This place was located in Birmingham's downtown district, near UAB. My wife had the Chana masala (chick peas) and I had the Dal black (assorted lentils sauteed w/ginger onion & garlic); and they brought out several plates of rice to go along with. The food was very tasty /flavorful, and I definitely recommend trying this place if you like Indian cuisine. read more

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They don't have a lot of vegan items, but what they do have is delicious! The service was great too! read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I eat here twice a month and the food is always delicious and ready super fast. I'm never able to finish it all and eat it for at least two meals. They've been really efficient and considerate with the pandemic as well, and they're always really friendly! read more

I really like Sitar's Lamb Vindaloo extra spicy and garlic naan bread and am always very happy with the quality and will keep coming back. read more

I don't know what I ate but I liked it. I did the lunch buffet which is a bargain considering the food choices. Look for a dolla off coupon that you can find in those free magazines lying around in grocery stores, libraries or houses of ill repute. I went back to the buffet for a second plate which in hindsight may have been a lapse in judgement. read more

I have eaten Indian food on four continents, and including India itself, a good curry cannot be beaten. I had relatively low expectations walking into this place - they didn't open right on time and the decor was a bit garish even for these types of establishments. The food on the other hand was simply outstanding. I had the mixed tandoori starter which was well above average and then went for the safe option - on the servers recommendation - chicken tikka masala. I went safe because I'd recently ordered a biryani in Greensboro NC that was awful - a cacophony of conflicting spices that was so hot it was unpalatable. And I really like hot spicy food. This dish however was spectacular, and again it's something that I have sampled all over the world so I felt compelled to write a review. Beautiful rich flavor, hot enough to bring a mild sweat but not so hot as to drown out the smooth, rich blend of tastes. The garlic naan were perfect accompaniment. A+++ read more

I thoroughly enjoy lunch at Sitar. I've dined with several different people and its always been great! I've only had the buffet during lunch. My go to items are as follows: basmati rice, naan, saag (the spinach dish) & veggies! The veggies are my favorite. It looks like veg-all in a delicious sauce. Pour this over the rice & you've got yourself a meal. They also have various chicken dishes:curry, tandoori, teika & yogurt/rice pudding to cleanse the pallet. The buffet is all you can eat during lunch hour. The staff is attentive and very friendly. read more

Sitar is a great addition (not new) to the Birmingham Indian dining scene. I am far from an expert on Indian but I have mostly ejoyed it. The buffet is always fresh, decently spiced and plentiful as long as you go during the busy hours. Yes, it is typically limited to chicken (currty, tandoori, sometimes tiki masala) dishes for protein although they always have 3-4 vegetable options too. Not super spicy but with a buffet you have to cater to the taste of the general public, or you waste too much food. Order off the menu if you want heat. I've only been to dinner twice but my lamb vindaloo was delicious, plentiful, and well spiced. I *like* that they ask how spicy since I prefer spicy. Girlfriend loves saag paneer so she typically gets that and is happy. When ordering off of the menu, the garlic naan is pretty garlicy and nicely charred. The samosas are a little dry but ok and I love the fried vegetable pakora. I believe that they offer a discount to UAB students and employees because I have heard them say it and noticed different charges for scrub clad customers, but I'm not affiliated with UAB so not positive. Also, they typically offer a coupon on their website if it's working. http://www.sitaruab.com/#!discount/c21c9 read more

Swung by this place for their lunch buffet and was far from impressed. The quality of the ingredients was severely lacking across the board. It felt like they bought it at the store around the corner and then tried to pass it off as Indian food. The Naan tasted like cheap pita bread. The Saag Paneer was like someone dropped Paneer cubes into Boston Market spinach dip. The Vegetable Korma looked like (and tasted like) frozen vegetables from your supermarket aisle dumped into sauce. The service was decent, but you don't eat service. The palate for Indian food in Birmingham must not be very discerning because anyone with even a passing knowledge of the cuisine would have been disappointed. I guess they're operating under the logic of "some kind of Indian is better than no Indian at all". read more

I love Sitar for the lunch buffet. I've been craving it lately, so I found a friend to join me :) They have a great selection of veggies. I enjoyed the Sag Paneer, Dal, vegetable korma, and other couple options. I tried the curry chicken and chicken tikka masala. Not their best, but the veggies made up for it. Brings in abreast crowd from UAB, so it's better to get there early (11). Only complaint today, and I noticed others unhappy, they were burning a very strong incense at the cash register. It was too strong and did not mix great with the devious smells from their kitchen. Hopefully it was just today. read more

Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Good service. Not much of an atmosphere seems more like a takeout/ lunch spot. You can customize your spice level from no-Extra hot. The extra hot is very spicy like sweat dripping from your forehead spicy. read more

Had lunch buffet here on a Friday. Very good Indian buffet lunch. All sorts of veggie dishes for you veggie folks, 2 kinds of rice, 3 kinds of curry chicken and the tandoori as well. On the side there is an indli sambar station. However they failed to provide the chutney, only had sambar. A couple of dessert things are featured, including rice pudding. Came in at around 1, the turnover was "ok" but more food arrived as a bunch of other UAB whitecoats showed up for a later lunch. Authenticity is accomplished at the end with a handful of fragrant cumin at the cashier. As a sidenote, my boss is Indian and orders take-away samosas from here weekly. As for the parking situation, uh, why would you actually drive here? It's a couple of blocks away from 5 points, of course you're not going to find parking. Best bet is park at the Univ Blvd parking deck ($2/hr) and walk the single block. read more

The food is good but expensive. I'm giving a rating of 3 stars because the man at the register tried to deny me from using the Yelp check-in 10% off your total order coupon. He said it's only for lunch but nowhere does it say that on the Yelp offer- there are no stipulations on the yelp. Finally he begrudgingly gave me 2 dollars off of my order which was slightly less than 10%. Don't offer yelp coupons if you aren't going to honor it, or be aware that your restaurant is offering a yelp coupon. read more

Have been to Sitar multiple times, but just for the virtue of its proximity to my apartment. The food is far from authentic and varies by the day - I presume they have different cooks. Most people go there for the buffet which is ok on most days but horrible on some. There was one day when they had the same aloo gobhi curry on the non veg side with chicken added. Do not ever order mutton there - if you go with safe options like dal makhni, shahi paneer or chicken tikka masala, its edible. Again, the Indian dining scene in Birmingham is horrible with Silver coin being the only consistently palatable hang out. read more

I love this place! It's close to UAB campus and hospital. So it's perfect for students and employees for lunch and dinner. Their prices are average for an entree during dinner $11-18. But the flavors are delicious. Right when you walk in there is a burst of spices that you smell, and you can't help but get hungrier than you already were. Service is friendly. Don't have anything bad to say about this place. It's great. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - In order: chicken tikka masala, rice, vegetables korma, lamb biryani - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Went to this place for lunch buffet. The food was bland... Didn't look very appealing either. I told the person at front desk about how food is not tasting the way it should. He replied "yes, we know. Our chef doesn't uses all the spices" . Well, Indian food is defined by all various spices. Was the 1st & last visit for me!! read more

Went by for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The buffet had most if the classics. Saag Paner, tiki masala, curry chicken, daal, tandoori chicken, naan, spicy pickled things, and a great tamarind sauce. As stated before in previous reviews, where are the big spices? I understand that a buffet has to appeal to lots of people but there was no spice in the dishes. They all had great flavor though. For $8 bucks it was a good deal. I will go back for lunch. read more

Ordered the special combination, the chicken tikka portion came with a few pieces of actual chicken and a whole lot of something unidentifiable. It looked and tasted like hot dog, honestly. Was unlike anything we've ever been served in decades of eating a wide variety of Indian food and years of patronizing this restaurant. We usually really enjoy Sitar, don't really understand what was happening this particular visit. The waiter was more interested in complaining about his lack of tips for the evening than making the slightest effort to keep us happy. Last time my girlfriend came in alone he told her she could call him "sexyman", but he was not as attentive when she was with me. Based on this experience we will be looking elsewhere for Indian food in Birmingham, even if it requires a bit of driving. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Hot dog served as chicken tikka? Left one piece of actual chicken in the picture for comparison. - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Ate here after a morning of medical appointments - just what the doctor ordered ;-). Excellent variety of dishes - both meat and vegetarian, and perfect for a quick lunch that is not fast food. Nice fresh salads and chutneys, and great rice and naan. It was my friend's first visit to an Indian restaurant, and she loved it. I have eaten in many similar places all over the place, and this was better than most. The paneer was especially good. The lunchtime ambiance is very casual - lots of customers in scrubs. Would be a good place to eat with kids - very relaxed atmosphere. I would definitely eat here again if I was in the area. Thanks! read more

I've been many times for lunch and once for dinner, and it's been delicious every single time. For lunch, the buffet has plenty of options, and the wait staff is quick with refills. The food is always fresh, and I've never gotten anything that I would consider bad. At dinner, the crowd was sparse, but I think that's only due to being fairly new and located downtown. The Chicken Tikka Masala was amply hot (as requested) and the naan was twice as good as the version they serve during lunch. My coworkers and I usually make a trip here every week, and if that happens to fall on a day that I'm planning on eating dinner there as well, I definitely wouldn't complain. read more

I ate here when I was visiting Birmingham a couple weeks ago. The reason for my visit was because we have a Sitar restaurant here in Houston. The food was absolutely mind-blowing and incredibly authentic. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Mughlai, Keema Matar and Raita. First of all the Chicken Tikka Mughlai was absolutely amazing. The way those mushrooms tasted in the sauce was divine... It just put me in slow motion because I couldn't savor it long enough. The Keema Matar was totally different than I expected (the dish I get at the other Sitar is prepared very differently) and, although I liked the Chicken Tikka Mughlai better, it was stilled amazing. The lamb was mild but the spices didn't overpower it. Absolutely perfection. Next time I'm in Birmingham I'll definitely be visiting again. read more

Not a fan. I think it's over priced and the buffet is okay. It's popular and good location though

No spoon for my rice pudding. Sad to eat with the knife or the spoon given in the rice bowl. Beer menu whisked away to an empty table after my order. What about my 2nd beer? Asked for the menu to order another beer, and I pointed to the empty table, I think he was going to the kitchen to retrieve the big menu. Alas. The appetizer portions some were toasted, née deep fried to blackness. Hmm, if I saw this on the lunch buffet, it wouldn't be touched. Chef doesn't give a rats as. The naan in the combo plate, unseasoned, where's my butter? Food rushed out, app, bam, soup, bam, then main. Little concern for the solo eater. I think this a lunch place, your mileage may vary. read more

The food here is delicious. They have great lunch specials. The restaurant is always clean and the staff is always nice. If you are craving authentic Indian food give them a try. read more

The visit started out ok. But then I received the wrong dish. No biggie right? Wrong! The waiter wanted to argue me down and insist that was what I ordered. I said soup more than once. I pointed to a picture of soup. The picture I pointed to even says soup. But they gave me a chickpea and potato dish. This will be my first and last visit. I like friendly customer service and someone willing admit that they might have made mistake. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

This is amazing Indian food!!! I'm still here in the restaurant. My hotel is across the street so I'm coming back tomorrow. I've eaten at over 100 Indian buffets and this is a very very good one. Great variety, great naan, even fried naan. Incredible. Not a great dessert variety but who cares. read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I really like this place. The food buffet is very tasty and fresh. Not much to choose from but what they do have is good and fresh. I've been here 3 times now and very consistent quality. Good Indian food. read more

The food is excellent! Love the food - especially as a vegetarian! But be very wary of ordering... twice we have received the wrong order - both not vegetarian dishes. read more

Great lunch buffet. I really liked that they had the vegetarian and meat dishes separated and labelled. Nice staff and good downtown location. read more

Very good! I came here to pick up a take-out dinner back at the end of August while staying at the Marriott Residence Inn across the street. Although I was a bit hesitant when I only saw 4-6 other people in the restaurant when I walked in (~6:30pm on a Tuesday evening), I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food turned out to be. I got a single order of lamb vindaloo ($10.95) and an order of plain paratha ($1.95). The lamb vindaloo (medium hot) came with a pretty big serving of fragrant-ful rice and the parantha was quite light and fresh. This restaurant is very big and clean. The staff was extremely helpful and courteous. I definitely recommend this place to anyone hungering for some Indian food. I know I'll be back the next time I return to UAB! read more

Best Indian Food in Birmingham I recommend the lunch buffet because you can try a lot of different things and you can see what you want instead of just ordering off of the description. Also, this place is super vegetarian friendly! Friendly service and a clean restaurant make this a must visit. It can get a bit crowded around lunch due to the UAB crowd, but I've never gone and not been able to find a table straight away. read more

This place is great! I started going to the Sitar in Tuscaloosa back in college and was excited to see a location in Birmingham. The chicken tikka masala is a staple for me, pair it with the garlic naan and you'll be set for a wonderful meal. The garlic naan is coated with either butter or gee, just makes my mouth water thinking about it. The chicken tikka masala has a creamy tomato flavor that I just can't get enough of. When ordering most dishes they give you the option on how spicy you want your dish. (Ex. Mild, Medium, Hot or Indian Hot.) The Indian hot is great, but be cautious if you're not use to extreme spice. Overall, I really enjoy Sitar and have recommended it to many people. read more

Sitar is a good Indian restaurant located conveniently to UAB and downtown. The atmosphere is good for groups as well as couples. There always seems to be sufficient seating in the evenings. The waiter service was quick and our waters were filled whenever needed, without having to request. I was with a large group this time and we ordered vegan dishes. They accommodated us well. The food arrived within a reasonable amount of time. Mostly standard dishes, and the spices were appropriate, although not extraordinary. We did find a good, somewhat sweet dish, called Vegetarian Patia, which I've never seen at other places: sour mangos with lots of vegetables. I would order it again. There were no vegan deserts available on the menu. I liked the restaurant and the dining experience. It is not remarkable food, but good and at a normal price for this sort of cuisine. read more

I ordered the Butter chicken with naan bread. The service was excellent and the food was very tasty. The extensive use of spices delivered complexity and depth to the dish. I will definitely go back and recommend that you give it a try. read more

I love this Indian restaurant! Whenever I come to Birmingham and stay downtown, I eat here. The food is very authentic and tasty . The prices are good and the service is wonderful. Try this restaurant!! read more

Sitar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Good food. Fast at lunch. Always easy to find seating. Easy walk from UAB. Well priced. Reasonably healthy. What more could you want? That's certainly worth 4 stars. Here are the reasons it's not a 5: The servers are overworked and although competent and super nice, they sometimes, occasionally, bring the wrong drink to the table. The food is good, but I've never had anything that was knock-me-over-with-a-feather amazing. read more

Location:Good Food: Good Service: poor We were travelling via Birmingham to atlanta and we planned a quick detour to avoid the hassle of late night cooking specially after the end of a fabulous vacation. So we ordered 30 min ahead (smart wife.. makes life easier ) When we reached there hoping our food would be ready...our order went missing but we were asked to sit. A smart lad came and asked ok u had meat samosa? Affirmative sir!please bring my order.. what came out was a good samosa. Then the wait... after 10 mins we got the smart lad and asked for food. He indignantly said "sir u guys were late". Yes by 4 mins and not an hour that u throw out our food!!!! On saying that's why we ordered ahead dude he said 10mins 10 times n.brought our food in 7 mins... Since we were to hit the road we asked the elderly lady for the check while eating. The lady very politely yet firmly(like a mom said) "finish the food first". It breaks my heart to give a poor on service To sum it up a clear case for Restaurant impossible with an old owner and a jerk waiter who is calling the shots. Birmigham deserves better food and service. read more

Consistent and yummy. The buffet is well stocked, tidy and has a changing variety of dishes. I love being able to get a flavorful, quality meal quickly. read more

This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Bham. I've tried Taj a few times, and have never really been impressed. However, Sitar offers a great (limited) lunch buffet and a wonderful dinner menu. I've gone during both times of the day and enjoyed it equally. Although, I probably prefer dinner because I get to see the large silver plates of food rolled out on the table. I've never left feeling like I didn't get my money's worth and the service is always friendly. Oh, and don't forget to order the garlic naan, so yummy if you're a garlic freak like me. read more

Chicken tikka masala was OK, as was the potato and the saag (spinach). Carrot pickle was nice. As was the raita And the chai (indian tea) was good. Tandoori chicken was cold. Chicken curry was more of a chicken-in-brown-gravy. Rice was overdone. So this is a curate's egg: good in parts. And it is buffet, so you can keep eating the good parts. read more