Shalimar Restaurant & Sweet Center
“Their Bihari Kabab is really good.”
“Although the lamb chops had mostly bone, since it was a buffet you could grab as much as you want, which is exactly what I did.”
“For those looking for rice, I would recommend the chicken biryani, which has very nice flavor, mixed with soft chicken meat.”
Shalimar Restaurant & Sweet Center
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I had the opportunity of stopping by Iselin, NJ and it was a whole new experience for me. I will most definitely have to make correlations between east coast's Iselin, NJ and west coast's Artesia, CA.
First off, finding a place like Shalimar on Pioneer Blvd is extremely tough. Pioneer is dominated by south asian vegetarian cuisine. However, to make the situation extremely confusing, there are about 4-5 different Shalimars on the same street. I didn't know which one was which, and which one to pick from.
So after tossing a coin, and deciding to eat at this particular location, we ordered our food. It came out really quick, but this was probably because we were the only people in the restaurant. That doesn't matter though, because the kabobs were amazing. For about $10 you get 4 beef kabobs that probably weigh in at about 2 lbs. We also ordered butter chicken, which was also pretty good.
Obviously my dad and I couldn't finish everything, so we had to pack it up. Even after microwaving it up the next day we really enjoyed it. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. Its not exactly cheap at around $9/person, but I must confess that it is worth every penny if you don't mind eating leftovers.
Reliable excellent food!! Service is always courteous. Sure, the place's ambience is not much to speak of .. The price range and food more than make up for what it lacks.
This place is a carnivore's dream. My family and I have been coming here for the past 15 years and we've seen it through multiple expansions and makeovers, but the quality of the food has remained quite stable. They make the best naans that I've ever had here. Each one is like a little carby pillow smothered in ghee. Their biriyani is also phenomenal and the standard by which I judge all other biriyanis. They get the consistency of the rice juuuust right every time. The goat korma also has excellent flavor, but is not overwhelmingly spicy. Their shish kabobs are also always juicy and perfectly spice and often made to order. Last, but not least, there are the lamb chops. The cuts are not shaped like your typical chops, but that hardly matters once you've taken a bite. Tender. Juicy. Spicy with just a touch more of ghee than needed and made to order fresh. All the food you get here are very reasonably priced with generous portions. The only complaint I have is that the service is abyssmally slow, so it is essential to order at least 45 min in advance, especially if you want any made to order items.
We have eaten at this place several times, mainly lunch buffets. Food is pretty good quality and variety at the buffet is just right – not too many dishes and not too few. The main item I like best is their seekh kebabs, not the ones in buffet but the ones you can order a la carte. Chicken cheese kebab and lamb kebab are made fresh. 4 to 4.5 stars for kebabs definitely. Today I got their goat biryani packed for the first time. Quite tasty and handsome quantity.
Where do I start, Shalimar were the first ones to give me my taste of Home, back when I first came to this country its been 8 years since and they never seem to have failed me once.
Reason for that, they keep it simple and straight forward everything they cook is with "Shan" masala and ALL the recipes come straight from the back of the pack, really you can cook the exact same food by simply following the instructions but thats the beauty of Shalimar's ideology "Don't Fix What Ain't Broken" or better yet "Why Reinvent The Wheel" and that's the reason why no matter which Shalimar you visit (there's about 3-4 of them in and around) the food quality and taste is ALWAYS consistent.
On a side note I'd steer away from the sweets they are good but not the best.
Shalimar is definitely a hole in the wall place. I came here a week after going to Moghul, which was a legit sit down Indian restaurant buffet. But Shalimar is a place you walk in to grab a quick bite, grab some desert, or you can meander to the back for wonderful buffet, but served with plastic plates and plastic utensils.
Well it was worth it, let me tell you. The goat was phenomenal, the naan was fresh, the desert selection was ample, and there were plenty of non spicy foods for my colleagues who needed something sans spice.
The buffet was eclectic, there were some items that were not Indian (lo mein?), but all around good. Some items were a bit off, i.e. the Samosa, but I was overall happy.
Papri chaat, samosas, kabobs, naan, nihari, and jalaybees. You will never be disappointed with the food at this Shalimar location. Just order it, sit, and enjoy. They renovated the restaurant some time ago so it's really nice inside. Don't bring Bae here, cuz the aunties talk. And they got cameras on their phones. Perfect for fam bam and friends.
Parking sucks because it's Edison and it's Oak Tree Rd fam. But come here. You won't regret it.
1. Order at the counter. $6 for vegetable dishes, $9 for chicken dishes – goat/lamb a bit more expensive. Naan and rice sold separately.
2. Get a number stand
3. Grab a seat
4. Wait for the food to come to your table
5. After you eat, pay at the register.
I got the chicken jalfrezi – really spicy! moist & tender chicken that fell off the bones. Yummmy!
& saag paneer – (spinach & cottage cheese) a bit too salty for my liking