Multiple EVG readers have shared that Khyber Pass has closed on St. Mark's Place.
One reader noted that the space was gutted the last week of May here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue: "This sucks. They were in the building already when I moved here in 1989. It was a great place and they were very nice neighbors."
While there hasn't been an official confirmation from anyone at the Afghani restaurant that dates to the mid-1980s, the space is now empty and their website deactivated. Khyber Pass had previously shut down in mid-March at the start of the COVID-19 PAUSE.
Before it was Khyber Pass it was a wonderful ethnic clothing shop called Ozymandias.
ReplyDeleteI loved this place. It was our go to for birthday and New Years celebrations for decades.
ReplyDeleteThe first place i did in 1985...also did..Bamyian on 26 st. ....sad to see them go. mosaic Man jim power..nycjimpower30@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memory jog re Ozymandias, @Anon.10:13, had forgotten about that place.
ReplyDeleteMy late husband and I ate there often, and were always chuffed when we could snag one of the tables in the window and eat piles of delicious food while watching the world go by; it was especially cozy on cold winter nights. After he died, I could never go in there again - too many memories - but I will miss walking by, seeing the sign and the window tables, and remembering...
Not as far back as some of the other comments here, but I had my first meal out in NY at Khyber Pass - in 1994. Frankly, there was always better Afghan food elsewhere, but it always felt reassuring to see Khyber Pass up and running.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite NYC restaurant for more than 30 years. I'm truly heartbroken.
ReplyDeleteThis absolutely sucks.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see this place didn’t make it during Covid. I remember the cheap, tasty food and the hookah from the early 2000s as if it was yesterday. Another relic of old NYC gone. You will forever be missed as a place to spend those hot summer nights when all you had was $20 and a thirst for adventure.
ReplyDeleteGod I truly loved that place
ReplyDeleteI used to work there … late 80’s. The cook was a wonderful man although I believe he left a while back. Boulanee Kadu … my favorite since I have a sweet tooth.
ReplyDeleteHeartbroken. The restaurant that sparked my love of Afghani food and the quickest way to lure me downtown. I especially loved the window seats, and every year when my college roommate came to town, number one thing on the agenda was a visit to aThe Khyber Pass. Heartbroken. 💔
ReplyDeleteAte there once years ago. I will never forget how wonderful the food was. I had an eggplant dish with stewed tomato and a thick, creamy white sauce. It was SOOO good. Sad to see that Khyber Pass has closed.
ReplyDeleteAlways went here as a family, cause my mother in law only eats Halal; the food was excellent, and the ambiance made you feel like you were at the Khyber Pass! Does anyone know who the owner of Khyber Pass is, and have a onctact for them?
ReplyDeleteYou can see it in this vid from the 99s
ReplyDeletehttps://imgur.com/gallery/ECa4eMC
I loved this place. The food was always fresh and not like anything else in the city.
ReplyDeleteWell I have some slightly good news for Khyber Pass fans like me! The place still exists! It’s now called Mazadore! (Means “Delicious”! And it really is! But it’s no longer in the city! They moved like 20 miles North to Tappan, NY
ReplyDeleteWas Khyber Pass called Cafe Kabul in the 1980s, or was this a different restaurant on St. Mark's Place? It had Afghan food and you sat on cushions at the table in the window.
ReplyDelete