Mamadali Kebab House — Restaurant in San Antonio

I don't write about bad experiences. A check of my profile should confirm that. But this was bad enough I felt the need to write about it.

My family is Uzbek and Russian, so we know good Uzbek food. We were taken aback when, approaching the counter, neither the person taking the orders, nor the person giving out the food, spoke either Uzbek or Russian. The woman taking the orders also didn't know what several items on the menu were. I wouldn't mind the language part, but when I ordered two orders of the Manty, the lady said, "The what?" I said "Can I get three orders of the Manty?" She turns out to one of the kitchen staff and says, "what's that?" The kitchen guy explains it's a type of dumpling. She says, oh wow. She then puts pelmenyi on the ticket, or I guess as they had on their machine "dumplings". I tell her, "No, I actually got the Manty." She says, "Yeah that's what I put in." I say, "No sorry, I got the Manty, not the pelmenyi," she says "Yeah that's what I put in." I point out that it says dumplings thirty five count and that that sounds like the pelmenyi, not the Manty. She says "Oh, sorry, I saw dumplings". Again, I get it, but you're working at an Uzbek restaurant. I'd hope you know Uzbek food.

My mom ordered the Kebab and the Samsy. Specifically, she ordered three orders of kebab, as we were charged. An order as per the menu should come with a side of cabbage salad, a side of sauce. Considering we got three I was expecting three sides. Instead we got one of each, but we're charged as if we got three separate orders. The kebab tastes decent, but much to our chagrin, was surprisingly tiny. My family is from Uzbekistan and I'm friends with many Persians. Kebab this tiny is a tragedy. The lady taking the order confirmed three separate times that we had an order of three Samsy and three kebab. She put the kebab on the ticket, but not the Samsy. We waited abiut fifteen fair minutes for the order, but when we got it, I guess we only got the kebab. We asked about the Samsy and the guy said "Hey yeah give me a minute I'll check on it." Five minutes later he came out and said "Hey, I'm gonna check on it, give me a minute." Five minutes after that he tells us the Samsy were never put onto our ticket but that if we want to get back into line, we could pay again and wait for them to get it to us. No apology. The line was about 7 people long at this point. The cashier was taking about 10 minutes with each person to put in an order.

I hope this business is able to get it's act together. I hope it thrives. But I got ripped off, not least because of the mediocre sizes, but because they literally gave us less than we ordered and when they screwed up our order, they didn't apologize. As someone whose family is from Uzbekistan, I want more Uzbek business in the city. But this Uzbek business disappoints and shames me.

By the way, the pictured food cost us just about $60. If you can't guess, it'd comfortably feed about 1.5 people, maximum. It's unfortunate when the restaurant gives you so little food you have to stop in at the store to buy and make your own Uzbek food to go...

Dear, Mamadali Kebab House

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the kindness and hospitality you showed my family and me on my birthday evening. I had been looking forward to trying your famous lamb chops after hearing so many wonderful reviews and was excited to finally visit your food truck.

Despite the bitter cold and the long wait, the warmth of the flames and the delicious aromas made it all worthwhile. Watching the care and passion you put into your food was truly inspiring. When we reached the front of the line and found out the lamb chops were sold out, I was initially disappointed. However, your generosity and quick thinking to create a delicious alternative meant so much to us. It’s moments like these that remind me that even when things don’t go as planned, kindness and a willingness to adapt can turn any challenge into a beautiful experience.

Your dedication to sharing the flavors of your homeland and ensuring each customer leaves satisfied speaks volumes about the love and passion you have for your craft. My birthday evening turned out to be more memorable than I could have imagined, all thanks to you and your team.

I am truly grateful for the hospitality, warmth, and effort you put into making sure we didn’t leave empty-handed. We’re already looking forward to returning soon and finally trying those lamb chops!

With appreciation and gratitude, Farrah Lovell...

I recently moved to San Antonio about six months ago, and as someone who’s always found eating out alone a little intimidating, this place was such a pleasant surprise. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere felt calm, welcoming, and beautiful. The lighting was cozy and peaceful—perfect for just sitting back and unwinding.

This was the first time I went out to eat by myself, and I immediately felt at home. I brought a book with me and ended up reading for almost two hours without even realizing how much time had passed. The staff was incredibly kind and attentive, checking in just enough to make sure I had everything I needed, without making me feel rushed or out of place.

The food was amazing, but what stood out most to me was the whole experience. If you're looking for a quiet, relaxing spot where you can truly feel at ease—especially if you're going solo—I’d absolutely recommend this place. It made me feel...