Pure Excellent You can't miss this place, if you are driving through the local area you'll definitely find it, Sitar has a Mughal styled exterior so the vibe is 5 stars, the inside is plush, clean and affords great privacy. The servers are professional and attentive. The food here is a very rare gem. You will find both great northern Indian dishes like Hariyali Kebab in fragrant sauce as well as (I swear I did not think it's possible to find a dish like this in the south let along the US) southern Indian classics like Malabar fish curry cooked to perfection for the affordable lunch buffet which as of 2026 is still priced around 18.99. Come with your friends and bring everyone, they will really give you a satisfying visit. read more

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The food was good, the biriyani was the best, it was really flavorful. One of the best biriyanis I've tasted in the Triangle area. The beef curry was good too, but could be stir fried a bit more. Cabbage thoran was great. The bhaji for the poori needed salt, but the pooris were awesome. The chai was delicious. The only thing that was not great was that they charged a 20% gratuity even though we selected the buffet. We were a group of 10, but all of us ate from the buffet. read more

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We are really sad we don't live in Dirham and can't come here weekly. The buffet is big and has several dishes I haven't had before and the staples you hope are there like pakora and tikki masala which was delicious. The mango mousse was so good and they had a very good selection of desserts. Truly the best buffet we had been to in years and we try Indian restaurants whenever we travel. Great bargain for the price PLUS 20 percent off coupon!! read more

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Extensive weekend dinner buffet for $22.99. Would recommend starting with vegetarian options first and then loading up on the non veg and then going for the dessert. I really enjoyed the selection of food (though I was hoping they would have a gobi manchurian or gobi 65, sad)! The servers were attentive and cleared the table at a regular frequency. It is a casual spot; it's clean and well maintained but appears a bit outdated in terms of decor. I wasn't a huge fan of the desserts; they had some pretty experimental items like beet ice cream, but the classics like barfi were lacking in flavor and texture (the barfi was kind of stale). However, I wasn't there for the desserts, so it didn't put a damper on my meal. Overall great value for money with solid Indian food. Would come back! read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Buffet - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Service and ambience are ok, but the food deserves a complete overhaul. The Thursday Vegan Buffet on Aug 13, 2026 was a total washout! Bland, spice less, saltless food and was 100% uninspiringly cooked. The presentation for most of the food in the trays matched the flavorless offerings which were simply heaped into the containers with little to no regard for aesthetics. I am not an individual to write such terrible reviews in general, but felt I should share an honest opinion of what me and my family experienced here. We ended the evening spending $120 for a family of 4 and decision to never go back there again! Serious advice to the owners is to pay the most attention to what is happening in the kitchen, which is the soul of the restaurant. read more

Sitar's vegan buffet (every other Thursday) is out of this world! There are loads and loads of different dishes to try, plus juicy drinks and a dessert buffet. Despite that I always load my plate up at least twice, I never leave feeling stuffed or logy, and I always feel great the next day. Everything is marked with allergy info (vegan, gf, nuts, soy). I love choosing my top 2-3 dishes every time. The Tofu Manchurian and Tofu-65 (both gluten-free) always take top place. For some reason, their potatoes always hit the spot. They had a gooey chocolatey dessert once that was incredible - I keep hoping it'll show up again. (If you see it, give it a try but leave some for me!) Friendly and gracious service, clean and pleasant atmosphere. I'm always looking forward to my next visit. A feast for vegans and non-vegans alike! read more

Very comfortable and lovely ambiance. The staff was very attentive and friendly from the moment we walked in to each refill of our water glasses. The food was delicious! I loved the buffet model because I could taste a bunch of things and see what I liked best. I guess I'm pretty basic because I loved the chicken tikka masala the best. They also had mango lassi on tap as part of the buffet! The array of desserts was also fantastic. Will definitely be back! read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Buffet lunch! - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Sitar's Indian buffet is excellent and full of options. I swung by for a weekend dinner with my partner and thoroughly enjoyed their well-labeled dishes (vegan, dairy, meat labels etc.)! All of the curries I tried were flavorful and not too salty or heavy. I also enjoyed their drinks and desserts. I haven't been exposed to a lot of Indian desserts before and enjoyed the introductions. I will be back again with some friends or family! The service was a little bit slow since it was busy, but just know that you pay up front. read more

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I know this place has been around for a long time, but in my opinion there is far better Indian food around. I came here years ago with my daughter when she was craving Indian food. On our last visit, some friends chose this restaurant as our dining destination midweek so my wife and I went along. The buffet has enough offerings but the food is just okay -- nothing outstanding. My wife and I ordered some mango lassis and they never came. The waiter who took our orders and who directed us to the buffet never came back to check on us. The rather worn look of the interior did not help. We paid at the register and both kind of looked at each other like, "Eh, we wouldn't necessarily have chosen this place on our own." read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Dining area - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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My 3rd Review: Went here for Sunday lunch buffet for my cousin's Birthday, and I saw improvement in Sitar's buffet selection. The highlight of the buffet this time was the Poori Bhaji - crispy delicious, and the potatoes were well-spiced inside. Chicken Tikka Masala was excellent as always, and this time, Sitar has biryani, Fish Malabar, spiced cabbage, and Paneer Masala. Wasn't a big fan of the beef, and there's still no garlic naan in the buffet, but overall, buffet was satisfying, unlike last time. I wasn't a big fan of the biryani but it's better than the rice I had last time. Mango lassi was creamy rich, and the drinks in the buffet were fine. The custard ran out fast because many customers were getting a piece of them fast. Customer service was excellent as always; it was nice that the restaurant was able to accommodate my cousin's Birthday party in Sitar's vibrant ambiance. We dined inside the more private area. Will likely return again but not anytime soon. It feels like I've been here too many times in the past few weeks. read more

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Every two weeks Sitar provides an entirely vegan buffet. The buffets get better and better each time and last night's was one of the best. The buffet had so much variety and plenty of healthful options like spinach, okra and green beans. They also had Chana masala, pakora and tofu tiki masala. A new salad had eggplant and fresh fruit is always available as well. The dessert finale had a range of options such as cheese cake, flan and rice pudding - all vegan and dairy free. Finally, there is always a delicious shake, akin to a mango lassi, and last night's was banana. Service is always very good and they often have live jazz duet playing in the dining room for an excellent dining ambiance. Shout out to all vegans that this is the place to be every other Thursday night 5pm to 9pm. read more

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For over 10 years, I have loved Sitar both for dining in and for catering. So fresh, delicious, and healthy! Benny and his team go above and beyond to deliver some of the yummiest food in the Triangle! read more

Excellent food and outstanding service made this a memorable visit. From the moment we entered, the staff was attentive and welcoming. The environment felt clean, comfortable, and relaxing. The menu had a great selection of options, making it easy to find something appealing. Once the food arrived, I was impressed by both taste and presentation. Every dish was fresh and full of flavor. Portions were generous and satisfying. Prices felt fair considering the overall quality. This restaurant clearly pays attention to details that matter. I highly recommend visiting and look forward to returning again in the future. read more

We hosted some friends for lunch buffet on 2026 Mother's Day at Sitar. Cost $30 per person. The group was all vegetarian, and south Indian. We were expecting good south Indian choices. Idly, dosa, vada, and the accompanying chutneys were well below par; dosas were soft and size of a small pancake, the vada was burnt, and the idly was small and not soft. The puris were oily. Water was served as one bottle at the table. We were very disappointed and several south Indians would have been too. I understand that the management has changed. read more

I've eaten at a lot of Indian restaurants in my life and when I recently moved to Durham and was craving some Indian, I luckily ended up here. Let me tell you, they have a flavor shaman working some dark flavor magic in the back there. The lamb vindaloo is the best I've had ever, anywhere. The garlic naan is sublime. My extremely picky wife who likes nothing, agreed to come here and now actually likes Indian food because of the Samosas, Shrimp Malabar and Chicken Tikka Masala from the buffet. She says the buffet is the best she's ever experienced and now is a fan of Indian cuisine! If you knew her, you'd understand what a compliment that is. Their hospitality is also unmatched, PJ especially, is an amazing floor leader and is so gracious, we always feel so welcome. This is our favorite restaurant to go to and any time we go out, we seem to always end up here! You must go! read more

The buffet is wonderful and has great variety. They have free mango lassi on Saturdays and a lot of delightful soups and options for entrees. read more

Tried Sitar for lunch recently. Buffet is offered 7 days for both lunch and dinner. In my opinion, the food was one note flavor-wise and uninspired. Curry chicken tastes similar to tikka masala, vegetable dishes were ok at best. There are many choices on the buffet, I tried several, and came away feeling like everything was just ok. The tamarind chutney was runny and lacking flavor, as was the mint/cilantro chutney. The service was attentive, but the dining room was over-crowded with tables and chairs. As there are many options for Indian locally, I won't likely go back. read more

Indian buffet for lunch? Yes please! This place is so amazingly tasty. For a buffet the food is incredibly fresh. I can't remember the name of everything I got, but each item was full of flavor and fresh. The service was great and friendly. The dining room and bathrooms where clean and uncluttered. The price was also very agreeable. Will definitely be back! read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Indian deliciousness! - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Every time we go here it's perfect. The staff are friendly and kind, the buffet is huge and there are a ton of different foods available. It's all delicious. Their Mango Lassi is perfect too. read more

Absolutely fantastic buffet- my family went here and loved it. Everyone thought the food was delicious and I ordered a mango lassi which was a great balance of sweetness as well. The staff was very friendly and came to check on us. The only thing I will say is it does get crowded so prepare for that. Overall fantastic! read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Classic Indian restaurant interior. Friendly and quick service getting me seated and water so I could get to the buffet. Which according to the sign is all they do now. The food was flavorful but no more so than any other Indian establishment. There were at least a 1/2 dozen chicken entrees, 1 beef and 1 fish with a samosa and pakora along with various other sides, chutneys and sauces. There were two kinds of soup, tea and a punch. And a dessert bar. The total for lunch with tax was $16.01. I did not leave hungry. It's definitely worth a visit. read more

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Went here on a visit to Chapel Hill and thought it had a fantastic array of authentic Indian dishes for great value in a relaxed atmosphere. Friendly and attentive service. read more

came w 5 friends Food was great , lots of choices Ram, our server is a great person to meet and chat with it was a good evening read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Ram ! - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This restaurant by far, is the best restaurant that we have visited in the RTP triangle.Each and every dish in the dinner buffet was prepared as if it was an a la carte order.The service was exemplary as well as the ambiance. Go to this one without any hesitation! read more

I think the service and food here are both top notch! I find the servers to be exceptionally friendly. I'm normally not a "buffet" person but enjoy this one...food is always fresh so I suspect it's prepared in small batches read more

I hadn't had Indian in a while and really wanted to try this place while we were in town. There were five of us. Three of us got the buffet. I was a little disappointed not to see Saag Paneer, Butter Chicken or even Pakora, as those are staples at my favorite buffet at home. The naan was dry and hard but later fresh naan brought out but I was too full to eat more. The other two got dishes, a spicy vindaloo which was happily devoured and something I'd never seen: bright green chicken kabobs with veggies, kinda like fajitas. The meat was tasty and different...soaked in mint and cilantro I think....Haryali Kabab-it was uniquely delicious. The food that was there was good-tikki masala, vegetarian meatballs, tandoori chicken, lentils soup, tomato soup some creamy coconut vegetables, etc. oh and these fried balls with aloo (potatoes) in them, like samosas -those were delicious. There was fruit and desserts too but I had no room for any. I'm sorry to say I couldn't understand 95% of what the waiter said, but he was attentive and efficient. The dinner buffet was 17$ which isn't bad. Usually Indian food tears up my tummy, but this didn't. I was surprised! read more

Really good for AYCE, always tastes flavorful and fresh! Everyone is very nice. Thanks so much!

Great food, so many options at the dinner buffet. We had great cocktails as well. Service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Ginger Cirtus cocktail - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My favorite Indian restaurant since moving here 9 years ago, and even more so now under the new ownership. Sitar was always excellent, but under the new ownership, the service is especially friendly and welcoming. They now have both menu ordering AND a buffet for lunch AND dinner, and this is my favorite way to have Indian cuisine -- not for the quantity, but because I like to have a little of a number of different things, and unless you go with a big group, you can't do that when ordering off the menu. Yes, for carnivores the buffet is mostly chicken, but there is usually a Fish Malabar that is outstanding, and at dinner there's often a lamb dish and other non-chicken items. For vegetarians, there's a wide variety of non-meat dishes, all excellent. Spice levels on the buffet vary, Some days there's more heat than others, but usually there's an indicator on the label above the buffet indicating spice level. There's always some kind of interesting salad, a chai and/or other surprise beverage, and a few dessert items beyond the usual kheer (which is a delightful end to the meal) and galub jamun. We are blessed here in the Triangle to have so many Indian cuisine options, but Sitar is, and will likely always be, my favorite. read more

a really lovely experience! i'd never been inside sitar before coming here for lunch yesterday, but i did have a long-standing tradition with my best friend in college to get sitar from the unc dining hall and eat together on wednesdays. sitar is now no longer at unc and neither are we, so we decided to have a final "sitar wednesday" before i move next week. at lunchtime there's only a buffet option, but there were lots of choices and i stuffed myself. everything tasted amazing and i really liked the drink that came with it, the strawberry mojito. service to clean up was great too. i would definitely return! read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - lunch buffet - samosa, pakora, noodles, saag paneer, chana masala, naan, and rice - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I have had their buffet 3-4 times. I would not say it's the excellent option out there but it's not bad either. One of the main reason for me to choose the restaurant is that they offer dinner buffet. read more

I enjoyed the buffet lunch with some work colleagues. Two in our group had been here before, so we decided to go for it, and we enjoyed the food a lot! The buffet had a nice variety. Some dishes were spicier than others. The desserts looked yummy, but I didn't try any. read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Very nice atmosphere and courteous service. The food was monotonously lacking in flavor. I cannot believe the reviews here saying how delicious it is. It isn't. read more

Always amazing taste and consistent. My husband and I went for the Vegan buffet this evening. So many options and fresh food. We will be back soon! The service is excellent also! read more

I went with my family during their lunch buffet and was not disappointed! This Indian restaurant in Durham, NC, is truly a gem. The restaurant was relatively quiet, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. But the real star of the show was the food. There was a shocking amount of curry options, from vegetarian curries to chicken tiki masala, they had a wide array of selections to choose from. The best part was that the food was fresh and constantly refilled. The service was friendly, and the staff made sure we were well taken care of. I would absolutely go back again, and highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an authentic Indian buffet experience. P.s.: Unlike other Indian "buffets" on Yelp in the area that are no longer buffets, this place is the real deal. In fact, this might be the ONLY Indian buffet in the area which makes it even more special. And, it was clean - which is always a plus. Overall, an amazing experience that left us feeling satisfied and happy. read more

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Great room for hosting a company event. We've been coming to sitar for well over a decade, but this was our first corporate dinner since the new ownership. The expanded vegetarian entrees on the buffet, the included chai, and the large selection of desserts made this an even better Winter Dinner location than ever. Nothing on the buffet is super spicy, but everything is flavorful. Service was attentive and everyone was happy with the experience. Thanks for making this an easy way to get all of our employees together. read more

First time dining here and it won't be the last! The staff are all so kind and welcoming. Overall the vibe here is low key, which is nice if you're wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of life any time of the year. I specifically came here for the lunch buffet, which I've heard so much about. Everything is labeled clearly and there's quite an array to choose from. There wasn't a single thing that I tried that wasn't delicious. There's a few items that have some heat, but for myself who can't tolerate much of that it was very doable. I highly recommend giving it a try if you haven't yet! read more

One of the best indian restaurants ive ever been too. Our waiter was the biggest sweetheart ever and really took care of us. Me and my friends are strictly vegan AND gluten free and he made sure everything was perfect. The food was seriously delicious... i personally didnt love the vada donuts but we got all the other vegan appetizers and they were phenomenal. Everything tasted very fresh and homemade. The restaurant was very big and open with lots of space to breathe. Very clean and well kept my recommendations : baigan bartha - the best baigan bartha ive ever had. explosion of flavors Aloo bonda - little fried potato balls, could eat a million of them gobi pakora - cauliflower pakora, so good read more

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My wife, a large circle of friends & I have been going to the Sitar Restaurant since it opened here, at its current location, for the past 18 years. When it comes to Indian Cuisine we've eaten at many restaurants across the world -- some excellent and some not so. The Sitar sits at the excellent end of this spectrum. They've changed ownership in the last couple of years, but I'm pleased to say that the high standards of the previous owners and their chefs/staff continue. In fact most of the staff continue to work on under the new ownership of Faris & Benny who make you feel so very welcome as a customer from the minute you walk in the door. One thing they've changed recently in their marketing is that they now offer an extensive and very high quality buffet for lunch & dinner 7 days a week. We think this is an excellent idea as it allows those who are not familiar with the cuisine to try a wide variety of different dishes which folks weren't able to previously at a dinner setting when you are reliant on others sharing their dishes at the table with you and of course the inexperienced diner not really knowing what to order. Actually seeing the different dishes on the buffet certainly helps people choose better than just looking at a menu or relying on others descriptions of various dishes. For the sheer variety of high quality dishes, competitive pricing & and warm & inviting staff and ambiance I highly recommend that you give the Sitar a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed . read more

Have been here twice now, once for a regular dinner and once for the vegan buffet. Both times have been WONDERFUL. The staff is very friendly, the food is delicious, and there are clearly labeled vegan options. It's also a nice cozy place that feels almost like a hotel restaurant vs a casual eatery. Will definitely be coming back again and again read more

Sitar Indian Cuisine - Manchurian gravy, basmati rice, tofu tikka masala, vegetable pakora, cabbage thoran, avocado hummus/salad - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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