Famous Kabob vs. Kabob Corner

Famous Kabob vs.

 Name: Famous Kabob

Cuisines: Kabobs, Afghani 

Payment: Cash, all major Credit Cards

Alcohol:   No

Price: $

Address: 9685 Liberia Ave, Manassas, VA 20111

Hours of Operation: Sun-Thurs: 11AM to 9:30PM; Fri-Sat: 11AM to 10PM

 Name: Kabob Corner

Cuisines: Kabobs, Afghani 

Payment: Cash, all major Credit Cards

Alcohol:   No

Price: $

Address: 8448 Centreville Rd, Manassas Park, 20111

Hours of Operation: Sun-Thurs: 11AM to 9PM; Fri-Sat: 11AM to 10PM

 Salt Says:

I was in a bit of a rush when I visited Famous Kabob. After glancing at the menu, I decided on a gyro. It was the best gyro I've ever eaten. The bread was delicious and the meat was very well seasoned. The lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions inside were fresh and full of flavor. I thought the onions could've been cut thinner because they were pretty strong.

The gyro came with cucumber sauce. Unlike most cucumber sauces, it was packed full of cilantro which gave it a little bit of a kick. Although I thought the gyro was perfect by itself, I couldn't help putting plenty of the sauce on it.

The restaurant was very clean. The wall decor included a few beautiful pictures of places in Afghanistan, but for the most part the interior was bare. The staff was friendly and the food came out quickly. I can see myself coming back.

According to the person who took my order, Kabob Corner has been open for a few months. Maybe that explains the over-anxious server who hovered over me while I looked through the menu. I suggest taking a look at the online menu if you're not that familiar.

I ordered a chicken shawerma gyro (as recommended by the server). It came with rice and two types of yogurt-based sauces, one of them was cucumber. The gyro was pretty good, but not as good as the one I got from Famous Kabob. The bread was a little thinner than I'm used to for a gyro, but it was tasty. The meat was well seasoned and the veggies were pretty good, too.

Kabob Corner was also very clean and well decorated.

In this week's battle I pick Famous Kabob. While Kabob Corner was good, Famous Kabob was exceptional.

Pepper Says:

In all fairness, I ordered chicken kabobs from both places, who had very similar menus and almost identical websites.

The kabob meats from both places were very similar, but I think all in all, Famous Kabob was better, food wise. The one from Famous Kabob was marinated very well, a little tougher than the one from Kabob Corner, but still very good. The one from Kabob Corner was nice and tender, but had a strong black pepper taste that was a bit overwhelming. Corner Kabob;s seasoned basmati rice was very good. Famous Kabob had plain rice, which was good, but I liked Corner Kabob’s better. The naan from Famous Kabob was also better, Kabob Corner’s was uneven, and did not bake as well. Kabob Corner offered a choice of side dishes, I went with the potatoes, which were pretty good. They also offer chickpeas and spinach. Famous Kabob’s only had the option of a small house salad with yogurt dressing.

The kabob meat was very, very similar, with Famous Kabob coming out slightly on top. It was a hard choice between the two. The service and friendliness of the staff was much better at Kabob Corner, however. Kabob Corner employees were talkative, and offered suggestions, where as at Famous Kabob, employees may not have been rude, but they were curt and to the point, a little off-putting.

Both places were humbly decorated and appeared clean. Kabob Corner has been open for a couple months.

 So the big question is, which is more important, the food or the service? I think I might be more likely to return to Kabob Corner and try a different dish. While Famous Kabob was better, it wasn’t the best I’ve ever tried. I would certainly go back if invited or in the mood for kabobs. Unlike the pizza places, it was harder to figure this one out.