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    Zara’s Restaurant

    4.5 (20 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

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    Two Lunch Specials
    Brad M.

    In the old Palace of Asia location is Zara's Restaurant. Other than adding some Pakistan flags it looks the same as it looked when it was an Indian restaurant. The buffet was $25 and didn't seem to have a lot of options to we opted for the $15 lunch special. It was a pretty good deal because it included an appetizer, entrée, and bread. I enjoyed the spice level of my food and my Pakistani lunch companion said the food was authentic.

    Swanky interior
    Vince S.

    Food wise this was close to if not 4 stars, but service and value need to be improved for me to be a fan. At this point I'd probably only return to try the soon to be launched dinner buffet. My first visit was for takeout on a Saturday afternoon. I was the only patron in this cavernous space. I ordered chicken samosas, chicken Hibari and aloo paratha. I was coerced into ordering the bread because I was informed the main dish did not come with rice. The samosas were good, nicely seasoned ground chicken in medium sized pouches. Sauces were the usual tamarind, watery yogurt and a mint one. The entree of chicken hibari was good, boneless mixed chicken in a yellow peppery sauce that may have used puréed lentils. The bread was good too, but seemed to be misnamed, it was more like Roti with potatoes in the middle. I thought the entree portion sized was smaller than my nearest fav Indian place, just a pint sized container. But I liked the flavors and wanted to sample more. A few days later a foodie friend joined me for lunch. Again, no other customers or takeouts it seemed, this was around 2:30 on a weekday. We both ordered from the lunch specials menu which costs $15. She chose chicken Korma, and I had the beef version of the Hibari. She didn't love the veggie Samosa, and I outright disliked the pakora, probably the worst I've experienced. But as a plus, both of our dishes came with rice. She liked the Korma, although it was a much darker and spicier version than I was expecting. I also liked my beef, the sauce was richer than the chicken version too. But sadly, both of these were very small portions containing very little proteins. Hers was just a small drumstick, while I got 2 small cubes of beef. I had a feeling I'd be wanting more food, so we also shared garlic naan, which was good. And an order of chicken biryani, also good. The rice dish suffered the same fate as our entrees, very little chicken. What was in it was bone in, and mostly bone. We ended our meal with a shared Kheer. This was special, very thick and with crushed almond and golden raisins, best item we had here. While eating, I was considering my review and although I liked most of it, the lack of protein in all of our dishes seemed off putting. The service we experienced was friendly but very slow, with no attention to detail. You would think that such a huge place, with no other discernible customers, would try to wow us. Or at least check in from time to time? I had to go search for someone when we wanted the check. I look forward to hearing how the dinner buffet is, based on that I might revisit, 3.5 coulda been better stars

    the interior of a restaurant
    Saad M.

    This was one of the best Desi restaurants I've ever been to. Amazing Pakistani cuisine. I haven't head Lahori Chole this authentic in the Princeton area at all. I've been disappointed with the Indian restaurants in the Princeton area because they don't capture Pakistani taste. There is nowhere else closer than South Brunswick that you can get authentic Pakistani dishes like Beef Haleem, Beef Nihari, etc. The Kulcha Naan and Lahori Chole were excellent. The service was top notch and the restaurant is gorgeous, with soaring decorative tray ceilings and chandeliers. It must be at least 5000 square feet.

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    2 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food and service were outstanding. We came during Ramadan and they have what looks like a great buffet for that as well.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food! Tried halwa puri and fried fish! Friendly people and good service. Good to have a desi restaurant close by.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing service, totally recommend this place. Tasty food as well. Host was very gracious and welcoming.

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    2 years ago

    Incredible incredible incredible food. The mix grill was as good as I have had in USA in over 40 years

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    3 years ago

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    Baithakh

    Baithakh

    4.3
    (32 reviews)
    15.7 mi

    | Deeply Disappointed -- What Happened to Baithakh?…read more Baithakh used to be one of our favorite go-to spots in North Brunswick. We've always enjoyed the food, but unfortunately, something has definitely changed since our last visit -- and not for the better. We ordered several dishes, including the Baithakh Seekh Kebab Roll, Crispy Fried Chicken Burger, Beef Paya, Beef Nihari, Peshawari Mutton Karahi, and Chicken Malai Boti. To our surprise, nearly everything was a letdown. The Beef Paya and Peshawari Mutton Karahi were both swimming in oil and severely lacked flavor, which was shocking considering how good they used to be. The Fried Chicken Burger had decent seasoning, but the chicken itself was tough and rubbery -- almost inedible. The Chicken Malai Boti was okay, but even that wasn't as tender or flavorful as we've had here before. Maybe they've changed chefs or recipes, but the quality just isn't the same anymore. Baithakh had never failed us before, but this visit was a major disappointment. Sadly, we're giving it a 2 out of 5 stars. We hope they find their way back to the standard that once made them great.

    One of the good places for legit Pakistani food in the area. Stumbled upon it with some friends…read morewhile on our way back from a hike. Decor/menu/ambiance is really creative. Staff is friendly and very attentive!! We tried their Papri chaat and gol gappay for apetizers and loved them. For main entrees, we ordered Butter chicken/Bhindi/Bun plaster and it was all veryyy tastyy!! Would defo go back! Their Chai is great too-Must order after food.

    Photos
    Artistically painted tea pot!
    Artistically painted tea pot!
    Lacha Paratha and Khagina
    Lacha Paratha and Khagina
    Freshly squeezed orange juice

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    Freshly squeezed orange juice
    Good Food by Uzma

    Good Food by Uzma

    4.4
    (180 reviews)
    15.3 mi
    $$

    We have been regular customers at Good Food by Uzma. In the beginning, the food quality and portion…read moresizes were excellent, and we truly enjoyed visiting on weekends. However, over our last three visits, we've noticed several concerns: The taste of the food has changed, and some dishes were not properly cooked. The karahi gosht is no longer prepared the way it used to be, and the portion size has also been reduced. The seating arrangement feels too cramped for the space, making it difficult to move around comfortably. When concerns are raised, the standard response is simply, "we will let them know," without any visible follow-up. We genuinely enjoy dining here and would like to continue visiting. However, the inconsistency in food quality, along with pricing and portion concerns, has been disappointing and is making us reconsider. I would greatly appreciate it if the owner could give attention to these issues, particularly ensuring consistency in food quality and taste.

    Good food it certainly is. And it comes close to being great - or 3 days after Pakistan…read moreIndependence Day, I should really be saying "grape" - but for a few minor pitfalls. We came for halwa puri, the classic breakfast of Pakistan and one of the few bright spots for vegetarians in a nation that takes pride in distancing itself from anything veg. The achaari aloo sabzi was absolutely excellent, and the puris were not overly oily. The chole didn't leave that much of an impression on me. We also ordered the mash dal, which was superb. This is probably the most coarse south Asian dal dish, with an appearance similar to bulgur if prepared correctly. It was a treat to try this dish common as a roadside nashta in Pakistan, but rarely prepared in the states. The anda parantha was a disappointment - I was expecting a typical desi omelette, but the paratha was served with two very plain eggs over medium. This should probably be more clearly disclosed in the menu.

    Photos
    Good Food by Uzma
    Papdi Chana Chaat
    Papdi Chana Chaat
    Chicken mirch qeema with tawa roti

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    Chicken mirch qeema with tawa roti

    Zara’s Restaurant - pakistani - Updated July 2026

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