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Shalimar Of India Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Indian Restaurants Buffets Vegetarian, Indian, Buffets [Edit]
546 Massachusetts AveCambridge, MA 02139
Neighborhood: Central Square
(617) 547-9280
- Nearest Transit:
-
Green St @ Pearl St (47, 64, 70, 70A)
Massachusetts Ave @ Pearl St (1, 47, 64, 70, 70A, CT1)
Brookline St @ Green St (47)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Mandana Y. said: "Out-of-towner Review Was touring the Harvard square when we stumbled across the sign for Maharaja. Walking up to the restaurant I was already getting excited. Talk about decor. This place goes all out! I was a little worried the…" read more »
82 reviews for Shalimar Of India Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Chicken tikka masala and saag paneer are fantastic."
(in 10 reviews)
"Given they're in central square and i live in mission hill..."
(in 8 reviews)
"My roommate is the rice pudding expert and he gave it two..."
(in 4 reviews)
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82 reviews in English
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Review from Jay M.
Boston, MA
12/12/2011
This review is based solely on my experiences at the lunch buffet.
For less than $8, this is the best Indian lunch buffet option that I've tried in Central Square. The food doesn't taste as though it's been watered down for buffet service much like the other places around the area. The tikka masala and saag paneer are especially good if I'm going to compare commonly offered dishes-- two kinds of bread, win.
Service isn't great. Then again, what Indian establishment have you been where you've been wholly satisfied with their service? Hardly none by my experience. Water glasses were kept full, but old plates were dismissed by the waiter on more than one occassion.
All in all, I'd make the effort to walk the extra distance to get to Shalimar for a superior food experience to other Indian lunch buffets in the area. -
Review from lella b.
Marlborough, MA
1/7/2012
I went here during a day of shopping in Central Square. I won't be back. Usually, I give a place two tries before striking it off (hey, everybody is allowed a bad day). 10 hours later, I'm still washing out the salt.
First: Tables are too crowded, yes, I get it's Cambridge. However, I don't want to hear normal toned converstaions from the tables around me: I'm not interested in how people would change the animals from Orwell's 1984 into ones from India or how another doesn't like a housemate.
Second: OMG. The SALT is out of control. I feel like I just went swimming in the ocean.
Third: The ricepudding was more like rice soup.
For $8.50 (tax included), it was ok. I won't be back but I just didn't like it. It did have 6/8 veg dishes which was good. The Chicken Masala was good. But it was just WAY too salty for my taste. -
Review from Garrett Q.
Mid-Cambridge, MA
9/16/2011
Only been here for the buffet so I can't really comment on the dinner service.
It's a typical Indian lunch buffet. Nothing special.
Service was fine and they mostly didn't bother me. It's very quiet. -
Review from Sage R.
Jersey City, NJ
7/12/2011
Not a great service.
Yesterday ordered from PF Changs. The delivery guy forgot fork and knife. I called them, within 15 mins he came back with two sets of fork and spoon. Today ordered from Indian food from these guys. Same issue- they forgot spoon. Called them about spoon -- the response that I got "we will send you 2 next week". lol.. Am I going to save my soup for next week. No. -
Review from Dawn A.
6/11/2011
We wandered into this restaurant at about 9pm on a Saturday night and it was completely, totally empty, which concerned me a bit, but we were hungry and decided to give it a shot.
We ordered the chicken korma, the muter paneer, vegetable samosas and garlic naan. Everything was rather meh. It was certainly edible, but not great. The samosas were rather bland, not too many peas, mostly potato and not a lot of spice. There were some pesky fruit flies bugging us while we were eating, too, which was gross and annoying.
The prices were about average for the area.
Would I go back? Probably not. I am sure there are better places in the area, but it was pouring out and we weren't up to exploring more. -
Review from Chris S.
Falls Church, VA
8/30/2011
Arrived at 3 PM on a Tuesday; the restaurant was entirely empty.
They had just finished cleaning from lunch (buffet was put away) and the restaurant was set for dinner. There were no customers, so I asked if they were actually open yet. Yes, definitely, come on in.
May I sit at the larger table, rather than the little tiny table?
Answer: "Those are for parties of four".
Me: "OK" [walks out]
Now you have zero customers instead of one customer.
If you're going to give me shit the very second I come in,
what's it going to be like when I try to actually order food?
I ate here a fair amount about 20 years ago when I lived around here, and wanted to see if it was still yummy. I get up to the Boston/Cambridge
area from time to time. We will never know now; never going back.
Went down the street to Harvard Square and found a good Indian restaurant - see that review. -
Review from Amanda F.
Somerville, MA
1/3/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I love Indian food, and have walked past this place many times. I finally stopped in today, and I'm glad I did.
The lunch buffet is available until 3, and I walked in around 2:30. Even though I was there late in the day, everything was still hot, and tasted very fresh. It was delicious!
At 2:30, it was mostly empty, and the staff were all at the back of the room. I was only getting the buffet, so I didn't need any service. Had I been there for a sit down meal, this may have been a problem. One staff member did appear to tell another diner that arrived after me that the buffet was about to close, but that he was welcome to take a second plate while on his first trip. I thought that was nice, as other places may just close up without giving anyone an option to get more before the buffet closes.
The atmosphere was nice, and I got the impression that it's also a great place for a nice dinner. At $8 a pop for an all you can eat buffet (with a pretty nice selection!), you can't go wrong! I'll be back.Listed in: I love Indian Food
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Review from Shea D.
10/25/2010
Disclaimer: I'm seriously spoiled when it comes to Indian food. My first experience with it was sometime last year where I live (NYC), and I now have several favorite spots in the city that serve some of the finest Indian cuisine available. So I have high standards. I don't know anything else. :-)
While my partner slaved away writing a memo for class last night, I opted to order in some Indian food for both of us, and went to work on http://grubhub.com in order to find a highly rated place that delivered to where she lives in Brighton. After a little searching, I found two restaurants with relatively high ratings that delivered to us with a $15 minimum. Well that's not difficult with Indian food! I called the first, which told me $25 minimum. I said no thanks because I knew there was another option listed, and called Shalimar next, which ALSO tried to tell me $25 minimum. Sensing a pattern I pointed out that grubhub said $15 minimum to my address, and the guy said "oh okay, I'll do it for you." Hmmm, anyone think the first place lied to me? Yeah...
Anyway, whenever I try a new Indian place, I go for a classic, easy to make, dish first before I try anything else, and chicken tikka masala is always a good guinea pig. So I went with the chicken tikka masala, rice, and an order of garlic naan. This came out to $19, and was delivered in about 30 minutes. Not too bad.
The portions are pretty generous, and I'd say the food is "A-OK". There was enough to feed both of us and put some leftovers in the fridge so my partner doesn't forget to eat this week while she's studying and outlining.
However, the so-called Indian "fast food" place near my office in midtown Manhattan makes it WAY better, but there I go with my high standards again. I'm going to try the other place again next time I'm ordering Indian, but Shalimar isn't too bad. Nothing too exciting though...Listed in: I'm Shipping Up to Boston
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Review from Aboud Y.
Cambridge, MA
12/24/2010
Awful delivery experience from this place. Food was late and cold...and not very good anyway. Anything I ordered was average at best and the lamb biryani was terrible.
Cross this place off my list. -
Review from Angie C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
3/5/2011
Great selection of Indian dishes and easy seating.
Experience:
I never have to wait for a table, because the place is a decent size. The staff are attentive and friendly.
Food:
The food is good for the price. I've been to this restaurant during their regular hours and buffet hours. I must say they have one the best Indian Buffet only because of their selection. Most Indian buffets don't have too many vegetarian dishes in their buffet line, but they had a great selection. This is very helpful when I have lunch with my vegetarian friends and I want to overindulge in Indian food.
Overall:
Great place for Indian buffet. -
Review from Marissa P.
Boston, MA
10/19/2010
Big thumbs down!
I came here with a friend for lunch. She was starving, so we stopped here since we came across it and she really wanted to eat.
Service - awful. There were no napkins at our table. I had to ask for napkins TWICE before getting any.
Food - also awful. Chicken tasted like jelly.
Decor - dingy.
I left over almost my entire meal.
Much better Indian food to be had around the area--- (see my other reviews for details) -
Review from Jon T.
12/5/2010
I love indian food, but not all indian restaurants are created equally. Very often they suffer from very oily and/or over-priced food. I've walked past shalimar so many times and for some reason never ventured in. I'm so glad I finally did this weekend, though.
Shalimar didn't disappoint me in any way. The wait staff were super nice and attentive but not pushy. The prices were reasonable. And the food was SO good. I shared vegetable pakora with my friend and it was some of the best i've ever had. I am very discriminating when it comes to pakora. A lot of places either have overly fried boring pakora or try to do something original with it and kind of mess it up. Shalimar's pakora was not quite like anything I've ever eaten and was crispy and savory. I also had the aloo gobhi. Sometimes I get this dish and the cauliflower and potatoes are so drenched in sauce that they are almost disintegrating. Shalimar puts only just enough sauce to cover them and flavor them. Another great feature of this restaurant is the free poppadom served at the beginning of the meal and the rice that comes with the entrees at no extra cost.
If you are in central sq, you owe it to yourself to check this place out. -
Review from avin n.
Cambridge, MA
1/29/2011
I've been to Shalimar once to sit down and have dinner, and ordered takeout a few times more. My advice would be to go for the latter. The one time we had dinner here, we were unimpressed with the atmosphere and service. The service was meh (waiter actually brought us a half cooked papad, then argued with us about whether or not is was cooked and complained about having to take it back). Had we not been so hungry at the time, we might have just jumped ship altogether. I've mentioned in previous reviews that bad service at Indian restaurants isn't usually something that bothers me...but come on, don't touch my food and argue with me about whether or not it's cooked. Bad even by desi standards.
But in the end we're glad we stuck around. Despite service issues, compared to other Indian spots in the area, the food itself is actually pretty good. It's the only one in the Central Square area that seems to know how to make food sufficiently spicy enough for Indian folks. And the naan is actually excellent-- light and crispy, not too oily.
If you're looking for ambiance and vibe in an Indian restaurant, Central is probably not the area you should be in in the first place. But on the food alone, Shalimar is a good standby. -
Review from Jasmine E.
Eureka, MO
2/24/2007
Disaster of an indian restaurant.
The food was so bland I wanted to go the spice market, buy some spices, go in the kitchen and force the cooks to use it. If I were indian and I went to this place, I'd be insulted and curse them out in hindi (or punjab, all the dialects, see which one works).
I can't believe people actually go to this place. If you wanna try good Indian food, try India Pavilion. -
Review from Erica S.
Media, PA
6/5/2008
I said SPICY people! Spicy! Not medium, not mild... This place did not deliver the spiciness, a faux pas to the fullest extent for an Indian restaurant, of all places...
Also, bad service. Me and my 3 lady friends sat there with our menus down for a good 20 minutes before we even got in a drink order... Hungry! Need food! Thirsty! Need alcohol!
BUT speaking of drink order, all of their beers are $3.50! That's rad.
The food is okay, not amazing (and certainly not spicy, but I guess I already said that), but acceptable and fine. It's kinda like the diner of Indian food, like the quality you'd expect from one of those places in the mall food court. I can see this being better for the all you can eat buffet lunch than the sit down dinner I attempted. The naan is quite good. The rest, just meh.
There are just too many amazing Indian restaurants in Central Square to bother with this mediocre joint. -
Review from Keeks L.
Rowley, MA
3/9/2011
Let me preface this by saying that I never have given a restaurant one star. Being in the business myself over the years, I am very understanding of less than perfect food and service. However, this was the worst experience I have had in years. With their "Open" sign flashing in the window we walked in at about 10PM on Sunday night after seeing a show in Central Square. The posted hours on the door stated they were open until 10:30 but we still asked if they were still serving just to be sure. They quickly sat us and were curt and rude from the start. We were starving and felt pressure to order so we both just asked for Channa Masala within seconds of sitting and it was quickly served just a few moments later. The pot of cold rice served with it was not enough for two and the main dish was tepid and average in flavor at best. We ate quickly (I even joked it felt like we were at a drive thru) and as we were finishing our last sips of our drinks we were told they "were closing and we had to leave." I believe they said the same to the table next to us as well. I really was taken back at how blatantly inhospitable the entire staff was. We were in and out in about 25 minutes and out $40 bucks (despite horrendous service I still can't "stiff" anyone) as well for one beer, a cheap glass of white, two smallish portions of channa masala and a small pot of cold rice.
Horrible! I love Indian food and if you do too, do your self a favor and take a pass on this place. -
Review from Kiwi H.
9/13/2007
This place gives me what I call "Friday afternoon feeling." Now, I know I live in Boston right now, but understand that this term does not come from the Boston idea of a Friday Afternoon Feeling. At all.
This syndrome of which I speak is because back home where I grew up, the weekends were Thursdays and Fridays. (They've since been changed to Fri and Sat). Friday afternoons between 1-4 were the times everything was closed.. everyone took their siestas.. the vast expanses of bare land were parched by the uber-hot, bright yellow desert sun. In these sleepy, hot "I can't lift a finger" moments, children would start getting fed up of too much "family day" and eager for the world to come away from it's standstill. At least, that's how it felt to me and my siblings when we coined the phrase.
This place has that same strange, supremely lethargic vibe, with the ornate artwork on their walls looking more like faded glamour next to the musty, dim, decor and too-quiet slight-elevator-music ambiance.
Still, one ravenous Sunday, as we trawled Central in a mad rush, trying not to walk too far from the car, and disappointedly realizing that Tibet Rangtzen was closed as was Baraka Cafe, our hunger led us to this spot down the street. "Let's just eat here!" we declared, knowing that at least with a buffet, food would be immediate and our bellies satiated.
I was dubious about this place, but it was actually better than I expected. The food wasn't as spicy as I'd like at all, but they did have a good range of choices. Water glasses were never empty, but there were some strange and nosy clientele. Avoid the bathroom if possible - it's not too bad, but didn't help the appetite either. Although the food was good enough, and the price was very low, I'm not sure if I'd ever come back here unless caught in a similar situation. It's decent, but is nothing impressionable and there are many other, more exciting/flavourful Indian places out there. -
Review from april p.
Salem, MA
12/15/2008
I love this place! I was kind of surprised to see it get so many mediocre reviews. I have been here many times for the lunch buffet. As with most buffets, it is better to get there earlier while the food is hot. There are a lot of good vegetarian choices, and the kheer is excelent.
I have also been here for dinner, and like that they (usually) listen to me when I say I like my food spicy. Dinner is better because you can get fresh naan and the beer is cheap.
I also got delivery from here before and it came in a pretty timely manner. I think the guy walked to my house, since I didn't see a car when he showed up.
Some of my favorite dishes are saag paneer and bangain bhartha. The vegetable pakoras are good, if a little greasy. The peshwari naan is excellent. -
Review from molly f.
Cambridge, MA
2/2/2009
We've been slowly eating our way through all of the wonderful indian cuisine in Central square and finally got around to having dinner at Shalimar of India. Though we had heard the lunch buffet was the thing to try, the menu looked good & we were hungry so we decided to give it a shot.
It was wonderful! The food was flavorful & delish and honestly the service was incredible! Our waiter was so attentive and the entire staff took great care of all of the customers...a very pleasant surprise.
We really enjoyed ourselves here! We always end up at Desi Dhaba out of habit, will certainly have to fit Shalimar into our routine when we're craving curry...this was a really enjoyable experience! -
Review from Alex Z.
Redmond, WA
6/16/2009
I definitely think this is among the best Indian food in Cambridge.
Beats India Pavillion, no contest. I don't understand how other Yelpers think India Pavillion is comparable. Not looking to start a flame war though, so I'll move on.
Generally I only go here for the lunch buffet. The chicken curry here is succulent and moist, on days when they have it (sometimes not on weekends, why?!) their buffet reaches a new level. Their chicken tikki-masala sauce is incredible, however the chicken they use is really rough, not like the chicken in the chicken curry (again, why?!). The salad is great, lots of interesting sauces to go with it. I also enjoy the tandoori chicken here, although they aren't always great about replacing it when it runs out. Same with the rice pudding.
Anyways, well priced at $7.95 for lunch, will fill you up every time. Take-out is the same price, highly recommended as well. -
Review from N C.
Somerville, MA
6/6/2011
OK for a weekday lunch. My friends liked it. Food quality is not so good, run of the mill Indian buffet, not so special. You can find similar items, Chicken tikka masala made with left over tandoori chicken and chicken kabob, chicken tandoori, a day before made vegetable pakora etc. I do not recommend this place.
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Review from R M.
Somerville, MA
6/5/2011
Roomali roti my a$$...
Had a craving for roomali roti and chicken tikka. Chicken tikka was okay, but the damn roomali roti was just a large chapati...
Disappointed with the subterfuge...
Plus was charged $2 for asking for extra green chillis on the side... -
Review from S K.
Cambridge, MA
9/12/2009
A run-of-the-mill Indian restaurant. Do not expect anything spectacular here. It appears quite popular for the lunch buffet - and they do offer a decent selection for the price - but certainly not the blow-your-mind stuff.
Overall a B+ place for Indian food. -
Review from Jonathan D.
Cambridge, MA
7/25/2010
My usual local source for Indian takeout was closed, so I decided to give Shalimar a shot. I have been there in the past for some work lunch or another and I had a vague memory of it being okay. It had been a while though, so I decided to apply my standard Indian food litmus test for my order: veggie samosas, veggie pakoras, saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and nan.
So this is the review of my take-out, and a good thing it was take-out. The ambiance inside the restaurant is painfully garish. I think it would effect my appetite.
Samosas were a bit bland, reminiscent of instant mashed potatoes with an odd mushy pea thrown in. Pakoras were alright. Nan was fine too. The saag paneer, had an odd sort of taste to it. Over spiced perhaps? A bit greasy/oily and the paneer was on the dry side of thing. Didn't eat much of it, and I think it will end up in the bin instead leftovers for lunch. The chicken tikka masala had a nice flavor to it, which was a good thing given how little chicken I actually got in it. The container was mainly filled with sauce with only 6 smallish lumps of chicken swimming around in it.
I doubt I will be going back there again by choice. If I feel the need for Indian food again in Central, I will go elsewhere. There are better choices in the area. -
Review from F. C.
Somerville, MA
6/9/2007
I went a few times back in the winter and had great meals each time. My food was prepared as spicy as I requested, the paneer pakoras were really excellent, and everything was quite tasty.
Then I went again this week and had a totally different experience. I wonder if they got a different chef because our food was very different than the food we had on our previous visits. The paneer pakoras were totally different this time around- more like the cheese had been mushed or ground up then fried. Not necessarily bad, just a totally different recipe than before. Our main dishes were also pretty sub-par. We both ordered our dishes spicy, and we both got totally bland food. Not just mild, but zero spice. My malai kofta was also different than its previous incarnations- sauce was a bit goopey-er and less flavored.
The place isn't terrible, but it's definitely just barely average. It's too bad, too, because I had really enjoyed it on my previous visits. -
Review from Bena K.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2006
Open on Thanksgiving--major kudos !
But, what about the food, i ordered the Baignan Bharta--and it was delicious, although i asked for it HOT and it did not seem very spicy to me at all. The service was great, and it was speedy as well. I wish I could say more but after only one visit this is it for now---until i return and i will !! -
Review from sam l.
Charlestown, MA
2/24/2011
Although I would like to join the ranks of countless great reviews I can not. Unfortunately I can't comment of "Shalimars wonderful food" because I have yet to receive my delivery order, which I put in two hours ago.
Having worked in the food industry I know complications can arise, and that traffic can cause delivery delays. Unfortunately I can also NOT comment on Shalimar's great service because on calling them to check on my delivery status the young man on the phone was quick and EXTREMELY rude with me.
I WILL NOT be returning to Shalimar for service of any kind. If and when I actually receive my order I can assure you their food is no where near delicious enough to deal with this subpar quality of service. -
Review from Farzad W.
Boston, MA
2/22/2011
If you don't know how Indian food is prepared or should taste like, you'll love this place.
Besides that, they use frozen foods from Indian grocery stores.
The food left a bad taste in our mouth, it was obviously old, and tasted like old burned oil.
I do not recommend this place at all. -
Review from Nicolas S.
Cambridge, MA
4/4/2009
As we worked our way through the rice, we found a fairly long strand of plastic. We alerted the manager, who did not even apologize. He simply remarked that sometimes plastic falls into the rice when they open the bag. Didn't even offer to replace the offending bowl. WTF?
The curries had a slight off-flavor to them...something sweet that shouldn't have been there.
I wasn't impressed by the service nor the food. -
Review from Allison T.
Allston, MA
7/31/2007
Lunch buffet:
Too expensive (7.95)
Too freakin' spicy (and I like spice)--I could not taste a thing!! -
Review from Sara S.
Boston, MA
11/8/2008
Wow. I seriously cannot believe all the sub-par reviews of this place!
I have only been here once, this afternoon, and arrived at 11:45 (fifteen minutes after it opened) for the buffet. Everything was piping hot and fresh, straight out of the kitchen. I eat chicken, but prefer vegetables, so I was thrilled to see all the vegetarian options. I ate a TON of food- vegetable biyrani, chicken tikka masala, pakora, samosa, saag, garlic naan, pakora in curry sauce (OMG, who knew this existed, but SO effing good!) and keer. There were many other things that I did not try. Nothing was too spicy or too bland. Chicken was cooked perfectly and all white-meat, which I am extremely particular about.
Honestly, it was probably the best Indian lunch buffet I've been to in a long time. I don't understand how people are saying it's too expensive. Compared to what? At $7.95 per person, all you can eat, it's a steal! Can't wait to go back.
Minus one star for the slightly dingy decor. -
Review from Ryan L.
Boston, MA
Updated - 11/29/2010
Decided to stop by for lunch after not coming here since my college days. I remember this place not being great the last time i went there and it reaffirmed my memory. Everything was just terrible from the overly moist and nonfluffy basmati rice to the overly sweet chicken korma. Ugh, sweet curries are only supposed to exist in Thai food, not Indian. Even the most Americanized dish of chicken tikka masala was not done well as it lacked the tart and spicy kick that a proper tikka masala should have. About the only thing that was acceptable was this tandoori chicken kebab chunk they served. Oh that and the glass of water. Amazingly this place has a fair share of diners whenever I've walked by but i'm guessing those people have not eaten at better places.
1 Previous Review:
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11/14/2007
Typical nothing special. Came here for dinner. better food can be had elsewhere.
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Review from B H.
Middlesex, MA
7/24/2009
Shalimar has an excellent lunch buffet. Several vegetarian options. Also naan, samosas, pakoras, kheer, the whole deal. A good value too -all you can eat, $7.95
Unfortunately they are crazy overpriced for dinner, like all Indian restaurants. Except maybe Punjabi Dhaba in Inman Square. So skip it. Most of the negative reviews seem to be for dinner anyways.
Lunch is great though. Highly recommended. You can do take out too. They'll give you a box and you fill it up from the buffet.
CAUTION: You will need a nap afterward. We usually stumble down to Cambridge City Hall and pass out on the grass there. -
Review from Mona S.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2011
DO NOT order food to be delivered on the phone and pay by cash. Apparently if you don't leave a paper trail they don't respect your order. Have waited 1.5 hours for my dinner. Going to cancel now.
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Review from Alexis K.
11/22/2009
Shalimar has a decent buffet. Decent spiciness, variety, price, etc.
What makes it a little more special to me is that their paneer dish (at least when I was there) was shahi paneer. I'm obsessed with paneer, and I always a little disappointed that buffets seem to only serve palak paneer. It's nice to have that change of pace when it comes to Indian buffets. The shahi paneer was good. Not great but hey, for $7.95 of all-you-can-eat goodness, I'm sold. -
Review from Dessa R.
1/14/2010
For me, Shalimar is kind of like that nerdy kid in middle school; everyone loves to hate him... while I think he's kinda cute. People look at me like I have 67 heads when I tell them that I think Shalimar is by far the best Indian food in Central Square, and arguably all of Cambridge. I have never had the buffet, but my dinners from Shalimar have been consistently really good.
I'll concede that it is a little pricy for what it is (about $14 per entree), and the decor leaves much to be desired. So very much. I have never had a bad experience with the wait staff, but I have heard mixed experiences from my roommates.
Conclusions? Take out or delivery to maximize enjoyment. Skip buffet. Recommendations? Chicken tikka masala and saag paneer are fantastic. Be an autonomous thinker and give it a shot before you write off the nerdy kid. You might like him. -
Review from Leighann F.
Astoria, Queens, NY
6/26/2008
I am not sure as someone who has not had much experience with Indian food that this was a good place to start.
All the buffet food seemed to have been sitting under those heat lamps for days...just not very fresh. But, oddly enough, it was kind of tasty. A good deal, if you're looking for a quick, cheap filling lunch.
I don't think I would go back, but Shalimar has become the gateway, the open door if you will, leading me to further exploration of indian food. -
Review from Michael P.
Cambridge, MA
12/6/2009
Bring your appetite guys! $7.95 all you can eat lunch buffet everyday.
They offer a great selection for the price you pay. If you're vegetarian, you'll enjoy their numerous vegetarian curry options. They're clearly labelled so you won't have any worries about accidentally eating some meat. For the meat-eaters like myself, I really loved their chicken dishes. Both the Chicken Curry and Tandoori Chicken were fantastic! So sooo juicy. I usually expect the tandoori to be overcooked at these type of cheap buffets, but Shalimar is an exception.
So how does this compare with the other lunch buffet at Desi Dhaba down the street? Shalimar definitely wins with the larger variety of options and oh so succulent chicken, but Desi has a tasty goat meat curry. -
Review from David T.
Cambridge, MA
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can't really complain about the lunch buffet since it is a good value but the food is not particularly good. I can't see myself coming here for a dinner as I've had much better indian food elsewhere but I suppose it's worth the occasional weekday lunch.
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Review from Rob L.
Somerville, MA
8/6/2007
A couple weeks ago, Shalimar became the 6th restaurant in our increasingly long line of weekday Indian lunch buffets in the Cambridge area. My roommate and I went on a Tuesday and determined that Shalimar is worth the extra dollar over nearby Gandhi for the Central Sq. choices.
The most notable thing about Shalimar's buffet: some of the dishes were actually *spicy*! I was shocked. I've almost never had a spicy dish at a lunch buffet in the US. They generally appeal to the masses and the masses apparently prefer mild dishes. But Shalimar had several hotter choices and a couple had a pretty good zing. I was impressed.
With 9 main dishes, Shalimar so far has the largest selection of any weekday lunch buffet we've tried. (compare that to Tanjore in Harvard Sq. with only 5 choices) The food quality varies from fair to good, but you definitely get to try a lot of things and are bound to find something you like.
Unfortunately, the rice and naan (in the buffet rather than served tableside) were below average. The rice was just plain old white, with no flavoring at all, and the naan was soft and flimsy, even when first put into the buffet.
They had a pretty decent saag paneer, with a slightly different flavor than the standard. I waited until I spotted a fresh refill coming before I grabbed some and I wasn't disappointed.
The salad bar is pretty standad, but with a couple more choices than at most buffets. And they had a fruit salad in addition to rice pudding on the dessert end. My roommate is the rice pudding expert and he gave it two thumbs up... the best of the lot so far.
The staff and the water service were good. From what I could tell, they kept the buffet fairly well refilled. I was able to time a couple visits with the arrival of fresh food. The decor was pretty standard, but less dark and dingy than gandhi. Even though Shalimar is $7.95, I think it's worth the extra dollar if you are looking for a buffet in the Central Sq. area.
next up: Bengal Cafe
