Kabul Kabob House
514 Van Dorn St.
Alexandria, VA 22203
703-751-1833
Neighborhood: Alexandria
Cuisines: Middle Eastern, Afghan
Opening Hours:
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Wheelchair Accessible: 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: Wheelchair Accessible, 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.