Absolutely MUST try!! I am a total foodie yet rarely leave reviews – but this was one the best meals I’ve ever had in my life. Everything was so perfectly spiced/salted. We started with the pumpkin appetizer, which was delicious and similar to butternut squash. The flatbread was awesome (and made in-house, in a wood-fired oven!). I can’t remember the names of the entrees – one was a salad with the most tender, flavorful steak, and the other was a chicken dish special. The service was also excellent! We’ll definitely be back when in the area.

Tasty and well crafted Afghani food with friendly and knowledgeable staff and nice cultural decor. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options, comprising about half the menu. Ordered the vegetarian soup, naan, vegetarian platter, vegetarian dolmas, and the cauliflower and chickpeas dish. The baklava for dessert was super yummy. All was super tasty with unique flavors.

First time there. Highly recommend. Spotless, clean, impeccable service from the first greeting and throughout the dinner. It was worth it just for the naan. Kaddo Borwani pumpkin appetizer, Kabuli Pallow lamb, rice, raisins and julienne carrots. The Vegetarian Mantwo stuffed pastries with yellow split peas and carrot sauce. Sorry, no picture of pumpkin appetizer. Didn't last long enough to take a snap. Please try. You will not be disappointed.

The Helmand situated on historic Charles Street by Mt. Vernon monument in Baltimore is a rare gem in a city that has suffered through many failed incarnations and setbacks. Known for its Afghanistan dishes and confirmed of its authentic taste by my dinner mate who was the chief foreign correspondent stationed there, this local staple has been delivering one smashing dish after another. As an art student I visited The Helmand a handful of times, and after over a 20yr absence, what a surprise it was to be recognized by the maitre’d after so many years this time around. Good to know that they also treat their employees really well here as well. The decor of this place over the years has not veered away from its original design of Afghani cultural references adorning the walls including clothing, ceramics and a flag. Once you place your orders, your appetizers come deceptively fast. We had the mantwo and seared eggplant app. My only complaint is that I wish the mantwo came with 2 pieces. It was the most delicious delicacy topped with chickpeas stewed to perfection. For dinner we had a stewed chicken, divine, lamb special, a bit tough, and rice dish, that was similar to a birwani where the meat was inside the rice that was seasoned w saffron, raisins, herbs spices and finely julienned carrots strips. Our meal was excellent! Cannot wait to come back very soon.

The Helmand is one of the nicest and most delicious restaurants I have ever been to in Baltimore. The staff is all wonderful, checking in on you respectfully and making sure you are enjoying your meal. Everything came out in perfect timing and I could not be more happy with the dishes I tried. I went for Restaurant Week and they had three different choices of an appetizer of your choice, a certain entree, and three dessert options. I will most definitely be going again without a doubt in my mind that I will again have an amazing experience.

I like the place, soeviakly close to mt vernon and historic site building. We ordered lamb kabaab and rice kebololi both delicious. For lamb soup taste like goulash soup but more light, very nice.

This place is all time! I think an absolute Baltimore must! Also it’s not frufru expensive tiny servings, it’s large servings of excellent homemade food. The flavors are unique and delicious. Also, the service was the best I’ve had maybe ever, seriously terrific experience! Thank you!

Southern Asian cooking is almost always good, but occasionally we run across a balance of flavor, texture, and heat that leaves me with a delightfully warm feeling inside about a half hour after I've left, and a desire to return as soon as possible. The Helmand was one of those experiences. Noodles, meat, rice, stuffed pasta, sauces, and freshly baked bread are all present, each with a familiarity that screams 'comfort food', but with a uniqueness that is unlike anything else I've had. We were fortunate enough to be seated near the back, with a view of the oven, whose flames added to the atmosphere, as well as baking their bread. Lighting was subdued, making it even more of a fine dining experience. The menu, along with the wait staff, provided enough information about the unfamiliar item names to make ordering simple and low risk. Save room for the Jala ice cream, flavored with cardamom, topped with pomegranate syrup, Asian noodles (!), and almonds.

Great service. Authentic Afghan dishes that were all well balanced. Great place if you love lamb. Also plenty of vegetarian options.

Incredible catering and food. Staff was incredibly polite and responsive. The food was very timely and we were checked up on frequently and very tastefully. Speaking of the food, it was very authentic (I’m Afghan!) and also extremely delicious for every plate we ordered. Try the ice cream by the way! Ambience is excellent for anyone looking for a place that’s vibrant yet intimate. Was very nice to be reminded of home and absolutely recommending to any fellow students or alumni in the Hopkins area!

The Helmand has a very welcoming, warm vibe. The food was so incredible. Probably some of the best, most flavorful food I’ve had in a long time. The portion sizes were big and the prices are more than fair. Went there for dinner with my partner for our anniversary and we both loved it. The staff were so friendly and attentive as well. Will definitely be back.

The food was absolutely fantastic. The lamb was beyond tender and the beef just melted in my mouth. It was a great place for a nice quiet dinner and to enjoy some delicious and hearty Afghani food.

By far my favorite restaurant in Baltimore. Been coming back at least once a month and every time the food/service are wonderful and delicious. Never disappointed by their menu and consistent food. I always recommend this restaurant to anyone who’s new to Baltimore for authentic food choices.

I've only eaten here once during a graduation dinner and it was insane. The food was AMAZING and so flavorful, the atmosphere was very welcoming, and the staff was so helpful and nice. I can't remember what I ordered, but this was nearly a decade ago and I can still think of how good the food tasted. If you want a fancy dinner or you need to impress a date or something, for the love of god eat here.

1st experience eating at a Middle Eastern restaurant. Good experience. Staff was helpful. Thanks Modesto! Lovely table settings. Clean restroom. Drinks can be stronger. We're adults. 🙂Lamb was juicy & tender. Did not like the green cilantro sauce, it's an overpowering cilantro taste. Bread & ravioli appetizer was tasty. Rice & roasted veggies good. Pumpkin appetizers with yogurt reminds me of butternut squash😛. Spinach is also good.

Very tasty and well made food in a very nice atmosphere with excellent service! Overall, a great dining experience. I don't think I've ever had Afghan food before, but I found I really liked it. They also had some good vegetarian options for my girlfriend.

This restaurant is absolutely spectacular. Their food exceeded our expectations with their complex flavor combinations. The vibe of the restaurant is classy but the prices are very reasonable for the quality and amount of food you get. Will definitely be back here!!!

Always superb food and service. Can’t go wrong with any dish. Authentic, delicious, and satisfying. Owner is personally on hand to ensure 100% satisfaction at all times. For our family, their ability to make almost every dish gluten free makes it our personal favorite in Baltimore.

Modesto was the manager on duty and made us feel welcome and did an amazing job checking in and making sure we had a great experience. What about the food? If you’re anything like me and have had experience eating Persian inspired dishes we know how picky we can be. Everything I had so far which was the lamb and apricots dish, mantoo, and the tea to wash it down with was delicious and amazing quality! We’ll be back soon!

The food was incredible. Unique and tasty. There was a large party. It did not impact the good service, but it was very loud in the restaurant.

Absolutely horrible experience! Made an advance reservation to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. Even notified them prior to arrival of the reason for our reservation. We were at this same restaurant 7 years ago to celebrate our daughter's graduation. We were visiting the area and decided to dine at this same restaurant since we had great food and experience 7 years ago. Food was not tasty. Service was terrible. The ambiance was okay. Our reservation was for March 29 for 5:30pm. I told the receptionist (a guy) that we had reservation. He didn't seem to care. There were three tables occupied in the entire restaurant when we arrived. No excuse!

I still remember the first time I went here. My sister and I wanted to try something new. When we got our food there were only ten words that we used for the rest of the meal, in various orders: Oh My God This Is So Good Holy And two more I probably can't post on here. By far my favorite place in Baltimore. This is going to be the restaurant I miss most when I move. If you have the time and money for it, it is worth every penny.

Celebrated a friend’s birthday here and this was my first time going to this restaurant. The staff were very friendly and welcoming! The food came to us so quick and was absolutely delicious. I even forgot my bag and our server ran outside to catch me to give it to me. I will definitely be taking friends and family here in the future!

Excellent Food and Superior Service. A large group of friends were grateful to be seated that late in the evening; I wish to thank the Helmand Team for their excellent and gracious service. It was way past closing, but we were having so much fun we did not realize we were the only remaining customers and, all other tables had already been cleared for some time. Here, then, we created very joyous memories! Thank you so much!!!

Really good food! Large portion size, the food seemed authentic, whole, and filling. They have a vegetarian section which is always appreciated!

This was top notch! I read the reviews and planned this trip for months - when the day finally came, we were the first ones in the restaurant (It quickly filled up). The suggestions give to us (order a couple of entrees for 3 ppl and sub with appetizers! PERFECT idea. The food was amazing. Every course was excellent. Highly recommend. After-dinner drinks were great and reasonable.

Excellent. I was very excited to try afghan food for the first time. I got the chopendez and the steak was so tender and full of flavor. Everything looked great. The service was a little too quick, but if you’re looking to eat somewhere very quickly, this would be a good option.

One of our top date night out choices and where we often take guests from out of town that have never tried Afghan food. The food is delicious. Starting with the pumpkin appetizer is a must. I am not normally a lamb person, but theirs is too good to pass up.

Loved this place! Amazing food and a great location. The service was interesting - I had a reservation for 8 but I had it on the wrong date (my mistake) but they were still able to seat us super quickly even with it being a busy Saturday night - EXTREMELY nice of them. But then our actual server was suboptimal, we basically had to chase him down to get anything done. So while our experience with the service was good thanks to their graciousness but then the dining service wasn't great. The food itself was really delicious and quick my favorite was the Bendi (okra), Banjan Lagathak, and the Lamb Lawand! The mushrooms in the lamb lawand were so tasty, a nice texture and just full of flavor. For dessert the cheesecake was REALLY good, everything else was in my opinion not worth it. Would definitely come back here again!