We had tried umpteen times in San Diego branch and my fam vouched for authentic hyderabadi biryani. Took out of state guests craving for some good goat biryani to this new branch(opened barely a month ago) in fremont (prev Saravana Bhavan). Reached almost closing time around 2.45 pm..took our order right away and warned for any orders to be placed as kitchen would close at 3. Ordered chili paneer appetizer followed with vegetarian items(dal tadka, Jeera rice, butter naan, chili paneer) and our guest had goat biryani. Food was fresh and tasted good. Our guest enjoyed the goat biryani and was very happy there were sufficient meat pieces. Since it was closing time and a weekday not much crowd in fact we were the only ones around and they waited for us to finish. Hope they match up to their San Diego spice level and authentic hyd fare..and will give stiff competition in Fremont. read more

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Check 1 point: The interior colors are nice, which sort of lends to the ambiance. It also pleasantly overlaps with the cutlery, the plates and the forks, the serving dishes etc. Check 2 point: the menu is good, not vast and not minimal. But the manner in which the order is taken and the way in which they bring out the sides, especially the salan for the biryani is definitely disappointing. We ordered two biryani's - an egg biryani and a chicken biryani and they brought a tiny bowl of salan, which all put together is 5 teaspoons for a table of four adults. Really!! Check 3 points: the food is tasty definitely!!! However, the only downside is that the paneer starter is not well marinated; so the masala was only on the top. The insides of the paneer was just flat and insipid!! Cleanliness is lacking, the dirty dishes are in a cart right by the booth that we sat at. So the stench was emanating. We had to ask for water twice when the jug was empty, so the keen sense of observation and customer service is lacking! Overall, a place you can go to perhaps once or twice, but don't expect good service. The food is definitely Yum. read more

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This is the third charminar outlet I tried in the bayarea. It was meatless Saturday so I tried their vegetarian offerings this time around. ***USP: menu from the city of Hyderabad, India which is famous worldwide for its biryani. ***AMBIANCE: Similar to their other outlets. Casual fine dining. Decent seating, good for groups. Decent prices. ***FOOD: we tried a whole bunch of items- *crispy baby corn-3.5/5- very crispy with a sweet and tangy coating indicating liberal vinegar usage. *malai soy chaap: 3.5/5: excessive usage of malai(aka fat). Indulgent and decent enough for a small serving. *vellulli kaaram paneer-3/5- lacked salt. Paneer was softish but felt a bit chewy and hard in places. *black pepper mushroom curry- 4/5- this was my favorite dish that evening. The fragrant curry leaves, earthiness of the mushroom and the black pepper created an intoxicating combination. It was floating in excess oil but was lip smacking delicious. *chilli garlic Naan: 4.5/5: I normally don't rate naan as they are non descript but the version here was wonderful. Thin, not burnt on the downside and paired oh so well with the mushroom curry. *Egg biryani- 3.5/5- this was spicy rather than being flavorful. Since it was made with egg, I didn't mind the spice. read more

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Ambiance is good and very much similar to that of Sunnyvale location. We were a largish group and were able to spend a lot of time. I'm motivated to write this review specifically for 3 items that I enjoyed a lot. Lasuni Soya Chaap, Mushroom Pepper Fry and Chilli Garlic Naan. All 3 tasted amazing and made the experience all the more better. Lasuni Soya Chaap was flavorful, with generous amounts of garlic Chilli Garlic Naan was so good, that it didn't need another curry on the side. It was a novel idea and was a hit! Mushroom Pepper Fry was spicy but with pepper, the best way to spice things up! Enjoyed it. We also ordered Egg Biryani. It was so disappointing - very bland, both the rice and egg. Chili Paneer was just ok. Seemed like a tad bit extra ketchup Babycorn 65 was crispy and good too. The next time I come here, will max out on the appetizers, they seemed to be doing a great job. Coming back to try their non-vegetarian menu. read more

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Ordered Chinese food - Baby corn 65 and Veg noodles. Food was really bland with no taste at all. Baby corn was like masala coated over the baby corn with no flavors. Worst baby corn 65 I ever ate. Noodles were even worse with no salt or Chillies. Bland food with no taste whatsoever. Never ordering it again from here read more

Charminar Indian Restaurant and Catering | Fremont - Babycorn 65 and veg street noodles - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

The food is delicious and lots of options. Service was really good, the host knew the menu really well and recommended items based on our request. Nice and clean and great lighting as well for a large event read more

Interior was pretty nice, and this is a bit pricey with decent service as well. Visit 1: Got the Bezawada Chicken Biryani and it was surprisingly really good and not too spicy either. Visit 2: got paneer chilli (pretty good), dhaba chicken (not really dhaba chicken but still tasted good, also you can tell it had food coloring) and had the sitaphal (custard apple) malai and that was pretty good too, surprised how it actually tasted like sitaphal! Definitely coming back for the biryani! read more

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Visited Charminar Restaurant on Mowry Avenue and had a very enjoyable meal overall. The restaurant is clean with beautiful interiors and a pleasant ambience, and the service was attentive throughout our visit. We ordered Chicken 65, Chicken Lollipop, Paneer 65, Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani, Achari Goat, and Sitaphal Malai for dessert. The starters were excellent and full of flavor. The Chicken Lollipops were easily some of the best I have had. The biryani was satisfying and aromatic as well. The Achari Goat, however, felt a bit off and ended up giving me some acid reflux. I also noticed a bit of throat irritation after the meal, which makes me wonder about the quality of oil used for frying. I hope the restaurant pays attention to this and avoids reusing oil too many times, as it can affect both taste and overall dining comfort. On a sweeter note, the Sitaphal Malai truly stole the show. It is one of the best Indian desserts I have ever had and worth visiting for on its own. Overall, Charminar offers great flavors, lovely ambience, and attentive service. With a little more attention to oil quality, this place could easily be a five star experience. read more

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We visited Charminar Fremont yesterday for dinner and had one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had. Even before ordering, the experience started poorly. We waited over 15 minutes just to receive menus, and while we were standing in line, two people cut ahead of us. The staff and management saw this happen, yet the manager actually helped them first instead of addressing the situation. That alone left a bad impression. We ordered Mutton Dum Biryani and Bezawada Chicken Biryani, and the service continued to be extremely slow -- our food didn't arrive for more than 30 minutes. The Chicken Biryani tasted completely off: no salt, no spice, and no flavor, almost like it had been mixed with a bland curry. When we told the waiter, he said they would remake it, but since it was already late, they only gave us a replacement as a to-go box. The real issue happened today. While eating the leftovers for lunch, we found a bug inside the biryani (photo attached). Right after eating, my husband and I felt sick and we had to use the restroom immediately. This is extremely concerning for any restaurant, especially one serving meat dishes like biryani. This entire experience raises serious concerns about both the restaurant's hygiene and its management practices. We hope they take this seriously, but unfortunately, we will not be returning. I'd give 0 stars if I could. read more

Charminar Indian Restaurant and Catering | Fremont - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

This is a new place with nice and clean ambiance. It was crowded but it we got seated quickly. Service is bit slow but acceptable for Friday evening rush. We tried : lasooni ( garlic) chicken kabobs: They are very succulent and perfectly cooked. I would have loved more garlicky taste to it though. Hydrabadi chicken curry : we got this medium spicy. This curry has nice flavors , I enjoyed curry leaves aroma. Next time I will try spicy version. Garlic naan and mango lassi is very good. I also tried mint buttermilk- it is savory drink which helps in digestion. I loved it. read more

Charminar Indian Restaurant and Catering | Fremont - Lasooni Kebab - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

I cannot recommend this restaurant based on what I personally witnessed. I know four former employees who were laid off, and I know two of them were still waiting for their final pay more than 2 weeks later and multiple attempts to pick up their check. I also know an employee who lost the tip of a finger in a meat slicer accident while working. The handling of the injury raised serious concerns about employee safety and treatment. I also observed roaches in the restaurant. Between the wage issues, workplace safety concerns, and sanitation problems, I would not support this business. read more

This seems like a higher end Indian restaurant. Clean. Nice tabling. A family style plac with some booths and tables mixed. The service was terrific and attentive. And the food was really something to try. Their tandoori chicken is one of the most delicious that I have tried. The lamb keema was rich and not oily. Perhaps a bit on the salty side, but quite something worth trying. The tasks daal was very nice as well and quite worth ordering. The chaas buttermilk was also very nice, though also a little salty for some, but not for me. We will be back! read more

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Soooo good!! There portions are huge so be ready for the feast family style dinner. Everything was great. Place is beautifully decorated and service was fast! The food taste very authentic. Definitely will revisit read more

Charminar Indian Restaurant and Catering | Fremont - Chicken dum biryani - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

We love exploring new biryani spots since it's a regular feature on our dinner table, and variety is always welcome. This time, we ordered the chicken dum biryani and boneless biryani, along with garlic naan and achari gosh. Our server Daniel was incredibly warm, attentive, and knowledgeable--he enthusiastically recommended the achari gosh and garlic naan, and both turned out to be absolutely finger-licking good. The naan was especially delightful--flaky, fresh, and served piping hot. While the biryani wasn't bad, we've tasted better options around the area. That said, we're curious to try their mutton biryani next time, along with some of the other curry dishes like Lal chicken and the various mutton preparations. With service as welcoming as Daniel's and some standout flavors, this place is definitely worth revisiting.p-pap read more

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We ordered a bunch of apps (soya Chaap and chilli paneer) and entrees here - the apps were pretty okay and I felt like this restaurant served very homely food - their Dal Bukhara and Chana masala were delicious, with the perfect amount of spices and flavor. The texture of the dishes was also on point. I think their entrees were much superior to the appetizers. The ambiance was good but we found that some sofa tables for 4 people were not as spacious so we had to move to a bigger table. The staff was kind enough to help us with that. read more

New place where saravana bhavan used to be. Interior decoration is nice. We ordered at the table (scan QR code). Food came fast. Chicken 65: juicy and soft chicken with lots of flavor. Not spicy at all. Kids loved it. I would have preferred a bit spicy. Goat Biryani: awesome salan. But goat was not that tasty. Quantity was huge though. Aromatic. I just didn't like the taste of goat. It needed more spice. I guess I am a biryani snob. Pakora: nice crispy. Will come back to try their extensive menu of appetizers and kababs. read more

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This restaurant opened 1 week back! We went for dinner. The interior is lovely. We ordered the following items: Paneer butter masala Hyderabadi goat curry Vijaywada chicken biryani Chilli garlic and garlic naan All the items were great! The biryani quantity was very good. We will definitely be coming back and trying more items on the menu! I hope they keep up the quality! read more

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Lovely Ambience. Great Customer Service. Our waiter was RK. Food (appetizer and entree) taste was ok 7/10. Food did get served pretty fast. In dessert, "sitaphal kheer" was unique. We went there recently for dinner, in a group of 4. read more

Not even one star. I do not recommend this restaurant at all. All food tasted bad. The service was mediocre. The guy on the register was not professional. read more

We visited this restaurant with lot of expectation On Hyderabadi cuisine. Decor is nice compared to Sravan Bhavan that existed here before. Not sure it's same management. Service was very very slow. Server and manager were not knowledgeable about food or menu. Asked for chef - was told he is busy. Samosas were not well cooked - almost raw inside and cold potatoes - appeared frozen fried or baked. Repeat order was well fried But still cold inside. Ordered butter chicken - menu says Tandoori chicken which I confirmed from server. The order came with boneless baked chicken. Gravy too creamy and sweet. Not authentic butter chicken. Asked to change dish to Chicken Tikka masala - was told it's same but cubed chicken in same sauce as butter chicken. Instead asked for chicken curry. The curry came but it was luke warm. Onion and gravy was watery. Nothing special. Achari Goat was Too "Achari" for taste and very spicy - lots of green chilies but edible. Ordered Goat dum biryani. Asked manager how it's made - is it Hyderabadi 'kacche goshtki biryani" he had no idea. He said it has rice, goat and massalas. I asked how long is it on dum. He went inside to ask the chef and returned - said 45min-to-1hr. All food came and we waited for the famous Goat Dum Biryani. It never came. Asked the manager - he said the order never went in. Ordered Garlic naan and plain naan came. Asked the waiter - they insisted it was garlic naan. Then reluctantly took it back and brought naan loaded with garlic - crisp and tasty nevertheless. I saw other guests ordered multiple sets of biryanis and were enjoying. So something is good at this place but not a good experience for us - both food and service. Fremont definitely needs a good authentic Indian restaurant and I was hoping this was the one. read more

Food: The worse Dum biryani I ever had, it's salty , no flavor, no Aroma. The only dish I liked was the Shrimp fry. Service :was good Ambiance : is ok at first glance, however I have encountered few flies while eating , read more

Food, Ambience, Service: 5/5. We have been twice here and tried their goat biryani and bezwada biryani, and we loved both. I love their irani chai and naan as well. Karipatta is good too. Would definitely love to try other items on their menu. read more

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After a long time, I finally got to enjoy authentic Hyderabadi biryani--free from MSG and without overpowering spices--allowing the flavor of every grain to shine alongside perfectly cooked meat. I tried both the goat and chicken versions, and each was excellent. It was also my first time trying fish mandi, which turned out to be amazing. The ambience was impressive, a refreshing change from the typically mediocre settings found in similar restaurants. The only downside was the billing process: it's done on a handheld device, and the staff member handling it always seemed rushed and didn't offer a receipt, which felt a bit unusual. read more

Ordered on DoorDash and waited over an hour for my food even though it was marked as ready for pickup on the app. We went in and they didn't even know what my order was. They kept dismissing us whenever we asked for an update. Terrible experience. read more

Went there last night with friends. Place is nice and big, nice ambiance and good overall feel to the place. They have unlimited pani puri and free chai set up outside the restaurant until 9 pm which we missed, but upon requesting to try the pani puri our head server brought us some. Pani needs some khata/mitha(try apni mandi), but ok. Place is big(picture old sarvana bhavan), but most of the tables on the left as you enter were occupied with families, and the other side prob couldnt seat 7 ppl so they put us in the banquet room. The only thing was it had round tables, and i was sitting between 2 round tables, not convenient and fun, but ok. Anyways, we ordered the tangdi kebabs(masala was good), Dhaba chicken(spicy and best), achari chicken was ok, goat curry(my friends said ok, as i dont eat), Chicken biryani was good, goat biryani was good(according to friends), chilli garlic naans and other naans were good. We topped it off with their masala soda(good). Now for our head server Raj Kumar, must say was knowledgeable about the menu items, had some good suggestions, took our feedbacks, overall a pleasant guy with good salesmanship iykyk. There menu is extensive, will be going back to try other items. Didnt take photos. read more

Tried chicken Mandi and Dhaba chicken. Chicken piece in chicken Mandi was good. Mandi rice was good with subtle flavors. Dhaba chicken was good but it felt like they added a lot of color for aesthetics. Dhaba chicken was great when we went for the first time. This time it was okay. Not sure what changed this time. Service was quick and ambience was good. read more

Charminar Indian Restaurant and Catering | Fremont - Dhaba Chicken (Boneless) - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Really good! We liked everything that we got, and excited to come back and try other dishes in the future.

Good ambience. Food was decent. All meat is halal. Good addition in Fremont for Hyderabadi food. Owner was friendly and so was the staff. read more

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I saw this place on TikTok. We drove 58 minutes to get here. And omg that drive was all worth it. The tandoori chicken was the most tender and juiciest I have ever eaten! All food full of flavor. I loved many things about this place, for starters, the service is fast. The waitstaff are amazing, courteous and patient. They are well trained, you can tell. 2nd thing that sets them apart is the fact that they have floaters who check on guests. Presley was helping us and he knew what we needed. He came with a bunch of napkins! 3rd they were very patient with guests, one of the waiters explained the food and menu to one of the guest for almost 5 minutes, I wish I could get his name to mention him here. A buzzing place with nice music and very clean. Must visit and we will definitely come back. Keep up the good job and quality of service. Omg when we walked out they were serving free tandoori chai! Harsh is amazing! She made it for me and such a friendly and lovely young woman! Ty Harsh! read more

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Bejawada Biryani was pathetic. Felt like a stale Biryani. It was dry. The chicken pieces were hard and chewy. It was not authentic. You should try it at other restaurants and then cook it properly. Angara chicken was chewy and hard. Gobi Manchurian was soggy. We tried it at Sunnyvale branch and it was good. It was crispy even the next day. read more

Fantastic food. Got the dum ka keema, butter chicken, chicken 65, seekh kabob, and chicken mandi. Good service and ambience. A favorite place. read more

We ordered the crispy cauliflower and lasoni soya chunks and they were both spicy but delicious. The goat dum biryani was also good. The baghara baingan and veg biryani were ok. I wouldn't recommend the shahi tukda, or atleast the version they served us. However they were gracious enough to comp us for it, which we appreciated. Overall service was good, attentive and helpful staff. Try it with friends on a weekend for a fun, enjoyable evening. read more

We had dinner at Charminar in Fremont recently. The food was excellent with big portions. We had ordered Fish Mandi, Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, and Bhuna Gosht. Bhuna gosht was more spicy but all 3 dishes were tasty. read more

Food was excellent and friendly service Desert Sitaphal malai was mouthwatering Totally enjoyed all items we ordered Beautiful ambiance read more

We tried just an appetizer since we wanted to keep things light. Savio was our server and gave us some options and we chose the Karripatta Chicken. It was very flavorful for sure. And the portion was generous. The place seems well decorated and nice - doesn't have the slight musty quality of some Indian restaurants. It looks more up market. read more

5 star dishes, stopped by with a party of 11 on a Friday and they took us in immediately. We tried several different appetizers from crispy baby corn to samosa chat and samosas. Was presently surprised by various different dishes on the menu. The tandoori chicken, malai kabob and chicken tikka all tasted fantastic. Everything was made to order and fresh. The service was a bit slow as it was a busy Friday evening and the server forgot to put our birthday cake in the fridge so it melted. Otherwise, this restaurant is worth checking out! read more

Waited forty-five minutes and we didn't even get our main course--which when we asked, the staff didn't even remember what we ordered. Had to ask TWICE about our drinks, and the appetizers we did get were anyway mediocre and honestly overpriced. So much for Mother's Day lunch. NEVER AGAIN! read more

Plenty of parking. Clean bathrooms. Savio was a very personable server. He Gave us good recommendations. The chicken was soft and succulent . Even the paneer was delicious. We enjoyed everything. Can't wait to go back and try more. read more

Service Date: Aug 03, 2025 Overall Score: 9.7/10 Service: Excellent Ambiance: Good Vibe Staff: Pleasant Server : Daniel De Souza Conclusion: YOU DECIDE... I went the restaurant on Sunday for dinner. We were greeted by the staff and seated. We ordered 2 dishes and asked the server for any suggestions for any good starters he suggested one and went with that and finished off our dinner at Charminar Restaurant with a much long awaited tea the whole experience was great felt like we were in Hyderabad. read more

TLDR; Appetizers and kabobs = Main course = One should go here only to have appetizers. Their main course was not good. We ordered paneer butter masala where the paneer was so hard and gravy was overwhelmingly sweet. Mutton curry was just bad. It looked like the made a generic curry and mixed cooked mutton in it the last minute. Their bread is great. We tried garlic naan and chili garlic naan - both excellent. Best thing to order is their veg and non-veg kabob feast. Both excellent choices. Service needs improvement. We had to wait 45 minutes to get our food. The wash area was dirty, filled with used napkins and the trash can was overflowing. Given they're a new restaurant and figuring things out still, hope they improve on the cleanliness and service soon. read more