Helmand

07/17/09

Awful Service

by AndyBaker at Citysearch

Even though we had a reservation (as this restaurant requires since it's always packed) we got a lousy table and to make matters worse, the service was even lousier. When a friend of mine complained about the service (very politely of course) the hostess was so rude; she actually said: "people make reservations here weeks in advance, if you don't like it you can leave". No where have I witnessed such awful treatment and such cockiness! Last I checked, they weren't Nobu or the Ivy!

• Pros: so-so food
• Cons: incredibly bad service

11/14/08

Decent food, BRUTAL service

by jbjamesblair at Citysearch

Inside of 5 minutes after sitting down I knew the service was brutal. First, we're at a table of 10, and my girlfriend decides to tag along. She's already eaten, but wants to be with us. She'll order an appetizer and a drink. When it comes time for us to order an entree, she politely says that she's already eaten. The response from the waiter "Uhh... we're a FULL service restaurant." Frankly, I didn't know if they were offering to give her a little somethin' somethin' in the back room or what. I mean, I know what a "full service" massage parlor is, is that what they were suggesting. After she asked, it turns out that meant "you better order an entree". So we did. The one plus is that the food arrived WICKED FAST (wasn't that hot, but maybe that's just the style). The food was so-so overall.

Then, I head up to wash my hands in the bathroom. I head into the men's washroom where there's (literally) a toilet on the floor. I don't mean bolted to the floor, I mean cracked and sitting open on the floor. I step over it to get to the sink. I begin soaping my hands, when a woman (yes, this was a men's bathroom) enters and tells me that I need to use the women's bathroom (yes, I'm a man) on the OTHER side of the restaurant. Recall my hands are now covered in soap. So I walk across the restaurant, of course the women's bathroom is occupied. So I wait (yes, with soapy hands) until the bathroom is free. Of course, the lousy paper towels in the bathroom disintegrate in your hands because they're so cheap that I'm still picking white junk off my fingers by the time I'm back at the table.

The service only went from bad to worse, but I'm limited to 2000 characters here. In short: food so-so, service BRUTAL. Better luck elsewhere.

• Pros: Decent food, ok atmosphere (kinda homey)
• Cons: BRUTAL (really, really brutal) service

10/26/08

Avoid Group Dining

by oabinader at Citysearch

I organized a formal dinner at Helmand in Cambridge (for a group of 12), and called two weeks in advance for a reservation. I called again two days prior to confirm, and was told that I would be charged $100 if I brought fewer than 8 persons. I assured them that we'd be more than 8. In fact, the day of, I politely asked if they could please accommodate two more persons. The hostess and manager said no, without explanation. We asked the waiter as well, were told to wait 30 minutes, and did so. However, they still did not accommodate our group. The experience was embarrassing and I hope no customer with a large group ever experiences what I did last night. Two persons from our group excused themselves to make the situation less awkward. We were gracious, had dinner and tipped the server accordingly.

While I admit the food is good, my experience with the SERVICE there was really quite disappointing. I will never return to Helmand in Cambridge again.

Helmand has 14 fewer customers now. I lost my appetite when treated so rudely. What's the point of serving good food when the service leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth?

• Pros: Decor
• Cons: Service was disappointing, Bad for groups, Incredibly uncomfortable

05/01/08

Not as scary as the reviews make it sound!

by tnick1973 at Citysearch

Friends had dinner party here and I was VERY put off by the reviews here, but honestly, it was a great dining experience. The service was FINE - quick, but not rushed, and very polite. The food was great, came out quickly, and the bread was spectacular. It has a parking lot and they give you passes to park, which was fabulous. Nice decor, good experience - maybe they've made changes since some of these reviews?

• Pros: good service, good food, quick and easy
• Cons: seating is a little crowded, hostess is not as nice as the waitstaff

02/18/08

Great food, incredibly bad service. Last time I will go there.

by bradddd at Citysearch

Great food, incredibly bad service. Last time I will go there.

We called for a reservation and were only offered one at 9:30pm. We arrived on time, were seated, and given menus. But we did not get to order anything until 9:55pm. No drinks, no bread, nothing. The food came out fast, but halfway through someone came over and asked if we were finished, and wanted to take the plates away. Water glasses were never refilled the entire evening. Later the waitress, who seemed extremely over-extended, told us that the kitchen closed at 10pm, so we couldn't have dessert or coffee. When we protested that it was the restaurant that offered a 9:30pm reservation, she grudgingly offered to see if there was any desserts, left, "if the cooks haven't locked the fridge already".

• Pros: great food
• Cons: terrible service

02/05/08

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by nataliashin at Citysearch

I was there last night (Monday) and the place was completely packed!

This was my third visit, and as always the food was absolutely delicious!

Our server was a great guy, who complemented all of our choices from the menu 

We didn?t feel rushed, we didn?t feel like we waited forever for our food ? the timing was just perfect. Overall, it was a great experience and I can?t wait to go back there!!!

The hostess however was pretty much useless, since she just pointed towards our table, and we had to wait for the waiter to bring us menus ?

• Pros: Awesome food! Very very good!!!
• Cons: Noisy (since they're always very busy); Hostessshould be given more responsibilities

12/16/07

Felt too rushed to enjoy.

by beaconhillgal at Citysearch

I had dinner at Helmand last night and have to say I have never felt more rushed at a restaurant. There were 4 of us and we had a reservation, yet the service was so quick and inpersonal that they should condsider listing themselves as a Fast Food restaurant. The food was excellent but the speed with which we were given our courses (literally finishing appetizers as the waiter hovered with our main course) and check, having never been asked if we would like more drinks or coffee or even how the food was, was enough to give you indigestion. Great place to go if you are in a hurry!!!

09/13/07

Decent food and service

by benzinpsv at Citysearch

OK, I was really apprehensive about going to The Helmand at first because of the bad reviews about their service. But the opportunity of eating "Authentic Afghani Food" was too good to let go.

Food: The food was was pretty good. I had a lamb dish, which was very similar to an Indian curry dish. The lamb was perfectly cooked and the curry was a taste explosion. We also had the Bucklawa - a sweet stuffed pastry. I have eaten the Bucklawa before and I must say that The Helmand makes the best tasting one. The turkish coffee was awful- however, I am not a Turk and I don't know what it should taste like so I will leave that to someone who can make that judgement.

Service: The service was OK too. I had a reservation and I got a table on time. The hostess and the waitress were pleasant.

Ambience: This is where the Helmand loses points. The place itself is well kept, but the tables are way to close. I had to raise my voice to be heard across a table for two!! And this annoying guy next to us kept blabbering loudly throughout the dinner. Very unpleasant.

Parking: Lots of on-street parking available. We did not find a free spot though...even on a Wed. night.

Price: Slightly pricey. I would say about $30 per person.

Good for once in a while dining if you are looking for a change.

DEFINITELY make a reservation, even if it is on the same day.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Too loud and cramped

09/12/07

WANT TO KNOW WHY THE SERVICE STINKS????

by laughandlove at Citysearch

ok... i have recently quit from being a server at The Helmand... and I can honestly say that at some points, the service is terrible. but then i can honestly say also, that it's poor management, and it wasn't our fault. here's why... there are 4-5 servers on per night (depending on whether it's a weekend or not). i had to create my OWN alchoholic drinks... NO REAL BARTENDERS. i'm not one. i had to make my own desserts... which entailed scooping rock hard ice cream, decorating it with fruits, and etc, cutting cake, unwrapping desserts, etc etc... and when you have a table of 4 or more, it takes up extremely valuable time. Imagine 10 people all wanting this at the same time... now i'm in the back, making ten desserts, with ten turkish coffees (only four can be made at a time) and i have tables still sitting without menus... and also... have you tried the turkish coffee? everyone loves it... it is valuable time wasted. even MENUS are given by the server... not the hostess... WHY? no one knows....i have many friends in the restaurant business.... and NONE of them have to deal with the same conditions i had too... also, tips are shared. at the end of the night all the money is pooled and split to servers, bus boys, and EVEN the hostess!! why? she makes over ten dollars an hour.. PLUS TIP? servers make 1.70. and the majority of the customers, even when service is highly appreciated, only gave 15 percent. .people... TODAY it's 20 percent. i'm very glad to be moving on to bigger and better things, but i'd just like you to please say something to management... maybe something can be done to improve things, as he would NEVER take the advice from his staff, maybe customers can make the difference. just be careful to notice how the servers never stop, and try to understand that they really are trying... but it's impossible with the conditions. thank you.

08/31/07

Go there for the food and nothing else-Service s**ks!

by kapitankool at Citysearch

This place serves some of the tastiest food in the Boston area. All the appetizers are good. In the entree section stick to the Grilled meats. The Sauteed or boiled meats are not too good. I have never tried their fish or Chicken. The Vegetarian special is good too. Top items Chappendaz, Teekha kebab, Seek Kebab and Dopiaza. The meat are cooked just right with just the right amount of spices. The desserts are decent too. No about the service. In two words IT S**KS. The tables are too close to each other, and there is never enough space on the table. They insist on taking the whole order and bring the entrees before you can finish your appetizer. They seem to allocate only an hour for meals, so you might turn up for your 7 pm resrvation on a weekend and not be seated till 7.30. We generally go there at 5.30 or 6 on a weekday and enjoy the food and ignore the service. The hotesses (there have been several over the years) are generally surly and look harried. The host has a perinially lost look on his face. The wait staff, is the luck of the draw. Last time we went we were served by a nice gentleman in his late 40s. Normally they are a surly and rude lot. Don't take your girlfriend on a first date.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: Bad service