Some of the best restaurant discoveries happen by complete accident. We were actually on our way to AnnachiKarahi when gps informed us it had moved and been replaced by Charminar. While my husband drove, I quickly pulled up the Yelp page. The menu immediately caught my attention, but I'll admit I was hesitant. There were only a handful of reviews, and the ratings didn't quite match the ambition of the menu. Still, Hyderabadi cuisine is one of India's great culinary traditions, and it's surprisingly underrepresented in the Bay Area. Curiosity won. I'm so glad it did. Having visited Hyderabad, I know it as a city obsessed with food, a place where recipes reflect centuries of Nizami, Mughlai, Persian, and Telugu influences. While many restaurants here advertise themselves as Hyderabadi, they often stop at biryani. Charminar embraces the breadth of the cuisine, with everything from mandi and gongura specialties to chicken sukka, Mughlai curries, and, on weekends, freshly made rumali rotis. That alone made me stop and take notice. The restaurant itself is warm and inviting, with tasteful artwork celebrating the Hyderabad cityscape and the iconic Charminar. The staff matched the atmosphere: genuinely welcoming, knowledgeable, and eager to guide us through the menu without ever rushing us. The meal began with refreshing drinks before quickly moving into what became one of the highlights of the evening: the kebabs. The Lasooni Kebab and the Malai Kebab were exceptional. Both were astonishingly tender the kind of tenderness that only comes from patient marination and careful cooking. The Malai Kebab, in particular, was outstanding. Delicate notes of ginger and garlic layered into a creamy marinade, finished with the unmistakable whisper of charcoal smoke, created a kebab that was elegant rather than heavy. It was one of the finest versions I've had in the Bay Area. For the mains, we ordered the Chicken Sukka and Lal Chicken alongside the weekend rumali rotis. Paper-thin, almost like silk, they arrived impossibly soft and stayed that way throughout the meal. Anyone who has searched for authentic rumali roti in the Bay Area knows how rare that is. Too often they become rubbery within minutes. And it's rare to find it on menus so get your hands on it (weekends only!) The Chicken Sukka was my favorite curry of the evening. Layers of roasted coconut, deeply caramelized onions, warming spices, and beautifully cooked chicken came together in a dish that was both rustic and deeply satisfying. The Lal Chicken surprised me. Given the name, I expected assertive heat, but instead found a curry that leaned sweeter and tangier than anticipated. Not a flaw, just a different interpretation than I had expected. And then came the dish that reminded me why Hyderabad occupies such a revered place in India's culinary landscape. The Gosht Dum Biryani. If you visit on a weekend, don't overthink your order. Get it. Anyone can pile onions and masala onto rice and call it biryani. True dum biryani is a lesson in restraint. Every grain of rice should carry the perfume of saffron, whole spices, stock, and meat, without relying on excess seasoning. The rice itself should be compelling enough to eat on its own. Charminar gets this exactly right. Every spoonful was fragrant and beautifully balanced. The lamb was meltingly tender, yielding effortlessly from the bone, while the mirchi ka salan added earthy warmth and the raita brought just enough freshness to complete the experience. It was, without question, the standout dish of the evening and among the better Hyderabadi biryanis I've had in the Bay Area. The most exciting part is that we barely scratched the surface of the menu. Finding a restaurant that doesn't simply borrow Hyderabad's famous name but genuinely celebrates the diversity of its cuisine is rare. Charminar feels like it was built by people who understand what makes the city's food so beloved. What a wonderful addition to Sunnyvale. I sincerely hope the community gives this restaurant the attention it deserves. We'll certainly be back Congratulations to the Charminar team. read more

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Unlimited pani puri is a joke here. They donot want u to breath or sit while they serve so u eat less. They use chat curry as stuffing and only one type of pani. Very rude service Adding samosa chat is another joke. Please do not waste time and just enjoy pani puri at apni Mandi read more

Good food, fast service and nice ambience. We went there after a movie and weren't really hungry because of the popcorn. So we ordered something easy chicken sukka and egg curry. coupled them with butter naan and chilli naan. Wife enjoyed the sukka and butter naan. the chili naan was green on top and did have some kick to it. The egg masala was good (sort of Kerala style). it could have been better paired with a malabar or a Kerala paratha. maybe they can add this to the menu. the table next to us had Mandi chicken and so my wife has her next visit planned out. one thing that confused me was the pricing. why is a 3 egg egg curry is $18.99 and chicken sukka is $15.99. Overall a nice experience, the service staff were also very good. Will go another time for sure. read more

FOOD everything was yummy and didn't feel heavy. INSIDE is nicely decorated. Parking is in a plaza. Next to a Mexican grocery store. SERVICE was good no complaints. I'd come back. read more

Charminar - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

We asked them to make it spicy and they delivered quite well! I love rumali roti - it's like a handkerchief - very thin and tasty. It was very good. My hubby enjoyed the biryani - this dum biryani is only a Fri / Sat / Sun deal. Other biryanis are available all week long. I also had their irani chai - was very authentic. If you haven't tried it before, it's super sweet and milky. This used to be Appakadai and they shut down. These guys have spend some money to make it a little more upscale - with the skyline of Hyderabad. They have only 1 guy taking orders and doing the billing - they are still figuring out the workflow and I be more efficient. I will come back and try mor dishes. read more

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I loved the food and the service; everything was excellent. Me encantó y todo estaba muy rico y la señora que atiende limpiando es muy amable read more

The meal was warm, flavorful, and very satisfying overall. The butter chicken had a rich, creamy texture with a deep, slightly sweet and savory taste perfectly spiced without being overwhelming. The meat inside was tender and well-cooked, absorbing all the delicious flavors of the sauce. The chili garlic naan was soft, buttery, and slightly crispy on the edges, making it perfect for dipping into the curry. The basmati rice was fluffy and light, balancing the richness of the dish. My favorite so far For dessert, the gulab jamun was soft, sweet, and soaked in syrup very indulgent and a perfect way to end the meal. read more

Charminar - Chilli Garlic Naan, Butter Chicken, Gulab Jamun (4pcs) - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Chicken achari was absolutely delicious. It was super intense with garlic and spices. I liked the taste of the palak paneer but the consistency was too smooth for me. The naan was chewy, but could have been due to sitting around for too long while I headed over to pick up the order. The restaurant has a cool vibe. I will pass official judgement once I can have the naan fresh. read more

Food here is always good. but the service is unfortunately a bit lacking. I would give it 3.5 stars because having to wait over 30 minutes for a biryani when all other food is already served and getting cold was a bore. but regardless i would come again for the flavors. read more

The mutton dum biryani was extremely disappointing. This did not taste like authentic Hyderabadi dum biryani at all. The meat seemed like cheap, tough goat meat that had been boiled beforehand and then added to the biryani, rather than being properly cooked in the dum process. The result was large, uneven, hard bones with very little meat and almost no flavor. One of the waiters even told me that "goat biryani means bones," while also mentioning that he is a Hyderabadi vegetarian. That explanation says enough. If you want to understand the difference, compare this with the mutton biryani at Chichas Mehfil. The contrast in meat quality, flavor, tenderness, and preparation is obvious. Authentic dum biryani should have flavorful, tender meat that is properly cooked with the rice--not pre-boiled, tough meat thrown into the final preparation. I have no problem paying for good food, and I appreciate any restaurant that serves a dish true to its name and maintains quality. But using cheaper, lower-quality meat and shortcuts in preparation just to increase profit is not acceptable to customers who know what authentic Hyderabadi biryani is supposed to taste like. Now, I can easily tell what mutton they must be using in curries BIG RED FLAG on MEAT forget about the recipe. Now I'm a Hyderabadi who's fairly expert at cooking mutton dum biryani at home. Grew up eating as staple in Hyderabad. Fooling customers big time. If you are specifically visiting for authentic Hyderabadi mutton dum biryani, I would recommend trying other places before coming here. Charminar name is a joke read more

***USP: wouldn't call it upscale but definitely a place with tastefully decorated ambiance serving some authentic Hyderabadi cuisine. ***AMBIANCE: they took over the appakadai location next to the 24/7 Indian grocery store Apni Mandi. Lot of fake greenery but the 3d wall murals are well done. They have traditional Indian jali over the windows as well reminiscent of some palaces in Hyderabad. ***FOOD: the food truly transported me back to my hometown. All the places serving what they call as authentic Hyderabadi biryani in the bayarea tend to be overly spicy, some might be delicious but it's not the same as the popular generations old restaurants from Hyderabad. We got Hyderabadi chicken curry and chicken dum biryani. The dum biryani was subtly spiced similar to a restaurant called Bahar cafe from Hyderabad. The chicken curry on the other hand was delicately flavored with the richness of coconut and poppy seeds. Not an overly thick gravy similar to North Indian styles but more of a thin yet flavorful South Indian flair style gravy. We got chilli garlic naans to go with the chicken. They were not too spicy but definitely on the smaller side. We had to order more as our usual order size was not sufficient. They have unlimited pani puri for 7.99 on Thursdays. Definitely doesn't gel with the ambiance they have going on but I was excited to try it nonetheless. Since it was unlimited, people just queued up and were taking a long time. I had to cancel my order due to that. Indian restaurants and chefs keep changing often in the bayarea and it has become difficult to find a place that stays consistent over years, I hope they maintain what they have going currently! read more

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Lovely ambiance! This place was previously Appakadai and they have remodeled it beautifully. We ordered the Chicken Dum Biryani, side order of eggs and Salt lemon soda. Biryani was delicious! Meat very well done and very much Hyderabadi style, with no overpowering spices. Coming back to try more on the menu now that they are closer to my place! read more

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Patethic food quality . Hard , rubbery , chicken . As if was old and sitting there for quite sometime. Mutton was same not tender and very chewy . Went in the trash .. as it was inedible read more

Charminar - Chicken Tangdi Kebab - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Excellent mutton biryani! We ordered via their website and picked up our order both times. The flavors were absolutely authentic and the medium spice level was on point. There were succulent pieces of mutton in the biryani. The flavors were amazing! Please keep up with the quality and flavors! Again, excellent chicken lollipops, Hyderabad-style. They were not Indo chinese. It would be great if they could add indo chinese lollipops in their menu because their chilli chicken is ultra spicy and authentic so they would do a great job with the dish! The butter chicken is phenomenal! Charminar has the best butter chicken in the Bay Area! I wasn't impressed with the tandoori chicken though. I know it was a to-go order and the texture may have been affected but there was no charring on the chicken and it smelled a bit off and tasted oddly tangy. The cabbage and onions put together in the box with the tandoori pieces of chicken did not seem washed and they tasted gritty. We would love to visit for dine-in soon and will keep ordering their biryanis! read more

We ordered the family pack of the Goat Dum Biryani, and the portion size was incredibly generous. The biryani was authentic and absolutely delicious--packed with flavor, with succulent, tender goat meat and perfectly fluffy rice. Our whole family loved it, and we'll definitely be coming back for more. Highly recommended! read more

Food was okay. Service was not!! Manu was big but, most items were not available. Finally took orders and bought something else to the table. And explanation was that we are out of that so bought you this. No apologies nothing. Won't go back. read more

Authentic Hyderabad food, friendly staff and nice vibe. Highly recommend. Try all different type of chicken and rice. Unlike most restaurant all have unique gravy taste read more

This is the chicken you get in chicken biryani uncooked not marinated inspite of paying 20 dollars for a to go biryani It might be a health risk to consume this read more

Charminar - Chicken biryani - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Overall, not terrible but not very good either. Ambience was a bit worn down. Service was a bit inattentive. They got our order wrong ... maybe English was not their first language. Food was edible, but pretty mediocre. The best thing is that portions were really huge for the chicken biryani. Pakora was over fried and borderline burnt. Spiced tea was OK. The biryani was easily enough for two people. Price for everything was like $31, which is super cheap but you get what you pay for. read more

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Good thing my friend invited me to this place, so wouldnt have gone myself. The ambiance is nice and spacious, theres seating options for 4, 6, or more at a table. The lighting and decoration is on modern side. Staff was helpful and friendly. The menu was a bit interesting- things like mutton and bhuna ghosht were as starters as compared to entrees. And for starters they are almost $19 . The tandoori chicken which is 2 leg quarters cut into 4 pieces almost $17- crazy prices. And the masala was dark red and only on the top, it wasnt marinated long enough to penetrate on the inside so it felt a bit under cooked or not flavored well. The garlic and butter naans were good and fresh but on thinner side and pricier than many other desi restaurants at 3.CTM was more of a butter chicken taste and texture, the goat dum biryani had goat meat that was old and felt stale and the rice had no flavor whether ontop or in middle or bottom. After main meals the chai was actually good but the quantity was so tiny i got sad. One thing i enjoyed and we got like 3-4oz cup sizes. Gulab jamun had good texture but the taste wasnt there. Generous amount per order (4 pieces). Rasmalai was fine- no complaints read more

The food was amazing one of the best tandoori chicken and biryani we have had in a while. Harsh seated us and was very attentive and made the whole experience more pleasant. The Irani chai was delicious but it was in this tiny espresso cup that would be my only complaint. I had to order two chais to feel like I had half a cup Will definitely return here!! read more

Service is fast. Food was unimpressive. Palak paneer was just ok. Soya malai chaap can be skipped. Naans were fine. Paneer tikka - it was like eating rubber. The accompaniments (chutneys and raita) were lacking any flavor. They also have the strangest gratuity policy - tied to the size of the table you are sitting on. Given the available options on El Camino, I don't see myself coming back here again. read more

Tried Chai Minar for the first time and honestly, it was a huge letdown. Ordered the chicken tikka masala (spicy) and mutton bhunaawa. The mutton bhunaawa was the biggest disappointment -- the texture was completely off. Some pieces were extremely overcooked, others felt undercooked, but somehow all of them were tight and chewy. It was so unpleasant that I had to throw most of it away. The chicken tikka masala wasn't much better. It leaned heavily on the sweeter side, and the curry itself lacked depth or richness. The menu/photo suggests proper tikka pieces, but what showed up felt more like boiled chicken chunks tossed into sauce -- not the charred, smoky tikka you expect. Overall, the experience felt like wasted money and wasted excitement. Definitely not going back. read more

We went with a couple of friends who are from India. We were there for their soft opening in Oct. As Charminar was not yet listed on YELP, our friend wrote the following review on Google Food; and I agree with her assessment. "What a lovely dinner! Everything was just as we expected - and some; started with chicken tikka and naans , crispy and not doughy - yum- then we had the biriyani, (what else!) Just sublime. Presley was an excellent server, he rounded off a great evening, solicitous without being overwhelming. We will definitely be back." And we have been back! read more

-5 stars. Bunch of liars and utter inability to handle volume. Had to finally ask for a refund for my online order after waiting for over an hour. Every time I checked, I was told that it's "just" coming. Even when asking for a refund, the guy was telling me that he can't do a refund since it was an online order. A lot people were being quoted a wait time of 5-10 minutes while others were waiting for over 45 minutes. Felt bad for someone who had a catering order placed 2 hours ago, had been waiting for more than 1 hour at the counter and their guests had arrived. After this horrible experience, this was my first and last order. read more

Really enjoyed the food (especially the Dhaba Chicken Curry) and good service too! Nice and bright ambiance as well read more

Charminar - Hyderabadi Goat Dum Biryani - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Food is great but restaurants prefers Delivery orders over Dine in! You may have to wait more than 35+ mins to get food on the table.

Love their biriyani, chicken gravy items are also very good. Fresh and tasty food. Stuff behavior is always welcoming.

Ordered bhatura with kheema, chicken 65 biryani, and Bezawada biryani. The bhatura was average, and both biryanis were terrible. I was also served the wrong biryani, and while one server acknowledged it, another waiter argued about it. Very disappointing experience -- with better options in Sunnyvale, I won't be visiting again. read more

Came here for the lunch special and takeout. I was told 10 minutes, but it took 20 minutes to get my order. The food was already not very good in terms of flavor and quality, the garlic naan was dense and not chewy. However, the chicken in the butter chicken and chicken tikka masala actually tasted off. I looked up other reviews and saw other people got upset stomachs after eating here and decided to throw it away which was an absolute waste. Would definitely not recommend; spend your money elsewhere. Workers were nice, though read more

Food, service, and prices are really good. The staff is so kind and friendly. This is my second time trying Indian food and I really like it , 10/10! We tried a lot of different dishes and everything was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

Servers were extremely attentive and accommodating. Food was very delicious and they were able to listen to our request on making the food a little milder for us. Great ambiance and the music was a vibe! read more

Customer service really good ! I have been here twice and the food es really good and clean

Great food, great people , clean and neat. Customer service amazing. I recommend the butter penner

Unlimited pani puri is a disaster... mostly serving puris with just water sometimes if you get lucky it has masala inside. Finally when the 2nd server joined then the circle of 7 people eating could actually get decent service. Flavor was average. Not coming back here. The chutney on the samosa had chat has gone stale. read more

The food here is very good and the service was good and descent and there dum biryani is next level must go and try

Amazing food and amazing service must try there goat biryani and goat haleem and the meat is also zabiha halal here amazing food must come and try read more

Service is extremely slow. They don't care how long you are waiting. They have a lot of tables but can't cater to it. Do not go unless you are ok waiting for hours for your food after ordering without any clue of when your food will come read more

We ordered veg biryani, Bagara baingan , rumali roti, tandoori roti and Irani chai. It was all ok tasting, the chai tasted nice though. Ambience was good. Service was fine too. read more

Excellent food, great service. We tried Chicken Majestic, lal chicken, Hyderabadi curry chicken and shahi tukda. Everything was perfect. Naan quality was also very good. Maybe they can be a little flexible to make their entrees mild because people born in the US cannot handle authentic Indian spice level. Our server Harshdeep was very friendly and helpful. read more