Cusbah
| Address: | 1128 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA |
| Phone: | +1 202-506-1504 |
| Site: | cusbah.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 5–9PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 12–10:30PM 12–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Tina Smith
I really want to like this place more but I usually dont return to restaurants where 1. Everyone gets indigestion and 2. People use cleaning products that mask the good restaurant smells, like windex, right by my food. The bartender and his playlist were the best thing about this restaurant. He was warm and welcoming and was clearly very close to the regulars, giving them hugs etc. And he was playing a Portis Head type playlist. Our waiter however, I dont think was actually the waiter it seemed like maybe he was the barback or some other staff member whos not familiar with customer service. He got one of our orders wrong, we said nothing, the table next to us sent theirs back. We got Chicken Tikka Masala instead of Chicken Tikka. My order of Baingan Bhurta was ok as was our friends Saag Paneer. The food was OK, very rich, but its hard to remember it favorabley while youre downing a bottle of tums on your way home. Id ordered a glass of wine, the glass was coated in food stains and fingerprints, I was going to order another along with dessert but our waiter ghosted on us. There were two other babies when we were visiting and our toddler enjoyed flirting with the bartender and eating all the rice that came with our meals- so thats a bonus. Overall nice ambiance, food was too heavy, but the windex smell nixed this place from my "to return" list.
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Ashley Hertel-Pinkney
Im very particular about my Pakistani and Indian cuisines but Id have to say that I was pleased with this place. It was a rainy night and I knew exactly what I had a taste for but definitely didnt want to drive to Gaithersburg for some good Indian cuisine. I drove past this place plenty of times and figured this would be a great night to try it out... The food: I ordered the Paneer Makhni and my mother ordered the Palak Paneer... It was very good and all the spices hit the right notes. =) The drinks: I bartend so of course I wanted to try the cocktails. We ordered "The Cusbah", "Jasmin" and "Silk Road". Presentation was good, nice and simple but the "Jasmin" was very disappointing as far as taste...had a horrible cough syrup after taste. But the other two cocktails were awesome. The ambiance: it had a nice feel to the place, I loved the spice filled jars but the seating was very tight. I like the idea of an intimate setting but I felt a little too close as if my elbows were on the next persons table. Overall with a few cocktail tweaking and seating rearrangement I feel that this is the place to be if your looking for some good South Asian cuisine in the DC area.
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Ngozi M Awa
The Service was so bad it is not funny - it is difficult to express here. I have eaten in so many Indian Restaurants around the world - I have traveled extensively as an International Consultant); this is the first Indian Restaurant that I have been to that do not serve Papadum. Whatever we asked for is either passed the time of them serving that menu or they do not serve such. To make matters worse; the Owner was the one serving use and she was the one telling us these "can;t dos".My friends and I (we made a decision to go to different Indian Restaurant each week) made a pack that we WILL NOT go there again. But the new General Manager (Hakim) over head the discussion and came over to apologize. He explained that he had just taken the position of a GM; that we should give him one month to put the restaurant in order and try the place again. He gave us his cellphone number to call him when we are ready after the one month. I promised me that we would ( I am the organizer of the weekly restaurant hopping). I am giving Cusbah Restaurant 2 Stars only because of Hakims apology. The interesting is that the food was very tasty and well prepared but the service sucked.
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Shameka Lloyd
Good food. Good drinks. Chill vibe. Having passed Cusbah dozens of times before, it was time to give it a shot. Thankfully it exceeded my expectations. The summer weather was nice so my girl and I opted for outdoor seating on the covered patio which sits right on the northwest corner of H and 12th Street NE. On the H street corridor, theres always plenty to see... whether you want to or not. But I digress. Our server was AMAZING!!! I wish I remembered her name to give her a personal shout out, but my brain fog has kicked it. In any case, she was really on point without being fake or pushy about us placing out order immediately. She made great food recommendations and was very attentive to us while serving other groups in the restaurant as well. The food was really flavorful. The theme of Asian spices was delivered. All our food was tasty and came out hot. I will definitely be back if only to order more food. The crowd is a nice mix of people and theres nothing pretentious about the atmosphere. A solid experience all the way around.
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Ashley McClane
Mama Bear, the guys (Josh-14y.o. and Michael 10y.o.) and I visited Cusbah on Halloween 2016. Lets just say this place...is KINDA MORE THAN AMAZING!!!!! The guys and I live 7 minutes away and dream about this place daily. Im ex bartender and cocktail server and seldom have a hard time enjoying my experiences out because, not gonna lie, I can be kinda judgmental. What I noticed about Cusbah was beyond great food and drinks...The food runner, I wouldve paid to have in my establishment. She was very hospitable and warm and went beyond her duties to make each guest happy. The server/bartender had a packed house and still made everyone happy. My son Josh ate 90% of his food and took the rest home, which he ate 5 minutes after we got in the house. I wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. If you are on H St., and dont want typical American cuisine, THIS IS THE SPOT!
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Dan LaVine
I was only in DC for a week, but after eating at the Cusbah for the first time on a recommendation from a local, I ended up making it a point to come back a second time. This is definitely a "dont miss" experience in DC for anyone who loves Indian food. Their menu has a little bit of everything on it, and the food here is amazing! Thankfully the portions are large enough to ensure leftovers for later in your hotel room, because in a couple hours its a guarantee that youll be craving it again. The service was also great. The wait staff is very friendly and attentive, and the manager, Nico, made it a point to come to my table to chat and welcome me back to his restaurant even though Id only been there once before. All-in-all I had an excellent experience at the Cusbah. If I ever have occasion to see DC again, Ill definitely be back for more of that lamb korma!
CA
Carmen Chang
I came here for a friends fundraiser (she works here) and it was a fantastic event! She was raising money for building schools for the School for the Deaf in Cameroon, so for a ticket we got food from the restaurant. There was also a band playing and a silent auction. The food here is fantastic. Its a Pakistani and North Indian cuisine restaurant, and the food from the buffet - samosas, chicken tikka masala, naan, curries, and sauces - were so good I had to have seconds. I would definitely come back on a normal night for dinner. I know this place also has great happy hours, jazz bands, and DJs. And if you want to book this restaurant for an event, especially towards a good cause, please think about coming to Cusbah!
