Friendly service and delicious cuisine. We had the biryani and Haleem Both were delicious Simple counter serve restaurant with a clean space One complaint - the serving size for haleem was smaller than expected for $20. would try it out again . Good restaurant read more

Food was not bad! I ordered the okra masala, which came with a medium sized bowl of okra and hefty bowl of rice! However, my friends ordered the biryani, and for one of their bowls, the rice to meat ratio was very disappointing. It felt like 1:10, he definitely didn't need that much extra rice for such few pieces of meat. The lady behind the counter was passive aggressive towards my friend after he asked her to clarify which dish was which... aside from that she helped me find the to-go boxes. Inside the restaurant, it was very clean! Lots of parking all around the plaza. read more

See all

Friend convinced me to come here and give it another shot. Service was terrible. Lady working here was just rude and kept lying about how long it would be for food to be ready. Food tasted terrible. Don't waste your time coming here. read more

I enjoyed Pista house, and would recommend! I've seen this place a few times but admittedly have always been turned off because it seems a little quiet looking from the outside. However, it's been around long enough that I figured they must be doing something right so I gave them a try. While I was eating there for - weekday dinner with a friend a couple people came in to pick up orders, so I think that might be more popular. Ambiance wise it's more causal and you ordered and picked up food at the counter. We tried one of the biryanis and something else that the cashier recommended. I forget what exactly, but they were both solid, and I appreciated the limes/onions for some fresh added flavor! I definitely would come back again because there is plentiful parking, the food was good and reasonably priced, and the service was efficient. For 2 people we had leftovers. read more

Pista house - Biryani and naan and something else--cashier recommended some options for us! - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Okay, I don't normally go to Mira Mesa, but I happened to be in the neighborhood, and my permanent date smelled Indian food. Since it was close to lunch, we thought we'd stop in, and we were quite glad to do it. What we found is South Asian food which doesn't worry about catering to an American palate, and if you're like me, meaning you want the most authentic flavor you can find for a particular cuisine, then Pista House is the place to go for South Asian food. One key difference is every dish doesn't come with rice. There are rice dishes, and I fully intend to come back for the Butta Biryani, which is served in a bamboo pouch. My permanent date (we got married a week before the writing of this review) got Haleem, which is something neither of us had ever seen before. Haleem might not look appealing to the Western eye. It's a meat paste with a very healthy quantity of spices, rose petals (according to the description on the menu), and cracked wheat. It almost has a bean or cheese dip consistency while maintaining some of the characteristics of the meat it's made from (goat). My wife and I thought it was very tasty. It was a bit spicy for her, but I enjoyed the peppery quality. It's garnished with cashews and mint leaves, and I would definitely recommend giving it a try with some garlic naan. I ordered the mutton seekh kabab, which was also spicier than I expected, but pleasantly so. It was served with a very nice cilantro and yogurt sauce. It wasn't as tart as raita, but it did a good job of mellowing the spice. Service is a bit sparse, but that's to be expected from a well-appointed but small location in a strip mall. There are no servers or bussers, but South Asians seem to like the place, which suggests it's pretty good to me. read more

Pista house - Haleem - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

​I was impressed to see pista house launching the Potlam Biryani, especially with their commitment to sustainability. It comes beautifully packed in a biodegradable leaf, which doesn't just look great--it actually infuses the rice with a subtle, earthy aroma that plastic containers just can't match. This took me down the memory lane back when I ate food on a leaf in weddings. ​The chicken pieces were juicy and well-marinated just falling off the bone, making it so easy to eat without any fuss. The Potlam spice blend is bold and fiery, but the natural leaf packaging keeps the moisture locked in perfectly. A 5-star experience for both the palate and the planet! read more

Pista house - Potlam chicken biryani - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Best Indian food by far! I've tried a lot of different places in SD and this one is by far the most flavorful one. The food was delicious! I decided to order takeout and came across this place, and I'm so glad I found it. I got the chicken tikka masala, the cheese naan, and the samosas! The samosas were BOMB! 10/10 recommend! They tasted fresh and were packed with flavor. The tikka masala was also really good. The chicken was super flavorful and juicy, and the food was piping hot. I did wish it was a little spicy but it was really good either way. I will definitely be returning! They were also super nice, helpful, clean and fast. If you are thinking about ordering here, do not hesitate and try it ! read more

Worst paratha I've ever had. It was dense and flavorless. Paratha is supposed to be light, flaky and this was the opposite. Cheese naan has way too much cheese. But the tandoori chicken, butter chicken, rice and mango lassi were 10/10. Chicken dishes were so juicy and cooked perfectly!! read more

This Indian restaurant is under new ownership and has revamped its entire menu that now makes this my number one Indian cuisine spot in North count The food is amazing. Strongly recommend the Boti Kabob. My wife and I tried this spot years ago that then was a different name and ownership years ago, and the new restaurant is greatly improved and a delight to dine. Everything we tried was delicious. This mom and pop restaurant has done it right. Enjoy! read more

Food was really good , the spicy level was great and the guys serving were really helpful . Fair price and big portions. Tea is awesome too! Give it a try ! read more

Pista house - The outside of a delightful culinary experience - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Meeting my wife for dinner and since we'll be in Hawaii next week we chose to come here since Indian food would be the least we would choose on the island. Plus, my wife likes Indian food. Indoor dining area was spacious for a smaller venue. Plenty of seating. Ambiance was quiet with Indian music playing lightly for the pleasant setting. It must be a good choice when you see many Indian customers eating here. We ordered Pepper Chicken Curry, Chicken Biryani, Samosa(2), and Garlic Naan Bread. We also got Mango Lassi drinks as well. Some of the food on the spiciness would have been a 6 they toned it down to a 3 since my wife wasn't a spicy person. The food was very close to the 3. It was good. And the mango lassi was helpful to take the burn down to make dinner more pleasant. Even though we ordered more than enough food for 2 people it came to us quickly. The lassi drink was thick which made me ditch the straw. We should've ordered their dessert...next time. read more

Wow, what a hidden gem! I never expected a small Indian café focused on takeout to be this flavorful and delicious. The portions were much larger than I anticipated--one order was easily shareable. Prices are very reasonable too! Service is relatively quick and clean place! read more

Pista house - Chicken Mutton Seekh Kabab - flavorful and aromatic spices with bold grilled taste - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

My first time at PISTA house. My 5 friends were celebrating a birthday. So glad we went there. The staff was so helpful in explaining the menu and food was delicious. I tried the Kabab, Korma, dal, fried rice and butter chicken. All were delicious and prices were reasonable. They even had extra plates so we could share our dishes with each other. read more

Worth the wait! Very delicious and tasty Chicken Biryani. I only wish they added a 3rd piece Will be back. Good service and clean restroom.

This is a great little Indian eatery in the heart of Mira Mesa. We've gotten takeout here many times and they never disappoint. The food always delivers on the spice and HEAT. Come prepared, even the mild biriyanis here are quite spicy so be warned and order no spice if possible if you're sensitive. My favorites are any of their chicken biriyanis and the butter chicken. The butter chicken here is seriously so good. That curry sauce is amazing with a hint of sweetness. It's cozy and comfortable inside with the warm string lights. Service is always so nice and friendly. I love ordering online, which makes pickup a breeze. read more

Pista house - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food is average. Too much oil and spice to drown out the flavors. The samosa was good Ambiance is low key casual Easy parking Service is quick read more

Came here for a work dinner and felt like I found a hidden gem. The food was served hot and freshly made. Ordered the butter chicken and Naan bread, the pista house special chicken, samosas, and Andhra fish. See pictures as they do it justice. This was more than enough for 4 people and we all ate more than enough. You could taste all the spices and the sweetness in the butter chicken, and the naan was fresh and crunchy. The dishes did not taste too greasy or over seasoned. The restaurant felt casual and yet nice at the same time. I would come back to try their other dishes because it seemed like their menu had so many offerings and even dessert. The Naan alone is worth coming back, but try this place out and share about it! read more

See all

Good food and convenient location in Mira mesa. I think most people order take out, plenty of orders were made, but we were the only group to sit down in that hour while we dined in. You order at a kiosk and they bring it out to you. read more

See all

Biriyani is one of my favorite dishes to get at Indian restaurants and I couldn't believe the amount of options I had here! It was a bit overwhelming at first. I asked the woman working for some help to narrow it down, but she just told me everything was good. It wasn't very helpful in picking something to try. I ended up started with the Samosas. They had a great amount of filling to them and I loved the green sauce it came with. They paired very nicely together. The spices perfectly added to the flavor of the potatoes and peas. For my entree, I went with the Amaravathi Shrimp Biriyani. At first I was a bit annoyed by how expensive it was. But once I got my dish, it made sense. They give you a ton of food and they don't skimp out on the shrimp at all! It is definitely worth the price for me. I couldn't get over how delicious this was. I wanted to keep eating even after I was full. I liked the green sauce mixed with this as well. While I doubt I'll ever be able to try all the biriyani options they have, I cannot wait to come back and try at least a few more. Definitely going to bring my friends here too so I can try their entrees as well! read more

See all

My friend and I went here for dinner. We got here before the dinner rush and were the only ones in the place. It took an hour to get our food!!!! Then on top of that they forgot to make my friend's order!!! How do you fuck that up?! We were the only ones in the place. Never coming back. Better Indian food at other spots in MM. read more

Food was mediocre, if it was trying to be authentic indian. The rice in Dum biryani missed the entire dum flavour, Haleem was not good. Chicken kebabs was also mediocre. Chicken curry and naan were good though. read more

This was my first time here after being so hungry from visiting Seaworld. We got the chicken curry & the Malai mutton seekh kabob which is a creamy lamb dish. We had biryani rice (one creamy & one spicy). The waiters are very nice & explains all my questions with patience. They have a self service with yogurt & sauce. If it's too spicy for you, just put the yogurt in it & it'll balance it out. The portions are generous too. read more

Finally something that is more reasonably priced lunch special during the work week and the quality and portion was more than fair. I have tried so many in the Mira Mesa area and they were always super stingy with portions with crazy high prices but this place addresses both of my concerns and it was delicious tasting most of all! Got the Chicken Thali which comes with drink and their naan is well made unlike other places I have tried in the area. Nice chew and not overbaked. read more

See all

We ordered dal tadka, gobhi 65, palak paneer and chilli garlic naan.. all items were flavorful and delicious! Staff is very kind too!

Food was decent even few month back. Biriyani is just gravy mixed with rice now and fish item we ordered had undercooked spices. Service is cafeteria style. Peoples were talking loudly over speakerphone, not a relaxing place to have lunch read more

Craving Indian food and decided to pop into this joint. I don't eat Indian food often but damn am I glad I tried this place. With that being said I got the lamb masala, loose prawns, palak paneer, spicy goat curry and garlic naan. Portion sizes were huge, so don't get carrie away like we did when ordering. We ended up with lots of leftovers, but that's not a bad thing. As far as taste go it was all amazing, bursting with very rich flavors and mouth watering spices. I had to stop myself from overeating. And the service was top notch! Indira was helpful in answering all our questions and came and checked on us to ensure all was good. She was very pleasant, personable and charming. I will definitely be returning to this little hidden gem whenever I am in this area. Highly recommend!!! read more

See all

An okay experience overall. The food tasted fine and the portions were decent. Service was a little slow but still a decent place to try.

We ordered Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani and Amaravathi Lamb Biryani. In addition we also ordered Chicken Tikka Masala. We definitely enjoyed the Biryani, as for the Chicken Tikka, it was a huge disappointment. The chicken felt like they were frozen pieces tossed into a sauce and reheated. It was very hard to bite into the chicken. I would not recommend any of the Tikka or Curry dish. It looks like they specialize mostly in Biryani. I would only recommend the Biryani. My advise to the business is to never serve the Chicken TIkka to the public again unless you are truly going to cook the chicken and make it tender. It is bad for reputation. Good luck! Last, when I paid for my food I tipped them $12 dollars prior to getting my order. Not that I am expecting the order to arrive at my table but if you are going to have tip in your menu, you may as well bring the order to the table when someone tips you. That might help increase your overall tip. That's just a side note. I need to remember not to tip on food that is not SERVED at the table. read more

I was very disappointed in Pista house. I had heard such good reviews of their biryani and was excited to try it. I LOVE Charminaars Hyderbadi chicken biryani and chicken tikka masala and I ordered the same dishes here. I placed a pickup order over the phone and was quoted a 20 minute wait time. I arrived there promptly on time and was then told the food wasn't ready yet. My total wait time was closer to ONE HOUR for the two items I ordered. It wasn't even that busy so I'm not sure why it took so long. As for the food, it was just fine. The biryani was really spicy and oily. The tikka masala was okay but it was more brown than red, and something was off about it. The food definitely does not compare to Charminaar. Pro-tip: I don't recommend going, but if you do, pay in cash for a 10% discount read more

On our vacation in San Diego, we hit this place and this is one of the best Indian restaurants we have been to. Chicken 65 had good flavour but my favourite from this place has to be natukodi biryani which had right spices and the piece was tender and juicy. If you ever miss Hyderabadi biryani, this is the place to go. The place is small and cute. The service is nice and attentive. read more

See all

All other Indian food I have ever had, and I've had a lot, was in black and white. Pista is full color. It's more then just the best Indian food I have had, it makes everything else seem like it was trying to be Indian food, where Pista IS Indian food. We will be back, often! read more

This is absolutely amazing!!! They are hands down one of the best Indian eateries in socal! The food is always hot fresh and amazingly delicious!! Great customer service. The whole 9 yards!!, Thank you ,I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you! Keep up the great work! The restaurant is also very clean and welcoming! read more

Fantastic find in the Mira Mesa Shopping Center. This was our first, but definitely not last, time here. It was my wife's Birthday and she was in the mood for Indian food. First you can order at the kiosk or at the counter. The menu is extensive and we wanted to try something new so we ordered at the counter so we could ask questions. The lady at the counter, Gadde Rakesh was very helpful. We ordered Samosas, Lamb Biriyani and Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani. All were flavorful with a nice kick. The Biriyanis were accompanied with a masala gravy and yogurt dip. The portions were substantial and we had leftovers for another meal. read more

See all

Located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. Indoor dining with plenty of tables. Casual ordering at the counter, self bus tables. Ordered the samosas, biriyani, garlic naan and Chicken Tikka Masala. All were delicious and served very hot. Spicy items did have a kick so beware if you are not tolerant. Would come back to try more items. read more

Pista house - Top to bottom: mango lassi, samosas, chicken Tikka masala, chicken biryani, basmati rice for the Tikka masala - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

This is the place if you want Authentic South Indian and Hyderbad (also in South India) style food. They have recipes from Chettinadu in Tamil Nadu and a lot of Andra recipes. The food is HOT, except for a few mild dishes, like Korma...But its normal hot by Indian standards. I had the goat biryani, excellent, really good. the chettinadu chicken, the most tender chicken i have had in a restaurant, and the flavor was accurate.. then a veg korma. also excellent. desert we had ras malai, which was just average.... read more

This place has the most options for biryani I've seen than in any other Indian restaurant. The fried chicken pakora was delicious Pros: lots of biryani styles, all the South Indian vegetarian items were delicious Cons: falooda was bit too sweet, chicken was a little bit less spicy than the rice (didn't specify that we wanted spicy though) Ambiance: 4/5 Taste: 4.5/5 Value: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 read more

Honestly, I was very surprised on how delicious this was. It's conveniently located in one of Mira Mesa's plazas next to a playground. My 10 year old and 2 year old were playing around outside while my husband and I waited for our order (totally convenient). And we can see them through the window. You walk in and there are plenty of tables, you order at the register. We ordered (3) naan breads, plain, cheese, and garlic. We also ordered a chicken tikki masala and another chicken dish that the guy recommended for the kids. We were going to order another curry but the gentleman was honest and said that's a lot of food for all of you. I ordered a mango lassi (yes, you need to as well) The naan and the food was incredible! The dishes came with rice as well. The masala was not that spicy but the chicken dish we ordered was more on the hotter side. The funny part is that the hotter dish he recommends for the kids but they ended up not being able to eat it, so I did. It's probably the best Indian I have had in San Diego. The prices are a little bit more on the expensive side but totally worth it. We went on a Wednesday so it was not as crowded but it did start to pick up around 7 PM. read more

Amazing South Indian and Hyderabadi style chicken biryani. This place has real authentic Indian food but the food is set a specific spice level and you can't make it " mild" It's very tasty but be forewarned the food here is spicy. read more

Service: Good, you place your order at the counter and they call your name once food is ready. No table service. Food served in compostable containers. Food: The biryani was mild but flavorful. Chili Bajji was spot on, not spicy but crunchy and tasty. Baby corn Manchurian was good taste without being oily. I would have preferred it to be a bit more spicy though. Quick service, good food! Will be back for to-go next time! read more

Pista house - Chilli bajii, baby corn Manchurian, gongura paneer biryani - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food is 10 out of 10. We shared several food items and the baked goods are so yummy! The egg puff was so flaky and the filling had a sweet yet lil spice kick great combo. The chicken noodles were perfect. Not too greasy or salty super excellent ratio of chicken veg and noodles! This is my new fav place and I can't believe it took me this long to finally stop in. The customer service was great as well. All fairly priced as well. read more

Pista house - My hubs enjoying Chicken Noodles - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California