Let's start with Food we drive all the way from Pleasanton to come to this restaurant. It's nice…read moreit's cozy. It's not super fancy but the food is just outstanding a 10 out of 10 and I know my Persian food. Service is really good Ambience is good too Like in Real Estate restaurants are food. Food and food are the most important things. Tasty authentic not overpriced. Just great quality my family and I love coming here if you haven't tasted it and try it try it.

Went to Alborz for the first time with my wife and couple friends, ordered combo for two , every…read moremeat was very dry and chewy.. rice wasn't fresh ! Mast o mosir was not good at all... sadly not recommended Bathroom was smelled foul and not clean!

Been wanting to visit this place for some time now. The food is absolutely amazing, fresh, juicy…read morekabobs, and so much more!! Had the pleasure of meeting the owner (Amir) who was so welcoming and helpful. The menu is simple and to the point. Classic Iranian cuisine with no fuss! If you need middle eastern groceries, they have a market next door. They carry a few different Palestinian products which I was quick to buy. Purchased the Al-Ard extra virgin olive oil. This place is a gem and will be my go to place for Persian food whenever I'm in the area.

I come here for one thing: the baklava. It is absolutely amazing. I'm not sure how they make it but…read moreit's different than other places. The dough is far more rich and buttery. For a recent birthday party, I was able to purchase a whole sheet of the baklava. It was an absolute hit. It is a little messy to serve though. Because it is dripping and honey. But everybody loved it. Also the staff here does a great job and is very helpful. If you have a special order or large order, just call in.

The chicken and rice are awesome. Chicken was juicy and so flavorful…read more Yogurt and chive appetizer was great. The waitress recommended it and it was way better than I was anticipating. Tachin was something completely different. So many different flavors and textures. Great change up. Wouldn't be my go to. But once in a while I could enjoy it.

The food was overall was really good! The eggplant and…read morebread dip was delish. The cucumber salad was uninspired, not particularly fresh...and quite bland. The standout was the lamb shank, and the herbed rice with the crunchy bread bottom. These easily redeemed the other items. I also ordered the pistachio lemonade...it was just okay - it looked NOTHING like the image on the photos - which was really too bad. I would NOT recommend it. It was more like a lemonade cream. Luckily the main dish elevated what would have been a 3-star review. The overall ambiance was cute, the outdoors was nice but it was also street front on a corner, so if you don't like road noise, the inside is a nice, well-decorated option. Also, of note, the woman I was with was Persian, and the (older male) person I assumed was the owner, was quite rude with his comments, so much so she refused to tell me what he said. She did enjoy the lamb and the dip and said both were quite authentic and well done....but alas, we probably won't be returning unless for take out.

Darband's is located in a little cute eatery food court near the Berkeley campus. The owner is…read moresuper nice and always asks customers how they like the food, like "Was your meat seasoned enough or juicy enough?". The owner values customer opinions about his food which I think is awesome. I ordered a Beef koobideh plate which I thought was perfect. The meat was juicy and had a nice buttery flavor. It came with two roasted tomatoes, rice and some pita. The entrees are definitely reasonably priced as well especially being near the campus. Only drawback is this place doesn't stay open too late, closes at 7pm and misses much of the dinner traffic, but definitely a place worth trying.

Delicious! Excellent food, excellent service and cute location. We sat at a common garden in the…read moreback. The staff was really awesome and service was fast for a well cooked and prepared food. We had lamb chops and shawarma and ooooh they were so yummy!

I reserved their beautiful private room for a luncheon for my non-profit. The owner couldn't have…read morebeen more cooperative and anxious to please, providing an amazing mouthwatering menu with the variety and pricing that met our needs. Our guests were delighted by the warmth and hospitality of the owner, who came into our room to tell us about the meal he was preparing. He also told us about his background in Afghanistan, where his businesses trained and supported dozens of women and their families, providing them with childcare and fair wages for their services. This was more than a delicious meal - it was a rare opportunity to experience the true richness of the Afghan culture and the bounty of its culinary repertoire.

My friend and I randomly stumbled upon this absolute gem. We loved that the restaurant is below…read morestreet level. This was some of the best Afghani food I've had with friendly service too. The food was perfectly aromatic and fresh -- it will not leave you feeling heavy and greasy inside. Main entrees (not pictured): chicken kabob plate. The potato bolani is a must!!

Zaytoon on Solano in Albany, Palestinian-owned spot named after the Arabic word for olive and the…read morefood makes that heritage feel meaningful. Kefta wrap was the move, well seasoned meat, warm pita, comes together right. Lamb shawarma plate with the saffron rice and yogurt sauce was the other highlight, big cubes, proper seasoning. Mint lemonade is a must, fresh squeezed with just enough tartness. Room is bright with skylights and blue walls, feels elevated without being stiff. Sunday brunch is worth knowing about, they run the full lunch menu alongside brunch options.

We've always liked Zaytoon for the ambiance, tasty food, and affordability. And the service is…read moregreat: attentive and professional. We came here last night and found everything to our liking--the generous appetizer of roasted Brussels sprouts (though we couldn't detect the pomegranate syrup), Maklouba and Bamia, both of which featured melt-in-your-mouth lamb. We'd give it 5 stars except that the Maklouba and Bamia seemed too heavily salted -- maybe because we're OGs and have to watch our salt intake, we don't salt our food at home.

The food is amazing and the customer service was exceptional. Good job! I am sure that I will be…read moregoing back for more and I highly recommend this for the future.

Our group was in town for the weekend and came in here for lunch. The restaurant was open and airy…read more We were seated by the window and the place was pretty empty at the time. The food was delicious! We decided to order two big plates made for two and added an appetizer, salad, and another rice dish. It was enough food for the 8 of us. Presentation was lovely and service was good too.

Tucked away in the north beach area is this little awesome spot. We were seated right away but…read moreservice was a bit slow. It was starting to pick up and get busy so I understand. Ordered dishes to share; Koobideh plate, salad, feta cheese spread. Koobideh was cooked great. Rice was good as well. Good salad. The feta cheese spread was a little overpowering, worth a try but I don't think I would order again.

Service is still excellent but the food somehow taste much different than the past…read more The meat was chewy not tender like it used to be I hope I will have a better experience next time

Loved the dining experience here, specially that it was a treat by my son…read more The staff was super helpful and explained every dish in detail. The food was a nice twist of traditional Persian cuisine and we enjoyed every dish. The ambiance is also very warm and inviting which added to the experience. Will be back trying other dishes.

We had a fantastic experience with Komaaj Catering. We ordered a spread that included the Eggplant…read more& Tomato Dip, Herb & Cheese Frittata, Sumac Beef Meatballs, Turmeric Chicken Party Wings, Pomegranate Walnut Stew with Chickpeas, and Turmeric Rice--and every single dish was packed with flavor. You can really tell there's care and authenticity behind the cooking. The textures and seasoning were spot on across the board, from the rich, comforting stew to the perfectly spiced meatballs and vibrant dips. Everything felt thoughtfully prepared and beautifully balanced. On top of that, the service was exceptional. Farshad, the owner, went above and beyond by including a complimentary herb yogurt dip and even an extra order of rice, which was such a generous and appreciated touch. His wife Nazanin was also very helpful when we went to pick up food for sa Highly recommend Komaaj Catering if you're looking for delicious, well-crafted food and warm, thoughtful service. We'll definitely be ordering again!

Enjoyed a nice family lunch at Kamdesh. The restaurant is large but we were one of two diners on a…read moreSaturday. 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!

Recently I hosted a multi-day work event in Downtown Oakland where I was offering lunch each day,…read moreso 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.