Ariana Kebab Palace

This is a relatively new restaurant serving Afghan cuisine. I believe the area has a lot of Indian Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine so this is a nice change.
I came in to see if I could just get some kebab’s for take out but ended up feeling more adventurous on this nice day. I got chicken tandoori. Each entrée comes with white or brown basmati rice, salad, homemade bread, and a side of either okra stew, pea and potato stew, lamb stew, spinach stew or curry chicken stew. As a lamb fan, I choose lamb stew. My friend had a kabob combo of chicken and beef kabobs with a salad and homemade bread.
I soooo wanted to love this place since the prices didn’t seem to be too high. At 7.99/meal, it was a good deal until I saw the food in the takeout containers. Jamaicans and Dominicans in the area only charge like $ 5 for the same amount of food but give a lot more meat, sauce, and side (plaintains).
In a standard 3 section takeout box, ²⁄₃ was filled with just rice and my tandoori in a little portion in one. It was not that flavorful and a little dry. The rice was good but how hard is rice? I love the lemon in the salad though for its freshness and loud «crisp». But following the same train of thought, how hard is salad?
My friend’s food was a little better. His bread was laid under the kabobs so flavor drained into it. My bread was light and buttery though but I just liked his better. His kabobs were not on sticks so I don’t know how there kabobs but that’s what they called them.
My biggest complaint has to be the quality of meat. The stew was well seasoned but the lamb in it was so fatty I felt like I was eating pork. After a while, I had to keep looking to see if I was eating a lamb or beef kabob because the texture was so off for either really.
I wanted to like this food so much more since the service was so good and they were sooo friendly. Usually when my guy friend and I walk in to non-​black restaurants the servers are a little taken back (he’s a giant haitian boxer) but here they were very friendly and helpful in food info. and helping us order.
Overall, I would probably try a few more spots in the area before settling on one but If I didn’t want anything else I would get a kabob or two.