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Alhamra
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Restaurants Vegetarian Indian, Pakistani, Vegetarian [Edit]
3083 16th St(between Caledonia St & Rondel Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 621-3935
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
232 reviews for Alhamra
Review Highlights
"Great Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Makhani."
(in 48 reviews)
"The curry sauce is also great for dipping naan in."
(in 88 reviews)
"The lamb samosas were crispy, spicy, and delicious."
(in 8 reviews)
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232 reviews in English
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Review from Jonathan B.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2011
I'll give it one more star than it's averaging [4 instead of 3]. I can think of a LOT of places in that area that are much worse. The food is pretty good, great flavors, good smells, etc. The tandori is overrated, but then, I think tandori is overrated overall.
It digests way better than Pakwan right down the street on 16th. But Pakwan tastes better [hella greasy and will rearrange your insides but tasty].
The Samosas were good and use lots of the sauce they give you in the squeezy tube. It makes everything tastes good. -
Review from Heidi M.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
This is my to-go spot for cheap and quick Indian food in the Mission. The prices are extremely economical, and while nothing very special, the food is a tiny bit better than the other Indian spots in the immediate vicinity. I've tried most of the dishes on the menu, and they were all alright, but my favorites are the tandoori chicken and saag paneer,
I have to admit, the ambiance is poor - run-down and dingy. The restaurant is rarely full, and I've never had to wait to be seated here. The staff is pretty inattentive - you will most likely have to flag someone down to get a water refill or go to the counter to get your check - but I don't mind the no-frills service at this price. They do not serve alcohol but let you bring in your own bottles (there is a liquor store a few doors down which sells 6-packs, single bottles of beer, and wine). -
Review from Jimmie L.
San Francisco, CA
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am SO disappointed. All I have to say is that the food is fantastic.
If you decide to give this place a shot, go in with a strategy that will prevent you from smacking the staff upside the head - you are here for the food, not for the service.
Best chicken tikka masala i've had in the city. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2011
The food is pretty good but the atmosphere and service are really lacking. I suppose you can't really complain that much, because the prices are really pretty cheap. Where else can you get a fresh, piping hot Naan for $1.00?
The food that we ordered for dinner came in no particular order. Actually, we had to wait a good 20 minutes for anything to come out, and they didn't serve us our Tandoori chicken until we reminded them to do so, twice. By that time we had already finished the rest of the meal. The naan was really fresh and tasted authentic. The roti was okay, but I preferred the Naan. The cauliflower and potatoes dish was very tasty. Portion sizes were quite fair for the price. The raita was not good, the pickles tasted awful(kind of fermented) to me, although it may be a classic Indian pickle taste that my palate is not used to. The main course dishes range in price from about $6-10. Definitely affordable.
The atmosphere is not nice. The acoustic ceiling tiles are all yellowed due to the many years of soaking up grease from the cooking, and there are a couple of really suspicious looking ceiling fans up top there that seem like a safety hazard. The wooden club chairs looked like they were bought from a church sale from the 1970s for $1 apiece. The lights are bright and not inviting. Remember, that you get what you pay for. The food is very edible, the atmosphere lacks charm of any sort, and the service is terrible. This probably is due to the fact that they appear to have only two painfully overworked servers.
Midway through our meal, a crazy drunk woman stumbled in wearing a dirty blouse, some skin tight spandex underpants, and a snarled wig. Her flabby, giant butt was a sight to behold. She started yelling at one of the customers and gesticulating, but after about 3 minutes she decided to turn around and stumbled back out into the street.
Everybody in the restaurant seemed to take it in stride, but it was not a welcome addition to the dinner party. Don't go here if you want to impress anybody. -
Review from Luisa L.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Check your receipts if you order delivery from this place. I just noticed recently I was being overcharged for my deliveries. Someone adds a couple of dollars to the total after the tip has already been added and totaled. Never experienced anything like this before.
I've ordered Indian food from this place for years. The food is just ok and the delivery was convenient. I'll never go back again. -
Review from Paul N.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
this is an accurate rating. sampled the saag paneer and naan. the spinach was fresh but the paneer was rubbery. great garlic naan. but what can you ask for for $8.
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Review from Norma B.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
If you love Tikka Masala this is as good as it gets and along with the sweet nan it is great for dipping,. The lamb biryani had delicious tender and ample chunks of lamb in it but the Dal sag was spicy but uninteresting. There was no sweetener for the Chai.
Service, after the order, was non existent. Tiny dollop of chutney, the Raita was as bland as milk and the same consistency,. The tab was $37.00, later we added it up and discovered we had been overcharged by $5.50 so check your bill before you pay. Maybe the chai cost $5.50 for two cups (no refills by the way).
Go for the tikka masala and sweet nan but I am sure you could find better food all round elsewhere. -
Review from M R.
Emeryville, CA
1/14/2012
SKIP the chicken Koftka/meatballs. It cost 9 bucks and I got 3 small meatballs and a big plate of overly salty/inedible sauce. I had to order another dish just be full. Then I find out they have a lunch menu (at 1pm) that they never gave me. Instead of 7.99 for the lunch plate, I ended up paying 20 bucks for 3 meatballs, some mixed vegetables, rice and naan. Oh Alhambra...I've eaten there many times, but you've let me down.
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Review from Pawel G.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
What I am gonna right below is no exaggeration. Really. I had at least 400 (four hundred) lunch specials at Alhamra over the years. Bengan Bartha, Mutter Paner to be exact. I have their number on my speed dial, as I usually order for pick up. I took my future wife here for our first meal (kind of risky, though:). I bring every single person visiting SF for little something over there.
Love their samosas, mango lassi, dal sag, but if it comes to eggplant... It's in own league, good luck finding anything comparable.
400 meals.
Is there anything else I could write to be more convincing? Go and enjoy. -
Review from Monica D.
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm sure this place hugely benefitted from being featured on the Bay Area's 'Check Please' -- there are signs and write-ups about that posted every which way inside -- but fame hasn't tilted Alhamra in the right direction, imo.
Being moderately occupied, our group of five were hesitantly directed toward a table in the middle of the joint. We didn't know if we had to order at the front (where evidently a small lot were ordering to-go). We didn't know much of anything given that our 'server' was more aloof than a circus clown at a methadone clinic.
Veggie pakoras: dense, freshly fried, but not a whole lot of flavor. Thank goodness the chutney was bomb.
Chicken tikka masala, two orders: sauce was spiced well but not enough butter or salt. Large pieces of chicken breast which turned out to be too dry to enjoy.
Saag paneer, two orders: cheese cubes are always a treat no matter what, but the spinach wasn't spicy or salty enough.
Veggie korma: always a crowd pleaser, and here was no exception. Superb nutty, creamy flavor, and veggies were well cooked -- just such a small plate.
Chicken tandoori: perfection. The chicken was nicely roasted, and you could definitely taste the marinade. It was also juicy and tender -- something rare with some tandoori dishes.
Garlic naan: took forever to come out. Order was plenty small. It's basically regular naan with whole cloves of garlic stuffed inside, but not enough to be impressive.
The boys ate up the side order of rice, but I'm not a huge rice person when it comes to Indian fare -- which is why I was HUGELY disappointed at the size of the naan.
BYOB is pretty awesome -- we sent my brother away to get a wide selection of beers from across the way, and we did enjoy our meal with an interesting variety. Tsing Tao, Lagunitas IPA, PBR, Stella -- all welcome at our eclectic table.
Restaurant is cluttered, inefficiently set up, with a mild air of uncleanliness. Servers will respond to you, but don't expect them to be enthusiastic or even helpful. Sorry Alhamra, but I'm sure SF has other less challenged Indian restaurants to enjoy next time. -
Review from Ed U.
Ah, another recommendation from "Check, Please! Bay Area" has swayed Jamie W. and me to come to the Mission to give it a try. It's an easy jaunt on BART since it's a half-block away from the 16th Street station. Gee, we must have passed by it a hundred times without noticing it. Praise was unanimous on the show, and so when we saw the sandwich board beckoning us, we went inside. My, it's a mighty spartan-looking place, and we looked around for a table without dirty dishes on them. We finally found one that just needed to be wiped down.
There's lots of good stuff on the laminated menu. I first ordered a $3.99 Tandoori Chicken Leg on a bed of fried onions (see photo). Tasty, tender and sizzling hot. The $7.99 Lamb Korma was velvety smooth and sweet, especially good atop the jasmine rice and with the $2.50 bagel-like Onion Kulcha (see photo). The best dish of the evening was the $7.99 Lamb Bindi, hearty chunks of braised lamb mixed with okra, onions, herbs and spices (see photo).
It was all quite filling and for what we tried, true to the praise. There isn't that much more to say about the place except to say that we certainly are more likely to come back here than go to Amber. It's more or less the same quality South Asian food you find at Pakwan up the block or at Shalimar, Lahore Karahi, or Chutney in the Tenderloin. They appear to do a robust to-go business, which may not be a bad idea considering that the place gets crowded quickly with big families and baby buggies.
FOOD - 4 stars...nothing fancy but really hearty Indian dishes well executed with little fuss
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...thrown together like it was an afterthought
SERVICE - 3 stars...a bit automatic and awfully quiet...except for the gregarious owner
TOTAL - 4 stars...worth a return visit for the bargain prices and good, family-style food -
Review from Amy J.
San Francisco, CA
9/24/2011
I'm really not that picky. But when our regular indian delivery spot was closed we ordered from here. I'd seen it on check please....thought it would be good....wrong. Worst Indian I've ever had...brutal. And i have had some pretty bad to mediocre indian in this town. The samosa was the best part, and i don't normally even like them...The nan was terrible, but that could happen on to go orders I guess.
Watery chutney, flavorless riata, and the dishes we got were so very oily I decided after a few bites to just give up. What a waste.
Wine for dinner it is! Don't make the same mistake we did. -
Review from Java G.
Alameda, CA
8/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I saw the restaurant on Check Please Bay Area and I was nearby, so I decided to try it.
There is no sign to explain, and the lady at the counter gave no indication whether i should seat myself, order at the counter, or what. The people lingering in the doorway confused me.
I stood up at the counter a long time, and the order lady was obviously avoiding eye contact. She was very hard to understand when eventually she asked me if I was done. Done with what? Okay.
I asserted myself and ordered a lamb roll & mango lassi. I wouldn't even have known she took my order, except I read upside down what she wrote on the little paper. I held out my payment, and she turned away. This happened 3 times with me saying "do you want me to pay now?"
Then I cleaned off a table for myself, and waited for my food hoping my meter wouldn't expire while I sat around starving and thirsty.
About 20 min later, the food was plopped down in front of me. I swear I felt like a barnyard animal the way the employees fail to interact. My food was thrown down without so much as eye contact or a smile.
The (spicy) lamb roll was just OK. I would like it better with a couple of veggies other than a sprinkle of onions in it. The mango lassi was yummy; I make those at home...
I got the feeling that as a customer I was an inconvenience rather than an asset to their business. The service was slow, awkward, I had to ask for water, and my food was delivered with no silverware or napkin, so I had to get up and ask for that, too.
It was definitely awkward. Come on, I realize they are ESL, but it's a restaurant, and all I tried to do was buy food from their menu, pay for it, and eat with a little dignity. -
Review from Bryan M.
San Francisco, CA
7/30/2011
I've ordered from here many times over the past few years and the food has always been good, albeit very slow in arriving -- usually 45-60 min.
Last night however after waiting 1 1/4 hour I called to inquire about my order and was told it would be an additional 20 minutes. 45 minutes later I called back and no one answered.
I'm guessing they recognized the phone number and choose not to answer since it was only 9:30. My food order was never delivered. I would have actually been okay if they'd said they were too busy for a delivery; at least then I wouldn't have waited over 2 hours for dinner and then been insanely hungry when I did eat (which lead to poor choices in food).
Truth be told I won't ever order from here again.... and be cautious if ordering delivery since it just might not ever show up. Thankfully I wasn't entertaining using their food -- now that would have been embarrassing.... -
Review from Alexandra D.
Ridgewood, NY
7/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The food here was AMAZING. Everything from the chicken korma, to the naan, raita, rice and it goes on was 10+
I stayed in San Francisco for 7 days and ate here 3 times. I would definitely go back ! -
Review from Cristian G.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2011
We went to this place after seeing it featured on 'Check Please! Bay Area'.
I'm assuming they have received enormous amounts of extra business since the show because the phone was ringing off the hook with orders, and the service was slow because of the numerous calls.
Despite that, the food was absolutely delicious. I'm not even a fan of Indian food (my boyfriend is), but I was incredibly pleased. I had the tandoori chicken burrito---absolutely DELICIOUS. Very simple, but very good. My boyfriend had the Aloo Palak (vegetarian dish) which was very tasty.
If you're looking for fancy decor, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for tasty, home-made-like Indian food (at very affordable prices), I strongly suggest this place.
Oh, and don't forget to order the sweet nan...mmm.... -
Review from Matsuo U.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
Hmmm, well not very good - food, service, vibe.
FOOD:
Chicken Boti Tikka - very tasty and tender - the best thing on the table
Lamb Curry - 6 small chunks of lamb in a 1/2 inch of sauce - not worth it
Raita - (yogurt / cucumber) OK, I found the 1/2 tooth pick size cucumber
Nan (both garlic and onion) - tasted OLD
Bindi Masala - (okra & other veggies) over cooked and over salted
Basmati Rice - maybe they should cook their rice more than once a week
SERVICE:
I am pretty sure that our "waiter" was a zombie. Uttering high pitched grunts for yes and low pitched grunts for no. Asked a more complex question and got an unintelligible fast response. Once we were able to order - by pointing to the items in the menu, after ordering we were then ignored. Wanted the check so walking to the cashier station was the only way to get it.
So, how did our adventure @ Alhamra begin ? ( I think they miss-spelled Alhambra ). Wanted Indian food, found a couple of joints in the Tenderloin ( Tikka Masala & Shalimar ), drive on over and one of the occupants in our car got scared ( it was maybe 7:30PM) on Ellis. Drove by Tikka Masala - not one table with customers. The street was like an urban war zone with one guy chasing another away from " his " street corner, while screaming into his cell phone. People shouting across the street at each other. Lots of folks milling around, some looking threatening. Ok, so we all agree lets head to the Mission and forage for Indian food, there was Alhamra. Joint was maybe 1/2 full ... a fairly good sign given the last one was deserted. Then followed the food/service experience noted above. -
Review from Mark D.
5/22/2011 1 photo
1. Easy to order via http://Grubhub.com.
2. I was borderline on the rating. There was a real mix of positives and negatives. In the end, the order inaccuracies kept me from providing a 3 star rating.
3. Chicken Vindaloo - This was not very flavorful. The sauce was watery. There wasn't very much chicken. The chicken was tender and the potatoes were cooked well.
http://tinyurl.com/3cq...
4. Vegetable Pakora - These were crispy nuggets of goodness.
5. Vegetable Samosa - Due to the packing, these were room temperature and had lost any crispness they might of had when they were prepared. The consistency of the filling was good but it was also bland.
6. Garlic Naan - Due to the packing, the naan was cold. There was very little garlic.
7. Packing - The vindaloo was well packed in an easy to reseal plastic container. The rice was neatly packed in a Chinese carry-out container. The naan was just placed in an unsealed bag. It was cold. The same was true for the samosas. The pakora was similarly stored but had held some of its heat.
8. Order Minimum - Relatively low ($15)
9. Price - Their prices are very good. One of the more affordable Indian restaurants in San Francisco.
1 Chicken Vindaloo $ 8.99
1 Vegetable Samosa (2) $ 3.00
3 Soft Drinks $ 3.75
1 Garlic Nan $ 2.50
1 Vegetable Pakora $ 3.00
Subtotal $21.24
Tax $2.02
Total $23.26
10. Order Inaccuracies - I ordered three Sprites. Only one was delivered. I ordered one order (2 pieces) of Vegetable Samosa. I received two orders (4 pieces).
11. Delivery - My order was logged at 5:47 PM with an estimated delivery time of 6:37 pm. The delivery was made at 6:27 PM. Total delivery time - 40 minutes. The delivery person was professional and polite. There is no charge for delivery.
12. Overall, the food was mediocre and inconsistent. For quality of food, there are numerous options that provide better Indian food for delivery. However, their low cost and delivery minimum do provide one of the more affordable options for Indian food delivery. -
Review from Nicolene O.
Benicia, CA
8/14/2011
Nope! We went here after it got rave reviews on "Bay Area Check Please!"
We are always looking for the next "most awesome" place, since ours closed over a year ago, so we have eaten Tikka Masala all over the bay area.
We got the lamb samosas, a mango lassi, tikka masala, rice and naan.
-The service was fine (we were the only ones there on a Saturday).
-The mango lassi came out of a gallon milk jug and tasted like a runny mango Sunny D. My least fav one, ever.
-The naan was very good, but came out first and was just about cold when our chicken arrived.
-The Tikka was TERRIBLE. The sauce was soooo watery. Our first expectation in a good tikka is a thick, creamy sauce, and this one was neither. We also got very little chicken.
-Even though we ordered samosas as an appetizer (it's on the appetizer menu) it came out last. Appetizers are meant to be munched on while you wait for your main dish. The samosa was just ok, the crust was PERFECT, but we didn't like the filling all that much, so we hollowed it out and put rice and some of the runny sauce in it.
Once they serve you they are done with you. So when we were done we decided not to wait forever waiting to get our check, and we just walked up to the counter to pay.
No thanks, there is a 76 Gas Station in Benicia that has better Tikka Masala, no kidding! -
Review from Ice Cream Truck I.
San Francisco, CA
8/21/2011
Also saw it on Check Please, but wasn't disappointed (had moderate expectations). It was 8 pm on a Sunday and I was relieved to see the place empty. The guys behind the counter and the server were friendly, though the latter seemed somewhat uninformed. But there's a great selection of vegetarian options. We had the garlic naan (very yummy, huge chunks of fresh garlic), the vegetable somosas (awesome - - huge, came out fresh, piping hot; chock full of yumminess), paneer tikka masala (they were really good about making it, although it's not listed on the menu), chicken curry and rice, and chutney. For the two of us, with the tax and tip included, it was only $28. Super good value. The flavors of the dishes are delightful with spices, but not overwhelming. The chutney was a little scant on the serving-size and a bit watery (better at Pakwan).
Definitely not a disappointment. Clean, large, friendly, very reasonably priced, but not knock-your-socks-off delicious. I think Pakwan is just as good.
The restaurant is also sorta quirky: you'll hear Mexican disco music through the wall, shared with the gay club Esta Noche, the lighting is damn bright, I love the Indian scenic murals on the walls and the huge placemats of beautiful Indian places. And, in the center of the back walls, there's a clock in a prominent place, and it has dogs as each of the 12 numbers. It was so random it could have been a Chinese restaurant. :-) -
Review from Erin A.
3/24/2011
So every week I interned at a clinic 3 blocks from this place. One day I only had $5 in my pocket and craved curry. The curry was listed for $7.99+ and I didn't want to get naan or another starter for lunch.
So I asked the employee if it was possible to ration down the curry for $5 worth. The people here are super nice! They said "Oh don't worry about it" and took my $5 and I sat at the place and ate my yummy curry (chicken tikka malsala). Made my day! -
Review from Aru S.
Portland, OR
5/7/2011
Being an Indian, I don't like this place.
My "3 star" would justify the price-taste-amount relationship. -
Review from Yuan C.
Santa Clara, CA
12/31/2011
The chicken meat ball dish was horrible and extremely salty. The chicken tikka masala was just room temperature when it was serve. The chicken was added and tasted different from the source. Saw this place from eye on the bay but it was disappointing when we tried. The bread was the best of all. Not worth of going back. Plenty better indian food else where.
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Review from Sarah C.
2/21/2011 1 photo
Cheap Indian Food.
Barely anyone there when we arrived around 1.30pm. The food was pretty good. I ordered the
Sag Paner -spinach cooked delicately with cheese, herbs and spices................. 6.99 - It was flavorful and mashed well with the naan. I wish there were more pieces of "cheese." Cheese is in quotes because it tasted more like tofu.
The guy in charge was funny.
It was a nice experience but I probably won't be returning. -
Review from Arrrrgh R.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2011
Best tandoori chicken I have had!!
If that was all they served out of a togo window, they would get 5 stars. I am giving it less because of a couple of things:
1. I had a coupon for free lamb or veggie samosa with an order of greater than $30 or so.. they did not honor it and said that it is only valid for veggie samosa - then why did it say in print LAMB?
2. I was feeling really lazy and asked for delivery eventhough they are only a few blocks down. They did not want to deliver and indicated that delivery would be 1 hour or I could pick it up in $15 minutes. This one I can deal with, but I really wanted delivery and feel that they should not say they deliver if they don't really deliver all the time.
Yes I will still go back for the chicken - it was yummy! -
Review from Rena K.
1/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummy, cheap & quick...sign me up!
My Indian friends love this place...we had a large group so got to try several dishes, some of which I don't even remember, but everything was delicious!!!
Things I do remember that I loved:
Lamb & Vegtable samosas
Bengan Bharta (eggplant baked & cooked with onions, tomatoes and peas)
Chicken tikka masala
Service was fast & friendly.Listed in: Desi (Indian/Paki) Grub
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Review from Melissa J.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2011
Cheap delicious food!
I came with a bunch of friends during a reunion of college buddies. Our friend suggested this as a good cheap hole in the wall. When we went in, we were basically the only customers. I was a little worried but was won over by their food immediately.
We ordered some veggie simosas and they were delicious! Not too dry and just the right amount of taste. We order some butter chicken, tandori chicken, dal saag, lentils, rice, lamp and they were all delicious! Even the rice had a really good flavor to it. The nan had a little hint of sweetness which made it very nice. The tandori chicken is not dry at all and has a nice kick to it without the kick being over powering. Only the dal saag was a little disappointing. The spinach was not grounded very finely and the taste is a little watered down.
But, we had 6 people, lots of food and the bill came out to be $75 including tax and tips which I thought was a great deal for the overall quality of the food!
I had almost convinced myself that anything under $20/person must be bad or really dirty but this place broke me of that thought. -
Review from Erica W.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2011
Ordered over an hour and a half ago -no food. when i call, they hang up on me. awesome.
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Review from Aurelio L.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
A yummy treat to have on special occasions I do recommend eating here it is the best Indian food you can find in San Francisco. Me and my friend split a big meal. Keema Naan nice and hot, Basmati really nothing I can say about that, Tandoori Combo Plate Best chicken I have ever had in the whole entire world, Tikka Masala excellent, Chicken Vindaloo overloaded with potatoes not chicken. Overall it was okay. See you next time Alhamra.
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Review from Trina C.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
I am currently 9 months pregnant and I'm due any day now and we thought we would try eating spicy food to speed things along. We ordered our dinner around 6:05pm and when I placed the order online, it stated delivery time would be 60-90 minutes but our food came within 35 minutes. Extra plus for fast delivery. The delivery guy had no problem finding our place since usually most deliveries always calls us telling us they can't find our place. He even walked up 3 flights of stairs for me. Food was hot and very tasty. We had ordered the Chicken Tika Masala spicy, Beef Curry hot, Aloo Palak mild (spinach, potatoes with spices), Nan, Roti, flavored rice and Aloo Nan. My husband loved the Chicken Tika Masala with the Nan. I totally loved the Beef Curry spicy with the Aloo Nan and the Raita (cucumber and yogurt). A little disappointed on how little beef chunks and chicken pieces were in the dishes, about 6-7 pieces in each dish. The curry wasn't thick, more on the watery side but good enough to dunk the nan in to soak up the sauce. Very tasty sauce. The Roti was on the dry side, which is probably our only complaint.
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Review from lori s.
6/7/2011
i was walking by alhamra and went in because it smelled delicious. and it was. i had the chicken tika masala. the sauce was creamy and spicey. the samosas were also crispy and delicious.
the place was empty and we had the best service there ever was. the portions were generous and the prices were reasonable. it's self serve all the chai you and drink.
i don't see anything wrong with it and i would certainly eat there again. -
Review from Ali C.
San Francisco, CA
7/3/2011
Food is absolutely wonderful; tastes very good. I love the orange boneless chicken added with spices; tastes a bit like heaven! Okay, not like heaven, but it's really good. The place is pretty clean as well. There's not a huge rush there, which I like because I can enjoy my food without so much chatter around me. The only reason I rated 4 stars and not 5 stars is because customer service is extremely monotone; not much enthusiasm in the workers haha but at least the food is quite delicious. Go check it out for yourselves!
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Review from Huy N.
Washington, DC
12/27/2010
Great Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Makhani. I used to order delivery from this place all the time when I lived in the Mission. This place probably saved my life back when I used to be a heavy drinker and felt too lazy to cook dinner (which was quite often). I think I've only eaten in the restaurant once.
I would kill for a joint like this in DC. Why can't some of you nice Pakistani Americans import this concept to DC. Are you listening Naan and Curry, Pakwan, Alhamra, etc? You could make buckets of money cuz NO ONE else is doing it here. -
Review from Miranda E.
Oakland, CA
2/25/2011
Guys this was not good :( The veggie samosas were ok I guess but the biryani was frozen at some point, I'm pretty sure, and the chicken curry I got was more than half oil. I know how much oil goes into curry! But it was not even a sauce. It was like, three chunks of chicken in a tangy oily bleh. This morning, my tummy hurts.
We brought in a bottle of wine and they gave us a bottle-opener, which was nice. -
Review from Carlos S.
San Francisco, CA
11/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
A great restaurant if you love good indian food!
I haven't tried anything that I haven't loved yet. The staff is friendly and the vibe is mellow. Being muslim owned they serve no alcohol, but Great News! They're cool with BYOB. Can't go wrong with that!
Not too pricey and and the samosas are as good as the Tikki Masala!
Awesome. -
Review from Artem P.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2011
Great tasting indian, when it gets to your house. Emphasis on the "If".
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Review from Jena R.
North Hollywood, CA
Updated - 8/1/2010
NEVER ORDER DELIVERY FROM HERE.
GO IN GO IN GO IN!
it's fabulous, fresh and utterly delectable.
the prices are perfect, and the product is amazing.
delivery = death.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/11/2010
Alhamra was an interesting experience, not.
The guy that took my order wasn't very pleasant he was… Read more »
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Review from Heidi L.
Washington, DC
6/2/2010
I recommend this place to everyone. To me, this is comfort food. It's definitely NOT something I can make at home or microwave in five minutes. The naan is always just right. The servings are PLENTY of food. My favorite is the lamb saag, but most of their dishes are just as good. Overall, not too spicy (hot), but you might ask and see what they can do for you.
The people at Alhamra have always been nice to me, very accommodating (large groups, BYOB). I would never ding them for service. I would tell you, they have a MIRROR on one wall. So, half your dining party may have to watch themselves in the mirror while eating!! I don't mind, but it's a little distracting... -
Review from sabrina y.
San Francisco, CA
8/26/2011
I have been coming here for years. I WILL NO LONGER!!!!!
I ordered delivery and when I received the order, It was missing some items I ordered. When I called back, they let me know he would be right there with the items ordered. 20 minutes later, nothing. I called back, the guy on the phone reassured me he would be right there once again. Another 20 minutes later, nothing.
When I called the third time to let him know that I still hadn't received anything, he told me the driver had never returned and that he wouldn't be returning soon and that I would have to wait until he returned and then possibly I would get it sometime after that. At this point, I was frustrated. I explained to him that I would have loved this honest explanation earlier. Instead they LIED to me. I asked him to please make do on our order and he told me that he couldn't guarantee anything... after I paid in full and tipped well. OH, and at one point, he hung up on me.
In summary, THESE GUYS LIED to me! Don't tip or pay unless you have thoroughly examined your order.
So, here I sit 1 hour after they originally game me my incomplete order, with cold al hamra and stake pakoras. I would rather honesty than this. I would have been much happier.
So, after 10 years of being a customer... I NO LONGER GO HERE.
Do yourself a favor... go to Pakwan or some other restaurant that would love your business rather than lie to you just to get you off the phone.
I really wish they would n -
Review from Alex P.
Richmond, IN
7/28/2010
This restaurant makes amazing food - the Chicken Tikka is deliciously spicy and if you order naan, it comes right out of the oven. Their naan is probably the best I've ever had. The curry sauce is also great for dipping naan in.
My only complaint is with the service - you have to be fairly aggressive in getting their attention after you get your order, as they aren't the most attentive bunch. I usually just go up to the counter and ask for my check rather than asking for it from my table.
Despite their lack of service, I will keep coming back due to their scrumptious food, and the cafe selling Mango Double Rainbow ice cream next door doesn't hurt either!
