If you’ve been to “Fridays after Five,” you’ve walked by Bashir’s Taverna. Maybe you even sloshed in for a forgettable falafel after one too many beers in a tin bottle. Under such auspicious circumstances, the food might have been good. By the light of a sober weekday lunch, however, it reveals itself to be exceedingly average.
My friend Tom and I were seduced by sound of the “award-winning” apricot-glazed ham sandwich with brie, while our significant others opted for the tarragon salad and falafel platter. Bite one of the sandwich was good, but I grew tired of it by bite four or five. The slice of ham was too big and imposing, while the brie and sweet apricot together were too rich. It may have been a great sandwich when it won the (New York Times?) award in the mid-90′s, but something has gone missing in the years since. The other dishes looked delicious, but the results were equally blah.
It’s amazing how many times we have to learn this lesson, but if there’s no one else eating there during the lunch rush hour – and there was literally not one other customer for the first twenty minutes – it’s not going to be worth your time and money. If you’re looking for Mediterranean food, go Moroccan at Al Hamraa or Aromas.
Erin says: “Meh.”
Rating: Erin: 
Jed:
Pros: Large portions.
Cons: Mediocre food.
Price: Sandwiches and salads $7-$9.
Parking: None, but the Market Street garage is just around the corner.
Contact Info
Photos
More Info
- Charlottesville-Dining: Comments on Bashir’s Taverna
- Yelp: Reviews of Bashir’s – Charlottesville, VA
- TripAdvisor: Bashir’s – Charlottesville, VA
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#1 by FeistyBourbonGirl on February 4th, 2010
You know I've heard this too….and yet, he donated *3* platters to an event we had recently at work. We requested one, he brought three. Bashir is generous to a FAULT. And one of the platters contained almond/lemon macaroons that contained a hidden surprise in the middle…..a fresh blueberry. They were so good I swooned…..the grape leaves were good too! Haven't eaten at his restaurant, but the platters he brought were “gud” :0)
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#2 by taverna on February 9th, 2010
My biggest beef with Bashir's is that it rarely has regular hours- especially in the summer. I have trudged to the far end of the mall and met disappointment to try it again…
#3 by taverna on February 9th, 2010
My biggest beef with Bashir's is that it rarely has regular hours- especially in the summer. I have trudged to the far end of the mall and met disappointment to try it again…
#4 by anyuka on March 8th, 2010
Go on line like i did and check their website bashirs.com . no evenings except Fri and Sat . lunch Tu, Wed, Thur, Fri,
the food is awesome
#5 by anyuka on March 8th, 2010
My wife and i went to Bashir's for dinner to listen to Beleza Brasil . The place was packed and the service was good despite the crowd. We had good wines from Algeria ( i can not remember the names) and Spain. i had an incredibly tasty apricot glazed ham with scalloped potatoes and my wife had a vegetable pot pie in phylo which she described as” to die for”. my wife skipped desert and i had the baklava which was good but a bit sweet for my taste .
#6 by Jed on March 8th, 2010
It's good to hear that others are having more positive experiences, and absolutely everyone we've spoken to has had a great service experience. We look forward to going back and seeing what dinner is like…
#7 by killerorchid on March 22nd, 2010
i enjoyed lunch the couple of times i went there (i think i had the ham & brie–but i take my sandwiches apart to eat them), & there were quite a few other customers both times. it's definitely not on my short list though.
#8 by albertfontaine on March 25th, 2010
This must be a joke, Bashir's food rated as mediocre .I have been eating at this place when it was a hole in the wall. i go there for lunch on a regular basis and the place is always packed which makes me question the accuracy of some comment posted here and who suggested other restaurant with 'better” food than Bashir's. Kathy and Bashir do fusion or cross cultural cooking as they say. they are very creative and make everything from scratch. I do not think that they are perfect but their food is awesome. we had them cater my dad's retirement. my sister's wedding rehearsal. oh by the way try charlotetsvilledining.com and you'll see a real depiction of this great esatblishment
#9 by Jed on March 25th, 2010
Unfortunately, it really was mediocre (for all four of us). But we always like to hear that other people have had better experiences. We'll definitely go back for dinner and hope for a better meal!
#10 by Kbondsmith on April 1st, 2010
Try Bashir's sandwiches and salads for lunch. They're reasonably priced, generously-sized, and absolutely delicious. Bashir is also a great neighbor to local businesses and frequently donates food for special events. I've also heard great things about his catering business!