SITAR INDIAN CUISINE — Restaurant in Durham

| Overview of Latest Visit:

Chicken Tikka Masala is excellent as always Good variety of desserts in buffet Great customer service Ambiance is decent despite the mismatch of rap music playing. Dinner buffet was missing some of our favorites Garlic naan - not included in buffet Buffet lacking delicious appetizers like quality paneer No biryani in buffet Questionable freshness Didn't satisfy craving for authentic Indian spices

| Full Review of Latest Visit:

As a long-time customer, I'm quite disappointed at Wednesday night's buffet selections. Dinner buffet in Sitar is slightly more expensive than lunch buffet, so my girl & I expected this dinner buffet to have better choices than what they typically have during lunch -as we had in previous dinner buffets- but tonight's buffet selection made me not want to return to Sitar anytime soon.

While it's always pleasant to eat one of the best Chicken Tikka Masala, most of our other favorites were missing: No Shrimp Malabar, no biryani, no masala paneer, no spiced cabbage, no goat dish, no good appetizer & no garlic naan. The Indian buffet experience was a major downgrade.

Instead, there was jerky-like lamb that was tough to chew, some kind of red chicken that didn't taste fresh, mediocre vegetable rice, tofu paneer that only vegetarians would probably care about, bland spinach paneer, spiced vegetables with smashed cauliflowers that just made me lose my appetite & regular naan. I even asked the waiter if I can have garlic naan but he said that's not included in the buffet and that I will have to pay extra.

There was a chicken kebab that my girl liked but it's nothing compared to what they took out. The Fish Malabar was alright but I didn't eat a lot of it. It seemed the only ones i really enjoyed were the Chicken Tikka Masala, the beef stew that didn't taste like Indian food but not bad nonetheless, the small piece of cheesecake that my girl let me try, Masala tea, and maybe the caramel custard that lacked caramel. Scratch that!

Ambiance was fine with dim lights, a relaxing atmosphere, but the foreign rap music playing didn't match Sitar's traditional vibe.

Customer service was good overall: refilled waters without having to ask, took our finished plates to clear our table, and asked us if there was anything wrong in the buffet. I wish I was as openly-honest as I am now while writing this review, the kind of review that I never thought I'd write for what used to be one of our favorite restaurants. But at that time, I was too tired and upset to vent out my frustrations.

Sitar used to be the rare kind of Indian restaurant that offered quantity without sacrificing quality; the kind that offered buffet with multiple delicious dishes to choose from. Maybe it's just this night. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks because I was invited to go for my cousin's birthday celebration. Sadly, for the first time ever as an over-a-decade-long customer, I'm no longer excited to return to...

Our experience with Sitar Catering for our recent event was nothing short of amazing! We were on the lookout for authentic Desi cuisine, and Sitar exceeded our expectations in every way.

The variety and richness of flavors they brought to the table were commendable. Each dish was a true representation of the culinary delights from the Indian subcontinent, capturing the essence and the complexity of Desi flavors perfectly. The spices were well-balanced, the meats were tender and juicy, and the vegetarian options were equally delightful. It was evident that they use high-quality ingredients and pay meticulous attention to detail in their cooking process.

What stood out to us was not just the quality of the food but also the presentation. Sitar Catering took the time to ensure that each dish was presented in a way that was visually appealing, enhancing the overall dining experience.

The staff were professional, courteous, and attentive, ensuring that all our guests were well taken care of. They were quick to replenish dishes when needed and made sure everything ran smoothly throughout the event.

We received numerous compliments from our guests about the food, with many highlighting it as one of the highlights of the event. Sitar Catering truly helped in making our event memorable with their amazing Desi food.

We highly recommend Sitar Catering to anyone looking to add authentic and delicious Desi flavors to their event. They have our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for their exceptional service and for bringing such delightful tastes to our...

My wife, a large circle of friends & I have been going to the Sitar Restaurant since it opened here, at its current location, for the past 18 years.

When it comes to Indian Cuisine we’ve eaten at many restaurants across the world — some excellent and some not so. The Sitar sits at the excellent end of this spectrum.

They’ve changed ownership in the last couple of years, but I’m pleased to say that the high standards of the previous owners and their chefs/staff continue. In fact most of the staff continue to work on under the new ownership of Faris & Benny who make you feel so very welcome as a customer from the minute you walk in the door.

One thing they’ve changed recently in their marketing is that they now offer an extensive and very high quality buffet for lunch & dinner 7 days a week. We think this is an excellent idea as it allows those who are not familiar with the cuisine to try a wide variety of different dishes which folks weren’t able to previously at a dinner setting when you are reliant on others sharing their dishes at the table with you and of course the inexperienced diner not really knowing what to order. Actually seeing the different dishes on the buffet certainly helps people choose better than just looking at a menu or relying on others descriptions of various dishes.

For the sheer variety of high quality dishes, competitive pricing & and warm & inviting staff and ambience I highly recommend that you give the Sitar a try. I don’t think you’ll be...