Shalimar Restaurant

Great food, always fresh. have dined in, had delivery and had the lunch buffet. Never let down.

Favorite buffet in the Capital District. Food is always hot and they’re usually busy, so the turn over is great. Their Vegetable Korma is the best I’ve had anywhere. The Mango Chutney is so good, I could eat it with a spoon. Everything is fresh and you can tell. Limited seating, so good luck if you’re trying to eat-​in during lunch hours.
Parking is sometimes difficult. Black and White taxi, which is on the the same block, occupies 2 – 12 spots at any given time on Fulton Street. (Even the only handicapped spot on occasion…-_-)
Still, the food at Shalimar makes it worth it if you have to walk a few blocks from your parking spot.
Very nice staff, they make you feel like you’re a regular, even if it’s your first visit.
Bathroom is about a quarter mile from the dining room, so wear sneakers just in case you have to use the facilities.
They only play the same 4 songs, over and over. You can’t really tell, unless you’re paying attention.
Overall, my favorite restaurant ever.
Nice ambience, feels like eating in your living room.
Bonus points for tapestries and the giant hunks of ice in the sodas.
Comic book nerds randomly swoop in from Aquilonia across the street and devour all the naan, you’ve been warned.

Average place with value for money buffet. Don’t expect a great ambience. This is place for a quick bite and if you don’t want to dine

I do love me some Shrimp Makhani. I think it is my favorite dish to eat, so I eat it quite often. I have ordered it many times with Shalimar and usually it’s really good. I also like to eat it with Jalapeño Cheese Naan. But lately both items are hit or miss. The naan goes from mild to mouth on fire and the Makhani arrives a different color every time now and if you eat Indian on a regular basis you know why the different colors. The consistency has left the building and it’s a shame because it was really good. But now they leave me wondering what color my Makhani will be and wondering how hot the Naan will be this time too.
But they do deliver quite fast.

I decided to revisit Troy’s Shalimar buffet. I’m adding a star because they now include goat curry on their buffet.
It is delicious. However, they use bone-​on meat. This is something I prefer because it adds so much more flavor to the dish. However, they cut the pieces so small that you end up with just a nibble of meat on each bone. And shards of bone to pick out of your teeth. However, the spices the used to season the dish were delicious.
On this lunch outing they actually kept the naan and pakora stocked at all times. Usually they are always out and the dishes are not replenished during peak lunch hours. This time they delivered.
Where they did failed to deliver, again, was on the spices of all the other dishes. Most were bland, watery or overly creamy, and lacking flavor.
The chicken dishes were bone dry and stringy despite being doused in sauces. I’m almost certain they pre-​cook all their chicken meat, freeze it then which is then thawed and reheated which would explain the texture.
And one last complaint– although someone was walking around clearing plates, for some reason they never cleared a single plate off of our table. They cleared all the used pates off of all the tables around us except for the empty pates from our table. I’m not sure why. We all cleared our plates and stacked them at the end of the table.

Great food. Good size portions. Delivery is usually quick. I haven’t tried a dish in the menu that has disappointed me.

I’ve never been disappointed by Shalimar– the food is always excellent (and you get good sized portions– enough to take home for another meal!). Their lunch buffet is also a great deal. The waitstaff are friendly and helpful, I’ll definitely be returning.

It is a bit pricey and divey for pretty unremarkable indian food.

Not impressed. I went there for the 2^nd time today for the lunch buffet (only bc it’s in close proximity to work). The first time I went, some of the dishes on the buffet were empty and the food was just ok. Now, today I got my food and went back to the office only to find a VERY LARGE dead fly in my food. Ugh! I was so hungry I’m glad I really looked before I took a bite. I didn’t call to complain bc I had no time to run back and resolve it so I just dealt with it. I was disgusted though. The food is just ok here, not exciting just very run of the mill. I think the buffet is too expensive considering what they offer. There are like 5 dishes, just plain naan, and some sauces in the buffet. It cost me $ 8.63 total and I don’t think that’s worth it. Would definitely NOT recommend and I won’t be returning!

Very enjoyable meal, many vegetarian dishes on the menu. The four of us shared and enjoyed: the mixed appetizer plate with pakoras, samosa and pappadum, baigan bartha, aloo saag, chana masala and mattar paneer, with garlic naan and raita. I will be back to try the many other vegetarian dishes, it was all so good.
The price is very reasonable – all that food was about $ 50. The atmosphere is very casual, the restaurant is clean, but very basic in terms of furnishing and décor. The restroom is down a dark stairway and underground… I’d rather «hold it» than venture to use it again. Creeped me out a bit. It’s for that restroom and the very spartan décor that I gave Shalimar only 3 stars. The food deserved 4 or maybe even 5! I will go back, but will be sure to use the facilities beforehand!

First time eating here. I ordered the chicken Khorma… it took ½ hour to receive my food. Husband’s chicken came out first. then 5 minutes later he received his rice… and then my food showed up. The table next to us (who showed up after us) received there food right away, and all together. The food was good. hospitality tho, was not. I felt like they catered to men there. and that women are treated like second class citizens (possibly due to the culture, perhaps?) Welcome to america… when they brought our food (late) the waiter apologized only to my husband, saying «im sorry sir»… didnt say a word to me.

Both the food quality and the service have gone down since my last visit, therefore 2 starts off.
There were many selections, but the food was bland and flavorless. Whenever I go to Indian/​Pakistani buffet, if they serve my favorite Bund Gobi, I usually eat a lot, but I barely finished my first plate and didn’t go and get a second one. Even the Masala Chai was a little over sweetened.
The service was bad too. For the 30 minutes we were there, no one came to refill our water or take away our dirty plates.
Sorry Sharlimar, but I will not come back again.

Came here on a rainy Friday with a large group and the restaurant which we wanted to go was packed. This restaurant was actually empty and the décor was lacking, just a step up from a takeout joint. Was surprised to see quite a number of beef dishes on the menu.
Ordered beef patties as appetizer. It was soggy and mushy. The beef was grounded so fine that it felt like baby food.
Spinach with cheese (palak paneer) — not sure I like the butter taste
Chicken Tikka — surprised that it has no sauce. Large chunk of grilled marinated chicken and they were tendered and tasty, the best dish of the entire meal.
Chicken Tikka Masala — the sauce was sickingly red color and again too heavy with butter, chicken was not tendered.
Aloo gobi (cauliflower with potatoes) — tasted pretty good
Shrimp in curry — shrimp was pretty crispy and curry had a nice kick
Poori (puffy friend bread) — not the best I ever had
Naan — not crispy enough for me
Mango lassi — again sickly reddish color
Masala milk tea — will not order again
Rice — too dry and no seasoning
Will not be back!

I get wild cravings for Indian food so when I don’t feel like driving into Albany for Gandhi (the absolute best Indian restaurant in the area — I don’t know what that other guy is talking about; who cares if the bathroom is awkward?) I’ll hit up Shalimar. The food is OK, I just wish it were spicier and the meat can be a little dry. Other than that, they’re nice people and I think it’s sort of charming in its modesty and whatever it’s totally fine.

I’ve been walking past the inviting blue and green lights of Shalimar regularly for months now, but it’s taken me a while to eat enough meals there that I felt qualified to write a review. Here it is now:
The lunch buffet is pretty good. Not every dish is fantastic (although some are, particularly a lentil and spinach dish and the kheer or rice pudding), but it’s a good deal and the variety will leave you satisfied. I can’t recommend the evening menu. It’s on the pricey side for what you get and the food quality can be marginal. The people are nice, service is all right. Stick with the buffet, keep expectations in check and you’ll be fine.

I like to eat my words, particularly when it involves delicious Indian food. I had not been to Shalimar in probably 8 years and that was because the last time I was there it was gross. Really gross. But my gentlman friend suggested it and I was in the mood for Indian food so…
This time, it was delicious (except for the naan which was entirely unremarkable). I had my standard chicken vindaloo, which was made with mostly dark meat chicken. It was great and my only complaint about it was that the usual potatoes were absent. My gentleman friend had Punjabi Lamb (I think), which was also really good. I should knock them down to a 3 stars because the vegetable samosas were not made in-​house (frozen food section of the local halal grocer I suspect), but the dinners totally made up for it. I would also like so see them offer papadums and chutney upon being seated for no extra charge (that always wins brownie points in my book).
The décor is a little busted and the bathroom in the basement is downright scary, but all-​in-​all I was happy with my dinner and experience. Is it the best Indian food in the Capital Region? Not by a long shot. But it is decent and really close to my home.

Lunch Buffet is the best deal. For $ 8 you can you can eat all you want and sample new things. They usually have the most popular things from the menu and its always hot and replenished quite often. Everyone that works here are friendly and its one of the best Indian restaurants in the area.

I have to say that I am appalled by the owners cavalier attitude towards his buffet and his loyal customers. If I’d have known he was such a jerk, I’d have stopped going here a long time ago.
The buffet is $ 6.99, You expect there to be FOOD in the buffet trays when you walk in and sit down.
There have been times in the past where I’ve had to ask for a certain dish to be refilled because it’s completely empty. A customer shouldn’t have to ask for a buffet item to be refilled. It’s a buffet for gods sake! There’s supposed to be food in the trays… not just a little rice and some cold nan bread.
Today we went in for the buffet at 1 PM (it ends at 2:30pm). The tables were roughly ¼ full. It wasn’t busy.
We go up to the buffet and notice there’s no entrees! Well, OK there was one… there was tandori chicken that had obviously been sitting there for hours… all dried out.
I asked the waitress to refill the tikki marsala and she passed that on to the owner. My friend swears he heard the owner say though the curtain that divides the kitchen and the dining area… «let them wait».
The owner came out 5 minutes later and stirred the empty buffet trays again (why does he keep stirring empty trays?). I asked him about the tikki marsala and he said it would be «a long while». I said. «a long while?!»
After about 15 minutes of absolutely no food coming out of the kitchen we walk to the register to cash out. My friend doesn’t want to to ask for a discount but I do. If he wants to pay full price for dry rice and old, dry tandori chicken, that’s his choice.
I ask for a discount and the waitress calls in the manager/​owner. He’s the old, Indian guy with the glasses, a perpetually filthy apron and the Tom Selleck mustache. He comes over and I politely ask for a discount because there’s no entrees available and hasn’t been since we came in 20 minutes ago. He gets all belligerent with me and starts yelling. He’s creating a scene in his restaurant. I guess he assumes that I’ll back down and just pay if he yells really loud and causes a scene.
He says that it’s our fault because we didn’t check to see if there was any food in the trays BEFORE sitting down and ordering drinks! I swear to god he said that. We’re supposed to make sure a buffet has food before we sit down and order drinks?! Are you kidding me?! It’s a buffet! It’s supposed to have food all the time!!! LOL!!!
When he refuses even a small discount, I refuse to pay at all. He threatens to call the police and I tell him to go ahead. I’m sure the cops will come and see that there’s no food and side with me.
He won’t call the cops but continues to yell louder and louder… until finally the restaurant is dead quiet and everyone is focused on our conversation.
I offer to show him that there’s no food but he won’t budge. He says no discount and I can’t leave without paying full price OR he’ll call the cops. But, he won’t really call the cops because he knows I’m right.
Eventually, my extremely non-​confrontational S/​O insists on paying for both our «lunches» on his credit card and we leave. I tell the rude belligerent unappreciative owner that we’re never coming back again and he just lost 2 good customers. As we’re walking toward the door, he yells that if I’m going to cry about $ 6.99 he doesn’t want our business anyway.
I didn’t even mention the hideous bathroom they have at the Shalimar. Using the bathroom is a scary experience. You have to walk down to the basement through a storage area and look for the bathroom. If you’re lucky enough to find it without help, you’ll be astounded at how filthy it is. Yuck. If you do go to the shalimar in troy, avoid the bathroom at all costs.
I would not recommend patronizing the shalimar because the owner is such a belligerent, rude and unappreciative person, the bathroom is scary and the food is non-​existent.

Avoid. Go to ANY other Indian restaurant in the area, except Gandhi.
It depends on your point of view. Would you rather have a terrifying bathroom experience from food poisoning (Gandhi) or because it’s like a haunted Halloween experience (Shalimar)* ?
I’ve been here a couple of times, both for the buffet and for dinner. The buffet is the better deal, but prices have jumped. It’s just what I refer to as ‘McIndian’ — the food will fill you up, but it’s below average.
The last time for dinner was just awful, though. Service was amazingly sloppy and rude and the food was pretty bad. The place is dingy and dirty and I just don’t enjoy eating here.
Hop across the street to First Choice Jamaican Restaurant instead if you’re on Fulton — now THAT is a good, soulful and delicious place to eat.
* (Seriously, the bathroom is in the scary, dimly lit basement. Watch out you don’t get eaten by a grue or something…)

Eh.
It’s a buffet. There were some things that were pretty good. Some things that were adequate. Some things that were lousy/​scary.
Pretty Good: Cabbage Dish — Chaat
Adequate: Chicken Tikka — Peas
Lousy/​Scary: Rice Pudding — Tandoori Chicken
It would have been nice if the naan were replenished more frequently. If you are in the mood for Indian buffet, it scratches the itch. Glad I went, because I was in the mood for overeating comforting Indian goo.
But really otherwise, I’d rather go to Oliver’s a few doors down.