This is a Pakistani restaurant. That's obvious from the decor, artwork and the news on the tv. This place felt authentic. The server was really attentive and the prices were reasonable. It felt family owned. I had the chicken tandoori and the naan. The food was definitely above average. The tandoori was seasoned adequately and was tender and juicy on the inside. My complaint with the tandoori chicken was that you didn't taste the ginger garlic paste-based masala the chicken is usually marinated in. The flavor was more dry spices heavy and felt like it was marinated in an off-the-shelf dry spice blend. The meat was grilled nicely though. I wish it had the wet spice blend flavors. The naan was good too. They have more traditional Pakistani dishes on the menu like nihari, haleem, magaz, etc. that I would like to try. I will return. read more

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I really enjoyed my visit here. My Pakistani coworker recommended this spot for lunch, and I was really excited to try Pakistani food. Walking in, I could tell it was an authentic family owned restaurant, and I loved that feeling. The owner was our server. I can't have dairy, so it was key that my coworker was with me and could speak with the owner in a native language. He was very accommodating and made chickpeas and rice and plane rice for me without dairy. It was so good. The stewed veggies entree and the chicken without dairy were both so great. I also tried my coworkers chicken kebabs, which I had never seen like this, but they were really good. All the food was well seasoned and the stews had great flavor and spice. I know Pakistani food is cook with lots of oil, but it was worth it for this meal. The side salad was also a great size. They only had ranch dressing, so I took the salad home where I had other dressing options. It's also great that it's halal meat. Overall , I really enjoyed my visit. I will say I am a bit nervous to go back without my friend because I'm not sure if I'd be able to guarantee there would be no dairy in my dishes, but I'd for sure go back with her. read more

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Very bad attitude when taking orders disappointing behavior of the lady at the counter

My friend took me here to try some Pakistani and Halal food. Overall, great food at unbeatable prices. I was initially worried that 3 items may not be enough, but the portions are huge. I was stuffed towards the end. read more

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Ordered chicken pulav. Chicken was very very dry as if it was dead 'again'. Sorry for this feedback but hope it helps in improving the quality. read more

This is the most underrated restaurant in Boston and I had some of the best food here. They are a 100% halal restaurant serving Pakistani and Indian food. Seriously every dish was impressive. The owners were also so kind and the service was quick because it wasn't super busy, For food, we got the samosa chat, garlic naan, chicken biryani, karahi gosht (goat), magaz masala (goat brain), tandoori chicken, and seekh kebab. Samosa chat was unlike anything I've had before. It was almost like a deconstructed samosa topped with different sauces and every single bite had so much flavor and texture. Garlic naan and biryani were solid but not the stand outs. The karahi gosht overwhelmed my mouth with flavor. I can't even describe it but i wanted to lick every bite. Goat brain was soo creamy and was fantastic with rice- I was nervous bc its brain but soo insane. Tandoori chicken and seekh kabob came out sizzling and were soo juicy. The chicken was the best tandoori chicken I'veever had. The spices cooked on the grill perfectly I couldn't stop eating it. Sometimes only the outer layer is seasoned but even the inside was just as flavorful. The kabob had the perfect level of spice and was a crazy mix of meat and veggies. They offer a lunch buffet, caters events, and also do private parties. Trust me when i say you HAVE to go to this restaurant. It deserves to be full 24/7. read more

Darbar restaurant - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great restaurant in Brighton for authentic Pakistani food. Prices are excellent and they give personalized service. I would highly recommend. read more

Worst Indian food I have ever had. I picked this up to go. I opened it up within 5 mins of picking it up and the sauce was all separated and extremely oily. I did not know my meal didn't come with rice. I wish they would have asked me on the phone if I wanted rice with my chicken korma when I ordered it. The naan tasted like dry packaged pita bread and was not restaurant quality. Best thing I got from there was my Coca-Cola. read more

Darbar restaurant - Chicken Qorma - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Really Good service, fantastic review, chicken is super tender, Will recomment and will come again. read more

Darbar restaurant - Good service, fantastic flavor, great value, chicken is tender. - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Tried Darbar when I was in the neighborhood with time to kill. My usual favorites of vegetable pakoras and chicken mahkni were full of all the colorful flavors that make me love indian food. The aroma as the mahkni came to the table was just incredible. Prices are reasonable and food was fresh and came out of the kitchen quickly. The menu had a few items I had never seen before, assuming they were Pakistani dishes. I would love to try some of those dishes at a lunch buffet. read more

Food was absolutely amazing! The service could be a little better, but nothing that hindered the experience.

Excellent pakistani food, served fresh and hot. The service was really good and efficient, we didn't have to wait much. The ambiance is welcoming and very cultural. Will definitely come again read more

Darbar restaurant - Chai - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I ordered food to go for Iftar and found a piece of mop string in the stale chicken pulao. Disgusting. I'm really disappointed at how irresponsible they can be. Ordered some veggie pakoras, only 4 stale pieces with 2 containers of sauce in the box of pakoras so they can fill the box. It's Ramadan, please be kind and serve responsibly. read more

Darbar restaurant - A mop string in the chicken pulao...ew. - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Best Pakistani food in Boston. Ordered: Lamb Chops Brain Masala Chicken Malai boti Palak Paneer Everything was delicious especially the malai boti! read more

Great take-out spot with authentic desi food. Overpriced, so I have been going less and less. read more

I came with my wife and friend. I am visiting from California for ACP conference. Initially we were not sure about this restaurant. We totally disagree with the previous reviews . Food was very fresh and delicious. Excellent customer service. I will definitely come back here. read more

Darbar restaurant - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Sadly, I don't think the general rule of asian restaurants with 3.5 stars applies here. Came here at the recommendation of a friend for dinner and ordered the veggie biryani, chicken qorma, veggie samosas, lachha paratha, garlic naan, chikkar chole, mango lassi and chai teas. We did enjoy the samosas and drinks as well as the breads, however the biryani had, in my opinion, too many whole spices that I had to navigate through to avoid accidentally biting onto a whole peppercorn or clove. Flavor was good, but difficult to eat. The chicken qorma was ok, don't think it was worth the price for the amount, and the chickpea chole was ok as well--my friends definitely wished it was spicier, although their tolerance is much higher than the norm. Overall, this place could probably settle a craving if you're really chasing after some Pakistani food, but I don't think I'd choose this place over others. read more

the biryani and achari chicken was delicious. we also met the owner who was was really sweet as well. read more

The food was great! Loved the biryani :) The ambience was great, the staff was very friendly.

Very good biryani and chicken karahi. great gulab jamuns and price!! Will definitely visit again

Been to this place a lot of times. Good Pakistani and halal food. I love their breakfast buffet on weekends. Great for weekend halwa puri nashta. Their Nihari is great too. Place is cozy and clean. Service is good. This place caters parties and events too. read more

Had Ramadan Buffet, was really great and delicious The food was really hot and fulfilling read more

Darbar restaurant - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The reviews and ratings are accurate for this place. I had a mediocre experience. There are some pros but several cons. I'll list the pros first. Pros: very friendly, attentive, and professional staff. I felt like I was in a large family dining room as opposed to a restaurant. Second, the sauce for the meat and the red hot relish and brown sweet tamarind dipping sauces were good. Cons: the mint chutney was a bit too watered down and pasty. Rice did not come with the meal which I was bummed about and had to wait a little bit. When it came out, it was more rice than what one person could eat. The chicken that I got could have been marinated more so that the flavor or the meat was deep within the chicken. Sadly, the meat was relatively boring. Then last, but most importantly, the naan. It was so dry and solid that it made me want to cry. The seasoning on top was good but I've never had naan that was steamy and piping hot from the oven. It should be warm and rippable with fluffy grace. Instead it was a dry disk. If there's one improvement they can make, let it be the naan. read more

[4.12/5] We originally stopped by the day before and one of the owners told us to visit the following day for their Eid Al-adha buffet. I was intrigued how passionate and kind he was, as he took the time to teach me what Eid Al-adha was about. Although we were starving, we decided to wait and boy was I glad because the food turned out to be amazing! Review #042 Restaurant Type: Casual Dining with Buffet Options. My short summary sentence: Eid Mubarak! A time for celebration with lots of food! Food (65%) Taste to price 4/5 Quality to price 4/5 Portion to price 5/5 Average = 4.33 Service (20%) Friendliness 3.5/5 Promptness 4/5 Average = 3.75 Cleanliness (15%) Bathroom n/a Dining area 4/5 Kitchen area 3.5/5 Average = 3.75 Overall Score = [F(.65)]+[S(.20)]+C(.15)] = [2.81]+[0.75]+[0.56] = 4.12 The Pluses... + For $18.99, it's a steal given the variety of dishes you get. They had a little bit of everything that day. I easily ate over the value I paid for. + The owners were very nice. It's a family environment. As soon as you walk in, it feels like a family runs the place which makes me feel at home in some ways. + The food was luscious. My favorite were the GOAT BIRYANI, BEEF KORMA, and TANDOORI CHICKEN. The TANDOORI CHICKEN tasted freshly grilled. Can't beat that. + Waiter was pretty attentive. I like that my water was constantly filled. If you don't know me, I drink a lot of water :p The Negs... - I've been here other times before and it can be a hit or miss. At times their buffet is good and other times it's ok. One thing's for sure is I'll be coming here every Eid Al-adha :) The Neutrals... o The prior times I went, I was always asked if I wanted Nan. Maybe there was some miscommunication by the wait staff or maybe Nan did not come with the day's special? Either way, it wasn't communicated to me. **If you enjoyed my review and need help with the Boston area, follow or add me as a friend. I have tons of reviews like this. read more

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Lovely food, really large portions. Service is great! Love the vibe of the place as well. Would recommend the Mutton Kadhai.

Just ordered some takeout from here and tasted a couple of things from here for the first time and I must say the cooks di a good job of preparing tasty dishes the owners are very friendly and forthcoming and will definitely be back to dine in perhaps for the ayce buffet. I tried the champli kebab and another minced meat kebab and a piece of tandoori chicken which was the tastiest piece of chicken I have had in a long time. I recommend this place to the few who haven't already tried it. read more

great ambiance food and price! great uncle!!!!!!!!! Great gulab jamun will visit again

So for context, my husband and I have eaten here several times and throughly enjoyed ourselves. But in the past year they have increased prices and reduced portions. Tonight, we order two samosa chats and 1 chicken leg quarter for pick up. My husband ate the chicken leg quarter and I kid you not it was dry as beef jerky and my husband came to the conclusion that it must have been made a couple days ago. Also, the leg quarter was maybe 1/2 the size of what they used to serve. Anyways, just about 15 minutes ago my husband vomitted everything up. So yep, we're never going back again. Over priced, unhealthy food that will likely cause you to regurgitate immediately. I wish we ordered on uber eats because at least we would have gotten some money back. read more

Very disappointed with this place. Here is our order why we did not like it: 1. Seekh Kabab was really good but on the expensive for its size and it comes with nothing. 2. Tandoori chicken leg quarters, it had good flavor but very dry chicken. They completely over cooked it. 3. Chicken Makhni, the sauce was good but again their chicken was so hard, we had a hard time biting it. I suspect it was cooked and kept dry for a while and just thrown in the sauce. 4. Chicken karahi it was tasty and good, its boned chicken and you get very few pieces, it is also extremely oily. 5. Garlic naan, they have the worse naan i have ever taster. It is so easy and cheap to make naan that when an indian restaurant screw their naan big time it is not worth going back. It was also very expensive. The naan was on the thinner side, tasted rancid and was tough to eat. It had A LOT of garlic on it which is great but you still could not taste that garlic that much. I think again here like in the case of the chicken they are using old stuff. We will not be going there again. I was told their chicken tikka is good but we did not get to try it. read more

Had dinner here last night. Chiken biryani was good 7/10, not too spicy as we asked for mild. The brain masala was okay 6/10, had a sweet taste to it and was in a minced form vs regular. The naan was good. Also tried Kheer which was good but not amazing - 7/10. read more

Yelp needs a negative star. This place is as bad as it gets. I went there with family. The owner said "sit anywhere, sit on my head, would yah?" in a very rude condescending tone. Just walked away leaving our party of 10 at the door. We decided to sit in a corner. Food was as bad as it can get. Behari kebabs weren't cooked. Chicken tandoori was raw on the inside as well. Other stuff like chicken Karhai could have been okay but it the meat was cold and gravy was hot. Obviously microwaved. Two people got sick in our party. Not food poisoning but upset stomach and throwing up. Service was horrible. At one point the owner knocked a glass of water over my aunt because she said she is doesn't anything boxed up. We did the pull the owner after paying the full bill to tell him about issues with his behavior, service, quality and taste of food. He said he doesn't care and if we don't like it we shouldn't cone read more

Let's get a few things straight right off the bat: - Unless you live right next door, don't trek all the way over here (Sketchy Nowheresville, Allston) if all you want is typical Indian food. If you're not interested in anything more exotic than Chicken Tikka Masala or Tandoori Chicken, take your money and head to your local Indian restaurant instead. - If you are here to try something different ("Garsh, I wonder how Pakistani cuisine is different from Indian?"), be prepared for exotic, adventurous items that push your palate and challenge your acceptance of what's edible. - If you are this kind of adventurous eater, Darbar will be a match made in heaven. So it is best to come with a big group of like-minded foodies in order to experience everything they have to offer. Oh, and if you must bring along some prissy vegetarians/vegans, warn them ahead of time that the menu is predominantly meat, but there's a good maybe 20% that's veggie-friendly (though maybe not vegan-friendly). That way, they won't be shocked. I am an adventurous (some might say boundary-less) eater who adores exotic, "ethnic" cuisines preferably cooked in a family-style, homemade way. Darbar is exactly this kind of restaurant, right down to the adorable family with father who makes you feel like a guest in his home (seriously, the best restaurant host ever). I also came with 9 other diehard foodies, most of whom were just as adventurous as me. This is what we ordered (and what you should get): Baalti Gosht - Goat cooked with tomatoes and herbs. They were actually out of it but went and made it specially for us (have I mentioned the host and his family rock?). Came in a freakin' huge bowl and tasted incredible. Sarson Ka Saag - Mustard greens with herbs and spices. Absolutely phenomenal. You may never look at vegetables (or mustard greens, at least) the same way again. We ordered a second one of these because the first was so quickly devoured. Nihari - Beef chunks. Cow meat good. Haleem - Minced beef with lentils. Thick, creamy, good cow-liness. Paya - Oh man oh man oh man, I was practically salivating at the sight of this on the menu. Goat or beef feet soup? YESSSSS, mama! I come from the culture that eats chicken feet for dim sum. I ain't afraid of quadriped soup! God, this was so thick and creamy and savory, but be warned: it's not actually a soup like grandma's chicken noodle soup. You can't slurp it (well, you could try, but it's thick). Malai Kofta - For the less adventurous meat-eaters among us, these yummy chicken meatballs did the trick. And finally.... Magaz Masala - LAMB BRAINS!!! Yes, I said brains! We are food zombies and we eat delicious fatty lamb brains cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices. And know what? It's EXCELLENT! Other things to get that aren't quite as adventurous but still delicious: Lachha Paratha (multi-layered bread), Aloo Paratha (potato bread), Chicken Biryani (thicker and heartier than at most places) and Kashmiri Chai Tea (as creamy and delicious as Masala Chai, but inexplicably pink, thus prompting the evening-long question: "But why is it pink?") In conclusion, if everything mentioned above didn't scare the bejesus out of you, go eat here. read more

UPDATE: 01/25/18 I came here last night and fell in love. We ordered nihari, magas masala, cheese naan, garlic naan, poori, shrimp karahi, chicken makhni and pakoras. A decent Pakistani restaurant if you are looking for Pakistani cuisine. I am not at all an adventurous eater but I had their brain curry, I think it was goat brain? and wow it really didn't taste like brain at all. They really know how to cook this dish to the T! All the ingredients made it taste almost like a soft chicken keema (ground chicken) that just melts in your mouth when eaten with naan. Most impressive dish here. They also do pink Kashmiri tea! read more

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Five stars for everything...customer service, establishment, food, and because they're down the street from my job, why not throw in location. ...not to be confused with Indian food, though similar, Pakistani food is quite different. While the spices for the most part were the same, the food had a different flare, not sure that I can put my finger on it just yet because it was my first time at both Darbar as well as dining Pakistani style. Very refreshing! Lots of heat too!!! I love spicy so I was all about it. The chef that I met, who I'm sure is also the owner, was seriously the friendliest host I've ever had. Very interested in my palette, lol. Sounds weird but seriously...I told him that I was an Indian food fanatic, and also a vegetarian, he then suggested different entrees and made sure that I was a vegetarian and not a vegan, telling me which entrees were had eggs in them. Will definitely be back...oh, and the prices are on par. read more

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This restaurant deserves 10 stars and all of your business. I have been going here for a decade- yes, you read that right. And they NEVER disappoint. This is the exact "hole-in-the-wall" secret spot nearby that is never busy, reasonably priced, and cooked to perfection. Wether you are a vegetarian or meat-eater, this is the best Indian/Pakistani food in Boston. And I have tried many. Trust me, this is the best Indian cuisine in Boston. Amazing, flavorful food, wonderful staff. Long live Darbar and may it never close! read more

As others have said, earlier, its surroundings can be off putting, but don;t let them keep you away, this place is solid! I had wanted to check this place out for nearly a year, as i passed by it regularly, but, for some reason, (i think it was the location, and i don't know why) i didn't make the trip over. My loss, because i was missing out on some great indian or Pakistani food (i couldn't tell you the difference, 'cause most places i go seem to do both, and its not advertised which is which). I think my favorite aspect of this place is that is has DINNER BUFFETS on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Darbar also seems to have some menu items that i have not seen at other similar places, they are a bit more "exotic" (see liver and brains), i had the liver inadvertently one night at the buffet, and to my surprise i really enjoyed it, and i don't even care for liver! Well played Darbar, well played. Please don't let the option to get liver or brains turn you off, as they have basic indian options like Chicken Tiki Masala, ect, that is also very good. The service is awesome also, very friendly, and funny as well, willing to crack a few jokes at everyone's expense :) read more

Darbar restaurant - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I went here with 4 of my best friends to get a chilled dinner and experience what one of them referred as a "hidden culinary jewel". We arrived around 8:30pm the place was almost empty. The first thing I noticed was the very simple and plain decor, borderline with cheap. However, I like the fact that they had indian news on the screen and traditional music on the background I was hesitant to order (you always hear of people having tough times with indian food and the place didn't charmed me). My friend took the initiative and ordered all sorts of starters. Oh my, was I wrong! The food was really good (not the chicken tikka though). We ordered Veggie Samosas (good) Beef Masala (excellent) lamb kebabs (very good) lentils (good) Chicken curry (very good) chicken tika massala (good) garlic bread (excellent) Paya (not my favorite) Chat Papri (interesting but didn't like it), among others and some awesome Mango Lassis. Overall the food was better than expected. Employees were friendly (we were the only ones though) and prices accommodating. Good experience overall but don't know if I would ever ask anyone for dinner there. read more

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It was awesome to have iftar breaking here in 2015. The owner was so kind, I hope have an other iftar in the next.

Absolutely wonderful experience! My husband and I went to the iftar buffet. We had a great time eating authentic Pakistani food. The food was fresh, hot and had just the right amount of spices. The few things that stood out for us were: 1. The chana: Chanas were delicious. My husband has a great time mixing it with samosa to make Chana chat. 2. Chicken tikka: super juicy and not dry at all. 3. Hygiene: for a desi restaurant this place was super clean. 4. Hospitality: the uncle and aunty were super nice. It felt like you had come to their house for dinner. The went and asked if people wanted chai at each and every table. Over all, I enjoyed my experience here. Will come again. 10/10 recommend. read more

Very high quality food. Generous portions on most main courses. Good mix of veg and non-veg. Specially enjoy their kabobs. read more

Darbar restaurant - The dining room - Pakistani Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts