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Star India
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani [Edit]
3721 Geary Blvd(between Arguello Blvd & 2nd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 668-4466
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
396 reviews for Star India
Review Highlights
"The chicken tikka masala never, ever lets me down."
(in 54 reviews)
"I LOVE their buffet - it's fabulous, and it's cheap."
(in 220 reviews)
"And, a little rice pudding always seems to hit the spot."
(in 17 reviews)
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396 reviews in English
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Review from Morris C.
Daly City, CA
I went here today with my girlfriend for dinner. She purchased a living social deal where it was $10 for $20. By using this deal, we were not able to purchase the buffet at the rate of $9.99 per person. We purchased Al a carte.
Onion naan.: Bits of onion in the dough and what appears to be garlic and little green specs baked into the naan. Not bad at all, and it complements the Chicken Tikka Masala very, very nicely.
Saffron Rice: Rice in three different shades of red with raisins, peanuts and cashews. I must say I was pretty impressed by this Biyani. However, it did not have a couple more un-edible ingredients that would bring out more flavor to a dish I eat at home called "dam-bout."
Chicken Tikka Masala: The chicken wasn't too dry and the sauce was so good that it made you want to dip everything in it!.
Spinach mesh with Yogurt Pieces: I forgot the actual name of this dish, but I have to say I enjoyed it. The yogurt had the texture of firm/chewy tofu, and I was very pleased with this dish.
Mango Ice Cream: If you check in on yelp, you get one free mango ice cream! Unfortunately... my girlfriend and I both "used" our mango ice creams and we only ordered one and needed to order one. The way it tasted was frozen Mango Lassi. My guess is there is a mango syrup added to a yogurt/milk blend, frozen and then diced into little cubes then served to us.
Overall, I am giving this place a 4 (Though I felt like giving this place a 3 for the majority of the visit due to the wait). I am a bit upset about two things.
1) We entered the store at 7:10p.m. We were seated immediately, but no water/menus were given to us until 7:19p.m. I saw the waiter and waitress work on bussing the other tables. One main piece of advice is that you do not have your customers wait for you. Those tables are less important than us. Had I ordered the Taj Mahal beer at 7:19p.m. I guarantee you it would've been done before any of the dishes would've touched the table.
2) We ordered at roughly 7:25p.m. At 7:44p.m. the waitress said our food would be with us shortly (my personal favorite for buying a bit of time). Received our dishes at 7:48p.m. The wait took far too long. There was another couple that came in at the same time as us, but instead chose the buffet option, and they were gone before we even had one dish on our table.
Once we received the food, we were very pleased. However, we feel that we probably would've been better off doing the buffet style without the deal from the beginning.
One note: If you choose the buffet option, you must order naan through the waiters, you cannot pick that up.
I am definitely going to give this place another try, especially for a chicken tikka masala pizza, which I think would be wonderful. But the wait today, was a bit too much. -
Review from oliver b.
Oakland, CA
2/3/2012
No flavor, and the food was cold.
$10 for all you can eat IS a good deal, but you are really getting what you pay for at this place.
Give it a miss.
If you want to gorge on Indian Buffet, head across the park to Curry Village. -
Review from Akinato K.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2012
Namasté!
Two things: Firstly, I tried to go there once on a break as serving at one of the election polling places. As this place is dark and dingy, the only ONE table by the window was almost becoming avaliable.. Then the person left. Then like a shinkansen train, some other Indian bloke zoomed snugly right into my spot I had waited for. I thought that was quite rude on his part! I complained and I was told that to simply find another (dark and dingy) table! The waiter stood up for this rude sucker simply because he was from India as well! (I am not Indian, but European and Japanese mix (hapa). As both Europeans and East Asians, we ultimately at one point in our genetic makeup, come from India!
Two: I decided to give it a go some months later at night. I was profoundly disappointed. The place looked like it came out of the largest slums in Asia, located within Kolkutta. It was dirty, unkempt, and litterally falling apart! It doesn't seem that the place ever went through a remodelling job since whenever it first opened!
the staff were grossly unfriendly and it was so blatantly obvious that despite my interest in Indian culture, the only thing that mattered to them was $$$$$! I was simply a wallet on two legs to them!
The food. It was bland, their buffet was half empty, and when I got home that night, during the wee hours of the morning, I became "married" to the toilet with the Kokutta Trots! I was sick for two days in bed and in the bathroom! It was a living hell!
My friends, Indian or otherwise, PLEASE venture away from this old run down delapidated place! I know it is virtually conveniently located close to the General Consulate of India, but It is unfriendly atmosphere, unfriendly staff, and indeed quite unfriendly to your intestinal tract!
I am very surprised that the San Francisco Department of Health has not yet closed down this place! Perhaps I should contact them and have an inspector come out to investigate!
WARNING! UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION! STAY AWAY! Thanks! -
Review from Amanda C.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this place!!! The staff is marvelous, super friendly and super helpful. This place is amazing because it has LUNCH & DINNER BUFFET for $9.99. This is as good as it gets in SF.
PROS:
tika masala
nann
balsamic rice
coconut chicken curry
CONS: NONE
Don't forget to say hi to the wonderful staff. -
Review from Desmonae K.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
GREAT FOOD! The food was always good for the price, but there are new owners now, and the food is even better! The eat-in Buffet is the best deal, and a great variety of excellent dishes. They serve fresh hot Naan right at your table (included), and there is Hot tea at the buffet too! The atmosphere is great, and the guys (and gals) that work there are super friendly and talkative. They really want you to enjoy your meal, and they work hard to make that happen. My family has been eating here for many years, and it is always a good meal!
-
Review from Jay C.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
Can't believe the price for what you get.
Entrees were on the high end: 12 dollars each. When they arrived, it was about 6 pieces of chicken nugget sized lamb in a tub of sauce. Naan is extra.
The delivery was fast and friendly, but for 30 dollars, the what you get is pitiful. -
Review from Monika M.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2012
I love this place!!..they have one of the best indian foods you can find in san francisco. There chicken tikka and lamb keema is amazing. The seating is very comfortable, great place to have lunch or dinner with family or friends.
The service is excellent, very friendly waiters. They also do buffets for only 9.99$, and the buffet menu offers a lot of variety in foods from meat to vegetarian. Would definitely go back and recommend this place. -
Review from Angela D.
San Jose, CA
1/30/2012
The bf and I came here this past Saturday night. Parking was a bit hard to find but wasn't too bad. You walk in and the decor is nice and looks really clean, especially for an indian restaurant that features a buffet. I had purchased a living social deal for $10 worth $20 dollars of food. So I was excited to use it. It was pretty small but certainly no line. It was pretty packed by the time we got our food so that was a sure good sign.
It took about a minute for us to be greeted, host stand was all the way in the back with the cashier. We didn't know if we were suppose to sit so we just stood and waited. I guess there are tables just for those who eat the buffet and for those who sit down and order. Those that sat down and ordered seemed to be only able to sit in the way front of the restaurant.
The wait staff was very nice and I had presented them my coupon deal. We had already looked online at the menu so it didn't take very long for us to decide. We had ordered the garlic naan, chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo and an order of rice, but the waitress told us to try the garlic chicken which wasn't on the menu. She said it was better than the vindaloo so we sure why not.
The chicken tikka masala was the best I've had. The chicken was tender and the sauce and my garlic naan. I was in heaven.
The garlic chicken in the curry sauce was good, chicken was a bit dry. The bf liked it more than me since it was a bit too spicy for my liking.
It took awhile for us to get the check and even for the check to be picked up. It was a different server who gave us the check and forgot to take the discount off. But it was okay.
I'm happy with my experience and next time will try the buffet. And if we ever move to SF, totally getting them to deliver to my place! Score on that. -
Review from Stephen W.
San Francisco, CA
12/25/2011
This restaurant is not expensive, but their food is only average at best. I've had lots of Indian food, and I would rate this restaurant in the 20-30th percentile. It's fine for paying $10 for a dinner buffet, they had soup and lamb curry and chicken tiki masala.
Their lamb was not good, very bony. If you're looking for great Indian food, this is not your place. If you're looking for something that's quick, fast and cheap, come here. Don't get me wrong - I like all Indian food, so this place was very good. It's just not good compared to other Indian food.
The restaurant is located in a great area with lots of other restaurants. I'll have to try the all-you-can-eat shabu shabu next time ;) -
Review from Hayne P.
Mountain View, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is okay.
Maybe I'm spoiled by higher end Indian restaurants in the South Bay, but this place was not bad. It's a highly decent place, and it satisfied my craving really nicely.
Basmati rice seemed a little on the oily side, but it still tasted really good. Actually, it may not have been oily at all, but it just looked... wetter than usual. I had chicken tikka masala and some other meat curry and the ground lamb. The meat dish was full of bones... It was really tasty, but just inconvenient to eat. Ground lamb was... Interesting. I honestly didn't know what to expect of it, but I was highly intrigued. I felt like I was eating an Indian version of a sloppy joe. Maybe I should've sandwiched it between the naan bread and ate it like a sloppy joe naanwich. Pretty good stuff.
Chicken in the tikka masala was cut in huge chunks! A little bit dry, but easily fixed if you break it down into smaller pieces and soak them in the sauce. I admit, I really enjoyed the tikka masala. Mixed in with some of the yummy raita, and yum all around.
Naan was a little different from how I'm used to. It's a little more crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. I'm more used to it being on the fatter, chewier side of things, but it was still good. Just... different. I can hang with that. I can deal with change.
Customer service is excellent. Felt very comfortable and welcomed. If I craved Indian and was in the area, I wouldn't feel bad about coming here, although I probably will explore some more. I won't forget this place though!
Overall, the food is really, really decent and the price is really good, especially since SF tends to be more expensive when it comes to restaurant eats anyways. Obviously, if you're snobby about your Indian food, this ain't the place, but if you're looking for a cheapish, fast bite of Indian, you could do worse than this place.
Oh. I also liked their kheer, and I was super surprised that I like gulab jamun after all. I didn't use to like it until I came here. I'll be giving that dessert another chance now.
I left really happy. -
Review from Jenny G.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
One word, KEEMA. Went here on the weekend for lunch with some friends. We got the buffet which had the delicious lamb keema. It was so good. The tikka masala was yummers too. Our other friend had to be difficult and order off the menu but it wasn't a problem for the restaurant. The service was speedy and friendly but the best part... THEY DELIVER ALL OVER THE CITY. Woot!
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Review from Tony C.
San Francisco, CA
Speed walking to Star India....
BAM!! Smell of Indian food hit me. It was on...
$9.99 All You Can Eat Buffet
Food & Drinks-------------------
+Good Variety
+Warm
+Fresh
+Tasty
+++Milk Tea
+++Cold water
Service-----------------------------
+Very Friendly Staff (seemed family owned)
+Connected with customers on a personal level
+Refilled water and took away dishes quickly
+Honored the "Check-In" special of free Mango Ice cream (Homemade)
-Was a little slow on the checkout aspect
-Ran out of plates for a couple minutes
-Didn't have the red chicken dish for a good 15 minutes
Decor-------------------------------
+Lots of nice Indian decor
+Clean tables and chairs
Overall, my experience was great and will I definitely be back.
However, my way back to my car was the worst part... I guess it was my fault :D
TIP: Check in through Yelp on your phone and you'll get Homemade Mango Ice cream
Ended my day crawling back to my car from eating so much! -
Review from Julie P.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012 2 Check-ins Here
My husband and I come here for the $9.99 dinner buffet, which is a great deal for the quality of the dishes especially recently. Not sure if they have new management or maybe changed up their menu a little bit, but the food tastes fresher and more flavorful than before. My favorites are their naan (comes to your table warm in a basket), papadams, saag paneer, and tandoori chicken.
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Review from Chelsey G.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2011
Super friendly staff, like the frescos on the walls, have a buffet for those who like that sorta thing (not my bag baby), a cool interactive website and so close to my house.
BUT
The food is just not good. (I am refering to the non-buffet items)I have given it a few trys, and the dishes I usually order, Saag Paneer and Mattar Paneer were so lackluster. Some spice used overpowered both the dishes and they tasted exactly the same. Not that the dishes were spicy, just seemed like one particular spice dominated the dishes and rendered them unremarkable. So many indian places around (most are hit or miss), but they are never cheap, so its nice to stick to a place where you know the food is good. The buffet should have warned me.
I have not tried the buffet in years, but as a poor stoned college student I think I remembered being thoroughly impressed. Hehehe
Anyway, if you are in the area and want indian delivered to your house check out New Ganges. Far better. -
Review from Josh U.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
Great overall experience...
We showed up around 8pm hoping to use the $20 living social deal that I'd purchased a few months back. They had their dinner buffet going, but unfortunately the voucher specifically stated that it wasn't good for the buffet... though once we saw how tasty the buffet looked & smelled, we decided to go for it anyways, as it was only $10 a person and the voucher was still good for anything ordered off the menu. So we got the buffet and then ordered some cheese naan, poori, and samosas off the menu, all of which were pretty damn good.
The buffet items were all really good as well... the tikki masala flavorful, the palak paneer amazing, the tandoori chicken nice & tender... My only complaint is that they had some fried veggies out that looked like they'd been sitting out under the heat lamp for a while, and biting into one confirmed that that was indeed the case. But everything else was good.
I got some of the raita for dessert, which was tasty, though I have had better. The gulab jamun was also somewhat mediocre and a bit lacking in flavor, at least compared to how I've had it at other places.
All in all though, this place rocks. It's not the best Indian food you'll ever eat, but for $10 you're getting more than your money's worth. Taking the food and price into account, it's a solid 4-star. However, at the end of the meal, we hadn't yet ordered a full $20 from the menu so I asked the waiter if we could order something to-go, despite it saying "no takeout" on the voucher... After running it by the manager, he was more than happy to make an exception! This definitely earns them an extra star, because I know a lot of restaurants can be real dicks about the stipulations on their groupons & living social deals. So hats off to Star India for good service! -
Review from David D.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Funny music, good food and nice service.
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Review from Connie M.
Honolulu, HI
12/12/2011
I ordered from this place via http://grubhub.com
I got 2 orders of chicken tiki masala (~$10 each), 2x garlic nan, rice and it came with free lassi because I spent over $18 via http://grubhub.com
The guy delivering my food didn't know where I lived, even though my address is stated when I placed the ordered. I also named out Parc 55, Powell and other surrounding places near my apt. Needless to say, it took awhile for my food to be delivered.
The chicken tiki masala seemed watered down. You can still taste the spices and seasonings and there were large chunks of chicken, but still I don't like when it's not thick enough. Garlic nan was typical, as was the rice. Lassi was pretty tasty, but standard. -
Review from Eric H.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you order from the menu the coconut curry is to die for. Also for a great desert try the mango yogurt drink!
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Review from Bodhi D.
San Francisco, CA
11/10/2011
My overall rating for this place is 3.5 stars.
After walking by another Indian place in J-town with the initial "D" that was charging $15 for a plate of Chana masala chickpea curry (that's a la carte with NO rice), I decided to opt for my plan B which was to hop on the Geary and go to the Avenues where Star India is.
I wouldn't call this place a destination restaurant like Indian joints I've frequented in Berkeley and the T-loin, but it is a reliable mom-and-pop Indian neighborhood restaurant.
As other YELPers have noted, it appears there's been a management change -- they do seem friendlier. I didn't have an overcharge problem though because I only went for the 9.99 dinner buffet.
I do like the lentil dahl soup they offer -- the thickness is just right and it is on the slightly spicy side. I prefer it here to other places which serve a literally watered down version.
The curries offered at Star India were equally divided along vegetarian and meat choices. It also seems they vary according to the season which makes sense. The last nite I went, they had cabbage curry, chef's curry (peas and potato), a 2nd chef's curry (vegetarian kidney beans), spinach saag with indian cheese, vegetarian korma curry, chicken masala curry, lamb curry and lamb keema (ground lamb) curry. There was also chicken tandoori. If I'd gone during the summer, I'm sure the veggie curries would have been slightly different.
They don't use a lot of cream and yogurt in the curries offered in the buffet, which I do appreciate (exceptions being chicken tikka masala and any kind of korma curry which require dairy, but even those aren't too heavy).
I'm not a big fan of pakora fritters in general, but at least they were in chickpea batter so I could still enjoy them (I eat GF). Another gluten-free item I loaded up on was the papadum lentil crackers with cilantro yogurt chutney - YUM! I couldn't eat the naan b/c of my wheat allergies, but I did notice that everyone who got the buffet meal were treated to freshly baked naan to order. The basmati rice was well-prepared and not mushy like some other places. I'm trying to keep my carbs down so being able to control the amount of rice via buffet is helpful.
All in all, a good deal for 9.99 when considering my other options for the evening. I'll definitely be coming back again for another cheap, hole-in-the wall, but home-style buffet meal. -
Review from Hunter P.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
Very satisfied with the chicken tikka masala and naan (only dishes I have tried).
The chicken tikka masala is on par with most others I have tried in this price range in SF and the portions are generous (one serving for $10.95 could serve two people if you get rice or naan to go with).
I haven't been to the actual restaurant but the online ordering/delivery system is very efficient. -
Review from C L.
Santa Clara, CA
10/27/2011
One of the best Indian restaurants in the SF Bay Area, including the south bay that is home to my favorite Indian place.
The buffet is $10 and goes on all day and night until 10PM, which is terrific for those on a student schedule or late work schedule. Chai is included! They also have an a la carte menu so you can do takeout or eat in with more selections, but I've never done that.
Great, soft-on-the-inside and crunchy-on-the-outside naan. Made to order, so it's always nice and fresh.
Buffet selection is smaller than most places I've been to, but it's also made in small batches so it's fresh. Also, the quality is very high - they have some of the most flavorful goat curry here, and use white chicken breast meat in their butter chicken. This is a HUGE plus.
Slight downside - tandoori chicken is only made a few pieces at a time (never seen more than 5 out), so you may need to wait to get a piece. It's done really well though when it's out.
Restaurant's a little warm inside, but other than that, no complaints about Star India at all. -
Review from Ryan R.
South Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2012
Went to this place with some friends and had the all u can eat buffet. The curried chicken and lamb was decent but there were not that many other options. I wish they could have had more choices but overall was pretty good. Service was great as well and had a positive experience.
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Review from Iva L.
Rocklin, CA
9/30/2011
My gf convinced me to drive all the way to Star India from the Marina district, but it was well worth it...
The food was great. The restaurant is very clean, and the staff is friendly. The price was very good as well.
The naan is served by order and it is fresh and yummy every time.
The only draw back was that I was so looking forward to tasting palak paneer, but it wasn't what I expected. It was on the sour side... just tasted little off.
The rest of the dishes were delish!!
I will be eating there again.Listed in: San Francisco
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Review from Clarice W.
Lawrence, KS
9/29/2011
At a time when buffets are either scarce, trashy, or low-quality, Star India remains a rock solid reminder that you can have good service, a pleasant atmosphere, and truly delicious food in all-you-can-eat quantities at an affordable price.
I'll just cut to the chase: the food is excellent. The naan is served to order (included in the buffet) which means you get freshly baked naan with your meal...mm! They offer at least 8 different dishes, salad, parathas, kheer, gulab jamun, lentil soup, and chai. When I crave chicken tikka masala I crave the one they serve here - it's creamy, not overly tomato-ey, and spiced well. The lamb curry was rich and delectable. And even if you're not a vegetarian you have to try the vegetarian curry; it is light and slightly sweet. I really appreciate that every entree has a unique flavor. And if you love gulab juman like me...well you're in luck, because you can have all the sweet syrupy balls you want!
There's a sign on the buffet stand that reminds customers that you are free to eat all you would like but to please not take more than you can, and I think that sentiment is carried through the business. There's a respect here for the food and customers that so often gets ignored at restaurant buffets, so it comforts me to know places like Star India are around! -
Review from Karen M.
Oakland, CA
1/6/2012
This rating is for the lunch buffet, which is all that I've sampled. We've tried several Indian buffets in San Francisco and the East Bay, and this was by far the best. Every dish we tried was good, but the lamb and what was probably a vegetable curry were my top favorites. The naan, which wasn't quite as puffy as we're used to, was delicious and complemented the saucy dishes very well. My husband is a rice pudding fan, and he happily went back for seconds, even after stuffing himself with the main dishes. The people were really nice and accommodating, and the atmosphere was friendly and casual. We'll definitely be back.
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Review from Jenn S.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
This review is for their buffet.
Selection was small and I didn't find anything that I liked.
Tikka Masala- has the creamy consistency that I like, but lacking a lot of flavor and spices.
Don't even bother trying the tandoori chicken....worst ever. DRY and no flavor AT ALL. -
Review from Scuba Z.
Incline Village, NV
11/17/2011
Overall I thought this was just OK. I was very surprised given the great reviews. I ordered carry-out, so maybe next time I'll try the buffet... they're definitely worth trying again (and trying other dishes).
The Chilli Chicken was very disappointing (can't believe it's listed as a House Special). I ordered it spicy and it lacked any heat...nothing...almost like they loaded it with bell peppers. It also had a strange fluorescent red sauce...looked like Sweet and Sour sauce...ugh
The Saag Paneer was decent. It did lack the usual spices you'd normally taste in this dish. I have to agree with previous posts about it being bland.
The Chicken Makhanwala is great. I would return just for this dish...and they also got the spice level right. The Tandoori Chicken used had great flavor and was very moist. -
Review from Shanning W.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
I love it that the buffet is economical and they have Taj Mahal beer. The people are super friendly and laid back! Great service and relaxing atmosphere!!!
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Review from H M.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
I LOVE THIS PLACE!! The food and the customer service is amazing!! Being a local resident of SF I always come to this spot. The owner makes it a great atmosphere and is always welcoming new customers. The buffet prices are really cheap for the quality of food they give you. They also have a great menu outside of the buffet options. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for cheap, quality Indian food that comes with great service!
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Review from Lisa H.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011 3 Check-ins Here
After talking to the part-owner of Star India I can't rate them any lower then 5 stars!
Yelp really should take all the reviews from past 5 months ago off because that's when ownership changed. The food is better, the service is amazing, and they really want you to leave happy.
And an even bigger plus he left me take a box of the buffet food home to my boyfriend!
Seriously GO HERE! -
Review from Robyn J.
San Francisco, CA
8/29/2011
Moving cross-country isn't easy, nor is finding a new place to eat. Fortunately, there is Star India as my savior. It's great, all the normal tasty tidbits available and the price is awesome. I've been there three times already, and my tastebuds and tummy are well served.
Thanks for being my new go-to for this new gal in town! -
Review from Faith W.
San Francisco, CA
8/21/2011
I'm always looking for a good deal for good food.
If you are craving Indian food and don't want to break the bank, this place is great for buffet. You can enjoy multiple meat dishes and vege dishes and they don't taste bland like the place I reviewed at Embarcadero One.
When I have a mediocre Indian meal downtown, I come to this place to feel happy again. I try not to fill up so much on the food, so I have room for their kheer and fried donuts in honey. :) -
Review from Tarah D.
Oakland, CA
10/1/2011
We had the buffet here, so I can't speak to their a la carte items, but we chose the buffet because it had a number of vegetarian items I normally really love. I agree with a previous reviewer that some of the food tasted really, really bland. I was reaching for salt, pepper, anything I could find to add a little flavor-- not good. The palak paneer was particularly disappointing. The veggie korma was also bland- though better than the palak paneer. There was a lentil/read-bean "chef vegetarian special" dish that was unidentified, but more promising than the others. Also what seemed to be simply sauteed broccoli. Not bad, but not good. The chai was almost undrinkable, which is too bad, and the gulab jamun tasted really stale. I mean, still sweat and cake-y, so, you know, I ate it, but still. Sad monkey. Naan served to our table was okay- but nothing to write home about.
To give credit where due: the dal soup was very tasty, but sadly too spicy for my not-spicy-loving-palate. But if you can handle a little heat, then the dal soup is yummy.
Also, the main hostess was incredibly nice, and the waiter we had was also very nice. The prices were not bad, but not cheap enough that you thought: "oh well, mediocre food... it's not all that bad"
Maybe we hit a bad night? Maybe we tempted fate by doing buffet instead of a la carte? Whatever it was, with all the other Indian options, we'll probably try our luck somewhere else. -
Review from Michele M.
San Diego, CA
8/6/2011
$9.99 for the dinner buffet, what a deal! I like the Chicken Tikka Masala here better than at Curry Village, but the selection was much smaller. The place was relatively empty so the tandori chicken and pakora seemed like it had been sitting out there for a bit (dry and lukewarm).
All the curries were really good and a little bit spicier than most Indian buffets. I don't eat lamb, but my friend said the lamb curry was really tender and yummy. -
Review from Jesica M.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2011
BEST Indian buffett ever! $10 bucks gets you everything:soup, chai, bread basket, stewed meats, fresh salad, fried appetizers, lots of veg dishes and dessert!! DONT waist your time going anywhere else!! ;)
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Review from Erica L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went again for the dinner buffet. Service was excellent as usual.
Really friendly atmosphere, people who eat here are nice and friendly and every time you make eye contact with them, they'll greet you with a smile. The table behind us was doing magic tricks and we got a free show!
YELPERS!! They're not kidding about the discount for yelpers!! They came over and thanked us for reviewing them on yelp and offered us a discount! It's really nice to know that they take their customers' comments into account and try to make our eat-out experience more enjoyable :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/1/2011
It was 9 something pm and we were starving from running errands and forgetting to eat all day. Star… Read more »
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Review from Kate P.
Marina, CA
7/23/2011
GOOD: Food here was excellent, price very competitive for the neighborhood, and a nice glass of wine very reasonable $.
NOT SO GOOD/BAD: Ummm...how do I put this nicely...I had no desire to touch the table, the place in general doesn't feel clean. Service is...interesting. I didn't feel all that welcome, but the food was so tasty, I didn't really care much...this is not a warm and fuzzy resto; I'd have been ok with the service if it had been just more clean in general. It wouldn't take much to make this place FANTASTIC. -
Review from Jennifer S.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2011
I LOVE this place!! I have been going to Star India for 5 years now and just found out that they changed ownership a few months ago. I did not think the place could get any better but it has. I am normally a person who loves trying new restaurants, but I always come back to this place time and time again.
First, they deliver anywhere in San Francisco!! Second, it is the best Indian food I have had in the city and the prices are fantastic!! Third, it actually serves my favorite PIZZA in the city!!
Yes, I said pizza. Indian Pizza. They do not have it on the menu in the restaurant, but it is on the take out menu. They will serve it to you in the restaurant, if you ask. The chicken tandori pizza is to die for. They also let me on a little secret that they also serve a Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza that is not on the menu. I have yet to try it, but I can't wait too!!
I have introduced this pizza and this restaurant to many friends and have yet to have anyone give it less than a 5 star rating. You have to try Star India!!! You will be hooked for life. -
Review from Carmel N.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2011
I was really looking forward to a spicy indian meal. Instead, the food was bland and definitely not as flavorful as other Indian restaurants I've ordered from.
I ordered through http://delivery.com and remembered enjoying the smells coming from this restaurant whenever I walked by with my dog.
I ordered Saag Panner, Garlic Naan, Saffron Rice, Papadum and Kheer. The papadum was delicious and the kheer cool and refreshing. The rice, naan and saag paneer were a little on the bland side.
I would still give this place another shot. I'd like to try the meat curries next time - I think I will really enjoy those entrees instead. -
Review from Cris H.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2011
We've driven by this place numerous times and finally today we ventured in for lunch. Walking in I noted that they weren't crowded and I thought "uh-oh" Also there was this silence in there as well. I don't know about you folks but most Indian restaurants usually have some sort of music blaring. The restaurant decor felt like it was something out of the 70's or early 80's era.
Anyhow, I digress. So what you really want to know is how was the food right? It was pretty decent for a $10 all-you- can- eat buffet. They had my curry lamb, tiki marsala chicken, mango chutney and that spinach dish with the cubes of cheese. Can't really complain too much since all my favorites are there. Bonus that they had my little fried dough balls in syrup and chai tea.
I highly recommend the lamb curry; it was really good. A major bummer about the lunch was that the food wasn't that hot temperature wise. Many of the dishes were luke warm. We weren't too happy about that.
Also for some odd reason I never saw the Tandoori chicken the whole time I was there. Where was the chicken? Only saw a layer of onions and a lemon wedge where the Tandoori chicken should have been. Hmmmmm.....
The naan was decent. Was thankful that this was at least warm when I bit into it....Overall not too bad, but still thinking that there are other Indian Buffets out there that I might enjoy better.
