After being a regular at this restaurant and bringing many groups of friends here, out of love for the taste of the food, I took a year off coming here because circumstances changed and I wasn't in the neighborhood. Upon returning there, yesterday, I noticed some changes that have caused me to lower my rating by one star. Salad Got Smaller: My guests used to be overwhelmed by the size of the salad, always stuffing themselves with it and having to give up before finishing it all. I, on the other hand, managed to finish it. I regret to report that anyone can finish it at this point because they have changed the portion size to what looks like half the salad that used to be on the plate. When you are paying $25 for a meal, a two person dinner can easily get into the $60 region, and for that I expect people not to be cheap with the salad. The Bread Costs Money and is Tightly Controlled: Cheap might sound like a harsh word for a size reduction, but I asked what comes with the hummus, before ordering, and I was told it comes with nothing and that I should order a side of bread for two additional dollars. Silk Road gave my group exactly two flat-breads, because two of us ordered an Entrée. The third member ordered an equivalent quantity of food for a similar cost, but every crumb of bread was charged for. All the other times I ate here, I would layer the flat-bread with my Entrée, salad, and sauces and eat it, but now that I have to keep ordering more bread, I found myself using a fork for most of my meal before even realizing I had lost one of my favorite activities to do at this place. The restructuring of how bread is handled actually changed the way I eat here. It's not about the money. It's about the philosophy of it all. When I wrote my original review, which was very positive of their touristy decorations, great service, and wonderful food, they weren't so popular. Now that their good fortune is catching up to them, I feel like this place is letting themselves slip, so for those who don't look at the date on these reviews, I feel an update is helpful. The Lentil Soup Tastes Worse: My favorite item on the menu was the complimentary soup, and that didn't taste as good as I remembered. My group enjoyed it, and it is still a very good soup, well worth drinking. Bright side of things at Silk Road, to be fair: The lamb kabob is still delicious. The rice is excellent. One of our two waitresses was excellent, and the other was at least professional, despite seeming annoyed that one of our group did not get an Entrée. The owner wears sandles! (In a place as overly formal as this seems to be turning into, it's nice that the guy isn't wearing black leather dress shoes) And the music is still soothing: ideal for a relaxing meal, with just enough of a foreign flavor to make this place feel like you are somewhere else, but not enough to aggravate those who hate exotic music. Summary: In most American restaurants bread is free at the table, and in the Lebanese restaurant I ate at last week, the more bread my group asked for the more they handed to us, compliments of the house. The family that ran Silk Road last year still runs it, from what I've heard, and some of them were very nice to us in the past, so I truly hope they stop watering down what used to be a great experience by cutting corners. This is not a a cheap place to eat, by any stretch of the imagination, and the customers reflect this in how formally they tend to dress, but in that scenario, how can you half the portions and serve hummus with nothing to get it in your mouth but a fork? I think I'll give it another try in six months to see if they've reclaimed their excellence by that point. This review is a lot less negative if you read my earlier one and remember that all of the positive things I mentioned before are mostly still applicable. read more

We went on Father's Day with a reservation. We were seated right away. The atmosphere is very nice and the staff is very kind and friendly. Excellent service! As soon as we ordered they brought out lentil soup and salad on the house. We ordered the family platter the kabobs were very moist and lamb chops melted in your mouth delicious. Quantity and quality of the food was great. We would be coming back. read more

Wonderful restaurant! Owner and staff is always so friendly. But, most important is the food. Everything that we've had from dumplings to kebabs are wonderful. My favorite is the cucumber and tomato salad that the entrees come with in addition to the delicious bread. Location is in a awkwardly situated strip mall, but once you know where it is, it's easy to get to and parking in the lot is a breeze. read more

Such a beautiful place to eat! Authentic Afghani food. The decor, service and food are great. One of my favorite restaurants now. It's a treat to go here! :) read more

Ever heard of the word "Masochodie"? You'll not find it in the dictionary. It means masochist foodie - someone who enjoys good food but loves to leave restaurants with the bitter taste of humiliation. Silk route is your restaurant if you consider yourself " masichodie". Once you are done with your food, the worst ever manager will ensure that you walk out of the door with the worst ever experience. read more

Unique food and place! Definitely different than food I am accustomed to, but was delicious! Server was nice, though it did take some time to receive our plates. That was my only complaint. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed lunch at Silk Road; by far the best Afghan restaurant I have ever been to. There is beautiful decor with stylish light fixtures, when you enter, you get a feeling of "wow!" There are screens everywhere, tastefully placed, that have pictures of Afghanistan adding a very unique touch. The food is unreal ... The bread is perfect, the rice is light, the chicken and shrimp is juicy, and their dessert is amazing. You must get the firni at the end! The only thing the need help on is service ... There are no serving spoons in the main dishes, sometimes hard to flag down a server, they would not come check out our table for 20 min at a time, but completely nice people! I would def go back despite the service issues because the food and the ambiance is just worth it. read more

Tonight we went for the first time to this place, the food was wonderful! The bread is freshly made, soup and salad come with entree and were delicious! The restaurant is large and able to accommodate several groups. Service was not great but decent for a busy Saturday night. We will definitely return! read more

Will always be my first home to Afghan Food, so many wonderful experiences here and parties, celebrations,all these fond memories shared with the best food there and wonderful staff and service. read more

I am a very experienced eater when it comes to mediterranean/middle eastern cuisine, so let me tell you, this place is an awesome find! Every entree (they have meat, seafood, or veg) comes with complimentary soup, a shepherd salad (the best I have ever, ever, had, even compared to Greek), this amazing fresh piping hot bread with condiments to use and one of their four traditional rices. The lamb and the chicken have always been a staple of mine, but I recently tried the filet mignon kabobs and I might have found a new favorite. My favorite rice is the Naringe Palow, a mixture of orange peels, almonds, saffron and pistachios that sounds weird but it so delicious. Their butternut squash appetizer and the dumplings are a must, and I love their homemade desserts! Try the baklava and the rice pudding...yum.. I've brought back tons of people, definitely a place worth visiting! read more

Family Owned business whose service is personal, friendly, and just down right pleasant. The food is amazing. I like the fact that the food stays true to its Afghan culture and is at the same time very healthy for you. You get a lot of food for your money and I can never leave there without feeling like i overindulged myself. (hard to resist the great food). The bread is amazing as well as the side sauces/dips they provide. The variety of meats (kabob), rice, etc is sure to please a wide variety of preferences. I highly, highly recommend this place. Meals average about 20$ -28$ dollars a plate but it is worthy every penny. I have to give special thanks to the owner and his daughter Fatima whose friendly and amiable disposition makes my dining experience even much more enjoyable. My family is always treated like gold there and i appreciate the whole family/owners very much. Please go-I'm sure you will not be disappointed. Pleased in Warren, Ed V. read more

I love ethnic food and had almost all kinds. The food at this place is nothing special at all. My mom can cook better then what they had to offer. The foods are way too overpriced. I went there for my brothers birthday, three entrees and couple of appetizers cost 110$. The portion of food was way too small, I wasn't even full. I was better of going to a Thai or an Indian restaurant. Bottom line 19$ single person entree was very small 40$ Combo was not enough for two person. 8$ Appetizer was a small plate full of potatoes with thin crust on top If you like to 110$ and get very small portion of OK tasting food, this is your place. I would rather take my business to a Brazilian steak house, Thai or an Indian place. read more

We are going to his place all the time. Great food! Nice atmosphere. Cozy place. My favorite place to celebrate all important events. Highly recommended to all, who likes peaceful going-out entertainment. read more

Fantastic food! They have great lunch specials where you can choose a rice/meat combo. With it you get bread, salad and soup. SO delicious!

Great experience with a new cuisine. Owner was super friendly and encouraged us to return and to try some new dishes. We will !

If I could I wouldn't even give one star. The food is decent but this is by far the absolute worst management I've ever had in my life. Steer clear of this place. The first time I went to this spot, we ordered 3 entrees and they forgot to bring one out. They ran out of food and lied that they forgot the food and now the kitchen is closed. How do you see 3 people and think they're only going to order 2 entrees ? It was Father's Day so it was even worse. We tried to give this place a second chance because the waiters were really nice the first time. We came with 4 people and called ahead of time to make reservations and see if they had space. We got to the place and ordered our food. By then they told us they had a big party of people and cannot accommodate for our food. We told them it's okay we can just leave. Then they lied to us that they have the food and our order has been placed. After waiting for 45 mins they told us we didn't have any rice. They only have rice for two entrees and even then we're like oh okay that's fine because by then we have waited an hour and wasted our time. Right before our food they said they only have one entree with rice. At this point we were annoyed but super hungry. How can you blame someone who wasted an hour and traveled so far. We also asked in the beginning to leave nicely because who wants to pay for something that they don't like. Towards the end the so called manager/owner came to ask us if everything was okay, meanwhile this guy heard us complain and had spoke to our waiter after he left our table. We told him what happened and this guys basically blamed it on the waiter. He never apologized and made it seem like we were doing this to get free shit. For reals? How do you screw up twice? This guy had the nerve to say that while their management made us stay the first time. This is the worst place ever! The manager has the worst attitude and is really rude. I've worked in a restaurant and I know how management works. The manager always knows what's happening in the kitchen. You shouldn't take extra reservations when your restaurant has no food let.NOOOO ONE NO SINGLE PERSON WANTS TO PAY FOR FOOD THEY DO NOT WANT. STEER CLEAR!!!! This place has no honesty or integrity read more

Walked it with family. We were sat on corner table. No one came to take the order for 15 min. Waited 1 hour and 15 min for the food. No one knew what we ordered. Asked for owner and he never came to our table. Food was ok but service was bad. read more

I live in queens and will travel an hour to eat at Silk Road. I never even knew I liked afghan food, but this has become my favorite restaurant in green Brook. Complimentary lentil soup, fresh salad and pita type bread that you're going to ask for seconds on. Dumplings are a must for appetizer, we prefer them fried. The cadu fried pastry filled with butternut squash is to die for and the rices with all entrees are delicious. Also highly recommend the baklava desert, paired with pistachio ice cream (my own creation that they never mind combining). Ambience is cultural, candle lit and cozy. They have multiple dining rooms, spacious enough for a large party and intimate enough for two. read more

I've been to Silk Road 4 times and had a terrific meal each time. They just renovated/expanded, creating more space and better ambiance. The standard fare that comes with every meal -- rice, bread, chopped salad -- is all excellent. Don't miss the butternut squash dumplings. Everything is fresh and tasty. The owner and his daughter, who is the head server, are both extraordinarily friendly. It's a 30-minute drive for us, but worth every minute of it. read more

If you are looking to taste a bit of amazing Afghan homemade food, go no further! The decor, atmosphere and staff are on point, the food is amazing! Homemade, not greasy, low salt and absolutely delicious. You cannot beat the price for a lunch, complete with soup, salad and delicious bread! It's definitely the full experience, love the decor and wait staff is always so friendly and accommodating. The rice is delicious, chicken cooked for perfection, the spices are so good, but not overpowering. We always go together as co-workers and we always say, if I had an Afghan grandmother, this is the food she would cook us! read more

My friend and I ventured to this place b/c we were craving dessert and some drinks. We were not disappointed!!!! They serve a milky spiced tea in your own brewing pot and it was probably one of the best milk teas i've ever had. We also ordered some dairy like desserts, which were insanely good. Heavenly good, I'd say. One was this upside down creamy chilled pudding , which looked so simple but incredibly tasty, we couldn't really figure out what was in it to make it so yum. We also had this rice pudding, which was nice and sweet as well. Didn't get to try the real food/dinner dishes but will definitely come back soon. Our waiter, a very sweet girl , was very friendly and acommodating. I think the place is family owned so i think all their food is very homemade. I've only lived in this area for the past few months, and this is probably one of my favorite food experiences so far. Def worth a shot! read more

This is a great restaurant. Most entrees come with a red lentil soup and afghani salad. Both are excellent. Then your entree comes with fresh, warm bread. Delicious. I have never had a bad meal here, and I have been coming for years. The service is excellent. They are always very friendly. The only thing I would add is that this is not a place for a quick bite unless you get take out. With the timing of the soup, the salad, bread and entree, it takes awhile. However, when you go to a nice restaurant it is nice not to be rushed. Give this place a try. read more

Food was great, service was pleasant. Only if they had the food we ordered. We asked for 2 orders of falafel for an app. First they said there was only one left. Then came back and said they were gone. It was only 8pm! Then I ordered the beef and lamb meatball kabob that the waitress recommended. She came back to tell me they were out of that too! Really bummed but our dumplings, hummus, bread, salads and kabobs (salmon, chicken and lamb chop) were amazing! Service was friendly and it was reasonably priced. We would come back! read more

5-star experience! The food, the service, the people, the ambiance were phenomenal! Was here last night for my birthday and the whole family was blown away by this place. We could tell a lot of love and care goes into preparing our meals. They start you out with this very light and tasty lentil soup. Then a well dressed salad accompanied with their freshly made to order bread, which is amazing! Had the Lamb chops, which were absolutely tender and grilled to perfection, and ordered the #1 rice (Brown rice with carrots and raisins) which is the best rice I've ever had, hands down. Most of my family had reservations about trying afghan food, but soon came to appreciate how exotic yet somewhat familiar the food was. This is a top-notch family owned spot that offers you a portal into another world. Customer service is excellent, with friendly and attentive staff. Icing on the cake, this place is BYOB. Looking forward to becoming a regular at this place. read more

Went here for dinner was highly disappointed with the food , both veg and non veg options dint taste good at all . Wouldn't recommend it to anybody , the portions are too small and they charge way more than what they serve and it's not worth it read more

Wonderful food, beautiful decor, and a really, nice friendly family who owns it. Would give this 10 stars!

Service is slow but the food is tasty - I would describe it as a cross between Indian and Greek. The dumplings entree was TINY though - I was still hungry afterwards! read more

Went on a weekday night. Nice decor inside and lots of seating. Service is very good. Waiter was very helpful explaining the menu and popular items. There are lots of options for grilled meats. I got the combination kabob platter with the kabli rice. Also comes with lentil soup, salad, and fresh bread. The bread is amazing, nice and hot when it comes out. Meats were delicious, seasoned and tender, not overcooked. I was afraid some of the seasonings might be overwhelming as I've experienced at other places, but that was definitely not the case here. There are also 3 dipping sauces on the table. The green is definitely my favorite, very similar to chimichurri. Rice was also great, buttery and fragrant. Prices may be a little higher than average, but the amount of food that comes with your order along with all the sides definitely justifies it. Will be coming back in the future with some wine as I found out its BYOB. read more

Took the family here and was surprised how busy it was for a weeknight. Everyone enjoyed the appetizers and the main courses well excellently prepared. It was a nice touch having the owner stop by the table several times to speak with us and make sure everyone was happy with their meals. We will be back without a doubt. read more

I've been to the Silk Road numerous times, introducing the unique cuisine to my family, friends, colleagues and clients. It has never once let me down. The family owned atmosphere makes for an absolutely wonderful evening. You really do feel welcome. read more

Ambiance is welcoming and lovely. The owner heard we were first timers coming in and came over to our table several times to see if we needed help with anything. We started with the Ashak dumplings (AMAZING) and the hummus. The hummus was fresh but we are so used to putting other spices in our hummus as Americans I felt it was bland. Complimentary soup was amazing and they bring out this trio of sauces that were great. My friend couldn't get enough of the green sauce which is cilantro and mint etc....I personally loved the white sauce which was some yogurt dill sauce. Delicious. The bread was fresh and delicious. I ordered the Murgh Kofta Kabob, which tasted healthy and delicious, I put some of the white sauce on it to make it even better. My friend ordered something with meatballs, I couldn't find it on the current menu....delicious with a bit of a kick. You get a choice of rice, and the one we picked was with saffron, pistachios and almonds. I don't love rice in general, but it was delicious and a little sweet kind of. I can't wait to come back here and explore the menu further. It is byo and really was an awesome experience!!! read more

We have been going to Silk Road for more than 10 years. Highly recommended. Our children love the Chicken Kabob and we love the Salmon Kabob. The spices are delicious. The atmosphere is very nice and relaxing. read more

Didn't know what to expect but I really liked it, the food is good, people are nice but the service is a little slow. Its BYO so bring something to drink, relax and enjoy the food. read more

Have dined here twice for dinner, and both times had a great experience. I like the atmosphere-dark and exotic, and the service and food were wonderful both times. The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because I feel it is a little expensive for what you get (both times I was here for dinner). Yes, you get a soup, bread, and salad with your entree...but the entree that I got each time was mostly rice with a side of the meat. I think they probably do good business here because it seems like the prices are a bit steep, but I guess it is in line with restaurants in Warren. In any case, the food was very good and I will be back here and definitely think it is worth a try! read more

Came here this last august with my family. I had tried it before and thought the food wasn't bad. We were a party of 7 people so I placed my order before getting to the restaurant. Food ended up being ok but tiny portions especially for the price. After we ate, we asked for the bill which was about $250! I had never paid this much at any restaurant. The waiter had added so many hidden fees and charges I was shocked. Definitely not a good choice if going with more than 1 or 2 people. I was completely dissatisfied and the owners were very rude at the end when I questioned them about my charges. I will not be coming back here and definitely not recommending it to anyone. Afghan kabab in north Brunswick is way better! And my family bill comes out to no more than $70 every time. read more

Great place for lunch. This place is near my office so I've only eaten lunch here and can't speak for dinner. The lunch menu allows you to pick a rice dish and a meat or vegetarian dish. Lunch also comes with complimentary soup, tomato salad, and delicious bread. I would go just for the soup salad bread combo, but then you get the main course and BAM! These are delicious spices and favors I'm not used to in American cuisine. I typically get the Ladam Palow (spinach rice) with the Chapli Kabob (beef and lamb). They are like delicious little hamburgers. If your mouth is watering I haven't even hit the crescendo, the sauces... oh the sauces. The holy trinity of flavor. The white, a smooth tzaziki like sauce that pairs well with the green and the red sauce. The green sauce, I don't even know what it is but its good, and the spicy red sauce packs a punch. They all go great with the rice and meat combination. You will leave this place full & happy, that is for sure. read more

We recently had dinner there with friends and left very pleasantly impressed. The atmosphere and food were outstanding, the service friendly and the place was hopping. If you know and like Afghani food, you will be happy there; if not, try it for something new and off the usual area offerings. Vegetarians will be happy to find ample choices, I recommend the butternut squash, and the okra - they were finger-licking good. We ordered appetizers to share and entrees. The vegetarian Ashak was one of the best I've sampled in a very long time. The kitchen has a deft hand with spices and dishes are presented very attractively. Then why only four stars, you might ask? For one, the place is loud, quite loud. The service, while friendly and solicitous, is a bit haphazard, particularly if the restaurant is full. With a little fine-tuning, Silk Road could be the sparkling gem that it is meant to be. We will be back to explore more of the menu and enjoy good food in a nice place. read more

An excellent restaurant! Everything is so well done, the soup, the bread, and the kabob dishes. I have been there 3 times and the quality is consistently high. The wait staff are friendly and helpful. Supposedly during the weekend the line waiting for a table can be long. I have only been there mid week so I cannot confirm this. But this is a place you want to try to go Tues. to Thursday. And it is BYO. read more

This place is great! It is one of the best restaurants in the area, in an area of many expensive restaurants with mediocre food. The food is really tasty and the food is consistent. Try it! read more

Love the platters and hummus. Come here all the time. Great ordering for family style, individual purchases can get really expensive