My last word from Kabul House was in August, when I spoke with the owner and he thought he'd be relocating rapidly to a site near Central Park on Dempster, a move he had planned even before the water damage forced him to close the 2001-2008 location.

But when nothing happened and the website disappeared, I began to worry.

Well, today, I was driving west on Dempster, and saw signs saying future home of Kabul House - somewhere near Central Park. I didn't have time to circle back and check it out. Is this just an old sign the spot he hoped to open at? Or is this a sign of an impending re-opening? I gotta know! I need my kadu!

ryanwc wrote:My last word from Kabul House was in August, when I spoke with the owner and he thought he'd be relocating rapidly to a site near Central Park on Dempster, a move he had planned even before the water damage forced him to close the 2001-2008 location.

But when nothing happened and the website disappeared, I began to worry.

Well, today, I was driving west on Dempster, and saw signs saying future home of Kabul House - somewhere near Central Park. I didn't have time to circle back and check it out. Is this just an old sign the spot he hoped to open at? Or is this a sign of an impending re-opening? I gotta know! I need my kadu!

Don't hold your breath. That sign's been up I believe nearly a year. I moved to Evanston in August and I've been awaiting the reopening since then.

Hi,

I talked to someone who knows the owner. He is not in a position to reopen at the present time. Hope his circumstances will change eventually.

Regards,

Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me - I saw some construction activity there today.

Dave148 wrote:Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me - I saw some construction activity there today.

A co-worker mentioned the same thing to me about an hour ago.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Dave148 wrote:Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me - I saw some construction activity there today.

A co-worker mentioned the same thing to me about an hour ago.

=R=

Then I can cancel my optometrist appointment for next week?

Construction dumpster in parking lot out front (a dumpster on Dempster); additional, larger signs saying Kabul House opening soon.

I think the capital markets must finally be freeing up. I hope they finish quickly. Must have been a tough year for them. I need some Kadu.

[quote="ryanwc"] (a dumpster on Dempster)

A great name for a rock band or a Cubs pitcher!

ryanwc wrote:Additional, larger signs saying Kabul House opening soon.

Great news. I was trying not to get my hopes up but if there is actually a sign mentioning the restaurant, I can start dreaming.

Ryan if you see any other details, let us know. I've really missed this place. I'll never forget going there a week or two after 9/11. We felt honored to be able to give a small show of support in that difficult time. (While eating wonderful food, of course.)

I wonder how many LTHers will make a visit as soon as it reopens?

ryanwc wrote:Construction dumpster in parking lot out front (a dumpster on Dempster); additional, larger signs saying Kabul House opening soon.

I hate to be the one to burst your bubbles, ryan and grits, but those are the same signs that have been there for almost a year, since Kabul House closed their place further east on Dempster. (You had gotten my hopes up too!)

I check for signs of life at the new location every time I drive down Dempster, which is often. There is indeed now a dumpster in the parking lot, but when I drove by mid-afternoon today, there was no sign of any activity.

Bubble burst. I'm going with Cathy2's information for now since that seems to be the strongest. If I am pessimistic, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised later. Thanks tarte tatin for the info.

I'm sticking with my observation of workers from last week. I passed my optometrist exam this week. Perhaps we need to establish a webcam.

Dave148 wrote:I'm sticking with my observation of workers from last week. I passed my optometrist exam this week. Perhaps we need to establish a webcam.

Now this is an excellent idea. Maybe I can train my dog to sniff out kadu to help the cause as well.

grits wrote:

Dave148 wrote:I'm sticking with my observation of workers from last week. I passed my optometrist exam this week. Perhaps we need to establish a webcam.

Now this is an excellent idea. Maybe I can train my dog to sniff out kadu to help the cause as well.

Or I can strap the webcam to my dog who does an excellent job of napping in doorways.

I got an email this morning saying that Kabul House has re-opened at 1600 Oakton in Elk Grove Village!

Mention the email when dining in, you get 15% off until January 15th!

Phone # is 847-758-2079.

Best Christmas present so far today!

abe_froeman wrote:I got an email this morning saying that Kabul House has re-opened at 1600 Oakton in Elk Grove Village!
Mention the email when dining in, you get 15% off until January 15th!
Phone # is 847-758-2079.
Best Christmas present so far today!

Beat me to it! A friend (who didnt even know the Skokie one had closed) was telling me last evening that he saw "a branch" of Kabul House open... he said it was fairly close to Oakton and 83 (and was surprised that a location in that sort of area had been chosen). I presume this is the same location mentioned above

c8w

What a great month for Central Asian food:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=27020

I'm so happy to hear about Kabul House. Elk Grove is way beyond my normal ambit, but I'll be there!

Great news! According to Google maps, 1600 Oakton is the Ramada Inn. Is it inside the hotel?

This would seem to be a webpage with photos:
http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp ... n=00073500

Never having heard of restaurant.com, and seeing their ridiculous interface ... (show me restaurant within x miles of xxxxx zip code, with no opportunity to skim by type of cuisine, prices, etc.; or the opportunity to see all restaurants in a given state -- yes, that'd be helpful in planning my weekend dining!) ... I was skeptical, but the link looks good.

They've even got a menu posted. With my beloved Kadu!!!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy!!

I got carry out at the new KH tonight. It's a long way for me, but my fiance was flying home, so it seemed like a good chance to pick up a much-needed kadu infusion and then zip over to pick her up.

Our pumpkin was phenomenal as always, and I love the Qabili Palau, a rice, raisin and shredded beef dish.

The new Kabul House is the hotel restaurant of the Ramada Inn on the corner of Oakton and Elmhurst Rd. Mr Qadi is running two side-by-side restaurants, I think out of the same kitchen. The other is "Dearborn's Bistro". The hotel has only put up a sign for Dearborn's, so you just have to look for the Ramada/Dearborn's sign and pull in. You enter through what look like the entrance to Dearborn's.

Mr. Qadi mentioned that a number of old customers have come in, and that last night, two old-timers came and stayed chatting for an hour. He needs some more old-timers to drop by and help keep him around long enough for the Elk Grovers to realize he's there, so if you liked the old Kabul House, try to make it out there. If you think it's too far, do what I did and grab some next time you're picking someone up at O'Hare.

Kabul House reopened several months ago in a hotel at the northwest corner of Oakton, Busse (83) and Higgins Rd. (72) in Elk Grove Village. Their number is (847) 758-2010. It's the same great food and gracious service. I suggest you try it today.

They just got a good review in the Daily Herald. In addition to outstanding Afghan food, they now have an American menu too - Dearborn's Bistro. The hamburgers are made with Prime beef. It's great to have them in the northwest suburbs. They now have banquet rooms too. It's worth the trip!

hoffmanjsh wrote:They just got a good review in the Daily Herald . . .

Written by frequent LTH contributor Leah A. Zeldes . . .

Leah A. Zeldes @ Daily Herald.com wrote:The Ramada O'Hare, a prosaic hotel in Elk Grove Village, seems an unlikely spot to encounter exotic cuisine, but tucked inside is a secret gem of a restaurant, Kabul House.

Afghanistan-born Chef Abdul Qazi, who came to the United States, via a few other countries, in 1985 and earlier ran a pizzeria, first opened his Afghan place in Skokie in 2001. He achieved a large, loyal clientele, but in 2008 the ceiling fell in - literally - and he had to find new digs.

Skokie's loss is the O'Hare area's gain. Early this year, Qazi finally settled into the Ramada, where he took over Dearborn's Bistro & Bar, the hotel's American restaurant, and started building Kabul House in the back of it.

Kabul House brings flavors of Afghanistan to the suburbs

=R=

We're going to hit up the new location tonight for takeout.
Any suggestions of what to order? Has the menu changed?

rlguffman wrote:We're going to hit up the new location tonight for takeout.
Any suggestions of what to order? Has the menu changed?

Hi,

I was with LAZ when she reviewed this restaurant. From what I could see, the menu looked about the same.

Regards,

In the small world department, I was coming home from O'Hare in a cab a couple of weeks ago, chatting with the cabdriver, and he told me that his sister used to have a restaurant in the area -- we were on Dempster -- and I asked what it was, and it was Kabul House (perhaps she is Qazi's wife??). He told me about the ceiling falling in at the old place, and the landlord not fixing it or doing other needed repairs, and the eventual reopening out on Oakton. It sounded like the new location needs more customers! We haven't gone there because it is so far away, but this is a restaurant we really like, and we'll make an effort to get there at least once in the near future. Hopefully the Herald article will help.

I drove by the old "Billy's Sandwich Shop" at the intersection of Niles Ave. and Oakton Street in Skokie today, and lo and behold in the window...

Kabul House, coming soon!

I hope this doesn't mean that the Elk Grove location has trouble, but I'll wager they'll be welcomed back to the Skokie dining scene in a "New York Minute."

I miss 'em, and I hope they are opening soon!

rfleisch1 wrote:I drove by the old "Billy's Sandwich Shop" at the intersection of Niles Ave. and Oakton Street in Skokie today, and lo and behold in the window...

Kabul House, coming soon!

I hope this doesn't mean that the Elk Grove location has trouble, but I'll wager they'll be welcomed back to the Skokie dining scene in a "New York Minute."

I miss 'em, and I hope they are opening soon!

It's a hop, skip and a jump from my office. Life is good.

Update - new awnings with logo are up. Windows still papered over. Construction permit still displayed. A good sign indeed.

Dave148 wrote:Update - new awnings with logo are up. Windows still papered over. Construction permit still displayed. A good sign indeed.

Was trying to see if I could find a phone number for the new location at 4949 Oakton, so I could just simply ask the question, "WHEN ARE YOU OPENING?!?" Instead, ran across this listing from Craig's List....

Kabul House is looking for servers, busboys & cooks (Skokie)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-10-07, 11:39AM CDT
Reply to: job-jgxmv-1993813283@craigslist.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kabul House restaurant is a small fine-dining restaurant looking to fill positions quickly. Must be outgoing, personable, and most importantly a team player. Full-time and part-time employment available. Experience is preferred.
Looking for line & prep cooks, servers & busboys.
Please apply in person Friday-Tuesday between 2-4p or email us a resume. We will begin calling people for interviews immediately.

4949 Oakton St.
Skokie, IL. 60077

PostingID: 1993813283

Note the part about filling positions quickly. Hope this means the opening is getting even closer....

Did you apply for a position?