Shah Taj

Shah Taj versus Shadman Lunch Buffet. Buffet hours: Shah Taj buffet is suppose to be open until 3:30 PM but the buffet was cleared at 3:15 PM yesterday while we were still eating. Shadmans buffet closes ½ hour earlier at 3:00 PM. Both have comparable good and tasty food. Shah Taj has sheik kabobs and Shadman does not. Shah Taj charges $ 1 extra for each additional Roti or Naan and Shadman gives you unlimited bread. (Just don’t waste!) Shah Taj has additional items for dessert compared to Shadman. Shah Taj has a beautiful view of the court house and is on a corner lot, and Shadman has a beautiful view of a Place of Worship. Shah Taj is not as busy so the buffet is not so crowded. Shadman is busier and more inconvenient to go to the buffet because it is also by the cash register. All in all, I would go to Shadman myself because there is no charge for extra naan’s/roti’s, But if Shah Taj were to offer the same I would go back to Shah Taj in the future. Shah Taj should offer the same for competition purposes because all you are going to eat is one or two more naan’s/roti’s. But then again, Shah Taj has kabobs. Also, Shah Taj should not close the buffet earlier than they advertise on the sign outside because that is just not good, nor fair, nor honest business practices. I would also give both, Shah Taj and Shadman 4 Star ratings but more towards Shadman because of my personal preference of unlimited naan’s/roti’s versus the chicken kabobs and additional desserts that Shah Taj offers. Trying to be fair to both. They are both good.

We had butter chicken, and the tikkas woth naan. Food was amazing. We also bought barfi which was made in house and tasted really good. We had pink tea and loved it ! The best part was the owner and staff were soooo nice! Loved this place.

Nothing much to speak about the ambiance. The food is pre-​prepared and kept on the counter. You just need to let the lady on counter know what you want to eat, they will heat it and serve it to you. The prices are very reasonable.
Recommendation — Rabdi Faluda

I am always pleased with the service I receive at this restaurant. The staff remembers me and is happy when I arrive.
The food is spicy, but I always get extra raita to enjoy my meal. I would be lost without this restaurant each week!

This is an excellent desi buffet. $ 7 lunch buffet and amazing selection and authentic, delicious flavor. Really enjoyed it and will be going back often. Also tried jalaybe and barfi at the buffet and both were great. As well as some of the best pakora I have ever had.

Food is alright, the owner should improve the overall look of the resturant. It feels like I am back in the 90’s. I would rather prefer Shadman which is next door.

Is it gourmet? No. Is it the best Indian food I’ve ever had? No.
Is it worth $ 7 for the all-​you-​can-​eat lunch buffet? Hell yeah.
Are people unfairly comparing this place to more high-​end establishments? Definitely.
Listen, there’s no frills for the buffet. You grab a Styrofoam plate, some silverware, and load up. You can’t compare this joint to a nice sit-​down restaurant. If you want a nicer atmosphere or better service (or unlimited naan for free) you’re going to pay more than $ 7. Period. End of story. They have rent, utilities, food costs, salaries, etc.
A lot of other people on here say it’s microwaved and that it has a lot of bones. Was it microwaved? I don’t know. Maybe. But it tasted fine to me. It had good flavor and was surprisingly (and pleasantly) spicy. Did it have a lot of bones? Yeah, it had bones. Do you know how to cure that? Grab more. I mean, it’s not like they’re limiting you to only a few pieces. It’s all you can eat.
Listen people, if you want to eat a buffet for $ 7 they’re going to have to cut corners somewhere. If that means buying the meat with bones in it, or having me take my own plate and napkins, then I’m A-​OK with it. They even gave me a whole pitcher of water for the table. I LOVE not having to ask for more water. Bonus points.
I feel bad for places like this when someone doesn’t compare it correctly to other restaurants in the same price range.
Would I come back for the lunch buffet? Yeah. Yeah, I would.

Don’t get fooled!
They say 7 $ buffet is all you can eat but they charge you for extra nan!!!
And they don’t refill the dishes they take way too long to refill the curries and rice so stuff your plate when you see something is available!
The lady who runs the restaurant is very miserly

This looks like a family owned place. Haven’t tried their buffet. Have tried their biriyani and goat kadai … I really like the goat kadai, a little bit greasy but lot of flavor .that’s what makes me keep coming to this place

Awesome food. Great service. The lady behind the counter is all smiles always. The chicken is delectable. Just finger lickin’ good.

This family owned and operated restaurant has no frills, but, don’t let that fool you. The food is amazing! We had the chicken sheek kebab, chicken tika masala, chicken tika, and some Naans.
Although a distance away from Newark ave, this is the best indian/​pakastani food in the area. Far better than any of the nyc places.
Prices are more than reasonable, and although may look like a whole in the wall, just remember indian people who can make indian good at home, are eating here…
Need I say more…

Average Indian buffet someone introduced me to during work/​intern lunch since I wasn’t familiar with area. The food is okay but I like that spicy authentic Indian food. You know Im an Indian foodie, so I must satisfy my taste bud-​dy Lol.

I like their Kebabs and naans. The curries are awesome too. Achari chicken they make is probably the best that I have had. Nice ambience and the lady who takes orders is friendly as well. This has become a place that I visit every weekend.
The one drawback about this place is that the food that you get might not be the most freshly prepared food you would ever get. So I would not suggest this place for pregnant ladies. But for others this place is worth trying out.

Shah Taj’s buffet is very good. They have a wide selection and most things are delicious. There is a a good amount of spice but not too much. Their buttered naan us one of the best I have had I like the way they make their. Thinner than most. Unfortunately for me their vegetable options are lack luster. They lack flavor usually and the channa just isn’t like any channa I have tasted (it in a good way).
For lunch they usually have three types of rice; including biryani, available. All options are good. Unfortunately their pans are small and when there are a number of people some of the meats won’t last very long. Last I was there they ran out of tikka masala.
Now their tikka masala is delicious. So is their goat and chicken and beef and fish. All their meats ate good; however, they aren’t always warm. I don’t know why the Indian places around here turn off their pans which should have very hot water running under them off.
Their desert options are very delicious as well and it’s a nice touch after you’ve finished your lunch.

Can I stress enough how pleasantly surprised I was by Shah Taj? First, let’s discuss having reasonable expectations — this is not a 4 star restaurant, it’s a lunch counter-​ish place with home cooked food. The food is pre-​prepared and then can be reheated for dining in or taken home and reheated later, with the currys being warmed under gas burners under the counter.
That being said, I finally decided to give it a try after walking past it day after day, as I live close by. The place is clean, and the woman behind the counter very pleasant and helpful, and tolerant of the fact that I had no idea what anything was called or what it was. I went with a takeout container of the saag and a tandoori chicken skewer.
They were delcious. The food is spicy, so if you don’t like that, or your GI system is intolerant of chilis, be warned. But this is super-​flavorful, well-​seasoned, home cooked Pakistani food. And $ 17 for a meal for two, including sweets — you cant argue with that. Added plus: almost everything, including the sweets, appears to be gluten free, for those that are concerned. The owner was very helpful in that regard as well.

Got upset stomach after offering their haleem takeout. I should have smelt it before eating, it smelt old and mildewy.
My sister also got constipation after eating here.
They sell old food.

I have to admit that the food is good, but I got microwave heated food. Not cool! I will give it three stars because their pastries are outta this world. Come on Shah Taj, keep your food warm!

I wanted to try this place because it looked so popular. Maybe I went on an off night (last night), but the whole experience was horrible. I’m a big fan of local business and «holes in the wall», but this was just really bad. I have Indian lunches at least once a week in NYC, so I feel sort of a like a pro at this.
At ShahTaj all of the food looked old. The gravies were coagulated, which would be fine if they just turned the steam tables back on. My dish of saag, lamb (mostly bones), and rice were microwaved. When I got home I had to microwave further because the gravy was still coagulated. Then I had to pick through a ton of bones (and I like meat with bones) and only got a few scraps of meat.
I think I might stop in to check out the buffet, but chances are slim for me to return or recommend.

Like nearby Shadman, Shah Taj offers tasty, authentic (and absurdly cheap) Northern Indian/​Pakistani cuisine in a no-​frills setting. Stick with takeout cuisine and bear with the friendly-​if-​harried servers and you can’t go wrong. An assertively spiced pint of palak paneer, paired with a piece of slightly doughy naan, will only set you back $ 6. Like Shadman, though, the kitchen may be out of several items by dinnertime.

Shahtaj has great Chicken Tikka, Karahi goat, and kashmiri chai and the good mithai! The tikka was spicy and looked as good as tastes; fresh. I regretted ordering my butter chicken becuase it wasn’t as spicy or as good as the karahi goat! Next time I will try their Chicken Karahi. The owner, a woman named Shazia I think, was very pleasant and we were pleased with our food and service. The décor and entertainment (TV) is as typical as the cheesey Pakistani restaurant, but I like the service and food a bit more than Shadman even though it’s a tad bit more pricey. We also ordered 1 lb mithai (Paki/​indo sweets) and was pretty good. The jilabi was good t as well as the pink chumchum.
Update: I went to Shah Taj for a Buffet on Feb. 20^th 2012. It was not that great. The rice was broken and1 day old, the veggies were off and the sweets were OK– not amazing. I would come back here just for the chicken tikka white meat (not included in buffet) and of course for the Kashmiri chai. I would try them again, but just a little disappointed at the inconsistency in flavor and freshness. Don’t do the buffet!
I guess i will go to Shadman for chicken kabobs, keema naans, buffet and samosa chaat, and Shah Taj for everything else.