San Jose > Pakistani

The Yummiest Pakistani in San Jose

Rasoi

Rasoi

★★★★☆ 4.2 (747) • $$

G M. "This review is for Axol / Axel. He is the manager this sunday evening. Long story short I wasn't able to attend the dinner but still wanted to take care of the bill. He was able to provide a solution and took care of the party. Much appreciated. The party said he very accommodating and nice. Great service will always keep the guests coming back."

Indian Lounges
Mirchi Cafe

Mirchi Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (726) • $$

Lisa K. "Recent discovery of this fusion Halal spot thanks to my Pakistani Sista from another Motha.. Love it! I was told this place is very popular in her community and I can taste why. I ordered the crispy chicken burger with madrasa fries and it was absolutely delicious. Not only was the coating crispy, the chicken inside was juicy and well seasoned, not oily. The fries were "meaty" & had a good kick to it with their house wing sauce. But you must enjoy it fresh, best at dine in. My friend had the Sheezan Club with regular fries. Its one of her regular favs. We sat and talked from open to close, service was attentive enough that my friends chai was refilled multiple times at ask. Easy to wave down wait staff when needed. Minimal Décor. The restaurant was steadily busy and seemed like everyone knew each other. Very friendly atmosphere. Inside seating behind small doorway feels a lot cooler than outside. Perhaps there's AC in the back? I was feeling a bit warm/stuffy at one point as I was seated in main dining area. Not a big bother though as the food was good. Parking is plenty. Restaurant is in the last space all the way down the driveway. Can easily miss the driveway to plaza if not paying full attention."

Asian Fusion Halal

Popular Pakistani Dishes

Chicken Tikka

Chicken Tikka

boneless chicken breat cubes marinated in ginger, garlic, herbs & spices

$18.00

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Punjabi Chicken Burger

Punjabi Chicken Burger

Ground chicken patty mixed with onions, green chilies and Mirchi masala. Served in a locally crafted bun with lettuce, tomato and onion, mayo and ketchup.

$15.99

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Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

Chicken thigh marinated in gravy with cashews, coconut and spices.

$15.99

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

King of curries! Boneless chicken marinated in blend of fresh herbs, baked over charcoal, then cooked in creamy sauce.

$15.49

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Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken

Choice of breast or leg, marinated in homemade yogurt, sea salt, freshly ground spices, and lemon juice. Baked in a clay oven. Gluten-free.

$7.99

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken cooked with tikka masala sauce. Mild.

$10.99

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Boneless chicken tandoori barbecued in a clay oven, then cooked in a very special curry sauce with selected herbs, and spices.

$12.99

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

A typical north Indian home-style boneless breast meat in a mild creamy sauce blended with selected herbs and spices.

$13.99

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Nihari

Nihari

A very special traditional boneless beef curry.

$14.99

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Chicken Samosa

Chicken Samosa

Pastry filled with in-house ground chicken mixed with fresh herbs and spices.

$6.00

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Moon Indian Cuisine

Moon Indian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.9 (754) • $$

Tommy P. "My favorite place to order Indian food in the east bay!Customer service here is quick and seamless --They are really hospitable and quick to refill glasses of water. Very attentive and ready to add any additions and make suggestions if you want to try new things. Only positive things to say about their customer service.Butter chicken is a must, but the goat curry is perfection --Butter chicken here does not miss. Has perfect balance of spices and ghee. Pair it with garlic naan and that's already a fire meal.Also ordered goat curry and lamb vindaloo. Not a fan of the potatoes but there was not much. The meat portions are always really high.EACH dish comes with rice but keep in mind, it's a lot of rice. THE wings are a must try too. So much flavor and affordable.Overall, well worth the visit. This place also has a plethora of desserts ready to buy too!"

Indian Seafood
Lados

Lados

★★★★☆ 4.2 (571) • $$

Janet H. "Such a beautiful hole in the wall place that you wouldn't know was sitting in a residential neighborhood of Sunnyvale. The outdoor area is super cute and very nice for a warm fall night dinner. We came here on a Sunday night and it was fairly busy.I've heard great things about the fried chicken here and we had to come back with our friends to spread the joy! Definitely get the chicken tikka masala, it was 9/10, with very juicy and tender pieces of chicken.Your order at the counter and seating is open. We would definitely come back with more friends!"

Halal Indian
Noori - San Bruno

Noori - San Bruno

★★★★☆ 3.8 (668) • $$

Thee M. "Noori was such an enjoyable experience thank you so much to Max the owner and Prachi! I loved how the spice level that is broken down on the lower right hand side of the menu. Level 2 was very spicy and as a well versed spice woman I wouldn't want to go higher. Overall, great food that is very authentic and fresh. Try the goat cheese naan. Side note: the event space is great so ask for a tour if you are looking to host a party."

Indian Halal
Naan -N- Curry

Naan -N- Curry

★★★★☆ 3.8 (512) • $

Margaret W. "I am no expert but I love the Chicken Leg tandoori and curry from here. My husband and I shared the combo and ordered an extra naan plus a Palak Paneer. Servings are generous. We didn't finish the PP and didn't even touch the extra naan. It's located inside the mall food court. It was super busy and loud- but the workers move fast to clean up after diners."

Indian Halal
Bismillah Restaurant

Bismillah Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (280) • $

Victor G. "Bismillah is next to a theatre. Been here for years. Small Pakistan eatery with a large menu: curries, specials, vegetables, desserts, sides, drinks, rice &Biryanis, tandoori BBQ, wraps & rolls..Ordered at counter, pd, got food in 10ish minutes.Sips: chai (comped) self serve at counter.Bites: beef nihari (13.99) slow cooked beef shank, stew like. boneless tender pieces of semi-fatty beef in a sauce with ginger, jalepeno, onions, cilantro, sauce slight spicy with chili oil bubbles.Beef in stewed in nihari masada: bay leafs, fennel seeds, tumeric, cumin, red chilies, salt, coriander, black cumin & Kashmiri chili, cinnamon, clovesNaan (2.05) was the puffy round kind with air pockets within. Very easy to soak up sauces..Michigan celebrates January as Muslim American Heritage Month."

Indian
Shan Restaurant - Santa Clara

Shan Restaurant - Santa Clara

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (346) • $$

Domenica R. "Lunch time with coworker Claudia was a new experience with SHAN Indian & Pakistani Cuisine. We like it a lot and it was spicy my favorite way to eat my food (spicy). We tried out Chicken Biryani, Chicken Curry Korma and Garlic Naan and everything was super delicious. Nice Customer Service and place with nice seat colors. I recommend this place and I will definitely come back."

Indian Halal

Recent Reviews for Pakistani Restaurants

Remy G.

★★★☆☆

Feb 21, 2025


PROS:- The flavor was savory throughout all dishes.- Decent ventilation throughout the restaurant.CONS:- The service was very slow even though staff was running around. We sat for over 30 minutes after our meal was over just waiting for staff to bring us boxes and the check. If they could increase staff, I would bump my experience to a solid 4 stars.FAVORITES: - Tandoori mix was the star of the show. The clay roasted flavor was evident through all of the meats, which were all very tender!TIPS:- Be patient on the weekends. Service can be slow due to the crowds.- The tikka masala had a slightly unusual grittiness to it. It is unexpected and an acquired taste.OVERALL:- Food was delicious and savory but service was slow. Would go back again to try.

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Riz C.

★★★★★

Feb 8, 2025


The food is as awesome as ever moreover after praying salah. Thankyou for having a room for salah, appreciate it a lot. May Allah give more barakah in your business coz you guys provide good food for the body & soul.

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Rajneel P.

★★★★★

Jan 31, 2025


Great food, good service, very clean restaurant. I do takeaways from this place every now and then. The owner of this place is a wonderful person, always smilling. Highly recommend other to go here and experience their great food and service.

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Shira L.

★★★★☆

Jan 23, 2025


First impression when we pulled up-what have we gotten ourselves into? You pull off the 6 lane city street and into a neighborhood and suddenlyYou are pulling into a gravel lots with abandoned cars and a food truck. You walk toward the small building with no windows feeling as though you must have made an error inputting the address, since it looks like you might walk into a dive bar. Rest assured you are in the right place. As we walked in, taking the place in, it is true the business has made improvements on the interior to update the restaurant. It's a long and skinny building with a counter in the center breaking up the seating area and the kitchen. The staff was extremely friendly and patient as we scanned the menu and appeared willing to answer any questions. As I am not wildly familiar with Pakistani food, admittedly I wish I could decipher a few of the words on the menu better. Some things I was not 100% sure if they were a meat or vegetarian-and I really wanted meat, so I ended up going with something recognizable-tikka masala, platter version. It was fantastic. One of my coworkers did the same, and the other got a wrap. The coworker that got the wrap said it was just okay. It looked like chicken tenders and shredded cheddar cheese in a tortilla. He said it was "just okay". The tikka masala was delightful, a great texture on the sauce, great rice, and the bread served with it was fantastic. The reason I took off a star is the overall location, the open-ness to the kitchen led to the dining area becoming very smoky and I left with my hair and uniform stinking like barbecue which was frustrating. I think closing off the kitchen would be more appropriate if they are cooking with charcoal as the menu suggests. I hope they can afford to add some windows for ventilation and update the aging restrooms as time goes on. The concept of this restaurant has major potential. Consider adding more photos or explanation to the menu for folks to explore(although my lack of cultural knowledge is not their problem, but I do feel people would branch out more on the menu if they could picture was was coming). Additionally there was a fancy ice/water machine with wet cups on the counter for use, but the machine was completely dead and no signage causing probably every customer who wanted water to attempt to use it, become frustrated, until theirs eyes stumbled upon a stainless water fill off to the side of the counter. Silverware has staining showing its age-the knives especially. Felt like less than sanitary that all silverware was low on the counter for anyone to grab/contaminate. Thanks Lados!

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Michael W.

★★★★★

May 27, 2024


Amazing dining experience at Noori. I have frequented the older location across the street, the new location is more spacious with pizza on the menu too. Owner is very friendly and made my mother's birthday dinner extra special for her with several surprises, including cheesecake in the disco! go give them a try you will most likely be happily impressed

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Alli W.

★★★★☆

Jun 1, 2024


The food here is more than what you'd expect from a food court shop: fresh and piping hot, delicious, and fairly cheap.But PLEASE double check your orders!! The guy forgot to add my mango lassi in my bag and I only noticed that because I decided to sit and eat in the food court.

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Steven E.

★★★★☆

Feb 14, 2025


When we show up in the city with the Golden Gate, at least one meal is with friends Hannah and Faiza. The last time we chose a dud so this time it's on them. 100% Faiza "You'll like the name, love the food!" She was right. The Chicken Karahi was wonderful as was the Magaz; be sure to eat this with their Rogani Naan. Truly outstanding. I've never had Chicken Kofta, so I tried Faiza's and was thinking of stealing the rest. Great stuff. The spices are just right, the chicken wasn't all dried out and fatty. Pro Tip: If you enjoy lentils, order the Daal Masala. The way they temper and season is a winner.Once I figured out parking was in the rear, no brainier. Plenty of spots. I've gotten used to the self service thing. Tipping is a bit complicated and a major source of argument (that I try to avoid). But their assistant was really nice and answered everyone's questions. Even helped guide us through the menu. Even though we brought our own experts along. 02/25

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Carolen M.

★★★★☆

Nov 16, 2024


I don't know how I've never been here, maybe I have and it's been a while, but recently came here with a friend to try out their Pakistani food. I was the newbie here and my friend has frequented this place a lot so I leaned on him for recommendations. In short, this is comfort food full of flavor though it might take a little time to get your food, it's all made fresh!L O C A T I O NOff of El Camino Real (I know that's not really descriptive as El Camino is VERY long) and Lawrence Expressway (now we're getting closer), in a shopping area with a Big Lots and 24 Hour Fitness. The plaza is called Lawrence Expressway Plaza. Lots of parking so easy to find one near the entrance.I N S I D E Fairly cozy with booths to sit in. There's also a few outdoor tables for seating if you'd want to eat al fresco. They have a water and tea station which is nice as well as serve your own plates and utensils.M E N UFairly extensive with Tandoori dishes, curries, vegetarian faire, biryanis, naans, wraps...my head was dizzy from all the choices. But I went with the recommended Bangen Bhartha, Chicken Biryani, and a plain naan.~ Bangen Bhartha ~The description: a unique blend of eggplant, tomatoes, onions, cream and spices. And indeed it was. You can taste that they grilled the veggies which reminded me of a Filipino grilled eggplant dish. I love a good grilled eggplant and this went great with the plain naan we had.~ Chicken Biryani ~The description: Tender pieces of chicken cooked with basmati rice and spice flavoured sauce garnished with raita. That raita though....man I saved what I had after I finished that dish and used it on other food I had in the house. I love a yogurt sauce. It also complimented well with the chicken biryani. Again full of flavor but beware of stray chicken bones and hard pieces when chewing the rice. It is a bone in chicken that they cook which helps with the flavor of the dish not so much for your teeth. Also complimented well with the bangen bhartha.~ Plain Naan ~The naan was plain and I had to have the plain one as much as I'd love the garlic one as I do have garlic sensitivities. But it was crisp, chewy, sizeable and complimented our eggplant dish well.S E R V I C EBasically you order at the front, they give you a number. You sit down, they bring you the food, you get all your utensils and plates and drinks. Very bare bones in terms of service but kind of what I expected. Food did take some time but again I think that's due to them freshly cooking everything which can take some time. Then afterwards, you bring up your number and pay. Easily paid by credit card. O V E R A L LIt was delicious. I would definitely come back to get everything I had again but I would probably venture into their tandooris or wraps to try it out. The menu's very extensive so grab a friend or two to be able to try out more stuff!

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Tandoori-n-Curry

Tandoori-n-Curry

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (296) • $$

Ismail S. "I've tried butter chickens and chicken tikka masalas in a wide variety of Bay area restaurants, and I most admit this one was a lot better that I expected. The food came out piping hot. The butter chicken I got smelled so good i couldn't wait to have a few bites. The sauce was actually spice and creamy while the chicken was really tender. The use of black cardamom is a tell tale sign of good masala and it was there. The rice was fresh and fragrant as well. Server was a cool guy behind the counter. Nothing crazy. And the atmosphere was whatever, just a regular set up. This spot is right next to the oh so popular pakwan so it definitely doesn't get as busy, but I kind of prefer the butter chicken here as it's spicier and more tender. Definitely try this place but eat the food at the restaurant as out is such a different experience when it's fresh out the kitchen."

Indian Halal
Lahori Restaurant

Lahori Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (186) • $$

Rimi K. "Great location. Great quality food. Kulfi.Thicccc RaithaHot fresh naanChicken Tikka MasalaKabobSaucesChaiOrder at the kiosk.Spacious dining area.Perfect for lunchtime."

New Tandoori Cafe

New Tandoori Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (40)

Daniel D. "Got the weekday sampler and tried 3 items I've never had before. All three items tasted great. Bit spicy, but I like spicy. Couple of issues, apparently the place is supposed to be Pakistani and not Indian. Which brings me to the second issue... the chicken dishes were served bone-in. Most curry places I've ever been to do boneless, maybe that's a clueless America thing?? I ended up getting small shards of bone in my first couple bites.Good new is that the owner was EXTREMELY friendly and accommodating. Apparently most dishes are available boneless if you request it. She remade the chicken offering and even gave me some free Naan as an apology when I took the rest to go.If they tighten up the plating and clarify the bone-in/less issue a little clearer in the future, this place should be around for a while.I'll be back for sure, hopefully to update my review to 5 stars."

Halal Indian
Lahori Restaurant

Lahori Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (15)

Hamza A. "Had their lahori chanay, bbq chicken leg, naan, and goat curry. Everything tasted amazing and authentic and I will definitely be coming back here again!"

Cosmic Cuisine Halal

Cosmic Cuisine Halal

★★★★★ 5 (3)

Omair R. "This was our first time here. Called to check and found a very nice person on the other side. He even told us where to park (25 S. 3rd Street; first 90 min free.)Order biryani, chapli kabob + chicken tandoori masala. Biryani was great. Even though it was spicy for my 5-year-old she ate it claiming that it was too tasty to leave. Chapli kabob and chicken masala were good and as expected. Overall the taste and serving size was good and the service from the person made it great. I would definitely go back again!"

Halal Mediterranean
Gulzaar Halal Restaurant & Catering

Gulzaar Halal Restaurant & Catering

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

Eugy H. "A true gem -- amazing flavors, good hospitality/service, and great prices. We got the aloo gobi, fried eggplant, chapli kebab, and chicken samosa. Aloo gobi: 8.5/10 delicious, flavorful, loved the chunks of cauliflower. Fried Eggplant: 10/10 super "meaty", unique, easily my new favorite dish. Chapli kebab: 8.25/10 I don't usually like meat dishes but this one tasted great. Would get again. Chicken samosa: 9/10 different from the samosas that I'm used to, but in a good way. Filled with super crumbly, flavorful chicken. Accompanied by a sweet, tart sauce.The staff was also super friendly, made us feel very welcome and checked in regularly to see how we were enjoying the food. Would 1000% come back to try the other dishes."

Middle Eastern
Kabab and Curry's

Kabab and Curry's

★★★★☆ 3.6 • $$

Jeff M. ""Funny nam'e,Top notch gam'e."One of K&C's Michelin Bib Gourmand plaques on the wall says it best -- you come here for the food. Not the service, which can be brusque even if you're a regular. Not the ambience, which is non-existant. You come here for the excellent home style food. Standouts include butter chicken with a hint of BBQ sauce flavour. Tandoori chicken with char to die for. And dum biryani that, excuse the cliché, probably really might be the best in the Bay (get the goat). Kabab and Curry's is the aloof kid / neighbour / coworker who, despite their faults, is just too damn good at what they do to be ignored. You come here for the food. True score: 9.1 / 10. Return: YES"

Indian Halal
Zareen's

Zareen's

★★★★☆ 4.4 • $$

Enne Mae G. "Came here between lunch and dinner for a small group (5 people), and the entire experience was wonderful! From prices, to quality and taste, to location - I'm gonna be back at Zareen's. It's pretty laid back where you order at the register, take a number, and staff bring out your food. You self-service water, cutlery, and condiments. They have a lovely outdoor area that has abundant seating and is covered. Though my party each ordered their own entrees, we shared a couple sides. Here's everything I ate: Chicken boti thaliVegetarian samosaGarlic naan Mango lassi Not many restaurants can compete with Zareen's price and quality! The chicken boti thali was enough to feed me and my partner (brought him the leftovers). The samosa was the largest samosa I've ever seen - and the filling was delicious and stuffed.If I can't convince you to try this place, maybe just go on California Ave and you'll be drawn by the delicious enticing smells as you draw near Zareen's. If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will hahaha."

Indian Halal
Shalimar Restaurant

Shalimar Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 • $$

Jeanette S. "I've been coming to Shalimar for years and years. I love this spot - it was my first foray into Indian food when I was young. Anyway, the food is solid. I order Doordash/Uber Eats from here often. My favorite is just the butter chicken or mutton."

Indian
Pakwan Restaurant

Pakwan Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 • $$

Eric A. "I've always heard this place was good and first time in 4 years living in Fremont I decided to try it.What we ordered: chicken tikka masala curry, butter chicken curry, lamb curry, garlic naan, rice and chai.Food was pretty delicious and I'd definitely be coming again.I was wondering why this place has such a low rating and after reading the reviews, I realized people complaining about food options, service and place itself. Yes, it's not a super fancy place and maybe there is a lack in something, but for its level - definitely deserves 5 stars."

Indian