Afghan Kabab Express

Nice quick place to eat with my friend. The food was not bad. We came at a very slow time so no one was in the restaurant. I would recommend.

Horrible food horrible service and horrible area. I’m not sure how they got such good ratings. The meats were all dry, they had no soups, and gave attitude everytime we would ask them for more drinks.

I LOVE this place.
The Chicken over rice is my usual meal but they also have fantastic appetizers. Everything is delicious and very affordable.

Price: Incredibly inexpensive
Food: ⁹⁄₁₀
Service: ⁷⁄₁₀
Atmosphere: ⁹⁄₁₀
The three items I almost always get are the bolani (¹⁰⁄₁₀), the lamb gyro (¹⁰⁄₁₀), and chicken wings (⁹⁄₁₀).
Afghan Kabab is the only place I’ve been to that makes bolani, a potato-​stuffed flatbread appetizer — you MUST try it if you eat there. The lamb gyro is one of the best gyro’s in the Capital District, the pita bread is always soft and fresh which is a crucial part of any sandwich. I was skeptical about ordering the chicken wings considering Middle Eastern cuisine isn’t exactly known for its wings, but these were surprisingly good and worth trying if you’re not looking to try something new.
There’s an assortment of 3 sauces (red = HOT, green = mild, white = heaven) that can be added to pretty much any of the entrees; this is what really makes this place stand out from the others.
There is Arabic music playing lightly in the background which adds a cool vibe to the atmosphere.
The service is only alright, the waitress takes your order and brings your food but rarely/​never checks up on you in between those two times or after the food is brought out. The food comes out fairly quickly, 15 – 20 minutes I’d say.
Overall, great food at very very low prices — this is the place to go if you’re on a budget and want to try something different.

I am a huge critic when it comes to Middle Eastern cuisine. I ordered the chicken platter. So fresh! The rice was perfectly made and plentiful. The chicken was shredded on top. It had a nice kick to it and the spices were perfection. It had a side salad too. Very similar to what I’ve had in middle eastern countries. My co workers ordered the kabobs and falafe… so good! Definitely going to order again.

Sooo good but service was poor!! only one waitress!!! otherwise sooo yaamm food!! price was also reasonable. we loved it. should open on sunday and should be closed on any weekdays.

Best chicken over rice in the region, better than halal guys NY. Period.

Honestly this restaurant can do better. My family and I were driving through Albany and were looking for a halal restaurant to eat at. We found Afghan Kabab Express on Unilocal and decided to head there. The location is decent however the music is all over the place. As far as the food goes, let’s just say bland for the most part. The chicken gyro meat had little to no seasoning while the Philly cheese steak had American cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes on it which wasn’t bad but for some reason they put ketchup also. (In the menu it lists the Philly cheese steak as having grilled onions and green peppers) The service was also very spotty as well and didn’t make sense with their ambience. Also they call their added gratuities service charges. I don’t personally recommend eating there.

Granted, I have very limited experience with Afghan and Persian food (like, hello, have you been to the Capregion?), but the meal I had here was fantastic.
With such a narrow storefront, I was surprised by the size of the dining room, and also by the number of people having dinner on the weeknight we came to eat. They seem to do a considerable take-​out business as well, but be aware that they require a minimum purchase for credit card transactions ($ 10, I think).
We wanted to sample as many flavors as possible, so the Husband and I ordered two appetizers with our dinners. Sadly, this left us with no room for dessert, but maybe next time. We had the Bolzani, which was lightly fried and delicious. The Dolmeh was also very good. Husband had the lamp chops, I had the chicken kabab. Both meats were tender with fantastic flavor, and we cleaned our plates even though we shouldn’t have. We enjoyed trying the sauces — I particularly liked the white (yogurt-​based, I think), and the red was also good but dangerously spicy.
Service was timely and not unpleasant; moreso all business. Nobody checked on us after the food came, and it took several minutes sitting with empty plates in front of us before realizing we should pay at the register on our way out. As I mentioned, we had no room for dessert, but we also weren’t offered any. I can forgive these flaws, though, because the value for their delicious food is just that good.

I found here on Unilocal and decided to give it a shot. I am really happy that decided to do so. I ordered koobideh. It came with some salad sides. The prices were very reasonable considering the food’s quality. I previously had the same meal with either bad quality rice or the ones that made with not good quality meats. This one was very ok to say the least. Rice could be better. Overall very satisfying and will come again if I am in the town.

Shukran for being the best afghan place in the area. Honestly, I just had dinner and am craving this food. Everything on the menu is authentic and delicious. So happy to have found halal-​food-​truck-​platters style meals up here :)

Whenever we have one of these — lazy day, cannot cook today, drunk and hungry or just a craving me and my friends order a take out. Being a vegetarian I mostly order falafel over rice and Bolani which are pretty amazing. Their baklava is very tasty and my comfort food. Do visit if you are in Albany !

Chicken over rice was amazing!!! I dont eat beef but my coworkers also rave about the beef over rice! Falafel was also one of the best I’ve had, especially being from Queens, NY.

Bolzani. Thin, crispy, golden brown. The potatoes inside were soft.
Carbs encased in carbs, I’ll be back of these.
I had the gyro over rice. The rice was fluffy and seasoned well. The gyro was tender and it all mingled well with the white and red sauces. It was also served with a small salad.
It’s filling and inexpensive the gyro plate, ideal for lunch or takeout.
Note-​$ 10.00 minimum for credit cards.

«World Peace»
by Josh K.
In times of turbulence and contention, it is comforting to know that I can drive a few blocks away and eat Afghani comfort food in peaceful and amicable settings at Afghan Kabab Express — a tiny, eat-​in and take-​away shop tucked away in a Central Avenue mini-​mall on the best and most diverse culinary stretches of the Capital Region.
Having made the trip a few times now, I have been privileged to sample quite a few flavors from AKE’s surprisingly varied menu:
The Bolani — fried potatoes and onions — the perfect cripsy treat to kick off a tasty meal.
The Sabzi — a seasoned spinach and beans appetizer which is equally endearing.
The dolmeh are homemade and taste better than any other grape leaves I have had in the area but for a fraction of the price.
The Gyro over Rice is the perfect NYC street cart rendition, only fresher and cooked with more TLC and a much bigger portion. Make sure you top off the plate with a healthy amount of the savory white and spicy red sauces — they are heavenly.
The Koobideh Kabob is grilled and seasoned to perfection, and when topped with a mint chutney, oh man.
Afghan Kabab Express may still be off the radar for many a curious gourmand, but I expect it won’t be for much longer. This place is legit.
I suspect a bright future ahead if only we can get the politicians to come.

I reveled when my husband found this place a year or 2 ago… I could finally get my halal chicken and rice fix without having to carry it on the bus from NYC for 2.5 hours! 4 stars in my book, mainly because I love this dish.
We always takeout so I’ve never actually eaten at the restaurant. But our experiences have been solid. I always get the same thing: the chicken and rice and I’m never disappointed (there’s just something about that combination of flavors… the «white stuff» maybe?)
Be warned though– they include 2 sauces on the dish and they’re both top secret recipes so you CANNOT get them on the side! (At least that’s what they told my husband). One’s a hot sauce, so make sure you ask for whatever modifications in advance but if you decide you don’t want one of the sauces, it’s all or nothing. you can’t to titrate to effect with these.

Next time I’m going to try the kebab. Seriously, I don’t know what I was thinking. You go to a place called Frank’s Pizza for the first time, you shouldn’t be ordering the spaghetti.
But I heard such great things about the gyro over rice, that I had to try it. And it was delicious, but man, that was a lot of food. Especially considering the taste, quality and quantity, it was a super value as well. Actually, I wish there was a lot less food on the plate. Mostly because my willpower is awful. Put a pile of tasty things in front of me, and I’ll keep eating them until they’re gone. Sure, my body will tell me to stop. But I never listen.
At the table there are three sauces in different colored squeeze bottles: white, green, and red. In order of awesomeness they go green, red, white. Man, that green is good, and I put it on everything.
By everything, I mean the badenjan and bolani. Those were the eggplant side dish and the potato hand-​pie appetizers. Definitely get the tender and deeply flavorful badenjan. I think you can skip the bolani, which is starch in starch. Sure, it’s a great vehicle for those sauces, but it’s not going to leave you singing from the mountaintops.
There’s a lot to explore on this menu, and I’m looking forward to coming back and doing just that. Including their namesake kabobs. I’ve got my eye on the lamb ones. Because lamb is fantastic.

I was here on a Friday night with my daughter before going to a show. It is in this little mini mall on lower Central Avenue. The food was amazing, I had the chicken and rice and my daughter had the falafel and rice. We thoroughly enjoyed both meals. Just one tip, it appears that they drizzle a spicy chili sauce (harissa?) on all their dishes along with a yogurt sauce. If you do not like spice you should specify it to them not to put it on when you place the order. It didn’t bother me but was a little too hot for my daughter. Luckily I was able to scrape most of it off to her liking.
As for the service, I was not impressed. The food came out quickly but the server never came to check on us and I had to go to the counter to request take out boxes and also the check. Other than that I will be back here.

This is a quaint and great place to get some delicious Afghan Kabab. I got the mixed rice, which rice with shredded chicken and beef, which was delicious! I have never really had much experience with Afghan food, but it was definitely very good. The meat wasn’t dry, and the flavours were all just right without being too overwhelming to the taste bud. They have this «white sauce», and it’s super yummy. They also have a green, mint sauce, which also really adds a zing to the concoction. If you’re a fan of spicy food, they have mixes of red spicy sauce as well, and it definitely satisfied my craving for some spicy flavours.
They do have take out, so if you’re up for some yummy noms like this for a movie night, this would definitely be on my menu! Just remember to ask for some extra white sauce and green sauce to take with you.

The gyro plate over rice is better then the Halal Guys on 53^rd and 6^th in NYC