Saffron Grill, Great Falls - Persian Kabob House with Daily Specials in Seneca Hill Plaza

[Anonymouze]

Saffron - Seneca Hill Plaza

1025A Seneca Road

Great Falls, VA 22066

This small restaurant has a small selection of tasty treats IMHO. Hubby and I have eaten here more than once and have enjoyed it each time. The staff spoke farsi and excellent english and were very accomodating as usual.

Tonight we shared hummus with lots of pita (and they refilled us with fresh hand-made pita when it ran low) and also a plate of dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) appetizers. They gave the usual free salad type amuse bouche and yogurt with cucumbers. We both got the special #2 I believe it is... lamb cubes over rice with roasted tomatoes with some ground beef type things (I forget what they are called! LOL). We each had a drink and I ordered dessert to go having ran out of room.

The price is reasonable, under $50.00 with tip for a bunch of nice "freebies" a nice platter each and 2 appetizers, 2 drinks and dessert!

[DonRocks]

I was the last customer in Saffron Grill tonight, wanting to order a lamb kabob to go.

A slightly older gentleman was behind the counter, and I asked him (at 8:45) if his kitchen was still open. He said yes, he could grill me something, so I ordered Saffron's Tender Lamb (Chenjeh) with Bread ($13.99). As the probable owner, he was happy with the relatively late order (they close at 9 PM), and immediately handed me a cup and invited me to help myself to a soft drink while I waited. I appreciated this very much.

There was a second older gentleman working the kitchen, and I took a carryout menu, grabbed a seat, and waited for my order, perusing the daily specials, sipping my glass of ice water, and noticing the pleasant wall frescos and thick, lush drapes on the windows. There is some pride that went into decorating this restaurant.

After about fifteen minutes, the order was ready, and the gentleman working the kitchen rang it up, mistakenly having served me the option with rice ($14.99). But it also came with bread and a small tub of Must-o-Kheyar so I didn't even mention the extra dollar. In fact, I left a $1.50 tip becuase I'm just not the type to quibble over a couple of dollars, or to worry about "bait and switch" tactics when pennies are on the line.

I thanked them for serving me this late, got into my car, and immediately took a nibble of the Naan (which was cooked earlier in the tandoor, but cut to order) nodding my head approvingly.

When I got back, I opened the container to find white and yellow (saffron) rice which was well-made, and perhaps just a touch oversalted and buttery, but not much. There were six double-bite chunks of lamb that tasted of lamb (not of generic beef), and it wouldn't surprise me at all if this is Halal meat.

At what amounts to $2 per piece, this is not an inexpensive kabob, but if you order from the "Saffron Combinations" section, you can double the meat for just a couple extra dollars. This is the best and most economical way to order here.

To the best of my knowledge, no beer or wine is served, so Saffron Grill may be useful as more of a carryout option. My takeaway here? The free soda which was an act of generosity and nothing more.