This place is incredible. The flavors of the spices are unbeatable. The meat, so tender. I hope to return as soon as possible. Truly wonderful! read more

This place is EXCEPTIONAL in every way!!! The food is absolutely perfect in every way. We started with the $2.50 naan which we learned was vegan. It was served warm and came with a side of yogurt sauce which was super delicious!!!! We shared the leak ravioli with meat on top (no cheese) and a side of rice. These were great and very different from your usual Italian ravioli. We also shared the lamb and rice entree which came with raisins and sweet carrots sprinkled on top. They also had a mild green sauce and a red sauce and yogurt sauce on the side for additional flavor options. For desert we had the pudding and the assorted cookies and a Turkish coffee which was just perfect! We also had decent red wine (Tempranillo) for $6 per glass which was reasonable. The service is kind, considerate, patient (even with our toddler) and polite. Atmosphere is formal but people are not at all pretentious. You can wear whatever you want but you still get the white table cloth. Parking is easy with metered spots and a lot immediately around the place. Prices are reasonable with most entrees in the $14-18 range. They have high chairs for little ones. read more

The food had a wonderful blend of spices. I had the.poached salmon and others had different lamb dishes that were excellent. Desserts were wonderful. Service i.peccablr and courteous. Will visit again. read more

Delicious and amazing food that exhibits the culture of the Middle East. The service was great and the atmosphere and decor was enchanting. The food was very delicious and unlike anything else that I've tasted before. read more

I've been coming to this restaurant infrequently (I only get to Baltimore every now and then) for over 20 years with good reason- the food is great! In fact, there are several things that cannot be disputed about The Helmand: the food is wonderful- delicious, well-prepared, and good ingredients- I've never had a bad meal here; the restaurant also has excellent ambiance- dim and romantic with elegant tapestries and decorative charm of south-central Asia. It's a great place for a first date, a romantic dinner with your spouse, or even a family get-together, which is actually why I was there the other night. Having said that, service has been hit-or-miss with this establishment- depending on what waiter you get can determine whether you have a memorable night, or a meal where you struggle most of the time to get your waiter's attention. Regrettably, that is what happened at our most recent experience here. After we sat down, we had an older and (I'm assuming) veteran waiter take our orders. He was nothing less than impatient. Most of my family members had either never been here before, or it was only their second time dining at The Helmand . There were questions about how spicy a specific meal was, what would the waiter recommend, what type of vegetables were in the dish, what was challow, etc. The waiter shot off quick answers, often times inaudible to someone who lives outside of New York City. No smile, no extra help, just a quick response with pen & paper in hand trying to get his orders down and turned in. The food came in a reasonable amount of time, but after we were all served, we really never saw our waiter again. We waived down other waiters for more bread, water re-fills, a clean fork because our young daughter dropped hers on the floor- the fact that "our" waiter was no where to be found was absolutely ridiculous. One waiter got so upset with us because we kept waving him down for service that he yelled at us "I'm NOT your waiter!!", which I responded in near intensity "Well can you GET our waiter!!" Very rude. The rest of our meal we struggled to get someone to provide service, and it never got much better than this. The restaurant manager AND owner needs to address this concern. Three stars- go for the food and ambiance, but not for the service. read more

If you're looking for THE most overrated restaurant in Baltimore, look no further! This place provided nothing but problems throughout the whole order. In looking through photos of the food offerings, we noticed they put cilantro in some dishes even though it isn't mentioned on the menu. Annoying, but at least we knew to ask for it not to be added on top of the dish... except they put it on anyway and ruined my meal. Although, it was already pretty bad without that... The lamb was SO incredibly tough I was honestly shocked. The vegetables were also super undercooked. In addition, our appetizer was cold. But that was just the least of our issues. Truly don't understand how this place has rave reviews. I'm angry that I spent $60 on a bland, tough, tepid, and outright incorrect spread of food. I should have just directly eaten my money and I would've had a better meal. read more

I had dinner at The Helmand with friends last week on a visit to Baltimore and we all loved it. Plenty of vegetarian options, fabulous service, and well-priced. I will definitely go again next time I'm in town. read more

I have been a patron of the Helmand for 6 years, and the consistent quality of culinary excellence and expert service has never wavered. As a Moroccan that grew up in the Middle East, I've been blessed to sample many of the region's best. The Helmand has created the best to offer right here in Baltimore. I've had every meat they have on their menu, and what stands out to me the most is how tender and precisely-cooked the meat always is. Everything is fresh and hand-picked by the owners, who captured southern Afghan food with the precision and passion. Tonight, our party of three had kaddow borwani, a pumpkin spread enhanced with sugar and seasoned with garlic yogurt on their fire-cooked, homemade flatbread. This a staple just about every customer knows about. We also ordered aushak, a ravioli in a ground beef yogurt sauce and stuffed with leeks. The mint provides a revitalizing garnish for the richness of the gently-seasoned ground beef. The leeks melt into the ravioli. Use a spoon. The sauce is superb. The main courses included shaftalu challow & zardalu challow. The former is chunks of flaking-tender chicken breast that is succulent and served with a peach, honey & ginger sauce that is both hearty and sweet. The zardalu is savory, rich & sweet all at once and is one of the jewels of this menu. Served with my personal favorite cilantro chutney on cumin seed-seasoned rice and a side of tomato salad as a palette cleanser that takes you on a full culinary tour of the Helmand region. All paired with a good Riesling that light and just sweet enough with its honey & citrus overtures. Dessert included cardamom tea & a fried icecream with figs, nuts & mangos that was rich & light at once. The tea washes the entire meal away which never sits heavy. The portion sizes are generous but not overwhelming. Seating is close, but cozy and convivial. The interior is adorned with ceramics, textiles & little treasures from their homeland. Full service bar and viewable fire oven at the back. As busy as it gets, the staff keeps on top of it all and the managers always find a way to make it to your table. If I wanted to show you Baltimore, I'd take you to the inner harbor, the BMA, the Mt. Vernon shops and then this place. If you make the time for it, you will not regret it, and you will be back. Bon appetit. read more

Visiting Baltimore for the first time so a local friend made reservations here for a party of 7 on a Saturday night at 7 pm. We parked at a pay lot is located near the restaurant and arrived a few minutes before 7. It was busy near the entrance with a huge party (of about 30) near the front. Our friend was checking in with the host (who appeared to be the owner) and she seemed concerned. A few minutes went by and she came over to us to say the host couldn't find her reservation. We were concerned given how busy they were whether the could accommodate 7 of us. He told us to wait by the bar (which was not busy) so we ordered a few drinks and chatted with the VERY friendly bar tender. It took about 15 minutes for them to put together a table for us and we ended up with 6 in our party. Our waitress came over pretty quickly and we ordered two appetizers to share: the Kaddo Borwani (pan fried pumpkin) and Aushak (ravioli), plus a basked of Naan which we were salivating over near the bar as we could see it being made in the oven. The appetizers came pretty quickly and the Kaddo was excellent with the Naan. The ravioli was much smaller than we expected so we each took about a spoonful of it. Enjoyed the Kaddo much more than the Aushak. For our entrees, we all decided to order something different and share (family style) so decided on: Shalgham Challow (lamb stew), Chopendez (beef tenderloin), Korma Mahi (sea bass), Vegetarian Platter, Beef Kabob and Mantwo (pastry shell filled with beef & onions). The Shalgham was VERY tender and flavors well balanced. Chopendez was the more tender of the two beef dishes (kabob was the other), Vegetarian Platter contained a variety of different vegetables (eggplant, okra, peppers), Korma was cooked perfectly and very flavorful with a spicy kick. The Mantwo was very good, reminded me of a shephard's pie, but it was the most filling of all of our entrees. We were all VERY pleased with all of our entrees. The desserts fell a bit short. We decided on the Afghan pudding and ice cream. The ice cream had a strong vanilla bean taste which wasn't anything "special" and the Afghan pudding was topped with fresh fruit but the actually pudding didn't have much taste. Could have been plain yogurt from what we could tell. Service, pretty good for a very busy night. Our server did not hesitate to recommend "favorites" when we asked .... which we appreciated. 2 appetizers, 6 entrees, 2 desserts about 4 glasses of wine plus a bottle of wine, the total per person including tax and tip was around $45. Can't go wrong with that for an overall very good meal! read more

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The chicken lavand and the mantwo are amazing! As was everything about my experience at dinner here. Thankfully, we made reservations because it was packed on Friday night. The interior decor contributed so much to the warm and comfortable atmosphere. The service was fantastic, and our waiter gave a whole bunch of recommendations that we never got to. The bread was great, especially with the mantwo's meaty sauce. My boyfriend got the lamb shish kabob, which he loved. The chicken lavand came with a side of creamy spinach and rice; it was so tasty and flavorful. Can't wait to come back to the Helmand in the near future. read more

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Food was phenomenal and I will definitely be back. Lots of great vegetarian options. Try the kaddo borwani!

Amazing meal! Had the pumpkin appetizer which is phenomenal. The lamb and turnip dish was great and I really liked the cilantro sauce for the rice. The spinach side has a unique flavor that I hope to try to replicate at home. The cardamon ice cream is very distinct and I would recommend. read more

Putting my experience at this place into words will never be able to do it any justice. I will keep this short and to the point. I am in no way a "chef", but I know my way around many different types of food, and I can handle my business behind a stove to say the least. I say that to say that I know good food and I know FRESH food. The Helmands' food knocked me out of my socks yesterday! It was my first time trying it, and I must say, I have ZERO complaints. From the freshly baked naan, to the braised young pumpkin with a yogurt garlic sauce, not mentioning the cinnamon/saffron infused pallow.... Enough said. Impeccable customer service, and great food. I sat down at 6:30 pm, and by 7:15 pm, I had already received my appetizers, entree and drinks. If you haven't been to this place yet, you're wrong. Simple! read more

The food was absolutely delicious. vegetarian options are really good, and the servers are extremely nice and friendly.

Obsessed with this place. Literally the BEST restaurant in all of Baltimore. & maybe the best Afghan restaurant ever because I keep lookin for other afghan rest but don't find any! This place is so good and so consistent. I've never had a bad meal here or a bad night. Everyone is super nice and the food is just everything! The flavors are so unique and somehow come together so perfectly! Even the bread to start off with is a must have. I always get the zardalu which is slow cooked lamb that literally falls apart because it's so tender and juicy and that's my favorite plate. It has all these spices, and it's pretty juicy with some turnips on the side. But honestly any plate here is going to be amazing, i prefer their lamb but their chicken is fantastic too. I don't know what else to say about this place that hasn't been said. It's a 5 star rest all day every day! read more

This place was amazing! We were in Baltimore for one night before a flight and were looking for something delicious. We came across the Helmand in the top ten list. We started with the salad with the pomegranate dressing and the vegetarian leek ravioli. Both were delicious! My husband got a spicy lamb dish and I got the baby eggplant with spinach, turnips, and challow. (Vegetarian Dolma). We also got a side of mushrooms because we love mushrooms and they were also amazing! The portions were HUGE! The cilantro sauce served with the challow was incredible. The turnips were wonderful. The eggplant and spinach were cooked perfectly. My husband loved his lamb. For dessert we tried the cardamon ice cream with dates, figs, and mango. OMG! It was incredible as well! The bowl was large enough to share as well! The Helmand also has a very nice wine list with very reasonable prices. The Monastrell was a perfect compliment to everything we had! Definitely give this wonderful gem a try! read more

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I have been going to the Helmand for years and always loved the food. The service is always great too, with a few great guys that have been working there for many years. I'm writing this review today, though, because the last few times I've gone, I've been very disappointed to find that in meat dishes where the meat is mixed in with other things (like a stew), they have significantly cut back on the amount of meat in their dish - to the point where the lamb lawand is 90% rice and vegetables with only two pieces of meat - for almost $30. I was hoping this was a one-off thing, but it's happened to me every time I've gone the last 6 months and I'm seeing this same complaint in other reviews. I really hope they fix this, it's such a shame. read more

I'm new in town and my friend wanted to meet here for dinner. What a lovely welcome to Baltimore! Everything we had was completely delicious! The ambiance was perfect for catching up and our server was perfect with suggestions. They accommodated substitutions without issue (I am that girl) and I still find myself thinking of that incredible dessert. Would absolutely recommend. read more

The Helmand - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Amazing food st good prices. It was a little noisy and parking isn't great bit overall 5 stars for the food read more

The Helmand - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The food here is amazing! I opted for an egg plant vegetarian dish. My husband ordered the vegetarian platter which was delicious. I highly recommend this place. The service was great and very attentive. Price was extremely reasonable. read more

The Helmand - Eggplant dish! - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I have given this review some thought before I posted. Still felt strongly after thinking about the two star review - so here it goes....Ive been here many times over the years. Never a big fan, but my friends like it, so that's why I go. The food, is mediocre at best. Last time I went I found the food to be barely edible. Not prepared well, the textures weren't right - either over cooked/slimy (ravioli) or undercooked, or just reheated. no passion in anything. stomach pains afterwards as well. I can tolerate bad food, but it wasn't just the bad food that I decided to post this, but it was the poor service too. It was the overall experience that makes this review deserve two stars. in addition to the food being bad, poor service as well. Skip the noodle dessert too. read more

Wonderful experience for a group of six our server recommended the family style dinner that included everything from appetizers through desserts. It's a great way to try a variety of dishes. They were all delicious. The entrees included chicken, lamb, beef, and salmon prepared in a variety of ways. There were a variety of rices as well as bread. The vegetables were also very good. They also accommodated with a vegetarian meal as well. Server was excellent and timed well. We didn't have to wait nor were we rushed read more

The Helmand is an upscale Afghan restaurant located in the Mount Vernon section of Baltimore. There is limited street parking as well as pay for park lots in close proximity. The décor reads as classy/upscale and has a rustic quality found in a lot of Italian restaurants. Interestingly, there aren't a lot of elements of Afghan culture on display, which in theory would add to the décor. I ordered a Roy Rogers beverage and the Lamb Pallow entree. So, a Roy Rogers is basically a cherry cola where you add grenadine and maraschino cherries. Unfortunately, I received a Shirley Temple drink, which basically uses Ginger Ale, Sprite or 7-Up as the base instead of cola. Booooooo! *Note: Before anyone feels the need to inform me of my childish drink choices, I'm already aware, THANK YOU! :p The Lamb Pallow is advertised as the most authentic dish on the menu. Also found in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, the dish consists of Afghan style rice baked with chunks of lamb tenderloin, raisins and glazed julienne of carrots. The dish comes in a pretty hefty portion size, particularly the rice, carrots and raisins. The lamb comes in 3 moderately sized chunks. I wouldn't say that the restaurant was a little stingy with the lamb but another piece of lamb would be nice, especially considering the price. The dish was a little low on seasoning but the carrots and raisins add some nice sweetness. The dish can be a little dry but the restaurant has a variety of sauces that you can request on the side. Just be sure to ask your server. My one complaint is the food is overpriced. My entrée, while good, was $16.50. I could go elsewhere and get a lot more lamb in my dish. Overall, the Helmand is a decent choice for South Asian cuisine. Unlike Indian/Pakistani food, Afghan food is a little more restrained in terms of seasoning, which the Helmand is definitely reflective of. Worth a shot if you're feeling adventurous! read more

The Helmand - Kabuli Pallow - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We had a lovely winter dinner at the Helmand and enjoyed the food as well as the service. We found street parking on a Saturday night without issue, and were seated right at our reservation time. We shared naan and kaddo borwani, the baby pumpkin with garlic yogurt appetizer. It was intensely flavored and quite simple, definitely nice to share - a large enough portion of something that's a bit too garlicky to eat all by yourself. Based on lots of review reading, I couldn't pass up the lamb special with apricots, and it did not disappoint. Spicy and full flavored, this was even better as leftovers. The other entrees in our group were chicken kabab and koufta challow, which are lamb and beef meatballs with a spiced tomato sauce. The koufta was delicious, a nice contrast of sweet against meaty when sharing with the lamb special. The chicken kababs are not bad, but are less juicy and tender than some of our other local options (Maiwand, particularly) and the rice is also not as interestingly flavored. read more

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I felt so sophisticated with my parents. Twice and my father had ordered because he was the only one familiar with the cuisine. The next time we dined here a down to earth tech savvy menu via tablet replaced the traditional menu It didn't feel icy or robot like st all. People were very friendly,other patrons, and the workers disappeared in the background available anytime. read more

At a glance: entree was a solid 4 stars, naan was a disappointing 2, service was at a 4, price point was at a 3, leading to the overall score of 3 stars. I came here for dinner and had an overall pleasant experience, although there were a couple minor setbacks that brought down the review to a 3 star. For my entree, I ordered a sea bass with potato and rice (a special for the evening). The fish itself was very tender and buttery soft, and the accompanying sauce was flavorful but did not overpower the rather mild flavors of the sea bass. The rice was well flavored as well. I was also able to try my dining partner's lamb, which I found to be well seasoned and tender (which means a lot coming from me, as I usually dislike lamb). The biggest disappointment food wise was the naan, which I ordered on the side. It tasted like grocery store bought flatbread - I was expecting that it be served warm and that the texture be a little chewier, but it was room temperature and chalky. Service was good but not particularly memorable, and prices were a bit on the steeper end but not unreasonable. Would be willing to go back, but not dying to revisit. read more

Not impressed. I'll give the good first. The place is very nice, great decor, all that nice date stuff. The pumpkin thing, though good, was not O-face delicious as everyone seems to think it is. Think pumpkin pie, but less airy and covered with yogurt sauce. Yeah, it's pretty much that. The bad, it's fairly pricey. The portions are okay, but the food is nothing special. It feels like they use the same spices for everything and that yogurt sauce I mentioned before was essentially the linchpin of every dish my table ordered. And they charge for bread. Like, a good amount, too. that's automatic 3-star in my book. 2-star is putting a plate of white rice in front of me and charging 16 bucks. read more

I don't understand the 4 star rating. We did not have that experience. The appetizers were very good, nothing great or outstanding. Yogurt sauce on all three of the appetizers that we got was very good to excellent, but it was really the best thing. The lamb sabzi was disappointing, the meat was tough, and it did not have much flavor. The sea bass and the sauce it was in was not well prepared and way too sweet. It really look like it had food coloring in it. The best part of the meal was the desert, which was cardamom flavored ice cream with chopped dried fruit in it. Your mileage may vary, but we didn't have a good experience and we're really disappointed given the high marks. read more

The other week I headed out for the Bachlorette Party of a friend. We started at The Helmand The Helmand serves Afghan Cuisine. When you walk in you are welcome by a warm feeling with colorful main dining room that is festooned with festive Afghani clothing and tapestries. Every dish is a careful composition of cumin, coriander, mint and other spices. for dinner. We started our dinner by ordering a couple orders of the Kaddo Borawni which is Pan fried and baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and served on yogurt garlic sauce. I never would have thought of putting some of those ingredients together. However, it made for a perfect appetizer. It had a sweetness that was over powering and the garlic gave it a nice bite that wasn't too much. The texture was very smooth and the pumpkin was perfectly cooked. For my dinner I had the Mantwo which is homemade pastry shell filled with onions and beef. Served on yogurt and topped with carrots, yellow split peas and beef sauce. The dish was prepared perfectly and had a nice spiciness to it. These could become a new comfort food for me. As you ate it the feeling was a warm one that made you feel at home. I must admit I was a bit optimistic about the dinner but I will say now I look forward to trying other Afghan food. Of course after eating and sharing some bottles of wine we presented the Bride with some typical Bachlorette gifts for her wedding night (we got the attention of the wait staff and the surrounding tables). The owner then presented us with Champagne on the house. The experience was wonderful and I can not wait to go back again. Part of the party then did journey to the 13th Floor for some dancing while the rest of us had to go home to bed (It was a Thursday night and I do have to teach those kiddos). read more

The Helmand - Mantwo - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My sister-in-law took me to this restaurant, as it is one of her favorites in the Baltimore area. We started off with a salad with pomegranate dressing that was delicious. We ordered the Kaddo Borawni (pan-fried and baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and served on yogurt garlic sauce - it was tasty, and it was interested they had something on the sweeter side as an appetizer); Bowlawni (pan-fried twin pastry shells filled with leeks and spiced potatoes; garnished with yogurt and mint); Aushak (Afghan ravioli filled with leeks, served on yogurt-mint and topped with ground beef sauce); Koufta Challow (combination of lamb and beef meatballs seasoned with sun-dried baby grapes, paprika, and turmeric in hot green pepper, green peas, and fresh tomato sauce - this was quite savory and saucy, and it was delicious); Chicken Kabob (boneless chicken breast served with pallow and marinated vegetables); and, last, but not least, Sabzy Challow (spinach sauteed with chunks of beef and afghan seasonings, served with challow - another one of my favorites). The waitstaff were very nice, and it was great to order all these dishes to share at the round table. Definitely a solid Afghan restaurant. +salad with pomegranate dressing +Kaddo Borawni +Koufta Challow +friendly staff read more

This place is amazing. I wanted a new and delicious dining experience for my birthday. And what a time it was! It was my and friends first time at The Helmand and we had a fantastic time! The hosts were warm and welcoming. The atmosphere was soooo romantic, yet accommodating to families. Low lighting, colorful tapestries, fresh cut flowers on each table...I was just so impressed. My table of six ordered the house nann. It was so fresh and crispy. A light smear of butter made it just perfect. Although I can't recall the names of all of the dishes we consumed, we all did have lamb. It was the most tender lamb I've ever had! My lamb dish (Lamb Lawand) was served with delicious mushrooms in a yogurt and sour cream sauce. The basmati rice paired perfectly with it. All but one of us ate our entire meal without a take home box. It was that good! I would most definitely go back again. Whether it be solo, with your romantic partner, a group of friends, or a whole family, this place is perfect for an "other worldly" experience. This puts the charm in Charm City. 5 stars. read more

The Helmand - Celebrating with my friends for my birthday! Delicious food and great conversation. =) - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I really wanted to like Helmand-amazing ratings yelp and from friends! But I was SO disappointed! The ambience is clean simple and elegant. Street parking wasn't too bad on a weekday evening. The service was mediocre. I mean they offer you bread to start, but don't mention that they'll charge you $5 for it. Then, their only rec for us out of everything on the menu was the $27 lamb special. Really? Water glasses were mostly empty... Ok, onto the food. The mantwo app was really good. Tasted like a bite size plate of an bolognese finished with a yogurt sauce. We had 4 people and got to try a bit of everything on the entrees. Oddly, 5 minutes after we ordered, all the food came out. Do they just have it back there stewing? (yes, we were all wondering this...) Last winter on a sad day, I put a chicken breast and canned tomatoes into my slow cooker. The result is what the Mourgh Challow tasted like. No flavor, no texture, not good. The dwopiaza was a total fake me out- looked awesome and flavorful but tasted like flavorless mush. I can't comment on my friend's vegetarian dish because I love meat too much but he said "eh, it was okay." Afghan food is not supposed to be this bad, and after all the hype I really was expecting this to be something special. Unfortunately, the food was just okay. I wouldn't come back and pay $30 for mediocre food and service. read more

First thing: you're going to ask "what is challow???" as you scour the menu. It's in every dish, but what is it? Challow = rice :) The mantwo appetizer was amazing and could've been a meal in itself. If they could just serve up an entree with 5-8 mantwos I think I'd be set. It was too bad they only gave us one for $5. Maiwand Kabob actually has a pretty decent mantwo, and you can get 3 for about $5. Helmand's mantwo is pretty delicious and distinct from Maiwands, but for the price difference...I might just go Maiwand. Chicken Lawand: it's like a stew of tomatos, mushrooms, and onions. Comes with a plate of rice and a side of spinach! Sabzy Challow-reallly good, clean-tasting spinach with rice. The beef was ok, tender enough but not as seasoned and kind of plain. Maybe that's just how it is though. As a dish, it really made me feel like it had a home-cooked, low-key kind of charm and flavor. Maybe it was so good, my rice ran out after a bit and I was sad that I couldn't get rice refills. I know, it sounds ridiculous. But for the price we're paying ($14-15 at LEAST for each entree) it would've been nice if we could get rice refills like at Chinese restaurants hehe. read more

The atmosphere of the restaurant is good. The food, however, is underwhelming. The appetizers were in small portions. I ordered Murgh Chawl in my entree with bone and I was served two thighs in the gravy. The gravy was ok but the chicken wasn't. They cooked the whole thighs and the flavor of the dish didn't get into the chicken. Inside of the chicken tasted like (unseasoned) boiled chicken and had a very unpleasant smell. The dessert (special ice cream) was not bad. In case you do not know, they add 20% gratuity to the check. So keep that in mind while ordering. read more

After walking around found this great Afghan Resturant in Baltimore. We were two and ordered lamb dish for one and salmon fish for other. The service was good and wine selection was awesome. The ice cream was out of the world. Amazing... But the lamb dish the sauce was so sweet that it felt I was eating desert and same thing with salmon. But over all with three course meal and an excellent bottle of wine the price of $105 including tip was not bad. They should improve there gravies and cut down sugar. Wine was awesome as well! read more

The Helmand - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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As spring break drew near, a group of friends and I decided that a last fancy dinner together was in order. There really isn't much of that around Hopkins, and let's face it, Mount Vernon is where it's at. Anyways, The Helmand was recommended to us by several friends who have chosen this classy joint for their dinner dates. Our group of four was seated immediately. When you enter, the first room looks deceptively small, but there's another larger room to the side and a bar area. Obviously going for a romantic, high-end feel, the restaurant was dimly lit and each table was adorned with wine glasses and lit candles. While reading the menu, the Asian in me was simultaneously assaulted by the prices and thoughts of "MY EYESIGHT IS DETERIORATING AS WE SPEAK". OK, I kid about the prices. Having been to Kabul in Sunnyvale, CA, I was prepared for the ~$15 entrees. Such is apparently the price of quality Afghan food. We started off with the Kaddo Borwani (the pumpkin appetizer that Yelp reviewers rave about). The pumpkin was sweet and the yogurt garlic sauce was just this side of right. You know that feeling when your tastebuds go, "Hmmrgh? Mmmm." Be warned though, them appetizers be individual-sized. The four of us got about half a bite each. I ordered the Dwopiaza. I'm a huge lamb fan and I can't say I was disappointed. The lamb was cooked until it was tender, the rice was fragrant and flavorful. My only complaint is the serving size. When I got the plate, I was like "This is it? I could have gone to the Indian buffet twice with the money I'm paying." Still, I didn't leave the restaurant hungry. With the nibble of appetizer, I was just satisfied. My friends and I are pretty good with sharing so I also got a bite of the chicken kebab and the lamb kebob. The chicken was the most tender piece of meat I have ever tasted, and I am saying this begrudgingly as the biggest beef eater that ever was. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw that the lamb kebab was still slightly rare in the center. However, it was a little bit drier than the lamb from my dwopiaza. Rating Breakdown: 2/2 Stars for Taste - I'm not in any way an expert on Afghan food, so i can't vouch for its authenticity, but the food was irrefutably delicious. The meats were tender, the rice wasn't overcooked or dry. I would definitely recommend the appetizer, but warn against sharing it with more than 2 people. 0.5/1 Stars for Value - I'm just too cheap to enjoy this type of restaurant, you know, where I feel like I'm paying an extra $5-10 for the ambience. My individual bill, after splitting the one appetizer and paying tax/tip was around $26. I spent the night weeping, curled in a protective ball around my ravaged wallet. If I left the restaurant feeling more satisfied, the price could have been excused as the occasional splurge, but I just don't think my experience was worth it. 0.5/1 Stars for Customer Service - The waiters were impatient and almost rude. Our waiters attitude noticeably cooled when we turned away the wine menu (We're underage). At one point, they brought us the wrong dish.We had already dug in when they came over, whisked it away, and brought another one without much of an explanation. Umm..OK? At least I got a free bite? No bonus star because I'm not really in a hurry to come back. Overall a great night, but not worth repeating. read more

Came here for an early dinner with a group of friends. We didn't have a reservation but we came in at around 5:15 pm so they did seat us with no problem. The ambience is a bit weird. The space is fancy with real candles at the tables however the table tops are covered in paper and the menu is two print outs stapled together. Not necessarily and issue but just confused me on what the dress code should be. I got the chicken seekh kabob and my friends got the lamb seekh kabobs. The plates came very quickly and the food was very good. My only complaint is that the service was TOO good. After getting seated we got water and within minutes of getting the menu we were asked what we wanted to eat. We hadn't decided yet so we asked for more time. This happened twice. At one point I just told the waiter can we get ten minutes and within 2 they were back. And once the food was on the table and we were eating they kept being a bit pushy. One of us hadn't finished eating and they already asked us if we wanted the check. I'm sure it was because of a dinner rush but it was a Tuesday evening?? And there was plenty of space in the restaurant so I wasn't sure why they kept pushing us. Otherwise the food was great and flavorful and I'd come for takeout in the future. read more

I felt that this restaurant is a bit "cheap" in terms of the bread and the portions. We tried the Koufta Challow, which consisted of 3 meatballs made out of lamb and beef in small puddle of sauce and mixed vegetables. The Lamb Lawand, 3 pieces of lamb with mushrooms and a small drizzle of yogurt. This meal also came with a small side of spinach. Both came with challow, which is cumin-scented rice. Pallow is a cinnamon-scented rice. These aren't the heartiest of entree portions, so do expect to order a few appetizers to quell the hunger. Bread isn't included in the meal. A large basket comes with about 8 warm pieces or so. It was a bit disappointing. I would actually prefer to go to Maiwand Kabob (also serves Afghan food) and it comes with much more for cheaper, with more variety and flavor on the plate. read more

The Helmand - Lamb Lawand with Challow - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Kaddo Borwani 5.25 Pan-fried and baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and served on yogurt garlic sauce. Aushak 5.25 Afghan ravioli filled with leeks, served on yogurt-mint and topped with ground beef sauce. (Vegetarian Aushak also available). Kabuli, Pallow16.50 (Afghan style rice) baked with chunks of lamb tenderloin, raisins and glazed julienne of carrots. Middle Eastern Pastries5.25 Table for 4. Street parking Cute neighborhood in Mt. Vernon The above were my favorites. read more

The Helmand - Afghan pastry. Loved the yogurt. $5.25 - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Ahhh this is a Baltimore #1. I love everything and have had Baked Pumpkin, Koufta Challow, Stewed Eggplant- and any goat dish- and the kabob spreads they are amazing and delicious. What an intimate setting and romantic- on our first visit to Baltimore we came here thee times! read more