Came here on a Tuesday and practically had the place to ourselves! We ordered a mango Lassi, which was so tasty, and started with garlic Naan and Jalapeño cheese Naan. The Jalapeño was the star of the show - it was so cheesy! For entrees, we ordered the Chicken Biryani and Chicken Vindaloo. Both were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend! read more

Shalimar - Troy - a variety of indian food - Indian Near Me - Troy, New York

The food is good and trust worthy. They really abide by Shariah Law of Islam....................................................................................................................................................................................... read more

I ordered a chicken tikka masala. It was good but the taste leans to more tomato base taste than average based on my experiences. I meant more sweeter and creamy sauce usually. I gave three stars because of the pricing honesty. The web page says $15.99 and on every table found menu it says the same price. But at the counter, the many dish prices were raised and the tikka masala was $16.99. I didn't like they are not consistent and somewhat I felt this place was dishonest. The inside store is rather outdated and behind the counter was very messy. I'm a little worried about their management and cleanliness overall. read more

Got a takeaway from here on the way home last Friday. Food was really good quality and delicious, the best flavors we have tasted in the area. Good portion sizes which we enjoyed the next day. Thanks to the team. read more

Thank goodness Uber Ears saved me by partnering me up with Shalimar Restaurant and delivered some desi food the other day. It was okay and got the job done. read more

Shalimar - Troy - Garlic naan , the rest I made videos and it won't let me upload - Indian Near Me - Troy, New York

Still the best Naan in the area. Food is always delicious! The most consistent in the area! Aloo gobi is the best as well as dal chana and all of the chicken dishes. read more

Nothing special about it. The tikka masala was mediocre at best and absolutely no spice with no option to add spice. I've never even heard of that with Indian food. read more

Came for lunch on a Saturday, had a mild Tikka mahkani that was very red and very good. Service was good, look Forward to returning next time we are in the area read more

...some of the best Samosas and Tikka Masala I've ever had...almost worth the violent gastric distress that followed.

Whyy are all the sauces 99% heavy cream with no flavor??? Once I got malai kofta that was almost inedible because it was so bland and heavy. I don't know why I've tried eating at Shalimar multiple times, as it's disappointing every single time. Only giving two stars because it's not the worst thing I've ever eaten. read more

Craving Indian food, I quickly searched online for a lunch buffet and ended up here. I did not find the shabby dining area off-putting as other reviewers have and immediately found a table then went to the lunch buffet. I loaded up my plate with familiar dishes such as tikka masala and tandoori chicken, but much of the other options were new to me. They had what looked like chunky mint sauce, naan, orange slices, and rice pudding. There was a carafe of spiced black tea with a stack of mugs. I was so thrilled to be on be one of the first guests for lunch time and could take my time at the buffet. I got tea and another plate of food during a second round of food. All of the food was tasty and well-prepared, but I did notice a lack of heat. All the dishes were very mild to my palate and it made me wonder if things had been toned down for Americans' general wariness of exotic spices. Even the mint sauce which is my go-to for heat and flavor turned out to be a disappointment. By the time I was interested in more tea and rice pudding the lunch buffet line was so long it extended into the second dining area. I decided to head back to work since it had become very noisy. All in all Shalimar in Troy was good to scratch an itch, but the Latham location has more contemporary dining area and serves better food. Neither place really is terrific, so I'll keep looking for my favorite Indian buffet place. read more

Shalimar - Troy - Lunch buffet - Indian Near Me - Troy, New York

Both the food quality and the service have gone down since my last visit, therefore 2 starts off. There were many selections, but the food was bland and flavorless. Whenever I go to Indian/Pakistani buffet, if they serve my favorite Bund Gobi, I usually eat a lot, but I barely finished my first plate and didn't go and get a second one. Even the Masala Chai was a little over sweetened. The service was bad too. For the 30 minutes we were there, no one came to refill our water or take away our dirty plates. Sorry Sharlimar, but I will not come back again. read more

samosas were so good i made this account just to say so. great dough. thick and flaky. really good.

Picked up a large order tonight- it was ready exactly when they said it would be, well packed, very reasonably priced... and THE BEST INDIAN FOOD WE HAVE HAD IN YEARS. It's a bummer to see that their buffet can't be open right now of course, but their take-out is better than ever. We got a mix of vegetarian and lamb/chicken entrees and everything was super tender and seasoned perfectly. We didn't wind up getting any dishes that are typically very spicy so I can't comment on heat, but everything we got was just spot on. We probably ordered 2x what we needed to, but to be honest I'll probably do it again as soon as I can. It's that good. read more

I have to say that I am appalled by the owners cavalier attitude towards his buffet and his loyal customers. If I'd have known he was such a jerk, I'd have stopped going here a long time ago. The buffet is $6.99, You expect there to be FOOD in the buffet trays when you walk in and sit down. There have been times in the past where I've had to ask for a certain dish to be refilled because it's completely empty. A customer shouldn't have to ask for a buffet item to be refilled. It's a buffet for gods sake! There's supposed to be food in the trays... not just a little rice and some cold nan bread. Today we went in for the buffet at 1 PM (it ends at 2:30pm). The tables were roughly 1/4 full. It wasn't busy. We go up to the buffet and notice there's no entrees! Well, OK there was one... there was tandori chicken that had obviously been sitting there for hours... all dried out. I asked the waitress to refill the tikki marsala and she passed that on to the owner. My friend swears he heard the owner say though the curtain that divides the kitchen and the dining area... "let them wait". The owner came out 5 minutes later and stirred the empty buffet trays again (why does he keep stirring empty trays?). I asked him about the tikki marsala and he said it would be "a long while". I said.. "a long while?!" After about 15 minutes of absolutely no food coming out of the kitchen we walk to the register to cash out. My friend doesn't want to to ask for a discount but I do. If he wants to pay full price for dry rice and old, dry tandori chicken, that's his choice. I ask for a discount and the waitress calls in the manager/owner. He's the old, Indian guy with the glasses, a perpetually filthy apron and the Tom Selleck mustache. He comes over and I politely ask for a discount because there's no entrees available and hasn't been since we came in 20 minutes ago. He gets all belligerent with me and starts yelling. He's creating a scene in his restaurant. I guess he assumes that I'll back down and just pay if he yells really loud and causes a scene. He says that it's our fault because we didn't check to see if there was any food in the trays BEFORE sitting down and ordering drinks! I swear to god he said that. We're supposed to make sure a buffet has food before we sit down and order drinks?! Are you kidding me?! It's a buffet! It's supposed to have food all the time!!! LOL!!!! When he refuses even a small discount, I refuse to pay at all. He threatens to call the police and I tell him to go ahead. I'm sure the cops will come and see that there's no food and side with me. He won't call the cops but continues to yell louder and louder... until finally the restaurant is dead quiet and everyone is focused on our conversation. I offer to show him that there's no food but he won't budge. He says no discount and I can't leave without paying full price OR he'll call the cops. But, he won't really call the cops because he knows I'm right.. Eventually, my extremely non-confrontational S/O insists on paying for both our "lunches" on his credit card and we leave. I tell the rude belligerent unappreciative owner that we're never coming back again and he just lost 2 good customers. As we're walking toward the door, he yells that if I'm going to cry about $6.99 he doesn't want our business anyway. I didn't even mention the hideous bathroom they have at the Shalimar. Using the bathroom is a scary experience. You have to walk down to the basement through a storage area and look for the bathroom. If you're lucky enough to find it without help, you'll be astounded at how filthy it is. Yuck. If you do go to the shalimar in troy, avoid the bathroom at all costs. I would not recommend patronizing the shalimar because the owner is such a belligerent, rude and unappreciative person, the bathroom is scary and the food is non-existent. read more

Eh. It's a buffet. There were some things that were pretty good. Some things that were adequate. Some things that were lousy/scary. Pretty Good: Cabbage Dish - Chaat Adequate: Chicken Tikka - Peas Lousy/Scary: Rice Pudding - Tandoori Chicken It would have been nice if the naan were replenished more frequently. If you are in the mood for Indian buffet, it scratches the itch. Glad I went, because I was in the mood for overeating comforting Indian goo. But really otherwise, I'd rather go to Oliver's a few doors down. read more

If you live in Troy, you now have a go-to lunch place. Shalimar is a small-scale Pakistani-Indian restaurant whose main selling point is its chill, authentic vibe. I feel like im in their house eating some home cooked food. The price for lunch buffet is amazing. It's $9 plus tax on weekdays, and $10 plus tax on weekends, ALL YOU CAN EAT. And unlike most buffets with a low price point, the food is still stellar. Im currently on my third plate helping myself to some bhartha and korma, and I havent even LOOKED at the desserts yet. What surprises me is that it's not as packed as you'd think. Theres a high turnover rate and always a seat. Come here now and get ready to fight for the naan before everyone eats it all. read more

Shalimar - Troy - a man sitting at a table in a restaurant - Indian Near Me - Troy, New York

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Food was okay. (We got take out). I asked to go to the bathroom, and the guy pointed at a door and told me to go downstairs. Well the door was so filthy I didn't want to touch it. The railing was only attached at one end, and disgusting. I had to walk down dark filthy stairs, and through some dark empty rooms to get to the bathroom. The bathroom was gas station caliber, not the best, not the worst. If this is what the bathroom looked like, I can only wonder what the kitchen looks like. Probably will not return. read more

Lunch Buffet is the best deal. For $8 you can you can eat all you want and sample new things. They usually have the most popular things from the menu and its always hot and replenished quite often. Everyone that works here are friendly and its one of the best Indian restaurants in the area. read more

Shalimar - Troy - shalimar restaurant and restaurant - Indian Near Me - Troy, New York

This restaurant is awful. I've been there last week, and I ordered chicken tikka masala. First of all, the service is not good at all, it took a long time to bring even a cup of water to start. Secondly, the food was cold when it was ready to serve. The most important thing is, after I had their food, I had to go to the hospital the day after that. My body reacted a severe allergic to one of the materials in their food, which I believe that's because of the strange color of the food. I had this type of Indian food before, and I never faced this problem. I would strongly suggest to not waste your money on this restaurant. Neither the services nor the quality don't worth it. read more

I'm not local, but when I'm in town for work, this is one of my favorite go-to joints. I love their Pakoras and their Tikka Masala is to die for!!! The lunch buffet is s great option for an amazing price. If you do take out, be sure to ask for Naan and they will wrap a couple warm pieces so that you don't waste space in your takeout container. Traffic and parking at lunch in downtown Troy can be obnoxious, but walk a couple blocks if you must, the food is definitely worth it!!! You will not be disappointed or left hungry! read more

Definitely some of the best Indian food I've had, and great prices! My family and I come here as much as we can, we love the lunch buffet!

Small place but due to the buffet the tables do clear quickly. There are always people eating and I've never seen it empty. The price of the buffet is reasonable. My issue is that it doesn't seem all that clean to me (floors are dingy and the plates weren't that clean). Also the bathroom is isn't the easiest to find (it involves going downstairs). read more

I'm a regular customer for take out and have dined here a few times. Hands down the best Indian food I've ever had. Consistently good quality. They are fast and friendly. read more

Best samosa I've ever had! Simply amazing, and cooked to perfection ‼ read more

Got a take out order last night. The place was busy - normally a good sign, but nope. Got Baingan Bharta and it was an oily mess with absolutely no flavor. Also got the Malia Kofta and the vege balls were lumps of ... I am not sure what they were but they were not good. The gravy was nice but not enough to make up for the rest. The naan was fine. Really disappointing experience. read more

Avoid. Go to ANY other Indian restaurant in the area, except Gandhi. It depends on your point of view. Would you rather have a terrifying bathroom experience from food poisoning (Gandhi) or because it's like a haunted Halloween experience (Shalimar)* ? I've been here a couple of times, both for the buffet and for dinner. The buffet is the better deal, but prices have jumped. It's just what I refer to as 'McIndian' - the food will fill you up, but it's below average. The last time for dinner was just awful, though. Service was amazingly sloppy and rude and the food was pretty bad. The place is dingy and dirty and I just don't enjoy eating here. Hop across the street to First Choice Jamaican Restaurant instead if you're on Fulton - now THAT is a good, soulful and delicious place to eat. * (Seriously, the bathroom is in the scary, dimly lit basement. Watch out you don't get eaten by a grue or something...) read more

If you work in Troy- this should be your go-to spot for lunch! The buffet is probably your best bang for your buck, but if you want something special then definitely take the extra step to order off the menu. If this is your first time eating Pakistani/ Indian food then have no fear! My recommendation is to first try the chicken tikka masala and naan since those are both my favorites. The staff are very attentive and friendly no matter how busy they are and always go the extra mile to explain their menu items in great detail as well as make any adjustments according to your level of spiciness or food allergies. 'Bobby' is always extremely helpful and hospitable to his customers. He keeps them coming back and treats everyone like they are eating a meal at his own house!! I kid you not, you will feel like you are eating in a kitchen of a pakistani household. The food is so authentic that it tastes just as a good as your auntie's food. read more

I haven't made it to the buffet yet. I've had two sit-down meals here, both in the late afternoon when, each time, there was only one other couple in the restaurant. Shalimar is completely uninspired. The decor is bland, at best. The service squeaks into the "passable" range, but not by a lot. Both times we've gone there, we've heard the guys back in the kitchen shouting loudly to each other. Last time, the "host" was on the phone loudly discussing his plans to get KFC for dinner. This time, the "hostess" was wearing an oversized t-shirt, sweatpants, and flip-flops. She also deemed it appropriate to vacuum a few feet away from us while we ate our appetizers, and to stand and hover at the table while I signed the credit card receipt. The food is adequate. I wouldn't call it GOOD Indian food, but it's certainly edible, and I've definitely had worse. It hasn't made me queasy, which is always a good thing. The prices and portions are reasonable. I would definitely suggest coming for the buffet if you're thinking about eating here. Like I said, I haven't done that yet, but I'm assuming the food is of equal quality, and therefore the significantly lower price will make the whole experience a more palatable value. read more

I decided to revisit Troy's Shalimar buffet. I'm adding a star because they now include goat curry on their buffet. It is delicious. However, they use bone-on meat. This is something I prefer because it adds so much more flavor to the dish. However, they cut the pieces so small that you end up with just a nibble of meat on each bone. And shards of bone to pick out of your teeth. However, the spices the used to season the dish were delicious. On this lunch outing they actually kept the naan and pakora stocked at all times. Usually they are always out and the dishes are not replenished during peak lunch hours. This time they delivered. Where they did failed to deliver, again, was on the spices of all the other dishes. Most were bland, watery or overly creamy, and lacking flavor. The chicken dishes were bone dry and stringy despite being doused in sauces. I'm almost certain they pre-cook all their chicken meat, freeze it then which is then thawed and reheated which would explain the texture. And one last complaint- although someone was walking around clearing plates, for some reason they never cleared a single plate off of our table. They cleared all the used pates off of all the tables around us except for the empty pates from our table. I'm not sure why. We all cleared our plates and stacked them at the end of the table. read more

Solid and absolutely on par with other local Indian. Great staff and wonderful food. Call it an upstate vindaloo, good and warms the heart but dos t knock my socks off. read more

Came here on a rainy Friday with a large group and the restaurant which we wanted to go was packed. This restaurant was actually empty and the decor was lacking, just a step up from a takeout joint. Was surprised to see quite a number of beef dishes on the menu. Ordered beef patties as appetizer. It was soggy and mushy. The beef was grounded so fine that it felt like baby food. Spinach with cheese (palak paneer) - not sure I like the butter taste Chicken Tikka - surprised that it has no sauce. Large chunk of grilled marinated chicken and they were tendered and tasty, the best dish of the entire meal. Chicken Tikka Masala - the sauce was sickingly red color and again too heavy with butter, chicken was not tendered. Aloo gobi (cauliflower with potatoes) - tasted pretty good Shrimp in curry - shrimp was pretty crispy and curry had a nice kick Poori (puffy friend bread) - not the best I ever had Naan - not crispy enough for me Mango lassi - again sickly reddish color Masala milk tea - will not order again Rice - too dry and no seasoning Will not be back! read more

Oh wow! Wonderful Indian in the Troy downtown. The mulligatawny soup in nice and tangy, the naan hot and crispy and the lamb curry was tasty, spicy and delicious. My wife and I both are our fill for under $30. Would definitely go again! read more

Shalimar - Troy - Indian Near Me - Troy, New York

Favorite buffet in the Capital District. Food is always hot and they're usually busy, so the turn over is great. Their Vegetable Korma is the best I've had anywhere. The Mango Chutney is so good, I could eat it with a spoon. Everything is fresh and you can tell. Limited seating, so good luck if you're trying to eat-in during lunch hours. Parking is sometimes difficult. Black and White taxi, which is on the the same block, occupies 2-12 spots at any given time on Fulton Street. (Even the only handicapped spot on occasion...-_-) Still, the food at Shalimar makes it worth it if you have to walk a few blocks from your parking spot. Very nice staff, they make you feel like you're a regular, even if it's your first visit. Bathroom is about a quarter mile from the dining room, so wear sneakers just in case you have to use the facilities. They only play the same 4 songs, over and over. You can't really tell, unless you're paying attention. Overall, my favorite restaurant ever. Nice ambience, feels like eating in your living room. Bonus points for tapestries and the giant hunks of ice in the sodas. Comic book nerds randomly swoop in from Aquilonia across the street and devour all the naan, you've been warned. read more

I live in the area, and I'm a fan of Indian food. Thank god (or Vishnu or whoever) for Shalamar. Go here for lunch on weekdays 11:30 AM-2:30 PM. They do an all-you-can-eat buffet that only costs like $5.55. Very laid back atmosphere, if the buffets on just grab a plate and sit down. Pay at the register afterwards. The vegetarian dishes are amazing, if thats your thing. I'll probably be there, the lonely guy in the corner scarfing a heaping plate full of colorful orangy mush. But so good! read more

I got takeout here about a week ago, first night in town, and what a mistake. I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and some Onion Pakora. The Chicken Tikka Masala was simply terrible. I've had better microwave-frozen-entree versions of this dish. The sauce had next to no apparent spices in it. It simply tasted sweet and fatty. Furthermore it was a nearly radioactive orange color, which leads me to believe there's something in it that adds plenty of color, and no flavor whatsoever. The actual chicken in the dish was dry and had next to no flavor of its own. The Pakora were alright, but you can't really screw those up. Will CERTAINLY not try again. read more

My go-to place when I have a craving for Indian food while I'm at school. I usually call ahead and pick-up my food for a weekend dinner. Each dish comes with a container packed with rice. Usually, I order a naan with my meal as well. They redesigned their menu and there's a new 15% discount for students (pick up only) - score! Pretty standard fare, although I've had better back home in the city. So far, I've had the Lamb Curry, Chana Masala, and Aloo Gobi. All were pretty good. My only gripe with the Lamb Curry is that it can sometimes be a little bland - it's a hit or miss sometimes. Price, with naan, averages to about $10-$12 a meal. Alright pricing, not great. Went here with M. last week for a weekday lunch at the buffet. Waitress greeted us and got our drinks. M. got a mango lassi - it was good according to him. You just go up to get your food. They had plenty of naan that was better than usual. I got myself some naan, cabbage, chick peas, and rice and peas. The chicken dishes looked alright, although the tandoori chicken looked a bit dry. The meal was delicious and was very filling. Standard fair, nothing spectacular. The decor is a bit lacking, although the place looks a lot better during the day than it does at night. M. and I sat at a table next to the wall, near the entrance to the buffet. Not much privacy between tables. Will go back again. read more

Used to work across the street from this restaurant. I love it. Their lunch buffet is great - definitely try the rice pudding

Le sigh... LONG REVIEW - Skip to the last big paragraph for actual food review! I hate to give them even the 2 stars but the customer service was quite exceptional so I'd like to think the stars are for that! Ordered Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM), Garlic Naan and Somosa Chat. Since I had seen a lot of comments on the wait, I decided to call it in 15mins. Still ended up waiting for almost 5-10 mins. The cashier was courteous, funny and friendly so it may have been a longer wait but I didn't notice. He'd chat with me and make a joke about my name as the person who took the order wrote it wrong but in a good way. Finally, I got my order. After which he proceeded to give a little tour of their buffet line in other to encourage me to return as you could take it to go. It was much cheaper!!! I was like NOW? now? you tell me?! I checked my meal before I left because he was telling how much I would love the Samosa Chat... lo and behold there surfaced a problem because I realized that's NOT what I wanted!! I ordered the wrong thing. I wanted the Vegetable Samosa. He was gracious enough to let me exchange it and get a drink for the difference in price... excellent exceptional service I tell ya! All with a smile! Ended up devouring the Vegetable Samosa (2 pcs) in the car! What?!!! I was starving! It was delicious and fresh!!! Now, I was quite excited to eat my main meal. Rushed home and settled at the table, opened up the styrofoam and was instantly disappointed ... my CTM was runny, lumpy and the ghee was very visible!!! Confused ‍ I began to stir it hoping maybe settlement was the issue... nope nothing changed... I ventured to start eating and my disappointment rose. The seasoning was around the chicken but never penetrated it, the spices were pretty weak... all the essentials were there but just lacking the finesse and time it takes to cook proper Indian Masala food. Even after a few hours it was STILL runny... usually it will thicken up in the cold. Imagine cooking CTM from a recipe yourself at home... (now cause I'm sure that was a nightmare! but YES! That's exactly what this was! Nothing special to mention about the rice or garlic naan... just your normal experience with those. Chicken Tikka Masala, should be creamy, thick and delicious. The chicken should be tender and infused with flavorful spices. Said "flavor" should make you wonder what genius created this prefect blend of spices! I might be back to try the buffet and see if I can give an updated review but this is a nahhh for me for now. read more

I've been walking past the inviting blue and green lights of Shalimar regularly for months now, but it's taken me a while to eat enough meals there that I felt qualified to write a review. Here it is now: The lunch buffet is pretty good. Not every dish is fantastic (although some are, particularly a lentil and spinach dish and the kheer or rice pudding), but it's a good deal and the variety will leave you satisfied. I can't recommend the evening menu. It's on the pricey side for what you get and the food quality can be marginal. The people are nice, service is all right. Stick with the buffet, keep expectations in check and you'll be fine. read more