Shortly though, I suppose, someone talked to her and we were escorted to our table.
The food was excellent, and the drinks were as well. Our server seemed to have us (turned out to be 9 people) and at least 3 other tables. That is just too much for any server to typically handle. She was friendly, but with that load on her, our drink refills suffered slightly.
The real shocker happened at the end when they refused to remove people from the bill that did not show up. Yes, I had signed a contract, but this is a customer service industry. The part that really got me about this was that the guy lied to my face about several things. Ask almost anyone at the table, and they could have told you, we only get 3 of each menu item. The guy claimed we got the food equal to what a party of 11 would get, which was 4 of each item. When I told him that was incorrect, he decided to argue with me.
In the end he took off one of the extra people, which was slightly satisfactory, but the lying and the arguing really took the joy out of the end of the meal.
Again, the food and drinks are great. If you can put up with some slight jerking around, this is a yummy place to get a good bite. -
Review from Safia K.
Washington D.C., DC
4/3/2012
The amazing Turkish woman I entrust with my eyebrows recommended Agora as the top Turkish restaurant in the area. It was fantastic! The service was great and the ambiance is warm and trendy with its red brick interior and dimmed lighting. This is a great date night place.
We ordered:
Htipiti- Roasted red peppers, feta, thyme, olive oil (delicious! we ordered two!)
Pathcan Kozleme- Charcoal smoked eggplant, green & red peppers, olive oil, garlic, dill, lemon juice (good but not a must have)
Branzino- Grilled Sea Bass (the flavors were very simple and not complex. I'd order it again)
Dorade- Grilled filet of boneless Mediterranean Dorade served with braised fennel and grilled lemon (also not very complex but good)
Hunkar Begendi- braised lamb shank with eggplant-gruyere puree (this was to die for! By far my favorite dish that night. The lamb was so tender and full of flavor and the eggplant-gruyere puree was genius!)
Bonfile- Seared pepper crusted petite filet mignon with exotic mushroom and tarragon pomegranate reduction (I had a bite of this off my friend's plate and thought it was good but I think a filet mignon is not exactly their specialty :) )
I loved the rice pudding for dessert and of course Turkish Coffee...dark and heavenly.
What are you waiting for? Go! -
Review from Machada S.
Brooklyn, NY
4/2/2012
I would give this place no stars if it were possible and I didn't even have a chance to sit down and eat.
Not once but twice were my friend and I mistreated by a hostess (brunette). On Friday night, we walked in. There were several tables available and my friend asked how long the wait was. This woman pushed her aside, rolled her eyes when my friend asked how long the wait was, and was generally unfriendly. Sunday morning... same story. When asked how long the wait was she stared at us as if we were speaking Hindi and was either confused or is just an idiot.
I'm sure the food is as remarkable as people are saying that it is, as Yelp was the factor that swayed me into going in the first place. However, this is a note to Agora's management: etiquette should be the first qualification for your host staff and on Friday night, I heard THREE groups of people commenting on how unpleasant this person was. You're losing business because your staff is snobbish and unfriendly.
My suggestion: She needs a new job and an attitude adjustment. -
Review from Semra E.
3/3/2012
The atmosphere is what is most attractive about this restaurant, followed by the wine and then food. My date and I were late with our reservation, but the hostess was very accommodating and let us sit immediately (thank you!).
We went upstairs which had this very warm feeling, with lovely Turkish plates mounted on the brick wall. We had a great bottle of South African red wine, (after a thorough explanation of where it came from and why it's special)....luckily it tasted just as good as it was presented to us, all talk with a good show :-)
We split some cold small dishes including the eggplant, dolma and scallops. We also shared borek and kofte and chicken shish kabob. Everything was so great we didn't have any space for dessert, but I'm sure it was exceptional as well. I am a fan and will definitely come back for another date and time! -
Review from Julia M.
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow, my visit to Agora exceeded all my expectations! I stopped in and sat at the bar to order a beer while checking out neighborhood dining options on my Yelp app. However, after checking out their menu, I and decided to stay and dine at Agora.
After lingering over the menu options, I was about to place an order when the bartender suggested that I try the zucchnini pancakes. So, I went with that suggestion and decided to order the grilled Bronzino to go along with them. Both turned out to be good choices.
The pancakes were served along with a tzatziki style sauce. The fish was seasoned and grilled to perfection. The bartender also suggested a great sauvignon blanc which paired nicely with the fish. I even splurged and had dessert and coffee which was the perfect ending to this nice meal.
I had a superb meal and excellent service and look forward to going back to Agora next time I am in the area. -
Review from Jason G.
Arlington, VA
Updated - 3/25/2012 11 photos
Ohh boy , soo good, lunch could not be better, Agora rocks as usual love being here , friendly staff and always delicious food , and whenever the weather is great love the Patio been here so many times , it is soo Unique . Thnak you AGORA keep up the great job.
We will be BACK LOL :))5 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/19/2011
Ohhhh Love love , soo nice to be in Agora again , everything is great in this place , now they got… Read more »
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Review from Mike W.
Washington, DC
4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
My BFF took me here for my birthday. I love the flavorful unusual food. Small plates...great for sharing
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Review from Joseph I.
Columbus, OH
2/28/2012
I was impressed with the menu, and the wine list. The food was quite good. It came out pretty fast, and nothing dissapointed us. I definitley recommend the battered and fried muscles. I could have eaten 3 orders by myself! They were cooked perfectly!
The service was a little strange. The hostess wasnt very interested in the customers coming in the door. And the bus-boys and food runners were more attentive then the wait-staff. Our waiter seemed almost inconvenienced by his tables. It was Sunday evening, so not terribly busy.
All and all, the food was worth is. I will definitely go back on my next trip to DC -
Review from Clifford D.
Washington, DC
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I would give Agora 3.5 stars if I could.
This is the first time I have been to Agora since it was Jack's (quite a long time ago). The interior of the restaurant seems almost unchanged (but I could be mistaken since it was so long ago).
The service was very fast. Our food came almost right after we ordered (almost too fast). I liked every plate we got, especially the kufte.
I feel like if I had never been to Jack's I would give it 4 stars, but something about the atmosphere I don't really like. -
Review from Alisha B.
2/7/2012
I've been staying away from Agora mostly because I miss the old Jacks so much. I finally dropped in for a post dinner drink yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised. Cozy lighting, quiet music, and lots of couples and groups enjoying wine on a winter's night.
I could go on about the food but while the food is delicious, I don't think that is what makes this place great. Agora fills a particular niche in DC for reasonably priced, classy, comfortable neighborhood restaurants. A similar vibe to Perry's in Adams Morgan. The drinks are very reasonable, the bartenders are friendly without being overbearing, and the atmosphere is almost like a private club where you feel comfortable upon entering.
Many of the drink specials that existed at Jacks still remain like the half priced wine on Mondays, and the happy hour specials. The place seems packed on the weekends but the rest of the time it seems like a great place to take a date or meet up with friends. -
Review from Swatee G.
1/2/2012 4 Check-ins Here
I have been here so many times now, I can't even count no more!
Always start with the awesome apricot bliss.. The pieces of dried apricot make the drink for me! go on to d cold cucumber soup, with the awesome beet and potato salad-cheese flat bread - the orgasmically yummy chicken skewers - you can totally skip desert- the warm inviting. Read basket will leave you with little/ no place for anything else! By far my fab place for Mediterranean food.. And oh - one of the bartenders is awesome.. Wish I knew his name!Listed in: For my Mediterranean Cravings!
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Review from Viraj P.
Washington, DC
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been here twice now- once for a summer dinner and once for a brunch. I'm going to focus my review on the brunch experience.
I was walking toward brunch at another place and saw the fantastic deal displayed outside for a weekend brunch- 30 dollars, all you can eat tapas plus bottomless mimosa/margarita/other alcohol. What a great deal! I had eaten here once before and enjoyed it so I promptly canceled my reservations at another restaurant and met my friends at Agora.
Food selection- it was okay. I was disappointed at the lack of meat options- for a mediterranean restaurant, there was little to no chicken or lamb on the prix-fixe menu! Sad. The menu otherwise, however, is quite extensive and I think you would be hard pressed to find a few things you're not interested in trying. We had hummus, poached eggs with spicy oil and sumac, the challah bread french toast, two yogurt dishes (cacik and another one), a cheese with honey (very dry; not my cup of tea), a beet and orange salad (which was great except for the mashed potatoes it was served on, which was gross), and the potatoes. Overall, it was satisfying to sample so many dishes and while a few were misses, overall it was a satisfying meal.
Drinks- Best Bloody Mary I've ever had, and the mimosa was delicious too. The drink options were plentiful and delicious. The only think I don't like about their brunch menu is that if you want just plain ol' orange juice you have to pay extra and that coffee is not included in the brunch price either.
Service- This is where Agora lost stars. Our service started out great- the hostess was incredibly friendly and helpful- she even made sure to seat us far away from the larger parties and the family with the babies. That was very considerate! Our waitress was on point for the first few minutes and was helpful explaining the menu and brunch options. Then, after 5 minutes, it all kind of went down the drain. We put in multiple orders for food which never made it to the table. We reached the bottom of our drinks multiple times and had to ask our waitress for refills- which normally wouldn't be an issue but we went sometimes 15-20 minutes without being able to see her or catch her eye. That was frustrating. This would be a 4 or 5 star review if our service hadn't been so lackluster.
Bottom line: I may consider going again, but I'd have to try a bunch of different brunch spots before I recommend Agora's brunch to a friend. -
Review from Ally L.
Naperville, IL
3/3/2012
Agora holds a very special place in my heart as I stumbled upon it my first week in DC.. in the pouring rain, with no umbrella, I ducked into Agora's patio and ended up having the most amazing eggs benedict in the covered patio it was raining around me (I love when restaurants keep their patios open in the rain!)
I have been back many times since, and the eggs benedict are always my favorite (I think they make their own hollandaise sauce?) - although friends who have had the omelets LOVE them. I've had a lunch here as well - and the cheese / tapas selection was amazing.
The waitstaff can be a bit fussy, and you can sometimes feel a little rushed (which is why I am giving 4 stars instead of 5).. Agora is definitely reasonably priced, and classy comfortable on the inside. I will definitely return when I visit DC. Enjoy! -
Review from Andrea M.
Updated - 1/23/2012
Returned here last week with two friends for an evening glass of wine, and the bartender mentioned in my initial review not only remembered me, he went on to write down the name of the wine glasses I gleefully complimented. Furthermore, he gave me and my companions another free shot before we left.
I have been here twice. Both times the service and attentiveness have earned high marks.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/19/2011
This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I threw a 'revival' party for a friend of mine who just… Read more »
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Review from Mark H.
Washington, DC
4/27/2012
This restaurant is very good. It is not as good as Ezme or Zaytinya - a little pricer with food that is not as high quality - but the service is amazing and the food still has its own little twist that makes you want to come back every once and a while. The best time to come to Agora is between 3-7 PM on Monday through Friday when they have happy hour. You can get 2-3 dollar Turkish or Greek beers and 4 dollar hummus, 4 dollar lamacun (Turkish/Lebanese meat pies), and 4 dollar Turkish cheese pies (pides). What a great deal. Sometimes I get a double Turkish coffee too for 6 dollars. The guys here are all really nice. This is another of the DC tradition of great restaurants that are Middle Eastern and Greek meze or tapas places with small plates and excellent food. I recommend to everyone, especially at Happy Hour.
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Review from V S.
Washington D.C., DC
4/5/2012
Went there for brunch on a Sunday. The weather was beautiful, so we got to sit on the covered patio outside, another great plus.
Food: Based on food alone, I would give this place 4 stars. We had the bottomless brunch, which allows you to order anything off the menu, and also includes bottomless mimosas/house drinks/bloody marys ($30). The flatbreads were great. Also, the cheese that is served with honey was delicious. The freshly-baked pitas were also a highlight. Finally, they left a pitcher of mimosas on the table.
Service: This is why I'm only giving them 3 stars. While our server was polite, she was barely ever there(!) We would literally go 10-15 minutes without her stopping by. I understand that the restaurant was especially busy (it was brunch on a beautiful Sunday), but sometimes, the wait for our server (and also for the freshly-baked pita) was painful.
I would definitely return, but only if they somehow managed to improve their service. -
Review from Robert M.
Silver Spring, MD
4/2/2012
This was a fantastic venue for an anniversary dinner. The pita bread is so fresh that it's practically heavenly. The food is served tapas style, which makes for some fun variety (but also a pretty expensive meal). Beer and wine selection is great. Try the sheep's cheese!
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Review from Shar S.
Washington, DC
4/11/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
DON"T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! I went here because I purchased a $12 for $20 yelp deal while I was in the area during lunchtime. These people know nothing about customer service.The food was mediocre and the service was a little slow considering I was one of only 3 or 4 other weekday lunch diners.
After I received the check and offered my yelp deal to help cover the bill, Agora refused to accept it. The coupon says it is only valid during lunch however my coupon was refused because I purchased the lunch special. They consider the lunch special a discount item and wont let you use a coupon to pay for it. This restriction was not identified on my voucher, and I was not informed until I tried to pay the bill.
To add to my frustration, Agora then refused to apply my coupon for the additional food and drinks that I ordered (that was not the lunch special) because "it was on the same ticket". They have a apparently have a policy of not splitting tickets. Since my other food was on the same lunch ticket as the special, they refused to accept the coupon for those items too. Ridiculous!
After much complaining to the manager, she finally agreed to split my lunch ticket, and put the lunch special on one check and my other lunch items on the other, and I was finally allowed to use my coupon on a check which only totaled $12 - totally defeating the purpose of purchasing the coupon.
The manager was unsympathetic and apparently valued a few dollars more than customer satisfaction. I'll never go back here again. It's $30 and 1.5hrs of my life that I won't get back. -
Review from Roy L.
Washington, DC
4/9/2012
Food is really good. Price isn't too bad. Service is awful.
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Review from John P.
Houston, TX
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is just plain good. They have recession prices for 2 pages of wine too!
Ok, it has been some time since I have given 5 stars and this place is just good all around. 17th street scene at its best.
Must go to just chill and the noise is not overpowering. -
Review from K K.
Silver Spring, MD
4/7/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
The ambiance of this place is nice; it was the right balance of fancy and chill.
The guy serving us our wine was fantastic! Very friendly and helpful without being snobby.
The food was pretty good, but not much really stuck out as fantastic. My favorite was the Turbot with artichokes which was by far the best. The menu was full of fun options and I am looking forward to going back and trying some more! -
Review from Jo P.
Silver Spring, MD
2/8/2012
My best friend e-mailed me to come with her to Agora cause she knew the owner and he had promised her free rounds of drinks. We get there and we are immediately greeted at the door. Polite but not genuine and as quick as they said hello to us was as quick as they turned and said hello to the next 2 patrons and immediately had them seated. We stood about for a bit and asked for the owner, to find out that it was now under new management but that he would take extra good care of us!
His name was Ishmael, he was MARVELOUS. He helped me learn how to pronounce some of the items on their menu and was quick at making our drinks (a 151 margarita based drink). The food is literally to die for. I told him then and there he just found a new regular. I'm bringing a huge party sometime before the month is out.
Please go and enjoy yourselves, the ambiance is wonderful and the people there (with the exception of the hostesses that night) are friendly and lively! -
Review from Nicole B.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011
yum yum yum yum yum nom nom nom nom nom
I feel ridiculous but I loooove this place! Love love love! Fantastic service, fantastic tapas style all you can eat and drink (of all kinds of liquor outside of mimosas and bloody marys) for brunch. I will come back again and again. -
Review from Toya J.
10/18/2011
I think the place is so warm and cozy with its red brick interior and dimmed lighting. Agora is great for a date night or an intimate dinner with friends. It was refreshing to go to a place that wasn't really crowded or too loud for a change.
The Yesil Martini is yummy, Bacardi Apple, cucumber, lime, mint, sour mix, agave nectar. For you old school Mad Men era drinkers it tastes similar to a Gimlet. Selected Happy Hour martinis like the Yesil are $6.
I had the grilled Branzino on whole wheat bread. It wasn't bad, but not as savory as our waiter's personal favorite the Shish Tavuk, marinated grilled chicken breast with grilled tomato and onions, served with garlic pita bread.
After a certain time, this place does fill up and soon outdoor seating will be no more, so it's smart to make a reservation if you' re dining 2+.Listed in: Just The Two Of Us....
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Review from Joanna G.
Bethesda, MD
4/29/2012
I went here last night with a group of friends and we all really enjoyed the food. We had a pre-fixe four course meal, and everything was delicious. My favorites were the branzino (sea bass) and the zucchini fritters. YUM! My one complaint was that some of the servers seemed more interested in closing for the night then attending to our table. That being said, it was overall a very enjoyable night.
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Review from dave r.
11/8/2011
17th Street Crappy Service Streak 2/3:
So on Sunday, my friend and I tried really hard to eat brunch here but we were not able to accomplish that.
The experience began when we spent 4 minutes waiting at the host/ess table outside. 4 minutes isn't really that long in the big picture, but when you're waiting, it sort of feels like forever. Anyway, while we're waiting, we identify both yummy looking brunch items (um although the prix fixe is mad expensive at $30 ... a la carte it is) AND an empty four top table.
Anyway, we wanted to sit outside, so we left and had a misadventure at the Fox & Hound that left us with still no brunch in our bellies. So 30 mins later we went back to Agora. My other half was around the corner and going to join us in 5 minutes. The four top table was stil open and no one had sat there the entire time. I go again to the hostess table and let them know that we were back and would like to be seated, but that now there would be a third.
She says she won't seat us until the whole party is present.
Oh my goodness.
I kind of wanted to throw a fit.
No, not the worst sin in the world, but she should. have. just. seated us. Basic customer service.
I will probably go back to try them sometime but this was really frustrating. -
Review from Christina P.
Philadelphia, PA
10/10/2011
Let me tell you a little bit about this culinary/alcoholic dreamland I discovered called the Prix Fixe brunch at Agora. For $30, you get unlimited mimosas, champagne, bloody marys, vodka, rum or tequila. I personally would never be up for tequila at 12pm on a Sunday, but hey, different strokes for different folks. You might be thinking ok, unlimited drinks at brunch, I've seen this before. But here's the kicker: you can order unlimited items off the menu as well. I'm not talking some huge buffet with vats of food that are picked over and half cold. You get to order exactly what you want, and however many you want of it off the menu as long as you are not wasting crazy amounts of food.
Agora is a Mediterranean inspired establishment, so the brunch menu consisted of a lot more than pancakes and omelets. They offered dips, salads, cured meat and cheese, cold and hot mezes, egg dishes, french toast, and flatbreads. Oh, and sides like hash browns and bacon. Yes, unlimited bacon. Are you sold yet? All of us at the table were stressing over exactly how we were going to order and finish everything on the menu, because it looked that good.
Our first round of food consisted of tomato, basil and manchengo omelets, french toast, sheep's milk cheese with honey and apricot preserves, hummus, some kind of yogurt dip with apples and walnuts, bacon, turkish sausage, and their delicious puffy bread. Subsequent orders included grilled cheese with tomato soup, more cheese, and a goat cheese and arugula salad.
The only complaint I have is that it took a pretty long time for the waiter to come greet us. Maybe about 15 minutes. We were super hungry, and that quickly translated into angry. But after he showed up with a pitcher of mimosas I decided we could make up.
I definitely will return the next time I'm in DC! -
Review from Alex B.
Washington, DC
3/20/2012
Agora has a great ambience and an interesting menu with items that are unique to many and fun to try. I recommend it as a classy, affordable spot to take a date.
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Review from Aika Z.
Arlington, VA
11/2/2011
I celebrated my birthday here on a Friday night with three of my closest friends. I must say -- GREAT atmosphere, GOOD service, DELICIOUS food! We made reservations for 8pm and were seated right away. The restaurant is quite small with a large bar area. However, despite the fact that everything is in one room, the noise level in the dining area was perfect.
The food is tapas style Mediterranean/Turkish cuisine. Everything from the grape leaves to the kebobs to the cheese was delicious. We ordered about eight platters and were so full by the end of the night. The waitress also brought out a dessert with a candle for my birthday, which I found was very thoughtful.
Definitely coming back here again! -
Review from Aamna C.
Arlington, VA
10/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had a lovely dinner here tonight with a friend. We ran a bit late on our resevation so we actually got seated at the bar. We ordered a vegetarian spread plus the Shish Tavuk for me. Everything was extraordinarily flavorful. The service was very gracious, even if my Shish Tavuk got lost in the shuffle and came out a bit too late. However was easily the tastiest thing we ordered!
I recommend this as a wonderful intimate restaurant to have a nice relaxing meal without all the overhype and pretension. I will definitely return.
