5379 Mowry Ave, Fremont CA 94538
(510) 393-3860
Parking: in strip mall parking lot
Last Visited: October 4, 2025
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $ to $$$
Located in a strip mall, Fremont Kabob is easily passed by, but it walk inside and find you may be pleasantly surprised by the decor - tables had white tablecloths and behind the curtain and beads is a room where you can sit closer to the floor on cushioned benches with colorful covers for a more authentic experience. We dropped by early in the evening and there was only one other party dining. We were promptly greeted and had our choice of seating.
My friend, C, recommended this spot as one of her favorites and gave me a few suggestions of what to try. Once we ordered, we were given a basket of naan - Afghan bread. It's still pillowy and soft, but you can see the texture has more ridges and is more brown than Indian naan. The setting is interesting with the Afghan decor and traditional music playing in the background, juxtaposed against the tv in the front of the restaurant, featuring menu items rotating on the display.
- Mantoo (appetizer) - The mantoo is described as an Afghan-style potsticker filled with ground beef, onions, and spices. It's topped with a homemade yogurt and ground beef tomato sauce. It's tasty and the flavors are nicely blended, but because of the yogurt sauce, the temperature becomes more like room temperature and that's what I perhaps cared for a bit less. Good, but unlike potstickers, it cools down even faster. Since the dumpling wrapper is thinner than potstickers, I would describe it more like an Afghan-style spiced wonton. This dish is also available as an entree. $8.99
- Borani Kadoo - Butternut squash is cooked with garlic, peppers, and onions and topped with their homemade yogurt. Similarly to the mantoo, the yogurt, while bringing a nice balance to the bit of spice, quickly brings this dish to a room temperature. I liked the contrast of the sweet squash and onions with the mix of garlic and peppers, and it acts as a good balance to savory dishes. This appetizer size was just right for two people since the squash can be quite filling. $8.99
- Qabili Paulo with Lamb Shank - It was hard to decide whether to order this dish or one of the other lamb dishes, but the server recommended this one if it was our first time at Fremont Kabob. Basmati brown rice is served with a choice of lamb shank or chicken, and it's topped with raisins and carrots. The portion was hearty and the balance of lamb with the sweetness from the carrots and raisins was interesting. The rice is easily separated into individual grains. I liked how the lamb wasn't at all gamey, and the flavors were well balanced. This is a great value for the price given the portion. $18.99
Overall, if I were in the neighborhood again, I would be interested in going back to try more of their menu, like the lamb curry or lamb kabobs. Prices are very reasonable and the staff is attentive. The only thing I might suggest they do differently is to be a bit quieter when they're working in the background. Throughout our meal, they were filling sauce containers for to-go orders and then once the container was filled, they tossed it into a holding container of some sort. This repetitive sound can be a bit distracting against what would have been the ambiance created by the traditional music.
From past experiences at similar restaurants in the Peninsula as comparison points, I'd say the food here is just as good and slightly less expensive - definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.
