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Helmand Restaurant
3.8750/5 (22 reviews)

430 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-0641

Category: Afghan


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23 Reviews
REVIEW #1 Daniel M.
Rating: Unknown 		May 21, 2008
0 of 4 people found this review helpful
Four people is the right size because you can try so many different things. Although lamb is the primary meat, there are so many different spices and herbs used, that are hard to find and unique to Americans (this is truly authentic food), that it is a lovely experience. Don't be frightened by the neighborhood, you are transported to Afghanistan once inside. Don't forget to get the coffee, quite an experience. And the wine list is cheap and well matched with the food.

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REVIEW #2 Robert M.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		January 17, 2008
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
This restaurant is now called the Helmand Palace and is located at 2424 Van Ness (due to landslide problems above old location). Still everything the Broadway reviewers said, although they are not currently serving lunch.

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REVIEW #3
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		February 23, 2006
0 of 5 people found this review helpful
Great food!

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REVIEW #4 Dave S.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		November 28, 2005
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
The food, particularly the lamb dishes, are superb. The dining room sits back away from the front entrance allowing the diner to escape the street noise and enjoy the total ambiance or this restaurant. Service is attentive without a sense hurry. Ignore the strip joints in this area of Broadway and discover a great meal.

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REVIEW #5
Rating: 		October 18, 2004
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
Wonderful service and ambience, outstanding food. (Although the full-course menu is TOO MUCH food for people over 60, which we are!) The wines were fine and interesting, the bread was fresh and unusual ... I liked the neighborhood! Nothing there is reminiscent of a mall!

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REVIEW #6 gianni F.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		February 17, 2004
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
This restaurant is great each time i go the food's been great Without doubt, the best Afghan around

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REVIEW #7 Jake B.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		February 8, 2004
0 of 8 people found this review helpful
Best lamb dishes I've had in the Bay Area. They have a spectacular the pumpkin dish. Good and friendly service. Nice decor (once you're inside). Good selection of wines. The only flaw I can think of is the bread of the bread plate -- it tastes reheated rather than fresh.

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REVIEW #8 Kristo T.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		June 2, 2000
0 of 8 people found this review helpful
The neighborhood is cool with all those sex shops. Kinda neet. The restaurant itself serves good food and the staff is cool. Great chicken

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REVIEW #9 Anton H.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		February 11, 2000
0 of 8 people found this review helpful
Do not be daunted by the general seediness of the area--Helmand is nestled in between parking lots and red light establishments. It's worth it.
The pastiche of flavors you find at Helmand will surprise and delight you. I've eaten here several times and highly recommend it for both the uninitiated and veterans of Afghani cuisine.


Save room for dessert. It is as delicious as everything else.



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REVIEW #10
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		June 18, 1998
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
This restaurant is great, and the neighbourhood is great too, take absolutely no notice of the first review, this neighbourhood has everything you want, from lurid sex shops to garish bars and an assortment of weirdos, transients, extra-terrestrials... As for the restaurant, the food is great (or as Tony th Tiger would say, it's GR-R-Reat!) yummy appetizers, very rich and tasty chicken curry and the sea bass is good too (and it's ill-tempered!). The ambiance is distinctly upmarket with wine racks, elevator Afghani music and plush carpeting. Try it out!

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REVIEW #11 Selvestre R.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		March 21, 1998
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
I once knew an Afghani girl who knew how to really cook. One time she cook this one dish with chicken and rice with all these different spices and it was awesome. We thought it would be enough food for me and my other roommates for a week! We scarfed it down that night! She gave me the recipe and its always been a hit. Anyways, I could never find an Afghani restuarant anywhere. Until I saw Helmand's on Broadway. About three months later, I tried it with some VERY VERY VERY picky friends of mine. Some other friends of mine highly reccomended the place so I made it a point to try it. It wasn't what I expected. The place was very nice! The outside of the restaurant looked typical of the neighborhood. Two of the people we were with just scarfed down a huge carne asada burrito, so ther were not expecting to eat, maybe just some appetizers. They read the menu and their taste buds started to kick in. We all ordered a full course dinner along with appetizers, desserts and wine. Everything was spectacular! Helmand's REALLY know how to use spices and sauces to compliment their main courses and appetizers. We were all curious about each others' plates so we shared. The appetizers are a must! We got the sample platter. Go for it!! If my friend L$#!@$ (food baby! worse than a baby) can eat there and enjoy it, everyone in the world will love it! If you want to impress someone try Helmand's. I GAURANTEE IT! They do have a VEGAN section on the menu.

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REVIEW #12
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		October 1, 1997
0 of 8 people found this review helpful
The food is excellent!

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REVIEW #13
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		April 20, 1997
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
Fantastic 1/2 rack of lamb. Service was a bit abrupt Sunday night, but we were looking a bit ragged that day. Rich & subtle creme deserts.

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REVIEW #14 Ted R.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		December 6, 1996
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
Overall, quite a memorable dinner. The food, particularly the lamb dishes, are superb. The dining room sits back away from the front entrance allowing the diner to escape the street noise and enjoy the total ambiance or this restaurant. Service is attentive without a sense hurry. Ignore the strip joints in this area of Broadway and discover a great meal.

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REVIEW #15
Avg. Entree: Under $5
Rating: 		December 1, 1996
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
This is one of the best restraunts in San Francisco.

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REVIEW #16 kym R.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		November 23, 1996
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
One of the best finds, for the money, in the bay area. This small restaurant located on the edge of North Beach should no be missed by those that like to sample foods from different regions. The combination of spices had an Indian influence. The starters were wonderful. I prefer to start light so I have room for the main course. The Kaddo Borawani (pumpkin with a garlic Yogurt sauce) was the perfect beginning to the meal in that respect. My only criticism would be that they added too much sugar when cooking the pumkin and didn't rely enough on the natural flavour of this vegetable. My husband had an interesting dish called Aushak, this was a ravioli filled with leeks and topped with a minty Yogurt sauce. The combination of flavours were like no others I have ever had. This dish had a pungent almost vinagery flavour, but was very tasty indeed. Our main courses were also very good. I ordered the Mantwo. This is a dish that I would recommend but as an appetizer rather than a main course (the restaurant provides many of the same dishes in both categories) Mantwo is made from boiled dumplings filled with beef and onion topped with a Yogurt sauce. My husband had the better entree, he tried the lamb with spinach. The flavour of the lamb was absolutely wonderful. It had been cooked in the Eastern style (a long time in a slow oven) and was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth. My husband and I decided to share a dessert. The choice was quite interesting. We picked a pudding made from condensed milk topped with a bit of cardomom. The flavour was similar to the indian dessert Kulfi. It was very nice the only thing that I would have to say would be that the portion could have been slightly larger. Although the food was very good there were other factors that make this restaurant such a bargain. The wine was very reasonable in price we had a caraf (1 liter) of burgundy for $11.00 that was very nice and went well with the flavours of the food. The restaurant also provided bread with the meal free of charge with various sauces. (be careful of the red one as it is extremely spicy!) The staff was also very attentive and friendly and the atmosphere was very well thought out.

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REVIEW #17 Cindy N.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		August 6, 1996
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
One of the nicest Middle Eastern restaurants in SF. Table settings are elegant in narrow dining room. Pictures decorate the white walls. The service was gracious and so prompt- we ate a meal here in less than an hour. The neighborhood is not that bad, but gets scarier at night bc Helmand is nestled between SF red light block and edge of North Beach. Parking is free at a nearby lot- very convenient for N. Beach. I thought prices were reasonable for the (large) amount of food you get. Most dishes are complemented with rice and vegetables. Flavors are not at all overwhelming for the type of herbs and spices they use. Appetizers: $3.95 Entrees: $9-14 Good selection on wine list -DEFINITELY try any grilled lamb dish: rack of lamb or grilled lamb medallions- so meltingly tender, succulent, and flavorful. -I liked the baked pumpkin with Yogurt, garlic, and ground beef sauce. It's an interesting taste combo.

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REVIEW #18 Jake B.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		June 12, 1996
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
Four people is the right size because you can try so many different things. Although lamb is the primary meat, there are so many different spices and herbs used, that are hard to find and unique to Americans (this is truly authentic food), that it is a lovely experience. Don't be frightened by the neighborhood, you are transported to Afghanistan once inside. Don't forget to get the coffee, quite an experience. And the wine list is cheap and well matched with the food.

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REVIEW #19 Daniel M.
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		June 3, 1996
0 of 6 people found this review helpful
Great food and good service. Don't miss the appetizers; the aushak (or its cousin, aush soup) is terrific. And don't miss the vanilla ice cream for dessert. It sounds more dull than it is; just trust me on this, okay?

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REVIEW #20
Avg. Entree: $10-15
Rating: 		April 12, 1996
0 of 5 people found this review helpful
The atmosphere is great, And the food is excellent. You must see it for yourself.

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