Helmand

Afghani, and awesome. more

I loved the food here. The pumpkin dish tastes like candy. One could even dine on the freshly baked bread with sauces alone. I was extremely happy with my meal.\r \r Only complaint is that the seating is a little tight; I had to pull in my chair really close to the table because I kept getting bumped by passers-by.\r \r Our server was very attentive. We were a little bit rushed toward the end of our meal. He picked up the bill when we obviously had not paid it because it was still standing up in the middle of the table; to me, that said, ""time to go."" Pros: great food Cons: need reservations well in advance; tight seating more

I went to the Helmand for the first time in May 2007. We made a reservation the day before, on the appointed day I called to add 2 more persons. They couldn't find my original reservation; fortunately, they were able to accomodate us. The food was very good. The service was sub-par. We wanted to order the appetizers first and were told we had to order everything at the same time. The server was very unknowledgeable about the food and wine, and actually did not care; eventhough he was not rude. It's a shame that the service is totally out-of-line with the food. So I'd give an ""A"" to the food, and a ""C-"" to the service. Pros: Food Cons: Service more

I took my hsuband to Helmand this past weekend for his birthday (it was our second time). I made a reservation a week before, for a Saturday night and had no problems. We were promptly seated. Our waitress was great. She answered my gluten-free questions, and was very attentive throughout the whole evening. The food - fabulous. I can't say enough great things about Helmand! Pros: fabulous food Cons: its a busy place, so it can get a little loud. more

I was not surprised to read all those service complaints here! We were asssigned a waitress who never smiled and was not very courteous at all. It makes a big difference if you are out to enjoy your night. Their bread is excellent, and the food is not bad. In fact the bread was so good that we wanted to take a couple of slices at home in the end. Yet our request was rejected by the manager lady who is also never smiling. I always go to Bertucci's and I also like their bread, and they would never reject such a request. If you want to be treated badly, go to this restaurant. You won't be disappointed. Pros: Good food Cons: Rude management, bad service more

This place is great. I found helmand on citysearch and my girlfriends and i went there last night for dinner to give it a shot. long story short, we definitely plan on making it back there at least several times. The food was amazing. Full of different flavors, but never in excess. I had the seekh kebab as my entree and the meat was perfectly cooked, and tender. as an appetizer we had the kaddo (pan-fried then baked baby pumpkin) and banjan (pan fried eggplant with garlic mint yogurt sauce), and that was so delicious. The plates are very decently priced, and portions are ample per person. The decor is great, stylish yet cozy. We all decided it'd be a great place for a first date, or group outings. love this place!!! Pros: great food, great first date spot, great ambiance Cons: none that i can think of more

My fiance and I made reservations for a busy Saturday night with high expectations. The food came very quickly (and was pretty good) and we had cleared our plates in about 30 minutes, though we hadn't yet finished our glasses of wine. Although we had only been seated for about 40 minutes total, a server came by twice and, in a purposefully rude manner, checked to see if we had put our credit card by the check. At about minute 45 of our stay, the waitress said that she was very sorry, but the management wanted us to leave, since ""a stay this long on a weekend was not part of the owner's business model."" We were shocked that we couldn't spend a full hour at a restaurant at which we'd made a reservation - I've spent longer than that at a fast food joint! I don't recommend this place to anyone wanting to make a good impression on friends or family. Pros: cheap food, lots of veggie options Cons: service more

The food here is quite unbelievable. My wife and I loved the ambience, and the service was impeccable more

make sure you make reservations if you have a large group. Our party of 10 was lucky enough to get a table here once, but subsuent attempts to reserve in advance have always come up empty. \r \r ambiance is interesting with plush seats in entrance and brick over in the middle of the restaurant. Place can get hot, but is well worth the food.\r \r very flavorful meats and great use of middle eastern spices. It was my first experience with Afghan food, but I loved it. My friends have come back many times hence. The table wine comes in a caraffe, but is very reasonably priced and a value diner's best friend. Their braised lamb rocks! Pros: food, parking across street is free at night Cons: long waits, difficult for large groups more

There was a group of us 8 folks who came to this restaurant for dinner. We had to make reservations using one's credit card and they were really firm about time limit dining there. (We made 7:15 reservations and we have to be out by 9:30 for other reservations) \r \r Once we got there, we were lead to our tables and ordered red wine (can't remember which one) it was good. We all ordered appetizers, dinner and desserts. All of them were simply divine! Haven't eaten real good Afghani food in a long time.\r \r Our waitress was courteous with us and always attend to our needs. We told her we're definitely will return and will spread the word to other about this excellent restaurant regardless of the negative reviews in this site. (I hope the staff at Hermand read this and improve their service)\r \r We finally left our table around 9:45p and there were other party waiting to be seated. Nobody approached us and ordered us out. One of us went up to the hostess and she called our waitress to take the credit card so the next party can be seated.\r \r Overall, excellent service! Pros: Parking spot, Waitstaff, Food (we sampled other dishes...FABULOUS!) Cons: None that I can think of. more

Having read many lukewarm reviews about the service here, I was very apprehensive about taking my girlfriend. However, our evening was marvelous! The food was to-die-for and the service amazing. Explanations were offered when needed as well as recommendations. We had a payment snafu and the staff remained gracious, patient, and responsive. I can't recommend enough!\r \r Definitely make a reservation. I called two weeks ahead for a Wed night table and couldn't get one until 9pm! Pros: food, ambience Cons: crowded and loud at times more

I see here that many people have had difficutly with the service at Helmand and I am no exception. I have been to Helmand several times and service is truly hit or miss. The last time I was there, in April, we had a new waitress who was much more attentive than past servers. I was happy to think that perhaps the management is trying to clean up their act on the service front. However, the food will always bring me back, along with the fantastic setting. This is a fabulous place for a date with a decent wine list and very reasonable prices on apps and main courses. It's super easy to park but also extremely easy to get to by both the green (Lechemere) and red (Kendall/MIT) lines. Just be prepared to wait a while for your check or to order, as service can be slow and unapologetic. Pros: price, creative food, atmosphere Cons: must make reservation, slow waitstaff more

Even though we were seated promptly, we were neglected by every wait staff in the restaurant for about 15 minutes before we were able to get the attention of a waiter. I ordered the spinach/lamb with rice dish (which was mediocre by all means) followed by turkish coffee, which was unnecessarily watered down. Overall, it was a pleasant experience - but I do not intend to revisit Helmand anytime soon. Pros: parking Cons: service more

I went to Helmand's last summer and was amazed. Everything was excellent. I even had one of the best espressos I've ever had. I was with some vegetarians who are extremely picky about their food, but this place was a smash hit with all of us. I will try the one in San Francisco too! Pros: Delicious flavors, Exotic ambiance, Well priced more

The food was okay, not great but not bad. The service was absolutely AWFUL. The waiters and host were very rude and ignored my table. The host even took her time seating us, instead standing there and filing her nails. Cons: service more

We had some very ncie appetizers and entrees here which were relatively well priced. The only problem was the service, it was terrible. They were surly and ungracious when we arrived. Then they ignored us for so long that we didn't have time to order the desserts and coffee we wanted. Pros: Reasonably Priced foo Cons: Terrible Service more

I am a vegetarian and I am always wary when places claim to have ""lots"" of vegetarian choices. Well, Helmand's definately delivered. I ordered a vegetarian special and the menu has vegetarian apps and entrees section. No need to order things ""without."" The pumpkin app is DELICIOUS. I had trouble sharing it. The host was curt and didn't give us menus and it did take over 20 minutes to get the check. I know that the overall judgement of a place involves ambiance and service, not just food, but the most important thing for me is the food quality and Helmand's is great! more

I had an amazing experience at Helmand just recently (the day after Valentine's). I was VERY nervous due to the overwhelming number of negative reviews regarding their serivce, but I was pleased to find them untrue. The food was to-die-for, the price was more than fair (2 apps, entrees, desserts, coffees, and a bottle of wine for $80!), and the service just wonderful. The wait staff were helpful and cheerful, and even when I had a debit card snafu, the manager was gracious and accomodating. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough! Pros: delicious food, educated staff more

The food was great here and always is. I've been a few times and always get the pumpkin and yogurt stuff - great for vegetarians! BUT the service is awful. If it weren't for the pumpkin dish, I wouldn'y go back. The hostess is extremely rude as are the wait staff. If you can ignore the service and it won;t ruin your evening, I'd definitely recommend Helmand's... more

This place had really good food and a great environment. It is everything everyone says it is but more. The lamb dishes are exceptional and the bread is fabulous. more