Afghan Cuisine (Kirkland)

The food here is absolutely amazing. Incredible dishes and flavors. 10/10 would recommend and come back. Everyone there is also very nice. The restaurant itself is clean with a nice atmosphere.

It was a very unique place. The food had the real taste of home. A very clean and well-organized restaurant with friendly staff. My recommendation is the Qorma Badenjan and Qabili Pulao — both were extremely delicious! ⭐ 10/10

Afghan Cuisine in Kirkland offers a warm and inviting setting to explore traditional Afghan flavors, though our experience had a mix of highs and lows. The standout of the lunch was the Chicken Kabob, which was exceptionally well-prepared. The chicken was tender, juicy, and infused with a rich blend of spices that elevated the dish beyond the ordinary. The Chicken Fillet was another highlight, flavorful, moist, and satisfying, making it a dish I would gladly order again. For starters, we tried the Okra (Bamia) and Eggplant (Borani-Banjan), paired with Afghan bread. The bread was fresh and served as a nice base for the spreads, the appetizers themselves were pleasant but didn’t quite deliver the boldness often expected from Afghan cuisine. The Afghani rice, an essential accompaniment, was generously spiced and aromatic, but unfortunately too oily for our taste. Its heaviness slightly overshadowed the balance of the meal, though the seasoning was on point. Overall, Afghan Cuisine provides hearty portions and authentic dishes, with the Chicken Kabob and Chicken Fillet standing out as must-try items. With refinement in some appetizers and lighter rice preparation, this spot could truly shine.

We got the vegetarian entrees roasted pumpkin and eggplant omg they are amazing. Excited to try other dishes. They have lamb chicken and beef entrees Ill try next time.

We were really excited to try this new Afghan restaurant, but unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The kabobs were dry and chewy, which was a major letdown. The lamb shank, though tender, lacked the juicy, flavorful punch I was hoping for—it tasted as though it had been made days ago and lacked any real depth of flavor. The green chutney they served didn’t complement the dishes well at all, leaving an odd aftertaste. Overall, the meal felt very unauthentic compared to the wonderful Afghan cuisine I’ve enjoyed at other restaurants around the world. On the plus side, my dog certainly had a good time snacking on the leftover meat and bone, so there’s that!

The food is EXQUISITE!! The lamp with the rice is the best meat I’ve ever had!! And the chicken tikka is sooo tender!! Highly recommended. P.S. this is the same Bellevue restaurant that closed and also had the same name.

We were pleasantly surprised by our experience at this restaurant and highly recommend it. The food was delicious and notably well-priced, offering excellent value. Conveniently situated just two minutes from Lake Washington, the restaurant benefits from a central location within Kirkland.

Super glad this location made its way to Kirkland. I tried the Kent location once and while the food was great we had other issues but our experience at this location was amazing. Food was served in a timely manner, everything tasted amazing, anyone who would like to try afghan cuisine, give this place a visit. And definitely try out their Qabili Uzbek, my personal favorite by far, and their mantoo is also yummy.

I came here after hearing a lot of good things about this place. I'm not very knowledgeable about Afghan food and this was probably my first time trying it. I can't speak on whether it's authentic or not, but I personally really liked it. I tried the lamb shank with rice and the beef kabob. The lamb shank was tender and fell off the bone, without the strong gamey flavor lamb can sometimes have. The beef kabob was juicy and cooked well. I asked for medium and actually got a medium! The rice with the lamb shank had raisins and carrots. It reminded me of Uyghur rice pilaf because of the ingredients, but it was lighter and more moist. Service was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and the vibe was relatively casual. They also have AC, which was nice these days. I would definitely come back again to try more.

Summary: authentic afghan cuisine at this halal restaurant. The lamb shanks, dumplings (mantoo), sliced fried potatoes (pakaura), and stuffed paratha (bolani) are amazing. Pros: * family oriented ambiance * large portions * delicious food * halal meats prepared in house Cons: * street parking can be limited in the area

Spent a day in Kirkland. What a cute little town! I am looking forward to visiting again when I have more time. I had the opportunity to eat at this restaurant after exploring the town during the day. The food was REALLY good. I ordered 1. Sabzi which is an Afghan spinach dish and 2. The ground chicken skewers on a bed of basmati rice. Both were delicious! My main reason for going to this restaurant was because of the Afghan spinach dish. I've had it in other restaurants and have even made it myself, and I can make it pretty well, but this was REALLY good. (I repeat myself!) I didn't think I could eat two full dishes, but I felt like I needed some protein. I talked to the waiter, and he suggested doing a half portion of the meat dish--which also meant a lower price. I really didn't want leftovers because I wanted to explore more restaurants the next day, so it worked out really well. I didn't overeat, and I really enjoyed my meal. The staff was very friendly and warm. The atmosphere was intimate and inviting. It's right next to a Greek restaurant and I sat outside for a while trying to decide which one to go to, and it was the spinach dish that won me over. I'm really glad that I went there. My husband stayed for an extra day after I left and decided to go there with colleagues. He enjoyed it too!

Great Food and Price ... clean facility 6 of us went there for lunch and everyone's plate was clean like a whistle... Try It

Standard Afghani food. We haven't had it in a while because it tends to be too rich for our tastes. It was this time too. The food was quite tasty but the vegetarian dishes were very oily. We tried the okra and the eggplant with yogurt dish. The rice that came with the dishes was amazing. Very flavorful. My son ordered the lamb special and that came with rice that was even more amazing, covered in caramelized carrots and raisins. The lamb itself was very tender. I would recommend it if you want to try Afghani food.

We were happy to know they moved to Kirkland (we thought the original location had closed). This interiors of this location is much nicer than their old location. We got Pakaura to start, and then got Qurme-Murgh and Chicken Shami Kabob. The Pakaura were good, I loved the Chicken Shami Kabob. The Qurme-Murgh was good, our first time trying it. Overall, a great meal with great service.

Great new place in Kirkland. They have a sister restaurant south and Kent and their are previous location was in Bellevue. The interior is warm and welcoming. Plenty of options for vegetarian and vegan.

I think I've found a new favorite cuisine of mine! My friend and I ate here for lunch because the place we were going to eat at nearby was closed, and it was such a happy accident. Neither of us had ever tried Afghan food before, but it was amazing. The flavors, the texture, the complexity and the tastiness... we didn't know what to expect, but WOW was it delicious. We shared the borani-banjan eggplant dish which was incredible. Creamy, spicy, flavorful and savory, it went great by itself or with the flatbread. But the thing that really blew us away was the qabili uzbeki, which was a lamb shank dish. When I tell you the meat fell right off the bone, I mean it. I could've used a spoon to get it off there; it was so perfectly cooked I didn't even need my knife. The rice pilaf was so yummy as well (who knew that raisins paired so well with it?!) and all in all, a great experience. Our server was so attentive and polite, and there are so many other dishes I want to try now! You can bet I'll be back here again. There are a lot of vegetarian and gluten-free options (yay for rice!) for all your friends with dietary restrictions. This is totally a new gem in the downtown Kirkland area that I think is going to be a new fave of mine. :)

I was familiar with Afghan Cuisine from their previous location in Bellevue. I was looking forward to dining at their new location in downtown Kirkland. At 8pm on a Sunday, the restaurant was still full. We were directed to the last available table. One server covered the restaurant plus one older gentleman assisted with clean-up. Our entrees were delivered, but our appetizer was still missing. I gave them some minutes before inquiring. When I did ask the server, he forgot we ordered it and had to verify it was in the system (it was). He went to the kitchen to check. More minutes later, he returned to say they are out of the ingredients to make it. He offered to take it off our bill, as though he is doing us a favor. (This part irritated me the most.) He never apologized for forgetting our order. He didn't ask if we want to order something else. He didn't offer anything for the mix-up. His brain was clearly shut down for the day. Minus 0.5 star for service. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated. Oddly, the tables and chairs look worn. Parking is street parking only or nearby lots and garages. The Food: Chicken Shami Kabob, $21.99 - 4.5 Stars Two skewers of ground chicken are wonderfully seasoned with Afghani spices. The Afghan yellow rice is perfectly seasoned with turmeric. Both are very flavorful and wonderfully delicious. The rice in particular is cooked just right with the touch of oil and turmeric. Qabili Uzbeki, $23.99 - 4 Stars The menu states this is "Afghanistan's most famous dish - a marinated lamb shank slowly cooked to perfection". Despite being marinated, the lamb didn't have obvious flavors. The green chutney and spice available on the table improved the flavor. The lamb shank is very tender and sizable. The rice is as pretty as it is tasty. The cost of this dish is quite reasonable.

Came here with friends last night and it was very good. The food was flavorful and fresh. The potato dish had delicious spice and flavor and the yogurt sauce was a lovely tang. The lamb shank dish my friend had was truly amazing, fall off the bone meat. This is a nice new place in Kirkland that folks should try out.

Very nice restaurant. The food was Ok. The Shami kabobs were cold and dry. Nice design and friendly service. They need to improve the service skills and the food quality. It did not taste anything like the previous Bellevue location.

Theres only street parking here, so it might take a bit to track down somewhere to park. This place was fantastic. I absolutely recommend trying their Afghan dumplings -- do not miss it.

The food is wayyyy overpriced for portion size and greasy. Also it is not good. If you are desperate for Afghani food this is a choice but there are no good options in this metro area. I would avoid. If you had good afghani food in your life this will not cut it. Service was also not great. I asked the waiter what white sauce meant and he told me it's what they put on their food and I ordered a side of it and it tasted like store-bought salad dressing. It was not homemade and he did not explain that.

Darn! I wanted this place to be really good, but it didn't work out for us. Biggest problem was food was too spicy and chicken breast was too dry. The item we liked most was the lamb shank over rice. This was ok to good . We've had sone really good Afghan cuisine before , so that was our basis. The amount of bolani they gave us was very generous.

Was meeting up with one of my brothers here in Washington and he recommended this gem. First time trying Afghan cuisine I also had to phone my Afghan friend to see what he would recommend and it was the Quabili Uzbeki and it was delicious. Very well seasoned and the amount of perfect. I had a great experience here.

Delicious food, fast service, friendly staff. Don't skip on this place. Also, don't all go at once, so as to not make it crowded for when I want to go.

My wife and I with another couple went there last night (6-5-25). We found the ambient to be unassuming and pleasant. The waiter was cheerful and very helpful. We ordered Sabzi, Chicken Kabob, Kofta (me), and Qurme-Murgh; Naan, Side salad, and Yogurt. The food came prompty and was very tasty. What more could anyone ask for in an eatery? We'll certainly come back.

Kirkland is too basic for a place like this downtown, but they are so lucky to have it. Totally unique, exquisitely prepared Afghan cuisine. This place is surrounded by vibeless chain-style eateries... this is the place to go whenever you have the chance.

Delicious! We stopped in early on a Saturday evening. We started with a pakaura appetizer. They were piping hot and pair well with the chutney. Our main dishes arrived soon after. We had the borani-banjan (eggplant) and the beef tikkah kabob. The eggplant was so flavorful! We also ordered a side of naan, which was ok. This is a great addition to downtown Kirkland and we look forward to returning.

Very friendly people. The check/cook personally comes out to check on you. My first time trying Afghan food and it was delicious.

First-timer to the restaurant, and Afghan food for that matter. I had the lamb shank. I've never tasted lamb shank better. And the rice with cranberries was delish!

Generously portioned. Great food! 10/10. The service was excellent. They got an epic TV for Netflix so the ambiance was cool too lol.

Anyway, this is a new restaurant in Kirkland. Me and a friend ordered both the mantoo, the cardamon tea and the chicken shami. When we arrived the place was near empty, so we figured it would be fairly fast. We settled into enjoy our tea (which was lovely). But then we watched table after table be served before us. After an hour, I asked about what was going on...and then it took another 10 minutes for us to get the chicken shami (which was okay, but not exceptional). Another 10 minutes later we got the mantoo, which was really good. But probably not worth an hour wait. I probably won't return just as, while I would not mind more of the mantoo, I was less than pleased with the incredible length of time it took to get it to us. (As well as that the server seemed to just sort of shrug and go, "Oh well, sorry about that" vs IDK, even just offering a free dessert or something would have made me feel better about the kitchen clearly forgetting our order and the server not bothering to check on the fact that one of her tables still didn't have food even after people who had arrived a half hour later had been served).

I was desperately craving borani banjan and was excited to see this new location open. I came here with a friend (we are both vegetarian) and we got pakaura, borani banjan, and borani kadoo. Portions were generous, food was delicious. We just got our food to go, so can't speak to the dine in experience, but the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Will definitely be back

Food was amazing, staff were friendly, and prices were fair. Nice spot in downtown kirkland that i'll fs come back to no bap

food was amazing, so was the service. the ambiance was calm and pleasant. I highly recommend !