From the looks of the place, you would not expect it to be a source of edification. Wedged between a liquor store and an alley, LZ suffers from a bit of guilt by association. With its bright plastic awning, neon sign telling you it’s open (which it is, incidentally, almost always), and linoleum-themed interior, it resembles every generic greasehole around. A cursory glance could easily lead one to write it off as just another George’s Chinese Take-Out.

One would be totally wrong, however. Unfortunately, Mahjouba and her co-worker/10-year-old son have not done enough to disabuse passersby of this misconception. As a result, LZ is rarely busy. It languishes undiscovered, a stone’s throw from the heaviest of the U St. foot traffic.

Which is a shame, because whatever her failings as an advertiser, Mahjouba is a really good cook. We’re not talking about some dried-out falafel or weak-ass shawarma pawned off as ethnic food. This is high-quality and authentic Middle-Eastern cuisine cooked to order in a huge stone oven by Mahjouba herself.

Now, they actually do have a shawarma on the menu, and that brings me to an important point: Do not order the shawarma. The fact that Mahjouba sees the need to put it on the menu to begin with is an indictment of our culinary sensibilities. The shawarma is originally a Turkish creation, if I’m not mistaken; done correctly, it involves some serious machinery: a spit that can handle half a mammal worth of flesh, an electric saw for shaving off thin strips of said flesh, etc. This is just not LZ’s territory, nor should it be in my opinion.

But the shawarma (for many good reasons, I admit) has become the Middle East’s most prominent representative in that unfortunate category of “ubiquitous, highly compromised ethnic food.” Hence the $6.99 chicken shawarma at LZ, which is the cheapest (and probably most familiar-sounding) item on the menu, and therefore a tempting choice for the lazy or un-curious eater. It is, however, the wrong choice.

Instead, toss caution to the wind and try a more exotic appetizer (tabouleh, kibbeh, and baba ghanoush are all good) – even if only for the fun-to-pronounce names. Asking for “baba ghanoush” is almost worth the three bucks even if you don’t like eggplant.

But the main dishes like the chicken or lamb platters are excellent too, despite their boring names. At 12 – 14 bucks, you can probably afford it, and you’ll get enough food for two meals. Mahjouba changes up these main dishes according to what spices and vegetables she has on hand, and this is a good thing. There’s always something new, and it’s usually worth trying.

So that covers your stomach. Now for the soul part. Assuming you have a soul to begin with, you cannot help but root for LZ. Mahjouba and her family work their collective ass off; the place is open from 10 -10 every day and until 2am on weekends. She cooks everything herself and does a damn good job. It’s refreshing to patronize an establishment where you know your business is appreciated, and the person cooking your meal actually cares about your enjoyment of it.

But there’s more to it than that. I may still be surfing the wave of post-election sentimentality here, but I’ll be damned if LZ isn’t the very epitome of the American dream. Mahjouba and family clearly believe that America is still the land of opportunity, and it’s our duty to prove them right. Show these newcomers from a different culture, a culture often at odds with our own, that we Americans are decent, intelligent people who appreciate and reward quality – not a tribe of bumbling shawarma-devouring louts.