Andrew: Panjshir/Audacious Aleworks

(Ratings for Panjshir only)

Overall: 2.5/5

Food: 2.5/5

Wine (a cheap bottle from Oregon): 1/5

Ambience: 4/5

Bathrooms: untested

Service: 4/5


It's Wednesday. 5:30PM. I get in my 2017 Honda Civic and drive east on route 29, French metalcore loud on the stereo. The weather: the rare, perfect Spring day.

The main thing that Panjshir has going for it is its proximity to the quite popular (deservedly so) Audacious Aleworks, which opened in Falls Church a few years ago. It wasn't around when I first lived in FC circa 2013-2016, and it's too bad because their beer is solid and they tend to do a lot of great stouts. 

We stop in there first before dinner and grab a couple flights. For me, it's a--very--light lager, a hefeweizen, a nut brown ale, and the mexican stout. The last of these is the real hit for me, lots of cinnamon and a hint of pepper. Lots of little kids run around our table and play with a dog.

Tim and I suck down our beers and the free popcorn quickly and stick our heads into the door of Panjshir, just about 10 ft from our table at Audacious. The solitary restaurant staff, a middle aged, presumably Afghan man greets us and we sit down at a small outdoor table. There's only one other group eating today. They order a lot of drinks.

We decide on wine, a choice I regret fairly quickly when I sip the oddly warm, cheap plastic half bottle from Oregon. 

The appetizer is probably the highlight of the meal. No, it definitely is. A flaky, crisp, flat pastry stuffed with potato and beef (or is it lamb?) served with a small bowl of green hot sauce. The sauce is excellent and has a nice kick and the whole thing is a pretty tasty treat that has me quite excited for what's to come. 

Unfortunately, the main course is a bit of a let down. Kabuli Palow. Its a classic Afghan dish of rice, raisins, carrots and for me the chicken. The serving of rice is huge, but I wish I had more chicken. It's more of a comfort dish than fine dining. The Afghan equivalent of getting General Tso's at a typical cheap Chinese place. Perfect edible but not something I'd seek out at this specific restaurant.

The service is excellent but, then again, we are one of two sets of diners in the whole place. Sitting outside in the warm evening is extremely pleasant, marred only somewhat by the children who seemed to have followed us over from Audacious. Three men sit down nearby with beers and one, an older white guy, says, "I only have three hobbies: poker, hot rods, and women." 


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