Delicious, authentic Afghan food served with style, elegance, and class. The dishes looked so beautiful and colorful I almost didn't want to mess them up by eating them! Almost. For an appetizer, we ordered samosas (fried pastries stuffed with peas and potatoes). The real highlight of the dish was the green chutney sauce to dip them in, and it took me a little while to figure out that what made it so amazing was the cilantro! For my meal, I had the chicken kebab, succulent and moist chunks of spiced chicken grilled on a skewer. It came with light spinach rice and a pumpkin puree (I love anything and everything pumpkin). I also tried the eggplant side dish, which was cooked perfectly in a sauce and was one of the best parts of the meal. If you want to try something unique to make the whole meal come together, order the Afghan tea on ice (black tea, cardamom, and milk). It was similar to Thai iced tea, but with its own distinctive flavors.
The ambiance here perfectly complements the meal. Downstairs is a bar and hookah lounge, but upstairs is a gorgeous dining room, with oriental rugs, paintings, romantic lighting, and fine china. I felt as though I had travelled to Afghanistan. To make it even more special, go on a Friday night for a live oud performance.
Although expensive, this restaurant is worth it for the unique experience.
The food and service were both excellent.
The decor is more spartan than you might expect in an ethnic restaurant: in other words, not kitschy, at least in the part of the restaurant where we sat.
The wait staff must have guessed that our party of four was settling in for a long gab-fest, because we were seated in a small loft by ourselves. Each loft has a skylight and a single table for six, and is up a short flight of steps from the main dining room. Despite our relative isolation, we received excellent service.
Afghan food is somewhat like Indian food, but more like Persian food as far as spicing goes. Even the names are similar. None of the dishes are "hot," but there is plentiful use of spices such as cardamon and mint.
The menu is pretty self-explanatory, and the waitstaff can answer any questions that you might have. Some dishes (marked in the menu) can be prepared as vegetarian.
The physical layout of the place might put you in mind of the art of M. C. Escher, with short stairways at odd angles, so the interior space is broken up. I'm not even sure which floor we were on, since you go up one of those short flights right from the front door. There is elevator access, but we didn't check it out.
We didn't explore the bar or the hookah lounge. The bar looked elegant, and the hookah lounge was dimly lit.
The four of us spent about $170, including one beer, two sangria, tax, and tip. We each had an appetizer, an entree, and three of us had the rice pudding for dessert. All of the portions were generous.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone who can afford it.
One caution: West Hartford charges for parking during the evening, and they enforce a two hour limit at the meters. Park in one of the town lots. There is one behind the restaurant, and others not far away. Paying for parking is a nuisance, but compared to other places it is dirt cheap. We were there for over three hours, and our parking cost us only $4.50.
The upstairs hookah lounge overlooking the town is very nice. The floor was very clean and not bar-like. Thh lounge is part of a very nice restaurant and bar. I'm the type who tends to overdress but this place was great for starting out a fancy evening. They have an adequate selection of flavors and the staff is friendly. When the crowd started coming in, however, the service seemed to slow almost as if the staff was unable to keep up.
I would definitely return but not more than once per week due to the prices. 25 for hookah and 15 for refills. Also, there is no liquor allowed in the smoking lounge.
I think this establishment is technically a 4 star place, but I wouldn't say I am a fan to be honest. Â I thought the food was fresh and the service was on point, but its not my type of place. Â Its not a restaurant I would frequent, but I must give credit when deserved.
I had the chicken kebabs with a side of brown rice and pumpkin puree. Â The chicken was well seasoned, the brown rice was flavorful and the pumpkin puree was salty and sweet. Â It was all well prepared, tasty and presented well enough. Â My friends dumpling dish was lovely and had good flavor as well. Â
Curt and I were on our way to visit Thirty5 (Burger place) for dinner because we had a groupon. Â I wanted to eat a burger, but then we discovered that Thirty5 closed down, so we opted to go next door to the Afghanistan place. Â I was hoping that it was similar to Greek/Turkish cuisine.
Pros:
-Fresh food.
-Service was excellent.
-Clean establishment.
-Menu was simplistic and easy to peruse.
Cons:
-West Hartford Center. (West Hartford center is not an inviting place in terms of parking your car. Â I don't understand towns that want your patronage, but gouge you on constant costs. Â I'm finding that we spend a considerable amount going out there and a considerable amount on dinner and entertainment in an area that is unappreciative.)
-Meters operate Monday - Saturday, 9AM to 10PM.
I started coming here about a year ago and been coming back ever since... The food is delicious and the bar atmosphere is awesome ...I have to  say I am very happy that I've been coming back ever since... their food is amazing starting with appetizers, kebobs, lambs, and the delicious deserts including "baklava" my favorite..... the staff is great very nice people.....I really like the bar atmosphere when it gets packed with people and everyone is just having  great time .....to finish the night off you can't go wrong with smoking hookah in their new location hookah lounge on the second floor of the restaurant!!!!!
Review Source:I came here with my family when I was home over Easter weekend. I visited the Shish Kebab House in Hartford a few years ago and remembered it being good, but was blown away by my recent visit.
Full disclosure: we came here because our first choice, Bricco, had a 45-minute wait and we were starving. That said, I don't feel we missed out on anything by going with our second choice. The food was great, as expected - nicely seasoned, and not overly spicy. I especially recommend the sweet potato pakawra, the bowlani, the beef shammi kebab (so good!), and the ashak. We had the Afghan feast, which is served family style so you can try a bit of everything. I probably wouldn't have ordered salmon from an Afghan restaurant, and it ended up being rather dry. But everything else was delicious and we had plenty left over.
I drank wine, but I noticed that they have an extensive selection of craft beers, almost all under $5 - even Rogue Dead Guy! (I think Macallan 12 was only $8 or $9.) The bar is pretty large for this type of restaurant, softly lit, and set apart from the dining room. This would be a nice alternative to crowded McLadden's across the street for after work drinks.
The food was tasty, but what set this restaurant apart was its outstanding service. Our server, Danielle, was amazing. She was warm, engaging, professional yet friendly. She explained the dishes succinctly, and read our table well. For example, when we were running out of room on our table, she hand served one of the side dishes to us individually. Danielle put this experience over the top, and made it a truly memorable occasion for my family.
It's good. I think they could benefit from a little mood lighting, as it felt a little warehouse-y in there, what with the huge ceilings, and lighting that was little too bright for a bar. It was an expensive place to drink though. Can a brother get a drink special? I guess this is what you get in West Hartford.
I guess they're trying to play up the Middle East vibe with oriental rugs and everything, but meh, it just kinda feels like a bar.
In short: nowhere special. I'd rather drink at Shish, which I believe is owned by the same person, than here.
The Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan is a great place to have dinner! I had an opportunity to dine here with the International Supper Club and boy was it a treat! Several of us tried the Afghan House Dinner Treat which is basically a feast prepared and served as if you were invited to an Afghan house. It was truly delicious and I found all of the food to be quite delicious and flavorful. Other than all of the delicious meat, I really liked the pumpkin puree and the eggplant dishes.
The ambiance is very nice, there are some great tables where you can sit around them on the floor and eat (although for this occasion, we were seated at a more typical table and chairs arrangement).
A huge bonus is that they have a hookah lounge! I'm not a smoker but I do enjoy a cigar every couple of months and this was a great experience for a first time hookah smoker. A friend and I had the pomegranate/mint flavored tobacco and it was quite good. The atmosphere of the lounge area is very laid back. It's a nice place to hang out a bit and enjoy the surrounding city views.
I will be back to experience the flavorful deliciousness that is the Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan!
Came here with a Yelp group for an International Supper Club event, and we were both pretty happy!
We ordered the feast, which was just plate after plate of delicious food for something like $33. Awesome! Some favorites included the spinach rice, the eggplant, pumpkin puree, and the lamb.
The one thing that was slightly weird about this was that it was a long table where not everyone had ordered the feast, and it was served family style. The waitress would put down one plate of each thing on either end of the table, and this made for pretty uneven distribution of the dishes. In the end, it wasn't a big deal because it was PLENTY of food, and it seemed that everyone got to try everything that they wanted. There was also plenty leftover and a bunch of us took some home.
They have a solid beer selection, which is always nice.
Service was great, and they even gave our group a few extra desserts to try!
Oh, I did get totally lost coming back from the bathroom. You go into a hallway that leads to other businesses and is FULL of unmarked doors. When I came out into that hallway I had NO IDEA where I was and basically had to guess until I found the right door. Kind of hilarious, actually.
Also, it's absolutely beautiful inside. Huge, and pretty with rugs everywhere. Very nice.
It was a really fun night and I'm looking forward to coming back with a smaller group and trying more things on the menu!
I DID NOT EAT FOOD AT THIS RESTAURANT . . . .
I only smoke the hookah.
Which was delicious!!
I had never had a huge urge to try this place, but on my sisters birthday, she wanted  a hookah and champagne. So here we are.
It took about 15 minutes for anyone to acknowledge that we were standing in front of the door. There was hardly anyone in the place! Once we realized that we were going go be sitting somewhere totally different, I felt a little better. We were instructed to go upstairs, through a green door, and down a hall.
We found the hookah room thank goodness, and the girl behind the counter was as sweet as sugar pie. She helped us get all set up, and recommended her favorite flavor combo, Vanilla Mint (Yummy!). The hookah room was upstairs from that, dark, with big windows and lots of booths. We were the only ones there, and with a birthday girl, they allowed us to have our glasses of prosecco. (Normally, drinks are not allowed in the hookah room) Â
The price for two glasses of prosecco, and one hookah, $43.00 . This establishment added on an 18% gratuity, be forewarned
The food was fantastic! Filling yet not heavy.
We had the Mantoo and the Chicken Shammie Kabob. Both dishes were really delicious, flavorful, and fresh. The chicken was cooked just perfectly and the spinach rice is worth every carb. Try to get a side of the yogurt/garlic/mint sauce they put on the Mantoo; I could live on that sauce alone!
Don't be put off by the name or any preconceived notions about Afghani food. There is something for everyone here - timid or brave, spicy or mild palletes.
The service was good and attentive, although rather slow. The place was nearly empty and lunch took us a solid hour.
We will definitely be back. And frequently!
This was a very different experience than I was used to.  My friend and I went here in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.  Needless to say, it was empty.  The hostess (who was also the waitress) showed us to a top floor table.  The décor was nice and gave a somewhat ethnic feel amongst the somewhat modern shelves of wine (SO MANY WINE BOTTLES! In unsecured bottle holders...klepto's alchoholic dream).  Service was prompt with water and bread. Â
I ordered the Ashak noodles (spinach/scallion ravioli topped with meat and yogurt and deliciousness) with the eggplant (just divine - tender inside with crispy skin). Â My friend got the lamb kebab with pumpkin puree. Â The pumpkin looked like school tray mush but was delicious and the lamb was excellent!
When we were trying to order a dessert to share, we had trouble deciding but I ultimately won the pudding. Â The waitress saw our table battle and included a small side of the rice pudding that he wanted anyway. Â Excellent touch.
While I thought the price was a bit on the high side, I cannot complain about the food at all. Â This will definitely be a treat when I come back to West Hartford.
I had lunch at Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan a few days ago with my husband and kids. We ordered Kabul burger, sausage kebab, chicken shammi kebab, and kabeli palow. Overall, we enjoyed the food and the service we received. The lamb was especially delicious. My son couldn't get enough of it. He's been asking to go back.
Review Source:I went here with a couple friends last night after Elbow Room. We had a couple drinks and decided to check this place out before ending our night.
Near the entrance, it's your typical bar, but if you're going for Hookah it's completely foreign. The lounge to smoke is a bit cramped, but nicely designed with plush love seats and chairs. It's surrounded by large windows 3 stories above the city streets. I'll bet on a clear night with a full moon it'sa sight to behold.
The hookah itself was near perfection. 45 minutes for $35. It's the smoothest experience I've ever had. What I mean by that is, no coughing choaking or bad aftertaste. It was wonderful. We chose wild berry and mixed it with pomegranate.
I haven't tried the food yet, but based on the reviews I've seen I definitely want to.
The staff is really relaxed as well. I'll definitely go back.
An interesting experience to say the least!
Very gracious service, terrific ambiance. Â I can't remember the last time I sat on the floor :) Â The food was thoughtfully prepared and very good - there just isn't a whole lot of variety amongst menu items. Â Most appetizers have a corresponding dish on the menu that it almost the same, and then most main dishes are similar save for the choice of protein.
Still, we will surely return.
Before the theater on Saturday Feb 25th, Â warm welcome, very efficient and knowledgeable server Danielle (?) made great choices for dinner.
As never really having Afghan food I had no idea what to expect.
Lots of flavor, cooking and presentation were very good indeed.
The appetizer portions were perfect size, the Mantoo very flavorful, Pakawra was solid, the dipping sauces made it.
For the entree we split the combination kebob platter, the pumpkin and eggplant were excellent, maybe for value, just add a third veggie or one more kabob.
the custard / flan dessert was excellent
Over all very nice experience.
This was a disappointment. I tried to comb through the reviews to see if I was going to be too harsh for only having been there once, but many of the opinions on this place matched many of my concerns.
It was prohibitively expensive. For $25, I was served a single square of flat bread, two glasses of water, 6 cubes of grilled leg of lamb, a mound of seasoned frozen spinach and two slices of eggplant with tomato sauce and yogurt.
The quality of the food was pedestrian at best. The lamb tasted fine, but it was overcooked and lacked strong seasoning. The spinach was obviously frozen, microwaved and dumped on my plate. The eggplant was tasty, but I had to dig through an ocean of sauce to get to it.
It was 4pm and I was the only person in the restaurant. I still waited 20 minutes for the most commonly served dish in the house. The service was polite and attentive to my needs, but this is a place I can say I've eaten at and cross off the list, especially when there are so many places within five miles of here. If this was like a $7-10 lunch special, I'd be more okay with it, I guess. But money is not the sole reason for the rating. I've coughed up $400/pp at fine dining establishments.
Essentially, I was hoping to have a door to the Middle East opened to show me what I've been missing, but this was my all-too-common experience at these type of places: expensive prices for blah food.
As a connoisseur of all things Middle Eastern, I have tried a great many places similar to this, and many have left me disappointed. Â I was not expecting much here, but was I wrong. Â The food was fresh and light. Â Started with the samosas which were themselves delicious, and then came with a fantastic sauce on the side. Â I was with my friend from Pakistan and he said it was single-handedly the best lamb he has ever eaten. Â It was juicy and tasty.
The waitstaff was polite and I had a great experience here. Â Don't be turned off if there is a lack of customers -- the restaurant is on the 3rd floor! Â The 2nd is a bar, so when I went there wasn't anything going on and we weren't sure where to go. Â Very happy we stuck around, though.
Note: The only thing I was a little disappointed by was the hookah doesn't start until 7pm :( Â Definitely not worth losing a star over!
The very first time I tried Afghan food was here, was super excited when my husband planned dinner here for this valentine's day.
Ambience is average not that exciting. the Menu for vegetarians is a little sad, i mean limited. We ordered Bowlani for appetizer, it was good. I tried the cucumber yogurt this was creamy however had a mild seasoning which made me disappointed. For the main course we had a veggie dinner & selected 3 sides. I like the pumpkin puree and my husband liked the eggplants. Overall for vegetarians I would say dont expect more! oh yeah, they have a wide range of alcohol. They also have chai/ tea.
For all the others I would just say give a try. They do have big tables for a big group. The service is good & the waiters are so fast at taking orders n i felt they are not that friendly to give suggestions. The prices are not reasonable for vegetarian food thats for sure.
Its street parking so plan accordingly :)
I came, I ate and now I can proudly say I tried Afghan food. I'm a traditionalist, I like my steak and ribs and once we cross that border I'm hesitant to use my fork. Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan was a safe introduction to Afghan food but I prefer to stick to my comfort zone of Western/ Southeast Asian cuisine.
Wait:
Absolutely no wait at all. They do accept reservations. The dining area is upstairs. It would be very nice to sit up there during a sunny day.
Food:
I discovered that I am not a fan of Afghan food. Sadly the thing that stood out the most for me was the puree pumpkin. It is pretty embarrassing for me to say that was how unimpressed I was with the food. Â Please don't let my review discourage you, if you enjoy Afghan food you might have a different experience.
Price:
I found the place to be pricey for the portion size and the food offered. It could be that I didn't know what I was ordering. I noticed that the samosas were $5, they charge at least $2 more than other places I have been to. Â A rack of lamb runs $30 which is normally what other places will charge again a $2 markup from other places I've been to. Â I would like to try their House Dinner treat for $33 a person but will have to find three other people willing to go with me. The House Dinner treat is a full course meal served Afghan style, it would be interesting to try. Â
Service:
Staff wasn't rude but I didn't think the service was excellent either. My food was delivered, the staff was respectful but in no way did the staff take the initiative to go the extra mile.
Parking:
Metered parking. Better put enough coins in that meter or you'll have a lovely slip waiting for you.
I've been to every restaurant in West Hartford. This place has a very nice hookah lounge upstairs. The food is spectacular. Although their bar tender- Dean is a douche bag, their owners are the most generous, friendly and accommodating people you will ever come across in the food business.
My favorite dish- Chicken Shami Kebab
If you're looking for red meat, get their beef kebab or lamb kebab- both amazing.
This restaurant is the only restaurant in West Hartford Center which offers a hookah lounge on the top floor. Filimon is the most friendly Ethiopian guy you will ever meet. He does a superb job. So does Jasna.
The entres are very reasonably priced. You won't find red meat in Connecticut this tender for the price.
Enjoy.
I've been walking past this place for years and never gave it a try. Well last weekend I was in West Hartford about lunch time and said what the heck its worth a try.
I was almost put of by the lack of any observable clientele. Up to the bar on the second floor.... still no one. Finally up to the third floor and eureka!
Never having had Afghan food so this was sort of flying blind although there are a lot of similarities in Central Asian and Mideast foods, Shish Kebab....
The menu has a lot of dishes to try in the appetizer and side dishes yet alone in the entrees. One can graze by ordering a bunch of any of those. We started with an order of ashak, a ravioli like dish, great. I moved on to a Kabul burger. A huge patty of beef infused with shallots served on a pita with lettuce and tomato. It was accompanied with possibly the best fries in the state of Connecticut if not the east coast. Freshly cut, fried perfectly and dusted with lemon pepper. These alone are worth the trip.
MK had the chicken salad A fresh salad with a mountain of grilled chicken. We also got a side of the yogurt with cucumbers which went well on my burger as well as the salad.
I think this place is great and won't walk past it in the future.While we there there were a number of families with under five year olds having lunch as well so its definitely kid friendly at lunch time.
This great restaurant has a warm, inviting, upscale decor and delicious food and is already well reviewed. What I want to add that I don't see is that they offer a special called a "Persian Dinner".
If you are looking for a fun night that's a little different, do this! Get 4-6 people and call ahead if you want but make sure you ask for the Perisan table, which is comfortable and low to the floor and you sit on pillows. Then they bring out all kinds of food! They just keep bringing it! It's a great way to try all of the different items. You can just relax and talk and enjoy the music and the great atmosphere.
This is one of the higher priced items on the menu, I think it's around $30 per person, but if you make a whole party out of it and get some wine or drinks it is well worth it, maybe for a special occasion. I highly recommend it!
I tried Shish Kebab House for dinner and love the environment. I had a great experience because the decor was stimulating to the eyes and mind. I never had real Afgan food but even if this is the Americanized version I'm not disappointed.
Decor: The space is huge. The furniture is rich wood and there are tons of rugs scattered around. More than anything I felt like I was outside of CT. When you step into this establishment it feels like you're in a new world.
Food:
The bread they had at the table was lovely. I don't know what it was called but it was light and didn't make you feel guilty of eating too much bread.
My boyfriend ordered the combination Shish kebab that comes with a sample of everything (beef, lamb and chicken). For someone who is not familiar with their food, we felt we made the right choice. The meat came out perfect.
I ordered the salmon. I thought it was on the salty side but I did enjoy the meal.
For our sides, we selected the eggplant, pumpkin and spinach. Out of the three the eggplant was the best. It was eggplant with yogurt and a tomato base sauce on top.
We tied both the brown and spinach rice. The brown rice was okay but the spinach rice was a great medley of ingredients. It complimented the dishes well.
Parking:
We were there on a weekday during dinner so we didn't have a hard time finding a metered parking space. I'm sure if it was the weekend it might have taken more effort.
The Shish Kebab House is a great restaurant with an excellent bar.
For food, I usually get the lamb kebabs - usually well seasoned and I've never had them dried out. You can't go wrong with most of the sides - I like the spinach rice and some variety of potatoes. Everyone raves about the pumpkin puree, but I find it too sweet. The meal will leave you filled without being overstuffed - which is good, because after dinner it's time to hit the bar.
There's plenty to like at Shish's bar - the atmosphere, the bartenders, and most importantly - the cocktails. They have a large number of fresh ingredients on hand to make pretty much whatever you like. While fruity drinks are popular here, the bartenders know how to pour a good classic cocktail. Hendrick's up with a fresh cucumber garnish - order it. The bar also seems to scale well with your state of mind - casual cocktails over conversation or shots to take it up a notch.
Perhaps it was because of a Wednesday night, too cold to be out, or perhaps it's just because Hartford isn't a dining out kind of town... This dining room upstairs was empty but the bar downstairs was a different story. Food was excellent, flavorful and substantial. I had the Beef Shammi Kabab with the spinach rice and eggplant as my veggie. The beef kebab was tastefully seasoned right but a bid dry as it was made with extra lean ground beef. I asked for some yogurt and it was worked well. The eggplant was real good and presentation was lovely with the spice and yogurt mixed on top. My husband had the Kabeli Palow with lamb and potato as his veggie. The dish was well made but would pick another vegetable dish as the potato was boring. We skipped dessert as we were very satisfied.
Nice ambiance, dimly lit dining area and private. Good service. Â Worth trying if you're in W. Hartford!
Since moving to West Hartford I have heard from all types, friends, coworkers & strangers how great this place is. I was able to finally give it a go & was truly impressed for many reasons.
First the service was excellent. As an avid eater outer service is HUGE to me. Second the restaurant is dedicated to clean healthful food. (I will stop numbering now)... I adored the traditional bread that came while we waited for our salad which was ENORMOUS thank goodness my dining partners had eaten there & urged that we split it. I am not afraid of a good Kebab but the veggies options looked so good I had the eggplant & the spinach ride. They were fantastic!
Finally, a great wine selection & martini list, this was a very pleasant surprise. I look forward to my next outing here.
Again, a work dinner (trend here?)...
So, I was about to walk into a burger place in West Hartford, when I decided to consult Yelp to see if there were any better options. Â
Kebab? Â Surrrrrrrrrrre, I'll do kebab.
This place is just outstanding. Â Great atmosphere (the upstairs is definitely the place to go, though the bar itself was pretty cool too (but deserted when we went), the food was really tasty (mantoo app, chicken kebab and pumpkin puree), and they even have a good wine selection.
And, just out of curiousity I asked about the low table? Â Apparently the thing never gets used. Â The server's comment was that it might as well have "cobwebs" on it, and that nobody ever wants to sit there. Â So, I'm not calling anybody out, but I specifically asked about it, and that's what I was told. So, judge for yourself.
Overall, a very satisfying experience, both the quality of food and service, as well as the overall cultural experience. Â Well done, Shish Kebab House. Â We'll definitely be back... next time with a bigger crowd!
I love the food here.
Last night I had the Lamb Kebob Kabeli Palow and the pumpkin puree side. Rice pudding for dessert.
This is one of the top three places in West Hartford for tasty moderately priced food.
They didn't know what Gluten Free meant that was the only draw back.
Sitting outside watching people go by added to the enjoyment.
I am really surprised at the reviews that people said they received bad service. I went here with my parents last Friday because there was a long wait at a near by restaurant. We sat outside on the street and our waitress was lovely, her name is Solemio (awesome name huh). She was very attentive and when another server brought my father the wrong beer, she was apologetic.
The food is good and the portions are huge. My favorite thing I ate was the yogurt salad, the dressing is simply perfect!
Being from the Bay Area I'm used to really good Afghan food. Maybe that's why I felt this place is really over-rated.
What I liked:
The atmosphere (upstairs) was excellent. The night I went they had live music. It was lively and traditional.
What I thought was ok:
The food! I liked the Chicken Kabab and Qabli Paloa. Everything else was pretty mediocre. The lamb wasn't cooked too well and both our sides (potatoes and eggplant) were below mediocre. I guess I've had a lot of very good authentic Afghan food in Fremont, CA, so maybe I was expecting too much.
What I did not like:
The service... From the minute we walked in, I felt a sense of attitude from the lady behind the bar. They were hesitant to give us a table upstairs, even though there was lots of space. The girl waiting our table would disappear for long periods of time which was kind of annoying. They served us our food without providing plates so we had to wait again for our waiter to appear.
If you plan to go to this place, do get a table upstairs (it's much better than sitting downstairs by the bar!).
After living in Boston for six year, I am constantly looking for new, ethnic restaurants in the Hartford area. Â The Shish Kebob House is definitely a gem! Â I have tried a few different dishes on the menu and have been quite pleased with them all.
To start, diners are served with a wonderful crispy bread, perfectly portioned and seasoned with salt and butter. Â Main dish portions tend to be on the very large size, which can be remedied by asking for the lunch-size or child-size portion - perfect for one! Â The beef shammi kebab is moist and wonderfully spiced. Â The catfish dish is great if you're looking for something on the lighter side, as the earthiness of the fish and the acidity of the tomato sauce blend well without being overwhelmed by butter. Â They have wonderful vegetarian dishes, as well, such as the ashak. Â The textural blend of noodles, yogurt sauce, crunchy split peas and mint make it almost impossible to leave any left on the plate.
I have to say, however, that the best thing on the menu may just be the sides. Â The pumpkin puree is "crazy good," as one of my friends described it. Â As for the eggplant, it's maybe the best eggplant I've ever had.
The only thing standing in the way of a 5-star rating is the service, which is very hit or miss.
A great restaurant in an unusual location, sort of tucked away from the road. The inside is rather unusual with different levels and little separate areas and booths. Gives it a exotic feel. The staff was very friendly and since we were not very acquainted with Afghan food, patiently explained the different dishes and opinions.
The food itself was fantastic. I have to admit I don't have much to compare it to because I have only been to a couple of other Afghan places, but  everything we ordered was wonderful. The pumpkin curry was  sweet and tangy but not overwhelming, and my friend loved  her lamb kebab. The menu has all sorts different and wonderful items, unusual and different without being too strange. Many of the sauces and yogurts are absolutely unique taste sensations.
I have been here several times and enjoy coming with different friends to introduce them to this wonderful food.
The food is five star, but the cruddy service and awkward seating pushes the rating down to four stars.
I love Afghan food and have only had it at two other restaurants in Boston and Washington DC. What a nice suprise to find this in West Hartford, of all places! My mom and I started the vegetarian Ashak- six large dumplings filled with scallions and spinach, yellow split peas, mint and a delicious homemade yogurt. All the flavors melded together so perfectly, and the chewy texture of the dumpling combined with the crunch from the yellow split peas was SO good. This appetizer proved that you foods that are healthy can also be incredibly tasty!
As an entree, I got the Chicken Shammi Kebab with Spinach Rice and Pumpkin. The Shammi was ground chicken, then skewered and grilled. I am usually incredibly skeptical of ground meat, but this was all white meat and very high quality. The pumpkin was AWESOME- almost the consistency of mashed potatoes, with perfect spicy and sweetness.
I would undoubtedly come back here if I were in West Hartford. So healthy, tasty, and overall a wonderful experience (with the exception of slow service and a dirty plate). As for it being expensive, I really don't think it is.
I have found my little slice of heaven in pieces of spiced lamb strewn across my plate. Â So fucking tasty. Â And the rice and goddamn eggplant. Â So good. Â I washed this all down with a spicy bottle of Ridge Zinfandel. Â Service was excellent (probably because we were the only people eating at 8pm; I have no idea why). Â Nice ambiance inside...70's look outside. Â Beautiful big luscious bar that made me want to order all forms of exotic drinks.
It's the cat's meow.
How do I begin to praise perfection?
The staff is charming. The atmosphere is convincing, classy, and intelligent. The menu is expansive and exciting. The cuisine, flawless. Everything about this place is consistent and reliable - what is good once is guaranteed to be good many times over. Vegan options abound and may I (enthusiastically) recommend the pumpkin puree side dish?
Accolades all around for you at Shish Kebab House!
No reviews on this place yet? What a shame. Well, out of all the places I've reviewed here so far, this is the first getting five stars.
This excellent eatery was located for many years in the South End, then they made the move to West Hartford Center, presumably a big investment, as it is a very large restaurant now with a beautiful bar, upstairs dining area and patio.
The food is some of the best I've had anywhere and I've dined all over the country from hole-in-the-walls to trendy bistros to upscale restaurants. If you're the kind of person who feels like they might orgasm when they have a really good meal, then be sure to get a secluded table as this one actually might do it. My favorite is the Lamb Kabeli Palow with a side of Pureed Pumpkin, but the Mantoo and Ashak (both kinda a Afghan ravioli) are also superb. The salads and kebabs are great too-- you can't go wrong here.
Besides the food, the ambiance is nice and the service excellent-- professional without being snobby, friendly without being intrusive.
It ain't cheap, but it ain't exactly pricey either (entrees in the $15-20 range). For the quality of the food, atmosphere and service, I feel I'm getting a real bargain everytime I eat there.
Which is why it's such a disappointment and such a sad comment on the state of Hartford's culinary scene that on nights I should be fighting for a table (for example Friday night or Valentine's Day), I have had no trouble getting a table. The last time I was there they had resorted to "Service Industry Night" promotions at the bar to drum up business in order, presumably, to break even on the huge investment they must have made moving to West Hartford.
I strongly encourage people to visit this place soon, before it goes under-- make me the jerk waiting at the bar for a table with his date on a Friday night because it's so damn packed. I can think of nothing more fitting for such a quality establishment. If it were still in the little building in the South End, I'd be happy to have it be a "secret" for the true chowhounds like myself, but I don't wanna see this restaurant's investment in moving to West Hartford be a failure, because it's one of the best places I've ever dined at and want to continue going there.
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