Charcoal Kabob

We had a wonderful experience with the great food and a warm greeting from one of the owners and the staff. The food was very flavorful! Full of great tastes, a variety of textures and explosions of spices (even mild enough for my palate). Everything was fresh, the meat was tender and melted in your mouth with each bite. The bread was warm, right out of the oven and was a treat to enjoy... The mango lassie were rich and creamy. The deserts were sweet and yummy, down to the last drop. We like it so much, we even carried out for lunch at home the next day. 30 years at this location, they are doing it correct and worth the 30 min. Ride. We will be back soon to explore more of the menu and enjoy the hospitality. P.S. They also do quite a carry-out business. Fast and friendly.

Talk about a scam? I ordered a family platter that’s supposed to feed 2-3 people? It had like 2 meat skewers and 1 chicken. I am actually baffled. It’s such a small plate filled w half of it rice. Meat is expensive but I payed 90$. I expect more this is absurd. Def not coming back. This is actually so ridiculous

My friends and I have been eating at Charcoal Kabab for years. The kababs and Karahi are the best in the DC area! If you like spicy food you just have to ask them to make the Karahi extra spicy. Lately they have added some new menu options to expand the already very good menu. One of my favorites of the new offerings is this made-in-store Afghan dessert speciality. It is delicious! It's smooth and creamy, and the nuts and cream that are offered make for a complex and delicious overall taste.

Long time(10+ years) customer of this place. Used to be an institution of consistency and quality. Over the past year or so it has changed. Much different staff and the quality has gone down. A staple in our house was the chicken wrap. Used to be a kebab style chicken with fresh toppings. Now it resembles a shredded tomato based sauce wrap. Wtf. Small details. Like the salad provided. Absolutely mid quality. No idea why they would even serve they( the little they do give). Damn shame. This most recent visit will be my last. I have given enough tries to see if it was an off night. Nope. It has jumped the shark unfortunately.

I’ve been coming here for over 25 years, and it has never once disappointed. From the perfectly grilled kabobs to the fresh, fluffy naan and the flavorful sides—everything is always consistent and absolutely delicious. The family who runs this place is incredibly generous and kind. You can feel the love and care they put into both the food and the service, and that’s something you don’t find everywhere. Top-tier service every single time. It’s also heartwarming to see the new generation working here. It shows how much pride and dedication goes into keeping this tradition alive, and it honestly gives me hope that this place will still be here serving amazing food for another 25 years (and hopefully much longer). If you’re looking for authentic, flavorful, and consistently great food, this is hands down the spot. Places like this are rare, and I’m grateful it’s been a part of my life for so long.

My family went a month ago and I'm just now getting to a review, but this food is delicious. This was my first experience with afghan food and I got the chicken bowl I don't remember the name exactly but I'll attach a photo. The flavor was mind blowing, I've never had food like this before I completely recommend it to anyone and writing this review has made me crave it. The owners are also very polite and even gave samples.

I recently dined at Charcoal Kabab and had a generally good experience. The food was overall good, with some items standing out more than others. The beef chapli was particularly amazing, while the chicken chapli didn't quite meet the same standard. What truly set this place apart was the exceptional service. The owner is incredibly gentle and a pleasure to talk to. He went out of his way to accommodate my desire to try a few different items, allowing me to choose separately. There was a small mix-up with one of our orders, but it didn’t bother us. The owner, however, insisted on making it right by providing us with both the item we ordered and the item we didn’t order. Additionally, he generously offered us free sides to make up for the mistake. His attentiveness throughout our meal was impressive and greatly appreciated. While the food had its highs and lows, the exceptional service and the owner's kindness made our visit a positive experience. I would recommend Charcoal Kabab for its excellent customer service and the standout beef chapli.

TLDR: The Star is their bread. Its outstanding. The Chickpeas was some of the best I've had. The meat was dry and probably could use a few minutes less cook time. The salad could be fresher. I used to go to Moby Dicks for my Kabob fix but ever since they changed their bread, I've been wanting to find a new place. Charcoal Kabob was very good even with some shortcomings. I ordered the Beef & Chicken Kabob with Chickpeas. The salad was not great, had some browning. The rice is very good, the chickpeas are excellent, the bread is excellent. The bread and chickpeas are worth coming back for. I"m almost certain they bake the bread in a traditional clay oven. The meats were a bit of a disappointment. They're well seasoned but they were dry and could use less cook time. It could have been sitting a while. I'll say this is fairly common with other kabob restaurants so I'm not taking too much off the score for it but I can understand why some people make this a top concern. The biggest compliment I can give is that I'll reorder from here whenever I want a Kabob for dinner/lunch.

Best since 1995 been going to them... even the unborn child in my wife's belly kicked my wife ate their chickpeas with rice. I always get chicken/lamb kabob/chicken haleem/chicken curry/chicken Biryani/ veggie combo Depending on daily specials. My wife still gets cravings and my son now of 28 still demands twice a month minimum

Honestly after 30 years food preparation has sincerely declined. The kabobs were mediocre, haleem was horrible and salad was wilted. Was the best place we went all the time. Now will probably not return because the last few times it's been this quality.

The restaurant was uncomfortably hot until we asked staff to adjust the air conditioning. There was next to no service the whole time. We ordered the family platter with chicken karahi on the side. The karahi was spicy but flavorful, and the chicken, as usual, was solid. However, the beef seekh kabob was disappointing: it arrived broken into uneven pieces, resembling leftovers. The Kabuli Plow also fell flat, tasting closer to plain rice with raisins and carrots tossed in. Overall, the chicken is consistently good, but for a more authentic Afghan dining experience, I'd recommend exploring other options first.

My friends and I have been eating at Charcoal Kabab for years. The kababs and Karahi are the best in the DC area! If you like spicy food you just have to ask them to make the Karahi extra spicy. Lately they have added some new menu options to expand the already very good menu. One of my favorites of the new offerings is this made-in-store Afghan dessert speciality. It is delicious! It's smooth and creamy, and the nuts and cream that are offered make for a complex and delicious overall taste.

Charcoal Kabob is an Afghan and kabob-focused restaurant located in the perpetually busy Herndon Center. My wife and I tried this place when the craving for grilled, spicy meat struck. Ultimately, we found the food a little underwhelming. Ordering via phone was relatively easy and our orders were prepared accurately. My wife opted for the chicken kofta and I went for the chicken and lamb combo. Each dish comes with a salad, a large piece of tandoori bread, rice, your choice of meat, and a white sauce. The highlight of our meal was the bread. Our fresh pieces seemed made to order and each measured larger than a dinner plate. The texture struck a good balance between chewy and soft bits with a perfect amount of char from the tandoor. The rest of the items in the meals, sadly, lacked flavor. We felt particularly disappointed by the insipid white sauce that tasted like runny, diluted yogurt and failed to add any zest to the kabobs, rice, or salad. I find the sauces at kabob shops crucial to the experience, so the watery condiment here brought the meal down. While the rice and kabobs were well cooked, both were under-seasoned which was exacerbated by the aforementioned blandness of the sauce. We also found the veggie sides (mixed vegetables for my wife and spinach for me) ho hum and watery. Prices here are on par with area averages and the quantity of food was good for the cost. The guys running this shop are very nice and friendly. That makes the review harder to write, but overall there are better options in the area to get the kabob craving satisfied. Worth a try for the bread, but otherwise so-so.

Went back today for lunch and tried the chicken bowl. The flavors and color all stood out on their own. This is a good option if you need that little extra to stick on the bones :) ...btw, still get the chick peas on the side, they taste delicious.

Historically Great food. Prices were recently raised. The flavor has gone down within last year, food isn't as flavorful as it used to be. Otherwise the service is great and original owners are still involved in day to day operations. Seating is plentiful and parking is always available.

Good tender meat, Tasty sauces that come with the platter, and fresh bread with each plate. I ordered the lamb kabob and it was cooked well and paired nicely with the bread and rice. The chick peas were a little different than I expected but not bad! A little oily but well seasoned. Would definitely try their other meats!

This place is amazing! The food is delicious. I got the veggie combo and it's definitely filling! Service with a smile! Everyone is friendly! I definitely love the environment. There is a lot of seating and it can fit big crowds! Check this amazing place out

After the good reviews, I wanted to try this place on the way to IAD. Ordered koobidah with chickpeas and spinach. The portions are pretty good as you get a lot of rice, bread, and a few sauces. Unfortunately, my kabob was overcooked and dry, but still pretty flavorful. The spinach and chickpeas however really stand out; both were really flavorful and so good with rice. I'd definitely return, hopefully with better results.

This is my GO-TO Kabab spot in all of northern Va. Fresh produce and quality meats combined with perfect blends of spices makes for top notch eating! The atmosphere has really stepped up over the years and gives authentic Mediterranean vibes! Staff is always friendly and meal prep is quick!! Give it a try- you'll love it!

Came back here after a long time and food is great still. What really stood out was the service the cashier was helpful not only to me and my partner but was guiding other customers and offering a few extra sides to try. Also has new draft sodas that are made fresh! Glad to see they are going 32 years strong!

Excellent food, great service. Very kind and friendly staff. Highly recommend kabobs, humus, shawarma and gyro. Never had a bad meal here and portions are very generous.

Just stopped in for Dinner with my wife. The Butter Chicken and Lamb Kabob was incredible! Staff was very warm friendly and welcoming. We will definitely be eating here again! And you must try the Mango Lassie and Baklava!

You mean Charcoal "Hidden Gem" Kabob? To be clear, I've been eating here for ... ah ... 25 years? Yikes. Well ... ok, so it's not really hidden. But I stand by the gem. I suspect this place did a lot more business back when people ... y'know ... WENT to work. But it still gets busy these days too. Are the kebabs good? Yeah for sure. I don't think you'll be disappointed by whatever you order - the meat is not overcooked and plenty flavorful. The sides are excellent ... most people add chick peas as their side ... but I'd like to encourage you to try the haleem. It's excellent. And if you're willing to expand your horizons beyond kabobs, I cannot recommend the lamb karahi highly enough. Twelve stars out of five. Or whatever. Just get some. It'll feed like three or four normal people or me. If lamb isn't your jam you might try the chicken - it's just as tasty (but y'know, not as delicious as lamb). Is the service going to match western-tablecloth expectations? No. This place has much more a "hole in the wall" vibe. But hey. That's my kind of place.

Been going here for years. Tasty and fresh food. Their tandoori chicken and karahis are good. Also love the music and paintings

I've been going to this restaurant for so many years now! Their food is always fresh and delicious. They are very courteous and friendly. Their place is clean and welcoming. I do recommend them to whoever is looking for authentic delicious Afghan cuisine!

I tried this place out today for lunch. I got chicken and kubediah combo. Mmmm...it looked yummy on the plate but chicken and kubediah were dry. Salad was so little and finished it on 2 bites. Service was ok. The only thing I liked was the fresh bread and rice.

I have been eating at charcoal kebab for almost 25 years but off late the quality of food has really gone down and the prices have shot up exponentially. We went in earlier today for lunch, and I ordered the tandoori chicken, which was not very flavorful and very dry, my buddy ordered the keema kebab, which was a bit more decent and flavorful but nothing like I remember from the past. Net net, we are disappointed in the lost quality, and I am not looking forward to going back again in the near future

The service was mind blowing! The food tasted incredible! Hot and fresh! Clean, vast restaurant, many delicious drinks to pick from, good parking lot! Had some Kashmiri tea to finish it off and it was out of this world!

The guys here have excellent customer service, very friendly, also clean restaurant behind the counter and dining area for customers. The food has been consistently delicious for over 10 years that I've gone here, prices have never skyrocketed like many other afghan kabob joints, they've been consistent all the way around. I go out of my way to visit them and eat here not only because of the incredibly authentic and delicious food but also because the young men running this spot know how to treat and take care of their customers. Well done!!

This place is the original Kabob Place in NoVA! They've had their ups and downs, but I had their food just yesterday. We ordered Kubideh, the boneless chicken kabobs, and the lamb kabobs - and I'll tell you they were all good. Only issue was that the chicken was a bit over done and dry - however, they have haleem as a side - which is a bonus in my book. I hadn't been back in years, and I'm glad I tried again.

I have went to Charcoal Kabob 10 days ago, I was pleased that the young fellas are running things just like their elders!! The food is still top notch, the menu is even better if you can believe that, and the service is great. They focus on the customer experience. Now getting down to the nitty gritty, the food, it is still excellent. They haven't slacked off on any dish in my opinion. From the Chapli, to the Kabobs, and even adding Haleem as a side dish. AND NOW THEY ADDED CARROTS AND RAISIN into the rice (GAME CHANGER). I had to remind them about the eggplant, that's how long I have been frequenting the establishment and I live in Sterling, but fr N.Y. orginally so I know about Halal food ,this is excellent. The drive is well worth it.

Very nice. Good large servings. Ordering ahead of time is recommended and easy. Delicious food.

Excellent food, staff, and ambiance. I have been going here for years and I can't recommend it enough!

The food is really good, but I really dislike the flies in the restaurant. Especially with the sides being uncovered. That alone may prevent me from coming back. No need to have the food openly displayed.

We've been eating here regularly for fifteen years, since before we had kids - but it's one of those places we can all agree on. Lately we've been getting it to-go more as it's easy to grab on the way home from work, but we've eaten in plenty of times. We love the kabob combos - all are delicious. Be sure to ask for free onions and/or jalapeños if you need a bit 'more', or dip in the yogurt sauce to cool things down a bit. The chick peas are pure goodness. The Butter Chicken Masala is also favorite. I get it 'spicy' and my son steals some of that delicious sauce for his chicken kabob pieces. Both my kids love the bread. Real food with real flavor at an affordable price - makes this place is a treasure in Herndon for the last 25 years. The owners are so kind and genuine, and it's been wonderful to see the next generation stepping up as well.

Very good food and quick service. The staff are friendly and the meat was fresh. I have almost tried everything on the menu

Bad service. They wouldn't let me buy naan by itself. It's bad service to turn your customer away you don't want to sell a few naans to them. It doesn't matter if you're busy or not.

There should be an option for zero stars, called to inform the staff as a courtesy that their food tasted days old and somebody can get sick, all the guy could tell us was "stop complaining" what a joke. Been coming here for nearly 25 years but not sure what happened to them, had the original owner answered my call maybe he wouldn't have been this disrespectful. Never letting my family or friends come back here.

Delicious place to eat. Pretty authentic. I'd come back for the hummus alone. People there are wonderful.

Grabbed carry-out before checking in to my hotel across the street. Hummus/bread appetizer and Fish kabob (with bread, salad, rice, curry side). Very friendly staff. Several groups and individuals inside eating. Bread is delicious. Hummus isn't as thick as I like, but has good flavor. Fish was good.

I give this review 4 stars because you get a great amount of food for a pretty good price. Unfortunately, the food is really closer to 3.5 star quality than 4, but it is only by a nose. Do not worry, I will explain. The meats are absolutely delicious. Tender and moist and have lots of flavor. You do not feel shortchanged with how much meat you get in each Kabob. Unfortunately after that is when it takes a down turn, save for the Gulab Jamun, that was terrific. With all kebabs you get a side salad, rice, garlic naan, and a vegetable. I will go over each one to emphasize why it was or was not great. The side salad is a dud. Just iceberg lettuce which isn't much to write about. The basmati rice is okay. When you get a sauce with it, the rice improves, but only slightly. The garlic naan is heavy. While chewy, it does not have a lot of flavor. I will give credit to it being a big hunk of bread! The vegetable I got was the curry chickpeas. These have so much potential, yet they are total buzzkill to the meal. Strong sauce, but flat in the chickpea itself. They are also too hot to where you have to wait a few minutes to let them cool down. Otherwise your meal will be ruined because you just burned your tongue. In the big scheme of things, I did like this meal and will come back, but now I know what to expect. It is no Food Corner or Flame Kabob in terms of service (I found the staff to be quite wooden), but the prices beg to differ when looking for a quality meal.

For the longest time, I've been eating lamb kabob at Grilled Kabob. Their lamb kabob has been my measuring stick when eating at other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Charcoal Kabob lamb kabob is a bit tastier than Grilled Kabob. From a scale of 1 to 10, if Grilled Kabob's version is an 8.0, I rate Charcoal Kabob an 8.3 However, the biggest let down in Charcoal Kabob is the SMALLER serving of meat sizes compared to Grilled Kabob for the same price. The owner should seriously consider matching the meat sizes of Grilled Kabob if they really want to flourish. If you ask me if I come back, probably not, until they make their meat size the same as Grilled Kabob for the same price you pay. In that regard, Charcoal Kabob is a bit pricey because of the lesser quantity of meat you get.

Very friendly people and pleasant surroundings -- and they let my friend and me sit there for 3 hours socializing with no problem. The decorations of the former Afghan leaders are very cool. The naan and rice were good. The lamb kahari was also good, but even though we ordered it spicy, it was definitely toned down for the American palate. It was not very spicy and had much less ginger than any kahari I've ever had. And it was more of a stew than a stir fry.

Eh, not great. The way the chicken looks you'd think it'd have tons of flavor, but no, none at all. Everything was pretty bland. Side of chickpeas and potatoes were not the flavor I was hoping for. Boyfriend said the lamb was okay.

I live close to this shopping center, and the food in this place is one of my favorite. The portions are more than reasonable with plenty of rice and bread. Although I think the portions have too much carbs, but I digress. The interior is dated and needs the help of a designer. Also I'd suggest investing a little more in a cleaner and regularly maintained bathroom.

Amazing The kabob is great. My wife wanted for some odd reason butter chicken at a kabob place (don't ask me why) but it was also great. So if your in the mood for kabob and something Indian I highly recommend. The meat was very juice and cook well. No idea what side I got but it was also very tasty. And definitely going back any time I'm craving a good kabob.

We use to carry out food from here since it opened. The ambiance has always been shamble lacking any interior designer sense but their food and service has been constant making up for the ambiance. Unfortunately they have been using chilly way to liberally lately. We come knowing the food is spicy but slobbering chilly on food makes it unbearable to eat or for your customers to return back. You most definitely have lost old customers. Please keep chilly on the side not in your dishes.

Food portions are a joke . Ordered chicken and lamb kabob combo . Lamb pieces were tiny . Waited almost 30 minutes for a meal that was expensive and meat portions ridiculous tiny . First and last time I will eat in this place

Easily my favorite Kabob place in the NOVA area! Love the keema kabob! Great Samosa and Mango Lassi too.

I have been getting food from here for years. Best kabob place ever. The spiced chickpeas are my fav and their chicken kabob is amazing!

Best Afghan good anywhere. These lovely folks have been in business for like 15 years -and people who know Afghan food flock here. I recommend the tandoori chicken - I guess that isn't actually Afghan but it's freaking amazing. Besides being incredibly warm people I think this places's superpower is the bread made fresh as you order. I could just eat the bread all by itself. I like how they have something for everyone- I took my boss here and she is a vegetarian and she liked her meal of Dal and chickpeas.

Friendly service, delicious food, good portions. The bread is nice and doughy and the lamb kebab was tender and flavorful.

We have a favorite kebob place in Arlington and hoped this would be as good. Unfortunately disappointing. Chapli was burnt and dry. The bread was alright.

This place is great. Loved the chickpeas! I got the three meat combo and it was huge. Place has a great following and I will definitely be back!

I've been eating this yummy food since 2000, and it's still the best. Hope they stay around for years to come.

Charcoal Kabab is one of my old favorites! They have super good kababs with delicious sides! I ordered their Super Kabab Special today (Lamb, Chicken and Keema) with Spinach as my side. I also ordered their Mango Lassi. Everything was super delicious! I've been coming here for years, and it looks like the just celebrated their 25 year anniversary recently. Yay!

Came here for some Afghan kabob and ordered the lamb chops. First this be Place was packed when I arrived on Friday night 11:00 PM. There was a wait of about an hour. I revived 3 large lamb chops and it was almost cooked to perfection except it was under cooked by about 20%. The portions of chops, rice and sauce they give is enough to feed 2 people comfortably. Would go here anytime I am in the area. The 4 stars is because of the order line is disorganized and really difficult to get your order with so many people waiting but the food makes up for the long wait.