Sameem Afghan Restaurant

We kicked off our fall 2023 semester by welcoming new students to WashU during Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome – a week dedicated to introducing the incoming class to all things WashU. One of my favorite events during Fall Welcome is the In the Lou Food Tour. This year the tour landed us in The Grove, a St. Louis neighborhood full of unique local eateries. Chancellor Martin and I joined students to venture through the neighborhood and take in a few stops along the way, one of them at Sameem Afghan Restaurant.

Sameem Afghan opened in 2005 and was the first Afghan restaurant to open in the St. Louis area. Consisting of traditional and fusion dishes, their menu – containing old family recipes – includes items like stews and kabobs along with spicy shrimp and chicken pastas. It also boasts Middle Eastern inspired appetizers like Sambosas – a pastry filled with potatoes, cilantro, green onions, and herbs and Pakowra – fried veggie fritters filled with onions, potatoes, spinach, chickpea flour and herbs, both served with a chutney sauce.

The dining room is relaxed and welcoming and made for a great stop for WashU students to chill while we made our way around The Grove. We all enjoyed looking at the traditional Afghan decorations adorning the walls while we waited for our food to come out.

Their menu was large and had many options to choose from including vegetarian and vegan selections. The Chancellor and I ordered some of their traditional dishes. The flavors were rich and the spices used were just right for each dish. Our hummus appetizer tasted fresh and was a great start to our meal. Only a quick 10-minute drive from our Danforth Campus, it truly is a great spot for our students (and faculty and staff!) to visit for international food and flavor. They’re open Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 11:30-10 p.m. and are closed on Mondays.

Sameem Afghan Restaurant
341 Manchester Ave.
St. Louis MO 63110