Reviewing Darband Shishkabob: The place to go for authentic Persian food in Houston.

Darband Shishkabob is a family-owned restaurant in Houston established in 1986. It was Houston’s first Persian restaurant with a specialty in kabobs and a few stew dishes. They are open seven days a week and offer food made from scratch at very reasonable prices. Most kabob orders come with a pair of charred tomatoes along with both basmati rice and pita bread. The food is always extraordinarily fresh, and the meats are juicy and well-seasoned. All meats are charbroiled and cooked upon customers’ requests. The food preparation is often personally supervised by the owners who also take orders and interact with customers.

Darband Shishkabob is easily noticed with its thick blue letters covering more than a full block of a shopping center. Once inside, the restaurant holds a clean, modest atmosphere with a view of the kitchen and the cooks grilling fresh kabobs. The central part of the restaurant has a beautifully designed water fountain with Middle Eastern decor attracting attention. Overall, Darband Shishkabob is dedicated to serving authentic common dishes meant to taste great without being intimidatingly fancy.

I ordered the Chelo Kabob #6 Ground Beef Kabob during my last visit, which consisted of two skewers of ground halal beef kabobs with basmati rice, freshly made pita bread, and chargrilled tomatoes. The meats were cooked to perfection with incredibly tasty spices, great charred flavor, and a good amount of moisture and tenderness. The rice was notably soft, loose, and moist, while the tomatoes were superbly juicy and tender with no dry parts. The order I purchased is also a great beginner’s meal when coming to Darband Shishkabob. The best way to describe the flavor to newcomers is a taste like burger patties right from the grill, but with more zest and cooked onion flavor to them.

The Barg #7 Beef Steak is another excellent order I love to get, which consists of flat tendered slices of filet that are marinated with their house sauce, served with basmati rice, chargrilled tomatoes, and freshly baked pita bread. This meal is for anybody looking for a traditional Persian kabob that is immensely popular and packed with rich flavor, but somewhat basic at the same time. As someone who is extremely pleased with the consistency of the food and visits once a month on average, I especially recommend their beef and lamb options.

The system of service at Darband Shishkabob is highly organized and very inviting. It is not a full-service restaurant, but I appreciate it for being varied in menu items, selling full-size orders for low prices, serving delicious and authentic cuisine, and accommodating to customers’ questions. It is obvious that guests are pleased when coming here due to the openness of the staff and everyone’s relaxed expressions. Darband Shishkabob has a reputation for offering gourmet Persian cuisine and a classy experience for patrons without being pretentious.