Bamian Afghan Cuisine

I have mixed reviews about this place. I think id give it a 3.5 stars if possible. I'm not sure if I will return any time soon, mostly because of the service. I've been here 3 or 4 times in the past 6 months. The service has always been terrible. One time, it was extremely slow and I was there for two hours, even though there was only one other table filled and I was in a small party of 4. Another time, the service was extremely fast to where I felt like they were rushing me out of the restaurant-- 3 courses in only 30 minutes. I've had decent experience with the food, but do feel as if it is overpriced. The best part of the food is the bread and the meat sauce that comes with the kabobs. Take a look at their website and see if they have any coupons before you go.

the food isn't great....its average at best and the service is weird...we asked for salt and the waiter grabbed it off of a paying customers table saying he would get them a new one...why not grab it off of a unused table! so weird....I've been there many times and 2/4 times I liked the atmosphere...but recently I went there for my engagment dinner and they placed our table right on the dance floor with the lights so dim we could barely see our menus and had a old afghan guy playing a organ piano really loud right in front of us...so WEIRD...then we tried to go there friday night and they had two tour buses come and hog up all the seats, there was no one at the front desk to even notice us there! very un-professional - customers want to feel welcomed not abandoned. I had to peer into the "white people" section of the resturant where the waiters were standing on hand just to get there attention...by "white people" section i mean they put all the muslims in the main hall and all the non muslims on the side hall.

Good food and very nice ambiance. The price was right. The kabobs were very delicious. Will return if I am in the area.

Great food but I am not into fine-dining. I like to sit down, roll up my sleeves and have a go at my food. Other than that and sale of alcohol, their food is good.

Excellent food. Nice ambiance and decor. We went on Saturday and they had live music which was definitely a plus. Food prices are reasonable and comparable to many takeout Afghan places in the area. We had shami kabab which was really seekh kabab/kafta kabab. It was excellent. Naan was good too. Glad that the food was not too oily.

I have been here a few times and the food has been great everytime. They also have a space to do salah if needed. The flavour's are more subtle then Pakistani/Indian food but it is nevertheless still very yummy and very affordable.

How can it be a Halal restaurant, they are serving Alcohal openly. I don't get it.

I have to disagree with most of the ratings below. I thought the entire dining experience was average. We ordered the Bowlanee, sambosay goshti, Bamian platter and the shami kabab (kubideh) plate. The food tasted average. Portions were fairly small for the price paid and service was mediocre. This restaurant, however, is huge and decorated very nicely. Please note alcohol is openly served here. Overall, I wasn't all that impressed.

Dress up for this restaurant. The portion sizes are a little small, but the food is well cooked (albeit a little bland). Not the best food, but the atmosphere is great (only semi-formal halal dining that i know of) A great place to entertain your coworkers/non-Arabian friends.

I came here for a dear friend's nikkah. The food here is just beyond words it was so good. Just remembering the roasted lamb makes my mouth water.

A very classy restaurant, great for large groups. Presentation is top notch. Many Muslim weddings happen here, and for good reason.

We were visiting DC area and found this place on Zabhia...long story short. The food was not cooked well, i.e. Chappli Kabobs were totally raw, the place serve alcohol, the server was totally rude...this is place is not even close to authentic afghan food...horrible experience...

Had a catered event there recently, the food was absolutely astonishing. The biggest problem is that they serve alcohol, which maybe because 95% of their clients are white/american people who follow the zagat ratings scale.

I have eaten at Bamian a number of times and always enjoy my food there. It is a nice halal restaurant and is also able to accommodate large groups if you plan ahead. I particularly enjoy the appetizers and highly recommend ordering a few of those to accompany your meal.

This is a beautiful restaurant. You will really enjoy the decor. It's the typical Afghani food -- kabobs, kabos, and more kabobs with rice -- but very nicely done. I really liked the salata.

The food is superb, and the service is just as great. I didn't even realize they sold alcohol. Bummer:(

This place is truly wonderful. It is the 2nd halal restaurant I have visited in the DC metro area and the food was superb. I always consider afghani food to be a cross between pakistani and persian in the sense that it has moist rice with flavorful meat. The added bonus of this establishment was the reasonable pricing and the great decor and live music.

Food is excellent. Place is very clean and professional. Good service. Nice family atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Very nice atmosphere, just happened to run into it during errands in Bailey's Crossroads. One of the nicest decors of any Halal restaurant in the area. Staff are friendly. Food ranges from predictable to succulent. Has an authenitic Afghan flavor. Would be a great place for special occasions/gatherings. Only regret is that they serve alcohol.