- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Sitar Indian Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Buffets Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Buffets, Pakistani [Edit]
116 21st Ave NNashville, TN 37203
(615) 321-8889
- Hours:
Mon 5 am - 10 pm
Tue-Sat 11 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 12 am - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
67 reviews for Sitar Indian Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Tandoori chicken was good as well as Chicken Masala."
(in 6 reviews)
"The garlic naan and cheese & onion naan were delicious and..."
(in 7 reviews)
"...before, it is a fantastic way to try a little bit of..."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
67 reviews in English
-
Review from Antony H.
Austin, TX
12/29/2011
I have been coming to Sitar since 2005, and every single time I roll into Nashville and have a hankering for Indian food, I come to Sitar. Sure, Sitar has it's share of detractors (As my friend always said, "Looks like they forgot the 'H' in 'Sitar'",) but really, it's not a bad place. The price is reasonable and the food is genuinely good. That said, this place is loaded with caveats before any diner decides to eat here.
Sitar's food is tasty, but some previous reviewers have said that all the dishes taste the same. Yeah, it seems a lot of the dishes really do taste like nice Chicken Tikka Masala, but there are exceptions. The Biriyani is decent, and the Bahji and Naan bread is ridiculously good. But the vegetarian selections are bland and awful. Every time I eat one I wish I had ordered the Lamb Biriyani instead. As long as you stick with meat dishes, you'll come out aces. (Except for the Korma, which is really good.)
Basically, Sitar reminds me of Indian takeaway you get in England. It's not GREAT Indian Food, but it's effective and hits the spot. Just don't go in expecting greatness. I think the menu is a little too big, maybe if they concentrate on a smaller selection of their better dishes, you will see a lot less fizzles in the reviews.
Another thing that bothers me about Sitar is BOTH the staff and the clientele. Personally, I have NEVER gotten bad service at Sitar, but I have *seen* the waitstaff not exactly being very hospitable to other guests over the years. It would be nice if the waiters would be a bit more amicable to some of their customers, but I have never had that problem. Of course, there is a reason for that, and NO, I am not Asian whatsoever.
What bothers me a lot of the time are the other customers, people who I also see dining. You know, people who don't know f' all about Indian food trying to order but failing miserably. YES, your Tikka Masala is SUPPOSED to be spicy. DON'T send it back, especially when you ordered "Medium". Your Spinach Korma is supposed to be creamy. What were you expecting? I'm sure after dealing with plebes day in and day out, some of the wait staff are going to be sore. KNOW what you order before you eat it.
To illustrate my point thoroughly, back in 2009 I was at the buffet line next to your typical Vanderbilt girl. (North face jacket, leggings, Ugg Boots, ridiculous oversized sunglasses, the whole bit) When she got to the Chicken Tikka Masala, she proceeded to serve herself and SCRAPED the curry sauce off of her Chicken. Yes. Meticulously scraping all hints of sauce from the chicken. I quipped at her "What the hell is the matter with you? Maybe you should go to Kentucky Fried Chicken or something." Of course, she thought I was very rude, but at the same time, I thought she wasn't respecting the restaurant. Which leads me to my last point:
Since 2005, the quality of the food at Sitar has gone down a notch. If I had Yelped back then, I would have given this place 5 stars. Based on my last outing in Nashville, and since around 2008, it's only 4. It seems the clientele has forced the restaurant to make less dynamic Indian food, and that's a shame. Nashville, this is why you can't have nice things.
So, Sitar remains a regular stop for me in Nashville. It may not be the best, but it's good. Tasty. And reasonably priced. And really, who can ask for anything more? -
Review from Jamie A.
2/8/2012
A-OK pretty much sums it up.
I'm not a buffet fan, so it is off the menu for me every time. Usually take-out or delivery (now available through http://doorstepdeliver...).
Monday night we placed our standard order of Mattar Paneer (medium), Chicken Korma (hot), Garlic Naan and Gulab Jamun. My Mattar Paneer was decent and nicely seasoned. I appreciated the generous helping of Paneer. My boyfriend's Chicken Korma was pretty bland, but was fixed with hot sauce. The Naan was a little light on the garlic, but still tasty with Raita and Chutneys. Gulab Jamun was a massive disappointment, which saddens me as it is one of my all time favorite bites. It was ice cold and contained little to no honey syrup. Sad. -
Review from Steph H.
10/27/2011
Some ponder the meaning of life. Me? I wonder how the heck Sitar wins best Indian restaurant in the Nashville Scene every year! What does everyone else know that I don't? Every time this place wins an award, I am left with a sour taste in my mouth.
The same foul taste also happens to result whenever I eat here. My biggest gripe with Sitar is that EVERY SINGLE DISH TASTES THE SAME. No matter the color of the sauce, no matter whether there is meat, or paneer, or chickpeas, every dish tastes the same. I swear, if you wore a blindfold, you wouldn't ever be able to identify a single dish you were eating! And the taste is kind of bland, and kind of sour, and generally just not very tasty at all. Certainly no complex spices or deep flavors that Indian food is known for. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have eaten Indian food out of a package that tastes as good, if not better, than the food at Sitar.
And yes, I have eaten at both their lunch buffet as well as ordering off their menu. It doesn't matter. The food is depressing and blah no matter what. Additionally, if you do come for their buffet, the selection is about as varied and large as what you'd get a mile down the road at Bombay Palace but tastes nowhere near as good. The area with the food is bigger so you may be tricked into thinking it's a larger buffet but it isn't. And in fact, Bombay Palace has a much larger salad bar area as well as a more appealing dessert area. I also think the atmosphere and service are vastly superior at BP, as at Sitar, the servers are always pretty cold and the restaurant, while spacious, doesn't really have any personality.
I guess the people who really like Sitar just really like that one sauce that they seem to use in every dish and so are happy that that's all they can get. Personally, I like a little variety and some actual flavor in my dishes, which is why I avoid this place whenever possible. I will say that they do have really good naan, but it's not enough to get me to willingly eat here. I'll go if others really want to, but otherwise, I steer clear. -
Review from Tina P.
Nashville, TN
1/28/2012
Yum!! I was a bit hesitant because of some of the bad reviews... also become I have no experience with Indian food... but it was great. Our servers were nice and our food was excellent. I will be going back very soon...
-
Review from Zach G.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great indian food. Best in Nashville by far. They have a buffet on some days and I wasn't so wow'ed with it, but the entrees on the menu are fantastic. I promise. You won't spend your next 3 days on the toilet, ok well maybe 2 days, but its still worth it. Could be first restaurant I can think of that promotes reading. So I suggest loading books on to your iPhone for the few bathroom trips you'll take in the days following.
-
Review from Piyush S.
Updated - 12/27/2011
I gave sitar a 5 star after my first visit here. I think it is more in the 3 range but it is better than the rest in nashville. They still make good nans!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/25/2011
This review is based on my recent and first visit at Sitar and I am surely going here again. I have… Read more »
-
-
Review from Joanna F.
Nashville, TN
8/25/2011
My palate is a newly de-flowered virgin when it comes to Indian food. I don't know what it's really supposed to be like, but what I did eat and sample from everyone's plates was yummy.
I came here because for 1.5 years, my school friend raved on and on how much he loved this place. He went there once or twice a week when we were in school. He's loyal.
It's small but cute place. Service is so-so. There's a live sitar player!
I went there for dinner so my friends and I ordered off the menu.For starters we were served these large chip-like appetizer with two kinds of sauces. One was green and the other was red. I have no clue what was in these things, but it was yummy. It was addicting like the chips and salsa you get at a Mexican restaurant. I probably could have gotten full off of it, but I had to restrain myself. I just love crunchy things! We also go some naan (flat bread)!
After much reading of the descriptions on the menu, I decided to go with the Lamb Pasanda ($13.95), which is "slices of lamb marinated in cream and cooked in a spicy almond sauce." It was served with rice. I like almond flavored things and creamy sauces, so why not? I didn't taste the almond since there was a bunch of spices; nonetheless, I enjoyed the dish. I couldn't finish it. In fact, I don't think anyone finished their meal at our table...
From what I remember, my friends ordered the Chicken Tikka ("thick and juicy cubes of chicken roasted in our tandoor oven"), Chicken Biryani ("Chicken marinated with spices and saffron, then steam-cooked with naturally fragrant Basmati rice. A classic Muglai dish!"). I preferred the Chicken Biryani over the Chicken Tikka. To me, the the Chicken Tikka was sorta... boring. That or my senses were just over flooded with the spices so I couldn't really make out the flavor.
I'll probably go back, and I'll have to check out more Indian restaurants. This palate needs to mature in this area of ethnic cuisine!
*The descriptions of the dishes were taken directly from their menu on their website. -
Review from Rahul A.
Franklin, TN
12/8/2011
I really dont feel like giving any stars to this place. Waste of money. We ordered kadhai vegetable and asked for spicy. Haha. It was actually sweet. Anyway they took it back n then we ordered vegetable curry. That was another disaster. Just poured lots of chilli powder n no other taste. Never tasted non-veg here. But for veggies, please dont ever go there. Service was ok.
-
Review from MIke J.
Nashville, TN
11/21/2011
A notch below the Bombay Palace. Yup, Steph is right, all the dishes from the buffet taste about the same. Meh.
-
Review from Dan P.
Chicago, IL
10/9/2011
Came here on a whim before playing at the Exit/In. Place is clean and the staff is nice without being overly attentive (which I prefer). Had the Onion Bahji appetizer, it was perfectly fried and the sweet sauce that came with was a great accompaniment. I split the Vege Combination plate with a friend and we barely finiished it. The Korma was delicious, the chickpea dish was slightly under seasoned and sag chaman was pretty bad. The cheese in the chaman was tough. The naan was great, and chutney were alright. Not bad for the price, 25 bucks with tip for 2 people.
-
Review from Dusty K.
Chicago, IL
4/23/2011
Believe it not, Sitar was my first Indian experience. It's not that there's a lack of Indian restaurants in this country and I'm the first on board, I just lean towards other ethnic cuisines when out dining. In all fairness to this place, I have nothing to compare it to. So I'll avoid using words like 'traditional' or 'authentic' that people tend to throw around in reviews.
We were given the Indian version of what I'm calling chips and salsa to start. These large cracker/chips were provided along with two types of salsas: one red tomato onion mixture and a green chimichurri looking dip. Both were good and reminded me of food I find south of the border. For dinner I ordered the mixed grill figuring a range of items would be a nice intro to this cuisine. The lentil soup was bland. Skip it. But the chicken tikka and chicken tandoori were full of wonderful flavors. The lamb sausage was a little too strong with cumin flavor for my taste so it was the only thing left uneaten. Complimented with the garlic naan bread, it was a nice little dinner.
Is there better Indian out there in this country? Sure. In Nashville even? Perhaps. But it was a nice intro into a cuisine I wish to learn more about. Sitar was an interesting place to try something new as I slowly taste my way across this Asian country.Listed in: When in Rome...or Nashville
-
Review from Dawn S.
Antioch, TN
11/18/2011
I never knew I like Indian food until I went there. Had the lunch buffet with many options. Thank goodnees I went with other "foodies" who explained what I was eating.
-
Review from janet s.
2/23/2011
Reviewing now because of the $10.00 coupon off deal in the Scene. We availed ourself twice this week. Food here is pretty much like
most of it's type in the US, not awful but not great and it feeds a need.
I like their service here, we have always been treated well and punctually. The eggplant (benghan bartha) has its own unique taste and we adore it, same as the Lamb palak and boti kabob. Peshwari nan always comes out undercooked and not quite sweet enough but I eat it anyhow.
Buffets are buffets, remember that when you approach it!!
Always order more than you need because for breakfast the next day it will taste much better. -
Review from Mark M.
Nashville, TN
7/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very good indian restaurant.
Have some great vegetarian and vegan options.
Gotta love a good lunch buffet. -
Review from Brian K.
Nashville, TN
1/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice atmosphere, but ok service during the lunch hour buffet. My wife and I went on Saturday, so we had a pretty good crowd which helped keep the food fresh in the buffet.
The lunch buffet was surprisingly good, with some nice selections.
Tandoori chicken was good as well as Chicken Masala. It was nice to have some naan for the buffet, but it wasn't as fresh as I would of liked.
Buffet is available for lunch 7 days a week which is nice and a good way to try the restaurant. -
Review from Peter K.
12/7/2010 1 Check-in Here
After my visit yesterday, I remembered why I stopped going to Sitar. The place oozes with disgustingly horrible service and a sub-standard lunch buffet.
I came here for a craving of chicken tikka masala, and was let down to find none on the lunch buffet. You'll find the usual vegetable korma, chana masala, chili chicken, tandoori chicken, curry chicken, spinach saag, pakora, and nan (bread). None of which are done to any level of skill, well, except the nan is pretty decent. All the flavors run together, and at times, there's not much difference in texture in the veggie dishes.
If you have to go to Sitar then it's probably a good idea to try their dinner service; they seem to do better with actual menu items. The lunch buffet frankly sucks. You've got a much, much, better option a few miles away.
I suppose if you're in the area and are in need of a quick and cheap lunch, this place will do. I, for one, will not be returning anytime soon. -
Review from Summer L.
Nashville, TN
9/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Went to Sitar for the first time last night for dinner, it was amazing! Im totally in love with this place! I got the Lamb Curry fried rice, and my husband got a chicken dish. Both dishes were SO yummy and we ate until we were stuffed and took home a ton of left-overs. YUM!
-
Review from Gregory R.
Nashville, TN
12/28/2010 21 Check-ins Here
This my regular go-to Indian stop in Nashville. I usually eat from the lunch buffet here during the week because of the convenience (right across the street from my building at Vanderbilt), reasonable price, and reliable tastiness. It's not the best Indian food I have ever had, but for the price, I think you get at least what you pay for (if not better). It's also quick. This isn't the place to go and get coddled by your waiter. You can usually walk right in during lunch, get a table, head for the buffet, eat, and head straight to the counter to pay. No need to wait for a bill.
I really like the tandoori chicken and they have a lot of the usual that other reviewers have mentioned. I also like the couple of dessert options for a few bites of something sweet like kheer (rice pudding with cashews). On the weekend buffet, there is often goat or lamb curry and galub jamun. -
Review from Jack W.
Eden Prairie, MN
11/15/2011
Service can be kinda pushy however the selection is great and the food was delicious. Some of the best garlic naan I've had and the chicken korma was creamy and not overly salty.
-
Review from Robert W.
Nashville, TN
Updated - 8/14/2011
So the night after I submitted this review, I decided to re-read all the less flattering Sitar reviews here and grab dinner solo, looking for any cracks in the armor, so to speak -- and I've been watching a LOT of Gordon Ramsay shows lately. I was really hoping to find a single legitimate gripe so that I wouldn't have to write off the unsatisfied reviewers as culturally inept and brain-dead.
No such luck. The service was once again friendly and familiar, the food was brought out with the impeccable timing of a fine Rolex, and across the board, every bite was exactly the magic I've come to expect from this world-class operation, quite possibly the most exquisite Sag Panir I've been served to date -- remarkable! Is it possible for one to better oneself when one is already the best? Seems so. What a joy! Time to up the ante.
Another married couple -- who aren't culinarily adventurous enough to really give sushi a fair chance, for example -- had recently tried Indian food for their first time at another restaurant, and reported that they liked it and were interested to know more, so a couple nights after my solo dinner, the four of us headed to Sitar for a four-entreé share-fest. Panir Pakora and garlic naan appetizers were followed with Sag Panir, lamb Korma, Malai Kofta, and one of the most amazing dishes I've eaten from ANY cuisine, Scallops Masala (a single bowl of coconut soup was also ordered). Though the rich spinach sauce of my beloved Sag Panir was not necessarily their favorite, the wonder and beauty of the other three dishes rendered these two enthusiastic conversationalists utterly speechless for minutes at a time. Our male companion could only shake his head in disbelief and wonder, lamenting all the years of his life that had passed until discovering that food could even BE this delicious, and his lovely wife, a study in self-control, ate greedily until her breathing became labored (a compulsion she regretted having fallen victim to for the rest of the evening, bless her heart). We went through 3 dishes of rice -- it was a lot of food. (She'll be more careful to stop when she's full next time!)
Her quandary was one with which I'm intimately familiar when it comes to Sitar -- no matter how full you get, it's very difficult to stop eating such utterly amazing food if there's any still left on the table. It's that good, and whatever pain is caused by stuffing myself silly, it's always worth it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/8/2011
After my first dinner at Sitar, I ended up going back 3 more times within the week. It is… Read more »
-
-
Review from MACK L.
Franklin, TN
7/5/2011
I was here with a party of 5 and it was generally agreed that it was just awful. We all ordered different dishes and shared so I think I had a reasonable sampling of the menu. I usually give a place 2 or 3 chances before I dismiss it completely but I'm making an exception this time.
-
Review from Erin M.
New York, NY
10/17/2010
While the food is good and the portions are massive- the people who work here are one big giant bummer.
Hey, Sitar, I'm not coming back. Ever. It's not an agreeable experience to eat in a restaurant where every single person we encounter looks like they hate us, hate their jobs, and think it's the most annoying task in the world to pour some water or take an order. It's not. Maybe you guys should take a field-trip to the highway off ramp and try to peddle some of the newspapers that the Homeless attempt to sell to an endless line of disinterested and dismissive jerks and see how hard your lives are. Ridiculous.Listed in: Nashville Life
-
Review from Jamie D.
9/12/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Go for the buffet. They have all their options vegetarian. There is meat that you can add on your own.
The food here is fresh and flavorful. The spicing of the dishes is not over powering which can be a common finding with some Indian foods.
I saw a couple order off the menu and the food looked even more amazing.
For under $10 for the buffet and a drink, you must try the perfectionist elements of Sitar. I left overlysatisfied and recharged. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because the staff seemed more annoyed that customers were there than welcome. I have had Indian foods all over the USA and find that the quality and variety of the buffet is a standout.
Tip: If you go with another person, and get the buffet, grab a copy of the Indian magazine in the entrance. There is usually a coupon in there for buy one get one free or buy-one get half-off the second buffet. -
Review from Angelina T.
Houston, TX
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've come here quite often for dinner, as it's just a short walk from my hotel. I love the Chicken Mahkani and Indian Chai tea. For appetizers, I would go for the tandoori plate.
-
Review from Kathleen S.
Chicago, IL
8/7/2011
I came here for the lunch buffet. There were tables available but there were also other patrons in the restaurant. They had a good selection of food and everything I tried was pretty good. If I lived nearby, I would definitely come back. My only complaint is that some of the dishes looked a little oily, with pools in the corners of the pan. I still ate them, and they were good, but it was kind of off-putting. I mainly ate vegetarian options but had a bite of chicken as well, it was good too. The staff was polite and kept water glasses full.
-
Review from Paul K.
10/9/2010
Sitar has somehow always managed to be my second favorite Indian restaurant in Nashville. If it was consistent, I would probably make it my favorite. I've had a pretty wide range of service and food there, from the best to pretty darn bad. I decided to stay away from the service a couple of years ago and go buffet only, of which it's been pretty darn good, not quite great, but not bad.
The spicy level seems to run the gamut from Dave's Insanity down to ketchup. Bring some kleenex to be safe. -
Review from Chef X.
Nashville, TN
4/18/2011
I've been eating here since they opened, easily over 100 times ( lunch and dinner) because it's good and I like it. No, I've never been to India so maybe I'm missing something but to me ignorance is spicy, creamy bliss with basmati and naan. On rare occasion they make these hard boiled eggs in that gingery-tomato sauce. Oooh man, who else is doing that?
-
Review from jamie z.
San Jose, CA
4/14/2008
WOW, three count them... three Indian restaurants in Nashville? This is going to take some getting use to.
Sitar was the place most recommended by our neighbors so we decided to check it out.
We actually just placed an order for pickup, seemed a little pricey but given the way everyone talked about it we figured it was a little more high end and worth it.
Well the food was definitely nothing to write home about. It was decent, not great... not bad... the place seemed small but busy, they have a hookah bar set up in a patio set up which would be worth checking out.
Otherwise the guy at the counter seemed rather uninterested and rude.. If i was in SF and had more than a hand full of options i would probably write this place off.... But being that this is one of 3 places to choose from... I'll most likely have to give this place another shot or two.... ack. -
Review from Fadwa A.
Brentwood, TN
7/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Halal food, Gr8 service
-
Review from Faithe D.
Nashville, TN
2/3/2011
Food was great! Especially for Indian food in Nashville! The service wasn't that great though, no one was rude but they were barely pleasant and the people delivering the food weren't able to tell you what anything was. I had the meat samosas to start and they were okay, the sauce they were served with definitely made the dish. We also had the fried cheese, this I could pass on, just okay. The coconut soup was AMAZING, highly recommend. The garlic naan and cheese & onion naan were delicious and I highly recommend their yogurt and cucumber sauce. For entrees we had the chicken tika masala it was very yummmmy and the beef skewers were okay and the chicken tandoor was pretty good. I'll be going back for sure, hopefully the waiters will be having a better day! (ps - great value for the prices)
-
Review from Chirayu C.
Bothell, WA
5/24/2011
Sitar is your standard Indian buffet place. Nothing special. Same chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, saag paneer and naans that you 'd find at 99 out of 100 desi restaurants in North America.
-
Review from Stuart W.
1/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
As someone who has spent months in India, I gonna say that I like this place. To be fair, I'm rating it in Nashville and not in another city where the choices are better, but in the field here, its a solid 4 stars.
The owners of the restaurant are Punjabi and it shows - all the foods are Northern Indian or variations thereof (kinda like Italy where there are distinct differences as well). The food is not as hot as southern and the Mogul influence is still seen in the prevalence of meat dishes.
I honestly can't think of any dish at Sitar that stands out a Wow, but then again, I have never had a dish that was less than Good.
Their buffet is kinda lame, but I feel that way about every Indian restaurant buffet in the US I have ever been to.
The staff there is kind of hit an miss. They remember me and I get great service whenever I go, but I have other friends who go almost as often but complain (of course, the fact that I throw out a few words in Hindi always helps).
Good and good value for the dollar, its a solid place to go.
AND as a bonus, for those of us who prefer to do Indian food and a movie, they are open on Christmas!
Couple of quick tips - if you like hot - ask for a side of Mixed Pickle - its an acquired taste for some, but yummy.
Their chai masala is not made with enough milk, so I would skip it.
Their Sag Paneer (Sag - Spinach, Paneer - Cheese) is good off the menu but lousy on the buffet.
A little Hindi goes a long way
Pani - Water
Meherbani Se - Please
Koi Baht Nahee - No problems! -
Review from Patrick R.
Nashville, TN
4/15/2008 1 photo
So I don't know a great deal about Indian food, but I've sampled a little bit in my day and I can confidently say that this place is pretty solid. It's a relatively traditional buffet, and everything I tasted was pretty scrumptious.
The buffet was good, and their was a decent selection. It's about $7.50 for all you can eat, so if you come hungry you're sure to get your money's worth. There are several waiters who bustle around and refill your glass every time you take a sip; they're extremely attentive and polite. The building itself is pretty small and I wouldn't recommend it for large parties, but it was a great spot for a brief lunch with two friends.
The cuisine tastes comparable to all of the other Indian food I've ever had, though there's a very limited supply of Middle and Far Eastern food in the city, so I have little to compare it with. It's mostly though not all spicy, and the buffet seemed to be pretty regularly stocked. Everything was quite clean and the linen napkins and tablecloths are a nice change of pace from what I'm used to. If you're interested in sampling some Indian food, I think Sitar is a fairly safe bet. -
Review from Ron O.
Los Gatos, CA
5/10/2011
This place has great food. The buffet is a deal! Don't come here expecting rock star service....or even good service for that matter ..haha kidding...the service was just ok. The food is great though.
-
Review from Jamie Susan R.
Nashville, TN
3/5/2010
These people are SO RUDE. You walk in the door and they point to a table barely even looking at you. No one says hello. No one asks if you want anything. The guy that rings you up is the worst! He just barks the amount you owe at you a though you are bothering him by trying to pay!! The food is bland, boring, uninspired, and sad. It's definitely sad Indian food.
The buffet looks as though it has been sitting out for days on end and most of the chicken was cooked until it was crunchy. Every time I go I curse my decision (which is usually because someone else I'm with suggests it)
No thank you. From now on, I'll only go somewhere like Bombay Palace or Woodlands where the people that run the places are gracious and the food served it excellent! -
Review from Kate K.
Stamford, CT
3/20/2007
There's three Indian restaurants in Nashville (and I'll probably start my review of the other two the same way) and when someone pushes me for a recommendation, it always falls back to Sitar.
If you want spicy, you'll want to come for dinner, not the lunch buffet--that has been adjusted for the more delicate palate. The buffet offerings are pretty standard, a couple rice dishes, chicken curry, tandoori chicken. I enjoy lamb saag on the rare occasions they have lamb on weekdays and the channa masala is out of this world. They're also the only restaurant of the three that serves firni and I love my custards.
For dinner, go with a group of four to six and share things to get an idea of the array of flavors. The biriyanis are fair to bursting with vegetables and cardamon pods, the lamb is always tender--I tend to get a korma or the rogan josh, and they'll spice dinner however you can handle it.
Where Sitar loses a star from me is where you walk in the door. They don't smile. Ever. The hosts often act put out that you darkened their doorstep. Maybe they don't like women eating alone with a book? When I've paid for lunch and mentioned that I liked a particular dish, my reply has consistently been something like a grunt. I don't think it's a language problem, as despite this, I've gone there for years and seen the same people working there.
If you can take the service with a grain of salt, the food is fabulous, but the overall experience is far from perfect. -
Review from John G.
Virginia Beach, VA
4/16/2008
I've been for the lunch buffet a few times, and always get it to go. It works out really well because you can stuff a ton of chicken tikki masala, naan, tandoori chicken, and rice into that box.
Given the indifference I am greeted with when I enter, pay and leave, I am pretty sure that this is a front for organized crime, but the food is so tasty I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt as a legitimate business. -
Review from Crabby O.
Franklin, TN
8/26/2009
Excellent. My only complaint is the food is a tad over-salted. And of course the building is old and crusty but hey Sitar we're glad you are here. The level of heat is great. Lunch buffet is a STEAL.
Best items are chicken tikka masala, chile chicken, lamb korma, and veg biryani
Not the best Indian restaurant I have ever eaten at, but close and the best in Nashville. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Cary, NC
3/22/2011
Great place to go for lunch. Less than $8.00 for the buffet and it was really pretty good. Fast service, good food, cheap price, lots of parking out back...I would definitely go back. The only complaints I have is that their Naan is also on the buffet wagon and was a bit burnt and cold and their rice pudding could use some work. Not enough to knock points off but worth a mention. Try this place, you will like it.
-
Review from Kyla A.
8/24/2008
I am such a huge fan of Sitar. Hitting the buffet on Saturdays is such a treat, and it only cost $7.01 with a diet coke. There are of course a lot of vegetarian options and kheer is part of the package. The place is usually crowded, but not so full that you have much of a wait if any.
If you're ordering take-out off the main menu I recommend the Malai Kofta with garlic naan. They will ask you "mild, medium, or hot" with every menu dish. I definitely warn not to go above medium unless you are really committed to that burning sensation.
The wait staff is friendly and efficient, even when you're eating from the buffet. I find that my water glass is usually refilled before it reaches more than half empty.
