Ariana

Last summer I ate here with some friends. The food is great, for the most part. Sometimes they forget the curry. But not the poor phone service again! I guess I'd recommend it.

I have eaten here half a dozen times and love it. The food is delicious. The portions are reasonable (ie not "stuff-yourself-until-you-vomit American size portions) and the service and atmosphere are funky and charming. It is a small place in a long narrow building, and there is one waiter and greeter who handles all 9 tables. I believe he is the owner. When it isn't busy he is engaging and fun. Sometimes he will stand and chat for a few minutes.When it gets busy he does dash about and can be a little brusque, but he is trying to serve a lot of meals and customers, and I have never found him to be rude. This is just the way it is. And the prices are pretty reasonable. Last night 4 of us ate, with a shared appetizer and a shared dessert (no drinks) for $80 + tip. That's pretty good for unusual and delicious cuisine. The place is enjoyable and a little quirky, but well worth it.

The guys who serves here are very warm and the service is good, despite what the other reviews might had said. The kadu boulanee and pumpkin curry are delish as is the meat combination. The green sauce on the table mkes everything taste great. One of my favorite "ethnic restaurants" in the city

Had dinner with friend during the summer and food was great. The owner was engaging and pleasant. Unfortunately, my second experience was horrible. I had friends in from out of town and wanted them to have a nice dining experience. The waiter was fine until the restaurant became crowded. My friend was not familiar with menu and wanted to ask the waiter about the menu. The waiter impatiently told her "It shouldn't be to hard to order the menu is in English," to say the least I was horrified. We ordered a bottle of wine and a beer. He forget the beer and to be reminded numerous times. Where is owner when you need him.

Posting this to save an innocent party from the lackluster food and service my friend and I received today. I decided to take a chance on this restaurant after it appeared first on a google search for 'afghan restaurant nyc'. The restaurant was empty, but I like tried not to judge a book by its cover. I ordered potato curry for $13. My meal ended up being absolutely bland. When I questioned the waiter about what spices were in the curry sauce, the waiter responded that there was no spices in this dish made out of only tomato and onion. I questioned him further about why there was no curry in the curry. The waiter responded that Afghanis do not use curry and that the dish was healthier this way. He also pointed to a jar of condiments and told me to get my spice from it. Bland curry plus iceberg lettuce salad for $13 is a ripoff.

My roommate and I come to this restaurant a few times a month and always bring friends and out of town guests. The Afghani food is tasty, but nothing gourmet or fancy. The palow or pumpkin are best bets. The sauces and happy tea are fantastic though. We go through half a bottle of white sauce at every meal. What really makes this place special is the owner. He is just a delight. Always funny and entertaining and treats us like family. Please only go to this restaurant if you are unhurried, laid back, and prepared to go along with the atmosphere. Otherwise, you are totally missing the experience.

I ordered take out and it was not worth it. We ordered chicken kebab which served us with three morsels of chicken. The entree curries were the size of sides. They skimped on the main courses but not on the rice. I should have asked for more chicken with my rice when ordering a chicken kebab. Not recommended.