Samar Kabab House — Restaurant in Ottawa

We recently visited Samar Kabab House for a large gathering to celebrate a special occasion. My wife, had made a reservation well in advance for our group of 20, and she specifically informed the staff about our large party so they could be prepared. Given the advance notice, we expected a smooth experience, but unfortunately, it was quite the opposite.

When some of us arrived at the reserved time, the table wasn’t even ready, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. This was surprising, as we thought arrangements would have been in place for such a large group. When the rest of our party arrived and we were finally seated, we placed our orders. However, the wait for food was much longer than expected. Some of our group started with the lentil soup, which, unfortunately, did not meet expectations. It was overly thick and lacked depth in flavor—pepper seemed to be the only distinguishable taste, making it almost unpleasant to finish.

The main course experience was just as disappointing. The food arrived staggered over a 40-minute period, leaving us in a situation where some guests had already finished their meals while others were still waiting. This lack of coordination is especially disappointing when dining in a group, as the point is to enjoy the meal together. Many of us had ordered the Qabulli rice, a house specialty, but were told it wasn’t available, which was a letdown. The Shami kabab, which is usually a favorite, had an unusual taste that left several of us wondering if something was off. When I asked around the table, no one seemed genuinely satisfied with their dish.

Throughout the experience, we noticed that our server appeared overwhelmed. When my wife asked her to ensure that everyone’s food would arrive at the same time, she seemed flustered and would retreat to the back, sometimes taking a while to return. This lack of attentiveness and reassurance left us feeling frustrated. We weren’t trying to rush the kitchen or demand the impossible; we simply expected that, given the heads-up about our large group, they’d be prepared to serve us as a group.

To be fair, I didn’t initially plan to leave a review, but I feel this feedback could be valuable to the owner. In my opinion, the restaurant should be better prepared to handle large parties, especially if they accept reservations for them. Staggered serving times and food quality issues don’t make for an enjoyable group dining experience, and most guests expect a more coordinated effort. This experience left us disappointed, and I’m not sure we’d be inclined to return. I hope the management can use this feedback to improve service for future guests—no one wants to sit with friends and family and not be able to enjoy their...

Disappointing Customer Service Despite Some Good Dishes*

Customer service is everything in the restaurant industry, and unfortunately, this experience fell short. When we provided feedback that the rice was cold and the beef shami (koobideh) was overwhelmingly spicy, the chef simply told the waitress that this level of spice is typical for Afghan food. Even if that’s the case, good customer service should include at least an apology or some form of acknowledgment, rather than dismissing the concern outright.

This was not my first time dining at an Afghan restaurant, and given the steep competition in Ottaws with many great Afghan eateries, I expected better. The amount of pepper in the beef shami was excessive—I’m still experiencing heartburn two days later. The rice was not just cold but also didn’t taste freshly cooked; it seemed like it had been reheated.

On the positive side, the kabab tikka, chicken skewer, and barg were all extremely delicious. However, the poor customer service and high prices—without the value to match—left me disappointed. I hope the restaurant takes customer feedback more seriously...

We went there with a big group of 34 people including 10 kids to celebrate one of our friends surprise anniversary party. They were very good in accommodating us and the server showed lot of patient with us. Although some of our friends got their food bit late but that’s totally understandable. With this number of people it’s not possible to serve everyone at the same time. Now the food…we order boulani, mantu, chicken soup, combo, sultani kabab, Qabuli Mahicha,and poutine for our family of 5. personally I ♥️ boulani, and I really liked their boulani. chicken soup and Mantu were delicious. All their meat (kababs) were very tender and juicy, qabuli mahicha was melting in my mouth, salad on the side was fresh and crunchy, dressing was delicious too.only thing their poutine could be little better😊 I will definitely visit again and try all their dishes...