if you've met me since covid, you've probably heard me rave about how much I love this restaurant in New Brunswick. I love afghani food and this one hands down is the BEST one I've come across. The flavorful rice to the assortment of savory and perfectly seasoned kebabs to the quantity - this is the best afghani / middle eastern restaurant I've had. I always order the family chicken platter for two and it comes with Adana kebabs (my favorite from here), Chapli kebabs, and Shish kebabs that are able to feed my family of 3 for both dinner and the following day's lunch. I do takeout always but you can sit upstairs - they have sitting layout of eating on the floor like it's done in Afghan. In this photo I ended up buying the family platter mixed (chicken and lamb) platter for 4 since it was more people. In hindsight, I'd still get the platter for 2 as it's roughly same size tray just a bit more quantity. Service is great. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Pukhtun Chicken & Lamb Platter for Four - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

I couldn't help but notice how many people were eating here. The restaurant performs reliably well. The restaurant crew is approachable and resourceful. Reliable place. Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine offers the ideal cozy dining atmosphere. read more

This place has clearly found the winning formula. Both team members and kitchen output impressed me greatly. The bill stays appropriate, the service quality high, and the food delicious. The portions satisfy, the preparation impresses, and the taste delivers. Your visit brings complete satisfaction. read more

Another great gem that we found in search for a good kabob spot. We ordered the mixed grill platter for 2 people. It came with a various assortment of Kabobs ( chicken n beef ). Lamp chop and cHunks of chicken and beef, served over a bed of rice and veggies on top. The presentation was very nice. All the meat items were very good and the rice was flavorful in itself. The veggies were grilled/sautéed. One of the kabobs was a little dry and I would have preferred for it to be more juicy and tender. Nonetheless, overall everything was very good and we were satisfied with the food quality and service. We will be back here soon. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Mixed grill platter - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Dry. That is the one word description of the food. I ordered the lamb mixed grill that was a shish, chapli and adana kabob with rice. My wife had the falafel wrap. All my lamb dishes were dry, I mean desert dry. The white garlic sauce helped, but it was dry. My wife's falafel was the worst falafel we've ever had. It was completely burned on the outside and was inedible. Look at the picture. And the pita was stale, tough and chewy. When we walked in for dinner, when we asked if we could dine in, I thought they were take out only the way we're were greeted. It was very unwelcoming And it's not the cleanest place either. I made a mistake of only looking at the ratings and not reading reviews - rookie mistake. I'm not sure why they get such high ratings, but it's the worst Middle Eastern food we have ever had. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Yes, that is supposed to be a falafel. - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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Delicious food, friendly service. I usually get the chicken mix grill platter. Portions are great and I usually have leftovers the next day.

This has been our go to for Afghani food for the last 2-3 years & the food has always been good. Last time was a couple of months ago and it was below average. We chalked it up to a bad day. Today's takeout was a disaster! All of the chicken and lamb was burnt! Completely inedible. So disappointing. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Lamb and chicken burnt - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

The food is delicious even from delivery and not even dining-in. Would come here to eat in-person sometime soon! Thank you for packing everything so carefully too! read more

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Wow! What an excellent dining experience. We ordered the lamb chapli kebab, the palak tarkari and the ashak. Everything was fresh and plentiful. The lamb kebabs were moist and perfectly spiced. The ashak appetizer dumplings were flavorful and a little spicy. But the star of the show was the palak tarkari - a vegetarian dish of spinach, onions, peppers and spices. It was seriously spicy but flavorful in a range of spices that are very different from any other cuisine we've tried. We're looking forward to another meal of the leftovers and we plan to order from Pukhtun again soon! read more

Food is really yummy... My favorite is Adana kebab and Chapli Kabab. I also like their rice and white sauce. Rice is little on the sweet side, but that's how afghani pulao is.. Customer service is on point. The person working the front desk is attentive and packs everything nicely... This place is good for takeout... they have sit down as well, but it's not that amazing.... Their prices are fair and portion size is very good... read more

Not a place for a first date. Small but cozy. Two available tables of 4. Parking on the street was hard to find. Overall clean. Ordered the chicken biryani. $11.99. Not much service. Waited 10 minutes before anyone offered to take my order. The bread was fresh. The rice was flavorful and a good portion. The chicken was moist. The dish had yellow and green squash, chicken, onions, with a strong cardamom flavor. Topped with a sprinkle of cilantro. The salad was a little brown. The white sauce was delicious. You can really taste the dill in the sauce. It's all about the food. This was good. I would order again. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Sitting at the 2nd table, looking out towards the streets. - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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This place is so busy, but the cashier was still so kind to carry my to go order to my car so I wouldn't drop anything. The impressive display of desserts (traditional Afghani sweets, Biscoff/Nutella cheesecakes, all home baked!) and the first row seat of the sizzling grill makes Pukhtun Afghan a premier destination in the New Brunswick area. An impressive amount of food for "two", the Pukhtun platter could easily feed four, so for the price I think the amount of food they give is incredible (for nearby college students, this must be a blessing). The flavors in the kebabs were understated and subtle but still good. The kebabs were all dry - perhaps because I took the food to go. The rice under the kebabs was tasty. I appreciated all the grilled veggies on top but they were somewhat bland. "Bolani" and "Mantu" alone would have nabbed this restaurant a 4 star. The bolani was simple but effective. I did have to air fry it when I got home because it got soggy. The "Mantu" was warmly spice and stuffed to the brim with meat, and I LOVED the lentils on top. I would have liked it to be creamier. The baklava was soaked through with very sweet syrup. It took away the crunch from the layers of filo pastry and almost made it taste like a donut. There also weren't enough nuts layered in for my liking. Personal preference, and maybe it was just a bad batch, but I wouldn't order this baklava again. read more

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A hidden gem in the sea of restaurants on Easton Ave. While on our way to fritz's for some American cuisine, we decided to try something new and this quaint restaurant caught our eye. The small interior isn't much but as you are led into the backyard, you are seated under a covered patio area with heaters if needed. The menu offered a wide array of Mediterranean food such as Baklava and Hummus as well as traditional Indian dishes of Biryani and Butter Chicken. We ordered the lamb kabob, mixed gyros, butter chicken, and samosas which all were delicious and worth the price. The service was wonderful and the place was clean. Definitely would come back due to the welcoming nature of the restaurant and staff, the quality of food, and the outdoor atmosphere. If you're looking for quality, delicious food and great service, this is the place to come! read more

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This restaurant never fails to deliver. We had a small party last week and got catering from Pukhtun. We had concerns about the amount of food for the guests and we were assured by the owner directly that we would have enough and extra. He was absolutely correct. Everyone loved the food and the portions. The variety of meat was excellent and everyone had their fill including some going for seconds. The staff at Pukhtun also made sure that we had plenty of bread, salad, and the essential sauces. Let's just say we had to repeatedly tell everyone where we catered from and where they are located because of how good it was. This is our go to for Afghan cuisine, and I'm sure there are a couple dozen more believers after the party. read more

Transitioning from NY to a NJ has posed its challenges, particularly in finding a good place to eat. However, my search for authentic Afghani food led me to this hidden gem. I love the food and it's well worth the journey. The lamb is delicious, but the chicken surpasses even that. Must try. read more

A great dining experience! The food is flavorful & delicious as well as plentiful. They have a great permanent outdoor seating area as well as upstairs dining room. The owner is very personable & during these COVID times the facility is very clean! DO NOT go to New Brunswick Without eating here! Very expansive menu & very affordable. Try the Ashak & Samosas for apps!! Awesome! read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

PHENOMENAL. Meat was so juicy and flavourful and everything else was delicious as well. Very generous proportions. Staff was so kind and hospitable. Even offered to help me carry the food to my car. Can't wait to stop by again! read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Lamb Pukhtun Chicken and Lamb Mixed Platter - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

We were looking for a nice Afghan restaurant in the area. We were not familiar with the area so we used Yelp and based on the reviews we were excited to eat here. They reserved us a table in the back and it all was good up until here. They put together 2 outdoor tables which had no cloth or plastic covering and the table was sticky and filthy. We practically had to beg them to wipe it clean and it was still sticky and dirty. A simple table cloth or cover would have fixed the situation. Nonetheless, we decided to stay as my mother in law is disabled and walked all the way to the back and up the stairs at this point. We ordered the food, appetizers (aushak, bolani, pakora, fries). The appetizer Aushak was a poor attempt at the real authentic dish. We were hungry and had no choice. We ordered the family platter for 4 and a family platter for 2. We were a party of 5 and 3 kids. The food came out and we forgot all about the terrible appetizers. The Lamb kebab and Adana were burnt. The rice was not fresh AT ALL. No one even came to check on us or to ask us how the food was. This is our daily cuisine at home and we know what fresh and authentic Afghan food looks and tastes like. I went to the counter and told the guy. He didn't seem to care and nor did he do anything for us. The total came out to $221! I was absolutely shocked. They had the nerve to charge us 18% gratuity with sub par service and a sad excuse for authentic food. My entire family was so disappointed. Not a single person was happy. On top of this the prices we were charged were different than that of the menu. $9.99 on Aushak instead of $6.99, $75.99 on platter instead of $71.99. By law you do not need to pay gratuity if the service does not meet expectations. Forget the service, the food was awful. We will never be back and do not recommend this place. read more

I first came to this restaurant back in October 2020. I had come here with my mother on a Thursday night and had a really good experience. We ordered the Mantu, Half Grilled Chicken, and Shir Chai. All of it was delicious. Despite the lockdown and chilly weather the area was bustling with people and there were a lot of people eating in the restaurant. This was a fairly diverse group of people (i.e. they weren't all Muslim immigrants). It took me a while to come back to the restaurant since I don't live in New Jersey or anywhere nearby. I finally made it back today with my family. This was on a Friday afternoon and the whole area was deserted. We were the only people eating in the restaurant. I ordered the Mantu and the Pukhtun Chicken Platter for Two. The Mantu didn't taste the same as it did before, It was no where nearly as good. It was heavily spiced like an Indian dish. Mantu is an Afghan dish and it's not supposed to be spicy. It was not like this before. I accidentally ordered the Pukhtun Chicken Platter for Two because I forgot what chicken dish I ordered before (the Half Grilled Chicken). The Pukhtun Chicken Platter for Two was rather bland and forgettable. I wouldn't say the food was necessarily horrible, it just wasn't particularly good. The total for our meal came to about $45. I didn't recognize any of the staff, they were NOT the same people working there back in October 2020. I don't know what happened to this restaurant. There might have been a change of ownership. There definitely has been a change in the cooking staff. This is definitely NOT the same restaurant that I visited back in October 2020. I would definitely NOT recommend this restaurant. read more

Food is generally good but we ordered food for a party today. it was brown rice, chicken shish kebabs and also chicken seekh kebabs. everything was tasteless and seemed it was made few days ago. chicken and even rice were dry and lacked flavor. I had some home cooked food to save the party as this food was an epic fail. when the restaurant owner was made aware of the wasted food , we were told to Boycott the restaurant next time. no apology whatsoever was made. I want to be reimbursed for the three dishes that I ordered in full. read more

Wow, what a hidden gem I have found in New Brunswick right by Rutgers! Everything was made to perfection, loved the grilled Pepper with every platter. The restaurant is very generous with the white and hot sauce too. Definitely going back to try out other items on the menu soon. read more

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We stumbled in late in the day and our server was so friendly and greeted us as if we were the first customer of the day. We were offered suggestions that were phenomenal, especially the Ashak. Incredible potions of Lamb Gyro (offered in spicy or regular) and lamb kormo. Then we were offered dessert, and initially declined, until we were asked about Kanafah and warm milk tea! If Kanafeh is available when you visit, you must get it with the warm milk tea! Can't wait to visit again! read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Wall painting heading to the second floor. - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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Owner was very kind and considerate. Food was prepared so promptly and was delicious! I got the chicken and lamb platters for my family and they loved the rice bread meat and charred vegetables. Decently priced and really good to get for a gathering. I've also had their hearty dal soup and it's great for a rainy day. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Chicken Cheese Adana Kabob - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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The food here is fresh and phenomenal. There didn't seem to be a lot of space to sit and dine in, but we did anyway and it was delicious. I'd def be ordering here for takeout read more

Delicious food! Takeout packed nicely with plenty of sauce and utensils. Butter chicken with Afghan rice is my favorite dish. Chicken is tender and not fatty like so many others. Sauce Is creamy and so flavorful, YUM! Lamb Chapli is juicy and bursting with flavor. Also recommend the shrimp appetizer, which is loaded with spicy mayo sauce. Crispy shrimp, generous portions. Highly recommend read more

The food is delicious and the outdoor patio is well made, warm and covid friendly. Desserts are also delicious, and not just the traditional kind. Nutella cheesecake and macrons are our favorites. read more

Amazing Food that has just the right amount of oil and spice. You can't miss the PORTION SIZE!! BANG BANG SHRIMP PLATTER MEAT FOR 4 AND CHICKEN FOR 2 You have to get these or you're missing out. Owner came by and asked us how was the food..that shows he is interested in his customers and not just the $$. The same with thr chef extraordinaire. we even cut a Birthday cake which was extra delicious!! For my foodies out there, it's a must have! read more

Awesome food and great serving sizes! We got the lamb and chicken family platter which was enough for two people for two meals! Chicken kebab was my absolute fave, so moist and delicious flavor! Babaganoush was also excellent, needed a little acidity from the lime that was included but very good. The only thing I was not as much a fan of was the pita, but everything else was so good I didn't even mind. Would absolutely recommend! I would definitely say this place is on par with Namli which is also great. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Lamb and chicken family platter, and babaganoush. Both excellent! - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

doesn't look like much when you walk past it but the food is delicious. we ordered this for pick up and it was ready sooner than they originally planned and by the time i got it back home it was still steaming hot! the meat was tender and nicely seasoned. the rice was a little sweeter than most afghan rice but went well together. the bread could be a little fresher but nonetheless if i popped it in the over for a minute or so it would've been great read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Mixed Gyro - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Very good all around halal with afghani specialties as well love this place both for delivery or eat in. The gyro on rice with hot sauce is the best in New Brunswick. read more

It was alright. Wouldn't get again. Got the butter chicken and the lentil soup. Soup was hard to stomach, while the butter chicken was good. The bread was a bit stale which hurt the integrity of the butter chicken. Rice was solid and seasoned in an interesting way. Overall nothing special. read more

It was the first time visiting an Afghan restaurant. I spoke with the owner about a vegetarian recommendation. They have several as well as halal meat options. The owner and his wife are very friendly and told me outdoor dining will be available soon. There are several options available on the menu, I chose a falafel pita roll. It was delicious and the lettuce and tomatoes were very fresh. It is served with a white an red sauce which was so tasty. I also tasted the Borani Banjan it was a nice flavor combination of tomato, yogurt, and cilantro. Plenty of dishes for all to taste. Enjoy. read more

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Ok so they have outdid themselves this time! The lamb do pyaza is so well flavored and the meat is literally falling off of the bone, so tender! The Adana kabab is perfectly flavored (not spicy, but perfectly flavored). You can smell the yummyness (not a word, but Pakhtun has inspired me to create my own vocabulary) in the rice a mile away, I can still taste it and am kinda drooling (so embarrassing). I am headed back today to basically try what I have not already on the menu and will need to blame the owner for needing to buy larger clothes now. yummmmmm. (Not to mention the desserts in the display, omg). P.S. the decor is simply stunning and you honestly feel like you are in khyber pakhtunkwa in Pakistan/Afghanistan. If anything, go take a look at the wall you won't be able to stop staring. read more

If you are looking for MOUTH-WATERING, AMAZING FOOD... You've got to try PUKHTUN Afghan Cuisine! There's nothing like this in New Brunswick, well maybe in the ENTIRE Middlesex County! You won't be disappointed, I Promise!!! read more

The best kebabs and bang bang shrimp was AMAZING!!! Very friendly experience, like getting food from family. The quality was extremely fresh. So glad I found this place!!! read more

Stopped by here to grab a bite to eat while in the area recently for lunch. It's a small places that is mostly catered towards take out but there were two tables inside. We ordered a gyro wrap and the Afghan dumplings (Aushak) for to go and a chocolate baklava for while we wait. The cool was running behind because they were doing a produce run but we didn't mind waiting. It took longer than expected but the owner treated us to Afghan chai and mango cheesecake for free! The chai was heavenly and the cheesecake was seriously amazing! The baklava was perfect as well but the cheesecake was the star. When our food was done we took it and ate it when we got to where we were going. The gyro was really good with very tender lamb. The Afghan dumplings were simply amazing! They were covered in a ground beef tomato sauce that had so much delicious flavor. It felt like the ultimate comfort food! Seriously this place is an excellent choice. read more

Pukhtun Afghan Cuisine - Shir Chai - Afghan Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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Another welcome Halal food option in the Easton Avenue corridor. Should be a hit with Rutgers students whenever they return to campus. Try the Beef Chapli Burger read more

Amazing Afghan food in the heart of Rutgers right on Easton Ave in New Brunswick. The Chicken Cheese Adana is great and their various platter options are worth trying. They also have some really good appetizers like the mantu and ashak. An item that is a must try here is the bang bang shrimp, probably the best shrimp dish i've ever had. Desserts they have a lot of options as well, the pineapple delight is my fav. They have a really nice outdoor dining set up as well, looking forward to my next visit here. read more

We've ordered takeout from here several times now and the food is delicious. I highly recommend the Bang Bang Shrimp, the Lamb Chops and the Shepherd Salad. We got the family meal for Four and it was plenty of food and we are big eaters. The red and white sauces are so delicious! read more

First time dining at an Afghan restaurant so didn't know what to expect but I had seen the menu and it all looked delicious. We weren't disappointed! The Ashak was a recommended appetizer and that got us off on the right foot. Really tasty dumplings with a lentil sauce that was out of this world. I could have just had another order of those and been happy! But fortunately we also had the Chicken Chapli Kabob and the Lamb Shish and Adana Kabob - both amazing. The lamb - both types - was cooked just right and had deep, wonderful flavors and the chicken was just bursting. The chocolate baklava for dessert was out of this world and a wonderful take on the traditional pastry. Can't wait to come again! read more