There's only one place for kabob in Buffalo, and that's the Buffalo Kabob House (BKH). After seeing a few comments come through on Buffalo Rising we decided that it was time to pay BKH a visit. We chose an absolutely rainy, miserable evening for our first visit, which was not a bad thing because when I think about Middle Eastern food I think warmth. I think about spices, and open flame... and that's when my stomach starts to grumble. As you can see from the photo above, BKH is a small family run operation that was started because of the passion of two people, Shahram and his wife Mary. Their passion lies in their love of food and a deep desire to own a business.
The idea for BKH took root last year when Shahram and Mary, both seasoned professional degree holders decided that it was time for a change. "It was Mary's idea," says Shahram. "She loves to cook. We decided that there was room in Buffalo for a good meals at a decent price... for working people who are looking to get more and pay less, but not like a chain. Ever since we have opened (eight days), the restaurant has been a big hit. The neighbors keep coming back and ordering meals. It's a lot different than what we were doing, and so far we feel we have been extremely fortunate."
The Buffalo Kabob House is set up to order at the front counter, and customers either get it to go, or sit at one of the diner-style booths. After placing our order we opted for a booth where we sat down to observe our surroundings. The location was formerly Darla's Diner; an eatery that I never had the chance to get to so I can't say how much has changed. What I can say is that the original tin ceilings are intact, and new ceiling fans and light fixtures hang from them. The interior is fairly stark, with the exception of an Indian runner leading from the entrance to the back of the place. Three unused blenders line the counter, and a metro rack can be found positioned along the front wall.
The focal point at the BKH is obviously the food. The owners pride themselves on authentic Middle Eastern cuisine that grills up quick yet takes hours to prepare. That means that the customer gets a fantastic meal without the long wait. We ordered the lamb shish kabob on beds of saffron rice pilaf. The lamb is cooked the specific liking of the customer, and we settled for the medium-cooked meat. When the dinners came, they were steaming... the meat had been de-skewered and iceberg side salads accompanied the dishes. My friend (Figmo) exclaimed that the lamb was juicy and tender, and even though it was not red, it tasted exactly how a good lamb should taste. Apparently lamb is a very tough dish to get right as it can sometimes be gamey. If not prepared correctly, the meal can turn out to be a disaster. To get it right time after time is a true talent, and Shahram and Mary are not lacking in the talent department. I sprayed a lime over my kabob and dug in. Figmo was right - it took me about three minutes to polish off my plate.
Mary told us that she would not divulge any of the secrets to how they prepare the meal, but she did tell us that the two like to interact with the customers and tweak the recipes according to what people like. "Take the salad dressing for example," she said. "Most people take it for granted, but I worked with our customers to perfect it. Now they tell me I should bottle it. Even the rice is cooked differently. What did you think of it?" I told her that it was light and fluffy, and she agreed. I asked her what she did differently and she said, "It's a secret!" I should have seen that one coming. Secret spices... secret salad dressings... the only thing that is not secret is the great food. For only being open such a short period of time, these guys have made all of the right decisions when it comes to the eats.
Well, the only complaint that I had was the selection of music. When we first walked in they were playing wonderful Persian, Turkish and Arabic music. When we sat down they changed it to a sappy song selection. I mentioned to them that we felt the music should have been more authentic and Mary replied, "When we saw you come in we assumed that you would not like the music we play. We changed it for you." I told her that the original music was much better, and both Mary's and Shahram's faces lit up with pleasure. Even their kids (Persia, Tuscon and Austin) were cool to have around... they came running in while we were eating and sang out, "We got gifts, we got gifts!" Then they settled into a booth in the back and started to play some sort of baseball trading card game.
Don't think that the only item that the BKH serves is the kabob on a stick. The chicken, eggplant, falafel, vegetable patty, and beef patties can be served up in wraps, pitas and subs as well. Side dishes of plain yogurt, yogurt/cucumber and soups can be found on the menu too. And don't forget about the homemade desserts... even though we were too full to try one.
The Buffalo Kabob House can be found at 1240 Hertel Avenue, near Commonwealth Avenue. 716-873-4040