Best Indian-Pakistani food around. We drive almost 45 mins. to get here, but try to come at least once a month. My family's been coming here for years & years, so my dad, who speaks the language, is always the one to communicate with the owner & waiter. I can definitely see how some people might be turned off by the owner/staff only talking to the men, & being sometimes abrasive in their mannerisms & tone. This is just who they are, & it's definitely a cultural thing. Nothing personal. This place isn't a first-date, wedding-anniversary kind of a restaurant. But it has damn good food! Kabana is rarely clean. Just being honest. Dirty tables, flies, spotty glasses & silverware. But I don't come here for the ambiance or to inspect my table for streaks or my fork for water stains.. It's clean enough to eat there. It's delicious, authentic food, reasonably priced, made by some pretty great people ("rude" as they may be to some). Favourite dishes: the Lamb Seekh Kabab, Chicken Tikka Masala,& the Daal. read more

Food so spicy you can barely taste anything. Service is terrible, the staff is disorganized and rude. Avoid if you don't like pain or being ignored. read more

The chicken biryani was pretty awful, the service was pretty awful, and the decor is shoddy and ugly. Besides that it was fine.

The garlic naan and chicken tikka masala are so good! This place is more affordable relative to other restaurants in the area, thank goodness. It's my go to place when I crave Indian food! read more

The food doesnt taste like real pakistani food at all. Plus the owner is a security guard. Watching every person

My friend & I went there for a lunch. In my experience, they delivered poor and unprofessional customer services. First, we had to wait about 15 mins to finally have someone to take our order, they didn't offer water while we are waiting. Finally when the food was served, the Palak paneer was served cold... I won't suggest any body to go there .... read more

My husband & I love this food. The staff is very warm & friendly. Best aloo gobi I've ever had.

I would have never guessed that my favorite "Indian" place would be Pakastani. Flavorful and inexpensive. Menu us a little limited but that they make they make well read more

Kabana is a small and filthy restaurant. The seating arrangement is odd. Seats and tables jammed everywhere. Food is on the oily side. Won't be returning. read more

Yummy Pakistani food at a very reasonable price! We had the Chicken Tikka Masala and garlic naan. Both were amazing. I loved the cucumber/purple onion/lime juice starter. I recommend this place. read more

A cabbie from Afghanistan once recommended this place to me as we were driving past, so it's been on my to-go-to list for at least a year now. Finally, we headed over and I was so ready to love this place! But alas. We got the chicken tikka masala, veggie biryani and naan. I asked for the tikka masala mild. What the man at the counter already knew was that they make a big batch and they make it spicy, not mild, so mild was not in the range of possibilities. "Mild, what is this mild?" he joked. What he should have said "Sorry, we can't make it mild. I recommend you get the ________ instead." But no. So we wait for our takeout, and he gives us a little container of yogurt, in case it's "not mild." It was super-spicy-- which for me, made it inedible. Just be honest, so folks who literally can't eat super spicy food can get food they can tolerate! I know that a good chicken tikka masala, mild with just a bit of kick, is entirely possible (had it for lunch the other day-- wonderful). Wasn't crazy about the naan either. read more

mmmm kabana. kinda reminded me of another restaurant a few blocks over (De Afghanan Kabob House), mainly because of how small it is. but despite its size, there was a steady stream of folks who seemed like they were regulars. service could be a tad swifter but whatevers. the food was excellent and tasty and worth waiting for. read more

Food is pretty decent here. I was hoping for a bit more curry and the naan was ok but not as great as other places. A small cramped little restaurant. Its ok. read more

great strong flavors and quality ingredients. my all-time favorite indian (punjabi) restaurant, especially since they do special dishes so well. the curries are all amazing. read more

good food with good company. food is spicy and tasty. yum yum

If you can overlook the crusty ambiance, the food is fabulous. Tikka masala, lentils, and naan are always reliable. Kabana is liberal with the spices, so don't take those bland-palated friends of yours. Yum!! read more

It's a hole-in-the-wall pakistani restaurant with meals that taste home-cooked - emphasis on hole-in-the-wall.

i have to say its good foodbut way tooo spicy way too dirty , very bad service the man who took my order most likely the owner did not let me finish saying my order ignored me and left i would give more stars for the good quality food and the best tandoori but service is important they should consider that more read more

this place was great, I'm Pakistani, and this was the real deal right down to the poor seating, reminded me of Lahore. but seriously there chicken tikka masala is Perfect!! read more

a complete hole in the wall. i swear, the restaurant is so gross that i don't even want to touch the wall, but the foood, its FABULOUS!!!! i love the cucumber dip thing and the chicken tikka. read more

Very spicy, that is the what you should remember when you go to Kabana. Another real whole in the wall, yes literally pretty much a shanty on University and San Pablo, this place boasts of one of the hottest South Asian (Indian subcontinent) food I have had in bay area. I love spices, even if I hate the next morning, but this food was spicy for me, not that I dint like it, but with watering eyes and burning tounge, there is only that much you can eat. Dont get me wrong, I love it, especially since this is the only place I know which makes "Kardi" an Indian curry made with Gram flour and curd. It will be spicy, next mornings will be tough :P , but I would get the chance to transpire into the feeling of eating at restaurants in India. As I said earlier, its a real hole in the wall, you eat by the kitchen, there are no levels of spices, they dont ask you low/medium/high, they just make it and you eat it, its simple ;) ! read more

Great food, great prices! It's very authentic, the workers are all very nice and patient. Small place and seems like it's always crowded cuz it's so good! It was a little too greasy and I thought the garlic naan would have garlic stuffed on the inside (but it was just topped with garlic), but I am still very please with it's authenticity, price, and service. Will visit again! read more

Not as good as it used to be. Its fine for a take-out but good luck with the weird smells in this place!

Foods good for the price but most of the waiters (all men) are rude. Not sure why they have to be like that but so it goes.

The rumors are true: this place is a horse of a different color, in a very good way! In an area where Indian restaurants are more populous than Starbucks, it can be difficult to find anything that stands out...and stand out it does: their flavors and spices are unique and surprising, quite a party for the palate! The decor/ambiance are pretty much nonexistent: several tables in 1 small room, though this is partially remedied by what must be a 9 x 11 foot photograph of a beautiful tropical oasis that hangs on the wall. To add (some may say 'subtract') to the ambiance, they have 1 really incredibly awesome song playing on repeat for the entirety of the dining experience, and if you have a sense of humor, you'll enjoy it. But this place is about food, not aesthetic pleasure, and food it provides incredibly well. Oh yeah, and it's super cheap. Go! read more

We had tandoori fish and lamb curry. I have to say, it's not the best indian/pakistani food I had . Fish tandoori was good and i liked the mango lassi, but the curry was so-so. I would come back because of the price... it's cheap here. I have not found an indian restaurant this cheap in LA yet read more

Perfect for what it is! A funky little hidden gem. Not fancy, not even particularly tidy...but F'ing delicious!!! Prices are fabulous. You must order tikka marsala, aloo gobi. I eat here at least once a week. If I somehow can't make it to Kabana, I fiend for this food! You must give it a try. No frills but no disappointments. read more

good, but holy grease batman. lather anything in that kind of grease, and it will be "tasty".

had really good chicken tikka malasa, chai and lamb biryani.

This place is not just serving great Indian/Pakistani food, it is fantastic value for money. We have had parties of 5 fed heartily for about 30 - 35 bucks here. The Sindhi Chicken Biryani is out of this world. Thank God I live in South Bay - otherwise I'd eat here far too often and bloat. Yes, it is greasy and fat is not a bad word. Portions are generous. Try the Tandoori Fish - you cant beat it. read more

Been meaning to make my way down University to Kabana for a long time, as it has always gotten rave reviews from friends. Finally got there tonight and could not have been more impressed - Great meal, with a capital G. We had chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, chicken biryani, palak paneri, and tandoori chicken, plus naan and stuffed paratha, which ranged from good to awesome. Especially the paratha and lamb curry. Apparently it was a little slower and busier than usual but understandable for Friday night. All in all, couldn't have been better. If you're a fan of Pakistani, definitely worth the trip! read more

the waiter is straight up rude. my family and i went to lunch (6 of us) and 4 of us were waiting for the other 2 to get there, he was rushing us to order *(they werent even busy?) kept telling him we're waiting on the other people to get here, he came back every 5 minutes to have us order *wtf right? anyways, the cups were hella dirty like i was not about to drink out of that cup, so we ALL ordered soda, after soda. but the food is good..i can't knock them on that.. read more

This restaurant serve best Indian food in Berkeley specialy tandoori fish what I eat here all the time . I give them 5 star on tandoori fish .i will come again and again. read more

Always yummy. Owner is funny and accomodating. And the new location is nice.

Insert annoyed emoticon here. What's with all these "4 star" restaurants in Berkeley that are anything but?! I just don't get it. So, in all fairness, I've only just begun to eat Indian and Pakistani food. But I've had it enough to know when it's not 4 stars. A few days ago I went with a friend to Indus Village, another supposedly "4 star" place, just around the corner from Kabana. You can read that review and apply same to Kabana. I have started craving lamb vindaloo. So tried Kabana tonight. No vindaloo, so tried the lamb curry. It seems to me it was vindaloo without the aloo. And so very similar to Indus Village's lamb vindaloo as to be suspect. Just like IV, there was hardly any lamb. WTF? In a dish that consists of nothing BUT lamb and lots and lots of grease, I expect to encounter a substantial amount of lamb. But no. I'd say there were approximately 5 chunks of lamb. What's worse, 1/2 of those chunks were bone. So though $7.99 seemed a good price, it isn't when you're paying for a bowl of red grease. Lots and lots and lots of grease. It was not too spicy, so that was good (for me, anyway). And it does not come with anything. So I got rice, supposedly basmati, for $1.50. It was a large bowl of rice, but didn't seem all that fresh. Nor did it seem like basmati. I think it was just long-grain white rice. On the plus side, it did not have those little seeds (cumin?) that cause me dry heaves! My total with tip was $12. The "lamb" curry was tasty. But it was so lacking in lamb I felt ripped off. And the table edge was coated in the remnants of past meals. Gross. Unlike other reviews, I will say that service was very friendly and both guys made sure I had water and my check came right away. Probably won't be back. read more

Full-flavored and no nonsense Pakistani place. Get the chicken tikka masala, tandoori fish, and aloo gobi. The biryani is good too; I recommend eating it with yogurt. read more

eating at this location is mandatory. the food is alwas spot on. never any fluctuations in quality, taste, or delivery. kabana is by far not the most elegant of places nor do they have superior service. but the taste of their food will leave you speechless every single time. read more

Food's good quality, but the place looks like a dump. I've never gotten food poisoning, but I can understand how it could happen. The tandoori is EXcellent. read more

It is definitely a hole in the wall place, a bit grungy. I have mixed thoughts on the food: the palak paneer was mild and a bit oddly flowery tasting to me, the chicken tandoori was tasty and moist, the chicken tikka masala was tasty but not very spicy and a little too sweet with the caramelized onions. I like their naan though, not oily at all and good texture, could eat a bunch of that! Go for the ground lamb which was pretty spicy. read more

I defy you to find a better Pakistani place than Kabana. Sure, the interior is small, simple and fairly ho-hum. But wait until your food arrives hot off the tandoori grill. Prepare to be impressed. read more