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Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhoods: UC Campus Area, Downtown BerkeleyMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The Ground Beef Kabob with rice and a side of Torshi Leetah (yogurt with shallot dip) was Excellent. The free pita bread they give you before the meal wasn't too good, but who cares.
Highly recommend this place. Best Persian food in the East Bay (significantly better than I Squared in Rockridge)
Just okay. Kabul had set my standards high for middle eastern food.
The rice was bland. I had to salt it several times! The food was over priced for the quality. The chicken was moist, but also lacked flavor.
The server wasn't very friendly.
I really REALLY like this place. The food is awesome and since I only come here with a certain family I ALWAYS have a good time. I can't pronounce anything on the menu but I've loved everything I've had. So far Joojeh Soltani is my favorite. The koobideh was really flavorful and perfectly cooked, moist and delicious. But the standout star in Joojeh Soltani is the chicken. It is some of the best chicken I have ever had in a restaurant. I do sometimes feel a little self conscious since I'm probably the whitest person in the entire restaurant and I tend to butcher the language while trying to order but It's more my own issue. The staff is pleasant and accommodating and the restaurant is clean and has a great atmosphere.
Oh but FYI... Don't try and cheat on the parking in the across the street lot. They'll get ya.
3.5 stars! We were promptly seated and got complimentary lavash bread with an all onion spiced salad and butter. I wasn't really into the onion side, as raw onions have a very strong flavor and are difficult to eat, even with the lavash. We ordered the Soltani (ground beef and filet mignon skewer) and the Chicken Kebob in the house specials section (with byrani rice specially mixed with orange rinds, pistachios, almonds, and raisins) - waiter recommended. The chicken was delicious and tender! I usually really dislike chicken, but this one was nicely marinated and tasty! Even better with the lemon! The rice contained wayyy too many citrus rinds though, and they were thickly cut -- not my preference at all. The ground beef was also tender, a little on the salty side though. The filet mignon was good too! Overall, my chicken was the favorite though which was ironic given I usually am not a fan of chicken since it is usually too dry. The waiter recommended us to get half rice/half salad, instead the full portion of rice they offer you, and it was a really good idea! They do give you a whole lot of rice! The salad was mixed greens, with a oil and vinegar like dressing. Not bad!
Our waiter dissapeared on us, and some one new came out to help us. Overall, service was a little slow for us. The meal was pretty good though and the dining atmosphere is nice, simple, and classy!
I came here to get Polow (Zereshk or otherwise). In return, I got a favorite Persian restaurant.
4.8.2009
I was confused when I received my very heavy bag of take out because I had only ordered one entrée. When I started to unpack the tower of containers I was absolutely lost. I got slightly toasted pieces of lavash wrapped in plastic, what seemed to be tomato/vegetable soup, and half a raw onion. I, then, was hoping there was an instruction sheet, but no such luck. Was that tomato liquid a soup or a dip for the lavash? What was I suppose to do with half a raw onion? Put it in the tomato liquid, entrée, lavash? Was it placed in my bag by mistake? Help please.
When I saw the Shirin Polo, I thought it looked absolutely gorgeous. It was a striking yellow from the saffron, orange from the orange zest, gold from the golden raisins, green from the pistachios, white from slivered almonds. It looked like a breathtaking sunrise to what will be a warm sunny day with a slight breeze.
The flavors of the dish could be balanced better. The rice mixture had a very fragrant flavor from the saffron and orange zest, which was almost like eating perfume. Both the pistachio and almond were overshadowed by the fragrances, so all it did to the dish was add another layer of texture in addition to the softness from the basmati itself and the chewiness from the golden raisins and the zest. As for the chicken, it was seasoned well and both the breast and leg weren't dry.
I was SO not crazy about this place. I think it's because I have been spoiled by authentic Persian and Middle Eastern food straight from the home kitchen. But as ethnic food restaurants go, this one will do just fine if you don't know any better. We went about a month ago, so the memory is slightly faded, but I'll share what I can. Starting with the hummus, unfortunately it was salty, too salty - and our waiter agreed and removed it from the bill. Thank you, waiter. I remember having some sort of tadeek dish, which arrived at our table barely at room temp, and inclued beef, of which I specifically requested none. The dish was taken away, beef removed, then returned to us. The waiter explained that the remainder of the dish would be replaced. So they brought out more of the same OK dish. My cousin and I both ordered the salmon kabobs for our entree. I was satisfied enough with that, but I don't think she was. The waiter, who was incredibly friendly btw, talked us into ordering a special dessert that he thought was the best thing since packaged lavash. Neither of us agreed with his taste buds on that, and I think it too was removed from the bill. The best thing about this place for us was the service, very, very, very friendly. Would I go back... probably not. But that's because I have access to the real thing. If u don't, u might really enjoy this place.
To get fed: $17
Looking for a place close to UCB where the entire waitstaff looks like they have a hint of organized crime about them? Well my friend, you've just arrived! Seriously though, while slightly shady, they were all very nice and pretty helpful.
Alborz does Persian food, but that's a generalization of the point: they make fesenjoon. And I love me some good fesenjoon. The dish is conceptually perfect, as it contains chicken, pomegranate, and walnuts, a trinity of deliciousness. The one I ate here was not particularly fantastic tasting, but oddly satisfying. I can't describe it any better than that.
The decor inside is pretty run of the mill as far as Persian restaurants go, but the seating is endearingly worn down. I was here with a fairly large group (12+), and the service handled our several tables efficiently.
My big complaint here is the price point. I understand charging 20+ for kebabs and the like, that makes sense. However, $14 for fesenjoon is kinda like charging $12 for a bowl of chicken soup. Basmati was included and pretty good though.
Summary: Comfortable (s)eating. 25% price reduction = 4 stars.
Big portions. Attentive Staff. Nice ambiance. It's a gem. Not many Persian restaurants in the East Bay.
I've eaten here twice in the past two weeks!
I ate my first Persian meal at this restaurant, and I really enjoyed it. It has a fancy ambiance, but a meal is affordable. I ordered the chicken and beef kebab plate, which has one chicken kebab and one beef kebab. It was served with rice and a deliciously roasted tomato. It tastes best with some yogurt sauce and lemon squeezed over the top. So good!
Also, a must is their ice cream. It tastes like it is rose-flavored, and has small sugar crystals mixed in. It's a great end to the meal.
Upfront: Great service, wonderful food, and ambiance to match - Alborz does more right than most, and comes up with a big win in the Kabob game. 4.9 stars...
Standouts: Service was great - and from the moment we sat down, water and lavash was instantaneous. Our apps (a thick n delicious Persian noodle stew and a salad) were delivered so quickly that we barely had time to blink. We also ordered hot tea in response to the early autumn night chill, and it was soothing and elegant - with a hint of rose water.
Meat:
Yes.
Freakin' awesome kabobs that were succulent, hefty and satisfying. My wife and I ordered the "for two" kabob plate of filet mignon, chicken, and spiced ground beef - and it was all expertly prepared. Yay meat!
In The End: Go for lunch or dinner - well worth it, convenient, and bound to produce smiles. We'll be going back for sure.
Came here for lunch this afternoon with a friend after passing by this resturant so many times, I finally decided to change it up a bit. We ordered 2 Chicken Kabob and 2 glass of white wine ^^ Got buzzed off of that at 2pm in the afternoon =x haha how embrassing....
Fabolous service & fabolous food !! Our chicken had just the right amout of seasoning, very juicy and tender ^ ^ Their rice was very light as well as their salad. One of the best lunches I had in awhile. We sat near the window that opens all the way so it felt really nice ^^ enjoying the summer breeze while eatting and sipping on a class of wine =) it's as good as it gets =D Our bill came to roughly a little over $40.
Food is good! I'm not a big meat lover, but the chicken, ground beef, and fillet mignon that we got was SOOOO GOOD!!! If it wasn't so expensive, I would have ordered more food!
The waiter was super nice, that's always a plus! But don't be fooled! This is NOT a TWO DOLLAR SIGN RESTAURANT!!! Try more like THREE DOLLAR SIGNS!!!
After seeing so many glowing reviews on yelp, I came here for dinner eager to get reacquainted with Persian cuisine. The ambiance was quite elaborate with white table cloths, beautiful large windows, and the sparkly clean layout was nothing short of extravagance. I was there as their first dinner customer and conveniently asked the lone server about their lamb kabob. After I was told that the lunch item would come at the cost of dinner ($20+), I decided on their chicken kebob with basmati rice mixed with raisins, almond, orange peels, saffron, and pistachio.
The basket of warm lavosh was a welcoming sight but the side dish of half cut onion was not enough to intrigue. Portions were large with the chicken flavorful but slightly dry. I thought the basmati was rich and delicious, but the hint of white raisin was not enough to counterbalance the dominance of orange peels. Despite this, I enjoyed the use of saffron as the permeating flagrance was a delightful anchor.
Service was very attentive and friendly considering the crowd was slow to trickle in. The meal was not worth the value at $21.35 since I'm able to get it in Westwood for better and cheaper. 3 stars for the decent experience.
Madre and I wanted a Mediterranean-y din, so I Yelped and found Alborz, which is close to my apt and seemed to fit the bill. The restaurant is surprisingly nice--not the deli style med fare that most of the places in Berk seem to be.
We were seated immediately--the place was only 3/4 full on a Friday night at 7:45, and although it took our waiter a while to come greet us (well, maybe only 5-7 min, but when you think about it, that's actually a long time for the "hi, how are you" part of the meal to get going), once he acknowledged us he was quite friendly, verging on adorable.
We started w/ the shirazi salad (really more like a cup of chopping cukes and tomatoes in a lemon/spice/olive oil dressing) and a Greek salad. Both could have been a smigden bigger, but were yummy. We then went for the hummus (excellent--thick, plentiful, lemony, yes) and the roasted eggplant dip--not anything like babaganoush (sp?)--but lovely. A bit sweeter, drizzled w/ "whey" and sprinkled w/ walnuts. We split a salmon kebab which came w/ green bells, onions, and enough rice to feed all of a small country. Fish was a smidge dry but warm and filling--rice was spiced w/ dill and limas. Glad they added some interest to it.
Oh, and they give you wonderful lavash and yogurt dip to start. Yum.
It was a bit spendy for what it was (I think 60 for the 2 of us before t and t, and w/ no drinks), but it was calm, and Sar Sar was footing the bill, so it didn't really fuss me.
Overall, the food was certainly solid, perhaps a B+, and while I'm probably no expert on Persian specifically, I know some good hummy when I taste it.
Oh, important--if you're going w/ vegetarians, they have a few dishes but not nearly as many as one might expect from a med place--probably 5-6 total.
This is a fancy restaurant that serves Persian cuisine and be prepared to pay for the ambiance! It is nice that they have cloth napkins, tall wine glasses, wood paneling, and other many embellishments, but the food is no much better than what you can get at any other hole in the wall. Dinner was not very busy at all and I never see many people here for lunch when I pass by.
The rice is buttery, but the shwarmas were salty, especially the lamb. However, the muskiness of the lamb was masked by lots of savory herbs.
I ate at Alborz this past weekend, and it was my first Persian food experience. I went with one other person and we got the hummus appetizer and the Kabob special for two which included one Filet Mignon kabob, one chicken kabob, one ground beef kabob and two heeping plates of rice; and was a pretty reaonably priced meal ($34.99 total)
All of the food was sooo good. The best part of the meal was the filet kabob, it was cooked and seasoned perfectly and was super tender. The rice was tasty and well cooked. I really liked the saffron seasoning. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very pleasant. I will definitely be coming back here as often as I can afford it.
I am persian, and I always crave persian food, and i'm sooo happy I found alborz.
Alborz is a nice, sit-down restaurant, that has a new, fresh, and clean interior, and nice patio seating, and serves up very good persian food.
The service is really good, and the servers are very accomodating. They are constantly refilling drinks (for free ofcourse) and they are very attentive, but not overly attentive. They are also very accomodating in terms of special requests, and they don't seem to get angry or even annoyed when you do substitutions or special requests for your meal. I am a vegetarian, and both times i've been, my servers have been really good about making the khoreshts (stews) for me without meat, and one time the server gave me extra stew since i didn't get any meat in it.
the food is delicious, authentic, and healthy. They don't use too much salt, which I am very picky about. Their mahst oh khiar (cucumber yogurt) is delicious, as is the lavash bread (which they serve for free).
I got a the salmon with the boghali poloh (lima bean and dill rice), and it was delicious. The salmon was perfectly cooked and marinated, and the grilled veggies served with the salmon were perfect. the rice was also delicious, and the serving size was perfect.
the second time i went i got the salad shirazi (cucumber and tomato salad) as an apperizer. It was delicious, and fresh, and crisp; although the serving size was a little too small for 5 dollars (and for my hungry stomach). then for an entree i got tadig (crispy, breaded rice) with gormeh sabzi (kidney bean and spinach stew) on top. The gormeh sabzi was delicious, it is one of my favorite persian dishes, and i was soooo happy when they told me they could do it without meat. Their gormeh sabzi was delicious, and very authentic, and the tadig was crispy and fresh, and the serving size was good.
my friend got the luleh khabob (ground beef kabob) which has some spice and onions mixed into it, with the saffron rice. She loved it, and said the kabob was delicious. She also got the faloudeh icecream for dessert, which was really good.
overall, alborz is quite good! it is a good place to go for a nice dinner, if you are willing to pay a little more than what most restaurants in the berkeley area tend to charge. it is by no means expensive, but it is more expensive than most restaurants in berkeley (which tend to be cheaper). Alborz has a very pleasant, calm atmosphere, and great, authentic persian food. the service is excellent, and the area is really cute too. they also have a really cute patio, but everytime i've gone it was too cold to sit outside unfortunatey.
I highly recommend it for anyone looking food good persian food or just looking for a nice, sit-down dinner.
** a word of advice/knowledge; i know persian food isn't the most common type of food, and some people might be hesitant about trying it, but they do have a lot of basic foods if you want to maybe ease yourself into the world of persian food. a good amount of their menu consists of kabobs (which are just different kinds of barbecued/grilled meats) and rices. I do highly recommend the stews and the tadig, but they do have more basic/common foods if you are worried that there won't be something on the menu that you would want to try.
Delicious food.. ghormeh sabzi i would happily bring the persian side of my family to..mmmmm keep up the good work! ps: i asked for the ghormeh sabzi on tah dig (which is pretty much crispy, almost burned rice, purposely burned, that is..) and they happily obliged..but they did the kind that incorporates bread. that was fine.
Nine of us came here for dinner, and nine of us left, more or less intact. The location is a plus. Prices are reasonable and quantities are large. The food was a real "meh" for me despite my good attitude. (Our group included a Persian woman who claimed that the place was really excellent.) You get a large number of chunks of grilled meat, a huge mound of rice with some spices in it and a small green salad if you agree to have your mound of rice made somewhat smaller. You'd be better off elsewhere.
We ordered two red wines: the Ravenswood Lodi zinfandel ($28) and somebody's Lodi Sierra Foothills "shriaz" ($32). The zin was marginally better than the shiraz, but I don't plan on drinking either again. The menu price of the Ravenswood was about double the standard retail price.
Alborz is the place I come to when I want excellent Persian food (outside of my dad's side of the family).
This place has excellent kabobs and the portions are huge. I always end up taking some back home for lunch the next day. Food prices are around the 10-15 dollar range but with that price you get excellent dishes, good waiters, a nice and clean restaurant plus endless yogurt with lavash (Persian bread).
If you are ever in the University area of Berkley I would recommend trying Alborz if you want to eat some authentic Persian food.
I love me some Persian food. There is clearly a lack of Persian cuisine options in the east bay, but Alborz delivers quality and value in their authentic dishes. Their kebabs are pretty tasty, but if you're feeling a little more adventurous, I'd recommend any one of the rice (i.e. "pollo") dishes and/or the Gourme Sabzi. Mmmmm.
I can't testify to the authenticity of the food vis a vis being Persian. All I know is that this is my new favorite Berkeley restaurant. The service was very very good (a little leisurely for our theatre going needs, but it was fine). We were given the option of replacing half or all of the rice in our entrees with salad. The salad alone was fantastic - fresh and beautiful, not overdressed. Four of us shared the combo appetizer platter, I had a cup of the Asah Reshteh (soup - VERY filling) and the Cornish Hen kabob. Tender and large portions. One friend had the salmon kabob, another the Baked chicken with fantastic saffron rice mixed with nuts, orange peel, and more. We had to try the Faloodeh (frozen sweet rose water with rice noodles) - light and refreshing. One reviewer said they thought it was fancy - wow, must be a student. It's a very nice atmosphere, but I wouldn't say fancy. And the prices are great for what you get. I can't wait to go back!
Alborz is the best Persian food in the bay area. As a Persian, you should trust me.
My mom's Persian food is a 6, Persian food in Los Angeles is a 5.5, but for the Bay...this is as good as it gets.
Get some kabob...you'll like it.
Meat on a stick.
Anything on a stick, for that matter.
It's hard to go wrong.
Ground up, well... that's another story. Take hot dogs for example. I have close friends that no thanks to Pee Wee Herman and his hot dog tree to this day still have phobias. How I would get them to try the deliciously juicy beef and chicken kobiddehs here, I do not know. But I can confidently say that if you're a believer in meat consumption, this is the supreme form of its ground up existence. Imagine a burger flattened, flame-licked and thrown over a spit. Pair it with a splash of fresh lemon, grilled whole tomato, and fragrant rice and you'll begin to understand the most basic yet gastronomically delightful staple of Persian cuisine.
"Why three stars, Ligaya?", you may ask. And to this I scratch my chin and pull on its hairs and say in a feeble voice that I've had better. That the eggplant dip though bathed in green olive oil tasted like it was made days ago, and that the dolmas though warm lacked a zest of herbs. And that in ordering the paneer sabzi what I got was literally a plate of fresh basil, cilantro and mint, slices of cucumber and tomato, yogurt sauce and a chunk of feta. A little creativity, please.
A little wine to soothe the disappointment never hurts, right? Alas. Our cab as suggested by the waiter was as one-dimensional as the man himself. thought I'm not holding that against them. White tableclothes and all, I expect a level of reservedness though the fork and the knife had erroneously switched places with the spoon. Is that a Persian custom?
In conclusion: a fair option for a tasty meal but for the pennies and ambiance there are finer plates a-calling.
Really empty during lunch on a weekday..but heard it gets quite packed at night or on the weekends.
Ordered the chicken (jougeh?) kebob The food was decent, but was mainly filling because of a small pile of rice that came with the dish. It seemed plain with just the rice, the kebob, and a lonely looking tomato on the side of the dish. The chicken was very tender though and decently flavorful, which saved the dish.
The lunch items seemed around $11-$13, which may have been the reason it was empty (ppl were running around spending under $10 for lunch).
Ok, it's a little pricey. The thing is that I continually forget exactly how expensive it is between visits and I think that is a very good sign (because I'm fairly cheap).
Their fesenjoon with chicken is AMAZING. I also think that despite how noisy it can be, it has a great atmosphere. Everyone seems to be having a good time probably because the food is so good. I also think the service is above average.
I honestly can't comment too much about the remainder of the menu because I always order the fesenjoon, but friends have said that their lamb is "quite nice" (a true Aussie compliment).
Well worth any difficulties getting/parking here.
Eaten here many itmes. The food is great and the service is good too!
To start with they don't have any vegetarian options, except stew of veggie which is not good at all. I have eaten Persian food a lot and I know they have so many vegetarian dishes. The service is good though (that's why I am giving it 2 stars). The food you get for your money is not worth and not enough either. I'll accept small portion for a quality but Alborz doesn't have either.
I have to give credit to my brother who discovered this place.
The boy, my bro and the boy's friend all went here for dinner today. We were going to go Shiraz in San Ramon but this was way closer. I was reading the reviews before hand and read that it gets busy during the weekends. Freaked out, I called to make a reservation.
Parking was easy (got lucky and parked in a space right in front) and as soon as we saw the place, it SO wasn't busy. But hey, at least they take reservations.
The place (location was nice) and the decor and ambiance = nice! We got seated right in the window and service was good (then again it was just us there). I ordered the usual (koobideh) and the boys got their stuff (too many to mention and I forgot most of it.)
Oh - I also got the soju watermelon (server told me they ran out but then came back and told me they have some left and so I ordered it) = OMG = killer drink! I think they could have actually made 2 drinks out of that batch. It was freaking strong. So strong that 6 hours later, I'm still buzzing. I'm pretty happy that they actually came back and told me about it...
Anyway, food was tasty and just right. Their grape seeds were strong stuff, so be careful when putting some on your rice... Over all, the group loved it. It was a nice way to top off a good weekend. Definitely will come back here...
Whole family got a food poisoning after dining there. It was not the first time I have been there and I love Persian food. Yet the last dining experience really put a black eye on their reputation. Their stews were tasty but deadly. Everybody was sick and in and out of bathroom for a couple of days. I read other reviews and am glad for people who had good time there. On my end, it was the last time I was anywhere near the place.
Yet another Persian food review from an Iranian dude. This place was freakin awesome. I judge Persian food based on family cooking that I have had. This place is very good. We went with 5 people so I tried everyones stuff so I could make a fair review. Everything I had was very good. We got bread with free Must-o-Khiar (yogurt with cucumber) with onions on the side (amazing). We ordered some eggplant (I can't remember the name now) and it was amazing also. My fiance who doesn't like eggplant at all loved it.
I had Gormeh Zabzi and it was wonderful. I tried Joojeh Kabob (chicken), and Soltani ( mix of barg and chelo kabab). This place did everything very well and even the tea was good. The only thing is I like to try the Persian Ice cream (rose flavored with pistacio) but I was way too full to try it.
All in all the place is a little pricey but worth every damn penny of it. Amazing place.
what a surprise!! FEMALE CHEF********** :))))))))))
kashk was bomb. aash was dead on. and the bademjoon was so so so delicious, very unique tasting, unlike home--which was a nice change. good service and moderately priced. check it out!
Thank you for finally having a good Persian restaurant in the area that is worth every bite. I come up here every year to visit with friends, shopping and good food. And never have we been able to find good Persian restaurant, comparable to the ones I love here in L.A.
I have to say that I was little skeptical but it was worth every dollar. I absolutely had to try their pomegranate drink which is made from barley ( i can't remember the name) It was FANTASTIC!! I got wasted on one drink alone and it was the perfect balance of sweetness and alcohol. I ordered the ground chicken kabob and my friend ordered the koobideh kabob. Both were delicious, moist and not overcooked. The rice was nice and fluffy and the tomato was roasted to perfection. We also order the Shiraz salad which is cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and parsley in lemon/oil dressing which - hello I loved.
Every bite was delicious and I wish I could have eaten it all, because it is large portion. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking great Persian food because it is hard to find restaurant like this in this area.
Thanks to fellow yelper Reza K. for recommending this spot. This is a gem in Berkeley.
Food was delish, but service was mediocre.
My Persian husband and I ate lunch here on the fourth of July! The food was very good, but service was slow, slow, slow.
We started with lamb tongue appetizer which was so good, we ate every morsel and sopped up the juice with our bread! The tongue was tender and juicy.
Our main dishes took another half hour to make it from the kitchen and we were one of three tables. The food was very good. My husband had the chicken Koobeedeh and I had the bahareh pollo with a lamb shank. Both were very nicely made and tasted wonderful.
For desert, we shared a vanilla ice cream topped with the rose water and vermicelli granita, accompnied by a shaker of lemon juice.
I recommend this restaurant for it's elegant surroundings and wonderfully prepared food. Prices are reasonable, considering how pricey Persian food is!
why? why must my children act like such little snot-nosed heathens at Alborz? It bums me out to no end because I love gettin' my kebab on here.
This is one of the few places where I eat white rice with relish. Actually I eat it with a big piece of onion and roasted tomato. It's always perfectly cooked with the little scattering of saffron rice over the top.
Which do I love more - the filet mignon or the lamb? I don't know, just get the hell away from my plate.
The food is actually great for kids and adults, but according to my daughter, she acts badly here because it seems "too much like a grown up place."
Get it? Leave the kids at home. Order your kebab bloody enough for sacrifice. Bring them a doggy bag if you feel like it. Enjoy.
If you've never had Persian food, you should mos def try it.
I grew up eating Persian food & the only place that truly gets 5 stars is my Mom's cooking--wha? don't YOU think your mom makes the best food?
This place is good. Their Cheloh Kabob [ground beef fire roasted] is pretty good. I think they have the spices in a nice combination. Their Fesenjoon [ground walnuts with pomegranate] leaves much to be desired. It was a little on the watery side. And their Ghormeh Sabzi [lots of greens over rice] was pretty good too.
I ordered a Zulubiyah [sweet sugary yumminess] for dessert, but it tasted a little stale.
I think this place really deserves a 3.5, but I'll round it up to 4 for ambiance & the fact that they *are* authentic & don't make fun of me when I speak in Farsi.
I am a really big fan of this place - it is a nice, clean sit down place that is good between friends, good for the family, good for work buddies. I first went here for a staff appreciation dinner with my co-workers a few years back, and just kept going. I even took my parents. The kabbobeh is delicious, but my personal favorite is the dish with the sauce that uses cranberries (I can't remember the name, but it's pretty obvious which it is on the menu). They actually have a really great selection of vegetarian food. Overall, all of the food is delicious, and it's not like it's that easy to find a Persian place to begin with, right? Price is moderate - hey, you get what you pay for!
Where can you get authentic Persian dishes in Berkeley and spend less than $25/person -- $30, if you get one of their wonderful appetizers? Alborz is well-known to locals but you can still get a table on a Friday night without a wait. THAT alone makes the place worth going to, but the food makes it a place you want to go back to.
Try the Shishlik (rack of lamb) or the Joojeh Kabob (chicken); both are exquisite. Finish the meal with the Persian ice cream -- vanilla, saffron, and rose water. It actually tastes like the scented rose waters found the Middle East!
And thank you again to Behrouz, my Persian friend who first introduced me to Alborz.
I've had Persian food while in college in SoCal and have always enjoyed it...After having eaten at Alborz, I am now a true fan.
Alborz has a nice ambiance and is located in my friends building in Berkeley. The yogurt, grilled meats and other dishes are made with high quality meats and produce. This is an authentic place and a fun place for those seeking middle eastern food that is not falafel or gyros...
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Middle Eastern
Berkeley, CA
Category: Grocery
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Category: Middle Eastern
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