Khyber Pass Cafe

I brought my co-workers to the Kyber Pass for our annual get together and everyone loved it. Their chutney is something really special. My vegetarian co-worker was very pleased with the options. I am mostly vegetarian, usually only eating meat when there are no other options, but their lamb chop special is so perfectly grillled and tender and tasty that I have to eat it, even though there are lots of other delicious options. My boss sprang for an assortment of three desserts and they were all delightful. My co-workers are both wine connoisseurs and they loved the wine choices. We will definitely come back. Pros: Inviting atmosphere and great food more

I ordered the Lamb Chop special on a Saturday evening. They were perfectly prepared and served with basmati rice, cilantro chutney! the cost was only $18. i think that this is very reasonable for such a special dish that in any other city would cost much more. I loved the chutney so much that i wish that they had it available at whole foods or something. Also, the ambiance is very peaceful and welcoming with many lovely painting and photos on the wall. I will be back to the Khyber Pass soon on a Saturday for the lamb. so, so good! Pros: very excellent food, reasonable price. Cons: Lamb chops are only available on Saturday :( more

Staff was sullen & slow. Bread was stale. My dinner companion received the wrong dish but went ahead and ate it. I received spoiled, uncooked chicken next to a bed of rice that looked and tasted as if it had been sitting all day. This is the first time in my life that I have sent food back in a restaurant but the meal was not edible. The manager took the meal off the bill (I only consumed 2 bites) but no apology was offered. Perhaps the restaurant was having an ""off"" night but with so many wonderful options in the Twin Cities area why take the risk? more

i ate at kyber pass last night and was quite disappointed. while their chai is good their food is not nearly as good. Pros: nice ambiance Cons: bad food more

We were on our way to a near by restaurant but it was closed. A co-worker told me of this place, so we gave it a try. The service was less than accommodating, but we learned 3 servers had called in and the owner was serving us and the bartender was helping out too. There was a large group of close to 20 people demanding most of his attention. When the meals arrived, we were pleased with our choices, but as i continued I realized that this wasn't the dish I had ordered. We told the owner everything was good but I asked if the dish I got was what i ordered. No it was not, but I said it was fine, I liked it and would just have this one. He would have nothing of the sort and quickly ordered my requested dish and apologized. My husbands dish was to his liking and I thought it tasteful too. When mine arrived it was delicious! I had ordered the lamb ( one of many lamb dishes) and mmmmmmmmmmmm....It was tasty. The wine we chose was nice as well ,not an extensive list, but moderately priced. The owner removed my entree from our bill which really was not necessary and he let us keep the mistaken dish and we took it home to my daughter. We decided to leave the price of my entree as an extra to his tip. The genuine effort and care he took was worth every penny. We will not let the unusual and unfortunate lack of staff affect our experience here. I have never been to Afghanistan so I cannot say if it was authentic, but I don't care, it was flavorful and delicious and we will return. The decor ambiance were nice and I loved the music! Reasonably/affordably priced. more

I had a horrible experience at this restaurant. Pros: Decorations Cons: Everything Else more

what happened to good afghan food?? The Bread was bad....it was like old stale Holyland Bread.not homemade. Not traditional- microwaved yuk!! The appetizers were below mediocre. Entrees and sides were reheated, and not even that hot from lunch, very weird texture of microwaved paste. $5 for frozen weird tasting spinach side dish. Server made ""face"" at entrees, appetizers and did not know what they were. Water glasses not refilled. Overall....bad. Scared for what dessert might taste like. Pros: On Grand Avenue. Cons: food, service and value more

I really enjoyed my experience at Khyber Pass Cafe. My companians and I split 2 appetizers, 3 meals, and a dessert and I was suprised by how good everything was! I wish I could remember the names of what I tried, but I do remember that 2 of the dishes were quite similar, although tasty. The ravioli style appetizer was soooooooo good, and the rose water dessert is quite flavorful. Pros: ambience, cozy environment Cons: parking? more

After being deployed to Afghanistan twice, I had the fortunate mission to work with the local populas on a daily basis. Therefore, I had the opportunity to eat different Afghan food throughout the region. It did not taste like the Afghan food that I remembered eating. For example, that is not traditional Afghan flat bread (it seemed liked regular store flat bread found at Cub Foods); the real stuff is great. Actually, in Afghanistan, there are many types of foods used from other countries near by such as India. The wait staff could not answer most basic food questions about the Afghan menu. I found the Afghan person in charge not to be that friendly. I hope that the people who patron this restaurant understand that it is not Authentic Afghan food. It is like going to a China Buffet restaurant thinking that you are eating Authentic Chinese food. Pros: Neat setting Cons: not authentic, food, unknowledgeable more

Emel and Masooda have worked hard to create an oasis of a relaxed comfortable atmosphere where life need not be in a rush with good food, company and a pleasant environment. I always enjoy my visits to the Khyber Pass and have met quite a few people there and have dined well on delicious lamb kebobs and an assortment of items. A great value for the price. It is important to keep this place going. Paul Pros: Ambience, Price, Delicous Cons: , Layed back more

I'm editing a previous review. I recently checked in to look at recent reviews. I was dismayed by a series of reviews that have nothing to do with the quality of this restaurant. Khyber Pass has become a St Paul tradition for good reason. Proprietors Emel and Masooda spend a lot of time in the kitchen and oversee everything. Both of these people are exceptional cooks. Both come from families steeped in traditions of food preparation. Visit the Pass and visit with either of them. Emel will happy to sit with you and discuss the food, Minnesota, and especially, music. Both Emel and Masooda take pride in presenting superior meals. Recent menu and interior changes have only increased the number of reasons to come here. Long ago I became addicted to the lamb and chicken kabobs. These days it's the newest menu addition. The best plate of lamb chops ever. Marinated and amazingly flavorful they are not to be missed. I know lamb isn't at the top of everyone list but I highly recommend giving this dish a try. My wife has been eating and loving the vegetarian offerings for years. When friends come to town from New York we always make a point of visiting Khyber Pass. They love the food and are amazed by the reasonable prices. They can?t get enough of the kabob combination plates. Finish your meal with a cup of firni or rice pudding and tea. Sit and hang out. It's a great place for conversation, good music, and a glass of wine. My family has been eating at Khyber Pass since it first opened on St. Clair and continues to do so at their newer and nicer Grand Ave. Location next door to Dunn Brothers Coffee. It has long been one of our favorite places to eat. Our daughter has an addiction for the chicken kabob. It's what she orders every time we've been there over the past 14 years. It is a great dinner as is the lamb kabob with huge tender chunks of lamb. Khyber pass has always been very kid friendly. Khyber Pass also has a terrific lunch buffet. Problem is that they are only open from 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch Monday through Friday. Also, a good wine list! It's a warm friendly place and a friend told me it won the 2004 City Pages award for best Middle Eastern food. For good reason! Pros: Food, prices, art, music, kid friendly! Cons: What are the drawbacks? more