Discovered this spot on Thanksgiving night, and it was a lifesaver! Open until 3 AM, we went around midnight when the streets were empty. Ordered naan with chicken korma and naan stuffed with mutton--both were amazing and worth it! Great table service, and the staff was super friendly. Highly recommend for late-night cravings! read more

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Excellent service and great food. Authentic taste. Open late and free parking behind .

This is my GO-TO restaurant whenever I'm shopping in Edison. The food is so delicious and flavorful. The chicken cheese kabobs are a must try! Every time I go, I always get the kabobs and the chana curry but this time we decided to get the butter chicken as well. It had the perfect blend of spice and creaminess with tender chicken, 100/10. I wish there was Shalimar in Philly because I would be getting takeout from there whenever I had a craving for Indian food. The restaurant is halal as well! read more

Shalimar Grill Restaurant - Chicken Cheese Kabab, Butter Chicken, Chana Curry, Garlic Naan - Pakistani Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

I called them up and told them to ask their cook not to burn my naan and he did exactly that. Below are the photos of the naans. Each and every naan was burned. I'm not sure why they think it's ok to sell cancer naans to paying customers. I don't prefer my bread to turn into charcoal. It's interesting how they actually packed it up and sent it out for delivery knowing I told them not to burn it. I'm pretty sure they will see this review and as all restaurants they will deny that they ever did this. Below are some photographs of the naans so the world can see for themselves. read more

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Shopping on oak tree rd for 30yrs and this is the first time I visited Shalimar. Got take out for chicken biryani and chicken kabob. These two items come in a million different varieties and taste profile based on region. I would say, for this location, both of them were very very mild. Perfectly cooked. Would I go back? Maybe... to try something else. Very friendly staff. Would I eat in? Probably not. read more

Being in Edison , shalimar is a special place .. they are open quite late .. if we suddenly get hungry at 11 pm on weekends - no worries .. we have shalimar ! Love their naans and chicken curry . They have different options even at midnight .. biryani isn't the best here .. chai is good . Mostly like their non veg items . Veggie is ok ok . Shalimar is the only place we go , if it is late and nothing else to eat :) thanks shalimar owners ... kudos read more

Absolutely authentic and delightful real Pakistani Indian cuisine especially an amazing variety of high quality offerings at the eat all you can eat weekend buffet. Four of us Pakistan born childhood friends do an annual food gluttony reunion in Manhattan. An occasional trip to another borough sometimes does happen. This time we literally took a subway ride from Grand Hyatt Hotel to Penn Station for an NJ Transit train ride to Iselin. Half a mile from the station, it was very easy to get to. Our original plan was to get 3-4 entrees but when we saw the fabulous variety of food on display in the buffet offering, we figured it was worth a shot. What a great choice it turned out to be. Even as "gluttons for 3 days every year" we tried to get a little bit of everything but I didn't even get to 1/3 of the offerings. But most importantly each and every dish turned out to be superb. Most were better than what we had at fancier Manhattan Indian & desi restaurants the previous two days. As a lifelong "Manhattan boy" (well the boy term was lost decades ago lol) I always poke fun at NJ with Ian the one of us who is in NJ for 40 years. But for this food I would go back to NJ. Normally I'm taking pictures of everything but I got so into the food I didn't even remember to take pictures of it! Sorry! read more

Easily the best haleem (beef) my family and I have ever had. We buy it in bulk and freeze it because we love it so much. They have a huge selection of mittai as well. Other dishes are good but we always get the haleem to go, and it's well worth the 2+ hour drive. read more

Shalimar Grill Restaurant - Beef haleem- easily the best haleem my family and I have ever had. - Pakistani Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

I haven't written a review in a while... but my experience here was so awful I actually think the time is worth it to let the world know to avoid this place at all costs. I came on 09/10 around 10ish PM. We ordered a a gyro platter and chicken platter. It was terrible. The meat was cold, hard and it was not fresh. It wasn't even edible. So i went and complained to the the guy who took our order who began arguing with us. He then told this Aunty Cook who then started talking to me in Hindi saying this is the way fresh food tastes... and then began arguing with me as well. This is not how you treat customers. We left our food on the table and they still made us pay 50% for rice and hard rock meat. This is the one of the worst Indian restaurants i have been to in my life. Its so bad, it even messed up my grammar on this post. The reviews that say they don't wash their hands and start touching your food is true read more

Very bad service. Food was stale and place was extremely crowded. Please avoid. There are better alternatives.

mazing food and service , they need to work on their haleem though . With papri chaat we ordered haleem and it wasnt rate like haleem at all . read more

Good food. Biryani tasted amazingly good. And their chicken curry was yummy and this is more a fast food like setup

This place is FILTHY! I cringed as I walked through the back entrance. I honestly don't know how they are still open to the public. Person at the counter after handling money went to the back, grabbed the salad with his bare hands and put in it foil for takeout, ewwww. Anyway, for convenience they are open 24hrs and I was hungry. I took my life in my hands and ate. Food was cold and had to reheat it. Good deal for biriyani and a kabob I think $6.99- but I can't guarantee that you won't get a hospital bill for gastroenteritis that may follow so the price you pay may vary. Would I recommend this place, NEVER, will I continue to have poor late night judgment and decide to press my luck, possibly. read more

Worst restaurant . Filthy. Bad management. Food is not at all tasty. Please avoid this place.

Shalimar is a chain of Halal/Pakistani restaurants around Edison, NJ and beyoond. For those confused, Shalimar has three locations in Edison (King of Sweets, Foodland, and Grill), all serving (more or less) the same menu. Shalimar Grill, which I'm reviewing, offers the standard menu in a bigger fast-food setting with a lunch buffet. All Shalimar locations have 4 star food. Meats have high turnover and, consequently, are fresh and flavorful. They tend to be a bit overseasoned, but are nonetheless tasty and cooked perfectly. These include the various chicken and lamb varieties. The biryani has great rice and ample meat, but can be slightly bland. In general, the food at all the Shalimars is consistently solid, authentic, and reasonably priced. The downside is that some of the stuff is premade. This particular Grill location gets an extra star due to the killer take out specials (buy one get one free chicken biryani with 2 chicken kabobs), and 24/7 hours. read more

Stopped in here to get something to eat on what had to be the coldest day in May. We were freezing between the temps, the wind & the rain. We were in Iselin to pick up some stuff for my daughter's birthday party, since she's planning on an Indian theme. Food was good, in steam trays but fresh. The Tandoori chicken is the best deal on the menu. My husband had that, my daughter had Chicken Makhani, and I had curry chicken. All were good but a little pricier than I expected for what is essentially a take-out place. They charged quite a bit for rice, which is usually the cheapest thing. That was surprising. The naan was good & fresh, the food was good and the spice kept us warm. Good for a quick meal or for take out. Not a whole lot of seating but it wasn't busy that day. read more

Food is a stellar 5 stars but much like everything else, I'm a bit annoyed with the service. First, ordering is a bit strange. You can take a paper menu and figure out what you want, then they'll write down your order and, if you're eating in, you'll get a table number and they'll bring your food to you. My problem is the miscommunication and assumptions. I wanted to order a non-veg platter ($11) and my boyfriend was going to get a veg platter ($8) to optimize costs and try as many options possible. When I was ordering, I'd said I want the platter with bhindi masala and palak paneer. I was informed that there was no palak paneer but there was the palak goat. He then told me that ordering just bhindi masala and the palak goat (which we later changed to butter chicken) was more than enough for the two of us, along with the vegetable fried rice and garlic naan that I assumed was part of this absurdly large platter. Plus a mango lassi. We didn't question it and went to sit at the tables. It was a bit of a wait but we were served a water pitcher and then our food came, piping hot and ready! I won't lie, the food was amazing. We really enjoyed the food and even had a bit to bring home. But then we went to pay and it came out to be $33. I'm annoyed we weren't told that he arbitrarily chose the "best options for us" and pushed the bigger entrees when that wasn't our intention. I'm hesitant about returning, if only the food wasn't as good! Hopefully it's better next time... read more

Wonderful Seek Kabibs and everything else is cooked to perfection!! THIS is the place to stop for Indian Food when you're driving along the Parkway or Turnpike.... THIS is little India. I seriously can't drive anywhere near this area without stopping for a snack or a meal. EVERYTHING is delicious!! I know you want more detail than that. But just go. Go now. Go for succulent chicken and lamb and vegetarian dishes... Go for the Hot Buffet. Go for the authentic spices! This place reminds me of a little place that became my favorite local food joint during my time in Amritsar, India. It's THAT good!!! Go read more

Last week we got a bunch of items from here, a place we have been patronising for close to 20 years. It was a phone in order. We ordered two mutton biryanis and in both of them there was hardly any meat to speak of. And this is after they raised prices. We got charged 4$ for a garlic naan which is way too much for a place like this. read more

We walked in and the owner was very friendly. Im going to give it to you straight, nothing here is fresh, and everything is reheated. The microwave is at the front, so you see them put the items in the microwave, they didnt even hide the damn microwave, really people. The only thing fresh was the naan, 2 stars for the naan. I asked for Roti and they gave me naan. I took it because it was the freshest thing there so I was okay with it. I ordered the grilled lamb and it wasnt fresh and it wasn't hot. The samosas are a sad attempt at a indian appetizer. It had no flavor and I was disappointed because I loooooove samosas. This place is clearly still open because of convenience. I also noticed how the cashiers finger ended up in someone's biryani as the woman was passing it to him for the lid to deliver, yuck! Its open 24/7 so you can risk your health at all times of the night. read more

Food was old and tasted disgusting. The staff don't wash their hands before touching your food. Their food made my whole family sick. I wish I could give zero stars. I do not recommend to go to Shalimar grill read more

Good takeout place, the quantity is about right however the spice levels are mild. The Kababs taste good, the biriyani was average. They have a good spread of vegetarian dishes too. One of the few places that stay open after midnight. read more

Shalimar Grill Restaurant - Chapli Kabab - Pakistani Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

I really, really enjoyed this place. My co-workers actually brought me here for lunch yesterday and it tasted great. It was a lunch buffet and everything was perfectly seasoned and had the right amount of spice! The food was really good and the sweets were even better. I love Indian food but usually am not big on the sweets, but I must say the Kheer and Gulab Jamun together tasted GREAT! The two were perfect for cooling down the pallets after indulging in all the spices. One thing that I was happy for was that they had my favorite Butter Chicken and it looked as though the freshly made naan was complimentary...couldn't get any better! They also offered salad, sides of cucumbers and onions, vegetable samosa, chicken kabaab, dhaal, and biryani, among other things as well. The service was pretty good: they made sure glasses of water were always full, and that there was always enough FRESH naan at the table. You really can't go wrong with this place, for lunch anyway. Since I was among co-workers, I did not make the effort to take pictures, but rest assured, I will definitely be returning with my boyfriend very soon and I will definitely upload pictures then! read more

This is in no way shape or form, fine dining. This is however, the best mixed grill joint in NJ. Mixed grill referring to Indian (Pakistan, Afghan etc) grilled meats. The prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious, so much so I'm craving it right now!!! I try and schedule a meeting a week in the Edison area, so I can stop off and get some. My wife and I typically order: the Chicken Seekh Kebab, and Tandoori Chicken, and garlic naan. When I pick up my order they always ask if I want the food heated. I opt for no, and heat it when I get home. Friends have strongly recommended the chicken and cheese Seekh kebabs. read more

Found an actual feather in my chicken, would not recommend!! There's no hygiene and cleanliness at the restaurant. read more

Shalimar Grill Restaurant - Feather found in my Tandoori Chicken - Pakistani Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Used to be my go to spot for chicken kabobs, but I'm never going back... When I was new to the area, my dad seemed to favor this place, and because I trust his judgement and its never lead me astray, I never really went anywhere else. The taste hasn't really changed, but the service is atrocious. Two visits ago, I got a dozen kabobs to go and wanted to pay with card. I'm aware that these stores prefer cash, but I figure since I'm buying almost $20 worth of food they won't mind. The lady gave me attitude when I wanted to pay with card. Fine, I'll pay with cash. The most recent trip was even worse than the last, and hence I'm done with this place. We ordered 2 dozen kabobs, 1 beef haleem and 1 naan. A little over $40 worth of food. Can I please just pay with card? Its about the convenience (yes, our generation is spoiled). No, they prefer cash. Fine...I don't carry cash, but my wife does (thanks wifey). Everything is good? Nope. Because we asked for 4 kabobs to be heated so that we can eat them on the spot we got charged for 20 kabobs "to-go" and 4 kabobs "eat-in". Somehow the logic doesn't seem sound, but you can decide that one for yourself. Apparently there is a 3% discount for paying with cash too, but honestly this whole mess can be avoided if they simply had some rule and stuck with it. For example, just have it written before you order, "no cards under $20, 3% cash discount on all orders". You would easily earn my trust and business if you just had it stated somewhere instead of making stuff up on the spot. Topping off the frustration was the fact that I couldn't get a lid for the raita that we couldn't finish. Seriously, a lid is $0.05, just give me a lid, I don't want to throw away food. I asked three times, the first time she said she already gave me enough raita, the next 2 times she ignored me. I don't think the people who run the place understand how competitive the area is. There are 20 other restaurants within the area that probably serve better food, with better service. I used to overlook the sanitary conditions for the taste of the food, but now I can't. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

24 hours of delicious Pakistani food which also provides Delievery through uber eats! I've never been disappointed ordering from Shalimar. It is easily one of the best Pakistani restaurants in central Jersey. read more

Awful service on a Sunday for takeout with customers in line being yelled at for any order changes and they had no change. Food is good but not good enough to take abuse. Many alternatives in the area for Indian/Pakistani grilled food. read more

4 stars. The food is great. Really delicious. We ordered a big order for a big group and everyone really enjoyed their meal. HOWEVER... I completely agree with 2 reviews before me... 1. THIS PLACE IS REALLY EXPENSIVE. 2. THE LADY WHO TAKES ORDERS OVER THE PHONE IS AGGRAVATINGLY RUDE. As I'm placing a big order, she tells me to hurry up and order quicker!!! I wasn't even taking my time! I let it go until the 3rd time she said "Quick, quick"... and I yelled back that I'm a customer and I'm making a big order from her business and that she needs to relax!!! She immediately changed her tone. Then at the end of it all, she forgot the rice and we had to make another trip back to pick it up. Anyway... yes, we would order from there again because it was so tasty, but she's obnoxious and probably sets the prices as well. read more

This place is horrible. It's dirty. Food was cold and had hair in it. Lady at the counter told me I didn't tell her I wanted the food warm! Like what?! Does that even make any sense? That just explains that I was given old cold food. Was I suppose to say I didn't want hair in my food also? Stay away from this place, they literally should get 0 stars. read more

Just as dirty as the other Shalimar. Only one guy is nice here. The lady at the front is not friendly at all. The food is basic, the cook who was making Tori's and kebabs didn't even wash his hands with soap after touching raw meat for the kebab and then for my roti. This place is one of the worst kept on oak tree. No idea how they stay in business. Never again. read more

Although this place is famous for and is mecca to biryani and chkn seek kebab. I'm a food connerso and it takes me a lot to impress or write review - this place is addictively deservent for their Chana Masala, I m not a big fan of chole - me and my daughter have been chowing down on chole which is probably healthiest but albeit addictively tasty and to top it off with their Raita and don't forget to ask them for their green chutney... I m a business man and seriously think they can mass market their brown rice / Afghani... With Chana Masala, Raita and green chutney and it will fly out of grocery shelves as guilt free, gmo free treat. Try it and u would know how tasty a simple Chana Masala can B... My gratitude to Chef - to make a healthy treat sinfully delitful to taste buds... read more

Worst service I've ever experienced. The woman taking our order answered the phone literally in the middle of taking our order and continued to ignore us as she stayed on the phone for at least 5 minutes. Then she stepped away from the counter backed into the kitchen area and lingered there while we stood there wondering if she was ever going to finish taking our order. After a total of 10 minutes of waiting we had to ask another man behind the counter if order was going to be taken or are we just going to be ignored. She took our order unapologetically, but we decided to cancel our order a minute later (before any cooking/heating up took place). This place treats new customers like ghosts. Side Note: While we were waiting a man entered the restaurant and walked up to the woman had a nice length conversation while we were still waiting for our order to be initially taken. We were completely disregarded. He seemed like he was another employee trying to get something done, if that is redeeming quality about this place. read more

Very dirty place .. Can't even go in restaurant for pick up the food .. Food are very nasty.. Staff behavior is very rude .. Their food is precooked and by the time when u get your food you can smell the nasty smell out of the food .. If you ordered any chicken variety then definitely you will disappoint with food because when you trying to eat chicken it's very chewy and hard.. Also staff is not hygiene they don't wear the glows when they preparing the food .. All food are precooked but still you have to wait for food at least 30 minuets get your food ready.. That's the thing I can't understand how come I have to wait for half an hours when food is precooked .. And also the staff wears dirty clothes.. The cook don't use the apron and don't wear the gloves when they making food..like naan or roti.. Never suggest anyone .. Disappointed.. read more

Food is good, and i order from here once in a while (maybe a couple of times a year).... flavors are very authentic. Chicken sheek kebab's are my usual... read more

Im a fan, the food are great. I come from houston Texas where there are a huge populations of Desi people. The atmosphere felts like hillcroft and taste like bombai. Also they got a masjid room upstair on the same building. So that's awesome. read more

The category says Pakistani and Indian, but it is more toward the Pakistani side. The lamb chops here are so delicious, like literally the best lamb I have ever had, so much flavor and spiced to perfection, and just wow! The chicken is juicy good too, but the lamb is what stands out here! And the price isn't even that bad. I rarely give five stars to casual dining places (this is like a simple diner, playing Pakistani news channels in the background). If you need your meat fix, come here because the lamb chops are tasty like they were made for a Moghul king! read more

Food was alright, over priced and pathetic service. if you want to enjoy desi food please don't go to Shalimar.

This restaurant doesn't deserve even one star... worst restaurant ever. We went yesterday after 1.30 hours drive and there was a tall guy who misbehave with us. We were so disappointed with their customer service. Never gonna go this place again and I'll recommend you the same. read more

Piss poor service. Trying to overcharge us for rice and we said we didn't want it. She replied with "can't do it" so we left. How are you going to refuse to cancel one item from an order that wasn't even heated up or touched? 7 dollars for white rice? It was 8 dollars for the chicken tikka Masala. read more