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Shalimar
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani
532 Jones St(between Ofarrell St & Geary St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
(415) 928-0333
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 11:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
735 reviews for Shalimar
Review Highlights
"Chicken Tikka masala is among the favorites no doubt."
(in 110 reviews)
"if you like Indian/Pakistani food, this is pure heaven."
(in 71 reviews)
"The garlic naan is out of control good."
(in 84 reviews)
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735 reviews in English
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Review from Carolyn N.
Santa Clara, CA
1/29/2012
This is a Caro five-star for SURE. I am all about good prices and quality food and that's what this place delivers. Get naan and chicken tikka masala and pat yourself on the back for making such a good decision. done.
[[also recommend getting to go. it is byob which is cool. but getting it to go is even better.]] -
Review from Elinore E.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tastes great.
Then I spent the night throwing up until 6AM and missed work the next day.
Ask yourself if possible food poisoning is really worth it. -
Review from P S.
Yorba Linda, CA
1/3/2012
Four stars for the food, knocked down one star for cleaniness.
The garlic naan is one of the best I've had. We also had the palak paneer, channa masala, rice, and another paneer dish in cream sauce (paneer masala). The food was tasty, but overall appearance and unsanitary conditions were hard to avoid.
Not sure if anything in the restaurant is cleaned. Restroom was filthy, without soap or towels. Not sure how the staff washes their hands. I assume a lot of restaurants are this dirty behind the scenes, but its just harder to witness it first hand. -
Review from Arash Y.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
This place looks really bad from the outside. It looks even worse when you go inside. It smells terrible. Customer service is almost nonexistent. The food, however, is AWESOME!
Goat Karahi was the first thing I ordered at this place. One year later and many many many more visits and I still haven't tried anything else. Yes, it's that good. -
Review from Anastasia M.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
Shalimar....I don't know if I love you or hate you....
Let's start from the beginning...
Location: one the worst in town. I would never go there by myself lol!
Decor: non existent. Except for the inspection score that is proudly shown-off. 70/100!!!! Is it anything to be proud of?
Atmosphere: the place is always packed and busy. You can see a majority of men. Sometimes big family groups. Never first date couples though!
Service: you order at the counter and the waiter brings the food at the table. I always have the feeling that they never understand me but so far they always got my orders right!
Cleanliness: the inspection score is probably over-rated. I am always afraid to get sick whenever I go there. I have never risked drinking their tap water!
Food: the tandoori and naans are fresh, the curries come from huge plastic buckets. From the crowd of customers they have, I assume they are fresh too...
I definitely recommend the chicken jalfrezi. Perfect balance between the chunks of chicken and the bell peppers.
If you feel adventurous, they have brain masala...Never tried it though.
In conclusion: this place is recommended if you don't care about frills and much hygiene. The only reason I go there is for my husband who absolutely loves it.
A plus: open late and during Holidays. -
Review from Boris M.
San Leandro, CA
2/7/2012
Good Food like to go here when we in city and lovet hat place... good service.....
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Review from Jacob A.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
We didn't even get food. It's not like we could have, what with them ignoring us. It took them a while to come and clean the table we had sat down at and give us menus. We decided on what we wanted and closed our menus, the universal sign that we were ready. The waiter didn't come to our table and didn't notice us trying to call his attention when he would come close to tables around us. We did everything short of getting up and going up to him to tap his shoulder. It wasn't particularly busy, and we could just see him standing around near the kitchen. We waited around 8 minutes after having closed our menus and decided to call it quits and try the Indian restaurant across the street. There's no way I'm going back.
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Review from Dianne J.
Los Angeles, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
It is everything you have heard about this place. Food is authentic and fresh. Loved it.
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Review from Abel Y.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
I come here for the curry.
Serving myself in no hurry.
Tell you all won't be sorry.
Every time I eat and carry.
Don't you be shy.
C Indian kids sayHi.
Drink a cup of chai.
Lick my plate B4 bye. -
Review from Haz O.
Oceano, CA
12/2/2011
Curry can be either super greasy or super tasty. Shalimar has the latter.
The mom and pop feel can be best experienced in their Naan, hands down some of the best in the Bay. The attention to the bread transfers into the rest of the meal.
Great, great stuff. -
Review from Tracy H.
College Station, TX
1/17/2012
Excellent food. Excellent prices. Lots of vegetarian options. Definitely take a walk to the back of the restaurant outside to have a unique/bizarre view of a combination of back restaurant eating rooms and people watching tv on their bed.
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Review from Mansi A.
11/20/2011
Major fail. Numero dos.
Apparently people either love or hate Shalimar...and after the stomach troubles I endured this past week, I'm clearly part of the latter group.
Friends ensured me this Jones Street location was the real deal and my previous lackluster experience at the Polk Street location was nothing to worry about. Clearly that wasn't the case.
Same menu, same dingy serving dishes, same lack of customer service, same dishes SOAKED in oil, and probably WORSE ventilation. My clothes reeked of masala and tandoori scents in the 30-45 mins I spent inside this place.
Needless to say, 2 experiences and 2 of the locations were not enough to sell me on this place.
P.S. C$SH only policy.
P.P.S. Not ideal for larger groups; the seating area is pretty limited. -
Review from Paul O.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
Excellent food! I'd give 5 stars, but the ambiance is pretty bad.
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Review from Nadeem A.
Union City, CA
10/12/2011
Our time in SF was limited and the SF restaurant choices are vast, so we decided to go to a restaurant only once, in order to try the next place on our list.
However, Shalimar is so good that we went multiple times. It's just that good. Yes, it's a hole in the wall. Yes, it's small and can get crowded. Yes, the food is oily. And yes, your clothes smell like tandoori after you leave. None of that matters, just go. Just eat. And just go again.
Our favorites are the chicken tikka masala, chicken kofta, chicken jalfrezi, chicken boti, and the tandoori lamb chops. Get some plain naan or some rice and go to town on that food. And then relax and have a chai at the end. Don't skip the chai, because it's great.
It's not a coincidence that when we moved from SF, we moved within 10 minutes of the Fremont Shalimar location. -
Review from Tammy C.
(See pic)
Review #1004.
Very solid 4 stars.
This is another very solid Indian and Pakistani place in the area.
The food here is fairly rich, quite spicy, more meaty and thick style. So if you are in the mood of heavier and very herb spiced, especially on a windy or chilly evening, Shalimar is definitely a great choice.
Nice and friendly service. Usually quite busy but I love it opens until 11:30pm and lunch time is less busy. -
Review from Katie F.
10/22/2011
This place is a total dive, but just close your eyes, ignore the complete lack of atmosphere and just breathe in and taste the awesome food!
We came here for lunch since I was craving Indian food. It's in a slightly sketchy street block but felt safe (next to Dottie's) and the inside is dimly lit with some flies, but the food is fabulous!
We ordered a few different types of naan (you MUST get the garlic one... they layer fresh garlic in between the layers and top it with lots of butter -yum!), some of their tandoori meats which were wonderfully spicy and had one of their chick pea dishes.
One of the best lunches I've had at under $10 a person!
CASH ONLY. -
Review from Arthur K.
Concord, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best Indian food ever. It's best to come early when the place first opens up or else you'll find yourself waiting a half an hour to an hour for a table.
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Review from M C.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Not a place you would bring for your first date. This place is packed with people on the weekends, with tables and chairs kind of dirty. The place is kind of like a school cafeteria setting.
The menu is gigantic, but not that many choices. Just grab a pen and start marking off what you would like. We had 5 people and our bill came out to be around $60.
The prices and food are very decent. I especially like their Chai. When we walked out at 9pm, there were already another line of people trying to get in. -
Review from Alexander C.
Cambridge, MA
10/24/2011
The best Indian food I've had in a very long time. I ordered the palak paneer, chicken tikka masala, an order of basmati rice, plain naan, and a mango lassi.
Palak Paneer- Not creamed too much, great flavor. Paneer was mild. 4/5
Chicken Tikka Masala- Chicken was both cooked and spiced perfectly. Sauce was good, just the right spiciness. 5/5
Plain Naan- Great taste even though it was plain. Not overcooked, not undercooked. Tastes great in masala sauce. 5/5
Mango lassi- I was unimpressed. Thought it would be AMAZING, but it was your average mango lassi. It is very thick (which I don't like) so maybe I am biased a little bit. 3/5
Basmati rice- Epic. The only basmati rice I've ever tasted that has a clear and delicious taste. Went wonderfully w/ the palak paneer & the chicken tikka masala. 5/5
OVERALL RATING: 4.75/5 -
Review from Leo V.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2011
Only gets 3 stars because of the location. I'd give 4 for the food alone though.
While waiting for friends, there were 3 crack deal and 5 weed deals and I wasn't sure if I was standing in dried vomit, dog pooh or human pooh. Probably all three.
I've heard of Shalimar before. They apparently have a small cult like following for how good the food is.
Only problem is it's in the Tenderloin.
Have to say some of the best Tandoori I've ever had. Wasn't over cooked, wasn't over spiced/marinated. You could actually taste that it was cooked over a flame.
I'm curious to try out their Fremont location -
Review from Edgard P.
Oakland, CA
12/30/2011
Grease grease grease! But don't let the grease fool you! This place is superb! Love the chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, chicken biryani and the kabobs! The price is right also! Perfect combination! You can bring your own drinks! Service is ok and decor is horrible, but don't go here for that. Go here for the food!!!
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Review from Sahzad B.
Pleasanton, CA
10/31/2011
Freakin' Awesome!!!
Take it from a guy who grew up eating this kind of food. This is the "go-to" spot for Pakistani grub in the city. Even my parents are crazy about this place. And let me tell you, if you knew my parents... that's all I'd need to say.
Don't let the "bootleg" exterior deter you. The food is fantastic, prices are cheap and the Chai is actually "on-point."
Side Note: Don't mind the crazy, some-what psychotic bums frequenting the streets around this place. Sure they look crazy, but they're generally harmless. More entertainment than anything else. -
Review from Linda L.
San Francisco, CA
9/22/2011
Shalimar is the gold standard by which I measure all Indian restaurants. It's can't-stop-eating-no-matter-how-full-you-are GOOD! And you can fill your belly
What is amazing here? Glad you asked. I have never been a huge fan of palak paneer until I had it here, where you can tell it's actually made with spinach instead of just green mush. The okra is gonna change your life. And the buttery, garlicky garlic naan shimmers like sunshine and happiness. I have never had anything bad here.
Be prepared to smell like Indian food when you walk out of here, but you'll be reveling in the delicious afterglow and you won't notice until you get home and start getting hungry cause you're smelling it on your clothes.
To sum it up, I heart Shalimar! -
Review from Julian K.
Oakland, CA
11/8/2011
The first time I ate here, I was blown away by the chicken tika massala. Not usually a fan of chicken tika, I found it tender, perfectly spiced, and not super dry like you would usually find. The prices are very reasonable for a good meal, and they offer free tea. Cash only, so don't forget to bring cash. Surpassed my expectations, for looking like a hole-in-the-wall place. I couldn't believe my friend said this was his favorite Indian food place when I went in, but understand now. They also had this really good vegetable dish. Really humble, but entirely delicious.
The 2nd time I went in, the chicken tika was more dry, and a not-as-enjoyable experience. Not sure what was different, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. Try it and tell me what you think. -
Review from Emilynne A.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Ok, so maybe this isn't really the place for a first date, but the food doesn't leave much more to ask for. There's a decent choice of food, and the it's definitely delicious. It is a total hole-in-the wall dive, though, so do all the usual (check your water, try not to look at the floor, focus on your friends)
Everything's pretty good. The Tika Masala is amazing, and so is the Tandoori (not dry, perfectly spiced/marinated), but my favorite is definitely the garlic naan. With garlic, and butter, and all of the different curries to eat with it, nothing can go wrong!
Prices are super decent, and if you go with a small group of friends and eat in family style, everyone (who isn't a slow eater) is pretty much guaranteed to come out satisfied.
Oh one warning--try to wear clothes you don't mind getting the Shali-scent on. -
Review from Stephanie T.
San Francisco, CA
9/6/2011 2 photos
Stopped by here one night with Coworkers after a company sponsored happy hour! We ordered family style and just shared everything. I don't remember everything we ordered but I contributed chicken tikka masala, jasmine rice, and samosas.
The chicken was most excellent, though the portion size was a little small. The samosas were good, but not the best I have had, I felt like they could have been a little spicier. We also ordered several different types of naan, and they were all very good.
The place was pretty busy so service was kind of slow, but it was very reasonably priced. -
Review from Honeya O.
Cupertino, CA
12/16/2011
My favorite Indian/Pakistani fast casual place in the City. As divy as this place looks, the food is second to none. I just love the fact the yI can go to to liquor store next door and buy my favorite six pack to enjoy with my meal!
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Review from ReBecki P.
Cerritos, CA
I live near Little India in Artesia (SoCal), but this was my first time eating Indian food in SF. After checking in our crappy hotel across the street, this place was a good first meal upon arrival!
Palak Paneer - WOW! You can actually see the spinach! Usually palak is so mushy like baby food, but this was great quality. The paneer had a strong firm texture and was also full flavored.
Garlic Naan - Shiny from the butter and a generous portion of garlic pieces.
Chicken Tikka Masala - I inhaled this, but I'm sure it was good! ;)
What else can I say that hasn't been reviewed? Enjoy! -
Review from Nooh N.
Petaluma, CA
1/2/2012
this is the best indian food i had in my life
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Review from Victor C.
San Mateo, CA
Updated - 10/8/2011
With so many good reviews already for this place, there really isn't anything this asian guy can tell you more about the Pakistani food here that hasn't been written. So let me tell you about the area this restaurant is located in.
A few blocks due east from here we've got the major hotels and the Powell bart station which is a high traffic area for shoppers and tourists alike. So why is it that every time I walk pass the intersection of O'Farrell and Taylor heading toward this restaurant that I start to feel like one of the following will happen the closer I get to this restaurant:
1. I get mug.
2. 1 + a homeless person ask me to help out a brother and I awkwardly pretend I didn't hear him in fear that by giving him something, it might egg him on to harass me.
3. 2 + I get a good whiff of urine all around me because this area seems to be a mecca for homeless people.
Seriously, the block pass O'Farrell and Taylor is SO different from the immediate area to the east of it. Even in the broad daylight, I don't feel safe there.
So if you do decide to come here, go in a group and enjoy that janky urine smell in the air together knowing that you won't be bothered if you travelled in a large enough pack.
Oh, also, don't forget to try the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. It makes walking here all worth it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/8/2011
Chicken tikka, chicken tikka, chicken tikka. If that's all I have to eat from here, I'd be very… Read more »
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Review from Calvin W.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2011 2 photos
It was a cold and windy night. Not a creature was stirring (except some striped shirts and short skirts heading to Infusion). My group was starved and craving a gut-bomb of a meal...
Following our noses, we quickly scampered through the TL and came upon Nirvana in the form of this cramped, smoky-haze-enveloped restaurant. Everything is deliciously fattening, but well worth the marathon you'll undoubtedly need to run the following day.
You know it's REAL Indian food when the smell seeps through 3 layers of clothes and your fingers smell like garlic for a couple days. Yes, I would like to smell your fingers. -
Review from Joanna R.
9/9/2011
Okay, so my first experience with indian food was really bad so I had low expectations going into this restaurant.
Oh man. I don't even remember my first experience after this. It's completely wiped from my mind. Yum! So I think the first thing we got was the garlic nan which was delicious! And then we got the rice and some dishes which I don't remember and it makes me sad I don't remember.
But as many of these reviewers have said, it's good! I recommend.
I think the only downside would be that they have this back room which is really scary to walk to when it's night. Creepy. But if you have a large group that needs to quiet, I think that's a good place too.
(but there are two restaurants in the general area that seem to have the same name so I might be writing a review for the wrong place....) -
Review from Emmalouise B.
San Mateo, CA
7/13/2011
Shalimar was the first Indian Restuarant my husband and I visited after moving to the area and after reading the reviews we had pretty high expectations but were incredibly disappointed.
Apart from the fact it's in a really shady looking area the restaurant itself looks like it could do with a really good clean. It didn't look like it had a good dust and sanitize in a long long time.
We order our food and it arrived about 30 minutes later: Chicken Korma, Lamb Bhuna with Rice and Naan.
The food was absolutely awful and I don't mean 'man that's pretty bad' I mean I wouldn't even call it food bad. Both dishes were very oily and runny down. Almost like they had been made with curry paste from a jar mixed with water and oil. The Naan was also very dry.
The whole experience was just one huge disappointment. I simply cannot understand how it can score 4/5 overall. Either it's purely based on price (it's cheap) or the city's population hasn't actually had good Indian food because this is not good in any means of the word.
Since trying other local Indian restaurants in the area (Chutney across the road being one) and speaking to workmates of my husband we have discovered the better Indian restaurants are towards Sunnyvale and good curry hasn't (and probably never will) come from the City.Listed in: A bit of Everything, Indian food on the Peninsula
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Review from Mei C.
San Francisco, CA
Very filling, delicious, non hoitytoity Indian food in the Tenderloin.
I'd like to have dinner / lunch here again soon. I've ordered the butter chicken, regular naans, some of the vegetable dishes {good} and one of the dessert dishes {don't remember which one - some dough balls dipped in a sugary sauce, it was ok}. I haven't tried any of the sausages or any of the more exotic dishes yet but I do plan to :D
The place is almost always crowded for dinners.
FYI Chutney and Bourbon and Branch are right across the street. :)Listed in: Indian / Pakistanian / Middle…
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Review from Patrick Z.
Concord, CA
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here for lunch today. I followed a friend here. He recommended it. So glad I followed. This is one of the best Indian restaurants that I've been to. Definitely cannot judge this restaurant by it's cover.
I ordered Lamb Chops, Chicken Massala, and some naans. All was great. -
Review from Ali B.
San Francisco, CA
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was delicious, no doubt about it. The service was not super friendly, but I would probably do a take out order again with family. With the wait generally imposed on customers I don't think I would sit down to eat here.
Chaotic, loud, smokey aired venue. The only thing that brings this review down is the atmosphere of the restaurant. The food is stellar.
FABULOUS tikka lahori (per Jason B.'s review) and garlic naan! So good! -
Review from Jen E.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2011
Best Indian food in the city! Shalamar is a little hole in the wall place with and open kitchen and excellent food!
Bring cash and be prepared to wait a few to get a table. -
Review from Corey M.
A literal hole in the wall. Like a dirt wall.
The food is good, and from what I've gathered from the locals, it's also pretty authentic. I found it interesting that the entire establishment is run by men, but I didn't find it interesting to see hair attached to the top of mint chutney bottle. I watched it sway from the draft of the open door like seaweed at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. This place is in dire need of a feminine touch.
However, the food is good. And cheap as balls. We got mounds of food for 2 for about $20. I was hoping to get a fish curry, but they had no fish that day. This kinda thing urks me, especially if it's on the regular menu and not just a special.
The naan was about the size of a frisbee. The temptation was great, but I refrained. We all have to grow up sometimes.
The masala tea was kinda balls.
It's a great place for cheap bites with comfortable friends. Don't expect to fall in love here.
And then my Indian food coma commenced. -
Review from Becky S.
Boise, ID
9/11/2011
Was in town for work, and our concierge directed my co-worker and me here, and we were not disappointed. We both had chicken tiki masala and naan (plain and garlic).
We didn't know that rice wasn't included with the meal, but we really didn't need it, after using the bread to soak up all that delicious sauce (if I was at home, I would have licked my plate). It was a little on the oily side, but delicious nonetheless. Calvin W. - I'm happy to report that my fingers smell delicious. LOL
Only negative - we didn't realize that it was cash-only until we went back up to the counter to pay. Glad it was only $17 (with a soda and a bottled water to drink)!! -
Review from TJ D.
Sacramento, CA
6/7/2011
I love Shalimar!
Shalimar was recommended to me by a couple of Indian friends. When I get that sort of recommendation, I can't resist. We've been four times now, making trips to SF primarily just to go to Shalimar.
Authentic and fresh Indian food, and very affordable. Their Naan is outstanding, and I've yet to have a dish here that I didn't absolutely love.
Generally people trust me to order when we go to ethnic restaurants. Apparently for a white bread dude, I have good taste in ethnic foods. Shalimar makes me look good, because often I guess and everyone still likes what I order. Even my daughter loves this place!
My only complaint is that the place is very dirty. Only use the restroom if you must! But I've never been against eating at a dirty place if the food is excellent, and Shalimar lives up to its reputation.
