Kabul West
Ste 114
(at Morehouse Dr)
San Diego, CA 92121 (858) 622-9500
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
13 Reviews for Kabul West
Understand that this four star rating is in the context of the food court setting. Taken by itself Kabul West is maybe a three-star place. In any case, a couple of items really stand out here. Their chicken salad (which at so many other places is bland vat-grown chicken over mildly distressed vegetables) features tender, marinated grilled chicken kebab over greens and some warm grilled vegetables. The have a nice selection of salad dressings as well, some of them made in-house.
One occasional menu special worth watching for is the lamb stew. I ordered it expecting to get your basic lean stew meat, but they actually make it with lamb shank meat still on the bone, slow cooked until tender with a rich and mildly spiced sauce. It's served with the usual rice, bread, and small green salad. Definitely recommended.
When I used to work in the Sorrento Mesa area, this place was always one of my favorites to go to for lunch. After seeing how well they had done on Yelp, I was proud of my kabob-making homeboys and decided to give them a visit last week when I was down in San Diego.
Yep, they still kick some major butt. The best thing there IMHO is their chicken, which is kind of like chicken tikka. The chicken sandwich and the chicken kabob plate are the best ways to eat this tasty chicken. The wrap I'm not as fond of. After you get your food, you get to ransack the sauce bar, which has jalapeno sauce, tomato sauce, cilantro sauce, hot oil, and ranch and honey mustard salad dressings. I like to get creative with it and mix together various combos of the sauces. That's right, I'm the Picasso of sauces, whipping together abstract combinations the world has never seen. But I digress.
In addition to the chicken, they also run various specials from time to time. A lot of my friends seem to get the lamb curry special, but I've never tried it because the chicken is so freaking good.
The only downside to Kabul West is its location. The Sorrento food court can get insanely crowded during lunch hour, so lines can be long and it can be difficult to find a decent seat, esp. if you have a group of four or more people. But if you head over around 1:15/1:30 or so most of the crowds should have died down.
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I just had a grilled chicken sandwich from Kabul West. There is a small tear of joy running down my cheek. I just wanted to share an intimate moment with you.
You might think, "Meh, have one grilled chicken sandwich and you've had them all." Well, you would be wrong. And you would have missed out on something close to perfection. This was the most beautiful piece of sandwich artistry I have ever seen. Way better than those self-proclaimed "Sandwich Artists" at Subway. HA, sandwich artists, Subway is a pathetic attempt at something edible.
Succulent grilled chicken fresh from the tandoor, all soft and tender with grilled onions and green bell peppers covered in a fresh tomato/ onion sauce. Slap all that onto a fresh piece of flatbread and you've got yourself a delectable treat. Slather on one of their many condiments from their sauce bar such as mild tomato, mild cilantro, or mustard sauce and you've just taken the sandwich to an entirely different level.
Sure they have veggie options, but why bother? Go for the meat! I'm seriously trying all of their meat, it's that good. MMMMMMMM Meat.
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They catered my cousins wedding at the Marriott Del Mar last night and I have to say it was among THE best wedding food I have ever had. The sabzi palau was perfect, not too fluffly not too dry. The firnee was had just the right amount of sweetness and just a hint of rose water. Their chicken kabob was definitely dry but the korma samaarok more than made up for it. I would DEFINITELY recommend them to cater your event.
I guess I must have ordered the wrong thing because I don't see what all the hub bub is about. I got the vegetable curry combo and it was honestly pretty disappointing. The green beans looked like they were from a can and the veggies resembled the frozen vegetables that I use to as ice packs on my knees after long runs. The portions were pretty big, but they it just seemed to be all rice (two different kinds of long grained rice) The bread was disappointing, but the condiments redeemed Kabul West in my eyes. The tomato and the cilantro sauces were really good. Mike ordered the mixed grill plate and the meat portion was not as generous as he thought it would be. The flavor of the marinade was good though. I dunno, maybe we just eat too much. If I'm in the area, I might try the chicken sandwich.
It is no coincidence that this place is getting nothing but fives. I had been in this food court dozens of times but never thought to try it until I saw all the positive reviews. I am a big sauce/condiment kind of guy so this place is heaven as they have tons of sauces to dip stuff in. The mild cilantro was great as was the mild tomato spicy jalapeno and mustard dressing. Their yogurt sauce was minty and delicious as well. It was not too filling and I felt good afterwards which is also huge for someone with a weak stomach.
How is Kabul West House of Kebabs this good and in an obscure food court?
Most dishes here cost $7-8 with taxes and are quite filling. The kebab combos and lunch specials come with white and brown rice, salad, and your choice of meat. Their chicken and mushroom special and pretty much any of their chicken, lamb, or beef kebabs are delicious. Our intrepid hero would highly recommend that you try an Afghan take on curry: hotter, meatier, and thicker. I'm not sure I know any man who wouldn't want that because it's pretty much what half the spam in my inbox is trying to promise me.
PROS:
- Great condiment bar: cilantro, chili sauce, tomato sauce and more! Dip your bread in their sauces for an extra kick!
CONS:
- Busy busy busy at lunch.
- The condiment bar gets a bit crowded by people waiting for their orders.
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Its a diamond in the rough!! Some of the tastiest kabobs I've had at a great price. Which this place had a regular restaurant b/c I'd be a regular for sure. Make the effort to come from Del Mar for lunch. Usually get the chicken kebab plate or the kebab salad. Both or great portions and very very flavorful and satisfying. You have a couple different dressings, but if your health conscious you can have the mustard dressing which is healthier and really really good. The kebab plate comes with two flavors of rice which is a sin b/c they are both good and it sucks that carbs taste so good but are so bad for you. If you come here you will definitely will leave satisfied!
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What the random food court!?!?!! Seriously, I never been to a food court like this and bumps this place to 5 stars. I was loving what I was seeing because there was no McDs or Panda here!!! Wooohooo or should I say Waaaa hooo haha those WaMu ads are everywhere now, no? Anyways this place was bumping. A lot of business folks up in here and I'm not talking about some old, white men; but young, multi-ethic people up in here. This place definitely had their diversity training. I'm not going to lie, it was kind of hard to focus on my food here haha. I think my office needs to relocate to this area, so I can come here for some daily pickings :x
Anyways, I was on a mission for a chicken sandwich not guys and what a roger that, mission completed, ten four that was! The chicken sandwich was awesomely different, but familiar. I liked how the chicken was charbroiled and put in a wheat pita. Price was about average for Indian.
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Tick tock, tick tock. It's almost 12:00 PM and time for lunch. Thank god! Sitting in an air conditioned office in San Diego is true torture as it's sunny and beautiful outside. My stomach is growling and there's one thing that I crave, it's Kabul West baby! I work right above the Sorrento Valley food court and one of the best parts of my day is savoring Kabul West's decadent chicken kabobs. I'll take them any way they make 'em - in a wrap, on a plate, on a salad, it doesn't matter it's always good. If you work in the Sorrento Valley area, especially at Qualcomm then you must try this place for lunch. It's by far better than the Indian place that has a line out the door. Oh and don't forget to sample their cilantro chutney, it's truly mouth watering.
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These are the finds I live for in my never ending quest for great food. Who would have thought you could get some of the best food in San Diego at a business park food court?? And Afghani food at that!
The chicken sandwiches are to die for. They've got large juicy chunks of charbroiled chicken that are seasoned to savory perfection and they sit in a warm and toasty pita topped with grilled onions and peppers. The fresh chopped tomatoes and onions with cilantro they add for you are a great cool and tangy contrast to the sandwich. You must add the low-cal mustard sauce on top - trust me! It takes me some will power not to drink the stuff straight.
I also order a side of rice (half white, half brown - tastes of a hint of cinnamon??), and spoon the chunky tomato sauce/salsa from the condiment bar on top. It's just some of the most beautifully fluffy prepared rice I've ever encountered and the exotic smells of it just waft up to you and transport you to another place far away from the adjacent McDonald's.
If the menu is a bit intimidating, don't be afraid to ask the guy behind the counter what is good. He's friendly and plenty willing to guide you through the yummy fare he provides.
Wouldn't recommend that you fight the Sorrento Valley traffic during the week day if you're not in the area already, but they're normally open on Saturdays for lunch for the few people trapped at the office on the weekend - closed Sunday.
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What an awesome find! I love this place! It's located in a food court in Sorrento Valley, right off the 805 and, yes, it's hard to park. What sucks is that you have to go during the week - I believe it's closed on the weekend. So go a little before lunch hour or a little late. I wish this place had a restaurant, but for now, I shall enjoy it for a special lunch. The owner is always working and is prompt and friendly.
The chicken kabob plate is a steal! About $7 and comes with deliciously flavored grilled tandoori-ish chicken and onions, 2 types of basmati rice: plain and flavored (brown and awesome!), afghani naan, and a side salad. The little bar of goodies includes a low-fat mustard dressing, a version of raita, some spicy sauces, and lemons. Everything fresh. The curries are tasty too. One of Sorrento Valley's best!
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Best Afghan in the city and the prices are actually very reasonable. Give it a try.
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