Shalimar Restaurant — Restaurant in San Luis Obispo

It all started on a cool spring day in Monterey County, where my dad had got to try Shalimar for the first time when somebody had brought it in to his workplace. As soon as it hit his taste buds, he was met with an explosion of flavor, the spices all coming together to make such a profound taste that he would proceed to tell the whole family about it, afterwards attempting to schedule a day to come to this establishment. On 1 April, 2024, that day would come. It was a half an hour drive down south to the sunny, vibrant town of San Luis Obispo, California. One minute, we were driving by the rocky Seven Sisters, the next, we were already in town on our way to try some authentic South Asian food, a rarity in this part of the state. We parked our car in the lot adjacent to the window, and proceeded to make our way into the restaurant. Upon arrival, the polite lady at the front asked how many people we had, and gave us an estimated wait time of 20 minutes. In the meantime, we proceeded to look at the many different forms of sea life in the aquarium, something that, with my sheer fascination with, would prevent me from paying attention to almost anything else. Next thing you know, in just about five minutes, a table had already been available for us, in which we were led to. Right across from the table, the buffet, with a plethora of mouth-watering options, was standing there deliciously right in front of our faces, waiting to be eaten by the next person in line. Ecstatically, I grab a plate from the dish table, and quickly advance my way through the line as I pick the choices that look as if it would make for the best experience, picking items both familiar and new. Biryani, tandoori, goat curry, masala, aloo gobi, with a steaming hot cup of milky chai. The employees had already provided us with a couple free pieces of naan, which meant there was no need for silverware (I have always enjoyed food that is meant to be eaten with your hands more, anyways). Tearing off a piece of naan so hot you could just barely touch it at first, the first thing I did was grab the goat curry and biryani, popping it straight into my mouth. It was at that moment that I felt something magical, and I could instantly see why my dad was so excited to introduce us to this location. I felt like I wanted to cry from how the food was, the experience I had in those five seconds can be described as the dictionary definition of BLISS. Although my experience with the goat curry and biryani was phenomenal, the tandoori chicken I had was unfortunately quite cold. Luckily, I had the masala right after, which was just as good as I thought it was going to be! I was also trying aloo gobi (a mix of potatoes and cauliflower) for the first time, and I am honored to call this place the one where I had my first aloo gobi, as I had a great experience with the one they made! The creamy, milky chai hit the spot. It is in a machine at the end of the buffet, along with some sugar to sweeten it to your liking. Although it was too hot for me to get past a couple of sips at the restaurant, I absolutely finished it on the way back home! After thoroughly enjoying myself for what was probably about 45-60 minutes at Shalimar, I proceeded to wash my hands as the food was being paid for (in which we found out that it was actually the owner of the restaurant that had brought it to my dad's workplace event in the first place), and we proceeded to make our way out of the restaurant, a restaurant who's food and smiley service I will never forget!

so basically what im trying to say is that this food was GASSSSSS...

COVID UPDATE: The buffet is still open and they’ve managed to do it in a way that is pretty safe. It’s still “buffet” style where you get to stuff your face to your hearts content, but the main difference is that they have staff serving you. You approach the buffet area and they set up a table in front as a barricade as well as plexiglass. The staff wear gloves and masks, and they help you load up your plate with whatever items you point at. It’s obviously not as convenient as it was but it’s a great compromise. There is patio seating outside with umbrellas and if you come early you can avoid the crowds.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Easy parking in a huge shopping center. Never any issues finding a spot even during their busy lunch rush Beautiful outdoor patio seating with colorful umbrellas that provide shade Indoor dining area is open, bright, spacious, and airy. Decor is very minimal but they use pops of color effectively Fresh naan is sooo goood! Unlimited for the buffet. They are thin, light, chewy with a crispy exterior! Buffet bar is small, but has a decent amount of offerings and a good variety for both vegetarians and meat eaters. I love the buffet because you can try a little bit of everything They also have a salad/dessert bar. I love the rice pudding and milk balls in rose water. SO GOOD. The fruit and salad is always fresh as well Tiki Masala, Saag paneer ALL DAY. Fantastic service that is really good about clearing dishes, refilling water, keeping the buffer station clean, and bringing out fresh naan upon request. Enjoy a nice, hot, sit-down meal with cloth napkins in a beautiful restaurant without the slow service. Great lunch spot if you're in a rush. You pay at the counter when you're done with your meal. Super fast and easy. Lots of office people come here for a fast lunch so it can get crowded and busy Great affordable price. Bang for your buck! Clean restrooms in the back.

Shalimar is also at the SLO...

Okay first of all, these people are not even part of the original Shalimar restaurant chain (San Francisco and Sacramento are the only ones). The owner claimed he's better than the one's in SF and Sac which is not true. These people should be sued for stealing another busniess's name and making their name look bad.

Now let's start on the food that we got. The naans that we got were not the fresh warm naans that you get from any other restaurant. The type of naan that you can eat by itself when its fresh and warm. But the naans that we got at this restaurant were more like the naans that you take home and then your mom freezes the left over naan and then a week later she takes out of freezer and sprinkles some water and warms it up with a little oil...yeah that's what their naans were like. We also ordered chicken tikka masala which was fair to me but my friend who was with me felt that the chicken was under cooked a little. We also ordered goat karahi. The meat was so dry that i almost threw up.

I was only visiting San luis Obispo and i was on the way home and decided to stop here. The restaurant was closing and we were the last customers they served. I couldn't go back and complain to the staff.

If you're visiting San luis Obispo please avoid this place at all costs. Its just not worth it. Its over priced and trash.

And if you're one of the staff or the owner of this restaurant, please consider taking yourself out to another indian restaurant some day so you can actually taste what real Indian food tastes like. This restaurant is located in a mostly white town. So most of the 4 or 5 star reviews written here are given by those people. People who are not indian and are not aware of the real indian taste. But if you look closely a lot of 1 star reviews are given by indians who know your food tastes...