Chili Chutney Grill in Irvine

The simplest way I can say about this restaurant is that youll be waiting long for your food but it is delicious. The dishes are packed well and tasty. Ill make sure when I come back, Ill order ahead of time instead of walking in and ordering.

Wow where do I start…apparently this place has a new owner. Which makes sense about how much this place has changed since the last time we’ve been here. They give a red chutney, green chutney and yogurt with your meal. The chutney container was 1/3 filled. We asked for more because it was finished with the appetizer and the lady said $2 per chutney. We were like uhh okay? Previous owners never charged for chutneys. The waitresses never refilled the water (it came half empty). They never asked if we needed anything additional. The Chapli kabob and koobideh were so thin and not juicy at all how they used to be. They charged $6 per entree to change the rice to qabuli rice. We went up to pay because no one came to ask if they can help us with anything. The bill was $76 for 3 entrees and 1 appetizer. We asked for some boxes and she gave 1 box. We asked for containers for the chutneys we paid for, she gave us 1 container! We were like uhhh can we get 2 more boxes and 2 more containers for the chutneys you charged us for and she looked at us and said only 1 more. We laughed and asked about if the owners changed and she said yeah. So we told her well the food quality has gone down and so has the service. Never ever coming back here again so sad!! The food and service used to be great back in the day. Even with the pandemic and inflation I’ve never experienced this amount of cheapness!

Very bad service. We waited more than an one hour for our order to arrive and then waited an additional 20 minutes just to pay. When the food finally arrived the order was missing. We ordered 4 plates and only received 3. And the worst part is we kept on waiting just to pay and all the staff just kept on disappearing and running around while they can clearly see us waiting to pay. I do not recommend this place to anyone.

I had Ashak, basically Afghan dumplings with leeks inside fillers with ground meat sauce over the boiled dumplings. Good petitions and strong flavors. I also had chai that was a little different from Indian or Nepalese or Tibetan chai. It was not sweet and not too strong. I also tried the rice and soup, which was more like curry. The best part about the food here is actually the chutneys they provide with the food. I actually liked the red chutney that was spicier than the green one. The inside of the restaurant is a surprise because it looks more like a fancy discotec from the old days like 80s or 90s with rainbow lightings on the walls. All I needed was some old music, but the place actually blasts Afghan tunes. The servers spoke Spanish, calling chutney "salsa!" Fun place to try something different in the middle of OC.

Food was great.

Used to be great when Afghans owned it. Not bad for an approximation of real Afghan food.

Food always delicious and the service is always very good.

Modern decor, traditional flavors -with a twist. Everything in my plate was fresh, appetizing and delicious. There was live music being performed by a one man band. Uplifting classic Middle Eastern songs, and boy, what a voice! My family and I had a great experience.

We went in and waited 15min to be seated not one person came to greet us after 15 min a lady came from the kitchen saw us and I ignored us so we walked out 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Really clean and nice place. Plenty of parking space.The food is tasty and they allow party and events too.Tasty Halal afghan food.

Amazing food! Went for Ramadan buffet. Line went fast, options were great.

What a hidden gem. Excellent food!! It was legit mouthwatering! Loved the lamb (and I never do, it was just THAT goodand the sampler of appetizers, and our yogurt drink was fantastic. If youre looking for a unique dining experience with amazzzing food, look no further.

Food is literally always fresh try the king platter!!! A little taste of it all

Must go place ! Outstanding service. Taste is amazing ! Prices are reasonable.

We went here with friends to have some lunch. My baby girl slept and woke up and our food hasnt arrived yet. Apparently they had a staff shortage on the same day. Their kabobs are ok. Nothing special, but their lamb shank is great. They changed the interior from a traditional look to a flashy modern design. Although it looks super clean and great, I preferred the old design better.

Food is delicious. It’s become a family favorite. The wait is a little long but it’s been newly remodeled and looks great.

People were waiting for 10 minutes to be seated no one was in front desk, please improve your services. We came from Los Angeles for test the Afghani food, however their wait time is more than what people expect.

Great food. Came by here on a non busy afternoon and the food still came out great. Their beed koobideh was delicious. Would definitely recommend the spot if you are in the lake forest area. Good customer service. Ill be back here if I come to socal again.

Super tender and juicy meats, never dry! Big portions, definitely enough to share!

Great food. They do seem understaffed but the food was unique and absolutely stellar. The inside is clean and well-kept. Note that google maps shows this restaurant in two places. The correct place is right by spicy thai.

🇦🇫 AFGHANISTANExcerpt from Eat the World Los AngelesMeals should begin with an amazing spread of ashak ($14.95). While vegetarians might initially be attracted to these boiled leek dumplings, do note that these are smothered in a tomato-based sauce that includes ground beef and lentils. If you can eat meat, they are phenomenal. The dumplings and sauce are covered with a generous portion of yogurt and parsley, a combination of flavors that is intense and wonderful.

Food is good no doubt specially Beef and Potatoe Bolani with their sauces but the waiting time is always long. Once we had to wait for approximately 50 mins.

Nice, little restaurant, weve been going since it was a tiny hole in the wall. They are now in a bigger location, have buffet for lunch, they cater and the food is always tasty and reliable. And good service.

Chilli chutney is always a treat. I love the flavorful food and the warmth of the service! Bolani is always hot and fresh! Best Afghani food in Cali....always authentic.

The food was delicious and the portions were huge! The whole atmosphere was excellent. If I could give more stars I would!!! The best Afghan restaurant in LA and I can’t wait to come back and eat here again. Highly recommend!!!!!!

Had an event booked where I spoke to the owner about hosting a party.. TWO weeks before my event, when all the invitation cards are gone out. he calls to tell me he does not want to host my party becuase he can make more money by hosting another larger party. I understand that but the rudeness of this owner was out of this world.. I used to love chili chutneys food but will not come here again!! He needs to learn some manners, and how to talk to people.

We stopped buying from this restaurant because they reduced their portions with increased in prices. All my family and friends used to love their food but the portions are cut so much that it is not worth getting food from Chilli Chutney.

The food is not even Afghani, I been waiting 2 hours until I got my food They took forever to bring my food but not worth it at all. The food were not fresh and everything were microwaved including fries and which made me sick for a 2 weeks. They don’t deserve any star. I am Afghani and I know how good is Afghani food but nothing taste like Afghani food.

Let me start off by saying that the food here is amazing. The staff are very friendly. However be aware that ordering online can take much longer than mentioned online. I placed an order, it showed 25 minutes but it was available 1 hr and 5 minutes later. I knew it would take longer than mentioned online so I went there much later and I still waited. I understand things are unpredictable in this pandemic era but this is something the staff should work on.

Ordered Kabuli Pulav with lamb shank. Meat was perfectly cooked and soft. Very yummy. Little pricey but definitely recommend to try this! Place is nicely decorated and washroom was clean to use.

First of all I would like to thank the owner for his hospitality, professional customers services ,We really enjoyed being at this Afghan authentic restaurant Chilly Chutney.I went to this restaurant in the past ( under previous owner did not really had any of this kind of services that I have experienced this time .What a change !What was ordered was prepared fast , taste delicious and smelled fresh .Cleanliness is considered at this restaurant by 100% .I am surprised with some of the negative feedback about the owner !!!It is nonsense , and it is fake feedback about him .I am sure if you try this place you will be amazed with high quality customers services and high quality delicious food .Highly recommended.5 STARS

The owner threatened his own client. Exact words "if you say anything bad about my business i will ruin ur life". Weve been here a million n ten times n the previous owner was a professional n very understanding man. This new owner has no idea what hes doing n takes it out on his client. They were severely understaffed but the employees were absolutely amazing n understanding. If the owner threatens his clients, its no wonder why he barely has enough staff to keep things running. The chefs did a phenomenal job, the food was delicious, the staff did their best n made ends meet but the owner... Absolutely not worth such an amazing team. Reservations are not worth it. If you wanna give the food a try, take out is ur best option

Love your food specially the mantoo and chicken kabab.Please please please hire more staff. The employees you have are all great and professional but they are overworked. Often one waiter/waitress attending to all the customers. I know times are hard right now, but it would make for a much better experience when orders are prepared in a timely manner. ☺️

Good quality and delicious food. We are vegetarians and we got Qabili palau and of course potato and chives Bolani with Banjan Borani.

I love the atmosphere. The service and food is great.The lady who was assisting us was super friendly and adorable we felt like home.I was so excited when they brought the green tea with (HIL)I recommend this place if you wanna feel like home.

We were having our meal with 5 children and 3 adults. The manager came to our table and told us they are having an event at 4pm and will be moving us outside of the restaurant so we can finish our meal! Wth!! Our meal arrived about 12 minutes before he rudely told us we will need to leave. Absolutely deplorable service. It happened on Feb 15, 2020 around 4pm. It got heated between our table and that manager and everyone at the restaurant heard exactly what we thought of that manager and agreed with our table. Another table behind us came to us and told us they were also told to leave while in the middle of eating their meal. They were an elderly couple. Whoever that manager was, needs to leave before we step foot in that restaurant again!

I had lunch two times in this place The food was amazing , I had Qabeli Palow it was really delicious. the Menu is perfect, something for everyone with great value for the price and the Service was awesome. A very friendly welcoming place , Will be back definitely!

Service was not great.Food came out about 30 minutes after we ordered.The lamb shank was too dry and too salty.The kebab was also salty.Other items ordered were good.Perhaps , they were having an off day!?

This restaurant is one of the best I’ve discovered In Orange County. The food is fantastic and the service is wonderfully warm and friendly. This is authentic Afghan family cuisine. I’ve visited many times, and I always have to have the Banjan Borani, the amazing eggplant appetizer. I love the mantu dumplings covered in meat sauce and yoghurt, and the delicious kabobs, but my new favorite is the qabili pilau- lamb shank so tender it melts in your mouth, accompanied with delicious savory rice. Don’t miss it!

This is one of the best restaurants around. We took the kings platter as usual and it will never disappoint you. The food is awesome and service is exceptional. I would go back to this place with out a second thought and recommend this place to others.

This is a great place for lunch where they offer an all-you-can-eat buffet with good selection and delicious food. The ambience is quite classy and makes you feel like you are in a nice hotel. Staff is friendly and efficient and the restrooms are large and clean. This is in my weekly rotation for lunch and I try to make it out here atleast once a week.

Ive been to Chili Chutney many times since its opening and I still keep coming back. The owner is an excellent Chef. All dishes are delightfully tasty and the red meat or chicken always very juicy with the right amount of spices. Definitely the best Afghan restaurant I have been to (and I sampled many). You will not be disappointed, give it a try.

The food was amazingly delicious. You have so many good food options to try. We have been here twice and will definitely come back again. The staff are friendly, especially our server VIDA was very professional and welcoming. Its noteworthy that the foods are really healthy and fresh and the prices are reasonable Highly recommended.

I hate writing reviews but this restaurant deserves one. I been going to this place for a couple of years. The food is much more delicious than the previous owners. The service is great and on top on of it all the price was very good for amount of food we ate. I highly recommend going here with friends and family.

This is specifically for the lunch buffet as Ive had it many times. The lunch menu hasnt changed much at all in years which is fine as long as youre not here every week. Quality and taste of the food is good although the soup is usually nuclear reactor hot so be careful.Also during the lunch rush they often run out of some of the main chicken or beef entrees due to the limited selection and you find yourself waiting for resupplies. On our most recent visit nobody even came to our table to take our drink orders. Understandably they are busy during that time.Overall I am happy to return here for the tasty all-you-can-eat buffet, but knocking off one star for the average service and fairly common shortages.

Visit again since they were good on the first visit. But disappointed now, quality of food if fine, but the prices went up too much.....menu is similar ti their buffet, but definitely not the Price.....a plate of chicken kaboob(5-6piecesis much higher than their buffet....Very good lunch buffet. They have limited items on buffet but they are delicious. I loved there juicy chicken kabob and lentils curry.

I came here for their lunch buffet and it was awesome! The service was great and the restaurants atmosphere really adds to the ethnic richness of the dining experience.Their single dish portions could be bigger, and their lunch buffet could have a bit more variety, but aside from that, there is not much to complain about when it comes to this restaurant :)

Outstanding food and great atmosphere! Been going since they were at their old location near the lumberyard. Still hasnt lost the small business feel. The owner has always been so nice and my entire family loves the food. The lunch buffet is a good deal, but make sure you are hungry. Also good for my Indian vegetarian friends I often dine with. The food is similar to Persian, just with some additional flavors. We even take the grandparents and they love it.

This place rocks! They have the best all you can eat buffet with all good ingredients. After eating a ton, you still feel like you can get back to work. Not all sick and ill like most buffets. Healthy Afghan cooking, I guess. There is a dish with some potatoes that is amazing. Also some kind of eggplant garlic thing. The best! Try it! And the waitresses are super kind and knowledgeable.

I work near here and decided to go with a bunch of my co-workers to finally check this place out. For my first time trying Afghan food it was crazy good and I will be coming back again and again.Food was delicious and while there was not a whole lot of variety the items they had were really good. Chicken and beef, a roasted vegetable dish, rice and insanely good soup (make sure to try it with the sour cream)Service was friendly and quick with the check which is key for a work time buffet.