The Helmand - Afghan restaurant in Baltimore - 806 N Charles St, USA

This place is all time! I think an absolute Baltimore must! Also it’s not frufru expensive tiny servings, it’s large servings of excellent homemade food. The flavors are unique and delicious. Also, the service was the best I’ve had maybe ever, seriously terrific experience! Thank you!

Southern Asian cooking is almost always good, but occasionally we run across a balance of flavor, texture, and heat that leaves me with a delightfully warm feeling inside about a half hour after I've left, and a desire to return as soon as possible. The Helmand was one of those experiences. Noodles, meat, rice, stuffed pasta, sauces, and freshly baked bread are all present, each with a familiarity that screams 'comfort food', but with a uniqueness that is unlike anything else I've had. We were fortunate enough to be seated near the back, with a view of the oven, whose flames added to the atmosphere, as well as baking their bread. Lighting was subdued, making it even more of a fine dining experience. The menu, along with the wait staff, provided enough information about the unfamiliar item names to make ordering simple and low risk. Save room for the Jala ice cream, flavored with cardamom, topped with pomegranate syrup, Asian noodles (!), and almonds.

The Helmand situated on historic Charles Street by Mt. Vernon monument in Baltimore is a rare gem in a city that has suffered through many failed incarnations and setbacks. Known for its Afghanistan dishes and confirmed of its authentic taste by my dinner mate who was the chief foreign correspondent stationed there, this local staple has been delivering one smashing dish after another. As an art student I visited The Helmand a handful of times, and after over a 20yr absence, what a surprise it was to be recognized by the maitre’d after so many years this time around. Good to know that they also treat their employees really well here as well. The decor of this place over the years has not veered away from its original design of Afghani cultural references adorning the walls including clothing, ceramics and a flag. Once you place your orders, your appetizers come deceptively fast. We had the mantwo and seared eggplant app. My only complaint is that I wish the mantwo came with 2 pieces. It was the most delicious delicacy topped with chickpeas stewed to perfection. For dinner we had a stewed chicken, divine, lamb special, a bit tough, and rice dish, that was similar to a birwani where the meat was inside the rice that was seasoned w saffron, raisins, herbs spices and finely julienned carrots strips. Our meal was excellent! Cannot wait to come back very soon.

Tasty and well crafted Afghani food with friendly and knowledgeable staff and nice cultural decor. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options, comprising about half the menu. Ordered the vegetarian soup, naan, vegetarian platter, vegetarian dolmas, and the cauliflower and chickpeas dish. The baklava for dessert was super yummy. All was super tasty with unique flavors.

Great service. Authentic Afghan dishes that were all well balanced. Great place if you love lamb. Also plenty of vegetarian options.

The food was incredible. Unique and tasty. There was a large party. It did not impact the good service, but it was very loud in the restaurant.

Celebrated a friend’s birthday here and this was my first time going to this restaurant. The staff were very friendly and welcoming! The food came to us so quick and was absolutely delicious. I even forgot my bag and our server ran outside to catch me to give it to me. I will definitely be taking friends and family here in the future!

Absolutely MUST try!! I am a total foodie yet rarely leave reviews – but this was one the best meals I’ve ever had in my life. Everything was so perfectly spiced/salted. We started with the pumpkin appetizer, which was delicious and similar to butternut squash. The flatbread was awesome (and made in-house, in a wood-fired oven!). I can’t remember the names of the entrees – one was a salad with the most tender, flavorful steak, and the other was a chicken dish special. The service was also excellent! We’ll definitely be back when in the area.