Maiwand Market

Great Atmosphere!
I was looking for pita bread which is why I stop by this place, as I was walking around the store I saw this gentleman leaving with a huge piece of bread and smelled delicious so I went and asked what was the name of that bread to a very nice lady that happened to be by the bakery area, she said «Is Naan», well let me tell you, this bread is really good, my husband and I are now big fans of this place, great customer service, store is very clean and you really feel welcome.
Big Thumbs Up ;)

I had planned to buy Afghan bread from Fremont coming from LA. I called in ahead of time to order 7 ‘roghanee’ bread and 3 regular Afghan breads. The guys were nice and there was an older Afghan dude who let me know what I needed to do to keep all of it in great condition for the long trip ahead. He decided to take it all back to let it cool off so it doesn’t get leathery from too much steam and then personally bagged each one himself. The price and taste is A1 too!

Love their bread! It’s really the best bread ever. Would have given them 5 stars, but the rude cashier in the front makes me give them a star less. He always makes rude comments. Honestly, this week was strike 2. He was hella rude to my mom. the next time I go there and he makes one more rude comment, I’ll cuss him out. Freakin beh tarbya.

I’ve been coming here on and off over the years. Yes, the service is crappy and hit or miss. More miss especially if you are a woman. But I’ve come long enough to get decent acknowledgement when I get my goat meat from the butcher. Plus I will totally speak up if someone cuts me in line. The meat is def fresh compared to other similar shops. They have their own slaughterhouse in Stockton and no middle man. The meat is as fresh as you can get without killing the animal yourself. Also, they have super fresh afghan bread for a few bucks.

This is a review for the BREAD only! Ok Maiwand, as luck should have it, the planets conspired against my earlier formed opinion of you. I walked in to purchase the bread on a Tuesday evening, and there was a line for the bread. I thought the day couldn’t get any longer. But Maiwand, you had me at the flavorful-​yet-​subtle-​chewy-​yet-​soft magic carpet that is your bread. Now, I look forward to moody Mondays and torturous Tuesdays after 3pm, just so that I can squeeze myself into your store for your Monday and Tuesday special bread. I should say this is a good conversion, I’m pleased with my conversion into a Maiwand bread lover!

The best bread !
I know MANY people will not set foot
In a place as a woman you feel
How women are treated by Afghani
Men!
If you are like me and keep trying to tell
Them you’d appreciate being treated
Like a human being or a glutton for
Punishment or tell people who laugh
At this ludicrous situation, you will
Come back again & again!
And continue to be mistreated for
Awesome bread!
One star for service
Five stars for the bread!
That’s why they get two in my book!
If you’re into teaching your kids
Manners, you can show them how NOT
To be!

This place has the worst customer service, ever! We live pretty close to this place and hence it has been our go to place any time we want to get goat meat. But the butcher is so in-​different to us all the time. There is no smile, no friendliness, and he acts as though he is doing us a service just being there. Hello, aren’t you getting paid for the meat. you aren’t giving it for free! The meat can be good sometimes but most times he is so moody and cranky that you get what he gives you and that may not be exactly what you want — We just want to get out of that place ASAP to not deal with people who lack any customer empathy or have any sense of customer service.
Overall, if there was a choice, I would not return to this place! I will keep looking elsewhere.

This was my first time having Afghan bread

My Afghan family who lives no where near here (6 – 7 hours away) has raved about this place ever since I can remember. I’ve always known it to be «the Afghan bakery in Fremont.» Anytime they’re around the area they stock up big time. They cut the large bread sheet up in smaller pieces and freeze them and use a day’s worth at a time. They say since it’s so fresh without any preservatives, that it spoils very quickly. That’s how bread should be in my opinion, sans additives.
Since I was in the area, I was told by my family to ask for 20 wheat breads to take back home for them. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Apparently bread is available around 11 am and after, so I went in around 11:15 and there was maybe a person or two, but the longer time went by a small gathering outside the bakery window area began. I first asked for 20 wheat breads. I was told wheat breads aren’t available till after 3 (Mon and Tue), and even then he said something about calling ahead of time. What they serve as a standard is mixed wheat/​white dough, so I went with what they had. It is so fresh and piping hot that it’s pointless to put them in the clear plastic bag (ew bpa leaking on your bread). So if you’re grabbing a bunch I suggest bringing your own sheet/​table cloth something to wrap it in. I saw some women grab one without the plastic cover and just walk out with it, I saw another woman bring a blanket/​sheet to wrap hers in.
If any of you are NOT Afghan and you go in there and are stuck in the frenzy you’ll probably feel like a fish out of water. I did and I’m half Afghan! So I can empathize. It’ll be good for you to do something that stretches you. Just wing it and make the best of it.

I was not aware of this place before moving to fremont.
It has a special bread“Afghani Bread“
It tastes really good it its warm and soft.
Try with Goat/​Chicken Curry :)

Found almost everything I needed to make mansaf! :D

Best Afghan bread ever! Every other Afghan store has tried to copy haha failed EveryTime. Great service from family business that’s been a part of the community for decades.

This is a popular place for Afghan bread. There is street parking. This market has pastries. You can pick up fresh meat here.

Stopped here before lunch in the neighborhood and bought a pound of the Turkish pistachios (much more flavor vs. California pistachios), a loaf of their bread, and some sort of honey filled sticky waffle tubes?

I first heard of this place when I was watching Bizarre Foods America: Andrew Zimmern on the: Travel Channel. I was watching it in Bishop, California — and said, I must go there sometime when I return home.
And we finally did., There was aboutt 20 people waiting for the bread to come out of the ovens. We wanted just one this time — and oh, so tasty. Very large tasty Afghanistan bread. The best.
We also got a free range chicken (moist, tender) and made a barbecue at home.
The place is an interesting place… but the food is so good…
Worth going to…
and glad I saw this place on Bizarre foods.
Yep– even with this just being a first visit, the bread is so good and unique I give it 5 stars.
Parking is on the street or a free public parking lot nearby.
expect to wait for the bread to come out of the ovens…
the smells are so good as you wait.

Thank you Unilocalers for helping me find this little gem of a store! Was gonna be in the Fremont area for the afternoon, so naturally pulled up nearby places to the address I was going to be at and found that this place was only a shade over two miles away. They have a parking lot a little bit away in the back for their customers. We parked and walked up to the street and into the store, it’s a bit confusing at first, since it just looks like a convenience store.
To the left as you walk in is the butcher, then they sell all kinds of dry goods, spices, grains, etc. throughout the store. To get the bread here: When you walk in, walk to your left a bit and it’s in the far back left corner of the store (from the perspective of a customer entering through the main door).
There is really no system here and we weren’t sure what to do. Ordered two after seeing the size of these things in the pictures. Guy said 20 – 25 minutes, so we wandered about the store for awhile. There didn’t seem to be any protocol and some guy who came in well after all of the people who had ordered just went to the hallway to the side of the kitchen and grabbed a bunch of fresh breads for himself!!! Slightly perplexed (Actually, that’s a lie, I was in full WTF mode), I walked up looking a little irritated I’d imagine and flashed two fingers and the guy nodded and I got the next two out of the ovens.
FYI, the bread is piping hot! Wasn’t the worst for me, because I’ve burnt myself so many times working in the kitchen, but be prepared for it. You’ll have to stand on line at the front cashier waiting and it may be too hot for you. I’d bring in cardboard to hold it with or even gloves. No shame in emasculating yourself: p

Charming old world feel to this place and I dug that. I was referred to this market down in Los Angeles by a friend who knows about it so I had to make a special trip to Fremont just for the bread. The have a bunch of ovens and turn out bread all day long. Fresh and hot, it was tempting to rip a piece off right there and try it! We bought a bunch and brought it home for the family.
It’s long and flat and full of flavor. In the Middle Eastern world, this stuff is the best. Middle Eastern people know bread and this is one of those legendary places that does it right.
We didn’t buy anything else even though they had the standard dry food line up. We have all that stuff in LA so I didn’t bother. If you are in Fremont, you have to try this place for the bread, even if you just eat it in the car!

Walked in, a little lost, but found it… NAAN! Naan for days and days! If you see the photos, you’ll see that their naan could feed a whole family… it’s huge! And only $ 2! I met some faithful customers who helped me out. Both said Maiwand has the best naan in town. One customer said they always buy about 50 pieces for their LA family, another said people travel from all over northern California to this location for their naan. He walked out with 5 pieces on his arm. They also said you could freeze what ever you don’t finish, but my family killed it as soon as I got home. Next time I’ll buy more.
Service isn’t too warm and friendly, and you can tell the market has been around for a looooooong time, but don’t be intimiated. Just walk in, stay to the left, walk all the way to the back, and bingo! Just tell them how many you want and pay at the front.
Thank you to my fellow Unilocalers for helping me find this place.

My parent’s friends absolutely love this place and have brought me the famous bread from here many times. It’s crisp yet soft & chewy to bite into, love the sesame sprinkled on top, and this is great with a meal or as a quick snack.
I haven’t been, but have heard it’s fun to go and watch them make the bread. They stick it in an oven and then it’s baked in just a few minutes! A huge sheet is only $ 2 too. Great value, very tasty stuff.

It’s well known that Maiwand Market sells awesome Afghan bread. If you show up late, the bread is all gone. If you show up early, there are crowds gathered for the bread. If you show up in between early and late, you don’t get any fresh bread straight out of the oven. Yes, I’ve been in all 3 camps before, and really being late is the only one that sucks.
When I buy the naan fresh and hot, I’m always tempted to eat half on the way home. I only end up eating a quarter, but these suckers are huge, so even a quarter is a huge meal. The only thing that would make the experience better is melted butter slathered on each bite.
Then when I buy the naan pre-​packaged later in the day, I generally nibble on a few bites, but most of it makes it way home. At home, we then cut it up into little squares and toast for a delicious naan with our Pakistani meals.
And when I show up late, and there is no more bread, I cry all the way home.
The naan is excellent and cheap («so cheap!») and definitely hits the spot. The naan is so good that I’ve never tried any of the other things at the market, but when you have great Afghan bread in your life, there’s no need for anything else.