Helmand Palace

4.2 (118)

$31 to $50

Afghan

2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109

OverviewReviewsDetails

About this restaurant

Good for groups
Good for special occasions

Helmand Palace in San Francisco offers Afghan cuisine that is both classic and modern using fresh ingredients for optimal flavor. Appetizers include such delicacies as banjan which is pan-fried eggplant and kaddo which is baby pumpkin. Follow with a soup such as the shorwa, which is lamb and fresh vegetables. A popular salad option at Helmand Palace is the shornakhod which is potatoes and chickpeas on mixed greens. Lamb is a popular ingredient in Afghan cuisine and can be found in a number of recipes including dwopiaza with yellow split peas and lawand which is leg of lamb. With meat and vegetarian options Helmand Palace can please every appetite.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Afghan
Hours of operation
Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30PM - 10:00PM Friday & Saturday: 5:30PM - 11:00PM.
Website
http://helmandsf.com/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood
Russian Hill
Cross street
Union
Parking details
We are located on Van Ness between Union and Green. There is ample street parking in the area.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wine

Aushak$7.99
Ravioli filled with leeks and scallions, served with mint yogurt and beef sauce.
Mantwo$7.99
Homemade pastry shell filled with onions and beef, served with mint yogurt and topped with carrots, yellow split-peas, and beef sauce.
Bowlawni$6.99
Pan-fried twin pastry shells, One filled with leeks and scallions, the other with spiced potatoes.
Banjan$6.99
Pan-fried eggplant seasoned with spices, then baked with fresh tomatoes, served with mint yogurt.
Kadoo$6.99
Baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and topped with ground beef sauce.
Gulpea$6.99
Fresh cauliflower sautéed with tomatoes, hot peppers, fried onion and turmeric.

Vegetarian Appetizers

Vegetarian Aushak$7.99
Ravioli filled with leeks and scallions topped with carrots yellow split-peas, served with mint yogurt.
Vegetarian Mantwo$7.99
Homemade pastry shell filled with onions topped with carrots yellow split-peas, served with mint yogurt.
Bowlawni$6.99
Pan-fried twin pastry shells, One filled with leeks and scallions, the other with spiced potatoes.
Banjan$6.99
Pan-fried eggplant seasoned with spices, then baked with fresh tomatoes, served with mint yogurt.
Vegetarian Kadoo$6.99
Baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar topping with yogurt.
Gulpea$6.99
Fresh cauliflower sautéed with tomatoes, hot peppers, fried onion and turmeric.

Salad

Stay Healthy With Our Salads.

Shornakhod$4.99
Potatoes and chickpeas on a bed of mixed greens served with a cilantro vinaigrette dressing.
Salata$4.99
Mixed green salad served with balsamic vinaigrette or pomegranate dressing.
Afghani Salata$4.99
Diced tomatoes and onions, cilantro, mint, and cucumbers.
Yogurt Salad$4.99
Cilantro, cucumber, mint, and green onions with yogurt sauce.
Bertha$4.99
Oven baked eggplant with a mint yogurt sauce and chili pepper.

Entrees

Our Entrees Will Make You Come Back.

Qabelee$16.99
Pallow rice baked with lamb shanks, raisins, and glazed julienne carrots.
Dwopiaza$17.99
Grilled leg-of-lamb sautéed with yellow split-peas and onions. Served with okra and pallow rice.
Chowpan$25.99
Half rack of grilled lamb served on a bed of afghan bread with sautéed eggplant and pallow rice.
Seek Kabab$17.99
Charbroiled leg-of-lamb marinated in a puree of garlic, onions and sumac. Served with sautéed eggplant and pallow rice.
Mantwo$13.99
Homemade pastry shell filled with onions and beef, served with mint yogurt and topped with carrots, yellow split-peas, and beef sauce.
Aushak$7.99
Ravioli filled with leeks and scallions, served with mint yogurt and beef sauce.
Deygee Kabab$16.99
Sautéed leg-of-lamb with yellow split-peas, onions, and red bell peppers, Served with sweet pumpkin and spinach rice.
Sabzi Challow$14.99
Sautéed spinach with chunks of lamb and afghan seasonings. Served with challow rice.
Chapendaz$26.99
Beef tenderloin served with lentils and spinach rice.
Kourma Challow$15.99
Lamb sautéed with afghan seasonings and a variety of vegetables. Served with challow rice.
Theeka Kabab$19.99
Prime rib marinated in a puree of onion, sumac, and garlic, then grilled and served with sautéed lentils and pallow rice.
Koufta Challow$13.99
Beef meatballs with afghan seasoning sautéed with sun-dried tomatoes, hot peppers, and green peas in a fresh tomato sauce. Served with challow rice.
Kofta Kabab$14.99
Ground beef mixed with green onions, fresh cilantro, garlic, hot peppers and sautéed eggplant. Served with challow rice.
Mourgh Kabab$13.99
Char-broiled chicken breast, served with sautéed spinach and pallow rice.
Mourgh Challow$14.99
Chicken breast sautéed with spices and yellow split-peas. Served with yogurt and challow rice.
Mourgh Salata$13.99
Grilled chicken breast served on a mixed green salad with grilled vegetables and a vinaigrette dressing.
Qourmay Ma-He$18.99
Fresh fish of the day, briefly pan-fried, then sautéed with fresh ginger, garlic, red potatoes, sun-dried and whole tomatoes. Served with challow rice.
Salmon Kabab$16.99
Fresh grilled salmon served with sauteed spinach and challow rice.
Lawand$17.99
Choice of Leg-of-lamb or shrimp sautéed with onions, tomatoes, garlic, fresh cilantro, and hot peppers. Served with challow rice and spinach.
Mixgrill$32.99
Lamb Kabob, Beef Kabob, Koufta Kabob, and Chicken Kabob served with grilled vegetables, laghatac, and your choice of salad or Rice.

Vegetarian Entrees

Special Vegetarian Entree$15.99
A platter of baked pumpkin, pan-fried eggplant with yogurt sauce, and sautéed okra with fresh tomatoes. Served with pallow rice.
Vegetarian Kourma Challow$12.99
Sautéed green beans, carrots, cauliflower, turnips, and potatoes. Served with spinach and challow rice.
Kaddo and Banjan Challow$12.99
Baked baby pumpkin and eggplant with mint yogurt, and fresh tomato sauce. Served with challow rice.
Vegetarian Aushak$13.99
Afghan ravioli, filled with leeks and scallions. Served with a yellow split-pea and carrot sauce and mint yogurt.
Vegetarian Sabzi Challow$12.99
Spinach sautéed with afghan seasoning. Served with okra and challow rice.
Vegetarian Mantwo$7.99
Homemade pastry shell filled with onions topped with carrots yellow split-peas, served with mint yogurt.

Soup

Add Delicious Taste To Your Meal.

Aush$6.99
Homemade noodle soup served with mint yogurt and beef sauce.
Mashawa$6.99
Homemade soup with mung beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and yogurt.
Shorwa$6.99
Fresh vegetable soup with lamb.
Lentil Soup$6.99
Traditional lentil soup; a local favorite.

Vegetarian Soup

Vegetarian Aush$6.99
Homemade noodle soup served with mint yogurt and yellow split-pea sauce.
Vegetarian Shorwa$6.99
Fresh vegetable soup.
Lentil Soup$6.99
Traditional lentil soup; a local favorite.

Side Dishes

Laghatac$5.99
Eggplant sautéed with onion, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and turmeric.
Sabzi$5.99
Spinach sautéed with onions.
Bendi$5.99
Okra sautéed with onions, fresh tomatoes, black pepper and garlic.
Dall$5.99
Lentils.
Chllow$5.99
Baked rice seasoned with cumin seed.
Pallow$5.99
Baked rice seasoned with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin seeds, and black pepper.

Beverages

Cranberry Juice$3.50
Orange Juice$3.50
Pomegranate Juice$4.50
Lemonade$3.50
Sparkling Water$3.50
Soda$2.99
Canada dry, coke, sprite, diet coke.
Ice Tea$2.50
Dough Salty Yogurt$3.50
Milk$2.99
Turkish Coffee$3.99
Coffee$2.50

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Helmand Palace.

4.2

(118)

4.3Food
4.0Service
3.7Ambience

Noise • Moderate

118 Reviews

DA
DABM Gold
San Francisco46 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 11, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Good food and huge portions at reasonable prices. Only parking is a problem.
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t
tracys
San Francisco10 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 20, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
of the several afghans i've tried in the US. I've tried Afghan in the afghan-prevalent Fremont city of Bay Area, the sister restaurant in DC (no longer connected), various afghans in Southern California--Helmand is a 10, the others are 7.
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JM
JMinSF Gold
San Francisco81 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 4, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As always, the food, service and ambience at Helmand Palace are first-rate. Five stars.
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ES
EricS
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 22, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent neighborhood gem with a quiet ambience due to I am guessing acoustical tiles in the ceiling and an extremely friendly staff. So, if you are tired of the typical loud trendy Polk or Union Street restaurants, try this for a nice quite change. The spices are also quite exquisite!
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LF
LF88
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 9, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We really liked this place and will be back!
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PA
PADiner Gold
San Francisco48 reviews
3.0
Dined on March 2, 2014
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Haven't eaten there in a while and Helmand hasn't aged well. The bar at the front is used for storage, not a great sight. There was also an off odor as we came in the door. The decor overall has seen better days. The food was ok, but nothing special.
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LL
LuvtheLamb
Tahoe1 review
4.0
Dined on February 16, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
This is the second time I ate here. This time we had a group of 6. The wait staff were attentive. The food was really good - especially the pumpkin with meat sauce. We ate here because one of our group loves lamb and with all the different ways that it is prepared here - no one was disappointed. The other thing that stood out was the cucumber yogurt salad - yum!
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V
Vicconnection
San Francisco1 review
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
As visitors to San Francisco, we enjoyed a LONG and uphill walk from the Union Square area to Helmand. We experienced great neighborhood ambience ... and better yet, every step was worth it. We ordered vegetarian and this food was a treat! I'll be recommending this place.
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S
Samdaman Gold
San Francisco64 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 13, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Was a great place for a date. There wasn't anyone else in the restaurant but that's not a testament to the food which was good. At least we had the server all to ourselves. I'll be back!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco15 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 10, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was very good at this restaurant. It was my 2nd time there. Good vegetarian options as well.
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Afghan
Hours of operation
Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30PM - 10:00PM Friday & Saturday: 5:30PM - 11:00PM.
Website
http://helmandsf.com/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood
Russian Hill
Cross street
Union
Parking details
We are located on Van Ness between Union and Green. There is ample street parking in the area.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wine

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Helmand Palace

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Appetizers

Aushak$7.99

Mantwo$7.99

Bowlawni$6.99

Banjan$6.99

Kadoo$6.99

Gulpea$6.99

Vegetarian Appetizers

Vegetarian Aushak$7.99

Vegetarian Mantwo$7.99

Bowlawni$6.99

Banjan$6.99

Vegetarian Kadoo$6.99

Gulpea$6.99

Salad

Shornakhod$4.99

Salata$4.99

Afghani Salata$4.99

Yogurt Salad$4.99

Bertha$4.99

Entrees

Qabelee$16.99

Dwopiaza$17.99

Chowpan$25.99

Seek Kabab$17.99

Mantwo$13.99

Aushak$7.99

Deygee Kabab$16.99

Sabzi Challow$14.99

Chapendaz$26.99

Kourma Challow$15.99

Theeka Kabab$19.99

Koufta Challow$13.99

Kofta Kabab$14.99

Mourgh Kabab$13.99

Mourgh Challow$14.99

Mourgh Salata$13.99

Qourmay Ma-He$18.99

Salmon Kabab$16.99

Lawand$17.99

Mixgrill$32.99

Vegetarian Entrees

Special Vegetarian Entree$15.99

Vegetarian Kourma Challow$12.99

Kaddo and Banjan Challow$12.99

Vegetarian Aushak$13.99

Vegetarian Sabzi Challow$12.99

Vegetarian Mantwo$7.99

Soup

Aush$6.99

Mashawa$6.99

Shorwa$6.99

Lentil Soup$6.99

Vegetarian Soup

Vegetarian Aush$6.99

Vegetarian Shorwa$6.99

Lentil Soup$6.99

Side Dishes

Laghatac$5.99

Sabzi$5.99

Bendi$5.99

Dall$5.99

Chllow$5.99

Pallow$5.99

Beverages

Cranberry Juice$3.50

Orange Juice$3.50

Pomegranate Juice$4.50

Lemonade$3.50

Sparkling Water$3.50

Soda$2.99

Ice Tea$2.50

Dough Salty Yogurt$3.50

Milk$2.99

Turkish Coffee$3.99