Aria Grill & Cuisine

Tasty food and good, friendly service. A bit slow but worth the wait.

Food is super tender, flavorful and mouth watering. I usually get the chicken kebob with aushak or the Kabuli Plate and haven’t had the chance to try other dishes yet as I’ve recently started to come here but based on what I’ve tasted with these 2 plates I’m sure I can’t go wrong with the others. The rice is perfect too not too soft where it’s mushy and not too hard where it’s crunchy. The prices are very reasonable based on the portions you get per plate and in comparison to most other afghani restaurants. Definitely my go to spot whenever I’m in the area

Food was delicious. I had the chicken kabob: super moist, flavorful and tasty. Portions were a little small, but I thought it was the perfect amount of food. Service was great!

One stars because I came in around 5 And the service was very slow i waited 30+ for my food to come out it was just me and my brother not like they were busy no one was here it wad empty, And they didnt even have what i ordered said they were running short. I am super disappointed.
On top of all that The food is pricey for the small portion.
And when it came out super late the meat was not cooked all the way had blood.
So we had them take it back and wasted more of are time!!! We just decided to leave because my appetite was gone.
Super super disappointed.

Only ordered pick up order, Aria Burger is delicious.
Best taste in Downtown Oakland!

Todays lunch was outstanding. I tried one of the kabob dishes. The shammi to be exact. Definitely coming back to try the other dishes that caught my eye.

Great food for a great price! I really like this place. I don’t live nearby anymore, but when I did, I’d get dinner here all the time. I love the chicken kabob with brown rice. Oh man, that rice is heavenly! I could eat a big bowl of rice by itself… it’s so good!

This is a review for the hookah bar (although we will be back to try the food downstairs).
There’s a small, chill hookah bar in the upstairs portion of this restaurant. The hookahs were clean and the service was attentive. We got a chance to speak with the owner and the manager, and they told us about their plans to develop the space in the coming weeks. Even as it is now, I would recommend it as a relaxing place to unwind with your friends. It’s a lot better than your other option in Oakland (Oasis). Looking forward to the remodel, and we will be back with our buddies.

I frequently visit Aria for their Lamb & Chicken Gyros. This place is clean, authentic, and the customer service is very pleasant. I recommend this place to anyone!

Waited almost 20 mins to get my food, for lunch people don’t have much time, i got the combo and paid almost 16 $ plus 1 $ tip because it was to go order, but really? Portion was soo small, 17 $ lunch too little food not so happy, meat was dry and i can tell right away they haven’t change the oil for days, if owner see this please consider,

Always a pleasant experience — great customer service and food. Their baklava is to die for!

Monday afternoon and the place is too chill. Bennie, one of the owners, is the man!!! Coming from a person who loves to hookah when it’s low key this is the place to be. And the hookah is amazing. Also, a great place to watch the playoffs.

I have been back to Aria several times since I wrote my first review, and the food never fails to impress me. I usually order ahead and pick it up to take home for dinner. My usual order is Chicken Tikka Masala with brown rice, and the Shammi Kabob with brown rice. The Shammi Kabob comes with a salad and hummus and bread. My grandson and I split both dishes and go to town!
I have tried the Mantu before, and it’s delicious as well. You’ve got to at least try the three dishes I mention… You can’t go wrong with those!

This place is amazing! Great food and great customer service I highly suggest to eat here! I wanted to order another round but I was full! I will be coming back:-)
The green sauce is really good too.

Dare I say… I like the food at Aria Grill more than Kamdesh.
Don’t get me wrong, both are really really good. The difference is Kamdesh feels more like a restaurant and Aria… well, you’d rarely find anyone in there during night time. I wonder why that is (could it possibly be because there is only one person doing everything from cooking to cash register at Aria?) but it’s a ghost town at night. If I’m doing takeout, I think I’d rather go to Aria but If I want to sit down, I’m going to Kamdesh.
I’ve tried the Mantu, Shami Kebab, Chicken Kebab, and Qabili Pilau and they are all really good. Mantu has amazing flavor, Shami is excellent and the Qabili Pilau is one of my favorites I’ve had so far. The meat is so tender and goes perfectly with the carrot raisin rice. Plus, I usually find chicken Kebab to be dry but the chicken here was perfectly cooked. So good!
They have a few variations of the dumplings that I definitely want to try. The prices are reasonable and the portions are good. I will definitely be visiting regularly.

Came here for lunch, and enjoyed it more than Adam’s a few blocks away and friendlier service! Moist chicken for the chicken kebab, and hearty portions of meat even for lunch. Smooth hummus and warm pita. But the most amazing is the brown rice! Reminds me of my most favorite halal food truck in Davis. How can brown rice taste this good and be healthy?

I love Afghan food. I am not from the area but was here for work so I looked up and found Aria. Parking is mostly street parking in an ok area. I walk in and not one person in the place, not even an employee. I actually had to call from my phone for someone to come to the front after I stood for 5 minutes saying «hello». Anyways a nice lady told me to take a seat.
I ordered the appetizer Mantu and it was ok nothing wow about it. I ordered the combo of the tikka and Shami. Each time the women would go in the back and cook my food herself and serve it. It was literally just her and in the place the entire time I was there.
The food was just ok. Some of the tikka was uneatable because of gristle.
I paid and asked for a receipt for my expense report and she handed me this tiny undated no name receipt, well my company won’t take that so I guess I am paying for my own dinner on company time. Awesome. Not.
Go somewhere else where there are people around and not a ghost town.

Date: 10/​21/​2015 Time: 1:00 PM 71° Sunny
My oldest sister started a trend — every Wednesday is take mom out to lunch day. My oldest sister is vacationing in Seattle, so today it’s my brother and younger sister on this lunch outing with our dear 95 year old mom. My younger sister had the paper menu at home. She and my brother suggested Aria for the occasion.
It’s my first time here and I did a check-​in. The check-​in had its perk — two free desserts — baklava, the sinfully delicious flaky layers of phyllo infused with a syrup and chopped pistachio nuts.
Eli was our waiter. He was indeed very knowledgeable with the offerings on the menu. Also, he was attentive, kind and accommodating. The service was great and the food, excellent.
Ambiance: First thing I noticed were the stairs leading to a second floor. I found out later it was a hookah bar. No hookah bar for this non-​smoker. I would probably be hacking with a smoker’s cough… no thank you. Table and two chairs set up outside in front of the establishment. Indoor: On the right is a long comfy bench extending from the front to the back of the restaurant with embroidered round pillows, paneled mirrors reflecting what is on the left of the entrance. Afghan music is playing in the background, which is soothing. Tables and chairs for either two or four diners. Maximum seating: 25 people in the restaurant itself.
Cleanliness: Grade A. Tables were polished wood and quite immaculate. No litter on the floor. Menu and place settings neatly in place.
Specialties: Appetizers; grilled meat kabobs; pasta; vegetarian entrees; three types of dessert — bakhlava, firnee (Afghan pudding) and sheer yakh jahla (Afghan ice cream); beverages and organic fruit-​thies. They also serve combo kabobs. Lunch is from 11 AM to 3 PM. The prices are reasonable and the portions quite hearty.
Eats: Aushak, a leek filled pasta with a meat sauce, yogurt and dried mint; shammi kabob, a charbroiled seasoned ground beef skewered and served with grilled tomato and onion and brown rice; lamb gyro with French fries; and an eggplant dish — bodan jan borani. All entrees had a side of tossed green salad with sliced tomatoes, cilantro and cucumbers, topped with a mild vinaigrette. Beverages: 2 glasses of mango juice and 1 organic dream peach fruit-​thie.
Return trip: Yes, for the mantu, chicken kabob, tikka kabob and the firnee.

The customer service was just amazing.
The place was pretty empty which is a waste, because everything there is perfect it just needs to be heard.
The best hookah flavor I would suggest is lemon mint.
The food was delicious .
Overall they just need more people to go check them out.
You won’t regret it

For fairly inexpensive Afghani food with really great value — Aria Grill, yo. I’m teetering between that four and five star mark, but I’ll give it up for five.
A pleasant surprise with less than 100 reviews and this spot’s been around for 5 years and counting. We enjoyed everything, left super full and didn’t break the bank. This isn’t fine dining, but come for some casual eats and you’ll leave impressed. A few vegetarian options and meals from kebab plates to gyros make’s this spot a win for most.
A few things first: Afghani restaurant downstairs, hookah bar upstairs. The hookah bar upstairs is cool, although I didn’t try any hookah and it could use a little bit of a makeover. I do love the fact that it exists, so there’s that.
Restaurant downstairs: Super casual, with some really great eats. Service was nice and quick, but we were also one of two tables, so I can’t really speak for a busy night. We ordered up the ravioli, dumpling and potato apps and a 3 meat kebab combo served with salad and rice. Each bite was better than the previous.
The mantu — lil’ doughy dumplings filled with minced meat and onions were delicious; some of the best I’ve ever had and I’ve had these bad boys in Turkey. The ravioli filled with leeks and onions were my personal favorite and the recommendation from the manager. Those fresh leeks really come through. The deep fried pakora seemingly is a tempura style sweet potato. Piping hot out of the fryer and gluttunous for sure, but oh, so worth it. All these dishes for apps, were hearty portions, super easy to share and priced at about $ 6.
This leaves me with the 3 meat kebab. Easily two meals the meats were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection on a bed of buttery brown rice accompanied by a side salad. Top those kebabs with the available house made chutney’s (cilantro, hot and what may be a mayoey one), and you have yourself a really flavorful and satisfying experience.
Between the prices, the incredible value and really wonderfully prepared food, Aria may be one of my newest favorite finds.