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Categories: Indian, Vegetarian, Caterers
1143 San Carlos AveTake 10% Off Weekend Lunch Buffet. Must Mention YELP Buffet Offer to recieve the discount. Valid Saturday and Sunday Only.
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Best dinner buffet ever.
plenty of choices, chutneys, and chicken!
I failed my second round miserably, but I couldn't help come back for the replenished platters of butter chicken and lamb curry, along with the awesome saffron rice.
there was not a dish out there I didn't like, highly recommended for hungry people. for two the bill only came to 30 dollars. score!
Better than I expected!
Some places really don't know how to use their spice cabinet; This place
is…
Read more »
I've been meaning to yelp about this place for so long since I'm such a fan of their restaurant. This is where my hubby and I frequently visit for good Indian food. The ambiance, the friendly and fast service, and most of all the food always exceeds our expectations. Our usual go to entrees are the Chicken Tikka Masala, Malai Kofta (oh so GOOD, potato cheese dumplings curry), or Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan and Basmati rice. Not too salty or too spicy like others I've tried before. It is a little bit pricier though, but totally worth it. Oh boy, my mouth is watering. So far, this is the best place, hands down for delicious Indian food on the peninsula...
SAFFRON INDIAN BISTRO ROCKS!
The on-line ordering system is excellent. I had a few questions so I needed to call before ordering, and whoever answered was so helpful.
I ordered from the catering menu - buttered chicken, vegetable korma, saffron rice, and Samosas - to be delivered for an office function. I was very impressed with the food quaility, portion size, reasonable prices, and efficient delivery service. I will definitely order from them again for many more business lunch functions in the future. As well, would love to try in person.
Highly recommend.
We ordered take out, so I didn't get the lunch buffet, which I was eyeing. I'll be sure to go back and edit after I do their buffet. So I really liked their food. But it was on the pricey side. Man if you are craving Indian food and are not in San Francisco to check out Naan & Curry, then you need some money in your pocket.
The food was tasty and they packed it in really nice plastic containers. Not your typical Chinese boxes.
I'm surprised that there are so many good reviews. I've given this place a number of chances; several lunch buffets and then dinner. The lunches were only average. I was hoping dinner would be better since it would be cooked as I ordered it.
I was sorely disappointed. The rice was underdone and hard. The chicken tikka was undercooked; pink inside. The mango lamb was much overcooked as the meat was very tough. The dishes were also extremely oily.
Suraj in Redwood City, despite being uneven recently, is still far superior to this place.
Perhaps this review should be taken with a grain of salt, as I am no expert on Indian food, and generally prefer my food mild rather than spicy. On the other hand, I have really enjoyed the food at a couple Indian restaurants in San Francisco and Menlo Park, so maybe this restaurant's food just isn't as good.
We came here on a Sunday for the $10.95 weekend lunch buffet. My favorite dish in the buffet line by far was the Lamb Curry. I also liked the Cardamom Rice Pudding and the buttery Naan. That's about it. The buffet line also included Masala Tea, which we all felt was very watered down, but maybe that's how it is supposed to be served?
The inside decor was quite nice, and the waitstaff was attentive as well.
Not coming back.
Very good food and the service was great during the busy lunchtime. The lunch buffet had a lot of great options, including vegetarian options, chicken and lamb. Everything that I had, which was almost every dish on the entire buffet, was flavorful and the meat was tender. Also, high quality ingredients is always nice when you don't have to guess what you are eating. It is a little pricey for lunch buffet but for the quality and taste it is worth it. Just took one star off for the price point. The atmosphere is also very nice.
I'd say I've been an occasional customer over the past few years and generally the butter chicken and naan are very very good.
I got take out the other night and ordered the usual - butter chicken and naan (I decided to pass on the rice this time). I got home looking forward to eating my dinner, but discovered that I was given burnt naan. That pretty much ruined it for me. I think Saffron is a little on the pricey side and because of that, I expect properly cooked food.
I'll probably update this the next time I go, but after this last meal, it's only a 2-star restaurant.
Had a business lunch here a few weeks back. During lunch they serve a buffet. They have a fair number of selections ranging from vegetarian to lamb and chicken dishes.
I had naan and raita, lamb curry, tandoori chicken, a saucy dish with chickpeas and a few other items. Everything was good. Nothing was outstanding. I'm kinda picky about my Indian food so I may be being too hard on the place.
Another important detail is that I was there late in the day when they were not replenishing dishes anymore. Sometimes food isn't as good after it has sat for a bit.
At the end of the meal my colleague invited me to have some of their hot chai tea that's included. I did have a small cup since I'm weak to caffeine and found him on the money that it is savory.
I would return to this restaurant again for good food. Next time I'd probably go earlier.
In my neck of the peninsula good Indian food is hard to find unless I want to venture over a bridge or drive 20 minutes. Saffron is a great nearish place to satisfy those I-must-have-naan-right-now cravings.
A very nice, clean place that can be cozy if the restaurant is full. Generally I've been kind of letdown with the service, they're usually very nice but very slooooow. On my last visit, the waiter spilled the rice and then took about 10 minutes to clean it up...and then nearly forgot to bring us replacement rice...and then forgot one of the other dishes that was ordered. Sheesh.
Regardless of the above, the food is really good. They don't give you Caucasian spicy if you ask for spicy, I usually sweat some major stains into my shirt by the end of the meal.
After all the ranting and raving I heard about this place being the best Indian Food Restaurant in the Peninsula, etc... It was slightly disappointing. Maybe my expectations were slightly high? I ordered the Chicken Korma, Naan, and saffron rice. The service was fast and friendly. The food was good, But I have honestly had better.... I would probably go back since its close by...and maybe try something different on the menu next time.
I came here on a Tuesday night with a friend. To our surprise, it's buffet style. We were under the impression that it's an ordering place, but perhaps it was just this night.
I enjoyed everything I ate, though I'm admittedly inexperienced with Indian food. Of the roughly dozen dishes, none were bad and I particularly liked the paneer dish. I'd come back here if I lived in the area.
What a gorgeous restaurant! Very pretty indeed and was mega easy to find.
Food was all right and we went with a friend who loves Indian food. The last time I had Indian food with this friend was when we were visiting him in Germany. Indian food in Germany...hm...Let's say it wasn't so good. Haha. This time we're in the Bay Area, baby. We have a much better selection! We ended up ordering chicken tikka masala and chicken korma to split between the both of us.
Appetizers were nice and flavorful - we ordered the sampler which had a selection of veg pakora and 2 veg samosas. Very nice!
I found the sauce for the chicken tikka masala a bit too salty for my taste, but it was nice and creamy. They were incredibly generous with the chicken in the CTM, so there was more chicken than sauce - which is a very good thing! The korma was lovely and though also a bit on the salty side, it was nice and had a bit of a tiny kick. That surprised me given that 99% of the kormas I've had have always been incredibly bland.
Hubby was with us and he ordered a mushroom and peas main course, but didn't share with us - boo!!! Well, I hate peas, but I was willing to dig out a 'shroom to have a taste. Haha. Hubby ordered poori while I had plain naan. I liked my naan and it was very generous. The pooris were a bit on the big side and more crispy than he would've liked, but they were nice and fresh. Hubby said that the mushroom muttar (that mushroom and peas stuff) was the best that he's had since we've returned to the States. Wow! I wouldn't have ever known...
Flavor wise, I felt the dishes relied a bit too much on salt as evidenced by the litre of water I've just consumed.
It's a bit on the pricey side, but it's close to hubby's work and meeting a friend there for dinner after hubby got out of work was a breeze. Parking was easy, but it was a Monday night!
Good place to go, but not one I'd go out of my way when I can find cheaper and less saltier fare around the Bay.
My 2nd favorite indian on the penninsula (Shiva is reallllly good). The curries are terrific, although sometimes there's just too much cream in them which i can't stand. daal makni was terrific. But what really made my day was their biryani...i'm a sucker for a great biryani and this one was probably one of the best i've had around sf (naan and curry has a great one too, and they cook the shrimp in the tandoor) because they keep it wet and spiced.
4 stars simply because for a casual indian place, it makes the mark. not looking at it from a service, or aesthetic viewpoint, but just on food. This is my standard local easily.
updated: docked 1 star. the biryani's the last 2 times i went sucked. the typical really dry kind where they just take rice, throw a tiny bit of the meat in it. i can't stand it when it's made like this. the best biryani i've had hands down is still naan n curry on van ness. the other food here is still good but more watered down tasting. oh well.
came for dinner...there is a daily lunch buffet, but the dinner buffet is only Tues and Sun. @$13.95
thus i was left to just ordering my usual butter chicken, baigan bharta, garlic naan, rice.
the food was served piping hot, flavors that i like it, creamy, mild spice. naan a little small.
this place is like a fancy and trying-to-be shalimar, a palatable ambiance for a more diverse crowd. food takes a bit to come out, good service.
Definitely one of the best Indian dinner buffets we've been to in a while...the type of place that easily convinces us to go back for a regular meal.
The selection was diverse - from veggies to chicken to lamb to beef. Each dish was distinct in its own flavors. With close to a dozen, you'd think there would be similar tastes, but that wasn't the case here. Some hot, some mild...some rich, some light... Regardless, everything was delicious, and the flavored rice and warm, crispy naan made perfect complements.
Our favorites were the LAMB CURRY with chunks of tender meat, as well as the juicy TANDOORI CHICKEN. The BUTTER CHICKEN was also an item we went back to the line for. The several VEGETARIAN options - featuring eggplants, beans, potatoes, etc. - were also appetizing.
PRICE is so reasonable. All this food for less than $15 per person for DINNER buffet - only offered on Tuesdays and Sundays. Now, how can you complain?
SERVICE and AMBIANCE were two other thumbs-ups. It's nicely decorated inside, suitable for any occasion. The servers were attentive and never left our glasses empty.
SUM: 4.5 stars for the buffet. We now need to go back for a regular meal!
Tried some of my old favorites here and they're good. Chicken Tikka, Lamb Saag, Daal, Raita,,, Very good, not great. Good Service. Will try again and try more things.
Not as cheap as the Silicon Valley Buffets, it was dinner in San Carlos.
I've been here a few times now, and really impressed with the quality of the food. The lunch buffet is awesome ~ some 'creative' dishes, too.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is, while the chai is self-serve, all-you-can-drink during the buffet, it's always really watered down and lacking in flavor. Other than that, this place rocks.
Favorite Indian restaurants in the area: Shiva's, Janta, Udupi Palace, and now, Saffron. What makes it stand out is that the buffet is awesome-- it draws a lot of people, so the food is fresh, and there were actually more vegetarian options than I could try. If a restaurant can get me to eat noodle pudding, that is definitely saying something.
Ok, it was a Sunday and I have been on the road from the East Coast for a few days and craved Indian home cooked food. This place came up on my search. I was aprehensive about the buffet but since I was there 20 min before closing they told me that buffet may not be best option and also Tandoori meat dishes were also off the menu near the closing time. This worked out good because i was in the mood for Dal Makhni and Roti , which is almost like poor man's food. I was blown by the simple dal makhni and roti which was piping hot and rotis were excellent and the aiter even asked me if they should add butter to them ( I went butterless) I wish I had asked for some lime and onions or maybe they can serve that with food in the future. Accompanied by excellent curd( indian yogurt) and rice it was as good as a home cooked meal .
Don't go to this restaurant for anything g but the good food and the serv ice. Food is good and the dal tell the story
Excellent Indian food and they have a great lunch time buffet. They get you in quickly since they know time is precious at that time of day.
Well I was looking through Yelp reviews for a restaurant in the San Mateo/Burlingame/San Carlos area so that I could have a nice meal with some friends from Norway and my hubby. They are vegetarian, and we are mostly vegetarian. They don't get much variety of vegetarian options in Norway, apparently, so I wanted this to be a very nice experience, full of flavors & excitement!
The ambience of the restaurant is very nice... the colors and the lighting were in tune with what I was looking for. I had read about another restaurant in the area with good food, but apparently it had a cafeteria-like feel to it, which is not at all what I was looking for.
The service was okay. It wasn't especially friendly or fun, just very business-like. This is a big thing with me... I like friendly service. It's what makes me go back to a place, even if the food is absolutely fantastic.
And it wasn't absolutely fantastic... the samosas were very good. Probably my favorite part of the meal. The naan was good, too... we got the garlic naan and our friends got the onion naan. My aloo gobi wasn't that great, though. They seemed to skimp a bit on the spices, and it wasn't cooked down the way I like it. The cauliflower was still quite hard, like it hadn't been cooked enough. To be honest, the samosas were huge and filled me up.... I didn't mind not eating the meal that much. However, the other down-side was that I got some serious bloat from the food. This doesn't happen to me at all Indian restaurants. And in fact, it usually only happens to me at American restaurants, but also sometimes at Japanese restaurants. It has something to do with combinations of food, or veggies not being cooked enough.... my tummy can't take it.
Anyway, my friends got an eggplant dish that they liked, and my hubby got the fish curry. I tried it, and it was alright. I didn't love it.
I prefer the food at Fremont's Bombay Garden, definitely. However, if you're in the San Mateo/Burlingame/San Carlos area, you might give it a shot. Everyone else enjoyed their food more than I did. I'm a bit spoiled by the Indian food in Fremont, though. What can I say?
Went here the second time today. Was pretty awesome.
Great lamb curry, butter chicken, etc. Also a great selection of stuff to choose from.
Nice ambiance.
They kept our drink glasses full. Will be back again.
The food at Saffron is pretty ok. Not the best Indian I've had, but up there. My only complaints are that it's a bit *too* creamy, and not nearly spicy enough.
My problem is that they have really horrible service. Both times I've been there they've screwed up my order. The first time they gave 1/2 our order to the table next to us, even though they got there 30 minutes after us. No apology. The most recent time, they screwed up our order, and actually made an issue out of us refusing the dish they screwed up; they acted like they were doing us a favor when they finally decided not to charge us for food we refused.
The waiters all act grumpy, no smiles, no thank you's, nothing. Both times we've gone they weren't particularly busy, and food took at least 45 minutes; no explanations or apologies. Both times it also took at least 15 minutes just to get the check, even though the host was just wandering around looking bored.
I might consider getting take out from this place in the future, but I couldn't possibly recommend Saffron as a good place to have dinner.
They have a pretty decent lunch buffet here. There are plenty of dishes to choose from and there's also a lot of variety for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. The two garbanzo bean dishes were my favourites. I was quite full after loading up one plate that I couldn't even get seconds. They also bring you plenty of naan.
The lunch buffet is $10.95 and the dinner buffet is $13.95 Hooray for a dinner buffet. Those are pretty hard to find. It's definitely worth trying. There's a nice atmosphere here too.
The place was clean and comfortable. We had the lunch buffet. I like the butter chicken and curry lamb. The bread tastes good too. I would recommend this to people who loved curry.
There are plenty of 2 hour street parking. And it's on a nice street with some fun stores. Good for taking a walk after the buffet.
Yum! This place was delicious. Service was friendly and prompt and the food was very good. We had the chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and saag paneer. All flavorful and fresh, and the naan and rice were perfect accompaniments. I can't wait to try other dishes. I believe the owner of the restaurant took our order and was very friendly and was knowledgeable about the ingredients, which is important because I have a food allergy. We will definitely be back soon!
Open buffet at lunch!!!!
This restaurant is absolutely delicious and turned my Indian food-fearing husband into a fan of the cuisine! I think it had something to do with that insane butter chicken... could that be any better? I really don't think so.
Bottom line: If you want Indian food at a great price and you're in San Carlos for lunch, you won't go wrong!
Probably the best Indian restaurant in San Carlos. The buffet is usually hot and clean. I've come here with the speical Yelp offer discount at 15% (mention this for the lunch buffet). Service has always been spot on and dosas are hot and made to order.
After our previous visit/review during a work conference in the area, I received a note from Ajay, the owner, letting me know that Saffron will spice it up, if you only ask. We just moved to the area, so we decided to stop in tonight and give it a try.
Again, the service was fast, polite and helpful. The front-of-the-house team works pretty well together - I don't think we saw the same person twice, but the water and drink glasses were always full and we were checked on regularly. They balance service just right to keep it from being overwhelming or neglectful.
I'm a little shocked that it doesn't get noisy in here - even with couples or groups at most of the tables, the volume was really reasonable.
We ordered the same things, mostly by coincidence. They were not out of samoas this time, so we had some. Very tasty and they arrived with a chick-pea curry that was also very tasty. The pakoras are still different than what I expect (the "mixed vegetable" means they are mixed before they are battered and fried, not that it is a mix of vegetables) but very tasty. My husband's butter chicken, extra spicy, was incredibly flavorful and had a nice spice level. My saag paneer was solid, as well. The naan is still piping hot and wonderfully crisp on the bottom. The sweet lime soda I had was also great - not too sweet, not too carbonated with a nice mix of lemon and lime flavors.
So, why still missing the star? They were out of kheer! I wonder if I just have bad luck or what. Maybe I'll get to bump it up again on my next visit - I'll certainly be back!
The third night in our hotel room, we decided to scour Yelp again for somewhere close by to grab… Read more »
One of my favorite Indian restaurants in the greater San Carlos / Redwood CIty area. I'm embarrassed to say, though, that we've always picked up food, never eaten in. Plus, we've always ordered the same exact thing every single dingle time: chana masala, saag paneer, and naan. All three are excellent, though the naan is a little on the doughy side (I prefer it crispier).
Minus one star for always telling me it will be 20 minutes, when in fact it turns out to be more like 35 or 40, meaning I'm left twiddling my thumbs by the front door for longer than I like.
We came to Saffron Indian Bistro for lunch on a Saturday, where they have the buffet set up - adults $10.95 and kids (12 and under, I believe) are $5.95. Prices are reasonable considering the location and decor. They also have a good selection of food set up. Buffet also includes masala tea, desserts and naan brought to your table freshly made.
Of the buffet selections, I liked the chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, and the baingan bharta (eggplant) but did not like the tandoori chicken at all (it tasted like it's been sitting around too long).
Bottom Line: Their menu prices for most items seem a bit high, but the buffet is worth it.
The lunch buffet was ok. Certainly not great. Maybe I'm just getting tired of food. Of course, you still have to eat anyway. But going to San Carlos is never a good idea.
I just had lunch here with my brother, and it was very good.
This is the best buffet Indian that I know of. Good job Saffron you redeemed yourself from my first visit.
Granted, all buffets are not as good as fresh made. But really this is not that good. i had lunch… Read more »
Upgrading to 3 stars ... if not my concern about the tip policy during buffet lunch, I might even stretch it to 4 stars (other points withstanding).
The owner promptly sent me a very well thought out and professional reply. Much of what he indicated was what he had told my boyfriend already. I'm not saying this critically. He really sincerely believes that his tip policy is neccessay (though I still disagree).
But my point here is not to disagree, but to compliment him for his response. He did not take offense to my review.
I imagine it must be difficult as an owner to know how to respond to a somewhat negative review, but he did it in a very nice way.
I've never been this harsh on a restaurant. I want to give them more stars because I don't like be… Read more »
We've been looking for a new place to get Indian food, and this place is definitely in the running. Having only eaten here once for dinner I can't comment on consistency, but our experience was very positive.
First we parked about a block away and I could smell the restaurant from there... yummy.
We had the dinner buffet, and I'm really not a buffet type of person. That said, the buffet was very good. I sampled nearly everything, and all of it was very tasty and fresh. The Indian spices were very flavorful (but not enough for that buzz) and the ingredients were good quality. They had a mix of north and south Indian food. My wife is vegetarian and there were plenty of choices for her.
The price was very good for the quality of the food. I will definitely be going back to this place.
About once a month or so, I will catch the eye of my co-worker around lunchtime and his eyes will sparkle. I could lie and say that it is the blossoming of a workplace romance, but no, it is actually a shared love for Saffron Indian Bistro! This is probably the only Indian buffet I have been to that consistently serves amazing food that doesn't overwhelm you with a million options. There is ALWAYS a line at lunch so if you know you're going there with a good-sized group, be sure to call in advance to make reservations.
Everything is good here, but one thing I must mention is their naan. It is thinner than most naan I have and super buttery with bits of cilantro on it. It's always served piping hot (in limited quantities) in a basket and delivered to your table. Put a little tandoori chicken in it with a little butter chicken curry and you'll be in food heaven. Drool.
It's a teeny bit pricey at $13 (after tax and tip), but pretty worth it. Don't expect to be very productive after it though. All you want to do is take a nap and smell the sweet Indian spices lingering on your clothing. Mm. Maybe I should go tomorrow...
p.s. I've been there for dinner once before too, and it's possibly better than lunch (different selections, right portions). But lunch is definitely more group-friendly and fun!
I've never eaten inside at Saffron, always taken it home to enjoy. You need to always make sure you check your order as sometimes they forget an item. They have an excellent online ordering system as well and through that system you can take advantage of some 10% discounts that they will send you via email.
Excellent, fresh food, just spicy enough. Chili naan and sauce, butter chicken, dal fry and rice are fresh and delicious.
MMm mmm good.
i absolutely enjoyed this place. i am a big fan of indian food (partially because of my sister ceana k.) and this place has shown me the "taste of india" in a sense. i don't know how far it goes for it's authenticity, but they really know how to present the food to taste well to the korean-american palette.
naan = great. chicken tikka masala = of course. i think we had the saag paneer as well, but i don't remember because we went for winter break... my bad for the delay of this rating.
but really, this place is definitely a place to try. and i've heard great things about their lunch buffet, maybe i'll come back next time for that.
Overpriced Indian food at its best. Its not bad, and is a nice location and decor, but we always ordered out from here and it does not even compare to the food at Pakwan or Shalimar.
Have only picked up food here for take-out, and the place is nicely decorated, but the price premium is definitely not worth it. The food is tuned down in spices to appeal to a larger crowd.
Deserves 2.5 stars purely because of the decor of the place and the lack of great desi food in proximity.
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