Afghan in Phoenix

Formerly known as the Tahoora Grill, this neighborhood spot serves terrific Indian, Pakistani, and Afghani fare in an unassuming east-Phoenix dining room. Hilal Grill satisfies any cravings for familiar Indian restaurant staples, including classics like chicken tikka masala and butter chicken. Don't miss Indian and South Asian specialties like shrimp biryani cooked with fresh herbs and spices, or the beef chapli kabab, a Pashtun-style minced beef kebab served with fresh veggies and herbs.

This culinary crossroads blends foods from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, and each nation's cuisine is as diverse as the restaurant's staff of family members. Here, flavorful bowls of rusty red chicken tikka masala and plates of rich goat biryani sit alongside such Afghani specialties as yogurt-topped eggplant and giant potato pancakes. Start with very good seasoned ground chicken inside a flaky triangular samosa and accompanied by a cool mint chutney, or a mix of spiced potato, flattened and fried into a golden brown shami kebab patty and served with a refreshing and creamy sauce of yogurt, vegetables, and spices. The hummus is delicious, and the menu is flush with dishes in which meat meets rice, sauces, and skewers combine in traditional Middle Eastern ways.

We can thank the Ansari family for this Afghan restaurant, located in a shopping complex just south of the US 60 on Higley Road. The restaurant offers a menu of Afghan cuisine including a version of qabili palau, often considered Afghanistan's national dish. More importantly though for Gilbert-ites: they deliver. Read our review.