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Afghan Famous Kabob Restaurant

4.1 (256 reviews)
ModerateAfghan
Open • 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

Afghan Famous Kabob Restaurant Photos

Business Info

AFGHAN FAMOUS KABOB RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Afghan Famous Kabob Restaurant

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Chicken Kabob Boneless (Lunch Special)
Ronnie T.

This is a hidden gem in Gainesville. I stopped here while on my way to Shenandoah National Park. I was greeted with a warm welcome and placed my order. What is great is that you can pick wherever you would like to sit. The ambiance is relaxed. Once your order is ready, you walk to the front to pick it up. Tip: I would recommend paying in cash, as there is a surcharge for credit/debit. I ordered the chicken kabob lunch special. My food came out not shortly afterwards. The chickpeas were so flavorful and juicy! The naan bread was fresh and not stale, the chicken was flavorful and the texture was nice and fine!!! The green sauce was flavorful and had a slight spice kick! The rice was also cooked well and the salad hit the spot! I sometimes would add the food into the naan, almost like a mini gyro. WOW! I hope to return soon! Check this place out!

Menu

The prices on Yelp menu are inaccurate. I was very disappointed when I arrived to an almost $70 bill when I expected it to be between $30-40. The menu provided at the restaurant has an inactive website listed and a QR code that takes you to that same site. The food was just ok. Not worth what I paid for it. I was looking forward to several items after reading good reviews. The appetizers were not worth the hype and are almost double the cost of what the price says on Yelp.

Chicken Breast Kabob
Nathan N.

Such a hidden gem in Gainesville. Afghan Famous Kabob is absolutely the best spot for Middle Eastern food in NoVa. You can see their whole kitchen right at the register and every skewer of meat is grilled fresh right in front of you. The restaurant itself doesn't LOOK anything special, on the inside or outside, but the food is phenomenal. I've got a few tips before you go. The location has really shoddy cell service, so if you are expecting an important call don't come here. Secondly, they only have free hot water and tea, no cold water, so you have to bring your own water bottle or buy one there. The wait once you order can vary a lot, depending on how far done the meats are. Be prepared for 15 minutes, and be happy if you wait less. My go-to order is the Boneless Chicken Breast Kabob. For $15, it's the perfect meal - you get your choice of meat, a salad, a side of chickpeas, rice, and a whole piece of naan. You can also get a yogurt-based white sauce or a mint-based green sauce. I always make sure to get extra green sauce, it's a spicy mint chutney that goes great with the naan. The meat is extremely flavorful, so much so that I sometimes feel bad dipping it in the sauce. The salad, chickpeas, and rice are what you'd expect. The naan is the right mix of fluffy and firm that is difficult for a lot of places to get right. It's rare these days to get a full meal for only $15, but Afghan Famous Kabob delivers. Don't let the sketchy shopping center put you off, it is definitely worth going to.

So good the food disappeared
Evan F.

Deluxe Kabob is amazing! Owner is very nice and slow roasts Beef, Lamb and Chicken on a spiggot. Best Afghani Restaraunt in the area!

Lunch special.

The food is good, Customer service? Not their strength. I went to their website and saw their lunch special at $10.50, figured I'll give it a shot. Called the number. Mentioned the lunch special couple of times, mentioned $10.50 as well so I don't get surprised when I'm there. Ordered the chicken. The lady replied chicken and Shami? I said, "No chicken only. Doesn't look like I can get both for lunch special". She replied, "You can get combo". Who am I to question someone who works there? I go in and pick up my food. It's 17+ dollars. I asked the gentleman about the lunch special pricing and he replied, "What lunch special?" I mentioned the lunch special on their website. The gentleman (who refused to smile throughout the interaction, even though I greeted him, I smiled, and kept that smile throughout.), said, "what website ?". SMH. I've dealt with him before, and I know that's how he is. I told him I called the number on the website to order the lunch special. His reply? "We don't have a combo lunch special". I knew this wasn't go8ng to go anywhere and left. I had several other options for $17, but more importantly, I wasn't planning to spend $17+ for lunch. I understand that there is a language barrier. Which is fine. OWN IT and just say, sorry, there was a misunderstanding. You don't even have to smile. Just say it politely. Cheers!

the interior of the restaurant
Lauren C.

Exploring Gainesville isn't that exciting but the food at this little restaurant was! Starving per usual, I decided to stop by this place, the owner is so nice and suggested the combo. Wasn't the most expensive thing on the menu, which a lot of restaurants and servers will try to do. He was chatting up with me about different types of middle eastern food since I love me self a good everything! It took about 10 minutes, but it was worth the wait. The meat selection: chicken and lamb; amazing. Lamb was a bit tough, but the chick peas and the green sauce did the trick. You also get a long piece of naan which who doesn't like carbs right? I'd come here again if I'm in the area again!

kabob combo

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6 months ago

Just got back to the area, had my quick goto, the Shami sandwich, fresh and delicate as I remembered, delicious. The naan is top tier.

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8 months ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Food was great. Great portion for the price. Can't wait to go back. I did take out. But everyone was friendly and ambiance seemed nice.

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

Very friendly little shop by the freeway. Not a judge on whether the food is authentic but it's pretty satisfying to eat.

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Great food and fair prices. Cannot wait to come back again! Love the specials they offer too.

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6 years ago

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18 years ago

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

Great quality and very tasty. Takes sometime after order but worth the taste! Fair prices too!

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18 years ago

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3 years ago

We love afghan famous kabob. The down side is the service is pretty slow, no matter which day of the week we stop by...

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Afghan Restaurant  - Lamb kabob

Afghan Restaurant

4.3(65 reviews)
26.2 mi

I was passing through and decided to stop in and grab a bite. The food was great and I really…read moreenjoyed it. The service was a bit slow, which was a little disappointing, but overall the food was definitely worth it.

Came for the Sheeryakh, but had such delicious, authentic Afghan food! I'd give 4.5 stars for some…read moreconstructive modifications to make in the future related to service, but overall amazing food! I left with a full belly and a happy heart. Got a combo of chicken kabob and shami kabob along with a side of their borani banjan/eggplant dish. The eggplant was honestly one of my favorite things- it's a must get in my opinion. Homey dish with incredible flavors! Their naan is fresh and pairs well with it. The chicken was good, but I've had better honestly. The shami was a little disappointing as I expected more flavor and it was slightly dry, but good. Their rice was so tasty and I loved the sweetness coming from the carrots an raisins. Of course, the sheeryakh was great- quite a big portion for one person, but I loved the texture. It tastes very similar to the Indian/South Asian/Pakistani ice cream, "Kulfi." CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK: Service needs improvement. The whole time I was there I had to keep looking for waiters to make eye contact with to ask for menu, water, paying, etc. It took about 10 min or more for me to have to call a busy waiter over just to look at the menu- no one came over on their own. Things just took time for a Saturday night- plus they were hosting an event on top of this. Needless to say, I've never had service like this, but the vibe and food made me be not as harsh. Despite the service, this place is a must try for authentic Afghan cuisine. Can't wait to try more of their menu (and the borani banjan again) in the future!

Photos
Afghan Restaurant
Afghan Restaurant
Afghan Restaurant  - Tea party set with Afghan cream roll and cake

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Tea party set with Afghan cream roll and cake

Bistro Aracosia - Mini Taste of Aracosia - Chicken Sabzi Lawaan, Rumi's Veal, Lamb Chops, Beef Tenderloin, Nakhoud, Kadoo, Banjaan, Daal

Bistro Aracosia

4.7(391 reviews)
29.7 mi•Palisades
•$$$

I've been here several times, though not recently. Street parking only, though I've never been…read moreunable to find a spot within a couple of minutes' walk. I came with a friend for lunch at noon on a Thursday right after the restaurant opened. The female greeter and waitress (a Guatemalan) were both friendly and informative. By the time we left an hour or so later, the dining room was just half full, so not noisy. We both ordered the amazing SMOKED lamb shanks with pulau rice (only available at lunchtime), shared an appetizer dumpling sampler, and had a couple of pilsners. All the servings were generous and fresh, well seasoned, and eye-appealing. The decor remains eye-catching with lots of colorful lighting and wall decorations. NO DISTRACTING WALL TV SCREENS OR INTRUSIVELY LOUD MUSIC. This is a good place for conversation. Lamb cooked in many forms is the main attraction, but they also make a delicious hamburger for the faint of palate. Check it out! They need new customers.

Hands down, the best Afghan food I've had! (And it's safe to say, I've had more than most)…read more Since we only dropped in for a light meal, not much to review BUT the food was so good we're trying to drive the long distance back just to make our way through more of the menu! We ordered only vegan options- the kadoo (pumpkin) turnover and the Nakhoud & Mushroom Lawaan I believe (it might've been the Nakhoud & Mushroom Sabzi Lawaan, I can't remember and both are very similar). Everything was cooked to perfection and each bit was incredibly yummy. Textures were on point and mixed with the assorted of chutneys they offer, it was heaven! Easy to (happily) overeat here Décor was pleasant, the restaurant is spacious and every staff member was gracious. We felt very welcomed and, again, looking forward to going back! Can see why this place is a neighborhood favorite! You will NOT be disappointed here.

Photos
Bistro Aracosia - Dining room

Dining room

Bistro Aracosia - Dumpling Assortment - Spicy Beef, Leek & Scallion, Pumpkin

Dumpling Assortment - Spicy Beef, Leek & Scallion, Pumpkin

Bistro Aracosia - Pomegranate and cardamom tea

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Pomegranate and cardamom tea

Aracosia McLean - Qabuli Combination Platter - this was ok. The channa and eggplant were good.

Aracosia McLean

4.8(484 reviews)
26.0 mi
•$$$

Loved my lamb dish! Surprisingly reasonable pricing when you at opening/lunch too!…read more Nice cozy but elegant vibes. Great to take out your family or significant other. Interesting art on the wall and nice bathroom. Park on the parking garage below or on the side street/lot nearby. Make sure if you don't finish your lamb and ask to put it in a takeaway box go specify that you want your lamb scraps. Learn from me because my waiter tossed all my lamb and just boxed up the rice likely thinking I was done with them. Big bummer since I was looking forward to my leftovers but oh well.

Overall it was a good experience! We absolutely loved the bread and the difference sauces that…read morewent with it. The pumpkin dumplings and pan fried veggie filled dumplings were great as well. I thought my salmon wrap and the chickpea side was ok. Interesting flavors for sure. As for the service, there was always someone filling up our waters and our waiter was very nice checking in every now and then. The only downside of the experience is at the end when the waiter was boxing up all the food for us. Very sweet that they do this but when boxing up my partners food, they only boxed up the rice and they got rid of the lamb that he was looking forward to eating more of later. So that was kind of a disappointment for us. I think if we go again, we would request to box our food ourselves since I'm not sure why they decided to get rid of all of his lamb.

Photos
Aracosia McLean
Aracosia McLean
Aracosia McLean - Bread - good.

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Bread - good.

Afghan Famous Kabob Restaurant - afghani - Updated October 2026

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