Zafran Kabab Palace

Exploring the world one plate at a time! This time, we stopped by Zafran Palace in Charlotte and focused on their Pakistani side of the menu. From what we gathered, this spot serves a blend of Afghan, Pakistani, and Indian cuisine under one roof — and it’s family-owned, which always adds a nice touch of authenticity. We kicked things off with the Veg Pakora, a crispy fried appetizer packed with shredded vegetables. Solid start — crunchy, hot, and well-spiced. Next up, the Beef Nihari. While the flavors were rich and slow-cooked, it felt like it was missing something — maybe a touch more brightness or depth to bring it home. Not bad, just didn’t wow. Then came the Beef Kababs with Afghan rice. The kababs had a good char and a tender bite. The real highlight, though, was the green chutney — bright, tangy, and elevated everything on the plate. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. I’d be open to going back, but the atmosphere plays a role — and we were the only dine-in guests. A few takeout orders came and went, but the empty dining room did make things feel a bit flat.

Overall experience was good. Most recommended dish to try here Aloo paratha, chicken 65, Mutton briyani. We felt option for vegetarian is less. Other than ambience and food was good.

If you're a fan of authentic flavors, do not miss the mutton paya at Zafran Kabab Palace! The broth is rich, flavorful, and perfectly spiced—comforting and indulgent at the same time. The mutton is fall-off-the-bone tender and cooked to perfection. This dish is a true standout and easily one of the best paya I've had in a long time. Highly recommend for anyone craving traditional South Asian cuisine done right!

I usually don’t write reviews, but after my experience at Zafran Restaurant, I feel compelled to share. My friends and I went there for a casual dine-in meal, and we ordered the 6 skewer kabob for $27.99 from the menu. Everything seemed normal until we got the bill. To our surprise, they charged us $35.97 instead of the advertised $27.99! When we asked about the difference, the staff claimed it was because the order was for “to-go,” but at no point did they inform us of this when we placed our order. We were never told that ordering the kabobs as “dine-in” would cost us more or that we would be charged for a take-out order. Why wasn’t this mentioned upfront? It’s frustrating to be caught off guard at the end of the meal when there’s no transparency from the beginning. Additionally, the kabobs were served to us on plates, as expected for a dine-in experience, and there was no mention that this would be a “to-go” order. If they had been upfront and communicated this at any point during the ordering process, we would have had a chance to make an informed decision. It’s disappointing to see this kind of hidden cost, and honestly, it felt like a sneaky move. If they plan on charging customers differently for take-out versus dine-in, they should definitely be more clear about it from the start. I won’t be coming back, and I would recommend others be cautious when ordering here. Transparency goes a long way in building trust with customers—something Zafran could definitely improve on.

If you are craving for some good authentic Indian/Pakistani cuisine in Charlotte, this is a great place. Their chicken chargah, mutton shinwari/kadai are must haves! Folks are friendly, open longer than other places. When I am visiting IKEA or UNCC, this is a must stop!

Authentic and delicious food. Friendly service. Clean and well managed. The chicken seekh kababs over afghani rice were cooked to perfection. Sesame naan was soft and fresh baked. Highly recommend this restaurant.

The chicken boneless handi at Zafran Kabab Palace is rich, creamy, and bursting with flavor! The chicken is tender and perfectly cooked, soaking up the buttery, spiced gravy that’s both comforting and indulgent. It pairs beautifully with naan or rice. A definite go-to dish if you're craving classic Pakistani-style handi done right!

Zafran Kabab Palace never disappoints! The Bihari Boti is incredibly flavorful and tender, perfectly marinated with just the right amount of spice. The Chicken Kabab is juicy, well-seasoned, and grilled to perfection. Great taste, great quality, and a must-visit for kabab lovers!

All I can say is WOW! Had the goat with green chiles and tomato sauce gravy. Afghan rice and garlic nan. The best meal in Charlotte.

The service is amazing very friendly and attentive. The food very authentic and delish. The best we have had. So happy we stumbled on to this place. It's a must if you're in the area.

Some of the best food I've eaten in a long time! Our group shared samosas, the naan basket, the GOAT KHYBER SHINWARI KADAI, and the mix grill with rice. It was all absolutely incredible and very flavorful. The owner was so nice, as was the staff. Highly recommend. Food is definitely worth a drive.

Food was flavorful and fresh. The owner and server were welcoming, cordial and helpful. The restaurant itself is okay. It is located on the second floor of the strip mall. We tried several dishes, beef, chicken, goat. The Naan was delicious. I am not an expert on Pakistani cuisine, but I liked and enjoyed what I ordered. I will go back again.

Always love coming back. Such tasty delicious food. The garlic naan is soft and flavorful. The chicken tika masala is amazing and the chickpea dish is wow. Service is nice Sita was nice and serviceable, the ambiance was simple yet nice. Every time we go there it seems empty yet great reviews for this simple yet delicious place. I don't want to call it a 'hole in the wall' but it may be the best I One in Charlotte

As of now in 2025, this is one of the few Pakistani restaurants in Charlotte, NC. The restaurant service is superb and the food was great!

Horrible food. Charged for water $1 a bottle Of Sam's club water. Terrible GI illness for all Our family members with severe diarrhea after the meal.

I found this place on accident I went to a different restaurant but they were no longer in the cook to order business and the owner pointed me to those place. I didn't wait too long for my food and EVERYTHING was good, fresh and hot. I really not a fan of rice but I couldn't stop my self it was so delicious. And the price was really good for the amount of food I received. Definitely recommend this restaurant!

Everything was delicious. We shared samosas, two chicken dishes, and two kinds of naan. Writing this review now, I'm craving more. (My tandoori chicken was outstanding.)

I was looking for a good Mediterranean restaurant while I was in the area. I almost settled on a chain restaurant before I stumbled on this hidden gem. It was obvious this place was going to be good the moment we walked in the door. We were greeted and given recommendations for food. We had the chicken tikka and chicken Malai boti over afghan rice. We also got the Chana masala (chickpea dip) and garlic naan bread. Back in 2012 I was gifted a meal with afghan rice, naan bread and beef stew. This brought back some really good memories. This place is authentic and gave it an ever more special touch when the owner came in and treated us as if we had visited his home.

Great Authentic Pakistani food. Good selection, and very hospitable. A little on the spicy side but did not detract from the flavour. Would go again

Delicious food, friendly servers, fair prices. Buffet had a good variety of mild and spicy; vegetarian and meats, cold and hot. Bread was quite good.

My aunt and I had a great experience at Zafran Kabab Palace. The customer service was excellent and the food was extremely flavorful and delicious! I could eat here a few times a month if I lived in the Charlotte area. Hats off to the chef. I highly recommend to try Zafran soon!

First time eating there food was great. Reminded me of being back I. New York. service was good ambiance could use soon help but all and all had a great experience

I thought I would give Zafran a try, since I genuinely enjoy Pakistani and Afghani food. I was excited to see Kabuli Pulao on the menu, as it's one of my favorite dishes. Overall, I was happy with the meal, but the pulao wasn't quite what a remembered from my time in Afghanistan. It was close, but most pulao I have had rehydrated the raisins, and in country they often used golden raisins instead of regular one. A few more raisins and carrots in the mix would have been nice as well. But overall, I was happy to find a place near my work where I could get this dish. My only critique is that it was a bit pricey - $20 for 2 kebabs and the pulao. The lamb kebabs that were with it were good, and a little spicy. I think I would get this dish again and try a different kebab with it. Zafran will definitely be in my lunch rotation. The menu variety looks great, the restaurant seemed clean, the staff was friendly, and the have halal options for those that require it.

Run, don't walk to this place! I found one of the best Indian restaurants in Charlotte. Well, my boyfriend did. We came in around 8:30pm, which is pretty late on our end. We were greeted enthusiastically. There were only two other patrons in the restaurant, so I didn't know what to expect. Our waiter brought out chickpeas, fruit salad, and curry vegetables immediately. He said that people usually come in to break their fast. It's Ramadan for three more days. We did what we usually do-- ordered enough food to feed a football team. We had Chicken Tikka Massala, Chili Chicken, Chicken Boti, and garlic naan. The portions are huge and everything was flavored to absolute perfection. I could have cried over that food. It was so good! The table next to us asked us what we ordered because it looked so good . The food will make you come back, and the service will have you writing a Yelp review. Everyone was sooo friendly and personable. This is truly a gem!

The best middle eastern / Indian restaurant Charlotte ! We stumbled across Zafran after finding the Thai house under it closed. It was about 9pm at this point, and google said Zafran closed at 9:30pm so we ran upstairs. A staff member was cleaning and I could see they didn't have any customers; so I thought he would've been annoyed we were coming so late. But, he greeted us with a huge smile and served us right away! They have a large variety of delicious menu options. My party of 3 all got the lamb kabob on afghani rice, which was great and spicy! We also got samosas which were my favorite ! The sauce it came with was a little too spicy. We also tried their version of Pepsi, "thumbs up" and I drank a mango-yogurt drink! Both were delicious and eased the spice of the food.

Really good food and service. We ordered the samosas and the Zafran Mix grill for two. Plenty of food to split between my husband and I and had a leftover meal. I highly recommend the lassi mango as well. It is super thick and the perfect dessert to go with the meal. Great service will be back

First time Ordered food from this place mutton biryani to go . Tried it was slippery felt like it was from 2 days ago . Called the restaurant to ask if it was fresh from today or from last 2 days ago he started to mumble again I asked if it's from today or yesterday then he said today . I don't belive it I threw it away . Desi restaurants when you charge full money make sure you give the right things plz . Thank you

Lamb Kebab, tikka masala, and garlic naan have been amazing. Great portion sizes! Would definitely recommend.

Phenomenal food, honestly surprised us. Kind employees and great atmosphere, highly recommend

We come here often and the foood is soooo good! The staff is always so pleasant and so nice! Love this place!

I was on a business trip in the area and wanted Indian food. I saw the high rating on Yelp and only 1/2 mile away - so I went with some Indian associates and was hoping for a good meal - we were very disappointed. The service was just ordinary and there was no atmosphere. We will not be back.

Highly recommend the chicken breast kebab. And the rice pudding. Lamb was dry and didn't seem fresh. Bread was fresh and chewy.

Absolutely a delightful food adventure! My girls and I love trying new and different foods...we like having a great food experience and Zafran Kabab Palace did not disappoint. From the moment we walked in the owner Riaz greeted us with the warmest welcome as though he were inviting us into his home. We let him take charge and soon the table was set with the mix grill, Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala, and warm garlicky melt in your mouth naan. The hidden gem was the green sauce that had a spicy kick that just took everything over the top. If you are into ambiance and frills this won't be the place for you, but if you love great food not much else to say. For certain well be back!

This is the second time my partner and I have ordered takeout from here-- and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Funny enough, we ordered the SAME thing BOTH times, without even knowing. Even better, we enjoyed it thoroughly both times. I will say, you need a lot of naan for the goat daleem, and that dish alone really is enough for two people. It's completely worth it to eat here over and over.

We went to this place first time yesterday. We ordered a platte, queema wala naan, nihari, goat haleem. I've been in the US for the last 17 years and tried many desi restaurants over the years, this is the best! Absolutely best! It is a little bit far from my house, but I do plan to go back there again and often. The quantity of food was plenty as well. The place was spacious, and it did not feel like tables were cramped with each other. The cost was also very reasonable. The owner is very courteous and goes around every table making sure the customers get the right service.

Had been craving Pakistani food for awhile but my experience here was very disappointing. I ordered Chana Masala, which was way too spicy compared to what I've had before (Pakistani style). The Paratha that I got with potato was decent. I dined here as a group and the restaurant charges a fee, that is not even a tip. The girl who was taking the order didn't act like she was too happy to be attending to the group. She sat my drink down at the wrong person. When the orders came out, she didn't know whose entree belonged to who. At the end, she did bring carry out boxes though that was probably to get us out quicker because that's the only thing that was done quickly and effectively. I'm glad that I tried this restaurant out before I brought my whole family and wasted even more money!

Dependable. Hospitable. Fantastic. I've been going for years. Owners are very helpful and gracious. If your not familiar with the cuisine they will guide you. Never a bad meal or experience. Consistent.

There's no superlative I wouldn't say in regards to this amazing restaurant. The service was fantastic. The food blew our minds and made our tongues blissful. In addition, we got a quick explainer on the importance of the game of cricket. Seriously. We just happened to metaphorically stumble in and are so glad we did. We ordered the Zagreb Mix Grill for two. We devoured the lamb kebab and beef Laban, as well as the chicken and Malai bohti. The Afghani rice was a revelation, filled with savory and sweet flavors. We can't wait to come back.

Excellent tasting food and good service, ran into this gem while travelling . Good quality meats and will surely be back

What to order: Samosas-crispy and delicious Mixed grill with rice and naan for 2: WOW you get several different kabobs and chicken dishes in one. All served over the softest pillowy afghani rice. The naan is buttery and some of the best I've ever had. We also ordered the garlic chili naan and it's by far my favorite. Amazing prices, we took the rest of this meal home and got another meal out of it. The gentleman who served us was kind and efficient. We can't wait to go back!

Took an associate and my daughter for lunch Fantastic Mediterranean food. Pitas were light and fluffy. Schwarma and kebabs were fantastic. Also- good sized portions

I strongly recommend this gem. The food especially the chicken tikka masala and Haleem are delicious. The food is well seasoned and service is fast and efficient. Rad Malai is fresh and chai is on point . A definite win !

Good service and good food from good people. Loved them in Harrisburg and love them still in new location. Portion size is huge. My aloo naan was a little oily, but still flavorful.

Third time going to this restaurant. They have moved their location from Harrisburg downtown to UNCC recently. But the quality and quantity of their food hasn't changed. We ordered Zafran mix grill (for 2 people), lamb biryani and chana masala. These 3 items were more than enough for 4 of us. So if you are ordering the Zafran mix grill or biryani, the portions are huge, so order accordingly. Chicken kabob and lamb biryani were the best of the lot. Definitely recommend this place if you are in mood for some Pakistani or Afghani food.

We went to Zafran Kabab Palace on Saturday 12/16/23. The food quality was excellent, service was great and presentation was exquisite. The food is authentic Pakistani - hard to find any restaurant in NC that offers this quality of Pakistani food. Spend some time talking to the owner - Overall very satisfied with this place. Definitely going back to this hidden gem. Nadeem and Sarah

Willing to try again before judging. I could detect the source of cooking the kabob meat was with gas.

We ordered garlic naan, regular naan, lamb karahi, and chicken tikka masala. Dishes are traditionally served w/ white rice (unpictured), and we had rice pudding for dessert (unpictured). The service was fantastic. The servers were incredibly kind, friendly, and willing to make a change when we made a mistake and wanted to change our order 5 mins after it was placed. So grateful for their understanding! Loved that the naan was served as a giant piece of bread instead of cut up into smaller pieces. So fun. The chicken tikka masala was very creamy and not like any other tikka masalas that we've had before. It was delicious. Additionally, the lamb karahi was served w/ bone and we've never had anything like that either. It was amazing. We left full and with leftovers to bring home...but we have eaten those now and are already sad it's over. Highly recommend this restaurant. Hope to return again when we're in the area!

Food is very good and authentic. 1 comment, Please provide free water - thats like basic of any restraunt.

Fantastic food! The best Pakistani food in Charlotte. Must try if you are in town!!!!!

Adding two stars back because I came here today and got the halwa puri, a breakfast dish which is only available on weekends, and it was delicious. It was a great combination of sweet, spicy, savory and crunchy. I saw some other people having biryani, and it looked good, so I might come back and try that.

HORRIBLE service. We ordered an hour ago and are currently still waiting for our food. Just HORRIBLE!!!!! Never coming back. This is ridiculous. I've never waited this long for any service in my 22 years of living.

The food and service is Amazing. My husband and I love to come here, food has been good every time we have come here It is magical to go to a place where they take the time to listen and take care of you, this is that magical place. Thank you Zafran!!!!

After hearing so many great things about Zafran, I was looking forward to trying them since this location is not far from my side of town. I visited this location during the week but I called my order in since I had a few questions about some of the menu items. Once I arrived I was greeted by an older gentleman that I believe is one of the owners, he was very sweet and offered a few samples for me to try off of their dinner buffet while I waited for my to go order. I didn't realize they had a buffet but I will keep that in mind for my next visit. This location is not very spacious, especially with the buffet so it was a little tight around the buffet area. I was able to sample the biryani, tandoor chicken and a dessert. All just ok. I ordered the samosas, chicken kabab, tikka masala, daal tadka, peshawaree naan, and regular naan. The samosas were pretty good, crispy and fresh. The chicken kabab is ground chicken not boneless and I was not a fan, not flavorful just bland. The tikka masala was also very bland and greasy. Both naan were plain and lacked flavor which was very disappointing. When I placed my order for the daal tadka I wanted to make sure that it was not spicy and I was told it was not, however it was too spicy for me to enjoy which made me sad because it was the only thing that I really liked but it was just too hot. I would like to think that I would return because the staff was so welcoming but the food was such a disappointment.

We had chicken karahi, chicken malai boti, mutton biryani and the kheer, Gulab jamun, and two chai. This was way more than needed to feed a family of 5 with three small kids. That being said I am glad we got extra since every single thing was delicious. I say this having grown up eating Pakistani food and visiting some of the most premier establishments on the East coast. I am also a self proclaimed foodie which has allowed me to deem this place one of the most authentic I have eaten at ever. I am however sad that I didn't make room for the kabobs. I would return here again by myself so that I could eat in silence and then fall asleep in the corner after I was hit by the food coma. 5 stars!

Zafran Kabab Place is delicious!!! I've had many different Chicken Tikka Masala over the years, but Zafran Kabab Place has the best I've ever tasted!!! I truly mean that. Owners are very nice as well. Deceptive from the outside, but definitely worth your time and patronization.

WOW! What an amazing meal. Blown away by not only the hospitality and kindness of the chef and owner but also the quality of the food. The meal was delicious and so filling! Light and yummy! We were even blessed with chai after our meal. So thankful and we will definitely be back and bringing friends us!

One of the owners explained the difference between the food there and other places. Very slow but got busy close to 7 pm. Meal was made fresh and came out super fast. The garlic naan was amazing . Will come again but will do take out