I enjoyed my food and it was better than other Indian food I've had in San Francisco. Prices are not cheap but solid portions and they don't skimp on proteins. I would order again. I can't comment on ambience as I have only gotten delivery but I've drive by many times and it looks nice. I've gotten other food in the past and it was always solid but nothing too memorable. What I really enjoyed was the onion kulcha- pretty big, stuffed with onion pieces, and soft - and the lamb korma. The lamb korma is rich and full of nicely cooked lamb pieces, caramelized onions, and tons of flavor. It is a sweeter dish (I also got it mild) but that is expected for korma with the onions and cashews. I would for sure get both again. The veggie pakoras were also a highlight- nicely crunchy and served with excellent mint and tamarind chutneys. The saag paneer is not your typical saag paneer and much more spinach forward with I kind of liked. It had a ton of big pieces of paneer which I appreciates. Not my favorite saag paneer I've ever had but good and definitely a more interesting version- I generally liked the fact that you could taste the spinach. Chicken tikka masala was fine, I have had better but not bad. Aloo tiki appetizer was a little small but okay- I would opt for the pakora over it for sure. The naan is good too, again not my favorite but a good portion and nothing to complain about. Overall it's somewhere around 4 stars for me- generous portions, seemingly solid ingredients, and everything was tasty. All the food was nicely packed too and made for great leftovers. read more

I felt like eating dosa for dinner but my son said we'll eat at Tilak which was recommended by a co-worker whose parents are the owners. I was hesitant because I only eat dosas at one place in the city. No dosa on the menu so we ordered the usual Indian food. The naans were the best I've ever tasted. The butter chicken and bengan bharta tasted like home made. Outstanding! The lamb boti kebab appeared burnt but still delicious. I ordered the Rasmalai for dessert, it was so-so. The tableware served were of high quality unlike most of the places we frequent. I would definitely return here to dine. Great food and good recommendation. read more

See all

Visited on a Wednesday night around 7pm with a friend, restaurant had a few other guests but plenty of open tables so was able to grab a spot right when we walked in. Drinks: Beer - Food: Butter Chicken - really good, rich creamy sauce with subtle tomato, and lots of spices we asked for the medium spice level and felt it was appropriate, chicken was tender and had a slight char, seemed to be mostly chicken thigh pieces Chicken Tikka Masala - also really good similar to the butter chicken but a little lighter and less buttery, seemed to have just pieces of chicken breast simmered in the sauce, chicken was also tender and well seasoned Okra Masala - okra, bell pepper stir fried together with lots of dried spices and chilis, some of the okra pieces seemed a bit fiberous and tough, flavor was really good but wished the veggies were a bit more tender Saffron Rice - generous portion size, rice was light fluffy and fragrant, great for soaking up the curry Garlic naan - solid, naan was brushed generously with garlic butter and had a slight char from the tandoori Service was okay, not the most attentive, went over our order with the server several times and they misheard so that's how we ended up with both Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka. Not a big deal you may just want to have them run back your order when you place it. Water was refilled through we also had a carafe on our table. Food came out after a 10-15min wait so pretty quick. Overall really enjoyed the food at Tilak, a solid spot for classic Indian curries, the butter chicken in particular was outstanding. Have also lived the saag paneer here as well but didn't grab it this time around. read more

See all

Yum yum yum. This casual Indian restaurant is really top notch. Delicious curries, super flakey roti and friendly service. What else could you ask for? Definitely stop by the next time you need a little comfort food. read more

See all

The saag paneer was so good! We ordered that along with the butter chicken and garlic naan. All dishes were flavorful and tons of seating inside this outer mission restaurant. We ordered mild which was still very good spiciness but I think I can opt for medium next time. The staff was also friendly! read more

Tilak - Butter Chicken and Saag Paneer - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great service and tasty food! The waiter was really friendly and hooked is up with an extra samosa since there were three of us. A samosa order normally has two pieces. He also patiently answered my friends questions about nce they had not tried some of the dishes before. Highly recommend. read more

Ok update! Got the butter chicken extra spicy and wow it is hot! Delish but hot. I will probably order the "hot" spice next time since this was packing some serious heat. read more

Tilak - Butter Chicken, Lemon Rice, Garlic Naan, Vegetable Samosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

We ordered takeout from this new Indian restaurant and scheduled pickup for 8:15 p.m. But they called us around 5 p.m. asking when we would pick up the order, which made us feel like the food had been ready way too early. The bread was wrapped in foil and ended up soggy by the time we got it - definitely not how I expected it to be served. The aloo tikki chaat bites were also disappointing. From the pictures, I expected something similar to medium sized crispy potato patties, served with different sauces on the side so I could dip and enjoy them separately. Instead, what we got were mini ball-shaped bites with the sauces already poured over them, which wasn't what I had in mind at all. The rest of the food was okay, but both the chicken tikka masala and the bread had a strong dairy flavor that I personally didn't enjoy. After this delivery experience, I honestly wouldn't want to try dining in either. read more

Tilak - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Excellent kadai chicken. Very good Goan prawn. All the food was good. A little slow for not being all that crowded, but I would go again.

Delicious food catered to Balboa High School's PTSA meetings. Love the flavorful vegetarian dishes!

We had dinner at Tilak recently, and it was an adequate meal. We opted to order the Dahi Puri Chaat, Kadai Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, and Bread Basket. While customer service was friendly and attentive, the overall meal was somewhat satisfactory. While the Dahi Puri Chaat was tasty, the yogurt was a bit heavy and the filling was underwhelming. In addition, both curries were okay on flavor, we had asked for 'hot' lamb vindaloo and 'medium' kadai chicken, and both seemed mild in spice level. I did enjoy the plain and garlic naan, but the meal was not very enjoyable or memorable. Perhaps their other dishes are more worth trying, but sadly, I did not enjoy our meal. read more

Tilak - Dahi Puri Chaat - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

The dahi puri was amazing. Service was good, food came out quick. The bread basked was a good amount for 2 people. Saag paneer was different than I have ever experienced. Usually the spinach is shredded but in this dish it wasn't really. More of a home style taste and not as heavy on the cream so didn't feel bad after eating. read more

Tilak - Naan, Saag Paneer - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I came here with 3 other friends. We were particularly craving Indian cuisine, however, wanted to try a new establishment. We did some research and found that this particular restaurant had great reviews on multiple platforms. We decided to try several dishes as outlined below: Aloo Tikka Chaat: 3.5/5, we started off with these potato bites, however these fell short of my expectations. There were way too many flavors going on at once that I thought didn't quite compliment each other. I would skip on these and go for the samosas or some other appetizer. Don't forget to order the garlic naan! Butter chicken: 5/5, I loved both the tikka and butter chicken, however I definitely preferred the butter chicken more. We asked for medium spice level. The flavors were so creamy, rich and savory. I think the chicken was some part of the thigh, therefore had a good fat/lean protein ratio. It went so well with the garlic naan. If you can tolerate some spice, i'd recommend going up one level above medium. Chicken Tikka Masala: 4.5/5, it was quite creamery and aromatic, which complimented basmati rice and the garlic naan extremely well. I'm not too familiar with the culture and history behind Indian cuisine, but I noticed the chicken used in this dish was much more lean, resembling chicken breast. It had more of a chew and was a bit more dry. Still delicious with rich, savory, sweet tikka masala sauce. Lamb biriyani: 5/5, chose "hot" spice level for this dish and it was the perfect spice level. Lamb was tender marinated with a myriad of different spices. I typically don't mind the "gaminess" of certain proteins, but I didn't think it was gamey at all. Tandori chicken: 4/5, I thought this dish was quite dry. Again, likely breast over thigh. It had great flavor, but not as tender. Perhaps, try a different protein, or try another dish off the menu. The staff was incredible patient and courteous. She would come back every so often to check to see if we needed anything else and to refill our waters. Ambiance was fine, nothing to rave about. Plenty of street parking. read more

Tilak - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I went here after a Queer Diwali celebration at El Rio and was amazed--shocked even--by the amazing flavors of all the food here. I might have ordered one of the more basic dishes... i can't help loving Chicken Tikka Masala! It really was yummy and I also tried some of the butter chicken. Both were great, but I liked the Tikka Masala better. Service was excellent and always felt taken care of. Ambiance was nothing super exciting, but I am glad they focus more on food quality than decor. Overall, I will have to come back! read more

Best Indian food in san Francisco,love their chicken tikka masala,the chicken is so tender,favor is so balance,service is great read more

See all

Went to get tacos but the place was closed, so on the way back to the car we decided to stop here -- the smells were quite alluring. The butter chicken did not disappoint. It was creamy and had great flavor with plenty of chicken and warming spices that went well with the garlicky naan. The saag paneer was more tomato based than a pure cream sauce, and had a nice base spice to it with good chunks of paneer. read more

See all

A quiet local spot that has been recommended by multiple neighbors. We enjoyed all the dishes we had, but everything was a little sweeter than you would expect. We were seated immediately and service was as expected. It's definitely good in a pinch if you're craving Indian food and are nearby. read more

Tilak - Dahi Puri Chaat - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Amazing! Came here on a whim with my husband on a Monday night for dinner after we took classes in the city. We stumbled upon Tilak on our drive home, as a random find because by around 8:30pm lots of business start to prepare to close and Tilak was one of the restaurants that were open late ish. We weren't too hungry so we just ordered dishes to try and share! One is the potato appetizer which I believe its called the Aloo Tikka. We also ordered the paratha, vegetable biriyani and lamb curry. One thing that I have to mention is that Indian spice don't play, even with someone like me the medium level spice was quite spicy, so I would recommend mild if you want your food to be enjoyable. Besides the food being a bit more spicy than my preference, everything was seasoned nicely and the presentation on that appetizer also blew my husbands mind. Everything was also soooo affordable, with all of that ordered (on top of leftovers) we spent less than $50 for the 2 of us. Overall, would love to come back to this spot again and try other dishes!! read more

Tilak - Potato app - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I came here with a friend on a monday night and it was super easy to get seating! Service was great and the food for the most part was delicious. My only complaint was the taste of the mango lassi - there was something Really off about it. I always order this drink when I'm at any Indian restaurant and this was the only place where it tasted way too earthy! I would still probably come back for the food but definitely won't be ordering mango lassi again. read more

Tilak - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I came to Tilak after a long hiatus and am so glad I did! The food was excellent and the service was very good. The reason for the 4 stars (instead of 5) is that I almost slipped and fell on the wet floor on my way to the restroom. My friend and I shared the following: 1) Goan prawn curry - delicious 2) Chicken Chettinad - very flavorful 3) Channa saag - tasty The brown rice and Naan we got to accompany our entrees were good, too, as was the wine. Our waitress was attentive and took great care of us. The wet floor at the end of the evening was the only weak link - they should not have started mopping their floors before our departure. Overall, I'm so glad to have rediscovered Tilak and look forward to returning! read more

Awesome Indian food. This spot was highly recommended by a friend of mine, and I'm glad I finally got a chance to try it out. Interior is pretty barebones. Service is honestly fairly slow, even though there were only 4 tables seated. Would hate to see what it looks like when the restaurant is packed; we waited probably 5-10 minutes to get our order taken, then another 20 for our food. The food itself was great. The bread basket is honestly huge; it's way too much for 2, so just order some individual naan and roti. I wish the breads were a bit more flavored, and there was one of them that was a bit undercooked for how thick it was. Forgot which one though. Paneer tiki masala, great. Paneer was clearly high quality with a solid chew and density to it, and classic tiki sauce. The Murgh Masala was new to us, but just as good. Strongly spiced, and chicken was juicy. Favorite part: mango lassi only 3 dollars for a tall glass. Freshly blitzed because there are still small mango chunks in there, good balance between the tart yogurt and the sweet, awesome lassi. Just come. Give them a try. You'll be well satisfied. read more

Have to admit the aroma of this restaurant drew us in. Initially not having solid dinner plans my friend and I began walking along mission to find some grub. Once we smelled all the spices we were suddenly craving Indian food. We ordered samosas, goan prawn curry, butter chicken, garlic naan and some rice. The samosas came out first and they were pretty solid, crispy exterior with a potato and veggie filling. Next all the mains came out together and the staff gave us dishes to eat family style. The goan prawn curry was coconut based which made for an extra creamy flavor. While the butter chicken was tomato based providing a good distinction of flavors. We really enjoyed that the butter chicken used dark meat as it remained tender and juicy. The garlic naan wasn't the most garlicy I've ever had but it was definitely made in house and fluffy. Although the portion size was a bit on the smaller side we found ourselves full and even had leftovers to take home. Have to shoutout the amazing wait staff they were very attentive, helping us refill our waters and even bringing us extra napkins and helping us clean when we spilled out water. Make sure you check in to redeem a free glass of red wine with your meal! read more

See all

We did a takeout order because our usual Indian place was closed. We found the curries here a bit unusual. They all kind of similar tasting. The spice level was very good -- mild was still a little hot which was ok with us. The spinach is whole spinach rather than chunks so it felt a little stringy. It was all oilier than we are used to. I liked the eggplant dish and the kadai chicken. The butter chicken wasn't as sweet or creamy as we are used to. read more

See all

I have eaten my fair share of Indian food but I have to give it to Tilak this has to be my most favorite in San Francisco. The food is so fresh and cooked to perfection. This is a must try for anyone who loves Indian food. Please don't tell too many people I don't want to have to wait in line to eat here read more

Tilak - cleaned plates as it was sooo good - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Well, for starters, the whole place smells like a toilet cake, restaurant should smell like food! The butter chicken was very very good. The service was a dismal. They brought the check without even asking for it, even though we were only people there, and they didn't even bother to clear the table. Really bad service. The biryani was OK but very small portion. I don't think I would go back here. read more

Brief Summary: - Low spice tolerance, medium spice is very spicy. I was coughing - Curry is very delicious - The star were the naan We visited here in the evening during dinner time and when most of the restaurants are opening up from their break hours. The streets here are quiet and not lively, so we decided to spend more time in other areas and then head here. While the street has shops, it felt more like a residential street. We entered when the restaurant opened, so we were able to get a seat. The menu is categorized by proteins, so it was easy to see what to choose from. I juggled between the coconut milk curry and the shrimp curry, partly because I have never tried Indian curry with fish before. In the end, since it was our first time here, we decided to get the chicken with coconut milk and my friend took the lamb. On our next return will we try out the fish protein. We also ordered naan with the curry dishes. They asked on the spicy level, and they started off from mild, medium, and so on. I didn't hear the rest because I have low spice tolerance, so trying out spicy foods makes it difficult for me to finish. We chose medium, but looking back at this decision, we should have ordered mild. As an appetizer, we order the puri, and this has become of my favorite appetizers to eat. It was airy and crispy at the same time. I also liked the sauces and the chutney that was poured into it. The lasting flavor palette was sourness of the yogurt or the chutney. Very nice start of the dinner. The two curries arrived with a basket of naan. This naan basket came in three different types: original, garlic, and onion. Taking hold of one of them instantly struck me with surprise. This naan is super soft! My favorite was the original because it retains the fluffiest, then the garlic and onion. The onion is chopped up finely and is mixed with the naan dough, so I felt like it lost its fluffiness. While I wanted to eat a lot of this and was thinking of maybe ordering more because it was so good, I was surprised on how fast this filled me up. The naan basket contained three naan cut into four pieces. If there were 2 people, they can share 6 pieces each. I was expecting myself to grow very full on the second piece. Taking a pause to talk about the curry. Both were very delicious, rich and the thickness is perfect to be scooped up with the naan. The unexpected part was the spiciness; medium spice was very spicy. I was holding down my cough, sweats were forming near my temples, and my stomach felt like a heater even after we had finished eating. Comparing with the two curries, the chicken coconut curry was slightly less spicy than the lamb. It could be the coconut milk has softened its bite. The lamb on the other hand, while I loved how tender the meat was, I was able to eat this with naan but not on its own. Luckily, my friend had a notch higher spice tolerance, so they ate the rest. We took the rest of the naan home, and I warmed it up with a toaster. This still kept its fluffiness, so I was glad to have eaten it again. I had a good food experience here, so I will come here again, next time order mild. read more

Tilak - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This is a solid Indian spot in the area! I got dinner here on the weekend with a large group of eight, and there was no wait because we arrived just before peak dinnertime (~7pm). The staff was very accommodating and even rearranged tables so we could sit together. For starters, I tried the aloo tikka chaat bites and paneer pakora, which were both delicious. The aloo tikka chaat bites in particular were just bursting with flavor! For my main, I ordered the tadka daal (medium spicy) and garlic naan. This was some of the best daal I've had in SF! The only complaint was I wish it was spicier because the medium tasted more like a mild. The garlic naan was flavorful, and the texture was great as well. I also tried some of the plain naan and roti from the bread basket that my table ordered, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much flavor that even a plain naan had. By the end of dinner, I found myself munching on just plain naan! read more

Tilak - Tadka Daal - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Wow! Tilak was an amazing Indian restaurant that is very affordable and filled with flavor. Don't come here for the exceptional service, but why is that even necessary when the food is this good? Everything I had and shared was incredible. Definitely get the garlic naan tikka masala combination. I would also highly recommend a dish from their tandoori grill. Personally I was not a fan of the saag paneer given that it wasn't made how I'm typically used to having texture wise, I would try something else. I can't wait to be back! read more

See all

Have been coming here for years. Used to be great 5/5 but has slowly been going downhill. Now I found a permanent marker in my tandoori chicken tikka... read more

Tilak - Tandoori Chicken Tikka - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I'm so shocked with the good reviews. Just a gross experience. The waiter, although sweet, was just a mess. She also had hair falling everywhere and touching our food. We asked for medium tandoori salmon and medium butter chicken, both extremely bland. No flavor or spice. The bathroom itself was absolutely disgusting and made ne question the cleanliness of the kitchen. 4.4/5 is generous to say the least. Please improve! read more

In a word, Phenomenal! I'd been wanting to try Tilak for ages but they didn't deliver to our neighborhood. Tonight they did, so we took the chance... and it exceeded my expectations! We had samosas, with the tastiest Indian chutneys I've had in SF. For our entrees we had the lemon rice (Perfectly cooked and seasoned!) with Chana Saag (the fresh chopped spinach was a nice departure from the usual puréed over cooked style I find a lot in Indian restaurants) and Lamb Bhuna (divine, and wonderfully spiced). I hope they'll continue to deliver to our neighborhood because the food is excellent, excellent, excellent! read more

This is one of my favorite neighborhood spots! My roommate and I would die for the Tilak sweatshirts that they have. This is a reasonably priced, delicious, and fast service place! The place is homey and the food is delicious. The servings are always mountains of rice. My personal favorite is the puri chaat. I could eat all 5 in one sitting myself. I even get them to go and they package it up so it doesn't get soggy. It's perfect for a date or get together with friends. I cannot recommend it enough!! read more

Tilak - pani puri - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Consistently one of my favorite meals. Their take out is great, and their no-frills in-person experience is always exceptional. Tilak and his team will take care of you. read more

Tilak - Daha Sev Puri Chaat - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great food. Rather terrible pickup service and terrible order management. You have to pick up your food, check it is right and wait for them to cook what they forgot. Every time. read more

This place was the perfect place for a Saturday night dinner! The dahi puri chaat was a great starter it came out fairly quickly. I've never had this before but this was so good! It was light and full of flavor all in a single bite 5/5. The chicken chettinad was also really good you could really taste the coconut milk in there and it was so rich and creamy 5/5. The chicken was also cooked perfectly which was great! Also got the lamb bhuna and this was probably the star of the show for me! The lamb was cooked perfectly and the flavor was really on point. Perfect balance between this and the chicken dish! Only thing I have to say is that we got medium spicy and it didn't taste spicy at all so if you can handle spice you might want to ask for it to be more spicy. Overall great food and would definitely be coming back! read more

Tilak - Dahi puri chaat - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

FOOD IS AMAZING GOOD! I have made a random order from this place and i was so much impressed from the food i have ordered! I would say this is memorable for me and now it is my favorite place for Indian cuisine and i will hardly change my mind in future! Thanks for the pleasure of taste! read more

Tilak - Menu - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was pretty tasty. I loved the starters. My favorite was the following: 1.) Dahi Puri Chaat- refreshing flavor, packed with creamy deliciousness. 2.) Aloo Tikka Chaat Bites- Packed with flavor and delicious. 3.)Tandoori Salmon- is definitely a MUST TRY! We also shared a few other dishes that were good. Keep in mind their spicy is not that spicy. I'm someone who likes their food very spicy so I suggest extra spicy next time. The saag paneer was not made the way I usually have it, but it was still tasty. The ambiance is cozy, the service was okay. I think there was a language barrier because she didn't understand us very well, but she gave great suggestions. I loved that she tried and kept smiling most of the time. For the first time, I tried their shahi mukhwas (mouth freshener) that's at their register. Strong taste, but it helps with the digestive system. read more

Great food and great service! One of my new go-to places in Bernal. Tilak and Vega and Nute's are my fave places in Bernal.

Fresh, seasonal & absolutely delicious every time! A neighborhood gem with impeccable service and hospitality.

I ordered from Tilak for pickup this weekend. It has been years since my last visit, so I wanted to switch it up and try them again. We ordered the Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Lamb Birani, Jasmine Rice and Garlic Naan. Bill came to about $50 plus tax and tip added, but such a deal. The food was enough for two meals for two nights for two people, plus a baby. The butter chicken was so rich, delicious and could not get enough of the sauce. My 16 month old baby tried the butter chicken and loved it, she made a total mess eating it - but loved that she tried something new with flavor that she never tried before. The Saag Paneer was great, quite different than others that I have had from other restaurants. A little chunkier and savory than I am used to and it was great. The Lamb Birani was good, but the lamb was a little dry and chewy. The flavor of the rice was great and fluffy though. The naan and rice made great side kicks to the meal. The next time we are craving Indian food, I will definitely head down to Tilak and try a few more of these dishes. And check in for my free glass of wine! :) read more