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Al Hamra
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
8900 E Pinnacle Peak RdScottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 538-9200
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 4 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
29 reviews for Al Hamra
Review Highlights
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"Plus some ofhte best garlic naan I've ever had." In 5 reviews -
"Saag and Chana Masala were flavorful and good portions." In 5 reviews -
"The samosas and naan were the best I had ever had." In 4 reviews
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Justin K.
Phoenix, AZ
5/23/2012
I've been to this place twice now, and it does not disappoint. Everything I've had (mostly the lamb dishes) has been incredibly tasty and tender.
The staff at Al Hamra are very nice and attentive. They make good recommendations and don't hover over you as you eat. The decor is nice. Fairly standard, but not down-market by any means, after all, it is in a decent area surrounded by high-income rooftops.
The only problem I have is I wish more people would go. I've only been on weeknights so I can't speak to the (hopefully busy) weekend crowd, but this place could use a couple more people discovering it and becoming loyal customers. It is pricey, which may be a result of the location, but it's better than most other Indian places I've been.
Give it a shot and you won't be disappointed. -
Review from Doug B.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/25/2012
That really good Indian restaurant in the Phoenix area has eluded us - we've tried at least 10 that were supposed to be "it". So this time no one recommended Al Hamra - it's just been on my way home for as along as it's been open. It was worth stopping - very good lamb vindaloo (spice level 7 - packing some heat) and a variety of other dishes that we tried. My wife liked the samosa but I was thinking 'so so'. All in all the chef has a fine touch and the food is very solid and well above average, although a bit pricey (as you might expect for the location). Most of the recommendations by others seem spot on. Recommended.
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Review from Richard W.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/25/2012
Perhaps the best in Scottsdale.Been there three times, and it is classy, friendly, and the food is better than anything I have eaten in the PHX/Scottsdale area. Al Hamra competes with the best Indian cuisine I have found anywhere, in any country. I found the ambiance fine, and the music has been unobstrusive (unlike some noisy places where you can't have a conversation over the music). The prices are acceptable, and I often share an entree because the portions are large for me. I now look forward to eating here once every two weeks. I wish more people were aware of their quality, and wish them success.
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Review from Chad M.
Phoenix, AZ
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food here. I will say its a little pricey but I guess on par for the location. I will defiantly be back.
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Review from Jenine P.
Phoenix, AZ
5/9/2012
Oh Al Hamra, i love your chicken tikka masala and naan like no other. The service is wonderful and the decor delightful, and the wine list extensive, but please....forbthe love of god....play some music. It is so quite in there that the other patrons discussions, clear across the room seem loud and distracting. They need music to create ambience and privacy. Its almost akward.
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Review from R E.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/4/2012
If you like Indian food..... Go visit. They make some great tasty dishes. Last time there we all shared a saag aloo lamb and a makani chicken dish with nan. For starters we shared tandoori chicken chunks. All dishes were delicious. We scaled the heat from 6 to 9. We enjoyed the dishes served piping hot on beautiful white dishes. Excellent servers .
We eat here every trip and have not been disappointed. -
Review from Sandra F.
Atlanta, GA
4/16/2012
Delightful restaurant! Had the lamb sagg (4.5 heat) and my daughter had the chicken tiki marsala (6 heat). We both enjoyed the selection and appreciated the sauce (7 heat) to know how to gauge the heat index. The garlic naan was outstanding! And our server was friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back!!
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Review from Mary F.
Scottsdale, AZ
3/18/2012
We have been looking for a good Indian restaurant in Phoenix/Scottsdale. Thus far we have been disappointed at the quality. Al Hamra was a complete delight. Lovely, simple, clean decor. Polite service. AND the food was delish. So often I find Indian food is swimming in oil. We had an eggplant curry and a chana massala and both were wonderful. Their papadum and naan (especially) were wonderful. If you are vegan or vegetarian and want a NICE meal, I would highly recommend this restaurant. They can make your food spicey or mild. And, if you have meat-eating friends there are many, many excellent selections. So nice to eat in a civilized restaurant that offers tasty, well-prepared food at reasonable prices.
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Review from Albert H.
Scottsdale, AZ
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nearly full restaurant on my visit. Very polite service. They take their heat seriously, as the mint chutney was a sold 7 on a scale of 1-10. Saag and Chana Masala were flavorful and good portions. Plain Naan is the winner on the bread menu, for price and taste. Didn't care for the garlic naan so much.
Restaurant is tucked behind two other restaurants, a Lamp Pizza place and a Bistro. Easy to miss.
Prices are steep but that's the norm for this area. Entrees include "premium" rice.
Dinner only. -
Review from S M.
Cave Creek, AZ
2/13/2012
I learned to love Indian when I loved in London for 10 years. This place is a train wreck. It is ABV: Appallingly Bad Value. Over
priced ( they even charge for papadoms!), horriible service and decidedly marginal food.
We were a party of three. Only two other tables were occupied when we arrived, although it was almost full when we left. 45 minutes after we ordered the waitress brought our rice. 5 minutes later, the first entree arrived; ten minutes later, the second arrived: 5 minutes later, the third!
I ordered lamb vindaloo. Now vindaloo, by definition, when authentic, is so hot it will take off the top of your head. But I get it; this is Arizona, were veal is exotic, and so I was not surprised to be asked how spicy I wanted it, on a 1 to 10 scale. I asked for 8. The dish I got was a "1" at best. No spice at all! the rest of the food was mediocre as well. and this place is expensive. Caveat emptor. -
Review from Jan S.
1/30/2011
This place opened up about 2 months ago and checked it out last week for dinner. First impressions:
- Enticing aroma of spices from the kitchen
- Clean but not much done in terms of atmosphere or decor: a few key touches could spruce up the place. Also, some music would help to set a relaxing setting
- Old and really old customer base
- Friendly service
- Tandoori dishes were well prepared including Tikka Masala and the chutneys
- Prices are high and naan is extra
Overall good place to go for Indian food in N. Scottsdale -
Review from Jennifer B.
Cave Creek, AZ
Updated - 5/2/2011
Second try for AL Hamra and again we really liked it. Great flavors, lots of spice. I'd agree with a previous poster that there is alot of sauce for a relatively small amount of meet, but the sauce is soooo good all you need is a little more rice or naan and you are good to go!
This time tried the samoas - deep fried so not my favorite, like the m baked better. Also the Lamb Byrini was just OK, the rice was a little greasy for my taste. However the chicken curry and Paneer tilkka masala were spot on and very delicious. Plus some ofhte best garlic naan I've ever had.
We'll definately go backand it is nice to have some good ethnic alternatives in the far North Valley.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/11/2011
Went to this place on a Friday night. It is relatively new so there weren't alot of people there… Read more »
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Review from Gregory A.
Scottsdale, AZ
12/4/2011
Friendly service and comfortable setting. Hasn't been crowded on any of our three visits during past month. Consistently good food and value for the price. We appreciate the diversity it has helped add to the Pinnacle Peak restaurant scene. We will keep coming back.
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Review from Eileen P.
Scottsdale, AZ
8/2/2011
I could have made better Indian food--and I'm Irish!
We were the only ones in the place. Strange decor and poor food for the money. If you've ever been to Toronto, London or cities with a significant Indian population, you're sure to be disappointed. Sorry! -
Review from Mike S.
Scottsdale, AZ
10/22/2011
North Scottsdale has needed a good Indian restaurant since I moved here twelve years ago. My wife and I dined at Al Hamra a couple of days ago and can report that our demand has at last been met.
Seeing a vindaloo on the menu had me correctly guess that the chef had arrived in the USA via Britain, which has a long history of Indian cuisine. We started with samosas after which I had the lamb vindaloo and my wife tried the chicken korma, all very good. For dessert, we were presented with a complimentary rice pudding, also good.
Prices are in line with the location - expect to pay a bit more here in the pricey North Scottsdale location. Decor was a bit nondescript - really very little Indian character and in my opinion needs a bit more attention to set the tone of the place. -
Review from John L.
Scottsdale, AZ
Indian food in North Scottsdale. Yea! Same corner as Mastro's and Walgreen's.
I'm looking to go again, and see if they rate another star, after the start up issues dissolve. I ordered Garlic Naam bread and Chicken Tika Masala. Both very good and nicely presented. Prices are reasonable, for this neighborhood. Only open for dinner, and no weekend buffet is planned yet. -
Review from Lindsay S.
San Marcos, CA
9/19/2011
Was just in AZ for vacation with my mom and went here after purchasing a http://restaurant.com gift certificate. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Location seems off the beaten path-at least for us tourists staying in north phoenix. Definitely hard to find in the dark- thank God for gps!
We went on a Sunday night- place was fairly dead. I think there were only 2 other tables dining while we were there. It is a fairly large restaurant-esp for being in a shopping center.
We ordered the samosas, regular naan, chicken Lorna for me and coconut chicken for my mom. The samosas and naan were the best I had ever had. The naan was super light, fluffy and warm. The samosas had a nice crunchy outside- not soggy and chewy like at a lot of other Indian restaurants. The chicken was cooked perfectly- very tender and sauce had a lot of flavor. I've dined at several Indian restaurants (in Boston primarily) and this was my favorite. My mom had only had Indian once before (with me in Boston) and she didn't care for it so she was hesitant to try it again but she really liked it. Although neither of us were starving when we got there, I still think the portions were enough for 2 meals.
Our waitress was quiet and shy to start but warmed up after awhile. We ended up really liking her- she was quite friendly. I don't recall her name but she was from Serbia.
Would definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Liz B.
Royal Oaks, CA
7/13/2011
My husband and I were leaving Taliesin West when we had a craving for Indian food. I used my smart phone to find the nearest place, which led us to this restaurant. We came in around 5 pm, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. I'm sure people usually eat later than we did. The restaurant had tablecloths, cloth napkins, glassware, hookahs as design pieces, and even the bathroom's interior was done nicely. Our waiter was very friendly and checked on us often. We ordered the Bengun Bhartha (jumbo eggplants baked in tandoor cooked with onion, ginger, vine ripened tomatoes and blend of spices) and the Chicken Karachi (chicken sautéed with onion, bell peppers and tomatoes in iron wok with touch of ginger). We also ordered garlic naan. Since we like our food spicy, we asked about how spicy we can have our food. We were surprised to hear a 10-point spice scale, so we decided on 6-7 spiciness. That turned out well, since it was spicy enough for us, but not too spicy. Reading the review about the person who ordered the 9-point spiciness made me realize that I'm a wimp compared to some folks in the Southwest. I once went to a chili restaurant in LA that had a 10-point scale, and I sampled the 10--El Diablo--which turned my lips numb. I kid you not! That's why I decided on 6-7 since my previous experience with 10-point scales showed me to stay south of 8 points.
Our meal was pleasant, and we were delighted to find a good Indian spot in Scottsdale. It was a little more expensive than what we usually frequent, but it is located in Scottsdale. Our meal came out to over $40 for the two of us. Another couple came in as we were finishing our meal. I am not sure how popular Indian food is in Arizona, but when we inquired at the reception desk of our resort, the woman did not know anything about ethnic foods. (She kept pushing big chain restaurants at us. Not our scene!) I would definitely return to this restaurant if I had a hankering for Indian, although I'm not sure how it compares against the other Indian restaurants in the area. I found it authentic and tasty for my first shot at Indian in this state. -
Review from Yogi P.
San Jose, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great high-end indian restaurant in the Phoenix / Scottsdale area. Expect to pay more for the location. Order the tandoori chicken and anything vindaloo. Dishes are pricey but good. Service is great especially from the cute eastern european waitress (?). Stay away if you are really hungry and on a budget.
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Review from Jeff F.
Marana, AZ
8/25/2011
I have been twice. The first time was during their pre-grand opening and the food was good. I went back again last week. The food was fantastic. I eat home cooked indian vegetarian food couple times a week so I'm picky. The vegi dishes were twice as good as any other indian place in AZ. The price is higher, but reasonable for the location. The roti and naan is also very good.
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Review from Todd S.
Phoenix, AZ
8/7/2011
Very good Indian food. This is what Scottsdale is lacking. Slightly pricey and they charge for some of the extras you get for free at other Indian restaurants. But overall very very good. Highly recommended.
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Review from Stuart T.
Scottsdale, AZ
12/31/2010
Good food... worst service on earth. Staff has no idea what is in their food. Manager argued when we got bill with multiple errors. Too bad we will never go back because of horible experience because food was pretty good. Walked out shaking our heads at how poorly trained the staff is.
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Review from Norm F.
3/11/2011
Went there last night with a group. Everyone really liked the food and the service was excellent. We shared 5 different dishes. The lamb masala was particularly good, as was the tandoor chicken tikka. This is the best Indian food we have found in the valley (our group has been to many Indian restaurants in England, Canada and elsewhere). The decor is a little plain, but is clean and new.
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Review from Soo Wai E.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Just had dinner here. Pretty good Indian food at north Scottsdale. Garlic naan and roti were great. Will be back to try other dishes
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Review from Joe S.
Scottsdale, AZ
11/14/2010
Nice people, great food. A really nice white linen place. Loved the chicken karachi, naan, samosas, chicken pakora. Wife had a lovely red, I had a nice premium margarita.
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Review from Lola M.
Scottsdale, AZ
3/26/2011
Yeah, the best Indian cuisine we have had in Arizona. When we asked for our meal to be a 9 out of 10 on the spice meter, they didn't just throw in a bunch of cayenne pepper. The flavors and textures we full and well developed. The Naan was thick and fluffy with just the right amount of char. My one criticism would be portion size. Our entrees were much more sauce than goodies but the sauces were so good we didn't complain. We will most certainly be back, oh and the service was just fine. When my husband told our server that the beer was flat " go ahead and try it" he commanded, the server did! What more can you ask for!
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Review from Ron W.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/2/2011
Nice meal and good service
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Review from Marisa S.
11/14/2010
We were at the park behind Mastro's with the twins. We decided to walk around this plaza to check out if there were any new places. We saw this new Indian/Pakistani restaurant. It looked really nice and I was not sure I wanted to subject them to my twins. They are not bad, however they are two years old after all. They were very nice and accommodating. They were even gracious enough to remove the tablecloth. My baby girl thinks she is a magician or something because she wants to pull tablecloths all the time. We placed one order of Chicken Pakora for the twins. I was not sure they would eat. Well, they gobbled it all up in seconds. I couldn't believe it, so we placed a second order. We also had the regular Naan and the Aloo Naan, both very yummy. I had the samosas and my husband had the chicken karachi, very tasty. We will be back it was a great experience. I am so happy I don't have to travel miles and miles to find a great indian restaurant.
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Review from Steve G.
Scottsdale, AZ
1/19/2011
Excellent Indian food, very fresh and subtley spiced and cooked, much better than most. Relaxed and upscale atmosphere, pretty busy on a Wed night, highly recommended
