Do yourself a favor and visit this delicious restaurant. This is the best Indian food in town. The food is absolutely amazing - everything every time is a winner. Oh and the naan.. I could eat for breakfast lunch and dinner. Highly recommend! read more

Great place love the tandoori roti . And yes very fresh . Love how food was nice and spicy for our taste best Indian food in Alabama for sure. Was happy to get a great advise by Westin hotel to try this place out because wow it really gave me the flavor I was looking for when I wanted Indian food . My husband who loves Indian food who was grow up in India had said this place had really good Punjabi Indian food and he was also impressed. We sure would come again when we are in town . read more

First time here. Food was typical and mediocre at best, service was what we made if it. They seem to maintain a good lunch crowd possibly due to the area where they are located. Meat was a little dry Rice pudding was super sweet A lot of veggie dishes No spicy "spice" added to any dishes read more

I will start off by saying this review is not for the buffet! Honestly never too impressed with any buffet so I stick to ordering off the menu. Sitar always hits the spot when I am craving some North Indian flavors and textures. Lately a favorite has been their shrimp pakoras to start off with a savory sweet bite then the saag paneer, paneer bhurgee, and chicken tikka masala-- scooped up with some buttered fluffy and tender naan just makes me want to keep coming back for more! I usually pair this with onions and yogurt at home if I get it takeout which really adds the extra oomph to the dish and hits all the texture and flavor desires you can ask for. I had to take off a star because sometimes the food is not consistently the same-- maybe it is different chefs! Either way it is a great spot for take out or dine in! read more

I have been eating at Sitar for years and it was reliably good and my go-to for Indian food here These last 2 visits the food was absolutely awful. I don't know what changed--new cook?--but I won't be going back anytime soon. I'm mad I wasted $40 on another dinner from there I won't eat. The Chix Saag was bland with no heat despite ordering Med heat as usual. There were only a few chunks of chicken. It was mostly saag. The Lamb Rogan Josh was more than just bland--no flavor, no heat, no spices and looked and tasted like tomato soup. There was at least some lamb in it but also mostly sauce and this time sauce no decent lover of Indian food would even consider edible. I debated taking it back but it isn't close by. So I have tossed $40 into the trash. Thought the first bad meal was a fluke. Gave it a 2nd chance. Am done. Mad doesn't begin to describe the rip off. Gave 2 stars only because Sitar used to be good. read more

I loved this place when I was in Birmingham Alabama. I host my son's first birthday party to this restaurant. Everybody enjoyed there.

Ordered Yelp delivery tonight. The samosas arrived and were raw inside. The outside looked golden brown and delicious but the inner dough was completely uncooked. The Naan is good and the shrimp tikka masala was average. I would try them again but will avoid fried foods here. read more

Very bland and greasy food. Ordered a chicken and rice dish and there was a lot of small bones in the chicken pieces. Not a lot of taste to it. The appetizer was missing at delivery. Will not order from here again!! read more

A four star rating that was a disappointment. Starting with the chutneys, the food lacked flavor and never really got better.

Good Indian food and good service! Staff was very friendly and the paneer tikka masala was great. Good place for vegetarians.

Sitar USED to be a favorite, and we would eat here several times a month. Today was our first visit to their new location, and I must unfortunately say that we will probably not return. While the food is still very good, the new location is so cramped that my walker wouldn't fit, even when the staff shifted tables. The buffet is available at lunch, but has only one available side, and to access it, you almost sit on top of the super-close diners. If you are claustrophobic listen to me and do not even think about lunch here. I am very disappointed that Sitar is basically no more. read more

Went through few reviews before trying out an Indian since I was trying an Indian for the first time in the states. Some reviews were cool while some sounded more skeptical. Still thought to give it a try. And Sitar lived up to my expectations. Walked out with a happy tummy!! My personal Opinion: Of course you don't have to be born to a doctor dad to study medicine, likewise you dun have to be born an Indian to cook Indian cuisines. It's funny to see people review a restaurant with such cheap comments saying they are not Indians running the Indian restaurant. Give me a break guys!! It's the food and service that should matter not the nationality of the chef or the owner. Else why try an Indian at a restaurant in the states..You should be rather going to India to satisfy your palates. hahaha... My experience, an awesome Indian restaurant in B'ham. Will definitely go back to Sitar. M in love with the place and people at Sitar. read more

Beware of this place if you have a nut allergy. Twice they put tree nuts in a dish even though we specified saying NO NUTS. The staff does listen. We have a son who has a nut allergy and can die if he ingests nuts. When we called the owner back HE DID NOT care. His response was to come back and a get a fresh dish. I had to give my son an epi pen. Overall you should avoid this restaurant since if they do not care if someone dies then they will not care about cleanliness. Also the lack of caring and professionalism is disturbing. read more

Ordered Yelp delivery. Food was great unfortunately they didn't put utensils in the bag for a hotel delivery. Also, Yelp doesn't have a delivery option for hotell. So you have to go to the lobby to get it. Very frustrating when you just want to relax. read more

This place was very near the hotel I stayed at. It smelled great when I walked by. I decided to eat there for dinner. It was a wise choice! The Dali Yellow Lentils and Lamb Dhuan (?) were fantastic! The staff there were very friendly and attentive. I would definitely go again when I am in town. read more

This restaurant has reasonable pricing for your indian food fix. The parking can be a little challenging but once you are inside, you are met with generous portions of food. The ambiance is usually pretty quiet and low key. Not a huge crowd kind of place. But give them a try, you'll be glad you did! read more

DO NOT PLACE A DELIVERY ORDER!! THEY CHARGE YOUR CARD AND THEN REFUSE TO DELIVER YOUR FOOD!! They are in cahoots with some no name "delivery" company that no one has ever heard of! And it takes 3 days to get your money back! So not only do they take your money and they leave you waiting for over an hour with no call, no email letting know that you don't have any food coming! And all you can say is "Oh sorry about that" While my customers and I sit there hungry! That is TOTALLY unacceptable! I ordered food for myself and two customers and I have never been more embarrassed that I could not provide lunch for our meeting! I will NEVER patronize you establishment again! Thanks for a humiliating afternoon! read more

Sitar is a great option near UAB campus and is affordable with their lunch buffet, which is around $8. Their buffet changes daily and has more flavor than some other Indian restaurants in town. There is a large vegetarian buffet, a separate buffet for meat dishes, a salad bar, and a dessert! I love that the vegetarian dishes are separate from the meat dishes because 1. it helps me figure out more easily what is in the dish, and 2. it is more accommodating for my vegetarian friend, who usually goes to Sitar with me. The staff is very attentive and keeps my water glass full. Great food, casual atmosphere, accessible location. My main recommendation to the establishment is that I never/rarely see kadhi on the lunch buffet and to me, there is nothing better on this planet than a well-made kadhi, so I would love to see that on the buffet! Definitely recommend. read more

Always great service and hospitality. Heat levels are on point with accuracy! Best naan! House specialty totally recommended! read more

One of the best Indian tasting foods in Birmingham so far. In my initial days in Birmingham, I got so hooked to the taste in this place that I used to come here for lunch buffet almost every day. Driving down from 280. Parking in downtown. That 'splains my admiration for their food. :) They may not have been very consistent in their quality everyday. But it was still worth it. Thats discountable in my opinion. The spread was fine. The taste of food, negates everything else this place lacks, I guess. However, the food, yet again, was not spicy at all. It just had a faint hint of it all, like the chef held back (since the restaurant was selling to non-natives, understandable). A lot of aroma and a skillful blend of spices. On one of the instances, kali daal (Black Lentils) tasted just exactly as my mother makes it. And I gulped it down till I could gulp no more..lol. Desserts were as ignorable as in any other Indian food joint. I would go here almost any time possible. read more

This is my favorite Indian place to drop in for a quick lunch on the weekends. Overall, I enjoy the quality and selection of vegetarian options, and the reasonable menu prices at Sitar! read more

I went here last weekend while visiting family in Birmingham. The restaurant is right in UAB's campus. We got there at lunch and it was packed. They had a full buffet but we ordered a la carte. We got the Khatmandu chicken, onion pakora, mango lassi, chicken with mushrooms and bullet naan. My favorite was the Khatmandu chicken and the bullet naan. The naan was thin and crispy but chewy as well, it was perfect! The Khamandu chicken had mushrooms and sauteed onions in it and that was delicious. The onion pakoras were great as well. They weren't heavily battered which can end up sitting heavy for a while after. These were lightly battered, crispy and seasoned well. All in all a great indian restaurant and worth a try if in the area. read more

The only reason this place is open is because of the location. The food is terrible. The buffet consisted of old, stale food. The food was not warm and the Naan bread was terrible. This is by far the worst Indian foodI have EVER had. The worse part was that I left my spoon covered in my napkin and upon arriving to my table there was another used spoon set out for me. So basically the cleaner left me a used spoon. When I told him he apologized and said he thought that was mine. Not acceptable. If I didn't know better I would've ended up using someone else's spoon. Eww. There are better options in Birmingham for Indian food. read more

The naan is melt-in-your-mouth good. Not a huge fan of buffets, but try the lunch buffet here. Excellent selection (good if you've no idea what to order), plenty of vegetarian options, and everything tastes fresh. Note: If you're looking for super spicy, order off the menu and ask for it (Just say "Indian hot!"). The buffet offerings are pretty mild. Place is clean and service courteous. Con: metered parking is near impossible to nail around lunchtime. read more

Best Indian food in town. Have been eating here for last 7 years!! Paneer Tikka, Paneer methi malai, Kathmandu Panner.

So I gave it a deserving four based on how the meal compared to price was. I would have gone 5 but the service wasn't up to par and they weren't overly busy. I've not eaten here before and was actually going to another restaurant when I saw this place. I took an earlier reviewers suggestion and ordered the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. read more

Good service, friendly service, hot food... No complaints! Nice first time here and first time trying Indian food

It was pretty good. Some of the better Indian food I've had in Birmingham. They are friendly and the service is great. Nice location next to UAB. Definitely worth a try if you like Indian. The paneer tika masala is always awesome. read more

Food was ok but a bit pricy i dont blame them but they in downtown duhh.. all together it was alright

Always good and great has great service. It was nice to eat there after being away for over a year. I missed my easy Indian fix and I am glad to have it back. read more

Glad to see this place back in business! The new location can be easy to miss, it's by McAllister's and the UAB hospital. They have great buffet options including dessert and you're sure to find something you like. The lunch buffet hours are extended at this location so it's from 11:00-4:00 pm. I definitely recommend trying it if you haven't already read more

I really enjoyed the vegetarian options on the lunch buffet. I did notice the food was cold. My husband (a carnivore) ate mostly vegetarian choices saying the meat entrees were okay, but he's had better. I also felt bad for a worker who was berated on the floor by management. Service wasn't great and it wasn't busy. Convent location for UAB. Parking in alley behind restaurant. read more

Love the location of this place, perfect if studying at UAB or working at a nearby hospital I am a big fan of Indian food and this place was no disappointment. Nice seating arrangement, polite staff. I usually go for the buffet and would recommend getting all the curry and naan bread you can. I do think it was a few dollars more than what I wanted to pay, but I you do get a variety of food and it was delicious. I would definitely recommend to anyone into ethnic food and I would definitely come back again! read more

Stopped in yesterday after my appointment. Buffet has a wide selection of fresh Indian choices. Go vegetarian or go carnivore. Very good and the staff was very friendly. Will be back! read more

This place is awesome. Portions are the best I've seen in Birmingham in the indian restaurants I have tried. The food is always consistent and delicious. When I go to eat Indian I am not looking for atmosphere or how long it takes to pay, and I have never had an issue with the service here as I have read in other reviews about all 3 of those points. I always enjoy a good meal and the food is what sells me on this place. This place is on point for me and I will always return with a smile, happy tummy and leftovers! read more

Everytime we come here or get take out (at least once a week) we get the Chicken Korma, Onion Bhaji, and plenty of Naan. It is always consistently delicious. I recommend any first timers get this order and you wont be disappointed, of course the rest of the menu is great too, we have tried many other dishes and all have been wonderful. Great work Sitar. read more

Great food! On our table we had two lamb, one chicken, and one vegetarian dish and everyone was replete. I enjoyed the lamb Rogan Josh with garlic naan. That and two beers and I am now SATISFIED. Two at our table were native to India and they agreed that this place is a winner. read more

Went to Sitar a few times and couldn't wait to write a review. Lunch buffet is delicious and full of varieties. Weekends are good for buffet. I am with a Vegan group(not a vegan though) and we tried their dinner a couple times....Chana masala, Chana Palak and Vegetable biryani are spot on. My friends enjoyed it and we keep coming back every month to make a visit. I have tried their chicken tikka masala....Tandoori chicken and Chicken Biryani...All delicious and gave me a taste of Indian food.....My palates are craving Sitar food often....and i would definitely recommend it to anyone else. The level of spice is good and not too hot....that's how i like it. read more

I checked out the lunch buffet, and I enjoyed it. If you like Indian, come try it. If you've never had it before, maybe you should check out another place first, for it was good but not the best Indian in Birmingham. Good location, but they could use a little face lift, outside and inside, to attract more business. I'd go back, but only if I couldn't make it to Taj. read more

I tried the lunch buffet and it was mediocre. This is not my choice for good Indian food. It would be my choice if I wanted adequate Indian food. read more