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    Aracosia McLean

    4.8 (484 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

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    ARACOSIA MCLEAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Aracosia McLean

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    Sour cherry and rose lemonade.
    Nams S.

    Aracosia has been a stellar Afghani food staple for Northern VA since they opened. Their tender Lamb shanks--both Sabzi and Moghuli are hit with family and out of state visitors. So is the Vegetarian platter and tasting menu, aushak, quroti, and turnovers. You cant go wrong with saffron rice or the rice with carrots and raisins. Enough reviews already mention the four dips and soft bread, a cross between middle eastern bread and focaccia. Non alcoholic drinks are not an after thought, the sour cherry rose lemonade is liked by kids, adults, and seniors. Service is warm and welcoming, the Rumi quotes on the walls and turkish lamps add to the ambience, parking is easy and aplenty. A few tips: 1. Go for the lunch menu if you are feeding a large group. It is cheaper. Or consider making the trek to where it all started, Afghan Bistro in Springfield. 2. Ask for the daily selection of cakes. The pistachio and cardamom are the best, not too sweet, light, moist, and fragrant. Of course we devoured the food before taking pictures but a couple attached.

    Mix Grill Mazza
    Rebecca C.

    This restaurant had such a wonderful assortment of unique foods, reasonably priced for lunch. Great dining experience with indoor, outdoor seating. Fine dining but lunch is a little more casual. Servers were great as well to explain new food items to us. Spicy beef dumplings were so delicious, perfectly seasoned. Braised lamb was so tender and juicy. All the portions were ginormous! Parking is free.

    Risotto & Lamb
    Anh S.

    Aracosia is our go-to Afghan restaurant and once again it did not disappoint! We came as a party of 7 with my family and my daughter's BFF's family and basically ordered enough food for a small village lol. We started with the assorted dumplings for 8, Mantu and Aushak with spicy ground beef and leek, and they didn't last long. I don't usually get excited about vegetarian dishes but the Aushak is amazing... perhaps it's that flavorful beef topping? My daughter's favorite is the Lamb Shank Qabali Palau with brown rice, carrots and eggplant. The meat literally falls off the bone and the spices just dance in your mouth. Chicken kabobs were juicy and flavorful, and the chicken with mushroom rice was so perfectly balanced. Lots of spices, yet restrained enough that you can actually taste each one without anything overpowering the dish. That is not easy to do. The Lamb Shank Sholah was another surprise for me because I don't typically like beans, but this was packed with flavor and fresh dill, so aromatic and unbelievably delicious. And the Chopaan Kabob... those lamb chops may possibly be one of the most flavorful things here. Seriously hard to resist. We finished dinner with Firni topped with pistachios, cardamom ice cream, saffron rice pudding and rose ice cream. The Firni was so good it was hard not to completely finish everything even after that huge dinner lol. We ordered a LOT, ate a LOT, and somehow there was very little left to take home. That probably says it all.

    Maitrayee D.

    Very nice restaurant . Enjoyed their free bread with three sauces.Then I loved their saffron tea. We were 6 of us . We ordered variety of their lunch specials . I must say each snd every item were prepared to perfection . Will be back soon .I simply loved their pistachio cake .

    Naan With Dipping saucd
    Raymond B.

    We've gone to Aracosia a few times times now and they never disappoint. The food is always great and they're always so welcoming. The naan bread with the dipping sauce is always good but we always make sure to get the Mantu Appetizer. You can't go wrong with any of the entree. From the Lamb Chop platters to the simple Chicken Breast Kabob, everything moist and delicious. On our last visit, we tried the Beef Tongue Zuban. The hostess noticed that we had not finished it and asked if we didn't like it. It was good but it was just different. We didn't realize until we got the check that she had taken the Zuban off our check. She didn't have to but we definitely appreciated it. Those small gestures definitely make Aracosia one of our top restaurants picks hands-down. Aracosia is always on top of our list when we want really good food and very welcoming atmosphere. We don't live in the area anymore but it's definitely worth the drive!

    Beef Tenderloin & Chicken
    Raneem K.

    Aracosia is a very cozy. Authentic feel for afghan cuisine. It brings a more upscale look/vibe to it. We ordered their mantu assortment, which was really yummy. One of the choices being their pumpkin mantu, that was my personal favorite. Also, I ordered the beef and chicken combo. The beef was very tender and yummy, and the chicken was cooked well. Overall, I recommend coming and trying this restaurant out. The waiters and staff were very nice as well

    My friend and I are doing foods around the world. This time was my friends turn. She found this site and we decided it was the choice of the month. We chose the tastes of aracosia. Not sure if that is the menu item. I cannot find it online. Anyways it gave 3 styles of dumplings. Sides containing eggplant, squashing like acubed soften style cooked, lentils, chickpeas, lamb, chicken and a couple of other meats. It came with bread and 4 diping sauces. I believe this last thing is complimentary with all the meals. Two people do have to do the meal. We were quite full afterwards. It was deliscious. The atmosphere is nice and calming. A gentleman playing a specialized style instrument, that had relaxing tones in the background. He was right behind us and no interruptions at all in our conversation. I wish I had taken a picture of the instrument. A delightful experience, I recommend trying.

    Pumpkin Dumpling Appetizer - delicious.
    Ani J.

    I would give this restaurant 3.5 on food. We went here to celebrate my birthday. They have a branch in DC. But we were excited to try the location in McLean. I had never been to an Afghan restaurant, so was curious to try. They have a huge vegetarian menu. So that's not a problem at all. The server was super nice and very attentive. I ordered the following: - Pumpkin Dumplings: these were really good. A bit sweet of course, but served with different sauces. - Qabulli : this is sweet rice and for vegetarians, it comes with four different veggies. The chickpeas and eggplant were delicious. The spinach was ok. The pumpkin was decent. Overall, definitely on the sweeter side. The bread initially came out very hard and dry. My son was not able to bite it. But then a fresh batch came, and the bread was soft. Overall, great ambiance, service and restaurant. If you enjoy Afghan food, definitely give it a try.

    Shahrzad T.

    The food was absolutely delicious, we were there for late lunch and had their special sampler it was perfect! We tried everything, will definitely go back .

    Taste of Aracosia menu was the way to go for us.
    Oliver G.

    None of us have had Afghan cuisine before so the set menu lets you sample so many dishes and the portions are generous. Lots of veg options. The ambiance is bright and lovely for friends catching up, or co-workers unwinding. The service is friendly and informative, exactly what you need when trying new cuisines.

    Taste of aracosia menu.
    Thuy L.

    I ate here once on a work trip and have thought about it almost weekly since then. Imagine how happy I was to come back when I moved here?! The food is delicious. I'd never had Afghani food until this place so I don't have a frame of reference but I don't think this keeps it from being objectively delicious. Came for my anniversary and the servers were swamped but so sweet, even brought us a dessert on the house! We order the taste of Aracosia to try everything. It's a great deal and we had so much food for two more meals after. It's a nice spot, dark and moody, pretty lively and has always been busy when I've gone. I love this place and will be bringing family and friends over and over.

    taste of aracosia for 5
    Priscilla T.

    Excellent place to try Afghan food! The place was very decorative and you can park in the garage below for free. We had to wait 15 minutes for our table even though we had a reservation unfortunately. Our server was funny and entertaining! He was as friendly as most of the staff. Food came out super quick and all at once which was overwhelming. We got the Mini Taste of Aracosia for 5 people ($46 per person) and an order of Assortment of Dumplings for 4 people ($24.95). Everything was super flavorful and delicious! My favorite things were definitely the dumplings. We all really also enjoyed the Grilled Lamb Chops, Banjaan (eggplants), Daal (lentils), Rumi's Veal, and the qabuli rice. It was definitely way too much food. I think we were only able to eat half of the whole tasting menu. Very generous portions so come hungry, or be prepared for a whole feast for leftovers LOL

    Sharon H.

    For a special date night out to a family gathering, Aracosia serves really unique, well-spiced, and unique dishes that are hard to find in the area. We ended up getting the complete taste which includes the mini taste and the assortment of dumplings. The meaty dumpling was probably the best. It came with two different rices, an each of which pair nicely with the complete taste dishes including the lentils and sweet ribs. The complimentary bread was warm and the sauces were either sweet or savory with a bit of spice. While the wait for the food was admittedly longer than expected, they were also generally pretty busy. We also got a lot of food at $55 each person. Docking off one star because when we sat down, and I got my plate, it was left with a bunch of crumbs. Very great experience overall for trying Afghan food for the first time.

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    17 days ago

    Not a big fan of the food. The menu is little too big for my taste. Tables are sticky.

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    1 month ago

    Always terrific food and ambiance and decor are beautiful! Saffron chicken is a favorite and any lamb dish.

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    11 months ago

    Love this place ! Great food and service is amazing. Definitely going back and recommend

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Aracosia McLean

    Is this place halal?

    If you're asking about their meat, yes, it's halal (it's also halal at their other restaurants). The owner has reassured me and my guests in person on multiple occasions, and once on the phone. Lamb might be a good option if you're one to play… 

    Is there a dress code?

    Not a hard dress code - nice casual should be sufficient. Jeans and a nice shirt should be fine.

    Is your ( food) meat halal?

    Thank you for your message. Yes, all our meats are halal.

    Is the food Zabiha halal hand slaughter? Waiting for the owner to reply so that everyone is aware of…

    Owner mentioned halal . Not clear if it hand slaughtered. You can call location to confirm it .

    Do they deliver? Is there a lunch menu?

    Hello, Thank you for your message. We do not deliver but you may order carry out by calling the restaurant 30 minutes before pick up. Please click on the link below to view… 

    Is it serving halal meats?

    Hello, Thank you for your message. Yes, we do serve halal meat.… 

    View All 7 Questions

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    Stumbled upon this place coming to the mall to kill time. Currently serving brunch. When we…read morepreviewed the menu, had to get ribeye and eggs. Server was great but have bugs to work out, as it was a soft opening. Ordered toast and the server came to tell us that they don't have rye. I also thought he would have offered the liquor menu, as I had to ask for it. Was brought our food but was missing our hash browns. A few minutes after apologies, received our hash browns. Steak and the eggs were perfect. The place is absolutely gorgeous. Really like the atmosphere. Maybe a while to return as I live in CA, but I definitely will be back with hopes to upgrade to 5 stars.

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    Aracosia McLean - afghani - Updated September 2026

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