Samarkand Restaurant

This is a wonderful place — great food, very nicely decorated.

Our first experience and everything was delicious and very fresh. The atmosphere was fun and the private booths made for a great date night, but I could definitely bring our family as well!

Very delicious food. The staff is always so sweet and kind and answer any questions you may have! The prices are so reasonable and the menu is nice. I recommend the Turkish style liver and just about any kind of kebab.

I was born and raised in Kazakhstan, (it’s a country next to Uzbekistan) and for the past 12 years I live in San Francisco. We do not have Kazakh or Uzbek restaurants, and I miss my country’s cuisine terribly.
For a day, I got away from NYC and visited my friend from home! For lunch, I picked this place.
I have no idea why it would be rated poorly 3,5 stars? The food was perfect, and the service was delightful.
We had Beef Tounge — thinly sliced with horseradish
Beef Liver — little deep-​fried pieces.
Manty — OMG I wanted to stuff my mouth with them!
Chebureki — Crispy, light, with delicious meat inside.
Lagman — Yes! Yes! Yes!
Kebab — Lamb, Beef, and Liver — I want more of that!!!
The food was fantastic! Couldn’t be better! I seriously now back in SF and while writing this review, I am salivating. OMG crazy thought — maybe I should go back to Philly???

Very very nice clean place to have a delicious dinner or lunch in Uzbek-​Russian style! Soups are simply outstanding. Had a scrumptious harcho soup — 5 star! Definitely ask for Achi-​Chuk salad, which will serve as an awesome compliment to any dish they get to offer here. The chalokhach lamb chops dish is a must get too!

I guess this place is OK. It is very nice for celebrations and the décor inside is beautiful. The Laghman soup is delicious and a must-​order. Hummus and baba ghanoush are very good. The bread is great but it was kind of undercooked. The chicken and lamb kabobs were absolutely amazing but the rolled beef was not as good. The tea was also a bit flavorless. But overall it was a nice experience and the lounge area that they put us in was lovely. I will come back here.

Lovely lunch today & my first experience with this type of food. I went with two Russian friends who guided me through the menu. I need to say right here that the restaurant lost one star because it allowed children from a banquet to run up and down the aisles & have «on your mark get set go» races despite there being other customers not associated with the banquet. Since I was a guest and wasn’t hosting the meal, I chose not to say anything to the wait staff. The manager never came into the dining room, but he was very close & I’m sure he heard the ruckus. I suppose the value of a banquet group trumps than of a few individual tables.
Anyway, the food and service were very good. We had so much food, because my companions wanted me to try lots of things. Two soups were ordered, neither of which were terribly interesting to me. My companions said they were very good. We had a nice fresh Greek salad to share with very good fresh warm rolls obviously house made. I had an order of Samarkand pilaf that was good. One person had trout that she said was delicious. I tried the other’s shish kabob & it was absolutely delicious along with the grilled vegetables and savory sauce. It was my favorite thing. Favorite except for the desserts! We had a nice Russian torte cake that tasted like Honey Graham crackers with crème & baklava… not the disgustingly sweet kind either. It was crispy & delicate. We had green & black teas brewed in pots with tea leaves to accompany our desserts.
I recommend non-​Russians to try this food. It is very mild & interesting in a delicate way. As someone who lives on spicy Asian food or Mexican or Indian, it is certainly a different cuisine from the usual American offerings. However, I urge you to go and enjoy this restaurant & speak up if the place is being used as a children’s race track. Also, my hosts were happy to use the 10% discount for the Unilocal check in.

Me and my boyfriend have been meaning to try this place out ever since it opened, and we FINALLY opted to get some food for delivery the other day. All I can say is WOW! We got an order of manti with meat filling, shurpa samarkand, kutabs (I think), an assorted shish kebab dinner, fire grilled trout with green tomato pickles, a gryo lavash and their signature bread. Everything was delicious! The meat was all perfectly cooked and had a great smokey grilled flavor. The trout had an amazing crispy skin and was seasoned with fresh lemons. I think my personal favorite out of all of this was the manti which were so good I could have eaten 10 of them. Overall I was very impressed with the quality and flavor of all the food and will definitely be interested in getting food from here again!

I came back here because a close family friend decided to have their birthday party here.
Since it has changed hands it has had a good remodel and the food quality is much improved.
There are now longer tables and private areas for large parties as well as booths for smaller groups. The dance floor is tucked in the back so if you don’t want to be down out by loud music on a weekend you can be seated closer to the main entrance and the music will be just background. The first issue with the remodel is that they have mimicked Golden Gates with trying to pack as many seats into a single space as physically possible. The problem with this is that is makes it difficult to get into or out of one’s seat since you are knee to knee with other diners on both sides and close to those behind you or the wall as well. They have a coat check room but are using it for storage so coats are draped on chair backs making it hard to maneuver. Now when you have this many people packed into a small space you either need high ceilings or to crank up the AC system. The entire dining areas were way to warm and uncomfortable. We went out side into the winter night air without coats a few times just to cool down.
From the food the two stand out food items were the samsa and the lula kabobs. Most of the salads were suffering from a lack of seasoning as were the other main dishes. Also the fried potatoes were brought out on their own like a separate course when they should have accompanied the shish kabobs later. Just bad pacing.
The service still could use some work. We had to flag someone one down several times to have courses brought out. There seemed to be enough staff but a lot of them seemed to have a lack of direction of what tables they were assigned to and were either standing around idle or wandering around kind of aimless.
So in short I give them 2 more stars for the remodel and improved food but they still have a lot of issues to work out before this place would be on my recommend list since there is too much competition doing this cuisine and set up better.

We were in the mood for ethinic Mediterranean food so we have this place a shot. The place is very cool inside and it looks like they do some live entertainment… we didn’t stay long enough to see. The food was also good but nothing to run home about. Dinner service for some reason was also very long. The place was nearly empty and it was just my husband and I so I am not sure why it took us 2 hours to get through dinner. Definitely worth a try but not sure if we would go back.

Wow where do I start? I was introduced to this place through an Uzbek friend of mine years ago. Back then it was very exclusive with mostly Russian/​Uzbek/​Kazak people but has expanded and now has a nice American following. The atmosphere is beautifully done, I always dress to impress as most women wear dresses and men in slacks and a nice shirt. On the weekends they have live singers/​DJ’s with a variety of music and truly makes for an unbelievable and lively atmosphere. They even have a belly dancer if you get there for dinner early enough, I believe she leaves around 8 or 9! Just being in this setting is worth the drive from NJ.
Now for the best part, the meal! Everything I have ever tasted here is delicious and everything is served family style except for the kebabs they are per order. Don’t stick with the typical dishes you can order anywhere, go off the beaten path and I guarantee you will be happy! Always start with the bread which is homemade, hot and crispy. Some things we ALWAYS get are 1^st course-Samsa’s (delicious sautéed meat and onions in a flaky crust with this sauce I put on everything I can). 2^nd course– Achchik-​Chuchuk salad, Nejnost salad or Crab salad. 3^rd course– Laghman soup (great lamb and noodle soup). 4^th course– Pilaf Samarakand (A MUST) and some kebabs, typically boneless lamb or salmon. If you have room, the bakhlava or napoleon cake slice. (big enough for 3). You can have a 5 course meal for two for around $ 50 and you will not be able to eat it all. I brought my parents here and we had about 7 courses for 4 people for about $ 110. This place is absolutely amazing, service is perfect, food phenominal and atmosphere unlike anything I have ever experienced. I will make the 45 min drive from NJ for years to come. OH its BYOB and these people drink a shot of vodka before and after each course! lol

Service was horrible. Dishes did not come out in a timely manner. Half my party were done eating and full before they brought out the other half of the party’s dishes. Great birthday present for my mother. Also, the food was bland.

Have been here for a birthday party. I liked cabin where we were sitting. Excluded, music did not bother. From food I liked beef Shish kebab and Lula kebab. Nice meat choices. However salads are so so. Overall nice experience, but nothing special.

Great energy. Great service. Amazing food. Best to go there first with a Russian friend who knows the food. But even if you stumble in unaided, as an American you’ll be impressed that the waiters’ English is more that competent to help you understand the menu. If you’re an American going with a Russian friend, be sure s/​he gets the Russian language menu. Weekend belly dancer is classy, talented, gorgeous and not trashy. Dance floor music pulsates with lots of big screen eye candy of non-​USA music video clips. During the week, it’s a quiet, intimate lunch spot. Amazing that it shares a parking lot with the Giant Grocery store and those clueless shoppers would rather go to the creepy burger place on the other side of the parking lot rather than walk over here to have a glorious new food adventure.

First off, do not advertise delivery if you will only deliver within a mile of your restaurant. The online order placement was convenient but when we tried to get it delivered we were denied. We only live 1.2 miles away, but when called the restaurant, we were denied the delivery.
I’ve been here before about 2 years ago and will say the food was better. The portions are still large and you do get quite a bit for your money, but the quality definitely is subpar. Plov was decent, with nice seasoning. Potatoes with mushrooms, although not wild, as I expected were also good. Samsa was good and large. Cheburek’s were awful! There was absolutely no meat in there. Completely empty and devoid of flavor. Greek saad is yummy as usual. Shashlik was a disappointment. The lamb shashlik was made up of very small and very thin pieces of very fatty lamb. It’s hard to even explain, but they were not cubes but flat thin pieces. Chicken shish kabobs were ok and actually had decent smokey flavor. Lyulya kabobs which are made up of ground lamb were completely undercooked. Reheated next day were actually had good flavor.
Wish the owners didn’t try to save and put out great food like they used too.

Most people prob don’t think of Central Asia as a prime culinary region. Well think again if you’re talking about the food from Uzbekistan. It is really good — at least it is as prepared at Samarkand Restaurant. Samarkand (named after the fabled Silk Road capital of Tamerlane’s empire) is located in Feasterville across from the well-​known Buck Hotel and only a few streets above the Philadelphia city limits. Inside it is a beautiful looking restaurant with lots of ceramics and art works from Uzbekistan. It’s pretty large as on weekends they have music shows and dancing ala the other ex-​Soviet restaurants in Northeast Philly. But lets get to the food.
Laghman soup is a classic of Uzbek cooking and here the soup is splendidly rendered — full of taste in every spoonful. The Lepeshka bread from Samarkand is a perfect accompaniment to the soup. Follow that up with totally delicious Khonum which is a large dumpling filled with beef and onions and potatoes and then served sliced. For the main course I went for the national dish of Uzbekistan — Pilaf Samarkand. This rice dish with lamb, beef, and carrots is very filling especially when you combine it with an Achchik-​Chuchuk salad (thinly sliced tomato and onion salad). Anyway this is quite a feast … and it is all very nicely prepared and presented.
The staff here is extremely friendly — throw away all your Soviet stereotypes of service. And if you are new to Uzbek food, they even have a small booklet in English with pictures that describe the highlights of Uzbek cuisine. The prices are def moderate and it’s a BYOB restaurant so you can save money on wine which is always good for my budget.
Samarkand is a destination restaurant. And once you try Uzbek food, if you are like most people you’ll be going back a second time. Hey, tell the host that Jeff on Unilocal recommended it to you and hopefully they’ll be sure to spend even more time with you helping you select a dinner that will be sure to please!

So I’ll start by saying that I’m not really a fan of this type of food. I went there on a Saturday night with a small group (maybe 8 of us) around 9pm. Since this style of food isn’t really my forte, I let others order for the whole table. They chose multiple different types of kabobs; lamb, beef, chicken.
I don’t recall all of the other foods we got, and it was quite a feast, but there was little that wasn’t enjoyable.
The atmosphere made this place a 4 star. When we were first seated, the ambience was really nice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the guitarist they had playing in the room. He was really talented and it was the perfect volume.
At around 10 the fun really started. They had a couple really fun and energetic Russian singers, and a beautiful belly dancer! She was stunning!
As the DD, I had nothing to drink, so alcohol did not sway my opinions in any way… But I can assure you, everyone who was drinking was having a blast as well.
I wouldn’t go there once a week because I prefer other cuisines, but it’s certainly not a place I’d shy away from.

As a Russian child growing up in the Northeast, I have been to my fair share of Russian restaurants. I feel that none compare to this one. Samarkand is one of the newer Russian restaurants in the area where one can eat, dance, and have a banquet all night long. Although it is farther from the Northeast than its competitors, it is worth visiting because it is one of two Uzbek restaurants, and it is the only one that does Uzbek food justice.
The workers here all speak Russian and English. They are very friendly and attentive. While I was eating the first course, the server managed to constantly change my plate without disturbing me. For who it may concern, it is BYOB and you are welcome to stay as long as you would like on the weekends to enjoy the live music, even if you are done eating.
I have been here many times and I have gotten take out many times as well; however, they recently changed the interior, musicians, and some of the food, only making it BETTER! They play current top 40 hits in addition to Russian music. They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights and a very talented belly dancer! All at no extra cost!
The food is reasonably priced and I must recommend:
Lagman soup
Manti
Samsa
Cheburek
Liver Shish kebabs
Seafood salad
The plov/​pilaf
In addition, any other shish kebabs or salads will leave you satisfied!
I highly recommend this restaurant whether you need a place to have a banquet, dinner, or take out. Don’t be scared, they have a menu in Russian and English!

It’s not always sunny in Samarkand, but it’s damn sure alright. We arrived and were seated within several minutes, and got water right away. Our waitress was relatively attentive but disappeared for several points during the night when we couldn’t find her. The mood was set by the low lighting and loud music, and we quite enjoyed the vibe from the place, but we could have gotten some more attentive service.
My boyfriend and dad ordered the beef stroganof, which came on french fries, and they I think I enjoyed it as much as they did, you’ll see why in a minute… My mom ordered the chicken kiev, which was good, garlicky, and I had a bit of while I was waiting for my meal. I ordered the half chicken, which took quite a while to prepare, but when it finally came out, it was decent. The problem was, the dishes came out so sporadically (the stroganof first, chicken kiev 10 minutes later, and the half chicken 15 minutes after that) that we weren’t really able to eat together.
I think the waitress said something to us about the chicken taking 25 minutes at the beginning of the meal, but it wasn’t enough notice to let us know that we should have placed out orders separately. Really, we should have just told them we wanted the orders all together, but we didn’t think that far ahead, so we all ended up eating dinner at different times and it was a bit awkward.
The dinners were tasty, and the entertainment was great, but we might not be back again considering the wait we had to endure for the chicken. As far as the entertainment went, I liked the belly dancer a lot. She was a lot of fun, and we enjoyed watching her perform. Verdict: go for a relaxed night out, and specify you want ALL MEALS BROUGHT TOGETHER :) Enjoy the belly dancing. And revel in the garlicky goodness.

Samarkand was very accomodating for our large group, and the price was definitely right. Everyone had a large amount of food that night, and we all took home plenty of leftovers afterwards. Even so, we had to leave some food on the table, it was just too much! So when it comes to value, there are no complaints.
However, the food is really just average, especially in comparison to Uzbekistan down the street. I thought the kebabs were very tough, and I had pieces of cartilage and fat in my manti. Overall, quality of the food wasn’t impressive, and the flavor was also lacking.
The dancefloor is very small, so it’s good for an intimate group of people, not going all out until the wee hours of the morning. For such a small restaurant, I thought the music was way too loud — they really need to decide whether they are a russian party place, or a small family restaurant.