Herby

What is Herby? Located at 397 Danforth Avenue just east of Chester subway station, Herby is an intimate family-run dining room dedicated to the regional homestyle cooking of northwestern Iran. Founder Javad Zahedifar named the space after Herbi—a rose-growing village near his hometown of Tabriz—and decorated the room with warm Persian rugs, handcrafted pottery, and artwork illustrating Attar's *The Conference of the Birds*. Seating consists of casual wooden tables in a relaxed, softly lit dining room where hospitality is personal and unhurried.

Herby Menu & What to Order The kitchen prioritizes scratch cooking, organic ingredients, and fragrant herbs over heavy oils. Start with the kashk-e bademjan, a rich roasted eggplant dip topped with caramelized onions, walnuts, and mint oil, scooped up with warm Barbari flatbread. For mains, the juicy minced beef and lamb koobideh over fluffy saffron rice with tahdig is a top-tier choice, alongside the pan-seared tava kebab served sizzling with charred tomatoes. Stews like walnut-and-pomegranate fesenjan offer vibrant sweet-tart balance with easy vegan substitutions, while a pot of organic Tabriz rosebud tea makes the ideal finish.

Know Before You Go Herby welcomes walk-ins, but table reservations via their website or phone are recommended for prime weekend dinner hours. Tables come equipped with service buzzers, which keeps ordering straightforward even when the small dining room gets busy. Chester Station on Line 2 is steps away, and metered Green P parking is available along Danforth Avenue.