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Aladin
Category: Restaurants Middle Eastern Middle Eastern [Edit]
2032 Plank RdFredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 372-7755
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Aladin
Review Highlights
22 reviews in English
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Review from Matthew Y.
Fredericksburg, VA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice place. Very fun atmosphere. Staff is slow, but it's a nice place to chill.
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Review from Tia B.
Fredericksburg, VA
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
It started out as a normal Tia Tuesday. It was Heather's turn to pick a place for us to go, so we went to Aladin. I was a bit concerned at first because the place looks a bit questionable in between Big Lots and Burlington Coat Factory.
Aladin has a hookah bar on one side and a non smoking restaurant on the other. We decided to sit in the non smoking section because I have baby lungs and wouldn't be able to handle smoking the hookah.
The waitress takes up outside then inside to the non smoking section. It was a nice quiet atmosphere with a tv for us to watch. Since this side was empty we could sit anywhere we wanted to. It didn't stay this way for long when an older group came in. They decided to sit right next us instead of choosing one of the other 10 tables in the room.
I apologize for being a slacker, but I forgot what our waitress' name was. She was amazing. She answered any questions we had about the menu. She didn't laugh at us when we struggled through the names of the entrees. Heather and I decided to split the Jasmin Mezza. You get a choice of 4 mezzas (appetizers), beef or chicken shawarma and bread.
Here are the item we went with
Hummus Special: Hummus topped with ground beef, pine nuts, onion, and parsley. FYI this is a cold/lukewarm dish. I don't know what I thought it would be hot. It also was bland. I would have preferred the roasted tomato hummus from wegman's.
Cheese Pies: Mini half moon shaped pies stuffed with feta cheese, tomato and onion. They were pretty tasty. Since this is a sampling we only got two. I could have eaten 10.
Kibbie: Fried shells stuffed with beef and onions. I didn't like this one. The meat tasted gritty.
Soujouk: Sauteed lamb sausages. These were good but I would have preferred more seasoning on them.
Beef Shawarma: Sliced beef marinated with onions and tomatoes. This one was my favorite. The beef was tender and seasoned well.
Sweet Tea Rating: 7 Tea was good but the lemon they served with it was dry.
Lastly the bread they serve with the meal is delicious. It taste great with all of the sauces that come with the mezzas above. The best sauce was a yogurt dip with cucumbers and seasonings.
Overall this was a good place. The staff is nice and the food is good. Only bad part was the group sitting next to us.
Our waitress was very accommodating to them. If they needed a pitcher of water with just a layer of ice she brought it. If they needed 3 bowls of light ranch dressing and olive oil, super waitress brought it. Want your meat well done on a gyro even though it's not made medium or rare she's going to bring it. When you eat half of the gyro then complain about the meat being burnt she'll bring you a brand new one and accept your demand of it being complimentary. She will stand there awkwardly as my friend goes toe to toe with the diabetes stricken ocd man and his elderly mother. I mean if someone is going to set them straight on how to treat people it might as well be Heather B. Woo! Can't wait for next Tia Tuesday. -
Review from Joel B.
Reston, VA
2/19/2012
Like a lot of kabob/ middle eastern places, they rely on the lack of middle eastern food experience from their customers. Most of the meats are dry and the greek dips are not fresh.
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Review from Nadia Y.
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Based on the reviews I had some higher hopes for this place. Maybe it was the fact my friends and I came on a Monday night. The restaurant was empty inside except for us. The place might be good for take out, but the service just made it disappointing all together.
Our waitress was scattered brained and pardon my borrowing from Foghorn Leghorn, but she's "as sharp as a sack of wet mice." She doesn't seem to have any understanding of waiting tables and I think she used really poor judgement on when to serve food, and when to check on the customers. We were left alone for long periods of time without having drinks refilled. She even acknowledged that we needed more refills, then disappeared for ten minutes. She asked us once how everything was before she even finished putting our food on the table. Bad timing all together.
The food, well.. when I order lamb sausages for an appetizer I expect them to be served hot, oh and before my actual dinner. It came out practically cold. My falafel sandwich which didn't taste bad, was extremely dry and did not have enough sauce to compliment it. The tabouli was lacking wheat all together which made it mostly just a lemony parsley salad.
My friend's meal consisted of 8 appetizers and she explained that the kitchen liked to serve them all at the same time instead of one at a time. That's great if you can serve it while it's hot, but everything came to the table cold. Like as in sitting out for 20 minutes cold. Also she looked very puzzled when we asked for a to go box. To be blunt, the service was flat out lousy.Listed in: Southern Experience, Blacklisted!
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Review from M. S.
Fredericksburg, VA
8/24/2011
I was a little afraid of the restaurant because it is located in a run-down looking strip mall. I'm glad I tried in anyway! They have a non-smoking side to the restaurant. I thought that our server was excellent. The food was very good. A good mix of greek and lebanese. The salads are generous and fresh. The hummus was some of the best I've ever tasted.
The have a deal on Wednesday nights where all entrees are 1/2 off. My Husband and I can eat there with two dinners, an appetizer of hummus and walk away for $20 with tax and a good tip. Yum! -
Review from Kaylen K.
Stafford, VA
6/5/2011
Absolutely EVERYTHING we ate was amazing! I can't wait to go back.
We had Beef Kabobs, Kafta, Hummus Special, Greek Salads and rice. The Beef Kabobs were tender and full of flavor, the Kafta was delicious and perfectly cooked. The Greek Salads were great and the Hummus Special (hummus, ground beef, spices, pine nuts) was AMAZING. Even the kid's chicken tenders and french fries were great!
The service was mediocre, but the food was perfect. I will definitely be coming back! -
Review from Michelle B.
Alexandria, VA
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I thought this place had great prices for what you receive. I got a platter with chicken and lamb. I asked for fetoosh as one of my sides. The meat was moist and the salad was fresh. We ordered the fried kibbeh for an appetizer which was good too. I would definitely stop by this place if I am passing through Fredericksburg again.
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Review from Bernadette C.
Washington, DC
3/9/2011
We grabbed a gift certificate for Aladin from http://restaurants.com. Frankly, I didn't expect much. It's nestled in a shopping center next to the Burlington Coat Factory and has a sign that evokes the image of a Chinese take-out.
So I was tickled to find a nicely furnished sit-down restaurant in the non-smoking restaurant and a very large hookah restaurant with a full bar on the smoking side.
The non-smoking side of the restaurant is walled off from the smoking side and has separate ventilation. It's practically two separate restaurants.
I had the falafel sandwich, which was a bit dry for my taste, but was much larger than others I've had. A bit of the hummus appetizer (very creamy!) added to the sandwich put everything right.
After packing up half of our lunch to go, I visited the smoking side and discovered that they have Karaoke on Tuesday and Thursday nights (still trying to keep that a secret from my husband) and a D.J. on Fridays and Saturdays.
We'll probably wander back for lunch. And just maybe I'll relent and visit on a Tuesday in August to celebrate hubby's birthday. After all, once a year Fredericksburg should get to enjoy his drunken rendition of Madonna. -
Review from Chris R.
Fredericksburg, VA
5/12/2010
First, the place looks like it should be in kitchen nightmares. One of the dirtiest places I have ever been. Took son to the bathroom and the door was hanging on by one hinge so it wouldn't shut.
Then you have the two guys at the front (owners?) who's sole job it to play WoW on their laptops and smoke the hookahs. Go home, this is a restaurant! The only saving grace was the server/chef? She brought the only personality to the place. She was extremely nice and knowledgeable about the food and the only one who did anything. The other guys would randomly look at you and go back to playing on the computers.
The food was good but, show me how you take care of your dining room and I can see how you take care of your kitchen.
If you do attempt to eat here make sure you have your shots! -
Review from Arielle K.
Spotsylvania, VA
10/2/2011
I go here every Tuesday w/my friend for hookah & karaoke, & I always have fun. They also just got DJ Chubbs from 99.3 on Saturdays & it's super awesome. They have good food & good hookahs. I wish they had more flavors for the hookah, but otherwise it's pretty cool.
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Review from Kristin V.
Richmond, VA
8/31/2009
After finding out I had never smoked a hookah, my coworker decided she must be witness to my first experience. I am, by no means, an experienced smoker, making this all the more entertaining for my enabler. We decided to order the mango tobacco (how could something so delicious go wrong?). While my coworker blew smoke rings around my head, I sat on my side of the booth coughing like I had come down with the black lung.
While I will not be joining the hookah smoking world tour (this year at least), I would absolutely be down for competing in the first annual Aladin's falafel eating contest! The falafels were absolutely to die for! Perfectly crispy, but not too dry. I also ordered the baba ganoush which was spectacular with warm, fresh baked pitas.
I will definitely be returning to Aladin's for food...and who knows, maybe I'll give the hookah another try!Listed in: Fredericksburg's Finest!
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Review from Dana J.
Reston, VA
9/19/2011
If we ever pass through this area again, we are eating here!!!!. Don't let the location fool you - it's definitely in a crappy part of town but the food was SO GOOD! We ordered hummus, which came with the most delicious and warmed pita bread. It may have been home made. It was still gooey and warm from the oven. Falafel apps were awesome. Beef shwarma was great and the yogurt sauce was the best I've had in a LONG time.
Best part - good value for the price, excellent service (although they were out of a couple beers we requested), and the ambience in the dining room was excellent. GO HERE to eat! -
Review from David A.
Stafford, VA
9/10/2011
Best Lebanese food I have had in the states! (Competes well with Lebanese food I've had in Israel and Bahrain too.)
The service was great -- very friendly and attentive. Wonderful atmosphere. My experience was definitely different than what some others have listed. Perhaps the management has read the reviews and made corrections?
If you like Lebanese, Mediterranean, or Middle Eastern culture and food, Aladin is a must visit! -
Review from Tara M.
Fredericksburg, VA
6/20/2009
Like other yelpers I have not actually dined at Aladin, but gotten carry-out. It's about a mile down the road from our house, so it's a quick and easy place to get take-out.
Their food is amazing, and they give you so much for your money. Both times we've gotten take-out, we've been so full we were hapless lumps for the rest of the night. I recommend their gyro platter with rice. On top of ample portions of meat and bread, you get a whole container full of their delicious rice, AND a side salad. There is no way I could ever finish all this delicious food, but I certainly tried.
Our first time eating at Aladin we got their beef kabob platter and it's really too much food. I'd only get it if you were absolutely starving, or if you want to make two meals out of it!
We'll be dining in soon, but until then, Aladin is a reliable source for quick take-out in Fredericksburg. -
Review from Kelly K.
Fredericksburg, VA
9/7/2008
We got take-out from Aladin last weekend. They have a large menu, and the vegetarian items are marked. We got: Foule M Damas, 2 Greek salads, and 2 falafel sandwiches. The foule comes with alot of pita bread, and it was pretty good. The Greek salads were on the large side, and had lots of feta and olives. Hubby didn't like the fact that it was mixed greens instead of Romaine, but I thought it was really good. The real star of the show was the falafel sandwich. The bread that these were on...oh my! They were wrapped up in this pita bread (like a burrito), and the pita was so thick and yummy. It wasn't messy to eat like falafels I've had in the past. This place has alot to choose from, and we weren't disappointed with what we ordered. We will be back.
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Review from Rachael A.
Fredericksburg, VA
1/27/2009
I have only gotten their food as delivery but I can't wait to dine in. My co-workers and I often eat Aladins for lunch. They have a huge menu to select from. I often find myself taking too much time deciding on what I want because everything I have had their has always been good!
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Review from Justin B.
Fredericksburg, VA
7/26/2011
Delivery arrived late and cold. Mistakes can and will happen anywhere. Delivering food that has been sitting around long enough to go cold is not a mistake, it's not caring. Will not order from them again.
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Review from Jordan S.
Fredericksburg, VA
8/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
Very good food and nice atmosphere good prices ever since they moved next-door and expanded
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Review from Joey B.
Washington, DC
3/26/2010
AWESOME! Great food...great Hookah...easy on the wallet.
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Review from Aviv G.
Spotsylvania, VA
Updated - 8/22/2010
New location offers the option for a quiet, smoke-free room to the right or a fun hookah sports bar to the left.
Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/17/2008
Great, authentic, food, and large portions at a reasonable price. Good menu and generally attention… Read more »
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Review from Robert G.
Virginia Beach, VA
3/23/2011
We found Aladin by a coupon in the tourist magazine. What a find! The atmosphere was great and the ethnic music videos fascinating. The service was top notch and the food great with larger than normal portions. We have become fans and plan to return for another visit on our next trip through the area.
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Review from Jessica B.
Fredericksburg, VA
5/23/2010
I'm a fan of them as a bar. Let me clarify that. They make a really stiff drink and their prices are pretty fair so when you're nursing your hangover, you'll still have some money in your wallet to get some eggs in the morning. If you've got kids and/or you're over the age of 25, you'll probably be the oldest, most un-hip person in the building (with the exception of the cooks and owners). The crowd is clearly community college kids and frat boys who really don't know the difference between dancing and dry-humping. At the risk of sounding like a fuddy-duddy (at 27), when you're up against a wall grinding your goddies all over some guy who is just rubbing his hands all over you, you need to close out your tab, and go to the hotel across the street. For real. Anyway, the bar hostess is awesome. She's really sweet, and she remembers your favorite drink order, and she's not stingy at all. The video in the place is generally some Arab-language MTV-ish station, but the music is ALWAYS DJ'd rap and hip-hop. Kind of a weird combination, but whatever keeps the place packed. I honestly think the whole reason they're successful (aside from the bar) is the smoking aspect of it. Hookahs allow this establishment to circumvent the smoking ban in Virginia, so it's a popular spot to smoke, drink, and eat (since at most places you can only drink and eat). The food is disappointing. The place is called "Aladin Kabob and Hookah," but the kabobs are toughest, driest, most unflavored dried up dog-turd looking things on a stick I've ever seen. It was horribly disappointing that they didn't live up an item that's in their name. The hoookahs are good though (mint, especially). The special hummus (hummus loaded up with pine nuts and meat) is really the only thing I eat here when I dine here. Everything else is just so... blah. But I live within walking distance, and I do like the bar aspect of it, so I'll keep coming back! Grade: B-
