Kabul Afghan Cuisine on Redwood Road has been feeding West Jordan quietly for years, and Paul Eriksen has eaten there at least once a month since it opened. He is not Afghan. He is a retired electrician from Taylorsville who stumbled in during a lunch break and never really left.
Paul will tell you, without much prompting, that the lamb is the reason. Specifically the lamb kabob — skewered, charcoal-grilled, and served over a mound of saffron rice with a side of naan that arrives warm enough to actually matter. He orders it every time. He has considered branching out. He has not branched out.
The restaurant itself is straightforward: a strip-mall space on the west side of Redwood, easy to miss if you’re not looking, clean and low-lit inside, with maybe a dozen tables and a staff that seems to recognize a good portion of the room on any given weekday. The menu runs the range of Afghan standards — bolani, mantu (steamed dumplings in a yogurt and meat sauce that reward patience), aushak, korma, various kabobs. There’s a decent vegetarian contingent for a restaurant that really does love its lamb.
The mantu deserve a specific mention. They show up at a lot of Afghan restaurants around Salt Lake, but Kabul’s version holds together well — the dough isn’t gummy, the filling is seasoned without being aggressive, and the tomato-meat sauce on top adds enough acid to cut through the richness. It’s the kind of dish that makes you wish you’d ordered it as a main instead of a starter.
Prices are reasonable by any honest measure. Appetizers run $7–$10, entrees mostly land in the $14–$18 range. A full meal for two, with a couple of starters and no alcohol — the restaurant doesn’t serve it — will put you around $45–$55 before tip. For the quality and portion sizes, that’s not a complaint.
Paul’s one piece of advice: go on a weeknight. Lunch can be quick and efficient, which is fine. But Tuesday or Wednesday evening, the place has a different pace. The kitchen isn’t rushed, the naan comes out in better shape, and the staff has time to actually talk through the menu if you’re new to Afghan food.
He also recommends the doogh if you want something to drink — a cold, lightly salted yogurt drink that sounds odd and works well with the spiced meats. Most people skip it. Paul doesn’t skip it.
Is Kabul the most ambitious restaurant in the Salt Lake valley? No. It is not trying to be. What it does is cook a focused menu with consistency and without much fuss, in a neighborhood that doesn’t have a lot of this kind of cooking within easy reach. For West Jordan residents, that matters more than a dramatic dining room.
Paul, for his part, is not worried about the place getting too popular. “It’s been here this long,” he said, finishing his kabob. “It’ll be fine.”
