Kabul Kabob House

Address: 514 Van Dorn St., Alexandria, VA 22203

Phone: 703-751-1833

Neighborhood: Alexandria

Cuisines: Middle Eastern, Afghan

Opening Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Kid Friendly: Yes

Nearby Metro Stops: Van Dorn St.

Price Range: Inexpensive

Dress: Informal

Noise Level: Intimate

Reservations: Not Needed

Best Dishes Sultani Kabob platter, with both lamb and chicken kebabs and rice dusted with sumac; qabli palaw, lamb chunks with rice, shredded carrots, almonds, and raisins; daal chalaw, a stew of yellow lentils with herbs; sambusa, a fried pastry filled with spiced m

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

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

What this no-frills Afghan eatery lacks in decor (there’s a grungy aquarium near the front and a bright countertop straight out of The Brady Bunch) it makes up for in homey dishes such as qabili palow, in which chunks of tender meat—we like the lamb and the chicken—are buried beneath brown rice, carrots, and plump raisins.

Starters include an excellent version of aushak, a ravioli-like dumpling filled with leeks, and fresh stuffed pastries called sambosas. Pillowy, made-to-order naan exceeds expectations, as do the supersized hunks of flaky, Greek-style baklava stacked in a cake stand by the register.

Also good: Mantu dumplings filled with meat; broiled eggplant with yogurt sauce; curried lentil soup; lamb kebab.