Food was delicately spiced and delicious. The hosts were kid friendly (we went with 2 toddlers). They checked on us frequently to ensure we were comfortable and feeling good about dining here. Potato pancake appetizer was mind blowing. Mango ice cream is chef's kiss! Would highly recommend this place. read more

Afghan Cuisine Afghan cuisine is one of the richest and most diverse culinary traditions in the region. It has been influenced by Persian, Turkic, Indian, and Central Asian cultures. The food is generally aromatic, flavorful, and based mainly on rice, meat, bread, and mild spices. 1) Famous Rice Dishes Qabuli Palaw The most famous Afghan dish: * Steamed rice * Lamb or beef * Shredded carrots and raisins * Almonds and mild spices Chalaw Gosht * Plain white rice (chalaw) * Cooked meat (usually lamb or beef) * Served with meat broth or tomato sauce 2) Meat Dishes Kebabs Kebabs are very popular in Afghanistan: * Afghan kofta kebab (minced meat kebab) * Chanjeh kebab (grilled meat chunks) * Chicken kebab They are usually served with rice, bread, and salad. Qorma (Stews) * Meat cooked with vegetables or legumes * Examples include meat qorma or vegetable qorma * Slow-cooked for rich flavor 3) Bread and Simple Dishes Afghan Naan (Tandoor Bread) * Large, round flatbread * Baked in a traditional clay oven (tandoor) * Staple food served with most meals Mantu * Steamed dumplings filled with meat and onion * Topped with yogurt and tomato sauce Aushak * Dough filled with leeks or vegetables * Served with yogurt and meat sauce 4) Soups and Light Meals Shorwa * Meat and vegetable soup * Commonly eaten during winter 5) Desserts and Sweets Halwa * Sweet made from flour, sugar, and oil Sheer Birinj * Rice cooked with milk, sugar, and sometimes cardamom Key Features of Afghan Food * Heavy use of rice and meat * Mild (not very spicy) flavors * Use of spices like cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon * Special dishes are often served during gatherings and celebrations read more

I really wanted to love Ghazni's but it just didn't hit the spot for me. The parking on the site of the building is extremely convenient. The inside from my guess seats about 40 people max but seems that they may receive more takeout orders. I appreciated the chicken serving on the Grilled Chicken Salad but, there was definitely not enough greens. I also feel that red onion would've leveled up the salad. The chicken was not dry at all. The beef kabob was tasty however, the meat serving sizes for the kabob plate was quite small. read more

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Food was good and reasonably priced, freshly made/cooked because they took their time to make it and I appreciate it. You can tell by the freshness of the quality. Service was amazing, she doesnt as smile as much but she's really really nice and attentive! Baklava was so sweet lol but overall we will come back and try more items read more

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Genuinely good food. Orders were taken in a timely manner, food came out at a appropriate time...you receive large portions of food enough to take some home. read more

I would define the food here as delicious "home cooking," made with love. Where they shine is execution. Everything was fresh, tasty, and prepared exceptionally well. My go-to is the triple kebab (which you can customize), and I'm partial to their shami (ground beef), chicken, and chapli (beef patty). The meat is succulent and incredibly well-seasoned, with the shami being a standout...definitely the kind of dish you don't judge by its cover! This dish is served on a bed of rice and small salad. The rice is cooked well. I have also tried several of their appetizers, and my favorites are the samosas and borani banjan (eggplant), though the bolani are also great, and the serving size is enough to feed a small army. The samosas are a nice departure from traditional samosas I am accustomed to, especially at India restaurants. The ones here are large, flatter (almost like an empanada), and not the slightest bit greasy. You can tell they make these fresh. The banjan have a nice acidity and a tasty cream/tomato sauce they are tossed within. The bolani can be prepared with either leeks or potatoes (or ask for a combo!) and are served with a cream dipping sauce. I feel that everything here is a good value, with the triple kebab coming in at $25, and the appetizers all coming in at $10-$15. You will not leave hungry. read more

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Great Afghan food! Tried the bolani, mantu, and the kofta. Everything was delicious. I appreciate the chill ambiance it feels like someone's home. Always happy to stop by for lunch or dinner here read more

Quaint place in Hayward. Came because of the great Yelp reviews. Did not disappoint. Favorites for me was the Mantu. Well seasoned filling. And the star of the show was the Chicken Shawarma on my wife's plate. I wanted to eat it all. The flavor was rich and had a lot of depth. Not like the chicken shawarma at Greek places. This had reminded me of tandoori chicken spices. Amazing and well executed. Just enough char and not burnt. I would come back just for this dish. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Chicken Shawarma Plate. No rice/all salad - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

Instead of visiting this place, I order food delivery. I was disappointed that they were out of the one item, Qabuli Palaw, I truly wanted. Although I was informed after my order submission. I probably would have cancelled my entire order. So I substituted another dish. Overall the food was delivered hot, surprisingly I enjoyed the chicken korma which was the replacement dish more than the chicken shawarma plate. Within the plate, the salad and shornakhud were very nice. The cucumbers and cucumber sauce were refreshing. And the baklava, as small as this servicing was delightful with sweet sticky nutty flavor and texture. read more

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Came here on a Monday evening around 6:30pm with a friend and was seated right away. Around 7:00pm, it started to get more crowded. Staff and Service: - It was a bit tough to track the staff down once we got our food - The staff was helpful when we did chat with them - Murgh Kabob: similar to a tandoori chicken type of dish on top of rice and with a side of salad. This dish is quite large with a ton of rice - Manti: tasty dumplings with sauce - shared this between two of us Miscellaneous: - Parking is quite difficult here. We ended up parking around the corner in front of residential houses. Looks like there was a parking lot but is fenced off? read more

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Finding a place that doesn't compromise on traditional flavors can be a challenge, but Ghazni delivers a genuine experience from the moment you walk in. This isn't just a "kabob shop"; it's a showcase of Afghan culinary heritage. read more

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The food was very flavorful and delicious. The service was relaxed and friendly. The ambiance was calm and pleasant, but a bit noisy with voices echoing a bit. read more

First time trying Afghani cuisine and it was a delight. Owner walked us through our options as vegan/vegetarian, and we were spoiled for choice. The bolani filling was tender and the flavors were bright and fresh. The butternut squash was spiced, warm, and the exact right texture and consistency. Beautiful interior, gorgeous and impeccably clean. Service was lovely, we felt very confident in our choices when guided through and left with a new appreciation for Afghani food. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Bolani Leeks - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

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Food was amazing! Very fresh and delicious. Order as follows: Samosa, Bolani Leeks Mantu Appetizers. Even though the last samosa had hair in it the waiter ensured to take it off our bill. The appetizers overall were extremely delicious. Service was good fast and efficient. Ambiance was amazing. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with Afghan art/pictures. The restaurant is extremely clean a lot of great lighting. Parking is on the street but plenty of it. read more

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So I'm so tempted to give it 4 stars but the triple combo was just not it. The chicken and beef were delicious and the lamb was good but I was pretty surprised at the proportions, much less meat than I thought was worth the price. Fed and green sauces are delish, the mantu are pretty good too! read more

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Dont know what is up with the folks there but terrible service. Got the order wrong and the busboy had the audacity to argue with us. The waitress nearly kicked us out of the place and didnt even want to entertain further orders. Some of the meat was done well while others were too rubbery ... first afghan place where hospitality was an issue. read more

I came to this place to cater for my event that was having for 150 people The owner's brother offered to deliver it to the hall. We had agreed on that and then 30 minutes prior to the event the owner had called me and told me to come pick up my food because they don't deliver for free this place is in Hayward and the event that I was having was in Concord. I told him I know that I was paying for the delivery. I tried to explain that your brother told me he will deliver. The owner was rude and disrespectful also, he was careless that my food wasn't gonna be there on time and had said I don't care about your business he didn't believe me I told him I was going to give his brother an extra $200 as a tip for delivering so I had called his brother and told him what had happened and he said don't worry about it I will deliver so I honestly don't recommend anyone coming to this place read more

This is a review of their takeout food, I didn't dine in so can't speak of the service or ambience. I ordered the chicken kabob over rice. I'm taking one star off just coz the menu described it as tender pieces of chicken and what I got were 6 pieces of chicken that were a mix of dry and semi tender. But they tasted really good! Their green sauce (?) was really good, honestly elevated the dish. Their bread was probably as tall as me lol but I'm not complaining. Overall, the food was good. I would definitely try them again, maybe the grilled fish this time, it did look good. read more

great food, attentive service, and a homey vibe! We ordered the chicken kabobs, beef kabobs, and a mantu. All the kabobs are charbroiled to perfection and the mantu was so yummy as well. They serve free bread which you can dip with both the red and green sauces on the table. I do like the red/green sauces at other afghan places better, but this was still good. I would come again! read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

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The charbroiled meat was the best among the rest as they were well seasoned, tender, good portion, with brown seasoned rice and salad with yogurt sauce. There is usually no waiting time. I don't feel thirsty after eating at this restaurant as I would sometimes at different Kabob places. It has been at this location for years, and they were able to maintain the food quality and the prices were good. read more

I go nearly every week and make a big order, plus I occasionally take visitors there for lunch. I calculated that I probably spend between $3500 and $4000 per year there. it's consistently great and is my favorite restaurant in Hayward. before they showed up here, I was driving down to Newark regularly for Afghan cuisine, which I love, so it's a joy to have such a treasure right here in Hayward. Everything they do at Ghazni is good. I've had no bad dishes on the menu. I have also gotten to know the owners and lead chef, and they are terrific people. read more

Always a great meal from here! They make a very delicious chicken salad (with a LOT of chicken!). Their platters are delicious too, just wish there was hummus available. It's never too busy so that's always a plus, even during peak lunch hour! read more

The restaurant isn't much to look at from the outside but the food is worth a stop if you're in the area. The decor and seating fixtures inside the restaurant are also somewhat dated so think of this place as a lunch spot with friends / colleagues and not a place with a "date-night" atmosphere. The chicken korma ($13.95) was good with a nice balance of spices and richness from the curry. The rice was prepared well and served as the perfect compliment to this dish. The Murgh Kabobs ($15.95) were a bit overdone to my liking but my wife, who ordered them, prefers a well-done style steak so she quite enjoyed the thorough cook on these pieces of chicken. The value for price paid on this dish is a bit off. I expected more than what I assume is a single skewer of chicken (4oz?) over rice and a small side salad. So we may order something else if we visit again. Soft drinks are served in cans, not through a fountain machine. We didn't order dessert but they looked to have had an interesting selection in their freezer by the front. Service is fairly fast with minimal contact. You order via a QR code at the table and your food is delivered to you when it's ready. read more

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Been coming here for a while now. I ordered online and although it showed up a bit after the expected time. The customer service was great, my food was fresh like it just came off the grill. They always give you great portions. Food tastes amazing. What a great spot to have in Hayward. read more

Delicious! Home-y feeling to the restaurant. Prices can be a bit more expensive; however the taste is amazing. They are not holding back on flavor town. I will be coming back! Disclaimer that the plain yogurt drink is a saltier version. I'm sure there are sweet ones you can order directly. read more

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I picked up takeout at lunch for two. I was greeted by friendly staff in a smaller clean restaurant. The chicken plates were both excellent as was the service, ensuring that there were utensils and napkins along with both sauces on the side. What a great local restaurant! read more

I found what I ordered (aush a type of soup and the murgh kabob) to be really good. Honestly, I read some reviews about the value, but I feel like the amount of meat on the plate isn't too small. Plus, with both the soup and the entree, I was able to split this into two meals because I couldn't finish in one sitting. That's value especially for a university student haha. The aush soup is interesting. It didn't look too much like the pictures I found online but it was quite good still. My friend remarked, like noodles in a tomato-ey chili. We also received a little sauce or dip. I don't have a picture nor do I really know what it was (forgive me) but it had chickpeas in it and was light green... that was good too. Though we didn't know if we were eating it right. Overall, the ambience is what it is, but I think I'll return for the takeout. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Aush, Murgh Kabob - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

Big Disappointment on my Triple Combo... I place an order using their direct business website app and went to pick up a Triple Combo yesterday, which is supposed to include few pieces of chicken, few pieces of steak, and a piece Chapin. When I got home and opened the container, I noticed it was only one singluar piece of steak. I have ordered many times before and I dont recall it looking like this. It was disappointing to look forward to a full meal and realize it wasn't complete. Just a heads-up to anyone ordering from here... Make sure to check your order before leaving the restaurant. It's frustrating to pay for something and not get what you ordered. I hope the restaurant takes this kind of feedback seriously, and customers shouldn't have to double-check for basic quality control. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Triple Combo - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

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Came here for lunch and it was very quiet in the restaurant. Has a nice setting for dining. Not super fancy. The food was so good and the service was also very prompt and polite. We enjoyed the eggplant and also the lamb kebabs. It was perfectly seasoned and the portions were very generous. I thought the bread was ok. Will be back to try more dishes! read more

Would've been more stars but what's the point of good food if the inconsistent hours prevent you from eating it? :(( I love their samosas, eggplant, and kebobs but twice now, we've come here within their posted hours and been told they're not seating anymore. Most egregiously, we came at 6pm on a Sunday when their hours say close at 7:30pm and were turned away while other people seemed to be picking up/making online orders? Honestly really disappointing and confusing... read more

It's been five years since I have gone here with my husband and now I remember why it's been so long. We arrived at 5:30p our reservation time for twelve people and they close at seven, mind you. My family came here celebrating being together again as someone came from out of town. Thought we had enough time to mingle chat a little and eat good food. Place is the same and has not changed at all. No private parking but street parking. Well, the elder lady owner was nice and greeted us nicely. They let us sit at the table while we waited for the others. We ordered our appetizers early but she never placed it in right away to receive right away when the others arrived. The rest of our party came shortly after and we finally ordered. She took our orders but she was getting it mixed up pretty fast. She wanted to take the orders little by little to the kitchen to probably start cooking it instead of taking all our orders at once since we were ready. Strange. I mean it was almost closing time and she was taking long. Felt Iike she was getting distracted. While this was happening, four other groups of customers came in. Then we finally got our two orders of 'Mantu' and three orders of 'samosas'. We even got our order of 'Bolani' after awhile and we still didn't get our main meal. Those were good btw! My dad got his meal first out of all of us. At the same time, while we waited a long time for our meal to come, the other group of customers got their meal first. WTF! They probably gave our meals to them! Our party was actually disappointed with their main dishes. Only the appetizers were good. The chutney was soupy and a little too sour. I liked the red sauce. The chicken kabobs and Chapli did not have enough flavor. It was actually blah, and no spice flavor whatsoever. Even the Chapli was not spicy. I only thought the beef kabobs on my three combo was flavorful but the meat was tough. The chicken was tough, too and dry. Sorry to say I was very disappointed. Maybe they rushed the cooking since it's end of their day on a Sunday but still. Prices have gone up due to inflation but still decent. Now, I for sure, won't be coming back. Service is questionable as it seems selective and food is eh. I hate giving bad reviews but they could do so much better with bigger groups. We just did not want to order more. It took too long or we might not even get our order on time! [29R,2024] read more

Idk what to say other than underwhelmed and sad. I'm very surprised this place has 4 stars. I personally feel like this place is no where near on par to the Afghan food in Fremont. Flavors from meat, chicken, sauces, and all were beyond underwhelming. Nothing special, I wish I just made a girl dinner at home Items ordered: -Borani Banjan appetizer: decent, nothing to brag about, i've had better -Lamb Kabob: Dry & not a lot of flavor -Murgh Kabob (chicken): inconsistent inside. Some pieces were very dry and others were undercooked. read more

Stopped by to pick up an order of Qabuli Palaw. It was good. The Service was great. Qabuli Palaw is my favorite Afghan dish.

Stopped by here for lunch and it was amazing the food was delicious. I have the teak steak kabobs and my bf had the murgh chicken kabobs both were delicious. I don't eat much rice but this rice was amazing. Service was fast seated fast because there weren't too many people there for lunch. The salad was great the green item on the plate i have no clue what it is was good too. Small place, but food was great. I didn't see parking but the bank next door is closed and empty. Really great prices as well for the portions. Really enjoyed my experience here read more

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Triple combo plate Borani banjan Mantu Everything was fantastic, each bite made me want more. We had the appetizer sizes for the borani banjan and mantu and wished we ordered larger portions. For 2 people all this food is plenty for you to feel full and maybe need to loosen your belt a little, however not uncomfortable. Absolutely give this place a try, you will not be disappointed. Ask for recommendations from staff. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

Having had a dine-in experience in the past with slow service, I was reluctant to come back here. However, after finding ourselves in the area and not having had lunch yet, I decided to place an online order. We ordered the mantu, leek bolani, triple kabob plate with murgh (beef skewers), chapli (mildly spiced beef patty), and tekka (chicken), and Borani Banjan (sliced, perfectly seasoned and spiced eggplant with yogurt- the absolute WINNER out of all the dishes we ordered). From the time the order was placed to the time it was ready for pick up was around 20-30 minutes, to give you an idea of how much time to allow yourself to get there. It is well worth the visit! I love Afghan food, and am so happy to see they were able to open their second location on Winton. read more

Really enjoyed my meal here. Came with family members (total of 4 in our party) on a weekday holiday afternoon, and we split one appetizer and two kabob entrees. You order through a QR code. The sides (rice, chickpea salad, lettuce salad) were nice complements to the kabobs. I thought the chicken kabobs were more enjoyable (more tender) than the beef, but that might just be because we ordered the beef medium well. I enjoyed the spicy sauces they had on the table to eat with flatbread, and the eggplant appetizer was also flavorful. Two entrees + the appetizer was an alright quantity for 4 small appetites, but would order more if I came with a hungrier crowd. Service was not super attentive (maybe a little short-staffed?), but the staff was helpful when we went up to ask them for things. read more

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The chicken kabobs were tender with good flavor. It was just one skewer so 6 pieces. Came with rice and some salad so nice size for one person. We ordered the Bolani with Potatoes and my friend enjoyed but had too many onions for me but I didn't ask what all was in it. It is also a huge dish. Could have been an appetizer for 6. He took it to go as they said they are also good cold. We also tried the Borani Kadoo. This was with squash and it was surprisingly a bit spicy. I thought it was described as sweet and I have had it other places and it has always been sweet. So just know the difference here. Can tell it's a family run place and the gentleman who took our order was nice and helpful. The place is very clean but I will say a bit too bright. They have canned lights and I was happy they were not fluorescent but still would help if they dimmed it a bit for ambiance. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Potato Borani with lots of onions in it. - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California

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I have been a big fan of this place for the past 6-8 months and probably order at least 25-30x and picked it over all other Afghan spots ..the last 3x the food experience here has been horrible. I personally hate to say this but it seems they just throw in the food in and hope for the best. Feels like they stop caring. Probably my last time. Please make an effort, burnt food, smaller portions, and other concerns but literally having someone do a quality check could actually bring in more customers read more

I took my mom here for a Mother's Day brunch right when they opened. When we got there, nobody greeted us so we took a seat. Because they had just opened it took them a while to take our order, especially since online orders were coming in and more people started arriving. Our food took almost an hour to come out and we were missing some pieces of meat, but the servers were so busy that we didn't say anything. The food itself was good. The chicken was juicy, the rice was seasoned, and there were tasty vegetables. Inside the restaurant, there are quite a few tables that are good for large groups as well. It just sucks that the service was so slow and that some of our food was missing. read more

Ghazni Afghan Kabobs - Afghan Near Me - Hayward, California