While visiting friends in Philly, my husband had to go to his favorite restaurant there. So glad that we did because we all loved it. First of all, it's a family run business and they take pride in their food, restaurant and hospitality. My husband went to school at Drexel and has been coming to this restaurant (here and a different location) for a long time. The place is beautifully decorated and made you feel like you were eating in a restaurant in Afghanistan. Everyone is so warm and friendly. They're great representatives for their country, culture and food. We started with hummus which was creamy goodness and an amazing salad with the best dressing. My husband absolutely loved his Qurma Chalaw. The chicken, sauce and buttery rice were so flavorful! Absolutely loved my dumplings in a tasty red sauce. They were delectable and I'm still dreaming about them. Our friends loved their Sansom Kabob and said it was moist and flavorful. Next time we visit, we'll definitely be back and recommend it to anyone we know who visits. read more

Sansom Kabob House - Absolutely loved my dumplings. They were delectable. - Afghan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This was my first time trying Afghan food and I will definitely be back! I got the Qablee Palaw, which was lamb with rice, sweet carrots, and raisins. I don't often order lamb but this sounded unique and the waitress highly recommended it! The lamb was cooked very well and the rice was flavorful. My favorite part was the carrots and raisins, as they were perfectly sweet and went so well with the other flavors. Our waitress was so kind and patient, and our food came out pretty fast. The salad and bread it came with was very tasty as well. The inside is beautifully decorated and has a good amount of seating. The prices are somewhat high but they give you a good amount of food and it's definitely high quality! read more

Sansom Kabob House - Qablee Palaw - Afghan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was our first time dining here and our first Afghan food experience. It was delightful from start to finish! The staff was friendly and very prompt; the space was well curated and clean. We had the Ashak appetizer - yummy! We did thoroughly enjoy the bread that comes with the meal and my man LOVED the chutney - such a zesty lil kick to it! We split Chablee Kabob and Qurma Chalaw (chicken) - both were so flavorful. I particularly loved the Chablee, but the Qurma was very clearly made with love and reminiscent of a homemade comfort dish. We split the Finri for dessert - the perfect ending to a flavor-rich meal. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing food, staff and ambiance here. I do wish portion sizes were more sizeable because for the cost I found them to be a little small and very pricey. For instance, I think we got maybe a cup of rice with our baigan chalaw and I know that's the suggested portion size blah blah blah but I want more rice come on! I'm not on a diet here. But the flavors of their baigan was AMAZING and I loved their yogurt sauces that came with almost of the dishes we ordered. Bread came out fresh and warm (again definitely wish the portion was larger). The chicken korma side was legit the same size as the eggplant for reference and there was a world of different cost wise because it didn't come with the yogurt sauce, bread, rice, or salad. Loved the apps (bulani and ashak) and the Afghan ice cream (sheeryakh). read more

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The negative feedback nearly scared me away from a good meal. Their dishes maintain high standards without exception. Workers combine efficiency with personality. First-rate staff, clean space, and enjoyable ambiance. Money well spent at this place. read more

was looking for a last-night restaurant for visiting family. They had been eating their way across Philly's gastronomic delights so the final nite couldn't be a let down. decided on SKH and boy was it a hit. Super friendly, nice decor and chill vibe along with the byob - the stage was set. Fantastic meal. The appetizers - Ashak, something pumpkin and the lentil soup was a great way to start. Strongly recommend the Ashak dumplings. Main courses were equally great but the appetizers really set every off correctly. everyone's gone and the house is quiet, finally, but that meal lingers on. Texts the following morning saying they wished they stayed longer so they could go again - well, that might be pushing it! read more

The food was incredible. The service was so sweet. The restaurant has a very relaxed vibe bring your own drinks reasonable price . I would go back in a minute read more

Quick service and fantastic food! We really enjoyed our kabobs and the ambience was very nice. read more

Sansom Kabob House - a plate of food on a table - Afghan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Updating my review since they re-opened (after being available for takeout only for a long time since COVID): This is really a great place, a neighborhood gem. It is quiet and comfortable inside, the service is outstanding, and the food is really great. Some relation to but quite different from the more common Middle Eastern foods, with unique flavor profile. Everything here is delicious, but I am a special fan of the Qablee Palaw, which is a dish of rice, carrots, almonds, and raisins over grilled lamb. Fantastic casual unique and delicious! read more

Ordered takeout for first time...amazing. We're vegetarian...this is a gem for us. Kidney bean, chickpea, spinach...all incredible. Sambosa was delicious. This is now in the top echelon of our dining options read more

Food was great as was the service. I would absolutely reccomend them. The portions were large and the flavor packed a powerful punch. I've never had Afghani food, and I will certainly be back again read more

I came here on a Friday night for a friend's birthday since it was the only place he called that could handle a last minute party of 6. Hopefully it was just an unusually slow night, because a place with food as good as we had (and portions as large) should be booming during primetime hours. We started with the ashak, which was (unpopular opinion alert) my least favorite dish of the night. It's a dumpling swimming in sauce, which texturally doesn't do it for me. That said, everyone else I was with loved it, so I'm the outlier on that one. I did really enjoy the sambosas, which tasted similarly to a samosa. For my entree, I ordered the Sansom Kabob with the chicken and lamb combo. Everything about the dish was fantastic---the chicken and lamb were perfectly cooked and the portion was ultra generous. The accompanying salad and bread were also delicious. The service was brisk and efficient and the decor is lovely. If you're looking for a good place to eat with no wait, give Sansam Kabob House a shot. read more

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There isn't a single thing about this restaurant that I don't love! The service is top notch and so personal. They have truly recaptured the art of being personable. The food is to die for! If I don't eat in I order take out from here at least once a week. The veg kabob platter and the bread dish with their chutney is my absolute favorite. Being a vegetarian it's usually hard to find good non fried food. But this place does not disappoint. And I also love the floor seating. It's fun and super cultural. Huge fan! read more

A middle eastern gem! Either eating at the restaurant or getting takeout/delivery, you can't go wrong with this place. It used to be on Sansom Street but relocated to 13th and South. The food is authentic and delicious. The lamb is always tender and their bread is so unique and perfect dipped into hummus or even their yogurt sauce. Kabobs obviously are terrific, but my fave item on the menu is the Qablee Palaw. It's fantastic. read more

The dishes are so small not fitting with the price The food is mediocre The service okay read more

Outstanding! Freshly prepared, warm bread, each dish bursting with flavor. Our group of 8 all were pleased with our meal. Lamb kabab, okra, hummus, pumpkin, mixed kabob, salads, chicken kabob, all delicious. This family-run, small restaurant is a gem that has been in the same family for 20 years. read more

The Samson Kabob house on 13th and South is a surprisingly beautiful restaurant. The space is very tastefully decorated and has very nice lighting, chandeliers, tasteful artwork and high ceilings. Samson Kabob is BYOB. We ordered the hummus and this came with Afghan style flat bread that was hot and tasty. I had the Lamb kabob and this dish was a winner. The lamb was tender and juicy with great spices and an awesome grilled flavor. We also had an Afghan Manti dish, which is sort of like small dumplings in a spicy yogurt sauce. This was delicious also. The Kabob was served with rice. Samson Kabob house had a decent variety of vegetarian dishes on the menu also. Most entrees were in the $16-20 range. I really liked the food, atmosphere and service...and that lamb kabob! 4 solid Yelps. read more

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I really liked the atmosphere and design of the restaurant. Beautiful paintings on the wall and cute small area reminding of special areas traditions. I ordered Qablee Palaw. It came with hot bread, house fresh salad and a vegetable dressing. I really liked the food, although I expexted a larger portion. It tasted so good and it was my first time eating at an Afghan restaurant. I did not like the service that much. Although, I recommend checking in this place because of its variety of food, kabobs and pelows and the beautiful design of this restaurant. Give it a shot!! read more

Sansom Kabob House - Qablee Palaw - Afghan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Everything here is amazing. Middle Eastern Comfort Food! I will absolutely be back again read more

We ordered takeout, and the food was unbelievably excellent. We had a bunch of the vegetarian side dishes, plus the samosas and bohlani. The entire meal we were trying to decide which was our favorite... it was basically a six way tie for first. Even yhe piece of baklava they included it was out of this world flavorful. This has become our go to neighborhood spot, for sure. read more

My first time with Afghani food, though the dishes we tried seemed very familiar. Prices were a bit on the higher side, but this isn't a doner kebab takeaway! You will need a group of six people at least to reserve the spot where you can all sit around a low table with your shoes off. Good to know in the future! We were miffed to know we were short one person to get it and we almost considered dragging someone off South Street to join us - hahaaha. The ambiance was lovely - our table of five could easily chat and hear each other. It's definitely a white table, candle light and clinking glasses kinda place. We shared a number of different dishes, none of which I care to attempt to spell out, but everything was delicious. I loved my Afghani meatballs, my sister loved her kebab (not the most appetizing looking thing, but it was spiced well), and the four different appetizers we tried out were all gone quickly (they were on the smaller side, so we could each only have a bite or so each). read more

Came here because my cousin recommended it. He served in Af at one point and loves this spot. Three of us came here during a non-busy Saturday lunch hours. I liked the vibes that the decor gave. Dem paintings and pictures of Af and the knicknacks on the wall accompanied with the Afghan music in the background really gave such a chill, mountain-like vibe. There's also a special low table if you would like to try the option of sitting on the floor - the traditional way. It was for sure my first time trying out Af cuisine. Interestingly, just from reading the menu, it has a bit of the East, a bit of the Middle East, and a bit of the North similarities. We ordered the ashak, chicken kebab, and beef kebab. Definitely a fan of the kebabs because of the long-grain rice that came with it was really flavorful. The ashak kinda reminded me of pierogi, but just with richer and more flavorful sauce. It's kinda on the pricier side, but it's totally worth it. read more

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Outstanding takeout meal and service...We did takeout for a birthday party in the suburbs (8 adults & 5 kids). We ordered a mix of kabob platters and appetizers. Everything was excellent, including the helpful service as we were trying to figure out what to order. The food was packaged in a way that facilitated serving a larger group, and the owner threw in one of her favorite dishes as an extra. Everyone loved the food; especially the mix of flavors among the appetizers. We will do this again for sure. read more

Excellent tasting food, friendly waitstaff, and nice ambiance. Ample seating with reasonable prices

It is an Afghani restaurant located near down town Philadelphia, the atmosphere is good, the food is delicious, but the fact that you have to pay gratuity despite the fact that the service was terrible this is not accepted at all for me . They added more than 20 $ on the invoice as a gratuity without even taking my permission. It is really something annoying. As a customer I will never go back again to this restaurant unless they change there gratuity policy . Simply cheating the customer is not acceptable to anyone. read more

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Food tastes fine, but overall small portions and way overpriced for the amount of food you get. So all and all, probably won't go back because of that. read more

Sansom Kabob House has picked right up where it left off in its move to its new digs on South Street. The food is still very tasty and nicely presented. However now the food is served in beautiful surroundings. This is the best-looking Afghan restaurant in Philly. Oh yes, it is still as friendly as ever too! Among the dishes enjoyed here was the bulani. These paper-thin pockets with potato and onions are on the addictive side of the food index. The tasty ashak (scallion dumpling) is right behind them ... and it also provides a dip for the fresh Afghan bread served here. For a main course, I went with the eponymous Sansom kabob platter and wasn't at all disappointed...especially as the brown rice was cooked so perfectly. Tip - Don't forget to ask for their homemade Chatni hot sauce! Welcome Sansom Kabob House to South Street! read more

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Excellent Afghan food in a quiet, elegant and serene dining room. We shared a lamb and rice dish, scallion dumplings with meat sauce, and an eggplant appetizer. The dishes were accompanied by salad and warm Afghan bread, which we used to sop up every last bit of the light, tasty sauces. All of the above were A+. Labni and baklava for dessert were good...B+. Service was attentive and gracious. I look forward to returning and bringing friends. read more

3.5 - 4 stars - never actually ate in the restaurant but I get takeout here all the time. I tried almost all the Kabob meals and they range from good to very good In my opinion. You get your choice of kabob (or combo of kabob's), Afghan rice, salad and Afghan bread (very thick pita). Warning - the Chutney sauce is very spicy so be careful. My preference is the chicken or beef but the lamb is also good. The beef option is marinated / spiced ground beef and definately a highlight on the menu. The kabobs are always cooked perfectly and never dried out. If you want a lighter meal, get the kabob salad and skip the rice. I'm certainly not a rice connoisseur but Afghan rice has a different texture, a larger grain and most importantly delicious. I love this rice. Kabob main courses are in the $20 range and portion size is above average. Recommended BK read more

This place is amazing! I've eaten here throughout the years when I'm in philly and even after moving locations I was pleased to see that the quality of the food is as great as ever. I always get the Sansom Kebob which is my go to dish. Definitely check it out if your in the area. read more

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Beautiful decor, fantastic food, and hands-down one of the cleanest restaurant bathrooms I've seen. I really needed to give them five stars overall as it was time for Maghrib and they moved tables out of the way so my husband could pray indoors instead of outside on this very hot night. read more

Really enjoyed this place. The decor is amazing! Food was good, a couple dishes could use a bit more spice in my opinion, but was yummy.

This byo is cozy and the food is delicious. The Afghan bread is cooked fresh and is brought to your table quickly. Afghan bread has different texture and flavor from the typical pita bread you get at other middle eastern restaurants. It is really tasty. The appetizers are delightful and well-portioned. As for the kabobs, the chicken and lamb are well-seasoned and cooked perfectly. The rice is fresh and not too dry. I always have a solid meal here. Plus, it's byo. The seating area is not incredibly large but it is not awfully small either. I would say it could comfortably seat 40 people. I liked their old location on Sansom but this place has a newer and nicer interior. I definitely recommend! read more

I tried Afghan food for the very first time here and I was blown away! My boyfriend and I felt a little underdressed walking in as there were white tablecloths on the table (the universal sign of dining fanciness) but we were just there for lunch and were soon joined in the restaurant by others in casual garb. We started off with the best hummus I've ever had - a perfect creamy texture drizzled with oil. There was a spicy dip served along with it, which was nice as our main entrees weren't spicy. After we finished the bread it came with I started to eat it with a spoon! Couldn't let it go to waste. Thankfully our server brought us more bread so we could scoop up the rest. I orderd the Mantu - delicious dumplings with beef and onion and topped with yogurt and mint. Yogurt? Yeah, it was perfect. Again, after eating the dumplings, I scooped up the sauce. I will definitely be coming back! And with no jeans if I come for dinner. I need to impress the white tablecloths. read more

Sansom Kabob House - Mantu - Afghan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is probably the first and only restaurant I have been to in the middle of a big cosmopolitan city where I had to take my shoes off to enter the seating area. And I loved it! You feel very much at home as you sit on the low Afghani/Arab style sofas which you can almost lie down on given how spacious the seating area is. Though I must admit we were the lucky ones! I went to this place with two newly acquired friends local to Philadelphia - and we really got royal treatment. One of the two friends was clearly a regular and ordered the best dishes on offer and we were served promptly after. The dishes were not the ridiculous sized portions one associated when in the US - they were fair and cooked well. The lentil with the rice was my favourite that day. But the lounging and the beautiful Afghani music made the food taste all the better and it was an awesome night - one I won't forget anytime soon. If my friends in Philadelphia ever come to read this - thanks for an awesome dining experience - and dari is a beautiful language. read more

The two stars are for the ambiance and the fact that my dinner guest's meal was good (I tasted some of her rice, it was really well seasoned). However, I ordered the Bamia (tomatoes and okra) and it was really bland (both the rice and the sauce). I politely asked the waitress for hot sauce and she seemed reluctant to give it to me and then asked if I thought it was bland. I tried to politely tell her it was and she seemed shocked and said no one had ever said that about the dish. When she came back with the hot sauce she said that the chef was fasting for Ramadan and perhaps that was the reason (I assume this means he isn't tasting the food). The hot sauce did what hot sauce does and I ate the meal. I would have given three stars if the service was better but it wasn't great (think kids working for their parents). I'm disappointed because this is close and the ambiance is great but this will probably be a pass in the future. read more

Atmosphere - Pretty intimate BYOB. They even have an area where you can sit on the floor and eat, though it was empty when we were there. Service - As good as you can ask for. Servers were all kind and patient. Food - Good but not great. It didn't blow me away but definitely very good. Drinks - BYOB Overall - The food is good but the prices seemed pretty extraordinary to me and I've never been adverse to paying for quality food. $23 for a Lamb Kabob plate that wasn't anything special seemed extreme to me. I think you can get the same thing at most places for less than half the price. I might be inclined to try it again since it's about two blocks (maybe less) from where I live but probably not. Points for: Atmosphere. Service. BYOB. No points: A bit pricey for what you get. read more

One of the most astoundingly wonderful restaurants in Philadelphia. Delicious food and pleasant atmosphere. Make sure you try their hummus with cilantro sauce! Service is fantastic. read more

The food was delicious and service was quick and prompt.... opted for the chicken kebab which was priced decently at $18 and came with salad and bread... the wait staff was attentive and the bathroom was nicely decorated read more

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Samson Kabob House is one of my favorite neighborhood BYOBs - service is fairly fast and friendly, the food is flavorful (but not too salty), and the prices are reasonable for Center City. Favorite items include the steamed dumplings, the hummus, and basically all the kebabs. The dumplings are served in a savory, slightly tangy sauce (that tastes great with the homemade flatbread. For entrees, I usually get the fish kebabs (tender, spiced salmon skewers), and if I'm really hungry, I'll get the Samson kebab platter, which comes with chicken, ground spiced beef, and chunks of lamb. There's something addicting about the food - once you start eating it, it's difficult to stop! On the side, the rice is super fluffy, and the lentils are delicious. Service is friendly and usually pretty fast (though they do get a bit overwhelmed when large parties come in), and the restaurant decor is fun. My coworkers like to come for group lunches, and I love having quiet weekend dinners here! read more