This is a great spot for authentic karahi from Pakistan. While I don't know my karahi all that well (being from India), having been around the DMV area, I have been disappointed with the chicken-version of karahi. Even the recently opened and popular Karahi Boys in Sterling, VA made a somewhat disappointing chicken karahi (although their goat karahi was on-point). Not here though. This place offers three karahi options or styles- makhani/butter, Shinwari, and Butt- with chicken or goat meat. My wife and I picked the chicken Butt karahi and a side of the Lahori chana/chickpeas. The order took around 25 min to fulfill, but it was well worth the wait. The karahi was wonderful with a wonderfully coated thick gravy that clung very well onto the chicken, with the ubiquitousness of warming savory peppery spice in each bite, hiding a slight hint of sour-sweet note that would come at the back end, and made us forget about the disappointing ones we'd eaten previously. The Lahori chana, like many of the chickpea preparations in Northern India and Pakistan, was perfectly spiced with that effervescent note of the baking soda in which the chickpeas were cooked. All in all, a wonderful afternoon meal at a spot that is highly likely to be very frequented by us often. The goat karahi, charga, and rest of their BBQ menu will definitely be on our agenda next. If there was something to rue about, it was the lack of clientele when we went around 1:30-ish pm on a Saturday- not exactly lunch hour but we'd have expected to see more people there (although people were coming in sporadically for pick-up orders). I will highly recommend this place to people to go and try some wonderful Pakistani cuisine and keep the place in business. I, however, will advise against ordering any of the typical North Indian/British Indian staples, like butter chicken or tikka masala even if they're on the menu. Ask the wait staff for recommendations and focus on the Pakistani BBQ and karahi, which is what they're famous for and you'll have a much better experience. read more

We showed up at Zaiqa in Gaithersburg with a party of 11 after calling ahead, only to be told upon arrival that the chef had a catering order and told the front desk either they should cook the food or we should be asked to leave. And that's exactly what happened -- we were told to leave. I've never experienced such unprofessional and disrespectful customer service. If a restaurant cannot honor a reservation or accommodate guests they confirmed, they should say so upfront instead of wasting people's time and embarrassing them at the door. I will not be recommending this place to anyone. Truly a horrible way to treat customers. read more

I know they're known for their Indian/Pakistani food but they make a solid burger too. My mom always orders food from here (even when it was eastern kebab) and it's always been good. I ordered for takeout and it was ready in 20 mins. Plenty of parking outside too. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - AMERICAN BURGER (comes with onion ring) - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

Just fabulous! Service was excellent but the food was even better! The spices complimented each dish and everything was cooked to perfection. They're is even a Call button at the table in case you need something before they come check on you. We really liked that the water was bottled. The decor is authentic and colorful, creating a very pleasant ambiance. We'll be back next week! read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - Chicken Tikka Masala. Perfect seasoning. Delectable cubes of tender chicken. Lots of onions and green peppers. Delicate, delicious rice. - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

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A Pakistani-Indian restaurant with kabobs, Karahi and traditional fare. Indo Chinese selections are also on the regular menu along with larger dishes (meant for 2). They also have Haleem, nihari and halawi puri on the weekends as specials. Decor has nice art and wall hangings. We got a veggie biryani, baingan bharta and daal makhani. All were very solid and flavorful. The daal was very creamy and rich. The eggplants were spicy but not too overwhelming. These 2 entrees came with a generous portion of naan. The naan was piping hot, crispy on the outside with the right amount of doughiness on the inside. The biryani was fluffy and light with lots of veggies. The only difference compared with other biryanis is that this one didn't come with raita, but was still very good. Service was pleasant and professional. read more

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Went to try a Pakistani restaurant on a Friday night. It's a pretty big space but we were the only dine in customers. We ordered their Zarqa Karahi entree of lamb shinwari for two and a side order of chickpeas. The lamb came with naan. They did not temp down the spice level. However as spicy as it was, it seemed to need a bit more salt. Same with the chickpeas. We did enjoy the meal and the price is reasonable. It's part of a plaza with a lot of ethnic restaurants that catered to African or middle eastern tastes. Plenty of parking. Perhaps lunch time with their buffets draws a bigger crowd. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - Lamb Shinwari - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

The food was amazing and delicious. Enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and great service. I had the lamb chops and my daughter had the shrimp malsa. Mint lemonade was refreshing... read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - LAMB CHOPS AND SHRIMP MASALA!!! - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

This was the worst meal I've bought out in years. The wings were overcooked to a crazy degree and they did it in attempt to cover up that it was clearly very old and stringy chicken, not fresh by look/taste/smell I've never been served chicken that gross. This is not a taste preference issue, it was not passable as restaurant food. Thing is, they would not have served this to someone they look in the eyes, they just tried to get away with it cause it was a takeout order, and that's a dirty way to move The egg fried rice was just 2 eggs mixed with some rice for $11, nothing else. The naan was subpar and kind of rubbery. Overall this felt like a scam of a meal. Would never recommend this spot to anyone. Took pics of the wings but will spare y'all the nausea read more

Had their buffet a handful of times. I only recommend their weekend buffet, as the weekday buffet is quite limited. And at that point, I would rather order from the menu. Also weekend is Saturday, Sunday. Not Friday. Favorite was the goat paya. Which makes this place unique as it's not a common buffet item. Butter chicken is more on the tomato side, which I personally like. Naan had good crisp texture, and buttery. I also think it's the most aesthetically pleasing Naan with how it shines, compared to nearby competitors. Biryani is just okay. Not completely bland, but wasn't special. They used to have saag paneer, but the last two times I went, the tray was labeled "out of order" Also, the last two times I went, they didn't do the "automatic 18% gratuity." Maybe it was a coincidence or maybe they're listening to the comments. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - Lunch buffet - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

Food is okay... nothing great. These guys add 18-20% tip on all the checks, even for 1 person!! A good way to lose your customers. I won't be surprised if they close down soon despite of having decent food. read more

Not impressed with the food, it was just okay. Really missing the old place that was here prior to- food prior was more authentic and made with love. This place is trying but overall lacked flavor and depth from food. Left disappointed. read more

Dear Management, I've been a consistent customer since you opened and I frequently ordered from the previous establishment since 2018. You may know me as the uber eats order. When you read my review, please know I def want to see you succeed and thrive iA. I've tried the following items multiple times: both of yours soups, chapli kebab, nehari, chicken shinwari karahi, daal makhni, chicken biryani, daal tadka, chicken pasta, chili chicken, chicken and rice platter, chicken manchurian, chicken nuggets, and the anda wala burger, gajar ka halwa, chicken honey burger, chicken spicy or buffalo burger, kadhai pakora and gulab jamun. I've even been to your ramadan buffet. When you first opened I was so excited and thrilled. Your food was flavorful, authentic, the orders were consistent, and it was just delicious every-time. Then you changed and expanded your menu. You added burgers, platters, tacos, pasta, etc. This is where I as a frequent customer believe things started declining. I trued some of the new items and they were amazing. They had the right texture, the right flavor profile. If on occasion an order tasted bad, I let it go because 90% of the time you delivered scrumptious tasteful food and were a lifesaver for me. When I was sick and couldn't cook dinner, I trusted you to deliver great tasting foods Alhamdulilah. However, lately this is not the case. True I ordered Nehari a week ago and it was perfect. I ordered DAal makhni and it is a great blend of spices in masoor daal like in every lahori household, but dude its not daal makhni. I really wanted hot & sour soup today and what I got instead was a brown bowl of corn starch and some vegetables. As you continue to decimate your standards and consistency you will lose me as a customer and many others. I have stopped ordering a lot of my favorite things like chicken pasta, chicken karahi because I have received old tasting chicken or it was mostly tomato paste and not a real karahi. The chicken pasta is now very oily and not alfredo goodness and last time I got like 5 pieces of small boti in the whole takeaway container. I stopped ordering the pakora curry too. The chicken nuggets with fries were soggy and not crispy, so not worth ordering anymore. The nehari I got a few weeks ago I had to fix by further slow cooking the meat and it had too many fat filled pieces. I appreciate the Nehari from saturday before christmas being good, I had guests so thanks for saving my night. Its now a flip of the coin whether I'll get subpar food or high quality meal. These are just some of the faults and mishaps. Please go back to your original chef. Please hire better people and show up at your own place of business to do some quality control to build consistency back. I would love to bring every out of town visitor and dine in. Your dining area is well decorated and homey. Love the table and chairs. However we prefer to order and pick up because we really can only trust getting good nehari and naan and nothing else now and it hurts our hearts. How do feel your customers thinking of you as "A hit or miss" ? I had not felt this until a friend said it and I ordered 3 times since and yes now I agree too. You can check my order history on uber eats, its a lot less. Please do better in 2025. read more

This place is very tasty. It was our second time going. The first time we had Karahi which we loved! This time we had butter chicken (so good!) and chicken tikka. Ambiance and service is simple and traditional. Just a heads up not all dishes come with rice, like you would expect at an Indian food restaurant, but it comes with naan and you can always add rice if desired. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - Chicken Tikka - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

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Worst Goat biryani on the planet, hands down! I would not recommend it. Blah blah blah 85 charachters.

We wanted some Indian food so I ordered from here for lunch. The butter chicken and malai kofta were delicious. A lot of sauce and only about 8 pieces of butter chicken. Neither dish came with rice. We were surprised by that but maybe they don't serve rice with it. We have a ton of sauce leftover. We ordered buttered naan and got a huge portion! The samosas were hot and crunchy and not too spicy. They came with two dipping sauces. One was greenish white and tasted like cilantro. The other I loved. It was a sweet and spicy reddish sauce. The mango lassi was a large 16 oz portion but had a different taste to it. I don't know if it was a spice or added flavor or if the yogurt was going bad. Whatever it was it wasn't what we are used to and was off-putting so we didn't drink that. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated. I would try this place again but skip the lassi. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - Huge portion of buttered naan! - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

Wonderful ambiance, super delicious food! If you're looking for amazing Pakistani food- this is the spot! Loved their lamb chops, naan, chickpeas, spinach with cheese. The waiter was meh, kinda serious and not so friendly but I want to mainly review on how amazing the food was. Def recommend the food!! read more

The service was disappointing, extremely slow and unprofessional. We waited over 45 minutes, and the staff was rude throughout. While the food was good and somewhat redeemed the experience, the poor service overshadowed it. read more

Finally we have a good Pakistani restaurant in Maryland, that we don't have drive an hour to get to! I have nothing but rave reviews for Zaiqa BBQ. My family and friends love going there. The food is fresh and delicious. The establishment is new, service is friendly and bathrooms are clean (which is usually a rare find in desi restaurants ). Some of our favorites are the Butt Karahi, Shinwari chicken karhai, beef Chapli kebabs, chicken Tikka and goat karahi. Last week I catered food from them for a party at my home. It was a hit! Their beef haleem is of professional level. People always find the time to write a review when they are unhappy. I spent the time today to write a positive review because I feel this restaurant deserves it! keep it up, and we will keep coming back! read more

I had such high hopes but just like most desi restaurants the taste is super inconsistent. One time you'll have the best karahi you've ever had the next time you'll regret ever wasting your money. Good thing kabob karahi is nearby. read more

This place is awesome!!! The prices are great! We will be back again. You must check it out for yourself read more

Food was okay. Beef kabab had little taste, and cauliflower Manchurian was really just gobhi sazi (nothing like Manchurian taste). However, watch out for tipping. They automatically add an 18% service charge to all checks. And, if you are paying at the counter, the screen shows what you (including the 18% service charge) AND also gives you the option to add even more tip. If you assumed that the tip is not included, you are likely to end up double-tipping without realizing it. NOT a good practice. read more

For a normal buffet the selections were very less, boiled rice, 2 veggies , 1 chicken , 1 mutton and one chicken starter, especially when you charge close to 16 usd per plate. Thing to note is 18% service charge, on the counter you see full and final price without the breakup, and system then asks and suggests a tip ...so review tipping to avoid double tipping We had 2 pieces of left over naan, we asked the manager if it'd ok if we take these 2 pieces of naan with us, he was all ok with that , but at the counter he charged us for extra naan, I wish he told us he would charge us extra for the naan even when we were paying for a buffet and even after asking him before hand. Shady practices to charge more no wonder the place is going down hill. Not going there again. read more

Went to this place a week before Christmas. Ordered 2 orders of Samosas to start off. The Samosas came out warm on the outside and completely frozen on the inside. They brought out a new set but they weren't that apologetic. The Food is just ok as is the service. read more

Although the menu is vast, I came here for the nihari and I was not disappointed. Rich and flavorful, the dish was a complete delight. I literally closed my eyes in bliss after the first bite. I was sad that I barely had room to try my husband's haleem which was equally tasty and filling. The staff was polite and friendly and the restaurant with clean with ample parking. I was particularly enthralled by the little call buttons at each table which is an invention I came up with in my mind decades ago and was gratified to finally see in action. I also appreciated that they had a separate area for prayers so there was no excuse not to eat out! Looking forward to our next visit here. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - Beef Nihari, Beef Haleem, and crispy and buttery naan - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

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Stopped in here only to realize this place has been around for a while, they just recently changed the name. They deceitfully advertise as if it is new; for that I am deducting extra stars. The food is okay at best, 2/5 maybe. Service subpar as well. Btw old name is Eastern Kabob Buffet read more

Ordered carry out on multiple occasions. Has not disappointed yet. The food was hot, fresh, and a taste of home. Will be back sooner than later. Brand new owners and menu from the previous establishment in this location. read more

First time experience with this place we order goat and culling chicken and kabob .horrible experience we took to go food came home open the box and can smell raw goat stinky kabob.horrible,since we live 30min from their we couldn't go back and give them back.it was so bad that never ever we going back . read more

This place has one of the best authentic Pakistanian chicken curry ever, absolutely legit. read more

Zaiqa BBQ & Karahi - a basket of flatbreads and a bowl of soup - Pakistani Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

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The worst possible goat and chicken kadai I have ever had. The goat kadai was sweet to say the least.

The food was good but the customer service was really rude and racist pure haterad towards other people from other countries I was planing to do my birthday event in here but when I attended my friends weeding the owner was really rude he turned of the light when the bride and the groom was cutting the cake everybody was waiting for the light specially the photographers after all a very bad experience. read more

Delicious, authentic Pakistani cuisine. The best nihari, haleem, and naan we've had in the DC area. Friendly and helpful staff. This place was wonderful. read more

I tried halwa puri and green tea. Specially channa was good. Green tea was great due to its presentation with mint and lemon.

Great food ,new spot for desi food. Butt karahi was delicious