Shan-A-Punjab

Disappointed Despite the Hype We visited this Indian restaurant after hearing some glowing reviews, but unfortunately, our experience didn’t live up to the expectations. The food was underwhelming: the paneer bhurji, ordered medium spicy, was surprisingly bland—dominated by turmeric and lacking depth. The malai kofta gravy tasted heavily of canned tomatoes, which really took away from the richness we were hoping for. On the bright side, the staff was courteous and attentive. They promptly relayed our feedback to the manager, who came over and kindly offered to prepare something else. We appreciated the gesture, but by then we’d lost our appetite and declined. What really stuck tlwith us was his attitude about not caring about us putting our honest reviews on Google. The dining area was nearly empty, though we noticed a steady stream of takeout orders. Perhaps the kitchen shines more in that format, but based on our dine-in experience, we’re unlikely to return.

If you’re looking for great Indian food, easy parking, and good service - this is the place!!! The service was probably the best part - our server was so sweet and made sure we were taken care of the whole night. Also the naan was probably the best naan I’ve ever had. Will definitely be coming back!

Our favorite Indian restaurant. We go all the time. It gets better every time we go. Tried the buffet this time- really amazing! The only thing is all of Buffet foods are mild- would like if there was at least one spicy option.

We went there for the buffet, and it’s definitely worth experiencing. The service is very good, and the staff are kind and friendly.

Sha-A-Punjab never disappoints. My absolute favorites are the garlic chicken and the garlic shrimp—two separate dishes that I have not found at any other Indian restaurant. Both are incredibly flavorful, very spicy, and completely unforgettable. The chicken biryani is also outstanding, with fragrant rice and tender chicken layered with rich spices. I drive 30 minutes just to get takeout from here, and it’s worth it every single time. Hands down the best Indian food around. Highly recommend! 🌶️🔥

I ordered delivery from here, and the food came fresh and hot. I ordered the chicken curry, aloo choley and garlic naan bread. I ordered the chicken curry as a spicy level and the aloo choley as very spicy and I could have taken some more heat, it wasn't very spicy. The garlic naan was delicious and the rice was decent. I would order from here again for sure.

Absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish! The food was incredible — every dish was bursting with authentic Indian flavor, perfectly spiced, and beautifully presented. The service was warm, attentive, and genuine; you can tell the staff really care about their guests. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, making it a perfect spot for anything from a casual dinner to a special night out. Highly recommend the butter chicken, garlic naan, and masala chai — all were phenomenal! Easily one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to. I’ll definitely be coming back again soon.

We love this place. The weekend buffet is so reasonably priced and the variety of veg and non-veg dishes is amazing. Do not hesitate to come here!

I tried their weekend buffet today for first time and I am very glad I did. Perfect rice and bread is optional at no additional cost. Great soup I could not stop having. Both meat and vegetable options are very tasty, especially I loved Chicken curry and Goat curry. And guys, don't forget about dessert and milk tea. I was wishing my stomach has more room. Satisfaction !

the tomato coconut soup was delicious and excellent hangover food. however the service was bad as the driver did not text call knock or ring the bell upon arrival so idk how long my food had been sitting out there. also they list their juices as being fresh, but I can confirm that neither the pineapple or the orange juice are fresh. Just standard Dole and Tropicana lol. Kind of a grimy thing to do listing the juice as fresh, but I'll probably still be back for more of that tomato coconut soup.

Came here for the weekend lunch buffet. For $19.95, they offer quite a few items. There's a salad bar, two types of dessert/sweets, masala chai, as well as ~10 types of entrees and appetizers. I was pleased by the high-quality vegetables included in the salad bar! The cucumbers, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes were all crisp, vibrant in color, and notably fresh. Our favorite entrees included the goat curry and mattar paneer. Their naan is the only thing made to order, but each food item in the buffet line is contained within a heating unit that allows everything to remain very hot. Even the samosas tasted like they were straight off of the stove. Service is a little slow, and we waited a while before flagging someone down for our check. Overall, Shan-A-Punjab is a great spot for lunch buffet to try an array of fresh, high-quality, and authentic Indian food.

Love this place! Great service and a quiet atmosphere. Butter chicken is fantastic here, and I recently tried the fish coconut milk curry which was also very good. The naan is always fresh.

Fantastic food for the price. Excellent and filling. Incredible weekend buffet. Not fine dining, but all lovers of Indian food must visit! I have become a regular.

The restaurant has a nice modern interior with a tasteful and welcoming vibe. It's located near a busy neighborhood and has a few off-street parking spots with plenty of street parking. The service can be a little slow, but I think they just don't want to be too much of a bother. The portions are very good and each dish had good flavors. We had quite a bit of leftovers and are looking forward to it!

I was thrilled to find an Indian buffet spot! A lot of them stopped offering buffet during the pandemic and never brought it back. Weekend lunch buffet is about $20 per person. For the buffet, they had rice, egg rice, chicken tikka masala, goat curry, a bean dish, a cauliflower dish, a paneer dish, small veggie samosas, tandoori chicken for the mains. There was also chai, dosas, and gulab jamun. You could get naan (garlic option too) for the table. Our server didn't know about the Yelp 10% discount but he still honored it. There is street parking and it seems like a there is also a very small lot for the restaurant too.

veggie or shrimp samosas 5/5 - so good! chicken kadai 3.5/5 rogan josh 4.5/5 This place was my saving grace during the pandemic when I had mad cravings for Indian food and didn't want to order from a place where delivery would take too long. Their veggie or shrimp samosas dipped in whatever curry dish are amazing. The samosas are always cooked well with a crispy outside layer that is well seasoned and filling that is flavorful. I had actually never gone to dine in the restaurant so I made it a point to go. The restaurant interior is quite nice with table settings that feel upscale. It wasn't busy when I went for dinner on a weekend. I've a feeling they receive many orders for delivery by the state of their back counter filled with online orders ready for pick up. Service was ok. Our host was polite, but took some time to take our order and get us our bill. We had to wave them over even though the restaurant wasn't busy for water refills or any requests that we had. The restaurant does have a small, small parking lot that fits maybe 5 cars. If the lot is full, there is also metered street parking.

Shan-A-Punjab is a great spot! Upon arrival, the waiter brought out some complimentary papadum to the table, which was the perfect way to start out the meal. I really enjoyed trying the 3 sauces it came with, each of which had a totally different flavor. We ordered garlic naan, lamb curry, and duck vindaloo. The entrees came with plenty of rice, which helped to soak up the curry, in addition to the naan. If you're a fan of spice, order the curry spicy for a nice kick. Overall, it seems like this is more of a takeout spot, but the restaurant itself has a decent ambiance. I think it's worthwhile to dine in, even if just to try the papadum! Pro tip: I checked in on Yelp and received 10% off. I was impressed that they honored the discount, gold star in my book!

GREAT WEEKEND BUFFET. The food is delicious here and reasonably priced for the not buffet options too. Inside is clean but could use a cosmetic facelift but everything tastes so good it doesn't really matter.

Came here for the lunch buffet with my mother and husband. All three of us have different spice levels, and I liked that the restaurant had individual chafing dishes with warmers to keep the bowls separated and heated. There were plenty of meat and veg items, along with soups, rice, naan, and a little mini dessert and tea station. Everything was very clean, and the servers were attentive with drinks and keeping the bowls/trays filled and spotless. The restaurant has booths and tables for both 2 people or a larger party, and they have a bar area as well. The bathroom was clean but it was extremely small, so if you have someone in a wheelchair or need to bring a child into the restroom for assistance, please be aware. They have regular a la carte dine-in and also do delivery. The menu is pretty varied with lots of vegan, vegetarian, and meat dishes. It's located across from a bus stop, one block from a subway station, and across from a TJMaxx if you need to find it easily. They recently added outdoor dining tables, chairs, and umbrellas for the nice weather.

Dishes had good flavours and nice restaurant to sit in the service was a little slow but I would come back again maybe avoid Friday and Saturdays and come mid week also parking was a pain as it is located on a busy street so bare that in mind if visiting but overall enjoyed the evening

I enjoyed our meal. Had one very nice and friendly server and another who wasn't as talkative. The food came out very fast and was really warm and hot. The restaurant felt clean and it was reasonably priced. There was a small private lot to park and lots of street metered parking. I would return here!

The food was delicious, the service was attentive without being overbearing. The ambiance was classy without being intimidating. We had the vegetable appetizer platter, butter chicken and garlic naan. You get to choose your spice level and it was all wonderful. Would definitely go back.

Great food. Friendly service and good value . Only taken out or had delivery. Recommended

The food was delicious, and 100% work the money! Not super expensive, but the portions you receive do make the entree's worth the price. Service was a little slow, and our waiter seemed to just disappear after giving us our food. But other than that everyone was sweet, receptive, and adaptable to the service. I do wish there was more communication and attentiveness, however for the quality of both the food and location- it makes this restaurant one that I would return to in the future. The ambiance as well was very nice and the restaurant was very clean and comfortable to dine in.

This used to be my favorite Indian place in the area. Went yesterday after a couple of years away. Was very disappointed. Got the paneer kadahi, asked for it medium heat and it had barely any flavor and no vegetables. It tasted more like a korma. Will not go back again.

You get what you pay for. Cheap prices but the food is bland with a pool of oil on top. Ordered chicken tikka masala and chicken curry for delivery and they messed up the spice level on our order. Won't be going here again.

The goat curry was good. It was tasty. It didn't have much bones in it and cooked well.

It's a decent place for good portions of Indian food. The korma dishes we got were quite good - rich, if not particularly distinguished in flavor. The chicken tikka was definitely strong, nicely flavors and tender on the outside. The lamb saag was a nice mix of meat and spinach - the flavoring could have been stronger and again, more distinguished. The duck had a good texture, though didn't taste particularly like duck (tasted more like chicken). The malai kofta had a nice set of doughy vegetable spheres in a cream sauce; perhaps wish there was a little more of the kofta than was provide. The Bhindi Masala okra was decently flavored, but the okra was a bit stringy and fibrous. The baigan bharta eggplant was good. The peshwari naan was wildly sweet (almost like a dessert!). Everything could have been spicier - despite asking for the medium, the hotness level felt more of a mild.

Shan-A-Punjab had a buffet option and a regular menu for dine-in. My friends and I decided to opt for the menu option as we were not too hungry. I ordered lamb tikka masala with mango lassi. We also shared the garlic naan and paneer naan. I got medium spicy for my curry, and I feel like I should have gotten spicy instead. The curry could have been more flavorful, but the lamb was nice and moist. The mango lassi was pretty decent, definitely taste the yogurt aspect of it. The naan was really soft and thin. I preferred the garlic naan over the paneer one but did wish there was even more garlic on it. Overall, I enjoyed the food and was definitely really full afterwards. The service was great as our server checked periodically to make sure our cups were always filled with water.

Oh my God you guys I need to share my review on this place honestly I fall in love with the food please come and check it out especially people here from Boston huge portions. they didn't have my Stella drink but looking forward to one day come back and eat here again.

Horrible experience. The guy clearly didn't care at the front and made zero effort. I was excited to come by judging by all the positive reviews. It really makes a difference when someone does not care.

Very good food and a family friendly environment. Lunch buffet is good, which is hard to find post-covid. It was our kids' first experience with Indian food and they keep asking for more.

I've never eaten here in person before but their delivery food quality has been great. Their menu has all sorts of vegetarian, meat, and seafood options. I recently ordered their lamb rogan josh ($15.95) which comes with rice. There are options for mild, medium, or hot. If you have a high spice tolerance then the "hot" option might still be too mild for you! There were generous chunks of tender lamb and a few but not many cashews. The sauce itself was super flavorful. I like how they add cumin seeds in their rice. In addition to the lamb I also got garlic naan ($3.95). It came as a giant, fluffy, perfectly charred, buttery pillow of bread. I wish I ordered more because the naan was so good. The restaurant threw in a few chutneys with my order. I don't know their proper names but there was onion, mint, and tamarind. The mint chutney was a bit sweeter than I'm used to. All three were very flavorful. I don't have a photo but their lamb biryani ($15.95) is also a solid choice. It comes with a generous portion of lamb, and they give a huge container of raita. The container of raita was as big as the container for the rice that came with the lamb rogan josh!

Yum, Best dish we tried was probably the lamb coconut curry, lamb pieces were super tender! I liked the interior design, way too many plates on the table but appreciated it nonetheless, food was good , the biryani was delicious- huge pieces of succulent shrimp! Would try other dishes here (:

This place excellent very clean and professional staff. Also a good value. Try it out and thank me later.

Fantastic service. Atmosphere is basic and clean. Food is good not great. We ordered the chicken tikka masala, aloo gobi, and naan. It was all fine, but a bit greasy and not the most outstanding flavors. Rice was dry.

Solid Indian fare with generous portions. Got an order (via UberEats) of the chicken tikka and a naan, which was enough to split for 2 people. The "medium" spicy option was quite spicy so I'd recommend getting mild if you're not the biggest spice fan. The naan was a little soggy but that might have been because it was delivered.

Disappointed to have raveled across town to try their advertised lunch buffet only to find out that they only have it on weekends. But food and service were good so not all lost. Hope they update their website to clearly indicate buffet is only on weekends.

Let's get to the bottom line first. This is my new favorite Indian restaurant in the Boston area! It's a nice room; spacious and kept up. Service was good. The food was above average. The ingredients were high quality, good use of spices; sauces were tasty; portions reasonable. The menu has all the traditional dishes but c there were also some more contemporary and local takes on Indian food. If you like Indian worth a visit!

Lady at the front got mad that i had been waiting for my food when the food was on the table. Ma'am , how did you think this receipt below was readable. I'm giving it three stars because their service is always bad, but there food is great. My only issue with the food was that I once ordered the chicken tikka masala and a spicy paneer curry, but the curries had the exact same taste/seasoning/sauce.

The worst Indian food I have ever had! It had no taste . They seem to be short handed as well so the service was not the best either

The food from here is awesome. However there is an issue where order notes are never followed and it seems purposeful. I have been ordering from this spot weekly since Kashmir disappeared. Everytime i ask for at least two containers of onion chutney. And what do I get? One or none. Even on a kid weekend (bonus mom here) where six samosas where ordered we only got one container of onion chutney. How is that enough?! I wish there was an option to add extra to the order at a fee. For now I will keep trying other restaurants as this one clearly does not value repeat customers.

Got delivery from Shan A Punjab through Grubhub at the beginning of quarantine because I was craving good indian food. The food, service, and portions were phenomenal. I will get into why it's a 4 instead of 5 later. We got the Garlic Naan ($3.95), Chicken Tikka Masala ($14.50), and Palak Paneer ($13.95). The garlic naan was perfectly doughy and packed a lot of that garlic flavor! Chicken Tikka Masala had lots of meaty chicken and it was also very flavorful. The chicken was well cooked and not dry at all. We got the medium spice and it was pretty mild! My mom is usually bad with spice but she ate it with ease. Palak Paneer was also really good. It didnt have that many palak pieces compared to the chiclen tikka but it also was very flavorful. The portions were very generous and this lasted 2 meals for 2 people. So you know you are getting your money's worth. The delivery experience was fantastic. They came pretty quick despite it being pretty far. The food was still warm and the naan wasnt soggy at all. Everything was packaged really well! It came with 3 different chutneys that were really good. The reason that this is a 4 star instead of 5 is because we found a metal piece in the Palak Paneer. My mom found it when she was about to swallow, which could have been extremely dangerous. We reported it on Grubhub and they were able to contact and resolve the issue. I am really sad to leave a 4 star review because the food was so good but it also needs to be said.

Great place for indian food. Especially loved the paneer butter masala. Should try! Walkable too!

My search for good Indian restaurant in Boston continues. This is not it either. The food is just Meh - overcooked chicken, flavorless extremely greasy vegetarian food, and so are the parathas and rice.

Got delivery from grubhub and not sure who's at fault here but the timing was way off. grubhub said 25-35 minutes, then once we ordered it was 60 (fine) and then it came in 30 with no update on the ap. I didnt notice my phone because I wasn't expecting the food and when I saw it a few minutes later the bag was left out front (fine) with no name or receipt on it so I cautiously took it inside and started looking.... We got everything as medium as that's my go-to when I'm trying a new place and I would say it was mild. The Palak Paneer was good but the Malai Kofta had whole spices left in it which made eating it really unpleasant. Biting into whole cloves and cardamom pods is not fun. Garlic naan was very garlicly (yes!) but the pistachio shake was more like a lassi in texture which was not what I was expecting. Both the drinks came in the same containers as the rest of the food (so, not a smoothie/drink cup but a soup container).

Pros: -Solid Tikka Masala -- I ordered through GrubHub contactless delivery and this came slightly later than expected, but not too much so. Chicken Tikka Masala ($14.50) I ordered with medium heat and it was the perfect spicy creamy combo. The chicken was a little dry, but there was a decent amount of it. There was about 2-3 small portions in this serving, and I'd definitely consider getting it again. Side of Naan ($2.95) I ordered plain but it seemed like they provided garlic Naan, which was fine with me! This was perfectly soft and chewy.

Been here twice--was blown away the first time with its nice casual interior and very flavorful food. Second time walked in to a horrible stench (it was not the smell of indian food btw), smelled more like BO. Food came in good sized portions but that flavor I had the first time was just not there. Started with good complimentary papad and delicious chutneys (spicy onion, sweet brown, and spicy green). Appetizers: samosa chaat was very good and balanced, kali mirchi tikka was good the first time, but not the second (it was just not tasty or flavorful). For entrees we got the chicken tikka masala (medium spicy) was not bad but nothing special, butter chicken (medium) we got last time was a lot tastier, bhaigan bartha was actually very tasty and probably the best thing here, and mix sabzi was okay. Garlic and butter naans were very soft and delicious as always. We talked this place up to people from out of town based on our first time there and it was disappointing. Would maybe get takeout.

Good. It was fun to go with a big group and pass the different bowls of sauces with meats and breads and rice around. Staff was good. In our party, was a guy from India and he said 3 stars so I'm going to trust his judgement, because I can't compare it to much other indian food. Drinks were also good.

Very good Indian food especially the chicken tekka masala. Fast order in 15 minutes the order ready

weekend buffet here for the first time. I really enjoyed it especially I haven't had indian food for a while. We came around 12:00, was not crowded! Thanks god no waiting line. Workers were very helpful! You can to choose what kind of naan you want! Of course I got the garlic. My fav dish was the lamb curry! It was delicious and it was just a little spicy. Don't remember the price but it was very reasonable!

Nice small restaurant with authentic Punjabi food. They have daily buffets which I highly recommend. Really liked the chicken tikka masala and veg samosas. Tandoori chicken was also on the spot! And who can forget the gulab jamuns. They need to work on their dosas though, understandable since this is a Punjabi joint. Oh! And they also have a small parking spot for around 5-7 cars!

I came here with some friends that live in Brookline and found it to be great food and excellent service. The servers were all very friendly and helpful and made it good experience. We had 2 young children with us and the servers worked hard to make sure the kids were always happy.

Order doordash from here last night. Was expecting high quality Indian food for dinner with such high ratings. However, we were super disappointed as the food overall was not good. the best of 5 items was the garlic naan. Even then I've had better naan around Boston. The food was so bad we didn't finish it and ended up throwing it away, such a waste, but it was unbearable. Definitely would not order here again or recommend to anyone. Garlic Naan Half Tandoori chicken Chicken Tikka masala Sweet lassi Mango lassi

As someone who grew up in India, I set a high bar for Indian food, and while not all dishes are great at Shan a Punjab... there are a few dishes this place totally nails, and they're both vegetarian dishes. Forget the usual chicken tikka masala and try these dishes!! 1. Paneer bhurji - just amazing! Minced cottage cheese mixed with spices, onions, tomatoes etc. Delicious! 2. Baingan Bharta (Minced roasted eggplant) - this is again just delicious, similar to what you'd get at restaurants in India. Highly recommend!

I travel extensively from east coast to the west coast. I'm a connoisseur of Indian Cuisine. Last night I ordered the Buttered Chicken. The Naan was delivered too burnt and tasteless. The buttered chicken was not good to me. The rice was good.. They used what seemed like some frozen brand chicken pieces (all same size thin cuts) as the chicken and the sauce was spicy, greasy by without any resemblance of the good taste I had had many times before from various Indian restaurants across America. After a few bites, I just could not eat anymore! The chicken was just not good at all. If I wanted pre processed chicken pieces I would have went to the freezer section of the grocery store. This was so bad that I flushed it down the toilet. Very disappointing dish.

Ordered takeout for the first time. We had the non-vegetarian platter, tandoori mix, chicken korma, rogan josh, shrimp vindaloo, dal makhni, plain naan, and masala dosa. Everything was fine, but nothing was great. Nothing was bad either, just relatively in memorable. All the dishes (despite being ordered spicy) tasted a bit too bland. Perhaps ordering extra spicy would have helped, but even so there was not a complexity of flavor.