Alborz

Kaz Yeghiazarian

When it comes to traditional ethnic cuisine, Alborz stands out as a shining example of excellence. Nestled in the heart of Persian culinary traditions, this restaurant pays unwavering attention to the finer points that elevate a dining experience from ordinary to extraordinary. The food is great, but just listen to the following for example: Faloodeh: That delightful Persian slushy, finds its true form at Alborz. Instead of a bland block of rock hard icy Faloodeh that you usually get since most restaurants just keep them in the freezer, they present a slushy Faloodeh—a delicate dance of frozen noodles, rosewater, and lemon. It’s like savoring a snowflake infused with summer memories. The texture is ethereal, the flavors harmonious. Close your eyes, and you’ll taste the ancient Silk Road, where traders exchanged spices and stories under star-studded skies. Persian Tea and traditions: Forget the mass-produced sugar cubes; at Alborz, they serve their Persian tea with loaf sugar—small, delicate chunks that dissolve gracefully, infusing the brew with sweetness. It’s a nod to tradition, a sip of nostalgia. Each sip transports you to the bustling bazaars of Tehran, where tea is not just a beverage but a cherished ritual. The food is delicious. The ambiance wraps around you like a cozy shawl and the staff are gracious. However, what truly sets Alborz apart is its obsession with the details I’ve expressed above. It’s in these small gestures that Alborz whispers, “We care. We honor tradition. We create memories.” In a world where haste often trumps heritage, Alborz remains steadfast—a guardian of flavors, a keeper of memories. So, next time you step into this culinary haven, raise your teacup and toast to the artisans who turn meals into masterpieces.

Paul Moderacki

Delicious Persian style food. The Combo Plate (appetizer) included tomatoes, cucumber, humus, olives, onions, herbs, dolma, feta cheese & Kash bademjan. We ordered three house specials: Gheymeh Bademjoon, Fesenjoon (with meatballs) and Zereshk Polo with baked chicken. Each entrée was served with Basmati rice topped with saffron. Each portion was generous and we all walked out with leftovers.

Neal

Exceptional service, great value, and nice atmosphere. This beautiful restaurant with a bar is a perfect place to enjoy a dinner. The portions are very very generous and meant to be shared. There's a restroom for customers and plenty of seating, enough for large parties, but there is a mandatory 18% gratuity for groups of six or more. The server was very helpful and polite and kept my water full. I had the Kashk Bodemjan, Shish Kabob, and a glass of orange juice. My total including tax was $39.63 (sales tax in Berkeley is 10.25%). The Kashk Bodemjan, which is mashed roasted eggplant, was very good and was served as a dip for the bread. It was almost like caramelized onions. The bread tasted fresh and was also delicious. There was definitely enough for two people. I already felt full after finishing the bread and half of the Kashk Bodemjan, but then the Shish Kabob showed up with a big platter of saffron rice and half of a roasted tomato. The rice was perfectly cooked and flavorful enough to be eaten alone. It provided some balance to the slightly fatty, perfectly cooked, Shish Kabob. The roasted tomato was just a nice roasted tomato. The orange juice was really good orange juice. It was actually fresh squeezed, unlike many restaurants that just say it's fresh squeezed. I managed to eat a bit over half of what I ordered and left feeling incredibly full. I took the rest home in a box. I dined alone, but I think this place would be best for groups or families. You can leave feeling well-fed for like $20 a person.

Shelley Athari

Absolutely wonderful! I had fessenjoo with polo Shirin. Just like my mother-in-law makes. For dessert ...Sholazard. if you're looking to try authentic Persian food, this is the spot. Service was excellent too.

Julia Tian

Incredible food and the nicest service. I will definitely be back! Very impressed by this establishment. Prices were great. We ordered a chicken dish, a beef dish, rice, lavash bread, 2 cups of tea, and baklava with pistachio ice cream and were happy with it all.

Fahad Khan

Great taste and excellent service. The waiter was very accommodating and helpful. The food was delicious. The lamb shank was succulent.

Darryl Diptee

Delicious Persian food in a relaxed atmosphere. Really friendly staff and they have indoor / outdoor type seating available. Nice wine selection. Definitely recommended. Will be back!

Kathryn L

I am so happy they have decided to come back to Berkeley! I came here last night with my husband and had a really good meal. The food came out hot and portions were generous. They also have lots of seating for many guest. The service was excellent the night we came. They also have QR code when paying for your meal. Just scan and use your iPay account. Technology these days... The only issue is parking since it’s so close to campus but that is to be expected.

Parisa Najafzadeh

It was my first time at this place, first the lady "zhaleh" was such a pleasant and nice host. The koobideh and Soltani kabobs were awesome, so yummy, I hadn't had a great kabob like this for a long time. Love this place, will definitely come back and highly recommended.

Delicious Eggplant Meat dish with rice. I love that their dishes are quite large and filling.

On June 22, 2025, it was the day my mother passed. My daughter and I had my aunt's and my cousin's support at the hospital. Later that evening after we left the hospital, my cousin wanted us to join him and my aunt for dinner and we headed to Alborz in Berkeley. Fantastic Kebab place. Dinner was delicious. I ordered the Koobideh, which comes with 2 skewers of kebab, rice, and a tomatoe. My daughter ordered the Sultani, which comes with one meat skewer and one chicken skewer, also with rice and a tomatoe. I have taken some photos for you to see how beautiful the platters are. Service was awesome as usual. My daughter and I have dined at Alborz before and we have never been disappointed. There is also music playing while dining.

Today was my second time eating here and it was even better than the first time. I brought two well traveled friends who also appreciate good food and they both were impressed with the food. The staff has always been very friendly and professional. The portions are plenty for a single plate meal for people who like to eat. The lamb is perfect and falls off the bone. Try the turkish coffee with desert if you have never had any.

Wayfarer

Delicious Eggplant Meat dish with rice. I love that their dishes are quite large and filling.

Sara Sanjari

They're short staffed but the waitress was very friendly and sweet. The food was amazing.

Lilian Gerch

On June 22, 2025, it was the day my mother passed. My daughter and I had my aunt's and my cousin's support at the hospital. Later that evening after we left the hospital, my cousin wanted us to join him and my aunt for dinner and we headed to Alborz in Berkeley. Fantastic Kebab place. Dinner was delicious. I ordered the Koobideh, which comes with 2 skewers of kebab, rice, and a tomatoe. My daughter ordered the Sultani, which comes with one meat skewer and one chicken skewer, also with rice and a tomatoe. I have taken some photos for you to see how beautiful the platters are. Service was awesome as usual. My daughter and I have dined at Alborz before and we have never been disappointed. There is also music playing while dining.

eric kullmann

Today was my second time eating here and it was even better than the first time. I brought two well traveled friends who also appreciate good food and they both were impressed with the food. The staff has always been very friendly and professional. The portions are plenty for a single plate meal for people who like to eat. The lamb is perfect and falls off the bone. Try the turkish coffee with desert if you have never had any.

Delicious food with good portions of rice. Staff are very friendly but service at times can be slow. They're known for kebabs, which is what I'd highly recommend, although their bademjoon was also quite good.

James Wang

Delicious food with good portions of rice. Staff are very friendly but service at times can be slow. They're known for kebabs, which is what I'd highly recommend, although their bademjoon was also quite good.

The food was overpriced and low quality. The meat was decent but lacked seasoning and had too much fat. The meal was worth $7 at most, yet I paid $30. The portion was small—just a cup of rice and a single tomato. Service was mediocre, nothing memorable. Overall, I won’t be returning. This place sells an idea and atmosphere, but the food is an afterthought.

Al

The food was overpriced and low quality. The meat was decent but lacked seasoning and had too much fat. The meal was worth $7 at most, yet I paid $30. The portion was small—just a cup of rice and a single tomato. Service was mediocre, nothing memorable. Overall, I won’t be returning. This place sells an idea and atmosphere, but the food is an afterthought.

If I could give it 0 stars for customer service I truly would. The server that worked there was very apologetic but the older lady, who seemed to be the owner or manager, was just rude and down right nasty. We were visiting in Berkley and seen this Persian restaurant while walking by, so we decided that we will give it a try. Prior to walking in we've seen that they had a $12.95 lunch special (baked chicken with rice). We ordered 2 specials. When my friend ordered a Greek salad she asked for some chicken as an add on. The same older lady rudely said "we don't do that, you can order an entire chicken" which we thought was odd but we continued on and were not going to have her attitude ruin our lunch, so my friend said "No worries, I'll just have the Greek salad". When we finished and were ready to pay. We noticed on our receipt that we were charged the regular price for the two specials. I pointed to the outside chalkboard to the server who has just started her shift. Once she has seen it, she apologized, saying: "I'm sorry, we have charged you the menu price." and she took the receipt back to correct it. Once the server explained this to the older lady, she grabbed the checkbook from her and went outside. She erased the chalkboard sign and changed it to $17.95. This is all happening right in front of our eyes while we are watching her through the window. She comes back to our table with the same check and says no this is a correct price and she is not going to change it. We were like "Ma'am, we've just seen you walk outside and correct it from $12.95 to $17.95." Her response was: "No, it was the entire time. Some kids must have came by and messed it up." I don't know how many teenagers nowadays walk around with chalk 🤔😆😂 My husband started getting very upset because she was gaslighting us, where we had to really question our reality. At this point it really didn't matter what the price was but it was her unbelievably disrespectful behavior. It was awful. To calm the situation down, I said just forget it and we paid the bill. Even though the food was decent it truly left a nasty taste in our mouths. This was one of the worse experiences and we would never return to this place and I hope that before visiting this place you think twice before going as well.

AVOID this place, we waited for 30 minutes to get some service and then when the server came and we complained about time he told us to "shut up"! If you want mediocre food with insults go there. I was here another time and actually tried their food: I ordered walnut stew (Fesenjoon) with meat balls and they served me ground beef kebob (koobide) cut in pieces hidden in stew to look like meat balls!!! I could even see the cut made by the skewer in that thing! Very disappointing. Don't try to fool your customers, if you don't have time to prepare meat balls remove them from the menu!

The waiter is very very rude she talked to us in a bad way, we are 4 persons and she added 22% service charge. When we asked her why she said it’s not for debate and you will pay for it. So disrespectful and rude.

Enida

If I could give it 0 stars for customer service I truly would. The server that worked there was very apologetic but the older lady, who seemed to be the owner or manager, was just rude and down right nasty. We were visiting in Berkley and seen this Persian restaurant while walking by, so we decided that we will give it a try. Prior to walking in we've seen that they had a $12.95 lunch special (baked chicken with rice). We ordered 2 specials. When my friend ordered a Greek salad she asked for some chicken as an add on. The same older lady rudely said "we don't do that, you can order an entire chicken" which we thought was odd but we continued on and were not going to have her attitude ruin our lunch, so my friend said "No worries, I'll just have the Greek salad". When we finished and were ready to pay. We noticed on our receipt that we were charged the regular price for the two specials. I pointed to the outside chalkboard to the server who has just started her shift. Once she has seen it, she apologized, saying: "I'm sorry, we have charged you the menu price." and she took the receipt back to correct it. Once the server explained this to the older lady, she grabbed the checkbook from her and went outside. She erased the chalkboard sign and changed it to $17.95. This is all happening right in front of our eyes while we are watching her through the window. She comes back to our table with the same check and says no this is a correct price and she is not going to change it. We were like "Ma'am, we've just seen you walk outside and correct it from $12.95 to $17.95." Her response was: "No, it was the entire time. Some kids must have came by and messed it up." I don't know how many teenagers nowadays walk around with chalk 🤔😆😂 My husband started getting very upset because she was gaslighting us, where we had to really question our reality. At this point it really didn't matter what the price was but it was her unbelievably disrespectful behavior. It was awful. To calm the situation down, I said just forget it and we paid the bill. Even though the food was decent it truly left a nasty taste in our mouths. This was one of the worse experiences and we would never return to this place and I hope that before visiting this place you think twice before going as well.

Mahsa Eftekhari

AVOID this place, we waited for 30 minutes to get some service and then when the server came and we complained about time he told us to "shut up"! If you want mediocre food with insults go there. I was here another time and actually tried their food: I ordered walnut stew (Fesenjoon) with meat balls and they served me ground beef kebob (koobide) cut in pieces hidden in stew to look like meat balls!!! I could even see the cut made by the skewer in that thing! Very disappointing. Don't try to fool your customers, if you don't have time to prepare meat balls remove them from the menu!

sultan hassan

The waiter is very very rude she talked to us in a bad way, we are 4 persons and she added 22% service charge. When we asked her why she said it’s not for debate and you will pay for it. So disrespectful and rude.

This location was a terrible experience compared to Walnut Creek and San Francisco. The service here felt openly discriminatory — one staff member greeted only white customers while ignoring Indians and Muslims at nearby tables. It felt like we were not welcome. On top of that, we could hear a lot of coughing from the kitchen and bar area, which is unacceptable in a restaurant. The food was no better — the potatoes with the lamb shank were undercooked. This place does not represent the quality or hospitality of the other locations, and we will not be returning.

Message to owner, Me and my family have been eating here since the restaurant was on Center St and miss those days. It was a true persian cuisine and atmosphere, unfortunately times have changed and so has the restaurant. Portions are smaller, prices are higher and your new waitress is super rude. As far as I know tips are based off of your Service to the customer and if have dropped the ball on providing good service. This lady had the nerve to stop my wife before leaving the restaurant and demanding a tip specifically a cash one, in your dreams I wanted to respond but walked out. I hope you the owner do not take this message as disrespect but as a true customer that cares about your business. Good luck to you as we will not be returning.

yasser akbarzadeh

This location was a terrible experience compared to Walnut Creek and San Francisco. The service here felt openly discriminatory — one staff member greeted only white customers while ignoring Indians and Muslims at nearby tables. It felt like we were not welcome. On top of that, we could hear a lot of coughing from the kitchen and bar area, which is unacceptable in a restaurant. The food was no better — the potatoes with the lamb shank were undercooked. This place does not represent the quality or hospitality of the other locations, and we will not be returning.

Ashkan Moghaddam

Message to owner, Me and my family have been eating here since the restaurant was on Center St and miss those days. It was a true persian cuisine and atmosphere, unfortunately times have changed and so has the restaurant. Portions are smaller, prices are higher and your new waitress is super rude. As far as I know tips are based off of your Service to the customer and if have dropped the ball on providing good service. This lady had the nerve to stop my wife before leaving the restaurant and demanding a tip specifically a cash one, in your dreams I wanted to respond but walked out. I hope you the owner do not take this message as disrespect but as a true customer that cares about your business. Good luck to you as we will not be returning.