For two millennia, Afghanistan, a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia,…read moreboasts a rich and diverse culinary heritage. The country's cuisine reflects its multicultural history, with influences from Persian, Central Asian, Indian, and even Mediterranean culinary traditions. Though the food was served quickly, it wasn't made quickly. Rice, particularly long-grain varieties like basmati, is blanched for a day before it's cooked. Meats are marinated in carefully prepared concoctions for hours to ensure tenderness. Lamb shanks are stewed for hours each day. Never had Afghan food? You're not alone. There are only a handful of Afghan restaurants in NJ. Located at the Westfield Plaza off of South Avenue E, some of my colleagues decided on takeout as first-timers for lunch, which came recommended as the food tastes and feels like home from this family-owned and -run establishment. We called the order in for their family platter consisting of Ground Chicken, Lamb and Beef Kababs, Garden Salad, Brown Rice, Fresh Naan Bread, and a side of Potatoes with a red sauce and yogurt. Upon arrival at Famous Kabab Cuisine, my colleague and I were greeted by the owner, Ahmed, who has more than 25 years of experience in making fresh bread and kabob, and informed us of a 5-minute wait. The food remained hot back into the office, would feed 5, and have some for leftovers. The kebabs (ground chicken, beef, and lamb) were well seasoned, tasted delicious, and paired beautifully with the brown rice. Top that bread or kebab with the trio of sauces. A white yogurt sauce with dill is very reminiscent of tzatziki sauce, a vinegary green sauce with cilantro and pureed walnuts, and, for those who do want the heat, a red habanero sauce that should have come with a warning. Overall, one can tell the food was made fresh with quality ingredients. It is not cheap, but one gets decent portions, which we can recommend.

This was my first time trying Afghan food, and it was absolutely delicious! I'm already craving the…read morebolani again. On paper, the bolani description doesn't sound like much, but it's a flavorful, fragrant flatbread stuffed with potatoes and spices. The additional dipping sauces made it all the more tasty. We also tried the kofta korma, which was a saucy dish of spiced ground beef patties that paired perfectly with rice. Can't wait to explore more of the menu. We ordered takeout but next time we'll have to stop by and dine-in.

This is an update to a prior review. This has been one of our favorite restaurants in the area but…read moreour last visit fell short. We ordered the family platter and a hummus to go. We were told it would take 30-35 minutes, which is fine for cooked to order food. It really wasn't very busy, but the order took 50 minutes. The order was sitting on their counter ready to go, but it appeared they were backed up with making the bread. Once the bread came out, they bagged it up and we were ready to go. They almost forgot to give us the side salad, but they remembered before we left. Now for the food... - The bread that we waited for- was doughy and undercooked. It had burnt pieces stuck to it and they were not shaped as nicely as their usual bread. - The hummus side that we ordered, which was almost $8, was a half filled half pint container (very small amount) of what appeared more like a sauce rather than the thick hummus we are accustomed t. I wouldn't order this again. - The salad was watery...they need to drain the water better - The rice was cold - I think it was sitting out too long - Now for the main event - the meats - we enjoyed the flavor. This saved our dinner, we did enjoy the meats. We called them about the bread and they were apologetic, and told us we can stop by for bread next time we are there. As this is one of my favorite restaurants, I want to give them an opportunity to do better next time! The afghan bread and their rice have alway been my favorite part of their meals! I think it was an off night for them, I'd definitely give them a chance again in the future.

Afghan Kabob and Grill continues to provide delicious food. I have been coming here for years now…read more The food here is still absolutely amazing.... a flavorful mix of spices. Everything from the Chicken Chapli Kabob, Chicken Gyro Platter, Chicken Tikka Masala, Beef Kabob to the fresh made naan is delicious. The hummus is a must try. The prices are still extremely reasonable and the portion sizes are large. The service and staff is also very personable, friendly and full of suggestions. The interior has a casual front side with tables and the back has some booths with some ethnic decor. There are not many Afghan restaurants in the area, but hands down this is one of the best ones I've been too. I definitely plan on continuing to eat here.

food slaps, atmosphere is great, man who i am assuming is the owner is incredibly welcoming and…read morevery kind. got the spinach sambosas, chicken kebab, and kofta kebab will most definitely return

We haven't been able to eat any Afghan food since moving from St. Louis to central PA so were…read morecraving aushak and mantu when visiting NYC. Maybe we've been spoiled by our favorite restaurant back in St. Louis (Afghan Kabob House) but Ariana's was underwhelming. The server was friendly but the food was just ok. Pricey due to the location as expected but also underwhelming taste wise. We got the aushak, mantu, and kadoo bolanee (pumpkin curry with bread). All three surprisingly looked very similar (photos look almost identical as they had the same sauce drizzled with yogurt). The aushak has leeks inside while the mantu has beef. The beef was drier than we were used to and the aushak less flavorful with overpowering onion. The pumpkin was cooked in what looked like the same sauce as well but the baked bread it came with was good. They did offer complimentary chickpeas which were tastier however. Maybe other items on the menu would've been better picks!

Best takeout in the area. Mixed Gyro platter is off the…read morecharts. Delivery time is spot on. 10 out of 10!

I thought the food was FANTASTIC. The menu had so many options from swarmas to fries to platters to…read morekebabs. There's so much you can chose from. For the price and flavor it was so worth it. I got two meals out of mine. I got the gyro platter and it probably was one of the tastiest meals I've had in a long time. I thought the chicken was seasoned and flavorful. But by far, the best part was the white sauce. I would pair it with the mango lassi and it was such a great explosion of flavors - both savory and sweet. I will say they ask whether you're okay with onions and raisins in your platter. I liked them but I know raisins might not be what most people prefer to add to their rice. Service was fast. You can either order at the front table or at your seat. They got the food in a reasonable amount of time. The place looks small from the outside, but when you walk in, there's a back room worth of 30 people worth of seating. It's extremely cozy inside. There's also a parking lot right next to the restaurant and also across the street. The lot right next door is kinda small though, so you might need to loop around. Parking shouldn't be a problem and you can get a really good stop if you're lucky.

Really good, authentic and super fresh Mediterranean food. Service was really good too. Pretty…read morechill ambiance inside, nice and relaxed.

Very happy with our Sunday lunch earlier today. We've heard raving reviews about this place and…read morewere not disappointed! Ordered Mantu as an app and lamb shank + chicken kofta as entrees. Everything was super delicious and fresh,served quickly. Love how efficient and friendly the staff was! Portions were super big,so we had enough leftovers for dinner and then some..! Great flavors through spices used. Would love to come back and try other things out of their menu.

if you've met me since covid, you've probably heard me rave about how much I love this restaurant…read morein New Brunswick. I love afghani food and this one hands down is the BEST one I've come across. The flavorful rice to the assortment of savory and perfectly seasoned kebabs to the quantity - this is the best afghani / middle eastern restaurant I've had. I always order the family chicken platter for two and it comes with Adana kebabs (my favorite from here), Chapli kebabs, and Shish kebabs that are able to feed my family of 3 for both dinner and the following day's lunch. I do takeout always but you can sit upstairs - they have sitting layout of eating on the floor like it's done in Afghan. In this photo I ended up buying the family platter mixed (chicken and lamb) platter for 4 since it was more people. In hindsight, I'd still get the platter for 2 as it's roughly same size tray just a bit more quantity. Service is great.

I couldn't help but notice how many people were eating here. The restaurant performs reliably well…read more The restaurant crew is approachable and resourceful. Reliable place. Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine offers the ideal cozy dining atmosphere.

The setup here is a little different or kinda awkward…read more Well, we went to eat chaat/Mithai which is a little section inside the restaurant separate. There is also a paan shop, in one corner of the restaurant. We were a little bit confused as to where to sit or who to order from. Also from outside, it says "lovely sweet restaurant" which is actually the chaat/ mithai section. Nonetheless, we ended up ordering from Kandahar. Flounder with rice. It was very good. It was well seasoned, crispy and delicious. Generous portion of rice also with the dish. Lamb chapli kabob and boneless lamb cubes. This dish was also pretty good. Served with rice. The lamb was well seasoned. We enjoyed the food. Service was good. Manager came to our table couple of times to ensure everything was good. There was constant customer traffic back n forth. Alot of take out orders also.

Food is good lamb chops and gyros platter I like at . And special chicken and lamb shorma…read more Service is good

This place is really great--the food feels fresh and authentic. The meat is especially good:…read moretender, juicy, and full of flavor. The rice is fluffy and aromatic, and I love that they include grilled vegetables on the side, which adds a nice balance to the meal. Their hot sauce is seriously so good, it ties everything together really well. The mantoo was also a standout for me--honestly one of the best I've had at a restaurant.

My family often frequented the restaurant together. My little sister got her first paid check and…read morewanted to treat us. after my little sister picked us to a family platter. Unfortunately, our experience took a very upsetting turn when we found what appeared to be a bug in the food. We contacted the restaurant to explain what we found and hoped they would handle the situation professionally. Instead, the conversation quickly became hostile. After some back and forth the owner ultimately became very aggressive and said "if you want me to deal with this issue personally you can come in person and we can handle it like men" to my older brother which felt threatening. We left the interaction feeling disrespected, intimidated, and completely disgusted with how our concerns were handled. We were unable to reach a resolution or receive a refund despite raising what we believed was a serious food safety issue. Finding a literal insect in a meal is concerning enough, but what made this experience especially disappointing was the way we were treated afterward. From one Muslim person to another- that man had no kindness in his heart. I truly hope the restaurant shuts down or that man ends up on the street bc he's not taking food safety concerns seriously.

Wow this is a legendary Afghan restaurant located in Kensington Brooklyn and from the mante, to the…read morechicken kebab plate I can't tell you what's not amazing about this place. Good restaurant to come in with the family but also great for take out, and the quality and consistency is always top notch. The mante is seasoned so well and it's always fresh to order and one of my favorite dishes of all time. The food is very palatable as it's not spicy and you get a great value for your money. It's also halal and a great option in the area or if you're looking to explore and try some classic afghan food!

I had been to this Afghan restaurant once a good while ago, having gone there as part of a Yelp…read moreevent where I loved the food. More recently, I hosted a meal here with a bunch of others, and there were enough glaring issues that I can't recommend this place anymore, regardless of the excellent quality. The place is casual, and the staff had to be asked for silverware, extra cups for water, spoons for serving, and other items. To drink, someone had a $5 Doogh, and I ordered one too, but it never arrived, though at least it wasn't on the bill. They gave us a simple salad to munch on prior to the meal, which worked well with the yogurt dressing on the table. The bread on everyone else's table was missing from ours, which turned out to be the first difference in our meal compared to most other tables. For appetizers, we got a couple that were both $8 and had the same type of sauce. My preference of the two was the Mantu, or steamed dumplings stuffed with ground beef. The dish came with six large dumplings that were plump, with a nice thin dumpling skin. There was also the Aushak, filled with leeks and scallions. In comparison, they were smaller and a bit thicker, with a more refreshing filling. The sauces on both dishes consisted of a mix of garlic mint yogurt and a lamb/tomato-based sauce, and they went well, adding some tang. Of the mains, my preference was the $15 Chapli Kabob, or sizzling pan-fried ground beef patties mixed with fresh vegetables. In comparison to the Pakistani version, they were more delicately spiced, but I didn't mind, as there still was a little pleasant kick. The meat, otherwise, was very tender, with the three patties easily broken apart with a spoon for sharing. The group favorite was surprisingly the Spicy Chicken Kabob, consisting of boneless chicken breast marinated with a blend of Afghan spices for $17. The chicken was very tender and juicy, with a mild kick. I found it better than the $18 Lamb Tikka Kabob, with the meat in the latter being tasty but a bit dry/overcooked. There was also the tasty $15 Borani Banjan, or fried eggplant seasoned with spices and topped with garlic mint yogurt. This is available as an appetizer, but we got it as a main. The eggplant had a light crisp and a similarly tasty sauce, similar to the appetizers, which made sense in retrospect. The most well-known dish here is the Uzbeki Qabuli Pulao for $23, or braised lamb shank served over a bed of rice and garnished with sweet raisins and carrots. The lamb fell off the bone and was wonderful overall, and I can see why this is the most popular option here. I would comment on the Qabuli Pulao, but they gave us standard brown rice. They eventually gave us a separate dish of raisins and carrots, but this was annoying at best, as a few other dishes were coming out with said mixture on other tables, and I doubt they had all ordered it prior. For dessert, we got a single order of Firnee for $6, a housemade custard made with sweet milk, cinnamon, rosewater, and cardamom, garnished with minced pistachios. The custard was light with a mild sweetness. Otherwise, there was a pleasant floral flavor. We had a $5 pot of green tea with that dessert, which had some cardamom and I think maybe a little bit of cinnamon as well, and it went well. Overall, it was good, though a few of us got dessert afterwards at the excellent Pakistani shop Narala nearby. If the food wasn't so good, I'd be docking this spot another point or two, as this was the first time in a very long time that it felt like we were getting a different experience, in terms of bread and especially the rice, for some rather obvious/unfortunate reasons. The fact that they charged us for this rice multiple times without giving us said pulao irks me as well, even if it's only $3 per dish. To be honest, I would prefer to go back to a pricier spot in Manhattan, such as Afghan Kabob House or Ariana, where the service is nicer and we get the same experience.

Very, very, very surprised only because I remember what the scenario was like with the previous…read moreowner, but it's day and night not that there was anything wrong with the previous owners. I would've thought maybe it was a three all day long but after dinner tonight and getting to meet.Muhamme it was definitely a five and we will absolutely be back. We start off with an appetizer of chicken Samosa and not anything like an Indian Samosa a little bit different and very tasty not greasy, a nice crunch. My wife had the lamb Gyro platter that came with a plate of their rice with carrots and raisins, and a side dish and pita bread and I had the lamb shank platter. The meat on the lamb shank was to die, for it melted right off the bone. It was perfectly cooked. Tenders can be soft as can be tasty as can be a nice shoe of pink on the inside and the sauce that it was in we were dipping the pita bread in it, as well as some of the pieces for my wife's platter, which was also extremely tender very unexpected. Overall, it definitely rings bells for us as another food group that now we have a regular place to go.

Food was really yummy; however, I wish that the ratio of rice to meat was a little more even (i.e I…read morefeel like a little more meat would have been nice). Staff was friendly and it didn't take too long so it was nice. Would definitely order from them again!