Nestled in a quiet corner of the Herndon neighborhood, there's a small Pakistani restaurant that feels more like visiting a friend's home than dining out. As you step through the door, the aroma of freshly grilled meats and warm spices welcomes you like a comforting hug. The servers take the time to chat and ensure you're enjoying every bite. This restaurant is more than just a place to eat--it's a gathering spot where connections are made and memories are created, one delicious meal at a time. Very yummy Karahi!! read more

Shalimar Charcoal Kabob - Indian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

great fresh food and amazing customer service. We are out of town and my mother and i happen to stable upon this cute restaurant. everything was just perfect read more

Great food, very good selection, helpful and friendly staff and very reasonable prices - perfect!

This place is under new management!! Best Pakistani restaurant I've been to in a long time, they actually offer an amazing buffet, but I always go for the Karahi, always fresh made always perfect. Mango lassi is delicious, and you can come with your whole Family. You really can't go wrong with anything you order. I will be making my way here over and over. read more

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Yelp. Are you seriously telling me I haven't reviewed this place yet? How is that possible??? I've been going here for over 20 years. Ok, let's do this. Clearly this place HAS to be pretty good if I've been coming back for 20 years. But then, why am I only giving it four stars? Well, because you can find a better version of almost anything on the menu somewhere else. But that's not to say that the stuff here is bad - it's just not the best. Yeah, ok I've been told I have unrealistic expectations. BUT. There's one thing you'll find here that's better than anything you'll find anywhere else. The Samosa platter (aka Samosa Chaat). It. Is. The. Bomb. If you know me, you know how much of a struggle it was to type "bomb" there. But this is a PG review, so... If you like a wet chaat (which I do), then this is YOUR chaat. I have yet to find a better samosa chaat anywhere in the area. That said, there is one important thing about the samosa chaat here that you need to know: DO NOT EAT ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE YOU EAT THE CHAAT. We did that once. Never again. It has to be eaten first or it loses the potency. I don't know why, I don't know how, but I've come to accept this as fact. Ok, enough about the chaat - what about everything else? Usually I end up with one of two things: either the buffet or the Shalimar kebab platter. Let's take them each in turn. The buffet always satisfies. Predominately because it usually involves either lamb or goat or both. Hard to go wrong with those meats. If that's your jam, then you'll dig this buffet. Once in a while they also have haleem, which is excellent. I'm not sure I've ever regretted the buffet. Other times I'll pick up the Shalimar kebab platter. An assortment of kebabs that I usually share with 2 other people. With the samosa chaat appetizer (you thought I was done with talking about that, didn't you.... shows what you know) it makes for a great complete meal. While this platter is GOOD, it defines why this place gets four stars. It's just good. The lamb could be more tender, the chicken could be more flavorful or juicy ... it is what is. It's good. Perhaps the most devastating thing about this place though is that SOMETIMES you show up, dreams of samosa chaat in your mind, and ... they don't have samosas. Dagger! How can this be?! Like a knife in the heart, you order an entree and regret coming. And yet, often enough, it delivers. And so for 20+ years ... I've been coming back. read more

I've been coming to this place for over 5 years, when I'm in the area, and it was always amazing. However my last visit was very disappointing. It appears new ownership took over. The restaurant looked messy, some of the food at the "new" buffet was cold. Although the staff was very nice, I probably won't be going back. read more

Disappointing experience today. My suggestion is to avoid this place and find other places close by. I tried to order online. Paya was showing as "Out of Stock" online so I decided to order all my food on the phone. I ordered Haleem, Paya, chicken Biryani, and Halwa Puri and Cholle. Paya was terrible, it was two bones with watered down liquid curry. It also tasted watered down. See the picture below. The Halwa, cholle, and aloo curry was put on the same container with cholle and aloo curry mixed with Halwa ruining the Halwa taste. The price of Haleem and Paya were listed as $12.99 each. For the phone order they charged $14.99 each, total overcharge of $4.00. I used to like this place. But with the change in ownership, quality has become bad. Avoid this place if you can. read more

Shalimar Charcoal Kabob - Paya, watered down curry and mostly bones with no meat. - Indian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

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Worst experience ever, slow service. Manager was rude and not helpful at all. His Name was Omar i believe. Food was ok, didnt taste that fresh. read more

This is the BEST pakistani/afghan restaurant in Northern Virginia. I've tried the restaurants in springfield as well as the couple in Arlington(including kabab palace) but this spot, this is the one and the two. The Chapli kababs and gyros are always seasoned perfectly, the nehari melts in your mouth, and the spinach is nothing less than addictive. The chickpeas are amazing and then there's the naan. These naans are what dreams are made of. Soft and fluffy like the clouds I fly above when I close my eyes and bite into it. It's dependably good, in a world where I'm always disappointed, they are a glimmer of hope that I'll be satisfied. read more

Bad Service, menu on line doesn't mean anything to them , they give you whatever they want and over charge. very disappointing customer service . read more

Wonderful great tasting food with lots of flavor and great price!! The place has phenomenal buffet of wide selection of great and delicious food! Leave room for one of their desserts! read more

We ordered 2 chicken and paid over $70 and all the meat was undercooked . After 30 min we all were feeling sick..don't rec this place to anyone read more

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We stop by once in a while to get samosas. But yesterday we got the chickpeas as a side dish. All 6 people got a tummy ache immediately. Note to owners: in this socially connected world we live in word gets around pretty quickly. If your food is making people sick then it can ruin your restaurant's reputation. read more

One of the worst Karahi Chickens! Tasted like chicken cooked in tomato puree! This used to be a decent dish and perhaps a change of cook.

this restaurant has been a staple for over 20 years. the chicken tikka, karhai, sabzis, naans, and butter chicken are always fresh and tasty. affiordable, clean, and great for catering/family/quick to go. read more

Extremely arrogant person insulted my son for getting some extra chautny they have at Buffet bar. Though, we paid for two buffets and this extra chutney would not be more than 25 cents but this person kept on arguing in front of other customers. When I told to charge us for extra chutney, we we're charged $2.99. read more

I've been here a couple times now, so I felt the need to Yelp about it. Great Indian/Pakistani? buffet for $8.99. My only gripe is the food was not warm enough this more recent visit. But that's my only gripe! Flavorwise, the food was great! Juciest Tandoori chicken I've ever had! A couple mixed vegetable curries. Some daal i think. Chickpeas (chole). Fresh basmati rice. Chicken curry, and some kind of kebab and onions type mixture. I don't know what it was exactly, but it tasted kind of like kufta or kofta with spice. Maybe Adana kabob? Mixed veggies and chutneys. All of which was good. All of which, was also not warm enough. I guess worth mentioning is the vegetable curries looked a little oily, but they did taste good.... so... it is what it is. Of everything, the tandoori chicken and kebab were the standouts for me. Seriously juicy chicken... and the kebab was a nice change of pace because I don't see that on most buffets. It was a little spicy and moist and full of flavor. Really tasty. I just wish the food was hotter... definitely would be 5 stars if it was all hot. Maybe if it was hotter it would have dried the chicken out? Maybe that's why it was so juicy. It was seriously very good tandoori chicken. And to top it off, the tandoori bread was as fresh as it gets.. seriously. It was at least as good as any other tandoori bread I've had elsewhere. Hot and fresh. They give you a piece fresh from the back, its not sitting out on the buffet line. The guy working there was friendly too. Although there were only a couple people there enjoying the buffet today, a couple more people came in and had carryout orders. As long as you are not afraid of the temperature thing, I would say hit this place up for sure! The place did not seem dirty to me. It's not white table cloth or anything... but everything was in its place and there wasn't a mess anywhere I could see. It's a quick stop in for a meal type of place. Not a take a knee and pop the question type of place. Thanks! :) read more

Shalimar Charcoal Kabob - Great flavor - Indian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

It's tucked away in the back beside the market. Inside is a deli sort of counter setup, with a display fridge on the side and a door back to the kitchen. Generic cafe seating with mirrors keep you from being claustrophobic, and a tv to ogle during lapses of conversation. Polite, friendly service. Excellent samosas: not too greasy, just the right portion, and well-prepared filling. Potato chunks had enough individual texture to be enjoyable. Took the longest of everything we ordered, but worth the wait. Sweet lassi wasn't on the menu but they whipped one up for me to drink while I waited for our food; the rose water to yogurt ratio was a little too high, but I appreciated the effort nonetheless. Cucumber sauce was lightly seasoned and on the thin side as well. Sadly, it complimented the samosas better than they did the beef kabob wraps, which were fairly basic. Again, the portioning was just right to sate one's hunger without overeating... as long as you don't mind going heavy on the carbs. I'll definitely be back to get a sack of samosas. At 99 cents a pop, they're a really great deal. I'm not tremendously hopeful about the rest of their menu so far, but I'll be open-minded since they're right down the street from work. read more

Butter chicken is awesome with fresh naan . I will definitely recommend this restaurant to my friends and family read more

The best indian/pakistani food in Herndon. These folks know how to cook. The buffet, tandoor, chickpeas and samosas will make your day brighter. Look...this place is in a very depressing shopping center. They are not big on atmosphere or bright color. Nevertheless, once you start eating their delicious offerings, you won't really care anymore. This is as authentic as it gets, not to mention spicy, and it is worth a try. I really don't think this food could disappoint anyone. Friendly service, homestyle cooking, great prices and consistently delicious. What more can you ask? read more

Cheap and very tasty food. Loved the lamb curry. Ambiance is not that great but the food is just amazing. read more

Shalimar Charcoal Kabob - Indian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

I've lived across the street from Shalimar for about 6 years. Why I've never noticed it until recently is beyond me. So, being that I'm a foodie and also a fan of charcoal kabobs, I decided to stop by here the other day. Now I'm upset that I never noticed this place earlier. I ordered the beef chapli kabob here and it was awesome. Not the best I've ever had in comparison to kabob icons like Ravi in Ballston or Kabob Palace in Crystal City, but for your run of the mill Afghan style kabob, Shalimar is definitely a cut above the rest. The naan was delicious and I got a good portion of rice and chick peas with my kabob. I'll definitely stop by this place more often now whenever I'm in the mood for kabobs. read more

I really like their lunch buffet. Good food. Variety of dishes. It's nice. But what I don't like is the plastic plates, forks and knives. Plus, the styrofoam cups for water. Doesn't Shalimar know what that does to the environment. Besides, they're harder to eat off of. A block away is Mehran Kabob. Shalimar has better food but Mehran has real plates, tableware and brings a pitcher of water to drink. All Shalimar has to do to raise its game is to have real plates, etc. read more

I was in the restaurant to get some takeaway. I had a horrible experience and I will never ever visit again. There is another Pakistani restaurant nearby which is way better. They had Chicken haleem, so I asked the young man at the counter if there is any other meat in it. This is a usual thing to ask because some use broth of another meat in the recipe. He started abusing 'you people'(probably Indians). He told me people like me shouldn't eat there if we don't believe him. He was probably some fresh off the boat immigrant bringing his baggage of hatred from his home country. This hasn't happened to me ever in Mehran , another Pakistani restaurant which is blocks away from this one. Mehran is also tastier, cleaner, has better ambience and they respect their customers. I will never ever go to Shalimar again read more

The butter chicken here is to DIE FOR!!! My boyfriend and I loved it, and would make a two hour trip from Richmond just to eat it again.

Few times here and love the chef's butter chicken. Just saw they offer buffet too. The restaurant looks clean and nicer than other Indian restaurant. read more

Shalimar Charcoal Kabob - Love the butter chicken here so much! - Indian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

I used to love this place. I liked their chicken karahi and chicken tandoori. Recently their quality has went down. Place is not clean and I found long hair in naan. That's unhygienic. read more

Darn it!!!!! I want to tell you that the place deserves less than 4 stars but because of the food, I simply cannot. So I'll just say the following; customer service is pleasant but carry out service is slow. (I've never dined in.) They may get your order wrong too. The place looks kind of divey and dark but just put it all out of your mind because the Butter Chicken will change your life. It's just that good. The sauce is the most decadent I've ever tasted and also the best I've ever had. read more

Absolutely the best Pakistani food I have ever had, I had the lunch buffet and it was all incredible! Not even a single thing dropped below great if it wasn't better. An added bonus is a delicious dessert menu. Definitely coming back for more read more

This place has the best authentic Chicken Karahi on the planet! One thing, they serve it with bone-in chicken. Now this might be a problem for you hamburger and hotdog types, but I'm glad they didn't sell out to "the man" by serving boneless chicken breast instead. They also don't ask you mild/medium/hot spicyness either. You just get hot. Period. Because that's how it's meant to be eaten. I love it. The lamb kabobs are also to die for, with nice smokey flavor and tenderness. Think what if somebody's grandma made you a home cooked meal. This place has that feeling. My kind of place. read more

This place has the best authentic bone-in Karahi Chicken! We were blown away by the fresh ingredients, aromatic flavors of tomato and ginger, and the suppleness and juiciness of the chicken. The ginger wasn't in matchstick size pieces either like most other places but it was infused and incorporated in the flavors. The chicken was a substantial sized chicken, more then enough for two adults and leftovers later. The meat was so tender, it retained plenty of moisture after being reheated. I do wish the karahi chicken entree had more sauce but the miminal sauce it had was finger licking good! It came with 2 fluffy naans, a small container of rice, and another container of chickpeas. What a terrific value and a delicious carry-out treat for $20-$21! read more

This was a great little find. Ended up here last month when a friend had an unexpected layover at Dulles. It's really close to the airport so if you're flying out or landing there and have an urge for good Indian or Pakistani food give this place a shot. The butter chicken was some of the best I've ever had. Fair warning that it is in a little strip mall and they have styrofoam plates and plastic forks. The food much more than made up for the general atmosphere. There were a few families there getting big dishes and sharing family style. That probably is the best way to go. Go hungry and try a lot of different dishes. read more

our go to place for tandoori chicken -- I have family that comes from out of town and still talks about this place. We only do take out so cannot comment on eat in service etc. read more

I have been going to this place for lunch for the last one year. They have not failed to satisfy my desire for a nice desi meal each time i go there. Its a hidden gem, there is no great ambience, just tables/chairs and a small section with the buffet spread. Their chicken kadahi is really the best I have had in VA. Everything I 've had so far has been great. chick peas, Okra, lentil, on the vegetable side and all their meats on the non-veg side. read more

The food was great! Got butter chicken and tandoori chicken. Food is alway fresh and great. The only issue is that the wait was really long for an empty resturant. read more

I stopped in on a weekend and got a couple of the dishes from the buffet, to go. (I didn't feel like "eating out", but was craving Pakistani food.) The chickpeas (channa) were fantastic, nice and smoky. I wish I could figure out why Pakistani and Indian restaurants make better chickpea dishes than I do, but that's something for me to figure out, not you. I'm not sure why I mentioned it. Sorry. The nehari was excellent, as was the haleem. No, I don't even attempt to make those dishes at home. I can barely spell them. read more

My coworker bought us all lunch at Shalimar today and I am amazed. Best kebabs I've ever tasted. I had the Chapli Kebab with one samosa on the side. The beef is seasoned with just the right amount of spiciness, and the portion size is huge - enough for two meals. I also enjoyed the naan, which is chewier than the naan at Afghan or Indian restaurants I've been to. And I tried a bite of my coworker's Butter Chicken - it was so rich I could taste the butter in the sauce. Wow. Phenomenal quality and taste in all the food I tried here today. read more

There are a few times in life when a meal is so perfectly executed that it is nothing short than perfection and one of those meals was the chicken biryani I had at Shalimar Charcoal Tandoor for lunch today. I knew the second I had my first bite of the divine biryani I had to write the review it deserves, the review it needs read more

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This place charge money but provides not the right stuff I order half chicken and lamb kabob but I didn't receive my three bread they not even call to tell me u forget the bread behind it's mean they are fraud read more

Love this little hole in the wall. Not overly spicy or bland. The menu is mostly the same with probably like two changes everyday when it come to the buffet and the workers are cool. And honestly the best Chana dish. read more

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