While visiting Virginia this past weekend, my aunt brought us here for dinner. This place has been running for over 30years now delivering in Afghani/ Pakistani Cuisine, so we had to check it out. Here goes my review: Location: located inside a huge plaza with unlimited parking availability. Food: so we ordered various kabobs and meat dishes which included the following: beef koobideh, lamb kabob, chicken kabob, tandoori chicken and chicken kadhai. Sides included: Halim, curried chickpeas, chicken curry, Naan and rice. My favorites were the Lamb kabob and tandoori chicken. Definitely a must if you're here. I didn't like the koobideh and felt that it had too much spiced and was dry (very different from Persian koobideh which is soft and juicy). The chicken kabob was also dry. The kadhai chicken wasn't bad but I've had better. I loved the Halim! Though I didn't try the Naan, everyone loved it! Service: not really much service here. More of like "place your order and pick it up" type of place. Overall, this is quite a big place for a hole in the wall. The food is pretty good and they give very large portions for the price. Though it's not something that won me over to re-visit when I'm back in town! read more

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Excellent taste and reasonably priced; easy hours; good for late night snack; in a good neighborhood

Came here for lunch today. Place was busy, but not so busy that it should account for a 20+ min wait for the food. Kebabs did taste good, but not so special that it could explain the 30 dollar tab for a over the counter/styrofoam plate kind of place. Naan and Chole were good, spinach was just ok for sides. Probably not coming back. Lots of other options around. Staff had a little bit of bad attitude as well. read more

Charcoal Kabob - Chicken kebab plate. - Afghan Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Top notch customer service and amazing flavors. A true mom and pop shop I love eating at when in town.

Super friendly staff. If you are a regular, they automatically know your order. They have been open for longer than 17 years, I believe.

I saw the good reviews and was hungry and excited to try the place. Unfortunately, I felt a little disappointed. The service was friendly, but the food seemed to take a very long time, and the quality was unfortunately not as good as I expected. I went up to ask about my order due to the delay, then they ended up saying, "oh yea it's almost ready!" Then brought it out like a minute later. The naan, rice, and chickpeas were all really good. The chicken seemed undercooked though which was what made me dissatisfied. I feel bad if I seemed like I was rushing them, but I had already been waiting awhile (and it appeared others who were there after me were already being served). That said, I'd rather wait longer if it meant I'd get the highest quality food. Ended up throwing things out and the price was high too, so overall, wasn't the best experience and not sure if I'll give them another try read more

I think their lamb kabob is the best thing on the menu. The other items are okay but not as good as some of the other kabob restaurants in the area. The things that bother me about this place are the ambiance and cleanliness. It feels run down and it doesn't seem very clean at all. I will say the portions are very large so you certainly get your money's worth. read more

I would probably name my first born after whoever opened this restaurant. I no longer live in the area, but my family still does, so every time I come home, I make it a HUGE point to get some food from here. Wow. The rice: perfect. The salad/dressing: tangy and rich. The spinach/potatoes: perfectly seasoned. The bread: more please. I normally get the beef kabob as my entree. I love this place!! read more

Charcoal Kabob - Beef Kabob - Afghan Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Fantastic food at this quiet little gem. I've been going to this place for over 10 years and I love the chicken kabob, lamb kabob, chickpeas and all the other sides, too. The meat is grilled to perfection with the perfect amount of char, and the naan bread is light, fluffy with the right amount of crust and it is nice and warm. The restaurant gets pretty crowded at lunch time, but it is worth it. read more

Love the food and from the amount of traffic while I was there...others do too! Hearty servings and fresh dessert (baklava) make it a great option when you're in the mood for sheesh! read more

I used to come here regularly for lunch until I left the area in 2014. Im back visiting and was stoked to see it still in business. The food is still great BUT the to-go order was incomplete. The Rib kabab (my fave) was missing from the order; disappointed. Knocked off a review star for that. Shame on myself for not checking the order before I left. Anywho... good place just check your order if you get it to go! read more

Charcoal Kabob - Afghan Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

The Rib Kabob at this restaurant is my favorite food on the planet! It is three tantalizing lamb chops on a naan bread baked freshly in their tandoori oven, served with a choice of side, rice, and optional fresh onion and jalapeño slices. While the naan itself is reason enough to stop in here, those lamb chops are perfectly seasoned, fire grilled, and delectable! Even though I live over two and a half hours away, I have eaten here dozens of times over the past 15 years. The quality and quantity is consistent. I can't wait for my next visit! read more

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Great kabobs, huge portions and quick service. Best Kabobs I've had in Northern Virginia. Very happy that this restaurant is close to work. Next time I will call ahead and just pick up as they are very busy at lunchtime, but there is a reason why they are so busy. I also like the fact that they have a low carb option with any of the kabob platters, where you can get the meat kabob skewer with a veggie kabob skewer and a side veggie and salad without the rice and naan. However this time I wanted the rice and the naan as I love it. In their to go box, they serve the kabob meat in the naan to be able to eat it as a gyro sandwich, if you so desire. It also flavored the naan, though this naan was so delicious by itself, it didn't need any flavoring. Give this place a try. I highly recommend it if you like eating kabobs. read more

Still top notch food, and doing pick up and curbside delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owner is gracious as ever. Happy to support them. read more

Charcoal Kabob is one of my favorite places to eat. I called this evening to place an order, and learned they have been closed for the last 3 days cooking and delivering food to Afghan refugees at Dulles Expo Center. I wasn't surprised at all. Wonderful people and community members, and Herndon is so lucky to have them. read more

Charcoal serves up the best gyro I've found in northern Virginia. The meat is tender, juicy and on point. They serve a proper portion and the chickpeas are great for a side. Highly recommend. read more

Consistently delicious food and consistently courteous service. The best of all words in a clean and well maintained restaurant. Choose the eat in option because the fresh bread is OUT OF THIS WORLD good!! All the chicken dishes are spot on and their vegetarian platter is so delicious that you don't even miss the meat. This coming from a die hard carnivore. Go, pick ANYTHING and you won't be disappointed. Introduced yourself to the brothers who own and run the restaurant. They may as well get to know you on a first name basis because you will be going back on a regular basis. You're welcome because you will thank you. read more

The best meal I have had all summer! The lamb kabob plate was tender and flavorful and came in a huge fresh pita. I highly recommend the chickpeas as a side. The restaurant is unassuming, but has large pleasant murals on the walls. Service was great. I told them I hadn't eaten there before and they made a suggestion. It has been many years since I have been to Herndon, but there is still great Afghan food! read more

My family and I have been visiting Charcoal for years, so it was a great surprise when I walked in here last week and saw the owners had completely renovated the whole place. Love the new style, now Charcoal is perfect for special occasions, family outings and dates. Food wise, very authentic Afghan kabobs (not Persian, not Indian, AFGHAN). I've had a handful of things here, with one of my favs being the chicken sharwma sandwich (packed with meat, sauce, and flavor) however this time I went with the keema kabob. You really can't go wrong with the prices and how much food they give you. All meat dishes come with rice, bread, salad, and one side. The keema kabob is on the spicy side, with tons of spices and herbs rolled. The meat was cooked well, perhaps a tad a bit dry but great nonetheless. To be honest, my favorite parts of the meal was not the meat (shocking, I know) but the rice, bread, and sides. Went with the spinach, which goes great with the fluffy white Afghan rice. The bread is probably the best thing here. I could have easily been happy with that bread dipped in green sauce as my entire meal. The bread is out of this world, and it's my favorite part of Charcoal. read more

Charcoal Kabob - Keema kabob - Afghan Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Used to be good and run by a Pakistani. Now ordinary food but overpriced. Kabobs are dry and no taste.

Love their Kobob's! Everything is homemade and the portion sizes are great. The seasoning on the chicken and steak is fantastic and fresh! Much better than Moby Dick. read more

I love this kabob spot. This Afghan restaurant serves delicious middle eastern dishes. I usually get one of their perfectly grilled kabobs and one of their curried vegetable sides. Very fresh and tasty. I highly recommend. read more

I asked the guy at the counter if they have shawarma because, i didn't see the shawarma machine anywhere visible. He said they have it inside the store. I requested him to add a few hot sauce which is in-house made. He promised he would add the hot sauce. I picked the food and came back to my home. I opened the package. 1. There is no shawarma, he gave only chicken wraps. 2. He didn't add hot sauce . This is intentionally done. I spend $48. Food is not great either. Kabobs are not soft. Tandoori roti is too thick. The only thing I liked is the side-haleem. This restaurant lost it's standards and quality. I won't buy anything from there again. They are not making authentic food. read more

Yum! The hubs and I came to check out Charcoal Kabob, as who doesn't like their meats being grilled over hickory charcoal?! :D The restaurant, located in the KMart plaza off of Elden, offers appetizers, kabobs, combo platters, and even specials (such as chicken butter masala, beef curry, etc.), all using Halal meats. I tried a Super Combination, which came with a lamb kabob, kubideh, and chicken kabob, with a side of savory basmati rice, salad, a side of your choice (we opted for chickpeas), and a nice generous cup of their yogurt sauce. The chicken kabob was okay, but I really loved the lamb kabob, as it was so juicy, tender, and had a lovely charcoal taste. The kubideh was a bit too spicy for me, so I'll probably get the non-spicy version next time; it was still very flavorful! The chickpeas had a slight minty taste to it; it was nice and thick, which I really enjoyed, but I'll probably try to get a different side the next time. The hot crusty Tandoori bread was yummy, and some of the spices from the kabobs left its mark on the bread, making it even better :P I also tried one of their samosas, filled with potatoes, peas, and a little bit of the crushed red pepper - it was slightly spicy, but with its nice buttery flaky crust (which was not too doughy), and dipped in the yogurt sauce, it was tasty. The staff here are oh-so-friendly, and there are plenty of seating inside. I'd love to come back and try out their curries, the karahis, and the beef kabob. Definitely a wonderful place to satisfy your kabob craving :D +Lamb Kabob +Kubideh +flavorful basmati rice +yogurt sauce +uses hickory charcoal :D +friendly staff :D +plenty of parking +to the left of Hot Breads read more

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"I'd like a combo number thirteen please." "Two?" "THIRTEEN." Double language barrier oh god. Walking in you feel like this is gonna be the real deal. Traditional decor, cafeteria layout, customer base is legit. Minute maid lemonade, coke, sprite, fanta orange soda among the fountain options. Fridge of bottled water, doogh, some other soft drinks. Rice was disappointingly plain. Yogurt sauce was bland and tasted more like ranch dressing for some reason, but the naan was pleasantly fluffy. Sides are actually pretty good: lentils were acceptable, but I enjoyed the chicken curry much more... even if it gave Paul's bowels a rough go. Lamb was much superior to the chicken, which was sadly dried out. They do now accept credit cards, which is a plus. I think we had a 20 minute wait before they called our ticket number, so calling ahead next time is definitely a must for the hungry. Great value, slightly lower overall quality compared to my favorite joint for meats prepped on sticks. Tables aren't kept quite as clean though, and the lack of spicy sauce is mildly depressing. Three and a half star experience overall. I'd probably be happy to return if I have to go shopping at Giant right after work again. read more

Charcoal Kabob used to be a lot better. While they've been a mainstay in Herndon for 15 years, and can largely be credited with starting the kabob craze west of DC, the quality of their kabobs and curry dishes has lessened considerably in the past few years. I heard this is due to a change in the head cook position, but can't confirm that, and it doesn't really matter. The dishes are not spiced as well as they used to be. This is true of the chick peas, spinach, haleem, chicken curry, chicken jalfirazi, and the kabobs. I keep thinking that it's time for Charcoal Kabob to start a buffet lunch/dinner service. This is becoming the norm for kabob restaurants in the area, and they seem to be lagging behind the trend. Maybe that's a good analogy for their performance in recent years- started out wonderfully, and then lagged behind the competition. I'd still go out to Kabob Palace (Crystal City) or Tandoori Village (Manassas) for better tasting dishes, but since I live in the area, I find myself there from time to time. Convenience, not conviction. The dishes are halal, for those who desire. read more

I love their Chapli kabobs! That's the number one thing I would recommend. Their food isn't spicy but then again it's middle eastern and they want to showcase the ingredients and not the spices. Their sides with the entree are decent: spinach or chickpeas are two of the options. I like the fact the tandoori naans are fresh and hot. Over the years (15 plus years) they have have renovated and kept the integrity of the quality of the food served here. This restaurant is a well known name for the locals. They have been open for many years and only have increased the prices very little with the years. The seating is large but they do get busy. There isn't a reservation system since it's casual place. So think ahead. Or even take out isn't a bad option here. Now I'm missing those naans...~ read more

I found Charcoal Kabob when I first moved to Reston over 2 years ago. I've tried numerous restaurants of the same type since and this place is consistantly the winner. I typically get the chickpeas, the veggie lentils, the vegetable stew and their bread. I once had a friend's kid with me when I went to pick up my order and she asked me if it was my favorite Indian food in front of the owner who instantly corrected her gently by letting her know it was Afghani. After that I have been much more aware of how I ask for their food - I don't ask for naan any more but use their term "bread" - nor will I ask for dahl and so on. Hawaii doesn't have a lot of Indian or Afghani food so it seemed similar enough to me that I made the mistake as well of putting it together in the same food category. But then I'm part-Asian and have done it with Asian food as well - as long as the food is good, I'm in! But that's another story. Back to their bread. It's the best by far. I will call in and order 6 to go, pick it up, eat one that evening and put the rest in the freezer for whenever I need a "bread" fix. A friend of mine will come over and raid my freezer "bread", throw cheese on it, toss it in the oven and eat it like pizza. Whenever they see me they must think I'm the crazy "bread" lady but hey, what can you do when your friends constantly raid your freezer for the stuff? It's good. Really. Give them a try. read more

Went to this place again with coworkers today. Just want to reaffirm my review and offer up this suggestion to potential customers; stick with the chicken. I ordered the chicken and lamb kabob with spinach as a side. The spinach was watery. Flavor was pretty good... but it was really watery.\ The optional green sauce was inconsistent. My coworker got some and it was pretty thick... like you could see the pureed ingredients... my green sauce was completely green liquid, no substance whatsoever. Green spicy water that would not adhere to anything... may seem like a minor gripe... but my coworker was able to actually put the sauce on top of meat, whereas mine would simply roll off the meat and onto the plate, rendering it pretty much useless. again, not the end of the world... just annoying. However, The worst part today -- the lamb. The lamb was way way undercooked. I like my meat on the medium rare side typically... but this lamb was completely raw in the middle and was extremely chewy. The kind of chewy that you just can't process it and eventually have to either spit it out or swallow a chewy mass of meat all in one go. I will never order lamb here again. The food took long enough to come out. I almost think I could cook lamb faster and more thoroughly with a lighter in the amount of time it took to come out. The chicken, however, tasted and was cooked perfect. Also, one other gripe is that they pile too much onto one small plate. They put the bread down and then the meat on top of it. The rest is consumed by a mound of plain rice and a bunch of shredded plain iceberg lettuce. I guess they are trying to save on plates or something by not having the bread on the side or on a piece of foil like other places... but it really doesn't give you any "working room" for the meat on the plate, which makes eating it a little awkward because its all piled up. I actually wished they would have ditched the plain & boring iceberg lettuce pile and left me that space on my plate to try and cut through my undercooked lamb chew. To add insult to injury, after looking at my receipt, it looks like they overcharged me. the menu says 12.99 (both the print menu and their menu board), however, they charged me 13.99. So... moral of the story, I would go somewhere else if given the option.... and if I do come back here, I'm only getting chicken. I hope I don't get sick from what I ate of the raw meat. :( read more

Awesome bread, great sides, scrumptious rice, and everything is seasoned perfectly.

First of all it took me like 15 minutes to find a parking spot. Food wise, no flavor, not impressed at all The salad dressing like it was water with a bit of color, even the soda (which I never buy soda) it didn't have sit-up at all but because it was a Togo order I didn't realize this but after I got to my office .. I won't repeat the visit unfortunately read more

Delicious food at Charcoal! I love the naan :) read more

I went back after a year, and they have a new cook now. As far as I can remember, everything used to be good, but now it's hit or miss. The spicy beef was too dry for my liking, but it had great flavor. The chicken kabob was top notch, and I'll definitely get it again. read more

This really is one of my favorite places to eat in the DC area. I get either the Lamb kabab or the veggie delight. My favorite side dish is Haleem which they never suggested to me until one day I asked "what's that?" I could eat bowls of the stuff, and I in fact have. Modest setting and so worth the time. read more

This is a great place to eat at if you're in the area. It's not too far from Dulles airport so if you're on your way for long trip you can stop by and grab some food here before your trip. The service is really sweet and the people behind the cashier are quite endearing read more

If you appreciate decent customer service avoid charcoal kabob! We went there for dinner at 8:15 PM last night and we were told to order our food and be out by 9:10 PM. Keep in mind that they're posted closing time is 9:30 PM. He warned us that he had scheduled pressure washing for the establishment at 9:10 PM. Now why would you schedule pressure washing and kick customers out before 9:30 pm which is your posted closing time? Unfortunately this was not the first time with the shenanigans. The last time we were there he used another excuse of the cleaning crew coming and we needed to be out of there before 9:30pm. If you don't want to honor your posted business hours, why don't you officially change the hours? Don't give your customers the run around and make up stories about the cleaning crew. Needless to say we will not be returning to this business. There will not be a third visit. And may I suggest cleaning your sticky tables! read more

SO. GOOD. Giant warm, chewy pita's. Stewed spinach and veggies, so flavorful! Tender grilled chicken. Seriously, come see for yourself. read more

I'm sorry. I don't understand how people could even like the food here! This is the blandest kabob food I have ever tasted in my entire life! The meat tastes like NOTHING! No herbs, no spices ONLY heat, aka chilli pepper.... No flavor as whatsoever! Then the rice, plain white. The sides - extremely spicy and that's it. The sauces - zero flavor. I mean literally zero. How do you people even rave about this food? I have been to the middle eastern region about ten times and have tasted amazing kabobs etc. before. This doesn't even come close! If you would like to compare and experience flavor, go somewhere else like Darya kabob in Sterling. Alone their sauce is to die for. But never this place again. read more

We love this place. My son would eat the butter chicken every day if he could. The chicken kabobs and gyro are great too. Everything we have had has been great - we highly recommend them for lunch or dinner. read more

Not bad. I ordered the lamb kabob to go. It came with some vegetables, about 2 cups of rice, a side dish of my choosing, and the kebab wrapped in bread. The kebab itself was delicious, but it didn't really satisfy me portion-wise, especially for the $13 I paid for it. Perhaps next time I'll pay for the items on the buffet. Those looked and smelled very delicious. The place is nice, open, and spacious and is decorated with lots of things from the Middle East. read more