Just went for lunch, tried their lamb sandwich. Came w/white sauce- tasted great. Nicely seasoned. Didn't try other items But enjoyed the food enough to want to go back & try more. Very reasonable prices. read more

Solid restaurant. It's situated within a tiny store plaza building. Friendly staff, and clean interior. I ordered dolma, which is rice wrapped in banana leaves and covered in a sour sauce of sorts. Very well priced, and tasted great. I also ordered chicken kebab, which the taste of the meat blew me out of the water. It was crisp, well heated, and deep in flavor. I noticed a lot of take-outs and delivery. I sat in, and I had to buy bottled water since they supposedly don't give tap. My dishes were served in paper plates and plastic utensils. I recommend doing delivery here. read more

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After moving upstate from Jersey I really struggled with the lack of variety in food here in comparison to down there. Then came Afghan Kabab. My husband introduced me to this gem telling me it was one of his and his friends' favorite places to dine in (pre-pandemic). Their lamb shank has since then been my go to takeout order anytime we're stuck on what to have for dinner and don't feel like cooking. The meat melts off the bone every single time. The rice is delicious all on its own without any meat or sauces but when you pair them all together with some salad, the mouthful of flavors will keep you going back in for bite after bite. My husband's go to order is the mixed gyro over rice, which I will say is quite delicious but it doesn't compare to the lamb shank. We also love to order their bolani. The potatoes inside are flavored to perfection and don't overwhelm the pallet like other places we've tried. The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because the staff isn't always the friendliest. There is a young woman that works the counter quite often and she's unpleasant almost every time we've went into pickup an order. As far as I know their dine in option is still closed and they only do takeout. I would have loved to experience dining in there at least once because the dining area looks very nice but for now I'll enjoy my lamb shank from home. read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Lamb Shank - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

It's not often I find an Afghan restaurant, so when I saw this on our trip to Albany I wanted to try it. My husband and I shared: - Falafel Pita Wrap - Badenjan - Mix Gyro Over Rice - Bolani I enjoyed everything, but my two favorite things were the Bolani and the Mix Gyro Over Rice. We got takeout and all of it held up very well with takeout. read more

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Hostess was a sweetheart very interesting place used to be a Chinese food restaurant. The aesthetics hasn't been changed. Kind of reminds me of a restaurant in Williamsburg. The food was really good if you're in a rush this is definitely the spot the chicken and sumac are perfect! read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Chicken kebab! - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

This is one of few restaurants that you should not miss in Albany. Their lamb shank is very tasty.

The chicken over rice is beyond GOOD! The food never disappoints us. In vegetarian option do try the falafel over rice. read more

Food is exceptional. On Central between college side and the neighborhood side of downtown and this should become a hot spot it's sooo good. Had the lamb!! read more

Afghan Kabob Express - overall good portions, light on the oil and yummy rice! Lamb/beef gyro over rice- they make the food fresh to order so we had to wait 15 minutes. The rice was the best part- very light on the oil yet still flavorful. The meat was ok, it was cut into very small pieces which was easy to eat but didn't have much spice. The white and red sauces tied the dish together nicely. The proportion of meat to rice was a bit low- I would have liked a few more veggies and less rice or more meat. Overall a very satisfying meal! read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Lamb/beef gyro over rice - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Outstanding food at an unbeatable value. Sketchy part of town, the cafe entrance is inside a hallway of what may once led to offices or a small mall. Ask for the key to the restroom. The Falafel were small but crisp and flavorful and were served with fries and rice. The lamb kebabs were tender and flavorful. A pleasant surprise since most lamb medallions have been chewy at other restaurants. The lambshops were more of a bone in rump steak with bone chips and gristle than the lamb cutlets pictured. Still tasty, but a challenge to cut up. The koobideh was excellent and moist with balanced spices. Surprisingly, I preferred the lamb kebabs over the koobideh this meal. The Afghan rice (pulaw) can be substituted for regular rice for an extra charge and is more flavorful. The blaklava is pretty darn good. read more

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Best Afghan kababs in the upstate/capital district area. My favorite is the koobideh kabab.

What a delightful delicious dinner. Everything we order was delicious. Salad dressing was so good. I wish I could tell you more about authenticity but it was just delicious I recommend having delivery as there is no easy read more

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I ordered a rice platter with a lamb kebab from Afghan Kabab Express when I visited Albany. It was definitely one of the best rice platters that I have had. The rice was fragrant and tasty. The meat and sauces were great and delicious. You can't beat the price. I will definitely come back to try the other items on the menu when I am back in town in Albany. read more

Great chicken over rice! The prices are very decent. The service can be so-so. That's the only reason for the 4 stars. But overall good deal on food. read more

We first had this type of cuisine at Halal Guys in NYC, and since then, if we can't decided on what we're having for dinner, it's our go-to. It's relatively inexpensive, not that bad for you, and the flavor is amazing. We decided to branch out this time, and went with Koobideh Kabab, Bolani, Badenjan, and Sabzi. Bolani is a stuffed flat bread, Bedenjan is an eggplant dish, Bolani is a vegetable dish. I'm not a fan of eggplant, but this eggplant was delicious, and melted in my mouth. Stuffed flat breads are always delicious, and even the veggies dishes was rich and flavorful. I would happily reorder these items, or try other things on the menu, since everything we've had from here has been delicious. read more

Afghan and done it again. My friend Bob says this place sucks. Well you're wrong, K Bob? XXXXXXXXX. Oh sorry, that was an accidental X press. WHAT TO GET: The Kababs. WHAT ELSE: My ex is depressed. She's Afghan Kebab Exdepressed. Four stars in Albany doesn't always mean something is great. However in this case, it's underrated, if anything. The kebab was a little dry, but still extremely tasty Persian style deliciousness. They didn't have Kobedeh, which is why I came (and my fave type), but the chicken was lovely, and I look forward to returning. The rice is absolutely delicious too. John Rice-Davies was actually named after this rice, as was Ray Rice and Rice University. It's easily the best Middle Eastern food I've tried in Albany, and goes along with the excellent nearby Gyros and the Italian Sandwiches to form the backbone of the state capital's hidden gems and top treats. The wait is long, so I recommend ordering ahead. read more

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Next time I'm going to try the kebab. Seriously, I don't know what I was thinking. You go to a place called Frank's Pizza for the first time, you shouldn't be ordering the spaghetti. But I heard such great things about the gyro over rice, that I had to try it. And it was delicious, but man, that was a lot of food. Especially considering the taste, quality and quantity, it was a super value as well. Actually, I wish there was a lot less food on the plate. Mostly because my willpower is awful. Put a pile of tasty things in front of me, and I'll keep eating them until they're gone. Sure, my body will tell me to stop. But I never listen. At the table there are three sauces in different colored squeeze bottles: white, green, and red. In order of awesomeness they go green, red, white. Man, that green is good, and I put it on everything. By everything, I mean the badenjan and bolani. Those were the eggplant side dish and the potato hand-pie appetizers. Definitely get the tender and deeply flavorful badenjan. I think you can skip the bolani, which is starch in starch. Sure, it's a great vehicle for those sauces, but it's not going to leave you singing from the mountaintops. There's a lot to explore on this menu, and I'm looking forward to coming back and doing just that. Including their namesake kabobs. I've got my eye on the lamb ones. Because lamb is fantastic. read more

Bolzani. Thin, crispy, golden brown. The potatoes inside were soft. Carbs encased in carbs, I'll be back of these. I had the gyro over rice. The rice was fluffy and seasoned well. The gyro was tender and it all mingled well with the white and red sauces. It was also served with a small salad. It's filling and inexpensive the gyro plate, ideal for lunch or takeout. Note-$10.00 minimum for credit cards. read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Sauces. - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

This is a quaint and great place to get some delicious Afghan Kabab. I got the mixed rice, which rice with shredded chicken and beef, which was delicious!! I have never really had much experience with Afghan food, but it was definitely very good. The meat wasn't dry, and the flavours were all just right without being too overwhelming to the taste bud. They have this "white sauce", and it's super yummy. They also have a green, mint sauce, which also really adds a zing to the concoction. If you're a fan of spicy food, they have mixes of red spicy sauce as well, and it definitely satisfied my craving for some spicy flavours. They do have take out, so if you're up for some yummy noms like this for a movie night, this would definitely be on my menu! Just remember to ask for some extra white sauce and green sauce to take with you. read more

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Very tasty food, I really enjoy eating their kebabs. They are very nice decor in ambience and are very nice business owners

$20-25 meal for two people. Amazing food! The rice was so damn good, it's making me drool just thinking about it. The man behind the counter who waited on us was super nice. Will definitely be back when I'm in town! read more

Afghan Kabab Express - two plates of food on a table - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Afghan Kabab Express deserves all of it's 4.5 stars, and more. I am a huge middle eastern fan, the food tends to always be delicious. The combination of high-quality food with super low prices makes this stop on a lunch tour well worth the visit. It's right on Central Ave, in a creepy abandoned mini-mall, but the visit will always be part of my Albany circuit. I have been here twice, and both times I got chicken, once on Kebab, and then $1 less for the shredded chicken. Give me sauces and I am forever yours - give me a cream sauce and a spicy sauce, and kill me. Thank you Afghan Kebab Express for this gift, the harmonious combination of rice, chicken, and sauce. I will be back, and I will continue telling all the people about this place, the best Afghan cuisine I have had the pleasure of eating. read more

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Some coworkers and I stopped by here for lunch one day recently. Great prices and good food. The service was a bit slow because there seemed to be 1 guy answering phones, seating tables, taking orders and closing out checks. He was serving tables as well. The food came out fresh and hot. We had the lamb kabob over sweet rice, bolani, falafel plate and my friend had chicken platter. Everything was so good, but especially the bolani. It was so light and crispy! The prices are great. Just don't expect to get in and get out if you are in a rush. read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

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Been coming to this place for years, they never let me down. I order their chicken, lamb and mix over rice. Seems to be family owned and I love that. I do miss the dining aspect but since Covid they have been strictly takeout. Still love them though! read more

Great food! First time trying Afghani cuisine and I enjoyed everything except the dolmas. It's definitely an acquired taste but that's no fault to the restaurant. The chicken rice and amazing with the red sauce. So flavorful and spicy. Definitely recommend. read more

I have been coming to Afghan Kabab for my Gyro over Rice fix since I discovered this place 3 years ago. Since then, I've had a few experiences that required 1 star removal. Food: I've only had the mixed chicken and gyro or plain gyro over rice. I am always satisfied with both the seasoning of the meat and the amount of food. They serve the meat and rice with extra hot red sauce and white sauce to add to taste, which I appreciate as a spice lover. Service: Service can be hit or miss here. Usually, we are seated and served quickly, but this can be slower when the restaurant is more crowded with larger parties. One time, however, we arrived 30 minutes before closing and were turned away because "the kitchen was closed." I had never experienced a kitchen closing this early before and was disappointed. Overall: I will continue to frequent this restaurant until Halal Guys sets up shop in Albany. read more

I order from here multiple times a month! Their food fresh, well seasoned and their portions are big! My favorite is the koobeiden kabob! Their have great fries too! I've tried most of their food and I feel their rice dishes are the best! read more

Wife and I are visiting the area from NYC and were just looking to have a nice dine-in experience at a halal restaurant with family. None of us had tried this place so we gave it a shot. It's a pretty cozy restaurant with a nice seating area. There's a sign that reads no alcohol allowed which is very comforting. The service was surprisingly good albeit with a few awkward moments. We ordered bolani as an appetizer, chicken over rice, gyro over rice, chicken kabab over rice w/ a skewer + kabuli palow, and lamb shank w/ kabuli palow and badenjan for the table. Having tried many different Afghan restaurants in NYC we were amazed at both the price as well as the quality of the food. The meals are incredibly inexpensive, at times half the cost we're used to. And yet the quality of every meal was outstanding! The quantity is more than enough for a single, hungry person (black Friday shopping all day, no lunch, yep). The bolani was amazing. The chicken/gyro over rice... should not be confused with cart food, this is genuine, quality Afghan cuisine. The chicken kabab was plentiful, big chunks, and yet dense... count on getting full from that. The lamb shank... the meat was so tender... when I got around to lifting the bone to get at other meat, there was only bone, i.e. the meat had slipped off and stayed on the plate. The kabuli palow may look underwhelming but was definitely above average. We got baklavah and ferni for dessert. We sensed rose water in both. This did it for us. From beginning to end we could tell everything wasn't just made fresh with fresh ingredients, but it was made from the heart. The food was clean, delicious, filling, and fulfilling. Definitely worth coming back again and again. read more

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Love this place!! Their chicken and rice is so good and I love that when you dine in you get an entire bottle of white sauce and hot sauce brought to ur table so you don't have to pay extra for it! The dishes are so cheap here and they offer pretty big portion sizes I can never finish the chicken and rice and usually have some left over to bring home. Their chicken and lamb mix with rice is really good and I definitely recommend trying it. They also have bolani which i believe is like a pastry stuffed with potatoes. Their chicken wings and fried chicken are also really good! read more

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I was here on a Friday night with my daughter before going to a show. It is in this little mini mall on lower Central Avenue. The food was amazing, I had the chicken and rice and my daughter had the falafel and rice. We thoroughly enjoyed both meals. Just one tip, it appears that they drizzle a spicy chili sauce (harissa?) on all their dishes along with a yogurt sauce. If you do not like spice you should specify it to them not to put it on when you place the order. It didn't bother me but was a little too hot for my daughter. Luckily I was able to scrape most of it off to her liking. As for the service, I was not impressed. The food came out quickly but the server never came to check on us and I had to go to the counter to request take out boxes and also the check. Other than that I will be back here. read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Bolani - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Granted, I have very limited experience with Afghan and Persian food (like, hello, have you been to the Capregion?), but the meal I had here was fantastic. With such a narrow storefront, I was surprised by the size of the dining room, and also by the number of people having dinner on the weeknight we came to eat. They seem to do a considerable take-out business as well, but be aware that they require a minimum purchase for credit card transactions ($10, I think). We wanted to sample as many flavors as possible, so the Husband and I ordered two appetizers with our dinners. Sadly, this left us with no room for dessert, but maybe next time. We had the Bolzani, which was lightly fried and delicious. The Dolmeh was also very good. Husband had the lamp chops, I had the chicken kabab. Both meats were tender with fantastic flavor, and we cleaned our plates even though we shouldn't have. We enjoyed trying the sauces - I particularly liked the white (yogurt-based, I think), and the red was also good but dangerously spicy. Service was timely and not unpleasant; moreso all business. Nobody checked on us after the food came, and it took several minutes sitting with empty plates in front of us before realizing we should pay at the register on our way out. As I mentioned, we had no room for dessert, but we also weren't offered any. I can forgive these flaws, though, because the value for their delicious food is just that good. read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Chicken Kebab - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Stopped here on a whim on our way up to Vermont for dinner and so happy we did! My boyfriends favorite cuisine is afghan and he said it was the best chicken kabab he's ever had! I had the chicken over rice and it was to die for. I am still thinking about it 4 days later.... read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Chicken kabab and chicken over rice - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

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Badenjan is THE BEST. I keep trying to get him to tell me his secret recipe! Totally worth the experience, we love the atmosphere ( when dining in, preCOVID) and used to eat here twice monthly. read more

5 stars. Across the board. Wonderful establishment ran by a family. Best chicken and rice platter I've ever had. Even better than 536 aka the halal guys (for reals guys). All I can say is go and try it for yourself. A classic addition to any meal is an order of bolani. read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Bolani - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

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Incredible food at a great price. Bolani and chicken / gyro over rice were both delicious. Servings sizes are generous. Highly recommend.

I love this place! I have had the chicken gyro and the chicken over rice. It's a good price for the amount of food you get. The service is very fast if you eat there and if you take out your food is always ready when you come to pick it up. The white sauce is delicious and you can buy extra for 50 cents. It's pretty spicy so if you don't like spicy food then make sure they don't put the red sauce on. I believe there is a minimum of $10 for credit card charges so be sure to bring cash if your food is not $10. The parking can be a little tricky since it is right on central but there is a parking lot toward the side of the place...not sure if you're actually supposed to park here. The location might be a little sketchy but the food is good! read more

BEST CHICKEN OVER RICE!!!! I've tried various ones from all over including NYC and let me just say, Afghan kabab express delivers the best quality and taste of food. Halal guys in NYC is overrated this is the real deal guys. Now that I'm living in NYC again, I truly miss these guys and it's a treat for when my fiancé and I go up to the Albany area. You can feel the love in the food. It's addicting and I'm Not ashamed to admit that when we were in the area we and our friends would indulge in this weekly when our metabolisms were much better than they are now read more

Got the Chicken over Rice and Bolani for take-away. Both delicious and made for an amazing dinner for $10. Will definitely be back again and again and again... read more

Afghan Kabab Express - Chicken over Rice + Bolani - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Service was the brightest smile in Albany and eager to please without trying too hard. Kebabs were more succulent morsels of meat than a high end steak house. Prices were so low I can't understand how nearby fast food joints can compete. A huge plate or rice with Kebabs and tomato plus a salad for $9! Simple natural and tasty ingredients. Unassuming decor, pleasant peaceful comfortable. Possibly the best value for dinner in Albany. read more

Good cheap halal. Skimpy on the white sauce so order extra! I always get the chicken over rice with pita and extra white sauce.