Saffron Kabob House Hillcroft Restaurant & Catering

Saffron Kabob offers an exceptional dining experience that blends authentic flavors with warm, welcoming service. The moment you step inside, you're greeted by a cozy atmosphere that perfectly complements the rich and aromatic dishes. The kabobs are cooked to perfection—tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The accompanying sides are equally delightful, with the saffron rice being a standout. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely eager to ensure you have a memorable meal. Whether you're a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine or trying it for the first time, Saffron Kabob is a must-visit. Highly recommended!

Loved everything about this place except that they were out of homemade afghan ice cream. Food was so amazing and were coming back the next time we visit Houston inshallah

Average place and okay tasting food. I liked the lentil soup. However my hubby got the meat platter and added another meat to his chicken platter and the picture that you see costed $25 which we thought was excessive, as he could have gotten two plates for that. The server didn’t communicate that to us clearly. Anyway, the other items were okay and nothing to rave about. There was however a lot of footfall and large families coming in for lunch so it must be popular. For us it was a solid 3.

The food here was amazing super flavorful. I loved every bite! And the service made it even better. Mariam was so sweet and helpful. She made sure everything was great and just had such a nice vibe. Definitely coming back!

Such amazing and affordable Afghan food in Houston Texas. This place is now my favorite place to get Afghan food. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting good food on Hillcroft

Excellent food. Very clean and bright. Flexible with ordering for my husband’s vegan diet.

Great place for a very affordable price. Plenty of places to park. Food was very fresh, the place is very clean and the service is excellent. I would recommend to anyone who in the area wanting a fresh made meal.

Worst management! We asked to bring a tap water for us, waitress answered: “we sold only bottled water”😆👍 We ordered tea, I asked to bring one more empty cup for me, waitress told me “we will charge you twice for tea”. 😱 Food was good. But I know I will not recommend this place and never come back again. Waitresses have been friendly and polite. If I could leave a ZERO star to the owner I will do it. 😬

Today for lunch I had chicken and Chapli it was phenomenal. I recommend it. Best Resturant in town. Try it ou

New Saffron Kabob House is located inside of a large shopping plaza. The thing I appreciate the most about this location is the parking- there is plenty of space behind the restaurant. When I sat down, I was given the menu and noticed that hot tea is complimentary- so I ordered it. It was loose leaf tea and while I couldn't put my finger on the flavor, it was SO good. I ordered the Bolani as an appetizer because they were out of the Mantoo. The Bolani was like nothing I've tasted before, but it was really good. I liked that the portion was large enough to save some for later. For the entree, I ordered the Chopan Kabob (Lamb Chops) While these were slightly overcooked, I actually really enjoyed the spices these were marinated in. Finally, for dessert, I ordered the Firni. I really liked the light flavor paired with slight sweetness. I could definitely see myself eating this dessert again. All in all, I had a great experience here. I could see myself coming back to try different options.

Ordered the chapli kabob plate and substituted plain rice for the quabili pallow. Was very yummy and would definitely recommend. Also ordered the bolani which was very thin and the perfect appetizer to start with.

The lamb and beef are absolutely delicious. I also loved the smokey yellow rice with the herbed vinegar.

Very disappointed on how low the quality of this spot has become. The food used to be great but now the quality of meat is horrible and much different. It even smells bad. Low quality meat. The food also comes out very cold... The customer service is also very bad here now. We ordered our food and the waitress got our order wrong twice...

A friend of ours invited us to eat at this restaurant because she said the food was amazing. So we accept the invitation and eight here last weekend. Let me tell you guys, the food was very delicious! You have an option to sit at a regular table and with chairs or at a table where you sit on the floor with pillows. So we sat at the table on the floor with pillows in order to get the full experience. At our age it was a bit difficult but it was fun. Our friend ordered so many dishes. We had bolani, mantoo, chicken curry, chicken kabob, sabzi, chapli kabab and more. The bolani was soft and the potato and leek filling was so good. The best bolani I ever had. The mantoo was amazing! Soo yummy! My opinion may not mean much to most Afghans since I am an amateur at this cuisine but it was delicious! I would go back for the mantoo alone. The chapli kabob was the best kabob we had that night. Unlike the other reviews, ours was not too salty at all. The beef and chicken kabobs were a bit underwhelming. Their naan bread was also a favorite. The lamb pulao was not bad and the sabzi was okay. Service was fast and everyone had a wonderful time.

A friend recommended this restaurant to us. So glad we went to check it out. We ordered Bolani with potato and leeks, fish curry, lamb curry, grilled lamb and Chapli kebab. Everything tasted so flavorful. My favorite is the fall off the bone lamb curry. It is super tender and tasty. The grilled lamb is a close second favorite but wish it is not so well done. We enjoyed the friendly service too. We were there to celebrate our friend's birthday so we brought our own cake which they are ok with. They even provided us with paper plates to enjoy our cake.

Didn't get my order when I called it in. What ?! And the place smelled like a toilet when you walk in. The food was ok- Kabab and Grill is better Afghan food.

The last year 2021, I wrote a review below. "This was the worst restaurant in terms of services. When I entered the restaurant, no one greeted me. I had to go to the counter. I got a table. Then some party was going on, kids were running around the restaurants. Their parents didn't stop them at all. The servers also didn't say anything to the kids. They didn't realize the kids were bothering other guests. I was waiting for the food for 30 minutes. The server didn't bring the food. The server was supposed to explain the situation or apologize to me, but they didn't. I had to tell a server to cancel the food. I have been living here in Houston since 2005. I visited countless restaurants. This was the first, probably the only time to cancel it. Usually, I gave 5 stars to the restaurants. Sadly, I gave them only one star. But I would say this is a zero-star review. This is the first time 0 star review.I wish I could give this restaurant -5 star (minus five stars) review!" This year 2022, I ordered food. It was okay. Three stars.

Made a return visit to Saffron Kabob House on Mason Rd this evening and remembered to take a few pics this time. The food is delicious! The original location is on Hillcroft and so glad to have a taste of this amazing Afghan food here in Katy. If you haven't frequented, give it a try. Service could be better but the food ... Yum

The food is enjoyable, but the service is terrible. I've visited twice, and on both occasions, it took over an hour to receive our orders. I would not dine here. Would recommend going somewhere else and saving your time.

This is my top favorite restaurant, not only in Houston but in the entire North America. The delicious food and it's consistency is unmatched by any other Afghan food place. That's my top choice of food for over a decade. They have the bestest of the best Chapli Kabab, Kabuli (Qabli) Pulao with lamb shank so tender that it just melts in the mouth, Borani Badejan and Bolani. Their service is fast, very accommodating, friendly and professional. If you want to treat yourself with the most delicious food, you can't go wrong with 'Saffron Kabob' at Hillcroft in Houston.

I've been to two Afghani restaurants and this one was whatever. I've heard great things about this place but wasn't that impressed. Chapli kabob was extremely salty. The beef tenderloins were good but chewy. A lot of people rave about their green sauce. It was whatever. One of the servers, Mamta, she always came to our table with a smile no matter how swamped she was.

Ordered food two days ago and the beef was still raw! Decided to give them one more shot today and found a cockroach in my to go order of chapli kabob! Completely unacceptable! This place used to be my favorite spot and to have the experiences last two orders as I get ready to move out of houston just leaves a terrible taste in my mouth. Restaurant owner(s) if you are reading this review.. Get it together before you get sued by someone!

As an ethnic Pashtun I love to go to afghan restaurants to get my fix of food from the homeland. This used to be my go to spot for afghan food. Unfortunately the staple Pashtun items that we are famous for are not authentic in taste. The Chapli kabab we ordered tasted very spicy. It is as if it tastes like it came from a box of spices. The beef pieces of kebab are hard and chewy. The kabuli pulao and mantoo taste delicious and authentic and that is why I am giving them three stars.

It was my first visit and i left satisfied. Fresh Small salad dressing which was just right for your taste buds to activate. Chapli kabobs are sumptuous and delicious. Rightly done and not greasy. Naan was done right and as expected freshly made. Fast and friendly service. Prices are right in this place.

Like lamb, goat, and spices? You gotta come here and get the lamb or goat curry. You will thank me later! I know their menu picture looks rather unappetizing, but it tastes incredible. The meat is perfectly cooked, falls off the bone, and just melts in your mouth. It comes drenched in a delicious curry which isn't overly spicy and compliments the gamey flavor of the meat. My only complaint is that the service can be a little slow, but the wait is definitely worth it. (Not sure if they changed the name, but ask for the lamb dish that comes as a piece of the leg meat with the bone in.)

The Afghan Food at Saffron Kabob House is pretty good but Chopan is still the best Afghan food in Houston in my opinion. The Chapli kabob here needs a little more seasoning and the other dishes are the same but if they fixed that it would be just as good as Chopan Kabob on westheimer. Saffron is probably the 2nd best Afghan restaurant in Houston so it's still worth trying. The service could be better as well because when I went they were really slow.

The food was pretty good here but I'm not sure if I would come back. Two biggest reason why: 1. Cleanliness: bathroom was not very clean - what does it say about a place when you have almost no soap and the bathroom was a mess - some would lose their appetite 2. Staff: they were not not very friendly or welcoming I hope this review will bring about good criticism because the food was good and I would love for it to bloom if it wasn't for two major factors!

(5/5) environment: nice and clean. Great for large parties and can get very packed. (4/5) pricing: pricing is good for the amount of food given. (4/5) service: good service, all orders came out correctly and they refilled the water without asking. (5/5) dishes: all dishes were tasty. Good flavor and good spices. All dishes were delicious. Chicken kabob was a tad dry but other than that, everything tasted amazing.

Food is good, workers are rude, they don't even look at you, not friendly at all! Lately there is a young lady who is join the team , she is the only one showing great people skills.

Saffron is definitely one of the few restaurants where the quality of food is always consistent. The mantoo (beef filled dumplings with beef sauce and garlic yogurt) is the perfect appetizer. I've had dumplings before, many times and many ways, but never like this. SOO good. This is my favorite place to go when I'm craving kabobs. I can never seem to stray from my usual order here (I always get the combo plate with beef and lamb kabobs and it NEVER fails). Typically, I don't like the taste of lamb meat, but they make it so perfectly here! I don't know what they season their meats with, but it's delicious (juicy, tender and flavorful). If you're looking for a place to try kabobs with rice for the first time, this is it and it will not disappoint!

Cozy and casual atmosphere, friendly service, and good affordable food. Tried the chopan (lamb chop) kabob and the challow (ground beef with spices aka koobideh) kabob. The kabobs come with your choice of naan or rice. I liked the rice more than the naan since the naan was thin, a bit dry, and not as fluffy as I would have liked it. The lamb chops were very tender, flavorful, and tasty. The challow was good, but was a bit bland compared to koobideh that I've had at some Persian restaurants. Would definitely come back for the lamb chops and to try other dishes with raving reviews such as the mantoo appetizer and the chapli kabob.

I'm visiting Houston from NYC and I came here for lunch. Food was amazing!! Love the chapal kebab and the tandoori chicken. Authentic afghani food that was light and yet filling. If you're looking for a low key place with delicious food -- come here!

First visit, but the food was exceptional, so I will be back! We stopped by for lunch and we were greeted and seated immediately. The restaurant was immaculate and they offer regular chairs or a traditional seating with pillows. We ordered two appetizers, Bolani, a stuffed flatbread filled with potatoes, leeks and spices and the Mantoo, steamed beef dumplings dressed with a delicious yogurt sauce with tomatoes and other spices. The mantoo was exceptional and now I understand why they serve an entree or appetizer size portion. Can't wait to come back to have mantoo again. The Bolani was flavorful and made me think of the filling often found in Indian dosa. So far the chef was doing a great job. Since we ordered two appetizers, we decided to split an entree to avoid a food coma. We had a combo kebab plate with the Chapli kebab, which is ground sirloin that was seasoned with spices and onion and a Charsi kebab of marinated boneless lamb chunks. Both kebabs were grilled to perfection and served with plain and yellow basmati rice, onion and tomato. Both meats were well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The owner stopped by the table to chat about the food. The entree portion was generous and plenty of food for the two of us. A small salad was served for each of us. The food was so good, that it deserves to be packed like the Himalaya restaurant. Reward yourself by stopping in for an order of Mantoo and the Chapli kebab. You won't be sorry.

This was my first time trying Afghani food, and it was soo good! The mantoo was super yummy (dumplings filled with ground beef with a yogurt sauce), and then I got the combo plate with chapli and challow kabob. They were both sooo good - the chapli is sort of like a really thin burger patty, but it gets super crispy on the outside and it was awesome. The challow was more long and skinny, and it was juicier and slightly different seasoning. I also tried my friend's chicken curry and it was so good that I ordered another one to go with the mast-e-khiar (yogurt with cucumber and mint). They also had this green-ish chili sauce on the table that was SO. GOOD. I could've drank that stuff. Highly recommend this place! It's on the 2nd floor of the plaza, so you have to take the escalator to get up there. Plenty of parking.

Best kabuli polao & Afghan food Very nice restaurant & good service In a good location too right at the mid of the hustle bustle of hilcroft.

This place was recommend to me by a colleague so I decided to try it after work. The food was absolutely delicious! I have never had Afghan food before and was excited to try something new. I was not disappointed. The flavors were bold and excellent. I got the Mantoo, which are steamed dumplings with ground beef with a DELICIOUS garlic yogurt sauce with a hint of mint. For my main dish, I tried the Chapli kabob which was spicy (what I wanted), but the heat didn't overpower the flavor, which was amazing. The naan is house-made and comes out warm! To finish it off was delicious hot tea that settled everything so nicely!! I highly recommend trying this place!

Ordered delivery from here during the COVID 19 pandemic. It took a solid 50 minutes but it was well-worth the wait! We started with Mantoo (Afghani dumplings steamed, stuffed with beef, onions and seasonings topped with ground beef, split peas and yogurt sauce), which I really loved. Next was bolani (Afghani calzone, stuffed with chopped leeks and potatoes, cilantro and special seasoning seared on a grill) which was super flavorful and rich. On the denser side. Mast-e-Khiar (home made yogurt, mixed with cucumbers and mint leaves) is a great sauce to dip the bolani in. The chicken curry (chicken breast prepared in a delicious spicy curry sauce, served with basmati rice) was a bit heavy on the liquid side, and I wish it would have had more meat, but it had great flavoral overall. The chapli kabob (Grilled sandal shaped ground sirloin mixed with scallions, cilantro and special seasonings) was very good - loved the yellow rice that came with it. Challow kabob was similar, with the meat more minced/ground in preparation. The lamb shank was my fave entree! Tried their dogh (mix of yogurt and water), which is good if you need some dairy to tame the heat. It was on the salty side though. Overall, a great experience! This food also keeps/reheats well, so a great pick for take-out/delivery!

Good place for kabobs, nothing really stood out for me eating here. The chicken kabob was better than the steak kabob. It was a little confusing finding this place as it was on the second floor.

Dined here with a fellow yelper. She suggested eating here as she had been here before and knew I'd love it. Parking was easy. Lots of garage parking. Take the escolator to the second level and the restaurant faces Hillcroft. We started with tea. Really good tea! I also love eating the lump sugar! ;) We had the mantoo (appetizer portion). I had never had this dish before and I fell in love! Steamed dumplings filled with ground beef with herbs drizzled in meat sauce and homemade garlic yogurt sauce. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend anyone to try these! They are just to die for! We also had the bolani, which is flat bread stuffed with potatoes and chopped leaks. Another WIN! My entree was chapli kabob (traditional ground sirloin mixed with scallions). I forgot it came with cilantro (which I am not a fan) and i had to scrape it off, but it was no biggie. Again, delicious! I had to deduct one star because I didn't think the service was worthy of 5 stars. We had to call our waitress over a number of times. She wasn't extremely attentive, especially about bringing us water or refilling our water. However, when we asked for what we needed we received it. Another win for my yelp friend recommendations!

Consistent, good Afghani food. We have been going there for years. Good service. Their chapli kabab, mantu, sheesh kababs are amongst our fav.

MIND BLOWN!!! First timer and everything was AMAZING! All time favorite was the mantou for appetizer! (Recommend getting the bigger portion because you won't get tired of it)!!

Restautant has had a facelift since Covid. Food still excellent. They have a killer lemon-mint tea.

Best of the best! Must try their lamb shank. Always fresh, tender and juicy. Also they have very delicious Chapli Kabob.

I came here on a Sunday night because my friend wanted me to try it out so why not. They actually give you a free salad with some sort of dressing to start off which is nice because I love to eat vegetables with my meal. I ordered the "mantoo" for an appetizer and it was quite an interesting dish. I've never had anything like it before but it was flavorful, not spicy at all. Reminded me of a fusion dish with the chinese dumpling skin and ground beef inside with spices/sauces on the outside. I just wish it came with more than 4 haha. The chicken kabob was cooked nicely where it was tender enough for my liking and but it comes with your choice of rice or naan so I ordered an extra naan because I wanted to try it. Overall, I think the food and service was a little above average for the price (the portions just weren't enough for me personally) but definitely worth a try!

It's a great place to enjoy an unforgettable meal! Just remember now they started CLOSING ON TUESDAYS!! But go and enjoy my favorites CHAPLI KABOB, CHICKEN KABOB PLATE,

Tandoori chicken was awesome!!! So juicy and flavorful! And a little crispy on outside! Really liked the eggplant appetizer and the curry chicken was really good too. Also had lamb shank quabili pallow which was fall off the bone tender. Wanna try the kebabs next time.

Amazing Afghani food. It was our first time there and we ordered Chapli and Chicken kebab. Big platter sizes and great taste. The salad with lemon juice complimented the dinner amazingly. Speaking especially of Chapli kebab those were the best so far that I ever had in the US and the closest one can get to authentic Afghani recipe. All in all a great place to enjoy and celebrate food.

Wonderful gem in the city of Houston. Beautiful interior, charmed with ambience and traditional Afghani decor. Please visit, as you will surely fall in love.

They gave us a naan extra After my grandma died and all things that have happened in the past The naan made my day Also the girl been working here for 6 years

Small menu but extremely delicious food. Probably the best Kabuli Pulao and Lamb (Shank) Curry in town. And the price is also very reasonable. Wish the servers are a little friendly but make it up with food. One more thing if you have not tired their special sitting arrangement in the covered area try it, it's a fine experience.

This has to be hands down my favorite Afghan spot in town as it completely steals the show every time with its delicious flavors and reliable standards that hit the spot. Their Chapli kebabs are the most popular item on the menu, and rightly so, given that it's some of the most tender ground meat kebab you'll find. The flavor is incredible and the same goes for their thoroughly marinated tandoori chicken, which packs a lot of juice in every bite! Their lamb shank korma is a signature gravy item that is very yummy as well, especially when devoured with their piping hot naan bread. The Kabuli Pulao is a top-notch rice dish, making this exactly the type of well-rounded menu that offers something for all. Service is solid and prices are reasonable, wrapping up a terrific five star experience with no void to fill. Keep it up!

Very disappointed worst customer service server yelled at my wife never again disgusting

I don't like the fact that they play sneaky with the bill Sliding in 15% gratuity when there is only 2 people and still take my tip on top of that. Did that to us twice the first time we caught them I called them when I got back to my house. And when caught in the act, they said they don't know how to fix the mistake. First visit we were a party of 4, second it was a party of 2

You gotta be in the right place when you're the only person in the restaurant who doesn't look like they grew up eating this food on a daily basis. Having the desire to try many things while lacking the appetite of my "younger" years, I ordered a fresh naan, lentil soup, and a 4-piece mantoo appetizer. The meal came with a small, basic chopped iceberg salad, which was a nice touch! - Naan- $1 made fresh and warm. Nice chewy texture with slight crispness, but I do wish the bread had more salt added to the dough for a little flavor. (People probably eat this with curry though.) - Soup- $2.99 and quite tasty. Soup was served hot with a lime instead of a lemon, which was unique. Struggled to find actual notable flavors, however. Paired nicely with my soup and had a strong pepper taste. - Mantoo- $4.99. This region absolutely rocks at seasoning food, and these are no exception. The dough was still a little tough though from not being cooked all the way, and they were served lukewarm. My brother reheated leftovers later and said that they were delicious for second meal, too. Actual entrees begin at $10. Service was so great that you just want to give her a big tip to show appreciation. Wonderful server was so genuine and very kind. She made recommendations and made this place more of a 4 than a 3.5. My only credentials are a yearlong residency in the Middle East, so take it for what it's worth, but I think this nice little place merits a return to explore more of the menu.

I have been going to them since they had there first location. Food is good but customer series is horrible. Charge extra for everything even the sauce. $5 for not even half a box of rice and the lady tells me it's not my fault your entree doesn't have enough rice. That's all we give. Every time I go I get 5 to 6 entree and still pay $5 for extra rice which is not even a box. I am ok with that but the lady had audacity to tell me it's not on us if rice is not enough for you. Rude and yelled at me. Never going there again.

Even if it's a far drive from where we live, my husband and I makes sure to visit Saffron once a month.We always order their quabili pallow which is so tender and flavorful! We also love their chapli and challow kabob, plus the amazing, mantoo! Definitely our favorite spot for authentic Afghan meals!

Food was delicious! We ordered Borani Badenjan (an eggplant cooked with tomatoes) and Mantoo (dumplings) for our appetizers and the chicken and teka beef kabobs for our entree. BAYYYYYBEE everything was seasoned to perfection. And the staff were so sweet even with our million and one questions. Side note: wanted the Tandoori chicken but they ran out of it (this was around 730p on a wed) so I def be back to try that.