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    Darband Shishkabob

    4.0 (334 reviews)
    InexpensivePersian/Iranian, Kebab
    Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Darband Shishkabob Photos

    Business Info

    DARBAND SHISHKABOB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Darband Shishkabob

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jay F.

    For many of us, back in the day, our first introduction to Iranian cuisine was Garson, or, Darband. I was in Iran in 1973 and 1974. I did not know any local families and so, my dining experiences were limited to the offering in the local restaurants. They say that the best Iranian cooking is always going to be in the homes. Thus, I did not get an idea of the breadth and variety of Iranian cuisine. The places that I dined at were very utilitarian. Simple dishes of perfectly grilled meats and perfectly cooked rice and flat breads. Delicious. But simple fare for the office worker taking a break for lunch. And I loved the purity of these simple kabab dishes. The chelo kabab, chenjeh, juju, kubideh, vaziri, negini. Darband opened in Houston in 1986. And it has been one of my favorite places to eat, now going on almost 30 years. I getting an order of kubideh with grilled tomatoes on the side. And I love to dump a big old heaping of the spice known as sumac on my kabob. Now, don't worry about not knowing what is what. Darband has photos of all of their dishes to make it easy for you to order. First timers may want to opt for a simple chelo kabab with bread. The Darband. The name comes from a place near Tehran. Near to the mountains. And the weather is nice there. This makes it a perfect place for people of the town to go there for walks and picnics -- at Darband Shish kabob. If you order the chelo kebab, it may put a big smile on your face. It is good. But also, be sure to try the home made soup. Ash-e Reshteh gets my vote for being the healthiest soup in the world. Chickpeas, navy beans, red kidney beans, green lentils, beets, spinach, parsley and dill make up the vegetables and greens in this soup, to which are added the Persian noodles called reshteh and a thick and salty liquid whey called kashk. Noodles have a special significance during the Iranian New Year, symbolizing the unraveling of difficulties in the year to come.

    Went on Sunday for lunch, wanted to try a different and new place, however Darband restaurant didn't meet my expectations. They were serving food on a disposable plates which made it difficult to use. Chelo kebab course was rubbery and had burnt ends and the servings compared with other places was little. Chicken kebab was ok and marinated well, but still only 4 pieces which was not enough for one person. The only thing I really enjoyed was Mast-e-Mousir and clean environment.

    6. Chelo Kabob
    Zaid N.

    Great Persian spot in Houston. It's the go to spot for me and my family. Usually always the first stop anytime we visit the city. We order the Chelo kebab dish and for $14 it's very filling and delicious. Highly recommend!

    It was 4 pm during Ramadan. This stack was ready for dinner.
    Lou C.

    I felt in love with Darband Shishkabob on my first sight. As soon as I walked in, the atmosphere gave me a very pleasant feeling that this Is the restaurant to share the Houston pride to my foodie friends. I was told the tile mosaic and the Mediterranean water fountain were from the day this restaurant was established in 1986. The founder was an architect, not restauranteur. But they kept this place to remain nostalgic. This is a counter order service. I order at the cashier on the right as I walk in. Once ready, they call my number to pick up from the left counter or kitchen. I also love the open kitchen concept. We can see the grilling right behind the pickup counter, where the freshly stacked skewers are located. The most amazing thing is their ventilation system, I don't smell from the grilling smoke. I came back weeks later to try the food. I ordered #12 combination. I got one ground beef kabob with a beef kabob, I had a choice of lamb or beef. This is not my first time trying shish kebabs. The ground beef kebab was so juicy and tender, more than the other kabob. It made me regret I didn't order double. The basmati rice was so fluffy and tasty. The beef kebab was spaced by grilled tomatoes and onions. I later found out they have marinated salad on menu, which I would try next time. I also ordered a vegetarian dish. ASH noodle soup was on the menu board. There are others that I found on their website. I had to Google it after my first bite. I like the minty flavor but not soggy noodles. I would try their eggplant dish next time. The reason I came to Darband Shishkabob was to look for a restaurant to be featured during my UYE at Westcroft Center. I went door to door during Ramadan. My requirement was to find the flexibility for a party crowd. Once I saw their table arrangement, ah ha, that was it!

    how could you serve this like this

    This place used to be really good but now the meat was as thin as an onion slice. I got bigger tomatoes than kabobs. Food is dry and doesn't taste as good as before. You can tell they are trying to ration out their food with how little is provided. I prefer other places to this one, will not be coming back.

    koubideh
    Roxy S.

    Have been coming here for years with my family. Absolutely the best koubideh kabob EVER. Always so tender, juicy, and flavorful. I'm glad they expanded, it used to always be packed. The pot of tea is nice, and the house doogh is fabulous.

    A fountain

    Love the food and have good service overall I love it a bunch of fun love this place so much

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    4 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Arrived just before closing but no worries, they were happy to serve us. Always yummy!

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    8 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Hey guys are you looking for a good Persian food this's the place Excellent service and the food really good I recommend this place.

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    4 years ago

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    4 months ago

    good service and good food would recommend for more letters I am going to spam ejevdjhscdh

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    2 years ago

    Noticed they had to cut down the portions to keep their prices reasonable. This affected the overall experience.

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    3 years ago

    all i cab say is wow, that was an amazing meal. I will recommend this location to family, and friends.

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    Page 1 of 9

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    Kasra Persian Grill - KUBIDEH COMBO

    Kasra Persian Grill

    4.6(260 reviews)
    5.1 mi•West University
    •$$

    I had a good experience with Kasra Persian grill. The service was good, the food was yummy & I felt…read moreit was a great value. We had a larger party & ended up getting the family platter to split. We also got sides of the hummus and garlic sauce. Their hummus was really delicious! Definitely a standout. All the different kebabs on the family platter were yummy. I liked the chicken kubideh kebab the best! It was nice and juicy w/ good flavor. The jujeh, chicken kebab, and kubideh were all good, but could've been a bit more juicy for my tastes. But overall everything was yummy. The rices were good too - I liked the baghali the most. Ambiance was nice, it was pretty crowded and a bit on the louder, but had a nice and welcoming vibe. They had some interesting artwork. And value was great, it ended up not being too expensive for our table of 6. You can call and make a reservation, I recommend this on weekends as the place was pretty packed. Also - there's a parking garage in the middle of rice village with 2hrs free parking. Definitly recommend that as well because street parking can be hard to find

    I had read through Yelp that people could stand around outside waiting for a long time to get in…read moreduring peak hours because the food is so good. I have grown to trust the people who write reviews, so we went around 5:30-5:45 during the week; it turned out to be a good idea. There were just a few tables that had two, three, and four people. I've been going to restaurants for a long time and for those of you that also go, the moment you walk in there's a smell of food being prepared that wafts out from the kitchen. It's a good smell at Kasra. It was a tad early to get a true vibe, but I didn't care; I wasn't there for the vibe. Our waitress was great and knew what she was talking about. Friendly and polite, she checked on us frequently to make sure we were getting what we wanted. The food was very good and we enjoyed the different tastes from cold to hot appetizers. Make sure you try the hummus I don't stand in any line for anything, but that said if you're looking for the complete experience then go on the weekend around dinner time.

    Photos
    Kasra Persian Grill - Indoor patio

    Indoor patio

    Kasra Persian Grill - KASRA'S IMPOSSIBLE KUBIDEH

    KASRA'S IMPOSSIBLE KUBIDEH

    Kasra Persian Grill - Hot Tea

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    Hot Tea

    Rumis Kitchen - Mirza Ghasemi (eggplant)

    Rumis Kitchen

    4.4(424 reviews)
    3.0 mi•Galleria/Uptown

    Came here to celebrate a good friend's birthday and wasn't disappointed by their service nor food…read more Service was top-notched. We were seated promptly despite not having the full party. We appreciated that kind gesture. Every food item on the menu looked delicious. I decided on the Lamb Rack. Loved the texture of the lamb and loved the basmati rice. Lamb was cooked perfectly, and the rice was very fragrant. We were offered a complimentary Persian Ice Cream Sandwich which had an unique flavor. It wouldn't be a flavor for everyone, but to me, it was a perfect ending to a great entree as it was light and mildly sweet. Note that not all food options are halal. Their website is updated with the information and you could also ask the server for clarification. Absolutely adore the interior. The restaurant could get loud but still bearable. Complimentary valet parking is available. Self-parking is also available. Highly recommend to make reservation as the restaurant does get crowded during peak hours.

    It's ok to have a February birthday in September. Why not? It's still 2026, and when your favorite…read morepeople are around you, each day will find an excuse to celebrate. Since this place was a surprise venue for me, as soon as I saw the name "Rumi," I knew nothing could go wrong with it. I collected so many of Rumi's books, and having them around me makes me feel very peaceful. My family in Houston waited six months to celebrate my birthday due to my health issues, and I feel so blessed to have them around me. This place is always crowded, so please make a reservation even on weekdays. We went on weekdays, and even then we got a reservation for 8:45 pm. But honestly, every effort was worth it. We got there on time. Velet parking is available, but if you want to avoid more waiting, pass the restaurant, and you will see a big parking lot. We walked in and loved the interior, but it was very crowded with happy faces. We were seated in 5 minutes and started enjoying the ambiance and decor. It's a beautiful place to celebrate precious moments with your family and friends. Everyone loved our server, Zack, and his presence and approach. He talks so kindly with each of us. His recommendations were so good that we found every kind of dish for everyone, including vegetarian options. We started with sides, Thanks to Zack.

    Photos
    Rumis Kitchen - View from bar

    View from bar

    Rumis Kitchen - Roasted Cremini & Mushroom Hummus

    Roasted Cremini & Mushroom Hummus

    Rumis Kitchen - Roasted cremini and oyster mushroom hummus - perfection!

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    Roasted cremini and oyster mushroom hummus - perfection!

    Avesta Persian Grill - Royal Platter for 6. About $107 plus tax and tip.

    Avesta Persian Grill

    4.6(769 reviews)
    4.4 mi•Westchase
    •$$

    On the recommendation of my friend, ordered food for pick up for my dad's birthday! I ordered…read morechicken kubideh, lamb, hummus, the house salad, and lots of seasme bread. The food was delicious and everyone enjoyed it! The portions were generous and the prices fair. I called to place the order and the person who answered gave me guidance on what to order and how much based on the number of guests! I'd definitely love to return and dine in.

    It wasn't the greatest start since I was waiting for 5 minutes for a host/hostess to attend to us…read more I think she was busting tables or in the kitchen but she was nice once we were accommodated. Once seated our server Baba introduced himself and made great recommendations. Now I'm not the biggest fan of hummus but I'm glad I got to try it. To start off, they brought us some complimentary bread. It came out hot & fresh. The bread was fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. I also enjoyed the roasted sesame seeds that they put on top of the bread. Then I had the mango lemonade drink which I thought was refreshing and the mango was strong. As stated I rarely eat hummus but theirs is made in house and I can tell because it was delicious. It was creamy, nutty, savory and earthy. My friend decided to get their lamb shish kabob combo and I got the soltani kabob. His came with lamb and chicken and mine came with beef tenderloin and ground beef. Both dishes were amazing especially his since the chicken was bursting with flavor. Nicely grilled and seasoned. The lamb was also solid as well, it was tendered. The beef tenderloin was also nicely seasoned & tendered. The ground beef was my least favorite since it tasted like hamburger meat, but I don't hate it. The rice was cooked to perfection. At the end I ordered their dessert and got the Bastani Irani. It says on the website that it's homemade but our server informed us that they purchased it from a vendor. Not a big deal for me since the ice cream was very good. Creamy, sweet and the nuts added texture to the dessert. Baba was kind enough to give me two more breads to take home since I still had hummus leftover, I'm definitely gonna devoured it the next day. It's rare that I eat Persian food but when I do I know it's gonna be good. They do not mess around when it comes to seasoning. Overall, good service, good food, nice decor. I'm looking forward to trying out their seafood kabob the next time I dine in. I also wanna add that this restaurant is on Yelp top 100 for recommendations and I'm not surprised.

    Photos
    Avesta Persian Grill - Inside

    Inside

    Avesta Persian Grill - Shrimp Kabob

    Shrimp Kabob

    Avesta Persian Grill - Complimentary bread, cheese & herbs

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    Complimentary bread, cheese & herbs

    Shandez Persian Grill - Lamb koobideh

    Shandez Persian Grill

    4.8(84 reviews)
    4.3 mi•Westchase

    I ordered the Beef Barg with Dill Rice last night. It was really well made, charbroiled as kabobs…read moreshould, marinated very nicely, easy to cut and very delicious. It didn't have that metallic, irony taste like liver which I hate thankfully either. The tomatoes were juicy and charred well with a refreshing taste. The dill rice was full of dill, lima beans and a pleasant, balanced earthy aroma as well as butter / oil too. I get it almost every time. Very welcoming, friendly and efficient service as well. The Iranian food is excellent from this cafe.

    Came here for a lunch with the SO while we were in the area…read more We ordered the appetizer sampler, koobideh combo, and meat in a bowl (forgot the name but it was one of their specialities). The bread the veggies that came out were very good. The appetizer sampler we got the eggplant dish, hummus, and yogurt and shallot. The hummus was not our favorite as our other go to Persian places seem to have a smoother texture but the eggplant was good. The yogurt was pretty tangy with light shallot flavor that wasn't super detectable but it was still nice. The koobideh was juicy and the rice and tahdig that came with it was super yummy. I don't love the seasoning for the chicken koobideh but that's just a preference thing nothing was wrong or unpleasant about it. The lamb koobideh was on point. The meat that my SO had was very good as well. Beef was tender. The chicken was tender. The only thing I was confused about was that my SO was supposed to also have tahdig on his rice but didn't receive it, he just got normal rice. My SO didn't tell me until the very end of the meal though so we didn't say anything to them but it was strange to forget that part of the meal. We didn't knock them for that because my SO didn't bring it to their attention and I'm sure they would have fixed it if we told them. Service was very friendly. They kept checking on us and were very polite. The outside of the restaurant is unassuming in a strip mall but the inside is pretty. There are some other Persian places that we prefer but the tahdig and the service and the juiciness of the meat were great here. The hummus was not our favorite though which to us is a big component that we like to eat. 4/5.

    Photos
    Shandez Persian Grill - Inside

    Inside

    Shandez Persian Grill
    Shandez Persian Grill - Front of building

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    Front of building

    Cafe Caspian - Saffron ice cream

    Cafe Caspian

    4.4(393 reviews)
    5.7 mi•Westchase
    •$$

    This is one of my favorite restaurants!…read more My company usually host one of their board meetings here. They have a private room for parties and we typically utilize that room for the meetings. The restaurant is beautifully adorned with cultural art throughout. The booths also have embroidery from the region as well. Every dish is absolutely delicious! They also label gluten free, vegetarian and whether it contains nuts. If you have other food allergies or sensitivities, they can cater to it as well. Appetizer recommendations: Kashk E Bademjan and Hummus - rich creamy dip that goes perfectly with their complimentary homemade naan, herbs, radish and cheese. Sumptuous rice: Sweet- shirin pollow and javaher pllow Savory- sabzi pollow if you prefer more of the herb flavors Entrees: Lamb shank - the meat falls off the bone and it's delicious over a bed of rice. Beef Soltani - well-seasoned and tender. They serve it with a side of tomatoes, onions, jalapeño pepper and basmati rice. I always substitute the regular basmati rice with a sumptuous rice. Chenjah - i ordered the chicken and it was very well seasoned. The chicken was not dry and it also came with a side of tomato, onions, jalapeño and basmati rice (substitute it for the sumptuous rice and thank me later haha). Desserts: Pistachio ice cream is my favorite Baklava is rich, heavy and delicious Baklava cake is sweet but lighter than the baklava. Cheesecake is your typical. Overall, great customer service and very clean. I recommend this restaurant! Be sure to savor every bite.

    If we can ever have more Stars, we'd love to give more , more …read more We came One Friday evening. The restaurant was pretty busy. Yet it was calm and peaceful vibe. Our Family was deeply immersed into the authentic vibe of Persian culture, food and people. Love it so much. Food: the food that touches your heart, both my son and I feel like crying ( with happiness, hard to describe feeling) Our server was warm welcoming and very attentive to our need. She gave me a sample of drink which was happy side of the real order. I can run on and on with all I love about Cafe Caspian. Personally, I think they deserve better Stars! They do! Wish Cafe Caspian all the bests! Best,

    Photos
    Cafe Caspian
    Cafe Caspian - SHIRAZI SALAD

    SHIRAZI SALAD

    Cafe Caspian

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    Darband Shishkabob - persian - Updated September 2026

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