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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Sameem was my favorite of all the restaurants I was able to visit in St. Louis within a week, and perhaps the best Afghan restaurant I've been to (which is not many). The flavors are spot on and I'd definitely go back. read more

Sameem's vegetable teekah masala and vegetable plate is 100%. If you're a vegetarian, add this spot to your dining rotation. So much flavor, great portions, delicious sauces and rice. I typically get "to go" from here and it's always ready on time and holds up well for the 15 minute ride home. read more

Just like Afghanistan. After spending one year in Kabul, Sameem's restaurant is exactly what i remember. The lamb, the rice, the naan...all of this is authentic. I can praise this place all day long. The best part is his kindness. There is nothing to compare this food to. It's just damn good. If you're hesitant, throw that feeling in the trash and just go. I wouldn't steer you wrong. Have a dope time. read more

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

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This place was so delicious I had to come back to days in a row! In fact, I entertain one guest 1 hour in the next hour bought back another guest. The service is great the food is excellent! Very humble yet clean environment. If you would like to experience a change from the typical "Indian" food Afghan he food is going to be right up your alley! I recommend the Sambosas, the lamb, the rice, and also the grilled chicken. read more

Came here with a friend for dinner and was not disappointed. To get straight to it, we got the sambosa to share which came with green chutney. Even though I would have liked the sambosa to have been a little more filled, they were delicious. I ordered the mix grill, which came with a chicken kabob, meat kabob, and a kafta kabob. My favorite was the chicken - really moist. Kafta was also very good. Dish came on a bed of rice, topped with a little veggie-curry mixture of potatoes, carrots, and peas, and also a piece of bread. Overall, I was pretty happy with my meal. Price is also not bad at all. My friend ordered the shrimp biryani and it has just the right amount of flavor and spice. Overall, was very happy with the food, the service, and the ambiance. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Mixed grill - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

The food was so good! We tried a couple of appetizers and had a variety of dishes as a family. The service was fast, courteous and they answered all of our questions. Absolute repeat!! read more

My friend and I went to Sameem for the first time and loved the food there! We shared an off menu baba ghanoush and we both got the same entree - the lamb biriyani. The baba ghanoush was extremely smoky and came with thick chewy, focaccia like naan. The lamb biriyani had very tender lamb that was falling off the bone. It was definitely cooked right! The rice it came with was filled with mediterranean spices but didn't overpower the gamey taste of the lamb. I highly recommend both - and the lamb biriyani leftovers also heat up super well and taste great the day after! Furthermore our server was excellent. My friend and I went on a hot summer day and drank at least 5 cups of water each but our server made sure our glasses were never empty! She also made sure to check on us and make sure everything was ok. Also, don't be fooled when you walk in - the place is bigger than it looks due to an upstairs seating area! read more

Loved this restaurant so much! It was my first experience with Afghan food, which has now become one of my new favorite types of food. My friends and I did a family-style-kind of thing. We had more than enough food between us and everything was amazing. I would recommend doing a family-style-kind of dining experience so you can try many things. Highly recommend. read more

Very good price for authentic Mediterranean food. The family who owns the restaurant is very hospitable.

Incredible food, incredible service, plenty of vegetarian options. Do yourself a favor and try the eggplant!

Sameem is an authentic, family-owned restaurant that is definitely worth your time! I went there with a large group during Ramadan and they were incredibly accommodating. They went above and beyond with service, even giving us dates to break our fast without charge and allowing us to pray in a clean space within the building. The food was also delicious and the portions were great for the price! I will definitely be returning iA! read more

Took more friends from out of town. Food was absolutely delicious as always. My friends from the Philippines loved it too. Highly recommended? read more

Good service, great tasting food. The food was spicy (as in flavorful) but not overwhelming. Portions were generous. Most places that I've been to serve kababs that are short, but theirs are almost double length. My only complaint is their naan didn't taste fresh. Parts of them were extremely chewy and hard to the point of almost inedible. I would have given them a 5 star if they had served some fresh naan instead. Will definitely give them another try. read more

Perfect, I like how the waiters are welcoming and so polite. Food is delicious and reasonable price.

Sameem is incredible. So friendly. So good. This very chill place has a great selection of middle-eastern dishes. I've never had or tried anything that wasn't great but my absolute favorite is when they have a goat special. Although not normally on the menu they often have goat and it's always been the best thing that anyone at the table orders. Truly good stuff at Sameem. read more

Another International Supper Club Success! I've been wanting to come here for a while and was so excited to see that Sarah picked this for our next stop. First off, it's in The Grove so thumbs up on awesome spot. It's a pretty small shop but they do carry out and delivery if it's crowded. I went with the Beef Kabobs. It came with 2 delicious strips of heavily seasoned beef, Basmati rice, naan, and a piping hot grilled tomato. First off, the portions are perfect. They are enough to fill anyone up. In fact, you'll most likely have leftovers. The beef is so tender and flavorful it's incredible! I now understand why people are obsessed with this place. We got to taste the rice pudding which was also good but not my cup of tea in terms of dessert. I can't wait to bring my friends here and try out some of their other dishes. I shall be back! read more

After seeing the raving reviews here we had to check it out. I've never had Afghan food before but it seems like a regional variation similar to Indian food. The food was good but I'm not sure what I was expecting maybe less subtle flavors and seasonings or possibly it was just the dish I choose. I got the lamb shank after asking the server what dish best represented Afghan cuisuine on the menu, I have to say the shank that came out could NOT have been cooked more perfectly and while the lamb itself was slightly low on seasoning the sourounding rice was very flavorful adn I"m sure thats how the dish is intended. You would honestly pay 3x what we paid for that lamb shank at a 'fine dining' restaruant for the exact same quality and cooking expertise. Everyone at our table of 6 was more than pleased with their selections and are excited to return. If I had to critisize the service is a little disorganized but extremely friendly and this place is tiny so it was really not a problem. read more

This one has been on our list of "we want to try" for awhile. We finally went for lunch today. Everything we tried had awesome flavor. Butter Chicken, Curry Beef, and Kabob, plus the hummus as an appetizer. My 15 year old who is normally a picky eater ate her whole plate and immediately said that we need to come back. The portions were large and the staff was very friendly! Definitely would recommend! read more

Had been to this restaurant maybe 3-4 years ago when we visited St.Louis and found the food delicious. Went back yesterday and amazed to find the food quality is still the same. You can park at the parking lot across from the street. The owner was sitting at a table near us and was very friendly so was the staff. We were a little full so didn't order any appetizer and went straight for the entree. Ordered chicken broast ( yummy), curry chicken ( my kid ordered it, loved it and finished his whole plate!!), I ordered ( recommended by owner) the combo plate of chicken sheesh( they don't always have it) with another chicken kabob ( forgetting the name) I loved it and my mom ordered ( again recommended by owner) goat karahi and it was amazing. The goat meat was tender and didn't have any smell. Highly recommend the restaurant, it's not a fancy restaurant and it's decently priced with food that is simply delicious. read more

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The food is really good. And so is the service, but the quantity of meat was a huge disappointment. The hot wings were SO DELICIOUS. So crunchy and covered with a fantastic spicy sauce. I had the lamb curry and the flavor was so good. But I literally don't think it was even 3 ounces of meat. I understand that it is meant to e supplemented with rice but If I'm paying $15 or market price then feed me... Husband has the lamb kihrani (sp ?) and it was good though not as good as mine. Also had to ask for the naan that it was supposed to come with. Turkish coffee is good. You'll probably get more meat with a cheaper selection (chicken or beef) but I left hungry. My portion was smaller than my husbands and the guy with us who got a chicken dish. And it was smaller than the pictures. Update: I thought it was very generous that the owner contacted me shortly after posting this to offer me a free lamb curry as an apology. Shows that they care about customer service and reflects their friendliness in the restaurant. read more

Sameem Afghan restaurant has good service and absolutely delicious Middle Eastern food! Best lamb curry in St. Louis and probably the entire state of Missouri. The service was prompt and the server was friendly from start to finish. He asked us how we heard of this restaurant. I told him I found it on Yelp. He was excited and told me they take a lot of pride in their five star Yelp review and wanted to do whatever they could to maintain it. The lamb was tender and the flavor of the curry was phenomenal--I am salivating as I am writing this review! Keep up with the friendly service and the scrumptious food and I'm sure the five star average Yelp review will stay! Can't wait to spread the word about this great hole in the wall Middle Eastern restaurant! I'll be back SOON!!! NOTE: Seating is limited. read more

Disclaimer: I've never been to the physical restaurant, I've just had food from here, a few times, since they catered lunch at our dealership. I'm always up for trying something new, and Sameem fit the bill. They brought in sambosas, chicken curry, pakowras, beef kabobs, and basmati rice....a full on spread, with a little bit of everything for everyone. Dig the fact that they don't use pork...just beef, lamb, and chicken...and there were so many different textures, flavors. Some things I never would've thought to pair (fried raisins, carrots, and basmati rice?), and they ended up being awesome. Can't wait to visit the brick and mortar location in Tower Grove, because I've heard such good things about the rest of the menu, especially the muntoo! read more

This place is amazing. The food is great, the owner and staff are friendly and accommodating, the prices are excellent. The vegetarian menu is extensive. I've tried almost all the vegetarian options, and I have been pleased with every one. The portions are huge, considering the very reasonable prices. The appetizers are outstanding. While my other family members rave about the hummus, my personal favorite appetizers are the pakoras and sambosas. Get the mixed plate of these two; you will not regret it. read more

I was almost scared to eat here, because my expectations were understandably high after reading the collection of glowing reviews. So, on a mellow night in STL when I was feeling like trying something new, I was compelled by the promise of delicious Afghan food and decided to finally test out this local favorite for myself. Spoiler alert: Everybody is right, this place rocks. Let's get right to the food, shall we? Started off with the sambosa and pakowra appetizer- at this point, things are looking promising. There were 4 pieces of each, all of them fried to perfection with a perfect kick of spiciness. Forgive me for not being able to remember the name of my entree, but it had eggplant and spinach and was mind-blowingly good. The whole time I was eating it, a very serious war waged on in my head between (1) wanting to devour it all immediately and (2) trying to save some to take home in an attempt to savor the moment. I quickly realized that I could have it both ways, because the generous portion size allowed me to eat to my heart's content and still have enough for a delicious lunch the next day. I strongly advocate saving some for a next-day lunch, as I swear that the time in the refrigerator just melded the flavors and resulted in some phenomenal left-overs. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Makes for great leftovers! - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Made a family trip here and was not disappointed. The food was amazingly consistent. Lamb, chicken and beef were all very tender. Rices were well cooked and vegetables were fresh. Service was polite and attentive without being overbearing. The one improvement I'd suggest, not because it bothers me but because first impressions can be so important, is the front parlor area that seems to be used more as an employee break room of sorts. It doesn't reflect well to first time guests. You feel like you've walked in to an empty restaurant and interrupted the employees/owners while they were surfing the web. Turn it into a darker parlor type area or set all the tables and park the laptops elsewhere. The food and service, though, were enough for us to look past that first impression. We all looking forward to going back! read more

In a city with a variety, but not a plethora, of wonderful world flavors, Sameem fills the Afghan void exquisitely. Lamb Kabobs, Afghan national dish Biryani, and the most incredible rice dishes make for a vast and succulent meal. Samosas, Butter chicken and other accessible dishes are also done perfectly for the less adventurous eaters in your party. read more

The food was to die for and the service was even better. We had two orders of hummus and naan, butter chicken, and butter shrimp. Highly recommend! read more

This place is pretty awesome. Not often you can find a place serving authentic Afghan food. This place does it well. First to all the people complaining about oily food. You apparently have never had authentic Afghan food, compared to most others, IT IS OILY by its very nature. If you don't like it, go eat somewhere else. It is supposed to be that way. Also, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GET RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF RICE WITH YOU ENTREE, that is how people in Afghanistan eat. All that aside, the spices and flavors are fantastic. Place is small and very casual. Would be great for lunch. The owners were extremely friendly. The server went out of his way to point out to me after I had ordered that I could get the two separate appetizer's me and my wife wanted to try as a combo and he saved me a few bucks. That is how everyone should be treating their customers! The food tastes great and is authentic though they don't serve goat. Probably because I can't imagine a lot of people in the US ordering it. read more

Excellent chicken kabob and kabuli pulao! Loved it on our stop in Saint Louis. Authentic Afghani food.

Sameem is one of stl's best kept secrets. Amazing food and amazing service! Cannot say enough good things about Sameem!

If you are looking for great food, hospitable environment and very courteous staff and chef, this is the place for you.... My family and I are were visiting St. Louis from Chicago and we made a stop here with some friends. Their mixed platters, pilau and eggplant dishes are to die for... I will definitely make this a stop next time I am in town. read more

Apsley fantastic restaurant, fresh as can be very tasty spices not over the top and the service is wonderful

My first visit to Sameem was great. After reading the reviews on Yelp, I decided that I needed to visit. While waiting for my carryout order, I had a great conversation with the men working there (presumably the owners/management). They were incredibly cordial and personable, made my time waiting very pleasant. We started with the sambosas, and shared the chicken karahi and mixed grill. One of my favorite aspects of the meal (minus the great food) was that rice and naan come with the food! A huge plus! In regards to the food we ordered, everything was great. The mixed grill gives a good sampling of the chicken, beef, and lamb, though I liked the chicken best. The food in general has lots of similarities to Indian food, which most of us are more familiar with. One of the huge selling points for me is that Sameem cooks with beef, something that you're hard pressed to find at most Indian restaurants. Definitely will be ordering again soon, possibly dining in, just because the guys who work there were so great. read more

A hole-in-the-wall serving authentic Afghan food. The cooking is excellent- I usually order the mixed grill and a hummus. Very friendly staff and they work hard to make sure customers are happy. Highly recommend when you're in the area! read more

Amazing! I had the Muntoo which was great and my girlfriend's Butter chicken was the best I've ever tasted, we were enjoying it so much the owner brought us a dish of Tikka Masala sauce to try and it was fantastic. He also sent us a dish of Kheer for dessert with our Turkish coffee (both were excellent). The friendly service and awesome food means we will return very soon. A word of warning, we sat down in a fairly empty restaurant at 7 on a Saturday night and by eight every table was full with people still trying to get in so a weekday might be your best bet to try it out. But you definitely should. read more

Love the atmosphere! Friendly staff. The mint chuntney is EVERYTHING. Have tried all the bryriani dishes, samossa, and vegetable plate. My favorite is the lamb bryriani. Not such a big fan of the bread, but overall a place laced with flavor. read more

The food was good, but there were plenty of shortcomings. We visited early on a Saturday night... Around 5:30ish. There are just a handful of tables in the restaurant. One incomplete party had a few tables pushed together reserved for a group. There are a couple of tables outside, but neither the wife or I felt like eating outside. Waiting inside isn't really an option either since there is no waitiing area. An employee suggested we head to their second dining room upstairs. To get there, you have to go outside and go through a second unmarked door. When we got upstairs we were unimpressed. This space was poorly put together. The floor was stained plywood. The walls seemed unfinished but had ethnic items tacked to them. The lighting was like a warehouse. The tables were adorned with plastic checkerboard picnic coverings. There was no music at all. The only sounds were the people scooting around downstairs. We were the only two up here. After a bit, the waiter came up the back stairs. It was odd. He noted that he was a newer employee and this was the first time he had served someone in this dining area. He noted the odd feel and said we could play music from our phone if we wanted. I actually ended up doing just that. It was odd. For dinner we had a lamb platter and shrimp tikka masala. Both dishes were piled with rice and were full of flavor. The accompanying bread sucked... it was dry and tasted cheap. But with all of the rice, I'm not sure why we needed any bread anyway. The lamb was cooked perfectly. It fell off the bone and had great flavor. The shrimp dish was good too. Each plate was ~$15. All in all, I'd suggest trying this place out, but maybe visit them on off hours so you can get a table in the main dining area. read more

I finally went here! This place was busy even on a weekday night. We were seated outside immediately but since it was a bit cold the owner showed us inside when a table was available, very quickly. Everyone was very attentive to us but not overbearing. I got the lamb biryani and it was a ton of food, I brought half home! It was soooo delicious! Everyone at my table liked their food. We had a good time, and we love the staff and owner. Would come again. read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Lamb biryani - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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5/5 stars for the food (I can't rave enough about the food) but 3/5 stars for service...however I'm willing to compromise on that because this food is delicious. We came on a weekday early evening, and there were still a decent amount of people there. The owner greeted us himself, he was really friendly and nice, and we were seated right away. It did take a while to take our orders but the food came pretty quickly after that; I went with the curried lamb and we started with the hummus and mango lassis all around (it might be spelled different on the menu because it's Afghani versus Indian? I have no idea). From an Indian perspective this food is excellent, it almost tastes like Indian food but I know that the Afghani spices are a little different which really adds an extra kick. The lamb was tender and delicious, not chewy at all. Hummus and naan was delicious, and my friends also loved their food (chicken tikka, some sort of a beef kabob). Now for the service; the waiter didn't really seem to understand what I was asking him when I asked if one of the combo meals could substitute the beef kabob for a lamb or chicken kabob since I don't eat beef. I just gave up and switched my order which turned out fine it was just a little frustrating. Also, they charge for splitting the check, just an FYI. The table next to us was a little annoyed because they told their waiter that they were still working on their food and didn't need a box yet but he kind of walked by and dropped boxes on their table anyway; the lady was like 'does he want us to leave?!'. The table across from us, the waiter took away the plate before the guy was finished and he had to ask for it back. Family owned places sometimes have these service quirks just when you have family members working there but whatever, everyone was polite and nice, the food was great, I'll definitely be back! read more

Sameem Afghan Restaurant - Curried lamb! - Afghan Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri