Cheap Eats 2007: Kabul Kabob House

Reviewed by Cynthia Hacinli , Michele Kayal , Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Don Rockwell

Kabul Kabob House

514-A Van Dorn St.
Alexandria, VA
Phone: 703.751.1833

Cuisines:
Afghan

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
Van Dorn St.

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Intimate

Reservations:
Not needed

Best Dishes
Samosas; hicken kebabs; lamb kebabs; house pilaf with lamb; stewed pumpkin; crushed chickpeas; flatbread.

Price Details:
Appetizers $2.99 to $4.90; entrées $5.99 to $11.95


The cooking at this terrific Afghani storefront is slow, steady, and traditional. Order your meal, and the cook behind the counter starts rolling out dough to make fresh bread. While the bread crisps in the tandoor, you get a complimentary green salad with yogurt-tinged dressing.

The flavors are bright, starting with the vinegary herb dip that comes with the warm rounds of nan and continuing through the marvelous plates of aushak and mantu—translucent dumplings folded around fillings like leek or ground beef and vibrant with fresh mint. Eggplant is smothered in tomatoey yogurt sauce, and brown rice arrives scented with cardamom. Choose from halal kebabs of tender bone-in chicken, beef, or the rosy lamb, which in one preparation comes covered with tomatoes and roasted red peppers, and topped with a poached egg.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.