This place is amazing on so many levels. The Location If you're feeling brave this place is smack in the middle of the SF Tenderloin District. There will be gauntlets of crack heads (during the day they are harmless) and there are...NO STARBUCKS *gasp! The Atmosphere This place looks sketchy as hell but it is clean, warm and smells awesome. The guys who work there are incredibly nice as long as you're nice to them. The Service You order off of a huge newspaper style menu at the front and the food is brought out to you. You grab your own chai tea by the register along with any sauces that might be missing from your table. There is no alcohol in there but as long as you are low key about it you can BYOB - just keep it classy and drink your beer that you bought at the liquor store down the street (keep it local!) out of a clean Starbucks cup (suck on that corporate America). The Food Now according to several sources this isn't 100% authentic but whatever - it's awesome, it's cheap and it's delicious. Be aware that they cook with real whole spices here so they WILL end up in your rice and sauces and if you bite down on one of those bad boys you're gonna have a bad time. So take a second and pick out any visible offenders. Favorites (if I spelled it wrong it's because I'm writing this review from distant memory as I haven't been there in a few months) -naan (always naan) -Chicken Tika Masala (the spice level is pretty tame) -Chicken Tandoori -Yellow Lentils (these can get real spicy) -Palak Paneer -Chai tea for DAAAAYS -The beer you brought in a Starbucks cup So seriously, get the F out of Union Square, stop being such a yuppie and go to this place. read more

Tastes great. Then I spent the night throwing up until 6AM and missed work the next day. Ask yourself if possible food poisoning is really worth it. read more

I give out very few one star reviews, but there was a cockroach floating in a pitcher of water we requested. When we gave it back, he didn't even pour it out in front of us, he just set it down with the rest of the other pitchers... The prices weren't anything special, and the food was pretty decent. But the roach was enough to keep me from coming back. read more

I've been to a lot of Indian food places and I've been to a lot of "hole in the wall" places, but this was my first time at a Hole in an Indian Wall. First off this place is in a somewhat sketch area in SF. I had actually walked into it once before looking for Halal Wings Plus (the best wings I've ever had) which is right across the street. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was almost every table was taken and it was all people of Indian (or surrounding) descent. I always appreciate this when I have ethnic food because being an immigrant myself I find I'm picky when it comes to the food of my home. We had Tikka Masala, lamb Korma, and Mutar Paneer. Everything was delicious. Awesome flavors, lots of sauces for dipping your naan. Everything was really great. I would totally come back here in the future. read more

I had some daal today from the Polk St. Shalimar today...I'm gonna stick with Jones St. from here on out. The experience did inspire me to try and cook up an Indian meal of my own for dinner tonight, so they deserve some credit for that. Daal was good, but the Naan was a little weak. read more

Awesome. The Jones St location is as good or even better than the other ones. The only thing is this is the smallest space of the 4 locations. But the cooking is awesome. We ordered my standard selections, bhuna gosht (lamb curry), kabli chana (chickpea curry), tandoori chicken, naan, and my friends threw in the chicken tikka masala. I never tried CTM here before and thought it was great, nice spicy and savory curry (w/o too much cream), I would order it again. My favorite lamb curry came with bone marrow, which was just orgasmic. The pieces of lamb were very tender too. The tandoori chicken we ordered was boneless, and a tad on the dry side. Nothin the mint chutney can't fix though. I'd go with bones though next time. Lastly, the fresh naan came to the table so piping hot, our fingers were practically burning. I noticed the dishes were less greasy than ones I've tried in the other locations, and that seems to be the main complaint of Shalimar. Heed the sketchy neighborhood warning though. read more

Thank you Yelpers for the intro! This food is cooked with complete love and it is sooo dang good!!! It was a bit hard to decide what to get because I like everything on their menu. I decided on the Murgh Korma Shahi, which is a chicken curry. It says on the menu I would love it. And the menu was right. The sauce was super flavorful and the chicken was moist. Energetically it was really really nice. Their nan is amazing. It is made fresh and is plump and doughy. I like it that way. It was a little burnt from the oven, which I considered authentic. Don't let the location (in the Tenderloin) scare you. It wasn't sketchy when I went in the afternoon. But do keep your phone in your pocket, as I was told there are "runners" in the area. OMG how I love hole in the walls. They have so much more love infused in their food. Here I felt at home. In fact the guys are all relatives. I had to ask after listening to them talk. They are from Pakistan and are all related to one another. It's really tangible when you walk in that they will take good care of your hungry belly. I'm in love. UPDATE: I dream about this place all the time. Their food is magical!!! read more

Came here for lunch on friday with my coworkers. They've always told me how delicious this place was. We came here at 11:45 and it was empty. We were the first customers! The place is much more fancier than NnC, so that was a plus for me. We ordered the chicken tikka masala, spinach with potatoes, lamb curry, a couple of pieces of chicken tandori, naan, and rice. Everything was delicious! The tikka masala was def. a lot more tastier than other places I have tried. Naan was piping hot and fresh, so fluffy and delicious! Basically everything was delicious...and nothing was left behind. Delicious cheap Indian food, but you'll def. come out smelling out like curry after eating here. Its probably due to the lack of circulation in the restaurant. Kinda weird that you get paper cups to drink water from...a little on the ghetto-er side for me. But overall, I'd come back here for lunch again, or come here for take-out! read more

I'm astonished by the fact that Shalimar has so many good reviews!! We walk in and I think to myself "Should we be even dining here??" The ambience is so bad that it gives a bad vibe to the entire dining experience, being in downtown San Francisco you expect more. We should have listened to our instincts and moved on to a different restaurant but because it was getting late, we anyhow thought of giving the place a chance with their food. Well, we were terribly wrong!! Ordered Murgh Tikka Lahori for starters which was okay. For main course, we ordered Murghi Korma Shahi, Paneer Masala, Palak Paneer, few Garlic Naans and Onion Naan. You might at the least expect the non-veg dishes to be delectable but it was just not good! The gravy was so watery and there was nothing Shahi(Royal in English) about it as the name suggests it to be. I can't even start talking about the Paneer dishes!! The Paneer(Cottage Cheese) in both the dishes were so dried out and hard that it was difficult to eat them. Palak Paneer was really awful and I don't even believe they used Palak(Spinach) to prepare it. Seemed like Saag(Mustard Greens) to me!! Lacked salt and all other essential spices. Hygiene seems to have gone on vacation at this place. We were first seated at a table which was not properly cleaned after the previous customer, we had to ask for it to be cleaned. The kitchen is quite open and you can see the chef's and other employees in the kitchen. None of them were wearing a hairnet. The restroom(just 1) was in a very bad shape with toilet papers on the floor and the floor was wet. I'd never come again to this restaurant!! read more

Best Indian/Pakistani food this side of ... India or Pakistan. Cheap. Dive atmosphere that suits the TL. Never ever disappoints. We've been here over 50 times...maybe an even 100??? over many many years of great food and friendly service. Price is right too. We usually get several vegetarian dishes, a chicken and a lamb dish, riata, naan...You really can't go wrong. We always ask for the food to be extra spicy with little/no added oil. No matter what we request, we are promised this -- and get whatever the cook on the line at the time desires...so, well, we can't special order, but it really doesn't matter all that much -- the dishes vary from greasy but good to OUT OF THIS WORLD FANTASTIC from time to time. Our faves: Lamb chops, Tandoori chicken, saag aloo, channa masala, daal, raita...and whatever else strikes our fancy on any given day. I used to bring in beer or wine for a couple years before I noticed a sign saying no alcohol. Maybe it wasn't there before? I still see plenty of folks bringing their own beer/wine to go with the food and nobody ever says anything to them, so, ummm...maybe it's not rude if I do so again??? read more

A trip into the dark heart of the Tenderloin is sort of a rite of passage for the SF cuisine expeditionary, and I had heard Shalimar's name so many times that it seemed like the natural place to go (although I was surprised to find it's far from the only Indian dive in these parts). As you'd expect, it's small, dingy, and hot inside (coming here during the heat wave was probably not the best idea). You order from the friendly-but-frantically-busy guys at the counter, help yourself to some free chai, and wait for the heaping bowls of tasty, oily curry to come out. In short, it's a lot like Naan 'n' Curry, only not as nice inside and a lot farther from home (for a westsider, anyway). So I wouldn't make a special pilgrimage for it, but Tendernobbers (or as the Chronicle hails them, "urban pioneers") could do a lot worse for their Ol' Reliable. read more

Oh blessed Shiva, is this place good! But you have to wear an industrial HazMat suit and lead gloves to wade through the Tenderloin muck surrounding the place. The perfect way to cap a 'Loin pub crawl -- whether you're hanging with the dregs at Club 21 or with the swells at Bourbon & Branch. The CnH2n+1OH circulating in your bloodstream and liver has met its match in the Palaak Paneer and Chicken Tikka Masala, which will soak that alcohol right up with the absorbency to rival Charmin. Oops, am I allowed to use product placement in a review? read more

I LOVE Shalimar. I always went in Fremont and recently discovered that one existed in Nob Hill. Is it greasy? Oily? Unhealthy? Definitely.... but it's so damn good. DIshes here are hearty and delicious but inexpensive - dishes range from $6-$12 each. My favorites are the GARLIC NAN and the BUTTER CHICKEN.... those two alone will only cost you $11. It's a grimey/casual cafeteria style spot. Don't expect a fancy restaurant by any means... I like it best for To-Go orders so your clothes don't absorb all the Curry scents from the restaurant! read more

Yeah, I know, this place looks like it was some 80's travel agent's office that got converted into an Indian restaurant... ... but don't be fooled, the food is delicious. If you're thinking candle light and wine, look somewhere else. It's questionable as a date joint. It's in a crusty neighborhood and it doesn't get any nicer than the budget chairs and tables, but then again don't girls want something different than just your average nice restaurant? The food is stellar. It's well spiced, delicious and ours came out fast. The naan is fluffy and good. I ate as much of my lamb and spinach as I could before realizing I was just way too full. My mind said "eat that now you weak sauce &$%#$" but my body said "Noooo! I Can't do it! I gotta have a few beers after this!" Parking looks like a crap shoot, but if you don't mind walking a few blocks, the Powell Street Muni stop is like 4 blocks away. read more

I love this place simply because the average yelper would probably cringe upon entering. It is old San Francisco pre yuppie and pre yelp. I love dirty ambiance and think it drives away people I don't care to eat near..namely yuppies. I don't mind walking up to the restaurant and seeing a circle of people smoking crack on the sidewalk. I'm in the Tenderloin and that's how the Tenderloin rolls. I walk in and meet my friend who guides me through their system. You walk up to the unfriendly counter person (you'd be unfriendly too if you had to deal with crackheads followed by yuppies who expect everything done for them) and order off of the menu, pump your own chai, and wait for your out of control delicious indian food which you pay for at the counter when you are done with your meal. The garlic naan is out of control good...the best i've ever eaten. The food is so awesome and flavorful and yes greasy. You know what? Sometimes I like greasy food and I have say that I know I'm not alone out there. I found myself getting really offended by the reviews I was reading that complained about that. This place is a greasy dive treasure. Don't go to the greasy dive expecting healthy gourmet bistro food or service. It's not that kind of place, you know what kind of place it is. Cheap, greasy, Indian, delicious, dirty. Love it. Great people watching. Really sad I missed the massage of breast feeding mom with the exposed titty. Now that's a special sight while you are eating. read more

if you're trying to find a place that ACTUALLY serves AUTHENTIC indian/pakistani food, YOU HAVE FOUND THE RIGHT PLACE. Shalimar is by far MY FAVORITE Indian/Pakistani restaurant in California. Yes, I said it- IN THE WHOLE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. I have searched and searched for Indian/Pakistani food that would come close to comparing to my mother's home cooking, and this is the one place that has come pretty damn close. Don't expect anything fancy or ritzy, and expect leaving the establishment smelling of smoke/curry. It's so worth it. I usually order the CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, CHICKEN KOFTA (if you're into meatballs), OR, MY ABSOLUTE FAAAVORITE-- THE GOAT KARAHI. The Chicken Tikka Masala is delicious, and definitely a no-fail kind of dish for someone who isn't willing to take the risk of trying something new or unfamiliar. Not to say that it isn't completely worth the 8 dollars you'll spend. I usually order it with rice and naan (I love to dip my naan in the extra masala ;D). The Chicken Kofta is really good if you love meatballs and can tolerate spicyness. I usually order rice with that one. And then, there's the GOAT KARAHI. The goat meat is deliciously marinated and comes with little bones that you can suck deeeelicious bone marrow out of! If you've never had goat before, don't be scared! It's like lamb but a little tougher with random little bones to suck on. I usually order the Goat Karahi with rice. Sooooo amazing. Did I mention that they have free chai? Dude. YES. GO TO SHALIMAR. read more

Imagine a third world prison - the heavy scent of arm pit, the daily beatings, the inch-thick filth covering all surfaces, and sanitation equal to that of a 12th century french latrine. Now imagine the guy that delivers your daily beatings also serving you delicious food. Welcome to Shalimar! Unfortunately, this is an accurate depiction of my experience. Here's a rundown: - We were given the wrong food twice - When we got the right food, it was thrown at us in true "prison meal time" style - Our drinks were scooped out of a dingy vat kept in the back - Our table was "cleaned" with a rag that was most likely purchased in 1948 and then never washed - Our cups and plates were encrusted with unidentifiable bits of something that was perhaps hopefully at least semi-edible - Walls, tables, windows, floors, and most everywhere I looked were yellowed and filthy from what appeared to be years of neglect (Robert Irvine would have taken one look and said "No bloody way") Shalimar is directly across the street from Chutney - a great restaurant I visited a year and a half ago serving excellent food without any of Shalimar's "charm". Avoid the health risk and go to Chutney (or any other place for that matter). read more

Absolutely amazing. What ever else you do, order Chicken Tika Masala. The most tender big cubes of white meat chicken I've ever had and I've dined in 46 States and 25 Countries. It's in a rich Masala gravy. Some reviews deride the small amounts of oil in the dish, but kindly ignore them and mop it all up with your Naan. We had the garlic Naan but didn't notice any garlic chunks in it and the Chicken Tika Masala was so rich and flavorful that we might not have been able to taste any garlic so maybe we got regular Naan instead of garlic. As for the Naan itself it was a beautiful soft and white pillow with a very slight char on the edges. The Naan would rate a 10 out of 10. The best. We didn't find the place intimidating or confusing at all, as some have reported. And the various complaints such as a we bit of oil, etc. Get over yourself. Eat Stouffers at home or avoid wonderful ethnic hole in the wall restaurants and don't have any fun and adventure in life. Save the seats for those of us who love life! read more

Cheap and tasty indian food. hole in the wall, home comfort food!

Shalimar is a great place to grab lunch or dinner when you're craving rich, hot, spicy, incredibly flavorful Indian/Pakistani. I could live on their chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, daal masala and garlic naan for the rest of my life and be a happy woman. It's cheap, poorly/barely decorated, almost always smoky inside and requires you to visit the Tenderloin but the food is excellent and the staff makes up for what they lack in the way of warmth and personal interaction with efficiency and consistency. I like that it's way casual and maybe even a little scary to some because that means there's less competition for food that I really want and suckers out there who have never had truly good garlic naan. My Shalimar tips: 1) Call in your order and pick-up. Since walking around the TL isn't especially fun and street parking is almost impossible at night, getting someone to drop you off and go around the block while you pick up delish Shalimar is a great way to go. They put your curry dishes in paper take-out boxes and wrap them with plastic while the food is still so hot that it's almost like shrink wrap - and just as hard to remove later. This makes it easy to transport by car (or even Muni) without worrying about awful oil stains or spills. 2) For the least sketchy walk to Shalimar, go west on Geary from Union Square and make a left at Jones. This way you only have about 1.5 blocks of true Tenderloin to brave. 3) BYOB. Good thing there's so many liquor stores in the area to choose from. 4) Try the mango lassi. It's yummy and good for spice relief. read more

If you are going to stop in here (to eat or pickup), make sure it's the last stop of your day because a minute spent inside will leave you and anything you brought with you smelling like a campfire. The three things that I would come back for and don't mind smelling smokey for are the delicious tikka lahori (lightly marinated chicken breast cut butterfly style), the seekh kebab mughlai, and the naan which has been unique in my experiences as it has a thin crispy, cracker-like crust. As for all of the curries that I've had from here so far, they aren't lacking on taste but they also aren't lacking in copious amounts of oil either. Somewhere beneath all the oil you'll find the curry you ordered. read more

It's all been said before, but I would like to add my 2 cents worth for what it's worth. Great food for a reasonable price, but come here for the side show. If you like to people watch this is the place. All sorts of very "interesting" people. But hey we all have at least one thing in common, we all love Shalimar! Oh and like other have said BYOB - to complete the feast! read more

A literal hole in the wall. Like a dirt wall. The food is good, and from what I've gathered from the locals, it's also pretty authentic. I found it interesting that the entire establishment is run by men, but I didn't find it interesting to see hair attached to the top of mint chutney bottle. I watched it sway from the draft of the open door like seaweed at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. This place is in dire need of a feminine touch. However, the food is good. And cheap as balls. We got mounds of food for 2 for about $20. I was hoping to get a fish curry, but they had no fish that day. This kinda thing urks me, especially if it's on the regular menu and not just a special. The naan was about the size of a frisbee. The temptation was great, but I refrained. We all have to grow up sometimes. The masala tea was kinda balls. It's a great place for cheap bites with comfortable friends. Don't expect to fall in love here. And then my Indian food coma commenced. read more

Shalimar - NAAN - Pakistani Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

10 visits in a year, i guess its time to review this place. Located in Little Pakistani (Jones St between O'Farrell and Geary), right across Chutney and Karachi Classics. This is The Undertaker, Kane, Big Show, The Rock, Austin on desi restaurants in SF and the Bay Area, its a classic. I recently found out this place takes card now :O for the longest time they were all yada yada about cash and then i saw an uncle sneaking in a card. They don't advertise the debit/cc but as of recently (not sure how recent) they do take cards. They also had a few renovations to the place but the bathroom is still dirty, dirty enough to get ebola. Goat/Lamb/Chicken biryani is all good here. Better than any other place that makes biryani in SF. The portion is on the lighter side but you can't have everything be perfect. The chicken tikka masala is also better here compared to its rivals. The kebabs are meh, you get this clumsy, broken seekh kebab which looks like it took a beating. During its busy dinner hours you can expect to get fresh kebabs and tandoori options but during slow times they just reheat grill items (not surprised). The busiest times at this place is any day after 4 pm. read more

I came here on a date with a guy who said a friend had recommended this place. So we stopped here and tried to sort out how to order and such. I got the Saag Chicken with rice and he got some ... I dunno. It had a bit of a kick to it, but it was beef and quite good. As was the naan and rice. They seem to do a lot of take out which is ideal as the space is a bit limited, especially during the dinner hour. If I'm around in the neighborhood, I'd come here again ... it's worth a visit. read more

Yumm. Tyler Willis took me here He is hot and Shalimar is good read more

This place is almost a hole in the wall. It's sparsely decorated and somewhat sketchy-looking (like most of Tenderloin). The service is fine but not great (sometimes you have to try a little to get their attention). But the food...wow, this is some pretty great Indian food! Order the chicken tikka masala even if you know better, because it's actually really, really delicious. If you want more chicken, order the murgh boti tandoori, which is likely the best tandoori chicken I've had. Otherwise, try the daal masala if you like lentils, bhuna gosht if you like lamb. Finally, get some naan (it's only $1!) which is perfectly fluffy and delicious. I'd recommend coming with a group of friends who don't mind sharing and ordering a bunch of dishes family style, so you can try everything. And the prices are great, so after a great filling meal you might be surprised (in a good way) when you get the check. I wasn't brave enough to try the brain masala, but now that I know how good this place is, I might try it when I come back! read more

Four stars for the food, knocked down one star for cleaniness. The garlic naan is one of the best I've had. We also had the palak paneer, channa masala, rice, and another paneer dish in cream sauce (paneer masala). The food was tasty, but overall appearance and unsanitary conditions were hard to avoid. Not sure if anything in the restaurant is cleaned. Restroom was filthy, without soap or towels. Not sure how the staff washes their hands. I assume a lot of restaurants are this dirty behind the scenes, but its just harder to witness it first hand. read more

I went here once -- one time too many -- and I'd say the food was just okay (really oily). But the reason for the single star is that this is, by a long shot, the FILTHIEST restaurant I've ever been to. Buckets of raw chicken on the floor. Nasty bathroom (which is where the kitchen staff presumably washes up, if they are so inclined). And I've been to a lot of filthy restaurants, but this one takes the cake. My friends laugh because whenever they mention Shalimar it reminds me that I keep meaning to report them to the Board of Health. read more

The Pakistani embassy should just pack up in Washington and instead move into this location, cause there isn't anything else you're going to find in this country that is closer to Lahori food. Let me tell you: I'm from Pakistan, I've been going to Shalimar for the last 10 years (since they opened), and I yet have to find a Pakistani (or Indian) place in this city that is as authentic as Shalimar. They even have tubelights that flicker! Yes, the neighbourhood might leave a lot to be desired, but one bite of the Chicken Koftas and you will feel like you're sitting in a Mughal emperor's lap. Yes, the place is noisy, but your ears will instead be ringing due to the spices in the Nihari. Yes, it's a hole-in-the-wall, but it's probably the best hole-in-the-wall you'll eat at this side of the Khyber Pass. read more

This is so NOT your fancy pants restaurant. You may want to save this spot for the 5th or maybe even the 10th date. Hands down, when I am craving a good haleem or a sweat-inducing nihari, this is the place I head to. I have been to Pakistan and had my first haleem in Islamabad. Eating at Shalimar brings back all those wonderful, gooey memories of my trip back in 1993, when things were still fairly peaceful there, before the Shit Hit The Fan. I will never get to go back to Pakistan, but I can always go back to Shalimar. read more

This is a must go. Enjoy the food and make sure to order a bunch of things. Go very hungry. Try the hot chai at the end.

Not quite the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, Shalimar of SF is nonetheless an exotic destination worth visiting. I enjoyed my food here, but was not really into the hectic, aggro vibe of this place. We practically had to strong-arm our way to a free table despite having entered the restaurant well before those who tried to challenge us for it. I'd understand if we were in New York or France, but this is San Francisco, people. We're supposed to be more aloof and cool about these things than that. We tend to know what lines are and how they work, at least for the most part. I CAN say that I was impressed with the food and the ambiance -- once we sat down, that is. We ordered daal (lentils), chicken tikka masala, lamb of some kind, rice, naan....and definitely something else but can't remember due to brain damage. It was all really tasty, hearty, but not very spicy. The sauces that they have on the tables (tamarind and yogurt-cilantro/mint(?), I think) do the dishes some real justice. Try them out! A good place to eat Pakistani/Indian if you don't mind fighting for tables and touring through the Tenderloin. read more

I love Shalimar. Seriously this is amazing Paki/Indian food. The dudes that run it are pretty nice too. You must freaking get the Chicken Jalfrezi. It is the best food that has ever been made. I want to have a daughter JUST so I can name her Jing-Jing Jalfrezi (has a ring, don't it?) in honor of this dish. It isn't the type of place you want to entertain business contacts (unless you can pull it off as an asset like I do -- see Larry C's review below, here's the magic line: "Times like these, you gotta be capital efficient. I'm getting an amazing dinner for $5 by trading off the non-essentials, like cleanliness.") On a serious note, Mickey S I feel your pain about the Mumbai attacks, pure tragedy, I think it's also tragic that you would use that event to be even more divisive, let's not put another wedge between Indians and Pakistanis -- remember, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. read more

Yes, I do still love their naan, but when did everything else become such a grease-fest? The chicken tikka masala and chicken jalfrezi had more more puddles of oil than curry. So unappetizing. Stick with the garlic naan and tandoori items. Or better yet, skip Shalimar and try Little Delhli instead. read more

So freaking good. SF is full of great Indian restaurants so definitely go and explore but Shalimar is one of the best I've had. The place is small and smoky. When you go in, seat yourself at an available table and order in the front. Even though they've never asked me for my name, they've never gotten my order wrong. In due time, the magical delicious dishes will appear at your table. The tika masala is so good. Garlic naan bomb. First combination curry was also delicious. I tried the saag last time and it was also totally legit. The food there is spicy and has a tasty kick. I couldn't ask for more. Chai tea is self serve. On a cold SF night, nothing warms me up better than some spicy curry and a cup of steamy hot chai! 5 Stars hands down!! read more

3.5 stars. Shalimar is the perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover. This restaurant looks like it is falling apart. It was hot and poorly ventilated inside and there were tons of flies. But the health score is actually pretty good, and the clientele was legit. I'm going to India in a few months, so I guess this environment is a good segue. We had the lamb curry (bhanu ghost) and chicken korma. Both of them had really tender meat and were more stewy than I expected (not heavy and cream-based). While I loved all the spices in the dishes that gave deep flavors, I ran into a few really hard pieces that were inedible, which made the dish a little bit harder to eat. Onion kulcha naan was very soft and doughy. Large portion. I am excited to try the garlic naan next time. My favorite bonus: the free chai. It's milky and you can add sugar. It's piping hot, so be careful though. I had at least three (small) cups. Prices are cheap. Menu is confusing though, because they have randomly written numbers on some of them, so we didn't know if that was just internal notes or updated prices (I think it's the prior). read more

Place is SLAMMIN on a Fri nite! Be prepared for loong lines, but it's allll worth it. And they keep it movin quick so you won't have to wait for too long. One of- if not The best, hole in the wall places in the city. The guys that work here are soo nice and accommodating. I went with a large party and they literally ran around putting together tables and trying to make us as comfy as possible. They also managed to get our rather large order straight in the midst of the madness. My top pics: saag paneer, mutter paneer, CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, garlic naan, chai- TRY THEM ALL!! Stuff comes spicy, so if that's not your thing, beware. Tab INCL. tip: $100...for 8!! How is that even possible these days?!?! Shalimar, thank you contributing to one of my cheapest nites out in SF. read more

I moved away from SF six years ago, but my mouth still waters thinking about the lamb chops at this place. Add some dal and you've pretty much described my favorite Indian meal in the city. One time on the way to the bathroom, I though I spotted meat marinating outside in a plastic pail (like one you'd buy at Home Depot). I'm sure it just added to the flavor. I think Pakwan may have slightly better veggie dishes, but between the two I usually choose Shalimar. I still haven't found any place close to this in Orange County. read more

My friend who is Indian recommended this restaurant to me. She described is the best Indian restaurant in the city. I am Chinese so I was not put off by the lack of decor. We like the money to go into the food. The food was great and the portions were very well sized. My favorite was the lamb brain masala. read more