I was very impressed by Shalimar's Sunday buffet. The buffet is just under $15 which might sound high for a buffet, but Pakistani/Indian entrees can typically run you anywhere from $15-$20 for a dish so I thought it was a very reasonable price. They had a variety of different veg/non-veg options including butter chicken, chicken chili, goat haleem, korma, chana masala, palak paneer, biryani, a noddle dish (my vegetarian sister is a fan), along with appetizers (samosas, pakoras), dessert (jalebi, gulab jamun) and lassi. All this for $15 is a steal. The service was outstanding too. The waiters would bring baskets of fresh naan and were very friendly, always filling up our water. I especially like that they kept the menu very classic/traditional too, will be back very soon! read more

Past years Shalimar used to have the best biryani in Iselin Tried their biryani couple of times and very very disappointed. Looks like the chefs don't taste their food anymore and assume just because it looks like biryani taste like biryani. ZERO flavor salt not right and rice all clumped up because it's got out of a refrigerator prepared from previous days. Buffet is still good for the price and staff warm and helpful Wake up cooks inside !!! read more

I ordered breakfast keema naan and magaz. Food was burned, they gave us the wrong food (gave haleem instead of magaz) and then wwhen i called them, they denied refund, said they can only give store credit and the food sucked why would i want to order again.... STAY AWAY read more

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This place was the place to buy Rasamali (am I spelling that right?) My pa wouldn't eat anywhere else. Those nice sweet cheese balls in milk....yummm read more

Love this place, we know the owners and the food is always good. I give it 4 stars though because it's always so cramped and the servers are not that polite and don't really care about the customer. Straight up Pakistani treatment and cuisine. read more

This restaurant was highly recommended by a friend of mine but I found it just average. I ordered a whole lot of dishes starting with kebabs, few curries (achari, nihari, etc) to sweets. The only one worth remembering would be the cheese malai kebab. It was different, juicy and well spiced. The rest was a blank. Living almost 30 mins away, there was nothing memorable to drive back again. If you are around the corner, then its a different story. read more

Calling all lamb chop lovers !!! If you're looking for tasty and I mean sucking your fingers tasty lamb chops , then you have to come here. I only and strictly come here for their lamb chops and their pita ! I know the comments don't have many good things to say and although I do agree I don't really like the rest of their food their lamb chops are one of the best lamb chops I've ever tasted ! I literally travel 35 minutes just to have them ! There is so so much meat and the pita perfectly compliments it! Omgsh they also have this mouth watering sauce that comes along with it , don't forget to ask for it! The place itself is not the most appealing, in fact I would have never entered it myself , but a friend took me here to taste their lamb. And since then I have been hooked and coming here just for the lamb chop, perfectly juicy and flavorful ahhhh you have to come try it ! I didn't take a picture because as soon as I saw my lamb chops all I wanted to do is dig in ! If you're in the area give them a try , at least for their lamb chops that I 100 percent stand by ! 4 Stars because their customer service is not the best , maybe it's the cultural difference , but I did not really enjoy the hostility. But you're really just picking up the food and leaving. So ignore that and you'll love your chops ! read more

The food here is the main highlight. I agree with the other reviewer that the best stuff is the one that is grilled fresh. I got a chicken malai tikka which was out of this world. I also got greedy and decided to try some chicken biryani. While a solid biryani, much better than the average that you get in the US but not the best. Probably because they take it out of the counter shelf and nuke it up in the microwave. My advice, go for whatever is not in the display which are mostly the fresh grilled meats. That will be a little trip to heaven. read more

The food is terrible and they overcharge you because they dont make money any other way

So delicious - hits the spot every time. True Pakistani food - not Indian. We always get the 4 piece chicken and beef kabobs, nihari and Haleem. Amazing - period. I also just tried their sweets this time - the kalakand....holy crap I don't even like desi mithai and this stuff was sooo legit. Man...wish they were closer to me! read more

Papri chaat, samosas, kabobs, naan, nihari, and jalaybees. You will never be disappointed with the food at this Shalimar location. Just order it, sit, and enjoy. They renovated the restaurant some time ago so it's really nice inside. Don't bring Bae here, cuz the aunties talk. And they got cameras on their phones. Perfect for fam bam and friends. Parking sucks because it's Edison and it's Oak Tree Rd fam. But come here. You won't regret it. read more

I had the opportunity of stopping by Iselin, NJ and it was a whole new experience for me. I will most definitely have to make correlations between east coast's Iselin, NJ and west coast's Artesia, CA. First off, finding a place like Shalimar on Pioneer Blvd is extremely tough. Pioneer is dominated by south asian vegetarian cuisine. However, to make the situation extremely confusing, there are about 4-5 different Shalimars on the same street. I didn't know which one was which, and which one to pick from. So after tossing a coin, and deciding to eat at this particular location, we ordered our food. It came out really quick, but this was probably because we were the only people in the restaurant. That doesn't matter though, because the kabobs were amazing. For about $10 you get 4 beef kabobs that probably weigh in at about 2 lbs. We also ordered butter chicken, which was also pretty good. Obviously my dad and I couldn't finish everything, so we had to pack it up. Even after microwaving it up the next day we really enjoyed it. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. Its not exactly cheap at around $9/person, but I must confess that it is worth every penny if you don't mind eating leftovers. read more

I skeptically entered the buffet wondering if it was really a good deal to get the buffet rather than to just order and leave. But boy am I glad that I stayed here and tried out the buffet. To be honest, I grabbed literally everything there but forgot most of their names. I really enjoyed the lamb chops though. Although the lamb chops had mostly bone, since it was a buffet you could grab as much as you want, which is exactly what I did. The chicken and curry was golden as usual. But truth be told, I don't think you can find a buffet for $12.99 that tastes as good as this. I'm a fan of Shalimar Restaurant. read more

My girlfriend and her son were in the mood for indian food the other day so we decided to drop in. We based our decision solely on the fact that the place looked like a pretty happening spot from the outside. It pretty much looks like a souped up deli when your standing in line. They have plates of food for you to choose from. Some of the stuff looks fresh, some of it doesn't. The inside doesn't really give off an extra clean feel. The floors are kind of old and brown, the tables are scattered all over the place and lopsided, and they have another counter that sells just desserts, weird. We ordered chicken tikka massala with a side of white rice and some potatoes with curry, and 2 chicken kebabs. (I'm sorry if my spelling is off but I'm not indian) so my apologies. After you order your food you sit down and wait for them to bring it to you. There is a guy that just hooks the meat onto a metal rod that just looks at you while you wait. It's kind of awkward. He looks at you throughout the entire meal from behind a plexiglass window. A waitress brought our food out on paper plates (Tacky) and they also give you plastic spoons, forks and knives. Actually she forgot the knives so we had to get up. We also had to get up to get our sodas from another fridge that is across the room. The chicken tikka wasn't that bad, but I've had better. It's also very spicy, and I love spicy food, but it's really over the top. Something they should warn customers about. The rice was ok. The potatoes were ok. The best thing on my plate was the chicken kebab, very fresh and good. The worst part about this place is the prices. I was expecting to pay about 25-30 bucks for our meal and even that was being a little on the generous side for a hole in the wall like that. But our meal came out to a whopping 45 dollars. I almost flipped my lid when I saw the bill. You can get better food at an upscale indian restaurant like Ginger and Olive in New Brunswick for that same price. Never again. Save your money and skip this dump. read more

I really liked this shop. It's both a sweet and savory food store. I admittedly do not like Indian sweets (they're basically sugar, milk, and butter mixed together into different ratio's and shapes), but the sweet I tried here was definitely better than at the other stores nearby. I think most people buy boxes and 1/2 lbs of sweets, so the lady just let me try the 1 piece of rectangular sugar for free. I have not tried the savory food, but if the sweets are anything to go by, it's probably pretty good. read more

I read the reviews and I was expecting a really bad service and attitude etc but I am glad to say I didn't experience anything of that sort! The place was clean. The servers were nice & polite. The food was amazing we ordered halwa puri and some kebabs, salt lassi and mango lassi , everything was amazing. Good was hot and fresh. I am definitely recommending it to everyone who wants good Pakistani food. Loved it, 5 stars! read more

Shalimar Restaurant - Halwa puri ! - Indian Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

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It's typical Pakistani food, biryanis, kebabs, goat curry and salad. Nothing that will blow you away, but will definitely satisfy the spicy desi craving when you have it. The place has a casual/take out kinda vibe. read more

I had been a regular here for quite some time. What I like most is you get quick tasty food at a good price. Unfortunately there are a few issues that have caused me, at least temporarily, to select another spot to satisfy my indian food cravings. The establishment itself is quaint but small and can not always accommodate the demand. Food is buffet style and consists primarily of chicken/goat kofta and biryani dishes. As I mentioned, the food is quite tasty, which is why I had been a regular for around 5 years. Their chaats are not too bad either if a tad too spicy. On the other side is their dessert selection which is diverse and very good. The issues I had were that the tables were not often clean and the staff took a little while to ring you up, the latter not a major concern. Since this place is conveniently located and provides good food with decent service, I intend to bring these issues up to management as I would certainly become a regular again once the issues are addressed. read more

Poor service. Restaurant closes at midnight. I arrived at 11pm. The lady behind the counter kept rushing me to place the order because they wanted to close the register. She was very rude. Food was so so. Warm up in microwave and serve. Not coming back again. read more

Such an underrated restaurant! The meat was really well cooked and wasn't dry at all. We especially loved how fluffy and layer the parata was and how thick and creamy the kheer was! read more

On my way back to Philly and I dropped by. Municipal free parking lot across the street. The window display to the restaurant looks like its a bakery, but walk in and turn left to find the dining room for the buffet. Free drinks offered via 2 litre containers of soda that customers pour themselves. Food selection is plentiful with a robust selection of meats. Naan delivered to your table. I think the food is excellent and will be going back just for their chicken kebabs. Slices of cucumber, onions and crisp iceberg lettuce is a fresh compliment to some heavy fare. I was forewarned by colleagues that this place is dirty, but I do not agree with them. It has charm and there is no fly paper dangling from the ceiling like I was told. Tables were clean and buffet area was frequbetly wiped down by staff. As a non-Pakistani, I find the place offers a lot of interesting dishes for a very reasonable price. Staff are really nice too. The buffet was still open at 4 so for a late lunch its a great option. read more

I've been here so many times in 15 years I've lost count. Pakistani food is very different from Indian food in the way that it's prepared depending on the spices and region the food is from so this place has some dishes they make very well. Their chicken cheese kababs are great however they're not that fresh the next day so eat em when they're prepared fresh. The Tandoori chicken is very good also and their naan bread is the best in the area. The dish that I love here is Chicken Haleem so definitely get that, it's delicious!! I'd say if you're gonna eat here order take-out because it's too packed inside to find a place to sit and people's kids are running around or crying so you'll find it peaceful to eat at home. Plus, there's hardly any waiter service so you have to continuously go up to the counter to ask for things like utensils, water, etc. Also try the sweets, those they do really well like their barfis, pateeza, jalebis and small gulab jamuns. I think this restaurant makes some Pakistani dishes really well and some not so much. I'd say that between Shalimar, Khan Kabab House in Parsippany, and the buffet at Shahnawaz Palace in Edison you will have covered all the best that Pakistani cuisine has to offer. Enjoy! read more

This place survives only because its a 24x7 takeout Grossly mismanaged , has enough staff but functions worser than a 50 pc understaffed peer. The food is OK , but if you place an order you are in for a customer service nightmare for eg: yesteday I went in at 110 , pm and placed an order for 2 naans , 1 chicken tikka masala and 4 shammi kebabs . I was given a wait time of 25 mins . i wonder why 25 mins because all that he needs to make is the 2 naans , chicken and kebabs are already prepared and displayed in boxes So i assumed he is making kebab fresh too . My order is ready at 1:55 pm, dealing with the cashier is another nightmare , he goes and works on something else after each question , there are 2 cooks and 2 cashiers cashier1: do you want chicken to be heated? by the time i answer he disappears to back of store he comes back in 5 mins and repeats the question , i said yes and he proceeds to scoop the chicken tikka from the display , so i said if you are scooping anyway from premade switch it to chicken achaari . he scoops chicken achaari and puts it in the mwave and again disappears to back of store after 5 mins cashier 2 the lady walks in , she searches what it appears to be for my receipt while doing many other random things in between and starts scooping out tikke again . i watch her and ask if she is catering my order , and informs the achaari chicken is already in MW she opens MW gets achaari packs it , gets a packed box of shammi kabob and looks for naan , and finds a pack of 2 naans from under her cashier table which was left over from some previous order I asked for heating up chicken but the micorwave never was on and they packed cold dish from the display , I assumed kabob was fresh in packed box and realized later that too was also ice cold from the display . Naan was cold from some previous order So all this and wait time was 70 mins , to pull 2 dishes from display and pack 2 naans . what the actual Fk is going on ? would never go back . good luck shutting down soon read more

I would not recommend anyone to go there. The service was very poor. We went there after 1 hour drive for iftar and our food came after an hour. We broke our fast with water and wait 45 mins, and on top food was not good. We were waiting to pay bill for 20 minutes. Overall very bad experience. read more

Shalimar Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Went there with a group of people, but we ordered takeout separately. I only ordered 2 things, a chicken dish (which they asked if I wanted to heat up at home -- I said yes.) Meaning just 4 scoops into a container in their front of house food, and some Naan. In total it should not have taken 40 mins just for those 2, but the food was delicious , a so ill give them that. Next time, I'll just try the buffet, in hope that the service and speed is faster. read more

We ordered a kofta curry here (not the vegetarian kind) which is ordinarily never prepared with any type of tree nut. After we were served our meal, I made sure to double check with the staff, and went up to the counter to ask if there were any tree nuts in the curry as my husband is allergic. The staff was evasive on the issue - some said no, others said they weren't sure and wouldn't be able to answer because the chef had gone home for the day. And sure enough, half an hour after our meal, my husband fell terribly sick. It was just him who fell ill and not me, even though we both consumed the same thing, so it's pretty certain that the dish was prepared with nuts. You can't run a business in the US without giving appropriate food warnings. I called the restaurant just now to complain and the manager was so laser focused on perhaps making sure this story wasn't concocted that his immediate reaction after I narrated the entire incident was to ask a host of follow up questions about the time that we were present there and who was serving us, instead of taking a more apologetic stance, and then moving onto the business of verifying my story. He refused to give me his name over the phone and insisted I come back to the restaurant to talk to them. Definitely not coming back here. read more

For what it is I give this place lots of credit. The food is not the best but for the price its worth it. So far I've come here twice for the all you can eat buffet. It runs for about $12-13 and the food is not bad. They have a lot of chicken selections so if you are into that this might be the place for you. Everything is pretty much self service and the seating area is not too big. I wouldn't recommend this place if you have a large group. 4 people max. I will be back. read more

right in the heart of little india. This place has a great indian buffet for around 10 bucks. I dont understand the deal with indian candy... it all has the same taste and im not a fan on it, but the food here is excellent... stay away from the chinese food they throw into the mix though... not sure why thats there. They bring nan to your table as soon as it comes out of the oven. and they play crazy indian music videos on the tv. read more

Shalimar Restaurant - buffet - Indian Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

This place is okay .The food isn't bad .The ladies working behind the counter r very slow and lazy they will make u wait 40 mins every single time and even if I place an order for pickup by the time u get it's never ready .food is good but really terrible service read more

Good... Samosa Chaat Papri Chaat Chicken Behari Behari Kebab Chicken Biriyani Fish Tandoori Naan read more

Reliable excellent food!! Service is always courteous. Sure, the place's ambience is not much to speak of .. The price range and food more than make up for what it lacks. read more

Food was good. Service is ok. They were pretty slow at the register and sweets stall. We waited for a good 5/10 minutes before one of the waitresses decided to walk over. read more

I was in Edison last weekend, and of course had to stop at Shalimar. I had not been here since my days in college when we would drive in the late hours of the night just to get chicken cheese kabobs. My aunt, uncle and I stopped for the lunch buffet which is $15/pp. A little pricier than your normal buffet, but the amount of food you can have is incredible. They had about 15 different saalans/entrees - including haleem, chicken tikka, chinese style chicken, tandoori chicken, I mean the list can go on forever. I was deeply craving pakoras, so I went for those first. They were okay. They clearly weren't fresh, but the flavor was still right on. I also had the bhindi masala, chicken tikka, some haleem, biryani, and a few others I can't even remember. The haleem was a huge hit amongst all of us. It was perfect in consistency. The chicken tikka was decent, could have had a little more spice to it. The tandoori chicken also was full of flavor, and the meat wasn't too dry. The best part of this place is that they keep bringing fresh naan to your table as you're eating. I felt like I was in Pakistan when they make it right in front of you! They also had a ton of dessert options including jalebi, gulab jamun, mithai. But, who honestly has room for that after eating so much for lunch. read more

My first ever visit here. Came in on a Monday for lunch. A decent variety of food in their buffet - and it was all delicious! Clean place, friendly attentive staff. I highly recocmend, and I will defintely go back here again! read more

Shalimar Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey

Where do I start, Shalimar were the first ones to give me my taste of Home, back when I first came to this country its been 8 years since and they never seem to have failed me once. Reason for that, they keep it simple and straight forward everything they cook is with "Shan" masala and ALL the recipes come straight from the back of the pack, really you can cook the exact same food by simply following the instructions but thats the beauty of Shalimar's ideology "Don't Fix What Ain't Broken" or better yet "Why Reinvent The Wheel" and that's the reason why no matter which Shalimar you visit (there's about 3-4 of them in and around) the food quality and taste is ALWAYS consistent. On a side note I'd steer away from the sweets they are good but not the best. read more

I would say that's the place I got best pilaf ever. They cook it with carrots, raisins, special spices i guess, and those make it smell and taste so good. Also kebabs they serve are juicy. Take hummus and babaganuj they got real TASTE so it's not like you can get in grocery. About sweets I could say most of them look so attractive but too sweet for me. I always take rasmalai and some kind of carrot and cheese pie. read more

Excellent tandoor palace, made fresh with the right balance of spices. Bihari Kabab, lahori fish, chapli kabab and seekh kabab alongside the kheer the items to go for at Shalimar. read more

I was looking for another place while walking in. Simple decor ,nothing amazing but the food smelled great.Looks like a lot of locals come here. Lunch buffet has great dish choices and even has mango lassi and sweets without additional charge. Im going again soon. read more

Ok, lets talk about the ambiance: so I was there with my parents and they were no tables open except for one table which was next to the bathroom. The area of the table next to bathroom reeked. Two of the tables were occupied with the owner for catering order. Since this was afternoon time (mothers day), the owner should have taken the business in an office but I guess they didn't care about new customers. Luckily, one of the tables got cleared so we got those chairs. Lets talk about food: we ordered bihari kabob and a plate of seekh kabob. The bihari kabob were decent but the seekh kabob were horrible (no salt and very bland). There were 4 of us but they served salad for one with no tomatoes or onions, only lettuce. read more

The food is tasty, and very authentic. Everything on the menu is delicious. The BBQ dishes are all fresh,. But do take a while to cook. You won't leave hungry. read more

Shalimar Restaurant - Shalimar table. Waiting for our dinner order. - Indian Near Me - Iselin, New Jersey