Helmand - (617) 492-4646

Even though we had a reservation (as this restaurant requires since it's always packed) we got a lousy table and to make matters worse, the service was even lousier. When a friend of mine complained about the service (very politely of course) the hostess was so rude; she actually said: "people make reservations here weeks in advance, if you don't like it you can leave". No where have I witnessed such awful treatment and such cockiness! Last I checked, they weren't Nobu or the Ivy!

Inside of 5 minutes after sitting down I knew the service was brutal. First, we're at a table of 10, and my girlfriend decides to tag along. She's already eaten, but wants to be with us. She'll order an appetizer and a drink. When it comes time for us to order an entree, she politely says that she's already eaten. The response from the waiter "Uhh... we're a FULL service restaurant." Frankly, I didn't know if they were offering to give her a little somethin' somethin' in the back room or what. I mean, I know what a "full service" massage parlor is, is that what they were suggesting. After she asked, it turns out that meant "you better order an entree". So we did. The one plus is that the food arrived WICKED FAST (wasn't that hot, but maybe that's just the style). The food was so-so overall. Then, I head up to wash my hands in the bathroom. I head into the men's washroom where there's (literally) a toilet on the floor. I don't mean bolted to the floor, I mean cracked and sitting open on the floor. I step over it to get to the sink. I begin soaping my hands, when a woman (yes, this was a men's bathroom) enters and tells me that I need to use the women's bathroom (yes, I'm a man) on the OTHER side of the restaurant. Recall my hands are now covered in soap. So I walk across the restaurant, of course the women's bathroom is occupied. So I wait (yes, with soapy hands) until the bathroom is free. Of course, the lousy paper towels in the bathroom disintegrate in your hands because they're so cheap that I'm still picking white junk off my fingers by the time I'm back at the table. The service only went from bad to worse, but I'm limited to 2000 characters here. In short: food so-so, service BRUTAL. Better luck elsewhere.

I organized a formal dinner at Helmand in Cambridge (for a group of 12), and called two weeks in advance for a reservation. I called again two days prior to confirm, and was told that I would be charged $100 if I brought fewer than 8 persons. I assured them that we'd be more than 8. In fact, the day of, I politely asked if they could please accommodate two more persons. The hostess and manager said no, without explanation. We asked the waiter as well, were told to wait 30 minutes, and did so. However, they still did not accommodate our group. The experience was embarrassing and I hope no customer with a large group ever experiences what I did last night. Two persons from our group excused themselves to make the situation less awkward. We were gracious, had dinner and tipped the server accordingly. While I admit the food is good, my experience with the SERVICE there was really quite disappointing. I will never return to Helmand in Cambridge again. Helmand has 14 fewer customers now. I lost my appetite when treated so rudely. What's the point of serving good food when the service leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth?

Friends had dinner party here and I was VERY put off by the reviews here, but honestly, it was a great dining experience. The service was FINE - quick, but not rushed, and very polite. The food was great, came out quickly, and the bread was spectacular. It has a parking lot and they give you passes to park, which was fabulous. Nice decor, good experience - maybe they've made changes since some of these reviews?

Great food, incredibly bad service. Last time I will go there. We called for a reservation and were only offered one at 9:30pm. We arrived on time, were seated, and given menus. But we did not get to order anything until 9:55pm. No drinks, no bread, nothing. The food came out fast, but halfway through someone came over and asked if we were finished, and wanted to take the plates away. Water glasses were never refilled the entire evening. Later the waitress, who seemed extremely over-extended, told us that the kitchen closed at 10pm, so we couldn't have dessert or coffee. When we protested that it was the restaurant that offered a 9:30pm reservation, she grudgingly offered to see if there was any desserts, left, "if the cooks haven't locked the fridge already".