You have to go in with right expectations and you won't be disappointed. It's not a classy joint with white table linen. However, it is a indo-pak cabbie joint. I used to live a block away from Shaan Foods and more than often, this was go-to spot. So you are listening from someone who has been here couple of hundred times (no, I don't cook). Food - greasy, salty, delicious. Not for the health conscious. Naan (Pakistani style; greatly varies from Indian restaurant variety) is thick and fluffy. Good chai (hot tea with milk) and samosas. Ambience/ interior - service is decent and place is clean. If you are from the homeland you may enjoy Bollywood music channels on the tv. Today, 5 years later, it is still a great spot and I still go there for my 'Indian' grease spooner cravings. read more

3.5. Try not to be mistaken about the kind of place this is. It's a cab spot with cheap samosas, it's true. If you want to go beyond that, check your expectations. I tried a dal dish and their lamb curry the first time I went. The pieces of lamb were from unrecognizable parts of the body and the dal had a thick layer of oil on top - so it took a long while before I tried the place again. Their chicken mokhani and lamb biryani have since been much kinder to me. Those two are much less oily but the flavor is good so I'm willing to try more of their menu, and the price and convenience make the stop very worthy of a quick take out kind of lunch or dinner. read more

Amazing. We just moved to the neighborhood and after a day of unpacking my husband and I were starving. We looked up the closest restaurant and this was literally 3 minutes away. We walked over, went over the menu, and ordered take out after getting some recommendations. The food is fabulous. They're late hours make them perfect for when we get home late from work or travel and they're extremely quick. Would highly recommend the tandoori chicken! read more

So let me be clear...the 4 stars is an overall rating. I give Shan 5 stars for delicious food and 2-3 stars for the look of the place. I had samosas, curry chicken, and aaloo gobi which were all AMAZING. The prices are cheap, and grabbing samosas to go is quick and the perfect "fast food" It is a neighborhood dive so don't expect a glamorous establishment but the food is outstanding read more

I always pick up Nihari from here. The place is good. Cheap. and a cab driver joint. Although, they are going through renovations inside to improve the interior. Customer service? Every time I have visited, they have been very nice and friendly. Hard to find great customer service from desis now days. read more

This place is the bomb. I'm so glad I decided to become a regular here. I was skeptical to eat here the first time because of all the cabs in the parking lot. Upon entering everyone stares you down but they get over it and resume whatever they were doing. The menu is simple but the food is spectacular! Me and my boyfriend ordered the chicken biriyani and the frontier chicken. We ended up loving the frontier chicken and the awesome naan. My boyfriend couldn't get enough of it! Another time we came right when they were cleaning up and we had half an hour for them to prepare our food. No attitude given by any of them! We got a flaky chicken thing in the front heater next to the register and the guy threw in a free samosa! You guys even insisted on letting us eat those appetizers there while we wait for our food. The waiter gave us water and napkins and treated us like we were actually dining in. You guys are amazing. Give this place a chance and you won't be sorry! read more

Ordered devliery twice in the last few weeks. Shan is a mixed bag: -delivery is a bit slow -chicken makhani is AWESOME -rice and naan portions are huge -curry chicken has WAY too much ginger, and the pieces are cut so you get random bones everywhere. so, stick to what's good, and this place easily moves up to 4-5 star territory. Unfortunately, I had to throw out half of my chicken curry bowl because there were so many bones that I kept biting on. read more

The food isn't bad. It's definitely inexpensive if picked up, and the quantity is good. I don't like the service though. I would recommend order, go pick up and eat at home. It is not the best indian food, or even super great. But if you don't feel like cooking and wish to step out to grab something quick without spending a lot of money, then it is a pretty decent spot! read more

I have had most of the items on the vegetarian portion of the menu, and they are all quite good, although pretty oily. I usually go here once a week. The few meat dishes I've tried are pretty good, but the portion sizes are less filling and the dishes are more expensive, so I usually go with one of the vegetarian options. The naan is very good, and it's very inexpensive compared to every other place I've been to. The only dish I didn't like that much was the vegetable Pullao (pilaf) dish. The spice blend used in it was not working for me. One last thing that I noticed was that the levels of spiciness vary from dish to dish, even if not in the menu description. For example, the chana masala (chickpea + onion + ginger) is relatively spicy compared to the aloo gobi (potato + cauliflour). Both the dishes are good, and they taste fairly consistent each time I order them. read more

Best Indian/ Pakistani food in Chicago. Nothing out pf the way just like the way it is in India , and the spice is not toned down as you would get it at other 3/4/5 start restaurant but they can cook some real mean food. MY fav dish of the place: Halwa poori , must have. Try the buffet economical and has variety. when you get the buffet ask for poori it is included in your buffet. -:) read more

Glad I checked this out last week, but no need to go back. Food is very well priced (i.e., value is amazing), samosas were tasty, rice was the best thing I tried, and the bread was thick, hearty and warm. But the actual Indian/Pakistani food was just average, and the vegetarian dishes were almost completely tasteless. I left full because we over-ordered...three entrees for four people with an order of bread is absolutely enough food for normal adults. Space is not nearly as dingy as the other reviews I read indicated...this isn't a dive, but it is frequented by a lot of cab drivers (damn near the whole free parking lot!). read more

Unedible. Ordered the califlower and potato, the eggplant and potato one order of naan, and the kabob wrap. The veggie dishes were loaded with oil. Like I could poor the oil out of the container and I did. The vegetables were saturated in oil! It was disgusting! Naan flavorless and the kabob was chicken and ground formed like a kifta. Yuck! Do not order from this place. I have absolutely no idea how this place is so highly rated! Phew, Yuck, disgusting! You've been warned. read more

I had the chicken qeema and my hot date had frontier chicken. We also got rice and naan. Everything was $28 which fed us tonight and will feed us again tomorrow. The best part was after leaving, our waiter ran half a block to hand us the naan that they forgot to put in our takeout bag. It was a surprisingly nice gesture and meant a lot to us. The food was really, really good too. Go here! read more

Taste: 4 Quantity: 5 Value for money: 5 Ambience: 2.5 Service: 3 Overall: no frills mughlai food. Will definitely go again. Not on a date night, but an absolute must on a late night hunger pang or for that lazy Sunday brunch. read more

This place is legit! Some of the best Indian / Pakistani food around, but only for delivery or takeout - I wouldn't recommend dining in (the place is serious lacking in ambience). I've ordered just about everything on the menu, and it's all really good - the butter chicken is a must-try. read more

This is a different place. It is not readily visible from the street because of traffic and it is in the elbow of a strip mall. This means that most of the customers are locals. The seating area is big but they are attached to their small grocery section. They are open 7 days a week from & am to Midnight. The food is very authentic. Most of the customers are south Asian. I had curry lamb with rice and naan bread. I am a big guy and could not finish the meal. You order each item separate and I could have had the lamb without the rice. The curry was good and I found Mexican vanilla at about half of what vanilla is in the grocery stores. There is a lot of things not available elsewhere that is here. read more

Fast service, very generous portions, and one of my favorite lamb biryanis in town. Shan is my go-to for take out comfort food.

The food gives it a 4 star. The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. When I entered through the store part, I noticed there were a lot of open tables, but I wasn't sure if I should be sitting there or in the restaurant. Once I looked around, a guy came to me and asked if I'll be ordering and told me I should probably sit in the restuarant. The restaurant really is a dump. There is no better way to describe it. It's a few steps above a truck stop. Even that can be argued. The food though is why you come here though - and it's really good. I had a samosa and chana masala and naan. The samosa was good - it could have been a little smaller, but still very good. It hit the right taste. The chana masala was excellent. I hate to say it, but I've had a lot of bland chana masla, and this was really good. Like I had sweat rolling off my forehead good. Really, there was so much food, it would have been enough for 2 people. I ordered 2 naan's and that was a bit much. I should have just ordered one. They're huge naan's. Good stuff though. I'll return for sure. read more

Not bad at all but also not spectacular; it's 4 stars for me but "Yay, I'm a Fan!" is just not what a 4 is (come on Yelp). I'll order it again if I'm in the mood for Pakistani homecooked meal but at least I'll know it's not quite the restaurant quality. Got it delivered thru GH, the order got prepped and arrived within the time limit (+), the order was accurate and packaged properly so no complaints there (+). Got a couple of naan breads with the order, they weren't really naan's and more like Persian bread or Georgian Lavaash... which is OK just wasn't what I was expecting (+/-). Nihari was almost spot on (+) but the chicken curry not so much; actually the curry itself was OK but the chicken was meh, kinda bland (+/-). Once again, it's pretty decent as far as delivery goes just don't expect the meal of a lifetime. read more

Great Pakistani/Indian food and, clutch, open till midnight 7 days a week! Also, super friendly folks behind the counter.

Excellent, reasonably priced, fresh and tasty curry. It is a bit out of the way but definitely worth the drive up north. Them having their own lot makes it a bit easier choice, although there seemed to be plenty of street parking as well. The chicken dishes should probably be avoided unless you are an avid halal eater and don't mind all the joints and bones in your dish. The Karahi Lamb we had was some of the best I have had in a very, very long time. Definitely some of the best Asian lamb I have had in Chicago. Great flavor, no toughness at all, like a fine piece of fillet in consistency. Service was really great, I liked the milk tea and everyone was really friendly. As long as you are comfortable with getting some really tasty grub and not concerned at ambiance and atmosphere this is a good spot for curry. The neighborhood was great too. I don't go that far north too often so it was nice to be reminded it is still there and kickin'. read more

I found this place on yelp and decided to check it out as its close to my weekly volleyball venue.. The verdict - Highly recommended pakistani cuisine !! Ambience - While this is not your average indian/pakistani restaurant with the stereotype paintings of kings and courtesans..its not a complete hole in the wall either...There is a sit in dining area..one immediately as u enter which seems to be more for the cabbies..and another a larger dining area..that is clean..and as someone mentioned the restrooms are clean which is a good sign The food - Good pakistani food..very flavorful..I tried the chicken frontier which was very good ..my filipino friend loved it too..also tried the kabob selection as well as their lamb curry. Their parathas (fried bread) are also excellent.... The lamb curry was a tad oily for my taste.. Their appettizers are mouth wateringly good..kabobs, desi style spring rolls and samosas ! They also have an indian sweets selection that has more selection than a regular restaurant The service - fair...no complaints..remember at such joints you have to ask for everything... While some people may still refer to this place as a cabbie joint..it is definitely a few notches higher both in terms of food quality and overall cleanliness.. read more

Tried out the lunch buffet today. Definitely worth the $8.95, especially if you've been craving Indian food for awhile and yet you don't want to commit to a certain dish. All seemed high quality and many vegetarian choices. I enjoyed the heat that the dishes had but if you're not a fan of spice... be ginger with your portions. The staff was very friendly and although it was a 'cafeteria' setting, tucked in the back of a general grocery, if you're in the mood for no-muss no-fuss good food, take advantage of this deal. Also, they serve the buffet to go for $5.99 a pound. Have no idea what a pound of Chicken Tandori would look like but I'm guessing if you're having a few people over and you serve three pounds of delicious Indian cuisine, they would pretty happy. read more

Whew, the old saying, "You get what you pay for" is so true. I can't even complain to my mom about this because she would tell me I should have known better. =/ It was a week day and I was SUPER hungry at work and couldn't take a trek to my normal Indian spot. There's an Indian spot I could VERY easily walk to but they had bad Yelp reviews too. So, I looked on Yelp and saw the positive ratings for Shan Foods. I placed and order over the phone and was lucky enough to catch a short bus ride there. I go in and I see lots of Indian folks-good sign, at least that's what I thought. Long story short: My chana masala was VERY greasy. I didn't even know it could be greasy. I struggled to eat 75% of it-it really messed with my stomach. I ordered two samosas because they were cheap-EWWW. Bland and greasy. Ugh. I don't even hope a rat comes across it when I throw it into the trash. Ugh. I'll just keep going to my typical place and stop trying to step outside my comfort zone and save a few bucks. read more

My husband and I recently moved to the area and came across this place while walking around the neighborhood. Restaurant is AWESOME. The Bhindi Masala (okra) is some of the best I've ever eaten and the Mughuz Masala (lamb brain) is outstanding. Seriously, go for the lamb brain, you won't regret it. Don't expect ambiance of super-friendly service, but trust that the food will be cooked perfectly. They deliver and charge a fee of $3, however, they ALWAYS include a free samosa, so it's totally worth it. read more

They have remodeled their interior from the last time I was there...it looks great! My favorite item on their menu is their PAYA! This was my go-to spot for paye/naan breakfast on the weekends. Must try! read more

I'm writing this review based on ordering delivery 3 times, having never been to the restaurant itself, and only having Indian food one other time in my life. I'm a total pansy when it comes to spice, but this food is so flavorful that I force myself to enjoy it, with tears rolling down my face. I have tried all of the "starred" items on Grubhub and they are so delicious! My favorite is the chicken that comes in a butter sauce... despite being satanic red, it's very mild yet flavorful. Each time I order, I go overboard and spend around $50, but the portions are so large (especially the rice) that it takes me 3 days to eat it all. Worth every penny! read more

I love this place. The Indian food is always good here with a great variety of curries. It is nothing fancy Service is always quick attentive. Highly recommend read more

For a quick Indo/Pak fix without having to make a trip up to Devon, this place is great for decent sized portions at cheap prices and pretty tasty too. The menu isn't huge, but that's ok. I've tried all of their appetizers and only the beef roll made my eyes water because it was so spicy. But that was ok....a little raita fixed that up just fine. The "restaurant"....not where the cabbies sit around cracked me up when they put a Bollywood video on for us to watch when my husband and I were the only ones in the place. The store section is great for picking up some ingredients for making a curry at home, again without having to make a trip to Devon. And they also have a very nice sweets counter. On top of that, I threw an Indian themed party, and ordered several pans of appetizers and when the pans wouldn't fit in the shopping cart I'd brought to haul them home, the owners nephew popped them and me in his car and drove me home!!! Nice guys in the store who may just get a bit of a giggle out of the crazy western woman who keeps coming in their store!! Looking forward to trying their new Ethiopian food. read more

Another hidden gem in Chicago! We stopped here for a cup of steaming chai tea. I wish I hadn't just eaten at Edzo's before popping in because the lunch buffet looked and smelled terrific! The prices were extremely reasonable, and this humble joint is frequented by local cab drivers - always an excellent sign for really good and really affordable eats! There's not a whole lot to be said for the decor of the place as it seemed to be cafeteria-style for most of the patrons. You can also order off the menu which seems to be the preference for dinner there in the evenings. If you're craving South Asian cuisine that's not too costly or pretentious then I definitely recommend Shan. read more

I figured I should finally write a review for this place seeing as my boyfriend and I get take-out from here almost weekly. The hours are great, pretty sure it's open until 12:30am every day. We do dine in from time to time too-but we are frugal (read: cheap) and would rather save on tip. What we order: Frontier Chicken...I think 6.95 Plain rice Spicy but oh so yummy! We have had the chicken makini which is less spicier too We sometimes get nann or lamb nann and samosas ($1.25!!!) All is very good and you get enough for two with one entree! They also don't short you on rice. This place must get lots of business with takeout because there is often a line. If the wait is long and you order ahead they sometimes give you free food too. I am going to miss walking to this place when I move out of Uptown. But oh wait they deliver! read more

So good! Huge portions. Great prices. And anytime I order 3 or more dishes, the guy at the counter throws in a free samosa!

This is my favorite Pakistani restaurant in Chicago. The food is cheap and really good. Go with a few people and order a handful of dishes, then share them family style. And don't *just* order the naan -- the parathas (flat bread) are fantastic. Note that the dishes aren't consistently prepared every time. Each time, they'll vary a little based on the availability of ingredients. So the menu sometimes seems like a rough guide more than an authoritative list of options. The restaurant has almost zero ambiance, so don't expect any, and the service is friendly but not awesome. But the food is great! And cheap. I loved going there with friends or on a date (after we'd been going out for awhile). Everyone always enjoyed the experience. They also have a huge selection of Indian desserts. So save some room! As a side note: You know it's a good Pakistani place when the parking lot is full of taxis driven by Pakistani drivers taking a break... read more

I've walked past Shan so many times without knowing exactly what it was or the yummy things hiding behind its unassuming facade! When you walk by, you'd think it's just another bodega, hidden in a corner strip mall, but Shan is truthfully a hidden gem and should not be ignored. First of all, let's talk about the food. The menu has plenty of Indian and Pakistani options from your traditional rice dishes to more interesting dishes with hints of Ethiopian influence. After reading the reviews on yelp, I decided to order a chicken biryani to-go. It was properly spicy, had delicious boiled chicken in it, and came with a raita-type sauce that added a perfect amount of flavor and wetness to the rice. The portion was huge, too, and the addicting aromatics even brought my curious roommates in for a bite. Beyond the cooked food, though, this place has some very interesting imports. As a celiac who must eat gluten-free, I cook a lot of my own food and thus use a lot of corn, rice and potato flours/starches. At Whole Foods, the main brands are very expensive. At Shan, they have imported brands in huge bags and my goodness are they cheap! Goodbye Whole Foods and Dominicks for $8 a bag... hello Shan for $3 a bag (and it's twice the size!). Finally, I want to call attention to the friendly service. The folks behind the counter were very helpful. The desserts looked delicious, but the staff could not be certain any of them were totally free of wheat and thus did not recommend any for me. While I would have loved to try some (and I am fairly certain some were gluten-free), I appreciate the caution and care they took for my health. I can't wait to try more things at Shan!! I will certainly be back. As a word of caution, though, they do not accept credit/debit cards... only the Link card or cash! read more

Great food & price! Amazing samosa, white rice and chicken makhani. read more

Shan Restaurant - Menu - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The samosas are large, tasty, flaky, and cheap with tamarind sauce as it's sweet and tasty condiment. I have eaten here a few hundred times...literally. I love the Frontier Chicken and Karahi Gohst Lamb. My daughter is a huge fan of the Naan bread and spinach/potato dishes. The food is laden with oil and spices..so ask for less oil and less spicy. Sometimes, you get that and sometimes you don't. The desserts are really tasty! They have one of the best Rasmali and Vermicelli Kheer I have ever eaten. It can be a little intimidating for the Indo-Pak who arrives in the cabbie hang-out. The staring patrons get over you fairly quickly and resume their conversations. The staff, though, are usually friendly and helpful. You can even purchase other sundry items or meat from the small butcher shop in the back. Goooo...you will find something that suites your flavor. read more

Devon street too far? Head to Shan's. Seriously, good hole-in-the-wall Pakistani food, funny folks and very filling portions and culture wise (they play lots of Indian, Pakistani channels). I dig the breakfast food, Halwa Puri. For dinner/lunch I usually get their vegetarian option, i.e. Chana Masala. Great fritters too, the beef rolls and samosas especially read more

Update: Prices have gone up a bit as they have pretty much everywhere. Chana Masala went from 3.99 to 4.99 and Naan went from 1.00 to 1.25, for example. So now you can have a meal for 8 bucks instead of 7. Still the cheapest place around and still holding the key to my heart. Also, they are open till 12:30am almost every night of the year!!!! Yay for people who don't celebrate Western holidays so that I can eat biryani at midnight on Christmas Eve. read more

I've been bugging my husband to eat some Indian food with me ever since I moved here in August. My neighbor suggested Shan's and so last night we finally went. I was really hoping to eat my favorite dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, but unfortunately Shan's doesn't offer that dish. I satisfied myself with the Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken). My husband got the Aaloo Qeema (spicy ground beef with potatoes) The food was fabulous but spicy. It's the kind of spicy that creeps up on you and doesn't show its full force until half-way through the meal, when you start to say to yourself, uh-oh....that's a little hot! The atmosphere is simple. In the grocery part of the place are tables and chairs set up deli-style. The dining room is a little more formal in that the lights are slightly dimmer, although the decor is still quite bare. The far wall sports a wide flat-screen t.v. that played Indian/Pakistani, etc. music videos and news. We didn't go for the atmosphere though, so if you are just interested in the food, then you're good. The na'an was great, the cucumber salad dip was cool and spicy. The rice was heavenly but keep an eye out for the whole cloves nestled in the white fluffiness. The only gripe I have is that this is the most spicy Indian food I've ever eaten. Never before has my stomach rebelled until the next day after eating a good Indian dish. So I suggest that anyone with a weak stomach for strong spices steer clear. Otherwise, you'll really enjoy it. To illustrate the hot factor - my husband has been suffering more than I for the past 17 hours after our meal. Again, not for the weak-bellied. I plan on trying some other Indian restaurants around here, hopefully they'll serve my favorite dish. (The absolute best Chicken Tikka Masala I've ever eaten was, oddly enough, found in Fort Worth, TX!) read more

Really good food. Best raita , shami kabob , samosa and nehari I ever had . And also their chicken puffs are pretty good read more

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