Pamir Afghan Cuisine has been voted Owensboro-Daviess County’s favorite Mexican/International restaurant in the Owensboro Times Eat Down the Street contest. Pamir now moves on to the championship week of the voting competition. For a full breakdown of how the entire contest works, including our list of restaurants and categories, click here.
Pamir operates inside the same building as the Windy Hollow Biscuit House in Wesleyan Park Plaza and opened its doors in November 2022.
Co-owner Khaiber Shafaq said that when he saw the list of restaurants in the category and recognized several names that had been in the community for years, he didn’t know where Pamir would place but held out hope they could win.
“It was a tough competition for us, but we said let’s see and wait [for the results],” Shafaq said. “And when the news came, I said, ‘Wow!’ This is so much of an honor and welcoming. Thanks to everyone who voted for us.”
When the restaurant opened, Shafaq and his business partners, Edris Akbari and Tariq Pakzad, wanted to provide a gathering space for the Afghan community in addition to introducing Owensboro to their culture and experience.
Over time, he said they’ve seen different waves of business and while they have adapted to Owensboro and introduced new foods, they have always tried to keep that element of exposure to the Afghan community alive.
Shafaq said they have received much support from the community and positive responses to their opening. Currently, Pamir is only open for dinner time on Friday-Sunday, and this recognition gives them the energy to continue to their mission.
“It gives us more energy to continue. It’s not easy to run a business, and it takes a lot of time and resources and energy,” Shafaq said.
He said that while they love the partnership with Windy Hollow, Pamir is looking for a new location to be open throughout the day, 7 days a week rather than just on weekends.
“This is our plan, hopefully next year. Our team wants to find a place and move out and have our restaurant open seven days a week,” he said.
In the meantime, Shafaq said they plan to introduce new foods to the menu, and he will announce them on their Facebook when they are added.
