Everything i have ordered from Ariana's has been great. Small orders, big orders, doesn't matter.
I can't comment on the in-restaurant experience, because I always get take-out.
The rice...oh the rice......
Review for Dinner:
•Must:
-Kabobs
•Good:
-Mom and Pop joint
-Quabli Gousfand, Lamb Chops, Korme Gulpi
•Bad:
-Location feels low-class
-Atmosphere bland
*Ariana Kabob House is casual place featuring authentic Afghan cooking. The dishes taste homemade...well...because they are! The owner's wife cooks every dish from scratch. A classic at Ariana is the kabob. For more information regarding their dishes be sure to check our instagram.
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I stumbled onto Ariana Kabob House while staying at a Holiday Inn next door. I live in the same town, but I don't venture onto this side too often. Ariana is located in a mall downhill from Scripps heading towards Mira Mesa. It's next to a comic book store, a Pizza Hut and a KBBQ joint.
The website says they close at 9, I walked in around 835 and was hesitant because I hate being that last minute a-hole. The man who was running the check stand who I believe might be one of the owners was super nice about it and led me to a nicely lit table right away. There was only two other tables occupied at this time so service was lightning quick. The lady who took my order and served me was very personable and even some suggestions. Everything is made from scratch at this place, and it shows as soon as you take that first bite.
I started off with some Sambosas (similar to Gyozas but crispier on the outside) and ordered a Sabsi Chalow for the main. Sabsi Chalow basically translates to Lamb Rice. It came with a huge shank of the softest lamb I've ever had (seriously), buttery rice, some greens and bread. That was a good dish to try for my first time here, and I'd love to come back to try out the rest of their extensive menu. They have similar variations of vegetarian, beef, chicken, and lamb dishes with lots of sides to choose from. I'll definitely be back, and soon! So if you ever find yourself looking to get something more homely and authentic compared to the Kebab Shop down the street, this is your stop.
Found this restaurant through urbanspoon & immediately fell in love! I recommend all of the appetizers, especially the Bulanee. All priced at $2.50!! The lamb chops, chicken & beef kabobs and a chicken dish called Quabli Murgh are all amazing.
I had one of their beef dishes, and I didn't expect much of it. Quite to my surprise, it was tasty and very tender. My friend had the beef kabob, and it was also very tender. The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere.
Crisamar Javellana Anunciado
+4.5
Great First Time Experience with Afghan Cuisine. I had a great time trying Afghan food for the first time. I had Aush - a noodle and vegetable soup garnished with yogurt and mint. I also had a vegetable combo with Afghan Kadu Bouranee (sweet pumpkin), Chalow (Afghan style browned rice), split pea soup (my favorite in the combo), Badenjan Borani (eggplant dish cooked in tomato base), with a nan-e (Afghan bread). My husband also enjoyed Bolani (a potato turnover), and Kofta (Aghan beef meatball).
Allergy Info - Good. For those with PEANUT and TREENUT allergies, I talked with the owner's son, who told me they use no nuts of any kind in their restaurant. The only question mark was the bread, which comes from an Afghan bakery. He told me they'd get the ingredient list for me. As always, however, you MUST ask them each time you go in to make sure nothing has changed.
Fabulous. Had mantu, steamed meat dumplings topped with tomato sauce, garlic, and yogurt, indigenous to Uzbek in northern Afganistan. Also outstanding is kadu ... steamed squash topped with yogurt and carrots and a mint-herb mixture. Dessert pudding (firnee) was also very good. Braised lamb shank topped with spinach (sabsi chalow) is very good.
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Amazing Afghan. I live in Scripps Ranch and just recently tried out a restaurant in the area. I chose it not because of the name: Ariana Kabob House or the location (end of Mira Mesa Blvd in strip mall), but because it was Afghan food and I spied real tablecloths.
Much to our delight, we experienced an unexpected culinary sensation: dumplings stuffed with scallions in a rich meat sauce, appetizers that included sautéed eggplant and meat-filled sambosas, a respectable wine selection and a dessert that produced the "mmmmm" sound from both of us, a milk pudding with a subtle hint of rosewater and cardamom, topped with pistachios, in short, an extraordinary selection of authentic Afghan cuisine.
The sole shortcoming was the atmosphere. However, when we spoke with the owner in regards to dimming the lights, moving the traditional decorations around, and changing the muzak to traditional Afghan music he was receptive to our suggestions and enthusiastic about implementing changes. In fact he asked us to pick out a new paint color for him!
This establishment is an unique and enchanting antidote to the ubiquitous chain restaurants. Please go and review this fabulous restaurant.
Yes this is Afghan food. If food is like this all over Afghanistan, let’s just say I wouldn’t starve.
When I first heard about this place, I was very skeptical, but that all changed after just one visit.
- The environment is very elegant and classy.
- The service is top notch run by the owner himself
- The food is absolutely delicious; I highly recommended the Chicken Curry, Beef/Chicken Kabobs, Korme Matar, and Veggie plate.
- All lunches include a salad.
The biggest problem this restaurant has is getting people to try Afghan food. I had this problem too, but just one visit and I was hooked. It is a great value and I am now a regular. The only problem I see with this place is that not enough people go and it is a shame. Two thumbs way up.
I definitely LOVE this place. I feel it’s really authentic. The staff here is so friendly, she explained really detailed to us about what the food taste like. We ordered a lamb shank with rice, it’s #26, it is absolutely amazing. The meat is off the bone, tender and juicy. The rice with carrots and raisins are so delicious. We also had a #23 potato & chive mix pancake, I also loved it very much, the portion is pretty big. I recommend this place for sure. And I’ll come back to try other things.
Did a takeout on a whim and I was very happy with the food . The portions are huge and they can be easily shared among two or three people (see pictures)!! and of course the food was delicious. Had the qabili pulao (Afghani fried basmati rice with sweet julienned carrots and raisins and spices) that comes with a large lamb shank that falls off the bone. The mantu(beef dumplings) was amazing as well. Highly recommend this place.
Everything I have ever eaten here is just delicious!!! I *highly* recommend this place. It is as legit as it gets!!! I used to work in an Afghan restaurant in Orange County and I remember it as being some of the best food I have ever had so when I came here I was hoping it would be everything I remembered—it was even better!!! Regarding the service: this is the first restaurant I have visited post-‘rona that has been perfect in food presentation, taste, and timing of service. Literally the first one to absolutely nail it like COVID never happened. I really appreciated this. Please visit this place because I want it to be able to stay in business. This is a small, family owned restaurant and the pandemic was really hard on them.
We ordered a wide selection for a recent family meal and everything was outstanding. I recommend the chicken koobideh plate with a side of garlic sauce but I doubt you can go wrong with anything on the menu
Amazing ambience, great service and awesome food.
We will surly return for more delicacies they have on menu. Lamb dishes are must try.
Way better than the other Afghan food restaurants San Diego. I ordered Qabili it was a bit oily but the overall food quality was very good. Indoor temperature was hot hope they keep the AC on on hot days. Very close to my home so looking forward to going there very often and hope to see better changes. Staff were so nice and friendly
Wonderful people running this place! We had the lamb and rice and the other dish was dumplings....like I never had dumplings before! Seriously - amazing food.
So ignore any bad reviews...just haters.
This is place is sooooo good!
I just want to start off by saying that this is one of the most delicious and authentic places I’ve eaten at. The interior of this restaurant is very well done and looks very nice. It is very beautiful inside and you can tell somebody put a lot of thought into this. It is very peaceful and quiet and it's nice that you can just relax while you are there. The food is so so so amazing and it always has such great flavors. I've been going here ever since I was little and I highly recommend trying it out! I always get the rice with raisins, carrots, and chicken from this restaurant. It tastes really amazing and they always give you the perfect amount of rice to chicken to carrots to raisins. If you haven't tried this dish before, definitely ask for it! They always give you an amazing amount of food that fills you up. So yes, definitely come here, you wont regret it!!!
Great customer service, and delicious food!
The place is nice and decor is cute. I really liked the musical instruments on the wall. While waiting for our food we got some traditional black tea in a cute tea pot, which we had with some jelabi. At the time the food arrived we had our eyes on it! Our family and I really enjoy the salad the meat and the sauces we had, definitely coming back!
Ampliamente recomendado, el lugar está muy agradable, la atención al cliente muy bien. Sí vas por primera vez recomendamos hechar un ojo al menú, muestra todos los platillos. Nosotros pedimos Giro salad y Kobideeh Beef plate delicioso!
Thank you Mrs. Najai!
We just ate here and everything was delicious. My husband who never likes chicken kabobs said they were juicy and great and I equally enjoined the vegetarian combo having REAL food not just something thrown together. I was actually full! The owners seem down to earth. Maybe not the most modern restaurant but the food makes up for everything else!
The owner and staff are all incredibly friendly and welcoming. The food is nothing short of top notch, always delicious, always in very generous portions! Some of the best cooked lamb I've ever had in the Americas. Whenever I eat away from home, this is always, ALWAYS my first choice.
Love the lamb curry,very tender, a whole lamb shank.
I had never tried Afghan food before eating here. I'm a big fan of Mediterranean / Persian / Turkish food, so I figured I would try it. I am certainly glad I did.
The food was great - I had the fried potatoes as an appetizer, and I had the beef meatballs as a main course. Both were subtle and delicious - the kind of food that begs you to have just one more bite. The rice is perfectly cooked, and when mixed with the sauce it makes a wonderful combination.
For dessert I had the baklava and a cup of cardamom tea. Both were a perfect endnote to a great meal.
The service was also perfect - attentive yet allowed for privacy. The owner was very welcoming and very helpful.
Also, the prices are really good, especially for the area. I can't recommend this place enough!
Really great food and good size portion,chicken and white rice dinner,garlic white sauce is killer, wow great but not over powering. The bolonie(not sure on the spelling) is big Really big and great the next day with eggs👍👍👍👍👍
Authentic Afghan food. The reviews that complaint about the meanness of the owner is more like an Afgan thing than the food thing LOL. A great place to familiarize yourself with the food and the culture 🤣🤣🤣. Take it easy, eat the food and enjoy life.
I absolutely loved their food. I had the lamb shank w/ brown rice w/carrots and raisins. The lamb shank was do tender that I didn't even need a knife. Everything went well together. Right amount of spices especially because i was coming down with a cold. Definitely will recommend their food.
Amazing place! Authentic and great food. I don't even like lamb but their lamb dishes proved me wrong, they are that good. There is really nothing on the menu i tried and didn't like. I don't understand why the restaurant is empty most of the time. You should definitely check it out.
My family and I have been regular customers for years. We have always enjoyed our meals here at Ariana Kabob House. The owner and cook (mom and pop) are wonderful at what they do. I feel like I'm visiting a good friend or relative when I visit this restaurant 'cuz the owner is so down to earth and pleasant. This is one of my favorite restaurants and many of the dishes are superb. We like the Mantu, Chicken dishes (Curry is fun) and beef (Korme Dal is great!). The Lamb Chops are my daughter's favorite (I like them too). The Veggie Combo is super yummy. The Barunee Kadu and Dal are delicious. This is the best butternut squash (Kadu) we have ever eaten bar none. I always enjoy my dinner with a nice Black Cardamon tea. Service is not rushed and not pushy. Very pleasant service, indeed. The food preparation and flavor is very consistent too so each visit is very enjoyable. Highly recommended!
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