Kabobi By The Helmand — Restaurant in McNair

Wonderful food! Got the:

"Dwopiaza" (which is tender lamb chunks with rice, split peas, onions, turnips, and spices), an order of the "Bread Basket" (which is just slices of naan with hummus and a sort of green lime/cilantro sauce--I won't try and guess the ingredients but it was delicious), a piece of "Baklava" (about the size of your palm), and a glass of the Helmand Sour (vodka cocktail).

All were delicious and recommended by the waitress, who was very friendly and checked in regularly. Great service!

The Dwopiaza was so good!! I devoured it pretty quickly. The turnips were a nice touch and complemented the super tender lamb chunks well.

The Naan was great, though I personally prefer bread that doesn't get crispy in the middle.

The Helmand Sour cocktail was, admittedly, a little too like juice to me. I don't typically drink alcohol and I still had to ask if there was actually vodka in it, to which the very kind waitress offered to bring another shot to pour in.

The Baklava was very good! It was buttery and sweet, and I would definitely get another one, should I make it back to Kabobi again.

... The restaurant itself was nice. Very casual establishment. Small tables spread out, with a walk-up counter for take-out orders and space to sit for dining in. I think my folks, who treated me out, thought the place was going to be a fancy sit-down restaurant with dim lighting or whatnot, as their reactions changed somewhat upon entering. Still, I enjoyed the food and service and that's what matters most.

The staff was friendly. The bathroom was relatively well kept. The food was wonderful. Hard to go wrong.

PS: parking for us was street parking (2 hr limit 7-11, I think it was) or a garage nearby, according to the waitress. Even she, however, said it was a little tough, as spaces could fill up fairly quickly. The food is good, though, and I'd recommend it, so it should be worth checking out. 4.5/5 stars from me (minus .5 because the Naan kept getting too crispy towards...

As someone very familiar with authentic Afghan food, I was really hoping for a better experience here—but unfortunately, it missed the mark in a few big ways.

We ordered the ashaq (photo attached), and the sauce was very unusual. It had corn and peas in it, which I’ve never seen used in traditional ashaq. The ashaq also tasted heavily of cilantro and green onion ONLY, which isn’t the normal. Ashaq is made different. On top of that, there was only one meatball served on the dish, whereas traditionally the meat is spread generously over the dumplings.

We also ordered Afghanistans main dish kabuli palao and asked if they had chicken instead of red meat. They said yes but we weren’t told that the chicken comes from a separate dish. What we received was kabuli palao served with karahi-style chicken, which is usually a separate, spicy curry dish. (Photo attached) That combination just didn’t work and isn’t how this dish is made at all. Now this was what really drew the line for all of us. Curry chicken inside kabuli palao is a huge a no.

Lastly, they charged $5 for a single small bolani, which felt a bit steep considering the portion.

Overall, the restaurant might appeal to people unfamiliar with Afghan cuisine, but for those who grew up eating these dishes, the flavors and preparation were absolutely off. I now know not to try anything else, but my mom’s hand-made food. I appreciate the effort, but unfortunately, I won’t return or...

First, I'll note the most important point. The food is great! Over 25 years in the Foreign Service I've eaten every cuisine imaginable including Afghan, and the food here is fresh, delicious, authentic - and halal!

I'm not easy to impress, but the really remarkable accomplishment for this restaurant was getting a surprised "it's good!" from my 8 year old granddaughter. Neither she nor her mother have ever been outside the US, and she lives on a steady diet of cereal, bananas, Mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. This is the first time I got her to eat something else after MANY other tries.

I also deeply appreciated their stocking Coke in glass bottles. Brings back memories of my long-ago childhood!

The staff are welcoming, helpful with questions about the menu and very efficient. Though I could watch as my large takeout order was cooked from scratch, I had it by the time I finished my Coke!

I’m not going to single out particular dishes, since all of the ones we ate were equally good. Two additional notes on the food, though- when they tell you the green sauce with chopped peppers is spicy, believe them! Apply it sparingly, and it’s a great accompaniment. We all (especially my granddaughter) really liked the baklava!

To sum up, the best dining experience I've had in years. Highly...