Zareen's Palo Alto

The service started off so so with a guy that didn’t acknowledge us for a while until a younger guy came out and helped us. The inside of the restaurant is very nice and updated! The food was nothing too special there wasn’t enough species and tasted more creamy and sweet. The waiter was super friendly and checked on us multiple times. I found the prices to be a bit pricey compared to other businesses that offer the same thing. I would definitely recommend at least giving the restaurant a try if you’re in the area.

I’ve been reviewing restaurants for a long time, and Zareen’s in Palo Alto is one of those places that continues to live up to its reputation. From the moment we sat down, the place felt lively and welcoming. It was busy, but comfortable, with a good flow and a positive energy that immediately sets expectations high. We ordered the chapli kabab, chicken tikka masala, chicken sizzler, garlic naan, regular naan, and mango and rose falooda. The chapli kabab was juicy, well-spiced, and full of flavor, cooked just right without being greasy. The chicken tikka masala was rich and balanced, with tender chicken and a sauce that wasn’t overly creamy or sweet. The chicken sizzler arrived hot and sizzling, packed with smoky flavor and generous portions. Both the garlic naan and regular naan were fresh, soft, and nicely cooked, with good texture and flavor. They paired well with the curries and rounded out the meal exactly how you’d want. We finished with the mango and rose falooda, which was refreshing and aromatic without being overly sweet—a perfect way to end the meal. Service was smooth and efficient throughout, but can improve. The staff was polite, attentive when needed, and handled the crowd well without making the experience feel rushed. The atmosphere brings everything together. It’s clean, vibrant, and comfortable, making it easy to enjoy your meal whether you’re dining with family, friends, or just stopping in for a reliable, high-quality meal. Zareen’s Palo Alto delivers where it matters most: consistently great food, a welcoming environment, and dependable service. It’s a place I return to confidently and recommend without hesitation.

This restaurant is a testament to receiving constructive criticism positively. Everything was hot, fresh, and flavorful. They pay attention to all the right details and give such a memorable experience. I would HIGHLY recommend for anyone in the area looking for authentic Pakistani cuisine. This should be your first stop leaving after picking up your picky aunties and uncles. They deserve a Michelin star fr.

Best Indian food I’ve had in the Bay. - love that it’s open until midnight. It was still lively with college kids and other diners at 9pm on a Saturday, which is not common in the Bay - Chicken Tikka is creamy, rich and smokey. Love that the pieces of chicken were charred; that brought an interesting dimension to the tikka - Beef Chapli was not bad, just a solid beef patty with spices. Good complement to the curry - Rice and Naan were served fresh and hot! Prices are relatively affordable given the area. It’s more of a fusion between a sit down place and a counter service spot; you get your own utensils and napkins but someone will bring you the bill. Service was just okay, slightly impersonal but I get that they’re busy.

Excellent food and service team is excellent. Can really taste the fire and grill. Unsure the chef was a bit heavy handed with the spice as the dishes had a nice kick to them. I still handled them well bc they were very yummy. Just needed extra mango lassi and cool water to calm the heat 🤣. Family teased me that "I ate with tears of joy" while I think it was fun and worth it. FYI, Mountain View location is only for To Go. Palo Alto shop is among a "food street" areas. We had great boba drinks afterwards🤣.

This is a big branch of the most popular Pakistani restaurant in the Bay Area. This is a nice branch with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant gets very busy on weekends for all times including brunch, lunch, evening, and dinner. The menu is vast with plenty of options for snacks and meals. There are both meat based as well as vegetarian options, which are smartly written in green ink. The food tastes really authentic, the portion sizes are super generous, and the prices are relative to the quality and quantity. The staff are very nice, despite being really busy they make sure to attend to you. Food is also delivered pretty fast. Seating is only assigned by the staff and even at busier hours they do it quickly. Highly recommended for good quality Halal Pakistani food.

As a Vietnamese girl who is OBSESSED with South Asian food, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ZAREEN’S!!! This is definitely not my first time here. I work at “store nearby and have seen your team come into my store in uniform>>>>once I saw the branding, I was like okayyy, it’s time to visit you guys back LOL So yes, shoutout to your employees for bringing the sale back LOL. The food? AMAZING. Always. I’ve had similar food in Fremont and Sunnyvale, but Zareen’s just hits DIFFERENT. Every single time. But the REAL star is the customer service. Like honestly… I don’t even have words. It’s the main reason I keep coming back again and again. HUGE shoutout to Sergio, Rishi, and ARS :)!!!!! you guys are incredible. Just know I love you all so much and truly appreciate everything you do!!!

We visited this place for Sunday lunch, and as expected, it was absolutely packed. I already knew how popular Zareen’s is and have eaten at their other locations before, but this was my first time at the Palo Alto location. It lived up to expectations. We waited about 10 minutes before getting a table. We started with the chicken momoni samosa, which was listed as a Michelin-recommended starter. I also ordered a mango lassi, while my friend went with a soda. The mango lassi wasn’t my favorite—it felt a bit too thin and milky for my taste. I personally prefer a thicker, yogurt-based lassi, but that’s just a personal preference. The momoni samosa itself was crispy and filled with spiced chicken wrapped in what tasted like filo dough, likely fried. It was decent, but nothing particularly memorable. For the main course, I ordered the shammi kebab thali. It came with yellow basmati rice, dal, salad, and three small patties of shammi kebab (likely beef). The portion size was generous, and everything tasted great. The rice and dal were comforting, and the shammi kebabs were the standout, flavorful, soft, and really well done. My friend ordered the chicken boti kebab sizzler, which came served on a hot sizzling plate. It was more of a grilled chicken dish, and I believe she ordered something additional on the side to go with it. She seemed to enjoy her meal as well. Overall, we had a great experience. I’ve always enjoyed food from Zarin’s, and this location, being the original, did not disappoint. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.