If you don't yet know that Caspian Grill has a whole vegan menu, you should. I'm late to the game and now working to make up for lost time. Not only are they incredibly kind, but also very knowledgeable about the vegan options, and even keep all vegan prep separate from animal products. For the first time ever, I was able to try real tahdig, so thoroughly crispy that you can hear it crunch between the teeth of your dining companion across the table. Khoresh bademjan is typically made with lamb, but in this case, tender lentils carry the eggplant with enough meatiness that you'd never think the dish had ever been prepared differently. If you only get one thing, though, make it the ash reshteh. Don't be fooled by the size of the bowl; this is one hearty entree, absolutely packed with chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, soft wheat noodles, and more herbs and spices than I could identify on a single spoon. I'm already plotting how I can recreate this at home, ASAP. There's even a vegan dessert! Sweet and sticky halva, which is rich enough to split four or five ways at least, if you weren't already stuffed from the main meal. It's a double-edged sword that it was so quiet on a Saturday night. No fight for a table or wait for service, but it worries me that there's almost no buzz for this family-owned business. Get out and support them, early and often! read more

The was best Persian cuisine in Austin! Very authentic! I'm Persian (my dad's side) and grew up eating traditional meals. Oh, the nostalgia... so fulfilling to my soul, especially since my dad is no longer earth-side. read more

I was really excited to try this place out, as Persian food is one of my favorites and it's pretty tough to find. I decided to order a mini Persian feast: the beef koobideh with rice, doogh yogurt drink, and a saffron ice cream for dessert. This was my first time trying beef koobideh, and unfortunately, this just didn't seem to be very good. The meat itself was okay, decently cooked, and topped with quite a lot of some spice that I can't quite put my finger on. It was okay. The rice though, that is what really disappointed me. Persian rice is usually amazing, but this really didn't seem traditional and it had a strange taste to it. It also came with onion and a grilled tomato, both solid additions. Good portion though. The doogh yogurt drink wasn't homemade like I had hoped, but in all honesty, it still really hit the spot on a hot Austin day. Reasonable price. The saffron rice was also fairly disappointing. Large white chunks (clotted cream maybe? But they were pretty tasteless), gritty texture, not much flavor. Just not really worth it. All in all, a bit of a disappointing dinner in Austin. I'll have to look for a different Persian spot next time I'm in the area. read more

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Love this place and so glad we found a Persian restaurant with such great food. The chicken and koobideh kabob were both so juicy and flavorful and honestly so good. I also loved the Persian decor and little touches throughout the restaurant because it made the space feel even more warm and authentic. The owner was super kind and welcoming which made the experience even better. We will definitely be back and I have already been recommending it to friends. They also offer catering which is amazing and we will absolutely keep them in mind for future events. read more

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The day before I popped into this place, a friend told me about a Persian dish called Fesenjan. It is stewed chicken with walnuts and pomegranate served over rice. Serendipitously I came across the Caspian Grill and sure enough they had it on their menu. It was fantastic. It was bright and rich and full of depth. The restaurant was clean, open and inviting, and the staff were super friendly. read more

Caspian Grill - Fesenjan. A sweet and sour stew with walnuts and pomegranate. Simply amazing. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've never been to Iran. But I love the crisped up rice at the bottom of a pan, such as those found at the bottom of bibimbap bowls or clay pot rice dishes. Here, Tahdig is purposefully made as a menu item. It's nicely brown and quite crunchy. Previously, I had only ordered items to-go, stopping in briefly to pickup. But one day, I decided to stop in for an early dinner. Upon entry it is eerily quiet, but you'll notice to decor, rugs, metallic objects. For sitting, pick a table anywhere. The menus are located under the glass. Read, decide, and pick what you want. If it comes with rice, do you want regular, barberry, raisin carrot? Nabbed some Ghomeh Sabzi. Those dried limes give off a nice bitter and sour flavor. +1 for the Tadig that comes it, and I got it with barberry rice to have a nice savory and sour rice base. Also grabbed the mixed koobideh--the minced skewered meats are great. Comes with JamesFarm salted butter, a grilled tomato, and mint. Pretty delicious. Sprinkled with a nice dusting of sumac to provide that nice zesty and tangy flavor. Food comes served on paper plates, but they do provide silverware. I'll have to make a mental note to come here more often. read more

Caspian Grill - Mix Koobideh and Rice with grilled tomato, James Farm salted butter, onion, mint, lime, and sumac - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Caspian Grill OUTSTANDING job on the Lamb Shank! Wow, it was spot on and the BEST we have ever had. NO joke this place is legit! The Akbar Joojeh was very tender and fell off the bone...again outstanding job. The rice that came with Akbar Joojeh was extremely good, you need to add it as a side instead of just plain. read more

Incredibly delicious. The owner is very well educated on absolutely everything on the menu, has good insight in what we're about to pick out, including secret menu options. The place is very peaceful. read more

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Wife and I were headed to See's for some Easter candy and wanted to have a hearty lunch to keep us from over indulging. Looked around and found this Iranian/Persian spot. We have never had food from that regional cuisine so we thought we'd give it a shot. So stoked that we decided to go there because it was delicious. I got the mixed koobideh with rice and Wife had the beef kabobs with naan, and we both had the Persian hot tea. Wife's plate came out with 2 giant naan, one underneath her kabob, lime wedge, mint, onions, and a grilled tomato and the other on top of it all. Mine had a huge amount of rice along with one chicken and one beef kabob all dusted with sumac, lime, mint, onions, grilled tomato, and a pat of butter. Every thing looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. Seasoned, tender meat-fluffy rice, yum. Yum. Yum. Wife gave me one of her naan. It was larger and thinner than other naan I've had. I tore it into sections and created mini wraps with the meat and rice. Delicious! The hot tea came with sugar cubes and had a lovely rose fragrance. It is an order at the counter restaurant, so make sure you peruse the menu ahead of time so you're ready to order. The decor was traditional and gave the place a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Great food, will be back when we are in the area again! read more

We already love this restaurant because the food is perfection. We had them cater a large party and you can tell they just love what they do. The way they put together the dishes is a work of art!! The guests absolutely loved the food. read more

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Great food & sweet man behind the counter. Ambiance feels true to the food experience. Would go back again. read more

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First time our family tried Peruvian and Iranian cuisine, and it was absolutely wonderful. This place is truly a hidden gem--we'll definitely be back on our next road trip. Dr. G, thank you again for sharing your wisdom with us. We genuinely appreciated the conversation. read more

Caspian Grill - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Week two of three of my fruit, vegetables and grains fast. Fortunately, Austin has a plethora of vegan / vegetarians restaurants to satisfy my fast cravings. Therefore, I decided to try Caspian grill, at the SE corner of research and Oak Knoll. Pictures of lentil soup has been dancing in my head. In addition, I love beets and those were apart of my vegan fantasy. Both dishes had fragrant tastes with a bit of vinegar flavoring...quite different in a very good way. In an effort to support sustainability and keep costs down, food is served on paper plates. Sometimes one may expect a culinary experience and get a bonus. Today was one of those days - culinary experience + cultural immersion. This restaurant was eclectic with some unique artifacts - copper soldiers, roses water container and a tiled wall that looked like a Persian rug most from Iran. Sean my server was very generous in sharing insights regarding the pieces...very enjoyable! While it was an an early dinner, I was the only person in the restaurant. Important to note the online menu is a bit lower in price than online menu in the restaurant. During these economic times, it's important to support small businesses. Give them a try... read more

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The service here was so kind, he was a very nice guy who told us about the restaurants family business. He gave us some great recommendations and asked us how we were doing. We got the eggplant flatbread which had a bunch of yummy toppings on it. I got the lamb shawarma salad which was delicious!! It's a simple salad with really tender lamb off the bone. It's unlike other lamb, this one is very soft and had big pieces. We also got the lamb shawarma wrap which had the same big pieces of tender lamb that melted in your mouth. That combination with the veggies, fresh pita, and sauces was so good. We'd definitely come back here again!! Perfect spot to fill up and feel good after! read more

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Food is good and authentic, large portions and tasty. The place is reflective of Iranian culture and art. There are no prices on the menu which was surprising. For the amount of food that is served, it is priced ok. Very friendly elderly gentleman served us. We will come back again read more

Excellent Persian food, specially if you like eggplant, beef, lamb or some harder to find regional Caspian dishes. They also have the safe and standard fair like gyros, kebabs, and shawarmas. For next time, I might consider some of the rice substitutions they looked interesting. I had the eggplant and beef stew, Khoresh Bademjan, and Kashke Bademjan. Both were excellent and complementary despite te similarities. I liked the balanced of yogurt/whey against the eggplant mix with the starter. Someone else had Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate Chicken), and it was delightful with its mix of sweetness, sourness, and balance that it tempted me away from considering ordering more eggplant dishes the next time I returned. The service was also exceptionally attentive, hospitable, and sociable. The ambiance was professional, fitting, and not overbearing. The deserts were also well portioned and easily shareable. My favorite was the Sholeh Zard, a Persian take on a rice pudding. I didn't see it on the menu, but they had some available. It was a nice mix of sweetness, florals, and spices without being too over the top in any quality. The price seemed fair. It didn't seem like a massive bargain or poor value. The portions were fairly large, but were not excessively massive. Everyone in my party had leftovers, but we are not big eaters and we ordered a starter and two deserts to share for the party of 4. A very slight negative was the rice was cooked a bit inconsistently giving it an uneven texture, but I was the only who noticed in our party. It may have been intentional, the slight crunchiness/hardness did create an interesting mouth feel. I know there are some dishes that do this intentionally. A minor flaw if that would not ruin a masterful meal and experience. read more

This is literally my favorite restaurant in Austin. I have eaten a lot of middle eastern food in various (western) countries. I know it well. What's so great about this place is all of the non traditional stews you don't get just anywhere. I literally get a different meal every time and have always loved them. Thanks Caspian Grill! read more

Caspian Grill - Fesenjan. Chicken in pomegranate and walnut stew. With a mountain of rice. Excellent. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

the dishes were kind of dry in general. the lamb shank was a bit tough, we were expecting fall off the bone tender. Flavors were bland and lacked seasoning. even the Au Jus was not tasty. It really needed a side salad at the very least. Spicy-ness was zero. read more

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Absolutely delicious food. Everything from their salad, lentil soup and lamb shank and lamb shawarma was so tasty.

Everything is absolutely delicious and freshly prepared. Vegan & gluten free options. Full of flavor. A must for mediterranean lovers. So many options. Can't say enough good things. Needs more customers!!! read more

Caspian Grill - Shirazi Salad & Mirza Ghasemi. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

There aren't many options for Persian food in Austin but Caspian grill doesn't disappoint. I've been there a few times and the food has always been the highlight of the visit. The service is also very good. There are some old Persian decore there but i go there mostly for the food which is very good. read more

Shawn was very nice and the food was very tasty. Thank you for the wonderful dinner. We were there a little past close, but it was no problem. read more

Caspian Grill - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm not from the area. I was just passing through, and found the place on Yelp, and decided to give it a try. I've never had Iranian food before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Had the lamb shank with dill rice and a cup of lentil soup. Everything was absolutely delicious! Met the owner, and she was super kind. All the decor is very nice, and feels cozy. I definitely recommend the place. I'll be back next time I'm in town. read more

My wife and I were going to throw a big 90th birthday party for my father in law. We had invited over 150 guests and were super nervous about quality of food as well as quantity. We wanted to serve Persian food and knew Caspian was the place to go to but had never catered from them at this scale. To make a long story short they came through for us big time. The quality was excellent, portions were super generous and she even threw in some extra food as a BD present for the birthday boy!! Throughout the ordering process Erhima who manages and runs the place gave us great information, guided us and put our minds at ease. We had so many compliments on the food. I highly recommend Caspian for your event big or small. They are amazing!! read more

Caspian Grill - Caspian Grill catered food being enjoyed by all guests! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Absolutely incredible! I've been to Caspian Grill several times over the years and it never disappoints. I especially love that they have a vegan section of the menu! Most recently I've had the Vegan Ash Reshteh, and Mirza Ghasemi. In the past I've had the vegan kabob. Amazing. My omnivorous mother REALLY enjoyed their Chicken Fesenjan. I'd recommend Caspian Grill to anyone who appreciates quality food and beautiful, rich flavors. I'll be back soon! read more

Finally - an authentic Persian restaurant in Austin! When we walked in, we were instantly greeted by the owner (spoke to us in Farsi too after noticing my wife is Persian). All the items on the menu are authentic and classic dishes which had me really excited to try it out. Be warned, you will be served on paper plates and such, so if you're looking for something fancy, this isn't it! We wound up getting an assortment of items, but the beef koobideh was my favorite. This is a staple for me and I loved it! read more

Caspian Grill - Beef Koobideh and Rice - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food is always fresh and tasty. Their prices are a bit high for this type of food BUT, their kabobs are large and juicy versus the other Persian restaurant in town's "see through thin" kabobs for a couple of dollars less. Caspian is the best Persian restaurant in the Austin area from a taste and presentation perspective. read more

Caspian Grill - Beef Koobideh and Rice - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I tried a new dish for myself - fesenjan, and it really turned out to be interesting. The chicken was tender, and the sauce had a pleasant combination of sweet and sour taste. It's something you want to try again. The menu also has some vegan items, which was pleasantly surprising. It can be seen that here they try to take into account the different preferences of the guests. The institution is rather simple, without excessive atmosphere, but cozy. The service was attentive, though without excessive hospitality. In general - a good place to eat tasty and atypical. There are certain nuances that can be improved, but the experience remained positive. read more

It's been a minute since I had food good enough to review. This evening was one of those evenings. If you like mediterranean food, and more specifically Persian food, stop reading and start driving. It is clear that the people making the food here care and are proud of what they do. You can taste it in every bite. There were not nearly enough people in this restaurant tucked away in a small shopping center for the quality of the meal I just had. Go now. read more

The best lamb shank I've had in Austin. Very flavorful platter all around;very hard to stop eating. Authentic food and amazing service.

Food: 10/10 fresh, authentic, great portions & absolutely delicious. If you are looking for Persian food in Austin - you have to add this to your list. It is a very clean & quiet restaurant, and the service is A+. It's a little further away from the city but totally worth the drive. Especially because there really are no other Persian restaurants besides one other. Service: I wish I got her name but she really went out of her way to answer all our questions, make us feel heard, and give great recommendations. What we ordered: zereshk polo with chicken, joojeh kabob ( grilled chicken skewers ) koobideh ( beef kabob ) and khorosh sabzi. Wish I took photos to share but high recommend all of them. We ended it with an order of tea and lots of sweets! Dessert: big time - this restaurant has a bakery next door. They share a wall in the middle, but the server allowed us to go checkout what we like at the bakery full service of coffee, lattes, or any type of pastry and then order it to be served to our table. I'm not sure if they are one entity but bakery's name is : Elissa's Bakery. Desserts we ordered: mocha cake, carrot cake, puff pastry and pastry puff. We all shared and finished them in one sitting! The dessert variety is great because they provide Persian desserts or normal bakery sweets. We had such a good time that I forgot to take photos of all our orders but I remember loving the stand that the teapot sat on to keep the tea warm. That's the only photo I have to share! Looking forward to coming back again. Thank you! read more

Caspian Grill - Persian Hot Tea - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Caspian Grill offers tasty and authentic Persian food, along with attentive service. One negative is that prices were not listed on the menu, which leaves diners guessing. read more

The food is amazing the staff is super helpful if you've never been before they will walk you through the menu. I definitely recommend the food is fresh and delicious. read more

Ok so it's in a little strip mall and looks incredibly unassuming from the outside. Indoors though, it's a vibe! Cozy and cultural with super friendly staff and delicious food. They do indeed have Halal options if that's something that you need. Many options for vegans and vegetarians too. We ordered our food to go and only had a small wait, which was great, but it feels like this spot should be busier than it is. All that being said, Persian Biryani, get it! Hot, fresh, delicious, and made great leftovers for my lunch the next day. We'll be back to try different dishes at some point. Worth the drive if this place is a little out of the way for you. read more

My mom asked me to pick a place for my birthday and I chose here. I love the option of Persian cuisine, since I don't get that everyday. Persian cuisine is awesome! They have an entire Vegan section on the menu. The portions are great, as I had some leftover to enjoy later. Yummy, wholesome, and satisfying. The Owner was super hospitable and welcoming. He was also interesting, sharing information about the paintings and unique Middle Eastern objects, such as a gigantic rose water dispenser. The Owner is one of the men of the world cosmopolitan types. I love people who value their own culture as well as other cultures, as they can fascinate you tons. 5 Stars! read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Caspian Grill. It was a blind pick that I rolled the dice on. I am so glad that I did. I met up there with my adult daughter and her mother there. I do not recall the name of the gentleman that helped us; I believe that it was John, but don't quote me. John was warm, welcoming, and helpful. And when I started joking about the chances of getting a side of poison to put in the ex-wife's food, he played along really well and joked about it with all of us several times. The food was amazing as well. I had the lamb shank and loved it! This is definitely a place that we will be coming back to. Thank you so much John, and please feel free to correct me on the name :) read more

Food we had was superb! I had their Fesenjen which was so delicious. This new to me dish of tender chicken in a rich slightly sweet & savory sauce made with pomegranate molasses, topped with pomegranate seeds is something I will order again. They also have an amazing selection of vegan meals. So worth the trip! Their service with smile was great! read more

I've been coming here for years. They have very easy online ordering. I was especially pleased with the kind service from the last time I ordered the easy favorite - Koobideh Kabob. I'm so grateful for another Persian restaurant in Austin. Thanks! read more

The service is fantastic, the owner and servers are welcoming and friendly. The food is homey and delicious. Their stews particularly ghormeh sabzi are on spot and very well made. The ambience is very warm, persian style and well decorated. read more

Incredibly disappointed. I was excited to give this place a try considering the high ratings. First, it is incredibly tacky that the food is served out of styrofoam containers. I understand that this helps save clean up time but if I'm going out to eat, I don't want a "carry out" container. It kind of dampens the eating experience. I asked the cashier for recommendations and she was very adamant against suggesting anything at the risk of me not liking the food. Her efforts were fruitless considering that I was still underwhelmed and disappointed. I ordered the Turkish Coffee and Chicken Sultani & Rice. My food was super bland. I could tell that it had some spices on it but the taste was super weak. Also, there is no way food that is so bland and comes served in a styrofoam container should cost so much-this isn't fine dining. I was also disappointed with myTurkish coffee. The coffee had a strange distinct taste that reminded me more of an herbal tea than of coffee. Overall, I'm unimpressed and I don't recommend. read more

Caspian Grill - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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