No matter where you go in the Washington, D.C. area, a Moby Dick House of Kabob is not far away. The chain has locations in Arlington, Georgetown, Germantown, Rockville, Bethesda, and Herndon, just to name a few. Earlier this month, Falls Church made the list of hosts to this expanding area franchise with the opening of a Moby Dick in the Spectrum on W. Broad Street.
The fast casual restaurant offers speedy food service without skimping on atmosphere. Diners, after placing their orders at the counter, can take their seats at paisley-decorated turquoise booths or wood tables and chairs and peer through large windows out onto the streets surrounding the Spectrum.
It’s not long after diners come through the door that they will enjoy one of the most beloved items on the Moby Dick menu. Pita bread, baked fresh in a clay oven and sliced into wedges, is served with appetizers like the smoky, garlic-seasoned Hummus ($3.99) of chickpeas blended smooth to an almost sauce-like consistency, or an olive-topped mound of Kashk-o-Bademjan ($3.99), a seasoned mixture of sautéed eggplant.
The char-speckled bread, when stacked with lettuce, tomato, onion, and feta cheese crumbles, becomes the base of the Moby Dick sandwiches. Seasoned meat kabobs and vegetarian options like fried falafel join the mix. Most cost a mere $6.29 for the sizeable portion, with sandwiches including specialty marinated meats priced up to a dollar more.
The bread relinquishes the spotlight to the kabobs when considering entrees. “Moby’s Traditional Dishes” are served with crescent-shaped arrangement of charcoal-grilled meat situated atop a bed of seasoned rice. The exact ingredients of the Kabob-E-Chenjeh (beef), Kabob-E-Barreh (lamb prepared to halal dietary guidelines), and Kabob-E-Joojeh (chicken) are disguised under “special house seasoning” as listed on the menu, but the flavor of the yellow-tinted chicken is bright and zesty, as compared to the deeper savory flavor of the beef and lamb. While scorch specks reveal the intense heat of grilling, each of the kabobs offers tender, juicy cubes of meat.
Ground chicken and beef kabobs, both blended with grated onion, are also available, and can be paired with other kabobs to make a filling “Moby’s Combo.” The highly customizable “Traditional Dishes” menu section ranges in price from $7.49 for a ground meat kabob with pita bread to the $15.99 “Moby’s Super Combo,” which offers the diner’s choice of chicken or beef kabob coupled with a lamb kabob and a large portion of rice.
Making a selection from such varied options could pose a challenge when planning a family meal, but “Family Platters,” listed and priced by the number they serve, make choosing easier.
This local chain has been lauded for its cheap eats and late hours, but those are just components of the overall ease that comes with dining at a Moby Dick House of Kabob. A meal here doesn’t put a dent in the pocketbook, almost anyone can find a favorite taste within their dietary needs, and the food is served fast for hungry diners on the go.
Moby Dick House of Kabob is located at 444 W. Broad St., Falls Church. For more information, call 703-992-7500 or visit mobysonline.com. Restaurant hours are Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sunday: Noon – 9 p.m.
