Afghan Kebab House Takeaway. Afghan Kebob House has authentically awesome Afghan flavors that mostly deliver on taste but stumble on execution. I'm giving it an 8.1/10 for the food, but a lower overall score because of the service.
The chicken kebabs are cooked to absolute perfection, juicy and tender in a way that kebabs almost never are. The aushak (leek-filled dumplings with yogurt and meat sauce) is a standout dish with unique, complex flavors you won't find anywhere else in St. Louis. The tikka masala has a great creamy sauce, and the meat kebabs won over most of my group.
But here's the thing: the logistics are rough. They missed part of our order, the timing was off by 10-15 minutes, and I had to make a 40-minute round trip to get the rest of our food. If you're in the area near Lindenwood Park or Ted Drewes, it's absolutely worth stopping by.
But I wouldn't make the 25-minute drive from across town specifically for it.
Afghan Kebob House Experience Summary
We rolled into Afghan Kebob House on a Monday afternoon, fresh off a hike with friends and ready to feed a hungry group of 14 people.
I called ahead like a responsible adult, gave them our massive order, and was told 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Doable.
Except it wasn't 20 to 25 minutes.
It was more like 30 to 35 minutes, probably closer to 35 if I'm being honest. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but when you've got a crew of tired hikers waiting on food, every minute counts.
The real problem came when I grabbed the three bags of food and headed home.
Fatal mistake: I didn't check the order.
Turns out we needed four bags, not three. Didn't realize it until I got home and started unpacking everything. So yeah, I had to turn around and drive the extra 40 minutes round trip to pick up the rest of our order.
Not ideal.
That coordination issue, both on timing and actually handing over the complete order, really hurt the experience.
But here's where Afghan Kebob House redeems itself: the food was genuinely delicious.
Like, good enough that I'm still thinking about it and willing to write this review despite the hassle. In my ongoing quest to find the best food in St. Louis, this place checks the box for quality Afghan cuisine.
The flavors are authentic, the cooking technique is on point, and there are dishes here you simply can't get anywhere else in the city.
Would I drive 25 minutes out of my way to get here again? Probably not.
But if I'm already in the area near Lindenwood Park, Mom's Deli, or Ted Drewes, I'd absolutely come back.
The food quality earns it a spot on my list of places worth trying. The logistical headaches just mean it's not going to be a regular spot for me personally.
The Food At Afghan Kebob House
Let me start with my personal the star of the show: the aushak.
These are leek-filled dumplings topped with yogurt, meat sauce, and dried mint. This was far and away my favorite dish of the entire meal.
The dumplings have this interesting texture where you can't really tell they're dumplings at all. They taste more like fresh pasta or just tender dough.
But the fillings? Absolutely delicious.
The yogurt topping is tangy and creamy, and it mixes perfectly with the savory meat sauce and the bright hit of dried mint. It's a delicious flavor combination I haven't found at a typical Middle Eastern/Mediterranean spot.
I will always love me some creative dumpling action, and this delivered big time.
Now let's talk about those chicken kebabs.
I need you to understand something: in my experience, kebabs are usually dry. It's just the nature of the beast. They're typically made with small pieces of chicken that tend to overcook easily.
But Afghan Kebob House does something different.
They use giant wedges of chicken, like significant chunks, almost like big breast pieces on the skewer. And they cook them absolutely perfectly.
These kebobs were juicy in the middle and tender all the way through. Really delicious, excellently cooked.
Even my eight-year-old son, who generally finds chicken boring, was like, "This chicken is good." He ate the leftovers straight out of the box the next day, no questions asked, and asked for more.
That's high praise from this kid.
These are probably the best chicken kebabs I've ever had. I'm not saying kebabs in general are the pinnacle of cuisine, but as far as this specific dish goes, these were legitimately exceptional.
The meat kebabs were the group favorite, though I personally wasn't as into them.
Five out of six adults at the table said these were the best part of the meal. They're made with some kind of ground meat mixed with spices, cooked to a standard kebab thickness. They were juicy in the middle and well-prepared.
Whatever spices they use, though, I just wasn't a huge fan of the flavor profile. But I was clearly in the minority there, so take that for what it's worth.
The chicken tikka masala is apparently legendary, according to the internet and Yelp and Google reviews.
I enjoyed it.
The tikka masala sauce was great, creamy and flavorful with that classic tikka masala vibe. It struck me as more Indian food than Afghan, though.
The rest of my group didn't like it all that much. I'd say I liked it the most of anybody at the table. The chicken was well-cooked, which seems to be a theme here. They know how to handle their poultry.
A high-level observation: all the sauces here are really good.
The sauces and seasonings are generally very solid across the board. Whether it's the yogurt sauce on the aushak, the tikka masala sauce, or whatever they're putting on the meat kebabs, they clearly know what they're doing in the seasoning department.
Afghan Kebob House Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
We went on a Monday lunch, a holiday Monday specifically.
The place was pretty empty. There were maybe two tables taken when I arrived, with the rest of the seating wide open.
It's a casual, no-frills spot. You're not coming here for ambiance. You're coming here for the food.
Service-wise, I can't give you a definitive read since I did takeout.
But I will say this: there was one family of three eating there when I arrived, and they were still there 40 to 50 minutes later when I drove home and came back to pick up the rest of our food.
So either they were really taking their time and enjoying a leisurely meal, or service isn't the fastest. Given how long it took to get my takeout order together, I'm guessing service might run on the slower side.
Parking At Afghan Kebob House
There's street parking only. They don't have a dedicated parking lot.
If it's busy, you might have to walk a couple of blocks, but it's in a residential neighborhood, so you'll find something eventually. I can't imagine it being more than a five-minute walk at the absolute most.
It's close to Lindenwood Park and Ted Drewes, so there's plenty to do in the area if you're making a trip out of it.
Afghan Kebob House Receipt
