This is a no-frills, high quality, take out kabob shop. I only typically get the koobideh, which includes two skewers of beef, a roasted half tomato, and plethora of rice to soak up the juicy fat and butter. It's reasonably priced and provides good value for the meal you're getting. The take out container is stuffed and the meat is succulent. Highly recommended.

I cannot say enough about my positive experience at this carry out restaurant. The gentleman at the front was so hospitable he even offered me hot tea to enjoy while I waited for my food to be prepared fresh. The inside is not much to look at to be honest but, most of the best places to get delicious food carry out aren't the best aesthetically! I went around 2:30 PM and there was another customer inside and he was paying and picking up his order and brought in fresh baklava and offered it to the man behind the counter as well as me... at that point I was like oh yea.. I knew this place was going to be a regular stop when I'm in the Tysons area. I drove my food back to my home over an hour in traffic before we got to enjoy it and it was still hot and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. I will be going back here and he even gave me some of the burnt rice(tahdig) that I love so much.

Not surprisingly, this is the same food as Shamshiry just at a discounted price (conceivably because the Express restaurant doesn't have any seating inside so you have to take your food to go). If you're a professional kabob-eater like some of my friends claim to be, you may want to get a raw egg on the side (and add it to your rice right when your entree comes out, allowing the heat to cook the egg) which you really can't do at Shamshiry Express. I am also giving it 4 stars because although the food is comparable to Shamshiry, there have been two occasions (out of maybe 20 times that I've called, so not that often - just 10% in my experience) where the phone just rang and no one would pick up so I could place the to-go/carry-out order. In both these instances I ended up just placing the to-go order at the main restaurant which cost me a few dollars more but wasn't a big inconvenience since the restaurants are located within a half mile of one another on the same street.

Shamshiry Express (SE) to get your ground beef Kabab and rice. Every time we have a potluck I always come to SE and get about 20 orders of them. Not a bad deal at all but sometimes they don't give you enough rice, sauce, and bread so be sure to check. Staff is very nice and always get a nice tip from me. Sometimes they will help you take your stuff to your car but majority of the time you have to do it yourself which is fine. I keep coming back here for whenever I have big orders.

The fourth installment of my "Kabob Kompendium" profiling various joints in the region that can be broken down into a set of common criteria: 1)ethnic focus 2) kabobs 3)side dishes 4)rice 5)condiments 6)bread 7)dining experience 8) unique dishes 9)x-factor(s). 1)Ethnic focus: Persian The hallmark for Persian cuisine for me is the unique preparations of their rice dishes, with combinations of fruits and nuts or herbs and legumes, and they have a rotating set of daily specials showcasing these rice dishes depending on which day of the week you are coming in, as opposed to the parent restaurant where all options are available on any given day. 2) Side dishes: one gets a quarter wedge or a raw onion and a charred tomato so nothing too exciting here. The tomato makes sense to me since it adds a tart note that can be mixed into the rice, but I haven't quite figured out how to make do with the raw onion other than for a good cry over the lack of better side dishes. Fellow Persian yelpers feel free to enlighten me. 3) Rice: well cooked fluffy basmati rice w/ a touch of saffron. The flavored rice specials are good but not exceptional compared to other Persian joints I've frequented. They definitely do not skimp on quantity so one can definitely easily make a single entree stretch to 2 meals to go easy on the wallet. I've been told one can request the desirable crispy panfried rice at the bottom of the cooking vessel aka tahdig (the Taye Diggs of rice, haha) so bonus points to make up for the sad side dishes. 5) Condiments: no yogurt sauce (although perhaps on request?) but there is a spicy jalapeno relish which adds a spice note but lacking umami so one is left with an abundance of carbs from the mountain of rice and the complimentary pita bread, with a paucity of seasoning. 6) Bread- ultra thin pita with a nice crisp on the edges with good central chew, but sorely in need of flavor either in the form of wrapping it with meat or a good dipping sauce 7) Dining experience- take out only, but accepts call ahead orders which are promptly made to order in 10-15minutes 8) Unique dishes: the daily specials and the ever-so intriguing "Tongue Sandwich" prominently displayed on their wall menu...so many questions, what animal, what style of preparation, what condiments, what type of bread. Cat got your tongue or curiosity may have killed the cat? Perhaps I will experience both upon making this order. 9) X-factor: While I am no self-proclaimed expert on takeout Persian food, I do consider myself a bonafide bargain hunter on good lunch deals, and the daily special is definitely excellent value for quantity with respect to quality. While some 4.5 star experiences are downgraded due to upcharge in price, this one is a 3.5 star food experience elevated to 4 stars based on value and prompt service. Looking forward to checking out their actual restaurant to weigh in on their sit-in dining experience.