My Kabul Restaurant and Cafe (حلال) — Restaurant in South Laurel

Do not eat here!!!! This place should be inspected by a health inspector.

When I called to place an order over the phone, someone picked up, said something inaudible, and then hung up. I picked up the phone and called them again, and when I asked him if I could order over the phone they said yes. I proceeded to give them my order of the beef shami kebab, and the tandoori chicken legs. I asked for both of these to come with rice, and they advertise that it also comes with vegetables.

When I arrived to pick up my food nearly an hour later (which gives them ample time to prepare my food and set it aside for me to pick it up), I go to the front and tell them that I'm here to pick up my phone order. The person at the front desk proceeded to go to the back to retrieve my food. It took them nearly ten minutes to get back to me with my food, despite the restaurant being eerily empty.

When I checked out and drove home, I opened my order to find that the beef kebab came with rice, but the chicken kabob only came with bread which I never requested. I already have a problem with them charging $16 for a little bit of protein and one choice of carb. At Maiwand kabob (another Afghan restaurant that I frequent) you get an ample amount of protein and three sides for the same amount of money, oftentimes even less. I can get protein, rice, bread, and salad, or I can customize my other three sides as I usually do. But at my Kabul, I get this measly serving for nearly $20 per entree.

My mother, who was fasting until 8:30 p.m., bit into her one of three chicken drumsticks, only to find that it was undercooked. My brother, on the other hand, commented on how the beef kebab had all spice and no flavor. The other Afghan restaurant that I mentioned ensures that all of their food is bursting with flavor. As for the vegetables they advertise, it was merely garnish--just some onions and maybe a little bit of parsley. Maiwand puts all that garnish there and does not charge you $16 for it.

I come home after delivering my hungry and fasting family members a measly meal. I find out that hours later, my brother has already visited the bathroom nine times with explosive diarrhea. My mother also had to visit the bathroom several times. It is one thing to experience food poisoning. It is another thing to experience food poisoning from overpriced food that did not even taste good. Please save yourself the trouble of wasting this hard-earned money of yours in such hard times with such a tumultuous economy, and do not waste your $20 at the sad establishment. If you want real authentic and delicious Afghan food for similar or less pricing, please visit literally any maiwand location. The Columbia crossing location is...

A warm, welcoming tastefully decorated restaurant. Inside, there is a light, airy feeling that has just enough Afghan touches to make you feel that the meal will be prepared by folks who know Afghan food at its best. We felt this way especially after Tom Sietsma's glowing review in the Washington Post.

After we placed our order, the waiter brought us a complimentary appetizer consisting of warm, toasty Afghan bread and the most delicious honey for dipping. Also on the platter were raisins, almonds and cheese. A mouthwatering treat to wet the appetite.

Unfortunately, the main courses that we ordered were a terrible disappointment. The lamb chops were way overcooked and too heavily salted. The chicken was overcooked also so that both lamb and chicken were dry and tough. The sauce on the chicken kirahi was not simmered long enough for the flavors to blend.

We ordered Turkish coffee to go with the meal. We have had Turkish coffee in Istambul, so we know what Turkish coffee should taste like. It should be thick and sweet. What we were served was thin and bitter.

The only bright spot was the sabzi (spinach) which was flavorful, smooth and so tasty. Behind us, one of the employees - a young man who barely could speak English - was making homemade ice cream. He was working to make a large batch and the way he diligently applied himself along with the pistachios, cardamon and who knows what else he was adding made his ice cream look really good. We didn't try it because we were so disappointed in our chicken and lamb dishes. Maybe we should have. We went on New Year's Day for lunch and it is very possible that the B-team was working the kitchen allowing the A-team to rest after what may have been a very busy New Year's Eve tour of duty in the kitchen. I hope we just hit My Kabul on an off day. But we will not...

Fantastic and an Excellent value! WELL worth traveling FAR OUT of YOUR WAY to get there‼️ The food is OUTSTANDING, hands-down one of the best meals to be found anywhere in the DC-BALTIMORE-ANNAPOLIS triangle 😋 Over 4 visits, I've had: the Turkish Coffee, the Mantu appetizer, "My Kabul" salad, Butter Chicken*, the Chicken Shwarma over Rice, Sabzi (spinach), and the Ferni/Mahalabi pudding-- all dishes were Excellent, perfectly seasoned and beautifully plated/presented with obvious care and pride. *The Butter Chicken is especially GREAT-- FAR more flavorful than any I've ever had at any Indian restaurant! The coffee is also exquisite (NOTE: be advised that with traditional coffee like this, some coffee-grounds are left in the cup. So don't be surprised to see some grounds in the bottom when you've emptied it 😉 ) SERVICE: the people are Super nice, and provided comfortable, relaxed tableside service. Checking back throughout the meal, but with just the right balance (not too frequently, but also not leaving us unattended for too long) ATMOSPHERE: The dining room is very nicely appointed, clean & bright, and so comfortable and welcoming that you quickly forget that you're inside a sketchy strip-mall on a busy street. Fresh-cut flowers on every table 😀 "Gracious hospitality" is the vibe here!

I'll definitely be back, and often ✔️.

**UPDATE 12Jun23: Based on Owner's sincere reply (below), I've bumped-up the number of stars for this Review. I plan to visit again in the next week or so, and will no-doubt raise it FIVE stars after validating that the changes have been made. 🙂

**FINAL UPDATE: at my latest visit I was SO pleased to see that All of the earlier issues they had in the first few opening weeks have been resolved. This place is now an absolute GEM‼️. WELL worth traveling FAR OUT...