Pakwan Restaurant
501 O`Farrell St, San Francisco, CA, 94102
Pakwan Restaurant Menu
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Address :
501 O`Farrell St
San Francisco, CA, 94102 - Phone (415) 776-0160
- Website https://www.pakwanrestaurant.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
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MJ P.
CARDAMOM SEED OR COCKROACH? YOU DECIDE My heart is breaking. It really feels like I just broke up with someone I truly loved. It wasn't the cockroach in my samosas that ended my relationship with Pakwan tonight, it was being called a complete idiot by the delivery person/manager(?). Oh sure, he chose different words but in essence he said I ride the short bus. Here's how the break-up went down: After feverishly devouring one samosa in my dimly lit kitchen (lesson 1: do not eat take-out in dimly lit areas) I moved to the living room to start on the second. The light from the t.v. grew brighter during a commercial break and cast its glow on the soggy cardboard box that held my remaining samosa...a familiar shape was distinguished in the illumination - it looked like a small cockroach. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me so I went back to the kitchen and threw on the light - it was a cockroach, not too big - a teenager I would guess. It was about an inch long and met its fate earlier than most of its kind, yet how could one go out more gloriously than in a pair of Pakwan samosas? Nay! Not possible. Like any surprised and moderately disgusted customer, wondering if I had perhaps already consumed one of the intruders' friends, I called the restaurant to say that despite being a regular patron, on this occasion there was a cockroach in my food, that I was throwing it all out, so please do not charge me for it. I was told by a woman that the delivery driver would call me back. (This is where my assumption of the delivery driver being the managers arises). The phone call I soon received, not the cockroach, is why I will never again solicit the deliciously spicy Chicken Makhanwala from Pakwan. A man called me, said he just delivered the food and asked what happened. I told him I often called the restaurant, he said "I know - I deliver to your house" and I said that there was a cockroach in my samosas this time. He said "Oh, no, no - it's a spice. It's a cardamom seed." As shocked as I was to hear not an apology but that I was in fact retarded, not being able to tell an herb from a living critter, I said "Sir, it's a cockroach - I'm looking at it, it's not a cardamom seed." He was then impelled to tell me that I didn't know what cardamom looked like, that many people think they see a bug in their food but that it's just cardamom. He laughed. I said, "Sir, it has legs. I can see it's antennas." After already having told me about 3 times that it wasn't a cockroach, he then told me he didn't want to argue about what it was or wasn't. (Lesson 2: Your meal can get worse than finding a cockroach in it, no really, it can) I begged him to come back to my apartment and pick up the food. I told him I wanted him to see it since he was telling me that I didn't know what I was looking at. He told me he wasn't near my house and asked me if I wanted a credit. The difficult thing is that I'm a reasonable person - I understand that restaurants are places that keep large amounts of food and from time to time they will have issues with little critters wanting to get at that food, but being a reasonable person, I simply wanted an apology and an offer to correct the issue. What I got was insulted and argued with and I had to tell the gentleman that I wouldn't be calling them anymore. I went so far as to tell him that I had considered it a one-off incident but that with him insulting my intelligence, as if I couldn't identify a cockroach, I would no longer be giving them my business. This is a sad day. I understand that there is little "service" left in the food industry, we are supposed to be happy just to get the food we order, never mind expect it to be hot or bug-free, but to have a manager argue with me (a repeat customer who has recommended their place countless times!) as if I were stupid is just too low. In summation I must say that although the food at Pakwan is amazing - it just doesn't compensate for poor service or flat out insults. Adieu Pakwan! Parting is such sweet sorrow...I hope that someone on the staff endeavors to enroll in "Customer Service 101" and seeks to entreat future customers with more respect than I was given. As the Kluminator says, "I'm sorry, you are out". If anyone has a good recipe for Chicken Makhanwala, send it my way - I will be making my own from here on out.
(1)Laurel B.
Oh, sure, the decor's not great. And I agree: it's kind of bordering on dive-y. (Kind of?) And I'm a Shalimar fan for sure. But when one is leaving Bourbon & Branch, there it is, in full glory, directly across the street. And when I'm leaving Bourbon & Branch, I generally am starving. (See, I think any cocktail hour is improved by a little something something (just a little) (like tuna tartar), and there is no food at Bourbon & Branch, which I appreciate because the focus is on the menu of cocktails, but still I'm always starving. Would it kill them to have one delicious thing?) So last night, I emerged at 9, and -- figuring the s.o. would greet me with even greater delight if I came home with dinner -- hit Pakwan. So glad. And while Indian/Pakistani food doesn't travel well generally, chicken tikka masala does fine. The lamb chops tandoori? Not so much, but that was my fault. I know better. 15 minutes travel time plus 15 minutes wait-for-S.O.-to-come-home-from-work time = things keep cooking. So if you're taking it out, stick with the sauce-y stuff (and eat the naan on the way home because that doesn't travel perfectly either) (though 15 minutes is okay, 30 not so much). All in all, a fine finale to Bourbon & Branch.
(4)Sumeet S.
this is one of those restaurants where you definitely cannot rely on the average star rating that yelp provides. if you are very familiar with indian restaurants, cuisine and styles, then pakwan is an absolute diamond in the rough. pakwan is a pakistani bbq restaurant. all their meats are marinated and roasted in the traditional tandoor style-- even the ones you get in curries. i have never tasted a more authentic tandoor flavor in indian meats in america. I would thus, highly recommend all the meat dishes, particularly their lamb biriyani. even their naan is beyond anything i have ever had. it has an excellent aroma and tandoor flavor to it. most indian restaurants offer tandoori style, but its usually not very authentic. these places are generally tailored towards people who don't know indian food too too well. i don't think pakwan is a place where one can expect to be properly introduced to indian/pakistani cuisine. it is for those who have had indian food in america, and indian food in india millions of times. its for those who are tired of the standard fare and are ready for some real authentic flavors. lastly i saw a couple people cry about the service. to me, service is about expectations. i dont expect to go into a fast food joint and expect fine dining style service. neither should one go into this place and expect the finest table service... esp when you are paying $1 for the best naan in san francisco.
(5)rupa b.
This wins the award for the worst food and dirtiest Indian/Pakistani restaurant in SF. Too bad really that this place has gone so far downhill after a recent management change. To be completely honest the food was edible (and the tandoori (bone-on) chicken and daal were actually very good) but the stickiness of the floors and tables (and general dirty/greasy nature of the place) not only made it difficult to enjoy the mediocre food, but is causing nightmares days later! Seriously, I don't think the tables or windows have been cleaned in months, if not longer! The food tastes very different (less tasty, but more oily) from our last visit about a year ago, and the service is a lot less friendly as well. I guess this is what happens when there is a regime change, huh?
(1)Jessica P.
This restaurant has some of the better Indian/Pakistani food in the City. As far as Pakistani food goes, I would have to say it is one of the best because it is not as greasy as some of the others in the neighborhood (e.g. Shalimar and Chutney's). The Tandoori Fish here is is amazing! So is the Baingan Bharta. Pakwan has some of the best vegetable biryani, which is often an after thought (as chicken biryani is far more popular). It seems like other reviewers down-graded their review just because of the bathroom and downstairs area. I would agree that it is a little scary down there and I avoid the area. I do wish they would clean the place up just a little. That said, compared to some of the restaurants I have been to in India, this place is pretty clean! A great alternative is to order your food to go! They even deliver.
(4)Jon L.
My new favorite dish here must be the Nihari. Nihari would be a "Last Supper" dish for me. It brings tears to my eyes to think of how delicious this food item is. Their Naan (I'm a fan of the plain regular naan) is always fluffy and perfect coming out of the clay oven. Garbanzo bean dish, samosas, and spinach with goat cheese make me a believer that food without meat can be delicious. I am known to make the 90 mile drive all the way out to San Francisco just for Pakwan. Finding parking isnt always easy and the neighborhood isnt the greatest, but I'd travel miles and miles just to come here.
(5)Magda G.
I order my food and within 20 minutes I had it in from of my door. Staff was friendly. Chicken tikka masala was delicious, fresh and not too spicy. Eggplant was finger licking as well.
(5)David C.
I have been coming here for yers, but never wrote a review. You owe it to yourself to try Pakwan. My partner and I just finished some terrific fish curry, and a great Bengan Bhathra! Delicious, good portions and the price is a deal.
(5)Sam N.
Apart from the star reducing effort of dodging human poo and pee along the sidewalk and fending off the peddlers who "help" you parallel park, the food side of the experience is great. I had the chicken acha ($5.50) a delightful, spicy, dark sauced concoction. Also shared (family style) some eggplant in a tomato base and fried fish feathered with onions along with wonderfully crisped garlic naan. Interestingly enough, the cashier/short order cook tries to class the joint up by handing you a plastic order number, but never leaves the confines of his deep frying ensconcement. Instead, he motions you over to you to pick your stuff up. Ah, service with a grunt, gotta love it.
(4)Sarah W.
Open late, really friendly service, delicious food, and a huge portion for the price. The guy who took my order knew which items on the menu were vegan. I had the channa masala with rice and thoroughly enjoyed it. Conveniently located near the City Center Hostel, this place is going to be one of my staple dining experiences when I'm in town.
(5)Rene M.
I love the food though I agree the ambiance is not the best. The neighborhood is not the best but neither are we talking about the hood. Chicken tikka masala along with the naan are the best and keeps me coming back over and over. The place does get crowded but the table turnover is fairly quick so not much of an issue finding a table.
(4)Sofya G.
If you're on a budget and craving Indian food, eat here! I got chicken tikka masala, rice, and garlic nann for 6.99..during dinner hours! The taste of the curry and naan were forgettable but the rice was yummy. The cashier was kinda unfriendly..but it was worth it for the amount of food I got for so little cash. Don't worry about the area, cmon you live in San Francisco! I'll be back when I'm low on cash.
(3)Ren P.
Pakwan doesn't just cure my hunger, it fulfills a Need. When I first walked into the O'Farrell Street location, I was convinced that this was a two-guys-and-a-kitchen outfit. I was amazed to find that they're not only part of a chain but have a nice website. They have none of the polish or gloss, numbly mechanical feel, or dumbed-down food of most multiple-location eateries. They've instead perfected the art of delivering crave-worthy Indian and Pakistani food with a minimum of overhead. No middlemen (read: servers) get between me and the guys with access to the big pots of food. I place my order and pay at the counter. There'll be a short wait for my food, and I make myself useful: grab a plate, glass, a few beat-up utensils, and napkins from the shelf next to the counter and dispense whatever drink I've paid for into the glass (no one else will do it for me). Find a seat - they're all the same: simple kitchen chairs pushed under tables that are no more than four legs supporting a (mostly) horizontal surface. Embellishment is unnecessary to function. Listen and watch for my food to appear on the counter. (It's a small place, and the perfectly-visible kitchen nearly dominates - it gives Pakwan an immediate feel.) I usually identify my food by sight and a nod from the guy behind the counter - I've only understood his shout-out a couple of times. When I begin eating, it's always the same - there's a rush as I realize just how good this food is. The heretofore unknown depth of my hunger makes itself known as it becomes apparent that this is fare to satisfy, not just take the edge off. It tastes so good on the tongue that we always end up ordering a second round, and it usually includes the Saag Daal. We eat until there's nothing left, push ourselves back from the table, and then work out a most pleasant food coma with a long and leisurely walk ...
(4)Mike F.
The food is delicious, and cheap! I particularly recommend the eggplant + spinach dish. The garlic naan and rice pudding were also good, both costing $2. Portions are very filling - two dishes, plus naan, can feed two very hungry men. The food is a bit greasy, though, so go to Sultan's down the street if you want something healthier. The atmosphere is that of a dingy hole-in-the-wall you'd expect to see in the 'Loin, and you have to walk past the usual Tenderloin street flotsam to get there. Pack the pepper spray before getting curry here, girls. Even though I'm fond of this place, I'm rating it 2 stars because it gave me the runs.
(2)Cameron K.
This place is the ugly stepsister to the legendary Mission outlet. The food is still tasty, prices right, and a great place to take friends from out of town for a little exotic excitement. (If not on your plate than outside the windows.)
(4)Lisa T.
Stick with the meat -- the tandoori lamb chops are succulent! -- but avoid the uninspiring vegetables.
(3)Tommy P.
I'm gonna have to agree with the general consensus here in that while the food is pretty good, the general uncleanliness coupled with the staff's indifference to it is a huge turnoff. If that weren't bad enough the folks that run the place tend to have generally bad attitudes. You can do much better up the street at Lahore.
(2)Clarice V.
Brace yourselves people - I just came back from Lunch in Pakwan. There was a baby cockroach in my basmati rice - with little antennas and all. I wish I brought my camera with me - I could have shared with you all the culinary razzmatazz that was basmati-cockrochi. I wasn't trippin' over the experience until I started thinking about it a few minutes ago. Ugh!
(1)Rahul P.
Greasy, smelly, dirty and the taste is inconsistent. I dined here last year and returned to this place last week. The veg biryani had a minty taste and the mirch saalan was nowhere close to what I had the first time. The good thing about this place is the price. Its really cheap but i guess its good to visit after a long night of drinking, :)
(2)Calvin N.
B O M B. this is some seriously good food. Best tandoori chicken I've had. I'd never had tandoori lambchops before but they were awesome. Their naan was very good with an equal balance of crisp and moistness. Their biryani is on the drier side (and I'm not sure if this is the way it's supposed to be) but is good in it's own right. Everything we had, went well with beer. I would suggest Pakwan if you are going there for flavor explosion and pretty much nothing else. Face it, zero stars for atmosphere, location, staff, diet friendlyness or anything else one could qualify as 'dining experience' factors. 4 stars for the food. Booya.
(4)Chitz G.
Love this place! Cheap, quick, no fuss and very very delicious food! I am an Indian and can confirm this is one of the best places to eat North Indian food at if you don't mind the ambiance and/or location. It is in the heart of Tenderloin with a lot of weird characters around. The decor is very ordinary. But the food makes up for all this. They have free unlimited tea ('chai'), so I always start with that while waiting for my meal. The wait btw is always very short. My favorite dishes to order are Goat curry, Bhuna Ghost (Lamb) and Chicken Achar. All of these are prepared with just the right spice every time (we always order medium spicy) and are priced at less than $9. In vegetarian, dal is decent. But Baigan Bhartha is my favorite. One more thing, always ask for specials. Sometimes they have fish curry or keema, which are prepared really well. All in all a meal for 2 people - 2 entrees, one rice, two naans, onion salad (free), chai (free) comes out to be approx $21 and you will be full! And you will be out in less than 40 minutes! Definitely worth a try :) You'll go back for sure!
(4)Robert T.
I was disappointed. I ordered alot of food hoping to have some for the next couple meals. While the prices are very good, unfortunately, the veg. curry was kind of a mush, the daal sag had little spinach and quickly turned pasty, and the biryani was just clumped rice without too much flavor or many vegetables. Service is efficient and attentive and the location is clean, well lit and nicely, if sparsely decorated. the main reason I ended up at Pakwan is that they take credit cards; most restaurants in the area are cash only. I remember Pakwan being better and can't say I won't give it a try another time.
(2)W l.
love this place. Used to go to Chutney alot, but switch to this one when a friend recommend it. Good portion of food, 3 people order chicken masala, chicken curry, and chicken biriyani with 4 naan is about $30. Taste great, most of the time, it's not that busy inside but they do have a lot of to go orders. It's remodeled may be 2-3 years ago, it's clean. they used to have the lunch combo for $7, now it's $10. I ordered entry instead of the big round dish. anyway, still cheap good eat.
(5)Michael W.
Fast, great indian food. Definitely love this place and after the renovation, it is a much friendlier environment. A great place to fill up before walking across the street to your Bourbon and Branch reservation.
(5)chizzy t.
love this place, i make it in about once a week and its consistently great! You can always B.Y.O.B too.
(4)Manuel H.
I hate to have to do this but I would not be able to sleep well if I wasn't completely honest. I've been eating here for the last 10 yrs and for the most part it is my favorite Indian/Pakistani restaurant in the Tenderloin. I've put up with the bare, minimal decor, the impassive, surliness of the male owner, and the general slapdash nature of its cleanliness. But tonight as we went to the counter to pick up our food, a baby cockroach crawled onto the top of our plate and into our chicken tikka masala. The female worker appeared a bit uneasy but simply took our food and put it onto a new plate. She never offered to prepare new food for us, comp us, or appear at all concerned regarding customer service. I won't be going back, but the health department will.....
(1)Ray R.
we came here on a day that they had $1 lunch via a livingsocial deal. the place is old and it's in a semi-seedy area but the food is definitely good. it's pretty cheap and you have all the old standards. chicken tikka was a little too spicy for my tastes but the naan...oh the naan was thee best! the only thing i didnt like was that the people that actually ate there got a bigger portion than those of us that got it to god!
(4)Sasitorn O.
My bf and I already tried on Mission and TL. I would say they both have an awesome foods but at TL might not look fancy. Should try, 1. Garlic Nan 2. Chicken Tikka Masala 3.Saag Paneer 4. Chicken Biryani
(4)U K.
me and 5 of my girl friends stopped in for some tea. the staff was so sweet they gave it to us on the house! and the tea was good :) next time i will stop by for dinner!
(5)Peter L.
Located in the middle of a busy street in the Mission District. Very lively and tons of bar around, great place to grab a cheap bite. Very similar to Naan-n-Curry but food taste much better. Not the cleanest, friendliest place but for the price you are paying, can't ask for much. You will get full with less than $10. No bar but you can buy drinks at a liquor store across the street and drink at the outdoor tables.
(3)J. L.
I'm not sure why there are so many bad reviews? I love this place. They recently renovated & it looks great! It appears to be clean, unlike some reviewers say, but anyway, on to the food. We've ordered tikka masala, paneer, chicken boti, lamb boti, kabobs, naan & garlic naan.. it's all good. We've ordered both take out & in restaurant, the quality & portions are the same. Only once, right after their remodel, we ordered in the restaurant and they seemed to have skimped on the portions. The staff is nice & the food is delicious... I daresay better than Shalimar and Chutney down the street. I'll come here again & again!
(5)Marivic D.
Like all great things in life, you can't judge a book by it's cover! So don't pass up on Pakwan and it's shady surroundings. I LOVE this place. I went to college in SF and my friends and I would go here once a week. Great prices for the portions you receive. I was literally a starving artist and my friends and I would go here for lunch and it would curb our hunger for those long days. Since then, I visit this place once a year and the owner still remembers me as if it was yesterday. This is the type of place that you just keep wanting to go back to. I ignore the fact that it's not the cleanest looking place and that the bathroom scares me. But the food will take you to a place where you ignore what's around you. Actually that's how it is for me, but I remember taking my sister there once at 2 pm and while we were eating, we looked outside, and low and behold... your neighborhood prostitutes were out on duty. I thought it was funny but my sister on the other hand was freaked out. hahahaha... sorry complete tangent. Anyways... From my first visit, I ordered a Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan, and it's the best! The Chicken Tikka is so soft, juicy as opposed to the dry meat that I find just about everywhere. The naan is bigger than my face, and trust me, I've got a large head so one naan might be good enough for two! Hahaha... I really love eating here, and you will too if you give it a chance. It's a steal for the quality of food and the price!
(5)Jason M.
Pakwan has the best naan of any of the Indian restaurants in this area (there area at least 4). Their curries are good, but not as good as Chutney across the street. Tandoori items are also good, perhaps as good as Shalimar (perhaps). Service is usually pretty quick, and they do take credit card without any hassle. Dining room is bare bones, but has huge windows overlooking a very "colorful" street corner". Some days the tea is okay - other days it is absolutely undrinkable - not sure why so inconsistent.
(4)Rosa P.
I eat here all the time because the food is delicious and cheap. I almost stopped coming a while ago because the place had gotten dirty and the manager was kind of creepy. Thankfully, new managment has taken over and cleaned the place up. They even improved on the food (which was already pretty damn delicious). The new manager is such a nice guy who always makes sure we are enjoying our food. It's always a great place to count on for great food at a way affordable price. My favorites - dal, nan, mixed vegetables, eggplant
(4)Sally C.
It's a good thing their food tastes so good, because these dudes are horribly rude. One night it took OVER TWO HOURS for my delivery order to arrive. When I called to check on it, I was very polite but the guy on the phone couldn't care less and practically hung up on me. Several times when the delivered food has arrived, it's busted open, spilling all over, the paper bag is soaked through and dripping onto the floor. If they're so hateful on the phone, I can't help but think that there's also going to be spit in my food...
(2)Hen A.
evening in track...circling, circling and circling....situation lookin' grim....circumnavigation of city block...in search of parking....sign of hope....realizing passenger loading only 'til 11pm...drats~@!@!!!.....continuation and finally finding refuge...tenderloin the intended journey...8:30pm meeting with pakwan.....on approach to location....familiar beats of punjabi style music...crowded and no seating...ordering at counter and hopes to find seating before meals shot out.....run to the liquor store for 24oz. coorslight...fitting byob beverage for meal....perfect timing for seating on return..... shooting of plates...finding immediate feast....finding lamb biryani excellent...overfilling meal for one....sharing best for mountain of flavorful rice....vegetable biryani equally good and seasoned well....chicken tandoori moist and flavorful...working around bones...consuming thigh 'n' leg....order of lamb and potato in curry spices....excellent spreading over rice.....cooling yogurt to balance out spices....sip of beer helpful....extremely filling meal for three...drink of complimentary milk tea to end a good meal...costing $forty three total....knowingly over ordered, but fine meal had.....typically $ten per person costs....
(4)Liz K.
Just returned from lunch at Pakwan with a bunch of co-workers. The food was SOOO good. I loved the chicken tandoori with lime squeezed over it. Also, the chicken tikka masala was tasty. The curry from the chicken tikka masala was delicious when soaked up with naan. Yum. My co-workers and I also shared the chicken biryani and it was also good, but I prefer the plain basmati rice. The restaurant is like your typical indian hole-in-the-wall. No fancy schmancy tables or joyful ambiance. Plus the restaurant is in the Tenderloin, so that either adds culture or distaste. You choose. I just read a previous writer's review about a cockroach found in the biryani...ughhh...that makes my tummy curl with yucky-ness. (if such a word exists.) My review was based on my experience of the restaurant and I will return. However, after reading about the other writer's experience, I looked up the restaurant on the San Francisco Health Department Rating site and they got a 98. Check it out for yourself. dphwww.sfdph.org/eh/Viol…
(3)Nini D.
This place is a good place to get food delivered- but beware: sometimes they take a long time to get food to you. I think they only have one delivery guy and depending on how busy they are the delivery times will vary. The food is generally good- I have got take out from here many times and there was one time that the food was "off" ( i think it was a different chef) but usually its pretty consistent. My favorites are: Chicken Acha, Dhal and Tandoori Chicken. Their food is a little on the greasier side, but I think that's the way with any Indian place around here. I am just glad that they deliver, for sometimes I really crave some spicy curries when I am lazy to cook it myself!
(3)David M.
One of my favorite spots in the city. Great food, and super flavorful. The Pakwan in the TL takes debit, which makes it exponentially better than the one on the Mission.
(5)Archie G.
I love and hate this place. No need to describe the neighborhood--the Tenderloin is a war zone. That's not my problem with Pakwan. My problem is that most of the dishes are very tasty (among the few succulent tandoori chickens in town and the naans are almost seared to popping delicious), but I question the hygiene. Once my friends and I found a certain "bug" in our saag and another time one was swaying its antennae on the wooden counter. I can't help returning because I think it serves the best tasting Pakistani/Indian food in the neighborhood. I give it 2 stars for hygiene in the hope the management will get the message--please.
(2)Harrison A.
Though Pakwan has some generally solid prices and a generous lunch special where you get a pile of food for 5 bucks, the flavor just isn't happening for them. With so many excellent Indian restaraunts in town, a place has to offer me more than just affordability to make me want to come back. And Pakwan really doesn't offer anything else aside from large portions of blandness. Well, that and the entertainment that comes from watching the constant crackhead shuffle that's going on across the street at the Gazeebo smoke shop. With so many good & cheap eating options in the TL, several Indian joints within a few blocks that all outshine it, and a large number of cleanliness & health inspection horror stories, there's just no reason to subject yourself to a lunch or dinner that can be had much better somewhere else.
(1)Matt P.
This was the final straw for me. For an eleven dollar plate, you'd think i would get a thank you, but I receive the worst attitude ever. Rude, rude, rude, every time I am there. My roommate has had the same problem. Save your money and head to Lahore a block away, where your money will not only buy you a nice meal, but a GD smile too!!
(1)E W.
Been here over a dozen times over the past 3 years. One of the few Indian/Pakistan restaurants I keep going back to. They been pretty consistent in their food and quality. A few of my favorites are vegetable byrani, chicken curry, chicken marsala, all of their nan breads, tandori chicken and kabobs. Parking may be a challenge especially on the weekends. The area is a bit challenged but not dangerous. The food makes it worth the trip.
(4)Gil S.
Gringy, grimy, nasty nucky. Classic cheap Indian dishes in the SF tradition of order at the counter, sit at the table. Like Shalimar nearby, minus the decor. And because it's half a block farther into the heart the Tenderloin, more things you would rather not see going on outside the door. Overall, a tasty bite of Indian / Pakistani comfort food at a nice price.
(3)Simika K.
Chicken makhanwala, achari ghosht, 2 naans and 2 sodas...all for $23! A really great value. I wasn't too wowed by the chicken dish, but the achari ghosht (lamb) was really good. Would probably come back if am in the neighbourhood, and in the mood for Pakistani/Indian food.
(3)randy k.
I left sf 2 years ago for NYC and have not found a place that is as good. Yummmm yummmmm
(5)Vilas P.
Great naan, the chicken is always amazing, and the service (by the guy named Danyaal or Daniel) was great, he's a cool dude. This is most likely the most authentic of all Indian / Pakistani restaurants in the entire Tenderloin area, highly reccommended. A+
(5)annie l.
we used to order the sag paneer here, but then we discovered the tikka masala, a pungent, creamy orange-colored curry that we haven't since been able to stop ordering. it's a little embarrassing, but yes, we now order the tikka masala at least once a week if not several times a week. bonus: the spicy, savory garlic naan. pakwan is located on the fringe of the truly sketchy part of the tenderloin. once we went to pick up our order and decided to entertain ourselves by driving around the surrounding blocks. we happened upon a body being taken out of a building with a plastic bag over the head. i found out later that there had been a stabbing in a low-rent hotel. as the sirens blared and the police lights flashed, we quickly drove back up the hill to pick up our tikka masala. but kudos to this plucky eatery for turning its questionable location into a boon by taking advantage of the lax downtown zoning and staying open far later than other san francisco restaurants. if you're up late writing code, you will find in this restaurant a refreshing alternative to yet another round of pizza. delivery is really what pakwan does best, and this is the reason we keep the place on speed dial. this restaurant consistently delivers in a timely manner, except when we forget to leave our cellphones on and miss the delivery guy (oops, sorry).
(5)Joyce B.
i actually thought this place i sbetter than the one in the mission. had the spicy chicken and garlic naan. chicken was very well done.
(4)Todd C.
Fantastic food, totally disinterested service. The food here is truly fantastic. Been here twice; first time loved the Bengan Bartha-eggplant was cooked beautifully. Quite spicy...had my gringo self reaching for liquid refreshment frequently. However, and I don't complain much about service, but the man at the counter barely even took my order. The second time, my Saag Paneer was even better, if possible. The na'an was excellent and I also tried the Mango Lassi-mangoes blended with yogurt as the drink. It was the perfect counterpoint to the piquant (though not especially spicy) Saag Paneer. However this time my food was left on the counter and I glanced at it out of the corner of my eye but wasn't sure it was mine. And it's not as though the staff was overwhelmed with customers at the time. I didn't feel comfortable asking about the food right away but finally I did. Again, this is a minor quibble and it won't stop me from going back because, well, the food is that damn good and very reasonably priced, but I must admit, the two times I've been there, both times it hasn't been busy and both times the gentlemen taking my order barely even did that.
(5)Teressa C.
Tasty and fresh. Get the samosas, and make sure you put the red sauce on them! Seems to be pretty legit as well, as far as Indian food in the TL. Simple and small location, but pleasantly quiet enough. (added another star because... what was I thinking in the first place?? This place is SO freaking good! The more Indian food I eat, the more I realize few compare to this goodness...)
(4)L L.
This place is terrible, look at the bathroom and into the kitchen and tell me if you want to eat here. I don't like cashiers taking money and then turning around to cook your Naan (dirty hands) There are so many other palces that are better and are cheaper.
(2)John A.
Fantastic flavors, quick and inexpensive chicken boti is to die for!
(4)pablo e.
Pakwan is my go-to delivery spot. the food gets five stars (for the price) as does their large delivery area. The eggplant and the chicken tikka masala are a must. I've been a loyal customer for going on five years and I have actually never eaten at the restaurant. I was a pick-up customer for the first two and a half years, then they started their delivery service. I'm not sure why, but every time I call I fear that they'll tell me they no longer deliver (I would be devastated!)
(5)Staci M.
I am thrilled that I inadvertently passed Lahore and ended up trying Pakwan. I'm also glad that Golden Era was closed for lunch, because I would have ended up there as well had it been open. But instead, I ended up at Pakwan and it was really good. When I saw it, I thought, ooh, this may be authentic. It totally reminded me of the cafes in the town where I lived in the middle of India. I had to ask what the special outside was all about- it's not advertised on the menu. The woman behind the counter told the guy to tell me and he did: "chicken, lamb or (something), rice, yogurt, bread (I have a classic white girl look to me), and lentils or egglplant." I asked the sauce, he said masala. I ordered the chicken with eggplant. The chicken was a chicken masala and was VERY good. The naan was fluffy with a little tandoor burn to the bottom. The subzi was delicious. I'm sure the dal is good too. Everything was served on a traditional metal plate. And the portions were HUGE. I tried to stop scarfing and slow myself down. Everything was so good. And I got to take half of it back to work with me. And it was so cheap! All of that for $6.50. It's a walk from work but I will definitely come back for more and even pay more for the prawns masala or lamb vindaloo. It's still a bargain.
(4)Daniel W.
I just came from lunch at Pakwan and was thoroughly disappointed. Beyond the fact that the spicing of the curries was totally off (too much turmeric + cardamom seed = a sweetness to my eggplant which was totally unwelcome), but the whole place was just so dirty. I generally like exposed kitchens, but this one actually made me lose my appetite; kind of like a scene from that movie Seven. Even the plates upon which our meals were served had those gross, soaking-with-pot-and-pan-oil-yet-not-properly-Âwashed-afterward black smudge marks. Damn, even now I'm getting shivers of revulsion; was it extreme hunger or the $20 that I spent that made me stick it out? With so many good Indo-Pak restaurants nearby, please do not make the same mistake that I made. Edited 21 December, 2006 OK, I gave Pakwan another shot a few days ago and, really, it wasn't that ad. Yes, the kitchen area is scary, but I've seen just as bad at "high-end" places. Also, I suppose that they were just having a really bad day or going through a rough patch because, on my second visit, everything tasted fine. I'm glad Pakwan has it together and I'm glad that I gave them a second chance. Interior is depressing still; go for carry-out.
(3)Amanda S.
dude- it is what it is. super cheap, darn good indian food. it's not the fanciest joint, but hey- this is good indian eating. in san diego this stuff would be $15+ a plate. a bonus is the people watching out the windows. remember, we're in the tenderloin, folks.
(5)timothy h.
Had friends over for dinner tonight, and we ordered delivery, I would have given more stars, the food was really good, but this place is really skimpy on the meat they put in their curries.
(3)nick t.
CHEAP EATS!!! I am giving it fives stars for being a cheap eats place. I have been visiting Pakwan for over 10 years. All dishes here are flavorful and hot. Do not expect service, as you have to pick up utensils and drinks yourself. The naans and basmanti rice is always hot and fresh. Atmosphere wise, it is a hole-in-the-wall place in the Tenderloin district. The only thing tender in the Tenderloin district, is the curry Lamb at Pakwan.
(5)Mikey P.
This was the blandest food I've had in a while. The naan is the fluffy bland wonderbread of naans. I ordered their special Pakwan Style Bengan Bhartha, which was blander than any normal Bengan Bhartha I've had elsewhere. The service was passable for the most part other than the shoulder shrug I got when I told them the tea was empty.
(2)Josh M.
They fell off. I used to love this place, now I get agonizing stomach aches. Did I go at the wrong time? I hesitate to give 1 star because of the memories, but that would be fair.
(2)Matthew H.
Mixed Review? My Tikka Masala was undeniably great. Not just great in a "better than good" sense - but more like the Muhammad Ali of cheap Tikka Masalas type of great. Unfortunately, the Aloo Palak was mediocre in my opinion, as was the Naan. However, the Tikka Masala alone earned this place repeated visits.
(3)Marc M.
I had high hopes of eating here only because of the Thai joint that's on the same corner [taste by osmosis maybe?] but was soon let down. My wife and I had potato nan that was undercooked and the food was just so-so. Sultan was definitely much better.
(2)Rise G.
So-so Indian food. The menu was impressive but the food was just ok. The wait time for the food isn't too bad either; we ordered to go.
(3)Don T.
Another Indo-Pak diner... this place worked so well for all our real estate jaunts when we were staying in the Union Square area. Drab decor, plates may not be the cleanest, but the food is great (plenty of veggie choices), fast, and the naan is perfect. Something about the griminess, location, and kitchen noises are appealing... it makes it more exotic, unpretentious, or maybe that's just fight-or-flight response and my white blood cells warming up. Good if not stunning place to eat and reset your perspective after circuiting Union Square.
(4)Cilla T.
If you love to eat FANTASTIC food while watching a live urban drama, this is the corner of SF you want. Much more authentic-tasting than the Naan n Curry chain, with fluffier, bready naan if that's your thing. The folks taking your orders are busy and tough, but are terrific if you are nice to them (kinda like life everywhere, right?) The chicken tikka masala with rice is heavenly with the golden onions laced throughout. My mouth is beginning to fill with drool just remembering. The bathrooms reminded me of third world countries and are only appropriate for gnomes and hobbits. I've witnessed crack dealt down the corner and prostitutes in every direction but c'mon - it's the TL. So, if you are at all non-street, don't come here. Parking is available readily if you dare; I've never had issues. Shalimar up the street is more crowded, more expensive, less tasty, but probably "safer" (pussies). Oh yeah, and stupid BMW-driving loser (likely john) who yelled at the counter guy about missing some food and making a huge scene about it - I agree with him: we *don't* want your type.
(4)Mimi T.
Update: 11/5 Ordered Delivery from them again tonight and one..the food showed up in poor packaging..The potato nan was not even wrapped in tin foil..just sitting naked in the paper bag along with other grease spilled plated...what peeved me off was that over the phone they told me my total was about $31..which I paid and tipped the driver..after the fact I realized that my dinner for one was definitely not $31..should have been more like $20...Idiot!! I should have checked before i got my food but I took their word for it... :-( Booooooooohhhhh!!! ********************************************** OMG..Pakwan now delivers. Tried their delivery for the first time and the food arrived in half the time that my other Indian delivery place. The food is consistent Pakwan good...My favorite is the tandori chicken and the fish kebob...they don't use the artificial coloring in their Tandoori... The Sag Paneer is a bit on the greasy side..but yummy neverthless. They charge 1.50 for delivery but well worth it since they are one of the cheapest Indian joints around.
(2)Suze C.
ok - my secret. I think Pakwan is better than Shalimar. The naan is better, the chicken tika masala (and the chicken tika) at Pakwan just rule. It's a bit dingy inside, but the Chai can't be beat and the rice is pretty damn good too. Like I said above - love the chicken tika - the spices are fantastic and the portions are generous. You get a lot of food for $20 here. We usually do take-away and grab a cup of chai to go. Mmmmm. Update 3/3/07 Going downhill. The counter guy who was once so riendly seems to have lost all enthusiasm. Mr. C just went in to order some food, and in the middle of ordering was interrupted by another customer complaining that they got their order wrong. Ok, rude customer, but the counter guy should have tod him to wait. Interrupted 2nd time during same order by counter guy correcting other order taker. Foot tapping. 3rd interruption as counter guy answers the phone and then proceeds to give extensive directions of how to get to the restaurant to caller. I said to Mr. C. "I dare you to walk out right now and go to Lahore Karahi." The chicken tikka isn't as good, but it's cleaner and the service couldn't possibly be any worse. Pakwan, why has thou forsaken me?
(4)Jared A.
Ooooo. I love me some Pakwan. Through all the dirtyness, and miscommunication, all doubts are erased when I dig into some aloo palak and tasty Naan. Freakin yummy.
(3)SF N.
I love the Chicken Tikka Masala and garlic nan here. It's a good place to have some food and relax after some shopping. The place might be a little shady or rowdy after dark, but just watch your back. A bargain and a good alternative to Naan N Curry.
(4)Dan E.
Cockroaches on the garlic naan. Unfriendly service. Not worth it.
(1)Yusuke H.
My B&B host told me that this place is one of the best restaurant around the area. Yes, and it was great, got decent amount, and inexpensive pricing.
(4)Wendy L.
One of my favorite Indian/Pakistani restaurants in SF - it's so cheap and so delicious. The decor is obviously not great but it's the perfect dive spot. Of all of the Pakwans in the city, this one is my favorite.
(5)Sophie D.
I don't love Pakwan, I really don't. Keep in mind I am not the biggest fan of Indian food, but even so, I can differentiate between what's good and what's not so good. Now I'm not knocking Pakwan because of the decor--or lackthereof--but one expects very tasty food to counteract it's sketchy feel.
(2)Jeremy S.
I overflowed from Shalimar to Pakwan the other night. No crowd and the food was edible so it gets 3 stars right there. Compared to the better Pakistani joints I've been to it's not towards the top. But the chicken was tender and the speed and service were great.
(3)Nish N.
There are five Pakwans throughout the Bay Area, but the two best are the 16th Street (Mission District) and O'Farrell locations. We went to the Trendyloin one last night, after some good times at Swig Bar up the street. Our late night snack truly hit the spot - nothing like some desi-fresh garlic naan, basmati rice, and chicken curry to add flavor to your evening! Pakwan, and in general the whole slew of Pakistani joints like Naan 'n Curry, Chutney, etc., are perhaps also the perfect "under $10" meal.
(4)Theda E.
It's a little divey but it is good food for the price! The bf's ex's all seemed to be high-maintenance and I'm sure he took me here on date 2 to test me! He swears that's not true. Guys, take your date to this location if high-maintenance propensities are a deal breaker for you. If you're really trying to woo a hard-to-get woman, save this place for after the "spring love" phase! Three stars for the food and a bonus star for a pleasant 2nd date.
(4)Kate S.
really impressed with the tikka masala. really bummed that i saw a cockroach crawling on the silverware caddy. there's not much that grosses me out, but i can't handle the roaches, so i likely won't be back to this location - but i'd highly recommend the one on 16th street - same great food but much, much cleaner.
(2)Maya C.
Yummy cheap food. Hole in the wall, clean in the eating areas, dirty down stairs. You can share an entree, rice, naan and chai for 2 for $9. Awesome!
(3)Mamoon H.
Pakwan's food has always been solid. In the past it was relegated to the Shalimar overflow, but more recently it has gained a following of its own. Even though we were the only other party in the restaurant it still took them 25 minutes to get us our food - which was as usual dead on for my fix. Yes, it's a whole in the wall, but you shouldn't be expected to drink luke warm water in greasy glasses. I guess warm water is good for digestion - ah, hence. I'd give it 2.5 stars, but that's not an option. Shalimar still rocks, but we couldn't stand waiting in the door where someone decided go for a #1 what must have been like only a few minutes before.
(3)Christina N.
This is a review of the catered lunch which my company ordered. The delivery was done way ahead of time and the food smelled so good it got everyone hungry before lunch time. I enjoyed the Chicken Tikka Masala a lot. The chicken was tender and the spices were great. The saag gosht and saag Paneer were amazing with the naan/ rice as well. The samosas were also generous in filling. Definitely one of the better Indian food that I've tried.
(4)Shendi X.
I love how divey this place is - you'll receive a number to bring back to your table once you've paid for the meal up front. As for the food, I can't speak authoritatively on Indian food, but I imagine it's what a home-cooked meal would taste like. A solid go-to.
(4)Justin I.
Chicken tiki excellent . Chicken curry great Bread good Rice awesome Service ok. I get confused why they hand out numbers but you have to get up to get your own food. Also how did they run out of lamb and chicken kabobs ???
(4)Amanda S.
I adore Pakwan's veggie samosas. They cook fast and the price is very reasonable. Their curries are decent, although I prefer Lahore's.
(4)Vasiliy M.
I was pretty impressed by quality of the food in these place. They are cook very fast, but you should pick up your meal by yourself. Stuff is enough friendly. I'm obviously will order delivery when I move out from that terrible hostel "Vantaggio"
(4)Shruti D.
Firstly, we have never been here but have always ordered home from here. I think this must be the 4th or 5th time ordering lamb Biryani and it has never failed me (except once, but the exceptional customer service made up for that). While I have found my staple, my husband loves to experiment with the curries and till date he has lived all of them (Achari chicken, bhuna lamb). Naan is well made and the accompaniments are flavorful and more than enough for one person! I usually have some left over for lunch the next day as well. As for the service, I am more than happy with it. They are prompt with delivery. And the one time I was unhappy with their Biryani they offered one free the next time around, which frankly impressed me a lot. I used to look for good places to get my Indian fix from, but I think the search has ended for me. For now.
(4)reza n.
got delivery via postmates. didn't expect much and it destroyed my expectations. perhaps the best lamb curry i've yet to have in SF (bhuna). Tandoori chicken was amazing. seekh kabab was ok. will be returning back here frequently. UPDATE (previous score was 5 stars, now 3) : I ordered from them 2 other times. The next time it was the same awesome. The following time, 1/3rd of the meat tasted awesome and 2/3rds of the meat was tough and lame. so losing 2 stars for inconsistency.
(3)Airwolf X.
First time at this restaurant. Goat biriyani, chicken kabob and lamb curry, overall great flavor. Service was decent, but the number thing didn't make sense, when I was handed the number, I was expecting a server to bring the food to the table. But we ordered, picked a table and then picked up the food when it was ready. At 9:30 pm I was happy to have the food so quickly. May come back to try other dishes, even though I am not a fan of the surrounding area.... dirty and stinky.....lots of homeless people and possibly some illegal deals going on there as well....that's Tenderloin. Inside the restaurant it was ok. Probably a better idea is to take it 'to go' or have it delivered and enjoy it in the comfort of your home. That way you are not gonna be hit by stinky side walks right after having a great meal while walking to car!
(3)Anum W.
This was my second time at Pakwan after 2 years. I don't really remember the first time, but I definitely can say that Pakwan is one of the more nicer Pakistani/Indian restaurants in SF Bay Area. This time, we ordered chicken tikka (tandoori), chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, mango lassi's and a side of rice. The chicken tikka was GOOD. It had the right balance between crispy and tender. I wasn't losing any teeth trying to eat it, and the blend of spices was phenomenal. The chicken tikka masala, in my opinion, was a little on the bland side. I don't think that the chicken pieces had blended well with the sauce (Salan), and you could tell by the taste. I don't have to comment on the garlic naan because if you have ever had garlic naan, you know how awesome-sauce it is! As for the mango Lassi's - if you do not go for anything else, GO for the lassi's. Disclaimer: Do not operate any heavy machinery after consuming such deliciousness, as it might get you drowsy. It happens to me all the time! I will definitely be visiting Pakwan the next time I am in SF iA.
(4)Shreya S.
Not for vegetarians whatsoever. Chole were mushy and not fresh, daal was just made with extra oil to make up for lack of taste.
(1)Magdalena Victoria B.
This was one of the first restaurants I went to when I first moved to SF. And all I can say is, they have the best indian food ever! Amazing choices for fellow vegetarians and amazing prices as well. I tried most of the vegetarian dishes but my all time favorite would be the Saag Paneer with Rice. It costs around $11 and if you manage to eat the entire portion, you won't be able to move for the next 30 minutes. It is true that it does not look like the prettiest or fanciest restaurant but yea, the food is what counts. I tried countless other indian places in the Tenderloin but nothing is as good and as cheap as this one. When I move back to Europe I will cry for not being able to have my favorite indian takeout food!
(5)Amber B.
Pakwan delivered a great Mother's Day meal and fantastic service. We were mistakenly charged twice but the manager gave us free desserts as an apology which was extremely generous and definitely not needed since they voided the extra charge! It was such a nice gesture and unexpected. I grew up in a Pakistani household and the food here satisfies my craving for a home cooked Pakistani meal. We had the Karahi Chicken, Tandoori Chicken Breast, Tandoori Chicken Boti, and Chicken Tikka Masala. All of it was delicious -- no complaints! The gulab jamun was great as well. Come here if you're looking for some genuinely tasty Indian/Pakistani food.
(5)Aakriti S.
Had a very delicious Meal. Had ordered dal and chicken.. Enjoyed the meal a lot.. Me and my husband were starving when we reached, the service was real quick.. Didn't have to wait long. Will recommend the place to all.
(5)Jade Y.
The goat curry was tender, tasty and perfect with the rice! I could have ordered just that and would have been totally satisfied, but I'm glad I got to try the other dishes because they were all delicious. A gem in the tenderloin.
(5)Kate D.
This is not the first time I've order Pakwan, nor will it be my last!! Best Saag Paneer ever! You can really taste the spices and the cheese curds in it are anything but flavorless! I tend to get the Chicken Makhanwala or the Chicken Tikka Masala. I also get the Saag Paneer but love to double up sometimes and get the Chana Masala. Definitely get the Naan too, I prefer plain Naan but I have tried their Garlic Naan and was not disappointed. Although embarrassing, I will admit that sometimes my boyfriend and I get all the Saag Paneer, Chana Masala, Chicken Makhanwala and the Chicken Tikka Masala. We also tend to get delivery, and its always less than the estimated 45 mins. Guaranteed happy food coma after Pakwan :)
(5)Jenny M.
Okay, so this place from the outside doesn't look like much, but honestly it's great if you're looking for good authentic Pakistani food. You order in front and pick up right next to the cashier once your order is ready. I ended up ordering the garlic naan with the lamb curry. The garlic naan wasn't overpowering and it was crisped and charred in the utmost perfect way. It was just pretty amazing naan. The lamb curry just melts in your mouth. The meat is fall-apart tender. The curry itself has amazing flavor, and something to definitely try if you like lamb! Overall great experience.
(4)Baba L.
These guys are really don't know the taste of food and guy who working over the counter he is very stupid and don't know the manners how to speek with clints he have beard remember and he is slim .
(1)Siva Sankar G.
Mixed review Haleem was just a curry here. Roti and other curries are good. Chicken Biryani and goat biryani are authentic pakistani.
(3)Nelle L.
Food was fast good and ok priced. Self serve so fri nite dinner was relatively fast. We had one of the best tandoori chicken, moist, and super tasty. But the best is the lamb chop with garlic Nan. The Briyani rice was good accompaniment too. However I have to warn you that the ventilation is really poor. You will smell of curry after you leave. Overall I will order take out the next time.
(4)Rakshit K.
I prefer to call myself a generous reviewer, so I'd say this place is OKAY. Plus points: 1. Very reasonable - perfect for students. 2. Comfortable bachelor pad sort of ambiance. 3. Polite, friendly and quite welcoming. Negative points: 1. Very oily food :( - Indian/Pakistani food does NOT have to be oily. 2. Slightly understaffed and a little slow in food preparation.
(4)Steve F.
Many great meals at Pakwan over the last few years. Last night no different except we ordered on line and had it delivered. Arrived quickly and without a change in quality.
(4)Michael G.
Excellent food, great value, and very friendly service. The Pakwan-style bengan bhartha is delicious! The nan is just the right balance of crispy and chewy, and tastes great as well. And the chai is on the house. What more can you ask for?
(5)Erin R.
Good food. My friend and I split a Biryani dish, chicken tikka masala, and garlic naan. The portions are hearty, the meal inexpensive, the service was fast and friendly, and oh yeah, it's BYOB.
(4)Yanni B.
This is definitely my favorite location! The food is excellent! Chicken Biryani and Saag Dal are my favorites! Chicken tikka masala and baigan bharta are just as delicious. Food is fresh and naan is soft. Customer service at this particular location is always great. I definitely recommend this place to all.
(5)ANWAR H.
BEEN DINING HERE for well over a decade n maybe like 15 yrs. Their AROMA - above all and the BIRYANIS n Curries r just awesome !!! I love the divey, funky locale for gr8 SPICY/GREASY SPOON cuisine makin' one feel transported momentarily to a distant SUBCONTINENTAL " MOHALLA' as in GHETTO !!! lol ..... SERVICE is even better now that the owner's son Danial Shahbaz spends a considerable amount of time there ' overseeing' things n offering a ' personal touch' .... My favorites here r Garlic Naan done just right w/sprinkled cilantro, Lamb Curry, Lamb, Chicken or Veg. Biryani , Capsicum curry to go along and the fabulous RAITHA YOGURT SAUCE n FRESHLY BREWED CHAI ...mint n tamarind chutneys r fab too ..... a MUST VISIT w/ live ennertainment/ never a dull moment out de window !!:-)))!!! An apropos visit to the EXPRESS MARKET for an " after desi meal CAMEL" wraps things up just beautifully !!!!!
(5)C L.
Yummy yummy Indian food--I think it may have been the best Indian food I've ever eaten actually!
(4)S P.
I have eaten here often and have always liked it. This time I got take out through eat24. Severely disappointed. The achar chicken was flavorless. The sauce watery. It was in edible. The standard has fallen since the chef left to open his own place.
(3)Victor T.
tandoori chicken was awesome with the garlic naan. That's all I ate and it was enough. I believe it was around $7. Chicken had great flavor.
(5)Asif H.
Very Good food but very unclean place. This seems to be a common problem with restaurants of this type, shalimar in SanFran, Fremont, Dublin is the same, very dirty. I always clean cutlery with wet tissue, bathrooms are filthy to say the least. Honestly I would want to pay more and have all these guys maintain a clean place. Food must be prepared and served in hygienic place. Food itself is excellent and low price
(3)Arjun S.
Food was extremely oily and had no taste. You can get much better Indian food elsewhere.
(2)Rohil J.
Get the garlic naan, nihari, and pretty much anything else you're feeling that day. But the garlic naan and nihari are so amazingly delicious! And the naan is so Fresh it's unbelievable, and all the other food tastes so fresh as well.
(5)Nosheen N.
The food is mediocre. Be wary, they make you order at the counter and pay as soon as you order. You also have to pick up your order from the counter. There is no table service. The chicken tikka masala is mild at best, as is the biriyani.
(2)Sreenath K.
Cleanliness = 0 Vegetable Biryani and Garlic Naan are good here. Baingan curry (eggplant) was really bad . Paneer Tikka Masala was so-so. Had better ones in other restaurants.
(3)Eling Y.
Horrible customer service - just called to check my seamless order after waiting over an hour for an order which stated that I had a 30-45 minute wait. The gentleman who picks up the phone says that it is actually a 60-75 minute wait and if I cancel there is no refund since the food is on its way. He offers no explanation of why the wait time is different and tells me he has other customers waiting and hangs up. We order from here once a week, but this will be the last time.
(1)Amy H.
I wasn't sure what to think when I first walked into Pakwan, but I wasn't expected fast food. Nevertheless, it didn't disappoint. The portions were generous, and the counter service was pleasant. The staff delivered the food to the table about when they had promised it. This was a great place to take our kids.
(4)Tony K.
Know what you are getting. You are not going here to get authentic food. You aren't going here to get feed that is carefully prepared. You are going here to get cheap, oily food that tastes really good. You also don't care about service, and don't mind bringing in your own beer. If you accept those things, I guarantee that you will have an awesome time and enjoy the food.
(4)D R.
The food was great. The atmosphere is simple and unassuming. These guys know that their food is god enough. PLUS BYOB. Can't beat it.
(5)Mark M.
My favorite chicken tikka masala in the area plus excellent rice and naan. Pickup orders can be delayed mysteriously long from time to time, which is all that keeps this place from getting 5 stars.
(4)Jon T.
It's hard not to be down with cheap, tasty Indian food. While I wouldn't eat at the restaurant, it's conveniently located so that you can pick-up your food, get some beer, and be back home within 10 minutes time. Try the Pakora, Veggie Samosa, or any of the other Vegetarian Delights.
(4)Nabila S.
A great hole in the wall place - our go-to place for Indian/Paki food in downtown SF. We love the seekh kabob and chicken boti. Don't go in expecting a 'fine dining' experience tho, this is a casual place with low prices.
(5)Mr J.
mistake this place for lahore & was glad i did.
(4)Ali S.
Good food at a great price. Naan was excellent and fluffy, the tandoori chicken breast tender and moist. Keep it up!
(5)Venkat Girish M.
Visited the place in the Weekend, The Weekend specials were yummy and tasty, Goat Biryani and Goat Kadhai along with the hot and fresh Nan . My company was a vegetarian who not much pleased with Panner Makhani. Definitely recommend this place for trying Indian cuisine .
(5)David B.
I am a regular customer of Pakwan. It is a Pakistani/Indian restaurant that serves excellent reasonably priced food quickly. The only negative is that the place is a bit run down and in a shady neighborhood. They even have a towel propping up one of the tables so it won't jiggle. If you are a stickler about cleanliness or ambiance I'd pass. I don't care I'm just interested in the food but preferences vary.
(4)Nawid A.
It's alright, not the best.
(2)Alex D.
Granted its on an iffy corner on which I got yelled by a homeless man, the food is worth it and I look forward enourmosly to going again with my good friend. The lamb Biryani is to die for.
(5)Nicki B.
Okay food but not worth the ALWAYS long delivery time...ordered here 3x on a Fri-Sat-Sun and delivery has never arrived in less than one hour, despite the estimated delivery time being less...waiting for 1 hour and 15 minutes for delivery is annoying so we will probably not be ordering from here again.
(2)Chris Y.
The food has been very inconsistent and service as well! I called in for pickup and the girl was extremely short and rude! I confirmed twice that I wanted the chicken biriyani with boneless chicken breast and came home to literally all bones and no meat! If you choose to eat here go to their mission location! Food is always perfect and service is fast and friendly!
(1)Mastora H.
I been going to this resturant for two times now, the charge was about 11 dollars........but today, they charged me 20 dollars for a naan and chicken boti tikka......the person who charged was different. I asked why , but they had no answer. Please don't buy your food here. Also , the chai was from last night. Please go to shalimar, they are honest, pricce is always the same. Pakwan charge based on how you see you, i call them theifs.
(1)Janna M.
Over time I've amassed an arsenal of weapons against the common cold - Emergen-C, OJ, neti pot, meth-grade pharmaceuticals, etc. The most recent addition is: food delivered from Pakwan, ordered extra-spicy. My sinuses couldn't be happier, as this place don't hold back. Even aside from the spice factor, Pakwan is top-notch stuff. I've been eating here for years and have yet to find an item they don't do well. I recommend, across the board - especially if you have a nasty cold hovering.
(5)Krishna L.
Me and friends often go to indian restaurant for our lunch , this time we chose Pakwan. It was about 1 pm and lady who works there seemed pretty nice. We ordered lamb biryani, lamb curry and chicken curry with 4 naans. We picked up our order (they don't serve your food to your table ) and everything looked delicious . When we were ready to eat , suddenly i noticed layer of oil and masala starting to dissipate from lamb curry . And within couple of minutes I could clearly see atleast half inch of oil floating forming top layer. And it was same with chicken curry as well. Lamb biryani tasted pretty same as lamb curry, only difference was it was mixed with white rice. Wouldn't recommend to anyone. Their food just looks so unhealthy!! Chris
(1)Carolyn T.
I love this place. There are many choices in the Tandoori-loin, but this one has great, cheap food and the staff are super friendly. I pick up my food on the way home from work and am always greeted with a smile. The place is clean and there's no better place to sit and watch all the shenanigans of the Loin, safely behind a large pane of glass. It's a real lively corner which I fondly refer to as Jonesing and O'Heroin. I guess all the food on this particular block is quite good and cheap, and while I don't necessarily need stellar service from an Indian joint, Pakwan has the nicest counter service. One of the other restaurants with a similar menu has a dude on a cell phone who can barely look up while he takes your order and usually gets it wrong. It's ok to ignore me for my $10 order, but at least get it right. Mostly cuz I'm too lazy to walk back two blocks to fix it. They don't always have it, but when they do, try the dosas, they're really tasty. Love the tikka masala and aloo gobi and all of their veggie dishes are lovely and light without too much greasiness.
(5)P D.
We have always had food delivered from here. Very good food at a reasonable price.
(5)Vince E.
Great cheap eat in sf. For less than $9, get Chicken tikka masala and an order of naan. No frills, but good food. Located in the tenderloin, but open late for an after bar snack
(4)Mark D.
This is a review of delivery from Pakwan. It is easy to order from Grubhub.com . I did not track the actual delivery time. But I do remember that it was reasonably fast. The delivery person was professional and polite. There is a $1.50 delivery fee. The order minimum is relatively high ($20). The chicken tikka masala was very-very good. There was a nice blend of spices. The chicken was tender. The creamy sauce also made a great dip for the sides. tinyurl.com/3edab4w The vegetable samosas were also delicious. The outer shell was crisp and the filling had a nice mix of spices. My only complaint is that due to the fact they were resting on a bed of chick peas, the bottoms of the samosas had become a little soggy. tinyurl.com/3tsyz9v The vegetable pakoras were crispy delights. I loved them. I could live off of them. Taking them and dipping them into the masala sauce was a delight. tinyurl.com/3soquqe The vegetable biriyani was also quite nice. tinyurl.com/3kvvm84 I do not know about their naan. Doh - I forgot to order any. Much of the food was neatly packed into clam-shell containers. The rice and the entree were in easy to reseal plastic containers. The prices were very reasonable. 1 Vegetarian Samosa - $ 2.99 1 Chicken Tikka Masala - $ 7.99 1 Plain Rice - $ 1.50 1 Vegetable Biryani - $ 6.99 1 Pakora - $ 2.00 Subtotal - $21.47 Tax - $1.82 Delivery Fee - $1.50 Total - $24.79 Overall, this was very good Indian food. The service and prices were also reasonable. I would definitely order from Pakwan again.
(4)Craig K.
Ordered on GrubHub. Gave me a 10 minute window about 40 minutes out. I am now 1 hour past due. I called their number given on grubhub and it was only a fax. Looked it up and called and they said their location doesn't deliver and I would have to call the other one and didn't/couldn't give me the number. I called after 30 minutes delay and they said they were running behind but it was coming. It is now 9:25 PM and I am hungry. These people are really bad. Avoid.
(1)Allison M.
I LOVE this place. Super inexpensive, really fast. Service is confusing so you know it's authentic (you get a number and go sit down, and the waiter will come and tell you when it's time to go get your food). The naan is crispy and delicious, not too buttery but big enough to fill you up and then some. And their lentils with spinach (Saag dal) I think have crack in them... I had them every day for probably three days straight and my craving still hasn't gone away. The neighborhood is a little off-putting if you're not used to how mixed San Francisco can really be; it's very different from other cities that are class-divided by really distinct neighborhoods. It's safe, though... remember the Hilton is a block over! Great place for vegetarians and carnivores alike... everyone will leave stuffed!
(4)Nima A.
Love everything here!! Great food in a not so great neighborhood. But who cares?? The food is epic.
(4)Vol T.
Very hole in the wall. A little dirty. But dayum the food is awesome! Tandoori Chicken Tikka Boti is soo falvorful and juicy, my favorite so far. Bengan Bhartha and Chicken Tikka Masala were very good also. And very good prices!
(4)Mike P.
Excellent Butter Chicken at a reasonable price. The restaurant was clean and the service was great. Food was ready within ten minutes and seating was plentiful.
(5)Johnny Ballerina ..
Out of all the Indian/Pakistani restaurants around this area, Pakwan should be your last choice. Shalimar is a step up, Chutney a step up from that. Lahore Karahi is by far my favorite out of the bunch. It's about a block and half away from the pack but well worth the short walk. Pakwan is always empty, so it has that going for it. It's also dirty. Enough said.
(2)Katie F.
Day 16/30: 30-day Oct yelp challenge This dive-y stretch of SF (around Jones Street) is great for hole-in-the-wall Indian/Pakistan food. We had an early afternoon flight and I was craving this type of food again so we wandered by the area to see what was open. Pretty clean, very casual. You order at the cash register and they call you when your food is ready. Good portions and inexpensive (the two of us ate for $20 total and were stuffed). Quality is between 3-4 stars depending on the item. Loved their kabobs - both the beef and the chicken were flavorful and moist. Their naan is only average - we had both the garlic and the stuffed beef (which is basically a beef kabob stuck inside the naan, not the kind where it's mixed up into the bread). Naan is light but doesn't have the fluffiness and light butter that I usualy like. Chana masala was OK and their raita was the runnier style, but still good. Decent stop in the area for Indian/Pakistani food.
(4)Nick A.
Tick tock tick tock tick tock. BURST! Flavor. One huge burst of Indian flavor. A burst of spice, rice, and everything nice. My good friend told me to try this Indian place located in a sketchy part of town. Naturally, I took that to mean "order delivery from them," which I did. I've had tons of Indian food during my 22 years of existence, but I have never had it spiced so generously before. I'm not talking burn-your-mouth with hot chilli spice sent from hell. Rather, I tasted flavorful curries and cumins in all of my dishes, which is the reason I crave Indian food in the first place. I got the following items and was satisfied with all of them: - Chicken Briyani (amazing dish) - Tikka Masala - Saag Paneer Delivery was fast and hot. However, the chicken portions were a bit on the skimpy side. ----- Distinguishing factor: Dishes have more flavor than Flava Flav himself
(4)Amer A.
My go to Pakistani place in the city for the last 15 years. Consistent flavors - must try dishes are bainghan bharta Pakwan style and chicken boti. Bans are awesome. Not a very clean place but then again most dives aren't.
(4)Umair K.
Delicious authentic Pakistani food . love all their items but particularly the tandoori/barbq offerings such as chicken tikka, seekh kebab and naan are tremendous. More consistent than Shalimar in my view . If you're looking for Great Pakistani or Indian food at extremely reasonable prices, look no further
(5)Ting T.
Mmmm so good! My cousins and I went there and tried a couple of their dishes. The ones I HIGHLY recommend is the tandori chicken. Pakwan makes their tandori chicken with the right tenderness and it's not overcooked like ones I've had elsewhere. The tandori is also pretty bomb with that extra lime they add to the plate. Also highly recommend the extra spicy lamb dish. It's got the kick, and they cook their lamb well here. The chicken tikka masala and the butter chicken were pretty similar and good. Only complaint was the dessert. The coconut dessert was a hard swallow. I like coconut desserts usually, but if you're like me and not into tasting bready-textured things in your dessert, it's not for you.
(4)Julia N.
I have a friend who used to live in the 'Loin, across the way from me. We were talking food and drink in the area that we were fond of, like most loyal 'Loin dwellers tend to do. When I mentioned I hadn't been to Pakwan yet, she looked at me like I had just kicked the cutest puppy on the planet. I was taken aback, mainly because I'm the one usually giving people that look when talking SF food. She advised that I try out their tandori chicken STAT. Well, I'm never one to ignore the suggestions of fellow foodies so I tried it the following week... and she was right. I couldn't believe I had waited until then to taste this deliciousness. It was spicy and sweet and tender and BBQ-y and grilled to perfection. I'm already plotting my next visit. Who knows, maybe I'll "forget" to go grocery shopping next week and see where it leads me.
(4)Irfan R.
Halal meat is served here, based on signs on windows. Went here recently for lunch and tried the Chicken Haleem and garlic naan. It was pretty good. I also ordered a mango lassi - which I never received, and unfortunately I forgot about it, since I was having a lunch meeting. The prices are a little on the high side, considering they do not bring you the food to your table and it is self-serve with the plates and utensils. The do have complimentary chai - which is a plus.
(3)Elizabeth K.
Really obliging service. When I said that I didn't eat dairy, they were so helpful. They not only showed me what items on the menu were dairy free, they also made special bread for me! Amazing! Food was REALLY tasty and authentic. I felt like I was back in North India! I saw some reviewers complain that the food is oily. Yes, some dishes can be - but that is the cuisine of the region, it is like complaining that French cooking uses too much butter! Just tell them that you don't want too much oil, and I am sure they will be obliging.
(5)Michelle F.
With so many Pakistani Indian choices in the neighborhood, one should venture further down Ofarrell street toward Hyde for their fix. (Don't think it's appropriate to mention names but a good google search will help) We had three different dishes that all tasted the same. The sauces were watery and the tandoori, while presentable left little to be desired. I've heard better things about this place, maybe they had an off night.
(2)Eni R.
Amazingly good Indian/Pakistani food! You must try it!! I will probably become a regular here, truly authentic flavors and great options for vegans/vegetarians!;)
(5)Tammy C.
(See pics) Fairly spicy and delicious local joint. The food is rich. The sauce is thick but not as thick as Shalimar. The multiide of Pakistani / Inidan places in the Loin makes each of them unique, depending on your mood for the food, you will always find something you love. I love this place's colorful ceiling covering and bright lighting. Most of the writings are in English and it makes the menu look less intimidating and you would not have to try to pronounce all the words. The Karahi chicken was cooked with lots of black peppercorn and had a lot of flavors. Saag paneer was very rich with very good cheese cubes. and aloo paratha was solid. These 3 items that cost less than 20 bucks was a very very good deal.
(4)Manjit S.
okay this place is just ok food was nice service was terrible i will never go back
(3)Modern S.
So good. My only critique is that everything is so good it's hard to go in as one person. I always get twice as much food as I need.
(5)Alvin C.
Fresh , delicious and cheap , what more can you ask for ? Great lunch place or dinner when you feel like on a budget ,
(5)Michael E.
My second favorite place to eat Indian in SF. Best Chicken Tikka Masala I have ever had. Naan is a bit doughy but still good. Food selection of chaat as well.
(4)Shane R.
met up w dm and ar after work. simple clean decor. ridiculously cheap and fast food. chicken curry was quite good. chicken could have been more tender, but curry flavor was strong and had a kick. naan was chewy and moist. potatoes and spinach was cooked the right amount and flavorful. the best indian food ive had in a long time.
(4)lib c.
it's cheap and they have pretty good food. the main thing I was concerned about was how dirty everything was! water glasses were filthy, sticky tables, spotty utensils.. ugh.. perhaps I should just order take out?
(2)Daniel Y.
We used to order from here all the time from Seamless. Other delivery places would say they couldn't come to the front door of our apt so if we could please pick up at a corner, etc. They never had a problem and even had a smile almost all the time. Couple that with great food and cheap prices, you should order from here.
(5)Ric S.
Had to revise my previous good review. Seems like their business has slowed down. At noon today, I was the only customer. It didn't have a good feel. Food didn't seem fresh. Also, over 25 minutes they never put out the tea. New 1st choice for this corner is chutneys.
(2)Dani D.
I've been hearing good things about this place for years but finally got to try it after the Yelp event at Mr. Lew's. It was delicious! I ordered my go to Indian favorites of chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. They were both good but I think I like Lahore Karahi's garlic naan a tad bit more.
(4)Prasid P.
Great food by all means! But I found a ROCK in my food! I almost broke my teeth chewing it! I could have swallowed it!
(1)Joy A.
In between a 3 and 4 star review here but I'll give the higher rating because 3 usually means terrible...and the food here isn't terrible. Shared the chicken tikka masala and vegetable curry. We also got some regular naan and garlic naan. I don't know about you but I love eating Indian food because of the naan bread. At this Pakwan, the naan is just okay. It's more like a hot and doughy loaf without any taste..definitely don't get that "naan-y" taste. As for the garlic naan, it's just the plain bread stuffed with garlic--no other seasonings. The chicken tikka masala is delicious and has chunks of chicken breast it. The masala sauce is so so creamy and tasty. The only thing that I can complain about is the bland taste of the chicken in it. The veggie curry is yummy too only that it was served warm. Like either they microwaved it (for not a long time) or cut the time early on the stove top. It's stuffed with carrots, peas, onions and potatoes and it's pretty tasty though I wish it was hotter. I need to try the 16th st. location to compare. Service is blah here.
(4)Chris J.
This is one of those restaurants where I wish I had a half star at hand, because, frankly, the food isn't meh, but it's also not quite A-OK, either. I mean, the sauces and rice are really delicious, but what good is that when all the meat in the dishes we've ordered is gristle and serious bone? Really, guys? I nearly choked to death on a pile of chicken spines. A delicious death, perhaps, but not one I want to enjoy, thanks. What many fools here might delight in as "oh, so authentic!", I'll merely describe as "gross." I don't live in South Asia, I live in California. I kinda don't want "authentic", mostly I just want "good." You've got the rice, naan, and sauce down. Please, PLEASE invest in some higher quality meat. We'll all make it worth you're while. Seriously. Thanks.
(3)Chris L.
For Indian food.. being in the Tenderloin... I am shocked... Great Tikka! Best Naan I have had. good Chutney! B.Y.O.B.
(3)Julian C.
One of my fav indian spots in the Loin. Definitely a place to get food to go. I recommend the Tikka Masala, Chicken Byrani, and Lamb Achar.
(4)Pam S.
I was a little disappointed when I saw the place. I walked passed the kitchen, which was dirty, down to the bathroom. Stairs and floor were slippery. I swear I could injure myself. Me and my friend crossed our fingers that the food was at least good. Like please please please. Lady who took our orders was nice. The food came in really quick. We ordered pakora, naan, chicken korma, lamb with spicy rice and mango lassi. It was a good meal, I must say. I especially liked the lamb with spicy rice - so yummy. Mango lassi is one of my favorite indian drink but this did not win a lot of points with me. It was okay. There were 2 sauces of tamarind and green chilli, both yummy with the naan.
(3)Prasad D.
When I was working in SF, This used to our regular Friday lunch place. All team members loved this place for tandoori, butter chickem, garlic nan, baingan bharta. Place is small tried to keep clean but if you really care about Hygiene then stay far away from this,
(3)Raina B.
#1 Cheap Indian food. Arms and legs above Naan and Curry (though Tushar K and Vishal K may not agree) and still around the same price. I want to check out the Mission location for dinner though since my coworker let me in on some inside information that apparently that location is a party with patrons getting tossed while eating Indian food.
(4)Ken G.
I was definitely not disappointed with this place - it has a ton of hype and it's well deserved. Bhuna (Lamb Curry) - this is a great dish of savory and well-spiced lamb curry. The meat was very tender and the curry had a very robust flavor. They actually don't take out the variety of spices they use to season the dish so don't be surprised to bite into an exotic spice that looks like a flower or seed. Bengan Bhartha (Pakwan Style) - my least favorite of all the dishes I ordered, this was basically a curry-like dish with eggplant and tomatoes in a paste-like consistency, which had flavor, but lacked distinction since the eggplant and tomatoes were all mixed together...it wasn't bad, but not all that great. Chicken Tikka Masala - a great dish of tender chicken cooked in a very well-seasoned sauce. Raita (Yogurt) - a great side of spiced yogurt that went well with the entire meal. Chawal - The rice was slightly spiced and perfect to help clean the palate from the extremely savory main dishes Keema Nan - a ground beef stuffed nan, this was a perfect way to start the meal. It was great for immediately satisfying those hunger cravings. This was a great spot for Pakistani/Indian food and I'd definitely recommend this place for anyone who enjoys well-seasoned and well-spiced food.
(4)max A.
Just ordered from here, and it was a disgrace to any kind of Pakistani cooking. The chicken curry contained 4 pieces of chicken in a 2 inch soup of mainly fat and something else that had no resemblance to curry.. The nan was dry and seemed to have just been reheated microwave style. Nothing fresh here... I'm amazed the rice was edible.... It could be that they just screw you on the take out orders and the food in the actual diner (wouldnt call it a restaurant) might be ok...me and my girlfriend is not finding out anytime soon....
(1)James T.
Pakwan sits on a corner with about 4 other indian places within 2 blocks. the competition is stiff and Pakwan rises to the top for their excellent food. Expect a hole-in-the-wall type establishment. you order at the counter, pour your own chai/water, pick up your food when they call it, and sit yourself down at any one of the 80's retro-style tables. i love this place and i am a repeat customer. Food: i love the eggplant curry, yogurt, lamb dishes, and tandori chicken. All tasty and very flavorful. Service: There's no waiters/waitresses but the guy taking your order is really helpful in describing the food. I like that they don't focus their resources on things that don't really matter though.... Decor: terrible. don't take a first date. I think they have a big fan to distribute the hot air from the open kitchen. Extra pluses: lots of indian people around you and they give you FREE chai tea.
(5)S. Y.
Pakwan used to be one of my favorites despite being located in Sketchville. I decided to order from GrubHub and eat in the safety of my own home this time. I ordered it at 6pm and it arrived at 7:39pm. That's probably the longest I have ever waited for delivery from anywhere, but I guess I couldn't cook Indian food in an hour and 39 minutes, so it "might" have been worth the wait IF..... 1) the raita hadn't made the paper container all soggy and leaked all over the naan making that soggy too. 2) they hadn't tried to make up for the slow delivery by adding extra....SALT! The baingan bharta was REALLY salty. I'm going to be bloated for a week! and 3) ditto with the salt on the saag paneer. The lamb biriyani was pretty good though.
(2)T C.
I used to love their biryani, as it was way better than any other places' I've tried, but they switched chefs/recipes/something a few years ago, and it went downhill. Decided to try them again recently, but nope - still meh, at least as far as the biryani goes. It used to be nice and flavorful with caramelized onions, raisins, and a bunch of other delicious things. Now, like an earlier reviewer mentioned, it's basically spicy basmati rice, yet somehow a bit bland. The naan now is rather meh too - being kinda dry. Delivery was about an hour - not knocking anything off for that.
(2)Ashna C.
I'm Bengali and come here for a little taste of home. The lamb biryani is phenomenal and the bhuna with daal and white rice is like a home cooked meal. Love their tea as well :)
(5)I Q.
Authentic. Great tandoori.Daal. Chicken biryani. Fabulous naan. Chicken biryani was very good too. Great place for cheap eats.
(4)Arienne A.
Delicious!!!! And funky and not gentrified! Don't go, please don't go if your presence might make the place more upscale.
(5)Susy C.
I had delivery from this restaurant. It arrived in 50 minutes which is highly unacceptable. Let me tell you the story! My friend phoned in the order, gave the address and phone #. Then we played the waiting game. 30 minutes later, the restaurant called her to say that the delivery guy had called 10x and nobody picked up, so he's back on his way to the restaurant and they asked AGAIN for her number. Excuse me, but what number did you just dial to get to my friend? uhh, HER NUMBER. What number do you think she's going to give you? THE SAME ONE YOU DIALED. My friend just stayed compliant and patiently gave the restaurant her number again (the SAME # might I add) and the restaurant directed the delivery guy to come back. I walked over to the entrance of our building with her to find the delivery guy. He did not call 10x, what bs!!!! So we were told the delivery guy called the office saying he's outside in a red car. I didn't see a red car, I SAW A RED CAB. THE DAMN DELIVERY GUY IS DRIVING A CAB CAR. Let me mention that he didn't bother to pull over to the curb and park or anything like that. He just put on his hazards in the middle of the street and made us walk up to him. He cracked open his window and had the nerve to say "I called you 3x but you didn't pick up so I left" What fucking # was he dialing?! Was he calling a cab customer by mistake!? WHO KNOWS but he was RUDE. We just glared at him, took the food, gave him less of a tip and went off. The food itself is decent and definitely worth 3 stars. But since the food didn't get to me until 50 minutes later, that only left me 10 minutes to get my food and walk back to my own office which left me...2 minutes to eat. FAIL big big FAIL. NEVER AGAIN! p.s. I also had aloo palak which is POTATOES & SPINACH. I love how they were uber shady with the potatoes - i got 3. 1 small potato that had been chopped into thirds.
(2)Amy S.
Still amazing....I just love this place. While wasting away on my couch trying to decide if I have a cold, the flu, or some new type of respiratory plague, I decided that spicy food was the only thing to save me. (no judgement please) I called ahead for a boti wrap (ordered extra spicey) and walked down with the exact same pace and cadence as an extra from the original "Night of the Living Dead." As per usual everyone was super nice (which is amazing considering my hair alone scared five children on the way) and my food was hot and ready to go! The people, the food, and the chai are three reasons I keep coming back again and again!
(5)Fred V.
Tandori Chicken. Enough said..Boom
(5)Nemo O.
Rougher part of town. Food very nice, good service, I liked watching Indian TV during the lunch meal. The lamb curry was tasty. Reasonable prices. ------------------------ I went back, and I got a half chicken and another lamb curry. It was really excellent. Service is relaxed, put it that way, but the food was really nice. 4.5 Stars
(4)Mike J.
Pakwan is located in the heart of what could be called the Tenderloin Tandoori Triangle: Shalimar, Chutney and Pakwan all within a stone's throw of one another at the intersection of Jones and O'farrell. All three are quite good in their own way but I would have to say that Pakwan is my favorite. Shalimar is dirt cheap and very tasty but a bit too chaotic and grimy for my taste, Chutney has that bizarre ordering system where you wait in line to order and then again to pay, but Pakwan is ALL good! Fast, cheap and unlike many Indian dives, clean and friendly. Everything is delicious but the Chicken Tikka Masala and Murgh Cholay are my favorites. INSIDER'S TIP: Be sure to grab a seat next to the window facing the Gazebo Smoke Shop at the corner of Jones and O'farrell, fix your gaze on the spot right in front of the "NO LOITERING" sign in the shop's window, and feast your eyes on the Rich and Ever-Changing Pageant of Pure Tenderloinery unfolding before you as you feast your mouth on some really solid grub. Good Times!
(5)Sumalatha R.
Not the best Indian food definitely. We went there twice.We ordered lamb biriyani the first time. The biriyani was slightly sweet and sour in some chunks. The meat was too hard to chew. Next time we ordered garlic naan and karahi chicken. Naan was good. The chicken karahi was way too oily that I have to filter the oil out of the container before serving. And way too spicy and flavors not in the right proportional way. Shalimar was way better in terms of tastier food though pakwan has a better decor and ambience.
(2)Leon S.
I've been here many times and the food as always been consistently good. The only issue is the neighborhood where this is located. I wouldn't go there when its too late. Otherwise, great good and the servers/cashiers are friendly.
(4)Giovanni B.
This is a great stop, whether for dinner or for a late night snack after drinking too many expertly crafted cocktails at many of the excellent bars nearby.
(4)Van W.
Solid 4. Service is not friendly at all, but I'm ok with that. Food came out fast, water wasn't funky tasting, and my extra spicy tikka masala actually came out extra spicy. The garlic naan is ok. I like it but not amazing. The price was OK, lots of chicken and tasty sauce.
(4)Amna F.
These guys have the best chicken Tikkas.. We used to stop by at this place whenever we were in that area.. The owners are very nice humble people ... Simple decor..and yummylicious food!! Highly recommend;)
(5)Noor M.
We decided to try Pakwan after seeing the renovations that had been made to the exterior. However, by the end of our meal,we realized that the food had actually been better prior to the renovation =/ We ordered samosas, chicken biryani, murgh cholay, tandoori chicken and nan. Here is a list of Pros and Cons (of the food) The cons: -The samosas came with the rest of the food instead of as an appetizer on their own -the samosa filling was rather bland -the chicken biryani was extremely spicy but not flavorful at all (yes, that IS indeed possible - murgh cholay had practically no "cholay" (garbanzo beans) and just four chunky pieces of chicken. (It is actually supposed to be a rich-curry based dish with spicy garbanzo beans and chicken) The pros - the chicken biryani had little potatoes which is an authentic pakistani touch -the nan was soft and fluffy.. - decently priced The service was well.. strange, as our order number (as listed on the receipt) was announced and we had to go get the food ourselves. The restaurant was extremely noisy with the constant sound of the microwave beeping and the cooking staff yelling at each other. Keeping in mind the below-average food, the not-so-improved interior and the noise level, I doubt we will be returning. Instead, we'd prefer (and recommend) Shalimar (which is cash-only) but the food is wonderful. Overall rating - - 2/5
(2)Grace C.
12:25p on a Saturday morning and we see parking on O'Farrell two blocks away from Pakwan. After putting 10 quarters in for an hour and walking down the block, I see two hour parking on Leavenworth and then Jones. We walk in the rain to Pakwan's and the restaurant is completely empty except for two cooks. Undeterred because we had read good reviews previously about this place, we sat down and proceeded to order. What followed was some of the most delicious Indian food I have ever eaten in the Bay Area to date (and I've lived here since 2000). For $26.83 (including tax), this is what we ate: Garlic Naan (so good I ordered two to take home) Plain Naan (again so good I ordered an extra one to take home)--more buttery & a little smaller than Shalimar--bottom is crispy) Aloo Palak (delicious--potatoes and spinach) Saag Daal (amazing--lentils and spinach--a must order) Seekh Kabob (looks like a long sausage--J really liked the tender, spicy flavor--definitely order if you are a carnivore) Vegetable Pakora -- big dud; couldn't taste any veggies. I thought it was strange that no sauces were offered with the pakora, but didn't ask. We stayed there for 55 minutes. Noticed many folks (of South Asian descent) got take out. Was surprised that the curries weren't as spicy as I expected.
(4)Kadra G.
Pakwan Restuarant on Jones and Offarrell downtown San Francisco one block from the Hilton Hotel took a couple of days off for cleaning and the restuarant is so nice and I just left there and the food is so fresh and good. One day I will learn how to write a proffessional review. But for the bucks Pakwan has the best food in the reasonably priced restuarants in this area Try it you will like it
(5)Kevin J.
Pakwan is a mixed bag for me. I have had some killer food but horrible service that makes up for my 1 star review. I have to say that Pakwan on 16th I have never had a problem with but this restaurant in particular screwed it up big time. I had placed an order on grubhub.com . For those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically an app that tells you who delivers close to your home. Anywho, after I placed my order the application states that the delivery time is estimated at 50mins. This is typical and I understand it takes some time to process the order, prep, cook and deliver it so no biggie. Well an hour goes by and I'm starving so I decide to call GrubHub. They quickly apologize and contact the restaurant. They explain to me that the driver is out on delivery now and should be there in the next 15mins. I thought I'd wait it out a bit. 30 mins pass by. It has now been an hour and a half past the time of ordering and 45mins past the time of stated delivery. I decide to call the restaurant directly and they say that the driver is still out for delivery and he has included a Lassi drink for my inconvenience. I decide to call GrubHub to see what they would do about the situation and they were kind enough to grant me $25 for my next purchase. Another 30mins go by (2 hours total now) and nothing. No ring, no knock, no phone call. It is now 9:30pm and I'm ready for bed. I call grubhub and they apologize. Remind you - I'm being very patient with all parties. I just want my food that was prepaid for. GrubHub contacts Pakwan and they said that the food was already delivered. ...That's news to me since I'm still calling and trying to find my food. The restaurant calls back in another 15mins and explains that the delivery driver left the food in the backseat and forgot about it. Grubhub was kind enough to force them to credit half of my purchase price. The food finally arrived at my doorstep around 2 hours and 45mins from the time I placed my order. It is now 10:15 and the driver explains that he is incredibly sorry and get this... he even says to me "The food is cold, just so you know. But my manager said you can get a free dessert next time you order". What am I supposed to do with almost 3 hour late food, that's COLD? Eat it. I was tired, upset, cranky because I hadn't eaten, and the best part of this whole thing. The guy forgot my Lassi.
(1)Vivian A.
Tasty Indian food. Not the best I've ever had but still good. The next time I'm in the mood for Indian food I'll probably try some place else, but if I end up here again with friends then I wouldn't complain either.
(3)Sam T.
AHHHHH! OMG! Don't get their Baingan Bharta or their rice pudding! Chutney's is still my favorite Indian restaurant.
(2)Wendy D.
The food here is great quality and value. We are happy to patron Pakwan frequently in the month. The delivery service is much improved. Our typical order is the chicken briyani, chicken tikka masala, lentils & spinach with one potato naan and original naan. The serving sizes are generous and its always hot upon arrival. The owner provides great customer service. If you haven't tried Pakwan, you're missing out on some delicious indian food :)
(5)August E.
Eat at your own risk. I had a simple meal there while apartment hunting. It was OK at face value. Then I asked for the restroom. Ouch. I had to go through the kitchen and down a very narrow little staircase, into what amounted to no more than a fancy outhouse in the basement. I was horrified. I have seen lots of nasty things in 25 years, and this is right up there. The basement, the kitchen, every surface was filthy, unkempt, and worn. The person in the kitchen was unshaven, not well kept, wearing a dirty apron and in the weeds. I asked the gentleman behind the counter to make sure my food was very, very hot (heat not spicy) as over 165 degrees, I am pretty safe. The food was not all that bad, and they were friendly, but dude, really? Clean the damn place up top to bottom! Observe food safety protocols, and if you are going to let people pass through your kitchen, make the plant and staff presentable! There are Indian/Pakistani restaurants on about every corner of this city. You are going to sicken or kill someone. BE RESPONSIBLE. What a disgusting spectacle.
(1)Jacob A.
Really good Indian food. They have another location in Mission, but I think this one has better food.
(5)Bertie Y.
Love this place! It's cheap with a sizable amount of proportions. If you don't like hole in the walls, then Pakwan is not the place for you. It doesn't have the nicest bathroom, utensils, or furniture BUT the food itself is EXCELLENT. When I'm in the mood for Indian, Pakwan is my go to place. For some reason though, this particular Pakwan tastes so much better than the one on 16th and Mission. Even though, the one in the Mission is more convenient for me I will go out of my way to come to this Pakwan for my craving of Indian food. I always order the usual Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Biryani & Raita, Bengan Bhartha (Pakwan Style), and Naan. Everytime I go I am never disappointed. Chicken Tikka Masala Creamy and just the right consistency to dip my naan into. They give you a decent amount of chicken for the dish. Lamb Biryani & Raita I've had lamb biryani in other Indian restaurants and it doesn't compare to this! There's a little bit of sweetness with a flavorful "kick" to it. They use quite a bit of clovers, black pepper corn, and cardamom for that added kick. Sometimes the "kick" is so strong I need Raita to help calm the fieriness down. The Raita is very soothing and milky. It goes on the biryani better when it's not that thick like some other restaurants make it. Bengan Bhartha What is Bengan Bhartha? It's an eggplant cooked with onions, tomatoes, and peas. Don't let the consistency scare you. It's a bit chunky and mushy but quite tasty and spicy. It goes great on top of your Naan. Naan Their Naans are soft, light, and fluffy and not overly baked. The way a Naan should be. I'm not a big of Naan that is crispy and crunchy. You can't really dip or put much of anything on it like that. After eating here, be prepared to be launched into a food colma =) One more thing though, this place is self service so you need to go to the counter to order and then grab drinks and utensils that are right next to the counter. When you're food is ready, you need to go back to the counter to pick up.
(4)Melissa N.
i've walked by this place many times and it's always empty; that coupled with the fact that it's not in the best of areas hasn't really prompted me to stop in to eat. but i was craving dosas the other day and they have a huge new neon sign that says 'dosas' so we made our way over and were surprised to see a packed house. it was lunch time on a thursday with a lot of convention folks (lanyards galore!) and as my companion pointed out, we should have taken the fact that everyone was white as a sign that perhaps we should dine elsewhere if we want legit indian food. it's order-at-the-counter-take-a-number-and-wait style. they should really get a small tv to flash order numbers as they come up because it's hard to hear/know when your food is ready. while the service was fine -- the two younger folks taking the orders and running plates were very hospitable and nice -- the food is mediocre at best. the dosa ($6.99) crepe itself is fine, not the neatest i've seen it rolled but not a problem for me, however the masala filling (just potatoes and spices) had a weird cheesey taste. i've had a lot of dosas, especially masala dosas, and i like the natural potato/spice taste. i dont need an added cheese-like aroma to win me over. so i found that dissatisfying. my partner's buttered chicken curry (~$8) had a sour taste. i question the freshness of the chicken -- though he didn't get sick, so that's good i guess. he said the basmati rice was bland and we both agreed the garlic naan (~$2) was too doughy and also bland. given the number of south asian restaurants within a stones throw of pakwan, i'm afraid i will not be back.
(2)Benjamin I.
Ordered dinner from them through a delivery service. Everything ordered was surprisingly great and very cheap.
(4)Zoë C.
One of my personal favs for Indian food in the city. Earns every bit of that 4th star Food is quick, people are kind. Also, this is just 3 blocks from where I stay, so that always helps. The Saag Paneer is the best! If you don't plan on staying there to eat, I recommend making your own rice at home. It's kinda expensive (in my opinion) to order rice. Yay!
(4)Mac F.
I'm not a fan of spicy food but this is the place for good Indian food or just really good food.
(4)Yannick L.
Authentic curry (best so far outside of the UK ). Goat brain curry is to die for. Way more flavor than anything else in the neighborhood.
(5)Lauren C.
Pakwan's food is so worth the walk through the Tenderloin. And so cheap!
(5)ABBY A.
So, apparently my coworkers friend works here and hooks him up with free food (holla). And so although it was totally against my strict meal plan (it just sounds better than 'diet'), I was eager to try some good ol' Indian food. Hey, if my coworker liked it, and he's Indian, then it must be authentic cooking--right? Riiiiight. Very delicious! It's not somewhere you'd like to go if you're watching what you eat since you're supposed to eat everything with either rice or na'an (bread). However if you're hungry and looking for inexpensive Indian food, give Pakwan a try! I think you'll like it. Not sure what to order? Yea neither was I. I'm not very Indian-food-savvy. It wouldn't be my first pick out of a lunch or dinner draft, but don't get me wrong; I tried the following dishes...and all I can say is, "SCORE!!!" Chicken Tikka Masala ($6.99): BOW-TIKKA-WOW-WOW;) Juicy cubes of chicken, lightly spiced; perfect over their Chawal (seasoned basmati rice). Bihari Beef Kabob ($7.99): (to the tune of Usher's OMG) Oh, oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh my gosh! The beef on this thing? Super tender and juicy! It's marinated and grilled to dang near perfection. I loved it. Stuff it in some na'an--booyaw! The only reason I didn't give Pakwan 5-stars is because I haven't had the chance to actually see the place and experience the service. But I sure will be back for some BOW-TIKKA-WOW-WOW!
(4)Thach N.
Wish I could give it 3.5 stars. The food was good, with pretty hefty portions. sitting outside was really nice and had a great view of the neighborhood.
(3)Shikha P.
The worst food I have ever eaten in SF!!! Despite having waited for 1.5 hrs for the food to be delivered....disgusting!
(1)Brittany L.
I love this place. Dining in is always a little awkward - be prepared to eat in total silence. I think it's kinda cruddy in there, but I'm not fancy so it's fine with me. The food is awesome. All the time. Cheap. Really fast delivery. The naan isn't the greatest I've had, but seriously the pakora is insane. Can anyone help me with the names of the sauces? I feel really dumb referring to them by color - ya know, the red one is kinda sweet, and the green is spicy? Order the Paneer tikka masala because it's really like buttery heaven.
(4)Jay G.
The food here is very good and the service is friendly. I purchased a few dishes here a couple of nights ago and realized I had forgotten to get rice. When I got back the guy gave me two orders for free out of pity. Thats the type of service that will keep me coming back. Also if it's your first time eating indian food they'll help suggest dishes based on your taste.
(4)Helen L.
Here we go again...another spot with good food, but rated on a scale, dropping its stars. How can one compare with SOOOO much competition within a four block radius? I easily passed this place by many times, although it's so close to home. My co-worker insisted on taking me there, and I must say, I did enjoy my meal. I enjoyed everything! I'm not even sure how to put into words why I don't like it as much as the other Indian/Pakistani restaurants in the area. It is dark and dingy, but that's the norm for locations serving this type of cuisine. It is hot and smoky, but that's also the norm. Those Tandoori ovens, man! Anyway, don't let my stars keep you from coming here. The scale grading can be deceiving. The food is good!
(3)Zain D.
Not great but not bad. You're probably better off going one block down to Naan n Curry.
(3)Cynthia B.
I went here last week for the first time ever, always heard good things about the place. Food was great, prices were great. Place seemed a little dirty. I walked through the kitchen and downstairs to use the restroom and the floors were incredibly slippery. So I am going to take away one star for that. But no big deal, I will be back for sure. I had the garlic naan, potatoes with spinach and some rice. Chai tea was free for customers eating there, which was nice. They had water pitchers and chutneys you could bring to your table, but most pitchers were covered with greasy fingerprints, which grossed me out. In conclusion the place is cheap and delicious but a bit dirty. It's in the heart of the Tenderloin though, what do you expect? The woman working the counter was really nice, I even witnessed her feeding a homeless old woman.
(4)Drew V.
Love the handmade naan with just about anything here.
(5)Jason B.
Even if you have friendly service (you do) and even if you serve some pretty good grilled chicken kebabs (you do), if the oil sheen is enough to stain both the takeout container and my hands (it did), I can't give you more than two stars.
(2)Michael R.
Review for delivery. I ordered through grubhub. Estimated delivery time 1h50. What??? I patiently waited, but thank goodness it was delivered way sooner than the estimated time. OK, not the absolute best pakistani/indian food, but for the $, I think this is as good as it gets. The naan and pakora were not as crispy as they should be, but hey... who can possibly deliver crisp naan and pakora?
(5)Maia B.
Pakwan is cheap, fast and dirty Indian food. I usually get paneer makhani, which is super buttery, sweet, and excellent. A bit heavy, but I only go when I'm in the mood for that. Crazy cheap entrees makes up for having to get all my own dishes/water/etc.
(5)Corey H.
Great. Cheap. And great. Love how my fear of making a huge dining error was turned on its head. Success! Group of six all satisfied and most of the flatware was clean, bonus!
(4)Nathalie L.
I didn't use the restroom and after reading reviews, maybe I should be glad. But I found the cashier friendly and the food came out after a decent amount of time (but then again, we were the only customers). For about $20 we received a table full of food, lamb biryani (lamb was a little fatty), saag paneer, 2 garlic naan and a mango lassi. Portions are larger here than other Indian/Pakistani places and after eating until our bellies were about to burst, there was still food left. The naan was different...bready and was probably what filled us up. When we left, I waved goodbye to the cashier who had now taken up residence at one of the tables and she smiled. I hope she got busier later that day.
(4)Adam B.
I've ordered takeout from Pakwan twice and I was happy both times. The first time I ordered the fish masala special and some veggie samosas. They were slammed and it took a while (~ 30 mins), so they offered me an unsolicited free dessert. It was a small bit of average rice pudding, but it was a nice gesture. Last night I ordered the chicken achar with rice. It was very tasty, and my request for "very spicy" wasn't ignored as seems to happen at a lot of SF places. They gave me way too much rice. The decor isn't much to look at, so I'll stick to takeout. But I'll be back.
(4)Saher S.
I feel like it's time i gave Pakwan the review it deserves, because i go here almost every week and theirs is the closest thing in San Francisco to real Pakistani food. There's a difference between Pakistani and Indian food, and Pakwan leans a bit more towards the Pakistani style in most of their dishes. First off, can't get enough of their chicken biryaani, i love the browned onions they put in there. BEST biryaani i've had in the bay area. Goes great with saag paneer. Other top dishes: chicken tikka, paneer masala, bengan ka bharta, okra. oh and haleem when they have it! the haleem is so worth trying. nihari for nihari addicts.. People who are finicky about the chicken on the bone and stuff should maybe tell the guys taking the order that they want boneless, because they usually do what they can. when i ask for only white meat in my biryaani, that's what i get. they're always super super nice every time i have been there (maybe because i speak to them in urdu..) and Pakwan food is like home away from home. There are places you go to not because of the ambiance or the service (which in my opinion is pretty great) but because the food is delicious and cheap. Pakwan has delicious, cheap food. My friends and I love coming here, those who hadn't had biryaani etc were in some kind of ecstasy! Go up one block on jones and try out Karachi Classics (their sister restaurant) also CHEAP AND DELICIOUS. achar chicken paratha roll, YES.
(5)Mira L.
I love this place, ever since Chutney started messing up. I love the Aloo Palak and the Paneer Makhani, Tandorri chicken and garlic nan.
(4)Daniel D.
Love this place. Come here for lunch all the time. Try the goat biryani!
(5)Nimmi M.
Pakwan is probably the most authentic Pakistani/Indian restaurant I've been to yet in the US. Now, that's a pretty heavy statement there, claiming this restaurant is practically as "legit" the the food places up in Delhi. But really, the chicken makhani had that same wow-factor as the ones back when I went to New Delhi. There was a nice creamy taste to it, but not so heavy that I feel I gained 20 pounds. The biriyani here was ridiculously good too. I remember tasting that amazing blend of spices that is just so true and unique about the Pakistani biriyani. The cook at the restaurant was incredibly nice, providing masala chais on the house. We asked him about the spices he uses and he told us that they were all imported from Pakistan! On a side note, I would like the mention the hygene of this place is somewhat...er, ambiguous you might say. I made the mistake of going to the bathroom here and I caught a glimpse of the kitchen. It was this small little thing that was horribly grimy with pots scattered throughout. So, if you have a pretty high hygiene tolerance, love Indian food, and happen to be up in NoCal, you should definitely check this place out!
(4)Ian T.
I love Pakwan, this one in particular. Unlike other versions of Pakwan, this one has a 5.99 lunch special, a 6.99 dinner special and requires no waiting in line. Also, one of my favorite things to do is to walk past the people waiting in line out front of Dotties, and scoff at them as I walk through the doors of Pakwan to cure my hangover Pakistani/Indian style. Hells yeah.
(5)Marcelo B.
Very tasty, worth the price and open late. Great Nan Breads
(4)G T.
Amazing saag and naan. Ate here on a visit randomly a year ago and liked it so much I hunted it down again. Still just a counter where you order but excellent quality food!
(5)Yoli B.
I like this place becasue it is clean and yoiu dont stink like a cab driver after you leave. I really like the veggie dishes here. actually every thing here is really good, but I do like the chikken tikka masasala up the street at shalimar better. Good prices and portions.
(4)Jared Z.
This place was great, when I went they had some good specials, this place was surprisingly clean and nice inside for a pakwan, much better than the one in the mission.
(4)Tom A.
The food is very good here and they have a great value for the lunch specials. Free Chai is good. I took off a star because of the grim attitude that seems to be the norm for the Pakistanis around here. I kinda think these guys could try to be nice since we are coming in to give them business.
(3)Jocelyn W.
The food is 3+ stars worth but definitely not their delivery service. My coworkers and I were finally glad to have found an Indian restaurant that had an 80+ health score card with the Department of Public Health, good reviews on Yelp, dishes at a reasonable price AND a place that DELIVERS. I phoned in the order, gave the address (I even spelled out the street name), and gave my phone number. She promptly took my order. I called back about 15 minutes later to get the total amount owed and was told the driver on his way to deliver the food. about 1/2 an hour later, I get a call from the restaurant, saying that the driver called the number I gave 10x + and noone picked up so he went back to the restaurant. I calmly said, "I have not received a call in the last half hour." She asked me for my number again --well at this point, I was thinking "You're going to ask me for my number, but you just called me..so uh...wtf do u think you're calling?!?" I gave her my number again and spelled out the street name. This time, I waited by my work entrance, adn told another coworker to call me when the driver calls so I could just run out and get the food. I finally get the call and my coworker says "He's in a red car". The only car I see outside is a red cab, so I go out (with a very hungry friend) and we make our way to the cab. It's only pouring and windy, but Thanks delivery guy for sitting in your cab and COMPLAINING about why we didn't pick up the phone when you called, instead of MAYBE trying to be nice. Ohyah..Thanks for not trying to meet us in the middle, but making US go all the way out to YOUR car. Thanks for that exceptional customer service dickwad. The food was good, but not good enough where I would call for delivery. Ever. Again.
(2)Kirsten S.
Delicious, fast, no frills food. Terrific dal and chicken tikka.
(4)jazzy l.
There are several Pakwan locations in the bay area. This one is right in the heart of the tenderloin district. A bit difficult to find street parking as it took us several rounds before we found a spot 3 blocks away. It took a while for our food to come because they had a lot of takeout orders. We ordered: Garlic Naan - $1.99 Lamb Biryani - $7.99 Chicken Achar - Chicken curry with roasted pepper cooked in very special blend of spice $6.99 (This was very tasty) Bengan Bhartha - Eggpalnt cooked with onions,tomatoes and herb. (This was really good!) Kheer - Rice coconut pudding was on the house b/c we had to wait for a while. Cleaniness - Not the cleaniness but food was tasty and I didn't find a bug in my food.
(4)R C.
Delish vegetarian fare at a low cost in the TL. Quick service in cooking and the self serve adds to the economical costs.
(4)Sagar A.
After switching on my GPS after a long time in search of a Indian Restaurant, came to know about this place. Great food, with great price. I'd recommend this to anyone living around, if they start home-delivery I think should should fetch more customers. Also the lady at the counter was very kind to bring the food to the table which was ordered later on. Everything we ordered was super delicious & yummy :)
(5)John G.
Good food, but incredibly slow delivery. This has happened twice, once they took an hour and a half, another time it was more than two hours. The first guy apologized, the second one acted like I should have known better. It was on a Tuesday that I ordered from them and I won't make that mistake again.
(3)Danielle J.
My bf and I were in search for some inexpensive Indian food that was close by and we found this place on eat24 and decided to give it a try. Boy, were we pleasantly surprised! We got some naan, kebabs and a couple of chicken dishes, and everything was delicious. We got everything at a medium heat and it was the perfect heat for spicy lovers. I will definitely go back!
(5)Kassi A.
I've had takeout from this place several time as its one of the few Indian restaurants close by that actually delivers. Delivery minimum of $20 is about the typical minimum for indian restaurants. I've eaten here in person as well, but I've noticed my food tends to be more heavily spiced when I order over the internet and have it delivered. The one downside to this place is that it is wildly inconsistent. I've ordered Chicken Tikka 3 times. The first time it was thin and flavorless; the last two times the sauce was incredible- rich and smoky, great for soaking up in naan, I could even drink it. However, the chicken is always dry and flavorless. It seems like it was cooked alone and added to the sauce later, it just doesn't belong there. The bengan bhartha was mild and well, just sort of okay the first couple of times i ordered it. The last time I got it, it was ridiculously spicy, with whole red peppers floating in it. You just never know what you're going to get. I do love the paneer in the saag paneer, but the aloo palak is just awesome, whole leaves of spinach and perfectly spiced potatoes. The naan tends to be fluffy, and i've actually never had the garlic naan unseasoned as other reviewers are saying, mine has always been covered in green herbs and garlic. The lamb biryani is very generous with the lamb and was one of the dishes i ordered every time for awhile (until i got cheap and started ordering the plain rice). I've ordered samosas and pakora once, but they were nothing special.. who knows, maybe it was just the wrong night. Its a mixed bag, but you'll always get a really filling meal with something you just don't expect to be so wonderful. Its like a guessing game, you can't get rely on any one favorite for too long (except the lamb biriyani), but something in that order will be out of this world.
(4)Ken E.
I tried Pakwan on O'Farrell with some friends today after reading about it on a blog from the Asian Art Museum. Great food, Simple atmosphere, Great Price. I would definitely go back.
(4)Meredith G.
Went a couple nights ago for the first time. Perfectly fine place, cheap with good food. Mildly shady area/inside, but as my boyfriend likes to say, "the shadier it looks, the better and more authentic the food." Decided to try a dish that combined spinach and lentils which I'd never seen in an Indian restaurant before - but delicious! Definitely recommend it if you're in the area and want something quick, yummy, and cheap.
(4)Faisal L.
Service was very slow even on a night when there were only 3 tables occupied. Butthe food was worth the wait. I love their Nehari and Chicken tikka. This place, while not as popular, crowded or hyped as Shalimar, is almost as good as Shalimar, but cleaner.
(4)Elaine S.
We were walking in Union Square; my mom recommended Pakwan and my dad & I were hesitant, but also starving. We arrived at Pakwan and based on the menu prices, thought that the portions would be super small. We ordered 1 order of samosas, 1 plain nan, 1 order rice, 1 tandoori chicken tikka, 1 tandoori chicken & 1 raita. This was WAYY too much food for the 3 of us, we only ate about half of it and took the rest with us. Total it was about $25 including tip. The samosas were awesome & were served with garbanzo beans. The nan was ok, not great. Both chicken dishes were really good and were made with white meat chicken. And finally the raita was a delicious addition to our lunch. I would definitely go back to Pakwan for Indian food if I was in the area, but I would not go out of my way to go to the TL and I would not go at night.
(4)Doug W.
As with the 16th St. location, first rate Indian/Pakistani food and a very affordable price. Some Chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and rice hit the spot. However, unlike the other location, you have the usual Tenderloin hassles to contend with. If you can take vagrants walking in off the street to harangue the staff (that is, if you don't mind urban living with all its pros and cons) then it will be no problem.
(4)anita c.
Had lunch here last week with a crew of 15 co-workers... and they didn't even bat an eye about the size of the group. Grand total for our huge feast was $7.50 per person, and included: vindaloo, chicken tikka masala, naan, rice, samosas, tandoori fish, dal, chana masala, and delicious saag paneer. Their naan is fluffier and thicker than most I have had, but still delicious. I'm hesitant to say this is the best Indian food I've eaten in SF after just one visit, but it's definitely in the running. --- Updated 9/2: Ate here again last week, again with a crew from the office. Total was about $10 per person for a massive amount of food. The tandoori fish was a standout again, and the saag paneer is excellent. The chicken tikka masala isn't like any other you've had, but it's tasty. Love the puffy naan...
(4)Vikram P.
I stepped in for dinner after being deterred by a long line at Shalimar which is my favorite Indian eatery in this area. My order of seekh kabab, spinach and naan arrived fairly quickly - it helped that there were only 4 other customers in the restaurant at the time. The naan was good - soft and fluffy - I think they add cream to the dough. The kabab was not good - something was lacking in the spice mix used to marinate the beef. The spinach was lousy - boiled mush that had been left to sit in tepid water for a while. Next time I will just wait for my turn at Shalimar.
(1)Fenny G.
You go here not for the place but the food. The place is not nice I think it's ghetto so if you don't mind that this is the place to go, beside it's not expansive. They have very good chicken tikki masala and kheer (rice pudding) I think these are the only things I would get here but my friends like others dishes also.
(4)Yelp Y.
yum!! have been coming here for years, mostly for the chicken makhanwala, which is beyond heavenly. seriously. every time. i usually order that and the sabzi (mixed veggies), nan, rice, and some other dish (lamb/spinach the last time). some dishes are a bit on the greasy side, but they taste so good, it's totally worth it. and after all, one doesn't eat most indian food for weight-watching purposes. the place is on a very questionable corner in the loin, and not the cleanest or most pleasant eatery, but again, i'm just there for the food, not looking to be coddled. good and cheap--works for me! plus everyone i've ever taken here--and that has added up over the years--has gone in looking wary and gone out looking like they've just discovered a hidden gem.
(4)Mariell R.
I would put 4 stars since the Naans are hit or miss but since they deliver I selected 5. I thank the gods every time I want take out and I can pick up the phone and call Pakwan for some yummy Pakistani food. The Chicken Tikka Masala is flavor full and has a bite to it. The Tandoori Chicken Breast with onions and cilantro is usually half gone by the time it makes it to the dinner table. The delivery time is decent even though it's hard to wait for such delicious items :)
(5)William C.
Any Indo-Pakistani restaurant with that much paneer in its Saag Paneer deserves at least three stars. It's no high class joint and of course the neighborhood is "colorful," but the Tikka Masala is also refreshingly good. The other items on the menu fit the bill for the price, though the vegetable pakora, as with many Indo-Pakistani restaurants, is far more cakey than it should be crispy.
(3)D B.
a- OK not too shabby
(3)Karl L.
Below average indopak food. Chicken Tika massala contained very small bits of chicken (certainly not chicken tika by a long shot) in an ok tasting sauce. Naan bread was pretty good. Considering the neighborhood you have to traipse through to get to this place it hardly seems worth it.
(2)OJ C.
Slightly (ok plenty) greasy, but overall rather delicious...and for 5.50 an entree? Good lord! The fact that they now deliver makes this place an excellent choice.
(4)Anna b.
I used to love this place. Past tense as of Friday, when I stood there waiting for my order and saw a huge rat. They're investing back some of the cash, but they need to hire some experienced staff that can manage the health codes. Too bad they hold the lock and key on a great chicken tikka masala recipe.
(1)Lilly O.
We have some vegan friends who want to go here a lot. That is fine because the food is pretty good. I wish there were more choices, but I have always liked whatever we have ordered. Don't come here if you are going for the atmosphere because it is a dive and a lot of the stuff is do-it-yourself. It is BYOB though which I think is pretty cool so we always head to one of the ghetto liquor stores first.
(4)Renee L.
i thought that this was some damn tasty PANEER TIKKA MASALA, SAAG PANEER, and ONION NAAN. seriously, the ONION NAAN was tastier than most things. the place was pretty clean and tidy inside. service wasn't the friendliest, but it wasn't an expectation of mine. the food was cheap, and they had the free hot milk tea. next time i'll take it to go, because i couldn't fully enjoy my PANEER TASTE EXPLOSION because i was SEVERELY concerned that there was a crackhead entertaining himself by pissing in my gastank around the corner. why does the tastiest food always have to come with the possiblity of contracting hepatitis in order to obtain it? (the yelp review form just asked me YES or NO if there's outdoor seating and i chuckled to myself about the idea of outdoor seating at PAKWAN).
(4)Jeremi M.
I wanted to like my sag paneer and chicken tikka masala more, but couldn't help feeling like it was rather mediocre. The chicken rather dry, the cash attendant rather bleak, the interior rather plain. Some good people watching on the corner, but I'll stick with Chutney.
(2)Matt D.
Kids, kids... Use this place for delivery! Granted there are a lot of other curry places in the city, but I this Pakastani place is pretty damn good. It's spicy, CHEAP, and again they deliver. Their meats are quite smokey and spicy as hell (yes I know I already mentioned that). Overall, a nice alternative to my usual Bombay orders.
(4)Tiger Lily ..
very different but delicious. spicy smoky yummy lamb dish there. worth going to for sure. warning: it is self service. parking sucks and the neighborhood is definitely sketchy.
(3)Jude F.
Tasty, spicy and inexpensive. All the ambiance of a truck stop in Ohio, but what do you want for $4.50?
(4)Belle M.
My boyfriend took me to Pakwan on the corner of O'Farrell 4 years ago and I have been going back ever since. This is the best Pakistani food I have ever had and I heard this was the most authentic down home food in the city. You have to serve yourself, including getting your own plate, silverware and water but it is worth it. The Pakwan on O'Farrell is my favorite because they always have the goat curry which I love and the aloo ghobi and they have the best chicken tikka masala. I forgot to mention you also get free chai- so good. One caution, do not go to their bathroom, it's really nasty, just hold it and go down the street at the Clift Hotel.
(5)Debbie Y.
Move over Shalimar, Pakwan is a great option in this Pakistani/Indian food hood of the tenderloin. We had a great feast here during lunch and I was shocked we were able to finish all the food but it was that good. Word is it's some of the most authentic food of its kind in the city...and it's this location in particular, they vary from place to place.
(4)Emma Q.
Delicious mixed vegetables, with much less oil than nearby restaurants, including Shalimar and Chutney's. The naan is different, more "bready", than that served at other places in SF. The atmosphere was not so nice as Shalimar and the floor could have been cleaner. The chicken tikka masala was lovely, with lots of tomato flavor and not too much cream. My friend from India says Pakwan is more authentic than other Indian restaurants in the TL. The free chai was nice, too. There is no free salad, like at Chutney's, but since nobody ever eats the salad at Chutney's, this is not a disadvantage. Pakwan is just inside the TL, one block south of Geary.
(3)Sav B.
The buzz about Shalimar is true, but if you want to avoid the overflow of floating oil in your curry (and the line) go to Pakwan. Ramzan is an awesome guy, who will explain the menu to you in a nutshell. The service is fast, food is absolutely delicious (chkn achar!) music is good, and Ramzan's home-made style chai is kick ass. And its even free ... go for it..and give it 5 stars.
(5)Neil K.
I'm not sure why some of my friends swear by this place. I found Pakwan to be pretty average compared to my favorite cheapo Indian place, Shalimar. The garlic nan was the highlight - everything else was a bit on the salty side. I know this place is in the dingy tenderloin, but, seriously, this place is disgustingly dirty.
(2)pratik j.
The food's not as great as Shalimar up the street, but if you're in a hurry and wanna do take-out call them and get a Chicken roll. Heavenly stuff and you can jump outta the car and get it pretty quick.
(3)Srinivas R.
This is by far the best Indian food in the city for the price. They dont' try really hard with the decor, the place is a total dive, but the food is fantastic. You can even bring your own beer and drink it there which is great. The Chicken tikka masala is the best I've had in any indian place.
(4)Diane M.
The tastest chicken kebob boti me and my husband ever had and excelent chicken makhanwala great ordering for delivery and to-go.
(5)M S.
Very simple and tasty. I'd go back again if I was in the neighborhood, hungry, and wanted to eat Indian food. Going with more than one person is probably best. I had the chicken saag. It was not very saucy like at other places I've had it, but still good. I'm not sure which one is more authentic, if either.
(3)Jaclyn L.
we do a drive by take-out...or better yet we tag team one person runs in and the other drives...vroom vroom. chicken tikka, chana masala, daal chana, naan, et al... are so yummy on those days that SF provides us with shit ass cold weather and you want some food that sticks to your ribs and insulates the heat you are quickly losing trying to keep yourself warm in this city. try it they are good.
(3)Hellokitty K.
Dont Go!! I was an idiot. The food is not good. Really. Rude, arrogant female at the counter. She pretends to be extremely friendly and nice. We were fooled. We ordered Tandoori breast, and it was too salty. I'm the guy who eats too much salt, and it was salty for me!! When we complained to her, she got aggressive. She wanted "proof" and asked us to get the dish, which we obediently did!! She tasted it and said its not that salty and can be eaten. Wow.... I was about to snap, but my Muslim friend asked me to calm down. We went back and ate the remaining dishes, which was btw "below avg" even by my low standards. Go to Shaan in S. Bay instead. Prices are 2/3 of Pakwan, and taste is 2x better. Believe me!! After we finished eating, we went to the counter to pay and to my astonishment, that b**** had charged us for the salty Tandoori. This was the limit. I started arguing. Again, my Muslim friend pleaded to stop. He was here in SF on his honeymoon :-|. She kept blabbering that there's no question of a refund. Wow... The sheep that we saw when we entered was actually a wolf. I really wish the Taliban would capture her.
(1)eriin w.
hole in the wall, in the 'loin, but omg, some of the best grubby indian ever. the naan is heaven.
(4)Jonah N.
I really enjoy Indian/Pakistani food, however I haven't eaten as much as I'd to. That being said Pakwan has been my favorite so far. I ordered; samosas, rice, potato naan and Blhari Kabab. All of the items were awesome and really inexpensive. The standout however was the blhari kabab which was marinated and grilled steak. Sooooo good. I can't wait to try more from my new friends at Pakwan.
(5)Anit C.
Me and my aspiring alcoholic buddy Srinivas found this place one day. We like it a bunch more than the one at 16th and Valencia just cuz its not as crowded but the food is as good. I haven't done the menu justice,, Im not a fan of the Shalimar oil spill that each dish is,, so I enjoy the tandoor at Pakwan quite a bit. Their chicken and fish is fantastic. And I have to say the rotis are not as crispy as many like it, but damn they are just the right amount of doughiness which is what I like in a roti.
(4)Gourmet G.
As much of a dive as it is, the large windows and airy feel of Pakwan set it apart from most of its nearby hole-in-the-wall cousins. But the Pakistani-influenced kitchen, where all the food is prepared in accordance with Islamic law, isn't as successful as it might be. Tandoor lamb chops tasted as if they had been marinating a day or two longer than necessary. Palak paneer featured very tough blocks of cheese and a thin sauce that was more water than spinach. Chicken tikka masala was tender, but the tomato-based sauce lacked oomph. The naan was very crispy and about the size of a small dinner plate. Best of the lot was a multicolored rice, flavored with hints of saffron and cardamom. It's possible my ethnic background, or lack thereof, simply didn't allow me to appreciate fully what appeared to be dishes more authentic than what I've sampled in restaurants aimed at a more American market.
(2)Roshni R.
a bunch of my friends are completely in love with pakwan, but i really don't see the big deal. it's another hole-in-the-wall indi/paki joint with the same price range and food as naan-n-curry and tasty curry (the food is good and pretty cheap, but the restaurant is dingy). my biggest problem with pakwan is that it's across the street from shalimar, and shalimar (in my opinion) is one of the best indian restaurants in the city!!
(3)