I'm going to say it--there is some pricey, bougee Indian food in San Francisco. Pakwan is not one of them but I very much appreciate their quality and value given the price point. I think it's one of the better value (and very good) Pakistani/Indian food. Nice takeout spot or late-night food option, but the interior is pretty rustic, welcoming, and cozy as well. Staff is helpful, warm, and friendly. Love the chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and naan. Bursting with flavor and spices. Good portions. Need to come back to try the goat biryani and a wrap. Please do not drive here. I can't imagine parking here. Walk or bike or bus or it's walkable from BART and Muni Metro's Powell station (or maybe Civic Center, it's kind-of in the middle I think.) I'll be back! Great bang for your buck. read more

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Note - this location is the one that DoorDash/UberEats delivers from - hence my review for take out - I love the one on 16th St. for sit down. This is my hands down favorite Indian/Pakistani place for takeout - the food always tastes fresh, staff makes it quickly, and it arrives hot. Everything tastes as you would expect (rice, Chicken Tikka Masala, garlic naan, etc.) - the real stand outs are the Chicken Biriani (the vegetable one is never what I hope it will be) and the Daal - the lentils. Their Daal is rich, spicy (in the best way) and the sliced jalapeños really make it. Pro tip: You get enough for at least 3 meals - so get it for dinner and enjoy it for a couple lunches! read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Look at that beautiful dinner! OK OK - I should have chosen the blue or green plates! LOL - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had hopes because they have decent reviews and maybe we didn't choose the right things to eat, but we were disappointed in the food. The restaurant is a little smoky overall so don't expect much ambiance wise. Due to the location parking will be a headache. We just walked here. We ordered the chicken seekh kabab wrap, the chicken biryani and the Malai boti. The seekh kabab wrap was the most decent of the 3, mainly due to the tamarind/soy based chutney that the kababs were doused in. Otherwise, it was pretty plain. The chicken biryani was the most disappointing of the whole thing because 1. We saw them take white rice and mix it with the chicken prepped separately which is not the authentic way to make biryani 2. There was no flavor. A biryani is an explosion of flavors and this wasn't anywhere close. The chicken pieces were fine but as biryani fanatics, we were sorely disappointed. The Malai boti was supposed to be one of their specials and it wasn't creamy or melt in the mouth. The pieces were quite big and a little chewy overall. All in all, we were disappointed with the whole fare. We won't make a second trip here. read more

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This is one of the best Indian/Pakistani restaurants in San Francisco. The neighborhood is on the bad side at night, but no one bothers you. We had the lamb biryani, chicken biryani, and goat kadahi. Amazing flavor and delicious. It is a small place and you have to order on your own. Highly recommend for great authentic food. read more

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Stopped by for dinner here on a Sunday night at 9pm. My friend who is a SF native mentioned how Pakwan is one if the best South Asian restaurants. We ordered samosas, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and the tandoori boti. You grab the menus from the front kiosk, sit yourself, and once you know what you want, you go up to the cashier and pay first. It took about 15 minutes for our food to be ready, I noticed there were a lot of to-go/delivery orders. Everything was also self-serve, which I honestly don't mind because its a no frills place. For the food, my favorite of the dishes we ordered was the samosas -- mainly because if the chickpea sauce. It had a very subtle but good kick to it. The chicken tikka masala was what you would expect. Garlic naan was very yummy and soft! The tandoori chicken boti was not as good as I expected -- it was a bit dry and the flavor wasn't that strong. read more

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I go to Pakwan on 16th st and this branch. The food at this branch is much greasier and often burnt. Much prefer Pakwan 16th st.

Yay! Finally tried Pakwon after many recommendations. Went around 6 on a Saturday night for dinner and the place was pretty packed. Grabbed a table and a couple of menus, went to the counter to order and then waited maybe 15 minutes for the food. Cashier and cooks were friendly. To reinforce some of the other reviews, this is a "no frills" place. Ordered the seekh kabob, basmati rice and the yogurt sauce (very helpful to counter the spicy meat), vegetable curry, two pieces of garlic naan and a mango lassi.. $35!! Can't beat the price and we ended up with more food than expected. Everything was fresh, full of flavor and definitely shareable. There was two of us and we had food left over. we grabbed extra plates and enjoyed everything "family style". There's cold water to grab in the fridge and cups on the counter. I appreciated the whole experience and will be back. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

My last visit this place it caught on fire. I get they don't clean the stove , but when you have a grease fire don't throw fire on it . The staff wanted to throw water on it , I was telling them not too Of course I never got my food and you pay first before they give you your food. I was a bit pissed. read more

5 stars if it weren't for location and upkeep outside the restaurant. The food is delicious and priced great. Must haves include the chicken tikka masala, which is much more tomato based than other places I've tried. Another highlight is the beef seekh kababs, spiced ground beef with bits of onions and chilis. Everything is spiced very well and served hot. The mango lassi is sweet and creamy. Service is minimal. You order your food, and everything else is self serve. You grab your tables plates, cutlery, water, and napkins. When your number is called you go to the counter and pick it up. All dishes are served family style. The one downside is the upkeep of the sidewalk outside. There are double doors that help, however the street outside has a pungent smell that drifts inside. I have seen other businesses in the area preventing this by regularly power washing their sidewalks. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Plain Basmati Rice, Chicken Tikka Masala, beef Seekh Kabab, Naan, Raita - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent Chicken Biriyani! Good price. Good service. Highly reccomend. Worth going to the tenderloin for this Biriyani. read more

Easily my favorite Indian/Pakistani restaurant in SF. The food has amazing flavor and delivery is fast (via DoorDash).

Way overpriced & the chicken Tika was spicy. Even after making a big deal on the phone that it needs to be mild. At good Indian restaurants u don't even have to worry about the chicken Tika being spicy. It should have lovely spices in it too make it flavorful & the cream & tomato balance it perfectly like @ Tilak. The Naan from here was good though. read more

The restaurant is very dirty, I m surprised how they pass the inspection. I couldn't concentrate on the food due to the dirtiness of the tables (sticky) windows doors floors. read more

Favorite order: Saag Paneer Goat or lamb biryani Curry Chicken Garlic naaan Great value and 3-4 person meal and BYOB! Hot tip: go to the Foodhall on Valencia and 16th and grab a couple of beers, bring to Pakwan to enjoy :) read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Incredible food, great vibes, and wonderful veggie options. I keep coming here time and time again and won't stop anytime soon.

Delicious food! It's a great place to get a meal no frills but super clean wonderful service. I've been going here for years and it never ever disappoints. read more

Normally I'm satisfied when I come to the Ofarrel street pakwan but I think yesterdays was a bit off. We came round 2-3pm. Chai was available when we ordered but after eating it was finished and staff said it wouldn't be ready either for an hour or done for the day. Which was surprising. Also haleem is not available at this location (which is one of my fav items when I go to Fremont pakwan to get) Yesterday got 2 legs, goat biryani, and 2 seekh kebabs. Chicken seekh kebabs were good, legs were good size but didn't have that flavor inside (idk if not marinated long enough or with enough masala), and the goat biryani was a disappointment. The rice didn't have flavor just look. Normally I stop here after hikes for just bbq and naans (naans r usually on point here) but wanted to try the biryani as well at this location Will come again and hopefully update with a better review إن شاء الله read more

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My friend and I grabbed quick dinner here after having a few drinks next door at Bourbon and Branch and at around 8:30 pm, the place was slightly packed on a Wed evening. We placed an order for Paneer Tikka Roll ($10), Goat Biryani ($17), and Vegetable Biryani ($16). Food was ready within 20 minutes of ordering and it's a self serve setup. Food was absolutely excellent, especially both Biryani's... very flavorful and good portions. Between the Kati Roll and our Biryani's, we could only finish half of our Biryani's. Veggie biryani had plenty of cauliflower, carrots, and maybe ba paneer here and there! Noise level was on the lower side. Go here for their excellent food! read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Vegetable Biryani ($16) - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Used to love the food here until I see an employee eating at the register and lack of hand wash afterwards. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Have not gone to Pakwan since the Covid pandemic started in 2019, but the urge for their Chicken Bharani was too strong to resist. The tables were 70% full but got one near the cashier. I had to beg him for help since I a disabled and cannot walk with a cane and some luck. The bill and tip came to $27, a hike in price since going there last. However, their portion is twice as nice and actually was three meals out of that main dish. Excellent to the max. Afterwards, cabbed out of that awful Tenderloin area to my home Tenderloin location. Next time I have the urge for Indian food, will want to visit a full sized restaurant with a full line of desserts - especially their puddings. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Chicken biryani; garlic nan; diet coke. - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Disclaimer: my family is Pakistani! Pakwan was recommended to me and my family when we came to visit San Francisco (by a non-Pakistani person) and we were so pleasantly surprised! It was some of the best Pakistani restaurant food (not including mom food) we've had in America. It came so hot and fresh, and truly hit the spot. We ordered the grilled chicken boti (super juicy and flavorful), goat karahi (spicy and delicious), nihari (a tender beef stew classic), with sides of beautiful tandoori naan and mango lassi, and kheer (rice pudding) for dessert -- the kheer was delicate and light and the perfect cherry on top. I couldn't say enough good things honestly, I wish there was a Pakwan where I live. read more

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One of our go to take out spot since the start of Covid! Good food and their pick up service is quick.

Food was okay but was horribly tainted by finding pieces of broken plastic shards in the chicken karahi. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Broken plastic shards, found in chicken karahi - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pakwan is delicious! I came here from a friends recommendation (+ some internet sleuthing of where to find the best SF Indian/Pakistani food). My boyfriend and I split the Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Naan, Lamb Biryani, and Saag Paneer. -Saag Paneer was my absolute favorite. The flavor was delicious and the paneer was cooked just right. I will caveat that I haven't had this dish enough times to compare it to other restaurants. All I know is this one definitely hit the spot for me! Portion size was medium. -Chicken Tikka Masala was also great, probably second for me after the Saag Paneer. Portion size was medium. -Garlic naan was great but nothing particularly special. Portion size was medium. -The Lamb Biriyani was delicious and had the perfect amount of spice in it. Portion size was large! Overall I'd highly recommend giving Pakwan a try. It's also worth noting that the cashier/waitress helping us was so, so kind! read more

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Ive been a fan of this place for years, I was introduced to The location in Fremont, I love this Dungee place in SF in good way, just a typical Indian restaurant ambiance. The food is so DELICIOUS and super authentic to me, one of my favorite dish is beef nahari, a slow cooked chunk of beef in a spicy delicious sauce, if you never had it it's a must try! service is great the guys there are so helpful:) 4star for what it is, it could use some TLC but with that kind of yummy food who cares read more

They have a self-serve counter where you grab utensils and dishes, and we kept trying to go up to get dishes and every other one we got was very obviously dirty. This was pretty off putting. The food itself was good (and fairly spicy), but the lack of cleanliness brought down the whole experience. read more

This was our latest exploration into the local landscape of Indian cuisine. We ordered the garlic naan, meat samosas, achar gosht (lamb), and both chicken and paneer tikka masala. The highlight was easily the achar gosht. The lamb was boneless and tender, and the sauce was both spicy and flavorful. This I would order it again in a heartbeat. The naan and the samosa were both solid: good texture and good flavor (and the latter was improved when adding a bit of the tamarind chutney they provided, which was also up to snuff). I was least enthusiastic about the tikka masala dishes. The sauce in both lacked flavor (could have used more spice and more salt). The chicken was well cooked (apparently in a tandoor as per the slight char notes, which was nice) but not of the highest quality and the paneer was a bit waxier than what I typically prefer. None of it was bad, but just not outstanding. But it may be that tikka masala is just not this place's forte (e.g., perhaps saag is more their game, as other Yelp reviews suggest). read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Achar Gosht, Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Naan, Samosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pakwan is an ode to the Pakistan! And your best friend Rizwan. HAHAHAH Pakistan or Indian...the secondary country. Got some pakora and samosas and some naan with meat and some potato...it was fun to try and I gave some to the roommates and they ate it. Indian comfort food snacks...in the Tenderloin. read more

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We got the lamb and beef curries, and also the chicken tikka masala with a side of the garlic and cheese naan and basmati rice. Everything was extremely flavorful. The lamb and the beef curries were by far the best, with tender succulent meat. The chicken tikka masala had tough chicken but flavors were good. The naans were decent but not outstanding. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Was visiting San Francisco recently, and my partner and I came here for lunch. We were craving indian/pakistani food, and this place hit the spot. We ordered their: (1) lamb biryani (rating 4.0/5) -- Not the best I've ever had, but it was fairly yummy and the portion size was very generous. (2) chicken tikka masala (rating 4.0/5) -- Same as the biryani, this wasn't the best curry I've ever had but it definitely satisfied our craving. The chicken was a little dry though. (3) garlic naan (rating 3.0/5) -- This was not as light and fluffy as I'm used to for naan. It was a little chewier, not in a bad way but just different than most naan I've had. The taste was fine but kind of "weak", like the garlic flavor / seasoning was toned down. Service Notes: No complaints. TLDR: Overall the food is pretty good but nothing to write home about. The portions that they give you make this place a decent value though, so if you're just trying to satisfy an indian/pakistani craving, give this place a try. Just FYI on the location though, this is in the Tenderloin neighborhood and it was not a nice view when looking out their window. read more

Ordered delivery via Caviar and very, very happy with the flavors and value. The prices are reasonable, and the portions are HUGE. We ordered for lunch for two and ended up having enough for dinner too. Lamb biryani - delicious with huge chunks of tender lamb and potato. Surprising citrus kick that helped cut through the heavy carbs and protein Mix vegetable curry - very spicy, which I loved Chicken seekh kebab - very flavorful. The mix of spices comes through really nicely Tandoori chicken breast - quite good and tender, but flavor was drowned out by the stronger biryani and curry flavors read more

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I'd like to give Pakwan 3.5 stars for the food but I'm rounding up because service was fast. I came to Pakwan with a large group after going to Bourbon and Branch. I ordered the paneer wrap that had onions and chutney. The chutney was delicious but there were too many onions for my liking - it felt like the onions overpowered the chutney. I would definitely come back and try something else - other folks in my party ordered huge plates of biryani and I look forward to trying that next! read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Paneer Wrap - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing good.. it's a place in disguise . We really ended up from Yelp and loved their chicken Karahi , sheekh kabab and chicken biryani. My whole family loved the food .. great experience!!! read more

Great food if you're in the mood for Pakistani/Indian food. They have a few locations around the Bay Area. One is also in San Francisco on 16th Street and Valencia, close to the Roxie Theater. They also have a location in Hayward read more

Shocked to see Pakwan brand making biriyani to order by mixing chicken sauce and rice after order and calling it biriyani. Ordered chicken biriyani, goat biriyani, and tandoori leg. The tandoori leg was as usual Pakwan style no issues. However the biriyani was a huge disappointment. We like Pakwan biriyani from Fremont and Hayward also. However this one was not Dum style it is 3rd rated. Please don't sell biriyani if they are not getting ordered enough. Just drop it from your menu. read more

really hit the indian food craving! the naan was incredible filling, well toasted and had lots of garlic flavor. my go to is the paneer tikka masala and we finished every drop of it. it was my first time trying the vegetable korma and tandoori chicken thigh and they were great as well read more

Pakwan Restaurant - paneer tikka masala, Vegetable Korma, Garlic Naan, Mango Lassi - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Authentic flavors! My go to for weekend feasts. Highly recommend lamb biryani, Bihari kabab.

This review is based on delivery orders only as we have not tried them in person. I really enjoy saag paneer from here. The food is slightly saltier than other places I have tried, but still delicious. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - A bit too salty, but otherwise I really like it. - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great Indian/Pakistani food in San Francisco (coming from a North Indian!) We tried their palak paneer, tilapia fish, and daal, and all the dishes were packed with authentic flavors. The naan was definitely a highlight--soft and fluffy (although the cheese naan can be quite heavy). You order and pay, then they will call your order number, so definitely not a fancy sit-down type of place but good bang for your buck in terms of portions. read more

Pakwan Restaurant - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It's sooooooo bad like the food is so bad. The fish is smell so bad and it's not done well and for the service they take so long and the bread it's not even cooked well it's so not cooked and for the rice it's sticky rice. It's bad. I tried to be customer and for the customer service I told them before that they have to make it well done and they never listen to me about that read more