Kababchi Grill - San Antonio

The dining experience at this restaurant was fantastic, with excellent food quality and a great atmosphere. The host was attentive and charming, although our waiter could have been a bit more attentive to our table. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be returning soon. I highly recommend trying the Iraqi eggplant salad as a starter, as well as enjoying the exquisite smokey aromas in the flatbread and huh dishes.

"The staff were attentive and friendly. They respected my space and didn't overwhelm me as I dined alone. I loved the atmosphere, especially the music which reminded me of my time living with my Iraqi friend. It was a fantastic cultural experience dining here and I will definitely be back, maybe next time to try their café for hookah as well!"

We had a great experience at Kababachi Grill. The meat is cooked to order over charcoal, giving it a delicious smoky flavor. Both my husband and son had the lamb skewers, while I enjoyed the gyro sandwich. The service was excellent and our whole family loved this restaurant.

While the place was rated very highly (4.8 stars on Google), I find it average at best. The two skewer dish that I ordered, one ground meat and one chunks of chicken (tikka) over or with rice, lacked flavor in the meat. You can definitely taste the over-the-charcoal cooking preparation, but the meat itself lacked flavor. It wasn't just bland, that somewhat gamey meat flavor came through (know what I mean And the chicken, although well prepared, was meh.The side of rice was interesting. I had upgraded it to biryani rice, which this was not. An argument could be made that this is an Iraqi-biryani, but that's a concept I'm not familiar with. It was flavorfully good regardless of what it was called. Had I not requested the side of garlic, and later some pickles (although as an Iraqi place they didn't know turshi the only sauce/liquid you got was from the grilled half tomato; which was surprisingly not charred.Again, the rice aside, very bland.Requesting Iraqi tea was probably the best judgment call I made during this visit. The cardamom black tea was good.If you tell them you were fasting (this visit was during Ramadan), right when you were seated, they served you one date and a choice of either lentil or vegetable soup. I got the lentil one. I guess it was their take on Iraqi lentil soup. It was good. Different. But good.The mint lemonade smoothie was not bad, but not worth the price. I should have passed on itThe service was done by two teenagers or very young adults. Considering that it was a full house right after iftaar (breaking of the fest) time, their hustle was commendable. Slightly above average service, but very personable if you actually talk to them as individuals; which was an opportunity I had after the rush.

I went to the restaurant feeling particularly awful that evening, but I left feeling much happier. My waitress was incredibly nice and talkative and the food was so comforting.I had the Beef Shawarma, and I ordered the falafel and flatbread for an appetizer. All of it was so tasty and fresh.The shawarma, in particular, was especially delicious. It was cooked in such a way that it reminded me of how my mom used to make roast beef when I was little.The ambience was very warm and inviting.I will definitely be coming back here when I can, and I recommend you come out as well.