Aracosia McLean

Far exceeded my high expectations. I had heard good things about Aracosia McLean and had been looking forward to visiting. I haven't had Afghan food before, so keep that in mind. That being said, this was an exceptional experience and culinary bounty both in flavour and quantity. I will certainly be visiting again in the future.

SERVICE: We were a party of 6 and had requested a reservation for 5:15p. We were quickly seated by a friendly hostess and were soon greeted by our server. In Virginia Beach a week prior, we had visited a much hyped upscale facility and were a bit disappointed especially as the staff seemed bored and was going through the motions.

In contrast, we had an amazing experience during our visit at Aracosia. It was immediately clear that the staff cared about the experience of their diners. This is the epitome of what a fine restaurant experience should be.

I am sure I am completely misspelling his name, but our server, Kamyar (Spelling?) was the consummate professional. He was attentive, genuinely friendly and efficient without being overbearing. He had the gift of making each table he was covering the focus of his attention. I wish all restaurants had waiters like him. Well done.

FOOD: Excellent. Every dish. We started with lentil soup and the dumpling sampler. Wow. It was obvious that much care went into preparing the items and that the ingredients were fresh. Our food choices ranged from various meat stews to vegan options, and all were good. To me the spicy foods were perfectly seasoned, without being either too spicy or too bland. The flavours were subtle with multiple layers that would entertain your palate at different intervals as you ate. Not sure if that makes sense, but that was my experience. The quantity of food was enough to ensure that we would have leftovers for the following day. My mouth is watering typing this!

ATMOSPHERE: Upscale without being pretentious. Interesting quotes from Afghan poets and magnificent murals made for a delightful backdrop to our meal. The noise level was low despite a full restaurant. There is an option to eat outside which we did not try.

END NOTES: To our surprise, they acknowledged my parent's anniversary, which was the occasion for the dinner with a touching gesture. Completely unexpected but very much appreciated. We will visit again and consider this one of our go to restaurants. Thank you, tashakkor, Aracosia McLean.

This place is not only delicious, it is special. Everything from the dumplings to the meat, the bread, the drinks, and the sauces had an incredible balance of delicacy and flavor. It's difficult to explain just how enjoyable everything was -- light and fine while still being incredibly nuanced and pungent in flavor. The service was also superb. Everyone was kind, attentive, knowledgeable, and, it seemed, proud to serve the food (rightfully so!). I second everyone who is writing that the dumpling sampler is a must, and I was surprised at just how incredible the pumpkin ones were. I am a fan of aushak and mantu -- I chose to come here because I was excited to see them on the menu -- but the pumpkin was just as incredible! The pleasant surprises just kept coming -- one dish was as good as or better than the one that came before, and none of the flavors clashed, they just built up into a wonderful dining experience. A big thank you to everyone at Aracosia McLean, and I look forward to seeing you again as soon as possible!

Amazing experience. Food is delicious! The lamb was superb. Wonderful service. Large plates. Suggest sharing. We had great left overs for next day. Dumpling sampler and samosas a must. Aracosia lamb platter was delicious!

Searching for some place to eat, I found this restaurant on Google. It did NOT disappoint. Definitely would make a reservation. It would have been an hour wait so we took a hi-top at the bar. As a first timer the mini or full taste was suggested by the hostess. We went with the mini taste at $46pp. Everything was just so fresh and flavorful ! We hadn't eaten all day so we got full pretty quickly so they graciously packed up our leftovers when we asked for to-go boxes. 2 alcoholic drinks and meal plus tip was about $160. Oh I did order a rice pudding to go, which is very mildly sweet and more pudding like than traditional rice pudding, but that was still good to me. Pricing is worth it for the amount of food you get and how well prepared the dishes are. Definitely prepared with love!! We will definitely be back, as there are no places like this near us, and we live a good 45 mins away.
I didn't take pics at the restaurant because our table was a little tight, but here's my leftovers today lol

I brought my wife and my family here for her birthday. It was our first time dining here but since we heard amazing things, we decided to check it out.

Possibly one of the best Afghan restaurants I’ve been to! Every item we had was great! I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian flight and the pumpkin dumplings!

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. 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.

If I could give this place a 4.5 I would but I can’t so I’m giving this place a 5. The complete taste came out to $140 something with tip. Can feed 3 comfortably.

5 stars for 5 reasons

1. Overall, the food was really good. A lot of the food was kinda sweet like the lamb shank and some of their meat dishes. The shank is so good and meat is really soft/tender! Falls off the bone. Lamb chops are delicious!

Mantu is one of my favorite dish. Eggplant dish is good and spinach is good as well. The rice is always really good and perfect.

2. The price for the complete taste is awesome!

3. So much food for what you pay

4. Good customer service

5. Awesome decor and great atmosphere.

Wow this place was absolutely exceptional! We started off with the dumpling sampler for 2 and they were all delicious. The pumpkin dumplings were my favorite to my surprise. For our main course we had the beef stew and chicken/salmon kabob and it was all so delicious. Service was great and the atmosphere was very cozy. We will be back to try everything on the menu. Can’t go wrong here!

Such an amazing place! You’re sure to be warmly welcomed as I was by Sophia and Eman. This is not only an exceptional place with outstanding food, but the staff are wonderful! You’ll know you’re genuinely welcomed and will be well cared for.
We were impressed with the attention to detail as both Eman and Z took great care of all at our table.
The food was super! Your dining experience begins with a.selection of four tasty chutneys served with fresh warm bread. For an appetizer I would highly recommend the assorted dumplings which are delicious.
Lamb is their go to and don’t hesitate to order any of the specials as we did and everything was scrumptious.
I enjoyed the vegetarian flight and vegans can find their happy place here as well.
I would like to give a special shout out to Sophia whose kind and gracious spirit is also evident in each of her family members! Thank you for a wonderful afternoon yesterday where we lingered over the dishes and conversation never feeling rushed and always well cared for.

Wonderful ambiance, great service and needless to say great food, they were very patient with our party, very helpful, understanding and accommodating, plus for someone like me they had great vegetarian / vegan options to choose from…

One of my favorite places I have been to in the area. The dumpling sampler and lamb shoulder with okra were very good but our favorite entree was the Frenched rack of lamb. The Afghan bread is probably my favorite bread I've had. Service and atmosphere was great as well.

The restaurant was wonderful! We did the mini aracosia taste for two people. Every meal we got was well prepared and delightfully tasty. The rice might have become one of my favorite dishes there! The bread with the different dipping sauces were also very incredible! As far as the food was concerned, everything was wonderful. The service was also top tier! Our server was attentive and made sure to come by in case we needed anything. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant.

We have visited Aracosia over a dozen times so far in the past 2 years. The food is just fabulous and cooked to perfection - we love their lamb, qorma chicken dishes especially the chicken lawan and Aracosian , kebab, dumplings. Few members in my family are vegetarians and vegan and we have pretty much tried all their veggie starters and entrees. The place is very family friendly, great bar and very good service. Make sure you do not go without a reservation as it’s always full ! Overall I would very highly rate this restaurant and recommend it !

Unique atmosphere and food, we came here for a birthday and their service made us feel extra special. Our waiter was friendly and explained every dish, felt like everyone was happy and took pride in their work. Delicious grilled lamb. Felt like we discovered a local gem! Will visit again for sure.

Amazingly delicious food. We always love coming here. Great service. Everything is at par - food, service, ambience and music. Must try!

This place is very highly rated, and it's understandably so! The restaurant has really lovely decor and feels cozy and warm. The food was also delicious -- the dumplings were fantastic (we'd ordered the sampler), and all the entrees were so good! We ordered the chicken korma and mushroom kebab, and both were great. So many good things on the menu, we're sure to return.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary at Aracosia and received extraordinary service and care while dining. All of the food and drinks we ordered were exceptionally good but the best thing of all was how special the staff made us feel on our special night. Many thanks for a very memorable evening!!!

Outstanding restaurant with a big selection of delicious dishes and wonderful atmosphere! We've been to the place a dozen times now. Food is always well made and tasty. If it's your birthday, they'll treat you to a slice of cake with a candle! Service is great most of the time - there was only once or twice when it was off the mark, but will give it a pass since this is not the usual wonderful experience we get here.

Highly recommend. Make sure to place a reservation ahead of time!

Tried Afghan cuisine for the first time and it was a total game-changer! Forgive me for not knowing the exact dish names, but they're all must-tries. Especially this lamb dish, stewed to perfection. Don't miss out on their unique dips - hard to describe, but oh-so-delicious. And if you've got room, their desserts offer a flavour explosion that's out of this world! Heads up, it gets packed around 6ish but clears out by 8. So, dodge the peak hours if you can!

Loved the food and service. My lamb chops were tender and juicy, the best I've had in a long time... My non-alcoholic drink "Sour Cherry & Rose Limonade" was a great mix. Our waiter Hussein was sweet, attentive, friendly and very patient with our multitude of questions... Highly recommend Aracosia.