Sultana Grill

Excellent food and service Very welcoming. A great addition to Arlington’s diverse cuisine. Everything was fresh, flavorful and well presented. I will definitely add to my favorites.

GREAT NEWS! Sultana Grill is reopening on Monday under new management/​ownership.
We saw lights on tonight and lots of cars, so we stopped by to see what was happening. When we looked inside, we saw plenty of chafing dishes and platters, so we assumed they were hosting some sort of party.
We were greeted by several gentlemen who welcomed us and tried very hard to convince us to stay for a free dinner. As we had just had an excellent meal at La Union next door, we said no. So they insisted on packing up food for us to try at home! They were incredibly warm and welcoming.
They’re apparently keeping the Sultana name, and still planning to offer Mediterranean food. We tried the cheese fatayer, the spinach fatayer, the chicken and various desserts. They also had several dips that looked quite appetizing.
The spinach fatayer filling was moist and well spiced, and quite tasty. The cheese fatayer wasn’t as interesting, though we didn’t have it hot, and would probably have liked it better that way. It was a bit doughy, so the cheese didn’t come through as well as the spinach had.
The chicken was remarkably tender — fall off the bone tender. It was also quite well spiced. It was delicious!
I don’t know the names of all of the desserts they gave us. They were all tasty, though my favorite was the baklava. I’m not a bit fan of rosewater, and even though they didn’t use much of it, I find it dominates the other flavors.
All in all, I’d say it was a 3.5, but I’ll round up to 4 for the remarkably warm welcome and because they’re just starting out.
Welcome (back) to the neighborhood, Sultana!

I don’t see this place lasting six months. Try it soon if you’re going to.
Our group arrived on a Sunday at 12:30, more than 90 minutes after they opened, but the place was deserted, and clearly we were the first people to arrive for the day. Once we were seated, for example, they turned on the music — so loud that we could not hear our own discussion in a room that was so empty it echoed. The waitress was nonexistent, but we finally got her to turn it down.
Tried the Chicken Schwarma, Beef Schwarma, and Kafta. The food was actually okay, although the french fry portions were small.
Maybe I’m culturally insensitive, but I found it disconcerting to eat this food with no utensils. And when we asked for salt (remember the french fries?), there was a big commotion because there wasn’t a salt shaker to be found, and so someone had located a small cup that they poured salt crystals into for us. I guess we are the first people to have asked for salt there.
The Moroccan coffee was served without any offer of sugar or anything. Again, I must be putting my insensitivity on display, but we didn’t want to appear high maintenance, so we just went without.
Waitress never came back to check on us, and after a long period, we hunted her down and paid the bill. Neglected to mention there was a long wait upfront both to get the menu and for her to come back and take our order, and then for them to make the food.
Long, drawn out ordeal, and we were the only patrons in the place.
Farewell, Sultana Grill.

The best Arabic food in my area

Well after a few more times coming here, I noticed their portions become magically smaller, to the point where it ended up being almost half the size as what I usually received — but at the same price.
I also ordered take out and was told to come at a specific time for pickup. Yet, I had to wait at least 20 minutes there before I received my meal. And there was only one other person at the restaurant. I’m just very disappointed in how the service has deteriorated in such a short amount of time. I started coming here the beginning of 2013 and already halfway through it has plummeted.
The food has gone down in quality as well. I really hope that Sultana Grill can restore itself back to its former glory.

The food at Sultana grill is awesome, particularly the Chicken Bastilla. It is without a doubt the best and most filling dish I have ever had for under $ 10.00. Possibly the single best entrée I have ever had for under $ 25.00. The combination of chicken, ground almonds, and spices wrapped inside phyllo dough is superb. We have had it 4 – 5 times now, and familiarity is not tempering our assessment
You do need to call ahead, and make sure they have any more left that evening. If they do, and they tell you it will take 30 minutes, give them 45. And then be prepared to chat for 5 – 10 minutes more.
But they are such wonderful people. Mama comes out of the kitchen after your food is ready to make sure her girls pack it properly and explain how it should be eaten. Then she goes back to cook some more.
If you are in a rush, this is not a good choice. But if you are eating middle eastern food, you probably will enjoy it best if you take the laid-​back, unrushed attitude common from Morocco to Tajikistan.

5 months later, went back for Iftar. All I can say is that I won’t be going back again. The food was cold except from the soup and the service was not in the picture AT ALL. Went with a couple of friends and felt like we were not welcomed. No one bothered to ask if we needed anything. we would have got way better service eating at a local Diner!

Hands down most authentic delicious Moroccan food in the area. The Moroccan bread is delicious and served fresh. I have tried numerous dishes and they never seem to. disappoint me. The Chef knows how to keep the flavors of a great homemade Moroccan dish in all her recipes. The place is not fancy, very laid back, and its family owned so dont go in expecting ambiance and fancy service. Just relax and enjoy the amazing food :-)

I love Mediterranean food – and I have lots of choices in Arlington. But Sultana Grill is a bit different. In addition to the standard kebabs and hummus, they also offer a number of Moroccan dishes. I particularly enjoyed the chicken bastilla. I will definitely be going back to explore more of the menu. Prices are surprisingly low (at least for now – before they get better-​known).

If you are craving some good home made Moroccan food, This is the right place to go to ‘Sultana Grill”. It’s simply delicious and authentic.
I have tried foul tajine, taktouka, salad and avocado juice — It was mind blowing. everything was fresh, falvorful and cooked to order.
The place is a family owned restaurant so it’s very casual and friendly.
Overall, I was pleased with this place and i’ll definitely be back.

I decided to try this place based on a recommendation from a friend. On the way there I called them to make sure they were open since i was going around 4PM and they said yes we are serving dinner. When i get there the dining area was closed for a birthday party and they told me i can only get takeout. I was completely turned off, they could have mentioned that when I called. In any case I thought to myself I am here, might as well try the food.
I ordered the lamb tagine with veggies, Sardines and 2 appetizers (Zaalouk which is a moroccan eggplant dish and tektouka which is made of green peppers and tomatoes). The wait was just killer, I asked them if it will take long so that maybe i can go and come back later, the waitress said no no it won’t take long. Well let me tell you, 45 minutes later standing with nowhere to sit I was pissed.
Finally we’re home and we get to try the food, obviously it was already cold. But i was pleased with the taste, the appetizers were extremely authentic, the sardines were delicious but I would definitely not order them for takeout next time, it just has to be eaten when it’s still hot. And finally the tagine was pretty delicious. I wasn’t too pleased with the portions as we ordered 2 portions of the tagine and each is supposed to come with 2 appetizer sides. It seemed like they packed each dish in one container as if it was for one person. Also with all the food we ordered we were given one bread ?!
To sum up, the staff is very inexperienced, although they are friendly but you can tell that it’s a family business and they are not really familiar with taking reservations or providing correct information. But because the food was delicious I am going to give this place another try, but this time dining in.

Finally found a place that caters to my occasional Moroccan food cravings :) I think these guys have the best Moroccan food in the area… yummy home-​made style in all respects. The place is pretty casual, and is not a fancy date spot :)…but I care mostly about the food… Chicken Bastilla, Eggplant appetizer, roasted pepper (taktouka) appetizer, fish, and tagines were delicious… service is a bit slow, but I assume that is because of the nature of Moroccan dishes, most are made to order…

Everything was delicious. Planning a second dinner there already. Service was very good, but know that each item is home made and isn’t siting on a warmer waiting for your order. Even the mint lemonade is made to order and takes a few minutes. Well worth the wait.

I was so excited to try this place given that it is walking distance from our house and it is clear it is a locally owned family restaurant. Unfortunately we were completely underwhelmed. The service was friendly but unbelievably slow. I had to ask for everything several times — water, pitas for the hummus, utensils for our dishes. The food isn’t that great and I prefer the chicken at nearby Layalina or Ravi kebob.

After vacationing in Morocco recently, I have been looking for authentic Morocco cuisine. I tried Sultana Grill last night. The atmosphere and food at this family run restaurant were outstanding. It’s a new favorite restaurant for me and my husband.

What an unexpected gem! We have just returned from our first visit to Sultana Grill. Started with the Sauteed Mushrooms and Baba Ghanoush washed down with a pot of Moroccan tea. My taste buds in overdrive, we moved on to the Lamb Kabobs and Chicken Bastilla. What a delicious dining experience! We will be back.

This is a family owned Moroccan joint. its one of the best places to savor Moroccan and middle-​eastern cuisine at the affordable price in the DMV area. my favorite was the Moroccan style sardines, a lots more dishes to choose from.

On the suggestion of my barber in Westover, Habib, I went over to Sultana. It was described as true Moroccan food. Not one to turn down the advice of a fellow eater, I took the gf out for dinner.
If you are familiar with Westover, Sultana now sits where Castro’s bakery used to reside. The parking is out front and I can foresee it being problematic if busy but I am sure you can park on the side street and walk — I did this before at the adjacent mexican restaurant. The restaurantis divided into two sections, one is more of a café /​pickup while the other other is a sit down dinner style with couches to boot. While the gf and I thought about the couches, I am a hot mess when it comes to true Mediterranean food — I need table space and plenty of it. The menus were pretty straightforward with a variety of popular dishes: tagines, kabobs, shawarmas, and less popular but equally delicious bastillas. There were even a handful of American items like cheeseburgers /​fries on the menu but I think that’s for those lacking discerning palates.
We opted for hummus and olives to start. The hummus was full of garlic and chickpea with a touch of sweet (maybe paprika?). It came with a basket of hot Khobz (Moroccan bread) which in itself is fantastic. The olives were of three varieties: kalamata (purple), cracked green olives with spicy pepper, and souk (shriveled black olives cured in salt). I destroyed these.
We ordered the daily special lamb tagine with prunes and olives and the mixed grill. Now I would have ordered something different but the other special was a different lamb tagine and the gf likes to share. Regardless, the tagine was awesome. It was a lamb shank cooked with prunes (the olives were on the side). What a wonderful combination of sweet, savory, and salt from mixing all three together. Then taking the khobz and dipping it into the oily sauce from the lamb — great, just great.
The mixed grill did not hold a flame to the tagine. It was good. It consisted of a kofta, chicken kabob, lamb kabob, tomatoes, peppers and yellow rice. I asked to substitute cous cous (on the advice of Habib) but they were out. My loss. The kofta was super lean but still juicy and packed a punch of flavor. The lamb kabob was good but paled in comparison to the tagine. The chicken kabob had huge chunks that were exceptionally cooked. Additionally on the plate was a small container of garlic purée that just added to the overall deliciousness of the meal.
Both entrees came with a small side salad that was lettuce, tomato, onion, radish and spices. It was nice and refreshing.
I also got a Moroccan tea which came out on a silver platter and had a nice crystal glass. It was a nice touch. The tea was just right — hot, sweet, and minty.
Now while all the above is great, I am compelled to tell you that the service is still a little rough (they opened only recently and food is made fresh). Be aware that you may have to wait for your food (does it garner a star off — no but I can’t do half stars) The place was somewhat busy and the two servers were running around. They were sincere about delays even though they looked overwhelmed. The cook /​owner even apologized to us on the way out. Very kind of her. We even garnered a small piece of baklava and honey almond cake for our troubles. We will be back.

A nice neighborhood place — better than it looks from the outside. Modest, but modern décor inside, with three «lounge» seating areas that feel like a Morrocan place (to match some of the food offerings). Sitting in a lounge area made it fun, especially for the kids. My wife had a very good Lebanese dish with shredded, spicy chicken and toasted pita chips covered in thick, sour yogurt (also available with traditional lamb).
The best part of the night was the Bastillah, which is a Morrocan pie of meat wrapped in phyllo and dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. You tear it up and eat it with your hands, of course. Sultana’s version has no eggs inside (which I am never fond of), instead, it’s packed with chicken, enticing spices, and pistachios. Delicious, hot, and a meal in itself. They also offer a seafood version.

Tried it over the weekend and was very impressed!