We've been to this Indian restaurant twice now, and it's always a great experience! [[HIGHLIGHT]]It has a high-end vibe with elegant décor, soft Bollywood music, and a friendly, humble staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Both times we walked in without a reservation and got seated easily. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There's also a nice bar area that adds to the charm.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered Tandoori Paneer Tikka and Papdi Chaat to start -- both were flavorful and delicious. For the main course, we had Garlic Naan (soft and garlicky) with Baingan Bharta, which had that perfect smoky, roasted taste. Ended our meal with Gulab Jamun, soft and sweet just right. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They also have a banquet hall for small events -- I once saw an Indian celebration happening there, which was a nice touch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall, amazing food, great service, and lovely ambiance -- a place worth revisiting! read more

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Came here on Thanksgiving Day for dinner with my family. We were too busy and tired to cook so figured we'd treat ourselves to a nice meal at Akbar! Service was great and the food was delicious! Portions are a bit on the small side, but still filling. Okra fries were so yummy and different as an appetizer. We also had the classic chicken tikka masala (well seasoned and not too heavy), chicken malai kebab (super soft and tender!) and baigan bharta (delish!). The cherry on top was they made a small turkey and sides for anyone in the restaurant to share so we still got to have some yummy Thanksgiving food on the side of our meal (and I got my stuffing fix which was the only thing I was missing that day!). read more

Akbar Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

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My family and I had a great experience dining at this restaurant on a Friday night. We had 8 PM reservations and we're promptly seated upon arrival. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is beautifully decorated with traditional Indian architecture.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I appreciated that one of the hostesses spoke Spanish, which made my mother-in-law a lot more comfortable. The menu was easy to understand and the waiter did a great job with answering all questions and accommodating allergy requests. Everyone enjoyed their food, which was beautifully presented. I definitely look forward to returning here for another special occasion. read more

Akbar Restaurant - Lobby - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

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We had a great experience dining at Akbar. We came here on the Sunday for Mother's Day and were very excited to try their brunch menu. Unfortunately, when we got there we found out that it was a brunch buffet so we didn't get a chance to try the menu. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It also was very busy so they had set up an overflow room that looked to be part of their banquet area. The set up was very similar to an event and didn't feel very much like a restaurant and was way too loud.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thankfully the staff were able to move us back into the restaurant area and we had a much better dining experience. Food: They had so many options on the brunch buffet, a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Some of my favorite item were the chaat station where you could make your own chaat mix. They had so many different ingredients to put into your chaat and a few different chutneys. I do think it would have been nice to have someone there who would mix all the ingredients and properly shake it up for you as it was hard to mix on the small plates. The pain puri was very disappointing, the water was way too sour and it didn't have any flavor. I could barely even tell it was pain puri flavors. They had a dosa station there - someone was making fresh masala dosas. He was also able to make you a plain dosa if you asked. For hot veggie appetizers, they had hakka noodles, chili paneer, and gobi Manchurian. The hakka noodles were excellent, I don't think I've ever had such flavorful noodles. The only downside was that they were a bit cold in the buffet tray. The chili paneer was well flavored and the gobi Manchurian was nice crunchy. They had a lot of mains on the buffet: 1 yellow dal, 2-3 curries, and 2 vegetable dishes. The mains were good. And they were amazing and made us fresh chili naan for our table at no additional cost. Service: everyone was very friendly and helpful. They checked in on us and always had a smile. Price: The buffet brunch was $40/person and given the number of items I do think it was a fair price. read more

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The food was amazing . The service was good. I wished they still had the buffet service. That was so great. We were the first people there. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was lovely.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Use to come here when in a different building at Roosevelt Field in the 90's and the other location on Jericho turnpike in Woodbury. Food was not as good as I remembered and the service was terrible. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Most likely due to a big party going on in the main room.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We sat in bar area and had to go up to bar to get our own drinks. Not the waiters fault as apparently they were understaffed. As for the food it was just mediocre maybe because of the catering venue going on. They use to put out lime pickles mango chutney and green chutney but no more, had to keep asking for some. Everything was lacking spice and heat. I will go back again and give it another shot but for now the jury is out. read more

I had the pleasure of dining at Akbar during their Sunday brunch on August 3rd. It was just two of us so we opted to share everything. We ordered the "everything bagel naan" with scallion cream cheese and smoked salmon, and also received pickled red onions! The dish was fantastic and everything you would want in a bagel bite without the heaviness of a bagel! We also tried the chilli cheese toast - sourdough bread with a delightful topping of melted cheese, chillies, onions and cilantro. It was delicious and paired well IMO with the Maggi ketchup! Another hit for us was the saffron-cardamom French toast sticks. I am not a sweet breakfast/brunch person but I would definitely order this again! It was light and fluffy and the cardamom was just the right amount! I would recommend a cup of masala chai to go along with the French toast! We were very happy with the service and were even given an order of the Dubai chocolate naan on the house (thank you!). It was delicious! A bit of sweet and savory all in one. A definite favorite for my kids when I brought home the leftovers! We order often from Akbar for dinner as they are IMO a staple in the area for quality and flavor when it comes to Indian cuisine . The Indian-American fusion brunch options were a refreshing treat from the normal brunch classics you would find elsewhere. I would return and bring friends! read more

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Food was really good -- authentic Indian food and we loved everything we tried. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was nice, and the service was good too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We went for their Mother's Day brunch and had a great experience overall. Definitely recommend this place if you're craving good Indian food! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]With great ambiance, amazing decor and delicious food, this restaurant is an outstanding find in Long Island.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service from the moment you sit down is impeccable. Food is stellar and the restaurant owner stops by the check in on your experience multiple times. This restaurant is one of the few that really cares about the dining experience and from first bite everything is heavenly. We had the goat golen rosh, chicken tikka, palak paneer, chicken vindaloo, chicken lollipops and lamb chops. We also had the cauliflower Manchurian, cauliflower soup as well as the garlic naan and pilaf rice. I've never been more satisfied with a meal. Every bite was amazing and service was fantastic. What a great time, I can't wait to come back for more!! This place is a diamond find! We also had a few specialty drinks and they were all very well made and not cheap with the alcohol. It was an amazing night! read more

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Food was good, but the woman who walked around chatting with customers was out of line and disrespectful. I was having a conversation with my wife and this woman proceeds to interrupt and say "I love your sweater". It caught me and my wife by surprise because a respectful woman would have said it in the presence of my wife too so she can hear or she could have spoke to my wife and told her she loved her husbands sweater. read more

I went to Akbar with my bestie for Long Island Restaurant Week. We chose this restaurant because right now I am eating as a vegan. They had really good choices. I wasn't disappointed. We started with the cauliflower soup and it was really good. The flavor was delicious and it wasn't spicy. Then I had the mixed Pakora which was fried vegetables and that was really good. My bestie had the chicken lollipop and she enjoyed them. For my main course I had the Tadka Dal which was lentils in a sauce with really delicious spices. It was a little too spicy for me but I am not a spicy eater to begin with. It was still really good. The rice was delicious too. Then for the dessert I had the kulfi which was vegan ice cream. I enjoyed it. The service was good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I loved the ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I will definitely go back. read more

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An upscale indian restaurant with halal meat? Yes please. We ordered Amritsari Fish (8/10), Chicken Lollipop (2/10 for me because there was distinct raw chicken smell although the chicken was fully cooked. I'm not sure what it was since it didn't seem raw but it was still there) and Chicken Tikka Masala (10/10 - absolutely loved it) Service was very prompt and accommodating as you expect from a place as such and [[HIGHLIGHT]]we loved the ambiance![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

During dinner service, Akbar's staff is usually very attentive & on top of things, along with food that is intricate but delicious in taste. Overall exceptional. It was like this in the past, pre-pandemic times & it was just as good when we treated a friend for her birthday just a month ago. The staff was promoting their new upcoming brunch option at the time, so we were excited to try it next visit. It's not often that we can afford to come here, but we returned today for brunch since we looked forward to trying it. Akbar staff seemed much less attentive as we kept reminding them of missing items & we waited for 20+ minutes per dish coming out, one at a time. We kept having to share one dish as we waited for the rest. For brunch, we had some refresher drinks that were fantastic, but the high oil content in the naan, dosa, & French toast that we received made it tough for most of our group to consume. We really wanted to order more like the ice cream (highly recommend the rose petal ice cream). But we couldn't wait longer since we were there for almost 2 hours. I'm not sure if today was an outlier since a review from earlier this week mentioned brunch buffet, but this instance was pretty unacceptable. I still highly recommend that if you're interested in this place, I feel that it's definitely worth going to dinner for. It's just hard when we really looked forward to brunch to end up with this experience. read more

Definitely one of the best in Long Island. Quality Indian food with authentic taste not modernized or fusion. Must try the Lamb Chops and Tikkas . Also great for large party , no reservation needed. read more

Akbar Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

Excellent service, our server let us try the dessert before getting them (we got both) the appetizers are tasty and savory, the main course was even more impressive, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the interior is chic and not stuffy[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. I felt the chai could've been a little stronger but all in all a really lovely delicious experience. read more

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Always a favorite. Classic indian food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Fine dining vibes.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Vegetarian options amazing but non veg plenty. Always quick and good service read more

What made Akbar's think that jalapeño belonged as part of a pakora appetizer? For the first time, I can actually say that a dish was horrible. Jalapeños do not belong in a pakora dish. As expensive as Akbars has become, taking away from the appetizer by adding something completely out of character is not a good look. Akbar's used to be my go to location for great Indian cuisine, but they have priced themselves out of the running, offering some of my favorite dishes at almost $25 a plate. In addition, they charge extra for rice, something not done in fine Indian restaurants. Unfortunately, I will be visiting them much less, if at all. They really need to do better if they would like more referrals in any visits from me. read more

I went for my friend's wedding and the food was delicious! The service was pretty good as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The venue is beautiful and accommodates a large number of people.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I've been here a couple of times from when I wrote my review. First I came here with a large group to celebrate a birthday. I had a chance to try many dishes. The lamb chops were amazing. I then came here last week. Thinking that I really liked the lamb chops the last time, I decided to order that again. Also had an order of the lollipop chicken. Sad to say that neither was anything like the previous time. The lamb chops were burnt (I wanted to post a pic of the burnt bones after I finished eating but thought it would be gross) and the chicken was bland. The lamb chops were definitely not worth $40. Service was actually very good and the restaurant looks really nice so thats why I'm giving it 3 stars. read more

Akbar Restaurant - Lollipop Chicken - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

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The thought of the food makes you want more. The waiters and managers are always there to provide good service. My wife and I try to go as often as we can. read more

Been meaning to try Akbar for awhile and finally got the chance. Inside is a little chaotic since it can get pretty busy but the staff does a great job with handling all of the requests. Went with the chili fried shrimp for my appetizer which was amazing. I could eat 30 of these. Can't go to an Indian restaurant for the 1st time without ordering the Chicken Tikka Masala & some sort of Biryani so I went with lamb and a Kingfisher to wash it all down. Everything was amazing, I'll definitely be back to try the lamb chops next time! read more

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The food was very good and the staff is so sweet and attentive. Every person who walked by checked on us and made little jokes. The chicken tikka masala was delicious. I will definitely return. The location was a little tucked away so I was surprised that I actually pass it often on my way to target ! I would have ordered from work since I'm in garden city. I will definitely suggest this place to everyone. The restaurant is more of a hall than a trendy place. But their service makes up for any IG pictures you were looking to take. There's no grass wall or neon lights however the overhead lights help to take amazing selfies so the visit will be photographable. read more

Akbar Restaurant - Garlic Naan Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

So amazing! Everything is fresh, flavorful, tender and just awesome!!! Service is stellar! Restaurant is elegant in design! Cannot wait to return! read more

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Excellent ! Service was impeccable, [[HIGHLIGHT]]authentic decor & cuisine.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Owner greeted us & waiter suggested a great meal. Thank you. read more

It wasn't my first time here but first time reviewing. I think the food here is fabulous and they give you decent size portions. On this visit we had the Lamb Vindaloo; Chicken Tikka Masala; Chicken Biryani; Garlic Naan; and Poori. As indicated, everything tasted great! The Lamb Vindaloo was not overly spicy- I tend to like it a bit hotter than what was served. I will say if you are looking for ambiance - this place is not that. But for a solid Indian meal without drama- Akbar is it read more

Posting on behalf of my friend who doesn't have yelp. He was given the check before he was even served his food...like what kind of service is that? read more

We have ordered takeout since the pandemic hit in March/April of 2020, about 4x a month. Since April of this year, the quality of food has changed. The portions of meat in their dishes are almost 1/2 of what they used to serve. They need to do better never at & $75/$90 for the two people we spend each time; this is ridiculous. Also, since when do you need to order PLAIN RICE with your butter chicken or another dinner dish? read more

All points for holi event they organized. So much fun we had there. Definitely recommending to everyone for next year.

It's a trap!.....Wait, wrong Akbar (spelled differently too). Honestly, there might be a little truth in that statement, but let's not start off too much on the wrong foot because when I visited this upscale Indian food establishment with my buddy a couple weeks back we did partake in an enjoyable meal. So what makes things three? Read on! I've known of Akbar for a while as I've driven the borders and outskirts of Roosevelt Field Mall and caught it's large and prestigious exterior now and again. Finally came the day to enter its doors, but not before a little valet parking, a process I've never loved. Of course, I also misplaced my ticket (found it later in the backseat), but the valet attendee was super cool about it and remembered my car (even if it took him a while to get it back to me). Once inside, that fancy feeling continued as we walked into a high ceiling dining room with a beautiful bar on the right hand side and several tables set up with comfy-ish seating. A waiter came by and gave us water as well as some crisp papadum for the table. That initial waiter wasn't our only staff attendee. Several people took our order and brought us our dishes. Sometimes I like this kind of service, though for the way things moved (and those few spots of time in during that were a little lengthy before getting a check-in with our meal) made things feel off. Backtrack for a moment to the menu for what we actually ordered. There was a great selection of dishes about on par or slightly above your average Indian establishment. I'm still rocking some novice-ness when it comes to this type of grub so my buddy and I kept things simple with samosas, palak paneer, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and cheese kulcha along with a side of rice. Here's where things fall into that "trap" I jokingly mentioned... Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad. That chicken tikka masala was one of the best I've had with its velvety sauce and tender pieces of chicken. The cheese kulcha was deliciously creamy and hit the spot. After that, the samosas, paneer and naan were all good, but I've honestly had better. And therein lies the trap, pricing. Because Akbar isn't your run-of-the-mill restaurant. This place is on the upper end and rightfully so when most of the building is used as a catering hall for parties. So coming here for a regular ol' dinner probably doesn't jive so well. I mean if you had the dollars to spare then I might say sure, why not enjoy a dinner at Akbar any old night, but I can't vouch that the quality matched the pricing. Again, nothing was nasty, but for several dollars less, I've had bigger portions and tastier food. Just sayin'. Overall, my goal isn't to badmouth Akbar. Instead, it's to get a more clear understanding of when Akbar works best. Family party? Retirement dinner? Gala event? Yeah I could see Akbar totally being the spot to make it happen and perhaps I'll find myself back here for one of those instances. They have the look and feel of something special with dishes that are decent if not occasionally delicious. But if you just want dinner, talk to the Admiral and he'll tell you, this might just be a trap you're walking into. read more

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Very nice Indian food buffet. Definitely a must try for every one. The atmosphere is relaxed with no pressure from staff. Nice selection of well seasoned and flavorful vegetarian and meat dishes. I will come back for sure Addendum This is my second visit today October 2019 with my sister for lunch. Once again did not disappoint. Excellent customer service! Barely no wait time. Not noisy. Great selection of hot food buffet including several traditional Indian dishes tandoori chicken, tikki masala, vegetable pakoras, tarkari pulao, dal makhani, aloo matar, palak paneer. My personal favorites are the samosas and aloo matar. Left happy and full for the day. read more

Akbar Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

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Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered delivery thru UberEats. Part of the order did not arrive. The restaurant refused to deliver the part of the order missing. And trying to talk to the manager wasn't successful because he was apparently in the banquet room and couldn't make the time to come to talk about it. The reception people just gave me the run around, trying to blame it on Uber Eats, saying the delivery person took the food. We have been long time customers and did not expect this kind of behavior. Beware with respect to delivery orders from this restaurant!! read more

Amazing!! If you love Indian cuisine this place ranks up there with the best of them. Quick service. Ambience is beautiful. Highly recommend instead of the standby restaurants near the mall come here and prepare to have your senses delighted!! read more

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Overpriced. Does not offer rice with 20$ dish. Extremely disappointed that quality did not meet the price tag. 6.5/10 read more

Akbar serves up some fine, delicious Indian food in a classy and elegant setting. Service is generally good other than the occasional language barrier issue, though they will fetch another staff member to help if there's a communication problem. I don't know this for sure but the sense is that the staff are all members of an extended family. Authentic! Don't be surprised if an Indian wedding celebration is taking place in the adjoining hall. You can dress up here. The only thing I'd change is to lower the dining room lights a bit. The meal pace tends to be on the slower side but everything is made fresh with obvious care so it's worth the wait. They offer delivery on Uber Eats and possibly other platforms. Our one experience with that was excellent, very quick, hot food and well packaged. You might have a little sticker shock because prices are quite a bit higher than typical for this cuisine-but, the food is superb. Everything is a la carte including rice. They give 15% off on pickup orders but you will need to mention it. Exceptions to the high price rule: the 'sampler" platters with soup, a protein, lentils, two other veggie dishes, rice, salad and naan. A great deal and a plentiful meal. And of course the Sunday dinner buffet is fabulous. Give this a try to partake in a dozen or so classic dishes, all the naan you can hold, soups, appetizers and dessert. I couldn't hold any more and they even wrapped up my leftovers. At a buffet! Looking forward to our next Akbar experience. read more

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Such a great experience at Akbar. The service was great, food was awesome and the restaurant was beautiful. We will be back! read more

Akbar Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Garden City, New York

We had to wait a bit, and were seated at a small table. As soon it was available, though, the hostess was very considerate, and moved to a corner booth. The food and service were excellent, and the servers came by often to ask if we needed anything. There was a cauliflower soup on the restaurant week menu, which is not usually on the regular menu. I would highly recommend adding it, it was delicious. We will be coming back. read more

Akbar helped me with a holiday party recently for a non Indian group. The group raved about the flavors and we were all wishing akbar was closer to us!! read more

Yesterday I tried to go once again and the last one to Akbar and it's the same no attention to "please mild " the food was so hot!!!! No more this torture !!!!! read more

RECOMMENDED On Friday, June 26th, I hosted a dinner for five at Akbar in Garden City, one of Long Island's oldest Indian restaurants. Akbar has a bizarre location at the edge of the Roosevelt Field Mall. Better to find it via Stewart Avenue than cluelessly navigating around those heavily traveled roads which circle the perimeter of Roosevelt Field as I did. There is a parking lot in the back of the restaurant. A very pleasant and helpful young lady seated me at an outdoor table where I awaited my fellow diners. Orders were taken and arrived relatively quickly. There were two problems, however. The dishes were placed at arbitrary locations around the table with no heed paid to who ordered what. We were left to guess which orders were whose. This is not brain science. I did not expect this from a restaurant of this pedigree. Moreover, the Basmati Rice (an extra charge) was brought to our table in communal bowls. Duh! Did they get the memo about COVID-19? On the positive side, the restaurant cured the aforementioned faux pas rapidly and pleasantly. They gave each person their proper dish and brought out rice in individual bowls. The food and drink here were very good. They made me a killer Grey Goose Vodka Martini and brought me a smooth Bira 91, a delicious India Pale Ale. The Naan was as fluffy as you would expect. My Chicken Tikka Masala had tender chicken and a deeply red and well seasoned "gravy". It was one of the best versions of this dish that I've had. My fellow diners enjoyed the Shrimp Biryani, Lamb Biryani and Lamb Vindaloo. We opted to not have dessert but relished our good experience. BOTTOM LINE: Akbar is still one of the better Indian restaurants on Long Island after many years in business. I would not hesitate to return but hope they work on the issues described above. read more

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Very classy and elegant indian restaurant located in garden city! Big and spacious inside. The food was tasty and the chicken biriyani as well the the lamb were both splendid. I think the price was a little high in comparison with the amount of food given. Nevertheless, service was good and food was tasty. Will I be returning here? If there is a special occasion, but for regular indian food cravings this would not be the place due to its price and quantity! Food could have been more spicy as well- it was very mild. read more

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