Wow wow wow. Sameem's has absolutely delicious food. I had their chicken teekah and samosas recently and was sad that I didn't have a second stomach so I could keep eating. Their butter shrimp and curry chicken were also great. The food is so flavorful and so yummy. It's great for takeout during covid as well and travels well. I will definitely be back and recommending Sameem's to friends. read more

Just incredible food and people. My wife and I where looking forward to Sameem's based on previous reviews and it was wonderful. I ordered the Sambosas and the meat combo platter which were both outstanding. The Sambosas were stuffed with meat and veggies in a light flaky pastry with a herb sauce that made you feel like you just got a warm hug from a fat lady. The meat combo and rice was delicious with ample food. Chicken, lamb and beef. My wife's chicken curry was delicious and the fresh hummus here is to die for, so make sure to get some. Thank you Sameem's for an outstanding meal read more

Looked at the high ratings and got too excited to stop here on our way back home in IL. Let me just say that we noticed more than a couple of health violations being broken while we were there. Maybe it was just that day, but the place was being run by a few young guys who didn't want to be there and had no consideration for the customers. Giving it an extra star because the food was way too oily but decent, not the worst. So. If you must order from this place (for whatever reason), take out would be my recommendation. read more

This place was situated in a residential colony and didn't look that appealing from outside. But from inside it was pretty nice, and well decorated. For appetizer we got Mid eastern feast which had nice combination of things. The falafel were very good. For entree we had lamb quabelli palau which was very good. the food is similar to Indian food and yet different. Would love to come back again. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Starter combo - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

This is my first time trying afgani food !! The food was amazing and very fresh. My wife we said the food was made with lot of love. I will definitely come back. Lamb karahi was so good and the meat so tender and sauce was very flavorful. Bakavala was very fresh the best I have had so far. read more

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If you like kebabs, indian food and want to find out what all the fuss is about, get to Sameem. We arrived early for our reservation on a Saturday night, and the staff was vey welcoming, assuring us we'd be seated shortly and that the food would be out quickly. They were right about both. As soon as we were seated we were brought a complementary pumpkin dish that was on special. It was exceptionally good. We had the chicken kebab and the teeka masala. The kebab was fantastic. The tikka masala was a little creamier than I would have liked, but still very well prepared. The naan is nothing special, but serves as a handy pusher. The service was great. Very friendly and attentive. I'll be back to try more dishes, though it's going to be hard to resist having the kebab again. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Chicken kebab - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Pros- large portion size, inexpensive, food was hot and flavorful, great location (Grove) if you plan to go out afterwards Cons- restaurant is small and very crowded (best you make a reservation on wknds or prepare to wait), service was slow and staff just kind of going through motions (not bad service but could be more enthusiastic) I had chicken kabob that came with basmati rice and one small triangular piece of naan. Typically I would complain about not being given bread/naan during our long wait for food but the piece that came with my meal was cold and not very fresh so I wouldn't have wanted more anyway. The chicken was seasoned well and very moist. I was stuff afterwards. My bf had the lamb biryani. It was flavorful and the lamb basically fell off the bone. It takes a lot for him to get full so I was pleased with the large portion size. We also had the "dough" drink which reminded me of a liquid tzatziki sauce. It was a great palate cleanser after our meal, very cool and refreshing in this summer heat. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Chkn kabob with basmati rice and a slice of naan. - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Excellent . We found this place by accident on Thanksgiving when the entire town was closed. I liked that the chef would come out and ask your preferences and he suggested to try his special goat dish and it was yummm. Baba ganoush was excellent as well read more

Food was outstanding!!! I usually take pictures of the food, Im so mad that I forgot. Visiting here in St Louis, my daughter and her hubby eat here all the time! Two of us had the combo platter of koobidieh and chicken Tiki Marsala. The sauce was so delicious, tasty and fresh and the rice served with it was excellent!! Mom had the chicken kabob that was so moist and tasty, and the Emperors platter is huge with assorted meats, rice and there yummy eggplant dip with fresh bread! Loved it!! read more

Small neighborhood restaurant that was recommended by several people for halal food. We tried the lamb chops and Chicken broast. Both were good. Even though they close at 9pm, they stop seating at 8:20pm and stop taking pick up orders by 8:40pm. So be aware of that. Was a little inconvenient when we showed up to dine in 8:30pm and told we could not. Hadn't experienced that at any other restaurant before. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Chicken broast - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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From the outside the place is very unassuming, inside it's still unassuming, the menu... probably a copyright infringement on a world famous photo, but the food, OMG. The inside is small, a small mom and pop, where they still sell their soft drinks by giving you the can rather than having a fountain. The food itself is amazing however. I did not know what to get coming in, but after the 10th time going in, I've realized everything is delicious. Most memorable for me is the curry beef and the chicken tiki masala. And I know what your thinking a) I probably spelled the name of that dish wrong b) that's def not traditional afghani food. Well guess what, sucks to be you, cause it's still delicious anyway! Plus the first time I went I thought the same thing, but the owner brought out a sample of the sauce for us to try, and I've never looked back. Now I always get the Tiki Masala with extra sauce cuz I dip anything and everything in there. Everything on the table becomes a vehicle for the sauce to get in my mouth. The appetizers are amazing as well, to be honest I don't remember what I got (then why are you even mentioning it?), I've had two things, one fried thing with some green dipping sauce, amazing! But I mention it because it was what the owner recommended, and everytime I go in now the owner recognizes me and we chit chat here and there, but all in all to day, the owner is awesome and super friendly. Routinely goes out of his way to make his customers happy. Lastly, I always get the Kheer, it's a rice pudding dessert, it's delicious. Fair warning, it's different than the other Kheer I've had at indian restaurants, this has a more peppery spice flavor, but it's dang good either way. read more

The aash soup on there appetizers was amazing. I also had the lamb buriani. It was listed as 'spicy' but mine was very mild the only heat in the green sauce, and even that was just a hint. It didn't make my nose run or make me want to take a sip of my drink to cool off. But the FLAVOR! Absolutely amazing. The lamb was fall off the bone tender and flavorful! If I'm ever in St. Louis again, I'm eating here! read more

Based on previous ratings for Sameem, I had high expectations going into dinner tonight- the staff and the food definitely delivered. The server was fantastic; very attentive and yet never in the way. I asked about the various dishes for a recommendation and the owner (I presume) offered me a combination entree that was not on the menu so I could try a few different selections. The dish was served with a generous portion of chicken tikka masala and a flavorful long grain rice with raisins and spices, along side a ground beef kabob with a side of tender naan. Magnificent! The tikka masala was the perfect balance of texture and flavor, and the kabob was packed with flavor. Tonight's dinner featured excellent service, a cozy setting, and memorable food. I will most certainly be back very soon to try the Lamb shank everybody keeps yelping about! I suspect I'll just work my way through their menu! I may have just found my new favorite restaurant in STL. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Beef curry and roasted chicken quarter on rice. - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Laid back vibe at this place with courteous hosts and generous plates! Be sure to feel free to eat with your bread and scoop up every last juicy bit. I was pleasantly surprised to go here and try out the authentic foods! Had a bit of everything and was happy to be rewarded with rich tastes and good cooking. Definitely a great place to check out to expand your culinary palette! Walk in or call-ahead for reservations. If you are unsure about anything, just ask! They will walk you through the cooking prep, the ingredients and be sure that you are getting what you want. Pleasant folks all around that makes you feel like you are at a friend's place and their parents are cooking for you! (If your friend's parents are awesome cooks, that is!) read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Emperor's Platter, fit for two royalty. Wonderful taste and great portions. - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Sameems is delicious! Firstly, I'd like to give a shoutout to the owner for staying open even though we showed up about 15 minutes prior to closing so I could try it! We got the lamb pilau and the lamb was so tender it fell right off the bone. It was cooked perfectly. I was sad that we only got one piece of lamb with all that rice though. It was priced about $12. I would definitely come back for it. We also got the kebab and chicken tikka masala combo plate. The kebab was seasoned and cooked well and I would say the kebab was my favorite item. The chicken tikka masala was very good as well. When I come back to St Louis, I will definitely be back for sameems. This joint isn't fancy by any means but does serve a good filling afghan meal! I'd go easy on the sweet carrot rice that is mixed with the regular rice though. read more

Everything was perfect. Some of the best food I've ever had in my life. I will be back frequently.

This place is pretty great! Sitting here now eating our pakowra, waiting excitedly for our gyros! This place is clean, including the bathroom. The wait staff is very kind. Our gyro just came and they look great! Amazing portions! They taste amazing! The bread is soft and doughy, the meat is flavorful and it jade little cucumber cubes (so yummy)! I highly recommend this place and if I lived here is come back again and again read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Delicious gyro - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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I love their eggplant burani, biryani and kebabs. Very savory and flavorful. Come here again and again for authentic Afghani delicacies.

We were very pleased with our first visit to Sameem. It looked and felt authentic, with interesting decor everywhere. The owner greeted us, and asked if we'd been there before. He explained some menu items, gave suggestions and was very helpful. our server was also helpful, fast & friendly. The food here is amazing. Started with Sambosas, which made a great app with a tasty dipping sauce. We also had some naan. Anything with the Masala sauce is delicious. I could just eat the rice with sauce on it and be happy. I ordered the shrimp, but would likely order vegetables next time, because it's cheaper and it doesn't matter what you order if it's covered in that sauce! My husband had lamb beriani, which was unique and well spiced. read more

Was at the restaurant with my wife when I visited her at St Louis. Was really easy to find and close conveniently located. Ambience was great. Food was even better. I had the Mutton Briyani and my wife had the Chicken Briyani and we ordered the spicy fried chicken. The 2 mains were awesome and was a huge portion. But we packed our leftovers. But the spicy fried chicken was not what expected. The sauce was not spicy. Nonetheless we enjoyed the fried chicken. Even after packing our leftovers home, it still smell and taste great really really love it here and will definitely return for more. read more

Went again and got the chicken teekah masala and beef kabob, which came with rice and a piece of naan. The teekah masala sauce is best sauce ever and great for dipping your naan. The beef kabob was juicy and packed with seasonings. I highly recommend trying it!! read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Chicken teekah masala and beef kabob with chicken bones in the background. We ate the fried chicken before I had a chance to take a picture. - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

One of my favorite restaurants in STL! Anytime I have people in town visiting, I make sure to take them to sameem. Everyone has loved and speaks so highly of how delicious the food is! It's sooooo good! Great service, too. Very generous portions. I have been on days when it's busy & also slower days when it's quieter in the dining area. Always a great experience and I will keep coming back! read more

I just LOVE their food. I order it for carry-out at least once a month. I love their sambosas and the chutney they come with (I always ask for extra chutney, bc I love to also eat it with naan or rice). Their hummus is the best I've ever had. It makes me want to banish grocery store hummus forever, or seriously learn how to make it at home, OR just keep getting it from here forever. For entrees, I always get either the vegetable beriani (deliciously spiced rice + vegetables), or the boorani challow (eggplant + rice). read more

How is it that I only tried Sameem on my last month in St. Louis? You mean to tell me I've been to college staples like Mission Taco about ten times (many against my will, because others picked the restaurant) but just once to Sameem? I clearly need to get my priorities in order. Afghan food is a bit of a mixture of Indian and Middle Eastern. You get classics like hummus, but also some innovative things like an eggplant dip (not quite baba ganoush) that was one of the best things I've ever eaten. The cucumber yogurt dip was refreshing, had some slight carbonation to it that I really enjoyed. Highly recommend the lamb shank over rice; be sure to eat the bit of bone marrow hidden in the shank bone, it's the best part! As smooth and rich as butter. The best way to eat here is family-style (don't invite anyone who "prefers to other their own entree.") It's all about sharing and trying new things here. Our server was so accommodating, especially with food allergies (my mom has Celiac's disease and can't eat gluten; our server provided her with raw cucumber and tomato slices so she could still eat the dips). Our server also gave us samples of the dough salty yogurt drink, which was great because it's a new concept for many of us at our table (no surprise, many of us liked it and ordered a full serving of it). Prices here are super competitive, especially since portions are quite big (for 5 people, we were good with 2 entrees and an appetizer sample platter. In fact, we had enough leftovers for someone to have lunch with!). I know this is where I'll be for my St. Louis farewell dinner! Thanks for a great experience Sameem! read more

I love kabob and Sameem's hit the spot! The beef was flavorfully seasoned and the service was quick and polite.

This place was recommended to me by an uber driver several months ago. I have been yearning to try it ever since. As someone who frequents Indian restaurants quite often, I decided I would try something without curry. I settled on chicken qabelli pallow. For a dish with no sauce, the flavor was absolutely incredible. My only regret is not ordering with the lamb as others have suggested. I will soon be back, hopefully to dine-in and try some of their other offerings. As others have mentioned, the staff was very friendly, and I believe the owner sits in the front greeting all who stop by. This place has certainly left me with quite an impression. read more

Had chicken tikka masala recently at Sameem. It didn't disappoint. Perfect combination of a tomato-y and creamy sauce with perfectly cooked chicken with rice. Simple but one of the better meals I've had recently. read more

I have nothing to contribute that hasn't already been said other than: I wish this place existed in Boston. Go here. Please. You will have an excellent and perfectly balanced meal. I had the afghani muntoo - I'm leaving to go back to Boston tomorrow and I'm trying to figure out how to go back to Sameem's to get this dish again. It's _that_ good. read more

One of the best restaurants in St Louis. In a brilliant neighborhood. Great service and you can byob.

I was really excited for the butter chicken. It was not great. Chicken was dry and the flavors a bit bland. Bear in mind, I'd eaten Indian in London a few weeks prior so it was a hard act to follow. read more

I'm afghan. This food was so good, it brought me back to memories of eating with all of my extended family in the park as we celebrated a cousins birthday or something in SoCal. It was some ratatouille type stuff. Highly, highly recommend. read more

I was at this place in 2017. Just got Yelp, and figured I owed this place a review. I had never eaten at an Afghan restaurant before, and my 1st experience was terrific. Food was very good, and different from my boring norm. The portions were large, and I am a big eater. The best part was the owner came out and spoke with us. He was very friendly, and very interesting because of his travels. Loved the experience! read more

I got the goat curry with the biryani rice. Loved the seasonings for the curry and the rice. But the portions were off since they give you a lot of rice but not enough curry to go with the rice, considering it was around $15. I will return though since the food was good, but gonna try something else. read more

Let's be honest for just a sec...If I asked most people what's the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the word "Afghanistan," I'll probably hear answers along the lines of; war, ISIS, bombs, etc. Little do people know that outside of these negative connotations, Afghanistan has a savory and flavorful cuisine. In other words, their food taste good. However, it's not surprising that most people in Saint Louis have probably never tried Afghan food. Matter of fact, in the State of Missouri there is only one Afghan restaurant (see photo above). As usual, when I eat somewhere new I try to pick out a dish that has a little bit of everything, so I went with the 'Mixed Grill' item on the menu. This came with a combination of ground beef, chicken, and lamb kabobs served with rice and Afghani naan (the national bread of Afghanistan). My mouth started watering once I saw all that grilled meat lying there protecting all the rice and stew from trying to escape. But I had only one concern-no side condiments or sauces came with the dish (nor were there any on the table). I was a little worried this meal might be on the dry/plain side, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Each grilled piece of meat was succulent and could easily be eaten without teeth because of the tenderness. The grilled ground beef reminded me of meatloaf but, with a Middle Eastern twist. The chicken (thankfully) wasn't dry and had a very mild-spicy-hot sauce kind of taste to it. Lamb kabobs could be considered the most typical and popular dish in Afghanistan and was my favorite part of this meal by far. It had a nice grilled outer layering and if you've never had lamb, you need to try it because it's so good! When I go back I will probably just tell the waiter to bring a whole plate of lamb kabobs and a toothpick because it was that good. To sum things up, get out your comfort zone and try new and foreign cuisines. Chances are, you're probably not going to be be able to travel to these Middle Eastern countries anytime soon but, that doesn't mean you can't try the local food. read more

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We loved everything we tried, I even ate every bit of our leftovers. Try the soup! I got the briyani and he got the grilled meat trio.. can't remember the names but i have pics! Try this place! read more

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9 months after having it the first time, I'm afraid things have moved in the wrong direction. Portions have been scaled back quite a bit, but far more bothersome is just that the execution/quality seems to have gone downhill. Not nearly as solid as it used to be. Vegetable biryani was rather anemic and didn't have much vegetable in it. Bread was clearly old/dried out. Will probably be a while before trying again given how much great food there is in The Grove and nearby on S Grand. read more

Oh my gosh! This place is unreal. All the food was cooked to perfection. You can taste the love in every bite. I had the mixed grill plate, with a side of eggplant burani, which was phenomenal to pair. Then we ordered 1 Baklava for the table, and everyone loved it so much, that we ordered another, and then another and then 1 more lol. Our waiter was a young man, that looked like a high schooler, he was wonderful! He was very kind and courteous, attentive and made us feel good. Can't wait to go back! read more

If you love foods with explosive flavor, you will LOVE Sameem. First of all, the place feels like family.The waitstaff treat you like honored dinner guests. Second, the dishes are generously large. My family and I came in for what we thought would be a "light" lunch. We didn't expect to have a feast! Lastly, everything was AMAZING. The luhssey is a must-try; creamy and sweet. The sambosas are a delight. At one point, the owner approached us with a bowl of tikka masala and urged us to try it with beef we ordered. But, the star of the meal for me was the tilapia. I really don't like tilapia. This restaurant officially made one of my now favorite preparations of it. The spices, the texture, everything was spot on. The tilapia is life-changingly awesome. Come for the food, stay for the huge platters if food and the awesome service. This place is wonderful. Five stars. read more

Decided to try this place randomly and I am so happy I did. I ordered the Chicken Teekha Misala and it was incredible! You can tell it was made fresh and with care. It was the perfect amount and the employees were so friendly. If you want to support local businesses in these times, I highly recommend this one. read more

If you don't look for this gem you will miss it! First time on a Friday- we did not make a reservation but they do take them- they started filling up quickly -would advice this if your bringing more than two people - but ******This is the best chicken curry in Saint louis- the layout of the restaurant is also very nice- along with the people who work here are very sweet!we will be back here for sure- read more

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