Authentic Afghan food near Sacramento for $25? I tried this cozy spot on a budget
At the corner of Watt Avenue and James Way in North Highlands is a small, simple restaurant with a culinary secret.
Aria-Afghan Restaurant, 5601 Watt Ave., Suite 2, in North Highlands, sits between Superb Pizza and a Peenoy Philippine Grocery.
Past the unassuming white exterior, you find a cozy, quiet restaurant with pale pink and burgundy walls. A few framed artworks hang on the wall, some with Arabic writing and others with beautiful images of nature.
What truly stands out is not how the restaurant looks. Instead, it’s the smell of fresh spices, cooked vegetables and fantastically delicious platters of food that leaves an impression.
Cheryl Patzer, a Sacramento Bee reader, recommended Aria-Afghan Restaurant as part of The Sacramento Bee’s On a Budget series, a reader-driven series focused on finding fun and affordable ways to connect with the community.
Here’s what I got on a $25 budget:
What is Aria-Afghan Restaurant like?
I headed to Aria-Afghan Restaurant for dinner on a Monday afternoon and grabbed a seat.
The bare-bones restaurant was quiet during my visit, with just one friendly worker on duty behind the counter.
The menu provides a variety of traditional meat-based options, including chicken koobideh, beef chapli kabob and lamb shank served with rice, raisins and carrots.
The restaurant offers a few vegetarian options, including veggie manto — steamed dumplings — and sabzi veggie, a spinach-based dish with rice.
Drink options include bottled water and canned sodas including Sprite, Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
Customers can find parking for Aria-Afghan and other nearby businesses in front of the business.
What I got for about $25 at North Highlands restaurant
I spent a total of $25.99 before tip and tax on dinner at Aria-Afghan Restaurant, just 99 cents over my $25 budget.
For that price, I got two plates that could have easily satisfied two people.
Following Patzer’s recommendations, I ordered a plate of veggie manto — 10 steamed dumplings filled with mushrooms, cabbage, onion and spices and topped with garlic yogurt, split peas and dried mint — for $13.99.
I also got a plate of borani badajan vege, featuring baked eggplant topped with garlic yogurt and sprinkled with dried mint served with a hearty side of seasoned rice and bread. That cost $12.
I’d never enjoyed food from Afghanistan before but, my god, was this an amazing introduction. The food was absolutely delicious, well seasoned and beautifully plated.
I savored the tasty vegetable filling in the veggie manto but my favorite part of the dish by far was the spilt pea and garlic yogurt topping. It was wonderfully spiced and I had to stop myself from particularly licking the plate clean.
The perfectly baked eggplant in the borani badajan vege plate was surprisingly not mushy but rather tender. The savory and warm aubergine paired perfectly with the rice and tasted incredible.
For dessert, I ordered walnut baklava to go and got four fairly large pieces for $5. The pastry dish was sweet, crispy and nutty.
Is Sacramento-area eatery affordable?
Yes, incredibly so.
Prices for individual dishes at Aria-Afghan range from $8.50 to $20.
The restaurant also offers party platters that can feed eight to 20 people. Prices for these platters range from $125 to $260.
Additionally, customers can order family platters ranging from $90 to $100. Each serve about five to nine people, depending on the selection.
Customers can also purchase side dishes including regular rice, qabili rice and green sauce. Prices range from $6 to $9.99.
Drinks cost $2 each.
Aria-Afghan Restaurant’s plates are large, carefully curated and perfect for celebrations . This is a place for families and friends to gather and share food in an inviting and intimate setting.
I’d recommend this restaurant to anyone — and especially to people who have never had authentic Afghan food.
Speaking for myself, I know I am on my way to become a regular at this wonderful restaurant.
