Excellent , authentic food. Courteous service in a clean environment. Sunday buffet is a must try !

Christmas is supposed to be a happy and jolly time, and this place drained my spirits away with their hospitality and wait time and quality of food. Ambiance was non existent. read more

The crave yesterday was for afghani food and it was because of TikTok! A lady I follow was enjoying afghani food in a different state so much, I had to try it for myself. So I went to my trusted Yelp and found Hilal Grill. My husband went to order and get us take out. I know what mantoo is in principle (I tried Manti in Dubai and it's yummy- this is very similar). We also ordered their famous badenjan dish and asked for recommendations on what to pick for the mixed grill platter and we got the tikka chicken, another chicken grill (probably mint chicken?) and two types of Kababs, one was definitely beef. We also got a couple of plain naans. The food was packaged really well with plastic wrap on top too so nothing spilled and everything looked good when it arrived. If I was to rate each dish separately, the mantoo got 5/5, the badenjan 5/5 and the grills and rice 3/5. The mantoo was delicious, melt in your mouth goodness with yogurt and dried mint on top. They are pillowy dough bites filled with ground beef and topped with yogurt and sauce, delicious. The badenjan tasted almost identical to the Lebanese version of Mousakka, also very very tasty eggplant topped with yogurt sauce. The grills and the rice were not entirely my favorite. The chicken tikka and the green (probably mint grilled chicken pieces) were very good. The kababs were just ok, they had a flavor that I am unable to explain and that was not my favorite. The rice, to my surprise, had vermicelli which we normally enjoy but again, the flavor was very foreign to us and was not particularly appealing. Although the grills on the menu say they come with salad, it's basically fresh onions, lemon wedges and some greens, not an actual salad with dressing. The naans were huge and were not greasy which is what we prefer. Prices are slightly on the higher side. We paid $67+ before tip. The portion were ok, the grills plate was pretty big. We are definitely craving the mantoo and badenjan dishes again today. We will be giving the restaurant another try and will order curries next time and another type of rice. read more

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I reviewed this restaurant years ago before when it was called Tahoora Grill and the name it had before that. So I have to post a new review now. One of my favorite things to do is come to their Sunday buffet. As far as I was told, this restaurant came about when a sister and sister-in-law went into partnership to open another favorite of mine, Khyber Halal nearby. In the first 8 months, they clashed and severed their partnership, and one of them opened Tahoora Grill (had a different name I can't remember, so many name changes this place had). The menus were almost identical even to every picture. Tahoora Grill became Hilal because I was told by management, that some restaurant in Chicago, so far away, had the same Tahoora Grill name and they were complaining that Tahoora Grill in Phoenix took their name. So Tahoora was changed to Hilal, and with a (wrong or at least unconventional spelling) of Halal, that no other business would wanna spell Halal as Hilal. So I guess Hilal is gonna stick. When it was Tahoora Grill, I hosted several Wild Dining MeetUps for groups of 20 people to eat the Sunday buffet. Owners were so nice to give us reservations when they are so crowded on that day. You know the place serves truly authentic cooking of the ethnicity it represents, when the only white people eating there were the people in the MeetUp who signed up for my Sunday Buffet event. When standing in line to pay in advance, I asked Pakistanis and Indians and Afghanis if this cooking was what I would expect their mom to prepare at their home, in their country or origin. They all said yes. And one of them said "We drove all the way from Tucson, just to eat here!" Another overheard, and exclaimed "This is the best restaurant in ALL of Arizona!" My favorite dish is Goat Paya, a stew cooked with goat feet and lots of dark gelatanous gravy I like to put on my rice. I love "feet" of pig, chicken, goat, and beef, cos of the gluten, gelatin, and the knuckles, good source of collagen. Anyhow they have Goat Paya all you can eat at the Sunday buffet. Goat is expensive and their buffet is a great price for all those traditional dishes including fountain drink. I also love their grilled fish, so much grill flavor ! But the portion wasn't much, cos we (in the picture below) shared that dish off the menu between three people. I brought Kashmiri Indian friends who sold handicrafts from their country at Tucson Gem show and Scottsdale Arabian Horse show, to eat at Hilal. Now we eat here together every time they come from NYC to sell their country's (Kashmir. India) handicrafts every February. They say food is very good and authentic, and come to eat here several times a week during the shows, and buying their groceries next door. read more

Hilal Grill - Eating with Kashmiri Indian friends from NYC, Feb 13, 2020. They think the food is very good and eat at Hilal often. - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We hosted a friends dinner event at Hilal grill delicious fresh authentic Pakistani food. They have a live bbq Fridays and our guests really enjoyed the bbq so many items and the ambiance and servers was amazing! The owners Mamoona and her husband are there to see that the event executes with perfection! We had such a great time! read more

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Excellent, flavorful Indian, Pakistani and Afghani cuisine, highly recommend. I love their chicken handi and Kabuli rice.

I'm on a mission to find good Pakistani/Indian food in Phoenix. We arrived here on a Saturday around 7:15PM and the place wasn't very busy but people started pouring in shortly after. We ordered paye, chicken tikka, beef biryani, chicken handi, and garlic naan. The serving sizes were on the smaller side in my opinion but four items for four people seemed to worked out. The chicken tikka was moist and tender but just on the verge of being undercooked, and it was pretty mild in flavor. With more spice and more cook time, it would be perfect! Everything else we ordered was pretty good. The garlic naan was superb! It was so fresh and delicious. They might be understaffed because our servers seemed flustered. When ordering, the waitress had warned us that our food would take anywhere between 35-55 minutes. It ended up coming out in 15, which was nice. She had also said that chai would take 45 minutes, which was confusing because right then another waiter said he would make it in 5. Overall the service is hit or miss, but the food is definitely worth a visit! read more

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Came here for the first time due to the good reviews. Their online ordering system doesn't work right now so I called in the order. I settled on the Chicken Handi. The chicken pieces were good and fresh. I was disappointed that it didn't come with white rice. Also, I saw jalapeños in the dish and was surprised that there was no indication of the dish being spicy on the menu or when ordering. Every Indian entree I've ever had in my life has come with white rice for free. Every Indian place has asked what spice level I want when ordering, I had no idea this was spicy or had jalapeños. When I got home and opened the container, I was shocked by the amount of oil pooled at the top. It was disgusting. I had to strain the oil off and it still didn't help. The garlic naan was good. It's hard to want to try anything else here based on this first experience unfortunately. read more

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Came in to take out chicken tiki marsala and where the register comes up and you're supposed to put a tip in or no tip I hit no tip she automatically put on 10%, I caught her doing it so FYI make sure you check your receipt. I will never come back. I don't like dishonest people read more

too expensive compare to indian flame they have repeat food always the same thing last boring $30 per person is a lot

I thought this was a great dinner. We came for their Sunday buffet and you pay at the front counter. The restaurant is large, with many tables and a elevated atmosphere. They had classical music playing the whole time. A fountain drink is included with the dinner, so I got a mix of tea and lemonade. They have a salad bar which had hummus in it, tasty, and two types of rice. I skipped the goat and beef dishes but got palak chicken, tandoori chicken, aloo matar, channa masala and naan. Everything tasted hot and delicious! The flavors were strong and diverse. I got seconds and felt it was worth the $15. They had a pistachio pudding dessert that was great as well. The young adults working were polite and quick to clear out plates. They had fresh tandoori chicken put out but even the one I got from the first pan was so good, love the charred flavor and the meat was tender and easy to peel off from the bone. This is a good place to bring friends and family, especially for the buffet. I'll have to come back and try different dishes from their menu. read more

Hilal Grill - Buffet sampling - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Food was amazing!! The service was wonderful the atmosphere was gorgeous. First time here and will def be coming back again with more family and friends. read more

Best Pakistani buffet in all of Phoenix.From the nahari, halwa, pulao and chicken tikka all tasted amazing. Great setup for large parties to enjoy a delightful meal together. The servers were attentive and made sure we had hot puris the second we asked. Decor is simple but effective makes you feel like you're at home. If you're looking delish food I highly recommend the Sunday buffet. The price is just right. Great job to entire team of Hilal Grill. read more

Awesome food!! Real homecooking. Very authentic. The staff were friendly and atmosphere was nice. Went for their Ramadan buffer

Afghani Pakistani mix cuisine more than Indian. Taste good overall. Server is highly energetic and proactive to suggest things. Courteous people. Also huge dining place which can easily seat around 60+ people. Quick order and super quick delivery of food. Everything feels good about this place. I was more into the 5-star but the chicken kadahi and paneer curry were tangy, so would rate 4/5. Chicken tandoori kebabs were the best here. Very tender and charcoal bbq flavors. read more

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This is one of the only Pakistani restaurants in Phoenix and it's great. I've been going for years and while the nihari can be hit or miss, everything else is spot on every time. The Sunday buffet is all you can eat and they usually have their best dishes. The staff is nice but theres usually only a few people working, so wait times can feel a little long, but the food makes up for it. This is a great place to try Pakistani food if you've never had it before. If you're going for the first time, definitely get the goat curry, nihari, and the chicken karahi. read more

Great and delicious food and nice service and good prices I recommend try it I will go again read more

Food taste was amazing. And presentation was wonderful. Great seasoning. Excellent service. It's not a fancy restaurant. It's food with a ton of love. Try you will love. Not far from PHX airport. They do take out and catering. read more

Here we are, post-pandemic, and Hilal Grill is STILL a great choice for Indian/Pakistani/Afghanistani food. Actually, I wouldn't just limit it to ethnic origins... this place is a fine choice for lunch or dinner, no matter what your expectations might be. So good! We had 3 people, including myself, for a meeting over dinner. We took a table in the far corner of the spacious dining room, so as not to disturb their main service. It was a weeknight, and the place was about half full most of the time we were there. Very comfortable, and the server was happy to let us have our discussion before taking the order. Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, and Beef Biryani were all excellent, and the sides were great across the board. Garlic Naan, Afghani Rice, and a side order of Chana Masala (a chickpea curry that is usually a main dish), were all hot, fresh, and tasted so distinctly spiced (no Americanized versions here!) that we didn't talk much after the food came! Too busy enjoying the spread. Mamoona is an expert chef and the food never disappoints. Do yourself a major favor and support this wonderful neighborhood treasure. I suggest the Sunday All-Day Buffet, so as to get a wide sampling of the dishes coming from the kitchen. Not the cheapest, but certainly the best. read more

Authentic food! Great service, great food, just amazing over all! Definitely coming back soon! read more

We were actually headed to another restaurant and had seen the Hilal Grill sign passing by a few weeks ago. After looking at the reviews on Yelp and seeing those delicious looking dishes I knew I had to try it out! The restaurant is very spacious and it appears to be the former location of Zam Zam Market since the sign for Zam Zam is still there. There were plenty of tables to choose from and we were free to sit wherever we wanted. We split the kabob meal for 2+. It was huge and they did an admirable job with plating! We oohed and ahhed over how it looked and it smelled amazing. The family style meal comes with your choice of 4 kabobs from a selection listed on the menu. We had the beef kabob, lamb kabob, chicken kabob with boneless chicken and a minced chicken kabob. My favorite of the 4 was the boneless chicken which had breast meat that was so tender and juicy. The rice was equally as good too, very fluffy and well seasoned. It was flanked by 2 large piles of chopped cucumber. I also indulged in a mango lassi which had a very nice blend of tangy yogurt flavor with cool refreshing sweet mango. Service was very friendly, although one of my friends didn't get a mango lassi he had asked for and they were no longer selling the original chicken kabob I had requested that was on the menu. Perhaps they should update the menu to avoid further customer disappointments! The one thing that was weird about our evening was that one of the overhead lights wasn't working fully so it would flicker on and off, vacillating between having dark and normal lighting. We actually thought at one point they were lowering the lights like how stores do so as a not so subtle hint to finish up shopping but turns out they just wanted a surreal dining experience for us I suppose haha. In addition to delicious dinners they have a lunch buffet for $11.99 on most days and $13.99 on Sunday. I'll definitely be back to try that buffet! read more

Hilal Grill - Mango lassi - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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It's really a 4.5, but given the lack of good food in AZ, I'll bump it up;) First time here. I was craving Indian, typed Indian food in Yelp and saw this and was intrigued. It hasn't yet been bookmarked so was super new to me. Looking at the inside pix, I thought maybe I had been there before, but once I parked, I realized I had never been here. It's easy to miss the entrance for parking so be careful. They have multiple parking spots, but if they were ever super busy, you'd probably have to park in the neighbor on the streets? I walked in and there were only two tables of people. I was greeted and seated at a table. It is very casual dining tables and decor in a big room. Menu is huge, but finally decided on beef samosas, chicken curry, Afghani eggplant, garlic naan and mango lassi. I was super excited that they had Afghani food as I have missed that so much and didn't think they had that in AZ! The food came out SO fast. I wasn't expecting that and for the most part, tasted fresh. I dunno how they got the food out so fast! I enjoyed the mango lassi as it tasted like fresh fruit so wasn't super sweet like at most places. It tasted like even the yogurt was freshly made. The beef samosas were noms. Airy fried if that makes sense vs the typical Indian heavy fried dough so it didn't feel heavy eating it or super oily. High recommend. The chicken curry was just okay. Nothing wrong with it, but didn't blow me away. Naan was good. Eggplant looked small serving at first, but then realized when eating it is quite dense so actually a good portion. I had to ask for Togo containers for my leftovers. Bathroom is in the back and was basic and clean. You have to go up to the front to pay. Overall, I was pleased with the food and service and price and will come back to try other items! read more

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Food was very tasty. As far as decor and vibe, well you prob wont be impressed but its clean, big and the staff friendly and professional. Food didnt take long to come out either. read more

Hilal Grill - Chicken Handi (so good!!) - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Really, the best way to eat Indian food is to come with a few extra people to share some extra dishes that you might not order if it's just the two of you! My favorite dish here was the Afghani Gulpi, which is a wonderful cauliflower dish. The butter chicken was a little different from what I'm used to but it was still good. Garlic naan was also good. The Vegetable Biryani was a surprise hit, as it was very flavorful. We also had the Afghani rice, but other than color, I didn't find much difference between it and basmati rice. The most unusual dish that we shared was some lamb dish, which came in a big soup-like container. We tossed the bread (naan-like) squares into the soup, and once they had soaked up some of the broth, they tasted quite good, almost like a mini-pizza. No idea why, though, as I didn't see any cheese anywhere. This soup also had potatoes swimming in it along with some big lamb chunks. If only I would remember the name! I had a taste of the mint lassi and was a little shocked with the flavor, only because I'm used to mango (sweet). The mint lassi had a lot of the same taste as riatia. If you don't like the sweetness of a mango lassi, then do try the mint. It might just be your "thing." As for me, I'm sticking with the mango. read more

Hilal Grill - Afghan Gulpi - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Yummy food. Nice environment. Friendly staff. Variety food, fruit drinks and hot tea, coffee. Definitely going back again.

In February 2018, this restaurant was being renovated and so the decor wasn't what it will be after it is finished. That is the reason this place earned only four stars. The restaurant is doubling the seating area as they expand into the next door store. At least we were there after they had finished demolishing the wall separating the two areas. The waiters are young and enthusiastic. The food is flavorful and they have a number of different ethnic offerings that are not available in a traditional Indian restaurant. The Afghani fluency allows for different spice combinations and this restaurant also has a greater selection of goat dishes than most. If you are vegetarian, there should be enough choices to keep you happy. read more

Hilal Grill - Butter chicken, vegetable biryani and afghani rice. - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I have been looking for a place that has authentic Afghan style kabobs in Phoenix and I am glad I stopped by here today. Ordered the chicken boti kabobs, added afghan rice and a naan. Total was around $13 after tax which was not bad at all considering their portions. Most of their food is meant to be enjoyed family style and they offer a buffet on Sundays. The chicken was nice and fresh, the pieces were huge. Their seasoning was just right and I also enjoyed the jalapeno chutney sauce. I can eat a LOT of food and I left fully satisfied after finishing my plate. The server also informed me that they own their own farm which is where all of their halal meats come from. I thought that was exceptionally above and beyond when most of the places will just go to a butcher. The dining room is open for seating too so I was able to sit down and relax. I will be returning to try some of their other dishes and I'll be bringing my friend with me next time. read more

Hilal Grill - Chicken Boti, added Afghan rice plus plain naan. Served with small salad garnish and spicy chutney. - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We flew in from Seattle and came across this restaurant by chance. The food was delicious and service wonderful. The staff was hospitable and made us feel at home! We had wanted very much to try the Sunday buffet, unfortunately our travel schedule didn't work out. Will definitely dine here again next time when we visit family in Phoenix! read more

Really great mango lassi. Me and my gf came here for lunch and we were really excited for the food. It came out fairly quickly but it was more of pakistani flavors than indian food. read more

I went here with a friend from work. It was her turn to pick and, thank gawd it was - because I'd have never gone here of my own volition. From the outside, it looks like the kind of place where they'd write the menu on paper towels with crayons. Not even the good crayons - rose art. When we opened the door, I was greeted by the most pleasant of aromas. The inside of the restaurant was large and entirely empty (spare the staff). We were seated and ordered foods which we'd never heard of - let alone tried. It was amazing. Absolutely, completely, and totally amazing. Neither of us have ever had Afghani food before, but we were both blown away. The food tasted fresh, the spices were just right, and the staff were so friendly and helpful. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. You have to try it. read more

Walked into a very clean and modern restaurant (compared to what I'm used to seeing when going to Indian buffets). Paid for the buffet (including tip) before the meal, which was a little odd. The food was presented really well - there was clearly intention out behind the dishes' appearance. All dishes I had were great (with the exception of mixed veg - I gave what looked like cooked vegetables from a frozen medley a try, and unfortunately it was just cooked vegetables from a frozen medley with some bland spices/curry). We were asked if we wanted to try the poori and got one per person delivered hot and fresh to the table. The buffet had a good variety of meat (at least 5) and vegetarian (at least 4) dishes. However, both rice options had meat mixed in. The buffet also included three desserts and tea/soft drinks. We paid for the Sunday buffet (despite it being a weekday; it was New Years Day), so I'm not sure if there is less variety during a normal weekday. The staff were all paying attention to the food and restaurant - though the place was pretty dead when we were there, they were keeping busy tending the buffet, making sure items were stocked, and cleaning. I would definitely recommend if looking for an Indian buffet in the area. My one gripe is that all plates and cups were disposable (as you can see from my pics). This not only diminished the otherwise classy buffet but is bad for the environment. I'm not sure why they didn't use regular dishes for the meal. read more

Hilal Grill - Plate from buffet - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Happened upon this place while in Pheonix for a class. Some of the best Indian food I have ever had. Authentic and delicious. Have been back for the Sunday brunch which was also amazing. read more

I found the buffet to be a great value at $15 on Sunday night. Best goat I've had, not gamey. Small fresh buffet, I enjoyed various kinds of rice, chicken, and goat, and dal. I was happy to be told the dishes don't contain coconut milk when I asked. It's self serve , u pay at front. Casual, comfortable, family atmosphere. Thanks local yelpers for reviewing this place so we could have a good healthy meal on our way to airport! read more

Hilal Grill - Oops ate my dinner before taking photo.(-:. Yum. - Indian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Hilal Grill, formerly the Tahoora Grill does not disappointment! The most amazing part of the meal, of course, is the humongous Tandoori Parantha. It is a large flatbread baked in the tandoor or oven. It is topped with white and black sesame seeds. (10/10) It went really well with the chicken tikka masala, our favorite. Creamy, delicately spiced curry with chicken. (10/10) They were out of the cauliflower or Afghan Gulpi. We got the spinach Sabzi instead. In our opinion, it wasn't as good as the Gulpi and will probably try the eggplant next (6/10). The beef samosa has changed crust. It used to be bigger and puffier. The filling is fine and tasty and great with the mint chutney. Sadly, it has flattened out. (6/10) The lamb shank did not look as appetizing as the one I tried earlier in the year. It lamb was gamy tasting, but fall off the bone soft. It had a little too much fat for my taste. The carrot and small raisin rice was tasty. I loved the cucumber, raita and mint chutney. We enjoyed the rice with the chicken tikka masala as well. (7/10) We liked our mango lassi, however, it was just slightly chilled. (8/10) Our server was not very attentive in filling up our water. He was nice about bringing boxes and lids for my sauces when I asked. (7/10) Still, the Tandoori Parantha and the chicken tikka masala keep bringing us back. read more

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Nice spacious restaurant with an attentive servicer. The food was decent. We got kadhai chicken, chili naan, garlic naan and the Seekh kabab plate. The kadhai chicken was flavorful and the best dish we had. Naans we're both rubbery for some reason. Seekh kabab was also decent. Not a lot of other Indian options near by which is what I was looking for. read more

It is a really nice and quiet place to get some real Indian food in Phoenix. Food was amazing and the service was good. The menu offers plenty of options read more

This is for the Iftar review. Glad we drove 45 minutes for it. It was every bit worth it! They had a big spread for the buffet. While I cannot recall every single item, they had fruit salads, fruits, biryani, chicken and goat curries, pizza (better pizza than actual pizza restaurants), chowmein, naan, luchi and pakoras. The buffet also included fountain drinks, juices and their awesome chai. They also had a dessert with ice cream and jello. Not sure what it's called but it should not be missed. Come here with an open mind and a big appetite. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this place for Iftar. I just wish I had known about it earlier. Thankfully Ramadan comes around every year. See you next Ramadan! In Sha Allah. Also checkout their Facebook page for the Iftar buffet menu that changes daily. Important note - ensure to make reservations early in the day. read more

As a white man who really enjoys indian cuisine this might be one of the most bland, apathetic, expensive, and sad attempts at indian cuisine. I payed $45 for a lamb kebab, rice, and chicken tiki masala (which was 25% oil and lacked any sort of flavor). That being said, I could've bought more flavorful microwaved meals from walmart for a tenth of the price. Both me and my egyptian girlfriend have upset stomachs and ordered mild or medium meals. The only reason this place is getting two stars is because the gentleman taking our order was really helpful by getting the door and we came in while they were closing so I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. That being said I wouldnt recommend going here and honestly would like a refund as a struggling college student. read more

I was looking forward to trying this place particularly since I saw some indian dishes on the menu. Its menu has mediterranean and indian food options. My mouth was watering as the servers passed by with chicken & beef kabobs, basmati rice, etc. The platters looked awesome! Physically it is a super large room with a cafeteria style set up. Lots of ethnic families eating there so I figured the food must be good. I saw chicken biryani on the menu and a beef curry. I told them I wanted both super spicy. In the interim ,we ordered beef samosas. The samosas arrived piping hot and were super delicious--puff pastry with lightly spiced beef. I would get those again. The Chicken biryani came with a lettuce salad. The biryani was DELICIOUS with a great combination of spices. Unfortunately, the beef curry had no flavor and was super oily to the point that once I took one bite of the beef I could not eat it. I brought it to the server's attention and he was gracious enough to take it off the bill. Great customer service. I would go back for the biryani and the samosas. read more

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Good enough little spot but average food. I've had much better tikka masala but it wasn't bad or anything. Small portion of paneer compared to sauce so not really worthy the price. Naan was very good and came with huge portions! The espresso was a bit too sweet but quite good for a dessert coffee. Service was pretty slow but friendly. Can't come here for a lunch hour or you'll be late getting back but would be fine without time restrictions. read more