Long-standing Persian restaurant in Vienna, Rose Kabob, closes for good

Another family-owned restaurant that felt like a mainstay of Vienna’s culinary scene is gone.

Rose Kabob had its final day of business yesterday after serving platters of chicken, lamb and kubideh (ground beef) at 126 Maple Avenue West for 16 years.

When the doors opened around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday (Nov. 12), the dining room was still empty, but owner Hassan Mostafavi and his daughter-in-law were already busy juggling errands and takeout orders. That left him little time to explain the closure beyond that they “unfortunately lost the lease.”

“We love the community. We’re going to be missing all the customers,” Mostafavi told FFXnow.

Located in the Vienna Shopping Center, Rose Kabob launched in 2007, as Mostafavi sought to “practice what he preached” as a former professor and business consultant for over 35 years, according to its website.

Run by Mostafavi and his family with the same chef for roughly 13 years, the restaurant was picked as a top “cheap eat” by Washingtonian multiple times in the early 2010s.

In a farewell message posted to the website, Mostafavi said he plans to travel and spend more time with family and friends, while urging customers to continue supporting local businesses.

Dear Vienna,

It is time for us to close the doors here at Rose Kabab Restaurant. We have loved the years of serving you and have made countless friends along the way.

Please never stop supporting local business. It is the fabric of our community. It is the strength of our local economy. While I will miss seeing many of your smiling faces and sharing conversation and laughter, it is time that I (Hassan) travel and spend sweet moments with my family and friends.

With love, Hassan and the rest of the Rose Kabab family

Zan, Zendegi, Azadi Women, Life, Freedom

Rose Kabob might be the longest-tenured restaurant to close in the Town of Vienna since Amphora bid adieu in January 2021, though Charles’ Barber Shop in the Cedar Park Shopping Center had been around since the 1980s until its last owner decided to retire in August.

Construction is currently underway to turn the former Amphora building at 377 Maple Avenue West into a new restaurant called The Maple Room.