Shalimar Restaurant — Restaurant in Sacramento

This is certainly the best Pakistani/Indian/Halal restaurant in Sacramento. Me and my wife are both foodies. We have pretty much gone to every Paki/Indian restaurant in the valley and can confidently say that no restaurant comes even close. We also have gone to numerous restaurants/carts in Pakistan and this comes as close to authentic Pakistani food as it comes. The Food: The best thing about this restaurant is food (why else would anyone go there, anyways?). Some of the Dishes that are our favorite: Karahi Chicken: This dish is fantastic. The chicken is tender and odorless (a big deal in Pakistani foods), the masala/gravy is neither too spicy nor too bland, and there is enough for your nann. Judging by the dish, I can say that they marinate the meat for a while because the flavor of the dish and masala goes right through the meat. Korma: This is another great dish. The meatballs are tender and odorless (marinated, for sure). Lots of gravy for your naan. It has all the right ingredients in balance (garlic, onions, ginger etc.)There are numerous vegetation dishes. Probably the best is Alu-Palak (Potato-Spinach). It is tasty with balanced ingredients. Must have for foodies. The food is fresh and high quality. One of the best ways to see if the food was good is to bring it home and eat it the next day. If the dish has not gone bad in taste, you know then that the ingredients were fresh and most likely not frozen prior to cooking. (Try that with other restaurant dishes and you will know what I mean.) Lastly, they make the freshest naan in the valley. It is not soggy like the ones in the grocery stores. They also have alu-naan (potato naan). Customer Service: The customer service is very relaxed and casual. The restaurant is a hybrid of in-restaurant eating and take out. You have to order the food at the counter instead of someone coming to the table. There is no barrier between the kitchen and seating, which is a new tradition in places like Pakistan where the customers like to see what kind of food is being cooked and if the cooks are not taking care of their food. The crowd that gathers there is also casual and multiethnic. There are people from all over the world there. Mostly families but also lots of guys grabbing a bite after work. Don’t expect a quiet place for a romantic dinner inside. However, you can sit outside by the fountain and have a really good time with your significant other. Overall, I really like going there. Sometimes when I am lazy and want a take out, I order over the phone. The food takes 15-20 minutes to make. When I get there, it is freshly made. Also, in this restaurant, no tip is expected since it is self service. Best Pakistani food out...

Today, December 1 me and my son visited Shalimar restaurant in Sacramento. I’ve been going to this location for so many years. I personally know the owners but today when we went, we ordered one chicken thicker breast beef kebab., And as usual, we like Chicken kofta And when the food was served first I looked at naan And I called the gentleman who took an order I said what happened to your naan Not the usual ones he said oh, we don’t make them in tandoori Anyone we have this oven be used, so I said OK now I tasted Chicken kofta that taste awful so I called him again I said what’s going on you guys are not getting the same Shalimar food he said now we use our own recipes, so I said, what do you mean by you use your own recipes, just to let you know in the past they used to go to Fremont location and pick up all the food from there and they will serve you over here, only Fresh food item was the barbecue, which they will make it in that restaurant, but all the salan Items were picking up from the Fremont location so now they must have some of dispute So I asked the owner. He said it was a hassle for us to go all the way to Fremont but you were doing that for last so many years personally, I would not go in Sacramento location because you’re paying for the food which was taste Good just to let people know that they are not part of the original Shalimar restaurant anymore. Please do not...

My family and I embarked on a day trip from the Bay Area to Sacramento during Ramadan and decided to stop by Shalimar for a to-go meal on our way back. Our anticipation for delicious Pakistani cuisine heightened our excitement, despite the slightly higher-than-expected prices.

We ordered a variety of dishes including naan, taigas, chicken tikka masala, malai chicken, seekh kebabs, Sindhi chicken baryani, and daal. Despite the empty restaurant, our food took around 20 minutes to prepare, which we understood since it was made fresh for us.

Upon reaching home and breaking our fast, I eagerly dove into the chicken tikka masala and Sindhi chicken baryani. While the chicken tikka masala was flavorful albeit a bit oily, the baryani was a letdown. The rice lacked the authentic aroma and tasted more like white rice mixed with curry, leading to disappointment.

However, the rest of the meal, including the naan, seekh kebabs, and daal, were decent, earning them a fair rating of 6 out of 10.

Despite the shortcomings in some dishes, the overall experience at Shalimar offered glimpses of authentic Pakistani flavors. While a 3-star rating may seem generous, I believe there's room for improvement to match the expectations of discerning food...