Amazing food... Naan is on point and fresh made Chicken biryani feed the family for a week. Items were hot. Don't expect the high end atmosphere (bench seating, simple decorations), and ordered at the counter. The staff was super patient with me as I butchered pronunciation and the cook/chef in the back got everything out fast (about 10 -15 mins) while I waited. Not a place to sleep on and will hit the spot when the munchies attack. read more

My intent was to get only roti as I was cooking meal at home but decided also to get Roti with veggies, and they did not disappoint. The roti was fresh and warm and the service was good, and pricing is reasonable. There is seating available and TV also, and decor was okay, but I ordered to go and they have Naan also. I will definitely try another meal there. read more

Food Flame - Aloo Saag - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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This place used to be good, but it's definitely not the same as it was when it opened a few years ago. Called in for a pick up order and asked if they offer free delivery. The guy denied free delivery even though their paper menu clearly says "free delivery" on it. Then their prices don't match. Their website said the goat karahi was $19.95, but they charged us $21.95. As for food, we ordered the goat karahi, chicken curry and garlic naan. The sauce for the goat karahi was okay. But the meat was tough and tasted more like lamb than goat. The chicken curry lacked flavor and it was evident that the chicken was cooked separately because it was bland, and dry. The rice had a lot of oil at the bottom of the container. The best part was the garlic naan. read more

Food Flame - Price difference - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Always great!!!! Food here is fresh and flavorful. We come back here any chance we can get. The family is very kind and always make sure you leave with a good experience. read more

Food Flame - Mac-n-Cheese Bites - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I've had a bit of south Asian cooking in my day, and this little gem is right up there with the best. Medium spicy is, in fact, spicy - think salsa verde made with serrano chilis. Lamb korma was flavorful, balanced, and the lamb was spot-on pull apart tender but not mushy. Chicken tikka biryani is loaded with flavor, spicy like it should be, and the chicken still moist. Maybe best of all, I arrived to pick up my online order, and they were just making it and asked what my heat preference was - so nice, pleasant folk. I'll be happily spending more of my dining dollars here. read more

The food was very disappointing. Everything was greasy, and my gyro and fries tasted old rather than fresh. The pita bread was extremely hard, and the green sauce was watery and had no flavor. Overall, the quality was poor--definitely not worth the money. read more

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Dropped in for a quick takeout meal and it did not disappoint. Family owned business and it was definitely made with love. Had the Samosa for appetizer and chicken biryani for main course. The samosa was really good. Crisp and soft at the same time while the hot potato filling was very nice. They asked me for heat level for the biryani and i said between medium and hot and it was perfect. Enough heat to feel it and kind of last but not soo much to burn without purpose. The portions are really good and I appreciate it for lunch tomorrow. Only feedback for the biryani would be a little bit of vegetables to be added. Good meal, thank you read more

Food Flame - Chicken Biryani and Samosa - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is the first family owned restaurant I have experienced in this area since I moved here in the middle of summer this year. The owners of the restaurant immediately greeted me with a smile and cordial attitude and were very professional. They recommended popular food items from their menu like the fresh made naan and butter chicken. The younger family members , Umair and Zubair, received orders and served the food while their parents cooked the food for customers. They answered all my questions and told me how they had just opened about seven months ago. I was very impressed with the family's work ethic and their passion for their restaurant and food. I selected an item I rarely see or eat, Goat Karahi. They mentioned that there were bones in the dish and asked what spice level I preferred. I requested medium. I can still sense the heat from the spice as I write this review, yet the spices in the dish were at my comfort level. I noticed that I could watch them cook my meal from the front desk- ideal in a restaurant. Goat is tricky to cook. Most people tend to over cook it yet this goat dish was cooked well and was enough to feed two people. I love the seasonings, sauce, and spices in this dish. It is on the higher quality priced end on the menu, yet it was the closest I have ever come to my favorite Indian food cooked fresh by my friend's mother. It came with a small serving of carrot pickles and raita. I love raita and wished I had ordered an extra serving for my to go meal. They provided me fresh naan to taste which was delicious. The basmati rice with saffron that came with my meal was the most excellent basmati rice I ever had. I have a myriad of past experiences with Indian food - from fresh home made Indian food at a friend's home by her mother from India to Five Star expensive Indian food at various luxurious hotels and restaurants in India for an extravagant wedding. Food Flame's tantalizing spicy food hits different than the typical Indian food you encounter in Indian restaurants. The food & service are more heartfelt and evokes a deep sense of nostalgia within me for the homemade Indian food cooked by my friend's mother. Can't wait to try more items on the menu and use the $5 and $10 coupons they have on their to go menus. I highly recommend this place for their delicious authentic Indian food , the superb customer service, and the family ambience. They do provide vegan & vegetarian options and offer exotic dishes I have never heard of or seen on an Indian restaurant menu which I will definitely order in the future. This place is a hidden gem and a go see for adventurous foodies or food lovers. read more

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4.5 Star rate. Food: Food was very great taste. Only thing that went wrong was the chicken with bone; not be cooked fully and just a very small portion was red supposedly. Overall; great food. Service: Amazing. Ambiance: Great ambiance; calm and peaceful environment. Thank you! read more

Looking for a take out spot and 5 stars popped up on food near me. Food Flame an Indian and Pakistani cuisine. At first, when looking at portions and cost $30, I was taken back. So gave it a try. Wasn't disappointed-Food was delicious and the young person giving recommendations was on point. I have left overs, so enough for 2 servings. I got #55 Paneer Naan ( tasty w/the raspberry sauce or dipped into sauce of chicken). Not worth $4.95 though, maybe if 2 pieces. Then tried #3 Samosas okay, not something I need to do again. Entree #35 chicken makhni-delicious. read more

Food Flame - Paneer Naan, Samosa and Chicken Makhni. - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I got the Butter Chicken (came with rice) and Garlic Naan. Wow, that best naan I've ever had, it was so fluffy. Nice local spot. read more

Food Flame - Garlic Naan Butter chicken Large rice - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Under the radar. Delicious food. Counter service, so not a fancy place. Worth a try.

Food Flame was such a wonderful find! This gem of a place offers fine Indian and Pakistani eats, with an extensive menu that includes various appetizers, soups, biryani, chicken/lamb/seafood/veg entrees, tandoori specials, breads, and even gyros, wings, and chicken tenders. We came here for an early lunch, and we ordered: +Samosas - filled with spiced potatoes and green peas, deep-fried in vegetable oil; I liked that the dough wasn't too thick! The filling had a nice kick to it +Chicken Karahi - prepared with chunks of boneless chicken cooked with spices, herbs, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers; we were a little disappointed that there was no bone-in option, but we were pleasantly surprised with this dish, considering it was boneless! The dark meet was tender, and the sauce was flavorful! +Chicken Makhni, aka Butter Chicken - loved the thick and creaminess of this butter chicken; the large chunks of chicken was of generous portions! +Chana Masala - chickpeas prepared with spices and a special sauce; this was my absolute favorite of them all; the chickpeas were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was thick and so flavorful! Great with rice or naan! +Garlic Naan +regular Naan We also tried the Beef Haleem, which was delicious - great with rice, this was such a comforting dish! Only offered on the weekends, though, so keep an eye out! They can customize the spice level, from mild, medium, hot, and extra spicy - we opted for mild and medium, and everything was just perfect! The portions are generous, so we had plenty of leftovers! This is a family-owned and -operated establishment, and the service was just super welcoming, kind, and friendly! We were checked in throughout our dining experience to ensure that everything was great - we really appreciated it! There's a dining area, but we also overheard a lot of call-aheads for carry-outs; they also seem to have a delivery option, too. Food Flame is such a gem, and everyone should give this place a try - you won't regret it! Definitely will go in our dining rotation! Located in the Engleside Plaza, there's plenty of parking in the plaza lot. +delicious Pakistani fare! +offers weekend specials! +friendly & warm service! +plenty of parking in the lot +located in the Engleside Plaza read more

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The food was decent and not very flavorful. We ordered a few dishes including chicken tikka masala. It was a little bland than I'm used. I enjoyed their lamb masala of all the dishes we ordered. The least favorite was the fish masala. Chicken tandoori was good. read more

First time ever ordering from this place, I did a walk in order to go and the customer service was one of the best I've had in this area. They gave me recommendations, described the food to me, and didn't rush me with the order. Now I'm home, about to eat and I just noticed they gave me an additional meal and wrote "on the house." Top notch service and I recommend this place to anyone who is in the area. EDIT: I just ate the food, I got butter chicken and chicken Tikka Masala and naan. So so good. I would 100% come back here again. read more

Food Flame - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Wow! This is a mom and pop Pakistani restaurant in Engleside Plaza (Mount Vernon) between the CVS and Safeway. I purchased the cheesy chicken pasta and the chicken karahi (traditional is bone in). Even though the chicken was boneless it tasted amazing, melting in my mouth. It was a mild spice level, so if you'd like it stronger please let them know. My husband is from India and likes it spicy level. The pasta was the white sauce pasta commonly found in India, made with penne, chicken, and pesto. You won't go here for the ambiance. Don't be fooled... all the best restaurants look like holes in the wall. And the mother was so sweet, and helpful. I think she cooks the food. There is a delivery minimum of 25$. But it's free delivery after that. read more

Food Flame - Menu - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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There's a reason this place has five stars. So many incredible flavors and textures at a great price. Easily the best Indian restaurant in the area. The samosas alone are an explosion of spices. The naan bread is like biting into a cloud; the lightest and fluffiest I've ever had. The rice alone was super flavorful; you almost don't need meat to eat with it. We got the chicken byrani and chicken and fish masala dishes. Mango lassi were a bit small but very refreshing. Food portions are very generous. We will definitely be back! read more

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Awesome Indian and Pakistani cuisine in Alexandria. Less than half a mile from my hotel. Service was outstanding and staff are super friendly! The food was amazing. I will definitely be back before I leave and will make this one of my stops whenever I'm back in the area! read more

Food Flame - a plate of food with rice, bread, and a bowl of soup - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Reading the reviews of Food Flame and seeing that it is a family owned and run business, we were interested in trying the restaurant and supporting a locally owned business. What I did not expect is what we found. The food at Food Flame is truly homemade. The owner (or the owner's wife) is the chef. You can watch her make your food right after you've ordered it. Most of the dishes include meat, including lamb, goat, chicken and beef. There is a nice selection of fish dishes including shrimp and salmon. There is also a section of the menu with vegetarian offerings. The food is very good. It is literally prepared for you-there is no pre-prepared anything. The one challenge that I had is that my soup was nearly room temperature when it was first brought to me and I needed to have them heat it. All of the flavors of our selections were distinctive; the food was not too salty. The dishes were very fragrant with various fresh herbs and spices in the delicious rice. The sauce complemented the salmon dish that we enjoyed. It was light and didn't drown the fish. The salmon was really fresh and excellent. The shrimp biryani was also very good. That being said, it feels like this is primarily a take out restaurant. The tables are rudimentary. While we ate dinner, we were the only ones sitting and eating in the place; but during our meal, there were multiple take out orders. Though I didn't see door dash or Uber Eats. All of the utensils for eating in and taking out are plastic. Side sauces are served in small plastic containers. The staff all seem to be family members or friends. Our waiter was their young son, who was very sweet and as helpful as could be. The entire family is very interested to please you at every step of your meal. So how to rate a restaurant with very good food that's not fancy for sure, with wonderfully warm and helpful staff, but with very rudimentary plates, utensils, cups, etc? As long as you expect a very basic restaurant, then you can focus on the food. We had no idea of what kind of place this is and were a bit surprised when we walked in. read more

I finally tried Food Flame after being in the area for quite a while and I was not disappointed. The food was absolutely delicious - every dish. I had ordered chicken biryani, tandoori seekh kabab, Matar paneer, a side of large zafrani basmati rice, and an order each of naan and paneer naan. Great portions, the food itself tasted very fresh, and was impressed with all of what I'd ordered. They even threw on an order of rice pudding on the house which was fantastic (and I am not a rice pudding fan -- but this was awesome). I ordered it takeout, so didn't eat in but the space itself was inviting, clean, and very well taken care of. The ownership and those working that evening were so very nice and welcoming! Highly recommend and will be making this a regular stop in the take out rotation!! read more

This place is great. The food was delicious, reasonably priced and the staff was very warm and welcoming. I would definitely recommend to others and will be back. read more

The experience at this establishment was very disappointing. The owner and staff were extremely rude, and the place lacked basic hygiene standards. When I first called to place an order, the employee was dismissive and repeatedly hung up on me. Hoping for better service in person, I visited the store, only to face the same unprofessional behavior from the owner himself. At the end he was getting very disrespectful and verbal to the point where I had to walk out of the restaurant to calm down the situation. Overall, this is definitely NOT a place I would recommend. read more

Food was a knockout. Ordered 8 items and enjoyed them all!! Family-run place that provides generous and tasty portions. Ordering more when nearby again. Worth driving a little to go and stock up for a few days of tasty dinners. read more

The food was delicious. I had chicken biryani and my wife had a lamb gyro. Portion sizes were large and presentation was excellent. The staff were all very friendly. I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

The food was amazing and the owners were so friendly and helpful in deciding what to order. read more

Food Flame - Deliciousness Chicken masala Garlic Naan Chicken Tikka Tandoori - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Food Flame has been my family's favorite place to order from since their opening. I look forward to it every time I come home to visit! First of all, the menu is so vegetarian and vegan-accommodating and I love how I have more than just a few options to choose from, as a vegetarian myself. The chana masala and vegetable biryani are my favorites though. I also love how the spice levels are customizable, that way I can order a spicy dish and my mom can order the same dish, slightly more mild. The service is amazing and the people are so friendly. I honestly have everything good to say about this restaurant :) 100000/10 stars! read more

LOVED this restaurant. Every Thursday, my 82-year-old Nana and I have a date night and we try locally owned restaurants with 4.5+ stars, regardless of cuisine type. I'd never cared much for Indian and I'd never tried Pakistani food, but Food Flame fit our little criteria, so we gave it a try. We both LOVED it and will be back and have recommended it to all of our neighbors. Everything we ordered was delicious. Neither of us like spicy food, but the staff offered to make it as mild or as spicy as we preferred. Everything turned out great! read more

A hidden gem for sure! Very flavorful and portion wise is pleasing for the price. Ordered for carryout and naan bread was hot and steaming when picked up. Def will order from here again. read more

Authentic, flavorful, and delicious! I make sure to come here when I am in the area. It is a family owned business that understands the importance of quality food. Everything I have ordered is amazing! Highly recommended! read more

This is our first time eating here, but I have to say that our dinner was probably the best Indian food I've ever had. Everything tasted fresh and perfectly spiced. We got the fish masala (salmon) which was wonderful and plenty for two of us, as well as mulligatawny soup and samosas. Hope to come again though we don't live nearby. read more

This place is delicious, Al the food is clearly homemade and fresh. I have enjoyed butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, naan, lamb rogan josh and all were very good. Usually I get delivery, which was fast and well packed. I ate inside once and the place is clean and the family that runs it is so kind and friendly, it really makes you want to come back and support their business. I'm glad they chose this area to open up! read more

I have finally found my go to for Indian/Pakistani food. Today we ordered Chicken Vindaloo, Shahi Paneer, Navrattan Biryani, Samosas, and Naan. Everything was very tasty. We really enjoyed how the dishes were seasoned well (not too salty) and were not too heavy. My father, who normally will not eat Indian food with us, thoroughly indulged himself and finished a couple platefuls of food. The service was also great. The people working the front were kind and courteous, asking if it was my first time at their restaurant. Someone I assume to be their father came out and greeted me as well and gave me a complimentary Mango Lassi. TLDR: I found my new favorite Indian/Pakistani Restaurant, and I will definitely be back. read more

The quality of the food was excellent! The staff was friendly and made effort to know our spice tolerance, to be sure the food was seasoned just right. I plan to return to this restaurant the next time I am in the area. read more

Ordered some takeout for dinner and it was amazing! We ordered some of the Indian staples like Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala, Chicken Biryani, and Naan and it was all tasty. Felt like a home cooked meal. I wanted to try one of the soups but unfortunately they were out of it. To my surprise, the owner added an order of the Vegetable Pakora on the house to make up for it and it ended up being one of the favorite things in our order! The restaurant seems relatively new so the interior is still being worked on but don't let it fool you, the food was great and I would happily come back. Definitely one of a kind in this area and a great option if you want to try something new. read more

Excellent food, cooked fresh, and made by a lovely family of owners. It's so nice to have this casual place to enjoy Indian/Pakistani food. The dining room is bright and there is a good amount of seating to dine-in. We had the chicken Tikka biryani, and garlic naan and it was all excellent, as were the curry chickpeas and raita that came with it. Highly recommend this local, family-owned place. read more

Food Flame - chicken Tikka Biryani and garlic naan - Pakistani Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is a great little family restaurant that we visited based upon positive word-of-mouth. We were not disappointed. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming, unfortunately an increasingly rare thing these days, and the food was robust and generously portioned generating welcomed leftovers to revisit at home. It felt like the food was cooked for us as guests rather than assembled for us as customers. This is surely an intangible but one we chatted about after our meal as a shared experience . I am happy to add to the positive buzz about Food Flame. Recommended. read more

My husband and I were in the area doing a pick-up from the neighboring Chinese restaurant when we passed by this place. A quick Google search told us everything we needed to know and we both were very excited to try this place out. The very next day, we had some of our family come and visit us so we decided to order dinner from Food Flame for everyone. I placed an order for delivery through GrubHub and surprisingly it was delivered on time!. For 5 people, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala ($18.95), Chicken Makhni aka Butter Chicken ($18.95), Shahi Paneer ($18.95) and 6 Naans ($11.70). Our total after taxes, delivery and service fees, etc ended up being $96. I do find the prices to be a bit expensive when compared to other restaurants, but nowadays everything is expensive so you can't complain much and also the food ended up being more than enough for everyone to enjoy and we even had some leftover for the next day. As mentioned, the food arrived by the estimated time but the food itself was lukewarm. We don't live that far from the restaurant so was a little disappointed that I had to re-heat fresh food before serving. Personally, I thought the food was just OK. It wasn't as mind-blowing as the rest of the reviews suggested. I'm Pakistani and well-versed in my cuisine and while the food is good at Food Flame, I've had better at other Pakistani restaurants. read more

Family own traditional. Trying hard. Very good delicious and authentic! Portions are great value as I had mixed chicken & lamb with vegetables on rice and basically 2 meals in one takeout box. Midday was rather quite while family had lunch across the restaurant. I will definitely return to try other items. read more

Good Indian food for the area. The Chana is flavorful and the biryani is outstanding. Only reason it's not a 5 star review is that sometimes the food can be a bit oily read more

Delicious!! We hadn't heard of the restaurant before and found it on a search on Yelp. What a find! We've ordered a few more times and are now big fans. We've tried a few of the apps and veggie entrees and all have been so good. read more