Helmand

09/03/2008 Posted by travellerfromNY

i'm giving it 3 stars, because i like the food and has been there several times. but the last time i was there, the waiter brought the wrong dish, which is not a big deal. however, after i pointed it out to him, not only did he not apologize, but argued that i was the one who made the mistake ordering! how rude! that said, overall, food is very good. i'd like to go back, just don't want an unpleasant experience.

05/01/2008 Posted by tnick1973

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

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/18/2008 Posted by bradddd

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

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/05/2008 Posted by nataliashin

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

12/16/2007 Posted by beaconhillgal

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!!!

09/13/2007 Posted by benzinpsv

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

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

09/12/2007 Posted by laughandlove

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.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

08/31/2007 Posted by kapitankool

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

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

08/08/2007 Posted by f1yingdo1phin

I went to Helmand for the second time this evening... and for the second time, the hostess/lady manager was extremely rude. I arrived at 5pm (without a reservation, since it was so early), and asked for a table for two (my friend had not yet arrived). The hostess, after finishing her phone conversation, sent me rather dismissively to sit and wait for my friend, rather than seating me and offering me water on a very hot Boston summer day. When my friend arrived, she made a quite a fuss about wanting to take my bag - apparently there wasn't enough space for it at the table - when I (politely and smilingly) said I'd be happier with my bag with me (there was in fact plenty of room for my bag under the table), she argued with me, asked me what was in the bag, and then seated us at the restaurant's worst table, near the kitchen and right next to the servers' station. Soon after, she seated someone else right next to us, which seemed unnecessary as the restaurant was almost empty. The food is good (although unfortunately undermined as the hostess was so rude and unwelcoming), the service was ok, but I will not return, nor recommend it to friends, especially when the fantastic Thai restaurant, The Similans, is right next door.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

05/08/2007 Posted by shazie

I loved the food here. The pumpkin dish tastes like candy. One could even dine on the freshly baked bread with sauces alone. I was extremely happy with my meal. Only complaint is that the seating is a little tight; I had to pull in my chair really close to the table because I kept getting bumped by passers-by. Our server was very attentive. We were a little bit rushed toward the end of our meal. He picked up the bill when we obviously had not paid it because it was still standing up in the middle of the table; to me, that said, "time to go."

Pros: great food

Cons: need reservations well in advance; tight seating

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful