Why go: This flash-free, ikat-decorated dining room hops at dinnertime, when crowds settle in for terrific Afghan turnovers and dumplings and satisfying stews.
What to get: Bulanee kachalu, thin pockets of fried pastry with spiced potatoes and ground beef; aushak, dumplings filled with sautéed scallions and smothered with yogurt, and mantu, a version with ground beef; chalow kadu, tender, sweetened pumpkin with yogurt—a vegetarian’s dream; chalow bademjan, a ratatouille-like eggplant stew; sabsi chalow, a liberally garlicked lamb-and-spinach stew.
Best for: Quiet family dinners; a Sunday meal likely to yield leftovers for the week.
Insider tip: Although kebabs are a large part of the menu, they’re not as good as the appetizers, stews, and rice dishes.
Open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner.
See all 2008 Cheap Eats restaurants
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
