Kolbeh of Kabob

This restaurant was highly recommended to me and I know why. My husband and I had lunch here today. It was delicious and reasonably priced. In had lentil soup and my husband had the Ash Rehshteh soup — no words can describe the flavors. We shared a chicken kebab plate. As well as great food, service was very pleasant. We will return!

Food is really great and the ambient is very nice. Took take away once and the second time I dined in, me and my family are very satisfied with the good quality of the food they offer with a good price.

I was super disappointed the last time I ate at Kolbeh. I had eaten there many times a few years ago and was excited to go back more recently. It was obvious the food has changed.
My family is Persian and I eat Persian food regularly. I was looking forward to bringing my friend to try some authentic persian cuisine and was a little honestly embarassed when we left.
We got two plates of beef kubideh and chicken kubideh. The kabob was pretty decent but the most upsetting part of the meal was the rice. It seemed dry and as it had been sitting out for quite some time. It was topped with yellow rice that was definitely not saffron and more like yellow food coloring or butter.
If you want authentic persian cuisine that uses real saffron don’t go here. I guess you’ll have to wait for hospitable Iranian to offer to make you kabob.

The first time I went to this place and order the food I tasted something weird and I said maybe that the way how the seasoned their meat, the second time I knew that the meat wasn’t fresh and by using some artificial flavors and food can.
It’s seemed just a little bit busy in the weekend the rest of the week really dad bc I walk everyday around 8:30,9 pm the already closed.
I will never go back neither my friends.

Really delicious and fresh food. The kebabs (especially the sultani and shrimp) are the star here, and some of the rice flavors (the one with cherries!) are amazing. The salads are also really fresh and flavorful. And the lemonade is flavored with rosewater so it’s the perfect sweetness!
However the vegetarian dishes are just not as tasty (I’ve tried the string bean and mushroom)
Great place!

Decent, clean, prompt & polite service, the food wasn’t the best Persian we’ve had. I’d say it was okay.

The lamb shank might be the only thing worth getting here. The majority of the other featured dishes with meat kabobs on the side of the rice are flavorless and really tough meat. The lamb shank, however, is awesomely moist and is a HUGE portion of food. Definitely recommend the lamb shank. Swerve on the rest.

This homey Persian restaurant has the best felafel in the city, which is a shame. People miss the fine Persian dishes.
Cornish hens, marinated and flame broiled, are mouth watering, but tradition is to cook meat medium. Be sure to speak your preference.
Their mint sauce and yoghurt sauce are pure ambrosia. They ferment their own yoghurt, and the culture is worth stealing. Kask-​bademjoon, an eggplant dip very different from baba ghannoush, has both sauces drizzled on top.

Great food real small not to noticeable I thought it was a reality agency at first. The kabobs are really delicious, few selections chicken, pork, ground beef, and tenderloins. If you ever get close to the counter and see the huge pita bread get it with the humus. It’s wonderful I am pretty sure it’s made fresh and there with real ingredients. This place I feel like is a great way to ease yourself in Mediterranean food.

Unfortunately, this restaurant does not have me dancing like Uma Thurman.
Just like that forced/​contrived attempt at sounding hip, I found myself forcing said self to eat overcooked/​tough beef that greatly disappointed me. First though…
The décor was nice, with the dining room very clean. Service was patient, polite, and informative. The server explained everything my friend asked about. The hummus with pita was decent, with the hummus smooth and reasonably flavorful.
I ordered the beef barg, which was the tenderloin. It was terribly dry and bland, along with it being over-​done. I was going to complain about it, but this dinner was more about the conversation than the food. The rice was also tasteless and there was just way too much of it.
I should’ve ordered my friend’s meal, which was braised lamb shank with rice and fava beans. The lamb was tender and flavorful, with a tomato-​based sauce. The rice my friend had tasted better and had more personality.
The cucumber salad was passable, but nothing much of note. It wasn’t the freshest salad encountered. I’ve had better ones at places like Shiraz (Watertown) and Sabzi (Arlington).
Since there are enough Middle Eastern places around, I think I could skip this one. If I did come back, I would get the lamb shank. However, with the beef barg being so fundamental and so messed up in this case, it’s tough for me to want to return.
(thank you so much for dinner, James!)

When my middle eastern friends want to eat their home food I like coming here. Their version of beef barg to me is the best, a bit salty, but has great beefy flavor and tenderness and is nicely charred. The rice is pretty flavorless though but that’s ok since I don’t eat much of it anyways. Even the beef kabob is very moist without being overly greasy like other places. The hummus is good but the pita is pitiful, it’s that store bought thin and dry stuff. Prices are a little high, but comparable to other middle eastern places around here.

Relatively modern Persian restaurant in Cambridge with a simple, (overly) brightly lit interior. Only one waitress (mid week), and obviously not Persian. Polite, but not very professional and a bit of a language barrier. She also didn’t come back during the meal to fill water glasses or to ask us if we needed anything. Strange. Menu has most of the favorites you’d expect, along with a number of vegetarian options. They brought out bread and hummus to start, which was tasty and fresh.
We also tried the warm eggplant, onion (etc) spread, which came with more bread than a field full of wheat. A bit intimidating. The spread itself, however, was terrific — smoky, and full of roasted vegetable flavor. The eggplant was cooked perfectly. We continued with the tomato, onion and cucumber salad, which was fresh and crisp, although possibly unnecessary in light of all the food we ordered.
Main dishes to share included the walnut pomegranate chicken — rich and über tasty, with a sauce you can’t stop eating; and a sour cherry and rice chicken dish that was totally different than the other chicken in both taste and preparation. Oh, and it was very tasty. Herb flavor chicken with a sour cherry rice we kept eating — long after we were full. As a tip, order less and share — the portions are big and rice and bread will fill you. Overall, solid 4 star Persian dining experience.

Some part (about 20%) of the lamb shank I ordered was way overdone, burnt, dried and hard to chew. The rest of it was good, but still was dry and could’ve been more flavorful. The rice was pretty good tho.

They add the tip for themselves !! This is very cheap…
The food was ok but too pricy in compare to the portion we ordered. No wonder why it was empty…

Full disclosure: I’m Iranian.
I came with my wife and cousin, expecting good food per the reviews. There were some people loitering about the corner and just outside the law office next door. Kind of weird. Nothing big. Walked in. The place smelled great and looked really polished inside.
We were among only a few people having a late lunch on that Monday (6÷22÷2015). We were greeted warmly and seated fast.
The server spoke choppy English and didn’t speak Farsi either. We had a hard time determining if the mast-​o-​khiar appetizer came with bread or not. After some gesturing and explanation, we finally concluded that it did come with bread. The doogh was good. A little watery and maybe too salty, but par for the course.
When it came time to order, the server forgot a couple of items. Then, needed to be reminded of a thing or two. There was nobody else in the place – so it was a little annoying.
Then, the one thing that was supposed to make it all worth while – the food – sucked. The rice was pre-​cooked, Uncle Ben’s quality. Not basmati rice. Not even fresh. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The barg plate came with hummus (not Persian) and salad shirazi. The portions were good, but the mélange made the underside of my kabob and rice wet and soggy.
Still, we ate and enjoyed the atmosphere as best as we could. The server totally blanked on our tea order. We reminded her. The tea was warm (not hot) and it was served directly in the glass, rather than in a pot. Just an observation, not judging. But it was pale (pastar deed) and served with sugar packets. There are few Persian restaurants per capita and the other places serve tea with at least the option of cubed sugar – which is more traditional. It tasted like Lipton tea bags.
For appetizer, lunch specials and tea, our party of three spent north of $ 65. I probably won’t be back. I miss home cooked Iranian food. Super sad about my experience.

Kolbeh of Kabob
Overall: 4.5÷5 (rounded down due to service, menu price increased by $ 2 not shown online and Unilocal)
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ²⁄₅
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅
Like what many others have said before, this is an unsuspecting restaurant that serves outstanding traditional Persian food (kabobs) at a fair price. You get free hummus and bread too
Atmosphere: This place is located at the corner of a street and has a blue paint old outdoor appearance. Upon entering, the place is clean and decently modern. You get a family homey feeling. The seat/​tables are huge and decently spaced out. Thus, there’s not much seating and a lot of people come in for take-​outs. Its not the place for a date, but rather quality food take out, friendly friends/​family gathering or if your simply just hungry.
Service: The service here is quite poor. I came in around 3 pm on the weekday so it was not busy. However, it took 10 mins for my water, another 7 to just order, and another 10 mins for my bread and hummus, which was served to closely to my entrée. I suspect its because the waitress also helps about in the kitchen so she keeps disappearing. Additionally, she did not have the friendliest attitude when I asked for her.
Food: The hummus and warm bread was amazing. It comes at a decent appetizer amount. The hummus’ fresh consistency, gently saltiness and herb flavors was perfectly balanced. The bread was fluffy and warm. For the entrée, I ordered the Beef Barg Kabob. It comes with about 2 bowls of mixed saffron rice with a giant grilled tomato. The beef was also perfectly cooked and marinated. The portions were generous, medium rare, perfect saltiness and very juicy — probably the best kabob ive ever had. The portions are big enough to overload your stomach or to be saved for snack/​lunch for tomorrow. The beef barg kabob was 14.95 + 1.05 tax = $ 16.00 for my meal. Given the portions and quality of food, its well worth it.
Overall, the food here is amazing or at least the hummus and beef barg kabob is. Sadly they do not have the service to match it. I will however go out of my way to come here to eat though Cheers!

I had an incredible meal at Kolbeh. I got the Barg and yogurt, and left feeling satisfyingly full at the end of the meal.
Elena, the waitress, was very attentive. Because it was a slower night when I went, she spent some time talking to me and my friends. She had us all in stitches and was very kind to us, as I’m sure she’s kind to her other customers.

A short walk from Inman Square, serving kebabs and other Persian specialties. The hummus alone makes Kolbeh of Kabob a Cambridge destination (free with the meal), perfectly creamy with paprika and olive oil and good enough to eat without the bread. The portions are extremely generous.
The kebabs are pleasant with a nice amount of seasoning and served with basmati rice and a grilled tomato. Chicken kubideh is a nice variant on a chicken kebab, with ground chicken and spices. The albaloo polo is also a unique chicken dish, with a chicken kebab and black cherry basmati rice.
Also recommend the speciality dishes, including gheymeh and especially ghormeh sabzi. Both tender beef dishes (sirloin) — the gheymeh «stew» is an interesting balance of lentils, onions, and potato crisps in a slightly sweet and tangy sauce and the ghormeh sabzi is also similar to a stew with kidney beans and spinach.

I have had so terrible diarrhea after i went to eat there and waitress was unfriendly. Not to recommend!

A friend (Iranian) and I went to this little hidden gem. He said it’s as good, maybe even better than his Mom’s cooking, which says a lot.
Sure enough, this place takes 5 stars all the way. It’s as authentic, cultured, seasoned and prepared as I had it in Iran. Seriously, delicious.
Seating is roomy, both booths and tables, good environment, nice low lighting for increased feel, and the staff is super nice, welcoming, and willing to help you (or in this case, me the white guy) browse the menu. After taking some suggestions from my friend, we dove in… starting with the FREE HUMMUS & Pita. :)
Check out the pictures for full sight of their culinary expertise.
The place was so good, we’re organizing a group of 15 soon. Can’t wait!

We ate here about a month ago and I could tell then that this place was something special, and that it was to become our go to take-​out night restaurant! Kolbeh is always busy, which tells me not only that the locals love it too, but that it is also authentic, good, Iranian food. Done.
The table and seating were spacious, we had a booth, which provided ample space for us to devour the massive portion they served. I ordered a beef dish and my partner ordered the falafel balls. The falafel was perfectly cooked, a nice crunchy exterior and a soft moist chickpea interior – YUM! The beef was cooked perfectly too. Plating left something to be desired, but this is not that type of restaurant.
Take a look at my posted pictures to get a feel for portion size; it was ample, and I had enough left for lunch the next day. All that said, we plan to return. I docked one star for an insufficient number of wait staff, but to summarize: «yes, I’m a fan, and I WILL return.» This is the type of restaurant you go to for good food, at a reasonable price, with significant portions. At Kolbeh, they do that incredibly well!