Aracosia McLean

    Claimed
    $$$ Afghan, Steakhouses, Whiskey Bars
    Closed12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Updates From This Business

    Welcome Back!
    Welcome Back!

    Dear friends,… read more

    Happy Mother’s Day
    Happy Mother’s Day

    “We are born of Love; Love is our Mother.”… read more

    $300 Feast for $150
    $300 Feast for $150

    This package is perfect for large parties or if… read more

    Happy Easter!
    Happy Easter!

    All inclusive Complete Easter Feast for up to 6… read more

    Thank you for the honor to serve.
    Thank you for the honor to serve.

    We’re honored to have been embraced by our guests… read more

    3 Course dinner for Two & Wine.
    3 Course dinner for Two & Wine.

    Selection of Appetizers, Entrees, Sides, and… read more

    Budget Friendly Family Meal
    Budget Friendly Family Meal

    Healthy, Budget Friendly, 3 Course Family Meal.… read more

    Menu

    Popular dishes

    Location & Hours

    Mon

    • Closed

    Tue

    • 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Closed now

    Wed

    • 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Thu

    • 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Fri

    • 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Sat

    • 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Sun

    • 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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    Amenities and More

    Ask the Community

    • Q:

      Is this place halal?

      A:

      If you're asking about their meat, yes, it's halal (it's also halal at their other restaurants). The owner has reassured me and my guests in person on multiple occasions, and once on the phone. Lamb might be a good option if you're one to play… more

      Tawfeeq K. 
      3 years ago
    • Q:

      Is there a dress code?

      A:

      Not a hard dress code - nice casual should be sufficient. Jeans and a nice shirt should be fine.

      Anisha T. 
      3 years ago 2 people found this helpful

    Recommended Reviews

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    Overall rating

    392 reviews

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    • Photo of Devon M.
      Devon M.
      Herndon, VA
      17
      129
      779
      Mar 4, 2024
      1 check-in

      This place had been in one of my collections on Yelp for a while. Someone at the gym had told me how good this place was when I had brought it up in conversation one day as a place I wanted to try. So my gf and I visited here the other night. They proved why they have nearly 5 stars still. We started with sambosas and the free bread. The sambosas were filled with a tomato base sauce and beef and topped with powdered sugar. They were amazing! The powdered sugar really gave it a nice punch of sweetness. I ordered the lamb duo and my gf got the lamb & beef tenderloin. I loved the lamb. It was delicious, tender and cooked to perfection. I don't usually eat eggplant but they served it in a tomato sauce that was divine. My gf's food was also delicious. She gave me some of the beef to try and it was also cooked well and was tender. She got the chickpeas instead and really enjoyed them.

      The service was good for being in the bar area. The waitress usually wasn't too hard to find. The food came out relatively quickly which was appreciated at dinner time.

      The ambiance is very Afghani. We sat in the bar since we didn't have a reservation and it was still romantic. There was a tv with a fireplace video on. There were some decorations and middle eastern colors on the walls. There's art on the walls of the dining room that we'd love to come back and experience another time.

      Highly recommend getting a reservation if you want to eat here. There's either a long wait or bar seating without one. There's also a small parking garage attached to the buildings there so no need to pay for parking.

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    • Photo of WILLIAM P.
      WILLIAM P.
      San Diego, CA
      35
      297
      898
      Apr 12, 2024

      Fantastic Afghan Food and conversation with the family.

      The service was excellent and attentive. Aziz was very helpful.

      Seating was a little tight because we were in a corner table. The chairs were big and heavy. We needed a bigger table due to the amount of food we ordered.

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    • Photo of Trendy D.
      Trendy D.
      Leesburg, VA
      446
      521
      3407
      Mar 4, 2024

      The food here was amazingggg! I really enjoyed everything including the experience. If you want to sit in the dining area and not the bar seating book a reservation. They get very busy on weekends and it's not a huge place. Very intimate interior.

      The food:
      The lamb chop duo 8/10
      The lamb and beef tenderloin 10/10
      The sambosa appetizer 8/10 (sugared samosa)

      The service was great! Even though we had to sit at the high tops near the bar I still liked our service. Overall, great experience and I'll be going back!

      There's a garage nearby with free parking. When you arrive go up the stairs the restaurant is on the second level.

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    • Photo of Alex P.
      Alex P.
      Arlington, VA
      224
      218
      616
      Apr 2, 2024

      My first time trying Afghan food and it did not disappoint. My favorite item of the night were the pumpkin dumplings. We had lamb with cilantro and lamb with okra. Everything on the menu you could tell was made fresh and will great ingredients. The lamb was tender and flavorful. We also finished dinner with cardamom ice cream which was absolutely delicious and wish it was as sold by the tub. The staff were super friendly and attentive. The inside of the restaurant was beautiful, definitely on the nicer side as far as dress goes. Highly recommend.

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    • Photo of Elizabeth W.
      138
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      466
      Mar 18, 2024

      It was me and my friend's first time trying Afghan cuisine and we were impressed with the delicious food, good portions, and fast service. They were also very accommodating when I asked to move my reservation back 30 minutes on the day of. They also offer mocktails too!

      Saffron Chicken
      Lamb Shank Moghuli
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    • Photo of Mattew D.
      39
      33
      68
      Feb 27, 2024

      I should've reviewed them months ago! I come here as often as I can, which isn't nearly as often as I'd like. This is by far one of the best restaurants I've ever been to in any state or country.

      Their bread & chutneys are incredible. Meals are always top notch. My favorites are the Rumi's Chicken, Sabzi Lawaan & the Lamb Shank Moghuli. The restaurant is beautiful and well kept.

      Everyone who works there is pleasant and helpful. It has a good feel to it & everyone I've brought has agreed it's one of the best meals they've had. This is a must visit restaurant!

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    • Photo of Nancy R.
      29
      204
      1534
      Jan 30, 2024

      It is really nice to find a restaurant that is elegant yet still casual, offers tasty food yet is not too expensive, quiet and convenient with lots of easy parking.  Aracosia is all of these things.  We first dined here
      during covid when they set up tables on the outside walkway/terrace.  It was such a joyful experience.  Different time period and different seating but
      still just as enjoyable.  The dining room is comfortable and reasonably quiet even when the restaurant is full.  The décor is colorful and interesting.  Most of all, the food is really good.  The delight starts at the very beginning with the bread and four different dips that are brought to the table.  Each is delicious in its own way and it is great how the bread seems to break off into sticks which fit perfectly to dip in each little ramakin.  The hard part is restraining yourself from eating more and more of the bread and dips because there are a lot of wonderful items on the menu.  We decided to focus on one main entrée to share accompanied by several appetizers.  The entrée was the braised lamb shank which was falling off the bone tender and really tasty.  The sauce itself was also really good - bread for dipping comes to the rescue again!  For appetizers we had the
      sambosa boulanee which was sweet and savory at the same time.  We also shared the dumpling assortment which gave everyone a chance to try three different dumplings.  We liked them all.  For dessert we had the traditional baklava accompanied by one green tea with cardamom and one black tea with cardamom.  They were both fragrant and a relaxing accompaniment to a really good meal.  Free parking is easy and can be found in the parking garage which is located under the building.

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      Business owner information

      Photo of Omar M.

      Omar M.

    • Photo of Elizabeth S.
      Elizabeth S.
      Washington, DC
      13
      90
      226
      Jan 27, 2024

      I would give this place a 4.5. Make reservations if you can. This was my first time trying Afghan food and I thought it was delicious.

      First off, you get free unlimited bread with an assortment of dips. That was already pretty filling. I ordered the spinach dumplings which comes with beef on top and drizzled dill sauce, and I thought the sauce was delicious. The dumplings use the same thing wrap as asian style dumplings.

      The lamb is cooked really well and it is tender. It also came with flavorful beans. The only downside to this dish was that it didn't come with rice.

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      Business owner information

      Photo of Omar M.

      Omar M.

    • Photo of John S.
      John S.
      Washington, DC
      18
      230
      255
      Nov 5, 2023

      Really loved the food. I got a lamb chop dish and thought it was good, was tangy and good. The bread they provided was very nice as well since it came with a few dipping sauces. Also enjoyed the appetizer, I thought it was similar to a samosa if I recall correctly. Loved that it came with a variety of toppings as well. They had a good Amber beer on draft as well.

      Liked the ambiance and the service was good too. Great for date night imo. I'm excited to come back and try some other dishes.

      Complimentary bread
      Some sort of appetizer
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      Business owner information

      Photo of Omar M.

      Omar M.

      Dec 30, 2023

      Thank you John! We really appreciate the feedback and support.

      Regards
      Aracosia Mclean Family

    • Photo of Mandy T.
      Mandy T.
      Tuckahoe, VA
      303
      65
      97
      Jan 20, 2024

      I've been to Afghan Bistro before and my experience prior was great. Aracosia's atmosphere was a lot less casual so it's perfect for special occasions/etc. They have a parking deck or street parking so it is very convenient. We originally had reservations at 7:30, but arrived early and still got seated about 45 min earlier. The waitress was attentive and friendly; however; after waiting a fair amount of time for one of our guest's drinks, we were told that they were out of a beer. All in all, the food was amazing. I generally don't opt for lamb, but the lamb shank was *chefs kiss*. I had it for leftovers the next day, and it was still amazing. I would recommend checking out Arocasia, but if you're looking for a more casual atmosphere - Afghan Bistro is probably a better option for you!

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      Business owner information

      Photo of Omar M.

      Omar M.

      Jan 23, 2024

      Thank you Mandy, for your support and leaving this great feedback. We appreciate you and look forward to welcoming you back.

      Regards
      Aracosia Family

    29 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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