Balkh Shish Kabab House

Not rating this place for atmosphere because it’s literally a hole in the wall type place, but if you’re looking for amazing Afghani food I’d definitely come here. My favorite is the lamb shank (not on the menu, you just ask for it) with pilaf with carrots and raisins. I would suggest dining in if eating here because it’s much better than taking out. Giving it ⁴⁄₅ because service isn’t the best.

I have ordered delivery from this restaurant for years, I rarely dine in since it is such a hole in the wall and the place is literally falling apart, but the food is what use to be the selling point. Well not anymore. We recently dined in since we were in the neighborhood, a party of 5. The service was simply horrible. Literally had to beg the only waiter working there for any kind of facilitation. He had a miserable attitude, as if he was doing us a favor. First we walked in and were completely ignored. The place wasn’t even that busy, but I know they work mainly on deliveries. They had two large tables only. We had to ask the waiter twice to seat us. Finally, we sat down, menus were brought to us, and it took about 15 minutes for our orders to be taken. When the food finally arrived, the chicken kebabs was under cooked, the rice order was wrong, ordered two sets of palow and got plain brown rice, the kofta kebab was burnt and dry. It was such a sheer disappointment since this place is known for their great food. The waiter never came over to check up on us. We weren’t even given utensils. We had to fetch them ourselves. There were two other tables that sat and waited for a good 20 minutes for service, but the waiter did not seem to care so they up and left. To top it off, as we were leaving in disappointment, my mother trips on their poorly laid out carpet and falls on the floor! It was simply horrible. The carpet was not laid out correctly and it was a safety hazard. The owner rushes out and offers no apology. The waiter is standing there doesn’t even offer to help. He’s busy putting away the utensils in a bin. The same utensils we had to get ourselves. Unbelievable! Icing on the cake is they charge us for the meal and make us pay for tax since we used a credit card! Like wow! No integrity. The meal was awful as is, the service was pitiful, but to top it off there’s a safety hazard, someone fell in your restaurant, that’s a lawsuit right there and you offer no apology, but have the audacity to not even apologize and to charge tax! Wow. That meal should have been comped to say the least. Definitely will not be visiting this place again nor will be ordering from here. I would highly recommend everyone to be careful as well. AVOID. It’s so not what it use to be.

Good food, order ahead of time so the food can be ready when get there

I’m being generous with two stars. This place is awful. The floors, walls, fridges and freezers are disgusting! Tabletop and silverware and condiments container hasn’t been cleaned in a year, it seems! Ugh. So unsanitary. Food was ok. I stayed cuz I was part of a group. But we all agreed, never again. Never.

This is authentic as it gets for Afghan food with a good assortment of regional variety. The ambiance is great — decorations of pictures, maps, paintings, antiques and etc from Afghanistan. The staff is very friendly and courteous and do not leave you waiting. I ordered the Kabuli Pulao and Morgh Pulao and they were fabulous. The portions are enough for even two people. I highly recommend the Manto appetizer, perfect blend of sauce to dumplings ratio. Cap off your experience with a great cup of green tea to sooth your stomach.

My parents took my here for my birthday back in November. The food was absolutely great. The portions were huge and totally sharable. And everything was so well seasoned. And everything came with a salad. The inside looks like it was nice at some point. They need to renovate and shiny the place up.

Food is ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Place is ⁵⁄₁₀
Thy need to renovate asap!
The only thing on the menu they make realy good id the lamb shank other thn tht i dnt see another reason to going back.

Atmosphere: place is very lowkey. Verryyyyy casual but still has a charm too. The décor and paintings are all very afghan and cute. The cleanliness could use some work and the seating could use some updating but hey you get what you pay for.
Price: totally affordable and awesome! It’s only like $ 10 for a massive side salad and huge portion of rice and chicken kabob. The water bottles are an additional charge so just be aware. And if you need a split check, make sure to tell them in the beginning because it’s a little disorganized.
Good: awesome and on point. The food is super authentic and there were a lot of middle easterners there and they seemed to be regulars so you know it’s good! The rice was a bit oily but still not the worst I’ve seen. The kabobs were perfectly juicy and moist. The salad was yum. I tended to douse everything in the delicious white sauce!
Will I be back? HECK YES. On a student budget, this place is awesome. Nice to the pockets and decent size. It held me over for lunch and dinner.
Go go go!

Great Afgah food. You might say all Afghan food taste the same, but there are a lot of differnt flavours and taste amonst them. Balkh is one of them. Has a great taste, fair prices, fair parking neighborhood and fair portions, and adding extra meat doesnt cost a whole lot.

Great tasting Khorma Palow! The appetizers are delicious. The place can use some remodeling but the service is good and the lamb false right off the bone. Affordable prices for the area, I do come frequently.

So yeah, its definitely NOT Art Deco but that’s not why we are here now is it? While we thoroughly enjoy the great Afghan dishes here and have been frequenting this establishment for more than a decade, I’m sad to report that tonight’s dishes #15 & #18 kabli kofta was lackluster. And this was a dish we have had on numerous occasions before.
Aside from that oversight, the rest of our entrée, #8 chapli & #12 mixed combo hit the spot right on target. It was juicy and tender with the exquisite flavors we are used to and the Afghan wild rice was made to perfection.
Could the place use a décor update, yup. Long overdue but you still won’t find authentic Afghan food like this.
That is all.

The first time I came was when I first moved to astoria. A date took me here and honestly to me it looked shady (also they served us bottled water and others tap– very funny I thought). Butt hen we ordered and the portions were ginormous! And food was just so damn good!!! Their lamb is fall off the bone A-​mazing! And its not pricey at all, the servers are all very sweet as well. I’ve taken other friends there as well and we absolutely love it! Oh! the dumplings are out of this world! Its simple but the sauce they serve it with is a dream! So please don’t let appearances fool you because then you’d be missing out!

Live very close to this place so decided to give it a try. The rice and chicken were really tasty, but the appetizers felt a bit expensive for what they were. Next time I’m ordering one of the meal combinations that come with meat rice and curry. I’m sure it will be awesome! This place is definitely worth a try.

Delicious no frills Afghan food. The portions are huge and I love their rice. It’s kind of off the subway stop but a bit easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. Up front is a low refrigerated counter with salads and sweets that opens up to a spacious dining room. Once you sit down, you get a bottle of complementary water.
The food is really good. If you get any of their stewed meats, they are tender and falling off the bone. I like my kebabs the way they make it which is pretty charred on the outside with a nice tear to the meat. Like another reviewer mentioned, if you want it less done, ask for it «juicy.» I do that with the chicken but not with the lamb. On the table, you will notice two sauces; a green and a red sauce. The red hot sauce is heavily spiced with cumin and the green hot sauce had a cilantro kick to it. Both very good although I prefer the green sauce mixed into my rice.
It’s nothing fancy but feels like good ol’ home cooking. The service was quick, attentive, and efficient.

Great and simple food for lunch/​dinner.
The lamb and rice with raisins is so delicious!

Let me tell you a secret about this place if you want to enjoy your food… If you order anything grilled, including all types of Kabob, you have to tell them you want it «JUICY» which to afghans means medium and dont burn it, otherwise it will be overcooked because it’s the culture that tends to overcook the meat. Trust me, I’ve been going here for over 10 years and this secret has kept me and my friends satisfied always. I like really tender though so I tend to get the Braised Lamb Shank with raison and carrot accented rice (the entrée is called qabuli palow) and it comes with a side of lamb korma. So remember, when ordering tell them you want the kabob «juicy» and they will ensure it is right to western standards Otherwise they will overcook that ish like a picnic at lake qargha in kabul hahaa.
As for the many reviews that say the meat was too well done to their liking and won’t go back, I say nay and sorry I do feel for your loss, because if you don’t go back a 2^nd time and just tell them «juicy please» or order the Qabili Palow that comes with the lamb shank, then you are definately losing out and will only hurt yourself!

We came here with friends last night (02/​15/​2015). What a cold night by the way. We wanted to try something different. We found that place and we wanted to give it a try. At least speaking for myself the rest of the group has been here before and they really enjoyed it.
So we arrived there and I have to say that the place looks good, if you like the old traditionally feeling like places. It is very simple and probably been around in the area for quite a while and has also some simple decoration, probably inspired by the country of Afghanistan.
We had mostly the kabab dishes with either lamb, beef and chicken and I had the mix. We also ordered the soup of the day, which was chicken soup. By the way the funny part of the night was when we asked the waiter if they serve any «veggies» soups since we already ordered meat and the waiter replied back yes we have; «the chicken» soup. We were laughing and replied thats ok sure bringing it. And yes the chicken soup had veggies inside but that was not the issue, ha ha. We also ordered a mix of samosas, which they tasted really good and really enjoyed them.
Towards the end we had some tea with mint and milk pudding with pistachio on the top, tasted ok. The serving was ok since they do not serve tap water and by the time we arrive the waiter was claiming that some of the extra sauces that we were requesting had already ran out. Overall they were friendly and trying to accommodate us as much as possible, really modest and real. The prices were very reasonable and for the overall experience, I would say really satisfied. Would go back again to try some other dishes another time.

When bonafide Afghanis recommend that you eat at Balkh Shish Kabab House, you know the Afghan food situation in NYC must be dire.
As another Unilocaler mentioned, as soon as you sit down the waiter automatically brings bottled waters to your table. As a cheap-​ass tap water drinker, this rubbed me the wrong way. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way –literally– was the sticky salt shaker encrusted in dry food.
Speaking of dry… the bread was so dry that my Afghani friend surmised that it must have been imported from Canada.
OK, but what about the real food? I ordered my two favorite dishes: aushak (leek dumplings) and borani kadu (pumpkin). Both were covered in the same swirl of yogurt and tomato sauce and were mediocre. The kadu was partially cold, implying that it had been microwaved. Incorrectly.
In short, I balkh at this place. Ha. Ha.

Once again the chef proved that simple ingredients amazing produce & love of cooking at most can please any crowds.
Old school back home simple bbq. Simple braised lamb with long grain rice to die for.
A meal fit for kings. authentic as it gets. I can promise you the chef wont leave u behind. Min décor. Just come in to eat. No fancy stuff. Must must for new yorkers if u want to taste authentic Afghan food.
Heads up.

I wanted to love this restaurant, but alas I cannot. The food is generally overcooked to varying degrees and the meat to rice ratio is low for the price.
Many reviewers say the service is rude and unprofessional. I have not witnessed this. I found the man with the beard doing the cooking up front to be friendly.
Many reviewers say the restaurant is authentic. I think authentic is the most abused term in English culinary vernacular. They don’t mean «authentic». They mean «it is in sync with their expectations». The vast majority of people would not want to eat «authentic». Trust me. The best international food is right here in cities like NYC and SF.
Two reviewers penned that the flavors are deceptively complex. They must truly be deceptive, because I can’t detect them. Another reviewer said the food was Greek like. I’d say more like Turkish. But grilled meat is grilled meat, right?
They accept credit cards, but only for dining in or take out, not delivery. Despite the TV, the restaurant is very quiet, dark, and muted, which is a little disconcerting when you first walk in. However, the people who work here are extremely friendly. The cooks in the kitchen are Hispanic. There are vegetarian options, this is essentially a meat lover’s restaurant.
Appetizers
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Aushack: C–
Like Manto without meat. As a result, the cooking leaves this mostly dough and scallion dumpling overcooked. Unlike meat, over-​boiled dumplings mean soggy dumplings. No me gusta. Not much flavor.
Bolanee Kadu: C+
Like a flat fried wonton (a «turnover») but fried so that it remains soft and pliable. The inside is soft and moist. It sounds good, but ultimately it’s like fried bread. The inside is very sparsely filled with pumpkin which lends an unwelcome sweetness to the entire thing. I don’t like sweet with my meal, and it’s disharmonious with the entrees you’ll eat here.
Manto: B
Afghan dumplings. Very unlike Chinese dumplings, which have a very doughy exterior. These appear to be 4″ x 4″ flat dough squares wrapped around an exterior of lightly spiced ground meat and tossed with a delicious spiced yogurt sauce. My wife didn’t care for them. A bit overcooked and bland.
Samosa: B
More akin to fried wontons rather than the samosas you’re probably used to. They are deep fried triangles stuffed with chopped beef. Without the spiced yogurt sauce, they would be plain.
Entrees
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Chicken Kabob: B–
Great flavor, but dry and overcooked.
Chabli Kabob: B+
One of my favorite kabobs here. Reminds of of Kofte Kabobs. Chopped meat patty infused with spices and some kind of cohesive agent.
Chicken Tandoori: B–
Not the chicken tandoori you’re used to. Most of us would call this «Roast Curry Chicken». Perhaps it’s called Tandoori Chicken in Afghanistan, but I don’t know what would differentiate it from «normal» roast curry chicken. I thought it was a bit over-​cooked and dry.
Fish Kabab: B–
I was looking forward to this, but was deeply disappointed. It didn’t taste like salmon. It just tasted like … grilled. No detectable salmon flavor. The problem is that it was waaaaay overcooked. No salmon juices, no fish fat. It could’ve been tuna or swordfish or bass, and you’d never know the difference.
Kabli Palow: B–
A big lamb shank on top of brown rice and covered in carrots and lamb curry. It was good, but didn’t knock my socks off. The consistency of the shank was a little off and it didn’t taste extremely «lamby». It was good, but not great. Same with the curry. I wish it tasted a little more like lamb.
Keema Kabab: A+
The best kabab I’ve had here. It’s ground meat with chopped parsley, which gives it the lionshare of its flavor. Like the chabli kabab, it wasn’t overcooked. The meat was very soft (it’s essentially a hamburger-​kabab!) and juicy. Fantastic beefy flavor and the parsley really enhances the meat.
Korma Chicken Palow: C
My wife liked it, but I didn’t. The chicken was mealy and the rice didn’t have much flavor. The dish was served lukewarm. Would’ve been nicer served hot.
Ribs Kabab: B+
Grilled lamb chops. More spiced /​flavorful than the tikka kabob and less overdone. Very nice charbroiled lamb flavor, but slightly overdone.
Tikka Kabob: B
I wouldn’t characterized this marinated lamb as «very» marinated. More like lightly marinated, which was a little disappointing. Furthermore it was overcooked. If you had this on the street rather than in an «authentic» restaurant, you’d be disappointed. Nice flavor, but a bit dry.
Beverages
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Dough: A–
Identical to an Indian lassi. They offer sweet or salted, in small and large size. The sweet dough was delicious. Unless they got our order wrong, the small was enough for 2 people.
Dessert
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Firny: C+
A bland pudding. We didn’t finish it; not worth the calories.