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Pakwan Restaurant

3.6 (553 reviews)
InexpensiveIndian, Pakistani
Open • 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Order Pakwan Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

Pakwan Restaurant Photos

Business Info

PAKWAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Pakwan Restaurant

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Reviews With Photos

Goat kadahi
Jamil Q.

This is one of the best Indian/Pakistani restaurants in San Francisco. The neighborhood is on the bad side at night, but no one bothers you. We had the lamb biryani, chicken biryani, and goat kadahi. Amazing flavor and delicious. It is a small place and you have to order on your own. Highly recommend for great authentic food.

Vegetarian Samosa
Tiffany T.

Stopped by for dinner here on a Sunday night at 9pm. My friend who is a SF native mentioned how Pakwan is one if the best South Asian restaurants. We ordered samosas, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and the tandoori boti. You grab the menus from the front kiosk, sit yourself, and once you know what you want, you go up to the cashier and pay first. It took about 15 minutes for our food to be ready, I noticed there were a lot of to-go/delivery orders. Everything was also self-serve, which I honestly don't mind because its a no frills place. For the food, my favorite of the dishes we ordered was the samosas -- mainly because if the chickpea sauce. It had a very subtle but good kick to it. The chicken tikka masala was what you would expect. Garlic naan was very yummy and soft! The tandoori chicken boti was not as good as I expected -- it was a bit dry and the flavor wasn't that strong.

Yay! Finally tried Pakwon after many recommendations. Went around 6 on a Saturday night for dinner and the place was pretty packed. Grabbed a table and a couple of menus, went to the counter to order and then waited maybe 15 minutes for the food. Cashier and cooks were friendly. To reinforce some of the other reviews, this is a "no frills" place. Ordered the seekh kabob, basmati rice and the yogurt sauce (very helpful to counter the spicy meat), vegetable curry, two pieces of garlic naan and a mango lassi.. $35!! Can't beat the price and we ended up with more food than expected. Everything was fresh, full of flavor and definitely shareable. There was two of us and we had food left over. we grabbed extra plates and enjoyed everything "family style". There's cold water to grab in the fridge and cups on the counter. I appreciated the whole experience and will be back.

Plain Basmati Rice, Chicken Tikka Masala, beef Seekh Kabab, Naan, Raita
Bianca R.

5 stars if it weren't for location and upkeep outside the restaurant. The food is delicious and priced great. Must haves include the chicken tikka masala, which is much more tomato based than other places I've tried. Another highlight is the beef seekh kababs, spiced ground beef with bits of onions and chilis. Everything is spiced very well and served hot. The mango lassi is sweet and creamy. Service is minimal. You order your food, and everything else is self serve. You grab your tables plates, cutlery, water, and napkins. When your number is called you go to the counter and pick it up. All dishes are served family style. The one downside is the upkeep of the sidewalk outside. There are double doors that help, however the street outside has a pungent smell that drifts inside. I have seen other businesses in the area preventing this by regularly power washing their sidewalks.

Connie C.

Favorite order: Saag Paneer Goat or lamb biryani Curry Chicken Garlic naaan Great value and 3-4 person meal and BYOB! Hot tip: go to the Foodhall on Valencia and 16th and grab a couple of beers, bring to Pakwan to enjoy :)

Ziad A.

Normally I'm satisfied when I come to the Ofarrel street pakwan but I think yesterdays was a bit off. We came round 2-3pm. Chai was available when we ordered but after eating it was finished and staff said it wouldn't be ready either for an hour or done for the day. Which was surprising. Also haleem is not available at this location (which is one of my fav items when I go to Fremont pakwan to get) Yesterday got 2 legs, goat biryani, and 2 seekh kebabs. Chicken seekh kebabs were good, legs were good size but didn't have that flavor inside (idk if not marinated long enough or with enough masala), and the goat biryani was a disappointment. The rice didn't have flavor just look. Normally I stop here after hikes for just bbq and naans (naans r usually on point here) but wanted to try the biryani as well at this location Will come again and hopefully update with a better review إن شاء الله

Vegetable Biryani ($16)
Ameya B.

My friend and I grabbed quick dinner here after having a few drinks next door at Bourbon and Branch and at around 8:30 pm, the place was slightly packed on a Wed evening. We placed an order for Paneer Tikka Roll ($10), Goat Biryani ($17), and Vegetable Biryani ($16). Food was ready within 20 minutes of ordering and it's a self serve setup. Food was absolutely excellent, especially both Biryani's... very flavorful and good portions. Between the Kati Roll and our Biryani's, we could only finish half of our Biryani's. Veggie biryani had plenty of cauliflower, carrots, and maybe ba paneer here and there! Noise level was on the lower side. Go here for their excellent food!

Used to love the food here until I see an employee eating at the register and lack of hand wash afterwards.

Chicken biryani; garlic nan; diet coke.
Tamara C.

Have not gone to Pakwan since the Covid pandemic started in 2019, but the urge for their Chicken Bharani was too strong to resist. The tables were 70% full but got one near the cashier. I had to beg him for help since I a disabled and cannot walk with a cane and some luck. The bill and tip came to $27, a hike in price since going there last. However, their portion is twice as nice and actually was three meals out of that main dish. Excellent to the max. Afterwards, cabbed out of that awful Tenderloin area to my home Tenderloin location. Next time I have the urge for Indian food, will want to visit a full sized restaurant with a full line of desserts - especially their puddings.

Chicken boti
Insia Z.

Disclaimer: my family is Pakistani! Pakwan was recommended to me and my family when we came to visit San Francisco (by a non-Pakistani person) and we were so pleasantly surprised! It was some of the best Pakistani restaurant food (not including mom food) we've had in America. It came so hot and fresh, and truly hit the spot. We ordered the grilled chicken boti (super juicy and flavorful), goat karahi (spicy and delicious), nihari (a tender beef stew classic), with sides of beautiful tandoori naan and mango lassi, and kheer (rice pudding) for dessert -- the kheer was delicate and light and the perfect cherry on top. I couldn't say enough good things honestly, I wish there was a Pakwan where I live.

Broken plastic shards, found in chicken karahi

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7 days ago

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9 months ago

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10 months ago

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10 days ago

I go to Pakwan on 16th st and this branch. The food at this branch is much greasier and often burnt. Much prefer Pakwan 16th st.

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Danial S.

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3 months ago

Easily my favorite Indian/Pakistani restaurant in SF. The food has amazing flavor and delivery is fast (via DoorDash).

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

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4 months ago

Incredible food, great vibes, and wonderful veggie options. I keep coming here time and time again and won't stop anytime soon.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

One of our go to take out spot since the start of Covid! Good food and their pick up service is quick.

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Authentic flavors! My go to for weekend feasts. Highly recommend lamb biryani, Bihari kabab.

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Pakwan Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Pakwan Restaurant

How much Ghee is in use or do they use Vegetable Oil instead?

Can you bring in beer?

Yes, and the one on 16th street is BYOB as well. It's usually more common to see people with six packs at the 16th street location.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Shalimar

Shalimar

3.9(1.6k reviews)
0.0 mi•Tenderloin
•$$

If you're looking for no frills Pakistani restaurant, then Shalimar is the perfect place to go to…read more We ordered two orders of garlic naan, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, and chicken Karahi. Everything was delicious and had the right amount of heat. I loved the free chai tea (hard to come by in this economy ). Service was fast.

Ordered in via a delivery app after a friend who lived here years ago recommended it to me. Not…read moresure if it was an off day or they've gone downhill, but this was fairly disappointing. Murgh Tikka Lahori (breast)- this was a surprisingly large amount of food for the price. Didn't have much complaint on this and would get again. Although I might go for the boneless option next time Chicken Kofta- the gravy was incredibly oily (I had to use a paper towel to soak up the thick layer on top. The kofta itself was soft, but didn't have super strong flavor. Chicken Jalfrezi- the flavor for this was decent, but once again super oily. I also had to use a paper towel to soak up the oil. I had gotten this as it sounded healthier- just stir fried chicken, veggies, tomato sauce, and spices- but the oil really over powered here. Shalimar Chawal- basic rice with some spices/flavor. For the price it was good. I'd be open to trying again in the future, but really hoping it's not as oily next time.

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Shalimar - Chicken oven

Chicken oven

Shalimar - 20. Chicken Tikka Masala 13. Garlic Naan Chicken bit Chicken tandoori

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Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant - GRILL CHICKEN

Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant

4.8(327 reviews)
0.7 mi•SoMa
•$$

The Lamb Shank and Palek Paneer are divine. The lamb is wonderfully tender laid on top of lemony…read morebirtani rice that mends well with the juicy and fatty meat. The chickpea on the side tastes so good and smoky. Palek paneer is my usual choice at Indian restaurants, and I'm blown away. She serves the best I ever had. The spinach isn't blanched in water, but in milk! Which makes a difference. Not for vegans, but vegetarians you're in for a treat. The staff all are very friendly and I hope they expand to other states.

After a failed attempt at Deli Board for lunch (line was at least an hour) we started walking in…read moresearch of food. We saw this Pakistani food and just decided to try it. We didn't look at reviews or anything so we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. We just needed lunch fast for our toddler. We ordered at the front. They have Pakistani or middle eastern food. I ordered from their lunch menu. My husband got their lamb wrap, and I got their lunch special plate. The plate came with lamb korma, rice, and garbanzo bean (chana dal), naan, and a regular soda/drink. OMG it was delicious! I haven't had good Pakistani food in a long time. The lamb korma had so much flavor, a little spice kick (loved it), and the chana dal was surprisingly good too. I hate any kind of beans but this was so good. My picky toddler even ate the lamb and rice! It was that good. My husband lamb wrap was a treat too. They had this sort of sweat relish, it went so well with the lamb. The lady who was at the front was SUPER nice, super accommodating. We had a crazy toddler. She brought over water and eventually came over and dropped our food off. We sat in the back patio. The guy who took our order came around and checked up on us too. Super friendly people! Definitely on our list when we do our annual SF visit now.

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Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant - Menu is very clear

Menu is very clear

Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant - Garlic Naan

Garlic Naan

Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant

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Chutney - Chicken Tikka Masala Curry and white rice. My favorite!

Chutney

3.7(1.4k reviews)
0.0 mi•Tenderloin
•$$

This is EASILY the best Indian restaurant in San Francisco city proper -- I'm actually SOOO shocked…read moreto see that the ratings are so low on yelp! My qualifications: 1) I love Indian food 2) I grew up eating Indian food 3) I've eaten a lot of Indian food 4) I've eaten a lot of good Indian food 5) I've eaten a lot of bad Indian food Now for reviews on actual Chutney food: 1) Palak Paneer - 5 stars - this is literally the best palak paneer I've had in a while, it actually tastes RIGHT and tasty and creamy but not heavy and not watery. I have reordered this like 14 times. 2) Baigan Bhurta - 4 stars - tastes great but a bit too oily for my personal liking but like tastes GREAT 4) Achaar - 5 stars - for portion size alone 5) Mutter Paneer - 4 stars - Scratched the itch, quite good 6) Aloo Gobi - 2 stars - I did not enjoy this one as much which was a shock given the track record so far here. Flavors did not come together for me 7) Dal makhani - 3 stars - Pretty standard, pretty good

OK, one thing I will say this place is always filled with men. I don't know if this is like their…read moredining hall or something but there's always a bunch of guys in the back just having a good time for the Hondorian chicken. I would definitely say order before you come cause that chicken takes about 25 minutes, but it is topped here. I love the chicken the biryani I like to go for the goat biryani and I tell them hold the spice but sometimes they can't so I just let them put all the spices in there and I just pick it out solid place great portion and gray prices but if you're looking to eat by yourself and you don't want to be awkward in your old lady, I would recommend taking it to go so that it doesn't mess up your experience with the food. i'm only putting four star because the chicken takes about 20 minutes to make and the garlic naan amazing their green sauce is also very delicious.

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Chutney - Horrible quality food

Horrible quality food

Chutney - Oily food

Oily food

Chutney - Tandoori Chicken

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Halal Wings Plus - 10 pcs wings: Spicy Lemon Pepper

Halal Wings Plus

4.0(624 reviews)
0.0 mi•Tenderloin
•$$

Parking structure right next door makes parking easy...or you can find parking on the street…read more Service is quick and fresh. Location is small which makes it perfect for grab and go. But they have tables and seats to eat there as well. Their wings are to die for! Bar always raves about how these are better than Wing Stop...the spicy lemon proper is the best! And their ranch is really good! Brother location in Fremont.

A few friends and I were walking around downtown and wanted a snack. We thought of this spot for…read morewings. Can't say no when it comes to wings! We've tried Halal Wings Plus a few times before throughout the years and it was always a pretty solid choice. The neighborhood is a bit shady, so beware of your surroundings and watch where you're stepping, cuz you don't wanna be stepping on sh** or b@rf! The menu is above the cashier, so you just order and pay up front and get the receipt with your order number. They'll call the number out when it's ready. I think there's roughly 8-10 tables, if you decide to dine in. ***OUR PICKS*** We ordered 20 wings with 2 flavors. LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS ~ lots of pepper flavor but the lemon did not shine. And the chicken meat inside didn't seem marinated and tasted bland. It probably would be better if they added lemon juice after it was cooked or had given us some lemons to squeeze over the chicken before we dug in. 3.5/5 MANGO HABANERO CHICKEN WINGS ~ the sauce was spicy and tangy sweet, but it doesn't seem like they marinate their wings. It's only the sauce that gives the chicken flavor. 3.5/5 The wings aren't at all crispy. And flavor was ok and could have been better. But what was off-putting was the smell of the wings after we boxed it up and took it home! It had this gamey chicken smell as if it was old chicken. At least none of us got sick, but I'll think twice about revisiting.

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Cockroach

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Slider w/ fries

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Punjab Kabab House - CTM

Punjab Kabab House

3.7(365 reviews)
0.2 mi•Union Square
•$$

We visited this place back in 2016 or 17 while one of our trips to the city. It was a really cold…read moreday so we decided to eat something indoors and something spicy. Yelped for an Indian place and this showed up at walking distance so we walked upto it. Upon locating, we found it was on a busy street and had nice seating indoors. We went in and were seated promptly as it was around 1:30pm, which is not a busy time usually for lunch. We ordered chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and biryani. Everything was great but we loved tikka masala and naan of all the items. They had a variety of appetizers and desserts but we just had big main course. Service was quick and servers were very attentive. Place was really clean so we enjoyed eating there. Highly recommended if you are in the neighboorhood and looking for a quick bite to eat.

Stopped in and got Curry lamb and butter chicken. Be aware the serving is large. Because I was…read morealone they sent my order out in to go boxes and I dined in and took my leftovers back to my hotel. The curry was delicious. I enjoyed the butter chicken it was exactly how i wanted it. Goat was good but a little too mild for my tastes. My pne disappointment was the naan was a little too bready for my liking. I like a flatter bread and this one was slightly too fluffy for my liking. The dinning room is typical of a casual dining area. I do like the self service area where plates and silverware are stored. This style of dining made it easier for me to eat there and take my leftovers back to my hotel. But great food overall.

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Punjab Kabab House - Chef Special (Tikka Masala). Yum!

Chef Special (Tikka Masala). Yum!

Punjab Kabab House - Trying out

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Pakwan Restaurant - indpak - Updated May 2026

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