Every experience is elevated when sharing a laugh and great eats with friends. That being said,…read morethis review is likely a bit bias, but nevertheless, Lapis became one of my favorite meals in DC. With a touching backstory and Michelin accolades, Lapis upholds its reputation offering modern Afghan cuisine and highly shippable drinks. It doesn't matter if you dine on the patio, in the main dining area or catch a vibe in the funkier basement, the energy adds a sparkle to every sharable home style dish. What did we enjoy? Well, we ordered (and inhaled) near everything with ease. The table favorites were the dal, lamb shank, and anything and everything served with bread! All three dumplings were a mixed bag, earning mixed reviews among the group, but I can confidently say that after trying all of their desserts...yes, I recommend ending your meal with a sweet treat (preferably with sharbat if you're a fan). And most importantly, if you choose to dine here, dine with friends because this food is best enjoyed family style, accompanied by deep belly laughs and genuine joy.

We were required to make a reservation with a credit card, with a $15/person penalty for…read morecancelation less than 24 hours. Typically reservations are made LESS than 24 hrs in advance in the FIRST PLACE!! We waited almost 25 minutes before our drink order was even taken, our cocktails arrived over 40 mins after being seated. Our server essentially ignored us the entire evening, naturally, bc their policy is that 20% tip is automatically added to ALL parties. So, of course, no incentive for good service. We had to flag down various servers throughout the evening, as we were never checked on. Arrogant and condescending servers when we got their attention. Huge disappointment; food was good, but the service was probably some of the worst we've ever experienced. Like they were doing US a favor when they designed to notice us. They literally couldn't care less

SO yummy!!! You order at the counter, sit down and they bring it out to you and provide meal…read moreservice. Truly unique. The owner, I'm assuming is the man at the counter, is also very nice and takes care of you. The flavors are so balanced. It's perfectly savory. And don't even get me started on the sauces! I find for the price it's also very well worth the amount you get considering it's mostly all protein with so much rice on the side. The pumpkin dish was also a sleeper - I don't even like pumpkin but it was SO good!! I'll definitely be back

Kandahar Afghan Kitchen offers authentic afghan cuisine. I enjoyed the chicken kabobs served with…read morerice, turnips and peppers. The dish was delicious and everything was served fresh. The staff were friendly and the ambiance is very traditional. I want to come back and try the lamb shank. I would recommend if you are looking for traditional afghan food.

Not sure how we waited this long to visit the Helmand but wow will definitely be a repeat visitor…read morebased on this first visit. My boyfriend's dad was visiting from out of town and we decided to take a chance and see if they had any spots open for a Friday night dinner for 3. They luckily did and we were lucky to find street parking right in front of the restaurant. The interior is done up very nicely with cultural decorative elements from the Afghani diaspora. Service was very fast and attentive and food did not take too long to get to us. I ordered the lamb shank with the raisin and carrot rice (as did my boyfriend's dad) and my boyfriend got the vegetable sampler. The lamb shank was so tender and the seasoning on it was so savory and complemented perfectly by the slightly sweet bursts of the raisins in the rice it came with. My boyfriends platter was also a smorgasbord of delicious looking veggie dishes. The prices are also very affordable in this neverending climate of higher prices for a nice meal out. Would absolutely recommend this place (I totally get why everyone raves about it) and will continue to visit in the future.

Made reservations but it didnt seem to matter, was not asked upon eventually greeting…read more The food was really good, came out super fast as well. I got the Shalgham challow but subbed the rice to the pillow and really enjoyedthe meal, good portion too. Also got that pumpkin appetizer which was good, but aside from the yogurt sauce, was just pumpkin, so wouldnt get again. I would visit again for the food.

Loved my lamb dish! Surprisingly reasonable pricing when you at opening/lunch too!…read more Nice cozy but elegant vibes. Great to take out your family or significant other. Interesting art on the wall and nice bathroom. Park on the parking garage below or on the side street/lot nearby. Make sure if you don't finish your lamb and ask to put it in a takeaway box go specify that you want your lamb scraps. Learn from me because my waiter tossed all my lamb and just boxed up the rice likely thinking I was done with them. Big bummer since I was looking forward to my leftovers but oh well.

Overall it was a good experience! We absolutely loved the bread and the difference sauces that…read morewent with it. The pumpkin dumplings and pan fried veggie filled dumplings were great as well. I thought my salmon wrap and the chickpea side was ok. Interesting flavors for sure. As for the service, there was always someone filling up our waters and our waiter was very nice checking in every now and then. The only downside of the experience is at the end when the waiter was boxing up all the food for us. Very sweet that they do this but when boxing up my partners food, they only boxed up the rice and they got rid of the lamb that he was looking forward to eating more of later. So that was kind of a disappointment for us. I think if we go again, we would request to box our food ourselves since I'm not sure why they decided to get rid of all of his lamb.

Recently visited this location and had a pleasant experience. I placed a mobile order for my go to,…read morechicken kebab meal, and it was ready when I arrived. I encountered friendly service. My meal was great. Fresh and tasty as usual. I got extra green sauce!

I travel all the way to HoCo to get my Afghan fix. for some reason, MoCo is filled with Iranian…read morekebab places; not that they're not good, but the sides at Maiwand are straight fire. This place always rocks and today it didn't disappoint. Finally able to use a 15% off coupon so I ordered everything: mantu, pumpkin, chicken tikka & kofta kebab, and spinach (subbed for salad). I did notice the rice is a lot different now; its a lot less dark and very little carrot/raisin as in the past. It was also a lot less flavorful, so that was disappointing. Everything else was top notch. Chicken tikka (boneless thigh) is by far so much better than breast meat. Its juicy and so much more flavorful. The showstopper however is the mantu; this is a true flavor bomb. I planned to eat this as a separate meal later, but I had to sneak a bite and wow. Beef and onion dumplings topped with lentils, more ground beef, and a creamy mint-garlic yogurt sauce that really takes it to another level. Will definitely return again soon.

Best seekh kabobs in town. As a Pakistani, I love spicy seekh kabobs and I ordered 5 of them to…read moretaste, they were incredible in both flavor and aroma. I'm so glad I found a great seekh kabobs place close to my house.

Very good fresh food made to order. Place your order early…read morebecause it's cooked fresh for you

Very good quality food, exceptional service, pleasant atmosphere, and extremely good bang for your…read morebuck. Service is seat yourself, and you order from a desk at the front. In the picture each entree was $14 each (Tandoori Chicken and Lamb Gyro Platter) and the Hummus was $7. Hummus was some of the best I've ever had, gyro was fantastic. And for the price the serving size was far larger than I expected- especially for being in downtown Baltimore. Strongly recommend coming! Especially recommend if seeing a show at the CFG Bank Arena and want to eat beforehand!

Long time fans of afghan food but we were blown away with the deliciousness of everything we ate…read more The pumpkin, the kabobs, even the rice were made with care and just so much flavor. Can't wait to come back!

Awesome!! Very…read moreTender proteins--we had beef kabadeh kabob, lamb kabob, a wrap, sambosa, mantu? Rich, warm flavors. Expertly cooked basmati rice. Interesting eggplant dish Generous portions. The fried dumpling sambosa-- really tasty! Felafel like insides. Flaky crisp skin-yummy!! The food is stellar! See pics below Super nice counter lady. You place your order, find yourself a table and pick up your food when they call your number. That's the ambiance. I'm down with that!! 5/5 highly recommend!!

Best food ever in an unassuming spot with the nicest guys ever working behind the counter.read more

Very welcoming staff! My partner and I got the 2 person platter and it was amazing. Definitely…read morewould come back here again.

Food is always excellent. The customer service is friendly…read more The location is convenient. The interior is clean. Noise level is low.

Craving lamb. Submitted my order via their website. Arrived at the restaurant and we were greeted…read moreas we walked in. The restaurant's decor is culturally appropriate. We arrived early evening and they had a candle and tablecloth on each table. I ordered Baadenjaan Bouranee, luscious eggplant dish; Frenched Rack Of Lamb, perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful; and Pumpkin Dumpling Entree, perfectly sweet, smooth interior and perfectly steamed dumpling wrapper. I will continue to support this establishment.

My girlfriend and I came here for dinner and we enjoyed how tender the lamb chops were and how…read moreperfectly made the pork tenderloins were. The assorted dumplings were so unique and tasty. We also enjoyed the complimentary bread and side dips which was fun to taste together!