I have only recently had the pleasure of trying out Indian food so I had been dying to try out this place. Located right on main near campus, I notice it all the time and finally had the time to try it. Upon entrance, I noticed the restaurant was pretty small so do not expect to bring huge groups. I opted for the Butter Chicken meal and it came out after about 10 minutes. The meal was delicious and on par with all the other Indian cuisine I have had the pleasure of trying. The lady running the place was also incredibly kind as well and very accommodating . All in all, this place was a blast to try and I definitely recommend to anyone looking for some Indian food. read more

Shalimar Curry House - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

FAVORITE INDIAN JOINT ON EARTH. Perhaps even my favorite place to eat on earth. I love the owners of this restaurant--they are so kind, and make their food only with love. The Chicken Tikka Masala is unlike any I've had anywhere else. The meat is tender, juicy, and marinated to excellence. The sauce cannot be replicated. It's just too perfect. This has become my regular comfort food spot. An addiction really. SUPPORT THIS INCREDIBLE FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS, AND ENJOY A MEAL THAT WILL LEAVE YOU CRAVING MORE!! read more

Shalimar Curry House - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Food was decent and good portions for the price! The owners were very nice and kind. I enjoyed the tv that was on and the decor was very pretty. They were extremely accommodating. My dining experience was delightful. -I had Daal and Paneer w/ Tikka Masala read more

Because it's one of the few options at USC for a quick lunch that isn't a chain, I decided to pop in and try their lunch special (the curry chicken over biryani and veggie samosa). The food came in a nice portion and wasn't bad at all for $5.50. The service was also friendly and quick. Shalimar is worth a try if you're down on cash and don't want to eat at Subway, Moe's, or Mcdonalds. read more

Shalimar Curry House - Curry chicken over biryani - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Not a fan. Wasted $27 to still have to find other food elsewhere. We ordered 2 orders of butter chicken and an order of the veggie samosas. Felt like the food we ordered wasn't fresh and had been leftover from the day before. There was bones and hard bits all through the butter chicken. Not to mention she gives a LOT of rice but barely any butter chicken to top it. The veggie samosas were FREEZING cold and lacked flavor. The dipping sauce got everywhere in my car because she just put it in a slot in the tray not it's own container with a lid. You also only get 2 for $7 which is ridiculous. The only plus size is the owner was a sweet nice lady but the food gets a thumbs down. read more

Very friendly and helpful. My only complaint is that the lamb could have been a little spicier but overall flavor was amazing! Give something different a chance and ignore the other 2 restaurant on either side and open your mind to a new flavor, you will not be disappointed! read more

Shalimar Curry House - a meal in a styrofoam container - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Do not order delivery from this establishment. The food is a laughable tragedy to indian cuisine and the portion sizes are ridiculously small and will leave you starving. Never again. read more

One of the worst Indian places I ordered from, ever. Ordered on Ubereats and not only was the food horrible, but the packaging was beyond terrible and shoddy. Keep away from this place - in person or online ordering. read more

Very homey-feeling place, I liked the decor and staff made it easy for me to pick something. I got the mango lassi which was super yummy and a curry plate. Maybe I had a different curry in my mind because what came out was different than expected but it was still good! Lots of food though, ended up taking half of it home. read more

Shalimar Curry House - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great little spot awesome food you will miss it if you not looking but worth the search

Generally good food and nice people, but... -dining room is incredibly small. Definitely more of a takeout place. Also, it's reallyyyy hot in there. -portions are small, especially considering price. I always leave mildly unsatisfied -menu and ordering can be confusing. They don't always have all the menu items available. -food takes a while I teetered between 3 and 4 stars because in spite of its flaws, it's nice to have Indian within walking distance of campus. Tldr; it's worth a try at least once. Order to go. read more

Shalimar Curry House - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We had a wonderful meal at Shalimar Curry House today. This small restaurant tucked in the USC campus is just the thing for a great meal. The samosas are to die for. I asked for only mild spice while my dining companion wanted much more heat in his food. The owner delivered just the right spice for both of us. And the hospitality was the best part of our dining experience. We will definitely be back! read more

This place is a must. My husband and I flew in from San Diego on our way from Japan where the food is so amazing it'll make you turn on your mother. We enjoyed the vegetarian dishes. Be sure to order vege korma and palak paneer with extra hot. Also, get your mother a helmet because your going to slap her when you realize that she subjected you to mediocre cuisine. #badmom My new mother is Ms. Shalimar. read more

I liked the curry lamb with rice and vegetables. I also like the fact they can make it as little or as much spicy as you want. Great indian food. read more

Omar took great care of me. I had the awesome spicy rice, chicken and lamb. The rice has a most wonderful after-taste that is like a happy memory. I could make a meal out of just the rice. The Tandoori Chicken and Lamb were both excellent. I loved it! read more

Shalimar Curry House - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The lady was not the most polite, deliver the food late. I paid $10 for half Styrofoam cup (medium size) of lentils. It was full of stems, from a bunch. The salad had an unevenly cut tomatoes and onions and a lemon no greens. read more

This place is an innovative idea, but the food is just ok. I ordered a bowl with both rices (one on each side to try) at the suggestion of the guy behind the counter, who was really friendly and helpful. I paid the extra $1 for lamb, and got both korma and makhni (again one on each side) "curries". They're really just thin sauces - the korma is spicier than I'm used to rather than creamy and rather sweet, but the makhni is perfectly spiced and delicious. I also ordered a samosa and raita, and while the samosa was pretty well-spiced, the raita was not good to me and definitely nothing to write home about. I should note, however, that the channa masala was delicious. Overall, I'll come to this place when I have a craving for Indian flavors during lunch because it's cheap and it's fast, but if you're coming for authentic Indian food, look elsewhere. read more

Shalimar Curry House - Plain basmati & biryani with lamb in makhni curry on one side and korma on the other. + channa masala, samosa & raita ~$8.50 - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Pros-The restaurant is very small and cozy. It's family ran. The food is wonderful here. We ordered the combo plate with lamb and chicken with komata sauce and veggies The portion sizes were a really nice size. We were able to get full off of everything. Cons- The prices on the menu don't all reflect the accurate price. Many things he stated had changed on pricing and would cost a bit more. Finally the son who was running the register and taking orders came off as a bit racist. Even with common pleasantries like "thank you and goodbye. " He just stared at us like why are we here and did not even respond. Overall we enjoyed the food. His mother, the cook did an amazing job. read more

I came here at suggestion of a friend. Lamb korma absolutely a winner! Tasty, big portion size and sauce was on point. I highly recommend. Food is fresh and made to order. Great experience. read more

amazing food!!! great customer service!! friendly faces! I recommend this restaurant!!

I order chicken curry and it was delicious. Big portion small price. The owner is lovely. read more

Shalimar Curry House - two plates of food on a table - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

When my youngest son asked to try Indian food, we came here on a rainy Sunday. The mom and pop owners were wonderful, and they do the cooking. I had lamb saag with a lentil curry- absolutely fantastic. My son had a Naan wrap with curry beef, potatoes and zucchini. Also fabulous. The only reason I give 4 stars instead of five is that the menu is not as broad as other larger Indian restaurants. Every other aspect is five stars. read more

Service was amazing, friendly staff and the food quality was really good, great flavor. The price was really good for the amount of food you get too. We will definitely be returning customers regularly. read more

Wow..fantastic cuisine With aromatic flavors and spices. very authentic..will definitely be visiting again read more

Shalimar Curry House - Lamb makhni was buttery goodness..a must try - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great food, and friendly staff. I'm not quite sure what authentic Indian food is like, but either way I think that most people would like this place. None of the food is particularly unusual and I'd have any of it. The set meals get you a decent amount of food and you'll be looking at paying $7-$11 dollars per meal drink included and they even had a special today where all I paid was $7 with my drink, don't think you'll come in here getting that deal though. I'd come again. read more

Shalimar Curry House - My food half eaten lolololol - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Nice and pleasant atmosphere, the food was like a home cooked meal; would recommend to anyone

excellent food, fair service, the restaurant needs renovation & cleaning, not well maintained at all.

Just ate here for the first time after passing by it nearly every day- now I wish I had tried it sooner. Friendly people and delicious curry 10/10 read more

Food was decent, nothing to write home about but not at all terrible. Pricing is quite sketchy though...I was jipped but the lady didn't provide a receipt on purpose. I was also a little miffed that she decided to charge me for medium fountain drinks when the soda machine was broken and we were only provided with 12 oz cans of Coke (which no one asked for but it appeared to be the only option). All in all, it's a college dive spot-adjust expectations/expect to be taken advantage of (but not all that horribly) and you'll be ok. I probably won't be back. read more

Great hidden Curry House right next to campus! Chicken and lamb were amazing and prefect portions

You can't beat Shalimar for the quantity and quality of food you get for the price. It's Indian food served up fast and it's become my go-to lunch spot when on campus. Shalimar has a variety of options laid out behind a counter that you select to build your order, much like Moe's (next door) or Chipotle. It's a winning combination for lunch especially because you can get a whole lot of great Indian food for under $10. My only ding is that their food is not spicy and there are no options for upping the spiciness. However, no star taken off because Shalimar serves food that is full of great flavors, just not spiciness. Also, seating is limited in the restaurant but the food is perfect to take out and eat on the street. read more

Yummmy! I'm transitioning into a vegetarian. I believe i got aloob Dobi. So good . I wish i would have git a large . It's spicy but i loveeeeee spicy food read more

Delicious palak paneer and chicken tiki masala with a perfect mix of spices. The yogurt sauce was a great compliment to cut the heat. I got it to go but couldn't wait to get home! read more

Shalimar Curry House - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great value, fast service and tasty food. Like the spicy rice and being able to put veggies on top for no charge. Nice local Indian place with the ordering of a fast-casual chain such as Moe's. It will usually take you longer to park than to get your food here as everything is cooked and in view for you to decide. Great place for lunch around campus. read more

Shalimar Curry House - Chicken bowl w veggies - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great hole in the wall curry house. Food is superb and very reasonably priced and the owners are very pleasant older couple who take the orders and cook the food. Wonderful experience in the heart of Columbia. read more

Update: I think this restaurant changed ownership, as the man and woman running the restaurant on a recent visit were not familiar. My last visit was truly disappointing. The food was not fresh or flavorful. I know for a fact that the woman helping me took my plate of food to the back and microwaved it. Had she told me that would be happening, I would have said, "No thank you," and walked away. Having to microwave your food means you probably weren't keeping it at proper temperatures, and that's concerning. Unfortunately, I won't be visiting again. The search for phenomenal Indian food downtown continues. read more

This is the "Chipotle of Indian food" except that Chipotle tastes much better. I was really excited about this place based on the other reviewers comments but the service and food I received did not match up with what I had read. I said I had never been there before and so the guy told me how it worked. You get a bowl or a plate. The plate has two meats and two sauces while the bowl has one. I picked a bowl. He asked where I normally go for Indian food and I told him. Then he started to explain all the food items which considering I just told him two other restaurants I go to for Indian food I don't think that was really necessary. I told him I don't like spicy food and asked him for the least spicy options. He also suggested I mix two different kinds if rice and mix two sauces. I said ok on the rice and no on the sauce. I got a samosa. The bowl does not come with naan which was disappointing. My food was so spicy I couldn't even finish it. He asked for feedback as we were leaving and I told him i thought it was too spicy and that I didn't even finish my meal he made some kind of noise and shook his head. I felt like he was being very dismissive. The cauliflower was the only thing that had any flavor and not just heat. The quality of the food, service and the development of flavors was far below what I have experienced at other Indian restaurants. Parking is also difficult. read more

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One of my favorite places to eat when I have the money. Unfortunately, it's a bit more on the expensive side (~$11 for a lunch), but gosh darn if their curry isn't the best in the state. I've never had a bad experience there. It's always clean, although I do admit it's quite cramped. I enjoy sitting there if not just for the homey atmosphere. A word of advice: if nobody's there when you come in - just shout! They're probably in the back. read more

Very neat concept and well-executed for the most part. I loved that I could build my own bowl, but the chicken was a bit dry. The price is right, though, and the quantities are generous. I wish they had a better selection of sauces, however. The samosas rocked! read more

Shalimar Curry House - Bowl with chicken and samosas. - Indian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Found long human hair in food...And got charged more than the price on the Manu(on the wall). Chai cup showing $1, but actually charging $2.25. They said they changed the price (without telling the customer) when asked about the overcharge. Don't have to give tips I guess because I got charged before getting the food. read more