We had a very delicious dinner at Saffron Bistro last night. Service was solid, and we had two nice glasses of wine. And our dinner- YUM! We shared the daal fry, mattar paneer, pudina paratha, and some basmati rice. We demolished it amid oohs and aahs of satisfaction. More oohs and aahs followed when we received our bill- such an affordable dinner! We had less food and not as good wine the night before at Straits in Burlingame, for $20 more! Never going there again, and Saffron has entered our repertoire as a must-go. read more

Love that they deliver! the food is a little pricey, however the food itself is fresh! I love the naan & all the veggie choices they have!! The rice & biryani is a bit bland...so i go for the Naan, chappati etc....Other than that, it's a pretty good Indian place for the peninsula! read more

Every time I visit San Carlos, this is my go-to spot for excellent Indian food. I've checked in about 6 times and the food has been consistently good. Sunday dinner buffet was no different. However I'm docking them a star based on a rather new attitude that very much surprised me and made me rethink what I feel about this place. We had one basket of their truly excellent naan. We finished all but two pieces at the bottom on the basket and I simply ask if I can take these two pieces back to go--you know throw me a piece of foil and I'm going away a happy patron. The manager, who I'd not seen my other visits there acquiesces with a warning that this is not something they do because apparently they might have been ripped off by patrons who ask for another basket of naan, only to not finish it on purpose and then take it home. But, he'll make an exception for me...I think that was supposed to make me feel better, but when said unsmilingly, it was not a sincere exception. An exception?? There are two lonely pieces of delicious naan (that we got just for sitting down) that are now destined for the trash, because we didn't want for him to "go out of his way." God forbid that we have violated his strict policy that would rather trash food than let regulars enjoy it more. This single act, at the end of another delicious Saffron meal, with great attentive service was very off-putting and reflected badly on this place. 10/9/12 Update: Right after I wrote this, I got a very considerate response from the Owner, Ajay, that further explained the reasoning behind the policy not to let any buffet food go home in doggy bags, and it makes more sense to me. But they also realize that this policy docks loyal patrons (like myself) to protect themselves from the greedy ones--a tough spot. But their consistently good food (even within a single buffet period) and their service continues to impress. And now that I know that they are responsive to these Yelps, I am very encouraged and have returned a star. Well done Saffron Indian Bistro. read more

I tried lunch buffet with my friends. which was really good. Lot of variety. It was little expensive for weekday buffet. I guess it was $16 for lunch buffet weekday. So I wanted to try their alacart menu too. Food here is really expensive and not upto mark. Just a fancy dining place. We got a table next to kitchen and lobby, which was really congested. About the food, I order -Stuffed paneer - which was really not good. It was half burnt and no flavors. - Daal Makhni - Daal makhni was really good. I would give 5/5 for daal. Best daal I have had in bay area. But the quantity was little less. - Naan - Garlic naan was fresh. read more

THIS IS SOME OF THE BEST INDIAN FOOD IN CALIFORNIA!!! My family and I moved from Endland awhile back and have still been yet to find an indian place that can compare with the ones there!! Saffron doesn't just compare, it is the best indian food we have ever had since we moved!! The waiters were very nice and got the orders all good. They can be hard to understand with a lot of people in the place but they are kind and understanding. The food for the breakfast is amazing and the evening menu is even better! I Definitely Recommend This Place!! read more

UPDATE: Just wanted to re-yelp that this place has since become a staple on my list of faves, and is pretty consistent all the time. My sister loves the naan, and the bf and I drool over the butter chicken. The service is a little slow sometimes (I think they make the naan fresh for each party, so occasionally you're chowing down for a while before the naan comes out), and they always seem a little flustered during a busy weekday lunch -- but frankly, I'm just glad they get the business. Mmmm, Saffron.... GREAT Indian buffet at a charming and friendly restaurant. Tandoori chicken was tender, naan was fluffy, food was fresh and changed regularly (despite not many people at lunch when I went). The decor is a step above, with colorful accents and an inviting yet intimate dining room (which I'm sure becomes more so in the evening). The servers and manager (?) were very friendly and accommodating when we came in with an infant and a toddler. Great alternative to crossing the bridge or going to Mountain View for good Indian food. read more

Ah yes, an Indian dinner buffet. I was a bit skeptical when my friend recommended this for dinner - like many of you, my stomach doesn't treat me so well after certain Indian dishes (even though it doesn't keep me away), so the thought of a buffet! Oy! But I was told the only way to do it by a San Carlos local was the buffet, so I felt obligated... Well, this place sure did not disappoint. While their curries and tandoori chicken were very delish, I think that their roasted veggie medly won me over. Of course I stuffed myself silly (freakin' buffets man), but so glad I just forced myself to fit in some of that rice pudding dessert...yum! Word of caution: if you don't like your glass being filled up with water every 5 minutes, you might want to give the waiter a warning. It's like the waiter was worried we weren't getting in our 8-glasses a day...a little too much for my taste... read more

Review is for the weekday lunch buffet only. I work near Saffron and we come here about once every 6 months. They're okay, neither overly good or overly bad. For every + there is a -. Naan: +: hot, fresh, served fast -: more than half of it is always burnt, their naan is not very doughy, but rather very crisp Butter Chicken: +: delicious sauce -: some of the meat is still on the bone, there are always some unusual bits of fat and such disguised by the sauce Rice: +: um, it's rice? -: at lot of the pieces are over cooked (crispy) might be the buffet warmer Puffy Little Round Things Whose-Name-I-Don't-Know: +: moist, fluffy, perfectly shapes -: too salty See the trend? Service is friendly, prices are good (the buffet is about $10 each, average cost), everything is clean, buffet has good variety. 3 stars for being overall a solid place to eat, but they don't get more because I don't think the food is anything special. read more

Went here for dinner the other night and my-o-my are the portions tiny! Each entree was $10+ and we ordered the butter chicken (a favorite of mine) and the tandoori pesh kush (ie combination tandoori)...the only reason I subtracted two stars was for the portions!!! The entrees were incredibly tiny and a meal for two w/two entrees and naan was clearly not enough... On the plus side, all of the food was very tasty and delicious - service was great - very attentive at keeping the drinks full, plates cleared, and hot food on the table - all in all a good experience except for the portions - I'll have to come back and try their buffet to see if that raises the review rating! read more

I love this restaurant. Friendly service and great food. I highly recommend their Paneer Makhani - they have that dish down to an art if you enjoy a mouthwatering creamy tomato based curry with cubes of paneer (cheese). I'm drooling just thinking about it! They also have one of the better mango lassis that I have had. I think this is the best place to get Indian food in the area. read more

I came here on a Tuesday night with a friend. To our surprise, it's buffet style. We were under the impression that it's an ordering place, but perhaps it was just this night. I enjoyed everything I ate, though I'm admittedly inexperienced with Indian food. Of the roughly dozen dishes, none were bad and I particularly liked the paneer dish. I'd come back here if I lived in the area. read more

I really liked this place. I'm so used to having indian buffet back in North Carolina that when I moved to the Bay Area I wanted to cry. I found Saffron and now it'll give me an opportunity to get fat Oh, and they have Rice Pudding, my fav read more

Tried their brunch menu which they call Jugaad menu. This is what they offer during weekends and I must say this is just a branding thing. Menu is pretty limited with 5-6 special options for brunch. Also the taste of the items is pretty lame. I had egg bhurji and Gobi Paratha. Both of them were mediocre and not worth the price you pay for it. I went in with some many expecations and it fell short. Would definitely not recommend this to anyone for brunch. read more

The best Indian food in the bay! I might be biased because I have been going there since my daughter was a baby. But I just can't stress how delicious this place is. Check out their lunch and dinner buffet. More bang for your buck! Also the owner is always present and attentive to everyone's needs. read more

I love the food here, but I am only giving them 3 stars because it's overpriced and they charge $8 for kids under 8 during lunch. My son is three years old and barely eats anything - maybe some rice at the most. I refuse to pay $8 for the privilege of my son joining us for lunch! How can you charge a 1, 2, or even a 3 year old the same as an 8 year old? I understand over 5s or prob over 6s, but they shouldn't charge for the smaller kids. read more

I have now found my new favorite Indian place on the peninsula. We did only go for lunch. I want to try it out for dinner. I can't wait to try their butter chicken again. The buffet runs run 11 dollars plus tax and tip for lunch. The food is really hot and seems fresh. They have a lot of chose from. I can't see why anyone would go to Tava around the corner compared to this place. back again.. Over all, it was a solid lunch. We are going back again... read more

Came for sunday buffet lunch, actually i was not wanting the buffet, but decided to just try it. Price is decent $10.95. I thought the staff was ok, they were not friendly but also were not rude. They did however always keep our water glasses full!! :) The buffet had a decent selection. I was hoping for some samosa, but no luck. Naan was good. The dessert selection was boring, but they did offer fresh fruit. I was hoping for some biryani, like i read in some other reviews, but i guess their buffet is not always the same. The daal was good!! read more

We were lucky to first come here on a Sunday night since they had their dinner buffet. The food is always so tasty; they have plenty of meat & vegetarian options, and their desserts & masala chai are delicious. My favorite dishes here are the butter chicken, saag paneer, and alou gobi. This is the only place where I usually eat a little bit of everything. I give them an extra star for keeping their platters full and clean. That's one of my pet peeves about some Indian restaurants. I absolutely hate empty or dry food all over the chafing dishes. The service has always been very attentive. They are constantly refilling your water glasses and making sure you have fresh bread. FYI: They only offer dinner buffet on Tuesdays and Sundays. Which I highly recommend! However, I finally had their lunch buffet last week and noticed more dishes. read more

I went here recently. I actually went to this place years ago when they were getting started. Back then they had a menu and would set you up with a plate of food themselves (buffet style, but they would serve you behind the counter). I like how they changed to a straight buffet. I have to agree with some of you here this is the best buffet I have been to on the Peninsula. I thought everything was good, I especially liked the Butter Chicken and the chutneys (Mint was great!). I thought the Tandorri Chicken was a bit dry though, but maybe because it was sitting around a bit too long. I normally do not go to buffets because I do not like going into a food coma after and stuffing myself! Furthermore, buffets as you probably all know do not offer the best food. This was good though. read more

The on-line ordering system is excellent. I had a few questions so I needed to call before ordering, and whoever answered was so helpful. I ordered from the catering menu - buttered chicken, vegetable korma, saffron rice, and Samosas - to be delivered for an office function. I was very impressed with the food quaility, portion size, reasonable prices, and efficient delivery service. I will definitely order from them again for many more business lunch functions in the future. As well, would love to try in person. Highly recommend. read more

I'm not much of an Indian food fan or even very knowledgeable about the cuisine but I will say this about Saffron, Holy crap! I was practically licking the bowl of curry begging for more. I had a take out lunch from there expecting average food and I was very surprised. Butter chicken = amazing sauce with a depth of flavor and richness Tikka masala= the classic and very good Prawn curry = it's a rich sauce that might overpower the prawn flavor but nothing to be upset about Sagaloo = a great version of another classic dish Mix Naan = this was a little soggy due to the travel but amazing flavors especially the garlic naan Rice= your typical basmati rice done right Overall This is a 4.5 because of the soggy naan and the lack of spicy in all the food. The food had spice and great flavor but it wasn't even slightly hot. Maybe next time I'll ask for a little more heat and give them a 5. read more

Went here for the lunch buffet on Saturday around noon. Very good food!!! There was a wide selection of vegetarian dishes arranged nicely on their buffet counter. They also have non-vegeterian dishes as well. As others have said, the butter chicken was delicious - hands down my favorite dish!! The naan came out hot and tasty. At most of the other places I've been to, the Tandoori Chicken is usually dry, but to my surprise it was very moist and also delicious. Be sure to try the rice pudding and chai tea for something sweet. The decor is nice is inside and the restaurant is very clean. I will definitely be back to this place. read more

Nice clean restaurant with a good selection of food for the lunch buffet. Definitely not the best naan nor butter chicken I've had but it was decent. The Tandoori chicken, on the other hand, was not dry like most Indian buffets :) I also enjoyed the fish curry read more

Tandoori chicken was perfectly cooked and jam packed with flavor. Naan was delicious and they handled my special request. Portion was a little small. Husband said his was just ok. read more

My friend recommend me to try the buffet over there. I go there on Sunday noon, unfortunately they offer brunch instead of buffet. The food is good also. read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

Absolutely the best Indian buffet I have tasted. The food is the highest quality and fresh. Friendly service too. If only I have the stomach, I would go eat there everyday. Highly recommended! read more

ETA: The removal of one star for using frozen vegetables in their vegetable curry. Don't get me wrong, the sauce was good, but if I am paying for a restaurant meal, I expect fresh vegetables. That was a huge disappointment, especially after our first impressions. Also, my aloo gobi potatoes were undercooked, but I don't know if that was a fluke or not. I always bypassed this restaurant because I never saw anyone in there. However my boyfriend pressed me tonight because he wanted good vegetarian, and in we went. The place is tastefully decorated, the servers are nice but slow (everyone is in San Carlos), the food was surprisingly good. I ordered vegetable pakoras, tandoori chicken, and a spicy eggplant dish I forget the name of. The tandoori chicken came out on a sizzling plate, and was not too dry. It was pretty tender actually, and the eggplant was spicy enough for me. Meals come with naan, which is delicious and crunchy. read more

Saffron is my favorite Indian restaurant on the Peninsula. I have been going there since they opened a few years back and were serving out of a fridge case. I love how the place has evolved into the beautiful, classy restaurant that it is. The staff at Saffron is incredibly nice and always accommodating, and while the dishes may seem a bit pricey, it is worth it for the fantastic flavors and the healthier ingredients they use. My favorite dishes: butter chicken, saag paneer, veggie samosas with chana masala. You really cant go wrong at Saffron though. And their lunch and dinner buffets are a great prices for such extensive selections. read more

This place is GOO...wait for it...D. I was happy to find Bhel Puri on the appetizer menu here since most of the places around don't have it. And it was really delicious. Everything we got was good, but the dish that was super good here was the malai kofta. The first time I ever had the stuff was in a random indian restaurant somewhere near or in ann arbor and I have held that malai kofta on a pedestal. The malai kofta from saffron ties that malai kofta for first place. Who knew Veggie balls in chunky sauce could ever be so crave-able. We got takeout (ordered online) and since we ordered three entrees (saag paneer, chicken tikka masala & the awesome malai kofta) we got a free vegetable pakora appetizer. Everything was great the day of and the day after. The takeout portions come in convenient resealable plastic containers and though the portions are smaller than most of the indian restaurants around, I felt that there was still the same amount of the good stuff (chicken, paneer, whatever) and just less of the sauce. This is my new goto Indian Restaurant. read more

I'm not an expert in Indian, but I've had a great deal of it from here to the UK and I will say that this is a very tasty Indian buffet restaurant for a very reasonable price. They have an excellent selection of dishes, the majority of which are vegetarian, and I enjoyed all of them. I ate a little of just about everything they offered and it was all very satisfying. I would definitely come here again for a tasty, reasonably priced Indian lunch and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Indian. read more

I like this place, but it is expensive. The samosas are some of the best I've tasted - flaky and delicate, stuffed with potatoes and spices and peas, with a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce as well as other chutneys. My husband is a chicken tikka masala connoisseur, and he loves their CTM sauce. The garlic naan is a little limp but flavorful, and the cheese naan is unique and delicious. The daal makhni lacks the delicately spiced nuance of yellow daal soup at other places I've had, but the black lentils are given a ton of flavor with strong spices and a small kick. It is not overwhelmed with ginger, which is often a problem with DM. They have a buffet, but we get take-out. The decor is nice, but parking is hard to find. read more

So I work in Redwood City and have been looking for a good lunch time Indian Buffet. Lots in SF but the couple that we went to in Redwood City were pretty blah. Chicken Tikka Marsala is my favorite and pretty standard at any Indian Buffet and the other two joints had "Butter Chicken" instead and it tasted nothing like Tikka Marsala. Ok ok so it sounds like I'm bitching about "Other" restaurants versus writing about this one. That being said I finally found one that was GOOD. The Nan was fresh and actually some of the best Nan I've tried. The Tikka Marsala tasted like Tikka Marsala. The Lamb was good but they used bone in chunks of lamb. Ok it's a minor complaint considering the lamb was really good. They have a pretty good selection but the rest of the food is just ok. Regardless it's the best one so far that I've found in the are and have been there twice so far and probably will go back read more

My 2nd favorite indian on the penninsula (Shiva is reallllly good). The curries are terrific, although sometimes there's just too much cream in them which i can't stand. daal makni was terrific. But what really made my day was their biryani...i'm a sucker for a great biryani and this one was probably one of the best i've had around sf (naan and curry has a great one too, and they cook the shrimp in the tandoor) because they keep it wet and spiced. 4 stars simply because for a casual indian place, it makes the mark. not looking at it from a service, or aesthetic viewpoint, but just on food. This is my standard local easily. updated: docked 1 star. the biryani's the last 2 times i went sucked. the typical really dry kind where they just take rice, throw a tiny bit of the meat in it. i can't stand it when it's made like this. the best biryani i've had hands down is still naan n curry on van ness. the other food here is still good but more watered down tasting. oh well. read more

Tried the dinner buffet on New Years Day, which was probably the best Indian buffet I have had, especially for the price (and I love Indian buffet). So many choices, including biryani and 4-5 vegetarian options, for which the vegetarian in our group expressed much enthusiasm. The meat dishes (Butter chicken and Tandoori chicken) were not bad, but not awesome either. The naan was served in a basket to the table (much preferable to getting from a warming dish at the buffet). Rice pudding and MANGO pudding for dessert (not really pudding--it had the consistency of mango lassi, but hey, free mango lassi!). The waitstaff was very attentive, filling our water glasses and naan basket constantly. I will definitely go back. read more

Came here for a farewell lunch for one of my coworkers. Made reservations for a party of 15, but 22 of us showed up. About 14 of us showed up at 12PM and then the rest came in around 12:15PM. During lunch it is buffet style and I believe dinner is by the entree--not too sure. The salad that they offered that day (Tuesday) was well-prepared with the dressing. The curry chicken (not sure the official advertised name for this dish) had a slight kick it to but it was very DELICIOUS! There was this other dish that was curry-based and had what I thought was tofu, but later found out it was a mixture of cheese and something else......FRIED! I stopped ingested that once I found out because I have to limit the amount of cheese I consume, but the dish itself was really good though. Anything fried is good, period. This place changed my take on Indian food and will definitely come back in the future to eat my very limited quantity of fried cheese in curry.. read more

Love their buffet. Good food items. Taste is different. They keep changing buffet items. Their tawa item is really good (chole bharure or aloo tikki etc). Chicken Tandoori is too good. I went many times.Usually customer service is good even though it is full of guests. Last time I went on Blank Friday. Staff was not friendly. (may be because they didn't get holiday and also owner was not there) They took too much time to serve bhatura. Since I don't eat nan, I requested Roti and waiter told me that he will charge extra for it. So refused it. When we were almost done with lunch, he came with Roti and told us that he is doing this favor only for one time. :) Anyway .. it's good place to have lunch/dinner. Being in down town it is small place. Don't miss their masala chai. read more

Saffron's always a safe choice to go to - you can always rely on the food to be good. We primarily go for the buffet lunches or dinners. Butter chicken is always the first target but I enjoy the variety of curries they serve, whether it's chicken or shrimp. Naan is also well made and the kids enjoy dipping it in the butter chicken sauce. I gave a 5 star because the service is excellent. It helps when you're a regular so we're always greeted with warm "hello's" and "how are you's" and already know what drinks we order. The main dining area is clean, so is the restroom, and there's friendly staff all around willing to help, collect your plates, fill your water or beverage. read more

We came into store at last minute and they still welcome us, in that case, I give 4 stars. The reason that I give 5 stars it's becoz the food is awesome!! read more

Saffron - Butter chicken, outstanding! - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

We went to Saffron Indian Bistro for lunch on a weekday. We all got the buffet and ate all we could! The buffet had lots of meat and veggie choices and everything seemed fresh. My favorites were the chicken tikka masala and the butter chicken. Both were really tasty! I love buffets and Indian food so I will definitely return someday. Overall grade: A read more

Cute little restaurant in the heart of San Carlos. Truly authentic Indian cuisine. Great for date night or a group of friends. We went to an early dinner on a Monday and by the time we were finished the place was filling up fast. Fantastic service friendly staff and amazing food. We asked for spicy and they defiantly made it spicy - Love it HOT! read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California