Kebab Xpress

What's it like?

It’s exciting to see and feel momentum downtown. Hero’s seems to be maintaining a steady buzz, Teazer’s has expanded into the Galleria, and more is scheduled to open in the coming weeks.

Back in December I toured the renovations throughout Hotel Virginia, and was excited to see two restaurants going in on the ground floor; actually, one had already come and gone by then, soon to reopen as Newsroom Cafe.

Earlier this month, Kebab Xpress opened next to the space that Newsroom will occupy. My wife’s boss gave it good reviews, so she and I met there for lunch yesterday.

I’ll come right out and say it: it’s not my favorite. The lula kebabs are all beef, the pilaf lacks the butter and creamy texture that I’m used to, and they’re a bit stingy with the hummus.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, here’s the good: the restaurant is beautiful, spacious (as in, surprisingly large inside…I hope that doesn’t cripple the business), and quick. We walked in the door, and with 6-7 minutes were sitting down to enjoy the meal.

And the food was good, just not…well, my favorite. An XPRESS plate comes with one meat kebab (four pieces of chicken, or two lula pieces, in our case), salad, pilaf and a choice of a “cold” item such as hummus or baba ganoush, for $8.50. The combo plate gets you one additional skewer for $1 more. (Neither includes a drink.)

So, the prices are fair—not a steal, but fair—the ambiance is great, the service is quick, and the food is edible. What more could you ask for?