Enjoyed a nice family lunch at Kamdesh. The restaurant is large but we were one of two diners on a Saturday. The restaurant was pretty warm from the oven and no ac was on, there is a fan near the door. We ordered many appetizers, the best was the potato bolani, and eggplant borani. Unfortunately there was no pakora but they had samosas, which were ok. For mian dishes, we had a variety of meat and vegetables. For veg, I recommend the sabzi challow and green beans. And heard the lamb chops were good. Food came out hot and delicious but it did come out slowly. There was only one cook in the kitchen. Service was friendly, they allowed us to eat an outside cake in the restaurant. Would come back to eat again, maybe take out! read more

Recently I hosted a multi-day work event in Downtown Oakland where I was offering lunch each day, so instead of big chain restaurants or Doordash or EZ Cater, I actually called restaurants and spoke to managers/someone who could work with me on catering orders (talked on the phone? wow, shocking! But working with them directly helps them earn more than when it's through one of the delivery sites). I've always liked Kamdesh, sometimes during a busy lunch rush I've had to wait a little bit, but I felt like getting them a shot. I worked out a menu for a buffet lunch with different items and they delivered to my office in downtown. We had folks with dietary restrictions, and the person I talked to was able to walk me through some options. There were able to work within my price range per person and I could choose different items like kebabs, borani, etc. and they included cooked veggies, saffron rice and salad. It probably ended up being too much food but that's a good problem to have. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and we had leftovers in the fridge for a couple days. read more

See all

Decided to come here before Henry j K show Warm, excellent service!! Mouth-watering, well-seasoned, tender, juicy, truly enjoyable all 4 dishes we ordered!! The resto decor, together with several customers who walked in with their Afghan garb made us feel like we're in Afghanistan ourselves!! Wow! Love this place & hoping to come back here in the near future!! read more

What a beautiful experience! Our first taste of Afghan cuisine did not disappoint. We tried several items including the potato bolani, borani kadu and quabili pallow. I am a vegetarian and really enjoyed the first two as well as the cucumber tomato dill salad that was offered to us as a complimentary starter. The husband loved the last dish which was fall off the bone tender lamb shanks. This beautiful, clean, spacious restaurant is owned and operated by a sweet young family with their children playing and dancing in the wings. Highly recommend. read more

See all

I had a good experience ordering take out from Kamdesh Afghan Cruisine. I ordered from their website, and we picked it up half an hour later. The restaurant is extremely big with lots of seating. It was roomy, and I picked up my order near the back. They packaged my food fresh and I got it hot! We got the Quabili Pallow and Beef Kubideh. They were both delicious! I love the pallow, and the raisins and carrots were done well. The lamb shank was soft and paired well. I wish there was a bit of a sauce to it to make the perfect bite. The kubideh was also good, and the kebab was very light. Good contrast to the heavy lamb. I enjoyed our meal, and will order again! read more

TLDR; perfectly adequate kebab place FOOD Kubideh Beef Kebab - 3/5 Potato Bolani - 3/5 Doogh Yogurt Cucumber drink - 4/5 Chicken Breast Kebab - 3/5 SERVICE / AMBIANCE This was a pickup from downtown Oakland. Online order via their branded website for some reason required a call from the restaurant to go over everything. Next time I would just call it in directly Overall this was a perfectly adequate place for kebabs if I were in the area. Seasoning/spice was a little light for my liking. My standards are Chelokababi in Sunnyvale and Shalizaar in San Mateo and this did not hold up to those. read more

The beef Kabab (Kubideh) is the most order on the menu. Seasoned charbroiled Ground beef brings a rich flavor and tastes really good. The meat quality is high level and very chewy. This place is a cozy Afghan restaurant with traditional interior designs. The staffs are friendly and always checking on you if you need anything. Highly recommend to try! read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Beef Chapli Kabab - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

Kamdesh in Oakland does what it does very well, but it is important to know what you are walking into. This is a meat-forward menu in a serious way, and if you are vegetarian, this is probably not the place where you will feel especially catered to. For everyone else, the food is consistently excellent. The flavors are deep, well-spiced, and clearly cooked with care. Nothing feels rushed or careless. Everything we tried was good, but the lamb shank is on another level. Fall-apart tender, richly seasoned, and deeply satisfying in that slow-cooked way that makes you stop talking mid-bite. This is what the chef's kiss gesture exists for. Kamdesh is confident in its lane and does not try to be everything to everyone. If you love meat and bold, comforting flavors, you will be very happy here. If you do not, you should plan accordingly. Five stars for execution, especially that lamb shank. read more

Kabuli pulao and combination kabobs. Nice restaurant. Great for large groups. Quality of the food is tremendous. I had not been to Kamdesh in 10+ years. read more

See all

Their chicken wrap is probably among the best I've had. Fresh ingredients, nicely seasoned. Delicious sauce that is just the right amount and not heavy at all. Very filling. Looking forward to having it again sometime. Other dishes looked good too. Street parking nearby was available on a weekday (not sure how it on weekends) Lots of indoor seating and a couple tables with outdoor seating read more

Really good food here I've been here several times over the course of the past year and each time the food was delicious. I can't recall the name of what I had specifically I just remember really enjoying it and I will come back soon and update on the specific dish I end up having again the next time.. Until then, try them out and enjoy! read more

One Thousand Splendid Grains of Basmati Rice Alexander the Great extolled the physical beauty of the Afghan people. I come to do as much for their food. Pound for pound some of the most savory food you will find. There are plenty of Afghani people kicking around in the Bay. It is the one ethnicity that SF can claim a higher population than LA.* Go to Hayward and enjoy the fare at Ghazni. Go even further, to Concord and check out Afghan Baazar and Grill. These places are fine enough, but Kamdesh is best. The immense dining room could feel daunting if it ever filled up. I've only ever seen it sparsely populated. Of course, ownership would naturally find more troublesome an empty restaurant than a full one. Thus, the hope is to sway some of you to try the piquant food at Kamdesh. Start with the top of the heap. Afghanistan's national dish: qabili pallaw. A lamb shank was braised. Rice soaked in meat stock. Rice, after cooking, meets up with lamb in a pot where finishing touches are administered. Sweet raisins and julienned carrots join the party It's a sort of tadig process with a biryani presentation, so famous in Iran and India, respectively. Natch, they're sandwiched between those two countries along with being on the silk road. And the silk road is not ancient history, but continues to shape lives today. Examine the names for "dumpling" as you travel from Korea westward along the spice route. Korean = Mandu Nepali = Momo Xinjiang Uyghurs = Mantua So in Afghanistan they're called Mandoo. Beef, onions and spices inside a thin wheat wrapper are savory in the extreme. An order of five wade in a shallow pool of sumac studded yogurt. The kicker here, is they are topped with some very toothsome lentils. I will say, to be judicious and prevent this from falling into a complete glaze fest, they can do a better job of sealing the mandoo. They tend to fall apart. Speaking of falling apart, so do bolani. To understand bolani, think of a quesadilla, though not necessarily containing cheese. My kadu bolani contained grated butternut squash and onions. No flavor really came through from the squash. Yes, we are not in peak autumn squash season. But I think the application of grating and sauteeing is not optimal for enhancing flavor. What comes with your meal are two jars of sauce. One is a sour herby sauce. The other is based on habanero peppers. Chances are a Mexican prep cook is responsible. In fact, that is exactly who's responsible. My waiter admitted as much. *Eritreans and Ethiopians too read more

Honestly so happy to have come to this place that serves a delicious meal at the time of night. The chicken breast was juicy, the cilantro and habanero sauce was soooo good! Needed a lot of water. The ambience was laidback. The service was great regardless of the language barrier. I will be back again later! read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Chicken Breast and Brown Basmati, so delicious! - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

The food here is great. The service was good but they were very short staffed. But the cook was our server also and she was really sweet. We tried the Chalbi Kabobs which were outstanding. Very flavorful, spicy even. It seems to be an Afghan specialty with ground beef and lamb blended with onion, pepper and a wonderful blend of spices. The rice was especially good. We also tried the eggplant which was good but not special. We can't wait to go back. It's a family run business..very friendly, complete with young children playing. read more

Overall I felt it was pretty solid. I've only had Afghan food once prior and I preferred this place over the other one. The Bolani with the potato filling was the best thing, and you need the spicy sauce to kick it up a notch. Chicken had good flavor but was quite dry. I got the brown rice because some of the reviews recommended it. It was okay. Service was good enough. The pudding was really good. I did feel kinda bad because the place was really empty. read more

See all

The chicken and beef kebabs were well cooked, juicy, and delicious. The Chapli kebab was also juicy and had an appealing spicy seasoning. I recommend their food to Bay Area residents. read more

See all

I've been here about 20 times. I love the place. They're open late night they give you a big portions and the lamb shank is always perfectly cooked. Thank you very much for being here! read more

I've been watching Youtube travel channels where people visit countries that I'll never go to. After watching the Afghanistan experience, I wanted to try some authentic food. We weren't disappointed! This place has amazing food and the flavors feel like you're in someone's home kitchen. The only knock I have against them is that the dessert wasn't exactly to my expectations, but that's on me and not them. I wanted a certain type of custard flavor, and this was different. The presentation and experience was outstanding for everything, though. The location itself is really interesting. You don't feel cramped and the artwork on the walls adds to the atmosphere. Again, I never thought I'd be excited about going to 14th Street. Run, don't walk to this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. The food is amazing and the service is great. read more

chicken thigh kebab was really yummy. good flavor and tender. very large place with lots of seating. my friend had to wait kind of a long time for her to go order even though the place was empty. U can order from a kiosk or at the table. read more

See all

Indulge in the delightful flavors of fresh juices and authentic homemade Afghan cuisine. Experience the comforting taste that feels like home. I absolutely loved the manto beef dumplings (recommended by the owner) - they were simply fantastic! read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Mantoo - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

We have been coming to this restaurant for a little over two years. This is by far the best Afghan food in the East Bay, parallel with its legendary Afghan hospitality that we have all read about or heard about in. Movies and documentaries, this place has that authentic Afghan food and tradition. The staff goes above and beyond. I have so many favorites here I don't even know where to begin, they are currently doing a buffet style for dinner, those of you who are new to Afghan food to definitely try it as you have different options of rice and meats, grilled and stews. read more

Amazing experience and the staff was great and attentive. Im very picky but the food was very fresh and good!! Lots of vegetarian options, vegan as well if u request. I got the eggplant borani and my friends got the chicken and lamb kabob. The dogh was okay I wouldn't get it again. Very big restaurant with a traditional look. read more

I love being able to visit Oakland to enjoy food from my homeland, just like my mom made it. Their hospitality and kindness is on a different level. The Afghani decor makes me proud to say I'm Afghan. Food is absolutely delicious. Service is heartwarming. Can't wait to go back. read more

See all

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine is pretty solid overall. The service is warm and attentive, and the flavors are rich and well-balanced -- you can taste the spices without them being overpowering. Portions are generous, prices are fair, and the atmosphere is casual but welcoming. A reliable spot if you're craving Afghan comfort food. read more

See all

Delicious, I love the green sauce that comes with the food and the steak kebabs are amazing.

Had another delicious meal here. Haven't been back since pre pandemic days. Came by for lunch- not too busy. Had the bolani filled with leeks and a mixed grilled platter family style. Everything was delicious - well seasoned and cooked perfectly. Right on 14 th street in downtown Oakland, easy parking. Come and support this family run small business! read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

The space was super nice and plenty of room for a large group. Food - amazing!! Definitely not salty and it allowed the flavors of everything to come through! Love a place that's confident enough in their flavors to not rely on salt to make food tasty! The lamb underneath the rice is super soft and tender. I usually don't like lamb due to the gamey smell but this didn't not have a strong smell and tasted amazing! Definitely would come back and highly recommend. Service was super quick! Much needed since it was late night and I was getting hangry due to the last place missing our order! read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

great kabuli pulao and amazing portions and taste. they definitely need to bring more variety of desserts too. read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

Review: 2.5/5 The place is okay overall. The ambience and service are decent. The food tasted decent-- but the ground beef kabob felt not fully cooked. I've tried this place three times now, and consistency has been an issue. Unfortunately, after my last visit I felt sick and suspect it may have been from the food. I'm not completely sure, but it makes me hesitant to return. read more

This was my first introduction to afghan food. Usually I split a bolani and some other dish - lamb shank, chapli kebab, and sabzi are favorites. The food is very cozy, but I will say that a perhaps bigger draw of this place is that it's open late and always has room because it's weirdly massive. Still a firm recommendation from me though. read more

The inside is very spacious and can accommodate a lot if people, however their is no AC, so in this heat, it got very warm inside. I attended with a large group and we decided to order family style, but was still charged individually by order, which was fine I just wish they had a better system. They didn't provide any bread, which is an Afghan staple unless we wanted to lay extra for it. They were out of the beef the night we went, but had plenty of other options. The yogurt they used was very runny and not the thick labne style, which is traditionally used on some of their dishes like mantu. All of the dishes could of used a bit more spices and seasonings, but it wasn't terrible. Overall it was not the most authentic and flavorful Afghan food, but it was close enough. read more

First time trying Afghan food but it won't be the last! My friends and I came by Saturday afternoon around 2:30 for a late lunch, and the restaurant was completely empty. It's a larger space than I expected with a ton of seating for small and big groups alike. The menu is straightforward with one page of appetizers and one page of entrees. They also offer a lunch special menu on weekdays. The four of us shared the #2 bolani potato ($12.95), which is a traditional Afghan flatbread stuffed with potato onion filling. This came out piping hot and was absolutely bomb. It was a big portion but we killed it in minutes because it was so good. For my entree, I ordered the #14 sabzi challow ($18.75). It's a lamb shank and rice dish topped with a delicious spinach and scallion sauce. The lamb was super tender and paired really well with the spinach sauce, which was also incredibly flavorful. My friends all tried a bite of my dish and everyone agreed it was delicious. The subzi challow was a big portion, especially with the rice. I didn't think I'd be able to finish it, but one bite lead to another and next thing you know, my plate is empty. It was that good! I loved my first Afghan meal and so glad I gave Kamdesh a try. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

I cannot sing their praises enough! I've been a patron for years and their dishes are all amazing. Generous portions with a homemade taste. Their salmon is out of this world. You can't go wrong with any of the bolanis. I dare you to find a place that has better rice in the bay. Since my fiancé and I love their food so much we asked if they would cater our engagement party in SF. They agreed and provided delivery as well crossing over the bridge from Oakland. Everything was affordable and beyond delicious. They worked with us on a menu that would provide plenty of food for all food restrictions. It's SF so there were a variety of dietary restrictions and yet the food did not disappoint. Everyone left our party full and we even had leftovers. We had around 50+ people at the party but I know they could easily cater for way beyond that amount. Thank you so much for making our party so special and for ensuring everyone left happy. Thank you for also being a staple in my diet over the last 8 years! read more

See all

I placed an order online through their website for the kofta challow with brown rice. It was estimated by the website that it would be ready at 6:45pm. When I arrived at 7:05pm, the staff didn't seem to know I had ordered and asked us to wait another 5 minutes while they were clearly cooking the dish from scratch. This was months ago, so I hope they've gotten a better system for making sure they don't miss online orders at this point. The food itself was delicious, though. The kofta challow was delicious, hearty, and flavorful, and the rice itself was also very savory, as it tastes like it was cooked with meat. (Pictures do not show the full portion of the challow since I separated some of it into a bowl and took out of the takeout box) A great spot to try Afghan food if you are in the downtown Oakland/lake Merritt area. read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Kofta challow with brown rice - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

I haven't been for a while, so I noticed that they have a not so new, new location three storefronts down 14th Street from the old one at the corner of Webster. The food is still excellent. I just had the boneless chicken kebab for lunch. It comes with five thighs, a plate full of rice and one lightly grilled tomato. Delicious, delicious, delicious! But the service for lunch was as slow as heck. If you need to get back to the office you better order from the first waitperson you see. It's a very large restaurant space that they've taken. Nice and clean interior, though not "charming." I'll have to come back and try some other menu items. I just wanted the good old kebab again for my first visit to this location. read more

Very good food service with Iftar buffet. Reasonable price, nice ambience. Lots of items for buffet. Addition of one or two more items to existing dessert item will make the experience even better. read more

Food was excellent here! Looks like a family run business, very family friendly. My husband wanted to try some Afgani food and so we ended up here. As soon as we walked in I was awed by the size of the restaurant, it's huge! Lots of space for a large party, also very well maintained. Decor is nice and inside is clean. You get to see some Afgani culture in the decor and also some music video playing on the tv. We had the Quabili Pallow, Beef Chapli Kabab Plate, and Pacha with naan. My husband loved the Quabili Pallow, tender lamb shank with flavorful rice. Good balance of raisins and carrots to balance out the dish. The Chapli kabab plate was delicious! Kababs were filled with mouth watering spices, outside is well fried and the inside tender and falls apart. The best dish for me was the Pacha. This was a last minute addition but it was the best dish. If you like soups and stews, definetly get this dish! The beef feet were so tender and juicy. The soup is very savory and beefy, tendons fall off the bone. I dipped my naan into the soup but also ate it by itself. It's like the ultimate beef soup. I live bone broth and soup, more than meat, so this just hit the spot. I might just come back for this dish itself. read more

See all

Great flavours, huge portions and good ambience. This was my first time having Afghani food in the Bay Area and I was really happy with my experience at Kamdesh. Firstly the place is huge, plenty of seating for everyone so that's definitely great. Me and my friends ordered Kadu Bolani which was recommended by our server. This dish was exceptionally delicious to be honest. Had the perfect taste of potatoes and onions, the quantity was huge and I would highly recommend this dish. For the main course we ordered the Chicken Chapli Kabab, Chicken Thai Kabab, Beef Kabab and the Lamb Shank. The Beef Kabab had a great taste, very juicy and tasty. My friend got the Lamb Shank and it was really really good, they served it with this spinach dip which was superb. I wasn't very happy with the Chicken Chapli Kabab because I feel it lacked flavour and it was nothing great. But besides the Chapli Kabab we really loved everything ourselves and enjoyed our meal. Our server was very friendly and made sure that we had a good experience. This place serves good food at an affordable place. I would be coming back to try more lamb dishes on their menu. read more

See all

Incredible gem! The rice is so fluffy and airy, very delicious. Their service is great, kind, and their restaurant is massive. 10/10! read more

Kamdesh Afghan Cuisine - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

TAKE OUT only Placed an order to go. The food was prepared pretty fast. Once I paid and got home I realized one very big thing NOT worth the price. The rice to meat proportion is very very off. You get small pieces of meat and enough rice for 2 days. Do not get me wrong the rice was delicious, but generally you pay so much for the meat - not the other way around. Beef Tikka Kabob - was very dry Chicken Thigh Kabob - had good flavor but again not enough meat Both items came with a salad which were very delicious and refreshing read more