Food is always excellent. The customer service is friendly…read more The location is convenient. The interior is clean. Noise level is low.

About a 2-2.5: We were really excited to check out Arlington Kabob, as this place has been around…read morefor a while, and it seems to be a local favorite. We came here for an early lunch, and we ordered: +a Combo Platter for 2 - this came with chicken kofta, beef kofta, and a choice of chicken, lamb, or beef kabob - we went for the beef; for the sides, we went for the potatoes and the lentil soup, and for the rice, we went Quabli style Out of all the meats, we thought the chicken kofta had the best flavor; both the beef kofta and the kabob were just 'okay'; the beef kofta had a more game-y flavor - not sure if they had mixed it up with lamb first; the beef kabob was overcooked and dried out, more on the chewy end, which was not enjoyable. The Quabli-style rice didn't really enhance anything - the carrots were way too soft, and there were hardly any currants, which was disappointing. Potatoes were forgettable, as they were bland; the lentil soup was piping hot, but could have had more lentils - it seemed like just broth with just a spoonful of lentils in it. The white sauce was more dill-heavy and ranch-like which didn't complement the kabobs and the kofta at all. There was complimentary tea for those who dine-in, which was nice, but the tea wasn't steeped well and was too watered down. Staff were friendly, and there's limited parking in the tight strip plaza lot. +chicken kofta +game-y beef kofta +dried-out/overcooked beef kabob +avoid the Quabli style rice +friendly staff +limited parking in lot available

Friendly service, food prepared to order, fresh flatbread. The dish called "butter chicken" is…read moreactually kabob chicken chunks in a sweet anise-laced tomato sauce that is one of my favorite dishes in the entire DMV. Dining area is small and quiet, nothing fancy, but pleasant.

Ordered the lamb kebab to go, and they've done a really good job! The lamb is delicious and well…read morecharred. This is also probably one of the best pita breads I've received from a kebab restaurant. Very soft doughy and large ! I really enjoy the spinach side as well. Well cooked and pleasant fast service when I walked in to collect! Clean restaurant as well with a very casual atmosphere.

Lapis is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. You generally will want a reservation,…read moreespecially for dinner time. Every bite of food from this restaurant is bursting with flavor and clearly made with so much intentionality and love. My personal most favorite is perhaps the underrated appetizer menu item- shore nakhot. The flavoring of the vinegar and spice blend on the potato and chickpea is indescribable and pairs perfectly with the naan bread there, which is so fresh, hearty and satisfying. Be sure to dip in for maximal flavor. I haven't tried any meal or appetizer here I didn't love. The pumpkin dish, buranee kadoo, is a brilliant savory twist that brings pumpkin to life. Qaboli palow has the most plump, tender and moist raisins you'll have seen in your life teaming with carrots to bring immense flavor to the rice. The meat in this dish is actually the more subtle part. The dumplings of all sorts are delicious- the leek ones are actually a surprise favorite. As far as dessert, we tried some rose water ice cream. Floral desserts are not my preference, but my friend was in heaven with this one. It was everything she hoped for. The only thing we got we weren't wild about was our second dessert- the firnee. The texture was more like polenta, which was unexpected. The flavor was nice, though. This is the number one restaurant that lives on and on in my dreams and memories of DC when all others fade. I try and come every time I'm in town. The restaurant is small and charming. It gets loud during meal times, so eating outside can be a nice option to reduce volume if you're sensitive. This is a must visit in my opinion! My friend and her family are local to the area is this is their standout favorite too!

A Michelin restaurant in Adams Morgan featuring Afghan "Bistro-style" food. Compared with other…read moreMiddle Eastern cuisine like Persian and Lebanese, Afghan cusine also features rice, but the food is generally more heavily-seasoned. I went there with my friend for a Sunday dinner. At ~7:30pm the restaurant was almost fully seated. We tried the following dishes: 1. Bolani: You can choose two fillings among four. Came with 2pc per filling. We tried leeks and pumpkin fillings. The pumpkin was mashed and mixed with some green onions. Served with cilantro sauce and yogurt sauce. 2. Shrimp Dumplings: 4 or 6 (depends on your choice) small "Shumai shaped" dumplings stuffed with diced shrimp and herbs, and topped with saffron cream sauce and chili powder. There was only little filling for the dumplings, and I could barely taste the flavor of saffron in the sauce. 3. Lamb Tikka: My friend ordered it as his entree. Came with 8 bite-size pc of lean-cut lamb meat, spicy-sweet chili sauce and some torshi. While the lamb was tender, the serving size was much smaller than what we expected. 4. Palow: My friend sub the white rice for Palow. The side dish Palow was only seasoned with salt, pepper and cinnamon, and did not have raisins or carrots like their entree Qabuli Palow. Moreover, it was quite salty. Not recommended. 5. Morgh Qorma: Chicken stewed in a tomato-onion based sauce with split peas. The chicken was fork-tender and the sauce was rich in flavor. The split peas added some texture to the meat and thickened the sauce. However, I could not find the pitted plums. I asked my server and was told that they were "mixed in the sauce", but I really could not taste it. Since I ordered this dish mainly to see how plums could go with chicken this made my disappointed. Overall the food was good but definitely not amazing. Also note that they charge $5 for naan. Service was disappointing considering they charge 20% mandatory service charge. We were seated at a narrow corner of the basement of the restaurant even if there were several (2-seat) tables available on the first floor. Moreover, our server never asked us about the food throughout the meal.

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.

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!

Unfortunately, this restaurant didn't live up to my expectations…read more When we arrived the dining room felt very humid and sticky which made it uncomfortable to sit and eat. We were also a party of five but were only given one menu to share so not very convenient. I ordered the Chicken & Shami Kabob and it came with a choice of white or brown rice, one side, and naan. The meal looked nothing like the photo on the restaurant's website. The portion was overwhelmingly rice with very little meat. None of the garnishes shown in the picture were included on the rice. For $24 I expected a much better presentation and a more balanced portion. Oh and the meat was kind of dry. Parts of our order were missing, some dishes that came out were incorrect. The experience felt disorganized and the food didn't justify the price.

WOW! Highly recommend!…read more We've been coming to Bamian for years and mainly during the month of Ramadan for their Iftar buffet. When I tell you that they have upped their service and experience I truly mean it. They are so extremely nice and organized with their seating options the whole experience was very easy and welcoming. Their buffet offers an array of appetizers, main and dessert of Afghan cultural and if you've ever had their food, you KNOW it's good! The price was very reasonable and I would highly recommend this spot for a large group or an intimate date night.

This place has a new energy! It was refreshing to walk in and see women running the show. The…read moreexperience was so different given they actually want to make sure you have a good experience and enjoy you're food. They walk you through customizing your order if you don't want certain sides and they started cutting and toasting the afghan naan which makes it hard to stop eating. They are in the middle of renovating the left side so we ate in the banquet side. Can't wait to see how they decor the whole place. Will be back soon to get my sambosas and kabobs!

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.

Been coming here on and off for months now, owner and front service man always greet and remember…read moreme from previous times, foods great. Food comes out very quickly. I definitely would recommend to anyone looking for food in the Columbia pike area

Who knew Kabobistan had brunch?! I'm a high protein diet kinda guy and this place did just that…read more You get a mix of Afghan brunch menu while also having their regular meat options available.