Shalimar Restaurant

The most authentic and best indian/​pakistani food in Natomas. Everything is made fresh and sizling. Seekh Kebabs and Chiken tikka is awesome. I love their location, the staff is very friendly and welcoming. They make the best Naan, and I love their complimentary tea.

This restaurant has great food, and the chai is delicious. However, the employees are all men and they need to lower their gaze towards women and be respectful. I cant enjoy my food because I feel uncomfortable with their eyes on me. They need to create a blockage so the cooks cannot stare at their guests and scare them away. They need to be respectful towards women. Also, the place needs some improvement and cleaning and background music. Them closing for an hour is unnecessary.

My wife and I love this place. The food is great and consistent.
We eats lots of Indian/​Pakistani food out and this place seems like the real deal. Plus it feels like we are in India or Pakistan not Sacramento.

My experience with Shalimar has left me feeling a bit «meh.»
Part of the reason for this «meh» feeling is the difference in the quality of the food between dishes:
+ SEEKH KABAB MUGHLAI (Beef kabobs): These were delicious and seasoned really well. One of my Indian friends says they are «some of the best in the US,» so take from that what you will. They were on the spicy side, so if you can’t handle spiciness, maybe think twice (although realistically, this could be said for all of their dishes.)
+ CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA: This didn’t really leave an impression on me. It was neither terrible nor amazing. I was disappointed with the portion size though, because for the price that I paid, I was expecting more than just a tiny dish with 5 – 6 pieces of chicken. Also, be warned that this dish does NOT come with naan or rice– you have to order those separately. But really, how are you supposed to eat a curry dish without rice or naan?
+ PALAK PANEER: Palak paneer is normally one of my favs, but I was actually really really disappointed with what we were served here. The spinach and cheese cubes all seemed very store bought, and the entire dish was rather bland. As a big fan of palak paneer, this was definitely a let down for me. Also, to echo what I said about the Chicken Tikka Masala, the portion was not worth the price that I paid.
+ GARLIC NAAN: I enjoyed the garlic naan. It was topped with copious amounts of garlic, which was wonderful.
Regarding the service, this was also super meh. We were given menus and told to sit at a booth, which we obligingly did. But then no one ever came around to take our orders. Were we supposed to go back to the counter to order? I was about to get up to go order at the counter when one of the servers noticed me and was like, «Oh, are you ready to order? I’ll be right over.» Mind you, this was coming after a full ten minutes of awkwardly waiting for someone to take our orders. But hey, maybe we just didn’t know their flow.
But then after getting our food, nobody ever stopped by our table to check on how we were doing. I downed essentially the entire pitcher of water that we were given and no one ever came by to refill it for us. And at the end of the meal, we were supposed to go to the counter to pay when we were done.
I think I am mostly just confused about what kind of restaurant Shalimar is trying to be. It seems to be trying to walk this line between casual take-​out and casual sit-​down. If it was going for the more casual take-​out vibe, ordering and paying at the counter make total sense and the lack of customer service is forgivable. But if you’re going for the more casual sit-​down vibe, where table service is given, I think Shalimar needs some work in this area because there was zero table service.
tl;dr: The beef kabobs are amazing, but everything else was just ok. Don’t expect to be wow-​ed by the service.

Best food i had ever ! Love this palace. Best friendly customer service ! Order my fav food always taste perfect ! Clean and nice location ! Always fresh food make me more hungry !

Favorite Pakistani restaurant in the area! The Chicken Tika Masala was excellent. They take a long long time to get your good tho. Call ahead.

Amazing! If you’re in search of an authentic, quick, and satisfying Indian meal, look no further! Don’t be fooled by the humble décor– this place is legit. Great portions and perfect amount of spice. My boyfriend ordered chicken tikka masala and I got the paneer masala, and I’m telling you, this place has the best paneer I’ve ever eaten! Remarkably quick and affordable, you won’t regret stopping by Shalimar.

B. Gosht (lamb) 4.1
Chicken tikka Masala 4
Rice 4
Naan 3.8
Chai tea 3.5
Kheer (w Rose water) 3.4 Christina 4.1

I am a believer of Shalimar.
My group ordered:
1. Nihari
2. Naan
3. Gilfreesi
4. Chiken Sik kebab
5. Dahl
The food was good. This isn’t Shalimars best location but it is still good food.
We wanted Buhari but this location does not make it.
Staff was pretty friendly. They took maybe 15 to 20 minutes to bring the food after the order.
The Chai was okay. I wouldn’t drink it a second time.
Overall this place is worth eating at. Would recommend to anyone to go eat here.
This Shalimar was probably in the best area of all Shalimars.

I tried this place today for lunch and it was so yummy! I had the Chicken Tikka Masala, rice and naan. I’ll definitely be returning. I’m glad I’ve found an authentic yummy Indian restaurant next to my work!

I feel as it’s my duty to give you a general break down of this place. Most Indian/​Pakistani food is not very authentic but rather a fusion, but this one is as authentic as they get.
The service here isn’t the best. You’re not going to find someone that’s going to play host, crack a couple jokes, and make you feel welcome. You have to grab the menu at the front cashier, order your food, and after you eat you have to return to the front where you pay. It may sound comical and a bit different to how things work here in the west, but that’s how they do it back in the motherland and the way they do it at this particular business.
The food here is to die for. You have to understand how boldly i’m emphasizing this. The food here makes the women in my family somewhat jealous (they never admit it, but I can see it in their eyes). Their naan, tandoor, curries, Punjabi rice, and vegetable sabzi is all up to par and hold their weight in body and flavor. Most places will skimp on the spices, but these guys won’t hold back if you want some fire. All their food is fresh, and the meat is halaal.
Obviously my own cooking is the best in the entire universe, but this place is generally what I recommend to people when they ask for good Indian/​Pakistani food. Expect a different kind of experience going in.

I’ve always loved this place (except for a couple bad out of many many good experiences). I came back after a long hiatus after my last experience (over 6 months ago) and they remembered me (when placing my phone for pick up order) and made extra extra sure that no animals were in my order this time, without my asking or reminding them of my experience. No one does it like these guys in my FAV combo here: Dal (ask for no butter if you’re vegan), spinach & potatoes, and their special rice with herbs baked right in. So. Darn. Good.

I’m a huge fan of indian/​Pakistani/​afghan/​etc food. This place was a bit out of the way for me and so I wouldn’t return unless I were in the area. The area and the restaurant itself is in a nice area, a newer development.
The service was excellent. We sat near the counter/​kitchen and the guy took our order right there and even helped with some suggestions.
The chicken Tikka Masala was awesome, but a small portion for one order. The potato Naan was so perfect and moist. We had a couple other dishes, the names of which escape me, but they had spinach in them and we’re alright. The garlic Naan was ok. The tandoori chicken was dry, probably overcooked during this visit.
Overall, we had 5 people, ordered 3 type software Naan and 4 entrees and total was about $ 50. It’s a decent place for authentic food.

So there’s really not much I can say except one simple statement: the food in this restaurant reminds me of my favorite restaurant in Lahore (without the diarrhea that usually follows dining in Lahore). Food quantity is just right, even though it doesn’t look it at first. But man it’s the taste that is going to stay with me. I’m vegan and there are plenty of options here to satisfy me and even my demanding family. We ordered Haleem, nihari, 4 naan, daal, palak, kheer, seekh kebab chicken, and shalimar rice for 6 people. Not a single kernel was left and we had a group of overstuff turkeys waddling out of the restaurant with goofy smiles on our faces (happily under the influence of Pakistani cuisine). Completely satisfied.
Ok I just had tea and it wasn’t all that fresh. Also, an annoying fly flew straight into my eyeball when I left the restaurant. Gross.

It’s been a few years since I’ve last been. I gave this place not so great reviews and I received a personal note from someone asking me to try it again. This was a long time ago.
So, I’m back again.
This time instead of take-​out I decided to dine at the restaurant.
1. Why are the employees not very friendly? When I walked in, I wasn’t aware that I was suppose to order first, find a seat, eat, and lastly pay for my bill. If we’re going to order first, why not just pay for it at that moment like a fast food joint? With a little confusion of how the process works I asked an employee who tossed a menu at me and pointed at a table and walked away. Best part is my husband and I brought a friend visiting the area who read the great reviews here and was shocked by the treatment and wondered how this place could get such high reviews. Yeah… me to.
2. Why does everything taste the same? I ordered 17, 20, and 22. They all tasted about the same with 17 being a bit more spicy than the others.
3. The quantities were small. I’ve been to other places and entrees are plentiful. Why does my chicken tikka masala have 7 small cubes of chicken?
4. Naan and rice are separate. If we order entrée, why can’t it come with one or the other? Who in the world just eats curry all by itself?
5. No one checks up to see how you’re enjoying your meal. There was absolutely no one else in the restaurant and yet no one checked to see if we needed a refill on our jug of water. We tried waving someone down, got stared at by a few employees who continued to ignore us.
Ok-​so that was my last straw with you Shalimar. I’m done with you. I love Indian food, but just not at your place.

I love this place. The food is delicious and they can fit any size party.
I love their Naan. It’s fresh every time and huge. I have tried both plain and garlic and usually order the plain.
I love they have all you can drink free milk tea. It’s delicious with some sugar. You can help yourself right next to the cashier. It comes our real hot every time and it’s never run out.
When you walk in you can grab a menu and order at the cashier or you can sit at a table and they will bring the menu to you and you can order. I’ve seen both done. We usually sit down and then later order at the counter. They get really busy so this speeds up your meal.
This is a seat yourself, set your own table kind of place. Help yourself to soda and water and just wave it at the cashier and they will write it down. They have plenty of water pitchers in the fridge and plates and silverware are on the side table. Everyone seems very happy with this arrangement. If you are new you can just sit down and they will assist you in getting everything you need.
Many large banquets come here. They just push the tables together and set the party as if it were their own house. They do their own serving and the chefs just keep bringing out the food. It appears that no one calls ahead with orders. They just sit down and start ordering mass amounts of food. There never seems to be an issue.
I don’t live in the area, but I keep coming back because the food is so good. I think the best time to come is the fall or winter when it’s not so hot inside and out.

I gave this place a 4 star because there are many aspects I love about Shalimar, and there are a few things that turn me away from it. The positives– 1.) CRAZY GOOD FOOD: As a Pakistani myself, I am very picky about how my food tastes and every time I come here, the food is consistent and delicious. The naan is always fresh and the food can be served individual dishes or family style where people grab their fill of food. 2.) THE STAFF IS VERY POLITE — The manager is so outgoing and always greets customers. And if you ever have a complaint, he will accommodate you right away. 3.) NO TENSION OR DOUBTFUL ATMOSPHERE — The restaurant doesn’t have an atmosphere. You feel like you are simply there to eat and nothing more. The only atmosphere they avide to is Pakistani food.
The negatives: 1.) HYGIENE — Despite the food being crazy good, I have a huge issue with HYGIENE. The plates had specks of residue on them, and some even had dried food from the previous people that used them. It was a huge turn off. The under side of the plate had gunk on it to and it made me a little skeptical about how they handle the food. The bathroom smelled GOD AWFUL! I went into the ladies room to wash my hands and it smelled like dirty toilet and shit that came from Satan’s booty himself. It was Atrocious. I tried to hold my breath but I could still taste it. I unfortunately went in there after I ate my food so I almost gagged all of it out.

By far some of the best customer service and food I’ve come across in a restaurant. You walk into this place and the aroma of fresh spices and herbs are protruding through the air. I thought I’ve had amazing chicken tandoori and beef kababs before, but this place pretty much takes the gold! The chicken was grilled to perfection — mind you they make everything fresh on a charcoal fire so it takes a while but I promise you, it is worth waiting for. The spices were right on point! Everything I imagined it to be. Not only that, but the portions are very generous at a very low price. The beef was packed with so much flavor, spice, and tenderness, I would have engulfed it all right then and there if I didn’t have to go back to work. They gave me this dipping sauce for the naan which was also amazing, I wanted to take the whole plate home!
But enough about the food, let’s talk about the service. The man who greeted me was very helpful as he quickly realized that I knew I wanted food, but didn’t know how to order. He helped me decide what I wanted (from pictures) and was actually very patient about it all. All the men that work here actually come across as very warm and welcoming; it made me feel less self conscious about eating alone.
I don’t know why I’ve never tried this little gem out before, but I’m so glad I did today. Amazing food, amazing service. I’ll definitely be coming back!

Came here yesterday night about 30 minutes before closing. I was very pleased with the experience. Despite it being close to closing, our waiter was very friendly and didn’t rush us. We were a little confused about the ordering format, since we were sat at a table and given menus. Ordering actually occurs at the counter, so we were waiting a while until we figured it out.
The food was pretty bomb here! And cheap! We fed 4 very hungry post-​gym-​workout people for under $ 40. I got the saag gosht, and it was wonderful especially with the garlic naan I ordered. The spices really melded together well in the dish. One thing I think could be improved was that I had to pick out whole pieces of spices (such as bay leaf), because eating them was a little unpleasant. But aside from that, it was wonderful! I would definintely give Shalimar another visit :)

One of most inexpensive Pakistani places I have been to. This is a local California chain restaurant, and I guess they have locations in Bay Area.
We ordered a ton of food and all for around 33 $ after tax!!. Things we got: —
1) Chicken Biriyani (8 $) — Good Portion size. Rice tasted perfect, especially the roasted chillies added to the taste
2) Chicken Karahi (7 $) — Delicious gravy. Chicken had bone on.
3) Chicken Kofta Curry (8 $) — Great, but I have had better Chicken Koftas in Bay Area. Comes with 3 big koftas.
4) Seekh beef Kabob (2 $) — yes only 2 $ for a large skewer. Made of Ground beef. And it was awesome.
5) Seekh Chicken Kabob (2.5 $) — Was really yummy and spicy.
6) Shalimar Chawal (2 $) — Spiced Rice
7) Naan (1 $) — Ok.