Can I just say how impressed I am with this place? It is off the hook! Now to be completely honest I have never gotten the buffet and have only ordered from the menu so I can't comment on the buffet. What you have to order: Dera Supreme Platter! It honestly feeds like 3-4 ppl. Also the karahai is amazing. You can't go wrong with those two. We had a party of 13 last night and was able to have more than enough food with 3 platters and 3 curry dishes! Very authentic kabobs! Go here read more

The food is great, we went for lunch buffet it was great. They had all different types of Pakistani dishes. The variety is really nice a lot of the buffers don't offer as many as they do read more

I visited the restaurant and the food was great. The staff was very helpful in explaining the ingredients in each dish. I have food allergies so that was instrumental in figuring out which dish I could eat. I would recommend this place to others. read more

I came here to buy some sweets . Gulab jamun , Cham Cham , jalaibi , halwa . Every thing was fresh and tasty . They have buffet as well , nice and clean , nice decor. Tried halwa puri it was awesome . read more

Beautiful decor, and very friendly service. If you want authentic, flavorful Pakistani food, this is the place for you. I definitely am not a Pakistani food novice, but the menu at Dera had dishes that were new to me. The chef was also able to accommodate a special request and the resulting dish was fantastic. Highly recommended! read more

Came here for iftari with 15 ppl... although there was a lot of variety In the buffet items the quality and taste was not that good. For 16.95 per person and 1.99 per canned soda I would expect better food. read more

This place used to be good. Buffet was awful, spinach and chicken and chickpeas were good. But lacking consistency. No meat in buffet either. Salt and overall taste lacking. read more

The food here is AMAZING! Especially the chicken makhani/butter chicken, absolutely TO DIE FOR!

Dera aims to please and they definitely deliver! Every time I have been to this restaurant both by myself or with a group of people, the food is delicious, the service is great, and you leave knowing that you will be back soon. If you haven't tried Dera yet, please do so as you will be coming back again and again! read more

This is one of the restaurants that you hear so many rave reviews about and then you get there and realize it's not worth the hype. First of all, let me just say, this is not at all all about the food. The food that we were able to taste was actually decent. This review is about how terrible the service was. My husband and I were in the area running errands and it was time for iftar so we literally yelped halal restaurants near us and this one popped up so we decided to give it a try. Well we get in, the waitress pays no attention to us, we literally stood for ten minutes before we decided to just seat ourselves at one of the pre-made iftar tables. Then, we break fast and the waitress literally walks past us and serves tables next to us but refuses to acknowledge us or bring us any drinks. Annoyed by the lack of respect, we decide to just pay for the 2 Samosas and few pakoras we ate and leave and just get food from a different place. Well we get to the counter and of course, we get the same rude waitress to who refused to pay attention to us. We tell her that we just want to pay for the iftar we had and leave because we were tired and exhausted and didn't want to deal with the bs. She tells me that "YOU HAVE TO ORDER FOOD OR GET THE BUFFET". Apparently, you can't just pay for your iftari food because there's "no price" for the iftar. Frustrated, I ask for a box so we can just get some stuff to go and just get out of here. Well, turns out once we try paying for the buffet to go, she charges me 28 dollars. Pissed beyond reason at how my little box of food could be worth this much, some other little punk shows up and tells me that they are charging us a service fee for coming during iftar time and a 10 dollar table fee for taking up a table. At this point, I'm literally like WTF? Mind you, I am a patient and reasonable person, but the fact that I tried paying for the "table" we took up and she told me there was no fee for that yet they forced me to get a buffet and then they con me by charging a service fee for the damn waitress who provided absolutely no service to us and made us pay for a table fee. Basically, the workers here will do anything they can to scam you and get money from you. When I asked to speak to the manager or owner, they proceeded to tell me that neither were available and would be gone for the next week. A highly unlikely story honestly. However, I waited a week and called the restaurant and asked to speak to the manager, just because I wasn't even mad about the charges, but I was livid at how messed up and deceitful these two workers were. Well it turns out that every time I call, the manager just so happens to not be available regardless of what day or time you call. Overall, I think the food is decent but the service is shitty beyond words and the workers are complete jerks. And if I could give this place 0 stars, I would. I'm a huge foodie so I love trying new places and I'm usually not very critical but this place just put me over the edge. read more

I can't find a single complaint I have for this restaurant. It was clean, the service was good and the food was damn good. A big group of us went in for the buffet and when we were seated we were provided with water and a bunch of small round bread appetizers that were perfect and fresh off the oven it seemed. Then we got started on the buffet, it was crazy, I think I had three plates of different dishes, and all were just delicious, the meat was tender and juicy, the goat in particular, I had to agree with others was deliciou and the cake I had for desert was soft as a cloud and seemed to melt in my mouth. This sounds like exaggeration but really, I loved the food and if you have the stomach for a buffet and are craving middle eastern food, you owe it to yourself to try this place out. read more

My work crew and I went out to this establishment again at lunch time. You know how black folk and others are on their lunch break...when we break, we BREAK!! I'm distinguishing the time for a reason because we had the buffet at Dera which consisted of luscious delectable meats available. All of it was exceptionally well maintained spiced correctly, cooked right, I wanted to stay there all night... -itis(sic) and everything. Not to be omitted is the round pita bread they supply you as an appetizer, it is as big as a fair funnel cake and cooked fresh right out the oven with the little sesame or poppy seeds on them. See now doesn't that sound good. Pity that I found out about this place so late but I will return, do not let me discourage my vegetarian people out there from trying Dera. There were many vegetable options on the buffet but I'm a real man so I couldn't comment on how good those are. I'm going to change a lightbulb and chop some wood outside now...man stuff! read more

I've lived in the desi hub of the US in houston for a decade. And yet to find the most authentic paratha I used to get from a local Pahthan dhaaba. This place is it. Amazinggggg brunch. Best I've had. Houston you have a problem. I don't know if I can go back to hillcroft after this :) thank you Dera. This was amazing. Great memories and great food. Great prices. Did I mention fabulous service? Excellent. read more

Some of the best Tandoori in the DMV! We had a mixed grill with seek Kabab, tandoori chicken, and lamb chops. I especially loved the chicken and seekh Kabab, very spicy (in terms of flavor) and on par with what you'd find in a good restaurant anywhere in South Asia. I have to also highlight the naan bread, which comes straight out of the oven, piping hot and is by far the best I've had. For dessert the homemade kheer was surprisingly delicious, and we topped everything off with paan that's rolled in-house. Can't wait to come back! read more

I have been living in the greater DC area for 4 years now and had almost given up on finding good Pakistani food until recently I found this place. The nihari is amazing, naan is fresh, biryani is really good too. The dessert is not great, the gulab jamun seemed just ok. Definitely a new regular spot for me. read more

We were looking to try out Dera for our wedding catering and we were absolutely stunned with their professionalism. Zeeshan sat down with us and patiently walked us through the different options and it was evident that they were thoughtful and well-informed about the way they handled business. The staff served us with genuine smiles on their faces as we started with the papdi chaat, which was exceptionally good. Then we tried the chicken tikka, beef kababs, and some other dishes. The food was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, we were already entangled with a different provider and were unable to get out of our contract with them, but out of all the places in the area where we inquired regarding catering (the shopping center has a number of desi restaurants), this place was able to give us solid food, as well as exceptional service. I'm somewhat skeptical as to whether the other place will be able to deliver and part of me wishes I had gone with Dera, instead... let's see :) read more

Tried Dera first time. Ordered butter chicken $16.99 with other items. Served a small portion with 4-5 small pcs. Later I called the manager and told him the food was OK but you must know The Whole Food serves best quality butter chicken $8.99/ lb. I suggested to increase the quantity or reduce the price to be competitive. He responded that is our portion we can't change it. Another review says, some one ordered chicken biryani and just got a piece of chicken. There are dozens of better similar restaurants in DMV, who will keep going there if the attitude of the manager is so stubborn. read more

This was an unexpected superb experience to be had. We just stopped by one weekday night because we were in the area and couldn't decide on a place and liked their name compared to the other eateries in the complex. There were about 10 other people in the restaurant, who appeared to be regulars there. Instantly, we were greeted with warm welcome and seated. TWO servers and THE manager attended to us during our meal. I opted for the buffet and my wife ordered the malai kofta. We were given fresh made naan, puri, and roti - all were very tasty - which was surprising. A good naan is relatively hard to come by at most south asian restaurants. Alas, this was not one of those. The kofta in my wife's dish was soft and smooth, fresh made, and the malai was sweet but not too sweet, spicy yet not over powering the sweetness. Just a perfect blend of goodness. The vegetarian items in the buffet were forgettable and very bland. Not true for the non-veg items, which there were quite a lot. The items were a tad bit oily, but expected for pakistani items - as experienced in other metro cities. I'd definitely stop by when in the area next. read more

Where do I begin? The customer service is great, the wait time for seating and the food is never extremely long, and the food is so good. It truly tastes like I'm sitting in a dhaba in Pakistan. The spices and mixes are tasteful. The kabob karahi is one of my favorites, so yummy! The naan is so warm and fresh. I love it. I always enjoy my family dinners here read more

Food is great and the service OK, but what disappoints me is that their site and yelp site say they deliver but they do not. This causes me to rethink giving them business since they show that they deliver and when you call them they say that they might in a week, but they have been saying that for 2 months now... read more

Nice & clean place to take family. I have been there several times and the quality of food is always good. Consistency is really important & they have always delivered it. The staff is friendly & speak English which is definitely a plus because it can be challenging to communicate if staff doesn't speak English. Would definitely recommend this place to take your family & friends. read more

Dera catered my event and the food was excellent! They did a wonderful job replenishing the buffet, were helpful, and kept everything in check. I wish I had a chance to try all of the items we had! The samosas, kabobs, and bryiani were my favorite. The did a great job! read more

Amazing food that hit the spot! Buffet with Nihari, Paaya haleem , Kormas and tandoori fare. Hot naan and pooris are brought to the table . The creamy Kheer was delicious. Prompt service . Food was not overly greasy or spicy . Great meal! read more

Tried their sweets for the first time @4.99 per lb and loved it! I am going to skip nirala next door whose prices have gone up recently! My go to place now if I needed a quick indian sweets fix! read more

I think it's standard to ask prices but don't give me attitude AFTER I've already paid and try to throw shade. Won't be coming back due to lack of customer service and decency. read more

Came here for brunch on a Sunday because I was craving halwa puri. They have a pretty extensive brunch buffet (nihari, haleem, butter chicken, halwa, alu, and cholay). While everything was good, nothing was mind-blowing. I give them credit for having an extensive menu. I know there are better places for halwa puri in the area that I need to try out so not sure if I would come back here or not. read more

The goat was fantastic! The place looked clean. The service was good. Did I mention that the goat is awesome!

Good food for a very reasonable price. I wish they serve ice water though. Who drink warm water anyway. .

Very disappointed. I am a regular customer (my family has eaten here 1-2 times a week) for the past several months. Food is good for the most part (sone days are off) but it seems each time we go the prices keep creeping up. When you go for the buffet you end up paying close to $16/pp now and they tack on a mandatory 15% gratuity for a buffet regardless of so so service. The worst part is on top of that they charged me extra money tonight for bread that is supposed to come with the buffet. You just lost some of your regular customers. read more

The food is excellent! The buffet a great value, and provided us with an opportunity to try an assortment of dishes. The manager answered questions about the desserts and then surprised us with a sampler plate to try a few. We liked the pink topped cheesecake-like dessert the best as it was not as sweet as many of the other desserts. Friendly and helpful staff, great food, you should give it a try. read more

Restaurant has great potential. The food was excellent and promptly made to order. If you go for the doodwala chai (milk tea), expect to wait a little longer than desirable. Restaurant was also in a post-lunch rush condition despite the place being nearly empty. I would go back either way, but not expecting it to be spotless. read more

I ordered pickup and the order took 40-45 min even though they told me 30. It was 7:30 on a weeknight and the place was less than 1/2 full. They were very nice but the tika masala and matter paneer were both swimming in oil. The samosas were good. read more

I really like this place. We go here for the lunch buffet and the options are great. I'm vegetarian, and have been really pleased with the options for lunch. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and the place is quiet and clean. read more

Went to this restaurant the other day, service was good but food wasn't, seemed a day old and reheated, biryani didn't have any chicken in it and was stale, nihari and chicken karahi was bland, the only thing good was the freshly fried fish pakora, there were quite a few flies which added to our distaste, will not be going there again. read more

First time we had weekend buffet which was very good. Couple of days ago we took our friends for dinner during a weekday. The buffet didn't look very appetizing so we ordered from the menu. Chicken Karahi was disappointing and the Nihari and Biryani were probably reheated. Giving two star for the young lady who served us diligently and the fried fish. Also, the place wasn't clean and full of flies. Our guest were not happy. I hope the management reads this review and does something if they want their customers to come back. read more

Clean place, great service. We had the buffet which had a really good variety, including fried chicken, haleem, koftay, nihari, channay, gobi, squash, delicious kheer and gulab jamon. Fresh and hot naan was delivered to our table. Very reasonably priced too. read more

Way better than all our other experiences with Indian-Pakistani lunch buffets. Succulent chicken kabob, freshly made naan brought to the table, deliciously spiced veggies, salad and curried dishes. Reasonably priced and presented with pride and a prevailing good karma among service kitchen and management at the register. Very surprised not as crowded as I would have thought: day of the week? A real winner. read more

Excellent good and service. Nice place and setup. Their barbecue is the best. Will definitely return read more

Really nice and clean. Buffet is good. If ordering from the menu... their half chicken is delicious. Really good authentic pakistani food. This place is very well lit. The seating arrangement is nice well. Staff is a bit weird but owners are nice. read more

Really enjoyed this place! We stopped in Verizon and Ahmed (the manager) heard us discussing where to go for lunch and he suggested Dera. All I can say is soooo glad he did. The restaurant was clean and tidy. They had a small reasonably priced buffet, but since it was our first time we wanted to order a lot of different stuff to try. I am not sure of the names but the pupus (appetizers) of fried cheese/goat cheese or something was delish. The tomato cucumber sad was fresh and crunchy, the spicy goat stew, the beef kabobs, and another type of kabob with chick peas and rice was awesome! Spicy but worth every burning sensation lol. The waiter was very helpful with providing suggestions. Great food! read more