Kabobistan - Afghan Kabob House in Bradlick Plaza, Braddock Road in Annandale

[weezy]

Lunched today at Kabobistan, a new eatery in the Bradlick Plaza strip mall in Annandale.  As the name implies, it's a kabob shop, but they also have a few other Afghani dishes on the menu.  My sister and I tried a couple of those today; her, the quabili pilau, and me, the Afghan curryanee, both of us asked for lamb.  Since the curry was being freshly made, they told me it was going to take about 20 minutes, and the owner, Joe -- who was making regular rounds of the dining area -- came by to tell us that he was going to make sure the two plates came out together and brought us each a small bowl of soup, gratis, to enjoy while we waited.  It was a nice homestyle veggie soup with a bit of pasta and chickpeas and a little spicy heat to it.   The grilled meats smelled great and the place was doing a good business, both eat in and carry-out, while we waited.  Of the two dishes we ordered, I think my sister's was better.  The rice was done with raisins and carrots, the spinach was simple, very mildly seasoned and good, and the pilau was tasty although a rather unappetizing greige color.  My curry was tasty but very oily; when finished, there was probably 1/3 cup or more of oil in the plate.  Mine came with Afghan naan style bread that was excellent, freshly baked, a bit of char and tender-chewy.  They have red sauce and green sauce at the table, both vinegary and the green hotter than the red.  Both our plates came with a side of mast-o-khyer, and I have to say, tearing off a hunk of that good naan, spreading a little mast-o-khyer on it and toppign it with some curry was just about a perfect bite.

I also heard Joe talking to another table that he was hoping to get the space next door because he thought that restaurant was going out of business.  That surprised me, because next door is Thai by Thai, which I thought was pretty solid, but walking by as we left after lunch, I looked in the window and didn't see a single person in there.  Kabobistan has cramped seating for about 30, and the kitchen is so tiny that it can get backed up just because there's no place to plate more than one meal at a time.

Will go back soon and try some of the kabobs.  That's what most folks were getting, and as I said, they smelled great while cooking.

[deangold]

TL/DR: Great food. Nice folk. Cheap.  

Good kabob places in the Annandale, Alexandria and Bailey's Cross Roads to 7 Corners area are a dime a dozen. Great ones are hard to find. I think someone dropped a dollar when Kabobistan opened. Only the mixed grill at Bayadi on 7 corners comes close. 

I stopped by for a late lunch of ground beef and a chicken kabob which totaled out less than $15.  The meat kabob came as three small sausage shaped redolent of onion & herbs. The chicken was incredibly moist and nicely charred at the same time. The rice was yellow and studded with veggies & herbs. The beef kabobs were separated by well grilled tomato & onion.  The green sauce packed a vinegary punch. And the bread was chewy, crunchy and wonderful. I finished the meats and the rice, but just nibbled on the bread. I waddled out glad I didn't pass out from a food coma on the less than 10 minute drive home. I definitely fell into a deep nap once at home!

I can't wait to come back with Kay. A three kabob combo and an appetizer will more than suffice for the both of us. 

[weezy]

11 hours ago, deangold said:

TL/DR: Great food. Nice folk. Cheap.  

Good kabob places in the Annandale, Alexandria and Bailey's Cross Roads to 7 Corners area are a dime a dozen. Great ones are hard to find. I think someone dropped a dollar when Kabobistan opened. Only the mixed grill at Bayadi on 7 corners comes close. 

I stopped by for a late lunch of ground beef and a chicken kabob which totaled out less than $15.  The meat kabob came as three small sausage shaped redolent of onion & herbs. The chicken was incredibly moist and nicely charred at the same time. The rice was yellow and studded with veggies & herbs. The beef kabobs were separated by well grilled tomato & onion.  The green sauce packed a vinegary punch. And the bread was chewy, crunchy and wonderful. I finished the meats and the rice, but just nibbled on the bread. I waddled out glad I didn't pass out from a food coma on the less than 10 minute drive home. I definitely fell into a deep nap once at home!

I can't wait to come back with Kay. A three kabob combo and an appetizer will more than suffice for the both of us. 

Try the lamb!

[deangold]

Picked up after orderig online. Paid and tipped online so Kay just went in and grabbed the bag. 

Got the three kabob combo: beef shish, chicken, lamb. All were juicy and tender. Sides of rice and chickpeas

Also got a veggie platter which was potato, spinach and chick peas, w/rice. The potatoes should have been eggplant so the platter was a bit of disappointment. The spinach and chickpeas were very good, but hte chick pea portion was two times that of the other two, maybe more. So loads and loads of chickpeas. The potato was eh.

Got bread and a salad as well, plus white and green sauces.

They are definitely hurting for business. I hope they survive.

I'd do the Kabob combo with an eggplant appetizer, a spinach side and a veggie kebab side for about the same price as what we got, which was $33 with 20% tip. We have leftovers.

[Marty L.]

6 hours ago, deangold said:

Picked up after orderig online. Paid and tipped online so Kay just went in and grabbed the bag. 

Got the three kabob combo: beef shish, chicken, lamb. All were juicy and tender. Sides of rice and chickpeas

Also got a veggie platter which was potato, spinach and chick peas, w/rice. The potatoes should have been eggplant so the platter was a bit of disappointment. The spinach and chickpeas were very good, but hte chick pea portion was two times that of the other two, maybe more. So loads and loads of chickpeas. The potato was eh.

Got bread and a salad as well, plus white and green sauces.

They are definitely hurting for business. I hope they survive.

I'd do the Kabob combo with an eggplant appetizer, a spinach side and a veggie kebab side for about the same price as what we got, which was $33 with 20% tip. We have leftovers.

Dean:  Is it significantly better than Arlington Kabob (which is much closer to my house)?

[deangold]

5 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Dean:  Is it significantly better than Arlington Kabob (which is much closer to my house)?

Never been to Arlington Kebob. But these are as good as Istanbul Grill which is my other top choice for Kebabs. Plus it is way cheaper. Of course, it is a quick grill and not a sit down restaurant. But we will not be sitting down in restaurants any time soon. 

[weezy]

I picked up dinner here last night, chicken kabob with eggplant, and ordered an extra skewer of meat and side of spinach to stretch it all into 2 dinners.   Good juicy meat, eggplant was in a mustardy sauce that was a little too strong for the vegetable to shine, the order was done online before I left work and was ready just as I walked in the door.

 There are two guys working the line, one at each end, so fine on the distancing bit there, but there was a table of 3 older gents huddled together -- I am assuming they were from wherever the home country is of the owner, maybe family members -- having a meal.  That gave me some pause.  

[DonRocks]

There’s “Coming Soon” signage up for Kabobistan in the window of (the recently closed) 1000 Degree Neapolitan Pizza on the southwest corner of S Glebe Rd and Columbia Pike in South Arlington.

 

[noamb]

I guess maybe this post 

really belongs here