Address: | 100 W 6th St, Bloomington, IN 47404, USA |
Phone: | +1 812-331-3761 |
Rating: | 4.6 |
Working: | 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 5–10PM Closed |
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Jameson Nevitt
Id been waiting to try Afghan food for awhile, so when I arrived in town for the first time I was elated to see that just such a restaurant existed. The food is every bit as delicious as it is cracked up to be - maybe a little bit more. The lunch buffet is incredibly cheap for the selection and quality of food they serve and keeps me going back again and again. Ive had their dinner 5 times now, the first two times which I ordered the Manto. Deciding to branch out, I ordered the Aushak and was only slightly less impressed. Both are served as dumplings and have meat in the receipe, but the Manto is cooked inside whereas the Aushak is sprinkled on top. So meat lovers: the Manto is more delicious. And of course their Kebabs are every bit as good as they ought to be. Ive had the Lamb Kebab both of the last two times and am now thoroughly convinced that is the best item on their menu. The service itself is fantastic and attends to you with appetizers and bread servings even during the lunch buffet. Even if youre a student like me and have no money, be sure to tip them; theyre amazing and make it every bit the authentic experience. This restaurant is the real deal. If youve never had Persian/Afghan food before, this is the place to start.
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Andrew Horning
My wife and I have been there only a few times so far; each time wildly different in occasion, atmosphere and our own state of mind. But every time, the food was a full-sensory delight, and the service was better than average. This is certainly one of the best restaurants in the area. Apparently Im not alone in finding the lamb kabob to be my favorite so far, but Ill have to sample more of their menu before I can be certain. Just a couple of critiques: Dont bother with the house salad. Its not up to the standard. There was too much dressing to boot. Go with the soup...especially if theyve got the squash soup. That was oyveyholycowomigosh good. Some of their dishes/appetizers are a bit on the oily side. I will likely say something next time...maybe just a word or two from patrons will correct that slight misstep.
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leslie ewing
We have been going to Samiras for more than a decade for Afghan food. The meal starts with a complementary portion of the absolutely most delicious marinated, garlicky grilled eggplant and carrots. Following that, it is a struggle to work our way through the menu because everything is so good, choosing this dish means you wont have enough room in your tummy for that dish. I dont have a favorite because I enjoy EVERYTHING! The food has a mild amount of heat. The wine selection offers both domestic and imports, and often has some unusual wines, moderately priced. There are beers on the menu but I never look past the wine list. Eating here is a little bit expensive, but the food is great!
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Evan Trimble
Outstanding food. In our 4-5 visits for dinner, nothing has disappointed. Get the vegetable appetizer plate--its my favorite vegetable dish ever. The kebabs are excellent, as are the dumplings and fish dish. The only thing I might steer away from is the appetizer salad, both because the dressing is very vinegary (and one-dimensional) and also because the other option, the soup, is so delicious. The service has always been very solid, with no complaints. If I was going to make one improvement, it would be the wine list, which badly needs updating, some diversification, and quality/price improvement. But not to worry, just order a beer, or one of the delicious yogurt drinks.
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Zeeshan Ali Sayyed
Wow. Super delicious food. Undoubtedly one of the best in Bloomington. The lamb kebab, the chicken and hen kebab were outworldly. I havent tried the salad, but the soup was brilliant. The only thing which was average were the appetizers. We ordered the Namouna and Sambosa, and both of them were average and a little less in quantity. The baklava was slightly above average. But the Entrees were unbeatable. P.S. I forgot to mention, these guys do magic with eggplants. Do try something with eggplant in it. I have changed my opinions about egg plant dishes after having what they served. P.P.S. I hear that they have an amazing Buffet as well. I want to try it soon.
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Tim Smith
Possibly my favorite place to eat in Bloomington over the 3 years I lived there. While a bit pricey, the food is delicious, and I think the portions give you a good amount of food. The manto dumplings were a definite favorite (just the right amount of body to the wrapping), and the samarok lawang (a mushroom dish) is fantastic too. I tried a few of the kebabs, lamb was my favorite, and the beef was pretty good too, but the chicken one when I got it didnt impress me as much. They have an affordable lunch buffet as well, doesnt have any of my favorite things, but pretty tasty, and all-you-can-eat baklava.
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A Private User
My roommate and I decided to try out Samiras after a friend recced it to us. We walked in and were immediately surprised at the elegance of the place. The restaurant is nice and clean, the waitstaff helpful, and the food... the *food* is amazing. My roommate and I had the buffet and could not finish our food. The buffet came with bread, an appetiser, the delicious and perfectly-spiced foods of the buffet, and baklava for dessert. We were almost worried when we got the bill, but we were amazed to find that the whole meal for the two of us only amounted to $18. Were definitely going back.
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Qais Faqiri
I used to go to Samira restaurant because there was none in Muncie or Indianapolis. I had good food and good experience. But the last time I went there in October 2015, the food was horrible. I am from northern Afghanistan where good Afghanistan food come from. I know what good Afghan food is. I ordered Qabuli and they brought me rice, boiled carrots, lamb cooked in tomato sauce like Italian meatball sauce. It was horrible. I will never step in to this restaurant and do not recommend this restaurant for good Afghanistan food.
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Rebekah Perrin
Phenomenal. On a completely different level from most restaurants in Bloomington. Try the eggplant, even if you dont like eggplant. You will probably discover that you do, in fact, like eggplant. The lamb kebob is my favorite and the only thing I have ordered, but my husband gets something new every time and everything he has ever ordered has been delicious. The service is great, and the atmosphere is perfect for a romantic date night or special occasion. I have absolutely no complaints and will return again and again.
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A Private User
Very pleasantly surprised! Really delicious flavors in the appetizer sampler. Fabulous lentil soup was sort of spicy and tomatoey. Nice mixed greens in the salad, but too heavy on the balsamic vinaigrette. Nice kabob selection includes salmon and hen in addition to the pretty conventional chicken and beef, which maybe tended to be a little dry. Moderately priced wines by the bottle. We enjoyed it very much and would gladly return.
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A Private User
The food was absolutely wonderful. My friends and I had the hummus appetizer (best hummus Ive had in this town, so far) and I had the Vegetarian Special, which offers vegetarian sabzi, badenjan and dal served over brown basmati rice. Entrees also include a starter of grilled eggplant and naan--both of which were delicious. Even when busy, the waitstaff was friendly and generous. I would absolutely recommend Samiras to anyone.
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Robert Policastro
One of my favorite places in Bloomington for dinner. The complementary bread and eggplant is great while you are waiting for your food. I usually get the lamb or beef kebabs for my entree, and the meat is usually really well seasoned. My only complaint is that the beef can be a bit tough some times, but nothing too detracting from the meal. They also have a great lentil soup I recommend as a side option for most entrees.