Shiraz Persian Cuisine

Best kebabs I’ve ever had!
I went on a friday night and it was so nice because they had a cute band playing persian tunes.

I came here with a friend today for lunch and the food was great! I’m Persian so I was really excited to try Persian food in Boston — it was just as good as in LA Tehrangeles. We ordered the mast-​o-​khiar for an appetizer along with the Mirza Ghassemi. The waitress brought out lavash and butter which I believe comes with your meal. The mirza Ghassemi is a warm eggplant dish, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was not oily at all like the way I’m accustomed to seeing Persian style eggplant cooked. We also got mast-​o-​khiar which was delicious with fresh dill and yogurt.
The lunch specials are really reasonably priced (rice + meat or stew for about $ 10 – 13) and I got the chicken kubideh which is ground chicken with spices + rice and grilled tomato. One of the coolest things about this restaurant is that you get to choose the type of rice that comes iwth your meal — you can go with the plain basmati, the baghali style with dill and fava beans, or the sweet one with raisins. The chicken kubideh was juicy and delicious!
For dessert we tried the pistachio ice cream which was like a mix of saffron, pistachio and rose water. I would highly recommend trying some of the Persian ice cream. I would definitely come back here to try the khoresht next time.

After a beer and some music at Donohue’s across the street, stopped in on a whim for some take out. Interior was attractive, and service was quick (under 10 min) and friendly, but the food was just OK, nothing special, so I probably won’t be rushing back.
Dolmeh — Imported grape leaves stuffed with cooked rice, parsley, spring onion, mint & spices ($ 5.99)
~Small, and rather flavorless.
Hummus — Chick peas pureed w/​tahini, garlic & lemon juice ($ 4.99)
~A moderate size container that was a tad on the thin side and not very flavorful. But it did come with an excess of pita bread, which was appreciated (don’t you hate running out of bread before hummus?).
Beef Kubideh — Two skewered seasoned ground beef grilled on open fire ($ 12.99)
~Two fairly sizable «sausages» (with an usual undulating ribbon-​like shape, in contrast to the more usual hand shaped roll), well seasoned, and nicely grilled, served with a large amount of rice and a grilled whole tomato.
Boneless Lamb Kabob — Boneless tender chunks of lamb marinated in special sauce, skewered and grilled on open fire ($ 18.99)
~Less meat than the Kubideh, but I liked this dish the best. Again, served with a lot of rice and a tomato.
A group of older musicians was setting up as I waited (one clarinet, so perhaps jazz?), so presumably they offer live music on at least some nights of the week.
Easy metered parking on the street ($ 0.50/hour; 2 hour limit).

Somewhat disappointing. Have tried this place 3 times in the past 2 years, once for dine in and twice for delivery. Keep hoping it will get better, because it is close by, and I really like Persian food. I do love their fresh baked tandoori bread and a couple of the appetizers, but most entrees seem a bit dry and bland. Then again, I’ve not been impressed with any of the Persian restaurants in Watertown. Have had much better in other cities. Maybe I just need to learn how to cook my own Persian dishes!

I will never EVER go back to this place again.
This was my second time coming here and the only reason was because we spent 45 minutes getting lost because we couldn’t find Lala Rokh since we’re from out of town.
We walked in at 9:30pm and there was no-​one in the restaurant. They had no customers besides our group of three. We were seated and immediately after the waitress went into the kitchen we could hear someone screaming about why we were there so late. If you don’t want to be open late, then change your business hours!
The appetizer kashke bademjoon wasn’t bad, but wasn’t the best I’ve had either. We were so hungry from shopping all day that we just wanted food. The food came out quickly but for our appetizer we were shorted a bread. Two separate plates, two separate breads. It’s just simple math.
Our main courses came out quickly. I had the combo meat and chicken soltani, my friends had the kubideh and soltani. The barg wasn’t bad, but again we were starving and not too critical. The kubideh, both chicken and red meat were not cooked all the way through. The insides were red/​pinkesh and raw.
I’m not sure how the cook likes his red ground meat, but we like ours cooked. We asked the waitress if she could have them cooked. She hesitated and went to ask, then proceeded to take our kabobs to the kitchen again. Five minutes later they were brought back out. This time they were burnt on the outside and still not cooked on the inside!
Being annoyed and pissed off at their total incompetence, we asked to see the manager or owner. The owner, an arrogant and rude man, came out and asked us what the problem was. Then he tried to justify his undercooked meat as being normal and that’s how all kubideh kabob is. Being Persian I told him that’s absolute BS and he started to yell and fight with myself and my two other friends. Then at the end he said «that’s what the food here at Shiraz is. If you don’t like it, don’t come back.»
We were shocked and outraged and actually contemplated calling the police because we didn’t want to pay for this horrible meal.
We asked for the check and they had included and 18% gratuity even though we were only a party of three. We asked why and they said it was ‘restaurant policy’.
Steer clear of this place. There are many other Persian restaurants to go to that don’t have crappy food and atrocious customer service.
Note to the owner: don’t verbally assault your patrons, they won’t come back.

I have to say that this is my favorite Persian food. The staff is kind and diverse! They have live music on the weekends and are just a delight to be around. The food is amazing! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants!!!

The worst kabob we have ever had. We are 3 Persians and have had food in many Persian restaurants in different cities. This was by far the worst kabob we have ever tasted.

Went here on a groupon last week and ordered 2 plates of the rice with the sliced meats, one chicken and one beef. They brought an appetizer bread that is wonderful but the actual food was just very plain and did not taste fresh. The meat had that irony taste to it where you can taste it’s almost past its date. The food was very dry and plain. Servers kept whispering and laughing looking over to our table (maybe we ate the bread to fast idk). It was uncomfortably quiet so that made it worst. At the end of the meal we got our bill with 18% gratitude already added plus got charged for the bread appetizer and we were at awe that after the groupon we still payed so much extra for 2 people only and were still hungry 2 hours later. I don’t think I will want to come back. Nothing to miss anyways.

So, did Shiraz with a Groupon. Food was good but the waitress did not come over to us to see if we needed more wine and as such could have made more in tips. Then when the bill came she had added 18% tip (we were only 2 people)! Maybe they do that because people tip on the discounted amount when using a Groupon but I would have given her 20% on the full amount but as it was I left it at the 18% and we will not be back. Too bad…

You just finished your meal, do you know where your waitress is? I don’t. The whole dinner, I felt like my husband works here. He basically ran around trying to get her attention. My poor husband. Other than the service, the food was okay. Sad to say this is our first time trying Persian food. Probably be our last. 3 stars because husband said to be nice. 2 stars would be from me.

Delicious food, friendly staff and wonderful atmosphere. The lamb shank & lamb kabobs were tender and perfectly seasoned. The hand made bread was unbelievable! I can’t wait to go back!

They cut a lot on their portion… I came here longtime ago they used to be generous, not anymore!!! Over priced for the value!

This was the worst persian reaturant I have ever been. The foods were really horrible. The kabob meat (we had barg, koubideh and lamb) was sour and smell very bad. Stay away of this resturant. I feel sick as I am writing this review. I donno where they got these stars from. These ⁴⁄₅ star reviews must be written by the scammers from the bussiness.

I don’t really get much of a chance to get dinner with a Unilocal friend, much less a Unilocal Gold Elite with the same seniority as I, so I was excited to grab dinner with one here. I expected some tight critique over this one.
For an appetizer, we went for the mirza ghassemi, which is like a warm eggplant dip. I liked the robust and hearty flavor that came from the eggplant. It was rich and went well with bread. The cucumber side salad was tangy and fresh.
My friend’s chicken solani, which consisted a skewer of ground chicken kabob and chicken tender kabob, was a surprise to me. I tried the ground chicken kabob was flavored well but maybe too salty for some. Both kabobs were nicely grilled. Lastly, the rice with sweet and sour berries on top was actually good for this dish. I’m not really a fruity guy when it comes to my rice (hey, I’m Asian). However, it worked well with the strongly-​savory kabobs.
I’ve had experiences where ground beef/​lamb kabobs would have a weird rubbery texture. This one here wasn’t like that, as it tasted like ground beef. It was seasoned decently and had a grilled flavor.
The décor is nice, with the combination of wood and some blue fixtures. Service was okay, but nothing amazing.
(Thanks, Santi)

Great service, delicious fresh food, and even live entertainment! I’ll definitely be coming back.

You couldn’t pay me to eat here again. If people think this is authentic Persian food I feel very bad for you. I am from Los Angeles and must have been spoiled there with amazing Persian cuisine because the food I have had here in MA is just terrible.
My first red flag should have been the obnoxious LCD tv showing the same picture of 1 Persian singer who ate at the restaurant. The hostess didn’t even speak Farsi. What Persian restaurant doesn’t serve lavash and butter at the table. The only khoresht they had was gaymeh and it tasted horrible. The tadig and rice was old. you could totally tell it was from the afternoon or morning. And the mast o kheeyar was all sour cream. This place was more concerned about cheap quality good than authentic, good quality tasting food.
Again, if you think this is real, good quality Persian food, I am so sorry.

There are three Persian/​Iranian restaurants in close vicinity in Watertown. Here is Shiraz is on Bigelow avenue; Jasmine is a few blocks north on Mount Auburn; and Molana is a few blocks west in Watertown Square.
Overall, Shiraz is probably the best of the three. The interior is nice and has a spacious feel. The restaurant is large enough that they would be able to accommodate a fairly large group. They also have smaller tables as well of course, and the atmosphere is nice enough that you could probably take someone on a date here.
The serving sizes are quite large. I like to have the kebob dinners, which include two skewers of meat and a large serving of rice, as well as some vegetables mixed in. They also provide a large flat bread with the meal.
PS — I can’t end this review without mentioning that a couple of the waitresses are quite attractive: P

Why bother to run a promotion, like having a Groupon, if your staff works so hard to make people not want to return? I don’t understand it.
My wife and I ended up at Shiraz Persian Cuisine for dinner a few weeks ago, lured in by their $ 30 for $ 15 Groupon offering. The reviews on Unilocal seemed promising, and I love me some Persian food. Couldn’t go wrong right?
Upon arrival, we should have realized something was amiss. Perhaps all 37 5-​star reviews of this place were written by Shiraz, and his extended family? Because clearly word hasn’t gotten out. We were the only table in the restaurant on a Saturday night. Since we were hungry, and wanted some leftovers, we ordered Beef Barg, Chicken Barg, and Chicken Kubideh. On food alone, the restaurant warrants a 3 star rating. Neither my wife nor myself could put our fingers on it, but it just wasn’t that special. As in, if we were in a food court somewhere and ordered the dish, it would have made more sense.
So why not 3 stars for my rating? The service sucked balls. Big hairy fish balls. When minor requests to the servers were looked upon as impossible tasks… well, it really is off-​putting.
In sum, if you have a Groupon, it’s worth your $ 15, but only because you would essentially be paying this much to go to a food court and get the same meal. Don’t expect more than that, and you will not be disappointed like I was.

One of the best things about this place is their choice of wide selection of traditional Persian food. If you’re new to Persian food or it’s your first time going there, I would recommend any of their meat (lamb, beef, or chicken) kebab dish. I would also any of their eggplant appetizers goes good with the free bread that they serve you.
The atmosphere is another plus about this place. It’s not your typical loud and crowded place. I have been here twice already and both times I went it was quiet and quaint. This is a perfect place to bring a date or a significant other for nice romantic evening.
The only downside is that it’s kind of out of the way from Boston.

REALLY good persian food. was pleasantly surprised!
lamb, beef everything we had was soo good. mouth watering.
a nice, little family styled restaurant that runs a good business.
must try!