Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant

By far the best restaurant I’ve visited in SF. Where do I even begin? This restaurant takes home made food and elevates it to taste high end. I am always worried about visiting a restaurant where the spices overpower the food, or the food is too oily, and you can’t actually enjoy the meat, but this place has PERFECTED food flavor balance and unbelievable flavor depth. The food we ordered was the Lamb Shank, with Biryani Rice as a side, and the Haleem. Easily the best Biryani I have had in my life (don’t tell my mom I said that) and better than what I can make at home. The lamb shank was perfectly tender and flavoured just right. The Haleem was amazing. I would recommend and re-order both. Beyond food, the owners and staff are the kindest most welcoming people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting at a restaurant. Usually you go to a restaurant just to eat - but here, you make unexpected friends. It really and truly does feel like someone is hosting you for a meal in their home. If I try to think of something they can improve or do better, I truly can’t think of anything. Really a 100/100 experience coming here.

Recommended by my friends as our last meal before leaving SF. The food was indeed really really good way beyond my expectations. I especially liked the chapli kebab - super tender and soft that directly melts into your mouth. The naan is super soft and fluffy and goes very well with the chicken curry. Everything is super tasty!

Everything was so delicious!!!! I found this place on Google maps and was convinced by a review that mentioned the piryani here was better than her mom's. Soooo so glad we came. We had the: Lamb korma (the meat was so flavorful and tender) Chicken Saag (the sauce made the chicken) Biryani Rice (delicious) Samosas (delicious alone and with the little accompaniments) Aloo Gobhi (delicious) Garlic Butter Naan (delicious) The portions were perfect. Even more top tier than the food was the service. The owner (see picture included) was so wonderful, funny, and warm. 10/10 would reccomend to anyone and everyone. Next time I'm in SF I'll stop by again.

The boneless chicken biryani here is genuinely excellent and absolutely worth the hype. The chicken is perfectly tender, and the rice is fluffy, fragrant, and packed with flavor. What really impressed me was the balance, nothing is overpowering. You get layers of spices, gentle heat, slight sweetness, and a subtle tang from tamarind that ties everything together beautifully. The accompaniments elevate the dish even more. The mint sauce adds freshness, the raita cools things down nicely, and the tamarind chutney brings a pleasant contrast. Every bite feels thoughtful and satisfying. The lady who served us was very friendly and helpful, and she recommended their lamb dishes, especially the lamb korma and lamb shank, which I am definitely coming back to try. This is a fantastic spot for Pakistani food in San Francisco and an easy recommendation for anyone who loves a well-executed biryani.

Discovered this place through an SF Chronicle article and it’s truly a hidden gem. The owner makes all the spices in house, and it shows. The lamb curry was the best I’ve had. Perfectly balanced, full of flavor, and not overly spicy. The lamb biryani was equally excellent with fragrant rice and very tender meat. Warm and welcoming service. Will definitely be coming back.

Absolutely fantastic spot. Every dish is packed with flavor and you can immediately tell the ingredients are fresh and thoughtfully prepared. Nothing tastes rushed or flat. It is the kind of food where each bite actually makes you pause for a second. The husband and wife team who run the place are incredibly warm and welcoming. You can tell they genuinely care about what they are serving and they really love seeing people enjoy their food. That energy comes through in the whole experience. If you are looking for truly delicious Pakistani food made with care, this place is a must. Highly recommended and I will absolutely be back.

First of all I just went randomly at a restaurant and I was welcomed with sweet, friendly and more type of family so sweet of mam. And then we ordered parathas and curry the size of parathas also big and reasonable with price too.and the taste is also very delightful I loved the taste presentation was good. I like everything.hope to come back soon thank you🥰

The best Pakistani food in San Francisco. They serve it freshly cook and sooo delicious.. the place is very clean and well organized. Once you taste this authentic Pakistani food can’t stop coming to this place ..

Wow! Absolutely the most delicious Pakistani food I've had thus far. The weekend special, Beef Haleem and was mouth watering- especially when paired with their paratha. The ambience is exactly what you would want from a legit establishment with both indoor and a covered patio in the back. This restaurant is super family oriented and auntie and uncle came by the table to ask us how the food was and recommended some of their specials for next time! You can tell this restaurant and their food is a labour of love. So happy to support this local business with delicious food that is worth the trip out, especially if you're not local to the neighborhood. Definitely will continue coming back for the 5 star food, service, and vibe.

After years of wanting to try this place, I had high expectations. And as I sat waiting for my takeout order immersed in the restaurant's aromas, my expectations only increased! When I have such high expectations, I'm almost always disappointed in some way. Nope, not here. In fact, my expectations were exceeded. The palak paneer was like nothing I'd ever tasted before. The depth of flavors in everything was, I'm serious, soul nurturing, which echoed the kind and gracious service I was offered. Their name is spot on: mashAllah! Do not sleep on or miss this place, or take it, or the gentle souls who power it, for granted. A true, rare gem. Thank you, thank you.

My sister and I were visiting SF and were craving legit Pakistani food. You know it's legit when the auntie at the counter says "we don't use dabba masala" and then went on to recommend their daily special: beef haleem. It was sooooooooo yum! Balanced flavors (although I love super spicy food so asked for hari mirchein And chat masala). The auntie came over to our table and chit chatted with us and my sister told her if she could make meetha paratha like the way our mom does back home. Auntie promptly went to kitchen and made the most scrumptious meetha paratha ever, with homemade desi ghee. Mmmmm!!! Too good!! My sis sat there doing the happy food dance. Haha Thank you, auntie for your wonderful hospitality and the amazing food! It reminded us of home.

One of my fitness goals this year is to walk at least 5 miles a day, which I tend to do so on a treadmill or elliptical for time. But it's the weekend, so I knew I could hit this goal walking outside when doing errands. I was walking along Folsom going from one errand to the next when I realized I needed a little snack. When I saw that Mashallah was a block away from me, my little hunger pang turned into a full on growl! I had heard about Mashallah from the Chronicle's food critic when they were still at the mall. The moved down a few blocks to a really cute space with a patio in the back. The food critic gave them high marks, and they had been on my radar since then. I got the chicken tikka masala, which comes with a side of rice, and the garlic butter naan. I didn't grow up on Indian food, but it was such a comforting meal! The curry had such depth in flavor from the tomatoes and spices. The chicken was juicy and soaked up all the flavor from the curry. The fluffy rice, which was topped with a bit of fried shallots, also soaked up the curry. The garlic butter naan had a nice crust, and was soft on the inside, full of garlic flavor. I used it to scoop up the rest of the sauce when I was finished. I really should've eaten only half because there was a lot of chicken. But I couldn't help it because it was so good! It was pretty quiet when I was there, and I'm not sure how the foot traffic is on the weekday. But the food is worth making the trip to Soma if you're not nearby. I plan on returning to try the biryani and a mango lassi.

Incredible flavor and experience! I ate the lamb kabob plate with the garlic naan. It was so good! Perfectly seasoned and delicious! The lamb was really tender. The owner and his wife were so nice too! They even included some very tasty tamarind sauce to eat the lamb with. Was so good and tangy! I will definitely be back and would highly recommend to others! So savory! Note - There's room to eat there but you can also get the food to go for convenience!

Disturbingly delicious. The homemade paratha wrap absolutely blew my mind, flaky, rich, and packed with flavor. The wrap overall was awesome. The $20 lunch special was super generous, with a heaping serving of braised lamb and a garbanzo bean stew that was perfect for soaking up with garlic naan.

This food was amazing like it blew us away with how incredible the it was. Let me start off by saying we grabbed this on our way to the airport so we don't have the best pictures and also we devoured it so fast because it was delicious. We got the boneless chicken biryani, which was very flavorful, the chicken pieces were super tender. The flavor of the biryani was unique. I'm so used to eating at Indian restaurant so this was such a nice different flavor profile. I also really enjoyed the wrap we got. The chicken wrap had these juicy pieces of chicken wrapped in this buttery flaky paratha, I wish I could take this with me because this whole experience was so great and I cannot wait to come back and try the rest of their menu. The prices are very reasonable and it's amazing to support a small local business

Had movie tickets at Metreon and usually hit Westfield SF Center's food court. Although the shopping center is dying, there are still a few good spots to eat. MHFP is one of the. I had the Chicken Tikka Masala and it was surpringly good. Bonus: the garlic naan was also very good. I don't have high expectations for mall food. The Chicken Tikka is a good place and I will probably eat there again whenver I take in a movie. One pic for one meal.

This place is the whole package! Friendly, welcoming, cute decorations, and phenomenal food! This place is so good! Highly recommended! In particular the shrimp is amazing! And the rice is great too!

LOVE THIS PLACE! We ordered Palak Paneer, prawn masala, rice and garlic naan. Everything was fresh and delicious. The sauce was amazing and so flavorful for each dish. The food came out super fast too. Everyone there is so friendly and it's great for all types of dietary restrictions. Can't wait to come back!

Absolutely fantastic spot. Every dish is packed with flavor and you can immediately tell the ingredients are fresh and thoughtfully prepared. Nothing tastes rushed or flat. It is the kind of food where each bite actually makes you pause for a second. The husband and wife team who run the place are incredibly warm and welcoming. You can tell they genuinely care about what they are serving and they really love seeing people enjoy their food. That energy comes through in the whole experience. If you are looking for truly delicious Pakistani food made with care, this place is a must. Highly recommended and I will absolutely be back.

Great Pakistani food in the old Westfield food court. The mall is pretty empty and sad now but they still have some good food spots. Mashallah Halal is one of them! I got the lamb korma and eggplant curry combo and a aloo paratha. The curry came with a side of rice and it was a good amount of food. The lamb was very tender and flavorful. I also enjoyed the eggplant curry. My favorite was the aloo paratha! It was big and freshly fried. It's a savory pancake filled with potatoes, very tasty! It was a little oily but I really enjoyed it. They have a lot of vegetarian options too. The service was great. I couldn't eat all the paratha so I asked if they could wrap up the left which they helped with.

I am so happy that Mashallah has expanded to a bigger location with both indoor and outdoor seating! The food was all amazing - just as it was at their previous spot. We ordered the beef chapli kebab, chicken karahi, and lamb seekh kebab with naan and paratha. The portions were massive and came with chana masala and biryani. Very sweet owners and solid mom and pop Pakistani restaurant in SF - we will definitely come back :)

Great food, such friendly staff- we met the owners while having lunch and they were lovely Biryani was the best I've had, and I will be coming back!

6 out of 5. Best hidden gem in the city, some of the best Pakistani foods I've had. Owner is very friendly, food is so tasty, price is unmatched. Been on my list for a while, and am excited their new brick and mortar place will open within the next week, just a block from us! We tried the lamb shank - just falls apart, rice is perfectly seasoned and not too oily. They even let us order a side of grilled chicken without rice! Go support this small business - I feel like it's one of the only places still keeping the mall from complete abandonment. Make it a priority to come here to the basement of the mall next time you're in the area - or heck, make a trip just to come to the city for this.

Lunch with my teenage son . Lamb chops : Never order again . Beef Hakeem was excellent. Nan ok . 2.5 /5 . Will try other dishes next time if on the area . Nice owners but the food has to shine to survive .

solid lamb korma, would revisit to try their chapli. staff is also very nice. plenty of seating.

The abandoned Westfield mall is a crazy setting for what may be the best takeout Pakistani food that I've had in America. It felt like getting there was an episode of "The Last of Us," but the payout was huge. I got the steamed lamb shank. Oh my god. The meat is incredibly tender (like almost fall off the bone tender), juicy, and flavorful. I picked that bone clean. It was served with a very tasty sauce over rice with fried shallots, cardamom, and small pieces of preserved lemon rind. I have never eaten so well in a mall. I have never had a lamb shank so good at that price. Lots of firsts with this meal, but it will not be my last time going.

The restaurant is located at the mall. Food court level ground. The food was amazing. The price is very good for the taste and the amount of the food. The service was nice and humble. Very friendly. They gave us to try their Halim Soup. For free. Never try that before but it was so delicious. Very tasteful. The beef and lentils melted together. The ambience is good enough. Need more lights I think. Next time visiting union square, better to go there.

We are visiting from the South Bay and found this place. Loved the lamb shank! Meat cooked very tender. Very friendly owners. We will definitely come again!

Came here because of the reviews but was highly disappointed! Please don't fall for the reviews they are deceptive. We ordered everything ale carte but the employee made them combo. The portions are very small. For $17 of chicken karahi... it's tinny. For $17 chicken grill.... There was barely any chicken.... Again combo but not what I wanted. I never asked for combo. The employees don't speak English. Can't even explain to them that the order is made wrong. They don't understand. I paid almost $80 for tinny little food portions. The naans are not house made, they are pre packaged and warmed up. I would kindly like a refund please. Not satisfied with the service, food at all! I felt bad for the old man.... He was being bossed around by the Mexican guy. Another customer was complaining over their order. I don't know why this place highly rated. It's not worth coming here.

Swung by IKEA and decided to give this place a try! Got the lamb korma and chicken tikka masala combo with a generous heap of rice and boy is it delicious! Between the two, the chicken is the standout, but both are very tasty and despite it costing $18 it is pretty generously sized. The owner seems very friendly and offered to give samples as well if you are on the fence. The menu is a little confusing but you basically can choose combos of whatever 2 dishes you want and get rice with them. The S.F. centre is lucky to have Mashallah and good on S.F. Chronicle for featuring them; it's very cute they have the article proudly on display. Hopefully this mall will attract a few more standouts like this one and it'll turn around the corner like Stonestown. I guess I know where to nom alongside some IKEA shopping!

Husband and wife ran, authentic Pakistani cuisine. I got the tikka masala and lamb korma combo, absolutely delicious. The garlic butter naan was also the best I've ever had. My friend got haleem and lamb shank, which I tried and were also amazing. The owners checked on us multiple times and were so inviting and kind. Will definitely be coming back!

This place is located on the ground level, and as part of the food emporium in SF centre mall. I've tried their lamb korma, very tasty with rice. They also have the lamb shank as specialty, which is not listed on their regular menu.

Wow! We weren't expecting such great food at a food court! This is restaurant quality food and they give you so much of it! The elderly gentleman who works there (owner?) is very sweet. We got the lamb shank and the lamb ground beef kabob (not sure if that was the right name). Both were delicious, tho the ground lamb was a bit too spicy for me. The lamb shank was excellent. But my favorites were the sides. Their "special" rice has so much flavor without being too spicy. Their chickpea is also delicious and I'm not usually someone who likes rice or chickpeas THAT much. There was also yogurt and some other veggies that were all delicious on the plates. This mall is struggling. Come support these ppl at the food courts. We have been here twice since we discovered Mashallah. Will go back soon. So good!

Combo lamb korma and chana. I like the chana. Lamb was salty and had a kick. Lamb had 4 big chunks of meat. Rice has a nice flavor. Chai was $4. Total $23. I will try these another time. The lassi was $6.50. Naan $2. Lots of different combos. Lots of vegetarian options. The lady was super nice. She offered to let me taste.

We came here on a weekend afternoon and were pleasantly surprised by this little place that used to be a food truck. Our friend ordered first and she had the chicken tikka masala with rice and plain naan. The naan was super fresh and soft. When we ordered, we got the tikka masala plate with the Chana masala. The flavors were so good. However, we ordered garlic naan and there was a notable difference of how much more fresh her naan was. Our naan was soggy and drier. Regardless, the food was excellent and we received the food quickly. The ambience is at a good court, so you make the best of it. At around $20 a plate, it is pricier but it was great that we could have two different entrees through their combination plates.

We live nearby, and were so happy this place is open! We got takeout and oh wow, every single thing was amazing! we got one chicken curry, lamb curry, and two types of naan. we will be back for sure! the people who work there are so nice as well!

The only stall at the Westfield food court that's worth making a trip to! The service is welcoming and homey, will let you try every sample they have without a fuzz. All their curries are incredible but I always end up ordering the lamb shank $24. The meat literally falls right off the bone and has a hint of curry flavor. It also came with some lamb korma sauce and a huge bed of seasoned rice. It's enough to feed 2!

Best and authentic Pakistani food in San Francisco soooo delicious freshly cooked. This place is very clean and organized. The owners are so kind and friendly they make sure you're satisfied with the food they served..

Excellent food, fantastic owners, what more needs to be said? Asked the woman to pick our dishes and she did a great job. Would highly recommend.

I came to this restaurant as a part of a group of 8 and we loved it! Food was tasty and portions were generous! Service was fantastic! I want to come back!

Great food and incredible customer service- I ordered via BeyondMenu and their driver was a no show!! The owner of Mashallah was super communicative with me and offered multiple times to hand-deliver the food himself, which is how I ended up getting my food. (By the way, they accept Doordash and Uber too, so use those and skip BeyondMenu). The food is delicious- super flavorful curries with a little bit of heat, fluffy rice, overall a lovely meal. Recommend!

I really, really wanted to love this place considering the glowing reviews and the charming service. The portions are very solid, but the pricing was a little high for food court options, though I suppose it is still located in downtown SF. The food court itself was a little oddly warm and the tables weren't the cleanest with some homeless folks wandering around, so not the most comfy spot. Chicken Tikka Masala (2.75/5): This was my least favorite of the items I tried. The chicken was overcooked and very chewy. Sauce tasted of tomato with not enough spices and was the most okay tikka masala sauce you'll get. Lamb Korma (3.5/5): The cook on the lamb wasn't super impressive, but it was tender enough and the flavor was a little more spiced than the tikka masala Garlic Naan (3.75/5): It's pretty hard to mess up garlic naan and this one is pretty much on the dot what you want. Could have a little more garlic, but the bread is yeasty and has a slight toast on it.

WHAT A FIND. My favorite place is Salems in Pittsburgh, Pa. This is a very close second. First of all it is in the bottom floor of the mall, on the east side. Somehow I had gotten sick on my birthday and now all I wanted was this. We had the lamb korma and chicken Tikka masala meal. Hubby and I split that for dinner and still have enough for another dinner. Still recovering, two days later, I am now into the lamb shank. Yum yum yum. And plenty of that left over too. We don't all have deep pockets. But we appreciate a good well prepared meal. I LOVE THIS PLACE. Good food, good value. This was my birthday meal. Good choice. I WILL BE BACK. Thank you Chronicle for reviewing this. It is simply wonderful.

This place was absolutely incredible! Right as I walked in the door I knew I was in for an amazing time; the food smells so flavorful, and tastes the part. The staff was so nice throughout our entire experience. I decided to get the chicken over rice - first off, the chicken was beautifully cooked. The rice was incredible, and so were the chickpeas. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this place if you are ever in the area.

So flavorful!!! The lamb shank is so good. Nice and friendly staff. Can't wait to go back again.

Need a reason to go to the Westfield Mall? Look no further than Mashallah Halal Food in their food court! I came here before seeing a musical in the Theatre District and it was quick, filling, and yummy. The Chicken biryani with Steam Roast Leg quarter $18 was cooked to perfection. I loved the rice, the spices, and the sauces. Service was helpful, knowledgeable, and prompt. Will be back!

If the beef haleem is on special, it is really special, highly recommend! Great service also!!

Discovered this place by chance. They have various vegetarian options. Really flavorful, too. Service staff is courteous and explains what ingredients are in their dishes. It's a mall eatery but it shouldn't be judged as such. They have good food items which are inexpensive and that's what matters to me.

Excellent food, very kind owners, felt very homely. Please note that the correct address is 315 5th St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States The shop in the mall is closed (still incorrectly showed up for me in Apple Maps)

Very good customer service. Very tasty and clean food. Very nice people. I recommend people should go and try there food.

Love this place. Food is amazing. Come here from Embarcadero for lunch time to time. Brought colleagues once and everyone enjoyed. Can't go wrong with this place.

Decided to try this place after seeing the article about it in the SF Chronicle. I had high expectations going in due to the article, and they were definitely exceeded! I got the lamb shank, which was extremely flavorful and quite tender. It also came with lamb korma and rice, both of which were delicious. The entree was $22 but the portion was huge so I ended up getting two meals out of it, which was great. The woman who owns the restaurant was really friendly and eager, offering her suggestions for which dishes to get, and even allowed us to try samples of different dishes. Part of my satisfaction with Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food comes from my low standard from the food emporium at Westfield in general; I feel like most of the places I've tried so far tend to overcharge for small, low quality servings of food. In comparison, this place is a gem.

High quality, authentic Pakistani food. I don't eat parathas often because they're often too greasy and heavy; however, this time I took a chance and it paid off! Best paratha I've had all year. Mango lassi was average. Kabobs were good too.

Chickpea and fried bread Lamb chops We probably should have ordered the curries for a little better experience maybe Chickpeas was decent Biryani rice was tasty but not fresh Lamb chops felt old and heavily marinated. Fried bread was not fried right Didn't see a Pakistani or indian in the kitchen. Service was amazing by the workers though

Very friendly staff and the food is great. Large portions, very fresh. Worth taking the time to find them in this half-empty food court!

The food was excellent service outstanding and very welcoming, the ambiance good considering the circumstances.

Home cooking in the mall. Delicious quick lunch when I was in a hurry. Had the lamb wrap and it was big enough for two meals. Will definitely be back. What a gem to find and very homemade feel.