Afghan Choopan Restaurant

Food was delicious! First time eating at the restaurant and it was great. Big dishes, family style eating. Definitely able to share and try a little bit of everything. Service was good and they were attentive to our needs. Would definitely go back.

Complimentary lentil soup. HUGE naan. The vegetarian meals are really good here. There's so much seating (and parking) in this restaurant that you'd think there'd be a lot more staff, or that the staff would be more attentive to smaller crowds (there might have been 3 tables when we were there). The food took about an hour to come out and it probably took us an hour to flag down the waiter to pay our bill. Eventually, we gave up and went to the front to pay the bill. If that was the policy, I think they should tell people upfront.

Recently ordered takeout from Afghan Choopan, selecting Boolani, meat combo, and spinach sabji. Despite the meat combo having fewer chicken pieces than anticipated (only 3-4), the naan fulfilled its purpose adequately. The true gem of the order was the firni, offering a perfect sweetness that melted like ice cream.Portions were satisfying for a single person per dish, ensuring a fulfilling meal even for takeout. While I didn't experience the dine-in ambiance, the restaurant's attention to portion sizes contributed to a positive takeaway experience.Although I can't comment on the in-house ambiance, the convenience of takeout was complemented by ample parking, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to a hassle-free customer experience. If considering takeout from Afghan Choopan, the portions and standout items like the firni make it a worthwhile choice.

Afghan Choopan is one of the few/limited restaurants in the greater Seattle area serving Afghan food. I am not an expert, so I would take this review from a casual diner's perspective. Located off the busy Bothell Way near Yakima's fruit stand, Afghan Choopan is tucked further inwards with outdoor seating and indoor seating. The inside is richly decorated with posters, outfits, and more. They have jewelry for sale. We left the movie theater and decided to go try them. I called them from the car to check if I need a reservation and/or if they are busy. The man who answered asked how many people. I said four, and we can be there in 10 to 15 minutes. He replied with some irritation saying I should have called earlier for reservations. I asked again if they are busy. He replied again that I should have called sooner. We hung up, and I have no idea if I made a reservation or rather they are busy. Anyway, we arrived to find a mostly empty parking lot. Inside, 3 tables were occupied with many empty tables. We surmised they must have wanted to close early as the other tables were wrapping up their meals. This was about 7:15 to 7:30. They close at 9. We did not wander in at 8:30 or even 8 for a restaurant closing at 9.The strange service continues. We were seated and given menus. Two female servers were soon cleaning the vacated tables. Our menus were down, and we were chatting. They continued to clear, clean, and set two vacated tables. We looked at each other wondering if they are not waitstaff and only buses tables. If they want us gone sooner, then they need to take our orders sooner. A bit later, a scruffy-looking man wearing flannels who looks like he woke up from a nap (the hair on the back of his head is literally standing up like he just got out of bed) appears at our table to take our order. He was plenty polite and cordial. Then he walks away, and we never saw him again for the rest of the night. It is clear he is the person who answered the phone. The two female servers delivered the food, well, more like tossed the food at one corner of the table. We obediently passed plates and food around to each other. For three rounds (soup, appetizer, and main courses), they stood at the same corner putting the food down at the same spot, then we are expected to pass it along. Then we are asked to repeat the process returning empty soup bowls, empty plates back to that same corner to be collected. Mind you, the aisles are not narrow; walking around the table is not an issue. We looked at each other and just laughed. We told our friend seated at that corner, "They must like you."The Food:Boolani ("Stuffed Bread"), $13.00 - 3 StarsMenu: Afghan flat bread stuffed with mashed potatoes, green onion and chives, served with yogurt sauce made of mint, garlic, and salt and a side of spicy chutney sauce. (Online menu says $11.)This was very good -- for the middle only. The two ends had little to no filling. I have had another version of this where it was much better stuffed. Lamb Qabuli Pallaw, $24.00 - 3 StarsMenu: The most famous dish in Afghanistan comes with perfectly steamed rice grains that shine like little pearls and a lamb leg or shank meat. Served with brown basmati rice topped with fried raisins and carrots. (Online menu says $18 only.)The lamb meat was tender and flavorful, but a touch dry on the outside as though it should have been served with in its own meat sauce. The "rice grains that shine like little pearls" were not on the plate at all. Meanwhile, a heaping pile of basmati rice buried the lamb shank. It was a bit odd but ok. Meat Combo, $19.00 - 3.5 Stars Menu: A meat and veggies combo that includes Chicken Korma with Qabuli Pallaw rice, Bandnjan (eggplant) and Naan (fresh bread). (Online menu says $17.)They offer to switch rice or eggplant with any of their other veggies. I chose cauliflower. The combination of both eggplant and cauliflower on the plate was oily, so I kept the plate tilted. The chicken was fairly dry. I mashed it with my fork and ate it with the saucy eggplant/cauliflower mix. It was tasty that way. The naan was a good size piece. Their version is dryer than Indian naan without butter/ghee applied. Lentil soup, free - included with entrees. This simple soup was quite tasty.

It's surprising that a place with such good food hd hardly any people dining in. Makes me wonder what people are looking for when they actually want to dine in. Saturday evening and just one more family along with us :(Anyways, the place is extremely huge and has a nice ambiance. Makes you feel homely. The food was really good :) the rice was so flavorful. The naan was fresh and had that tandoor flavor that I absolutely love. Chicken was tender and juicy! Firni and Mango lassi were perfect. I would say service wise it was ok. There were 2 main ladies who were taking orders and they did not interact a lot which is ok. The owner came in once and checked in on us. Overall we were happy and satisfied. I would recommend everyone to please visit this place! They do have excellent food! Would love to see them filled in with people

This was my first time trying Afghan food and I'm so glad I tried it here! I ordered take out and got the chicken kabob plate and the bolani. I wasn't sure if I would like the rice based off the description (I've never had raisins in rice before) but honestly found myself wanting more when I ate the last one, haha! It complimented the rice and chicken spices really well. Loved the entree. The bolani was SO good, highly recommend! It's a yummy bread filled with spices and comes with 2 dipping sauces (the white one was my fav).

A wonderful hidden gem. It's clearly a new restaurant that moved into an aging pub but don't let that put you off. It has outdoor seating. The couple running this place are very nice. The food is really tasty. If you haven't had Afghan before it's like Turkish with tandoori. Loved all the recommendations from the owner. The stuff bread and the lamb with rice are winners.

Delivery order with their family packs is great. Lots of food, great Qabuli rice. I like their ground beef items better than the rest.

Yesterday was the 4th time I came to this restaurant and sadly probably the last. Food is yummy, love that is a family restaurant but servers have a hard time understanding English and when they say that the restaurant closes at 9 pm, what they mean is that 9pm includes the time they need to clean up and turn the lights off for the day. They were pushing us out the door. Hard to place an order. I asked for two desserts, they brought two boxes. I asked for sparkling water, soda, perrier, seltzer.... water with bubbles!!! Nope, we just had water... that was on the table already but they forgot to refill. When I asked for more, they seemed upset. If you have any dietary restriction or preference it may be difficult to get your message through. Nice food but the language problem will stear me to other dinning places in the future. Sorry.

Amazing good, beautiful ambiance and great staff! We ordered the chapli kebab and the meat platter with garlic naan and absolutely devoured it. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a good Afghan, family-run restaurant.