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Balkan Grill
Category: Restaurants Mediterranean Mediterranean [Edit]
5902 N Kings HwyAlexandria, VA 22303
(703) 329-3303
- Nearest Transit:
-
Huntington Av Metro Station (Yellow)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 8 pm
Sun 10 am - 5 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
27 reviews for Balkan Grill
Review Highlights
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"...is outstanding, the bosnian burger, the adina burger, all..." In 5 reviews -
"...also a great little market next door with lots of Balkan..." In 3 reviews -
"Meat burek wins, it was so tender and full of flavor." In 5 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa R.
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Seriously? Just eat here. Do it.
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Review from Hunter G.
Alexandria, VA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
I live nearby and visit this place about once/month or so. The food is good, but I wouldn't call it over-the-top great like some of the other reviews here. They have a good selection of food and I can't complain about anything that I've tried. I will say that the people who work here are amazingly friendly and it looks like they make everything from scratch.
If you've heard the hype and you happen to be nearby, then I definitely recommend stopping in and giving it a shot. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for it, however. -
Review from Elizabeth C.
Alexandria, VA
Updated - 5/4/2012
Dropping my 5 star rating to 4. Balkan Grill what has happened lately?! We used to rave over this place but lately the quality of the items seems to have diminished. It is still very good, just not what it was a year ago. The meat seems to be a lot more dry than usual and the salad tasted strange the last time I had it. The salads used to be so fresh! I know they have recently expanded to two stores and maybe as a result the quality slipped a little bit. I am going to give it a couple more tries but am just sad its not what it was. The service is still superb though!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2011
I recently moved to the area and discovered Balkan Grill. I am SO glad I did!
I had never tried… Read more »
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Review from Dom B.
Alexandria, VA
4/27/2012
Everything on the menu is very good and reasonably priced!
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Review from Emir A.
Washington, DC
5/13/2012
Closest to what you get back home. The fact they have attached store to the restaurant is a big plus. Would definitely recommend it.
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Review from David K.
11/15/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Just got back from a couple weeks in the Balkans for vacation, specifically in Bosnia for a week. The one thing I was worried I'd never find again was the Bosnian Burek, a phyllo dough stuffed pastry, usually filled cheese or meat. I had been out to Cosmopolitan Grill in Alexandria for Bosnian cevapis (sausages), and that place is excellent - but they require advance notice to prepare and bake their bureks. When I want a burek, I want it now! Planning is not a strong suit. Luckily, Yelp discovered Balkan Grill for me. Balkan Grill is not a full service restaurant like Cosmopolitan, it is just a small counter and an ordering window.
I can vouch that their bureks are as good as I had anywhere in Sarajevo. They even have the Bosnian cream to serve with it. The cheese burek is stuffed with Bosnian farmhouse cheese, which is delightfully melty inside. The meat is filled with seasoned ground meat (beef I assume) and is just perfect. I also sampled the cevapis from Balkan Grill and can vouch they are quite tasty. I might prefer the bread at Cosmopolitan that goes with the cevapis, but the Balkan Grill bread is no slouch. It is clearly freshly baked on the premises. The sausages are good, not too fatty, and very fairly priced. For 20 bucks, I was able to bring home two bureks, 7 cevapi, bread and veggies for the cevapi. This is an incredibly filling meal, delicious, and well priced.
Ignore the rundown strip center that it's located in, this is truly a slice of the Balkans. Plus, while you wait, you can browse the adjoining Euro Market next door for Balkan foodstuffs and frozen cevapis. -
Review from Virginia M.
McLean, VA
9/26/2011
Mmmmmm.
What I love about this place is how healthy and fresh the food feels! While not being all salads and seafood, they actually serve you meat! And a lot of it :)
The staff is very down to earth and friendly, I love them. Go! They need more business, so we can have even cheaper prices!
Another thing I love about this place is that it's not crowded and you can get your food quickly. And the Euro foods store next door is totally awesome with all its delicious chocolates.
This isn't your amp'd up Euro spot with all the silly frills, it's genuine tasty. -
Review from Chunnu B.
Hole in the wall WIN! Where did this place come from?? I for one do not come across Turkish/Bosnian/Ukrainian/that-kind-of-Mediterrane an food often in NoVA...well, ever. Thank you, Yelp App. for this find!
More of a take-out type of place, Balkan Grill has roughly 6 bar stools for you to sit on if you do decide to dine-in. Which we did. To kill some time, however, we explored the Turkish grocery store the Grill was attached to - full of chocolates, candies, coffee, and other Turkish packaged foods and drinks for you to take home.
Time was killed and food was ready to be consumed. Like everyone had suggested, we went with the Burek with beef for appetizer (which could very well be eaten as the meal), fries, and a couple spicy Adana burgers.
All of it was excellent! The fries were your standard fries but cooked just right, the beef Burek juicy, and the massive Adana burgers spiced just right - but go ahead and ask for some hot sauce on the side to turn it up if you need it....or if you enjoy whipping a runny nose while eating.
Be warned now though, even for those who are going in very hungry: the portions really are quite large. Share or be prepared for a take-out box.
A whole lot of yummy for very, very, cheap, a definite win in my book. I'll be back to try out the pizza next!Listed in: One Dollah!, There's a...Hole in the Wall!, Ka-bob-o!
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Review from Rob M.
Alexandria, VA
9/26/2011
This place is fantastic! I especially love the Bosnia burger, the cevapcici (little sausages), and the baklava. The staff at Balkan Grill are super friendly as well. Last time I was here, they threw in some extra bread for us.
Not a lot of dining space, so you may want to grab-and-go. While you're waiting for you food, make sure to check out the Euro foods market connected next door.
Great food, great prices..what else could you ask for? -
Review from Betsy S.
8/9/2011
I was a little disappointed by Balkan Grill! I have several friends well-versed in Eastern European (Bosnian, Croatian) foods, and they were equally as excited to check this little place out. But none of us were wowed by our foods. I got the Cevapcici and they were dry and overwhelmed by the giant bun. A girlfriend of mine was disappointed by the lack of baked chicken in her platter.
I'd like to give it another try, but Abi II is next on my list of Huntington restaurants. -
Review from L W.
Baltimore, MD
3/20/2011 2 photos
The Balkan Grill is really out of the way for me but sometimes I just have to go because I'll sit around for weeks dreaming of their burek. Potato burek tastes like breakfast food (like hashbrowns I guess). I always get cheese burek because it's so delicious but last time I decided to try the meat. Meat burek wins, it was so tender and full of flavor. My friends all love the cevapi and pljeskavice (which is huge!).
I don't think anyone's mentioned there's a little store attached to the restaurant. You can buy all sorts of Balkan goodies there like ajvar, kajmak, lots of chocolates/candies (Dorina chocolate bars, Ki-Ki, bananko, etc) wines from all over, BCS movies/magazines, even basic dzezva sets and Bosnian coffee.
[The Cosmopolitan Grill in Alexandria is also very good (and similar), but an actual sit down restaurant versus mini restaurant/store. Plus you can get some quality sljivovica to wash down your meal.] -
Review from James S.
3/31/2011
I don't give out 5 star reviews very often. However, this place deserves it... a perfect example of a place that picks a few unique items and executes on them exceptionally well, using fresh ingredients, attention to detail, and consistent execution.
I wasn't sure what to make of this tiny place when I first found it, I had never eaten Bosnian food and, frankly, the "Bosnian Burger" sounded a bit intimidating. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I had my first meal. The prices are very low and the portions are very large and they offer a daily lunch special which comes with a drink.
Burek - a filled pastry is an awesome starter (but very filling). The Burgers are amazing (go with the Adana if you want something with a nice spicy kick). The CEVAPCICI is also a delicious sandwich with tender little sausages and the wonderful kajmak sauce. The baked goods (which are used with many of the dishes) are amazing and always fresh.
This a small place that does carryout and will additionally sell you uncooked items in bulk for your own home use. The small store that is attached also sells a large selection of regional specialties, meats, and sweets.
I'm happy that this place is close to home for when I am craving something out of the ordinary to eat. -
Review from Patrick K.
Alexandria, VA
7/16/2011
This place is awesome!
The Cevapcici is outstanding, the bosnian burger, the adina burger, all the specials are great. Everything is made fresh. More of a carryout than an eat in place.
My daughter loves burgers is this is hands down her favorite burger. Warning portions are huge! Great value for the $$. The staff is nice too. -
Review from K C.
Alexandria, VA
10/18/2011
This is one of the few places that has food from the Balkans, so I really didn't want to write a bad review, but here it goes.
I had the cevapcici and they were not good or authentic to the Balkans. The cevapcici were dry and not flavorful. The somun was more like a heavy bread roll; it should be a thin, soft, and fluffy flatbread. The kajmak....I don't even know what that was supposed to be. Cevapcici served with tomatoes and peppers. LOLWUT? It should be fine diced onions. The liquid yogurt (ayran) that you usually have with cevapi was too salty. -
Review from Richard Z.
Alexandria, VA
1/18/2012
If you're in the mood for a burger or wrap, this place is fantastic. The bread is great, the meat is perfectly spiced, and they have a real rotating gyro machine. Ties with the pho place across the street for best takeaway in the area.
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Review from Ralph F.
Alexandria, VA
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tried this place solely on the basis of Yelp reviews and I'm glad I did. Food was outstanding, service was quick and the proprietors were very polite in assisting this self-admitted Bosnian food n00bie. The Bosnian Burger was very good, the bread was soft and fresh, and the rice that came with one of our entrees was just delectable. One of the best parts about it was perusing the attached market. ALL sorts of great stuff in there. Probably best to get you order to go....there's very few seating options inside.
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Review from Colleen M.
Washington, DC
6/12/2011
Debating between a four and a five star review, my husband pointed out that it 'tasted like regular Bosnian street food.' Eventually we decided that was a five star compliment.
The menu had a good amount of variation and the food was very authentic. Food came quickly and service was polite, unobtrusive. There are only four seats here, so it might be better for take out.
We started with the hummus, which was a huge portion and very flavorful. The bread that came with it was hot and fresh. The kebab came with a small salad, which had tangy dressing and fresh veggies. The kebab meat portion wasn't exceptionally generous, but very well seasoned. I had the spicy burger - alena? The seasoning was delicious. I only managed half of it, but brought the rest home for later. Fries were hot, well salted and crispy.
We had an appetizer, two entrees, fries and two sodas for under 30$. Nether of us was able to finish our meal, despite arriving very hungry. We will be back.
Like I said, the food here is authentic. If you appreciate that, you'll like Balkan Grill. If you're looking for American food, keep the line shorter for the rest of us.
OH: "I've never been here before. What do you recommend?" Owner: "Do you like meat?" Vegetarians may want to keep walking. :-) -
Review from Melissa L.
Rochester, NY
10/2/2011
It's pretty rare to find a restaurant that specializes in Yugoslavian fare. This place does great cevapcici (little sausages in a fresh baked roll) and pljeskavica (bosnian burger which is slightly spicy seasoned meat flattened and served in a fresh baked roll). We didn't have the borek but when we were there 2 people ordered that. They have 3 versions - the cheese, meat, and spinach. All of them looked great. They sell the traditional yogurt drink that you are supposed to eat Borek with as well. My husband grew up on this food and enjoyed all the choices and the food we had here. I enjoyed it too, but he really KNOWS what everything is supposed to taste like.
The desserts are all made on site and we had a great chocolate cake and baklava. The baklava is not overly sweet and is a good portion size for the money.
This is definitely more of a takeout place with only several chairs along the wall on the side, but the food is well worth the price.
They have a Bosnian grocery store (the guy who owns it is super nice) right next to it which sells all sorts of things my husband misses from his childhood. From Ledena, all sorts of Dorina, all sorts of Milka, Jupi, Coke in the European glass bottles, several different waters, tons of wine - Dingac, Poslip, Dalmantinka, Chardonnay, Plavac, as well as other Georgian kinds, tons of snack foods, rose hip jam, couscous, hazelnut pudding, and other things. You can also buy all sorts of dried smoked meat at fantastic prices. -
Review from Pat O.
Springfield, VA
9/10/2011
Great food and really nice people! I went to the Balkan Grill about a year ago based on the recommendation of a friend of mine with time in Bosnia and have been going back regularly. This is largely a carry-out place with some counter space to eat if you absolutely had to eat immediately. Both the Bosnian and Adana burgers are terrific, and the borek is a whole bunch of flaky, cheesy goodness. I've had the pide and the lahmacun and liked both. I've tried the cevapcici and found it a bit too dry for my tastes. The baklava and the kadayif are literally soaking in about an inch of syrup and was way too sweet and runny...I've had each only once. The Balkan Grill is one of my favorite places to get a great meal...try the Adana burger.
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Review from Doug G.
Alexandria, VA
6/8/2011
I can't say that I am a fan Turkish food, its just a little dry for my liking but these place was decent. I had the mixed grill and was delighted by the flavor and spices. The portions were good but what stands out over and above everything was the service, very nice people and very good customer service. I work a few blocks from the Balkan Grill and will surely visit them again.
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Review from Monk E. R.
Alexandria, VA
Updated - 6/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I finally tried the Balkan Grill pides yesterday. Outstanding. Basically a football shaped white pizza topped as you like with seasoned ground beef, sauteed kebab meat, vegs, or Bosnian "pepperoni." What really sets this apart from other pizzerias is the bread. You know how with some carryout pizzas, the crust either tastes heavily processed (Papa Johns) or bland (Dominos) or fake buttery (just about everyone else)? The bread in Balkan's pides has got a great fresh baked bread flavor and a lot of "bite" to it. They also offer full-blown pizzas in small, medium, and large sizes, but a single pide is enough for two eaters or one very hungry one. And ditto on the review of the pljeskavica calling it "a meat frisbee." You will have a hard time polishing one of these off, but you'll be happy while you're doing it.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/13/2011
I just need to add to the Balkan Grill accolades. Great little carryout shop with a couple stools,… Read more »
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Review from M F.
Washington, DC
11/6/2011
This place is a fantastic find - have been looking for burek since i had it in croatia, and here it is - the real thing - in a little suburban strip mall in Alexandria. The bosnia burger is recommended too, it's alot of burger for the price. Will be back!
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Review from Erika F.
Alexandria, VA
3/25/2011
Omg! Wow! Amazing, undoubtedly homemade goodness. Try the spicy burger, fries aren't necessary, how often does that happen huh?
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Review from Audrey B.
Alexandria, VA
11/2/2010
Excellent food! The cevapcici has great flavor and the bread is tasty. The borek is fantastic - I have had spinach and potato, and need to go back and try the other kinds. The cigar borek is deep fried, which I did not expect, and it was OK, but I prefer the baked kind. I will definitely be back.
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Review from Tim M.
Alexandria, VA
8/4/2010
So I gave this place 5 stars, only because its the only one of its kind in the entire area. I have never eaten Croatian food nor Bosnian. They also have kabobs and Turkish food. Oh and the price, forget about it, this place is the next place to go to. It doesn't look like much from the outside, and really its more of a carry out place, they deliver, and the owner runs the shop. They have great baklava and a menu that has many dishes I have never tried. However, the two that I have had, they were excellent. The bread is baked fresh each day, and wow, just like being in Europe. Try this place, you won't regret it. It's right across the street from the Huntington Metro, if you know where Tippy's Taco is, its three doors down.
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Review from J s.
Washington, DC
Updated - 3/19/2011
Awesome Balkan food. Cevapi was just as I remember it in Sarajevo. The borek is incredibly good, and the bread they make here is unbelievable. There's also a great little market next door with lots of Balkan foods, beers and wines. The only downsides are not much seating, and not closer to where I live ( NWDC). I'd be here every weekend if it was!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/3/2010
Minimalist menu, but everything is out of this world. Delicious, authentic, home-made cevapi,… Read more »
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Review from Ashley R.
Indian Head, MD
2/25/2011
Recently had Balkan Grill for the first time. I can honestly say that the "Bosnia Burger" is probably the best burger I have ever had. Does not come with traditional condiments such as ketchup or mustard but the homemade sauce that it comes with it is truly amazing! The burger was enormous and placed on freshly made bread. If you haven't tried the burger at the Balkan Grill, you are truly missing out!
