Ariana Restaurant
Afghan restaurant · Brighton
384 Western Ave, Brighton, MA 02135
Highlights
Lamb shank, pumpkin dishes, and flavorful rice specialties
Lamb shank, pumpkin dishes, and flavorful rice specialties
"If a group is looking for a calm, relaxed atmosphere, head to Ariana. Try the aushak, Afghani dumplings with a garlic and mint yogurt sauce. For a larger group, contact the restaurant about their private dining room." - Erika Adams
"Ariana stands out as a rare champion of Afghan food in Boston. You can’t go wrong with sharing a wide variety of foods here: from vegetable appetizers like the bowlawni (pastry shells filled with leeks, scallions, and spiced potatoes) and bamiya (pan-fried eggplant baked with tomatoes) to kabobs and kofta. The standout dish at Ariana is the qabili, a meltingly tender lamb shank with spiced rice." - Lala Thaddeus
"The Boston area doesn’t have many Afghan restaurants; fortunately, the few that do exist are quite good. I’d been meaning to try Ariana for years and noticed one night that I could get it delivered all the way across the river from Brighton to Somerville. Despite the distance, a little more than typically ideal for a delivery order, the food was excellent, particularly the bowlawni kaddo — fried pastry shells stuffed with pan-fried baby pumpkin, onions, garlic, and other seasonings, with mint yogurt. (When in doubt, order any pumpkin dish when dining at an Afghan restaurant.) —RLB Currently offering delivery and takeout, as well as indoor and outdoor dining. Closed Sundays. Order: Caviar / DoorDash / Grubhub" - Terrence Doyle
"Decade-old Afghan restaurant Ariana (which used to be located in Allston before moving to its larger Brighton space five years ago) is staying open for its usual hours, delivering dinner daily — dishes such as kaddo, mantu, aushak, and more. Call directly if you live nearby, or find it on several third-party platforms for farther-away destinations. Order: (617) 208-8072 / Caviar / DoorDash / Grubhub" - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"Last week, I turned to a tried-and-true favorite, the Pammy’s Bolognese, for takeout; this week, I wanted to try a restaurant I’d never been to. Ariana, the Afghan restaurant in Brighton (formerly in Allston), has long lurked on my list of restaurants to try, but for one reason or another, I never got around to it until now. I’m not especially familiar with Afghan food — I’ve been to the Helmand once or twice over the years, but that’s about it — so was eager to try anything and everything on the menu. Pumpkin plays a starring role on the menu, and we got it in the form of the excellent bowlawni kaddo: fried pastry shells stuffed with pan-fried baby pumpkin, onions, garlic, and other seasonings, with mint yogurt. Mantu was a familiar dish; this particular style of beef dumpling is prevalent in some other cuisines as well, and I’ve had (and loved) the Turkish version on various occasions. While Ariana’s didn’t physically hold up to delivery from Brighton all the way to Somerville, the signature pyramid-ish shape arriving a bit flattened in the box, the flavors were all there and all delicious. The surprise hit was the challow — Afghan rice — that came with the entrees. Not just a side of plain rice, it was deeply flavorful, and the extra (there was a lot!) made a great breakfast the next morning." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
