Maizbon

by e'roc b.

I went here for the first time today with my Pops, and wow, we were in awe at the decor as soon as we walked in, very Afghan swanky. One of the first people I noticed was a guy I'd seen at Valentino's many times, he's the owner of both and the creative genius of Maizbon's decor. That family is a money makin machine I tell ya. They put a lot of money into this place and they've got the quality service and food to back the front.We were seated and provided with a couple very unique menus. Our server took our beverage order, one green tea with cardamom steeping at the bottom, and one chai, both of which were quite tasty. We placed our order and within a couple minutes our teas and salads came out. Their house salads are pretty good, (iceberg lettuce, red onions; pickled carrots, cauliflower, and bell pepper; and a nice little variety of olives), accompanied by a homemade yogurt sauce. Not the typical kabob side salad, a little bigger, not special, but tasty nonetheless. How much can you say about a salad?Now, for the knity-grity. As some of you already know, I'm in search for the best kabobs in town, and although this place seems a but upscale in comparison with your typical kabob joint, their food is really good. Their chicken kabobs, although not as char-grilled as I'm used to, were very tender and super flavorful topped with sumac. Their lamb kabobs, also not what I expected, were about six or seven chops flavored and grilled to perfection. I can honestly say they were the best damn chops I've had to date. Lets not leave out their basmati rice, white and brown mixed, flavorful and perfectly cooked. They also provided us with some fresh naans, and red and green hot sauce. I was just going down the list in my head checking everything off. I can't wait to bring my habeebati here.The owners, who were super-friendly, came up to us to make a little small talk and offered more chicken and/or lamb. I was amazed at the degree of their generosity. These guys sure know how to get a business going. I intentionally saved a chop, some chicken, rice and naan for my sweet. So as my carry-out container sat there while we waited for the tab to be processed, the owner came over to our table with a big as chicken kabob and slid those bad boys into my takeout, again - wow...To sum up, they've only been open for a week, their decor is awesome, their staff and owners are extremely friendly, their food is superb, and they're reasonably priced, especially considering how swanky and decked-out the place is. Their located in the plaza behind Valentino's, so next time your in the neighborhood, stop by and give'em a shot.

by David E.

What a wonderful Afghan buffet. A nice selection of fresh food that is very tasty and a reasonable cost at $9. Friendly staff and very nicely decorated. Not an obvious place to find (in the strip center at 236 and 395) but once inside, you can't beat the food if you want Afghan and buffet (actually, even compared to ordering off the menu, it is very well done). The chicken is often running out - and they bring more. After 1:00, the buffet starts to look less fresh - so get there early.

by Andrea v.

I'm a seasoned diner at Afghan restaurants and am always on the look out for a new place to try.Went for dinner this evening.  Place was quiet, a few tables filled but plenty of open seating.  Decor was nice.  They've obviously put some time and money into the place.  Service was as expected for a somewhat slow evening - prompt and efficient.  We were seated near the hostess station - and had to endure about 30 minutes of the hostess chatting with her girlfriends and other servers from the restaurant.  Hopefully this is only a temporary thing related to a lack of maturity in running the place - but it was highly annoying.Started with appetizers.  The Afghan fries were excellent.  Nicely cooked, presented and seasoned.  The pakawra-e-badenjan was good, but not great.  The eggplant was sliced too thickly, cooked too long, the coating was not crisp enough, and the meat sauce didn't have enough spice.   This appetizer is my test of Afghan restaurants and they did just okay with it, but nothing special.Our main dishes were the qabili pallaw and the lamb kabobs.  The qabili was excellent.  Moist, flavorful, with the right mix of lamb, rasins, carrot and rice.  The kabob was over cooked, as in down right dry.  Disappointing.  Overall it seemed as though they dumbed down the spice - as in really toned it down.  I was expecting a stronger hit of cardamon.  Portions were nicely sized.  Pace of service was perfect.  Price was reasonable ($58 for two, with appetizer and main dish, and tip)  Food was inconsistent.  I'm sure it's just because this is a new place and they haven't quite got all the details worked out.  I've been hoping for an Afghan place to open near me, and I'm positive that they'll get the flaws worked out.Bottom line - This place has solidly good Afghan food.  Make your food choices wisely and you'll be rewarded with a very nice dining experience.  Choose poorly and you'll be disappointed.  I'll be going back again in a couple of weeks, to see if the inconsistencies are being improved on - and to try a wider variety of offerings.  Go eat, it's worth a try.

by Brendan J.

3.5 starsGood lunch buffet, and reasonably priced.  On weekdays, it was something like $9.  There were about twelve items, including two kinds of rice, salad, and dessert.I think one of the best compliments you give a buffet is to say that things don't all taste the same, and thankfully every dish has a distinct flavor.  Everything seemed pretty tasty, particularly the sabzi (spinach with beef dish) and the palau, although I was getting a little bored with the food the second time around.  I initially really liked the eggplant, which is tender and wonderfully silky, but it started to remind me of eggplant parmesan after a while.  Maybe it wasn't spiced enough?Like most buffets, the naan suffers from sitting out and can be hard.  The kabobs had a good flavor and were tender enough, but also a bit dry and overly salty.  It wasn't super busy while we were there, but it seems like they bring out new kabobs and naan and refill the other dishes pretty frequently.Although desserts seem to usually be an afterthought at these kinds of buffets, I really enjoyed the firni, a milk pudding with pistachios and cardamom?  Very mild and refreshing.  Next time I'll make sure to save more room for dessert.They've done an amazing job decorating this place, particularly when you compare it to the somewhat spartan ja jang myeon restaurant that used to be here.  Service was friendly and really adds to the atmosphere.

by Nina B.

I'm pretty sure I've never tried Afghan food before, but I was very pleased with the experience.  My dinner companion and I compared it to an interesting mix of Mediterranean food and South Asian cuisine.  The meal started off with salads that included feta cheese, olives, and balsamic vinegars (Mediterranean).  But, the entrees definitely showed the South Asian influence with a blend of spices, mixed in with yoghurt sauces.  We ordered a dumpling dish that reminded me of the pastas of eastern europe, but the sauce and meats reminded me of North Indian cuisine.  The decor might be considered a bit over the top, with this lounging area that is meant to look like the inside of a cave.  And the famous National Geographic picture made into a painting.  But, the service was really sweet and genuinely kind.  I really appreciated that.   Too bad they are located in a shopping plaza, that makes them a bit difficult to find.  But, it only adds to the charm.  Thanks to Donald P. for sending me to this place!  I'll definitely go back for the brunch one day.

by M R.

Overall a great experience.  We were the first patrons of the day and the hostess was welcoming and invited us to go ahead and hit the buffet and pointed out a table where we could sit.There were about eight or nine choices, including one desert.  Everything was great, especially the chickpeas and eggplant. The lamp with vegetables was also a great dish. Even one plate is worth the $10 buffet price.The service was great. Our waitress was attentive and offered drink refills before we had to ask.  Since this was our first experience I'll have to go with a three star rating because I don't really know that I'm a fan yet.  But I will try it again.  My only regret with our first trip was that I didn't have enough of an appetite for a third helping!

by Donald P.

Maizbon is an amazing find and unique Afghan restaurant with an intriguing interior décor and excellent service. Taking a moment to look at the interior themes, and you appreciate more of its heritage, including a cave room, golden palace room, traditional kitchen-theme bar area, and last but not least the iconic portrait of National Geographic's Afghan Girl. This restaurant just opened last week although their grand opening celebration is yet to come. We tried the weekend lunch buffet for $10.99. This was our first time having Afghan food, so it was only appropriate to try the buffet so we could try a little bit of everything. There must have been a dozen things to choose from. If you enjoy Indian food, you will find many similarities in the types of foods, with one notable difference...it is a bit lighter on the spices, and as I understand it...the spiciness level looks something like this. - Pakistani food is VERY SPICY - Indian food is SPICY - Afghan food is MILD Me and my wife thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food, unique atmosphere, and friendly and attentive service. Definitely looking forward to another visit. Their weekend lunch buffet lasted until 4pm, but they have a regular menu as well. After 9pm or so I believe the atmosphere changes as they offer hookah pipes then. They don't serve any pork or alcohol. The atmosphere is a tad on the classy, maybe even romantic side, so you may feel strange walking in like a scrub. Since this was my first try at Afghan food, and it had a delicious buffet, it doesn't get any better for me. Can't wait to come back.