Afghan Kabob

If you find yourself around Montrose and Elston but aren't in the mood for a Corn Pole, consider Afghan Kabob.



The menu, like the restaurant itself, is compact but usually a daily special is listed on the window (be sure to ask). I enjoyed everything I ate at Afghan Kabob but thought the appetizers, most of them vegetarian, were especially nice.

Bourani Badenjan

This is a wonderful eggplant preparation, sautéed with tomato, topped with yogurt. It's served with a basket of Afghan bread and two sauces, one yogurt based, the other sour and hot. I could easily make a meal of this dish.

Aushak

These traditional dumplings of Afghanistan are usually stuffed with gandana (Persian chives) but here spinach is used. They're topped with a nicely spiced meat-lentil sauce (all veg is available too) and house made yogurt. One of the best $3 appetizers in the city.

Bulanee Sabzi

These are essentially Afghan crepes stuffed with a great green mixture. They can be had with a spiced potato filling as well. Another terrific appetizer.

Sabzi

A nice bowl of greens, maybe a little less exciting than other apps but good nonetheless. Both sauces go well with this.

Entrees are mostly meat-based and, not surprisingly, tend heavily toward kabobs.

Kabobs

Five types of kabobs are offered: beef or chicken chunks, ground beef or chicken, and lamb. Both shami kabobs were good, perhaps a bit on the dry side, with plenty of spices and garlic worked into the ground meat. Lamb chunks were nicely marinated and broiled with a bit of pink remaining. Basmati rice was very good.

Palaw

The same lamb appears with the palaw (chicken is available too), a nice pile of baked brown rice garnished with sautéed strips of carrot and raisins.

Korma

Vegetable korma was probably the least exciting dish I sampled. Mixed vegetables (from the freezer) in a mild tomato sauce were not at all unpleasant but would probably be best as a shared dish.

Firni

The single dessert offering, firni, is a thick milk pudding filled with very fine noodles and dusted with cardamom.

The storefront room is basic but pleasant, with nice carpets hanging on the walls. Service is not polished but very friendly. My main complaint with Afghan Kabob is the limited menu (probably wisely kept small for such a small kitchen). I hope they continue to offer a variety of specials.

Afghan Kakob
4040 W Montrose Av
Chicago
773-427-5041
11:30-9 Mon-Thu, 11:30-10 Fri-Sat

Edited to restore photo links.

Hi,

Since Rene G reported on this restaurant, I have been there maybe a half dozen times. Ramadan is observed by the owners, though it is open during the day to accomodate non-observant people. If you come in the early evening shortly after sundown (around 6:45 PM presently), then you encounter many who are there to break the fast.

I took Josephine there a few weeks ago who has been a regular patron of Kabul House on Dempster at McCormick for years. She commented the food was better at Afghan Kabob than Kabul House. This has greater weight for me because I am a rare visitor to Kabul House.

Regards,

With Devon's excellent Afghan Restaurant now closed, it's a shame that this entry to Chicago's small Afghani cuisine landscape seems to be still un-recognized.

While I am a bit biased living just a few blocks from Afghan Kabob, I find this restaurant's offerings to be even better than the Devon restaurant I loved. Dumplings like mantu and aushak are first-rate. As Rene G said, the bourani badenjan is a wonderful eggplant preparation.

While "kabob" is in their name, I think the strengths of this restaurant are in their non-kabob foods, which there are many.

Afghani cuisine is similar to Persian cuisine in many ways, but I find the flavors to be bolder and brighter than any of the Persian restaurants I've tried. There are woefully few Afghani restaurants around Chicago, I hope more people give this terrific, friendly restaurant a try.

Best,
Michael

HI,

I've been to this treasure on Montrose a number of times bringing new people every time. Everyone simply loves the well executed food that compares very favorably, if not better, than the few veteran Afghan restaurants in our region.

I've talked to the owner about organizing a dinner there. I guess I should put a little action behind my words.

Regards,

Rene G wrote:If you find yourself around Montrose and Elston but aren't in the mood for a Corn Pole, consider Afghan Kabob.

Stopped for lunch today, enjoyed the gratis soup, loved the sweetened scented Afghan tea, thought the smooth tahini heavy hummus tasty and would return for the moist flavor laden spicy chicken kabob sandwich in pita.

Definitely be back for Afghan dishes and specials. Thanks for the heads up Rene, I head East on Montrose from Pulaski often, almost never West.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary,

I'm glad you made it there. I think I need to meet you there for dinner. I have never ordered a sandwich there nor have I had their hummos. I usually order a wide range of appetizers from the squash or leek filled dumplings, leek or potato filled pastries, their eggplant and other squash dishes. I will usually get the lamb shank and/or palaw as a main course. No matter how I feel at meal's end, I cannot leave without Firni.

Regards,

had a very nice meal at afghan kabob today, would agree that all the food (with the exception of the veg. korma) showed more flavor and care than they used to kabul house (does anyone know if they are re-opening?). Lamb chops, one dish that hasn't been mentioned above, were especially tasty. A little different prep than might be expected - given the almost melt in your mouth texture it seemed as they had been marinated/braised and then grilled or possibly the reverse as it with served with a nice light sauce. Lamb kabob and the lamb shank vied for second place in the hearts of the carnivores, though all the veg. based appetizers were generally made with care and had good flavor.

One thing the whole family enjoyed was the sheer chai, similar to a indian masala chai but more of sweet desert drink as served at afghan kabob, if its made the way kashmiri sheer chai is the purplish tint comes from very long brewing of the green tea and small bit of baking soda as well in the mix (I know that probably sounds odd, but it was a tasty way to end the meal)

zim wrote:One thing the whole family enjoyed was the sheer chai, similar to a indian masala chai but more of sweet desert drink as served at afghan kabob, if its made the way kashmiri sheer chai is the purplish tint comes from very long brewing of the green tea and small bit of baking soda as well in the mix (I know that probably sounds odd, but it was a tasty way to end the meal)

I was there on Wednesday night. A few people had the rose tinted tea with everyone wondering how it came to be. The owner was rather coy, but you just unravelled the mystery. Thank you!

Regards,

Hi,

This evening I was at Afghan Kabob for dinner. I learned from the owner that business has been good for them. Absent of Kabul House, Afghan Kabob is presently the only Afghan restaurant in the area. They are considering expanding the restaurant with plans to include a bakery.

I inquired if most of the business was related to the Islamic Cultural Center down the street. He said maybe 20% of his business derived from the cultural center with the balance from all over the Chicago region. While I was waiting, a woman from Naperville collected her order.

No liquor is served, nor is BYOB welcome. They are alcohol free for religious reasons.

Regards,

Giving this a bump in view of the interest in Kabul House.

I restored the photo links in the original post. I’m happy to see a slightly expanded menu (or at least a number of things I haven’t tried). It’s been too long since I visited.

Middle Eastern restaurant Afghan Kabob is closed at 4040 W. Montrose Ave.

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/1/14/181 ... sures-2019

Some good news was posted today in the Openings, Closings, Comings & Goings - 2020 thread. I'll quote it here, probably a more appropriate place for it.

polster wrote:Afghan Kabob has opened/moved from 4040 W. Montrose in Chicago to the former Rayan Halal Mediterranean restaurant space in Morton Grove on Dempster Street.

Afghan Kabob
6002 Dempster St
Morton Grove, IL 60053

https://www.yelp.com/biz/afghan-kabob-m ... =date_desc

Oh that is fantastic news! I’ll be there very soon.