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    The Helmand Restaurant

    4.2 (1k reviews)
    PriceyAfghan, Halal, Bars
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order The Helmand Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    The Helmand Restaurant Photos

    THE HELMAND RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Helmand Restaurant

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    Lydia C.

    This was the first Afghani meal I've had, and it was fantastic. Upon walking into the restaurant, you are met with aspects of the culture across the room, from clothing hung on the wall to the smell of spices in the air. We came on a weekday evening and it was understandably quiet. The dining area is set with white tablecloths and white-and-blue-striped cloth napkins, which lend an elegant look to the dinner. After ordering, we first received the complimentary naan and flight of sauces. The naan was fresh and warm, and I especially loved the yogurt-based dip. The server happily refilled the naan because we were so ravenous, and then the food came out. We shared the aushak appetizer, which included 3 Afghan dumplings/ravioli with yogurt and yellow split peas. It was incredibly delicious and my favorite part of the meal - I wish I had gotten the entrée-sized version of this for my main! We also got the vegetarian special and the mourgh (chicken) kabab. For the meat-eater, the chicken topped the charts as "best meal in Boston"! The vegetarian special was also quite good (though less so than the aushak). I thoroughly enjoyed the pumpkin, while the pallow rice was relatively standard. I was stuffed by the time I got to this part of the meal, but it was all good enough that I happily polished off my plate. I would absolutely come back, and will probably order the aushak!

    Lamb Lawande
    Peter W.

    The Helmand is an absolute gem! The restaurant has a warm and inviting atmosphere. For starters, I highly recommend the Aush soup. It's a flavorful noodle soup with beef sauce and yogurt. It's a great way to stimulate your appetite. For my entree, I ordered the Lamb Lawand, which was tender pieces of lamb and mushrooms in a savory yogurt sauce with a side of sauteed spinach. It was very delicious. A minor nit is that I wish it had a few more pieces of lamb instead of mushrooms (and this is coming from someone who loves mushrooms!) I can't wait to go back and try more of their menu!

    Colleen E.

    This was one of the best meals I had in awhile. The meat was so tender and savory, thinking about it still makes my mouth water. There are multiple vegetarian options if you don't eat meat that the vegetarians in my party gave their full approval of. Service was friendly and attentive, they did a really good job with our party of 16. Dessert was absolutely delicious and the perfect way to end an incredible meal. Would absolutely recommend this place to anyone.

    Lamb is kid-approved!
    Bonnie D.

    This was a top tier meal for sure. The food is so flavorful, service was helpful and efficient, and the restaurant itself is really nicely decorated so we enjoyed the overall ambiance as well. There wasn't one thing I wouldn't order again. Bread with dips: 9/10 the bread was crisp and fresh and the yogurt mint and cilantro sauces were delish. Bowlani: 8/10- two doughs with veggies inside. The spicy leek gets a 7, the potato a 10 - just my preference on flavor profile. Well-cooked, flavor veggies and a buttery crisp but soft pastry crust. Would def order again. Chowpan: 10/10 - this lamb was incredible. Fall off the bone tender, flavorful, not at all gamey which I worry about with lamb. 4 big lamb chops with rice and eggplant. Eggplant was also favorable and similar to an Indian eggplant dish. But the lamb was the star. This is also big enough for 2 people. Koufta challow: 9/10 - this is like a meatball stew with rice. We initially ordered the koufta kebab but they were out so we went for this. It's very flavorful in a spiced tomato sauce. Says spicy on the menu but we didn't find it hot at all. Feereney: 10/10 - custard pudding with fresh food. The texture and flavor was perfect. Super creamy and delicious. We were stuffed but ate all of it. Cake: 7/10 - pineapple cake and ice cream. This was a solid cake with whipped cream frosting and ice cream. The whole thing was elevated with fruit, pistachio, and a pomegranate sauce. You could really taste the cardamom which made it unique. But we preferred the pudding. We also got cocktails and the whole meal came out to $175 with tip which give the quality of the food and ambiance, is very worth it.

    Kourma Challow
    Rebecca D.

    I came here for dinner last night and I already can't wait to come back! Ambiance: heavily decorated in a middle eastern style. Cozy and inviting. Service: attentive and prompt without being overbearing. Food: delicious! We split 2 apps, a main, and a side between the two of us and were very satisfied after! We ordered the vegetarian kaddo (roasted pumpkin with yogurt sauce - perfect blend of sweet and tangy), bowlawni (2 filled flatbread-type things, one with leeks and scallions and the other with spiced potatoes - SO flavorful! The leek and scallion one was my favorite), the kourma shallow (kind of like a vegetable curry, served with rice and sauteed spinach - not as well spiced as I would have liked but still yummy), and a side of lentils (not the most flavorful but definitely tasty). The free flatbread that you start out with is decent too, but what really makes it tasty is the various sauces it comes with. The standouts for me were the kaddo and the bowlawni, but honestly there wasn't a single bad dish. Oh, and the wine portions were generous, which is always welcome! We will definitely be back to try new things and revisit old favorites.

    Bendi, Lentil, Mourgh Salata
    Vicki M.

    Helmand is the best!! You can't go wrong here!! Great authentic food, very satisfying. We ordered delivery - Aush soup, mourgh salata, lamb dwopiaza, sabzi challow (came with spinach mushrooms and okra) and a side of okra and a side of lentils. Lots of yummy food, savory flavors - chicken was great and so were the veggies and sauces. I really like the soup and the fresh bread is amazing! Food delivery was a bit delayed but that's ok, the food made up for it! Lots of leftovers for a few additional yummy meals to come!!

    Ayatt A.

    The atmosphere of Helmand is what makes it special! It feels like enjoying a home-cooked meal at your aunt or grandmother's house! The decor is cozy and fun and overall very authentic. They start you with fresh baked bread which is delicious. The pumpkin appetizer is so unique and a must try! We both ordered lamb dishes, and for the price, there was tons of food! We both got two meals out of it. The food was excellent. My only critique is that I think the yogurt drink was expired because it gave me fiance and upset stomach. Overall, the experience was great!

    Our Cake Sheerehk - Front  Sheerberaing - Back
    Zach M.

    Wow wow wow. This place was insane. Go here. Have incredible food, and a beautiful dinner Food - Truly some of the best food I've had in Boston (well the Boston area) yet. I'd consider Afganhi food as a more rounded less "spicy" indian food? Buy unique all its own. We tried a ton of things and each one was simply better than the one before. Ambiance - Such fun decor makes the restaurant feel like you're in a loved ones home. Cozy without feeling claustrophobic. Service - Nearly pretty but I'm not going to harp on a small detail. Servers were efficient and friendly. Knowledgeable and attentive. Quickly resolved any question or request. We did run out of water a few times but it was promptly refillled upon request. This was not a problem whatsoever. They also do tableside Turkish coffee (we were very tempted but did not order it this time atound) All in all an amazing experience that definitely loves up to the many awards they've received. We will be back.

    Bread
    Monica L.

    Nice inside ambiance, on the slightly fancier side Service was pretty quick and to the point Dishes: Free bread and sauces - rly good flavor and nice chew, sauces were fun too! Can't complain Mantwo - rly liked this! Good flavors and each ingredient complemented the others well Dwopiaza - lamb w pillow rice, the lamb was chewy and was one of the gamier ones I've had. But the rice was so well flavored and so hard to stop eating!! Qoremay ma he - fish! Pretty good fish, portion on the small side though, again the rice was rly good! And all the vegetables and beans on each plate were also great!

    Sultani
    Scott C.

    I couldn't be happier with my dining experience at The Helmand Restaurant. The restaurant was packed on Christmas Eve and for good reason. The ambiance is complete with excellent cultural decorations and traditional music. The service was very fast and friendly. We opted to order the sultani kabob and Banjan for an appetizer. The food came out very quickly and was absolutely delicious. The owner even came out and asked how our dessert was! "Our cake" was very delicious and highly recommend.

    Chowpan - lamb chops
    Huma H.

    Such a good restaurant!! I love their lamb chops, so flavorful, well seasoned, and tender. The rest of their dishes are really good too - the aush, veg special, and other entrees were so yummy! Cute ambiance, really friendly staff. Really recommend!

    Beef Koufta
    Sabrina K.

    Really tasty food! Everything is so well prepared and presented, every dish with a unique blend/burst of flavors. And they're halal! The ambiance is lovely, as are the hosts/staff. Not pictured: amazing saffron ice cream--must try!

    Mourgh Challow

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    8 months ago

    Nice ambiance, service was fine, friendly waitress. The food was ok. A little expensive.

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    Page 1 of 26

    Ask the Community - The Helmand Restaurant

    Are they halal?

    Yes

    Is the meat served here halal?

    Yes, it is Halal?

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    Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine

    Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine

    4.0(247 reviews)
    0.6 miEast Cambridge
    $$

    TLDR: shockingly flavorful food in a homey ambiance…read more I have to say I was blown away with the flavors presented to me here. In particular, the pork dumplings were such a surprise pick! They're filled with this flavorful broth so despite looking very unassuming they were bursting with flavor. We came here on a Sunday evening without a reservation and were seated in 10min. The menu is entirely online but food came out quickly after we ordered. Dishes we got: - beef laghman: spiced well and chewy noodles! I liked it, although I was a bit confused if it was Uyghur or Chinese because it tasted very similar to Chinese food to me - Pork dumplings: delicious, you have to get these. They look so boring. They're SO good and there's so many. - Mapo tofu: my mouth was very numb eating this but the tofu was silky smooth. I can only assume it was good but I didn't have much spice tolerance left in me after the laghman.

    Cozy, intimate, and very quiet. This restaurant is a great option for date night or a quiet setting…read morebest for lunch and dinner. Service was prompt and thorough. The menu offers options of seafood, beef, and chicken with pairings such as noodles or rice. We ordered the samosa and dumplings for appetizer and you really can't go wrong with either option. For dinner we tried the stir fry chicken, spicy beef noodle, and the Laghman. Everything was flavorful and I would describe as a between of east and South Asian dishes with its own uniqueness that is a must try!

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    Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine - Interior

    Interior

    Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine - Beef and Onion Samosa

    Beef and Onion Samosa

    Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine

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    Rumi Kabob House - The Spread  Pictured: Chapli Kabab Combo Platter, Mantu Appetizer

    Rumi Kabob House

    5.0(20 reviews)
    47.4 mi

    Great atmosphere! Food is amazing! I was a bit apprehensive as I'm not familiar with Afghani food,…read morehowever it was delicious! I was a member of a large party, the restaurant had arranged our tables quickly. The server was very responsive and quick throughout our time there! The table order mantu and beef samosas to share. I had a beef samosa which was quite good; but many had the mantu and said it was also very good. I ordered the Borg Kabob (tender marinated beef cubes) with mixed rice (brown and white) and Kabuli Palow (shaved carrots and raisins), some of my party ordered the same or a chicken kabob with similar accompaniments. Each of our entrees came with a small cucumber, tomato, and red onion salad with a fantastic dressing (which is also a great dip for the beef samosa) and great Afghani bread! The Borg Kabob is well seasoned, not spicy, but flavorful! Portions were large and comparable for the price and value that you received! Each of the members of our party either heartily finished our meal or took a to-go box. I would strongly recommend any size group large or small to visit Rumi Kabob House. Once apprehensive, but now totally convinced - and excited to return!

    Went to the new Rumi Kabob House in Manchester today and they did not disappoint. The meat was…read morejuicy/flavorful, we were served sizeable portions, and it was phenomenal value for the price point. Expect to go home with leftovers. My only concern with this place is their small menu and their limited drink options which leaves more to be desired (I presume it's because they are just starting out)-- but whatever they have, they do it well. Overall excellent new addition to the Southern NH food scene!!

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    Rumi Kabob House - Lamb Chops

    Lamb Chops

    Rumi Kabob House - Chicken Kabob

    Chicken Kabob

    Rumi Kabob House - Afghani Meatballs with Kabuli

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    Afghani Meatballs with Kabuli

    Aleppo Sweets

    Aleppo Sweets

    4.6(305 reviews)
    41.0 mi
    $$

    Really cool Syrian cafe with traditional food and drinks. It was pretty packed when we came here…read morearound lunch time with pretty much every table taken. I mainly came for the sweets, was able to get a tray of pistachio and walnut baklava, but they had a few other sweets like lady fingers and purses as well. Baklava was very good, very nice crispiness that held up for the week. I would've preferred it to have a bit more nuts and be a bit sweeter, but personal preference. Got the cheese fatayer which is just basically a cheesy bread with some herbs. So tasty, really enjoyed that! Also got a lamb kabob which came with some bread as well. The flavor here was good but didn't blow me away. Touch on the dry side too. Probably would get something else next time. They've also got coffee. I elected to get the Turkish coffee. It was thick and came in a pretty small cup, about a 3rd of that is the grounds. Fun to try, but very bitter, wouldn't recommend this either. Overall, really cool shop that seems very popular. Lots of interesting menu items to try. Definitely suggest checking it out!

    Always have an incredible experience at Aleppo Sweets! Their Baklava ( especially the one with…read morechocolate and Pistacchio) is to die for and is incredible!!! I tried their Hibiscus tea for the first time today and was more than impressed! Highly recommend this business.

    Photos
    Aleppo Sweets - Love the decor

    Love the decor

    Aleppo Sweets - Pepper and lam fatayer, stuffed grape leaves and tabouleh salad

    Pepper and lam fatayer, stuffed grape leaves and tabouleh salad

    Aleppo Sweets - Black tea with mint

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    Black tea with mint

    The Helmand Restaurant - afghani - Updated May 2026

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