A staple to capital region dining. The food is consistently fresh and delicious, the vegetarian and gluten free food being equally delectable. To me, the spice ratio is perfect, as I tend to eat with less salt so I can taste the food, and I've never had a problem there with that. If you want a sample of everything, definitely go for the buffet, for lunch it's only $8/$9 (you can also do a take out lunch buffet). The restaurant itself has a very calm, clean, and casual environment, and the waitstaff is always attentive and friendly. Even when it's busy, they'll never rush you. read more

I like this place, I really do. It reminds me of the really good Indian food I used to eat when I lived in Woodside as a kid. Between the Tandoori chicken, Tikka Masala, Goat curry, and the Chicken stuffed naan the food is definitely the best you can get in Albghanistan. So why 4 stars? Well first off the Soup-Nazi esque owner who I despise giving money to. Second, the weird, eye-rolling kind of vibes I get from the staff. I tend to not want to stick around for too long so I try and go with take out or delivery when it's convenient. Any time I have sit down to eat for the buffet, my bill is brought to me after one plate, even when I don't ask, it sort of feels like I am 'not worthy' of eating here and that I need to be rushed out. I'll continue eating here even though I hate myself for it simply because of the Tandoori. read more

We decided to have diner at Shalimar for the first time after hearing about it from friends. It was good to see on a Wednesday night that the restaurant was fairly full. The restaurant is fairly small and casual. Our friendly waitress greeted us and we ordered the hummus with naan bread for an appetizer and it was excellent. The hummus was creamy with a good amount of garlic and went very well with the naan. We ordered two different chicken diners and they were served on a sizzling hot plate (a nice presentation) and were very flavorful and grilled to perfection. The chicken was very tender and a little spicy but very good. All things considered including the reasonable prices, we will be back. read more

I have been to this place few times for buffet and to buy naans but I stopped going there as the food is more americanized than being Pakistani or indian. It's not the food I have problem with but it's the owner of Shalimar. I don't like to bad mouth this person but this owner doesn't like customers like me. I am from Pakistan. He talks rude and always gives me looks when I used to go to his restaurant. I stopped going there when I found that he treats his employees badly. The employee who recently left the job told me that owner used to make him work in his both restaurants and paid very less for full time work. He cursed and yelled at them and doesn't give them customer tips. That's reason I don't like going and spending my money at this place. read more

So fresh, so flavorful! I have been ordering a bunch of food from Shalimar the last few weeks so I can eat fabulous vegetarian food for some lunches and dinners. I consistently adore all of the dishes I order. The customer service has been extra helpful. The owner and the drivers coordinate to deliver to my workplace even outside of their standard delivery times. Thank you!!!!! read more

This is one of my favorite places to pick up food. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The food there has the most amazing flavor and the waiters and waitresses are the nicest. My usual order is Chicken Tikka Makhani and Shalimar Naan to dip into the Makhani sauce. It is absolutely delicious. This is my go to place for after work when I don't feel like cooking or cleaning up dishes. Oddly enough I also order it when my stomach is out of order, this food has the magically powers of curing an upset tummy. This place is amazing, you've gotta try it!!! read more

I've visited this location several times since I discovered my fondness for Indian cuisine in 2010. I've been a customer of the lunch buffet on a number of occasions and I've also ordered off the conventional menu because quite frankly, I enjoy a great number of dishes on offer. It has to be said that I've been to many Indian restaurants around the Capital Region and that Shalimar in Delmar is the best. Their lunch buffet deal is unbeatable and I would never consider going anywhere else for the same type of buffet. The food is fresh, tasty, and there is a constant stream of freshly-prepared food being brought out from the kitchen. I'm a huge fan of the vegetable korma and I also love the different varieties of naan bread that can be ordered. The staff is courteous and polite 100% of the time and I'm made to feel at home every single time that I go there. If you are in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area looking for top-quality Indian cuisine, make Shalimar in Delmar your first stop. read more

Great buffet. Plenty of fresh food. Curteous wait staff. Top notch owner who talks to his customers, educates them about the food, and listens to suggestions. 5 stars read more

I should not even be giving this restaurant a star. My friends and I, seven in total and all responsible graduate students, arrived at Shalimar hoping to have a nice night out and use three coupons advertised in the newspaper by Shalimar for buy one entree, get one free. To our utmost embarrassment, the OWNER informed us that the only way we could use the coupons is if we were all to seat at separate tables, which was a completely ridiculous and petty request. For the record, nothing on the coupon said one coupon per table. We ended up sitting at one table and were only allowed to use ONE coupon. Our drinks were not refilled, and we were literally pushed out of the restaurant before we finished our food. Despite the bad experience, we still tipped the awful waiter/restaurant but I am NEVER going back to this restaurant. EVER! read more

I really like the food here, welcoming atmosphere. There is also a picture of Obama on the wall. Love it :)

We're so happy the Albany area has many options for Indian/Pakistani fare. We've tried many, and still come back to the Shalimar buffet. My husband and I love having lots of choices when dining out, and this buffet delivers. The last time we were there for lunch (yesterday) we had a choice of 2 rice dishes, five main dishes, and four vegetarian options (chick peas, lentils and spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and more). We had a choice of two kinds of naan, two appetizer choices and two dessert options. No shortage of choices. For $7.99 per person, a great deal. read more

I am an Indian food fanatic and sorry to say I didn't think the food was so good. It was mild and not so tasty. I think Karavalli and Curry House are far better. read more

Food at shalimar is not very good. The rice is pathetically dry and flavorless....for an Indian restaurant, that's ridiculous, as most dishes are served with rice. Not horrible, just not very good. Watch for the owner...can be seriously moody when he's not offering fake smiles. read more

Excellent food.very tasty and full of flavor tried a bit if everything and all was great. Only hitch I had for not 5 start was the slight attitude of the owner over a nut allergy.and lack of care towards it.definatley worth the money HAD to edit to ad this I got the buffet and. Had one small piece of tandoori left so I figured I would ask if I could take it home with the take out.and holy hell you would have thought I was asking for a free meal,after this I will not be returning here again read more

To say I was underwhelmed with this restaurant is and understatement. I have eaten at most indian buffets in the Albany area, and this is one that I would not go back to. The food was bland in flavor and the choices are limited. Even for the price paid, which is reasonable for what is offered, I wouldn't go back because of the lack of flavor and food items on the buffet that have not had enough cooking time to be tender (potatoes, cauliflower, etc.) read more

Boring food. The Kofta themselves were OK but the Malai sauce had virtually no spice. I have never added salt to an Indian dish before, but I did here because I needed to increase flavor somehow. The rice was dry and bland. Maybe the buffet is better, but I won't return to find out. read more

The food is consistent and tasty. Was glad to have this option in Delmar. However, it isn't the best that I have had. I was horrified to learn that the owner does not share the tips with the wait staff. That is unacceptable! read more

I've been here before for the lunch buffet but last night the boys and I just wanted a quick dinner out. It was empty but there was only one server and she was taking phone orders so we waited a few minutes to be seated. It got quite a bit busier as the evening continued but that didn't seem to influence the service much. We were able to order relatively quickly and the food came out soon enough. Everything was delicious. We aren't all that familiar with Indian food so I can't say if the flavors were accurate but except for the rice (which was plain and boring, not flavorful and fragrant like I was expecting), we enjoyed everything we ordered. The bill was quite reasonable for what we ordered, too. Also, I would have rated 4 1/2 stars but I can't do that on my phone. It was a good meal and filling too. We'll be back. read more

Very good meal today. Generous portions. The owner is very friendly and the waiter worked very hard to please.

I have been ordering Indian food from this location for more than 10 years and it has always been consistently rich and tasty quintessential Indian cuisine. However, the past few times we ordered take out everything we've consumed (malai kofta, chicken tikka masala, vegetable korma) was dry and extremely bland. If I didn't spend upwards of $50 every time I visited the restaurant I wouldn't be so sore, but I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for - which is NOT the case at Shalimar in Delmar. Get your act together Shalimar! I want the good ol days back when I can't possibly finish my mali kofta because its so rich and tasty. read more

I loved going for their lunch buffet. But after checking my bank statement today I am concerned as my credit card was charged again on May 4th for a April 4th visit. When I went to the restaurant and asked the owner about charges ,he tried to make me think it was a error and I hadn't been charged back in April 4th, plus I've been there again since that time; and seemed perturbed that I made a big deal about $ 9.71.. My bank confirmed it was an additional charge , so I suggest you check ur account if you've been there lately. Ffood may be good but could use some lessons on customer service read more

Food looked appetizing but was tasteless bland food - lot of color added to it. Place was clean and service was OK.

I really enjoy Indian cuisine and have eaten at some really good Indian restaurants all over the state and this is hands down the best. Unbelievable flavors at a great price. Try the Chicken Karahi, tikka masala and palak. All are out of this world. read more

The lunch buffet is out of this world! I am extremely happy with everything I've eaten here. Great people as well.

The food is great! Very delicious I especially love the Chicken Labne. I HAVE to eat there once a week, it's SOOO GOOD!

I've been going to Shalimar for about a year now and it never fails to be exellent. The staff is amazing and are always so kind. Definitely my favorite place to dine in or take out. Also their buffet is perfect for if you're not sure if you are a fan of Indian food, but after going here you'll be. So grateful to have Shalimar so close to me! read more

Shalimar is unlike any other Indian cuisine I have had in the Capital Region. I am extremely picky about who I would give a 5 star to but Shalimar deserves it hands down. The services there is fast, and friendly. The chicken Masala is to die for and the Naan is some of the freshest I have ever had its always made fresh to order. The owner has always been there when I have gone in he greets us and makes sure our meal and service was great. If you haven't been yet I would put it on your list and if you are looking at this review deciding whether or not you should go get your shoes on and GO now ! Best part is they DELIVER ! read more

This is a review from a vegetarian East Indian. I guess that reviews written so for are by Americans. I went to this place with my family and ordered from the menu (not from the buffet). The food was subpar quality. Most of my family members did not like the food. This food does not suit Indian appetite and taste. After we were finished eating in the restaurant, we packed the remaining food, but nobody in the family ate that at home. We threw it away. The restaurant was quiet and service was good, but food was not. read more

I'm normally not one for buffets but my friend brought me here and I have to admit there's something really pure about shoveling large amounts of inexpensive Indian food into my mouth. It's a much better deal than just ordering off he menu if you like trying new things. The waitstaff is a bit disgruntled or hurried but that's never been something that really bothers me. read more

Excellent food! Always tasty and a fair price for the quality that you get. We were regulars for the lunch buffet and dinner. Try the falafel salad or the vegetable korma! We recently moved but we miss the food so much! We will definitely go back if we are in the area again. :) read more