I have to say, I haven't really ever had bad Indian food in Fremont. Pakwan was no exception - came here with a friend before a show and shared a number of dishes for a hefty dinner, including tandoori chicken, garlic naan, saag paneer (spinach and cheese), and butter chicken. So yummy and made for good leftovers the next day too. They also have soda and chai ($1 a cup) available, but since I was avoiding caffeine I didn't get to try any. Taste-wise, I thought everything tasted pretty good though if you prefer your dishes more on the spicy side, this place probably won't meet those expectations. The butter chicken tasted great, and the tandoori chicken could have been cooked a little longer for that charred taste but the flavors were there. The restaurant has a parking lot but come a little earlier as spaces get taken up fast. Inside is a lively vibe with a lot of families enjoying their meals, and the servers are all friendly, even during the rush. Do note that if you come during dinner, you may have to wait a bit for your food since it tends to come out all at once. Keep an eye for your order number on the big screen (we noticed it didn't really come out in order) and enjoy your meal! read more

See all

FIRE!!!! thank you so much. best naan and curry of my life. the chai was also delightful read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Their biryani is to die for. Amazing food. Very big portions. Would recommend their daily specials also. Giving 4 stars instead of 5 because they didn't have any naan or rice left 30 minutes before closing... read more

I had an excellent meal here. This is a no frills type of place where you order at the counter, get your own plates/utensils, water and finally the food when ready. This restaurant is not kid friendly especially if they're not into this cuisine. However, I was able to do a little bribery with my kiddos and they ate the butter chicken that we requested to be made mild. I came with a vegetarian friend. My wife isn't into mutton so I had to keep my choices more vegetarian. I was not disappointed, and instead came to realization that if I'm ever to switch to Vegetarian this is the restaurant I'll frequent. + Vegetarian briyani is very flavorful, full of vegetables, paneer and potatoes (5/5) + Chicken acar has a unique sourish flavor which contrast well with the other curries (5/5) + Saag paneer is one of the best in the bay with visible spices/herbs in the spinach (5/5) + Beef seekh kebab is simply a Pakistani sausage made to order and priced reasonably at $4/pc (4/5) + Rice is $4 per order but fair portions and most importantly tasty (4/5) ~ Nihari is slow cooked beef in a stew of Pakistani spices that is in between curry and traditional American stew (3/5) ~ Chana masala is an average garbanzo beans based curry for my buds but my vegetarian friend seems to love it (3/5) ~ Naan is made to order but pretty standard (3/5) - Service is DIY and some lagging in getting our food out although they called our # (2/5) That sums up my experience at Pakwan. I believe the food is consistently good here as I've been coming for years. I'm not local, but willing to drive for excellent Pakistani/Indian food. Yes, it's a hole in the wall style restaurant. It's not the cleanest, but when you hear the patron next to you leaves his wife at home so he can eat his chicken acar you know this is legit. Also if you bring a date here and he/she likes it then you've got yourself a keeper! read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Fresh naan is made to order - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

See all

Chicken Haleem 4 mashed chicken simmered w/ lentil & barley, yellow, thick, non-spicy, flavorful Nihari 3 tender beef chunks, brown curry, spicy, flavorful Beef Seekh Kabab 3 juicy, spicy, flavorful spices Aloo Palak 4 potato chunks, mashed spinach, not creamy like saag, slightly spicy, flavorful Garlic Nan 3 crispy, slight garlic flavor Mango Lassi 5 read more

Ordered some food last weekend to take to our retired caucasian friends on a visit to Gilroy- they happen to love indo-pak food. Ordered Tandoori chicken breasts, karahi gohst, mutton biryani, Chicken tikka masala and naans to go. Food was packed and ready for pick up by the time we drove to Fremont location from Pleasanton. We checked that everything we ordered was in the bags and headed to Gilroy to treat our retired friends to a nice lunch at their retirement home. Food was very fresh, tasty, and flavorful. I was pleasantly surprised how tender the tandoori chicken breasts were. The mutton biryani was well seasoned and good portion and mutton curry was very yummy and tender as well. All in all a fabulous lunch and will definitely go there again for to go orders. One thing to note is whoever answered the phone when I called to order spoke good English, listened patiently instead of sounding rushed and repeated the order which showed good customer service and professionalism. read more

My favourite Indo pak cuisine in Bay Area. Hands down best tandoori meats served in this OG restaurant. Wifey and me went for dinner tonight and I wanted to fulfil my protein goals, I was really craving for some yummy chicken. Without any doubt I had pakwan in my mind. Fully satisfied my stomach and with the cold weather , it was so soulful to eat yummy chicken. Ordered 3 leg quarters and one butter naan. Leg quarters were so juicy and delicious. I sweeped off till the bone was powdered. So yummy and topped with onions and lemon slices. Try having this juicy chicken leg with naan Bread and this was like melting like cloud. Wifey enjoyed it to the core. Their condiments are self service which comes with mint yogurt and tamarind sauce. Service was great and seating was decent. Fully packed on a Tuesday night. Will keep coming here for sure. Definitely will try this seek kebab's, Karahi, paya and chai in the next visit. Overall a great vibe with yummy food. 5 out of 5 experience read more

See all

Close to $90 for two people food and they won't give you a cup of tea complementary also I noticed the kitchen area is Nasty. Won't recognize this restaurant to anyone. read more

There was nothing special about this place. We ordered paneer makhani, dal, chicken seekh kabab, and garlic naan. The naan was definitely not fresh; it became hard within 5 minutes. The paneer makhani curry was just okay, but the paneer itself was hard and didn't seem like it was made from dairy--it felt like I was eating cardboard. The dal was oily. We thought perhaps this place wasn't focused on vegetarian dishes, so we tried the chicken seekh kabab, hoping it would be better. Unfortunately, it was unpleasant--overcooked meat with no spices. The only noticeable whole spice was fennel, which was overpowering with every bite. We are never going back. read more

Went for lunch today. Ordered Chicken Biryani looked and felt old. Ordered chicken tikka masala. They gave butter chicken. Even naan did not feel fresh. When I complained he just looked at me. No comments from the Cashier read more

Best Goat Pulao in the Bay Area The keema/aloo is also stellar Quickly efficient service and a clean restaurant read more

One of my faves if I remember to tone down the spice. I tolerate spicy food well. However, I find Pakwan a touch heavy handed on the spice. The dry foods, tandoor, briyani & naan are exceptional. The curries are thumbs down for the oil that leaks out of the to go containers and congeals on leftovers the next day. Stay away from the wet food. I love raita and appreciate that it comes with the rice. I despise the raw onion that runs rancid in my mouth hours later. This place is always chaotic and their service can be dicey and rude at times. I prefer take out. read more

What a banging lunch spot. We had chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, mixed veggies, lamb bhuna, chicken biryani, seekh kabob (beef), garlic naan, chai, and mango lassi. You pick up your food when your number comes up on the screen. It's a clean and cheerful place packed with food lovers. You can see into the kitchen which is nice. Now I've been to Pakwan in SF, Hayward and Fremont. The Fremont location is MILES better. Do try it! read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Always great food here! They have the best goat curry be careful it's spicy! I usually get that an garlic naan

One of my first times trying Indian food and I was really happy with it! We ordered the garlic naan, goat curry, and chicken biryani. The garlic naan was a really nice texture and went really well with the curry. The curry is a decently spicy but not too bad and the goat was super tender and flavorful! Ambiance is casual and everything is kind of self serve. Dishes came out pretty fast and workers were polite. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Garlic naan Goat curry Chicken biryani - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Looking for some authentic Indian/Pakistan food with a reasonable price? You're at the right place. Note that this is a casual spot, with the service style closer to a fast food style than a formal restaurant. While I have been to some San Francisco Pakwan locations before, this was my first time at the one in Fremont. I ordered the garlic naan, karahi chicken, and chicken tikka masala, with a chai to follow. The chicken was cooked well, and the naan was tasty. Unfortunately, I think the curries were lacking some spice and seasoning, even for American spice standards. I wish they were fresher and hotter as well - the dishes were lukewarm when I grabbed them from the counter. I also wish that the tamarind chutney was less sweet, and that the green chutney had more mint. Fortunately, the chai (only $1) did not disappoint, and I was sure to take advantage of the free refills. Expect a cramped and busy dining area and to self serve your own food, water, and plates. But don't worry, the lower price reflects the self-service style, and the dishes, silverware, and chunties were organized and easy to grab myself. The bathrooms are outdoors, and the parking lot can get full, though spots open up quickly. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Karahi chicken, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and mint and tamarind chutneys - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Came to pakwan as my usual go to spot and we got the bbq , haleem, nihari, bhuna ghosht, naan. They were out of goat biryani by time we ordered. The food was great, it wasn't packed either , the only reason dropped down the star is because even after spending $130 on the food, the chai doesn't come for free, we asked and the counter guy said no since it's a dollar per cup. Very kanjoos/cheap. Before Covid it used to be free, not sure why they can't go back to it. It won't break their bank since for almost 2 decades chai used to be free before too. Everything else was good as usual But cheaping out on chai has put a sour taste on it. I hope they fix this aspect across all their restaurants. read more

See all

Great food, a Fremont staple. We love to get the tandoori chicken and fish, so tender! It's a busy and bustling place so we usually get take out. read more

This is one of our favorite spots! We usually order Chicken Lahori, Haleem, and Goat Kheema with naan--always fresh and delicious. Recently, we've noticed that the staff handling orders and payments are much friendlier compared to before, which adds to the experience. read more

Preparation is fresh and service is quick. I loved the chicken malai boti. The naan was soft too. I miss the free tea. But it's only $2.00 . I'm sure it saves a lot of waste if you charge for it. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Chicken malai boti - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

See all

We have ordered the veggie curry, Beef kabob and naan. After waited around 40 mins (initially the ETA was 25mins), we got our food. The naan is very stale and definitely not fresh! Giving zero star. The beef kabob is out of the world good, it's juicy and moist and definitely worth the wait. Definitely 5 stars. The veggie curry is spicy and tastes good. My only concern is the veggie curry is full of potato and cauliflower. It's almost like a cauliflower potato curry, so why not say it what it is! It's very spicy and being an Indian I won't mind. But definitely they should ask for spice level which they haven't. I would give it a three stars. We will definitely go back again, although the place is always full packed and we need to wait some time to get the food. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Kabob - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

See all

Yes lawd! The food is absolutely amazing! One of my favorite joints. truly 'shahi! read more

See all

This was my coworker's favorite lunch spot in Fremont. Whenever he invites me to lunch it is a given that we would come to this Pakwan. He loved their chicken curry while i prefer the goat curry so we compromise and order 1 each time we come. Of course, this system created confusion so we ended up ordering both. My point is the food here is awesome, the prices are fair & the turnaround time is quick considering the lunch time crowd packs up fast. read more

Inexpensive, fresh and delicious. Introduced my kids to Indian/Pakistani food here and they can't get enough of it. It's almost always busy, so clearly I'm not the only one who likes this place. read more

Finally got a chance to be introduced to this old Fremont institution! You go in and place an order at the counter then proceed to go and fight for an open table. From the outside thought this place would've been bigger. Wasn't a fan of this but it was the dinner rush during Ramadan. Ordered 3 dishes while I was there. The tandoori chicken is fire (no sauce needed). It was perfectly cooked and had a smoky aroma. The goat dish was awesome as well. I never had goat soft in texture, but the sauce was a bit oilly so mopping up with the naan wasn't easy - gotta scoop it. And the lastly the skewer beef, it was meh and I wouldn't order it again. It was super dry and the mint or tamarind sauce on the table didn't help much. Free rose milk (only during Ramadan), dates, and spiced tea near the counter. Happy Ramadan to everyone. read more

See all

Glad I didn't accidentally bite into or swallow this sharp piece of metal that was hidden in the butter chicken (to-go order). This is a serious safety concern as someone could have easily swallowed it. The flavor of the butter chicken was okay, the plain naan was okay. The meal was definitely ruined by the piece of metal. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Piece of metal in the butter chicken sauce - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

See all

I've tried to give this place multiple chances but they've disappointed me every time. The naan was tough, I had to throw it away because it was so hard. The paneer was hard as well and didn't seem fresh. I've ordered chicken here before as well and that didn't seem fresh either read more

Some of the best Pakistani food in the Bay Area. You won't find a more delicious Chicken Tikka Masala at a restaurant. The barbecued meats are delicious. The naan is quite good as well. Try the keema naan. read more

The Friday special goat pulao was out of the park-- definitely the best I ever had. Their other stuff like Biryani is okay. You need to order the Pulao in advance on Friday as they might run out, it is worth the wait. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

This is mostly a review of the way pakwan runs its business. Not trying to sound condescending, but they need to have a better way to match people against their order. And what happened to me today is nothing short of unbelievable. And it just points to how people are exploiting Pakwans way of serving food to their advantage. So, I was sitting outside and went inside to collect my order which consisted of 4 different dishes and 3 naans. When I reach the counter, the naan basket and 3/4 curries are gone. And they were picked up by two different groups. One an elderly couple (who clearly looked like they hadn't ordered that much food, picked up 2 curries, and the 3 naans, in addition to what looked like their rice order and a channa masala curry, and a completely different (this I could put down to a mistake) had picked up 1 curry and a kabab order. When I reached the counter and asked where the rest of the order was, this second person returns the orders he seemed to have picked up by mistake to the counter. The other elderly couple showed zero interest in looking towards the counter, finishing up the food they had landed. Pakwan made no attempt to confront them or ask them why they did what they did. My honest suggestion to pakwan. Please serve your items on a tray. And please have the folks serving the food collect the buzzer and match it against the order (which should be kept on the tray). You will obviously pass on the cost of these sort of mistakes to paying customers in some way or the other, so please do attempt to weed out freeloaders as much as you can. And this was apparent in when they finally served me the curries. My order size was greatly reduced, perhaps to recover from me what obviously was their mistake. I could've surely asked them to top it up, but it seemed to me that this was probably going to come out of the wages of the folks working there. And I certainly did t want them to lose their job over this. read more

Definitely replacing our other restaurant on our list of takeout food with Pakwan! I hadn't had it since high school so I had forgotten just how tasty the food is here, granted I did only order a couple of basic items. The biryani + butter chicken combo was SO good. They give you a gigantic cup of raita with the biryani too! Although the butter chicken was a bit oily, compared to other restaurants I've tried, it is way less in comparison and I don't feel like I'm drinking oil when I'm dipping my naan into the container. The pricing was rather inexpensive & we stuffed the two of us full with $30, which is a win in my book! read more

See all

Happened again tonight. Half cooked cold naans ToGo order. I will keep posting photos until they fix this really annoying problem. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Half baked cold naan TO GO order. Happens every week. FIXIT !!! - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Been going there off and on for decades. Place to go for Desi food. Portions are decent sized, very quick service.

First time here and loved it. I had the Achari chicken and garlic naan. Delicious! The chicken was really tasty with great spices and heat. One thing I didn't like was being asked for a tip during the payment process and then finding out you pick up the food yourself when it"s ready and nobody comes by the table. The quality of the food was there though so I'll come back. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Achari Chocken with Garlic Naan...I loved it! - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Been coming to this Pakwan for the better part of twenty years. They've upped the interiors. Looks a bit nicer now. Got the goat karahi and garlic naan. Excellent as always. Food came out in under 10 minutes. I've brought friends here before. But I've never made friends here. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Karahi goat - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Great place for goat and chicken biriyani and chicken grill. Food is fresh and flavorful. The quantity for the price is top notch. The service is prompt and courteous. The interior at the dine in place is basic and not the best in terms of cleanliness. However, I do take out and that works good for me. Bottom line food is the center piece and that is A OK read more

See all

Best pakistani food in the bay area!! service was exceptional!! Owner is super sweet!! Very hands on and knows how to run a kitchen even at busiest times! Will definitely be coming again! read more

Absolutely love this place. Hands Down..No.1 Pakistani Food in the entire SF Bay Area. Service is exceptional and the ambiance is great. Discover the ultimate Pakistani food experience with our Vlog. From spicy curries to fragrant basmati rice, we'll take you on a culinary adventure that will leave you craving more. #pakistani #pakwan #california #bayareafood #bayareafoodie #vlog #biryani #kebab #fremontca #pakistanifood #foodblogger Youtube vlog Details: Channel Name: Knots Family Video Title: SF Bay Area Eats EP 13. | Pakwan | Food! Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/RwXpDa9yR_M read more

See all

Had a chance to try Pakwan restaurant and I really liked it! We got takeout from here as we were craving indo- pakistani food and we're so glad we did because it was delicious and not too oily. We ended up trying: * chicken biryani - flavorful and yummy, wish it had a little more meat though *mutton biryani - this was also yummy, the family liked this one a little more * chicken Karahi - the curry was very flavorful and went really well with naan * goat bhuna gost - family really liked this and we would definitely order again * chicken tandoori - these were the star of the show and everyone really enjoyed these as meat was super soft and succulent, really well done and you can't go wrong! Overall, good food especially for takeout - and would go back again for mroe! read more

pretty great desi food can't go wrong with this spot when craving indopak cuisine! the to-go is so clutch here and the food always looks so fresh read more