Sinbad Mediterranean Food & Bakery

Was looking for a halal restaurant in Alexandria and came across this restaurant with great reviews on Unilocal.The dishes we ordered looked really appetizing, but this has to be the most flavorless food I’ve ever had. Ordered a lamb stew and a grilled chicken dish but neither of them appeared to have salt. I don’t know if this was just a day that the cook had a taste issue or whether this how the food is. Service was courteous but didn’t feel particularly welcoming.

This is the best Iraqi food I have ever eaten at a restaurant! The falafel, dolma, chai, kabob, and samoon are amazing! I was so excited to share this culinary experience with my wife after one of my Iraqi friends recommended this restaurant. I truly cannot put into words how delicious it is. The only thing I can tell you is if you want delicious, authentic, Iraqi food, this is the place to eat. I will be a frequent customer!

Family owned and operated the food is great thanks for and delicious enjoy that every time I come in here specially the bread

I would come again! Hospitality is great! Very helpful and kind! The Iraqi bread is reason enough to stop in. I ordered tabouleh and it was on the oily side for me, but still good, fresh, and flavorful. I asked if they could make Shish Tawouk, one of my favorite dishes, and they did! A little on the oily side as well, but I would come back to try more dishes other Unilocalers reviewed! It came with hummus and a small lettuce/​tomato salad. I peaked into the kitchen and saw them making fresh bread but also was intrigued by the small meat pies (they look like small pizzas really). They let me try one and it was really good! I am interested in the lamb shwarma for sure, also the kibbeh!

I think Sinbad’s has some of the best Middle Eastern food in the region, and that’s some stiff competition!
Let’s clear one thing up — this is Iraqi, not Mediterranean. Iraq doesn’t touch the Mediterranean, and that’s ok, because this is unique cuisine. It’s not quite Lebanese and not quite Persian gulf. It’s its own thing and that’s great because this is some damn good food!
I’ve been here maybe 5 times and even catered a work event with them. I’ve never had a bad meal yet.
The samoon is some of the best bread around — better even than naan. I’ve watched them hand-​make it in the kitchen, so you know it’s fresh and authentic.
The kabobs are all excellent — the lamb and Iraqi kebab are my favorite. I’ve also had the lamb and chicken stew, and the basrawi fish, which is one of the craziest-​looking things I’ve ever seen on a plate. Falafel and hummus are good too.
Please, go here and keep this place in business because it’s excellent and I love it and I want it to stay in business!

decent food, parking is rough as there are 4 spots but you can make due with the plaza across the street if you had to. I had some combo plate that was pretty expensive. I only live 10 mins away but I feel like the meet would have been better if I had eaten there vs taking it home. the interior is nice and the staff were very friendly.

This place used to be amazing and I would recommend it to everyone I could. However, I have been back twice recently and the service was terrible and to food was a huge disappointment.
Our waitress was biting her nails and then started slicing a tomato for our salad, without washing her hands and she forgot to bring bread even after we asked for it. I always ordered the okra and lamb stew but when I ordered it recently there was only one small piece of lamb and some of the okra was so old it was hard and had the texture of straw. Then we tried to pay and were told the credit card machine was «broken» so we would have to pay with cash. I’m so sad about the decline of service and food here because it used to be great but I know I won’t be back anytime soon.

When I first came to this restaurant I was just passing by from that area and was hungry. From the outer look of the restaurant I didn’t expect delicious food at all. But when I got the lamb quize, I realized that my expectation was wrong. Since then I come to this restaurant frequently.

Delicious food, as always! Warm and hospitable, everyone is gracious there.
The buffet today was awesome; will be back!
:)

The food is amazing! Really Iraqi style food and you will never regret eating. The staff and the owner is so friendly and welcoming.

The food is pretty good and tasty. Its a family owned business, Iraqi cuisine. You feel the warmth and quality customer service the second you walk into the restaurant. I usually go with Kebab & rice and one option of the delicious available curry (Beans, eggplants or Okra). You should also try the famous Iraqi bread (Sammoon).
The only downside is the size of the restaurant, I wished it was a bit larger (Although they do have the downstairs open for Hookah and special occasions).
Remember, this is NOT just another South Asian cuisine, its Mediterranean. The Kebab and food is made from different, unique and fantastic recipes. Its worth a try so I definitely recommend this place

Excellent food, definitely coming back. A friend of mine recommended I try this restaurant and was not disappointed. Very much a family atmosphere and all of the staff were warm and welcoming. Their bread is absolutely the best. Since I couldn’t decide, they recommended their beef, lamb, and chicken combination platter. Great Mediterranean taste, not overly seasoned.

Have to say hospitality is over the top. Something about their rice that has you craving. I ate the fish and rice dish, I’m interested in hopefully something different next time. The Inside has this antique feel to it along with vintage décor, it’s a nice place to chill at for a little while.

The food was very tasty and the owner was very kind and welcoming. The Iraqi bread is great!

It’s worst restaurant ever in DC area. Food is terrible and no clean at all.
Hospitality is ZERO, prices doesn’t worth.
Stay a way from this restaurant !!!

Ever since my i got the taste of proper Mediterranean food this past summer, i find myself trying every new spot i see.
Was passing by Sinbad and i gave it a try. Being a vegetarian, the choices were very limited so i went with Falafel with fries and hot tea. It filled me up, it was delicious and very reasonably priced. Although i don’t think they understood english very well but it all worked out.
The tea was on the house, the falafel (very good portion) with fries cost me $ 7. They had a few different deserts but next time. One of them is my favorite being Kenafa, i’ve that on several occasions. Will try that here next time.
The place was pretty small but very nicely decorated. They only had 5 parking spots upfront, which is not bad considering the location.
It’s a great place for a quick bite and it’s easy on your wallet. Will be back for more!

My husband stops by there for lunch sometimes and sometimes bring me stuff to try. I love the food. Today, we wanted the kids to try something different so we ordered some entrees to go. The rice parlif with lamb, beef, chicken and fried fish was «better than good» according our 10 year old biscuit and gravy loving Texan son :) I can’t wait to try some other stuff on the menu. The flat bread comes with the meal too it’s also fresh but they forgot to put it in our to go box this time. Everything is fresh and made to order so it does take time but it’s worth the wait.

If I can put less than one star I will do its one of the worst places I ever been in to its so bad the food is old the worm it up with the microwave and the kaboob they bring it from Detroit and the only worm it up here and the food is not the best but I guess it’s because there are not that much of Iraqi Resturant in the area BUT the only thing good is the Samon it’s the real deal it’s the Iraqi 100% bread that’s the only thing is good in that place I never tried the breakfast meals but i guess it will be something between bad to fairly good not more than that.
If you know the real taste of food you will know they worm some of the food in the microwave if you don’t than you never tried the real Iraqi food before that
Don’t go it’s the worst please ever…

Lovely, delicious food and service, the owner himself was very generously offering a complimentary new appetizers for us to test it. We eat and eat his delicious food till we really stuffed with Shawarma, tendory chicken, mixed grilled of all kind of kebab kefttah, and hummus. The yellow rice was fresh and fluffy the Red rice was yummy! Service was excellent and extremely friendly. Always they make us feel home. Special thanks for the owner (Abu Abbas) and his friendly staff.
Definitely will do it again and always. Here where we eat with apatite. Don’t forgot to ask for the desert specially the Baklava.
Coming very sooooon can’t wait for our next visit.

About a 4.5: My husband and I was driving down Duke St when this restaurant caught my attention — we had to go check it out! :P Sinbad is a Mediterranean food and bakery that offers appetizers (hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouli, kibbeh, etc.), entrees (falafels, shwarma), desserts, and other Iraqi delicacies. We were seated right away by the owner himself, who is actually pictured on the menu — I thought that was so cute! He was very friendly, and was in and out of the kitchen, chit-​chatting with some of what seemed like locals and regular customers. I loved the cute restaurant itself with the hardwood floors, adorned with beautiful paintings hanging on the wall. Our server was this very sweet, unbelievably cute, friendly woman who spoke limited English, but with a little Arabic on my part, it was A-​okay! For our beverages, we started off with a Garcinia Cambogia (a cold tamarind drink) — it was kind of sour and tangy at the same time; my husband was a huge fan; I wasn’t much of it. It is known to be associated with weight loss and to lose fat, so take that note! I had a glass cup of Ceylon tea, which is a black tea with spices; kind of bitter, but you can add honey and/​or sugar to sweeten it up. We also ordered some small plates from the Appetizers section to share: hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel, kibbah halab, and potato kibbeh. We were given two baskets of samoon, which is an Iraqi bread — shaped like an eye, it wasn’t hot out of the oven, but it it was still very soft and tasted fresh. We were also given bowls of fresh salad with pickled cucumbers that I liked (I think in beet juice?) and slices of cucumbers in a nice vinaigrette dressing. The baba ghanouj was chunky; the hummus was very fresh and creamy; the falafels were bite-​sized and were more of a creamy filling and on the bland side — it also came with a very tangy sauce that I was not a fan of; the kibbeh halab had a beautiful crispy exterior, and the inside was filled with ground meat — yummy! Definitely my favorite out of all the dishes! The potato kibbeh were like little potato pancakes, filled with ground meat, garnished with parsley. All the food was very fresh and tasted like a homecooked meal. I’m glad I was able to check this place out and can’t wait to come back to try some of their other dishes! :D
+hummus
+kibbeh halab: D
+about 7 tables
+very small private lot for cars