Etihad Market Restaurant
★★★★☆ 3.8 (6)
"Superb, authentic Afghani food!This evening was my first time ordering from the restaurant. I ordered mixed bolani (flatbread stuffed with spiced potato-leek filling, served with a distinctive spicy-sour dipping sauce I've never encountered before), qabili pallow (a delicate long-grain rice with carrots, raisins, and slow-cooked lamb), four beef samosas, and a chicken gyro. They will ask if you want your food spicy or not, and both the bolani and samosas had complex layers of spice and a nice heat (since I did request spicy - which they honored even though I am a white guy! ). The gyro was generously crammed. My wife and I stuffed ourselves and still have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. All that came out to just under $50. When they ran my card, there was no tip prompt (and I unfortunately didn't think of it until I looked at my receipt later)!I got my food to go, but it looks like the dining room seats 40 or 50 people. It looked like all the tables and chairs (stackable auditorium-style chairs) were moveable to accommodate larger parties. No booths.The service was unique in my experience:When I first came in, the proprietor was in conversation with other customers in Dari (?) so I browsed the market: lots of semi-exotic spices, cookware, dishes, dried beans, noodles, dried fruit, rugs, propane burners (big enough to brew beer or deep fry a turkey), flashy cheap-looking jewelry (though I didn't look at the prices), dresses, sandals (men's and women's), and unusual (and ordinary) beverages (not beer, wine, or liquor, but Kvass as well as sodas with flavors like ginseng and basil seed) and potato chips (Tiger brand tomato flavor, among others).I was a little confused about placing my order: there is a sign saying "order here" over the soda coolers; there is a deli-style counter with a blank menu-board overhead and boxes behind it instead of a customer-service representative; and the kitchen staff (the kitchen is past the boxes behind the deli counter) don't speak English. But someone had posted a photo of a delicious-looking plate earlier in the day, so I knew the restaurant was operational.I confirmed with the proprietor at the market register that they were taking orders for dinner. He has recently ordered menus, which haven't come back from the printer yet, but thankfully they come up in Google Search. There are three pages, but I initially only saw two. I put in my order (they don't have all menu items available everyday, so be aware that you may need to have backups), which the proprietor delivered to the kitchen staff, then - after apologizing that it would take 20-30 minutes to prepare the order (although I recognize that making good food takes time), he SAT ME DOWN NEXT TO HIM FOR A CUP OF TEA AND A CHAT, kind of like an old-school barbershop! (He shared that this is a part of his cultural tradition, but verified with me that I wouldn't prefer to wait in silence with my smartphone to keep me company.) His citizenship interview is coming up, and he and his family have found Sacramento a welcoming community. I was pleased to hear that from a new American, who helped our troops in the "war on terror."Once the food was ready, he walked it out to the car with me. He also pointed out that the parking-spaces were newly-repainted (they are marked nice and clearly!).DoorDash and UberEats will soon be available, but honestly I enjoyed the change of pace of having a cup of tea and a chat.And once again - most importantly - the food was delicious and affordable!!"
"The curry was freaking delicious and fairly priced. Unfortunately the main problem here is, um well, how do I put this nicely. But let's just say your car may get broken into when it's dark, like high probability. This restaurant sits on the corner of Broadway and Stockton. There's just a lot of homeless people walking around. Me and my partner ate inside at night at like 6pm when it was dark, and straight up we saw some "sketchy" people. The parking lot is super small, so that does not help. Also next to this place is a "smoke shop." This area is just not good and there have been a lot of failed businesses on this corner.The food was good, but gosh the location is just SUPER SUPER sketchy. Also, I don't really like the Indian Afgan and Chinese options. I would say just choose a culture and be great at it rather than a jack of all trades master of none situation."
"Very delicious donair shop ran by father and son. The chicken donair was so good! It was packed with fresh veggies, chicken, hummus and sauces. I am a sauce-driven eater, so I thrilled when they dropped off squeeze bottles of hot sauce and garlic sauce with our meals. We loved the food and service. The indoor seating area was very clean and suitable for a fast meal.Highly recommend this fine establishment for a very tasty and fresh meal."
