4.5 STARS Like your legs thiccc and chonky? Medina got you! On my hunt for outdoor seating, I came across Medina Kebob House on yelp, an under the radar Afghan restaurant. Not going to lie, I was kinda iffy because of the mixed reviews. But, if you skim through, most of the negative ones are for the buffet which is no longer offered. Welp, you're never going to know unless you try it yourself and I'm glad I did! Medina Kebab House is open for takeout, delivery (3rd party apps), indoor dining, and dog-friendly outdoor dining. Yelp hours are wrong; they open at 11:30 am, not 11 am. But, the owner (one man show) was kind enough to take our order when we arrived at 11:20 am. M E N U Bolani (stuffed flatbread), Quabili Pallow (Afghan rice w/ lamb shank), Kebabs, Stews, etc. Meats are halal. Buffet is no longer offered. F O O D * Chapli Kabab Platter: Minced Beef Patties w/ basmati rice, salad ($15.49): https://bit.ly/3Hc7cS5 The chapli kebabs were delicious - crispy seared crust and well-spiced meat. The tomato in the middle helped the patties retain some moisture. The white basmati had perfectly separated grains with a bite to it. The sumac dusted salad (chopped romaine, tomatoes, and red onions) provided some freshness. I wish there was Afghan cilantro chutney for punchy heat. The accompanying yogurt sauce (too watery) and hot sauce (not spicy) were underwhelming. * Qabili Palau: Afghan Rice w/ lamb shank, carrots, raisins, salad ($20.79): https://bit.ly/3p5H2dD ***National dish of Afghanistan The thiccc and chonky braised lamb shank was so meaty and fork tender: https://bit.ly/3JLBkW7. The brown basmati rice was flavorful from soaking up the broth. The carrots and raisins added sweetness. All that missing was the golden almonds for crunch. Generous portions; had enough leftovers for another meal. S E R V I C E Warm, friendly, and gracious owner. Fast casual set-up but he made sure our table had shade by coming out to roll up the umbrella. We were the only ones there and our order took about 15 minutes. A M B I A N C E Hole-in-the-wall in a dated micro strip plaza. Handful of tables indoors and four tables in the front patio. P A R K I N G Street parking on a one way residential area. Overall, solid Afghan meal that's easy on the wallet with generous portions. If you're looking to satisfy your carniwhore cravings, give Medina Kebab House a try! read more

Not a sanitary restaurant! Saw a lady changing a baby's diaper in the kitchen and then went to work in the kitchen (awhile back.)

Absolutely a hidden gem! The chef is super friendly and accommodating. The food.... Delicious!!! The chicken is moist... the rice fluffy! read more

Pizza is excellent Lot of veggie's and great amount of Halal meat Enjoy every bite of it Lot of other signature dishes I have tried couple of them They have great taste Strongly recommend. read more

Medina kabob market on bellomy st, is our go to place for halal pizza. Their pricing and sizing is unbelievable and such a great deal. We always get pizza from here without thinking twice. We used to get their veggie pizza Untill they came out with their spicy chicken veggie pizza and upgraded to that flavor. Their wings are great too to go along with pizza as well. We got our start on cooking homemade pizza from this place since it was so good and when we dont feel like making pizza at home we would get pizza from here (except on tuesdays when they r closed). I have had their buffet once too in the day a long time ago and have no complains. For other side items , their burgers are not that good though, i would not recommend burgers from here. Their bolani is good as well which is good, but we do not get as often since we get their pizza and wings more often Regardless, pizza id recommend medina kabob market over via mia any day. read more

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It's a really good food and excellent services. I love it. it's delicious. I am not from Afghanistan but sure I'll come back many times.

Food: 3.5 stars [4 starts for the dry kebabs] Overall Service: 2.5 stars I have visited this eatery twice, and was impressed with the quality of their food (AYCE buffet, to be precise) I loved the dry-kebabs at first bite, and went back for more at least 3-4 times. They're so good! For reals! PROS: 1) Dry kebabs and stuffed bread taste very good. (The complimentary green chili and yogurt sauce go very well with these items) 2) Kitchen next to eating area. You can see food being made fresh. 3) Parking lot next to eatery. Very convenient. 4) The quality and variety of food for the lunch AYCE menu is worth the $9.99 price. Dry and curried meats, salad, boiled rice and biryani, fish kebabs, stuffed bread, noodles etc. CONS: 1) They say they open at 11:00am, but even thought we arrived around 11:30am both times, half of the trays were empty. No rice, no dry kebabs, no salad. Even the hot water thermos for tea was dispensing cold water! So yeah, if your lunch break ends before noon, this place in not for you. 2) They take forever to refill the trays; like forever! 3) Did not see around 15 dishes as promised on the menu; only 10-11 dishes, including rice. Would i visit again? Maybe; but just because the dry kebabs are YUMMY! read more

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I was skeptical about this place at first, but I heard from friends this place was under new management and that it was significantly better now, and they were right! First off, the place is definitely a hole in the wall in the South Bay, but surprisingly, the exterior of the place is very peaceful and aesthetic, with rose flowers surrounding the entrance, and plenty of sunlight if you decide to dine outdoors on a sunny day. The staff was very friendly and the price was fair for what you get! I tried the chapli kababs and the rice and I loved it. The kababs are always freshly made, juicy, and flavorful. I was thoroughly impressed by how good it was, and would definitely come back and try their other items on the menu. I've also tried the pizzas from this place and they're also very good -- freshly made with generous toppings. I'd highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

Medina Kabob House - rice (to-go) - Afghan Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The best Halal food i ever had.. they are so friendly.. so recommended.. they cooked with love and passion.. everything super tasty read more

Medina Kabob House - Grill lamb, biryani and pulao .. all super good... - Afghan Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Ordered the combo plate. The rice was very dry and so was the beef kabob. It definitely lacked flavor and tenderness. The chicken was also quite chewy. Sorry not coming back here again. $14.99 was a waste. Instead I could have gone elsewhere read more

Medina Kabob House - Combo plate - Afghan Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Very good food and service. I had the combo kabob plate with chicken chapli kabob and it was really good. Definitely going to be coming back. read more

Pretty decent, cozy place, tasty food, friendly staff, large selection of food. Highly recommended.

Very good Bolani and kababs. Hidden gem that needs more love. The owner is very kind and takes good care of the customers.

Fantastic, authentic food made by the nicest people you'll ever meet. We've gone back many times for shawarma, stew, kebabs, and more. The owner of the store worked with US troops in his homeland of Afghanistan, then came here a few years ago. So happy to support him, especially with such a yummy food! read more

Medina Kabob House - Chicken shawarma - Afghan Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I've been coming here for the last 6 years and I keep coming back for a reason. Its one of my favorite restaurants in the bay area and it makes the entire family happy. I usually get one of their signature dishes, the kabuli pulao. This restaurant makes it the best out of any other place I've tried. It's authentic, fresh, and reliably delicious every single time. Not to mention kitchen turnaround is quick. I don't think I've ever waited more than 25 minutes, even for a large order. The owner is also a terrific person who intentionally keeps his prices low for customers even when the price of meat and ingredients have gone significantly up. This is one of the first restaurants I recommend to friends and family when we're looking to eat out. They have a lot of menu options and they're all really good. One of the reviews on here mentioned the food was 'cold' and 'horrible'; I've ordered countless of times over the years and its always been consistently top quality. They always give large portions as well that I can never manage to finish on my own. You can't go wrong with coming here. It has the added charm of being a unique hole in the wall that's very relaxed and an overall nice place to spend an afternoon. read more

Worse customer service ever! I called by mistake not knowing they changed the owner. Instead of getting help the owner just spoke to me in a very rude way and hang up the phone on me saying don't waste our time! Excuse me! You just lost customers but also I do not recommend your place to anyone! What goes around will come around! read more

I was visiting Santa Clara with my Family and it was lunch time so we Googled something close by and I guess it was our Lucky Day! This is a Family business run by an awesome couple, Muhammad and Zarina. Both the two individuals welcomed us with a huge smile and that just tells you so much about a place and it's environment! We were warmly greeted and seated in the cute patio they have outside and it wasn't until the food came in for a family of 4. The QUALITY and TASTE of everything we ordered was just mind blowing. It was soo FRESHHH and TASTEFUL that it's going to make us come back for more!! Their portions are the best we've ever had, it was more than enough for us, for dine in and to go! This business deserves more love and support from the community and anyone who loves Middle eastern food! Thank you soo much Muhammad and Zarina, can't wait to be back for more! read more

One of the worst kabobs I have had in the Bay Area. Some were raw from inside and bland. Chapli kabob, beef tikka and beef seekh kabob, all tasted bad. Chapli kabob has a small stone in it. Low quality ingredients! read more

This is my first time eating Afghan food and this was an amazing experience. The food was amazing, full of flavors. Highly recommend this place. read more

We bought a large sized pizza for $22. It was good but since we asked for less cheese it wasn't the best. We do like how the dough was fresh but the cheese could've been better. read more

New restaurant opened by the owners of the Halal Market next door. Brought a whole group of ex-coworkers for a group lunch to catch up on old times. Between all of we got: - Koobideh (both beef and lamb) - Lamb chops - Chicken kabob - Quabili pallow - baked brown basmati rice with a lamb shank topped with carrots and raisins - Bolani - potatoes and onions with spices wrapped and grilled in a flat dough Everything was pretty tasty and surprisingly cheap. The lamp chops were the most expensive at $8.99, though they have a whole chicken dish for $9.99. The Bolani is huge and everyone who ordered it (the vegetarians) took the other half home. The funny thing about this place is they also have pizzas, though no one ordered those. Since they also own the market next door, they can get plenty of other things for you by walking through the doorway. The place is in a pretty run down old strip mall and parking is on the one way street. However the inside is new as they have just opened and they already seem to have a host of regulars. Worth checking out if you dont have the time of cash for the more expensive sit down Afghan places in the area. read more

This was an odd experience. No one greets you as you walk in and then multiple staff members walk by you without saying a word. Eventually someone came along to take my order - which was the buffet, so not really an order at all. The buffet is limited, but what is there is tasty. I could eat the curry cauliflower all day. The problem was there were hairs cooked into the beef kabob. I found two, but god knows how many I ate. I'm not as freaked out by this as a lot of people are, but it is still gross. The restaurant itself is kind of a dump. I've eaten at a lot of places that look like this with loose wires all over and pigeons walking on the floor, but they were in Laos and Cambodia, not the Bay Area. The shabby appearance of the place may not have stood out as much had it not been for the hair in the kabobs. Bottom line...the taste of the food is there, but the restaurant and staff leave much to be desired. read more

Medina Kabob House - Kabob with a side of hair. - Afghan Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Medina Kabob House is a small hole in the wall "restaurant" that serves cold, bland, and stale mockery of a dinner buffet. The dinner buffet consisted of a few items that were stale and cold. Some of the items that I remember were stuffed potato pancakes, chapati, salad, cold lentils, and some rice with lima beans. There was not any meat in the buffet and we had to request kebabs that took forever to make and were expensive. The dessert consisted of tea and rice pudding. All of the dishes were flavorless, cold, and just straight up nasty. Furthermore, Medina is definitely a small hole in the wall restaurant. There are only a few tables inside and no ambiance whatsoever. Do not ever take a date to this place! Overall, Medina Kabob house is not worth your money! Do not go to the dinner buffet unless you want to eat cold bread and lima beans rice. I would have preferred Taco Bell or Campbell's Soup over this place! 0 stars! read more

DO NOT GO FOR BUFFET!!!! They put out old leftovers in the buffet. Order from their menu card. read more

Great place to get some kabobs, bolomee and firnee. Drive 20 miles one way to get food Togo and 20 miles back. After all that, the food was still hot, fresh tasting and amazing. Highly recommend. Try the potato bolonee. Delicious!!! read more

best customer service nice and clean. fresh food with awsome taste I really like the shawarma ,and qabali the way they cook read more

Somehow I had missed this gem even though it practically is located 5 blocks awaybfrom where i love. Tried the quabili pallow which is basically braised Lamb shank over brown rice topped with raisin and carrots and it was out of this world. Also tried the kabobs and they were juicy and tender. Food prep took longer than expected so I recommend calling a head of time. read more

One of the best halal stores and restaurants...they have various brands and very delicious food.. Staff nice and friendly Recommended read more

Ordered the lamb chop and bolani Lamb chop - came with 6 pieces of lamb chop. The lamb is very flavorful and perfectly grilled. Served over rice and small salad on the side. Bolani - Wow!!! The portion of this thing is huge! I saw them putting this on the grill and thought maybe it's for 2 orders, but it's ALL my!!!! The bolani is very tasty, a little spicy. Nice and warm inside with the potato fillings and crispy on the outside. They offer buffet - (Lunch $9.49) and (Dinner $9.99 7pm~9pm), has around 13 items. My only complaint - I had called in the order but when I arrived, I think she forgot about the order. I had to wait for another 20 minutes. =( Errr~~~ read more

The buffet food is simply delicious. This place may not be the cleanest or most professional service restaurant on earth but the food tastes like top typical home cooking, for a fair price. The pizza is also very good, this is not the same crust than usual Italian pizza, it tastes great though. Beware it takes some time to cook but it's worth waiting if one is not in a rush. The outside patio is lovely and the staff do what they can to help. Authentic place. read more

Quabili Pallow Platter is amazing!!

I live across the street from this little gem. The food is of high quality and delicious. I'm still exploring the menu but so far my favorites are the gyro and chicken kabob. Can't wait to try something else next week. read more

The food was plentiful in one serving. The prices were reasonable. The rice was pretty good along with chicken kabob and kofta. The wait was around 10 minutes. I enjoyed the food a lot along with their red and green spicy sauces. read more

I was really hungry and I went there and I ordered half chicken roasted cuz I could only eat that cuz of my diet it's healthy and no oil! Everywhere when they roast the chicken they don't put the oily sauce on it but they put on mine and it was alot of oil and I told him that I can not eat that cuz there is alots of oil on it which is not normal and also I waited like 30 minutes for it they said" this how we cook it thank you"" like wow read more

Not very pleased with the buffet. First thing which disappointed me was the paper plates. If I wanted to eat on paper plates, I would have just got food to go. Also It is not very eco friendly to use paper plates and talk about waste. Secondly the food was not really Afghan food. It was a mixture of indo/paki food. Only thing Afghan was the Bolani. No Naan was included in the buffet which was a disappointment. I definitely will not be comming back. If your looking for genuine Afghan food drive a little distance to Fremont and try De Afghanan or Maiwand Kabob House. You'll thank me later. read more

Excellent flavorful food. We tried the chicken kabob and koobideh kabob combination with brown rice and salad. Everything was delicious. My husband had the burger and the spices were amazing. read more

Just had Kabuli palaw with a huge shank of lamb and it is the best I have had in a very long time. This is a small family run business and they use fresh halal ingredients. I highly recommend this place and try to order it ahead of time if you are in a hurry and want the item to go. They also have a great lunch and dinner buffet with grilled kabobs but the items are a subset of their menu. In my case, I love this central Asian dish and will definitely be coming back here again. read more

This place is the epitome of hole in the wall. It's no wonder there are so little reviews because it's soooo EASY to miss! If I didn't have GPS or YELP on my iphone I would have never dined here. I wanted to try someplace new and was looking for some cheap eats. Low and behold I ended up on a strip in between 2 streets. Bellomy and Winchester/Lincoln I think. It's a small, antique-complex with 4 or 5 stores. There IS ONLY street parking. No parking lots. They have lunch buffet for $9.99. CHEAP! You can get: White basmati rice or brown basmati rice A simple salad 4 different stews a flat bread with chopped sauteed onions another type of flat bread. Not naan. chicken koobideh beef koobideh curry and one other thing plus self serve hot chamomile tea OR you can order from the menu board. We sat outside at a dirty table ( I poured my hot tea over it and wiped it down--- after all, it is a hole in the wall with no servers or bussers). The only people that go here are local residents, the local businesses, and people who know the boss. So it seems...... I wanted cheap good food and I definitely got it... 3 stars only because I have had much juicier koobideh in my days. I would have given it a higher rating if they had a more diverse menu to choose from....This place was not bad at all though... Big bang for your buck... read more

"I know what I hate. And, it's not that!" What I mean is, I do not have any experience with Afghan Cuisine but I do love food and Medina Kabob had some excellent food. My favorite thing was that for $9.49, I was able to sample a bunch of different dishes from the All-You-Can-Eat lunch buffet. I really liked everything. I will admit, I had no idea what I was eating for the most part but it was all very delicious and I would definitely go back. FAVORITES: Delicious Naan style bread stuffed with potato & onion; Eggplant dish with a yogurt sauce drizzled over the top....yum. Had seconds on those and a ground beef kabob that had a unique and addictive seasoning inside. Just a warning that this is a smaller, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is in an unusual location. Don't let that stop you from trying out something new. Turn on the GPS and give it a go. Also, they are closed on Tuesdays. read more

Came here a couple weeks ago on a whim and was not disappointed!!! I searched randomly for lunch places nearby my location and this came up, so went and tried it. It's small and cozy but the staff is friendly, though really quiet/bashful. turns out they had a buffet, and I'm all about buffets, so naturally I decided on that, despite their huge menu complete with delicious looking pictures!!!! And it's cheap!!! Buffet selection isn't huge but they had more than enough to fully satisfy my hunger. There are 2 different types of rice selections, one white and another seemingly meaty but I don't really know (it was delicious though). Several veggie dishes but they all seemed to be seasoned the same with the only flavor difference coming from the veggie itself. Then they had some sort of chicken curry which was similar to the basic Indian curry, beef kabobs, and chicken kabobs. The kabobs were AMAZING!!!! I must have ate 3 plates full of rice and kabobs, in addition to some salad that they had. Some type of naan-like bread was provided and went very well with everything!! To add to the awesomeness of this place, a 67 year old, and very sociable, lady asked me to sit with her and proceeded to hit on me the entire time while telling me about life and her husband and kids... and how handsome I am!! lol Her glasses were on the table instead of her eyes... Oh yeah, they have one tv that was playing soccer, in slow motion, while the surround sound played instrumental music that would normally be played during an epic battle between two rival armies battling to the death or something!! Anyways, I'm going back today right after I submit this review!! I suggest you do the same!!! read more