Ariana Kabob Cafe

Had lunch there today. It was amazing. I had rice with sweetened carrots, raisons and almonds. Lamb and a wonderful spinach. The mint chutney was fantastic. I spoke to the owner and he as very gracious and nice. My new favorite restaurant.

The food here is great. Purely authentic cuisine with friendly staff. I highly recommend their Quabuli Palau, but honestly — everything on the menu is delicious.

Just like pretty much everyone else I found Ariana Kabob delightful!
I love middle eastern cuisine and they do a fantastic job. Though it is definitely a bit Americanized, the spice is delicious and the food comes out promptly and with great service.
It’s definitely going to be one of those places that I go back to regularly!

I came here a few days ago for dinner. Overall not my favorite or the best Afghan food I have had but it was pretty good. I really enjoyed my chai and spinach rice dish. Also great variety of appitiziers… I did find a hair in my food but they made me a new one and comped the food

Good news! You don’t have to trek across the Khyber Pass to try the cuisine of Afghanistan. Instead, head over to Aurora and let the folks from Ariana Kabob Café thrill you with a full slate of delightful dishes worth traveling any distance for!
Thinking holistically about Ariana’s array of awesome appetizers, I’d have to say my favorite are the potato/​chive-​filled pastry envelopes known as Bolani Kachalu. Oh, and that reminds me… folks, the Bolani and many of the items at Ariana are served with a vividly green cilantro/​chili sauce known as Chatni. Although very tasty, it is also rather spicy, so I would advise caution when sampling it the first couple times. Other introductory ideas for you are the homey, yogurt-​dappled noodle soup called Aush, the sturdy beef dumplings known as Mantu, and the mixed-​vegetable fritters who introduce themselves at parties as Pakawra. (And yes, I know that last dish is technically on the «Side Orders» section of the menu, but really, it’s so yummy that no-​one in their right mind would chide you for eating it first).
To continue, I’m sure you probably have your heart set on a chicken, lamb, or ground-​beef [Koobideh] kabob for your main course — and who could blame you? After all, the restaurant isn’t called Ariana Peanutbutter Café. But the Pashto dish Qabuli Palaw (named for Afghanistan’s capital city) won’t let you down either, with its juicy lamb chunks perched atop a mound of carrot-​and-​raisin-​bejeweled rice. And veggie fans, I’m not leaving you out by any means — why not create a super sampler from their potato, spinach and cauliflower curries? But whatever you do, don’t forget to leave a little room for some Firni (milk pudding with pistachios and just a hint of rosewater) at the end of your meal, along with a nice hot cup of sweetened cardamom tea [Chai] to help wash it all down nicely.

We were visiting Denver and happened to come across this restaurant. The food was excellent with big portions. We had lamb and koobideh kababs with the pulao. The lamb was succulent and the koobideh was delicious as well. We liked the food so much that we had take out the next day. I wanted chapli kabab which on the menu is listed as an appetizer but I asked if they could just give to me as an entrée. This is where I was a little turned off by them. The servers kept saying that they use the same meat mix for chapli and koobideh. That is not how authentic chapli kababs are. Also, that’s a bad thing for a restaurant to confess to. Why are you selling one thing as two separate items?

My husband and I are always looking for new exotic places to eat and we were not disappoint with Ariana!
We had the lamb kabob and the kobedeh. They were both excellent but we did like the lamb better! Loved how it was spiced, and loved the little hint of cinnamon in both the lamb and the Palau.
The Palau was excellent as well. I didn’t think I was going to like the carrots and raisins but they complimented it well.
The chai was also wonderful!
Loved finding this little gem!

Had three appetizers and one side dish. All were very good. Bolani, Buranee Banjohn, Afghan naan, and potatoe curry.

Convenient location central to busy roads and plenty of parking in the adjacent lots. It’s a corner location with plenty of windows. Inside is nicely decorated and clean. Service was prompt, friendly, and helpful. The menu is straight-​forward with a good variety of items. Food took about 10 minutes even though the restaurant was empty (there was one pickup order).
The chicken kabob «sandwich» (it’s actually in a tortilla) was tasty and cooked just about right. The tortilla was nice and fluffy. It is on the small side, and pricey at $ 8.75. The french fries were cooked just right, though it’d be nice to have different sides. It comes with tzatziki and chutney sauces. The latter has nice spice to it.
The Afghan yogurt drink has diced cucumber in it and it is interesting but not something I’d consider a favorite. It’s quite drinkable, unlike some varieties of Lassi.

This place is hands down one of the best restaurants in Denver! The food here is never hit or miss, it is ALWAYS amazing! My husband and I have probably eaten here about 30+ times and it is always such a sweet experience. I feel bad for not reviewing it sooner because we eat here about once a week.
The food is so full of unique flavors unlike anything I have ever had, not over spiced or bland. The waitress that takes our order has always been so friendly and refers to us as «that beautiful couple» which I really appreciate! :) The price is perfect, especially for the amount and quality of food we get. The atmosphere here is also phenomenal, everything is so clean and well decorated. Finally, I have never had to wait for my food, the service is so fast.
A big thank you to the beautiful people that own this place!

This place is very very good everything taste so fresh this is the kind of Middle Eastern food that I love definitely a must try

Perfect Lamb Kabobs!!! They taste like they should be served in an expensive steak house. The chutney is so amazing I end up having way too much too quickly that it makes my whole face tingle from the intense heat. Treat yourself and get the brown Basmati rice with shredded carrots and raisins. Fast and great prices. Doesn’t get much better than that!

I’ve been searching for a great Middle Eastern spot in Denver and I finally found it. It’s a nice place inside where it could be appropriate for both lunch and dinner. I have had their chicken kabobs and they are fantastic. Juicy and full of flavor from the various spices they use. The pitas are homemade and a great complement to the dish. The chicken also comes with rice, tomato and onions as well as a couple dipping sauces. I would absolutely recommend this place if you are looking for some really good Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine!

Don’t drive by, give it a try! You may not know this place is here, but once you find it you’ll be glad you did. Located in the same shopping center as the giant H-​Mart, it’s pretty easy to miss, even though it’s tucked in the side directly facing Parker Road. For those wondering what Afghani food is, it’s exactly what you’d think from the geography of the region — part Middle Eastern, part Indian. They specialize here in rice dishes with meat as well as kabobs, and both are excellent. The chicken kabobs in particular remind me of the Indian tandoori style and were the best of the three meats I’ve tried. The house specialty Qabuli Palau is outstanding, and last time I tried the bolani appetizer, which was a large quesadilla-​shaped turnover filled with potatoes and chives, and it was also quite good. The main dishes come with Afghan naan bread, a small salad and a grilled tomato, so it’s a nice meal. Don’t be intimidated by Afghan food — you’ve probably had something similar to it at some point, and it’s served here by very friendly people who want you to experience their food and a bit of their heritage. I hope more people support them!

Love the chicken curry here ! I could eat this every day! Very very very polite and courteous staff. I love this place and the food !!!

The food was good (not perfect).
Although prices are not high but considering the location and class of the restaurant, I think it should be cheaper!
If you want to go a fancy restaurant, this is not a good choice!

For me, this is a difficult review to write because I don’t technically have much to compare this restaurant to. It is a culturally unique restaurant in Denver (so far as I know), so even if one goes in with certain assumptions, those assumptions might not be exactly accurate. What I do have to write a review about is my personal experience, which was overwhelmingly positive. The food that I ate was delicious, the staff were friendly even if not overwhelmingly attentive. This is a small restaurant (presumably family-​run), and simply a good place to eat.

I wrote a rave review when Ariana Kabob Café first opened. After going back a few times and experiencing lacking service, I unfortunately have to change my review. My family and I went with a few out of town guests. The food we good, but while eating my dad found a long strand of hair in one of the dishes. He told her waitress, and she said, «Oh I don’t know where that came from. My hair is tied! (Although it wasn’t all tied). Maybe it came from the ceiling?» And she was not even apologetic and walked away!
Really!?? There’s hair in the food! She wasn’t even embarrassed. We’ve been to this restaurant many times and the owner and wait staff know us. Instead of arguing about it. We paid the bill and vowed to never come back. This was a below par response for a restaurant. This kind of customer service, alone, just lost a few customers. In order to stay in the restaurant business, not just the food, but the staff have to be up to par. Consistency and customer service matter!

Such great service. Such great food. Prices are reasonable. The establishment itself is not really snazzy looking, but it doesn’t matter. Take your time and savor the food because it’s worth savoring.
I had the Buranee Banjohn which was ridiculous. The sauce was sooooo good and the eggplant was done just right. I also had the ariana salad which was quite ordinary but good for a house salad. They were out of the item I wanted originally.
All in all, a great place to eat and I will be back AND recommending them to others.

Ariana Kabob Café, THANK YOU…
Thursday April 4^th 2013, brought 7 of my friends to have a feast at Ariana Kabob Café for Dinner. Time was at 18:30hrs. I have called Ariana Kabob Café, one week earlier before this date to make a reservation. When I arrived at about 18:10hrs, our table were all set ready for my friends and I.
YES, the menu are Simple. The Appetizer plates are enough to be shared among 2 to 3 people. Appetizers and Salads are between $ 6.00 to $ 8.50. Main Entrees are between $ 8.50 to $ 14.75, while the Sandwiches are between $ 6.00 to $ 8.50.
Once everyone was there, from what I could recall my friends ordered these items :
* Mantoo
* Lamb Kabob
* Several orders of Buranee Banjohn
* Qabuli Palau
* Gyro Sandwiches
* Chicken Kabob
* Combo Kabob
* Super Kabob Combo
* Baklava
I opt to have these items as part of my Dinner that evening :
* Mantoo ($ 7.50)
* Chalau Kabob ($ 10.75)
Our server was indeed friendly, helpful and so accommodating to all our needs that evening. Two of my friends have food allergies, and our server noted the Chef, so everyone can enjoy their meal.
The complimentary fritters of some kind was a HIT with everyone. It came out piping hot and everyone like the Spicy Cilantro Chutney. All my friends like their order that evening. They said the food is flavorful, yummy and it was indeed an intimate gathering of 8 friends enjoying Afghani cuisine here in Colorful Colorado.
Hubs also like the Leftovers of what I had ordered of the Mantoo and Chalau Kabob. The Mantoo consisted of Dumplings stuffed with Ground Beef and Onions, topped with Mixed Vegetables, Tomato Sauce and Yogurt. This item is served with the Afghan Naan. Slightly different from the norm Naan you ate in other establishment.
While the Chalau Kabob, I opt to have the Lamb Kabob, and it comes with White Rice and Meat Sauce, that consisted of Lamb with Bones. Its flavorful and I don’t mind returning when needed. Left the establishment about 20:10hrs Tummy Filled Belly Happy Indeed!
@74/2013