Sitar Indian Cuisine
618 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91101
Sitar Indian Cuisine Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Pasadena for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Pasadena for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Pasadena for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
618 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA, 91101 - Phone (626) 449-5954
- Website https://www.sitarindiancuisine.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
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.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Saby K.
Came here for the lunch buffet. Very filling, so pace yourself. The basmanti rice is delicious, as is the naan. Can't go wrong with the chicken tikka masala. The samosas are filling and average. However, I loved the butter chicken!
(3)Nick K.
We love the food here, and the service is super-friendly. But the back dining room smells like urine. Yeah.
(4)Brian C.
Best Indian food outside of Cerritos. Get the food "Indian spicy" and you'll be energized for the rest of the night. Order online for a discount. My favorites are the lamb vindaloo and lamb biryani, while my wife likes the chicken curry but that's because she isn't very adventurous.
(4)Evelyn R.
The food was fine. HOWEVER the restaurant experience was ruined at the end of the night when we encountered SATAN reincarnated as an Indian Manager. Although the place looked charming at first, the Indian Groupon Nazi was FUMING WITH ANGER because we didn't present the groupon when we arrived even after we called to make sure we can redeem our groupon from our phone app. He was condescending, boisterous, and disrespectful refusing to listen to anything we had to say as he talked over us. Even after admitting that absolutely nothing would've changed had we presented the coupon when we arrived. Sure he credited our groupon, however he rant was unnecessary and ruined the whole experience. Restaurant suffers from bad management.
(1)Carl M.
Never actually eaten there but the place just looks old and dated. You should see how dirty their hall/event room looks next door. Terrible. 3 stars just because I have a feelings it's a bit rough around the edges. I can usually tell from the burned curry smell.
(3)Edith G.
Been coming here for years... The foods great and the service rocks. Sunday CHAMPAGNE LUNCH DAY!!
(5)James C.
Went there for dinner. Food is actually not bad but the waiter/owner was quite impolite to my company. Our experience was ruined by his attitude.
(2)Vanessa H.
Came in on Saturday and they told me I couldn't use groupon on weekends . It doesn't state that on groupon .
(1)Rajashekar M.
Worst Indian food I never had in my life. The manager is very arrogant for shouting at the customers and abusing them in Hindi never visit this restaurant. The working staff is very good except manager. He is very rude at customers. I will never visit this restaurant in my life and never visit this restaurant. Am giving 1 star to the serving staff.......
(1)Josefina I.
My husband and I were quite disappointed with this place. We had to wait AN HOUR for our food, seriously. I don't know if they had a problem in the kitchen or they forgot our order, but our dishes took forever. They offered no explanation, no apologies, nothing. We also thought they had forgotten our naan bread, but they brought that out when we were almost done with our food, which was pretty weird and untimely. As for the food itself, it was nothing spectacular. I had butter chicken and my husband had chicken vindaloo, and about half the chicken in both dishes was pure cartilage or fat. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. These people will be out of business soon if they don't get their stuff together, with all the awesome restaurants in Old Town Pasadena that offer far better service and food.
(1)Todd G.
This is an overlooked gem right in Old Town Pasadena. Not sure why it was empty tonight, but folks are missing out on a great meal at extremely reasonable prices. Highly recommended! Don't fail to order the biryani.
(5)Adam G.
Personally, I think this place is great. The food is spectacularly good, the menu is broad (over 100 items including drinks and dessert), the prices are reasonable, and my experience with the owner/manager has been very positive. Best tandoori chicken. Excellent Palak Paneer. Best kulfi I've ever had. Plus, the lunch buffet is an incredible deal. I think the rating of this place is artificially low. Try it and see.
(5)Tatsuya Y.
Just came across this place on Eat 24 and randomly gave it a try, not a good experience. I ordered a delivery which was $30 and was told at the door that the portions were small and I should order more next time. I got the sense that he was not happy to deliver only two curries to Highland Park from Pasadena, which is no further than a 10 minute drive. On Eat 24 it said the minimum order starts from $20 and isn't $30 enough for that? It's not like I order one curry and a piece of chicken to just go over the price of 20 dollars. They should specifically say that people have to order at least 3 CURRIES AND 2 ORDERS OF TANDOORI CHICKEN or something, if that's what they want. The food was okay, not anything special. I don't think I'll order from or visit this place again.
(2)Annette L.
I would give them 0 stars if I could. Unfortunately, my experience here was AWFUL! I cannot comment on their food because I was not even given the opportunity to order any! I was trying to use a Groupon that expired. (By the way, the value of the Groupon is still good, but not the special that I would have received had I used it before it expired.) The two men in charge were EXTREMELY RUDE and told me that they did not have to honor it, and it was up to Groupon to refund me. I will probably not eat here ever because of how degrading they made me feel for something I should have been able to use (and have been able to use at all other establishments). I do not usually write Yelp reviews but the service was so terrible that I had to say something.
(1)Stephanie Y.
In attempt to eat Indian food on a Monday afternoon, my friend and I were turned away by many places in Old Town with a big, fat "CLOSED" sign. I guess that's what happens when you try to eat lunch/dinner/whatever it is at 4pm. She remembered a place on Colorado across from Tender Greens, so that's where we went. Parking was easier than Old Town -- we just parked right out front on the streets. We were seated immediately and were told that the buffet was still going on. We went to check it out, but instead asked to order from their menu since we didn't see our favorites being offered. We ordered an order of samosa, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and rice. The samosa was decent, but the chicken was very dry and not tender. The garlic naan was too thick for my liking and lacked the garlic flavor I was looking for. All in all, don't think I'll be returning. Its partially due to the food and partially due to the service. The entire time, we felt that we were being rushed. There were multiple other tables at the restaurant, with two other tables that came in and ordered after us too. But they were constantly trying to clear our plates and asking if we were done. Mehhh!!
(2)Scott S.
Thought I'd give this place another shot. I walk in and the owner/manager barks out one word to me...."Closed!". Didn't matter that it was 9:30, a full half hour before their closing time. No apology, no nothing. He couldn't even be bothered to look up from the register. Didn't matter to him. Not one bit.
(1)Darin S.
Tried the Lunch Buffet last week. Better than expected. Arrived early so food was fresh. Tandoori Chicken was very good, smoky and moist. The sauteed cauliflower, potatoes and onions (a little tumeric maybe?) were very good. The other dishes were pretty good, but not great. A larger than avg variety to choose from for an Indian Buffet. The Garlic Nan was a little bland. I'll ask for extra garlic next time. Overall, for the price and quality very good-3.5 stars, B-ish. If you like Indian buffets, try this one. The decor and storefront need a makeover, so the place never appealed to me. But I'm glad I gave it a try.
(4)Dave R.
Manager was rude and tried to say my Groupon was not valid, on the day of purchase which was on a Friday never again will I step foot at this place total scam!!!
(1)Osama M.
The food is great but the owner is not nice at all. I went there last week with a coworker for lunch. we had the Buffet which was $8.95 per person. we ended up splitting the check (evenly). A few days later, we were surprised when both saw our bank statements. we were charged twice each (4 charges overall). the charges were of different amounts from what we actually had/signed. when the bank called the owner, he told the bank that I need to go and show him the receipt. Once the bank told him that this issue is kinda fishy and may escalate it. He told them to delete all charges. Now, what does that tell: that was scared and wanted to drop both charges. I dont appreciate what he has done. thats called deception.
(3)Tony M.
Great champagne brunch at a great price.
(5)Scott S.
Great food, but someone needs to explain some cultural subtleties to the owner, who yelled at and (presumably) berated his staff as they served our party it's dishes, which also took an hour to materialize. I would call the atmosphere "spicy hysteria." I like Indian food, but would never go back. Plus, he refused to honor our Groupon because we were part of a party, despite the fact we ordered off the regular menu and were paying for it ourselves.
(2)Amanda D.
Rudest restaurant owner ever. the restaurant actually opens at 11 not 10. I came in 10:30 and was condemned to be too early. They had only salad available. So be it. I had some salad and the hot tray cover fell tilted. The owner turned around and yelled at me "what are you doing! We show you respect you need to show us respect!" What? I couldn't believe what I have just heard and had never been yelled at as a customer dining at a place before. So 11 comes around I can (was ALLOWED to) finally grab something without being yelled at. And the food was just ok ... definitely not worth the anticipation. The salad was not fresh and not a whole lot of choices at the buffet which was OK. Never gonna come back and don't recommend it to anyone either. But I am still shocked by how I can be yelled at by the owner like I own him something... this explains well why there is NO ONE walking in for over an hour I was there! You are slow for a reason: before you demand "respect" from your customer, give them respect first. Check what you post on yelp: don't post the time you start working post the time you are ready, clean your bathroom and bottomline I don't need to be paying to be yelled by and argue with strangers.
(1)Sonny M.
Had ordered take out years ago from this place and it was decent. Decided to try it in tonight. Got there about 8pm and the place was dead empty. We were the only two people in the place. It was just weird. We placed our order and the food came in a decent amount of time and wasn't bad. The only hiccup was ordering tea. We got the standard chia tea without being asked and plain black tea seemed alien to them. Overall it was decent, might return, parking was easy even for a Friday night. Might go back for this buffet I've heard about.
(3)Koi Serene O.
Have recently returned a few times with a coworker and the atmosphere has changed dramatically. Prompt, polite service and smiles all around!
(4)Catalina T.
Hmmm interesting..... we walked in on a Sunday afternoon and the place was empty. We were quickly seated and handed over a menu while the guy that seemed like the manager of the place proceeded to reprimand the poor girl that was there because she didn't help us out. We were explained that it was an all you can eat buffet and asked what we would like to drink. We had a glass of champagne that was included with our meal (one glass only). The husband was brought a mango lassi because the owner insisted he had one. Again, it's only one drink allowed, no refills. We grabbed our plates and headed over to the buffet line. To my surprise every thing looked freshly prepared. They had the typical Indian dishes such as the chicken tikka masala, garlic naan (which was fresh but very thin), some sort of chicken wings and leg, the lamb tikka masala was delicious and not lamb-y, some sort of breaded fried balls along with other things (I do apologize for my poor description on the food, I do not remember the names of everything I tried. Over all the food was decent, nothing tasted bad and it was all fresh. Service was whatevers and the seating arrangement is very uncomfortable especially if you are sitting in the inside of the table. The price was super affordable for an all you can eat buffet. I do wish though that the service was more friendly and welcoming and that they would have a higher limit of at least champagne refills for a Sunday lunch. Another reason why a star was deducted was because when we asked if we could order a la cart, we were informed that we were not able to do so because it was buffet time only.
(3)Nercy R.
000000000. 000000 rating unfortunately unable to do it, Worst experience ever pushy ass waiters then they give me some BS bout my groupon never going back here again
(1)Justin S.
Favorite: palak paneer. Go for the all you can eat lunch buffet. A bit underrated. Should be 3.75, possibly 4, as far as lunch goes and considering price/value.
(4)Lori N.
Went to this place with a friend on a Thursday night. We got in and it was completely empty, but they greeted us right away and the manager/someone important gave us menus. We ordered basics, chicken tikka masala for me and some kind of eggplant dish for my friend. We were about to order two sides of rice but the manager told us one would definitely be enough for two people. Thank goodness he told us that because he was definitely right! And my chicken tikka masala was cooked to perfection. I am wary about getting chicken (the last Indian place I got chicken at I got food poisoning) but this chicken was absolutely amazing. I kept mentioning to my friend how delicious it was. Pretty sure he enjoyed his food as well, and between us we comfortably polished off the rest of the food. The two waiters were young and super nice, keeping our water glasses full and exchanging plates when we needed. The only downside would be that it's true what other Yelpers say, the manager did speak sharply to his workers a few times but I never heard any arguments from the kitchen. Good vibe, very traditional, and delicious food. Will definitely bring my family back.
(5)Jay N.
While we were out on business matters, my associate and I stopped in during their weekday lunch time buffet. The only Indian food i have ever eaten before was curry, so this was going to be new experience. This was a great surprise and what a value. The food was delicious and the staff constantly checked on our dining experience.
(5)Nishat A.
Nasty restaurant! Rude server/manager! Been here before and it was fine, but tonight on Valentine's Day - it was horrible! We ordered off of the menu and when the food that arrived did not match the description and we complained, the waiter yelled at us in the middle of the restaurant and actually said "eat it if you want or leave!" Never have we been so insulted at a restaurant! Totally ruined our Valentine's Day! We're definitely not ever returning to this restaurant!
(1)Stacey S.
Their $8.95 buffet is a good deal. At first I was a bit shy about the random items at the buffet, but after sampling everything I became a fan of Sitar. Highlights of the buffet: The Palak Paneer was so buttery tasting and quite filling (in a good comfy way). The Mango Chicken Curry became an instant favorite even though I don't usually like mango. There was a pumpkin type dessert with raisins, what is it?! It's going to haunt my dreams. Lowlights of the buffet: The Saffron Rice varied in quality. One pan was bright yellow, the next pan it was white. The Chicken Saag was a bit dry. There was no Chicken Tikka Masala! After ordering two bowls of Chicken Tikka Masala, I realized they don't include it in the buffet because it's DELICIOUS. The two bowls we ordered were spiced slightly different, which was fun to see how much I could handle of the spicer one before gong back to my comfort zone in the other bowl. The server was attentive, polite, and made my lunch experience even better! I will definitely be coming back here.
(4)Andre D.
Holy cow... Get it.. This place is bomb, the food was fresh the service was great. This place redeemed itself
(4)Christina H.
The food is pretty good. However I will NEVER go back again. I stumbled up on this place a couple weeks ago. I had purchased a restaurant.com gift certificate and attempted to use it on a Saturday afternoon. When I got to the restaurant, I was told since it was buffet they would not accept the certificate since you cannot order off the menu at that time. I decided to stay anyway, understanding the rationale, and ate the buffet. The owner/manager was nice and told me to come back for dinner with friends and use my coupon. I decided to go tonight (on a Tuesday evening) with some family for my mother's birthday. We ordered and then when I went to present the coupon I was told by the owner/manager that they would not honor it Monday-Thursday! SO CRAZY, its usually the reverse and looks like from other yelp reviews that other customers have been told otherwise (i.e., some people got told no on Friday or Saturday). The manager/owner was so rude and honestly is an idiot because for the sake of 25$ he lost what could have been a regular customer. That is not how you do business. And if you dont like restaurant.com or groupon maybe you should not sign up with them and offer promotions. He is also very rude to his employees. I feel like he just lures people in with promotions but does not honor them. Very deceitful and poor customer service. Will not be putting money in his pocket ever again.
(1)Jen V.
I used to LOVE this place -they USED to give enough food to split and have leftovers. Last night I spent $40 on 3 entrees and rice that I was planning on lasting for the next few days, but it was 80% sauce! Only 5 small Kofta Lajwab balls that were super bland and gritty, only enough chicken tikka masala for 1 plate, and the Dal Makhani was watery, bland, and gross! So I pretty much paid $40 for 1 plate of food and a container of rice. Absolute bullshit -I should have gone to the store and bought those microwavable Indian meals. At least I would have had enough for leftovers and saved some money. I want my money back!!! :(
(1)Leila A.
The food is really good but can be very spicy depending on the day. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because when I went there the owner was very degrading to his staff. Definitely come for the 8.95 lunch buffet until 330pm.
(4)Ellen O.
We saw a film at the Laemmle and since we always like being in Pasadena, decided to stop for some Indian food. We arrived at about 6pm and it was about 1/3 full on Sunday. We were seated at the back where there are 2 tv screens and tomorrow's setup for their buffet. I had never been here and was impressed by the sabji palak (vegetables with spinach) dish which, unlike in many palak dishes, was not runny and which retained the individual fresh flavor of the carrots, zucchini and snow peas. The prawn biryani was also flavorful with great basmati rice. We were happy that the garlic naan also matched the dishes, although it was not as fresh as I would have liked. It seemed as though it may be prepared ahead.. Sitting near the tv screens was all right. It was loud, and one of the screens I was watching seemed to have a detective show or something that looked like a UK alleyway. I was gently corrected by my bf who told me this was the closed circuit video cam to the back lot... Urgh Chai and kulfi ice cream were good. Gulab jamun were without syrup but tasty. The staff were great. I think next time I will sit away from the tv screens. My 3 rating is just because we tried one meal each and would like to see other dishes before upgrading. All in all the food was tremendous and we will happily try it again one of these days.
(3)Nikki S.
Lovely place, wonderful folks that work here and the buffet for $8.95 is phenomenal...The garlic nan rules. And the carrot desert rules although my friend Travis and Jackie had it and I did not. A real find and the parking was cinchy..in other words you need to go NOW!
(5)Neil S.
Went here on Saturday night as our normal Indian spot was booked. Wow! Very surprised to find this gem. Had the veggie Korma and Chicken Tikimasala, naan basket, and some special "dirty sauce" made out of the chicken dish. That was some serious spice! Wait staff was nice and even the owner was present and spoke to us. We will def go back. One of the best Indian spots I have found in Pasadena.
(5)Christopher S.
The owner was very warm and personable. The food was delicious!
(5)Nick W.
This was a pretty disappointing experience. We ordered rice and naan with our entrees. The manager then told us he was bringing saffron rice and garlic naan. The saffron rice is twice as expensive, and the garlic naan also costs more. When we told the manager he'd got it wrong, he kicked up a huge fuss, but said he'd change it. He brought a plain naan instead of a garlic naan, but then still charged us for a garlic naan on the bill. When we pointed that out, he again kicked up a fuss. It didn't add much to the cost of the meal, but it did convince me not to go here again. The ambience was also pretty bleak. We were the only people in the restaurant.
(1)Bahar F.
i've been here twice and both times the food and service has been fantastic. pay not attention to the reviewers who complain about the owner, they are just not knowledgeable to cultures other than their own. I looked at every name and picture that said the owner was rude and the were all white. This guy is your typical gregarious indian!! He may be strict with his employees, but that is simply a cultural thing. And honestly the employees don't appear to be offended in the least. the food is absolutely fantastic. we got the samosas, the veggie korma, tandoori chicken and saag panner. The indian tea is not as good as I am used to, but pairing it with the gulab jamoon gives the sweetness that its missing. I heard the have a bottomless mimosa buffet brunch on weekends and we are sure to come back for that. so if you want good northern indian food delivered with authenticity - go here.
(5)Ichiro T.
The best Indian restaurant I tried so far in Pasadena area. I have tried both their buffet and regular menu. Their Tandoori Chicken was moist and good, even though I am not the biggest Tandoori chicken fan. But for the 3 times I have been there on weekdays within a month (in 2012), they have Tandoori chicken every day for those 3 days for their lunch. - I love both their Mango Lassi and Butter Chicken, better than all the restaurants I have tried in the neighborhood. Though I notice that their mango lassi tastes slightly different on different days, it may be sweeter one day and more sour the other, which is probably because of the mango they use. I hope they could make sure it taste consistently sweet, using very ripe mangos... I also love their buffet, since they have gulab jamun, rice pudding as well as fruit, on top of the decent savory selections. However, I have to admit that the curries/entries for the buffet are "slightly" less authentic than their regular menu - i.e. weaker spices. I suspect it's because the curry on their buffet server/heater get condensed very quickly, so they make slightly water downed version of it to prevent serving overly strong or dried out curry. Their garlic naan is SOO good~~ but I only order it if I were to eat there. The quality is not the same after I bring it home. It is my Number 1 Indian restaurant in the neighborhood! - It is a 4-star review, but you should know I am critical and close to never giving out 5 star reviews.
(4)Jim V.
I enjoyed the lunch buffet, but it was "average" compared to other Indian restaurants I've been to. The Channa Palak (chickpeas and spinach) was unique and tasty - but the buffet didn't really have that many choices. I was disappointed that the food was only slightly warm (temperature), like it had been sitting for a while. I do have to say that the Mango Lassi was stellar! TIP: Go to their website and sign up for a free dinner/lunch. It says it'll email you on your birthday, but apparently it also gives you a free meal for just sharing your info with them. Be sure to print out the email, though, before arriving!
(3)Khadija A.
We eat at Indian restaurants frequently because of my food limitations. Sitar is one of the best we have been too. AND it's not in the midst of Old Town stupidity.
(4)April C.
Had the buffet was really yummy esp for the price. You can't go wrong with this place. The manager was very welcoming and genuinely inviting. He even made us a plate of delicious chicken mango curry! It was really amazing. I also recommend the goat curry. So moist and tender. I will be back for sure.
(5)Nicole M.
Great! I had their delivery before, and it was delicious and quick. I went in, and it was also great! They have a buffet but nothing interested my vegetarian boyfriend, so we ordered off the menu. The Eggplant Bharta was delicious, a slightly different flavor than other Indian restaurants like All India, but I love it. The Chana Masala was good too, but my favorite was the Palaak Paneer. Samoas were my favorite of any Indian restaurant I've been to. Chai tea was good, service was good, overall my favorite Indian food in terms of taste I've had yet.
(4)Paul L.
I'm a fan of Indian food. I've tried a good half dozen Indian restaurants in the Pasadena area, and Sitar is my new favorite. Went for their champagne lunch buffet ($10, all you can eat) and we were impressed. The Good: Excellent Chicken Tikka Masala (creamy sauce and very tender chicken), Mango Lassi (don't normally like them so sweet, but this one was good), the Naan (perfect, not too cooked or burnt, but fresh soft and warm with just the right amount of stiffness), a good selection of food--particularly vegetarian--in the buffet, well spiced samosas, the service (the waiter was attentive and the manager came by several times and was very friendly--suggesting things and asking how we liked specific items). The Bad: Tandoori Chicken (it was soft, but dry and somewhat bland); the side of the tablecloth was dirty with crusted food; comically small plates for the buffet. The Ugly: Judging by some of the other reviews here I'm wondering if we lucked out both on the service and on the food. Well, I'll append this if I have an atrocious experience next time we go, but based just on this one experience: this is my new favorite Indian place.
(4)Anna S.
It said that it is open now but when we came there was a piece of paper on the door that said they are open till 2:30 pm and then from 5- 10 pm. So I think try should add this info to YELP.
(1)Beebe L.
Yum. Came for the lunch buffet to try the place out. The main area is a lot smaller then it looks from the outside. Chicken Tikka Masala - Great The spinach one I forgot the name of: Tried both the tofu and meat version, both very good. Tandoori Chicken - Good but I notice that the ones that are cover with a tray in buffets tend to get a little rubbery for all the buffets I've been to that carry this dish vs if you just order it on a plate, so I'm not going to ding them for that one. Rice - Was great Naam - Was really good. Service: Great Food: Pretty good for the price. Restroom: Didn't use it Overall: I would come back if I was in the area for the lunch buffet.
(4)Amanda M.
Been here twice for dinner now and love it. Each time we've gotten the combination deal. It comes with so much food. And it's absolutely delicious. The naan is great as is the chicken and curry. It even comes with rice pudding for dessert which is tastey. The servers are around your table quite a bit but really try to give good service. Our drinks were constantly refilled and plates were cleared quickly. Great place.
(4)Sue F.
1. they serve you papadum and chutneys when you sit down! 2. it's a small, cute restaurant. 3. the server was really nice & attentive. we never had to ask for anything, it was already done. 4. the chicken tikka masala was bomb. white meat, perfect size & the sauce was deelish. the pakoras are perfect. the mataar paneer is yummy. the raita i just kept eating with my naan. all of the food we had was wonderful. 5. they don't charge you $5 for basmati rice like mezbaan. 6. they play awesome bollywood music & dvd at a reasonable volume.
(4)Kat K.
When I came to this site to review this restaurant, I must say I was quite shocked to see only 3 stars overall. I actually expected at least 3.5-4 stars for this place after last night's meal. I'm not one to really crave Indian food when I'm hungry and came to Sitar at the recommendation of the boyfriend. It is one of the better Indian restaurants in the Pasadena area (which I am guessing does not have a heavy Indian population) and the prices mostly fair considering it's in a less heavy traffic area more near business buildings than Old Town touristy areas which have a lot of fancy restaurants that charge premium. The order: Palak Paneer and Lamb Tikka Masala, Basmati Rice, Naan, Mango Lassi The only things on the list of items ordered that I had tried in the past are just the rice and naan. To start, the naan was pretty good, not the freshest, but definitely beat the POS cardboard naan I had at Venice beach (haha, who eats naan at the beach you say? my bad). The lamb tikka masala was flavorful and wasn't as salty as the other reviews complain. I generally like my food salty especially when there is bread or rice involved. I was a bit wary about ordering lamb because I grew up never eating it, so it tastes mildly gamy which is a flavor I could do without. The tikka masala masked the gamy taste of the lamb well and the dish was very enjoyable. The palak paneer was pretty good though it was a bit on the blander side. I really liked the thickness and the generous amount of cubed cheese in the sauce. Was really good as a dip for the naan and the little chips in the basket they give at the beginning of the meal. The mango lassi was a thick decadent drink that I definitely want again. Kind of reminded me of a pureed version of the Mexican dessert bionicos. The service was great despite that they had an entire banquet going on in the adjacent room. There were at least 2-3 servers in the restaurant side taking care of the 5 tables that were seated, ours included, and came by often to check our drinks and to make sure everything was going well. The only thing they lose a star on is the fact that the portion sizes aren't as large as it should be considering the price of the meal and rice and naan are charged extra. These are staple items that really should be complimentary and probably the least expensive items to provide, but I'm going to chalk this up to the state of the economy. I'll be back soon..
(4)Billy T.
Food is terrible, Service is lousy! charge me extra $3.00 for the rice, $3.00 for the nuns, what a rip off! Stay away from this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)Maria G.
Love this place! The owner and his staff always make us feel welcome. The food in the buffet is very good & the price is just right for lunch. Only drawback: no diaper changing table - but with that said, the place is very family friendly.
(5)Marissa Q.
I've never been to this place in person, but I've gotten delivery several times. The food was delicious, the price similar to pretty much all Indian food, the delivery free. I especially the samosas, and my absolute favorite is the chana masala. It is very flavorful and slightly hot at the "medium" level. Once the delivery guy messed up my order and forgot a strawberry lhassi. He was super apologetic and offered to go back and fetch it. When he came back he had two lhassis, and he also gave me extra samosas! Thank you, helpful anonymous delivery guy!
(4)Albert S.
Ordered delivery using Sitar's convenient online ordering form. Then proceeded to wait for 1 hour and 15 minutes for my food, from a restaurant 4 blocks away. The delivery driver called upon arrival, and I went to the gate of my building. However, no delivery driver was standing at the gate. When I went back inside to call the driver, he explained he was standing by his car. Granted, it was dark and I couldn't see him standing in front of his black car while he was dressed all in black. And what delivery driver just stands by his car and dosen't deliver the food to the building? I ordered garlic naan, chicken vindaloo, and palak panner. I was a bit surprised that rice wasn't included, but I probably should have checked first. The garlic naan was cold and rubbery, practically inedible.
(2)Andy O.
The prices are a little higher than other Indian restaurants, and the service is a little cold. There are smiles, but they don't seem genuine, and the workers don't seem particularly happy to have you there. It wasn't quite rude, as others have stated, but they did seem just a little short. No big deal. That said, the food was far better than other Indian spots in the Pasadena area. They also had almost-raunchy Bollywood films playing, which was a bonus for a perv like me who likes to watch chicks with high-pitched voices wailing and dancing all weird while I eat curry. At this point, I could give four stars. Unfortunately, the naan fell way flat. It doesn't matter how much better their curries and meats are, an Indian restaurant needs to have solid naan, and Sitar's was terrible. Maybe a bad night for the bread guy, but I'm going to have a knock another star for that. Oh well.
(3)Ali R.
I liked this place before. However, during Valentine's Day 02/14/2014 when I visited with my Family, I was very disappointed over all. First, the manager didn't accept my Living Social voucher, even though the deal didn't have any day restriction. The Manager came up with his own decision. Then, he refused it, he asked me if I still would like to eat here? that was very unprofessional.. Next, the servers were college students not proper trained restaurant servers and didn't know on how to give good service. Lastly, the food is not really the best you can get.. They could have at least prepared it well. All I can say now is I am never ever going to visit this place again. The Manager's attitude changed the whole perception of this place for me now.
(1)Chub M.
By recommendation of the owner, we had the Chicken Tikka Kabob and the coconut Curry Chicken with naan and rice. My Fiancé and I loved both dishes. The chicken in the Kabob dish was some of the best I've ever had at an Indian restaurant. I would definitely order that again. I also highly recommend a drink they serve called the Scooby Snack if you like creamy rum drinks.
(5)Jordan M.
I've been here several times. I don't really care what you people say... this is a great place! Ok, so there are some interesting dynamics between the staff and customers but who cares? The lunch buffet is an awesome deal for $8.95
(4)Amos Y.
Went for the lunch buffet and it was great with a good range of options with the curry chicken being exquisite
(4)Wilson T.
Currently on a low carb/low sugar diet and this place was just not the right place to go too. The wife had a friend visiting and that was their choice so I decided to still join them and being that we were there for lunch buffet, figure there MUST be something in their line for me to eat. For all you can eat price, I would give it 3 solid stars. It was around 12 dollars per person with ONE drink.. yes, one drink only. Either you get a soda, champagne, or lassi. The naan, which I love to eat, looked really thin but it did look fresh too. I enjoyed eating their goat curry. It was really good, not game-y and it did not smell or taste bad at all. The chicken curry was good too. Service did need a bit more help. I didn't order the lassi (since I couldn't drink it) and they still brought it over to me. I was about to ask for a diet coke but I was informed that it was only one drink included in the buffet. The wife ended up drinking the lassi and I was stuck with water.
(3)Bernard V.
Great Indian cuisine. Their delivery service is one of the best I know.
(4)Ko T.
My sister and her husband treated us at this restaurant. FOOD It was good but a little pricey in my opinion. SERVICE Started out with nice greeting and stuff. The manager or owner (I don't know he was) turned a little sour to us after my sister informed him that she wants to use the coupon she brought. Afterwards, he was quite pleasent to deal with.
(3)Robert P.
Manager tried to push alcohol on me even though I was not drinking. My friend and I vowed to never return but his mother had wanted to try out the place a few days later and voila my friend had all the symptoms of food poisoning shortly there after. I would not recommend coming here. I have eaten here three to four times in the last year and I thought the food was flavorful and the first time I ordered it spicy it came really spicy which was a nice change. However the fact that the manager is horrible that we have gotten into it with him a couple of times and then my friend getting sick the next time he ate there is more then enough to steer clear.
(2)Stephanie N.
Lamb curry was perfect. I am not a fan of spicy food, and mild was just perfect. The saffron rice and garlic naan was bomb. The lamb was saffory and succulent. I enjoyed the food very much. The rice pudding was awesome. The food was decently priced and the service was good. The only downside was waiting for the check, other than that it was great! 11102013
(4)Sarah E.
The food here is great, especially the weekend Champagne Brunch. The garlic naan, samosas and chicken tikka masala are all great dishes. It really is a great value. The owner is just not very nice. We had made a reservation through Open Table and had one of the $20 dining cheques. The owner claimed he was not on Open Table and refused to take the dining cheque. We even showed him his restaurant on our Open Table app and he shooed us away. If not for him, the rating would be higher.
(3)david R.
Their lunch buffet was really excellent, and very reasonably priced. Staff was very friendly.
(5)Napoleon P.
Originally gave 1 star, because of the review below, but their manager has since called me to come back to get the food and offered to deliver. While I think this is the appropriate response, it should not have been required in the first place. In any case, I passed on his offer. Never Again! I've been here for lunch a couple of times during my lunch break, so when I saw a deal on Eat24, I figured why not. I paid $20 for two orders. When I got there they would not honor it! I even provided proof and the owner just kept laughing and saying stuff in a heavy Indian accent. It is terribly RUDE customer service. I will never ever come to this place ever again. Stay away if you buy a deal on groupon, living social, or eat24. I wish I could give zero stars. TERRRRRIBLE. No wonder there were no customers in there.
(3)Marina R.
I'm not a fan of Indian food but one of my best friends is so here we go. She really loved her food (I couldn't say what she ordered). I ordered the quail (see pic) which came on a sizzling platter with rice and vegetables and it was awesome. So flavorful and yum. The service was OK, not great but also not bad, the decor could use updating, but for the price I felt the food was good. I'd really give it a 3.5 but we were there for a long time and never felt rushed.
(4)Natasha K.
Just ordered delivery to mi casa and awaiting this order.......... So finally 1 hour and 20 minutes later, I finally get a knock on my door and it's my food. WOW midnight. C'mon I worked out at 9pm. Sad face. Well let's see if the entire $26 order is correct.......... Nope. Sad face. One order of Samosas (2 per order): Delicious, flavorful and was worth the wait. A la carte Matar Paneer: Creamy curry with lots of green peas and mildly spicy. A la carte Saffron Rice: Light, perfectly seasoned and has a wonderful aroma. Paired well with the Matar Paneer. I didn't get my bottled water, instead a Perrier. There's a $20 minimum for free local delivery and frankly I could've saved myself some dinero and opt for take out, in which they offer a 15 percent off on orders over $15. What's a sitar anyway? Cool fact on Wiki: The Rolling Stones used a sitar in "Paint It, Black" and a brief fad began for using the instrument in pop songs.
(3)Joel D.
I don't care if i go to a 5star restaurant or a local mom and pops. Customer service and good food is what brings me back for more. I have to say there service was EXCELLENT Great place to go for lunch.
(5)Rae S.
I'm here about 2x a month and I have never been disappointed! Servers are very attentive and the buffet is awesome. It is about $10 for their weekly buffet and $11 for the champagne brunch on the weekends!
(5)Paul L.
Probably never coming back here. Lamb Curry - 0, Vegetable Korma - 2, Garlic Naan - 3 Lamb Curry was gamey and tasted like very low quality meat. Don't know if it was just brought out of the freezer or what but it was not good. Vegetable Korma had a good taste but they definitely use frozen vegetables. I'm sorry but carrots are not usually criss-cut. I know the frozen vegetable taste and texture cause thats what I make at home (sometimes). Water had stuff floating in it but I drank it anyways. Not sick yet. Ambience is weird. Loud obnoxious Indian hip-hop (I'm actually a fan of traditional Indian music). Much better options for Indian food in the area include Akbar (bit more pricey) and New Delhi (same prices but better portions, better tasting and better ambience all around). This place was saved by the fact I had a groupon that was $12 for $20 so it saved me 8 bucks and from being totally pissed at a below average meal.
(2)K B.
I AM INDIAN AND THIS FOOD SUCKS! Very few vegetarian options, all of which DON'T taste anything like real Indian food. Even my meat eating American husband hated this place. Service was ok but wait staff did not smile even once. Looked like they were corpses walking around. Thought the champagne brunch was overpriced at $13 since you can only have 2 glasses of champagne or lassi or soda AND the food sucks. WE WON'T BE RETURNING TO SAY THE LEAST.
(1)Holly H.
Very good food. Excellent delivery with efficient online ordering. Very friendly staff. Great menu for vegetarians and meat lovers alike.
(4)Jesse M.
I just moved to Pasadena. This is my new spot for great authentic Indian food at a reasonable price. Paneer, lentils, and samosas are awesome! Lunch buffet has a great variety as well.
(5)Alfredo C.
Ive tried several Indian restaurants in LA , But this place really puts you in India from the moment you walk in and Are greeted by the Staff!! My wife, kids and I, Have had Lunch here numerous times, The buffet has Ample choices, its difficult, although every dish is Savory, just try all there is , you wont be dissapointed, I also recommend the the Mango Licee!! Tip them well, the waiters are the best!!
(5)George B.
We're very happy with our dining experience @ Sitar. The interior of the restaurant is cozy & comfortable. Enough dishes to keep you interested & the taste of foods range from mild to robust in flavours. The staff is very efficient & courtesies. Sitar offers good value. tasty foods & friendly atmosphere. Say hello to the gracious host, Anil ( see picture )
(4)Dari A.
The place is now closed because of a cockroach infestation but my review is based on past visits. While the lunch buffet used to be a great deal at $9 with great service, lately its quality had gone way down. I doubt if this place will reopen soon, without an upgrade.
(2)Gunjan B.
Lazy staff. We reached the restaurant at 9:26pm and there were just two tables full. However, the waiter looked at us with annoyance, and then said "we just closed!". The closing time on the door is 10pm! Avoid at all costs.
(1)Lili M.
Great Indian Cuisine in Pasadena! Great service too! Love the tandoori chicken and Naan bread the most! The dessert is also a must!
(3)Vatisha S.
Worst Indian food I've ever had & I've tried a lot. Everything is watered down and tastes like Campbell's tomato soup. No spices or authentic Indian flavors at all. Try the Himalayan cafe across the street or Tibet Nepal House.
(1)Scott B.
Despite having lived so close by to this restaurant when I lived in Pasadena, I never bothered to try eating here. I didn't miss much. I tried it for the first time since it was advertised on Groupon. There were only 4 customers (including my party) for dinner on Tuesday night. I noticed a sign that the business was up for change of ownership. Wonder if that's the reason for the rather lackluster service. The food was decent, but the overall atmosphere could have been better. I wish the current and possible future owner more success.
(3)Jo C.
There's really good food here and friendly service! We ordered the lamb curry, tikka masala, and chicken coconut curry with the sampler and the chicken samosas. Everything was really delicious, especially the chicken coconut curry!! Make sure you get a side of garlic naan, because it's freshly made and compliments everything. :)
(5)E D.
Good lunch buffet. The naan is perfect--so soft and chewy. I try not to scoop rice just because of how good the naan is. The curries are really yummy and there's a good variety of them. I'm not sure what the deal is with all the negative reviews of the service. It's always busy during lunch and the service is still awesome!
(5)Svatka P.
I hate to write a negative review since we were here for a family gathering, BUT, the place was not a favorite of mine to say the least. We were in the "great room" since we had a large gathering, so the food was buffet style. Let's start with decor. The place needs a renovation asap. The carpet was a horrible color, the "dance floor" was sticky and dirty (and we were the first ones there so either the only person in the room splashed what felt like fruit punch all over the floor, or they didn't clean it after the last party. The tables were round with a (pinkish orange?) tablecloth, and pink napkins. Although they must have run out because one table had some random blue ones. There were three couches pushed against the mirror wall, and some fake plants. The food- I am not Indian myself, but I know Indian food. And what we had was not indian food. It was so bland! Indian food is known for flavor, and spices, and different varieties of Curry, chicken, etc. It was very very disappointing. The buffet had a "garden salad", basmati rice, chicken curry, chutney, samosas, lamb, and a few other things. I LOVE chicken curry, it is my favorite food, so i was really excited to dig in, but it had zero flavor! No flavor in any of the dishes. We also only had water, or champagne, (which they ran out of in 30 minutes and had to run to the store to buy more). You knew there were going to be over 30 people coming for brunch, why would you only have 4 bottles? The owner- now maybe I'm wrong, but usually when you have a large gathering, you pre-pay for the room/services, and get to enjoy your time. He kept coming into the room over and over and over again, asking what time we were going to be done. Um the room was rented for a specific time slot, don't you know that? He seemed very unprofessional. I personally did not witness any roaches or bugs, thank goodness, BUT the plates were filthy, and so was the silverware. (employees seemed so sad too, almost afraid of the owner) It was nice only because of why we were there, and who we were there with, and the location. I personally will not be coming back.
(3)Colette D.
Yeah. Don't even think about it unless you don't mind cockroach infestation and vermin..... It has just been closed by Health Department.... For the 2nd time this year. pasadenanow.com/main/ind…
(1)Mauricio C.
One of the best Indian restaurants I've found in Southern California. The service was very good! Received polite waiters who came at appropriate times and asked how our meal was. The food was definitely delicious and satisfying! Had chicken tikka masala, very creamy. Mixed grilled tendori was also very delicious! Lamb was chewy, but aside from that the flavor of the shrimp chicken was good! Definitely recommend this place for a well balanced meal with excellent service!
(4)Dog C.
Interesting set of reviews. you either love it or hate it. We went for 1st time couple of Fridays ago. We used a Groupon and used it on a phone and we had no issue. The food was about as good as it gets considering it's Pasadena. I have had better and I have had worse. Good portion. The restaurant was about empty...odd considering it's Friday evening, but it is away from the main Pasadena drag. The service was fine. The servers were very attentive and very nice. I had their butter chicken...yummy!!! it's really good. I put 3 stars since I can't be a fan yet...I will go again and see how it is.
(3)Krista I.
My experience here was strange, to say the least. I walk into their restaurant which by the way was empty and ask if I can sit at the bar, owner/manager gestures yes. From the moment I walked in he was a bit impolite, but lucky for his business, I was craving Indian food and I didn't think his unwelcoming behavior would get any worse (let's give him the benefit of the doubt). I was SO wrong. He made me feel very uncomfortable! I literally had to look around and make sure I walked into a restaurant and not some strangers house because he treated me as if I were an intruder (funny but true).. So I order naan to start off with and let him know I was waiting for a friend to join me. He comes back only a minute later to ask if I'm ONLY ordering bread (asking me in a snarky manner). I tell him naan for now & that I will order when my friend comes... I still never got a menu or water. (This guy hates me) At this point I'm shocked! I was polite regardless, but his attitude kept getting worse... I just HAD to video what I was witnessing. (If I'm able to I will post video below) When I get my naan it's wrapped in foil, I ask a server for a dipping sauce and the manager yells at him to get a packet sauce togo. I tell the manager no I plan to dine in. He ends up telling me bar seating is only for drinks.. I asked if I should move to a table because I planned to dine in..his reply was "no take your naan that you requested". Confused, I ask if I can order, He replies quickly with NO and picks up the phone. Once he gets off the phone he tells me it's fine that I'm able to sit at the bar and eat there... Thank you, but no thank you! Keep your food bud! Maybe get help you shouldn't take personal issues out on your guest and employees.
(1)Laura S.
This is what happens when I cheat on my favorite Indian restaurant... I ordered from here because I had to work late for dinner and this was closer than my regular Indian place. I've had the buffet before, so I figured it'd be okay... Let's just say, I was SO disappointed in the general meal. Chicken Tiki Marsala - this was SO salty. Usually marsala is rich and has a spicy texture.. but this was very watery and salty. I added some water to dilute the saltiness. Garlic Naan - pretty good. Saffron rice - This was completely tasteless. The menu said it has peas in it... NO peas. I don't usually eat rice but the saffron rice at my usual Indian place is AMAZING. So I figured every Saffron Rice would be great... NOPE. And mine had a SEED in it. I think a person should stick with the buffett and not order the individual plates because I'm really disappointed in my meal. Delivery - They came within 45 min. So that was good. The delivery guy was nice.
(1)R J.
Do NOT go here. In June 2015, they were closed again by the Pasadena Health dept. Still want to eat here? pasadenanow.com/main/ind… Had the most horrible displeasure of eating here in May 2015. The owner/manager is rude and treats you like s**t. We had the hardest time requesting even the most basic services. The food is good, but there are better options. I will never eat here again.
(1)Rose A.
Never been incase you wonder why it closed a few days read San Gabriel tribune it was infested with ROCHES not once but twice GROSS....
(1)Chris M.
So, where do I start. The EAT24 order that I issued against this place stated that the food would be here within 45 minutes. At 50 minutes, I called Sitar Indian Cuisine to confirm my order. The manager was rude, aggressive, and stated that I shouldn't have used EAT24 and I should called him directly and that it was EAT24's fault that it was going to take ANOTHER 20 minutes for my food to arrive. The food arrived 25 minutes later, and was pretty cold. Not to mention that the food also didn't include our two mango lassi's we ordered. Now, get this. I ordered this food the Super Bowl. I understand that people are busy during the Super Bowl. I wasn't even angry that the food took longer to get here that stated. However, if you are not interested in providing good service, don't state that you can provide delivery and that you are open during the Super Bowl and that you fulfill orders during that time. I called back within 5 minutes after the delivery person left and stated that the Mango Lassi's were missing. Not to mention that they didn't include nary a napkin as part of the delivery as well. I was greeted on the phone by what sounded like a teenage kid, stating that the restaurant was closed and would open again at 5pm PT (in about 1 hr from when I called). I told him what had happened and my concerns very calmly and then asked to talk to the manager. He responded by telling me the manager wasn't available. So I asked for his name. He hung up. So, fast forward to past 5pm PT, let's say 5:45pm PT. I took a quick break during the Super Bowl to call this place. The young kid answered again. Told me that the manager was busy and to call back. I said no, the last time I called you hung up, I want to speak to the manager now. So the kid puts the manager on the phone, and he gets on the phone, I explain to him the situation and then (you guys are going to love this part) he claims he IS NOT THE MANAGER and that the manager has stepped out and will be back. Note people this was the same guy I talked to earlier that I mentioned in the beginning of this review. So I press him on this and he responds by hanging up on me. OK, I warned them. So, I called back one more time, told them that I'm pretty tired of them hanging up on me, but they did give me the motivation to write this review. So here it is people. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE. Shady. Just shady. If you want your food in like 3 hours, this is your type of place. The food was decent (we ordered Chicken Tikka Massala, Alo Ghobi, bastmati rice, garlic naan, note, I've eaten Indian all over the world, so I know this type of food) but the service reminded me of what I would get at the nasty Arco down the street where the service person doesn't like me.
(1)Vandana V.
This dish is supposed to be Gajar ka halwa. I spitted the food moment I tasted it , Pathetic food. Fish pakoda is really salty. Goat curry is soggy looks like left over. I have been to this place many times. Food was really bad. Never gonna visit this place
(1)Veronica M.
I was very hesitant to visit this establishment due to all the negative reviews. After my visit, I found this place to be a very nice location. It was the first time I had tried Indian food, It was delicious. It is a family owned establishment. Having a similar upbringing I realized that the owner is not being rude, he is just being himself and treating everyone like family. I would definately return to this location with more friends.
(5)Eric L.
This is my second visit, and sadly, the last. I enjoyed the food each time and would give it 5 stars. The chicken tikka masala with saffron rice and garlic naan are a wonderfully delicious combination. Unfortunately, the service is horrible -- mainly with the manager/owner. He tries too hard to run the show and comes off as a jackass. He has no respect for his employees and tries to up-sell you (rather than make recommendations). In addition, if you have a Groupon, be advised it is a bait-and-switch. Although there is no fine print excluding you from using it, the owner will make up restrictions of his own so that you will not be able to use the full value of your voucher. I'm sure Groupon has received several complaints for this establishment because I was able to get a refund from them fairly easily. I would normally give two thumbs up, but because of the owner, I give naan (sorry couldn't resist). If ownership changes, I may, nay, will come back. So owner, please do your business a favor and fire yourself. =)
(2)Tasty T.
Amazing lunch buffet! I stopped by late Saturday afternoon, just 30 minutes before they were to close. The staff and owner greeted me and were very welcoming. The buffet had an amazing variety of choices. Generally I do not even eat lamb but it melted in your mouth. The salad, soup and fresh naan were amazing as well. The food is to tasteful that you want to keep chewing to keep the flavor. The atmosphere was also very warm and comfortable. I had to keep looking around thinking "oh no this buffet I did not look at the price its probably higher, but was still only $10.99. Its the best food ever! Seriously, I have eaten at many Indian buffet restaurants but Sitar Indian Cuisine is by far the best! I wish I could give it more stars. Please try Sitar Indian Cuisine and put it on your favorite list. Especially the buffet! Thank you Sitar, I cannot wait to go back!
(5)Darren B.
I see why this place looks empty. Never in my life have I been rushed through dinner at what appeared to be a nice restaurant because they would be "closing soon" (my group of three arrived nearly an hour before closing time!) I understand that at closing time, you will lock the door and not allow any new customers in. But to tell diners who are already there, happily eating away and PAYING YOU MONEY, that they will have to hurry up and get out? Not even in the lowest diner in Lower Slobovia, Arkansas have I seen such a thing. They even insisted on closing out the ticket as soon as they plonked the food down, as if they were afraid we were going to scarf down our lentils and make a run for it. The whole idea of running a business, as I understand it, is to make money. So personally, I would think you would want to hold customers' tickets open as long as possible, even after you've closed. After all, they might want to order something else: some more drinks? Maybe dessert? Something to go? All of which means: more money! Making guests uncomfortable, hovering over the table with frequent reminders that you will be closing soon, and finally unilaterally clearing plates away, without even offering anything else or asking if we would like to take our leftovers, suggests to me that staff at Sitar aren't grasping this. Making money in a restaurant means not only serving good food, but being hospitable and creating an inviting atmosphere. I've had nicer evenings at taco stands. P.S., the server had dirt under his fingernails, and held water glasses by the lip of the glass, where people's mouths are going to be. Ugh. Good: food. Staff: rude. Never. Again.
(1)Lucinda C.
I am only giving this place two stars because the manager was very kind and accommodating. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. From the lunch buffet, I had the chikken tikka masla, tandoori chicken, naan, and fruit. I was really disappointed with my meal. The chicken had a very strange taste. I think it may have been expired, the chicken tikka masala sauce was good tasting but I was just so freaked out by the bizarre-tasting chicken that I really could not enjoy the flavor of the sauce.
(2)John K.
This is a horrible place to eat Indian food. Probably one of the worst Indian eatery in Los Angeles. Here are my quick reasons. (1) Ate there today and I feel sick in my stomach. (2) The Manager was screaming at the polite waiters and the cook for no apparent reason. He was super friendly to the patrons, but that's not the way to treat your employees. He is an old school psycho. I should have walked out. (3) The plates were not washed properly. Probably explains (1). The carpets too needs cleaning. (4) The food is way below average except for the Garlic Naan (bread). No real taste or flavor. Went there for lunch buffet with some collegues and except for the Naan, the rest of the food was far below average. Very oily and bland. The meat dishes had very little meat and floating in gravy (or heavy cream). In addition the plates looked like they need a hot water wash and the manager was very rude to his workers. Shouting in front of customers and making the environment uncomfortable for the patrons. This is not a way to run a business or treat your employees. I don't think I'm going there again. Save your time and money and there are plenty of other nice Indian restaurants on Fair Oaks Ave in Old Town Pasadena.
(1)Marlon O.
What a terrible experience. The manager would not honor my Groupon despite calling in before hand to see if was available on a Sunday. He instantly became offensive when I presented my phone to redeem my Groupon. This man doesn't deserve to run a restaurant.
(1)Andrew J.
Great champaign brunch. Food was great as was selection. Friendly owner gave us a whole bottle of champaign. We will be back.
(5)leslie i.
Note to owner: You're rude and when you are rude to your employees, it makes people (the ones paying for your food) feel uncomfortable. When you are rude to your employees, your customers don't have respect for you. They will take their hard-earned money elsewhere. I will never come back here -- and from the look of other reviews on Yelp, I'm not the only one who's noticed this abhorrent behavior by the owner. Your food is good but your tableside manner sucks. You're not the only rodeo in town ...
(1)Tarun K.
I tried biryani , not so good. Not just food but he also not so good with his workers/employees too. I definitely not suggest if you are planning biryani here or even any lamb recipe.
(1)Shelly F.
I do not like leaving bad reviews because I know it's hard to run a business, but the way the owner/manager of this restaurant treats his employees needs to be addressed & it's time for me to go somewhere else for Indian food. There are pluses to this restaurant: easy & ample parking (street & rear lot), courteous staff, palatable food, reasonable prices, and lunch buffet. But... He treats/talks to the workers like they're some dumb children! I've never seen such abhorrent behavior from an employer, EVER. He was so mean and rude to the staff--he barked at, berated, patronized, and embarrassed them--that it made me feel uncomfortable to be there. It's strange, he was very nice to customers (I have yet to witness the horror that I've read about from other yelpers), but his behavior toward workers was borderline abusive that I lost my appetite and vowed never to return. Funny, I had noticed the fast turnover of employees over the years and their--as other yelpers mentioned--strange, zombie-like behavior. Now I know that it's simply due to the crazy, angry antics of the owner/manager that kept the employees walking on eggshells (probably with a bottle of TUMS in their pockets) and soon fleeing from this psychotic man. Dear owner, sir, please get some long-term therapy before you embark on another business (I hear it's up for sale) because, at this rate, you're guaranteed to fail whatever the new venture. Btw, do you also treat your own family this way?
(1)Gaby L.
The food was very tasty and fresh. We had to wait for about 25 minutes for our food but it was worth it. Overall is my favorite Indian Restaurant in Pasadena.
(4)Thatz L.
Just walking out and the food is great. We had the rack of lamb, which was $18, the butter chicken, which was about $11, the garlic Naan bread, and the saffron rice. The lamb was a bit charred and a bit salty, but was tender and flavorful. The butter chicken was great! It was one of the better butter chickens that we've had from the three indian restaurants that we've been to. The garlic naan was I would say the typical naan bread you can get but the saffron rice was excellent. However, if you exceed six feet or 200 pounds,I would suggest doubling up on the portions. Or, just drink a lot of soda as you eat. Lol
(4)nikki p.
My boyfriend and I used to come here and loved the food so when I saw a groupon I knew it was a no brainer. Dead wrong. They owner turned on us and told me I should have presented it when I walked in and that they don't allow groupons on Friday which is NOT stated in the coupon rules. Much like other reviewers he said he would show me on his computer. We refused. In the time it took the weird staff (one man who was supposed to be a bus boy but instead stood around near the door looking like a bouncer) to get us the check I wrote this review. No wonder it's near empty in here. Sad sad sad. I would be shocked if they're in business much longer with an owner like this. Ps off to get my money back from groupon.
(1)Joan S.
Don't bother coming here. Food is not good. The owner is rude. I previously frequented this place several years ago, and so when I saw a groupon for this place, I thought..sweet. Husband and I came here on a Friday night, and we ordered our usual, tiki masala, biryani, garlic naan, and samosas. Food was disappointing, but I just thought maybe it was an off nite, because the food was previously so good. Biryani was soggy, samosa was okay, garlic naan was bland, and the tiki masala was overly spicey. When it was time to pay the bill, and I pulled up my groupon, the owner yelled at me saying that the groupon is not valid on Fridays, as it's only valid sun though Thursday, and that I could check his computer. After I tried to explain that the groupon never mentioned that it was only valid sun through thurs, he told me, "well if you showed me the groupon earlier, I would have told you". I'm not upset about him not honoring the groupon since i only paid $10., but rather I'm upset about the owners foul attitude. I love Indian food, but I was so disappointed with the lack luster flavor and taste. Table linens were a bit dirty, and the bathrooms could use some renovations. Unusual wait staff. Kinda like a Stanley Kubrik movie. The Taj Mahal beer was its only redeeming quality. Go to New Delhi instead.
(1)White C.
The naan *used* to be good here. Now it's just so-so. We came on the 4th of July. They advertised some sort of champagne brunch, but also had menus listing the normal buffet price. We only had water to drink, but the manager still insisted on charging us for the "special" champagne brunch. He said it said it was a 4th of July special on the sign out front. It didn't. It just listed the champagne brunch, but it didn't say *all* buffets were automatically turned into this expensive brunch garbage. FYI, you schmuck: "Brunch" doesn't go until 4, and it does include breakfasty foods. And never argue with a customer in a sleazy way. "I offered you champagne three times." No, you didn't, but even if you did, we said no every time and expected the thing listed on the menu -- you know, the less expensive lunch buffet. No wonder he was so kind to us. He knew he was ripping us off. Other than the place always being empty and the mangement always sucking, the food is so-so. Not very flavorful, not spicy enough. The tandoori chicken was a bit spicy, but lacked the flavor that marks tandoori chicken as such. But an expensive place with a sleazy owner needs more than so-so food to get anything about a single star from me. I used to come here all the time. Now, I think I'll never come here again.
(1)Cara N.
The most decent Indian food I've had so far in Pasadena (spoiled from Amar India in Ohio) but the owner/manager ruined it when I presented my Groupon which is supposed to honored for the actual value since the promotional value expired and he very rudely told me he would not accept it. So not so sure I'm going back, he was an ass,
(2)Roxana L.
I looked at all the reviews of this place and I almost didn't try it but I gave it a chance; the place is nice,the owner and the people working there. The food came on time and the authentic Indian food was absolutely delicious.
(4)Michael Y.
This was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. We came here trying a Groupon voucher. We were the only customers in the entire restaurant for dinner, and when we got seated, it seemed that the owner/manager was upset that we had come, because he said (right to our face) that he wants to close up now, and our arrival prevented that, and that he will give us only 45 minutes to eat so that he can leave. I told him that we were fine just having dinner elsewhere but he then grabbed the Groupon voucher (which is already prepaid) and said we should stay, and that was the first of many strange incidents. I was also surprised the restaurant was closing so soon, but the owner changed the sign to CLOSED right after we came in around 815pm. That was already a bad sign of things to come. Several other customers came by around 830pm and the restaurant staff turned them away, even though the restaurant's official opening hours were supposed to be later. We reviewed the menu and asked a couple questions about some dishes, but the waitress must have been new because she didn't really know too much about the dishes or restaurant policies. After she took our order, she showed the order sheet to the owner/manager and I could hear him in the background saying "that's ALL they're ordering?!" as if we should have been ordering alcohol, more food or other expensive items, I don't know, but it made our entire meal very uncomfortable, as he just sat at the bar, waiting for us to leave, which we would have gladly done if he didn't already take my voucher. When the food came, it was quite delicious. I have to say that it was overpriced for what you got, we ordered a chicken tikka masala and a mixed vegetable and both were very good, but there was not much of it, mostly sauce with little bits of chicken and some veg here and there. We also ordered white rice which was a bit hard, tasted like it had been sitting under a heating lamp for a while. The nan bread was acceptable, but also didn't taste that fresh, just okay. Overall, I think if the owner/manager would have disappeared completely, I would have given this place 4 stars just because the food was so tasty and our waitress was nice, but because of the rude customer service and bad atmosphere created by the owner/manager, this is one of the worst-run local businesses in Pasadena I have been to. Perhaps they could learn something from nearby Urth Cafe located just a few stores down, that place is always crowded, and partly because the staff there are cool and friendly. I really love supporting local business, but not ones with this type of attitude and poor professionalism.
(2)Christina T.
I like the lunch buffet!! The saag is delicious! And it's hard to get really good saag in LA. I eat Indian food a lot and I like this place better than most. And such a good deal with the drinks being included. Service was excellent, which means a lot to me. I can't give 5 stars because I've had Indian food in England and nothing in CA compares to that. :)
(4)Pranay A.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! I was in this restaurant last week with one of my friend. The owner seemed really friendly and would keep on suggesting what's best to try today. We ordered soups along with main course. The soup arrived soon but guess what the soup had an INSECT in it... When I showed that to the owner, first he kept on denying that it's not possible and it's some kind of spice. But when he took that soup with me to the chef in kitchen, the chef himself agreed that it was indeed an INSECT and NOT any spice. Also, the kitchen had really disgusting standard of higiene in the KITCHEN. The stoves, plates etc. were very filthy and no one in the kitchen was wearing any gloves or following any minimum higiene standard. Finally, when the owner agrreed that it was insect, he didn't even bother to apologize instead quickly went away as if nothing had happened! We got out of that place immediately feeling disgusted. We have already lodged complaint with Pasadena local authority about this incident. Interestingly if you look at the quality certificate to this restauren,t Pasadena authority has already given it really bad ratings on standarsds. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!
(1)Joseph G.
All the negative reviews are false!! the food is good, the service is Okay. The manager is nice enough (I like them) but people who go on a rant about the manager and the food being bad is - Whiney Babies who think bad reviews will hurt the place. The food is good service is fine and the Manager is - a manager.
(4)Ginger d.
Just celebrated my birthday party there Saturday night Feb 21, 2015 with 18 dearest friends in their banquet room! It was awesome! Anil the manager was wonderful and his staff too. The food was delicious and we had the best time there! We even did a short kirtan that sent high vibration to the restaurant! I will be back many times over this year! I give them a 5 Star rating! Ginger de Paris
(5)Sarcaswit Z.
So... docking a star because my second visit was a struggle to find a single plate that was not damaged in some way. Most were chipped - the one I ended up with had the corner completely broken off with jagged edges showing. Unacceptable.
(3)Colleen K.
Great experience!! Parking was very difficult as we went on a Saturday night and all of the street parking was taken. We parked on a side street a few blocks away. The restaurant was moderately busy and there was no wait to be seated. We told them upfront that we had the Groupon, just to avoid any issues. The server pointed out that the Combination dinner was not valid with coupons. We ordered Chicken Tikka Masala (server's suggestion), Lamb Curry, Saffron rice, and Garlic Naan. They asked if we wanted it mild, medium, or spicy and we requested medium. We also ordered two glasses of wine by the glass, and the server pushed my male friend to try the Indian beer. It was a sales pitch but in a friendly way and we laughed it off. While we waited for the food, they brought cracker chips with three flavors of chutney. The food took slightly longer than expected. When the food arrived, it was delicious!! The chicken was really soft. The flavors were perfect with just the right amount of kick. We finished everything. They brought us complimentary rice pudding for dessert which was also good. They accepted the Groupon, no problems. One recommendation I have for others - if you are going to order as much as we did (two entrees, rice, naan, and two drinks), go with the $40 Groupon. Our bill was $45. Unfortunately, we bought the $20 Groupon because it was recommended for two people. This was a great restaurant. We will be back!!
(5)Karen Y.
This restaurant is a victim of bad management. The manager had no shame in berating us for using a Groupon without ordering drinks, which our Groupon did not require. When we pointed this out, he insisted that his contract with Groupon stated that food and drink were requirements for the deal, but neither the mobile app nor the website made any mention of this. Mistakes happen, but his vehemence was off-putting. To his credit, he honored it, but the whole evening was exhausting, from the lengthy wait to order and then for food, having to ask the waiter for the standard poppadom snack, and dealing with a high-maintenance manager pushing us to order alcohol and fishing for compliments. While waiting for someone to give us attention, we heard him repeatedly ask the table next to us how the food was . . . four separate occasions. The place would be better if he kept his desperate energy away from front of the house. The food itself has gone downhill. The mint dip was a yellowish green, and the vegetables had a chewy texture because they had clearly been frozen. One dish was barely warm, and the rice had hard chunks from sitting around too long before being served. The best thing about this place is the ample parking in the back. It's almost empty every time we go, as is the restaurant.
(1)Nitin Y.
Ate here...and sorry tosay this but it was the worst Indian food in Pasadena area. The service was pathetic and it seems there was some verbal war going between the servers and the kithcen staff...we could listen everything outside. They were using some verbal language. Nans were over cooked and the vegetable were not fresh. Not going back - ever
(1)Richard L.
Eat here since I had a coupon buy 1 get 1 free. To be hornest if wasn't for the coupon the meal simply not worth it. The selection is the least I see from a Indian Buffet. The meals are chicken only and salad section isn't fresh. Food is okay not heavy in msg or oil, 12:30pm yet only like 1 or 2 table. Pretty average food nothing fantastic but with the coupon is good value. Without probably should order something else/
(3)Ryan C.
*This review is based solely on delivery* I've never been inside the physical location, but the food is so good. The Chicken Tikka Masala is the best I've ever had.
(5)Rachel A.
Best Indian restaurant I have found in Pasadena. Plus the people are so nice! They have all the Indian favs. Ambiance needs a bit of work, but other than that, the food is yummy!
(4)Michael B.
The service is half-hearted, the food takes a long time to get to the table (30 minutes), and the meal was less than inspired. I had the Bombay Potatoes, and the sauce tasted nothing like the description, which said it was "potatoes sauteed with herbs, spices, peppers, onions, and mustard seeds." Unfortunately, all of that (if there was any of it) was overwhelmed by a copious amount of lemon, which is a very odd taste to throw into that combination. My wife's lentils sauteed in garlic (Dal Makhani) was fine, but she had asked for mild spice, but that wasn't what she got, so she couldn't finish the meal. The Naan and Lassi drink were what you'd expect. All in all, we weren't impressed.
(2)Amz T.
Friend and I used a 2 for 1 coupon for lunch buffet. If it wasn't for the coupon, we probably would never visited this place. The food was mediocre. The waitstaff was polite though kept filling up the water. The food choices were limited. The naan bread was okay. Even after walking seven blocks back from our workplace, both of us felt the food was heavy, made us sluggish and bloated.
(2)Lucky O.
Lunch buffet with their online coupon was a good deal, they will ask you to purchase drinks though. Veggie Pakura was very good!
(4)Zara A.
I love this place and have no complaints. Mmmmm! Usually I'm there for the lunch buffet.
(5)Douglas I.
Ducked in for a quick movie date night. Excellent dipping sauces and tasty palak paneer. Chicken tikka masala was flavorful, though meat seemed a little overcooked. Friendly owner. Give it a try.
(4)Nick D.
I had the Lamb Biryani Rice, the Shrimp Korma and the Chicken Saag. Over all the food was pretty good and the price was reasonable. The Garlic Naan is really good. Honestly the service could be better, The quality of the food is consistent. The Shrimp, chicken and lamb was really fresh.
(4)Chris H.
I stopped by spur of the moment to take advantage of their $8.95 buffet lunch after seeing a movie a block away at my favorite independent movie theater. It is located on Colorado Blvd, close to Vroman's, another favorite haunt. I was welcomed into the restaurant, and immediately helped myself to Tandori chicken, Basmati rice, Chicken Tikka Masala and a host of other delicious options. The naan bread was served piping hot, perfectly blistered. I immediately used it to scoop up the remaining sauce. You cannot beat this price for the quality and abundance of entrees. I overheard a person asking for more of a discount since they worked at Kaiser. Really? At $8.95, it is already a fabulous deal. I give it four stars because although I have had bigger and juicier pieces of chicken, I'm a fan and will be back the next time I am in Pasadena.
(4)Mike V.
I love this place. Do the lunch buffet for sure. It includes all the naan you can eat. The manager is very friendly and cares about the restaurant a lot. The food is good. They've been great with our kids even though this isn't a place that strikes you as being kid friendly.
(4)Novy D.
My rating says it all. I've experienced better on all fronts. Maybe when it comes to Indian food I've had my share of being spoiled and being wowed beyond expectation on all levels. I came in one busy Saturday during my lunch hour to place an order for take out. After reviewing the menu and scanning the prices I settled on a dish that is a staple for most Indian restaurants that want to cater for those who want something subtle in terms of spiciness and is always "a hit," their butter chicken. Service was friendly and my order was ready in less than 10 minutes. I wonder if they pulled the entree from their ongoing lunch buffet line or made fresh?? hmmm. Anywho, I took my meal back to my office and was very disappointed at what I found. A very small portion (6 oz. don't let the 10 oz. cup fool you) of "chicken" with more veggies than protein. While this would normally make me happy since I love veggies, I really wanted butter chicken not butter bell peppers. I also expected to get some naan bread, if even just one piece. Nope. Zilch. None of that. Oh and they forgot to include utensils and napkins. So for almost $15 I got my butter "chicken," and condiments with no utensils or bread to sop it up. Nevertheless I had it for dinner and a bottle of water for lunch. Thanks.
(2)Lindsey H.
In all my years of going to restaurants, I've yet to see a member of the kitchen staff come to the front of the house and call a customer a 'motherfucker' after he sent a dish back. Until last Sunday. Thanks, Sitar!
(1)Mitchell T.
My wife and I stopping in here and enjoyed a nice early dinner. It had a nice atmosphere and comfortable tables. I thought the staff could have more personality, no one was rude but they all seemed a little bored or shy, it was hard to understand there mumbling. That aside, the food was delicious.
(4)Kristine M.
I went here with my boyfriend last Wednesday for our date nite. And to be honest with you, it was my second time in two days eating from this same place but the first time was delivered. I've never really eaten a lot of Indian food before, but the first time I've eaten the food here, it was heavenly. It was so good I had to come back for seconds...the next night!! Haha. So, date nite...we started out with vegetable samosas. They were steamingly delicious and you can pair them with one of the three sauces/ chutneys they give you at the start. For main course, I got my fave, the Chicken Tikka Masala. My bf got the Shrimp Curry. We had it with their Basmati rice and Garlic Naan. Everything was so so delicious. I wanted to pour the masala on everything. As for their service, our servers were very nice and courteous. They were always ready to pour more water or ask if everything is going great. If you're planning on having dinner there with a friend or love one, go to their website. They have coupons for Dinner for Two and such.
(5)Brandy L.
We got here at about 12ish on a saturday to try out their champagne brunch. There was a party in their banquet area but only 1 table occupied in actual dining area. "Warning!!!" is what we shouldve thought. Minimal selection. Bland bland food...palak was a watery mess. The curry chicken had no spice to it. The naan was meh. The dessert pudding was not tasty and the rice was hard. They also werent good at keeping food freshly stocked or even fresh looking. Filmy sauce...yum. Was this all due to the party? Watevs... No excuses! Aaaand our tablecloth had sauces crusted down the sides. Narsty!!! Experiences like this make me miss my Tamarind in chino hills, of all places. Only redeeming points: The service was ok and we got mAngo lassis and chai tea included with brunch. As we were driving away i thought "if you're gonna open a restaurant and especially on colorado, shouldnt your product-food- be more than simply edible?!"
(1)D B.
A bit spendy but extremely kind wait staff and clean restaurant. Got the mild curry lamb and it was delicious. I will eat here again.
(4)Susram R.
I am sick of it. The Veg biryani tastes so bad with lot of chilli powder instead of proper spices in it. I never understand how can we have so much chilli powder in a biryani. I hate it to the most. It kills my appetite when i am actually hungry. Never again i am gonna eat Veg biryani from Sitar.
(1)KeyMonTea T.
All you can eat lunch buffet.... it's a great place for people new to Indian food to try lots of different things at once.
(4)Nancy M.
We have gone to the Sunday brunches every few months for a few years now and really enjoy them. The food is very good quality and filling. One reviewer mentioned that the plates are small, which is true; however, I find that one plate each is all that we can handle most of the time--sometimes that's a little much. We went today which happened to be Father's Day. They had a greater selection of dishes than on some other Sundays and unlimited champagne for $12.95 (the regular brunches are $10.95 on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Since I don't drink alcohol, I had a mango drink, which is delicious. It was included with the brunch. The only objection is that when I asked for another one, they said that they had run out of it, which seemed odd since it was still early--about 12:00 p.m. If other customers had been there, I could have seen if any of them received a mango drink after I had asked. It just seemed suspicious. The manager or owner was very friendly and came to our table more than once to ask how we were enjoying it. We also chatted a while about India, languages and food. We found out that their cuisine is Northern Indian, which isn't as spicy as Southern Indian. For us, it's just right. He also said that they steam their rice and use it more sparingly than in Southern Indian cuisine. There was one dish that I loved the most. I believe that it was called "Kofta Lajwab". That's vegetable balls in a butter cream sauce. If you like Indian cuisine, I think that you will enjoy their weekend brunches.
(5)Hector M.
Good food, am a fan of the Naan and the Samosas. When they say spicy, oh lord do they mean spicy. It was delicious though. The Chicken Vindaloo was pretty good, sauce was amazing but quite spicy. loved it. The Eggplant Bhartha was a different take on eggplant but i enjoyed it. I wasnt a fan of the bland tasting Saffron Rice but to each his own. The service seems a little off but not enough to send you running for the door. The dining area seemed quite spacious but it seemed like we were all being crammed into a corner. Overall, I think I visit this place again. Good food, nice atmosphere, decent prices.
(4)Olivia K.
I came here for the lunch buffet which was around $10/person. They have coupons on their website that you should definitely print out if you want to try this place. I printed out the one for the mango lassi and had no problem getting the free drink with 2 buffet orders. Sadly, the free mango lassi was as good as this place got. Buffet - No tandoori chicken first of all, which was a huge disappointment for me since that's my favorite Indian dish. The salad wasn't good at all. The food was mediocre at best. I didn't even get up for seconds because I didn't enjoy the food. I also found out after that we were able to get champagne or ice tea included, but sadly our waiter never mentioned it to us. Beyond that, the service was a huge turn off. Our waiter was quick to refill drinks, but he seemed extremely angry and annoyed after I asked if I could sit closer to the buffet because I had injured my ankle (I had a clearly visible ankle brace on too!). He never smiled and wasn't friendly throughout the whole meal. He gave off a vibe like we weren't welcome there. I don't intend on coming back. It wasn't so much that the food wasn't particularly good (as I could always come for dinner and order tandoori chicken or something else), but the wait staff really made me feel unwelcome.
(1)Trina L.
I thought this place was pretty good. The mango shrimp curry is good but it's pretty sweet; my friend and I got mild since we weren't sure of the spice level but medium heat would of been better. The basmati rice was tasty, which had some peas on it. The veggie pakoras were really tasty and I couldn't stop eating it. The tandoori chicken was really moist and delicious; we got the half order because the full would've been too much. The garlic naan was fantastic. My friend and I both got the mango lassi since it sounded good with the spicier foods. The mango lassi was thick and a bit tangy but really good. I would go back to just order the mango lassi. Overall, this was a good experience at the restaurant. We had plenty of leftovers and my siblings enjoyed it as well. I'd go back when I'm in the area and craving Indian food.
(4)Samira H.
I am now a regular. Every time I come here, I order palack paneer with roti and extra plum chutney.
(5)Tejas M.
We were here for a private party! The good thing is they have a nice banquet hall adjacent to the restaurant. The hall was big enough for a good sized crowd! however, their food was OK and very mild. Wish they had some hot sauces or pickles to spice it all up! They also have a 16 car parking lot but it can fill up quickly when there is a private party! the good thing is there is some more parking available on Colorado and a paid parking lot is also very close by!
(3)Nanita L.
Thank you, Yelpers, for leading me right to the heart of Pasadena with Silar Indian Cuisine! The meal was extremely tasty and I would definitely go back again! I ordered the meal to-go for Paneer Tikka Masala and here's what I thought about the meal. First, the masala sauce is undeniably exceptional and I really appreciate the fact that they had incorporated green peppers and fresh herbs in the making, which is quite different to Naan & Curry in Berkeley. Second, I enjoyed the tenderness of the Naan, although quite disappointed by its proportion. I guess having been spoiled by having the full Naan to myself before, it was not satisfying to have only for triangularly sliced pieces of Naan with my meal this time around. Yet, I guess they make that up by giving you HUGE cheese pieces (paneers) in your paneer tikka masala so, just remember to order more Naan next time. However, I can honestly say that this has the best, by far, masala sauce that I have ever had so far and would definitely come back again next time.
(4)Sara H.
I was really excited to try this place, but I ended up being very disappointed. First off, it took about 50 minutes to get our food, which was totally wrong. And then when we told the man who took our order that the food we got is not what we ordered, he got mad and then argued with us. In the end, we never got what we ordered. The service was horrible and the food was sub par. Then he asked if we wanted to order what we had originally ordered, in addition to the food he gave us, and at that point I was so upset that we had to leave. I wasn't about to wait another 50 minutes for bad food and horrible service. He tried giving us free desert when he saw that we were leaving with most of the food still on the plate and I declined with a "No thank you," but he gave it to us anyway. They keep giving us things we're not asking for. Also, it wasn't very good. We had to pay for food we didn't order or want, waited 50 minutes for food when the restaurant wasn't even crowded, and had a grown man argue with us about what we ordered. This was by far the worst restaurant experience I've ever had.
(1)Les L.
Standard Indian buffet lunch. Usually consists of salad bar (boring salad of chiffonades of romaine, tomato, onion, cucumbers, as well as condiments like raita, mint chutney and some random, olives and onions) three vegetarian curries (PANEER MAKHANI - pretty good, paneer in the tomato/cream based chicken tikka masala sauce; some other VEGGIE CURRY which was light and green tinged, which others said was good; ALOO GOBI (a lil over cooked)( Then some meat-based curries (CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, TANDOORI CHICKEN, CHICKEN CURRY) and some fried pakoras or samosas (EGGPLANT pakoras delish). Today's rice pudding was also very good. Today they hired a guitarist who played non-indian music during Sunday brunch. Nice touch. Best part is the discount you get from Clipper Magazine. Service mediocre and tends to fall apart during the busiest part of the main lunch hour. Also the table cloths REALLY need to be washed.
(3)Jeremy C.
Quite a bit of mixed reviews here. I arrived early on a Monday evening, and they had only a few guests. I thought the service was fine. I have not known owners of Indian restaurants to be over the top nice, but I thought everyone was courteous in a professional way. My wife and I shared samosa and pikora appetizers, which had nice flavor. We then had the dinner for two...came with tandoori chicken, lamb curry, lentil soup, basmati rice, rice pudding, some yogurt dipping sauce, and a vegetable dish. I thought the quantity was fair, as I have found many Indian restaurants to be very pricey. Food was okay overall. For drinks, I had the mango lassi, and my wife had the strawberry lassi. Never seen a strawberry lassi, so was very tasty. Not the best, but not the worst. I will go back.
(3)Tida C.
I came here to try their lunch buffet with my boyfriend cause we had a "Buy one buffet lunch, get one free". We LOVEEE Indian food so we figured we'd give it a shot. Just as heads up, but there's parking in the back. So we get there and it looks small at first, but there another room and an upstairs! So yes, this place is great for groups. The service was really superb. There was only one waiter but he was always busy, filling water, taking plates and making sure that everything was okay. Now, the food. I've definitely tasted better. The chutney was good, but it lacked something. I duno, I couldn't put my finger on it. All the curries were watery as hell. I thought I was eating thai food. Where is the yogurt in the curry? However, they're lucky that their watery curry was actually not terrible. The chicken made up for it. All of te curries were really not that spicy, but I have a really high tolerance for spicy food so, for others who don't often eat spicy food, this might be too much. The tandoori all bone. We didn't bother touching it. Also, I forgot the name of those little pastry sort of thing with mashed potato in it and what not but it was decent. Kind of bland and not really sweet, but we just put some chutney and mango sauce on it and all was well. Overall, it was really just okay, Mahan Restaurant is still my favzzzzzz.
(3)Thomas C.
Came here on a whim because Tender Greens across the street didn't have fried chicken that evening. Ordered the dinner for two which had a sample of everything and also an order of samosa. When sitting down I looked around at other tables and the plates looked decent and colorful like how Indian food usually are. Everything started going downhill as soon as our soups arrived. The soup was bland and watered down, then came our plates with veggie and chicken curry along with tandori chicken and lamb. Everything I had looked better than it tasted. Taste was lacking spice and seasoning that you would expect from Indian food and on top of that the lamb I had was overcooked and dry. We had finished our garlic nan and then the waiter brought more over to us, or so we thought, and a min later he didn't say a word and just took the nan back and walked away. Wouldn't recommend this place as there are much better Indian places nearby.
(1)Don L.
alert***alert***i ordered takeout from sitar on friday 9/6/13. within an hour $2300 was charged on my card at a bike store in the uk!!!
(1)Glider B.
Good food, plentiful portions, and very friendly staff. We went for Valentine's day and it was a very pleasant experience (and close to Laemmle theater where we were headed).
(4)Kevin C.
This place has potential. But their biggest problem is the portion size. I've came here twice and most of the sauces/curries are pretty good. But one of their most expensive items was the chicken masala, which truly made a statement for its price. But everything just came in such small portions for a price i thought that would give us much more. Oh, make sure to order rice and the specialty bread. They complement the sauces nicely and is needed to even make a dent on your appetite. Overall, good food but prices were too high. Value is low but quality is good.
(3)Emilie C.
I haven't had very much experience with Indian food.. so it was unfortunate that when I came here I had a bad one. My friend made a reservation for 11 people, so they seated us upstairs in the banquet room, on a long dining table. Only seven of us turned up, so it was even more awkward being seated at this huge table (but even if there were 11 of us, we would've filled only 2/3 of the table). The banquet room is weirdly lit--the flat-screen TVs kept blaring colorful Bollywood music videos that cast harsh light on the soft candlelight. It made it difficult to read the menu and even more difficult to see what we were eating. Being upstairs, it felt isolating from the servers (in a bad way, because it made it difficult to tell them our concerns) My friend ordered the Kofta Lajwab, which I liked, but also the Indian Lime Drink, which none of us liked. My boyfriend had the Chicken Coconut Curry (I think most people at my table weren't very experimental with their orders and all had a chicken curry of some kind). On the drive home he got a nasty stomachache. I ordered the Assorted Appetizers, which had decent samosas and pakora allo-tikki (but I like just about anything deep fried), and the Vegetable Korma. Though as I said I haven't had much Indian food before, I'm pretty sure I can tell when the vegetables are just a frozen vegetable blend coated in a thick sauce. I had to take an antacid when I got home. For dessert, we tried both flavors of kulfi. The mango was a definite favorite, but the portion is very small for a $3 - $4 ice cream. My friend also ordered the dessert cheese balls (forgot what they're called), but none of us were a fan). The only thing that makes this place worth visiting is the coupons that you can find online (we went there on a birthday special), the delivery service if you're in the area, and the kulfi. But only if you're brave enough.
(1)m n.
Went there today because I had a living social that I wanted to use and try out the place. The voucher very clearly says that it cannot be used on the lunch buffet or any specials. That's all it says!! Knowing this I went in intending to order off the menu. The waitress told me that the living social voucher could not be used on weekends and kept repeatedly telling me to get the lunch buffet. I read the voucher to her and told her no where did it say that I could not use it on the weekends. She directed me to the owner who was nothing short of an idiot. He said I could use the living social any time during the weekends except during the buffets because he didn't have a chef during that time. I told him it didn't say that and if that's what he wanted he should have specifically put a restriction " no weekends." When i asked him what i should do with my voucher then he said i should get the buffet today and come back another day to use the living social. He had the gall to tell me that it was not his problem and I should take it up with living social. This place is so shady. By doing this, he gets another meal in addition to the living social out of people who just don't want to get up and leave. Stay away from this place!!!There are tons of other indian restaurants.
(1)sara h.
Why the heck isn't this place packed??! Ok, according to the other Yelpers, maybe it's the service. My advice? Shut up and be patient. The food is terrific!! I'll say from the get-go I have never dined in. I have had food delivered a couple times and been shocked by how amazing it is! It arrived when (or before) they said and it tastes very fresh and flavorful. I've been to MANY Indian restaurants (and yes, every single one in Pasadena many times) and many of them skimp on spice (and I don't mean heat, I mean actual flavor), but not this one! We have been very pleased with everything we have ordered, so I'm really confused why some people are complaining about the food. Where are these people eating, that $4.99 Indian Cafeteria in Atwater?!! Anyway, Veggie Pakora: best I've ever had, I think. Honestly. Samosa: not THE best I've ever had, but really in the upper 80%. Palak Paneer: very good. Oddly, many restaurants don't make this well, but Sitar gave it a little more spiciness than usual, which was a pleasant surprise. Tandoori Chicken: great! Though I will be the first to say I'm not a big fan of brown meat, but still well above average! Shrimp Mango Curry: stop the presses! It's as good and tastes exactly like it sounds, though really could have had more shrimp. Garlic Naan: So great!! One of my favorite things to order, but in all fairness a lot of places do this one well. The best thing we have had there so far? A special (read: not-on-the-menu) Naan of almonds and dates!!! It was totally out f this world!! So out of this world the we will prob order delivery again in the next couple days. Another bonus: my boyfriend asked for a dish not on the menu. Yes, they gladly made it for him! I do wish the combination dinners were available for delivery, that's one minus. All in all, I will definitely order from this place again and again. They also have a lot of seafood items, breads, and other things on the menu most other places don't have. I CAN NOT believe I have walked past it on a regular basis for the last several years and not gotten food there. Glad I fixed that!!
(5)Juliette M.
very good butter chicken. service is good. quiet place and never a wait.
(5)Patrick K.
This was a spur of the moment choice to eat here, as it was 10:20pm on a Saturday and we had time to kill before our movie started. So, you get seated right away, somebody brings you some "naan chips" and different sauces, and then takes your drink order. They close at 11pm and none of the staff seemed rushed or bothered that people were still coming in so close to closing time. Ok, so about the food. I asked our waitress what her favorite vegetarian dish was, and she said "I'll surprise you!" I was a little scared, but she brought me this eggplant curry dish that was fantastico, even though I really don't like eggplant. Good job, waitress! Their garlic naan is a must. I really liked it here.!
(5)Randy D.
me and the gf were hungry and driving down colorado blvd near the paseo. saw the reader board outside that read $8.95 all you can eat buffet with a bunch of chicken and veggie dishes. sounded good. it was around 2:30 and i was a little hesitant. figured that if the buffet was still going, all the food would be dry and nasty. but we were starving so we gave it a try. the place is your standard nice asian restaurant. the entrance leads to a small room that has a few glass tables with cushy benches and chairs in front, a bar at the middle, and a buffet table in back by the kitchen. there was also an entrance to another room at the back. this was a dining room which seems to be in use for when they're busier. the toilets were even farther back down a hallway. so we got seated and asked if the buffet was still going. the waiter responded positively and offered plain or garlic naan. we decided on the garlic naan and headed towards the back of the room to get our grub on. they had a nice selection of chicken dishes, veggie dishes, salad, yogurt, rice pudding, and chutney. my first plate was filled with saffron rice, tandoori chicken, aloo tiki (battered/fried onions), daal (a soup with lentils), chicken tikka masala, and saag paneer (kinda like creamed spinach without the cream). i filled my second plate with regular rice, some more daal, saag paneer and aloo tiki, eggplant in a tomato-based sauce with other veggies, and chicken curry. man, this food was great for a buffet in the middle of the afternoon. it totally seemed like it was cooked to order. they got the settings down on the hot plate, that's fer sure. everything was tender, moist, and tasted excellent. although, there wasn't as much spice as i'd expect from an indian restaurant but it was definitely good enough. the rice pudding wasn't anything to write home about either, but i figure this is an indian place not a lebanese one. i would definitely come back to eat here for the buffet. it was awesome for the taste and amazing for the price. the service is friendly and attentive, and they also got flatscreens on the wall playing bollywood music videos to keep you occupied while you stuff yer face full....
(4)Gita V.
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE GOING: I went last night with my boyfriend. Food was just ok. But starting at 6 in the morning, we both came down with the worst food poisoning. We have been having horrible diarrhea and vomiting for the past 12 hours. We are both physicians, not like it was hard to recognize food poisoning in this case. A bit of internet investigation revealed numerous public health dept violations (you can find it on the Pasadena dept of public health webpage). I just called to tell the restaurant. The person who answered the phone refused ot let me talk to the manager to report the food poisoning, didn't even ask me what dish it was, and then hung up on me when I asked when the manager would be available. This was unquestionably the worst dining experience of my life. I've never written a yelp review before, but a full day of vomiting and diarrhea somehow motivated me. . .
(1)A A.
My 1st time at Sitar was a Saturday evening. It was kinda crowded. We were seated promptly given menus then sat there for about a good 15 minutes. They then got pretty crowded & the staff was running around like chickens without heads. It really wasn't that bad it almost seemed like they didnt know what to do once the place got crowded. The tables are pretty close to each other so you can overhear things pretty easily. Just in my section 2 tables got up and left After ordering because it was taking so long another complained. I was also about ready to leave. The scene was straight out of a movie people leaving & complaining I couldn't believe it. The service sucked but the food was Ok which is why I gave them 2 stars. Would I go back? NO
(2)Aileen V.
Went here before we went to go see a show at the ice house with some of my friends. The service was good, being that we were a party of 6 girls and the only ones there besides a couple. It was a wednesday night and it was pretty dead, so the service was pretty decent. My friends recommended this place becuase they love it, and so we all decided to give it a try. I ordered the chicken tikka masala and wanted to be brave and try the spicy hot.. It was the hottest option there, the waiter said that it was going to be spicy hot and your nose will be dripping your mouth will be burning...ohh thats my style...i was excited. And we also ordered a few samosas to share...Their samosas were ok, I personally think they're equivalent to the Trader Joe's frozen ones.. so i'm really excited that i'm about to get some really spicy yummy indan food...Yeah no thats not what i got... On a spicyness level it was about a 1, i mean it was barely even orange in color. My other friends who got the same thing and they ordered mild, their was more yellow in color. I had to take some of mine and mix it with theirs so that it could give them a bit of spicyness. That was a major let down... Another ordered the shrimp dish and it gave her plenty juicy shrimps that I thought was decent for the price. Their portions here are pretty decent. Their quailty, a bit questionable. You might want to ask for something extremely hot if you want a bit of a kick since the spicy hot is more of a mild. Don't believe the waiter if he tells you be walking out of there with fire coming out of your ears, i highly doubt it.
(2)Daisy C.
Yum! Thank goodness- one of the few indian places that delivers! We got dinner for the late-night workers at our studio, and everybody agreed that their dishes were very good and tasty. Reasonable prices, tasty dishes- and most importantly ; DELIVERY!
(5)Ari K.
i had a hankering for indian and we saw this place as we were driving by.........went in and it looked fine but maybe we were too early for lunch cuz no one was there. well anyway, they were serving buffet and the food really didnt appeal to me much........it was really not speaking to me....was very average and i really couldnt eat it.....so we left not feeling very good about it and vowed never to come back.
(2)t k.
Good service and good dishes. We had the Saag Paneer, Vegetable Biryani, Cauliflower Naan and Lamb Korma. Pretty tasty, but the lamb could have been a little more tender.
(3)K S.
I came here on a special occasion tonight with my bf. The waiter was friendly the entire time, but service for food was slow. The complimentary "chips" are really greasy--pass those up if you're trying to be healthy. My bf ordered the special Lobster combo: lobster stir fry, rice, garlic naan. For $26, he was disgusted by the small portions. His rice was cold and the lobster was way over cooked. In addition, he ordered a Mango Lassi for $4 which came in the smallest glass ever. What a rip off. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala for $11, a pretty standard dish for Indian restaurants--it wasn't the biggest portion either for the price but other than that no complaints. Overall, for the price and quality of food, I would not go back and would not recommend this place to others. The best place for Indian Food that I have found in So Cal is Koyla Indian Restaurant, there is one in Rancho and one in Ontario. If you're interested in amazing Indian food, check this place out! yelp.com/biz/koyla-india…
(2)Gabriella G.
Ok...so I'm really picky with my indian food. I always have to get chicken tikka masala, vegetable biryani and plain naan. My husband always makes us get other things on the menu as well but mine are requirements! :) When our favorite indian restaurant closed down we were rather sad. We've been to most of the indian restaurants around town and I was never that impressed with the flavors...rather bland and not incorporating the amazing spices of indian cuisine properly (or just to my liking). We found Sitar because it's walking distance from our home and we love it! We've eaten here many times and the food is always consistently yummy. The picked vegetables that come pre-meal are really good. I could eat that and papadam alone and be happy. We've tried many things on the menu and have been please with everything. I love that you order dinner and get leftovers for lunch the next day!
(4)Tee W.
I called ahead to ask if they served brown rice, the person on the phone put the manager on and he assured me that yes, they did serve brown rice. Just clarify I said, "So you serve whole grain rice?Not just white rice? Because we are planning to drive out of our way to come there and get brown rice"(a rarity at Indian restaurants) He said, "Yes, we have brown rice." We drove for 45 minutes, got there, asked about the brown rice, he said "We have that." Then about 10 minutes later, a dish of white basmati rice that had been cooked with burnt onions, making it appear slightly brownish in color, came out. I said, "Excuse me, this is just white rice that has been colored brown by cooking it with onions." The waiter said "let me find out", he returned and said "Sorry, it's not brown rice, it's just white rice cooked with onions to make it brown." So we drove out of our way to eat rice that was brown in color but not in reality. The food was decent, nothing to write home about, but needless to say, we won't be returning.
(1)Tecca B.
I normally don't write negative reviews but I was highly disappointed with this restaurant. While the food was average in taste, it was disappointingly stingy in quantity and value. I paid $12 for about a dozen small chunks of chicken tikka marsala, on a large bed of raw onion which was obviously trying to compensate for the amount of chicken. But what really compelled me to write this review was that the manager tried to trick me into purchasing a $9 plate of "brown rice with saffron" when all I wanted was a side of rice. After I ordered my entrees, the manager asked if we would like any rice of bread to go with our meal. We said no, but he suggested that they had brown rice flavored with saffron. My friend and I thought this would be a small side of rice, not a whole entree. When I brought this to the manager's attention he actually rolled his eyes at me and grudgingly gave us a side of rice. Then he argued with me, telling me he had told me it was brown rice "cooked with vegetables." Not true. Any restaurant where a manager tries to trick you into buying food you don't want, then rolls his eyes at you and argues, is a restaurant I will never visit again.
(1)David R.
Dinner and ala carte are fine, naan and other breads excellent, same as ever, and standard for the area, but the lunch buffet has declined. There is always one redeeming dish, like the goat curry, but the rest is pretty sad most of the time, unlike three-four years ago when everything on the hot food side was distinctive, spiced interestingly and deliciously, maybe too much for some palates. Sprinkled peas remain on the pilaf, lending some sad little dots of green, but the saffron is gone; sauces color and texture vary but it is all pretty bland; potato pakoras made me think of Shakey's; obvious use of frozen and pre-cut veggies; sometimes tofu is subbed for paneer...
(2)Darren Y.
Indian food is hit or miss, but when it's buffet style you have a bit more control. Sitar isn't a super nice restaurant, but they're the only all-you-can-eats that I know of. I go during lunch on the weekdays and they have some decent tandoori chicken, curries, and naan. The naan is very good. Their rice can be a bit old 'cause it's a friggin buffet. This place is definitely worth the $7-8 (I forget) so if you're ever in the area...
(3)ellainne v.
I basically go here for lunch for the following reasons: 1. close to work 2. all you can eat buffet lunch $8 3. AWESOME naan 4. good rice pudding 5. friendly staff
(2)Justin S.
This place was terrific. I don't know what all these naysaying fools are talking about. I ordered chicken tikka masala and palak paneer and both were really tasty. My fiancee was happy to see all the vegetarian options and chowed happily as well. We'll definitely come back, many times.
(5)Cara K.
I'm a bit fan of Indian food, but hadn't happened upon Sitar before. So after a lovely movie at the Laemmle (which is just a block away), we decided to try this place. It's small and quite pretty, though I wish they didn't have a TV distracting from their nice decor. (Why does every restaurant have a TV nowadays?) We sat in a comfortable corner table up front -- half booth, half chairs, with a great view of Colorado Boulevard. The food was mixed. The naan and rice were good. The chicken biryani was pretty darn tasteless. The saag was good. The chicken tikka masala (that most popular and least Indian dish of all) was really tasty. The service, though, was slow...... Our waiter spoke way too quietly, so that I had to ask him several times to repeat himself. I asked what the vegetable of the day was, and he said "anything." Then when I asked him what the choices were, it became "aloo gobi." Um, okay. Very confusing. Our water was refilled frequently, which was excellent...but our food took forever to come out. It came significantly after the food of the people next to us, who arrived later than we did....and I don't believe any of our dishes were particularly difficult or time-consuming dishes. Overall, it was a nice enough experience, and if I'm in the area, I wouldn't object to going again...but as there are several other Indian restaurants in Pasadena, I won't be in a rush to, either.
(3)Russell R.
I love me some Indian food, but not from here. Me and the wife ordered the dinner for two. Seeing as it was our first time here, we wanted to sample as much as we could. I've never been to prison, so I'm basing this on what I've seen in movies. We literally got both of our meals on metal prison trays. Which really isn't the best presentation for Indian food. Unless you like looking at nicely divided puddles of mush on your plate. As for the food it was mediocre at best. Some too salty, some too bland. We're pulling a prison break on this one.
(2)Miss S.
Big mistake when we took our friends there for dinner based on yelp reviews-not even worth 3 stars! We wanted to go to an Indian place in Pasadena and I am so disappointed to say that there is no decent Indian place there!!! I am Indian and I am sad to say that Sitar had probably the worst Indian food I've ever had in US. The 1 star is only for location and reasonable decor. The service and food are horrible. Why didn't we walk out when we saw that it was all empty to begin with??? 4 out of 5 of us had stomach pain the next day. We could not feed ourselves more than 2-3 bites of the naan with their veggie/chicken dishes. Their vegetable kofta (aka kofta lajawab) is the worst dish--PLEASE DO NOT ORDER! The naan's were stale, the okra was edible but tasteless. The chicken tikka masala was also tasteless and of bad quality. The veggie samosas were OK. I don't understand how people open Indian restaurants without being able to cook even the most basic dishes. Sorry but if you want good Indian food, please go out of Pasadena! And more importantly, stay away from this place. I would seriously recommend that they take this review seriously and improve the quality of food, service and get a better chef/cook.
(1)Rosaline Z.
So far, this is my favorite Indian restaurant in So-Cal! I always have such a good experiencing dining at Sitar Not only the food is always fresh and authentic, the service has always been great I believe during the weekend they have all you can eat buffet with good variety of appetizers and entrees I also like how this place is so easy to find If you are lucky enough to get a table by the window, you'll be able to see the hustle and bustle of old town Pasadena I've been coming here many times, and never fail to leave with a smile and big bulge on my belly
(5)SC M.
The management and chef must have changed.. I used to like this place, have been coming for a few years.. But, this time the food was terrible.. Old frozen chicken in the Tikka Masala, Vegetable Korma was watery and tasteless... Avoid!
(1)Kim P.
I really like this place. This is one of the few places in Pas you can go on a weeknight when you suddenly look up and realize it's 9:30 and you haven't eaten yet! (Does this happen to other ex-New Yorkers, or is it just me?) I like their veg-friendliness. Indian cuisine is obviously a pretty veg-friendly choice, but as far as Americanized Indian places, Sitar has even more veg entrees than usual (more than ten). And we've eaten them all! Everything was very tasty. The service can be a bit uneven -- either very attentive, or very rush-you-out. Get: Vegetable Korma. Special rice. Can't think of any true skips on the veg front -- I was perhaps less than impressed with the stuffed breads. We have only gone for dinner (from comments below, lunch might be sketchier). Oh, and they seem to be attentive to your desired level of spiciness/heat, considering they have pleased both my hot-chili-addicted boyfriend and my roommate's spice-intolerant boyfriend.
(4)Chris H.
I went there for brunch today. It has an attractive interior, glass tabletops over linen table clothes and some booths. The $11 Sunday lunch special includes 1 champagne (or ice tea). Tasty cuisine and an excellent value. Highly recommended.
(4)Michelle F.
THIS IS MY RATING OF THEIR DINNER: I give them a four for dinner, because you end up with an unnecessary loaded bill. If you want a complete sampler like a thali, you'll end up spending 40 for two. Why spend all that when you can get an equally, if not more tasty dinner at a cheaper price? If you're looking for a scrumptious yet affordable bite, go to Bhanu's Indian Restaurant instead of any other. It's very causal and also a grocery store, but don't let the ambiance deter you- the food is fantastic! If you're looking for a moderately upscale place, go to Sitar instead. But if you're on the prowl for quality food, regardless of quality silverware and linen napkins, then go to Bhanu's. You'll love the price and become a fan of the food! Bhanu's is on 7246 Rosemead Blvd.
(4)Aaron C.
My Indian friend wanted Indian food and we saw it as we passed by. We were seated in the small dining room to the front of the restaurant. Food and drink were a bit overpriced for the amount of food we got, but the quality of the food was excellent. Waiter forgot two of our orders and were brought to us promptly after asked. We were the only ones in the restaurant so that was nice. Setting's a bit dim so to speak
(3)Judith K.
i wish i could give this place NO STARS!!! Had problems all last night due to this place. Perhaps it was all the old food in the chafing dishes that they would just pile new/fresh food on top of. I dont know, but it all sat in my stomach like a dang rock....need i say more? I've had Indian food before, many times and have never had this digestive experience such as I've had with Sitar. Whatever! I Stand by my rating, and like I said, I will NOT be back!!!
(1)Krista G.
I'd had a craving for Indian food for a few days, so I picked Sitar Indian Cuisine at random. I ordered online for delivery, and while their website could use a little bit of work, it was easy enough to use, and they sent a confirmation email. I would have liked an estimated delivery time, but it wasn't a big deal. My food came within 40 minutes of submitting my order, it was hot, and the delivery guy was very nice. I had a hard time choosing a dish, there was so much on the menu that sounded good (as a vegetarian, I'm not used to having that many choices on a menu). I ended up ordering the eggplant bhartha with basmati rice, samosas, and garlic naan (very garlic-y, but I love a lot of garlic). Everything was absolutely delicious! I am still fairly new to Indian cuisine, but I really enjoyed my food! I'd like to try other Indian restaurants just to see what else is out there, but I would definitely order from Sitar Indian Cuisine again!
(4)Kevin G.
I've come here for lunch many times for the buffet. The food is better than New Delhi down the street and my co-workers are big fans of the garlic naan here. We will no doubt return!
(4)Barbara C.
The food was not too bad but pricey I think. I used a groupon deal for $12 for $20 off and they jipped me. I didnt realize untill I had left though. It could have been an honest mistake.
(2)Jonathan G.
I have tried all the Indian places in Pasadena and many on the Westside during the week. Sitar Indian is great, the food is very good and the service cannot be beat. The buffet is very good for lunch or on a weekend, you will not be disappointed.
(4)Katie R.
So this place is a toss up as far as I'm concerned. They do have good curry that we all enjoyed, but the service was very slow at times and unhelpful at others. There is plenty of seating from what I could tell, so you most likely won't have to wait. It's A-OK... like the three stars say, but I wouldn't go out of my way for this cuisine. PS - You will need to get rice and/or bread. It costs extra, and they don't tell you this when you order
(3)susie d.
My boyfriend and I were in Pasadena Saturday night and decided to walk into Sitar for some Indian cuisine. Big mistake! You know it's going to be a bad experience when you walk in to an Indian restaurant and they're are absolutely no smells coming out of the kitchen or the dinning room. We sat down and the waitress preceded to hand us the menu, they have a full bar yet no bartender the same waitress who sat us down was aimlessly pouring wine and fiddling with glasses. It took a while for them to come and take our order, my boy ordered lamb tikka masala an I asked the waiter if the tandoori quail was a good choice, he said "it's fine" ummmm ok, i said is it good or not and he said oh yeah it's good. Ok I'm worried but I wanted to try something new so i went ahead and ordered it, along with some vegetable Samosas, raita, and garlic Nan. We also decided to get some wine. I ordered the chard can't go wrong with that right. Wrong! I don't know what they brought me but it wasn't Chardonnay it was a glass with some liquid the color of apple juice and the taste of gross. Sent it back right away and got a Sauvignon better. We waited for about 35 minutes to get our food and when we finally did the naan and lamb were ok but the quail dish was pretty mediocre and there was no meat on the bird at all! The Samosas tasted old and right in the middle of our dinner the waiter comes to the table next to us that had left about 15 minutes prior finally cleans off the dishes and sprays windex right in the middle of us eating now all we can smell is the cleaning product and by this point im ready to go. Not once did they come to check on us. It was the worst indian restaurant I've ever been too. The prices were too high for the quality of food and service given here. Stay away!
(1)Hasham Y.
Two bad things about this place, 1) they don't offer take home boxes unless asked for and 2) they rush you out. Other than that food is decent and owners are nice and courteous. My group ordered Biryani, chicken karahi, aloo gobi, daal makhni and navratan qorma. All the vegetarian dishes were good and actually we finished them all; however, they lacked the skills to find the right mix of spices in chicken entrees. By any means it wasn't bad but i don't feel like raving about it either. The place is clean and has good decor which is rare for an Indian restaurant :)
(3)Jelly B.
We were seated promptly because there was only 1 table being occupied in the restaurant on a Saturday night. I am not sure if it's the economy or the food but we gave it a try anyway. The tamarind, pickled carrots and spicy green chutney was actually good along with the fried pita chips and two pieces of roti for 5 people. We ordered chicken tikka masala nothing special the sauce taste straight from the can and the medium spicy has no kicked at all. The next dish we had was Palak paneer two words to describe this- two paneers! Swimming in spinach that is to mushy as if over blended. Bhindi masala was actually nice flavor and okra has nice consistency to it. The best dish we had was tandoori shrimp, had authentic flavor and the only dish that seems to be freshly made. The garlic naan was good but that's expected in any Indian restaurant. Lastly, we had chicken biryani we ordered it spicy but somewhere between the kitchen and our table the spiciness got lost. Overall this place is not that memorable such that we will not visit it again.
(2)Susana N.
The quality was fair.
(2)Jonathan T.
Perfectly situated on a diagonal on the opposite side of the street from the Laemmle 7, Sitar was prime Sunday nite pre-movie Indian for...you guessed it...no---not Slumdog Millionaire--but for Mickey Rourke's rumored tour de force (a rumor well validated) in 'The Wrestler.' I had eaten here once before a few yrs back for the obligatory lunchtime buffet, and remember it being decent, pleasant, and unremarkable. This evening was all of the above. complicating matters was our very tight 35 min time slot from sit down, order, to finishing eating and paying the bill...we were fully prepared to take it to go and stash in the car for post-theatre grub, being completely unawares if the Sitar staff was up to the fire drill... the place was moderately filled, but by no means very busy. it took a while to get their attention to order--but they seemed to catch on quick that we were pushing the pace a bit (even had to remind one of the servers to hook us up with papadam crackers and chutneys, as other recently arrived tables seemed to be all stocked already)... anywhoozers, the food arrived quickly-- Chicken Samosas--fairly large and flavor was passable Lamb Korma--the curry was far too watery and the meat a bit too 'meatbally' in texture, and the curry was missing a bit of sweetness to go with the spice Palak Paneer-- over all a bit too salty and no sweetness, though not horrible Naan--a bit too thin and broken in sections, but flavor was decent. Portions were reasonable size. 'Iced Chai' were served in fancy pseudo-martini glasses, and a bit short on the chai, but flavor was average Mission was accomplished to sample all the dishes before the movie. The host helped facilitate our exit and signing off on the bill just in time to slide into those last sold out seats in the theatre just as the previews were ending. Service was courteous and price was very reasonable. I would not go back unless i were in another Lammle 7 pre-movie time fix--in which case, these guys proved that they are able to accommodate!
(3)T. S.
Been here several times for the weekend lunch buffet, which is about $11/person, and includes a glass of champagne or choice of soda. The quality and quantity of offerings are about right for the price. The times I visited they had a decent selection on typical Indian food, such as tandoori chicken, chicken curry, goat curry, dal, samosas, palak paneer, naan, and rice pudding, among other things. Unlike some of the other reviews, I have yet to experience problem with the food being poor quality or not fresh. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about. One time they had a guy playing sitar, but usually they just have Bollywood movies playing on the TVs mounted in the dining room. Although I think the lunch buffet here is a good value, I do have to agree with the other reviews that said that the staff here is a bit cold. I've never encountered outright rudeness here, but I get the sense that the servers here are unhappy and annoyed with having to wait on customers rather than pleased to have my business.
(3)Nairie T.
Overall: Went to this restaurant on a Saturday night to catch up with an old friend. They seated us right away and were eager to take our order. We were in no rush so we took our time but our waitress was back a few times to get our order; we felt a bit rushed throughout the night. The food: It was nothing spectacular for me; my Indian friend thought it was awful. I did enjoy the rice (can't go wrong with white rice) and the sizzling shrimp dish. The chicken in the tomato drenched curry dish looked.... not appetizing.... to say the least. The ambiance: again, nothing special - plus the Indian movie/music video on the t.v. screen was a bit inappropriate for my taste. Will I go back? No. There are too many other good things on Colorado Blvd!
(2)Annie G.
My biggest concern with indian food is always the flavor. Or, to be more specific, how salty it is. I love indian food, but I often find that they make some of the dishes too salty for my liking. That was how Radhika's was (before they closed). Sitar did not have this problem. I actually found their lunch buffet to be pretty decent. My favorite dish is the Saab/Palak, and their Palak Paneer was very good. I had to go back for seconds, after having devoured my big first plate. There was tandoori chicken, but it got replaced with some inferior chicken dish. That was a big disappointment. I didn't even get there very late - I think I came right around noon. I guess you should go very early if you want to have some tandoori chicken. The naan was a little undercooked in my opinion. And I didn't really see much garlic on my garlic naan. But still, it wasn't bad - better than burnt naan, I suppose. The Tikka Masala was pretty standard. Overall I found their dishes were pretty good, nothing to rave about but definitely not disappointing. That is all I really ever ask for. Now comes the not-so-good part. They sat us in the corner in the back, so that my back and side were against a wall. Halfway through my meal, I looked on the wall and there was a little cockroach strolling along. Their walls are an orangey-yellow color, so it was pretty conspicuous. After I spotted the creature I had a hard time concentrating on my meal. We quickly finished eating and left, not wanting to make a big scene. But they should really get an exterminator or something.
(2)Jasmine C.
Have been on the lookout for decent Indian in Pasadena and had been previously underwhelmed by Akbar, Little India, and even New Delhi which is down the road from Sitar. Happy to report that my dinner at Sitar was a pleasant surprise. The atmosphere is comfy and cozy, and service is pretty attentive. The assorted veggie pakora appetizers were a tasty start (their poppadums are spicy and also great), which then led us to their lamb curry which was flavorful. The lamb was also really tender. Word of advice if you like your curries spicy to definitely choose the "spicy" option when they ask: I chose the "medium", which wasn't hot at all. I will say that I've had better, lighter aloo paratha, but in general our meal was more than satisfactory. The chai wasn't bad either, and only cost $2.50 - a damn sight tastier and cheaper than the mass produced stuff you get from Starbucks.
(3)P J.
I have been to this place a couple of times (once for dinner and the other for lunch buffet). I have also order delivery a couple of times. Do not get their Vindaloo (or at any Indian restaurant in the US). Most Indian restaurants in the U.S. are owned by people from the state of Punjab in India and serve mostly Punjabi food. Vindaloo is not a Punjabi dish. It is from the state of Goa. So most of the Vindaloo you get in restaurants here, is just something called Vindaloo(they add the obligatory potatoe..aloo = potato) but has nothing in common with the real Vindaloo from Goa which is a very Spicy, Hot, and Vinegary Sour Pork Stew. Get the Lamb Curry and the Butter Chicken. These are standard dishes from Punjab, and are a couple of favorite things to eat. This place does a surprisingly good job compared to most Indian restaurants in the U.S. (Make sure you order it Spicy) The buffet is so-so(more watered down Americanized Indian food).
(3)BustA G.
Had a budget Indian brunch here. This is a good place for group and family dining. My family and I have had some of our best lunches and dinners here. The wait and hostess staff are always very friendly and attentive. I'm disappointed that they no longer serve strawberry tea. The restaurant has an adjoining banquet hall of parties, weddings, etc.
(3)Bruno L.
The food was good when we went here, the service was good as well, I agree that the layout of the restaurant is not ideal and a little bit of a turn off. I was excited because I thought we found our Indian go-to place in Pasadena. I stopped going here because they got a D grade on the City of Pasadena Restaurant and Food service site. Checked today and now they have a B, so I'm happy to see that.
(2)Chanh V.
This is one of only two Indian restaurants that I have tried (the other is Mahan in Alhambra) to receive my stomach's Award of Excellence, meaning my stomach was happy afterwards (aka had no digestion problems). Like Mahan, I can only suppose that Sitar uses some different spices than almost all other Indian restaurants (I've tried like a dozen in north and south CA). I went to Sitar for dinner as part of a family event, so can't speak for the buffet lunch. The whole restaurant was reserved and we had buffet. The buffet was great tasting, the entrees were fresh, cooked perfectly, and just the right amount of spice (for me, not too much, not too little). I love the veggie dishes. I'm deducting one star because I don't think they provided enough portions. There was a spicy chicken dish (tikka?) and some veggie appetizer that were delicious. Except, when I went back to get more, it was finished or removed. Damn my habit of taking a little bit of everything during the first round! Will definitely try their standard lunch buffet if I get a chance to.
(4)James W.
Excellent lunch buffet, with a good variety of Indian foods. Folks are friendly and place is nice and roomy.
(5)Maria L.
We came here about an hour before closing...it was kind of empty inside....and very dark. It was definitely an interesting experience considering we had a couple of people whose it was their first time having Indian food! Anyway, everybody enjoyed their food....and the service was decent.
(3)hello y.
I've been here a few times. The ambiance is really awkward. No music or sound. Best with a group so you don't feel like the only 1-2 people in the room. The tables are too small. The lighting doesn't highlight the food well. The food is ok. I think it is too expensive for the quality. They're open late Sunday, so that's cool.
(2)Rupal M.
We went to this restaurant bcos other restuarant was closed. Buffet price was/is 13$ which is expensive than most of the indian buffet. They said it includes drink but choice were either soda or salted lassi only..Choice of vegitable and curry is very cheap...appetiser -only pakoda .again cheap and easy choice last but not least...dessert?? only rice pudding..Thats it. Crowded and conjusted buffet station, bad service. They charge a lot but had only one high chair...so all the time my toddler son was on my lap. They need to go and see other indian restaurant buffet menu where for $10 where they serve samosa, good curries, any kind of lassi/soda and 3-4 desert.. bad bad experience...would never go again.
(1)Corazon R.
Sitar's a great place to grab a quick lunch buffet for a decent price. For less than $10, you can dine from a pretty good selection of your standard Indian fare (samosas are a rarity, however). The food is good and well worth it, as they make a lot of their dishes' ingredients in-house, such as their paneer. If you're not one to do an all-you-can-eat, they've got a really extensive menu to choose from, and it's primarily sorted by "meats" (chicken, lamb, vegetarian, etc). Dishes are modestly sized, and prices are not the cheapest, but it is good food. The proper dining room is small and intimate, but it seems to draw a quiet crowd. Adjacent to the place they have a large banquet room for events, and you can order any of their dishes in bulk for parties (again, price is somewhat high for what you get). They've got a bar with beer and wine, and service is very helpful, quick and friendly. With it being close to the Laemmle Playhouse 7 and the Pasadena Playhouse, it's a great spot to have dinner for a quaint night out. Vegans be wary: even if you do ask for no butter, no dairy on your dishes, they do not consider paneer (the homemade cheese) to be dairy, because it is some derivative from the milk.
(4)Ami T.
This place has a couple of items that are very good and then a couple of items that missed the mark. Atmosphere is chill and not rushed. The staff comes off as being mellow not overly friendly. The Lassi is very good (salty). Rice pudding is very good. The vegetable fried balls are very good. The entrees like curries are ok. The saffron rice was not good. Prices are ok.
(3)Jade L.
Had dinner here one night with my friend Anna...The food was just okay. I don't really have much to write...perhaps, that's saying something. I think the idea of a walking magician wasn't really all that appealing. Hmm...kinda wonder about that. Mango Lassi - Great!!! Vegetable Samosa - Pretty Good!! Tandoori Chicken - Just okay...was a little like it was reheated. Garlic Naan - Nice and crisp...just right. Had some paneer masala and palak paneer - Both pretty good especially with the Naan...so good. So...all in all...just three stars...
(3)Ben G.
These guys make Christine O'Donnell seem like MENSA material. I placed an order for delivery, which should be pretty simple considering that I live about 4 blocks away from them. An hour later, I call to see where they're at and they tell me the delivery guy is at my front door. I go to my front door and no one is there. I call back, they tell me that, indeed, they aren't at my front door...but, they'd be willing to come deliver it immediately (despite the fact that it had been sitting on a counter for a half an hour). Apparently they weren't able to find my apartment complex (because the street numbering system in Pasadena is so confusing). Their only redeeming quality is that they allowed me to cancel the order. I surely won't be ordering from them again and advise others to avoid a similar mistake. As to the food quality? I have no idea, it never got here.
(1)Romeo R.
Great price, good food, good service. Waaaay better than Himalyan Cafe in Pasadena.
(4)Mario R.
My wife and I went for the first time on Friday night (12/19). Besides us there were only two other tables being served. The place was clean but dimly lit. The food was good (not great) but the real disappointment was the service. I understand the laid back vibe but I think it went a bit too far on this night. We were being waited on by the owners son, very helpful until some family friends came in. At that point all of the customers seated in the restaurant were basically ignored. My wife and I were seated at the table behind the family yet it was as if we did not exist. The bar tender had to get our bill for us and I finally had to get up and wait at the bar in order to pay it. On the upside, the nan was very good and I did get to hear the latest on the remodeling going on at the son's home, his retirement plans, and the number of gasoline stations and 7-Eleven's the family owns. I don't know if I will return but at this point I'm not too eager to.
(2)Kaustubh T.
Had lunch buffet here.. the lamb curry was exquisite but the rest of the buffet was below expectations.. food was too oily...
(2)Tobe A.
If I could give no stars I would. The service was good and the room looked nice but the food was awful. I wondered if it came out of a can or was cooked earlier and reheated. It is so easy to make good Indian food. I have had excellent food at numerous Indian restaurants In Los Angeles such as The Clay Oven, Tantra, Electric Lotus, Indian Oven etc... I get better and fresher tasting Indian food from the frozen section of TJ's.
(1)Ashlee D.
Totally love there Indian food and the vibe. I Love there chicken tikka marsala (the best flavor I have ever had) They have there TV's playing Indian music too which I think is so fun and adds to the experience. Great to take a date and the prices are good too.
(5)Lore W.
Also perplexed by the bad reviews. Have come here for dinner several times including at 10 PM on a Friday -- the chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo were rich and spicy (yes, you have to *ask* for it the way you want it), the mango martini was a refreshing treat, and the servers were courteous and attentive from start to finish. Compares favourably with restaurants of similar cuisine and calibre.
(4)Patrick Y.
The lamb saag is very tasty, but I wished the portions were a bit larger.
(4)Susy P.
Wow. I was very impressed by the food. So far the best indian food I have had. I ordered take out and got the Vegetable Korma which I highly recommend. The combination of vegetables, nuts and paneer was amazing. Their naan was also quite good as it was not burned like some other places, it was warm yet also soft.
(5)The E.
I have been going to Sitar for the past 7 years. It was usually hit or miss, but I have stopped going as of recently. It is not the taste of the food, rather than the safety of eating it. After eating there a couple of times and feeling mediocre, I checked the City of Pasadena's website for a ratings report and saw that Sitar's cleanliness rating was THE 3RD LOWEST OF ALL RESTAURANTS IN PASADENA! That is out of hundreds of restaurants! Man, I wish Pasadena had the same policy as other cities in Los Angeles - to show a letter grade at the front door. Sitar was ranked 49 out of 100 possible points. That is an F! I don't understand how the local government could let them stay open with that kind of rating!
(1)Z Z.
Really good, solid Indian food. They have some unique menu items which we were pretty excited about. Paul actually said he liked them more than Mezbaan Indian Cuisine although I disagree with that! I really liked the food though! I got the assorted vegetarian appetizers which came with Vegetable Samosas and Vegetable Pakoras. The dish only had one small veggie samosa which I was kind of bothered by because I always split them with Paul so, we both ended up with a very small amount. The samosa was good although it could have had a bit more spices in it. The pakoras were really good especially the aloo ones that were especially delicious. Aside from the tiny samosa you were given quite a large amount of food for $6! I also got the Aloo Pratha which was quite good. The bread was soft, had quite a bit of spices in it and was stuffed full of potatoes. So good! So filling!!!!!!!!!! I had so much left over! Paul really loved what he got, the mango chicken curry with jasmine rice. The curry has chicken with sweet and sour mangoes, peaches, ginger, scallions, and other spices. He was really happy with it! They also spiced it up like he asked. Good stuff from what he said! Anyway, cool little place. Good food. Not expensive at all and walking distance to the Laemmle. How can you go wrong????
(4)Lulu B.
I walked past the place last night (Friday) around 8pm. It was packed, I viewed that as a good sign. Then again, the Thai place I like a few doors down was empty. So maybe that theory has a few holes in it. Just ordered delivery about an hour ago. Garlic Naan, Lamb Kulcha, Lamb Korma and Palak Paneer. The reason why I give two stars instead of one is because I believe that one star is reserved for food which is completely inedible and in addition makes you sick. While it has activated my acid reflux, I don't really think I can blame that on the restaurant. I should know better. Or take more Tums or something. Let's start with the bread products. The garlic naan tasted moderately ok, but it was ruined by the gummy chewy texture. The frozen stuff at Trader Joes is far superior. Lamb Kulcha - Described as "Naan bread filled with spicy ground lamb and served with fruit chutney" Now when you picture ground lamb, are you picturing crumbly delicious freshly cooked meat? Or are you thinking about thin strips of tasteless gyro meat? I honestly couldn't even tell what animal I was eating. In addition it was covered by the aforementioned chewy naan bread. Oh, and they didn't even give me any chutney. Bastards. Palak Paneer - I'm going to assume that the greenish brownish slimy stuff was spinach at some point in time. Couldn't really taste any spinach flavor, it was completely overwhelmed by massive amounts of coriander. The paneer cheese was good. But I don't know if the restaurant can take credit for that. (Update: They make their own cheese apparently. So at least I can say one good thing about them) Last but not least, Lamb Korma - "Cubes of lamb cooked in a mildly spiced creamy sauce with sliced almonds" - First of all it's lacking in actual lamb, there's a fair amount but it's fatty and tough. Either they picked a tough section of the animal and didn't braise it long enough, or they overcooked whatever they used. Either way, not good eats. - Holy sodium batman. I swear I got my entire weeks worth of sodium intake in a couple of bites. I am so thirsty right now it's unbelievable. So salty it's impossible to eat more than a few bites. I tried to salvage it by dipping naan in the sauce. This worked for awhile because I was hungry. But eventually my hunger abated to the point where I couldn't force myself to eat it any longer. Overall, it was edible. That's absolutely the best thing I can possibly say about it. Mostly I'm pissed that I'm out $33 now and have a bunch of food that even the boyfriend (who will eat damn near anything) wont touch. (Update: Called the restaurant to let them know just how horrible everything was. They offered to remake everything and send it over but oddly enough I didn't want to try it again. Besides, anything they send over special is going to receive far more attention and care than it would normally receive. Not exactly fair.)
(2)Cari O.
The food was not terrible, but I got really afraid when the lunch buffet didn't keep the food hot. These are things that people notice and actually makes me not want to go back. The service was fine and the people were very nice, but seriously if I go to a buffet and the food is luke warm it's scary. I would order something other than the buffet, then maybe the food will come out hot.
(2)Kim M.
Had a "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" lunch buffet coupon, so decided to check this place out. I won't be going back. Here's my gripe: I confess I didn't read the coupon closely but it stated that to get the "buy 2, get 1 free" deal you had to purchase 2 beverages. Right away I showed the coupon to the waiter so he knew we'd be using it and when he took our drink order, I asked for a large Taj Mahal and 2 glasses. At that point, he could have been cool and said, "hey, read the coupon. you must order 2 drinks, so get 2 small beers instead." But he didn't say anything and when the owner(?) manager(?) asked to see the coupon at the end of the meal, he said I couldn't use it unless I ordered another drink... so I got a diet Coke and it was $4.00!!! My lunch with coupon, for 3 people, was almost $40 (including tip) It was definitely not a good deal. Enough about the staff - The food was just ok and the buffet spread was pretty small... not much to choose from and only 2 vegetarian options (yellow dhal and palak paneer - of which I could swear there was no paneer, just a few cubes of tofu) The butter chicken was by far the best offering at the buffet. The garlic naan was pretty good, soft and warm and nicely seasoned. My experience with the coupon and the way the whole drink situation was handled left a bad taste in my mouth, so I'm left to try and find some decent Indian cuisine in this area.
(2)Al C.
Very good Indian buffet. It rivals New Delhi Palace up the road. Yes, don't come late to the buffet, otherwise you'll get the burnt rice, overcooked food problem. When fresh, it's up there with the best. The best thing about the place is the rumpus room attached to the restaurant where I've witnessed many an Indian wedding or other shindig and man, do they get down. Make sure to plan your next wedding reception here. And don't ask about the mysterious upstairs door--the staff apparently don't want to talk about it.
(4)Rupinder S.
Tasty Northern Indian food. I'd take my parents here. Pricey but that is not uncommon with Indian fine dining. I like it. Everything on the menu is great. Not really known for there mixed drinks..stick to Indian beers.
(4)Fozz M.
I walked in on a Friday night while in town for business. I was seated promptly and there were plenty of empty tables, which should have been my first clue. The service was attentive and the staff was friendly. I was quite disappointed by the food. I requested "Indian Spicy" and the food was quite bland. It had flavor, but no where close to any realm of Spicy. The layout of the restaurant is weird and there is definitely a lack of ambiance.
(2)Taralyn G.
My boyfriend and I love Indian food. We are always trying to find a place as good as this one restaurant in San Francisco that we went to practically everyday. This one didn't come close. We are still paying for our mistake the next day because of food poisoning. Also the vegetable dish I ordered was obviously a mix of frozen and fresh vegetables to create the illusion of being fresh ( they added some fresh onion and bellpepper to it.) Unless you want diarrhea stay away. There I said it :)
(1)Amber S.
I just went to this place today and I have to say it was just amazing... The food is just intoxicating... The surroundings makes you feel all warm and happy... I must say the two male waiters were very friendly and helpful for those who are not familiar with Indian cuisine... They had a special for two people that was for 25 dollars... You recieved a main dish and veggie entre and rice with naan plus a desert... Which is amazing!... Not only was the food great so was the place itself.... The only reason I would not give this five stars was because of the waitress who ended up taking over for the rest of our meal.. She wasn;t very friendly and just seemed like she wanted my friend and I out of there asap... The owner of the place was super rad and he came to our table to make sure if we were having a great experience... Otherwise this place is amazing and the atmosphere is just welcoming... Definitly check this place out...
(4)Jasmine L.
I've been to this place a while back with my sign. other. It was very pricey for a few simple dishes so when I found coupons for 2 for 1 lunch buffet, I was hooked. Luckily they don't have the same lunch buffet items all the time. Some times you get lucky and the grilled lamb is awesome other times you get the over salted curry veggies. All-in-all good deal for the price ($9 for 2 people during their lunch buffet). Sometimes service is attentive other times you need to keep on getting the staffs' attention for more garlic nann (another great item) or water. About 10 items on the buffet table.
(4)Elafoodie W.
The best Indian buffet in Pasadena and probably the San Gabriel Valley. They make outstanding food. No wonder they have Indian weddings every weekend. People come for the food and the mbiance. free parking n te back.
(5)Lindsay S.
For a $9 buffet it was just fine. Not a bad taste. Decent naan. We just moved to the area though and plan on continuing our search for our new LA Indian restaurant. This one just wasn't it.
(2)V E.
I don't know the first thing about Indian food but I was pleasantly surprised by their lunch buffet. The food was very tasty and the service was great. They hooked us up with bread and a side of chicken tika masala. I will go back.
(3)Sandy R.
Yum! Recently remodeled ... and as if this place didn't Rock before, its Indianliscious now! I can't get enough. I only do the buffet style Indian restaurants, only beacuse I don't know how to order off of the menu. Their selection is great. Service is also good. Go ... eat and be merry!
(5)Hella Stella Y.
Horrible. Food was supergreasy. Staff tried to rudely rush our experience though it was still 20 minutes before closing. Did not refill our drinks or chutneys, even though the restaurant was empty. Got ill from the food.
(1)J W.
How delicious was it to *pop* Frank K.'s Indian food cherry last night? Deliciously expensive! Our dishes averaged $11/plate, but they were soooo flavorful, spicy, and mouth wateringly YUM. And how can you possibly have a wife (wife, BFF - same thing), who is Indian for most of your pubescent life and have NEVER tried Indian??? Preposterous I say! Morally repugnant! Ankur - for SHAME! Anyhoo. I was more than happy to oblige. I luvs me the Indian food, although it's not in the "insatiable cuisine" category, I do get the occasional pangs for the stuff. I took this opportunity to introduce a newbie to a few of my favorite dishes: Lamb vindaloo - tangy n spicy with chunks of potato and makin' my nose run juuuust the way I likey. Chicken tikka masala - creamy and tasty sauce, and the cause for my glistening forehead. Yeeeeaa! Palak paneer - spinach with cubes of Indian cheese. Not spicy at all but great for naan dippin'. Mmm hmm! So all the dishes had just enough spice to satisfy the craving but nothing crazy spicy - which I would have actually welcomed. Usually I end up ordering seconds of the naan with this savage beast of an appetite I have. They were quite generous with the perfectly baked naan portions which was cool. I prefer plain although they had a choice of the garlic naan as well. Also the scrumptious saffron rice complimented our meal perfectly. Frank had beer. He liked. I chose the non-alcoholic route and got the strawberry lassi. I liked. I have had better but it was still quite good. And no, I am not referring to a little Irish girl. Usually with these Indian yogurt drinks, they can be made too thick and tart. Their's was still on the thick side, but the flavor and frothiness made up for it. I've had the brunch during the week before and it is actually better than New Delhi Palace on Mentor and Colorado. More choices and endless naan! Ooooohhhh the naan.... Other than the price, one other gripe I had was that our table was too teeny to accommodate all the dishes we ordered. But then again how could they have known that we were such pigs? We were Yelpers in disguise as we stuffed our faces. Oh well, next time we'll ask for the banquet room.
(4)Joel Y.
it has a spicy smell here. the buffet scared me. service was ok. butter chicken didn't taste right. the rice was crunchy. the tandoori chicken was dry. why did i agree to $8 ayce indian buffet again? well, at least the garlic naan was excellent.
(1)Mot Y.
This place is terrible. The service sucked and the food was mediocre. I would skip this place if I were you. I wonder how this place stays in business. I have been avoiding it for a long time and now I know why. They have this huge banquet room off to the side. When I peeked in the first thing that came to my mind....When was the last time you washed your curtains?
(1)Chuck G.
Since writing my last review for Sitar, I've gotten a bit more experienced with Indian food. Haven't been to Sitar in a minute, but haven't had Indian that wonderful since! Sitar, by far, is still the best. If you ever end up in San Gabriel Valley, go there!
(5)ERIC C.
You know when a UPS Man says something is good, it is! We do eat lunch out and sometimes dinner (when it's not brought with us.). So if you are somewhere else than home, just ask the UPS Man! We do know alot. Extremely Friendly!!! Great Buffet
(5)Abe K.
WORST INDIAN RESTAURANT I HAVE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH!!!! Placed order through their online delivery system,I thought it was impossible to mess my order up since it was typed down and simple yet they still manged to. What Indian Restaurant serves you 2 currys and no rice? Instead of apologizing and attempting to remedy the situation, they were rude and antagonistic and ignored my phone calls and complaints. When I ask for them to come back to give me what I paid for he said it would take an additional 20- 30 minutes after I had already been waiting 45 min for my order in the first place. I had no interest in paying $40 and eating cold food so I asked for a refund and had to fight for it The delivery guy claims to have returned to my house but left after "I didn't come out" however he never rang my doorbell or even knocked on my door. I have 3 dogs that bark their heads off when anyone is nearby and they were silent.
(1)Christina L.
When it comes to Indian food, I'm very particular about what I like and this place definitely exceeded my expectations. We came here on a Sunday night and ordered the vegetarian combination dinner which came with palak paneer, coconut mushroom curry, veggie rice, and garlic naan. Everything was just so delicious... so much better than any Indian buffet food. I thought the service was great! We sat there for over 3 hours up until near closing time and my friend got his diet coke refilled like 8 times, even after we already paid. Will probably come back if I'm ever in the Pasadena area again.
(4)Terri M.
My boyfriend and I were wandering around Pasadena on our day off and decided to grab a bite to eat. The choice was Sitar Indian Cuisine or the Mexican place next door. I hadn't had Indian in a while, so we decided on Sitar. The worst decision I've made in a long time. We entered and after a few moments the waiter came and asked if we were there for the lunch buffet. Uh, okay. He seats us and asks if we want garlic or regular naan. Regular. He takes a few steps and says again, "Regular?" Yes. Regular. That's essentially the last service we have from him. No drink order. Nothing. It's a buffet, so we help ourselves. The food in the dishes looked absolutely tragic. Everything the same soupy consistency with the same pungent aroma, with the exception of the tandoori chicken with was incredibly dry and flavourless. The bill comes and it's $19.47. I leave a $20 and two $1s and hand it to him and head out the door. He chases us down the street claiming we only gave him three $1s. I know for a fact that I paid him $22. My boyfriend hands him another $20 just to keep the peace, but we were swindled. I've never been so upset.
(1)Bird M.
the only reason the even get 1 star is because they have a bathroom. I would love to go into it but I'd rather forget the experience.
(1)Roni R.
Decent food if you're craving -- but not the best around. It'll satisfy but you need to go elsewhere for better stuff.
(2)Pinchepartygirl G.
I saw an ad in the la weely and i am glad that i stopped by this indian cuisine gem over the weekend! My most favorite indian restaurant is all the way in cerritos, and have been going to Mezban's locally and OMG! Sitar is the best in pasadena! place was very clean, plenty of street parking, plus on sundays and mondays they have a musician playing live music :) also, it's rare when the buffet has 3 chicken dishes to choose from, so i was in heaven! PLUS, its a pretty spicy buffet, for all you spice lovers! indian food has to have heat, right? go to SITAR! I was extremely impressed and will visit again this week!
(5)Tobin B.
Barely edible. The linch buffet is terrible, positive it is old because the grease separates to a pool. Older man (maybe owner) yelled at employees and treated them terribly, I have never seen this in a restaurant. Never going back.....Akbar down the street is better and the employees seem to be treated well.
(1)eric p.
The food I've ordered from Sitar is decent in my book, but as most of the other reviews have stated, their delivery times are horrible. The first time I ordered from them, they took an hour... although this may be a bit too long for most, I can deal with it. However, this last time, I waited 2 HOURS for them to deliver a meal that was just 2 dishes, an appetizer + rice. Completely unacceptable.
(2)Sarah F.
I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. It was one of very few open on Christmas eve, and the Chicken Korma and Lamb Tikka Marsala were both very good. They were a little stingy with the rice, which I found annoying, but otherwise everything was great.
(4)Abby S.
I went there for the lunch buffet by myself today and DID NOT find the food to be good. The curries were tasteless and I found the tandoori chicken and garlic naan too dry. More importantly, it was the bad service that turned me off. It. I have to agree with the other yelpers on the bad service. Here are the details: the place was basically empty when I sat down at 12:05 pm. By 12:30 pm the waitress/hostess asks me if I would like my check. I have only been there for 25 min - I haven't had dessert yet but I said "sure." I found it weird how she was rushing her customers out. At 12:35 pm, I paid my bill with cash. After she put the money into the register, she never came back to give me change. I waited for about 10 min while I ate dessert and decided to leave without saying anything. It was clear she was not going to give me any change. I think it's bad etiquette when a business assumes any change is theirs to keep as tip.
(1)Amy A.
Went for lunch buffet. It had the basic indian dishes, not bad, but nothing special.
(3)Victor G.
This place has a great Sunday brunch. To be honest, it's the only time I go. I ordering from the menu but it wasn't as satisfying. Go for the brunch!
(4)galiano s.
designer soto art......... U Have to see the new sitar indian cuisine amazing please I would like to know you opinion come by specIAL NIGHT... ASK FOR THE EXOTIC SPECIAL COCKTAIL
(5)