Bistro Aracosia

I am currently sitting here contemplating the meal I just had at this amazing restaurant. It would be an understatement to say that this food is simply amazing. The flavors, the spices, the perfectly cooked lamb that fell off the bone and finally the cardamom cake were each just spectacular. And the service was so pleasant with recommendations and descriptions of the menu. What a treasure to have enjoyed this meal. Thank you to all. PS: do not miss any of the dumplings

Enjoyed dinner here as part of a large group in their back room, 4 tables seating 7 or 8 folk. Started with a sampler of four appetizers: spicy beef dumplings, leek & scallion dumplings, roasted eggplant and butternut squash. My favorite was the butternut squash topped with garlic yogurt for its savory taste. The Afghan flatbread served with appetizers was the right amount of chewy and enjoyable with the yogurt dip. Others had a variety of entrees, I had the Qabuli Palou: lamb shank falling off the bone accompanied by basmati rice with shredded carrots and raisins. It was delicious but provided enough for the next day's lunch. Others were okay but not thrilled with their choices: aushak (steamed dumplings filled with leeks and scallions but swimming in a bowl of sauce), chicken thighs in a tomato based stew, lamb kabobs. Folks at the table tried 3 desserts: an almond cake that did not taste like almonds, a rose water flavored custard that was tasteless and a pistachio custard that did taste of pistachios. The service for our group was outstanding and many folks agreed with me that they would return.

Aracosia is another hole in the wall establishment. This was my first time trying Afghan food and did not know what to expect. Good thing I went because the food was out of this world. Each dish was unique in its own sense. Very Flavorful. Ordered Lamb Shank Moghuli and it was absolutely succulent. The meat was fall off the bone good. Also ordered the Chicken Aracosian, Hot Mazza Assortment Platter, Beef tenderloin and lamb chops platter and Rose Water Ice Cream. Come and try this place when you are in the area. You won't regret it

I visited Bistro Aracosia last night (January 29, 2023) because this family-owned Afghani restaurant recently added a two-page VEGAN menu. Wow! Their vegan food is delicious. Rich, filling, and perfectly spiced. They even offer vegan savory yogurt. The ambiance is warm and inviting. The service was excellent, including from the owner's daughter who seated us. The only room for improvement is that no dessert is listed on the vegan menu. I understand Bistro Aracosia offers vegan sorbets.

My family loves going here. It has a cozy atmosphere. The bread and dips appetizer is delicious. I got the spicy beef dumplings which were delicious. It’s a very full menu so there’s so many great options. The only reason for the 4 vs 5 stars is that it took about 20 min for us to get seated even though we were on time for our reservation. Still highly recommend this place!

It’s a fine dining place requiring reservations on most days. We were in town and could luckily get a table. Pros: cute little place with afghan decor and new imagery to the middle eastern restaurants. Variety of listings to choose from. Heaven for meat lovers or eaters with heavy lean towards beef based dishes. Pistachio cake was delicious. They provide dips on the side which are really good if eaten by itself. Doesn’t really compliment along with food. Cons: food is not real authentic, toned down to satisfy American taste palette. We tried the stew, pumpkin dumplings, rice and more. Each individual order has multiple items on the plate. Each of these items are more delicious then if the whole order is eaten together.