Reviews for The Helmand in Cambridge, MA
I have been planning to visit this restaurant for a long time and really wanted to love it, but was so disappointed with the... food quality. I have Afghan friends and have tried their delicious food both homemade and in authentic restaurants and ourexperience at Helmand was nothing close to it. The grilled meats were over-tenderized and the lamb shank had a bad smell.Ghabelee is my favorite Afghan food and the one at Helmand butchered my good experience from its taste. If you look forauthentic Afghan food, I do not recommend this overpriced restaurant at the time of writing this review. Read more
We had dinner here a few days ago, it was our first time trying Afghan food, and it was absolutely amazing. The waiter was very... helpful in recommending dishes to try. We ordered the vegetarian specialty and the chowpan (half rack of lamb entree) as well asthe aushak and bowlawni. Everything was super delicious. The food was fresh and not too heavy. The menu also has lots of optionsfor different dietary requirements. They also have patio seating (in the summer) that is first come first serve. The inside alsohas a nice ambiance with a big bread oven in the center - it would probably be very cozy for the winter! Read more
The restaurant is quite pricey, but so worth it! We've never tried Afghan food before, but the server was very helpful and had... great recommendations. The food was top-notch, with big portions, and the atmosphere is also great. Read more
Amazing food! The place has a nice ambience and good service, however, the food is simply amazing. I had the CHAPENDAZ, The... meat was excellent and then there was like this pumpkin puree on top of cabbage which was also amazing. I had the rice puddingfor dessert, absolutely delicious. Read more
The food, service and ambiance is so refined and excellent. My son and I sat outside and each shared our own superb appetizers--... eggplant and kado ( pumpkin ). He had the lovely sea bass, and I savored my lamb dwopiaza. Everything was terrific, and Kate wasa wonderful waitress. I would highly recommend others to dine here. Read more
We have been coming to Helmand for at least 15 years and it has always been great. Last night however was a different story. I... always liked this restaurant for its consistency and great food. To start with the positives, service was great and ourwaitress, a young lady who was super friendly. Now to the not so great, we ordered 4 Qabele (rice and lamb) dishes as we havefor the last several years. It was extremely dry (lamb) and the tasted really mediocre. The taste was lacking the sweetness fromthe raisins and bland from the rice. It tasted like it had been rushed and not cooked fully. At $27 a plate, I was expecting farbetter. We left disappointed and none of us finished our food. Read more
The 1st time ordering here. I ordered take out. This place was highly recommended by a coworker, and I've never had Afghanistan... cuisine!! All I can say is that it was amazing!!! I ordered the Lamb Lawand. It was so tender that it just fell apart. The ricewas so flavorful! The spinach was outstanding!! And so much bread!! The whole meal was absolutely delicious!! When I picked itup, the staff was friendly and courteous! The ambiance was comfortable and welcoming!! Excellent all around!!! I can't wait toorder again and try something else on the menu!!! Read more
Overpriced place with the quality of food that was offered. Nothing much to expect from the decor. Service is quite good. I had... high expectations from the food. But as there’s not much Afghani restaurants around the place, this is the best you could get. Read more