The Helmand

“The food was truly phenomenal! They had a fantastic selection of meat-based and vegetarian options. The spices and flavors were some of the best I’ve had! The service was fast and attentive as well. Would 100% recommend. (Make a reservation!)”

“What an amazing gem in the heart of Baltimore! The food was amazing starting with appetizers-eggplant and some filled pastries, amazing lamb and beef entrees and finishing with desserts! Every dish was perfect which is a rare occurrence at any restaurant. Prices are moderate and value for the $$ is best you can get. The place is nicely decorated and service was excellent. There is street parking in front but also a large paid parking lot next to the building. We will be back!”

“Delicious and unique. Stopped by for a solo dinner, very friendly and professional staff, large space, good wine and cocktail selection and so many food options! Haven't had Afghani food before and this was a treat. Ordered the salmon specialty and some bread. Highly recommend and would come back on a future trip.”

“I was first a little skeptical of visiting because I had previously DoorDash'd food from The Helmand and wasn't super enthused. However, they really delivered when it comes to in-house meals. I visited with a party of over 10 and they were able to accomodate us and serve us quickly. They have lots of fantastic vegetarian options revolving around rice, lentils, and curries. Everything we had was colorful and flavorful. Would definitely love to visit again.”

“⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.3/5 stars We visited The Helmand on a Thursday night and were surprised to find it almost completely empty. Just two other diners were in the entire restaurant, which gave it a strange, somewhat lifeless vibe for a place that gets so much hype online. The decor feels a bit outdated, and honestly, they could probably use some marketing help to get more people through the door. It really didn’t feel like a spot that’s supposed to be one of Baltimore’s most famous Afghan restaurants. That said, the service was excellent. The servers were super attentive, always checking on us and refilling our water without us having to ask. They were polite and knowledgeable about the menu. The food itself was… fine. A lot of the menu revolves around lamb, which was cooked well enough but didn’t blow us away. Flavors were decent, but nothing stood out as particularly memorable. It’s the sort of meal where you finish full and satisfied but not raving about it afterward. We didn’t try any of the wine or coffee, so can’t comment on those, but the prices were fair for the amount of food we got. Overall, it was a solid experience, but I’m just not sure it deserves the level of hype it gets online. Tasty, but not amazing. If you’re curious about Afghan food or just want something different, it’s worth trying at least once, but don’t go in expecting to be completely wowed.”