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    Shahnawaz Banquet

    3.2 (162 reviews)
    Closed • Closed

    Shahnawaz Banquet Photos

    SHAHNAWAZ BANQUET ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Shahnawaz Banquet

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    Also Papdi Chat
    Ammarah A.

    I'm a big fan of Shahnawaz, as their buffet has numerous dishes. The star of the show is always the Puri and Chicken Biryani. The Gol Gappay & Papdi Chat are the best. Service is great too. They also have a kiddy section, with nuggets, fries, pizza bagels, noodles, etc. If you want to get the best buffet, I suggest you go by 11:30am (they open at 11). All the dishes will be so fresh, and beautifully garnished. I whole-heartedly recommend this restaurant. A must-try.

    a pan and a box of food
    Joey T.

    I liked this place. We had a Groupon for it and saved some money. Their desserts were my favorite, along with the dishes in my pictures. The host was nice and the servers came by often. The ambiance isn't too warm with the ceramic tile floor, and it's not very vibrant, but go for the buffet!

    Very unprofessional and overcharged me. They told me 30 Dollars per person for buffet but charged me 10 dollars extra. Person dealing at counter was rude and mean. He seemed like he did not care for customers at all. I would strongly recommend not to give them business.

    $22 for buffet per person. Three vegetarian entrees. The rest were meats: chicken, lamb, beef, and fish.
    Brenda C.

    Went on a weekend and they were serving buffet only, as per hostess. Fine, at $22 per person, you have unlimited plates of food and beverages. Unfortunately hubby and I only found only four vegetarian options. The vegetarian options very oily but very tasty. I was told butter was added so it's not vegan. Wasn't crazy for their naan either they were too heavy. Disappointed because I love naan. For this who love fish, lamb, beef, and chicken, this is a paradise for you. If you have kids or someone in the group wants more of a western cuisine, don't worry, this buffet has you covered. They also offer chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza bites, vast amounts of sweets at the dessert table such as chocolate glazed donuts, cookies, mango ice cream, etc. If you're into fruits, above the sweet desserts, there are plates of cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, and pineapples. I personally fell in love with the rose tea and papdi chaat. Yes, I consumed papdi chaat after my plate full of fruits as my desserts. LoL. Even our waitress giggled. ;) The service can be iffy but hubby and I had a wonderful waitress who was always on top of everything. She was exceptionally sweet and she kept telling me to eat more. The minute we finished anything, she's ask if she could clear the dishes away and she'd pour more water into our glasses. For me, because I chose to eat vegetarian, the dishes were limited and a bit too oily so that's three (3) stars. The service is five (5) stars and the rest of the entrees that were for non-vegetarians looked very good. Hence I have it four (4). The ambiance at the buffet was very nice and clean. Beautiful accent lights. Tables were a bit close and some tables wobbled. Would I go back? For me, it's a pass mainly because I didn't feel they offered enough vegetarian entrees. If I consumed more meat, definitely yes. Hope this helps. :)

    Sweet dish platter

    Excellent service delicious and fresh food with wonderful ambiance. Best place to spend quality time with family and friends.

    a plate of food on a table
    Ashwini D.

    Purchased a buffet from Groupon for 48$ for two people. I'm a vegetarian btw and knowing there would be limited options available for me , I accompanied my husband to this lunch buffet. In general the restaurant is pretty basic with lots of parking spaces, although it was tough to find a spot on Sunday afternoon. The buffet is available from 1pm to 4pm on Sundays. There is a manager who checks your Groupon at the front and allows you to be seated in a huge siting area with food tables on the front. They offer soda/water at the table. Their spread was extensive for meat eaters. Started off with chaat - Pani puri water with puffed puris , dahi badah and chickpea snack . Very different Pani puri from the regular but tasty nonetheless. Their spicy water was quite thick and pulpy. Did not particularly enjoy dahi wada, yogurt was less sweet and watery. I used the chickpea potato salad with the Pani puri as a filling. Headed to the main course options - there was Puri , aloo sabji, vegetarian noodles and chole. The puri was extremely greasy and the chole were poor in taste. Cooked well but the spices were definitely off. Dessert - Probably the only section I enjoyed for after the chaat. They had a huge huge selection of sweets. There was kheer, gulab jamun, lauki halwa, sooji Halwa, Rasmalai and others. We enjoyed gulab jamun, sooji halwa was delicious and kheer was warm and soothing. On the beverage counter there was lemon ice tea, mango lassi - more like artificially flavored mango milk and hot saffron tea . Overall it was okay. My husband enjoyed his lamb roast, some chicken entrees but it was hard to enjoy because of the grease. It definitely lacks some quality for not that cheap of a meal.

    Chicken broast pieces (right) and seekh kabobs (left)
    Arsal A.

    I came here on June 27th with my family since we were craving some Pakistani Buffet and the dishes really filled us up. Although I have noticed that food have become less spicy through the years, the food was still good. The staff were really kind and accommodating in helping us find seats and serving us drinks.

    Samson L.

    This is the first Pakistani /Indian buffet I've ever been to. Every weekend, they serve a huge variety of curries, breads, biriyani, meats, vegetarian dishes, desserts and unlimited mango lassi. They even have a variety for kids and those who don't like don't South asian food, like pizza, wings, and burgers. You pay at the entrance and sit where ever you like. The servers are great, especially with kids! One time my kids and their friends were sitting on their own table and one of the servers attended to their needs. This has happened now than once - cleaning up spills, getting more water or Mango lassi. Not all the dishes are amazing, but some are better than others, and there is something for everyone. The weak part of the buffet is the dessert section. While there is a large variety, from gulab jamun, jalebi, rice pudding, rasgulla, ice cream and cake, I didn't love them. The pudding wasn't bad, it's the best of the much. If you want to try Indian /Pakistani cuisine I don't think you'd find a better place to do it. It's such a good value, especially if you go to Groupon and buy a certificate for 2 guests for $29. It's normally $20 per person and $10 for kids. I've seen people use 2 certificates when it is disallowed in the terms and conditions, but you're better off paying normal price for kids. The Shahnawaz banquet is also a wedding venue when not doing buffet, so there are lots of tables. When you are dining, they never rush you to finish, so it's a great place to catch up with friends and family. There isn't much ambience, but good variety of food, good service, good prices will have me coming back for sure.

    Some of the buffet items shown here...  not hot enough.
    Susanna C.

    I have been down their street many times, and never even noticed that there is a restaurant at this location. I found this restaurant through Groupon. I forgot I had purchased the Groupon, and the Groupon was expiring. I called the restaurant to see if they would extend the expiration by one day. They said they could not do so because they would not get paid by Groupon. I have no idea if this is true or not, but in fact other businesses have extended expiration dates for me. That said, when I pulled up the Groupon today, I found that there is an option to extend the expiration as a courtesy. So I am not sure who to thank for the extended expiration date, but I was able to use the full value of the Groupon. Upon walking in, the person at the register immediately asked us if we had a Groupon. This is really the first time I have ever experienced a business that asked that question upon entry. I guess it was clear that we stood out from their regular patrons. This is the largest Indian buffet I have ever been to. I was quite impressed upon walking in and seeing the large selection and display. We are not experts in Indian or Pakistani food, but I thought the food was good while my husband felt it wasn't as flavorful as other places we've been to. Would also be nice if the food was more hot. So all that said, I enjoyed the variety. Drinks are also included. We came out very full. Not sure I would pay full price for the buffet, but it is certainly worthwhile to go with the Groupon (2 for $23). Our waitress was also very sweet - cleared our plates regularly, brought out drinks promptly.

    Crowded and Food is Just OK - during festival season!

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    2 years ago

    The food is amazing everyone is kind the dessert is not to sweet just perfect and overall I love this place

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    6 years ago

    Good place good family restaurant....love dis place been there almost 100 already No complains

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    Ask the Community - Shahnawaz Banquet

    We have a party of 4 adults and a baby, can we use two groupons?

    Yes you can use 2 Groupon

    View All 2 Questions

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    We have been regular customers at Good Food by Uzma. In the beginning, the food quality and portion…read moresizes were excellent, and we truly enjoyed visiting on weekends. However, over our last three visits, we've noticed several concerns: The taste of the food has changed, and some dishes were not properly cooked. The karahi gosht is no longer prepared the way it used to be, and the portion size has also been reduced. The seating arrangement feels too cramped for the space, making it difficult to move around comfortably. When concerns are raised, the standard response is simply, "we will let them know," without any visible follow-up. We genuinely enjoy dining here and would like to continue visiting. However, the inconsistency in food quality, along with pricing and portion concerns, has been disappointing and is making us reconsider. I would greatly appreciate it if the owner could give attention to these issues, particularly ensuring consistency in food quality and taste.

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    Baithakh - Khataiy

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    Haveli Punjab Di

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    PROs - kulchaaaaaaa , ambience, service CONs- taste for…read moreother stuff except kulcha , parking Was waiting to visit this restaurant for a long time and atlast we did it .. it's quite a drive but we don't mind driving in quest for good food . Parking is a bit narrow and gets crowded in peak times. Loved the interiors... lots of seats inside to sit and dine . Loved the dhaba style seating on the left . We actually got one and we loved the ambience . Service was ok .. not too notch but not too slow . Of course we ordered the kulchaaaaaaaaaa.. it was superrbbbbb. Mind boggling... very authentic. And it surely can be had by 2 people ! One cannot have the whole thing ! 10/10 kulcha . Other items we tried : Naan and paneer tikka - good Paneer green starter - very good Hats bara kabab - very average . Tasted raw and not fried/cooked well Chole batura - very good Gobi Manchurian - disaster . Should not have ordered Chinese dish in Punjabi restaurant Gajar halwa - disaster ! Wasn't sweet at all. We had to put 2 spoons of sugar to make it taste like halwa Apart from kulcha , we had mixed opinions on the food with most of the dishes not that tasty . May be it is not a place for vegetarians . I heard the non veg items had better reviews here . Overall , 3 stars wish other dishes are as awesome as their kulcha :)

    Excellent food. Excellent portion. After a while I found a good and authentic Punjabi food…read more Amritsari fish, huge kulcha, Delhi chicken makhni, bhindi, gajar ka halwa. Everything was to the point! Finally even the pan was excellent. 5 stars and coming back to try the Sarso di saag!

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    Haveli Punjab Di - Our Chicken Tikka being Cooked in Tandoor Oven

    Our Chicken Tikka being Cooked in Tandoor Oven

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    Chai Chenak is one of the popular Pakistani cafés in the New Brunswick area, along with the more…read moreformal restaurants Maza and Good Food by Uzma. Chai Chenak is separated into a restaurant area that specializes in classic street food items like bun kebab, and a cafe section next door. I've enjoyed the Kathi rolls here, but the main reason to visit is for the Kashmiri chai, which is prepared in large quantities and always ready to go. The chai has a slight buttery saltiness that adds to the richness, especially when you pair it with a healthy dose of sugar.

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    Shalimar Restaurant

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    3.2(224 reviews)
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    Shalimar, Woodbridge - Worth the Detour…read more Finding parking in Manhattan can feel nearly impossible--unless you're willing to pay what amounts to a full night's hotel rate just to stop for a short meal. On our way back to DC, we finally decided to stop somewhere more practical where parking wouldn't be a hassle. We ended up in Woodbridge and initially stopped at Shah's. Since my wife and I weren't in the mood for fast food, we asked the staff for a recommendation. Without hesitation, they pointed us to Shalimar, saying it was the best option in the area despite there being several Desi restaurants nearby. After a 10 min drive we arrived with fairly low expectations. The surrounding area felt a bit worn and unremarkable--but the moment we stepped inside, that impression completely changed. The restaurant was clean, modern, and felt recently renovated. Since we still had a long drive ahead, I asked for their specialty dishes. The initial interaction with the staff felt a bit rushed, as if they had somewhere else to be on a Friday night--but we managed to place our order. And then the food arrived. The sizzler was outstanding--perfectly seasoned, incredibly flavorful, and with a texture that really stood out. The chicken was juicy and tender, paired beautifully with buttery naan. The portion was massive--easily enough for four people, and even with our best effort, we still had leftovers. Asked for extra sauce to go but that came in as a no show. We also tried the Chapli kebab, which was equally impressive. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor. The combination of red onions and green chili on the side elevated the dish even further. Service was a bit mixed. The younger staff seemed quite busy and not especially attentive, but the manager noticed and stepped in, which improved the experience. Before leaving, we grabbed a mango lassi and a falooda to go--both excellent and perfect for the drive back. Overall, the food, portion sizes, ambiance, and pricing were all outstanding. Even if the service wasn't perfect that evening, the quality of the food alone makes this a place we would absolutely return to when in the area.

    They've changed A LOT since my review from over a decade ago. They've since expanded and have a…read morevery nice seating area that accommodates large groups. This is the standout for me. It's hard to find places where you can dine as a family, where the vibe is nice, bathrooms are maintained, and the food is authentic. On this strip in Edison, there is no other Pakistani restaurant that compares to all of this. As for the food, it's your standard Pakistani fare. They're good, consistent. Prices have really gone up, I'm not sure if they're the same for the take out section? I like that you can see the items in the takeout area. They have a buffet, which looks substantial and am curious to try. We've seen their sizzling platters and chicken Karai dishes served around and seem to be a hit, so that's on the to-try list. Otherwise the goat and chicken curries, kebabs, naan, dahi balla and sweets are standard and consistent every time. The chinese vegetable fried rice- I get no east asian flare with this dish and their choice in vegetables is more from a frozen bag than fresh. It's a good sub for pullao, but it doesn't make me want to try their other chinese dishes. I would stick with the Pakistani food. Again, for me it's the vibes I appreciate here. Bring a group, your family for comfortable eating. The tunes are good too!

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    Shalimar Restaurant - 42. Butter Chicken

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    Shahnawaz Banquet - pakistani - Updated October 2026

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