This used to be my favorite indian restaurant in Albany. Although in the past couple years the food seems to be less flavorful and salty. I find myself always pouring tons of salt and pepper on my meal to give it a kick. All in all, not bad. I prefer Darbar on Del Ave in Albany. I haven't been since it opened in December, but I was blown away by how good it is. read more

I'm no expert on the cuisine, but I know what I like --- and I liked Shalimar. Finally had dinner there recently, after passing it by on many nights to head for Hidden Cafe. It's a humble little spot tucked in among the dollar stores and cell phone dealers, but I found the food to be great. Start with some appetizers for your table; don't be shy because they're small and inexpensive. Then I'd recommend you order with the whole party in mind and share, Chinese restaurant style. Chose a mix of beef, chicken, and vegetable dishes and you'll have yourself a nice little feast. By the way, Shalimar does not serve alcohol, but you're welcome to bring in a bottle of wine. They'll provide a corkscrew, unless you're like me and go for the twist-off variety. I suppose you could probably bring in some beers, too. read more

I ate at Shalimar on the way to Boston. Definitely a good choice! I have been a fan of Indian food for quite some time and particularly like going to the weekday lunch buffets. The Shalimar website has 'best of' several years in a row, which I generally pay little attention to. I am not familiar with the area or competition, therefore I am not sure what grounds they are winning on. To my surprise they definitely lived up to their quoted 'best of' standards. The lunch buffet was terrific. Many choices which seem to be quite authentic. Unlike many buffets they even offered a few spicier fares. I don't quite remember everything I ate, but know I enjoyed all of it. My personal favorite was their coconut naan. For kheer fans out there, you will definitely enjoy it at Shalimar. I hope to eat there again in the future! read more

Chicken curry was delicious, and owner was very very kind , highly recommend for a nice traditional Indian meal , will definitely be back!

Yum! We stopped here for an early dinner after a movie. Indian food was the pick me up I craved. They offer a $9.99 dinner buffet. There was so much food and such a great variety. There was garlic and plain naan, samosas, goat curry, masala, dessert rice with cabbage and carrots, and much much more. They encourage you to take only as much as you eat, so I recommend starting with small portions before deciding to commit to larger portions. In either case, I recommend trying all they have. They're constantly refreshing the food and promptly clearing your finished dishes. A winner all around. read more

Shalimar has been my favorite restaurant for a very long time. I was grateful that they remained open for take-out during the pandemic and am so happy now that the restaurant has opened again for in-person dining. The owner, Leo, is very kind and friendly. Knowing that I eat a dairy-free diet, Leo is always attentive to be sure that I'm ordering a dish that is appropriate for my diet and, when asked, makes recommendations of new dishes for me to try. If you've never been, I'd highly recommend trying this restaurant. read more

I have been coming to the Shalimar for years and I love it! Nothing too fancy, just delicious and flavorful Indian food. My dad and I always get the sampler appetizer and the plain naan. It's so buttery and delicious. Before I was a vegetarian I'd try all sorts of chicken dishes. Now that I don't eat meat the vegetable korma is my go-to, but I'd recommend everything truly! read more

I've been eating at this establishment for over 15 years, and have never had a bad experience here. The only complaint is that some days they seem a bit short on staff, and it ends up taking longer than usual. Other than that, both the buffet and the off the menu selections are always tasty, the price is reasonable, the selection is good, and they have take out and free delivery, for when we're not in the mood to go out. They even allow BYOB if you're not in the mood for a mango lassi. Some of my favorites there are the Lamb Rogan Josh and Lamb Makhani. From the weekend buffet table, I like the chili chicken, mixed grill, and goat curry. This is of our most frequented restaurants, and we've taken our friends and family there on numerous occasions. read more

Went for the lunch buffet and food was fresh - and there is a nice variety. The hot tea was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be back soon! read more

Shalimar is the only place to eat Indian food around here. I have tried others and they are more expensive and the food is not as good. The buffet is the best deal. For about $8 you get all the best from the menu and all you can eat. This location in Delmar is nicely decorated inside and the owners and servers are extremely friendly and go above and beyond for you. I love coming here with a group of people. They are always accommodating. read more

When you have Celiac Disease the thought of going to a buffet is quite scary but based on their website which says the majority of their dishes are gluten free and after reading other reviews here on Yelp! I decided to give it a try. I have SO missed Indian Food since going gluten free. We were seated right away and I made sure to ask the waiter if he could tell me what was gluten free on the buffet. He informed me everything, with the exception of the naan (obviously) was indeed gluten free. YAY! It was nice to be able to sample some things I've never tried. Some things I LOVED (vegetable korma, chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, vegetable rice) and some things were just a tad too spicy for me (chili chicken, which was REALLY good, but just too spicy for me). I will most definitely be back! At $7.99 for the lunch buffet, including drink you just can't beat it! read more

Quick service and very accommodating owner. He made sure our order was ready quickly as we were passing through the area. The restaurant was nice and clean. The food was good and fresh. They have dine-in with Covid restrictions for lunch and no dine-in option for dinner. No buffet option due to the current pandemic. We'll definitely stop by again if passing through the area. read more

I just ordered food to be delivered and they delivered it to the wrong address, and then called me, yelled at me, and hung up on me. So not only did I lose $26 but I got yelled at and blamed for the whole thing. Thanks for being hostile towards customers. read more

Great Indian/Pakistani buffet. Light on the meat dishes but the vegetable selection was plentiful. The three chicken dishes were very good. Of course they had chicken tikka masala which was as it should be with a great tomato cream sauce. The tandoor chicken was the best I've had anywhere. They also served chili chicken which was new to me but I will recommend it without reservation. They offered hummus as well as several vegetable dishes that I had not sampled before, again all were worthy of a try. As I write this review the dining room was packed. You won't go wrong with this friendly inviting restaurant. On a side note this restaurant should not be confused with the Shalimar on route 7 in Latham. The owner and staff here are very friendly. read more

Three stars- one for a buffet I attended where I learned about their food. The restaurant was quiet, maybe too quiet- needs some Indian music, perhaps. It was a little too warm, and the food? Good, but my "mild" lamb was not that mild. Not what I'd call mild. The Naan was excellent,though. And prices good. read more

Great food. First time there. Food was delish & came out hot, presentation was beautiful. We will definitely be going back. *Update* 4/2015-We went back for the lunch buffet & it was delicious. Definitely worth the $$ read more

Absolutely delicious. Every visit results in good food and drink. Tried multiple items on the menu and no disappointment in any of them. Staff and owner are incredibly friendly! read more

so goooood!!! stopped here on a long road trip after an almost aggressive craving for butter chicken. walked in and sat ourselves. wait staff was very quick and the wait was surprisingly short for both our appetizers and entrees. got the coconut soup for appetizer and chicken tikka masala for entree. the soup was good, but it's quite sweet, so don't order it if you're looking for savory. the chicken tikka masala was perfect and was exactly what i was looking for, perfectly cooked. i would also recommend the mango lassi, super creamy and smooth. the restaurant's atmosphere was nice too, there was music playing and they have some really cool glass mosaic hanging lights. also, giving some brownie points for having 2 pictures of obama on the slideshow they have playing on the t.v. well done! would definitely come back again read more

I tried to click 5 stars and it wouldnt let me but I assure you Shalimar is worthy of all 5 STARS!!! Shalimar is my staple place for indian food. Authentic cuisine and truly caring reliable service. Will not dissapoint. :) read more

Great for for buffet or dinner. %95 of my many visits have been buffet so I'll focus there. They have delicious food, good vegetarian options, and some variation in their buffet selection. They always have at least one item that's pretty spicy, which is great! The staff there took a little while to recognize me as a regular, and the recognition is subtle, but really rewarding. I'm certainly not a typical Delmartian, but they have certainly accepted me and my cohorts warmly. read more

Yum yum yum!! I am pregnant and I called in an order for my husband to pick up (order ahead or you will have time to kill). The food was ready when they said it would be and everything was delicious. We got the Mix Appetizer (next time will ask for more sauces- tasty!), chicken tikka masala, palak paneer (creamed spinach with cheese), and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes). It was too much for us and our toddler, but I had an amazing lunch the next day and polished off the leftovers. read more

Pros: - Nice quiet clean settings with low noise, low-key yet friendly staff and respectful clientele. - Nice selection of buffet for around $11 Cons: - Some popular specialties missing from buffet selection - Not sure but some food taste like re-heated or a little dry like fried chicken and wrapped fried potatoes. - ice tea tasted more like water. - Much Less spicy and delicious than food I had years ago at Troy's Shalimar. Probably would never go back to this place although staff and atmosphere were really excellent and appeasing but food was not that remarkable but still decent. read more

Let me preface by saying that I live in a dearth of great Indian food. That said, this place had the best Tandoori chicken I've ever had...ever! It wasn't a bit dry and the spice crust was delicious. We had chicken curry that was also above par. The little fried things were better spiced than most places and perfectly fried. They had galub jaman and mango lassi that were incredible. The staff were so friendly even if a bit slow. They were doing a brisk takeout business but there was only one person attending to everyone. Overall, I was delighted and I'll definitely be back! read more

Shalimar Delmar has been getting better. I order the palak paneer and lamb masala -both extra spicy. I used to think it was somewhat bland compared to Curry House but lately both dishes have been fantastic. I acctually prefer these dishes at Shalimar now. The shahi paneer and chicken korma, while descent, cant touch Curry House. The chicken curry is great here as well. read more

Worst Indian food ever. I am Indian We went there on July 4th late noon. Food was mediocre and so blend without any flavor. There was no salt in it, we asked the owner came out and said this is how we do it, use table salt. We were group of 8 adults, so all of us couldn't be wrong. Worst food ever period. read more

I just love this place. Consistently delicious and the staff is awesome. The owner in specific is SO kind. I come often for lunch buffet takeout. Its $10 for your meal container, salad container, fresh naan and extra cups for rice pudding or sides of hummus. Great deal! read more

i'm a lunch regular; plenty of choices in smAlbany, but this is always the best! We go there with the guys, never much talking because we are all eating - my only complaint is that the food is too good; I end up eating too much! ;-) Staff always friendly and glad to see us. I would recommend this as one of the best that smAlbany has to offer. read more

Signed up for online coupons from Shalimar usually the offer is buy one get one free entrée. We are not cheapskates and have a pattern of ordering from Shalimar when we received offers we thought treat it as a bonus night of Indian food. The first time we used the coupon staff was reluctant to accept the online printed coupon the waiter made a couple calls while waiting tables I assume to contact the owner he didn't reach him by this time 20 additional minutes passed after our food was ready finally he accepted the coupon but treated us suspiciously. Month or so later we received another email same offer buy one get one entrée this time I ordered and picked up our meal mid-afternoon different waiter same experience however this time he made contact with the owner and confirmed the offer was valid. Since I/we never returned if Shalimar has a promotion employees should be informed. Ironically the owner was the one that told us about the online offer and took our email address. We started making our own Indian food at home. read more

Good food. Unpretentious, relaxed atmosphere. Good service. Had a dish with curry sauce. The sauce was excellent and made for a non Pakistani-Indian. Not too spicy but enough that you could enjoy all of it's neuances. The baklava was a bit hard but not old. I am more of a soft baklava person but combined with their tea it was still delightful. Again not too sweet which was great. read more

We have had Shalimar several times now and the only thing I can recommend is getting the lunch buffet; otherwise the food and service just isn't worth the price. The food isn't poor in quality but for the price and the small serving size I would expect more flavor. Both my wife and I are consistently hungry after eating dinner and appetizers from Shalimar. I have learned that if you are ordering pick up or delivery from Shalimar that you need to expect it to take a long time, but this past Friday topped it off. No storm or severe weather, just a standard Friday night. I called an hour after ordering our food and I was told that it was already on the road. Another hour later, over 2 hours after ordering, the food finally arrived and one of the four entrees was not what was requested. After waiting for two hours we weren't going to complain and ask to have it corrected. read more

I have been going to this restaurant since three years with my friend joe. It has become a ritual for us to have dinner at shalimar every week.We never have been to buffet but heard its really good. I have tried almost everything from the menu but i now always stick with delicious lamb palak & my friend joe with his chicken vindaloo. He refuse to get anything else.I also recommend the kashmiri naan,its so good.The food has been consistently good unlike other restaurants.The service is also very good .I would like to mention about this nice funny young guy with glasses who works there. I always forget his name.He does very good job eventhough he is alone most of the times.He always remembers what i want. So me & my friend wholeheartedly recommend shalimar for nice & tasteful dinner. read more

I always love going here for their amazing lunch buffet at such an incredible price point. Definitely worth your time and money. The chicken masala and endless nan should alone be enough to pull you in, but if that doesn't cut it, try the complimentary dessert of rice pudding that is made to perfection. 5 big stars for these guys. read more

I found the potion size of my Chicken Tikka to be small. The prices are high and to be honest the food doesn't pop with flavor. Disappointing. Doesn't even come with Naan! read more

Wonderful food, great lunch buffet, great service! My husband and I go to Shalimar about once a week because it is THAT good. The lunch buffet is a very good price and tons of dishes. If you are there and they have the Chili Chicken TRY IT. Our favorite! If you have never tried Indian food I suggest the lunch buffet as a starter, then go back and try dinner! read more

Excellent, flavorful food that you can tell is made with good quality ingredients. Service is always excellent. I've also done carry-out and delivery many times and my order is always right. I absolutely hate getting home and finding out I didn't get what I ordered. read more

The chicken tikka masala is my favorite. I also love the samosa chat! Yum. The prefect amount of spice to yogurt ratio. I love that the deliver. You can order online on grubhub too. The waitress is so friendly. The tandoori chicken is amazing too! I always get the onion nann. It's prices are reasonable. Everything is fresh. I enjoy this place. read more

I go to many Indian Restaurants in the capital region and although I have been here in the past, I noticed that the website happens to claim this restaurant has the "best of" for the metroland and capital region listed for twenty years, to include 2011, which is factually innaccurate. In the 2011 Metroland and Capital Region best of, I noticed the Lunch Buffet was Jewel of India on Lark and best Indian food was Karavalli. It concerns me mostly because it seems to want to present an unfair edge over the competition by stating factuallly innacurate claims. Don't get me wrong, I like the food, but I do believe in fair business practices. read more

My wife and I absolutely love this restaurant. We usually go for the lunch buffet, which is very reasonably priced. The food and service are equally outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This is the best Indian food I ever have had. I am not a fan of Buffets, but there lunch buffet is fantastic, fresh, tasty, and a great value. The serving platters are like the chaffing dish you would have at homse, so the food does not sit there all day. They are constantly repleneshing the dishes. The service is prompt and friendly. read more

I have just gotten into Indian-Pakistani food recently, and have already been to Shalimar three times! It is just fantastic. The people who work there are the kindest people on the planet and more than accommodating. I had chicken tikka masala every time and I just can't get enough! I will definitely be back. read more