Kookoo Restaurant and Lounge

Great authentic food (recommend the ghorme sabsi) and lovely staff

I've never had a bad dish at Koo Koo. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the owner, Yahya, and the staff are wonderful. They have a good happy hour weekdays from 4 - 7 pm, a great chance to try some of the small plates (my favorite, the wings, are delicious). Monday nights are jazz night, courtesy of On the Rocks DC (NO COVER), with a jam session open to everyone. Koo Koo is a hidden gem, right on 14th Street, just one block from the Columbia Heights Metro. Book ahead. Once you try it, you'll be back for more.

Kookoo is fresh, high-quality, and delicious. The servings are very generous, and they also take inKind. Falafel: Excellent, though a tad dry. Would happily get this again. Potato gratin: It tasted pretty good, but it comes with a truly horrifying amount of butter. Please substitute olive oil, then reduce it by four-fifths. Saffron rice: Good, but there's too much butter. Shouldn't be able to feel it on your lips after a few bites. And please use olive oil instead. Sambuseh e sabzijaat: Very good. Definitely worth getting again. Joojeh: I've ordered this twice, and I've been very happy both times. Everything on the plate comes together very well. Salmon fillet: Delicious. The salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The only downside — the service was very inattentive and extremely slow on my most recent visit. The restaurant was mostly empty.