I love this place for takeout. Food is excellent and prices are reasonable. I usually order the Lamb Korma and Lamb Biryani. Both are seasoned well and tastes fresh made to order. I wish this place had a better dine-in ambiance. It's almost always empty and does not have a good vibe. read more

I walked into this Pakistani/Indian restaurant about 20 minutes ago and saw a typical buffet set up. I went for the buffet and once picked my items and sat down to eat and realized with my first bite that the food was very cold. Horrible food. First disappointment. The female owner had most or all of her friends occupying the seats in the restaurant. It is typical that once you get 3 or more Pakistani women together there will be gossiping and that is all they did. I, as a patron, did not appreciate and did not want to hear this BS. DO THIS AT YOUR HOMES. Second disappointment. The ambiance in this so called restaurant was similar to sitting in someone's backyard. Even in most taco shops they at least once ask you if you need something else. Nothing here. Third class and third world Customer Service. Third Disappointment. Lastly, I will never come here again and encourage you to do the same. This is a shit hole of epic proportions. read more

The food was delicious, the staff was friendly, and the service was fast. I really enjoyed my meal here and will definitely come back again read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

Food is always amazing! In Ramadan they have iftar buffet as well. Personally like catering their food and their service is excellent. Ambiance could be better but I think their claim to fame is catering. read more

I'm a Pakistani native. I know the very clear difference between real authentic briyani vs rice mixed in curry sauce. Before I order, I always ask if it's authentic dum briyani. If not, I'll gladly order something else. I went in wanting to order take out. They have no menus, only TV screen that switches between menu items. No problem I look on the Yelp menu. I ask, who I assume is the owner, if they make dum briyani or mix curry in rice. He very confidently assures me it's authentic dum briyani and he knows exactly what other briyanis I'm speaking of and it's not that. Ok cool, I order it. Again as someone who knows Pakistani food very well because I've ate it my entire life, this is not briyani. It's curry mixed in rice with fried onions. That's it! The chicken tastes horrible and old. I took 3 bites because I was starving and rest went to trash. Simple honesty that it's not actual briyani and I would've gotten something else. But to be cocky and say yours is the best and it's not even close. Not even eating worthy because chicken is bad. read more

Please update your prices for each dish. I use to pay about $30-+for 3 dishes and now it's $52. Be wary of this place as they will charge you whatever they feel like. And flavor has gone downhill. Maybe a change with the cook? There is no current menu with correct prices. read more

Food is soo good. The restaurant ambiance isn't that great but the food makes up for it. Plus it's a great place for me to get food from for events. read more

We should have taken the negative reviews to heart, but there was recently a positive writeup about this restaurant (and its Iftar service) by a local food writer, so we decided to give Mirchi a chance. We dined in and that was our biggest mistake. The food isn't excellent, but the dine-in experience is pretty terrible. If you are going to get food from Mirchi (which I don't recommend), I strongly recommend getting takeout. Previous reviews mention a need for better "ambience". I presumed that meant dated decor. Actually, the dining area was unclean, as were the utensils and plates brought to us to serve/eat with. So, yes, they could update the decor -- but MORE IMPORTANTLY, they should offer dine-in patrons clean tables to eat at (rather than wiping off the tables while you are seated, flinging the last patron's crumbs onto your clothing) and clean utensils to dine with. There are no menus. There are pictures of food behind the register and no prices listed. We were told there was lamb (and ordered lamb korma) but were served mutton. (It's fine if all you have is mutton -- but call it mutton korma.) The mutton had lots of bones and fat and not much in the way of meat. The food was passable, but the lack of cleanliness in the restaurant made us lose our appetite and not be able to finish our meal. read more

Well, at first I couldn't find it. It's kind of hidden and behind the jack in the box. I wish I wouldn't have went to the restroom when I first got there because it was filthy with some bugs on the floor I didn't want to look because I can just guess what they were. Anyway it kind of turned my stomach. I ordered a whole bunch of food to take home. I couldn't eat it that night. But the next day I got the courage too. The beef Nahari, paneer and chicken masala's were so good. Some of the best food comes from restaurants like that. The lady was so nice I think she owned the place. Price was good, I'll be back. read more

So take a look at the picture and decide if this amount of food is worth $24? One dish is a beef dish with 2 pieces of meat in it and the other is a dish made with chickpeas. Oh and there is also some bread. The place is in a abandoned looking strip mall next to the highway. The place itself is very modest so rent should not be that high. Then the actual amount of food. Chickpeas is less than $2 for a big can, bread is super cheap and 2 pieces of meat is what it is. Don't get me wrong, I love supporting small businesses but the value has to be there. Instead of being a repeat customer, visiting a few times a week, they got my money as a one-time customer and done. Oh I did ask the person working there, "is this all of it" when he handed me the food to which he replied "yes, that's a lot of food". I just took the bag and left but thought "a lot of food" to who exactly? Ants or small children? read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Nihari, Chana in 16 oz containers - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

They don't even open on time or answer phone. Terrible I came this far and they were still closed., door hours are 11 to 10 online hours are at 12. I came at 12 they were still closed on Saturday. read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Stores hours - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

Went for Iftar buffet, was surprised to see many items for 16$ only. Biryani, Nihari, karahi Chicken all were good and tasty. They couldn't keep up with refills of Lassi and juices that's why took away 1 star. Overall very satisfied with the food and the price. read more

great chicken masala and the bread was delightly made hot and ready for my taste buds

Food was good specially paya was tasty, Need some renovations in restaurant so customers feel good and comfortable read more

This was the worst experience I have ever had. I went for the first time with my fiancé we ordered the butter chicken, garlic naan, and a beef dish. In my fiancé's last bite, there was a piece of glass the size of about an inch. It was also broken up into smaller pieces. Instead of taking accountability and apologizing right away, they said they had no idea where it came from that it was probably from us or the table, and that they can only give us a refund for the dish that had the glass not the entire meal. This is my first yelp review for a reason it was genuinely such a rude experience. After not only refusing to give us a full refund and being rude and insinuating that it was our fault that the glass was even there and that they were not responsible we left but we decided to go back because honestly it was just so rude that we thought that was ridiculous that they were talking to us that way. They then gave us a full refund, but honestly, the glass could've really hurt my fiancé, and it was completely handled poorly. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Delicious home style Pakistani food. Look past The outside/inside ambiance and you have flavorful food. We ordered our food mild and it had the right amount of spice. We liked the Haleem, chicken Karachi, and biryani. The chicken tandoori was alright might try the chicken boti and chicken tikka masala next time. 4 stars because the interior could use some sprucing up. We also want to come back to try the Sunday brunch. read more

I ordered veggie biryani from them for the first time. I never had such a bad experience eating biryani. i mean i had to throw away basically everything after trying few spoons of it. I felt that the veggies were not cooked and were big chunks of them. It tasted really odd. I wasn't even sure if it really was veggie biryani or some meat biryani or if they just took meat out of some meat biryani. Never gonna try this place again. read more

Mirchi Restuarant - a plate of food with a laptop in the background - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

Delicious Food! Great Service! And Outstanding People! I highly recommend this place for whoever's looking for some authentic Pakistani-Afghani Food. read more

Mirchi Restuarant - a bowl of food on a table - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

One of the few halal options available in inland Empire area but totally worth it. My go to items from this restaurant are chicken Tikka masala (yumm) paired with their garlic Naan. Their Daal is also great. Frequenting this restaurant for last one year and the owner is amazing guy. Not much of an ambiance to rave about but hey the foods good, and that matters to me the most. Recommended! read more

I doubt if they are Pakistani or Indian. Lots of choices for food. Small place, and a depressing parking lot. Food is average.

I was recommended to this place by one of my friend and i am so glad i went wth her suggestion and got food from here. I cant say enough good things about this restaurant and the food. We ordered for one of the wedding events this past Saturday and the food was exceptionally good. Chicken Biryaani, Beef Karhai, Chicken Tikka and Palak Alloo (complementary Naan, Salad and Chutney). Every single item was made to perfection and tasted amazing. Everyone was asking about the food and we had some left over which we enjoyed for a full week and still not tired of it, haha. So far the best tasting Pakistani food I have ever had. Going forward this will be my to-go place for any catering needs. I am definitely planning to visit the restaurant soon to try other dishes that they offer. read more

Mirchi Restuarant - salad, Chicken Biryani, beef karhai - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

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This is a great hole in the wall place for Indian/Pakistani food. The price for an entree is about $7 and rice and naan cost extra which makes the cost for each person around $11 which is extremely affordable compared to other places around the area. You can skip the rice making this a great keto option. read more

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I don't write reviews but in this case I feel that people need to know. First, they cheated me by giving me only half of portion they normally serve. Their seekh kebabs were filled with rubber like tissue that I had to throw away. I called them and requested a credit. The lady on the phone said yes but when I showed up at the restaurant, I was insulted. The guy was screaming that they are not responsible for the poor quality of the meat. So do yourself a favour and don't go there. You will be disappointed in one way or another read more

The number one issue with the restaurant is that there is ambiguity about how it looks and what one would pay for a meal based on observation alone. The menu is a bunch of photos above the cash counter, with no prices listed. I went there by myself, there were no other customers there it was about lunch time. I ordered one item with bread. The bill $53 plus. For the decor ambiance, extremely overpriced. Would not venture near it again. I suggest you ask how much your meal will cost before any thing else! read more

Mirchi means "chile" or "hot". But for wimps like me that quake at the word "chile", Mirchi also means really good food. There is nothing replaces the richness and integrity of "slow" foods. Nothing is more powerful on the palate than the complexity of honest, ghee and spice smitten, homemade Indian cuisine. You will find it here. Tragically under reviewed (it hasn't been open too long, they say since January), I insist you not ignore Mirchi's other reviewers. They are absolutely right. After our first meal here, I was proclaiming this was possibly one of the best Indian meals I have had in a long, long time. The large picture board as you enter shows the entrees they have prepared for the day. I counted 18 different dishes, some vegetarian, some not. Meats include beef, chicken, lamb, and goat, and everything ranges between $5-$9. Two of the items were intended to appeal to the non-adventurous American palate, a chicken sandwich and a burger (you might as well go across the street to Jack in the Box). While they did not offer us one to read, the multi-paged menu (I think some of the prices are no longer current) also lists some delicious appetizers, drinks, and desserts. Our appetizer, a beef samosa, had a real kick to the filling. Oh my! Mirchi! Seasoned ground beef is wrapped into a delicate triangular wrapper, then fried. This was the only thing that had me searching for something neutral, cold, and wet because of the spice heat, but doggone it, it was good. I loved my Chicken Tikka Masala. Boneless chicken simmered in a subtly spiced, orange (tomato) yogurt gravy. Outstanding. The Lamb Korma was a slow cooked, tender meat dish with a rich gravy. Ha! I know one of the ingredients was cardamom, I found a pod. So yummy. The best surprise was the Potato Spinach. I believe it is better known as Aloo Palak, mostly spinach with delicious chunks of potato. While anything healthful about the spinach has been severely cooked out of it, also understand, ghee (clarified butter) is a starter ingredient in many of their dishes. It, and the select spices, make this a buttery masterpiece, even though it is strictly vegetarian. A must try dish, we loved it. Their Naan (flat bread) is made to order and is outstanding. An order is $1. Get it. We did not order rice, but each dish goes well with steamed basmati rice. This must be ordered separately. Oftentimes there is caraway seed cooked in it. Very tasty. The Mango Lassi is a special, cold and frothy fruit drink with yogurt and rose water. Perfect here. My only regret was, there was no Kheer to polish off our magnificent meal. I love this Indian version of creamy rice pudding with the cardamom and pistachios. I sure hope they have it next time around. It's not perfect. The outside is dowdy and easy to miss, the dining area is brightly decorated yet small. The dishes take time to prepare, oh impatient ones. But....if time is that critical, call it in! It's family run...friendly and eager to please...plenty of parking...great prices...generous servings. And if I have my way, this place will be bustling very soon. Please come! read more

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Out of sight (entendre) but don't let it out of your mind. Mirchi is the genuine article, no steam table buffet, dishes made to order and customizable to a reasonable extent, and delicious hot Naan to boot. I'm grateful for Yelp's "hot and new" search option because I'd never find this place despite its proximity to the 60/215 freeway and busy 3rd/Blaine and Iowa intersection. Located in the left corner pocket of the Kmart shopping center, its recessed status makes it easy to overlook. For example, there's another (is that four now?) Indian market on one side, and a pawn shop on the other. Lots of parking too. Once you hone in it's easy to see their two signs. On my first recon run I tried the Chicken Kurahi, a spicy curry in a tomato sauce. The meat was flavorful, and the bones ensured maximum moisture to the pureed but thick sauce. I ordered Naan (two) but one side would have sufficed. The first one was a bit overcooked, but it still was effective at soaking up the incredible flavors. The second order was perfect and better suited for rolling up the meat and dipping. I waited nearly fifteen-minutes since I was behind another table of four, however, the server told me that up front. I left excited about the new discovery, and now I have gone back for a second appraisal I can say this is the place! Second visit yielded a different person taking the order. A friendly fellow, he steered me away from the Korma Chicken dish in favor of the house take on Tiki Masala. I'm glad I did! He asked me how spicy and I said "spicy." Only one order of Naan this time and water. The food arrived piping hot inside of twelve-minutes and was worth the brief wait. Flavors were complex and rich, and not overdone with regard to the spicy level. Garnished with jalapeño and cilantro it pleased all the senses. The Naan was perfect this time and I appreciated the tender moist chicken (no bones) that shredded easily with a fork. The nice man told me that they are steadily expanding the menu and a new meatball dish composed of ground beef with cilantro and onions in a tomato yogurt curry was starting the next day. That's my next dish! Finally, a sign of properly prepared Pakistani and Indian cuisine is the absence of acid reflux, heartburn or related issues. This place passes both exams I'm pleased to declare ;) support your independent restaurants, they're the real deal, and nothing costs more than $10! Free WiFi too. read more

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Wow! After only two visits, I'm in love!! I'm pretty sure I've just found my favorite Pakistani restaurant in the area. And I'm positive this is THE ONE I've been looking for. Saw this place on Yelp and decided to try it out for lunch as it's pretty close to work. My coworker heard about it and asked to tag along. So we came and ended up ordering three dishes to share: chicken karahi, chana curry, and nihari. There was a bit wait for our food to come out but it was well worth it! The chicken karahi was well seasoned and full of flavors. It was spicy just like how I like it. I especially loved the sauce. It was addicting! The chicken does have a lot of bones in them tho so be aware. The chana curry aka chickpeas were exceptional. I'm so glad my coworker ordered it b/c I would have never tried it myself. I'm not a huge fan of chickpeas but those were absolutely fantastic! The nihari beef dish was a bit too mild compared to the other two dishes so that was the only disappointment. But everything else was simply amazing. Naan was also delicious. Price was more than reasonable. And we got bottled water free of charge! My coworker and I left in food coma and immediately decided we'd come again. The following day both of us came right back but on our own due to different schedule, lol. I called and placed an order of my favorite goat dish that's not on the menu. They gladly made it for me. Again there was a bit wait even when I called ahead. But man when I got my dishes I was blown away! The goat was so tender and rich in flavor. The spice level was perfect! I also ordered mango lassi. It tasted great!! The owner is one of the nicest ppl I've met. He used to do catering but finally decided to open his own restaurant. I'm so glad he did b/c I'm a huge fan of his cooking! He is so welcoming and hospitable. On my second visit, he brought me complimentary delicious parasa to sample. How sweet!! I'm pretty sure I'll become a regular and try everything on their menu. I was told they would also expand the menu to include tawa dishes. If you haven't tried them, do it!! Tawa dishes are fantastic. In sum, this is the BEST Pakistani restaurant you'll ever find in Riverside and the I.E. Sure it's a hole in the wall but the food makes up for it. Don't miss out!! read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Food coma!! - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

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We ordered seekh kabab, chicken tikka, daal and chicken curry. Seekh kabab was good but chicken tikka was decent and naan wasn't from the tandoor. In their defense they told me that they don't make naans at the restaurants and they are pre made. The lady was nice and welcoming but the prices seemed a bit high. read more

Best bang for your buck! This place has the best authentic Pakistani food EVER and the chicken biryani is to die for. Every item is amazing, and it will make you recall the taste of home. Truly a gem. read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Chicken Biryani - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

Food is good, but too hot for my taste buds. I specifically instructed mild, but I felt the burn in my mouth, esophagus and eventually my gut. If you like your food hot and I mean spicy hot. We had our meal as takeout. read more

Found this gem while searching "halal" near my workplace in riverside. Let me just say, this place is really good and really affordable... win-win. My friend and I ordered the following: 1. Chicken Tikka Masala - just the right amount of spice and it was really good. 2. Spinach and Potato - so flavorful and so delicious! Potatoes were cooked just right. 3. Nihari - flavorful, and the meat was very tender. 4. Chicken Biryani - even meat to rice ratio and the rice was cooked to perfection. Also very flavorful. 5. Garlic Naan - crispy, buttery, and just BOMB! The portions are very generous and you get a lot for your buck. The customer service was really awesome too as I called in to place the order before getting there and I mentioned I would be dining there so they had the table and utensils ready so as soon as we got there, we began grubbin! That worked out perfectly because my lunch break is only half an hour. We paid $40 (with tip) for all of that, can't beat that! Can't wait to spread the word about this place and come back to eat :) read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

My friend recommended to come to this restaurant. My first time going to a Pakistani restaurant. I looked through yelp reviews and it didnt seem bad, this place has 4 stars so I figured it probably good. I honestly dont know if I would would give 3 stars to this place. I went on a sunday and they have a brunch! they had few items, My friend said those were the names of the dishes they had yakhni paleo rice, chana puri garbanzo, chicken Tikka, Korma. I honestly wasnt very impressed with this place. The food I would give 4/5 but service was terrible, not the cleanest restaurant in my opinion either. the server was soooooo slow. He took forever to do anything and bring anything. He is suppose to be filling the brunch items but that wasnt a thing until we ask him and he takes forever to do it. the bread was out, the yogurt was out, the chicken tikka was out, and everything took forever to be done. Then my friend asked for Mango Lassi, he hears whatever he wants to hear, he brought just regular yogurt drink!! then he was arguing with the customer that theyre wrong!! I'm not sure but never again! the two stars are for some of the food items but other than that! i dont recommend it! read more

Mirchi Restuarant - Menu - Halal Near Me - Riverside, California

TL:DR - Horrible service - Chicken Tikka Masala is very good ---------------------------------------------------- The food is great, just want to say that first since the rating is not the best. The Chicken Tikka Masala I ordered tasted VERY good and unlike other Tikka Masalas I've had at other places. The flavor was deep, savory, and balanced. The taste lingered in my mouth far after I finished eating (in a good way). The chicken was extremely tender but held its structure. The rice had bits of fried shallots in it, so whenever I ate the curry and bit into one, it transformed the overall flavor (in a good way). One downside was that it was super oily. The to-go cup had a good third inch of oil on the top. The service here was HORRIBLE. I walked in and it was empty! I waited for 5 minutes before I decided to walk to the back and knock on their kitchen door where they were all just lounging around. Finally when one person came out to take my order, 5 minutes later another man came out to take my payment. I handed him my credit card, and after he swipes it, he just TOSSES the credit card, pen, and receipt right on the counter. I signed the thing but didn't tip because; it was a takeout order, the staff was missing when I came in, and I hated how they tossed my credit card and pen on the counter instead of handing it. He glances at my receipt and just seems even more irritated than he already was. The to-go bag didn't have and napkins, spoons, or forks. All in all, I hated the service, but I might come back for the food. read more

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One of the most satisfying Halal Pakistani authentic food I have ever had. I recommend everyone to Dine at Mirchi and really experience a bit of Paradise. read more

Delicious halal Pakistani dishes. Menu is pictured on the wall. No frills restaurant, but each dish was well crafted. We were surprised how tender the Seekh Kabab were. The Chicken Korma was full of flavor as was the Potato with Spinach (but we asked for no potatoes to keep with Keto). read more

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Good food and great lunch specials. I've only been here on the weekdays but I hear that the weekend buffet is pretty good too. It's always very quiet inside and a lot of people take their food to go. You can call and find out what's being served as the daily lunch special which gives you a nice portion of food for a very reasonable price. The staff is very nice. read more

The food is amazing! Authentic tasting, very clean and friendly customer service! My favorite was the biryani, and chicken tikka. I will be catering from this place moving forward, and this has become my go to Pakistani food restaurant. Absolutely LOVE!!! read more

Strongly recommend to come eat here. The customer service is good. The food is great, the environment was great def will be coming back.

Food isn't good. Attitude of the people who are working is not good. I've been there two times and it's the same.

Drove out of my way to come here to try because friend recommended it. They're closed on a Friday at 12pm. Still says open on the door, but doors are locked and dark inside. read more