Kandahar Grill — Restaurant in Town of Oyster Bay

After repeatedly seeing Kandahar Grill featured across Instagram with glowing praise and beautifully staged food photos, I felt compelled to visit and experience it for myself. Unfortunately, my visit with my wife (and our toddler, who did not eat) left me thoroughly underwhelmed.

Atmosphere & Wait Time:

Upon entering, we noticed only a single family waiting for their food — not exactly a bustling dining scene. Despite the calm setting, it took 35 minutes for our food to arrive after ordering, which felt unnecessarily excessive given the low foot traffic. The ambiance was plain, and nothing about the environment enhanced the dining experience.

Food Presentation vs. Flavor:

Visually, the dishes earned a respectable 4 out of 5 — they were plated nicely and initially gave us hope for a flavorful experience. However, the flavor profile was deeply lacking. The food was bland and uninspired, as though the kitchen skipped over seasoning altogether. It filled our stomachs, but it left our palates completely unsatisfied. • The chicken kebab was the lone highlight — tender, moderately seasoned, and the only item that stood out. • The rice was passable, but far from memorable. • Every other dish was shockingly flavorless, with a flat, one-dimensional taste that made it hard to distinguish between items.

Service & Automatic Charges:

To make matters worse, an automatic 18% service charge was tacked onto our bill. This would be understandable for large groups — but it was just two adults and a toddler who didn’t eat. When asked, the staff gave no justification for this charge.

And for a restaurant forcing a mandatory gratuity, the service was abysmal — inattentive, slow, and devoid of warmth or hospitality. We were essentially ignored throughout the meal, with no check-ins, no water refills, and no follow-up on our satisfaction.

Final Verdict:

Kandahar Grill is a classic example of style over substance — heavily promoted on social media, but failing to deliver on even the basics of good food and service. It’s a place where presentation masks mediocrity, and hospitality seems to be an afterthought.

There are countless other eateries on Long Island that offer richer flavors, more honest service, and better value for money. Unless significant improvements are made, I wouldn’t consider returning.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Only Recommendation:...

We ordered the lamb tikka and chicken tikka over rice (kabuli), the falafel over rice, and green tea. We were considering dining in but decided to do takeout instead for several reasons. While the young man behind the counter was friendly, unfortunately several stingy and cheap practices were apparent which is why we chose to do takeout instead of dining in. They charge an 18 percent service fee to dine in and deceptively have a sign on the door to the kitchen which says this so customers cannot say anything when they are surprised, or rather shocked, by the huge added fee. This is taking advantage of customers and is totally inappropriate; customers should have the choice of leaving a generous tip if they feel they received good service, but instead it is being forced on customers regardless of service. On top of this, there is a 3.99 percent fee for paying by credit card, although to be fair credit card transaction fees have become common. Furthermore, it is standard practice to serve water to customers dining in, but they do not even provide that; instead they make customers dining in buy bottled water. That is adding insult to injury, being charged 18 percent extra and not even being served a glass of water. Our Afghan people are known for hospitality, and unfortunately management, with these stingy practices, has disgraced the noble culture. They also charged three dollars extra for kabuli rice, which essentially was them adding some shredded carrots and a few raisins. The chicken tikka was pretty good, but I felt the lamb tikka was overcooked, with almost a burnt taste. I felt the portion for the lamb tikka and chicken tikka was very small for what I paid, although I can't complain about the portion of the falafel over rice as they gave a lot of falafel, but I do wish they'd at least include some hummus or eggplant with it as most places include it. I was also disappointed with my tea because I specifically asked for sugar in it but by the time it was cooled down enough for me to drink it I realized no sugar had been added. I've been here a few times but I'm having mixed feelings about this restaurant and I hope management fixes some of these practices. Maybe I'd even consider dining in...

Restaurant Review: Kandahar Grill – Long Island

I recently visited Kandahar Grill on Long Island after seeing a lot of hype about it on Instagram. The posts made it seem like a must-try Afghan/Persian-style restaurant, so I decided to check it out with my wife and our 3-year-old.

Ambiance & Wait Time:

When we walked in, there was only one family waiting for their food. We placed our order and waited approximately 35 minutes before our food arrived. For a restaurant that wasn’t too busy, that wait time was longer than expected.

Food Presentation & Taste:

When the food arrived, I have to say it looked great – a solid 4 out of 5 for presentation. However, once we started eating, we were pretty disappointed. The flavor just wasn’t there. The food filled us up, but it didn’t satisfy. It lacked seasoning and depth. • Chicken kebab was the one standout item – tender and fairly well-seasoned. • Rice was okay, nothing special. • Everything else was flavorless, bland, and underwhelming given how much the restaurant was hyped online.

Service & Hidden Charges:

Here’s where things got more frustrating. Despite being just my wife and me (our 3-year-old didn’t eat), the restaurant still charged us an automatic 18% service charge, which is supposedly for parties of two or more. That might be acceptable if the service was excellent, but it was far from it. We didn’t receive any notable attention or courtesy, and the service was quite slow and inattentive.

Final Thoughts:

Kandahar Grill might look good on social media, but the reality didn’t live up to the hype. The atmosphere was okay, the presentation of the food was decent, but the taste and service left much to be desired.

Would I return? Probably not. There are plenty of other places on Long Island that offer better flavor, more transparent pricing, and stronger customer service.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Recommended Dish: Chicken...