Date night with the wife at The Helmand. Pretty busy when we walked in but we had a reservation and were seated quickly. The waiter was friendly and very helpful with recommendations. My wife and I both loved the Kaddo Borawni. Pumpkin with a garlic sauce. I don't even like pumpkin and loved this. For entrees the wife had the kabuli pallow and I had the lamb chop special. We both loved our dishes. Cooked and seasoned very well. Best of all, the prices! Very reasonable pricing for a great meal. read more

The Helmand - Lamb chops and pallow - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

First time dining in since the pandemic and had a safe and enjoyable experience! Temp checks at the door and the tables were spaced apart well. I ordered the vegetarian aushak and the Murgh pillow and both were delicious, flavorful, and hit the spot just right. I reccomend getting a basket of their bread and trying their challow~cinnamon flavored rice. read more

Came here for Restaurant week and ordered the dish that had three different meats. This was my first time trying Afghan food. Everything was flavorful and the service was great. The desserts were very good too. Will definitely come back. read more

See all

The food was delicious! I went with a large group of people (there were 11 of us total), originally intending to get the Restaurant Week special. Instead, they offered us a family meal deal - the same price as Restaurant week, but many more options. We got 5 appetizers, a salad, rice, pilaf, several entrees, and dessert. It was a fantastic deal! Additionally, they also have a $10 all you can drink wine deal. The server was very friendly, and was able to accommodate someone who was gluten intolerant in our group, bringing out special dishes from the kitchen for her. The eggplant and the dumpling appetizers were good, as was the salad. The salad had a slightly creamy dressing, with corn, olives, peppers, and chicken breast. The chicken breast was surprisingly tender and flavorful! I had to double check that I was actually eating chicken breast!? Among the appetizers, I remember the giant meatballs being memorable. I do have to admit that things got a bit hazy by the end of the meal from the free flowing wine - but that also means that they were generous with the wine. I certainly got my money worth of wine. read more

7/9/21 edit: The Dolma Merch is a vegan dish they have available in the restaurant but not on Grubhub. My friends & I ordered from them again. One of us asked for no rice on his dish but it came with it anyways. We asked for no yogurt again, but it came on the side. There were a lot less veggies in the dish than when we ordered from them before. The quality was also not as good. Maybe due to the restaurant being busier? read more

I worked for the Helmand's satellite location for a few years and what I can say is this is hands down one of the most amazing restaurants around. The owners care so much about the staff and the food- they even grow some of the vegetables on their own farm! The food is authentic and well made. The pumpkin is a must have! This is a spot you don't want to miss- if you've never had Afghani food you absolutely shouldn't wait another minute. Recommendations: the Banian borani (pan fried eggplant) is 10/10. The Pumpkin tastes almost like mashed sweet potatoes but SO much better. And the Fereny (a cardamom pudding with fruit) is so good you will want it every time you go. Definitely check this place out, I can't say enough good things about it. read more

Excellent experience all around! I highly recommend Helmand! My friends and I went on a Friday night and had to make reservations ahead of time. When we walked in, an older gentleman received us, showed us to the coat rack, and took us to our tables. The atmosphere in this restaurant is very high end. Dim lighting, candles, white table cloths, dark floors. The crowd tended to be older and more established. The waiters and waitresses moved with haste but were still very warm and polite. They offered samples of wine and poured generous drinks. I ordered the vegetarian dolma. Our entire table's food came out quickly, probably within 7-10 minutes. The turnips were rich and sweet, rice was warm and hearty, and the pumpkin was the perfect texture and sweetness. My friends and I will definitely be returning! I know my decision on what to order will be difficult because the vegetarian dolma was amazing, but so is everything else on the menu (from what I hear)! I highly recommend Helmand! read more

Went here for Baltimore Restaurant Week and needless to say, we were not disappointed! When you walk in you are greeted with the restaurant's middle eastern ambience and the low lighting. It is easy to see that this a popular spot in B'more! We enjoyed watching the naan/afghan bread being made. It smelled amazing! We had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated as the restaurant was packed, but we were accommodated while we waited. We each picked our own courses from the Restaurant Week menu. I ordered the Kabob mix with the side of okra. The chicken was seasoned amazingly!! The okra had a very rich smoke flavor that I did not particularly enjoy. My dad had gotten the Lamb and apricot which I tasted and enjoyed as well! The sweetness from the apricot was quite unexpected but most welcome after landing on my palette! Dessert was okay. I received the pudding with fruit. I felt it was overly spiced. However the coffee served post-meal was delicious! read more

The Helmand - Dessert and coffee! - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Had dinner there for the first time after friends highly recommended it. The Helmand did not disappoint. In a word....it was FANTASTIC! Top notch service in a warm, inviting atmosphere. TheY have a full bar and an approachable wine list. The best thing about the Helmand though is: GREAT FOOD! Probably the best rack of lamb I have ever had in a restaurant......period. I highly recommend the Helmand and will be frequenting this place again soon. read more

The Helmand - Amazing Rack of Lamb. - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

The food was good! I was pleasantly surprised how the prices were so reasonable. Now, if only my husband didn't complain that his food was luke warm- I would have given this place 5 stars. My chicken kabob was warm the rice slightly less warm. My husband got the stuffed peppers and they were just barely warm enough to eat without sending back. The taste was amazing the temperature is all that needs fixing. Give this place a try for yourself. It was delicious :)! read more

I've had better experience with Kabobi/afghani next to JHU hospital. Sorry to say but last night food at Halmend @ St Paul was very disappointing. Meat was not properly cooked, we could not eat it at all, when asked the waiter if this is authentic afghani way to cook (coz you claim you are afghani restaurant) he was rude he asked us what is cooked and undercooked. We had no idea that we had to let you know that "I want my meat properly cooked". Sorry but if you are changing your way to American taste then may be drop authentic from your brand. read more

Ok, I'm a loser..I went back to The Helmand and ordered the exact same dish I had last time (the ashouk..leek ravioli). The roommates and I did try the pumpkin appetizer that was recommended on Yelp, As delicious as promised! Garlic + pumpkin= surprisingly delicious! Mildly annoyed that it doesn't come with bread (and then they charge your for bread if your order it), but so tasty that I'm not even bitter. Also planned ahead this time and ordered a piece of chocolate cake to go! More on that later.. read more

The Helmand - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

This is the first place I've been for Afghanistan food. I liked it. We were a table of 8 so we got the family meal. It is a good way to try all their best dishes for just under 40$. To start, we had the appetizers, the pumpkin, which was nice and sweet, the pastries, one with potato and one with leak, a flat lasagna like dish topped with meat and white peas. Next we had the salad, topped with chunks of really flavorful tender chicken. That salad is my favorite dish. Moving on to the main courses. We had salmon with basmati rice and spinach, chicken braised in tomato sauce, lamb with seasoned brown rice, carrots and raisins, and their meatball, which is beef with onions. They were all good. For dessert, we had a cinnamon pudding topped with fresh fruit and a plate of phyllo dough desserts. It was a lot of food. read more

Had a reservation for my dad's birthday for a party of 9. We had a little wait the owner said table before us was running a bit late. Once seated we ordered a couple bottles of wine and a few beers. The wine selection was good- bottle prices start around $24. Once the drinks came out we ordered apps and they came out very quick. We got naan bread- the pumpkin with yogurt sauce- the stuffed ravioli- the eggplant- and one other I can't remember. They disappeared fast so we ordered a couple more. They were delicious- the pumpkin is a little sweet but people love it. I liked the roasted eggplant the best. Next we ordered entrees. They too seemed to come out quickly. The table ordered a variety from lamb, to vegetarian, grouper, and more. Everyone was happy with their selections. I had the half rack of lamb with rice and a chopped salad on the side. The spice is excellent and a bit of heat too. My husband had the grouper in a red sauce and he loved it. We skipped dessert cause we had bday cake at home. The downfalls are it is loud and it is dark in there once the sun goes down. Alice was our server and she did a great job putting up with the large group. My dad enjoyed it so that's what we went for. Go try it. You won't be sorry. read more

This was our dinner outing while I was visiting Baltimore. While I'd had plenty of experience with Indian food and a variety of middle eastern (I'm from the Detroit area), this was my first run-in with Afghani food. Everything was delicious. Nothing was overly challenging to my palate. The spicing levels were wonderful. A great first experience with a regional cuisine somewhat familiar from other surrounding stuff. The price was a little high, but the experience was worth it. read more

Great food and service (attentive, but not overbearing)! I recommend: -Any of their lamb dishes -Naan, you MUST order -Kaddo borwani, the pumpkin app -Banjan borwani, the fried eggplant app -Afghan ice cream (not overly sweet but has wonderful texture with the dates and figs) read more

The Helmand - Kaddo Borwani (left) and Banjan Borwani (right) - Afghan Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This place is as awesome as it was the first time we came. The food is well seasoned and never is it too hot or bland. They give you a very generous portion size for every plate. The meats are very tender. The atmosphere is relaxing, tables are set and neat. It is quite romantic here. I would definitely come here again for a romantic getaway or an intimate moment with family and friends. read more

See all

Food excellent, I especially liked the pumpkin appetizer with yogurt and the cardamom ice cream for dessert. Entree portions were large and yummy and service was great as well. We ate outside on a beautiful evening. I will definitely be back! read more

Fantastic food at reasonable prices in a very nice neighborhood. Hard to complain about any aspect.

Ordered the lamb Lawand and mantwol appetizer. Was my first afghan food experience but I found the food rather plain and uninteresting. The lamb was very tender and stewed perfectly and the rice was delicious but the Mantwo tasted like something from a chef boyardee can (it was a ravioli like pastry with tomato and meat sauce). If you want your food to be calming then try this but I like a little more excitement. Decor was only so so but we had no reservations so weren't in the main area. UPDATE: GET THE PUMPKIN...ADDING AN EXTRA STAR JUST FOR THAT DISH! read more

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

See all

I had the Vegetable platter & some dish with monkfish & potatoes. Very yummy. Interesting interior decor, lots of cultural artifacts, flying carpets on the wall & what not. Very aromatic smelling, like being inside of a magic lamp. Fun place to eat! read more

Mount Vernon is a nice vibe for this type of restaurant. Reservations are fairly easy to get. Kabuli pallow is really good and I haven't had anything short of excellent from this menu. Very busy but worth the wait. A little dark and there's a step going into one of the rooms so you need to be careful. Carry out is surprisingly comparable to getting the real deal which is convenient during a pandemic. This is the touchstone of good Afghani food in Baltimore. read more

I have never had Afghan food prior to living in Baltimore, but consider me a fan! Many people had recommended Helmand to me prior to my visit, and I kept putting it off because when I asked what the food is like, several people told me it's kind of like Indian food. I've had a lot of Indian food, and I have some items I like, but I'm not the biggest fan. I had the lamb lawand, and the pumpkin, with some naan. It's nothing like Indian food in terms of flavor. It's so much better! The pumpkin is a little piece of heaven on the plate. It's warm, slightly sweet but not too sweet, it's just amazing. And the lamb lawand was suggested as one of the most popular items on the menu, and I can see why. The service is attentive without being obtrusive, and the restaurant is nice enough without being stuffy. But I don't go to Helmand because of any of that. I go to Helmand for their delicious food! I love this place! 4.5* ----------------------------------- Explanation of my rating system - 5*: Epitome of something, the best I've had, would LOVE to go back 4*: Great food and happy to go back regularly, but not the best of the category 3*: Food is fine. I may spontaneously decide to go there based on convenience. But no need to go back either. 2*: If you insist, I guess I'll come along. I'll find something to eat. But I wouldn't have picked it. 1*: No plans to come back. I'll try to talk companions out of going. read more

Interesting and decent dishes that lacks unified direction. I had the pumpkin, aushak, and mantwo for appetizers. The ravioli of the aushak was ignorable. Over cooked and slimy with the punch of leaks getting in the way of the more delicious lamb meat sauce. The sauce could have been a starter served with naan and I would have ordered it. Speaking of the naan, it was a huge disappointment. I was hoping for something along the lines of Maiwand naan, giant, pillowy, both crispy and soft, and with a great sour dough flavor. Instead the naan at Helmand was dry, bland in terms of flavor and texture, and difficult to use to scoop up the delicious meat sauces. The pumpkin and mantwo were great especially when eaten together, building off of their vegetable heartiness and yogurt tang. The main I ordered was the lamb and beef chunk challow that came in a sauce that included young sour grapes. This was very delicious. The flavors were bright and satisfying. It came with a mint chutney that was very powerful but in combination with the lamb felt a little to sharp. What I needed here was a mellow flavor from either better naan or rice. The cumin rice was ok, but it really didn't seem to work well to support the flavors of the challow. Overall, the experience felt like a lot of good but incomplete and dishes that hadn't found balance between strong and mild flavor. They did not feel tied together by any emotion or flavor profile in particular. Could have played with greater spiciness and mellow savor I was. read more

Came here on a Wednesday night for dinner with a friend. We weren't sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised. All the items we ordered were well seasoned and came in abundance. My friend is a vegetarian and she found lots of options on the menu. I tried the stew goat in a ginger sauce. Boy oh boy was that tasty! It was extra delicious with the green cilantro sauce! I would definitely recommend this dish. For the vegetarian platter, she was give a large plate where it was loaded with all the different types of vegetable sides/main dishes that they offer. There was definitely lots of food as she had to take it to go since she couldn't finish it all. We ended our dinner with their special ice creams. I enjoyed the one with rosewater and cardamon syrup and rice noodles. It was definitely a flavor I would not have put together myself but it was delicious! I would definitely recommend trying this restaurant especially if you have never tried Afghan food before. read more

See all

This place is DELISH! I came here with two girl friends and no one had a bad sip or a bad bite. For cocktails I highly suggest the Kandahar fizz for something sweeter. If you enjoy interesting mixes of flavors the cardamom cooler was the cocktail favorite of the evening. Cardamom takes the lead here but it's refreshing with a lot of fresh lemon and lime. Our meals were delicious! I had the korma magi which was a sea bass dish in a tomato sauce, and it was a 10. My friend had a stuffed eggplant dish which was also amazing and my other friend had lamb. She has a SEVERE dairy allergy and the server was so knowledgeable on the menu and competent talking to kitchen - she got a delicious flavorful meal and we didn't have to call the ambulance I knocked this down one star for service. The food was great and I appreciate the servers knowledge on the menu but we rarely saw him after we ordered. The place was busy but we ended up walking to the bar for water refills (to be fair it was right behind us, but still). When we were done with our meals our plates sat in the table for quite some time before they were cleared. It wasn't a huge deal because I had excellent company, but worth noting. I would DEFINITELY come here again. read more

Unbelievably bad customer service!!!! They refuse to help to reprint my receipt even if they know exactly how to retrieve it. The manager was incredibly rude and unwilling to help. Please hire a manager that's cares about customers. One star is too good for the customer service. Yelp should give us negative rating. read more

My late husband and I used to live in Baltimore and discovered this hidden gem! The atmosphere is nice, the staff were wonderful. The food is absolutely delicious and I still crave it - years later! We brought many friends and family to The Helmand to share the wonderful experience with as many as we could! Highly recommend! read more

I've never had Afghan food before, so I can't judge it's authenticity, but I can confidently vouch for it's deliciousness! It reminded me of Ethiopian food in the way it was presented, some of the types of food, and a bit in the spices. It is certainly different, but if you're looking for something to compare it to, that was the closest thing for me. The service was a bit slow, but the food was amazing! We started with the fried pumpkin and it was very good. Unlike any other pumpkin dish I've had before, and I would probably get it again. For our entrees, we ordered the Mantwo and the vegetarian platter, and both were delicious. I highly recommend the vegetarian platter so you can try many different vegetables and the different cooking techniques and flavors that are featured in a single dish. Skip the bread so you have room for dessert. Nothing wrong with it, just wasn't worth the calories! But if you're interested, you can take a peek at it being baked in the oven behind the bar while you wait for your table. For dessert, we had the Afghan ice cream, which was good, but nothing extraordinary. Just some different fruits and flavors that I normally wouldn't have put in ice cream on my own. I would definitely go back, but next time I'll make a reservation in advance to reduce the wait for a table. read more

The neighborhood around Peabody always has surprisingly good cuisines. I had never tried Afgani food before, and I cannot believe I haven't been eating more of it. My friends and I went on a Wednesday evening for late dinner around 7. The place was pretty full and we didn't have a reservation, but we were able to be seated right away. FOOD: *Kaddo Borwani: at the waiter's recommendation, we ordered this plate of pan-fried and baked pumpkin seasoned with sugar and yogurt garlic sauce, and it was the best choice we made. The pumpkin was cooked just soft enough, and the tangy taste of the yogurt blended wonderfully with the sugar and garlic inside my mouth *Lamb Lawand: it was on the specials menu, and was once again ordered at the waiter's recommendation when we asked which were the most popular lamb dishes. The bowl was filled with juicy, whole mushrooms and tender chunks of lamb soaked in spice. I definitely recommend it. *My friends also ordered the Kabuli Pallow and another off of the specials menu. I just suggest ordering any lamb dishes, we were extremely satisfied with ours. SERVICE: *We were seated quickly, and our waiters were extremely friendly. One was more than happy to suggest their best dishes to us (which we were all happy with) and was helpful in picking the wine to go with the food. AMBEINCE: *More classy than casual. Slightly dim with the white table cloths and candles and all, but the atmosphere was still cozy and attire relatively casual. It was perfect for a nice dinner to catch up with friends. read more

See all

Came here after a really long weekend searching for some good comfort food and glad I was staying close to this spot! I'm Afghan so I'm always very hesitant to go to an Afghan spot but this spot did not disappoint! The restaurant has ample seating, and friendly staff, although they didn't know much about the menu items. My friend and I wanted to try different things so we started off with their aushak which was cooked and seasoned perfectly! Their Kabuli had the correct spices and the rice and meat both were cooked the right way. We decided to also check out their lamb lawanda- super moist, and the meat was cooked so well that the meat fell right off the bones. We decided to add one okra and spinach as well- not stars of the table but they tasted good as well. Now for the dessert: jala is an Afghan ice cream dessert that reminds me of my childhood so when I saw it on the menu I knew I had to try it. This version was a little different but it still tasted great and it was the perfect way to end a great meal! The portion sizes were just right- not too much, not too little. Great restaurant, give it a chance if you're looking for quality Afghan food. read more

See all

I would love to give a better rating (see below), but our arrival at the restaurant was completely unacceptable. On a Saturday night, we had a 7:45 pm reservation on Open Table, for which we arrived at 7:40 pm. We waited, with several other parties, for a full 20 minutes before anyone even bothered to say hello. Finally the maitre d' arrived and told us it would be "a few more minutes" before we could be seated. In all, we sat down at 8:20 pm, 40 minutes after our arrival, and 35 minutes after our reservation time. My daughter politely tried to ask a member of the waitstaff to find the manager, but was rudely put off. No apology, no nothing. Unacceptable, simply put. As other reviewers have said, the food here is good, and it arrives quickly. Our server was nice enough, though she forgot one of our appetizers - she brought us a single moumtau (a dumpling) to split among a party of four! The entrees were all good, if unspectacular. The lamb stew was definitely over cooked, but the chicken challow (rice) was okay. Both were spiced well. We tried also the eggplant, which was tasty. The accompanying spinach was more like a mush than a dish. Forget it. The naan was fresh and warm. From my perspective, the best part of the meal was dessert -- cardamon-infused vanilla ice cream and hazelnut cake were both excellent, as was the Afghani coffee. In short, my advice is, try to go here when the crowds are light. Otherwise you are likely to find a decent meal spoiled by unacceptably poor service. read more

Visited Baltimore and tried this place out, so glad I did! Everything was delicious, from the bread, to the entrees, and even the dessert!! The staff was very helpful and attentive. We had allergy concerns in our group and they took very good care of their needs. Highly recommend and will be back next time I am in the area. read more

First time trying Afghani food, and we were not disappointed! I'd consider this reading a 4.5 rather than a solid 4. The only detractors were that the server that we had was a little too 'strictly business' - nothing to bring you in and make you feel welcome, etc. Aside from that, I didn't enjoy the hazelnut cake very much. That said, the appetizers and entrees were all incredible, and would bring me back without a doubt. The Kaddo Borwani(pumpkin) appetizer was great, but even better in my opinion, was the Banjan Lagharak(stewed eggplant). My entree was Lamb Lawanda, and was very good; very tender, super flavorful. read more

Savory, warm, and FLAVORFUL. Also Pallow is better than Challow fa sho. Have never been disappointed the several times I have eaten here. Most of my review will be based on take out- not dinning in. The Koufta Challow and then Mantwo are some of my favorites. Even if you aren't a lamb fan thie Koufta Challow is really well made and savory. Challow is the bread that comes with it....could do without it- I think the rice is a way better carb to have. Even the rice (pallow) with a hint of cinnamon or cardamom is fantastic with the flavors of the other dishes and a must try. The inside of the restaurant is squished (not lots of room) with tables. But every time I go in there are larger groups of people so it's possible. It's your standard white table cloth, dim lighting, stem water glass feel. It also usually seems pretty busy. It's a good place and the flavors are easy for any kind of taste bud (well at least I think so)! read more

This was one of the best experiences that I had in Baltimore. Very clean and service/stafff was phenomenal and the food was fantastic! I have nothing but getting things to say about this restaurant. read more

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

See all

This place is fantastic. We just got delivery from here through one of the apps. Everything was great. We tried the pumpkin, the lamb and chicken kabobs, and a few other things. Even my 4 year old liked it - especially the pumpkin. read more

We honestly walked out of the Restraunt immediately. The atmosphere was unwelcoming and hostile. We came in on Wednesday at 5:30 pm and were on celebrating my husbands birthday. We walked in and were not even greeted. The gentleman sitting at the entrance just pointed to a sheet of paper for us to sign in without explaining the situation. We understand it's covid and most people get take out but some basic human interaction would be nice. We asked some basic questions about the menu and he simply responded with a one word then proceeded to tell us to just check online. Due to the incredibly rude interaction we just walked out. We did not want to spend his birthday with this terrible service. read more

I've had no experience with food from Afghanistan so I had no idea what to expect. I'm always up for trying new local restaurants though so we figured it was worth a shot. If I I had to describe it to someone else who has never been I'd probably go with like Indian but with less flavor? Nothing was terribly spicy or seasoned and not really memorable either. We got curry-like dishes. A tomato-based stew of lamb with rice for me. DH had another lamb curry that was sweet but not much if any other flavor but onion. The naan/bread came with cold butter. The assorted pastry dessert was hard and served on way too much sauce. I'd go back with someone who could tell me what to order but nothing we got was particularly amazing. We won't be in a rush to go back. read more

I had a TERRIBLE experience at the Helmand on my graduation day so this review will be about the very unprofessional staff and manager whos names I don't know because I never actually ate there. But since I still had an experience with them I think I have the right to write them this review. I rarely write reviews with one star -- but when I do -- I have a good reason. My mom and I made a reservation here for 13 people for my graduation day months in advance. We are very efficient planners and make sure multiple times that we are prepared for any situation. We talked to them and they said that they'll accommodate us and make sure all the food is good for my grandpa and stuff because he's very sensitive to meat. We confirmed with them FOUR TIMES that they were going to seat us and confirmed that we had the location/address right. They talked with us about it possibly being busy because it's graduation day but we confidently made plans to come here for dinner. We were super excited to eat here because we heard great things. There were also 13 of us from all around the country -- so we wanted to be in a nice sit-down place and celebrate my day. We were running about 30 minutes early after my graduation, so my dad gave them a call and said we don't mind waiting but if they can seat us earlier that would be great. OUT OF NOWHERE they told us they can't seat us and that they don't have a reservation. They also said they never heard of a party of 13 people coming that day. LITERALLY two days before and four days before we confirmed that there won't be any problem. We even talked to the manager and he, out of nowhere, claimed to never have talked to us and told us not to come because they won't seat us. What possible reason could they have to be that rude and mean?? They were SO unprofessional about the entire situation. Maybe it's because we are Indian?? I have no idea. Every time I try to make sense of it, I can't. WHERE ELSE WERE WE SUPPOSED TO GO??? It's hard for anyone to accommodate such a big party especially last minute. They literally RUINED the whole day for me because I was excited to spend time with my family there with great food. Anyway, we ended up going to a super casual place because it was the only place that could take 13 people last minute. So my family and I are super mad at the Helmand for everything and would love if the manager got fired. read more