Mustafa Restaurant

I use to eat at mustafa a lot and this is my overall feedback.
Overall — PATHETIC FOOD AND SERVICE
50% times food will be very good and 50% times it will be pathetic.
That was the good part period. The service is pathetic. I never had this bad service anywhere in my life and this is how i define pathetic service
— 10 – 15 mins time to get a glass of waiter
— 40 – 50 mins waiting time for food prep
— if you complain to waiter/​manager that food is not good or service is pathetic, he will say «this is what we deliver everyday»
— another 10 mins to get bill after repeated reminders
— 1 out of 3 times bill will be wrong.
Last time i ordered food and he gave a ice cold naan and i complained and waiter said that kitchen is closed and this is all whats left.
Hope this is helpful.

Great for takeout only — don’t even hope for a good dine-​in experience. I pick up Biryanis (Try the Goat meat Biryani– available weekends only) from this place — food tastes best in front of your large screen TV and a favorite movie ;)

NOOOOOO BUENO! Only for die hard fans of … slop??? lol. When I first walked in all the food smelled great, however, this excitement would quickly diminish, :(
The food on the buffet line was very questionable and I wasn’t even sure who was or wasn’t an employee there! … Apparently all the edible food has to be ordered at the counter when you first walk in, otherwise you can eat from the buffet which is full of several non edible foods. (I regret buying the Groupon) The reason I said its non edible is because it was either mostly sauce or crunchy dried rice. The buffet selection featured random red sauces with shard of chicken bones… blech! because bone shards in every bite is not yummy… I was hoping the dessert would’ve been better. negative! the gulab jamun was in a weird super thick sweet sauce.
Overall, the experience was pretty bad, I can see why they had groupon, the food was only sauce and bone shards, and if you’re thirsty they’ve got paper cups full of water which look like they have been collecting some dust. The staff gives you a puzzled look when you ask them a question. I don’t even think I would wish this place on my worst enemy! The only cool thing about Mustafa is the convenience store on the other side of the building… and at that, I would rather go to Salaam or Tims Food Mart. :P

Me at the buffet line: «That looks gross; what is THAT gloop; now that looks like mystery meat; OMG what on earth is THAT???»
Yeah, I should have trusted my instincts and just gone ahead and returned my Groupon. That’s right folks, it wasn’t worth it, even with a GROUPON, that’s how freaking bad it was. Allow me to elaborate…
Like my other half articulately put it… that had to have been the saddest meal of my life. I should have read the other reviews beforehand. Upon walking into the sketchy looking restaurant, there was no one there to greet or seat us. So we started looking at the foods on the line thinking «well, they may not look visually appealing but maybe the flavor will make up for that?» Wishful thinking!!! I couldn’t tell who worked there and who the patrons were… until finally this small lady wandered into the dining room, glanced our way, and we then told her «buffet for 2.» I regret saying those words now that I look back at the situation… Not to mention, she was pretty callous the entire time and her broken English accentuated her lack of customer service skills even further.
I’ll go ahead and highlight the «trifecta» of reasons why you shouldn’t come to this place, starting… NOW!
(1) The FOOD — in a word, underwhelming. The only dish I found remotely decent was the goat in curry sauce. That is, of course, whenever I got some actual meat and not just a big chunk of bone. The «chicken» in the rice dish was purple, red, and blue all at the same time. I thought chicken was supposed to either be white or dark… The white rice was crunchy and all of the dishes basically looked like they had been sitting out for days. All of the meats looked dehydrated, and there were several empty areas where the food had run out and they just didn’t replace it. The gulab jamun looked like it was prepared in a mixture of loogie and syrup, gross! I was so disappointed with the food that I actually resorted to serving myself a sad-​looking SALAD to try and fill up my tummy with something… the lettuce (iceberg eeww) was all dehydrated and turning yellow… the carrots had unexplainable black spots on them… and there was no dressing for the salad. WOMP WOMP…
(2) The ATMOSPHERE — in a word, odd. There were signs on the tables that said «KEEP IT CLEAN» and due to the severe lack of service, I was pretty convinced that if I did happen to drop a piece of rice on the table, I would have been required to go to the back, get a broom and napkins, and clean it up myself. No one offered us water — no one offered us a beverage other than water — no one came over to bring us forks — as a matter of fact, the forks were all plastic, the plates were a combination of paper and normal ones, and the water was self-​serve. Yeah, I’m saying you go to the back, grab a pitcher and however many tiny paper cups that you need, and do it yourself. Incredible! How long have those pitchers been sitting there collecting dust??? There was one family in there eating, it seemed like they were in their own living room watching TV and talking loudly and having the time of their lives. Meanwhile, me and my other half are wondering «where the hell did we just walk into?» And of course, I should have known the place was going to be weird when we first walked in and saw at least 5 or 6 tables covered with dirty plates with no one around to clean them up.
(3) The SERVICE, or lack thereof… the busser/​cashier/​waitress/​hostess was not very friendly. When we asked her if there were any other options besides the buffet she coldly stated «Buffet only, no menu» without even referring to the fried items at the front in the display case (which we didn’t notice until we walked out). Those things (samosas, tandoori chicken) actually looked appealing and if I could have done it all over again I would have just purchased $ 20 worth of those items instead. Not to mention, she must have passed by us at least 20 times and not once did she offer to remove the dirty plate off of the table or even ask how we were doing. When it came time to pay, she seemed annoyed that I was using a Groupon and said «Groupon is not buy one get one free» and then I explained to her that it was the $ 20 Groupon which should obviously cover both buffets and she just snapped back with $ 21.64″ so there was another annoyance, having to fork up ANY amount on top of the $ 20. I then busted out my debit card, but she stated «$ 5 minimum» and I was not about to spend another dime in that wretched place so I was forced to use my $ 2 bill that I had been trying to collect but it’s OK because I honestly did not want to spend a penny more.
So, long story short, listen to me, Lori C, and Hannah B when we say that this place is NOT WORTH IT, not even with the Groupon. With so many other options in SA and in this area alone, you could literally pick another place while blind-​folded and it will definitely be better than Mustafa.

Don’t bother. even w/​a Groupon.
We tried the Buffet on Thursday and it looked as if it was the leftovers from Mon, Tue, Wed… dried up rice, half empty selections, no covers on the items so they were barely warm, woman who didn’t speak much english asked if we wanted drinks while we were at the front door, we replied «water,» her reply: «you get» and points to the other side of the buffet tables… about 20 pitchers of water sitting on a table w/​small, small styrofoam cups is serve yourself NEVER does any staff ever come into the dining area, with serve yourself water, could we get a larger cup so we don’t have to keep getting up? Oh, now I get it, maybe we were suppose to bring the whole pitcher to our table? How long have those water pitchers been there?
My son and I were THE ONLY table in the place.
Chicken Masala is really the ONLY dish my son likes at India Restaurants… the masala dish they offered was Tofu Masala. ?? strange, but whatever.
We won’t ever go back.
If you want GOOD, FRESH, food w/​OUTSTANDING service please visit
Simi’s Indian Cuisine off Fredericksburg RD/​410 next to Babes across from Crossroads mall, or
India Palace on Fredericksburg corner of Wurzbach. Both we highly recommend. Yikes!

I would give this place 2.5 stars but it rounds up to 3 I guess… I only knew about this place because it’s behind Taqueria Datapoint. Decided to hit this place up and uhh… it was definitely an experience. We walk in and a lady who doesn’t really speak english that well takes our order. I got the chicken curry ($ 6.99) and rice which apparently cost an extra ($ 2.99). It was a lot more expensive than I initially imagined, but there was a lot of food so it balances out. We got there and the entire place is empty. You help yourself to the water but honestly… it tasted a little funny and you just don’t know how long it’s been sitting out …
The food was especially flavorful and slightly spicy. The rice was also really good even by itself. Overall, I give this place a 3 because of the service and just the décor of the place. The food would probably get a 4

My goat/​lamb curry was nothing but bones and fat swimming in the curry. Disgusting!

The restaurant keeps odd hours, and is closed on Mondays, so be sure to check their hours or call before going– it’s around the back of the building, too, so you won’t see it just driving by. But once you find it, you’ll never forget it!
You go through the grocery to the buffet-​type area, some foods are already prepared and available for quick pick up– stuff like samosas (stuffed with veggies and potatoes and served with a tasty sauce!) and chicken shwarma wraps (totally unlike the chicken shwarma you’ll get elsewhere in SA– light but spicy, in a crispy almost burrito-​like shell!) as well as items prepared to order. Their menu is simple but diverse: the one page menu is simply a list of items ranging from goat curry to chicken tikka, and it is all. So. Good.
My beau and I went one afternoon, hungry for dinner, and ate until we couldn’t consume any more– the goat curry is especially spicy but delicious, and served with the obligatory white basmati. The chicken tikka is outstanding! By far the star of our meal, which we very nearly fought over: served with sliced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, and a side of rice, this dish was clearly freshly made and piping hot. It was well seasoned and hot off of the grill, and the side veggies perfectly complemented the spice of the chicken.
Got a decent fresh mango drink on our way out– not a fruit I particularly like, but made into a great drink the BF downed in record time. Seems to be one of the things they’re known for– we noticed most diners ordering them as they came in.

So far, the best I’ve had!
I ordered the Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani, Bhindi Masala, and Lamb Curry.
The biryani was so amazing, topped with carrots, purple onion, and cilantro, with half a chicken covered in Indian spices. The juiced from the chicken gave this dish the most amazing flavour.
The lamb curry was to die for! Whole chunks of lam with the bone in a few pieces, melted like perfectly cooked steak in yor mouth. The heat from the spices was perfect.
The Bhindi masala was wonderful! No meat! Woot Woot! It’s dishes like these that make vegetarianism and EASY conversion. Okra cooked with tomatoes and onions.
If I could go six or seven stars I would! Perfection can be found at this grocery!

Had a DELICIOUS dinner there last night (4−21−13). Sampled several dishes… all excellent. The ground goat was really good and not «goat-​y». The spicy dishes were, but not too spicy. Everything was served hot and our server explained each dish to us. I’m a real naan nut and it was served warm and the garlic naan was garlicky, but just about perfect. You eat on Styrofoam with plastic utensils and the dishes come in take home containers… you’ll be glad of that ’cause we took lots home for another good dinner later this week! Can’t wait to go back and sample more new (to us) dishes.

Good food, slow/​confusing service

Two star definition: Meh. I’ve experienced better.
That I have… I came with a Groupon. I ordered the garlic naan which was just that, naan with garlic on top– and a LOT of it!!!
I ordered chicken tika masala but they were out so the waitress advised butter chicken and to fulfill my Groupon I bought the palik paneer.
The food comes out all together, garlic naan and the two entrees. No rice. Yes, rice is an additional fee. I have NEVER been to an Indian restaurant where rice is not included!
So I dig in to the palik paneer *spinach and cheese* and it is okay… just okay. Hoping for better results from from the butter chicken… Ioh I believe I made the mistake of mentioning i had a groupon because there were just a few, maybe ten pieces of chicken in it.
I ladle about three spoonfuls on to my rice, having what appears to be four or five oddly shaped pieces of chicken… I bite in to the first one, cartlidge from end of a drum stick, piece two, meat but with three tiny bones, then a chunk of skin… it didn’t get any better. It’s like they dumped the discards in there. So I started a pile on the side of my plate. The owner came by and asked how it was and I said «Good but are there always so many bones? There doesn’t seem-​» «Good glad you like». Hhmm?
So I ask for a to go container and I get a styrafoam container… for two saucy based dishes. Again… hmmmm?
So with my Groupon out, my total was $ 3.21 i gave the waitress my card and she said «Ten dollar minimum» I didn’t have any cash so I asked if I could leave it in tip and she said «You buy more food». So I ordered a mango lassi and some dessert which got me to $ 9 something which was okay.
Not bad service, some clear language barriers, food that’s okay but not good enough for me to want to go back. Sorry, even with the Groupon I wouldn’t go again.

Just went recently with a group of 5 and I must say that we spent $ 44 total and we all left full and happy (I think we ordered 2 dosas, a plate of samosas, 3 baskets of na’an, and 4 main dishes). The food was well made, flavorful, and as always, decently priced. We had to wait a while to order and for the food to come out (so be prepared to wait), but the wait is well worth it if you’re looking for good Indian /​South Indian /​Indo-​Chinese food.
I also found out that Mustafa participates in
certificates, so that makes it an even more incredible deal. I used a certificate during another dinner, and man, was it worth it.

Need to update your hours of operation. Went on Monday night to find it closed. The food is excellent and the staff helpful though a little overwhelmed — one waitress and 5 – 6 tables. Definitely will go back.

This place lacks atmosphere and flavor…

Mixed feelings. I love Indian food for the vegetarian tasty offerings that most places don’t even think to consider. Open 11 – 10 but closed 3−5pm of those hours it seemed perfect with the grocery store beside them how could the food be anything but fresh?!
We stood at the door for a good few minutes as several people were crowded round paying tickets and saying farewell. Once greeted we were told to choose a seat, and promptly given water from one of the many standby jugs on the nearby table. Left with the menus we looked, contemplated the vast menu, decided and waited some more.
Our waiter/​cashier/​host took the order slowly after checking on the menu what we asked for (later found he was new, though the lack of knowledge for his native dishes surprised me a bit). We arrived roughly 8:30 pm and waited a good while to be seated, order and start eating. One dish was out so we didn’t get to try it but the onion kulcha (aka onion naan) was good, sweet, and fresh. My mustafa special of veggie Haleem was so spicy I couldn’t eat it, even my companion and spice lover was surprised by the strength. The masala dose (Indian crêpe with veggie masala) was good, nicely spiced, warm and interesting, but too oily (the wax paper on the plate was saturated) though the serving was big. My companions Navarathan Korma was nice but not what we expected (or advertised) as the usual creamy sauce was more tomato based and spicy than other experiences. The portions were great especially compared to the more «upscale» indian places in town. However our appetizer of samosa came after our meal was half eaten, was oiled and overcooked enough to crack the «crisp patty» covering, and was mush inside not like the huge potatoes and peas wi some spice I’ve become use to, but a mixture that looked almost blended and we believe had meat though the menu said was veggie. We received no rice with our dishes, and proceeded to order 2 extra naan servings as the 1^st was delicious. After an hour of being there, we received no water refills, our naan was MIA and our waiter was watching tv with us as the (manager?) bustled about giving other tables their appetizers and food. We felt a little neglected as everyone else had speedy service and perhaps it was our lack of Indian heritage?
The waiter had to flag down and chase the (manager?) to help him ring us up, and when we told him our charged naan had never arrived but if it was ready we would take it to go, were asked to «wait awhile» for fresh. We declined and paid after also having to point out the dish charged we were told was unavailable. Overall total wasn’t bad at less than $ 30 but slow service, over spiced and oily food, missing dishes, and overall uncared for attitude (though never to the point of being openly disrespectful) for our presence made me feel a bit of a self consciousness over my lack of common nationality. Place has Great potential, but the feelingof unwelcome was to strong to make me return without a native of the culture to hopefully provide a more wonderful experience.
Never went to the restroom, but the tv was a tad loud and depressing with news about other countries «protestor exploits» videotaping bloody bodies being grown into rivers and civilians shot for trying to aid wounded people in streets.

The food was off the hook!!! Loved everything I ordered. All dishes came pipping hot and fresh.
I had the Chicken 65 Biryani and the rice was sooo yummy like a citrus taste and the chicken was interesting, like an Indian spin on hot wings. The chicken curry was spicy deliciousness and i’m not one for dark meat but it was tasty. The garlic naan was the best I’ve ever had. The chicken tikka Masala was tasty, as was the lamb curry. The mixed pakora was wonderful and the tomato soup is now my favorite!!! Spicy, spicy, spicy deliciousness.
Our server was gracious and kind. Getting our To-​Go boxes and checks took forever. The bathroom was atrocious, I saw a plastic tea pitcher with a toilet brush in it, a plastic cup of water next to the toilet, grime in and around the sink, watered down soap and 5 German roaches that were alive and running around + dead ones. It was rather disturbing and for that reason they don’t get 5 Stars from me, I almost gave this place 3 I was so grossed out. I know that like 90% of restaurants are super gross, it’s just disturbing to have to see it.

Perfect plates of Pakistani and perhaps Punjabi
I had a bit of a hard time finding out how to get to this place, up on the «2^nd floor.» You have to go behind the shopping center to get into this place. Aha. Once inside, my nose was met with exotic scents not smelled since the alleyways of Old Delhi.
The menu was quite extensive– 165 items on the menu. I counted. Incredible. Instead of picking and choosing from the menu, I opted for the buffet. I had a little of everything– The goat curry was wonderfully spicy, a tad bony. But, I love it spicy, and most Indian joints won’t make it as spicy as these guys do. My dining companion’s tandoori chicken was a little undercooked. When we brought this to the waiter’s attention, we heard the cook get an earful, so hopefully that problem will be solved in the future. The fish was covered in chili and incredible. The butter chicken was rich and delicious. Their dessert selection was a little out of the ordinary– try the carrot dessert– it’s like a coleslaw made of carrots. Yum. I was a little bummed that I had missed the relishes and sauces, and didn’t notice them until after I had gone poking around the desserts.
The service was magnificent, if not a little over zealous, but in a good way. The waiter was from Karachi, and waited on us hand and foot. Our water glasses never went empty, and he even brought a jug of water and bowls of ice to keep us cool. We were served complimentary naan and some other bread that looked like a crêpe to eat with. We were told that we ought to use that instead of using the forks for a more authentic experience.
The place was adorned authentically. The carpet design was quite memorable, and Bollywood television played in the background. It was all very clean, and well lit. There is a giant picture of a busy market in the background– it’s Hyderabad. You’re welcome.
I will certainly be back. The prices were nice, and the service was impeccable. Above all, the food was absolutely delicious. Although they had a few shortcomings, it was a great experience overall.