By: Lynne O’Meara, Southern Maryland Restaurants
Waldorf, MD – One of my all-time favorite restaurants is Silver Skewers on Old Washington Road in Waldorf.
Located in a small nondescript building, owner Shahla King has been serving amazing Persian food for 26 years! I met Shahla 19 years ago when I first started going to Silver Skewers. This is one of the few restaurants where I know the food will be great. After all these years, the quality and flavor have remained consistent.
When entering the restaurant, you will find a light, contemporary atmosphere. Shahla has recently made some updates, to include new flooring and lighter walls. There are about a dozen tables, adorned with fresh flowers. Quiet music plays in the background. It’s a very comfortable place to enjoy a lovely meal.
Shahla and her daughter Diamond (who helps run the business) take great pride in serving fresh, authentic Persian cuisine. The menu is not very big; its focus is kabobs. All their meats and vegetables are organic and top-quality, and the dressings and sauces are made inhouse. One of their most popular condiments, the Tandoori sauce, is served with bread at the beginning of the meal and can be added to the meats during cooking. The Tandoori ingredients include jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, and mint. It is so fresh tasting! I’m not really big on spicy food, but I always add a thin layer to my bread. My friend, Heather, who likes spicy food, piles it on hers. Either way…it’s fabulous!
Upon seating, diners receive bread and salad. The salad comes already dressed with a creamy house-made dressing. The kababs are cooked over a charcoal grill. The meat selections are chicken, salmon, rib eye, filet mignon, lamb, shrimp and House Special (ground beef). The kabobs are served with a light, fluffy basmati rice (which is topped with saffron rice) and grilled vegetables (cooked on skewers). The herbs and spices used in these dishes are so perfect!
Another treat is the Persian Iced Tea…a house blend made with cinnamon and mint! It’s delicious! After dinner, save room because they have homemade desserts, including Baklava.
I went for lunch on Monday and I was very happy to see Shahla and Diamond were both at the restaurant. The food was delicious and the service (Von was our server) was great! I had Shrimp Kabob, and my friends had Chicken Kabob and Lamb Kabob. The shrimp is the best-grilled shrimp I have ever had (seriously…and it always is), the rice has so much flavor and is so delicate, and the vegetables were cooked and seasoned perfectly! Our meal was delightful!
Shahla learned to cook from her father in Iran when she started helping him at the tender age of six. She moved to the United States as a teenager. With her ex-husband, she opened restaurants in California, then McLean, and then settled in Waldorf. We are lucky she did! Diamond told me her mother always says, “Love is in the food”. Shahla simply wants people to be happy and enjoy her food. Their philosophy is if you love food, you will come back. And I have, for 19 years!
If you can’t dine in, they offer carryout and catering. The bottom line is…this is some of the best cuisines in the area!
Silver Skewers is located at 2788 Old Washington Road (Rt. 925), Waldorf, MD.
The hours are:
- Monday through Saturday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Sunday: Closed
- Reservations are accepted.
Rating (out of 5):
- Food – 4.8
- Service – 4.8
- Ambiance – 4.7
Total – 4.8