Delicious and authentic. The food is especially delicious when the buffet is fresh stocked. There are plenty of choices ranging from sweet to savory vegetarian and meat. Eggplant Soup, rice dishes, baklava and more. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. Small and large parties are welcome and easily accommodated and the rates are reasonable. The one area that would count as a negative is the ambiance. The atmosphere is lacking and the decor can definitely use a major upgrade both for comfort and and asthetics. read more

This was so good. As soon as I walked in there were so many scents and spices. Everything on the menu looked good. The hardest part was to choose only one item off the menu to eat. Will be going back again and again. read more

Yesterday was my first visit to Samira, but it left such a good impression on me I had to review right away. I recommend Samira if you are looking for a lovely meal, or if you are looking for something out of the ordinary. Sadly, I am an IU alum who didn't visit Samira until now, 5 years after my graduation. My mom and I went - we were looking rather forlorn, not realizing the elegance of the setting here. Bright white tablecloths and napkins at every seat. However, we were welcomed in. The service was great, and the food was gorgeous. We had tea to drink - was a bit disappointed when we were given Lipton Tea (was hoping for something more exotic), however the water it was served with seemed to have cardamom or a similar spice steeping in it. Everyone is served bread and roasted eggplant slices and carrot (with a spiced oil dressing). The bread is labeled as naan in the menu, but is not like Indian naan. I'm not sure what other bread to compare it to, but it is in 1/2 in thick sheets, cut into squares, both top and bottom quite toasty. It is pretty filling. My mom had the salad with her meal, which was fresh-looking greens with a balsamic dressing. I had the lentil soup, which had a red base and was similar to an American vegetable soup in flavor. I ordered the combination kebaab entree with lamb - I highly recommend this. It came with the perfect portion of a number of items served at the restaurant. The lamb was perfectly cooked (medium) - though I am thinking it must cook a little more on the skewer as the last bite I had was not so perfect; perhaps remove your meat from the skewer all together, rather one at a time? The mantu are similar to Turkish manti, if you've ever had the opportunity to have them. The dumplings are delicate and tasty. The other items with my dish were all wonderfully tasty and beautifully arranged. My mother had the chicken mantu, which seemed to have more vegetable filling than the beef mantu I had, and tasted more like a Chinese wonton (but still excellent, and also wonderfully plated). As a Midwesterner, I always fear eastern-ish foods thinking they will be incredibly spicy. If you are the same, I say do not fear - there are plenty of spices in Samira's food, but not the kind that will burn your tongue. Again, the setting at Samira's is classier, so you might feel more comfortable having something on a step up from jeans. Beautiful, tasty food- definitely an excursion from the norm for those who are not familiar with this type of cuisine! read more

--really enjoyed this fine little Afghan restaurant! This was our first time here. We were staying in the Park Inn when a huge storm came thru and took out the electricity. So that led us to Bloomington where we enjoyed Global Gifts, Athena, and enjoyed finding this little gem (which has probably been here a while but we just drove by) It was a very comfortable & casual décor with white table cloths to class it up. The service was perfect with the gentleman greeting & seating us right away. He also continued to keep our waters full and accommodated us with lemons. We happened to be there soon after they opened but I noticed that it filled up fast and they kept the buffet full all the time. Their lunch buffet that was great. I loved the lentils, okra, rice with carrots & raisins and tandoori chicken. -oh and baklava for dessert was to die for. We had to have two. We'll definitely go back and not just ignore and drive by! read more

Being Indian I was excited to try another ethnic food. 8 of us shared plates of food. It was all tasty. Lots of rice and sauces which I expected. We all enjoyed it and the wine was reasonable. It was a TAD pricey for the food type but we did have great service. I would go back and try it again! Solid food and a nice space. It was a quiet Monday night for us but we all enjoyed it. read more

Best restaurant I've discovered on my visits to Bloomington. Diverse and flavorful menu. Wonderful service!

This has been one of my favorite restaurants for over 10 years. A lot of people seem intimidated by it, but it's amazingly delicious food and everyone I've ever taken has walked away loving it. The grilled eggplant & carrots is basically the most addictive food I've ever had. You can't go wrong with any of the kebabs either. It's also a GREAT place for vegetarians and meat-eaters to go to together. Neither party will feel like they had to settle. read more

Despite living in Bloomington, it's been a long time since I've visited Samira- more than five years. I've avoided it since becoming a vegetarian thinking it wouldn't have many options to meet my needs. I was so wrong, and my husband told me it may be his new favorite restaurant in all of Bloomington! Our meal started with bread and a complementary eggplant dish. Entrées come with soup or salad. The red lentil soup was flavorful and delicious and the salad exploded with freshness, the greens crunching because they were so crisp. We shared different varieties of vegetable dumplings (Manto and Aushak) covered in a tomato sauce (we had them hold the yogurt sauce since my husband is vegan) with delightfully spiced Basmati rice. Our guest had butternut squash and beef kabob. Our entrees were each $14.50 which is very reasonable considering they came with bread, a complementary starter and soup or salad. The restaurant itself is elegant, with white table clothes. The booths and chairs were a little tired, but despite this Samira remains one of Bloomington's most elegant restaurants and it would be a nice location for a romantic date or an excellent spot for a business dinner. My only complaint was that service was a little slow. Despite not being overly busy it took quite some time for our waiter to come and take our order for drinks and at the same time he also took our dining order. I would have preferred that he stop by sooner so we could start with wine or beer while we review the menu. Overall, Samira is a great choice for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters seeking fresh flavorful food! read more

Samira Restaurant - My delicious entree of Manto (a vegetarian dumpling) with basmati rice. My dinner also came with soup, eggplant, and bread. - Afghan Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Please go here. Not only is it the best Afghan restaurant in Bloomington, it's for sure one of the best restaurants in Bloomington. The dinners are very good, with the only negative being the higher prices (for Bloomington). Last time I was there for dinner I got the Quabili Pallao which is rice with carrots, raisins, tomato-onion sauce and chicken. I've also gotten the chicken and lamb kebaab. I prefer the entrees with sauces however. This isn't because the meat by itself isn't good, rather the sauces that go with the rice and meat dishes are that good. I'd say for dinner, Samira's is worth four stars because of the somewhat high cost. The fifth star is earned for the lunch buffet. Starting at 11:30am, there is a buffet with baked chicken, lamb, two kinds of rice, many sauces and salad for about $10. Same food as dinnertime, but twice as much and about half the cost. You also get a piece of baklava at the end, which is one of the best desserts out there. The service is decent with nothing to complain about and the atmosphere is alright as well. Think 80's fancy restaurant with the requisite "Afghan Girl" photo on the wall. Go, it is worth it! read more

A bit pricy for such dainty portions. The atmosphere is elegant and clean, and service has been consistently good. This was actually the first restaurant I visited in Bloomington. We stopped here on a whim, famished and indecisive, not even aware we were in an Afghani restaurant, initially. I love ethnic food, and am always excited to try new things. But in the two times I've eaten here, it was less than impressive. Especially for the price. Nothing necessarily negative, but nothing to rave about either. That being said, I would give it another go. read more

The food can be good but we got bait n switched last time we went. So not into stuff like that. We made reservations and they didn't tell us they decided to do buffet rather than a la cart. It was too late to go elsewhere but I wish we did. The food was this weird bland Indian flavor, not Afghani at all, the waiter spilled wine on my friend and then as we finished our food a women asked if we could clear the table for others. Terrible. read more

Great food and fantastic service! The meat was tender and seasoned really well. I really love the rice. I would love to go again!

Samira's is in a great location on the square in downtown Bloomington. The ambience is fancier than the menu prices would otherwise indicate - nice art, white tablecloths, solid wine/beer list, mirrors on the walls... Highlights: The house-baked bread is incredible and I always try to scheme a way to bring some home. There's this carrot and eggplant grilled garlic thing that comes at the start of every meal. Do not miss this. ALWAYS get soup instead of salad, it's a lentil-tomato flavor bomb, whereas the salad is generic. Kebabs are very good, and around $20 or less. They also come on swords, which does not suck. I'm also a big fan of the baba ghanouj. Oh, and there's a nice lunch buffet. Honestly, it's better if you're a vegetarian, because the meatballs and baked chicken options are the most mediocre things I've had here. However, the four different veggie+sauce platters and the fresh salad are high quality and filling. At around nine dollars per person, this is a buffet I can wholeheartedly recommend. Surprisingly great place to take out of towners for dinner. The check won't be too expensive, the location is prime, and the food and drinks are solid. read more

Wow. Super delicious food. Undoubtedly one of the best in Bloomington. The lamb kebab, the chicken and hen kebab were outworldly. I haven't tried the salad, but the soup was brilliant. The only thing which was average were the appetizers. We ordered the Namouna and Sambosa, and both of them were average and a little less in quantity. The baklava was slightly above average. But the Entrees were unbeatable. P.S. I forgot to mention, these guys do magic with eggplants. Do try something with eggplant in it. I have changed my opinions about egg plant dishes after having what they served. P.P.S. I hear that they have an amazing Buffet as well. I want to try it soon. read more

Good news: the best Afghan food I ever had Bad news: it's in Bloomington IN, 1000 miles away from home We started with appetizers of Hummus and Sambosa's. Though close, the Hummus is not " middle eastern" style. It's a little lighter than what I'm use to and the Sambosa was shaped like a Quesadilla. Both were delicious. I had the Cornish Hen and it was phenomenal. It was grilled to perfection served with sides of Quabili (raisin and carrots) and spinach. One can clearly see the influence of Indian cooking because the rice and the spinach reminded me of eating Indian food. I'm here one more night. Going to see if I can squeeze in another meal tomorrow night. read more

Just had dinner here. Food is very good, but portions are tiny. Yes, you get a very small complimentary appetizer and a soup or salad with your meal, but the salad was awful and the soup was lukewarm. It tasted like Campbell's tomato soup with some lentils thrown in. We got a very flustered, super busy, new to the position waiter, who seemed to be handling the most tables. There was no hostess when we walked in, so the waiter also had to seat us. He seemed to be waiting on all the tables outside and a few inside as well, while other staff just seemed to be sauntering around, handling a table or two. I didn't understand why. Our waiter got our order wrong and we had to wait till ten minutes before the restaurant closed to get part two of our meal. It wasn't his fault. They were under staffed and he was doing the best he could. A lady who seemed to be the manager was walking around but didn't come to our table. We weren't offered any dessert and we got a free refill on our soda as an apology for the delay in our order. Umm, aren't refills free anyhow?! They brought us our bill twice, after we had already paid. Seriously? Organization seemed lacking. It was a Saturday night, when restaurants are at their busiest, but the place was not that packed. A little better management would have helped. My husband and I decided to dine here based on all the great reviews, but our experience found service to be extremely lacking and food portions need to be bigger. Maybe it was just an off day for them, but just don't be fooled by the reviews. They aren't as great as they sound. read more

Pros: Cornish Hen Kabobs Cons: None that I can think of I had the pleasure of eating here when I was on a business trip in Bloomington. My coworker from Bloomington swore that this is the best restaurant in town. After eating here, I have a hard time disagreeing with her. Anyway, we started off the meal with the grilled eggplant appetizer. I'm not really a big fan of eggplants, but this dish was delicious. For my main course, I had the Cornish hen kabobs. The seasoning was perfect. Not too strong, but not too little. It was just right. The chicken was wasn't too dry. It was nice and moist. Typing this review is making me wish I could have it again. Great place if you're ever in Bloomington. read more

YUM! I've had lots of different types of 'Middle Eastern' food. This was my first foray into Afghan. And it was suuuuper tasty. We had the Sabzi Pallao and the Quabili Pallao. Both were tasty, and we were sufficiently stuffed when we left. Bread before dinner was heart and excellent. They also gave us some eggplant that was spicy with what I believe was olive oil drizzled over it. I liked that as well. I would definitely come back. read more

A few of us went for the lunch buffet. The restaurant's interior is nice, with gracious and conscientious staff (as far as I could tell, but the buffet experience is naturally a little different than dinner dining). They had 2 kinds of rice, a bean vegetarian dish, a dish with some kind of stewed/saucy Okra (gotta love vegetables that I enjoy but wouldn't cook myself!), small chicken legs/thighs, meatballs of some sort, some roasted potatoes/squash and a small salad bar (think bowl of romaine and then tabbouleh). (They also gave us complimentary pita (with a tiiiiiny bit of hummus, which was really amazing. I should have asked for more), and baklava is available. Everything was served piping hot, presented cleanly and very delicious! And at $9.05, a great deal, especially when you consider the quality and experience to the other ethnic food lunch buffets around town. I'd like to see maybe some kind of kebab option, but I understand that's not very cost-effective for a lunch buffet. I've eaten at several Afghani restaurants in the NYC/metro area and this was, as far as I can tell, on par with those! Impressive, Indiana. I'll be back to try dinner! read more

You don't like Naan, go away I don't like you. The naan is fresh and delish. Entrees are great. If you only had 24 hours in Bloomington, this place isn't a must see. If you're here for a week, you better get to Samira's. You won't regret it. read more

I came here on a visit to my cousin and aunt, and they took me to the best restaurant in town - an Afghan fine dining place in the middle of Indiana. As good or better than anything you'd find in San Francisco (who knew?) The meal started with complimentary grilled eggplant and mushrooms, drizzled in olive oil and accompained by a foccacia like flatbread. I had the lamb kebab, which also came with mantu dumplings and a crispy turnover. My aunt had the veggie plate. The baba ganoush was more solid, less creamy that middle eastern counterparts, but delicious in its own way. Plenty for leftovers. read more

I was dubious about Afghan food in Bloomington, Indiana, but this place was really solid. Apparently it's a favorite among University faculty there, if that endorsement means anything to you. I'd guess it's one of the nicest places in town, and it may be pricy for Bloomington, but all things considered it's very affordable (about $15-17 per entree). They bring a small eggplant app to start complementarily. I tried the lamb kurma tchallao. It was very tasty, it was well-seasoned, the meat was tender, the rice was properly cooked. The service was good, not fast, but you don't go there for fast food. They only have a few tables outside on the square, but those are really nice, and great for people-watching. The place is very large inside. There's plenty of metered street parking around, although I'm not sure how it fills up when students are in town. read more

The lunch buffet is good...a step down from India Garden...it really tastes like a minor league version of India Garden...which isn't a put down because India Garden is dynomite. It is a step down without the tikka masala though. You gotta flag a brother down to get your bill. They need to work on a better system for having customers pay their bills. read more

While attending orientation for IU I had the pleasure of eating here for the lunch buffet. I left a big fan! Can't wait to go back. The buffet had a great variety of food. Each dish was flavorful, tasty and filling. read more

One of Bloomington's very best restaurants. I've never had a bad meal here, and often end up stuffing myself on the delicious bread and everything else they bring even before the entrees even arrive. Best hummus I've ever had. Lots of great vegetarian options. If you can't choose, get the namounaa and taste several options at once. Service is great, decor is a little like a dentist office or a hotel lobby, but you'll be so focused on the food that it won't matter. read more

YUM! Love this place!!! Must try the weekday buffet! The okra-stew-type dish is my favorite.

Went for a late lunch buffet the weekend after IU graduation, yet the restaurant was fairly busy with people coming in as we were finishing up. I haven't tried much of the food around IU but according to my brother this place has amazing food. The buffet consists of 6 or so dishes with 2 rice options, bread and hummus, salad, and dessert. Loved the seasoning and flavors of the food (first time trying Afghani food) but there wasn't many vegetarian options in the buffet so that may be an issue for some. For the meat lovers- homemade meatballs and chicken were amazing. I normally stay away from chicken in buffets since it's typically dry, but the chicken was moist and really does fall of the bone. Be careful of overeating. read more

At first I though the ambiance was nice at first but we were seriously let down by the customer service. It took 30 minutes to get water and took NEARLY 2 hours ONLY TO DECIDE TO LEAVE. DO NOT COME HERE. read more

I've been to Samira several times, for dinner and the lunch buffet. It has definitely become one of my favorite restaurants in Bloomington! The hummus is the best I've ever tried, it's always very fresh. The kabobs and vegetarian dishes are amazing as well, I've never been disappointed when coming here. read more

Prompt service, very nice waiters. I ate there on Wednesday so it was relatively a quiet establishment. The bread and eggplant/carrot (complementary) were small but nice. I had the Kadu Pallao (sliced, baked butternut squash served in tomato sauce, topped with spiced yogurt sauce and served with spiced basmati rice) and nothing was over done. Great use of spices and proportion. Overall, nice place. Lots of food to order on the menu so you should be able to try something new. Only drawback, a little pricey but I was okay with it. read more

I'm always up for something different. When my son suggested we check out this Afghan restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana, I was all in. This place is a little bit elegant, but not stuffy. Wear a suit or a nice t-shirt and slacks. Doesn't really matter. They'll bring you bread here, similar to fococcia, and the standard olive oil. Be sure to ask for the garlic eggplant slices to top it with. I started with the Home Made soup, a tomato-based brew with cilantro and soft grains of bulgur wheat or something similar. I don't ask about recipes. But I loved it as a starter. My son started with a salad, which was a typical lettuce and tomato bowl that he didn't finish. I always get lamb when I can, and so I ordered the kabob, with basmati rice flavored with slight doses of turmeric, olive oil and something I couldn't identify. Shaved carrots were served on top, and it was delicious. The rice comes mixed with raisins marinated in some type of sweet spicy sauce that complemented the rice completely. Lamb can be tough if cooked improperly This meat was juicy and tender and melted in my mouth. This restaurant has a good, but not extensive, wine list. We picked a Chilean Malbec that was very good. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Check it out when you're in B-town. read more

I worry that I had a less good experience than many here. It was a while ago, but I remember it being wholly mediocre and no where close to exceptional. That being said, I thought the service was very congenial and the ambiance is OK, outside of the exterior being a monolithic looking block of concrete. I enjoyed my experience here, and if you're searching for Afghani food, this is probably the only place in town for it. I just can't recommend it too highly. read more

This has been a favorite lunch buffet for me for many years and we occasionally come for supper or even just dessert. When I had a trade group of 30 in town I took them here for dinner. Partly they could accommodate us and partly it is good food and not one of the same everywhere chains. Try it and see if you do not enjoy it. I think they have the best rice served in any Bloomington restaurant (but that's not all). read more

This place is okay. Four stars for taste. But the overall experience deserves a 3. Our waiter was very friendly. New to serving but friendly and accommodating. The food was decent. My fiancé is half Persian so we have food of this sort often enough. We hadn't been here before and wanted to try it. The baba ganouj was a little too thick/chunky for my taste. It should be smooth and creamy. The rice was too sweet and old school. It seemed like there was a hint of cinnamon and not enough savory. Same goes for the meat. We split the lamb and chicken kebab combo. The lamb was fine. A little dry even. But! The part that really knocked this to a 3 would be that a piece of the chicken was uncooked. It was pink and fleshy still! We let the server know and he brought us out some complementary baklava. Overall, just an okay experience. We have had better. read more

They are open for lunch and serve a very good lunch buffet. Must go if you are in Bloomington. Also make sure to ask for their hot black tea after you're done filling your stomach with their tasty food; it'll definitely help you feel better and you will thank me:) read more

Samira Restaurant - Cardamom tea with Baklava - Afghan Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Stopped by Samira without a reservation and they accommodated us on the outside patio. A bit different than you typical Greek restaurant and I am glad that it was. Their house soup was delicious as were all the dishes we had. I specifically recommend the steamed dumplings and Cornish hen. read more

Wanted to come here for awhile. We went last night and were pleasantly surprised. An eggplant/carrot small treat and a focaccia come out right away (for free). I got the Quabili Pallao which is this amazing rice, raisin, carrot, and I chose lamb instead of chicken. ($16). It was SOOO tasty. I chose the lentil soup, which was also tasty and very filling. My husband got a lamb shish-la-bob combination platter. He said that the combination platter was great as well. Thank you, and we will be back to try some more! read more

Samira's was my introduction to Bloomington Cooking. :)) Anywho, after scouring all the 0ther restaurant reviews on here, I found it fascinating to locate this one. *Who knew that Afghani food would be my 1st, rave and glorious, introduction to Mid-western-style culture? Fascinating... Suphie read more

Great food, friendly staff! Food was delicious, and with a group of 10, came out very quickly. One of the nicer, more relaxing sit-down restaurants that I've been to so far in Bloomington- white table cloths, but still relatively casual (you can come in jeans or shorts). I'll definitely be back again! read more

Holy smokes this was good. SO GOOD. What a gem to find and worth the hour trip we made. Amazing amazing. read more

Samira Restaurant - Lamb kebab with dumpling and sambosa. - Afghan Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana