Zareen's Palo Alto — Restaurant in Palo Alto

Overall 3.5 (Not a knock on the authenticity but the food didn't completely suite our taste buds).

The way the line is here, being constant from open till close, you'd think this is the only restaurant that serves Indian and Pakistan food in Palo Alto or near Palo Alto. We started waiting in line at 11:15 as they open at 11:30 on Sunday's. When we left at 1pm, the line was still out the door. The line was constantly out the door the entire time. Inside and outside was full. This tells you that those who can appreciate the flavors think this is authentic.

We thought it was just OK. We would not stand hours in line and wait for a table just to eat here. Despite this location being 2x as large as the Mountain View location, when the place gets packed and people are standing around waiting for a table, it does feel rushed.

Regarding the 10% dine in fee, it's still self service. You would need to get your own plates and utensils. The 10% is technically cheaper than the usual tip given as the food is brought to the table and someone does clear the plates and wipe down the tables afterwards.

We ordered the Chicken Botti Sizzler, Gola Kabab Sizzler, Chicken Tikka Masala ala carte, Beef stew, 3 kinds of Naan (reg, garlic and Jalapeno Cheese), Sheermal, Mango Lasi and 2x rice. A lot of food for around $85.

Chicken Botti: Chicken meat was tender but overall the dish tasted somewhat dry. The burnt pieces of chicken was bitter tasting. 7/10.

Gola Kabab: The beef tasted on the oily side. Although there are plenty of reviews that says this is not an oily dish, we felt it was a bit oily. The beef crumbled easily and has strong spice taste. Was okay overall but didn't suit our taste. 7/10

Chicken Tikka: Great dish, small pieces of tender chicken with a creamy masala sauce. This was our favorite by far and went well with the basmati rice and naan. Definitely order this one again. 9/10

Beef Stew (Sabri Nihari): This dish is only available on the weekend. It came in a large chunk, which requires us to break it down with two large spoons. It took some time to break down the beef. The beef was tender and a bit on the spicy side with the Jalapeno flavor. The brown sauce was another great dipper with the naan. The sauce itself was not spicy, but the beef was on the spicy side for those that think Jalapeno is spicy. 8/10

Naan: The garlic naan was the best, followed by the regular naan and then the Jalapeno cheese naan. The Jalapeno naan is again on the spicy side when eating the jalapeno. While the naan is large and a good size for one person, it is on the expensive side. A buck more for the garlic and two bucks more for the jalapeno and cheese. 9/10

Sheermal: Very tasty and a little on the sweet side. This is the first time I've had it. Ate this plane as is without needing to dip it in anything. Would definitely order again. 10/10.

Basmati rice: Nothing fancy, just tasted like plain basmati. No flavors of spices or saffron.

Mango Lasi: It's not cold, closer to room temp. It's pre-made by the counter in front of the register. There's no way to chill it down as the plastic water cups are small and no way to ice it down from their soda machine.

Free Chai: Despite the honor system of limiting to 3 tea cup size of Chai, it was actually more than enough. The hot chai was really good and obviously a popular drink as during the 1 and half hours we were there the container was filled up 3 times.

Our overall experience trying this out for the first time was just okay. We're not from the region and it seems to be very popular for those that may come from the region. Despite there being a farmer's market on California Ave, it was easy to find...

Well, our first try at Zareen's Palo Alto and cannot fathom why it took us so long to visit this restaurant!

We love Pakistani cuisine and can differentiate the subtle difference between this and North Indian Cuisine and prefer the Pakistani style, but still... Can only attribute the delay to destiny.

Still better late than never!

As always, we went full on when ordering and ordered in two lots. First, we ordered appetizers for eating at the patio dining itself

One Gola Kabob Sizzler ($13.99) - better half did enjoy the subtle flavors, while it was ok for me. Along with it, we got the Sheermal ($2.59) as recommended - again better half loved it but I found it slightly rich for my liking. We also got the Shami Kabab (3pcs for $9.99) - we both loved the flavors and the ultra- soft kabob and enjoyed it with both the Full Tandoori Naan ($2.59) and the Paratha ($3.79). Chicken Memoni Samosas (2pcs for $4.99)- Oh My God!! These were so heavenly that I can hardly describe them without salivating! We have decided that next time we will order a plate each rather than sharing. Diet be damned!

The serious find was also the Tandoori Naan....I can safely say, this is the best Tandoori Naan I have eaten outside of the Indian sub-continent. Looking for an excuse to order them again!

For the main meal (to-go) we ordered

Chicken Memoni Khausay ($15.99) Chicken Tikka Masala Meal ($11.59) Palak Methi Gosht a La Carte ($15.50) Piyaaz (onion) salad ($1.79)

We researched the Khausay a little before going and understood how it was to be plated and eaten and all I can say that this was an eye-opening mouthwatering delight! Half Pakistani, Half Burmese made in the kitchens of Memons from Gujarat in India who went to Pakistan for trade many decades ago, this bowl of magic brought completely new flavor profiles and tastes to our palettes. We were blown away! We will order this again!

One bite of the Chicken Tikka Masala (served with Saffron Rice and Chopped salad) and I knew this was a treat in itself! No overpowering spices, all subtle, not oily, or greasy and the chicken cooked perfectly. I swooned with every bite and loved it particularly with the Tandoor Naan! I have asked the better half to make sure to get another order for herself, henceforth, as I would not be sharing this dish as well, with her, in the future.

The Palak Methi Gosht too was incredible and if I had not ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, it would have easily been the star dish. Alas, I have developed a bias for the Chicken Tikka Masala prepared here. But I will order this separately in a heartbeat, it was that good!

Finally, the unassuming Piyaaz (Onion) salad - Homestyle salad with slivered red onions, lime, jalapeno, dusted with house-made chaat masala - perfect complement to all the dishes! Just be aware the Jalapeno can pack a bite!

Now about the service, we reached early but still had to wait long before we got the items that we ordered to eat at the patio, and the rest of the to-go order took even longer. But as they say, patience is rewarded, the meal is indeed worth waiting for.

Do not miss any opportunity to eat here and do not let the crowd deter you. Order keep Calm and patient and Manna from heaven will be brought to you (on a plate or as a to-go neatly packed...

Lack of service and horrible cleanliness make this a definite no-go. We had the same experience 1 year ago and it hasn't improved.

The tables are all a mess with bits of leftover food, and they're almost never cleaned before you sit down. I asked three times to have the table cleaned and only after asking the cleaner himself to clean it did he help us. The hostess just gave us a blank stare and half a nod and then ignored us.

You have to get all your own utensils, drinks (in a tiny cup) etc., and they're filthy. 3 out of the 7 spoons I pulled had leftover lentils or food on them, and not just a small amount! It looked like they came straight from the previous customer's plate. 2 of the 6 cups I pulled had noticeable leftover food in them. Imagine what we can't see at the microscopic level.

There is often nobody at the front desk and no sign to direct you, only a long line leading to the self order kiosk, so you can't ask any questions while being rushed by the massive line of people behind you.

Food took over 45 minutes to arrive as they seem to prioritize take-out orders over their in person customers. Nobody brought our mango lassi - apparently you just take one from the fridge if you paid for it. (How are we supposed to know that? There's no sign.) Also, the mango lassi was barely below room temperature, so I guess it was either just-made or the fridge doesn't work well.

Also, their phone number is only automated and nobody will answer. We couldn't call to verify if an item was sold out or not (we found out the hard way that it was indeed sold out).

Overall an overcrowded, stressful nightmare of an experience where you fend entirely for yourself. And they dare to ask for a tip by default on the kiosk! The food tastes...