I recently ordered from Sitar Indian Restaurant through Uber Eats delivery and loved it! I've always enjoyed Indian cuisine, so when I was deciding what to eat for lunch, I decided to give Sitar a try. Their Uber Eats page is well-formatted, with all menu items listed, accompanied by descriptions and pictures of most items. My only issue with their menu on the app is that the descriptions were not very clear about whether an item came with rice or if it had to be ordered on the side. My order arrived quickly and came in a large brown paper bag. I chose the butter chicken, and it came with basmati rice. They were packaged separately, with the chicken and sauce in a large plastic container and the white rice in a small styrofoam box. I like that they separated the two to let the customer have control over the chicken-to-rice ratio. Plastic cutlery was provided as well. My food was still hot when it arrived and was full of flavor. It tasted like a very good homemade meal instead of something made with low-quality ingredients and little effort put into it. The sauce on the chicken was very creamy and absolutely delicious! The serving size left me plenty of leftovers, and I was very satisfied. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant is one of my favorite places to grab food near campus. The location is really convenient, especially on days when I'm running short on time. Sometimes I'll call ahead and just pick up my food, which makes it really easy between classes or a busy schedule. The restaurant itself has a casual atmosphere, which I enjoy because it feels relaxed and welcoming. The service has always been great whenever I go. The staff is friendly and the food usually comes out very quickly, whether I'm dining in or picking it up. My go to order is the chicken korma with butter naan, and it is honestly one of my favorite meals. The chicken korma is creamy, flavorful, and pairs perfectly with the naan. They also give a very generous portion of rice, which I always appreciate because it makes the meal even more filling! The only small downside is that parking can sometimes be difficult, but I usually end up finding street parking nearby. I recommend this spot for a warm, comfort meal! read more

Great service!!! The garlic naan was amazing. I loved the combo where you were able try different dishes.

We had a fantastic meal at Sitar Indian Restaurant in Birmingham! My dad ordered the Lamb Biryani, and I went with the Lamb Tikka Masala at spice level 3 , it was rich, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. My mom tried the Sitar Biryani (a mix of chicken, lamb, and shrimp) at spice level 4 definitely brought the heat, but she absolutely loved it. We also shared the onion & garlic naan, which was warm, fresh, and the perfect complement to our dishes. And the mango lassi? Smooth, refreshing, and just the right amount of sweetness to cool things down. Service was excellent and the ambience was nice read more

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Sitar in downtown Birmingham is a great choice if you're looking for a convenient and delicious meal. I ordered the chicken tikka masala, and everything was excellent. I also paired it with an order of garlic naan which was super fresh. On my most recent visit, I tried the samosa chaat, which was delicious, and I will definitely order it again. I have dined here a couple of times and have always had an amazing experience with excellent food and even better service. Additionally, I have placed orders both online and in person and have never had any issues. Since it is located downtown, it is convenient location-wise but be prepared to potentially circle the block to find parking. Inside, the atmosphere is very calm with a quiet ambiance. Overall, Sitar is a reliable spot for me and I would recommend it to anyone looking for delicious food and great service. read more

Super yummy and authentic flavors, wish that I had one closer to my home. We had a platter of lamb, chicken and goat I believe. Then also tandoori chicken. Service was great too despite the restaurant being busy for Easter Sunday. read more

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Loved our visit to Sitar. This small restaurant is located in one of the storefronts that are adjacent to the UAB medical complex. It is very popular with hospital staff and visitors. Street parking can be difficult to find so it is hard to be a destination place to dine. But, Sitar is a MUST stop if you have business in the area. The restaurant is very simple and comfortable. It has 8-10 four-top tables, and they can be separated or pulled together to accommodate your party. On our visit, there was one guy working the front of the restaurant. The restaurant was not too busy on Wednesday night, and the table service was fine. At the end of your meal you pay at the counter. By the way, if you check-in on Yelp there is a 10% discount offer. I thought the food was amazing. First the Samosas Vegetable were the bomb. The seasoned potato, onion, and peas filling was packed with flavor. The fried pastry shell was the perfect thickness and texture. It is served with mint chutney and tamarind dipping sauces that were excellent. The Chicken Korma was delicious. Served over rice this is the Indian version of southern comfort food. I ordered my dish with a medium spice (3 out of 6), and it had a nice kick. The Garlic Naan which was great for scooping up the flavorful sauce. David L ordered the Sheek Kabab, and it was very good. We were surprised when it arrived as a sizzling plate like Mexican fajitas instead of a skewered meat. This dish is something I would definitely recommend. The portions are large and the prices are very reasonable. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - VEG SAMOSA - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Food was not bad but the restaurant servers were rude. This is the second time that I've been to this restaurant, and each time the service has been horrible. I do not recommend this restaurant at all. read more

Tucked away on the ground floor of one of UAB's large parking decks, Sitar is a welcome hub of spicy culinary delight in downtown Birmingham. I have passed Sitar many times and always wanted to sample it. Parking is a challenge. If you're not lucky enough to find a parallel parking space on the street, then you may have to park in the deck and walk down. Both options involving paying for parking unless it's after hours for the parking meters. located in the heart of the UAB Medical Center with Children's nearby, Sitar's main clientele are all the pedestrians who flock there during their lunch breaks. With the parking deck's elevators right outside, there is not outdoor seating with about 8 to 10 four top tables inside. You can pickup your to-go orders at the small register by the door or be seated and a server will take your orders. The decor is simple and unassuming with Nepal and Indian artwork. We arrived late on a Wednesday night with no one else in the dining room, but there were still others arriving for pick-up. Our server quickly took our drink orders and then our meal requests. Paul, Austin and I ate family style. The basmati rice was flaky and delicious. The buttered naan bread dusted with cilantro was SO good. Even better were the samosas. Oversized, filled with seasoned potato, onion, peas and herbs, the samosas were to die for. Dip it in the mint chutney... Yom Yom Yom! The chicken korma was delicious. Paul ordered it a level 3 out of 6 spicy and it had a little kick! The small slices of chicken were cooked perfectly, but what I loved most was the creaminess of the coconut curry sauce. Yom Yom Yom. I ordered the Sheek Kabab. The seasoned sections of ground beef are grilled, placed onto a bed of sliced cabbage and grilled onions then sprinkled with cilantro all served on a hot sizzling plate like Mexican fajitas. With a spice level of 3 out of 6, they were spot on! The dish is accompanied with a nice bowl of tikka masala that you may use as a garnish or dipping sauce. Yom Yom Yom. Even with people coming and going to pickup orders, Sitar has a very laid back atmosphere that's comfortable and inviting. Our server was wonderful and checked on us often. He was very friendly and eager to please us. If it wasn't for the parking, I would dine there regularly. But not to worry, I plan to return. read more

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Food is amazing!! People are extremely nice. We will definitely go to Sitar every time we have to go to Birmingham. It's worth going out of our way. Authentic and so good. You can pick the amount of heat you want in the spices too which is really neat. read more

Hot, delicious food (butter chicken), friendly staff, clean restaurant. Definitely recommend!

I've been ordering from here for 2 weeks now and it just gets better . I love how spicy they can make the tikka masala. The Punjabi samosas are so good too, I've never had anything like it before. Im addicted literally read more

I had high hopes as I have been here before. Needless to say, I was disappointed. The food was bland and the gravy for my CTM was unbelievably watery (see pic) and honestly tasted only of tomato paste. There was absolutely no flavor for the food and was beyond disappointing. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

we order malai kofta from here the taste was so bad that we throw away all as soon we taste it s smell bad that we dont want get sick it use to be nice food at sitar but it getting worst this was our last order from here read more

Great food but go light on spicy unless you like really spicy. Medium is quite hot. Got the Chicken Korma, Goat Biyrani and Veggie Samosas. Really delicious and will be back....but will order less spicy read more

Staying at a hotel nearby and lucked out finding this place! Food was really good and super fresh! Vegetable Samosa order had 2 per order (couldn't tell from description) and were very big and very good! Naan was excellent! Highly recommend read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Vegetable samosa (two per order) - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I like this place. It still has good food but it was a more pleasant experience in its previous location

This is a Nepali owned cute little restaurant. With its limited capacity for seating, I would say it's geared towards take-out than dine-in. A quick and casual eatery! We ordered the chicken korma ($11) which came with rice, the non-vegetarian thali including chicken tikka masala which came with rice and naan ($16), and we ordered some extra garlic naan. The garlic naan was fantastic! It was buttery with chunks of garlic smothered on it, soft with a crispy bottom. Just how it should be! The chicken korma was good, but nothing spectacular. Some of the best korma I have tried used cashews and had layers of flavors, but this korma was a little one-dimensional. Still, the chicken was tender and fresh and the sauce was flavorful! The portion was fair. It's a decent item on the menu. Unfortunately, the non-vegetarian thali was in poor shape. The rice and naan were as expected, but the other items it came with were lacking if not inedible. The chickpea daal was okay, nothing to write home about, but it was fine. The vegetable korma tasted good, but the vegetables used were carrots, green peas, corn, and green beans. From what I understand, some of these veggies are uncommon for a korma. I suspect they use the cost-effective frozen mixed veggies that come in a bag because I buy the same one at the grocery store. The chicken tikka masala was bad. The sauce tasted okay, but the meat had an aftertaste. If you've ever had chicken bought at Walmart close to the expiration date, it tasted just like that. Older meat that might be on the edge. I am really against wasting food, but it was an item left uneaten. The rice pudding was okay, again, nothing to rave about. Each item that came with the thali had fairly small portions. A few bites each. For a $16 item, I would have hoped for a bit more food. Thali usually comes with a few chutneys as well, which were not served here without paying extra for it. If you go to this eatery, I would stick to menu items that have bigger stand-alone portions. Items like the thali that are almost like a sampler plate are not cooked fresh. Each portion is too small to cook fresh, so it may be made in batches and refrigerated until ordered. It's possible that the tikka masala we got was made a while ago. Then again, being with a long-time Nepali boyfriend, my standards for Indian/Nepali food have only gone up. Take my review with a grain of salt! read more

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Everything about this restaurant is amazing, the service , atmosphere and of course the food, just wow !! Don't delay go today haha !!

My favorite restaurant in town for delectable, real Indian food is Sitar. The vegetable samosa I got had a tasty, subtly flavored potato and pea inside and a nicely crunchy outside. The garlic naan was the ideal accompaniment to my meal because it was tender, buttery, and loaded with cilantro and garlic. Rich, creamy, and loaded with cashews in a nicely spiced onion-tomato gravy, my main course, kaju curry, was amazing. It was just hot enough to satisfy my spicy order without dominating the flavors. The service was prompt and amiable, and the setting was warm and inviting. I heartily suggest this location! read more

Hands down one of the best Indian restaurants in Birmingham, Al. They recently relocated a few blocks over. This is my go to for lunch, they always have the best hot and fresh food around. You never have to wait in line and it is a quick and easy in and out. Their new location has not opened. Its far more smaller that the original location, I assume all will be okay considering this. I am anticipating the opening as I have been subbing other Indian restaurants in the area. Please hurry Sitar! Any who, check them out at their new location at 1801 4th Ave S, hope to see you their. Their buffet is where it is at for sure. We love you Sitar!! read more

Terrible experience!!! I normally don't write reviews but considering all I have learned these past few months with business and customer loyalty, they are, by far the epitome of incompetence given the basis and basic of business and customer loyalty. I am extremely dissatisfied with the service and quality of food I recently experienced at this establishment. During my visit on July 30, 2024. I encountered a troubling situation that left me feeling belittled and disregarded as a customer. When placing my order, there was a misunderstanding regarding the item I wanted. I told him what I had last time exactly (second time visiting) he said he knew what I was talking about. Despite my efforts to clarify so he may rectify his mistake, the staff member I spoke with refused to correct my order. He neither offered to remake the food nor provide a refund. Instead, he dismissively told me that he didn't care about my concerns and I would have to pay for I wanted even though it wasn't my fault! This encounter was not only frustrating but also deeply disappointing. As a paying customer, I expect a certain level of respect and quality service, which was entirely absent during my visit. Additionally, the quality of the food I received was subpar and did not meet the standards one would expect from a reputable restaurant considering I was left with eating -- I don't even know what it was but it wasn't good. I strongly urge potential customers to reconsider giving their business to Sitar, as my experience indicates a lack of care and respect for patrons. They don't care about you nor the quality, and if you don't like it is best to settle with that it's on you to pay them again. I hope that this feedback will prompt your management team to address these issues and improve both customer service and food quality to prevent future occurrences like this. As a business owner myself I pride myself on customer loyalty and quality service. This place has no idea how to emulate that. read more

Thier chicken is not fresh, they "cook it once a week and keep it in the cooler" so I just had some butter chicken from last week,and it tast absolutely Disgusting read more

yummy food and friendly cashier! my boyfriend and i got tikka masala, garlic naan and some vegetable samosas. the chutney and tamarind was really good and so was the tikka masala. thank you for the service read more

I have seen this restaurant in passing, but haven't stopped to try it. My coworkers mentioned it during a shift, so we ordered it for dinner. I've only had Indian food a couple of times prior, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Their menu is quite broad, and there was a variety of vegetarian options so deciding on just one entree was difficult. It was close to UAB/ Childen's Hospital, so the walk there was short. When we arrived the staff was very welcoming and greeted upon arrival. It was clean, and there was hand sanitizer available. The food smelled good. I ordered the Aloo Gobi(mild), and Garlic naan. The dish was filled to brim, and was enough for multiple meals, or people. The flavor was good, and everything was perfect. It was delicious. It did have more of a kick than I was expecting for mild, but overall it was good. Definitely will be trying again. read more

Actually really disappointed by this place. All of the food tasted terrible. We ordered the chicken pakoras for an appetizer. They were essentially chicken tenders and we had to laugh while eating them because it was so ridiculous. The chicken was also dry. We also ordered butter chicken, the mixed grill chicken, garlic naan, which came with a small daal. None of the food tasted like they should have. Plus we were so hungry we really wanted to enjoy this, especially for the higher than normal prices for small quantity. We ordered chai as well which I cannot believe was also bad. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Chicken pakora - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I have a friend at UAB that whenever we eat together for lunch, we always go to Sitar. It's kinda a running joke that we can't go there without the other! So we met up this past week at (you guessed it) Sitar. I don't eat a ton of Indian food, so I'm not super familiar with the cuisine and dishes. I wish in addition to the names of curries, meals, etc on the buffet, they would list some of the main ingredients, so one would have an idea of what they were putting on their plate. I never look at the dessert portion of the buffet (always stuffed after two rounds), so I can't comment on that. I've never had to wait for a table... even when we come at 12:00 noon. I wish they would cool the restaurant a little more. In the summer, it's very hot and after eating heavy food, it sometimes doesn't fit will with my stomach. I sometimes am in a hurry to leave to get some cool(er) air outside (which is very unfortunate and not very likely in the summer). We'll be back I'm sure. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

This place is a Birmingham staple, and I'm sad it's taken this long to come here and review it. We came at night, so no buffet for us. The staff were friendly and checked on us repeatedly. We had several items that we split among the table, family style. All of the food was good, but my favorites were probably the tandoori chicken and the fried cheese. The waiter brought us more rice as needed, which all of us appreciated. I'm looking forward to coming back soon! Only issue is finding parking on the street. Depending on the time of day, this might take a bit. read more

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I called in an order at Sitar for a couple of my friends and myself. I ordered an extra spicy order of paneer tikka masala and a bullet naan. When we walked in to pick it up, the employees were very kind and patient. The food was ready very quickly and still hot by the time we took it back home to eat it. The food was extra spicy just the way that I had asked for it to be and the naan was very soft and fluffy. They also included an order of rice with my entree which was also full to the brim of the container. Overall, I really enjoyed all of the food that I ordered. read more

Sitar is only one of two Indian restaurants I've been to with Silver Coin being the other. I usually go during one of their lunch buffets, and would recommend doing that if you are rather new to Indian cuisine. Neither buffet has more than 25 dishes to choose from, but you get at least some variety as opposed to going during the evening. I really enjoyed every entree I tried, and Sitar definitely inspires me to try new things in the kitchen! My only negative during my experience was that I do not believe they carefully wash their cutlery in the kitchen.They had a few desserts, and one of those was orange slices. My friend and I each got some, but they tasted like raw onions! We figured they either forgot or just don't wash their knives when preparing some of their savory dishes. We couldn't finish our orange slices, and think that's definitely something that's an easy fix. They have street/metered parallel parking which I'm sure no one enjoys, but many diners are nearby hospital workers that may just walk there. Another reason to love those in the medical profession! read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Lunch buffett - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

It had a great spice but the rice and desserts had me extremely confused. The rice at times was hard like it was not cooked properly and the dessert was extremely gingery. I have had Gulab Jamun many times before and it never had the flavor of ginger? There also where reserved signs on many tables even though they where available. read more

it's not fancy, and it's small. but if you want really good Indian food, you need to try Sitar! the garlic naan was crispy and perfectly seasoned. the veg samosas were tasty, and the tikka masala was great. our server was attentive and friendly. it's not a big night out kind of place, but for a reasonably priced, delicious quick Indian meal, highly recommended. read more

My first review since they have moved locations and I have to say I still highly enjoy them! In case you have trouble finding the location, they are located next to moes and McAllister. There is a parking deck for you to go into if you like but otherwise be prepared to find parking on the street. The interior is drastically small compared to their last location so be ready to beat a crowd for lunch or dinner hours. Otherwise my serivce experience inside and the food were exceptionally well. I ordered the chicken vindaloo which was $11.95 and I also had the buffet which is $9.99. The prices vary from the menu but I honestly feel like it's a reasonable price for what you get. The buffet has some nice choices of their fan favorites options but it is very limited compared to the actual menu. Both the buffet and menu options food are incredible! Everything was seasoned to perfection and was so very flavorful. If you're curious about indian cuisine, this would be a great choice from many other Indian restaurants to come and try. I personally recommend the buffet for those who are accustomed to eating indian food. The menu options are better for new comers because of the time and preparation they take to make the meal compared to the buffet. Overall the service was nice and quick to act, while the food was delicious and incredibly flavorful. I recommend coming here if you never tried Indian cuisine and are in the uab area! read more

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Ok, so this is now my favorite Indian restaurant. Everything I had was delicious. I ordered the chicken Korma which is my favorite Indian dish and it was perfect. My friend ordered the shrimp nigrisi which she loved. I tried it too and it was great! My other friend ordered the mixed grill which came out sizzling on a hot plate and was a ton of meat. It was really good! Even the people at the next table were asking what it was. Portions are generous. Service was a little slow but our waitress was really sweet and I didn't mind the wait. At lunch they have a buffet which I would love to try as it looks like they must offer a pretty big variety. I will be back! read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Chicken Korma...so good! - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I have been looking forward to coming back to Sitar since they closed the old location. Gave them a month to work out any new opening kinks and made my way there today full of hopes and dreams along with a very empty tummy. Unfortunately my hopes and dream were dashed and my tummy left quite unsatisfied. The food was....just not that good. I wasn't sure if maybe it was just me; that my taste had changed since I have been going to Taj the past few months with Sitar being closed. But then we overheard a group of 4 behind us talk about how disappointed they were as they were leaving the restaurant!‍ Aside from the food.... 1) Service was good and the food bar was replenished quickly as needed. 2) The restaurant itself was super cramped. It would not be exaggerating too much to say it's elbow to elbow. I can't count how many times I said "excuse me" or people said "excuse me" to me during the short time that I was there. 3) Parking was horrid and lots of construction going on around there right now that makes it even more inconvenient. Only paid meters and paid deck for the most (all?) part, and even that's hard to find. Convenient for the people visiting/working at the hospital though! 4) Lunch buffet was $9.99. All in all, I was pretty disappointed. If you are in the area and feel like Indian food, by all means, check out Sitar. It will do. If you have to drive a bit anyway, I would highly recommend going to Taj instead - a little cheaper, fresh naan to your table, and better food overall! read more

This is my absolute favorite Indian lunch buffet. I've been during the week and on Sundays, and the food is always fresh and delicious. I'm pretty picky when it comes to Indian food. My go-to is just chicken tikka masala and plenty of naan to soak up the gravy. However, here I've ventured out and tried the pakora (fried veggies), puffy-deep-fried naan, and my new favorite Indian dish - the vegetarian panir matar. It's SO GOOD! Reasonably priced, super clean, and always busy. It's a lot smaller than their original location, but the food is exactly the same. read more

We popped in for an impromptu lunch while traveling through Birmingham and weren't sure if the staff would let us bring our little pooch in. They were very accommodating, and we were served quickly and professionally. Excellent food (the naan was outstanding) and fair pricing make for a spot you won't want to miss. The Chicken Tikka Masala was amazing, too! Great spot with a good vibe. Check it out! read more

The food they brought was not what we ordered. The quality was super bad, the curry was cold !!! I would never go back !!!

Really great Indian good in the US is sometimes hard to find. Having read the reviews and seen the issues with the lunch buffet, I chose instead to hit up their dinner hour to satisfy my "curry" craving. After taking a sip from my Kingfisher (the glass had a chip, so they got me a fresh one) and nibbling on a poppadom, I opted to order the "House Specialty" which is a few different dishes under one. Starting with soup (which was extremely hot!) that had a cheesy veggie sort of flavor, my mains all arrived. A lamb curry, a veggie of some sort, a leg and thigh tandoori, naan bread and a massive pile of rice. I had asked for medium (a step more spicy than mild) and it was tasty enough. I managed to polish off all of the lamb and the sauce, half of the naan bread and about a quarter of the rice before I was truly stuffed. It was good, but not great. Two big problems... First was that the payment portion of the transaction took a long while. The very nice lady running the register was also responsible for taking phone orders and she had to run back to the kitchen twice to get stuff straight. Paying my bill took ten minutes of waiting. Second was that I could listen to a very loud discussion / argument going on in the kitchen. In Hindi. (Well, it might not have been Hindi. They speak a dozen languages in India, none of which I understand at all.) Distracting and annoying. Street parking is easy. It's free after 6:00 PM. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Front of Sitar - entrance is in the middle - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Solid value and tasty! While at UAB I stopped in several times and enjoyed a variety of dishes all of which I enjoyed.