This is a neighborhood restaurant we've always wanted to try! It's small inside with a couple of tables. When we placed our order, our waiter told us they don't provide water and you can only buy bottled water. I thought this was illegal in NYC but whatever... we bought 2 bottles. We ordered 2 appetizers: the kachalau and manti. The kachalau was crispy and filled with potatoes, but we all loved the manti. They had a great kick to them and the beef inside was yummy. Two others got the lentil soup and chicken soup, and said they enjoyed both. For entrees, we got the chicken kofta kebab, bamiya (okra), and the lamb chops all with the delicious rice with raisins and carrots. We also got a side of afghani bread. The food was very tasty and the highlight was the lamb chops which were cooked to perfection. Don't forget to mix the rice with the white sauce and the green/red hot sauces! We had an issue with our food originally. The owner did a good job of fixing the issue and giving us a new dish. He also gave us tea and dessert on the house, which made up for this issue. Overall, we had a good dinner here but do wish they provided tap water for guests!

What a find! It's a small place so please call ahead! We started with the afghan green tea which was so delicious - had hints of cardamom with green tea. We have started copying this in our house now lol Next highly highly recommend the mantu. Technically they are dumplings but so flavorful and light and just packs a punch. They gave us salad on the house - standard and a generous portion. Recommend ordering some sodas as food is meat and carb heavy. May be just me though. We ordered the lamp chops, kabuli pulao and mixed afghan dish. Each and every kebab was amazing. They were flavorful, aromatic, the meat was tender and juicy and beautifully seasoned. The lamp chops were my highlight cos I'm biased to lamb. Also highly recommend the lamb shank (which comes with the pulao dish). Amazing prep! The rice that comes with these dishes are long grained rice; they didn't stick to each other and was perfectly seasoned and spiced The dish us some dry fruits so it's sweet and hearty :) We ended with the phirni that I didn't love tbh but I didn't care at that point as I was so high on the food. There's a slight chance the owner heard me say that (so so sorry btw) and he did not charge for the phirni. I feel terrible, yes! Will I be back? Heck, yea!

Ordered: Bolani Kachalu (~$6): fried thin pocket of dough filled with potatoes, sweet onions, cilantro, leek and various spices Mixed Afghan Kabab (~$24): beef kofta, chicken breast kabab and lamb kabab on a single skewer with rice; carrots and raisins added (+$2) Chicken Korma Chalao (~$18): Afghan style chicken stew with rice; carrots and raisins added (+$2) Aya's take: I love Afghan food and have been to Sami's Astoria location many times; we were in the area and decided to check out the LIC location. Off the bat, it's much smaller (6-8 tables) and is more meant for takeout orders. The menus are similar, if not exactly the same. We started off with the Bolani Kachalu which was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned nicely. The menu says this is "served with our homemade garlic mint yogurt sauce" which we didn't receive. The Mixed Afghan Kabab is my go-to whenever I'm here. The chicken kabab and beef kofta were delicious - super tender, juicy, and well-seasoned. The lamb kabab was a bit tougher and lacked flavor. The portion of rice was also drastically less than the Astoria location. I never had the Chicken Korma Chalao before but it was a great warm dish to have on a cold day. The stew was made with tomatoes and onions, and the chicken was falling apart - unbelievably tender! What I didn't appreciate is that there is a 20% tip added automatically for parties of 2 or more. I would understand if this was a rule for large parties or if our waiter checked on us which he didn't aside from bringing us the food. I think they should reconsider this added fee or limit it to large parties. This review should be a 3.5, but I'll go with a 4 considering it was still a decent meal but I wouldn't come back to this location.

Lovely, kind, respectful owner who treated us like family. Absolutely delicious and authentic food! I would highly HIGHLY recommend both the chicken kebab and the uzbaki. Both are made fresh and with love. Quite honestly we were amazed by the chicken- spiced to perfection and crazy tender. Owner was kind enough to send us on our way with a dessert and some tea. Will definitely be making our way back just to try some other menu items!

This is my first time at this kebab house. I've had it on my list for a while since a good friend of mine recommended it. I typically travel all the way out to Long Island or the other end of Queens for similar food. I was looking for something more local. I am obsessed with mantu and I'm really excited to say that I did enjoy theirs! it was my first time having Afgan on which was OK. It was good bread. it was also my first time having the Afgan rice & I will say that much to my surprise I did enjoy it. Our waiter bought all of our protein and rice out as a family style so we can all pick at each other's orders. The chicken was pretty tender. The lamb kebab was my favorite. But I will say the lamb chops were so tender, and I would order them again. Unfortunately, the menu indicates that you will pay the same price no matter if you order rice with your protein or not. You can't order a separate order of just protein. I'm not sure if there is a miscommunication when I was requesting that from the waiter, but he also agreed that we cannot get a side order of extra protein. You would have to order the entrée, and it is our choice whether or not we are going to ask for the rice that is already included in the price. Genuinely wish they would allow us to order extra protein on the side instead of wasting so much rice. I ended up packing extra to go home since it was so good. In addition, we had a party of three adults and two babies. The bill had an automatic service charge of 20%. So just a heads up for you guys! When I come here again? Yes! Do I recommend it? Yes! The person that was attending to us also gave us a free dessert on the house. It was a pistachio rice dessert it seemed .. kinda like a custard. It was semi sweet and absolutely perfect for me.

We came here with a fam of 6 adults, 1 baby. We had three tables pushed together and they had a nice clean high chair for the babe. This is our first time trying Afghans cuisine and we were loving it! All the dishes were great picks! Our favorite was the lamb braised lamb dish. It was so good we ordered another after we finished all the other foods. The mantu was kinda spicy even without the sauce. I generally hate carrots and raisins but I gobbled these up because they were sweet. The guy there is very friendly and provided great service. He gave us some green tea and custard desserts at the end. We have never had this kind of tea or custard before, it's so different from our Chinese teas and custards. They had a very unique flavor taste to it. We definitely recommend this place and would love to come back. I will probably pick up take out if I'm close by and in a rush. Great choice for a freezing day!! I have earned more points as the event/outing's coordinator of the family :)

If you like yourself some meat done just right, then you'll enjoy this place. Cute, clean spot, charming service. The lamb is to die for, literally fall off the bone GOOD. Chicken is also tender as all hell. I don't even like raisins with my food but with the pulao dish it's a must and added even more deliciousness to it. My only gripe is the "white sauce" that's served on the table. I'm not a fan of the mayo-y white sauce that NY chooses to add to Middle Eastern south/central Asian foods. Also, the food here is good and juicy enough without other condiments. Also, Ali was so lovely, chatted us up and was super sweet and informative. Thanks Ali!

The food here is amazing! The borani banjan -- an eggplant and tomato dish -- was one of the best things I've eaten in a while. Definitely order it!! I also tried the chicken breast kabab and the chicken was incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. The rice was buttery and delicious anIt was topped with a sweet mix of carrots and raisins (qabuli). We also ordered aushak, the leek dumplings, which were nice but a bit too tangy for my taste. This 1 main dish and 2 small plates was more than enough for two people. Unfortunately you have to purchase bottled water (no tap). Friendly service. The place is casual and seems to be more of a takeout spot, but there are a few tables for a satisfactory dine-in experience. I believe the Astoria location has a better ambiance.