Well, on the positive side, I had a really nice time in good company. The restaurant was clean, rather spacious, and I certainly appreciated the white tablecloths. We sat at a round table that perfectly fit our group of seven. It was a very comfortable setting, so we could talk freely. We came for "Buffet Night Wednesday," served from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. Around 6:30 p.m., I felt like we were late to the party and should have been grateful there was still some food left. We knew a large group of 25 people would be coming for the buffet that day, but I didn't think it would be a problem. The buffet looked kind of sad to me. I managed to sample almost everything, even Goat Curry. Everyone said it was very good. I passed on the Samosas (not too appetizing looking). Also, I didn't want to commit to the whole piece of Tandoori Chicken, so I checked the Chicken 65 instead. It was nothing like I had tried before, but the bite size pieces were good, plus it wasn't really spicy. Everyone's favorite, Butter Chicken, was very tasty. I had only a small piece of chicken. When I went back for another one, it was gone, only the sauce remained. I think just one dish was refilled during our entire stay. I was hoping for fresh Samosas, but it didn't happen. The Tofu dish was one of my favorites. Luckily, there were just a few pieces hanging around, so there was no risk I could overeat at this particular buffet. For dessert, I had a little white pudding. It was a generic dish you'll find in every Asian buffet, nothing special. We learned that the ownership had changed, but it seemed like it was still a family business. The children were supposed to clean up the dirty dishes, but they didn't. We were surrounded with dirty plates, and none of the employees seemed to care. This was my first visit to Shalimar BBQ & Grill, and I can't compare my experience to previous quality. I can't complain about the taste and flavor, really, but the entire buffet was missing something. Maybe the food? :) read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Butter chicken on top, eggplant?, chickpeas, chicken 65, some veggies, and basmati rice with cauliflower. - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

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Went here with a few of our friends to check out their weekly buffet. It's my first time here since they hosted an event for Yelp. Sorry it took me so long to return. I really enjoyed the Goat Curry & the Aloo Gobi. I thought most of the other dishes could have used more heat. I took a samosa but not sure why. It was very dark & dried out. We found out while there that they're under new management. Going from Southern Indian to now Afghani. That might explain the difference in spices. Everyone was friendly but the service lacked a bit with no one cleaning up the dirty dishes or asking if we needed more naan or water. I'm on the fence with this review 3.5 to 4 so I'll go up to 4. 2025-64 read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

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Went here months ago for a Yelp Event and the service and food were great. However, this visit was a private dinner of some Yelp friends. We found out that there now are new owners. Unfortunately the service and food are not at all the same or as good as the previous owner. This is a poor representation of authentic Indian food. The rice pudding and Chai Tea were good. Regardless of the food flavor, they should have kept the buffet stocked up. We got there at about 6:30 and the buffet was pretty much empty. I'm rating this from the perspective of someone that has spent many years researching and preparing authentic Indian food. Judge for yourself. read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

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Seemed like a great place. Nice staff and straightforward Casual Atmosphere. Unfortunately, we were out of chicken Shawarma. They were also out of falafel. So me and my sister decided to leave and go elsewhere. read more

We went here for dinner after seeing good reviews. I also assumed that this restaurant was related to Shalimar in California - big mistake! The food was quite disappointing. The Tandoori Chicken had no flavor - just red color and fried up in oil and served on sizzler platter. The curries and the biryani were not satisfactory either. Tasted like old stuff quickly heated up and served. read more

Just updating to say Shalimar is under new ownership and their is new staff, but still has same great food and the wonderful buffet! I had no idea until I went to cash out ... everything is pretty much the same! read more

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Got takeout- was readily accommodated by staff when I asked for plates, spoons, etc. walked in during a lunch buffet, which I will definitely be coming back for! The place was clean and quiet. Food was chicken korma, chicken tikka biryani and samosas. No complaints on flavor or spice level. My only concern was that the biryani portion was enormous but the proportion of chicken seemed lower than you'd expect. The chicken flavor was great- I would have loved more pieces. Will definitely be going back. read more

So even though this place has been here for a while, this was my first time here. This review is based on my familiarity with Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisine. Considering this restaurant is located in Williamsville, the food is on the mellow side. On an Indian spice level, I'd call it a 2/5. This isn't a bad thing, as this is good way to introduce South Asian cuisine to those who may not be familiar with it or who don't care for spicy food. That being said, the texture of every dish was on point. I also appreciated that the food wasn't salty, which is more common that I'd expect. While cashing out, I found out that the owners were Afghanistani and had recently acquired the restaurant. Now I'll go through each of the food items I had: Kabuli Pulao : This item threw me off at first, until I found out the owners were Afghanistani. I'm more used to seeing a biryani as an item on a menu. That being said, it tasted authentic though I didn't expect it and would've preferred a biryani. Kabuli Pulao is basically a Pulao with some pieces of goat and sultanas/raisins. Basmati rice: Two options of a plainer rice was meh. Chana Masala: They got the texture right and the chickpeas were not too hard and not too soft. Goat Curry: This was on point. 10/10. This was some of the best goat Curry I've had. Chicken Makhani: This dish was as expected. Chicken Tandoori: They did is good job with this. The chicken fell off the bone yet with its expected crispier texture, well seasoned, and not dry. Dry chicken tandoori is something I've experienced a little too often but this restaurant had it right. 10/10. Chicken 65: 1/10. This tasted like like it was chicken cooked with ketchup and bell peppers. This was surely the worst chicken 65 I've had. This dish will need to be worked on. Chicken Korma: 0/10 for mislabeling. This was tofu and not Chicken. I cannot eat cheese nor tofu, so biting into this caught me by surprise. Aloo Gobi: They did a good job with this. Flavor and texture was on point, besides the mild taste. Baigan Bharta: It could've used more tomato, though good overall. This isnt your traditional baigan Bharta you'd find at South Asian restaurants, but I did appreciate their take on it. Masala Chai: On point. No issues. Perfect flavor, consistency, and temperature. Desserts: I wish they had more than kheer, but they might have something else on another day. I'm a bigger fan of rasgollahs or fruit custard. Samosas and Onion Pakoras: They were both dark, overcooked, and dry. They looked like they were sitting there for a while. They were both extremely dry. Fruit: They had watermelon, which was pretty good. Price: $19.99 Staff: The staff was very friendly in person. They weren't picking up our plates, so we had them stacked at a nearby table. Decor: The decor was a little lacking but I'm sure this is because they are the new owners. As time goes by, I'm sure they will decorate the place more. In summary, I think this place has a lot of potential. I love Afghani food and even though they are currently an Indian/Pakistani restaurant, I think they can bring a lot of delicious Afghani food to the table. I would love to see some kababs and other Afghani dishes introduced to the menu. At the same time, I really don't know if they should stop making that chicken 65 or keep making it under a different name. Also, why is this place called "Shalimar BBQ and Grill?! Do they serve BBQ and grilled meat? This place has a lot of potential though I think some rebranding might be needed and which could benefit them. read more

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Our order: chickpea chaat, beef skewers, aloo Gobi Pros Friendly staff Convenient location Parking read more

Went here for lunch with my husband since he was in the mood for Indian food. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that this restaurant had Indian and Persian mediterranean cuisine! We got the chicken tikka masala spicy, some garlic naan, and a lamb kabob with rice. Chicken tikka masala was truly spicy (phew!), garlic naan was soooo fluffy and garlicky, and the lamb kabob had such good seasoning. Service was quick, and the lady there was so sweet and helpful. Would highly recommend it to anyone craving either Mediterranean or Indian cuisine, or both! read more

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Shalimar is a family owned business and this was our second time coming for dinner. Oh my gosh is their food is delicious! Come hungry! We ordered two appetizers to share: veggie samosas (2 large samosas) that come with 2 dipping sauces, and mixed bolani which reminds me a lot of a scallion pancake, but stuffed with mashed potato, spinach, and spices. The bolani is large and could easily be shared with 4 people as an appetizer. For dinner we each got korma. I got the chicken korma and my husband got the steak. They come with the choice of rice or naan as a side, so we both got rice but also ordered one side of naan to share. It was a lot of food and we brought home leftovers, which were equally delicious the night day. Service was also fantastic. The waiter was super attentive and food came out in a reasonable amount of time. The restaurant also has a comfortable atmosphere, with tablecloths on the table. Highly recommend! read more

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AIN'T what it used to be; the buffet is meager portions and not much variety. The menu no longer offers old favorites. It was great in the past ,but the new owners can't keep up. They should close the place & find new jobs. read more

On a lark, we chose Shalimar to have entrees. But we were intrigued with the dinner buffet (Wed/Sat). So we dove right in and enjoyed a few varieties of Lamb; Beef; Chicken (including Tandoori). Along with Briyani ; Jasmine rices. The hosts were friendly and welcoming which gave us a feeling of being welcomed to a family dinner. The dishes were flavorful and aromatic. It was a really relaxing experience. read more

Their we're 5 of us, 3 ( before today) weren't real fans of Indian food and two down right would not even try it before! That all changed ! We talked them into trying the buffet so you could sample a lot of different things and not have to try to decide on one. It worked , we all still aren't sure what we ate, even after 3 trips along the buffet line! Seriously it was all great! Not too spicy like they were afraid of and it was delicious ! Next time we're going to move up to the full menu! It was lacking in service used plates piled up late with Nan and silverware and it wasn't crowded read more

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3-4 stars - taste of the butter chicken was very nice. However, you can't expect the customer to pay $16 and get only a few pieces of chicken. It was mostly sauce. 3- palak paneer was meh. Very few pieces of paneer. I've had tastier palak paneer from frozen brands in the Indian grocery store. 4-5 naan bread was tasty Takeout order, so I cannot comment on the service. Dishes were plastic wrapped, to prevent spills while taking it home. Thank you for that. I'm not sure I would try this place again. read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Butter chicken, Palak Paneer, naan - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

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Service is great and friendly. Food is amazing. Started with mixed bolani which is sort of a thin bread stuffed with spinach and potatoes. For my entree had beef korma. It comes with either rice or naan, I chose rice. Beef was tender and the sauce was amazing. read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Mixed bolani - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

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My wife reviewed Shalimar about a year ago. She gave it 5 stars. We normally don't double up with reviews of the same place that we went to together. However, we went there tonight and immediately realized the front counter was in a different location. It was then that we realized that the restaurant was under new ownership. Well, we were initially worried because we love Shalimar. So we ordered our two favorite entrées and favorite appetizer as we've had there before. We got veggie (potato) samosas with dipping sauces included, chicken korma with basmati rice included, lamb biryani with raita included, and a side order of butter naan. Everything was as delicious as it was previously. Even though it's under new ownership, we understand that the chef is the same gentleman who had been the chef previously. And the family running the restaurant is the nicest. So our concerns were misplaced and we will definitely be back here. Everything was delicious! read more

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The outside sign said barbecue. It is not. But what it is is far rarer to find in western New York, a good Indian / Pakistani restaurant. The food tastes authentic, ingredients are fresh. The wait staff are attentive, and know all about the fairly broad menu. The prices are reasonable. We will be back. read more

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Been at this Restaurant a few times with family and friends, each time, we enjoyed it. Delicious foods. Buffet was great with verity of foods. Great service and plenty of tables. Great location with lots of parking space. It will be my regular spot from now on! read more

All was EXCELLENT. Loved the chicken makhani and baingan bartha. Generous portions and high quality. Our server was lovely and very kind. This would be a great place to bring a bigger group. Will definitely be back!! read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill is honestly such a great spot. From the moment you walk in, the people there are so kind and welcoming, it really makes you feel comfortable. The service is always friendly and they treat you like family, which I really appreciate. The food is delicious and full of flavor, but I have to say the ice cream is on another level -- it's AMAZING. You can tell they put a lot of care into everything they serve. What I love most is that it's not just about the food, but the whole experience. You really get to experience the culture here, from the atmosphere to the way they treat you. It's one of those places that just makes you want to keep coming back. read more

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I loved this place before it closed in early 2025 (for refurbishing and a change in management) when it reopened I went back and it was terrible. The starters were fine - albeit a little slow, but the main course was bland and one of the worst Indian meals I have had. I have not been back since. After reading recent reviews I'm thinking I just had an off night and may go back for the buffet. read more

The food is outstanding, tastes very good. Everytime I eat here I always want to come back and eat again. The service is amazing the workers are so nice and respectful. The Ambiance here is so nice and peaceful, very nice place to chill at while eating. read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Chicken Biryani - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

I tried this restaurant for take out for the first time. Overall, a pretty solid restaurant. Some things are definitely better than others, but I'd say it's worth trying your favorite dish here. Staff very friendly, Grubhub order was ready in about 25 minutes. Vegetable and chicken samosa, and samosa chat were all excellent. The chicken biryani has really great flavor, though the chicken doesn't seem to be marinaded and is fairly bland compared to other biryani places close by. The chicken curry is a solid average. Again, the chicken could be a lot better and the gravy is fairly bland. Malai kofta is pretty good, I would potentially get again. I would go back to this restaurant, especially to try other things on their fairly large menu. read more

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Awesome, freshly-prepared, food. Located in a unique international food court. Make sure to learn the back story; enhances the experience even more. read more

Very delicious and great service. Cozy place I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Buffalo.

First time at Shalimar. I will most certainly be back! Place was clean and bright. Food was very good! Hot and fresh. Chicken Makhani. Vegetable Korma both excellent. Rice was fluffy and tasty. Excellent naan. Owners were pleasant and gracious. There was a steady flow of take out business while we were there. Good location with plenty of parking. If you love Indian food, give Shalimar a try! read more

The food was great, service was awesome, and the environment was welcoming. Definitely looking forward to going back! Wish I had pictures of the food, but I didn't think to take any before devouring all the deliciousness! read more

Delicious food! We go every Wednesday for the buffet and have never been disappointed.

Disappointed. Loved the food and service when it was under previous owner. It is now more expensive and food is not as good. We were regulars but unfortunately now we will not return. read more

We loved Shalimar previously. Always good food and service. But, it recently was closed and came under "new management." Sad to say, it isn't the same. There is one server working (the owner) and it is in disarray, the paper menu is different, lacking MANY Indian dishes and more towards Iranian and Afghan dishes. There are x marks through many previous items. The samosas were not good, they were not fried and were reheated (part of interior was frozen). I would not recommend as this is not the same great restaurant it was. read more

Amazing is all I can say. I happened to pass this place while deciding what I wanted. I pulled into the lot placed an online order and walked inside. The waiter/greeter greeted me and let me know that order was going to take a little bit (which was fine I knew I walked in early) he offered me a seat at a table and some water while I waited however I decided to stand. When my food was ready I walked out to the car and noticed one item was missing. I went back into the restaurant and let him know and within a minute I had the item and was on my way. I highly highly recommend this place. I can't wait to go back and actually sit down for a delicious meal! read more

Visited a week or so ago with my husband, mom, and in-laws and was blown away. Everything we tasted was cooked perfectly and had so much flavor. We shared everything so we were able to try a variety. For apps, we got veggie pakoras & fish pakoras. The veggie were super flavorful and the fish was so tender. For main dishes we ordered lamb biryani, matar paneer, chicken makhani, gobi aloo, and baingan bharta (eggplant). The paneer & eggplant were my favorite although the chicken makhani was close behind. I'm not a big fan of lamb, but even that was so tender I actually really liked it. The dishes came with rice & naan, both of which were delicious as well. The rice was almost buttery and the naan was fresh. The wait for the entrees took a little while, but we didn't complain. Both servers were extremely attentive and apologetic. They offered any tables that were waiting a while gulab jamun & kheer on the house. Such a wonderful thing to do and it solidified it being a 5 star experience. We will definitely be back! read more

Shalimar BBQ & Grill - Indian Near Me - Williamsville, New York

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Service was very polite. Environment was clean and spacious. Enjoyed the chicken tikka wrap lunch special. Had a unique spicy taste and the bread used had great texture. Will try buffet or other dishes in the future. read more

One of the few places open during Thanksgiving that suited our cravings, and we were kind of stranded in the area for an hour or two so quite thankful to have a decent spot to eat. We ordered the Samosa Chaat as an appetizer first, not knowing quite what to expect (new to this kind of cuisine). SO tasty! It was gone within minutes, and more filling than it looks. I'm not usually a fan of chickpeas (bland, in my opinion) but this has completely changed my mind. Now onto the main dishes... the okra dish (a new vegetable to add to my list now) and the eggplant with tomato - both vegetarian, as we prefer. We also got the garlic naan, as recommended by our excellent server Mehdie. The naan did not disappoint! And although we were cautious and got only 'mild' for both dishes, they were spectacular anyway! We ordered rice with both and quite honestly I could have eaten only the rice and still been impressed. Between the delicious vegetarian meals, the generous pricing, and the warm, hospitable service (well-deserving of a good tip, please and thank you), we will DEFINITELY be returning! Thank you, thank you, staff of Shalimar! read more

I literally cannot say enough good things about the food here. Every single thing is delicious. I dream about the Makhani. The service is always good as well! read more

Shalimar is our favorite Indian restaurant. The food is exceptional, very consistent, and the service is wonderful. I highly recommend the chicken tikka masala, the chicken Korma, the naan, ... and well, everything we've ordered over the last 2 years is very good. Five stars from us, again!! read more

This is a must visit place for food. First the best things at this place. Nice food, clean place and friendly staff. Authentic Pakistan ( Punjabi - Faisalabad) style food. If you are in the area, do give them a visit. They were kind enough to serve the starters which had variety of small small items. Went there 3 times. Ordered Chicken Karahi , Palak(no Paneer), Goat Karahi(Peshawasr Charisi Style Karahi - was not in menu but Chef promised it will be authentic), Lassi, Kebab and everything was excellent. They make it at your desired spice level. Improvements 1. The ambience is very nice but it is so quiet I can even hear my own hear beat so imagine if people can hear you and you can hear people discussions. Please make it little bit more lively with 2 things. 1)Play some music and 2) add 1-2 LCDS with local sports or lollywood/hollywood/Bollywood music. 2. Your Lahori Kulcha is not Lahori Kulcha. It is Naan. Please improve or rename it. ( I am born and raised Lahori and I know it to the core). Overall 5/5. The Chef Shirazi and owner/Partner Ali are kind and helpful. Note: Neither I am family nor a friend but a person who travels a lot for work and ended up daily at a restaurant for lunch or dinner, read more

They got good food but the service needs to be bit faster and little better than what I have experienced. read more

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I had a wonderful meal at Shalimar last night with 4 other family members. We started with two apps: veggie pakoras and fish pakoras both served with coriander and tamarind chutneys. Both pakoras and sauces were very tasty. The fish was firm and flavorful and the veggie pakoras had a definite kick. Our group decided to order a bunch of things and share them family style. The matar paneer and lamb biryani were my favorites. I love paneer dishes and this one with sauce and peas was addicting. The lamb in the biryani was very moist and the dish had just the right amount of aromatic spices. We also ordered chicken makhani...what's not to love about butter chicken; gobi aloo which was mild and flavorful, and baingan bharta. I'm not usually an eggplant fan but this dish won me over. Three of our dishes came with rice which was more than we could eat, with all of the aforementioned items, but it was so good. One in our group questioned why most of us can't get rice to look and taste so good at home and that is so true. It was shiny and delicious. Lastly, we ordered the garlic naan which came from the tandoor with beautiful blisters and some marks of char. The servers were friendly and attentive. This is a family run business and they all work very hard. It was a busy Friday night for them and in addition to serving in-house diners, they were catering to a good amount of takeout orders. I definitely recommend this place. As an addendum, on an earlier visit I sampled the chicken korma and it was amazing. The cashew sauce was delectable. If you're wanting to sample numerous items like we did, you also have the option of a buffet served Wednesday evenings. read more