I ate at an ‘outstanding’ all-you-can-eat SLO buffet. Here’s what I got for $25
Every day of the week, a popular San Luis Obispo restaurant stocks full trays of all-you-can-eat Indian cuisine ranging from curries and dals to chutneys, rice, salad and fruit.
At Shalimar, 3820 Broad St. in San Luis Obispo, tables are laden with fresh naan and hot chai for all buffet patrons. The wide-ranging menu highlights flavors from North India and Pakistan.
Shalimar’s budget-friendly brunch, lunch and dinner buffets are the reason San Luis Obispo County resident Kay Gore recommended I visit the authentic Indian eatery for On a Budget, a monthly series where Tribune reporters try reader-suggested eats and activities around the area on a $25 budget.
She said Shalimar offers diners “one of the best values” in the entire county with a $17 lunch buffet and an $18 dinner buffet.
“The diverse options and food, quality, friendliness of the staff and promptness of service are outstanding. You will never leave hungry,” Gore said. “I have eaten at Indian restaurants in India, Europe, Southeast Asia and South America, and Shalimar is world-class.”
I am no stranger to Shalimar’s takeout options, but I hadn’t tried their lunch buffet yet. Plus, I’m always craving Indian food.
Here’s what my experience was like:
What’s Shalimar in SLO like to visit?
Location: 3820 Broad St., San Luis Obispo
Part of San Luis Obispo’s Marigold Center, Shalimar neighbors a slew of fast food eateries including Taco Bell, Carl’s Jr. and Wing Stop. The strip mall is massive with plenty of parking, but it’s not exactly a charming lunch setting.
I quickly forgot about the crowded parking lot when I stepped into the sunny Indian restaurant for lunch around 12:30 p.m. on a recent weekday.
The inviting spot had plenty of wide windows that let in ample sunshine. Walls were painted a rich golden yellow color that made the place feel light and airy.
On nice days, patrons can dine on an outside patio.
Inside, framed photos of the Taj Mahal hung near the buffet and two televisions played MTV India and CNN.
As we entered the restaurant, the owner personally welcomed me and my partner, shaking both of our hands. I can’t say whether this is a universal experience since I quickly learned my partner and his family visited Shalimar regularly during his childhood.
We were promptly seated at a two-person table. Our water goblets were filled and a tray of hot naan was dropped off at the table.
I was already starting to see why Gore told me the service was “outstanding.”
Menus were plastered beneath panes of glass on top of the tables, but this time around, I didn’t even glance at the offerings.
I was here to try the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, and I wasn’t the only one. At least a dozen other customers were also making trips to the hot food bar while I dined there.
I grabbed silverware and began loading up a plate with jasmine rice, tandoori chicken with sauteed onions, chicken tikka masala and more. I also grabbed methi aloo — stir-fried potatoes — and palak paneer, featuring spinach and cheese in a creamy sauce.
Everything was warm, tasty and filling. I particularly loved the palak pakora — crunchy fried spinach fritters — and the creamy chicken tikka masala, sopping up the sauce with fluffy naan.
After finishing our first round, the owner swooped by and asked if he could “have the honor” of taking our plates.
With a new clean plate and a bit of room left in my stomach, I went up for a second, but significantly smaller, plate of food filled with rice, dal, pakora, two chutneys and chicken tikka masala.
Given the affordable price of the lunch buffet, I was impressed by the quality of the food — and absolutely stuffed by the time I was done.
Is SLO Indian restaurant affordable?
The lunch buffet has more than 15 food options, as well as hot chai, for $17 per person.
With tax and tip, my lunch total came out to $22.19, nearly $3 under budget.
As far as deals go, I thought Shalimar’s was pretty spectacular. Hungry patrons can go up for as many plates of food as their stomach allows, and there’s an array of chicken, vegetarian and vegan options.
The buffet is certainly the cheapest way to dine at Shalimar. However, there are affordable options on the regular menu, too, including the $3 naan, the $4 lentil soup and the $6 vegetable pakora.
When it comes to main dishes, the dal makhani featuring lentis and kidney beans costs $14 and the chicken curry will set you back $15.
What are other buffet deals at Shalimar? See prices
Aasim Sajjad, who runs Shalimar with his family, said the restaurant has offered a buffet ever since “day one” of the restaurant’s opening in 2008.
Back then, the buffet only cost $6.50, but inflation and a bumpy economy has forced them to gradually raise the price over the years, he told The Tribune.
Shalimar created the buffet option to introduce the community — including locals, tourists and Cal Poly students — to Indian dishes, according to Sajjad.
By offering an affordable buffet, the family hoped more people could have a chance to try a less familiar cuisine.
“We’re here for the community and without them, we cannot do this,” Sajjad said.
Shalimar has affordable lunch, dinner and brunch buffets.
The $17 lunch buffet is available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
An $18 dinner buffet is offered from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Monday nights.
Shalimar also has an $18 Sunday brunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which comes with champagne or lassi, an Indian yogurt-based drink.
When is Shalimar open?
Shalimar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Where should I go next?
Have any ideas on where I should visit next in SLO County on a budget?
Send me recommendations at hpoukish@thetribunenews.com or by filling out the form below.
