Panahar

09/26/2008 Posted by irizayo

We recently started our own quest: to find the best indian restaurant in Atlanta for us. This is our second one and it was good. The ambiance, the cleanliness, the bringing your own wine/beer. As appetizers we ordered some Halim (the grounded lentil soup with herbs and spices) and it was outstanding... the touch of lime was genius! and the Chicken Shingaara (deep fried chicken-potato dumpling) and they were very good and flavorful. As main dishes we ordered: Lamb/Shrimp/Chicken Biriyani (rice with all those goodies inside) with a side order of Raita (yogurt sauce with black pepper and tiny pieces of cucumber and carrots. This dish was superb. The rice was so flavorful! It was spicy, but in a perfect balance. The yogurt sauce on top of the rice gave it another layer of flavor and creaminess. I would recommend it . The second dish was Shrimp Bhoona Maang-sho (shrimp in a sauce of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers) and a side order of white rice with peas inside. I think I made a mistake with this dish... I was expecting it to be hot and spicy, but it was not. No spicy at all. When I asked the manager, he told me that it comes with 'zero' chile peppers, but that if I would have requested it with a "+1" then it would have been spicy, a "+2" would have been even hotter, etc. I found that the shrimp sauce needed a bit of salt, but maybe it was part of my disappointment with the no chile on it... I did not finish my dish (the portions are huge) and I am going to try to improve on the salt/spice to see how different it becomes. The manager of the night (Mirza) was very gentle and kind... but beware, he is an excellent seller... if we let him we would have purchase food for 12 instead of two... We would go back to this restaurant.

09/08/2008 Posted by Sesh

I visited this place after reading good reviews. My suggestion would be, if you are from any country in the Indian sub-continent this place is not for you. To be precise, you could probably cook better food yourself. Another thing I have noticed is you would be treated slightly differant from your fellow American customers. It is sad, but a fact.

09/01/2008 Posted by mmmae

This is the best food you can get in Atlanta for such a great place. I've been there about 15 times, and every time I go....it's the best. The dhaang shaag dish is soooo yummy, as well as the vindaloo. I went with another person and we ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, bread, rice, and mango chutney...all for $30 bucks!!! I send everyone to Panahar

Pros: Food, Service, BYOB

Cons: Nothing

08/15/2008 Posted by decaturdm

this food is like HOME COOKING. this is as good as bengali/bangladeshi food gets. and the buffet is a steal. I suggest people ask for the lamb dish made with green mangoes that is off the menu, it is so good. the saag and veg items are also on point.

Pros: food, price, service

Cons: none

08/11/2008 Posted by Mij

Food is fantastic - fresh, authentic and well-prepared. The warm nan bread goes with everything - come hungry and you won't be disappointed. Great service, great value.

Pros: Authentic cuisine

Cons: Could use more plate clearers at peak times

07/08/2008 Posted by Padru

There is no Indian restaurant that does not have a 4 / 4.5 star review. Pl be careful. We are an unethical breed of people and inflate our ratings. Least realising that all indian restaurants end up being 4.5 on 5. Pl use word of mouth and personal discretion to visit all of these restaurants. I wish health and happiness in yr experimentation with food.

07/03/2008 Posted by apache6131

My girlfriend and I went for dinner last night and the owner greeted us and told us that there was no alcohol served there, but there was no uncorking fee. He also helped my girlfriend choose a dish by asking her what she liked and didn't like. She ended up ordering something that wasn't on the menu at his suggestion, saying that the best things were not on the menu. She enjoyed her meal of spinach and garbanzo beans, and my Tandoori lamb was great as well. My only minor issue with the restaurant was that they charge for small things that most other places include with an entree or appetizer, such as naan or the raita garnish, though I guess it makes sense to not have to pay for them in the price of the meal if they are not wanted. Also, if it is your first trip there, you receive a coupon good for 25% off any future dinners for the next two months, which was nice.

Pros: Food, Service

Cons: Nickel and diming on small items

11/14/2007 Posted by 14atl

This is a very good restaurant. We usually get the Chicken Tikka Marsala and a Lamb dish and it never disappoints. They do not have a liquor license, so remember to BYOB. The service can be slow which does effect the stars given.

10/20/2007 Posted by froodle

We just got back from an awesome dinner at Panahar. We got there at around 8pm on a Saturday night and it was pretty busy, but not packed and we were seated in just a couple of minutes. Our waiter was very friendly, and the owner, Mirza, was very attentive. He really wants everything to be impeccable, and to get to know you and make you feel welcome. We started off by sharing the shrimp appetizer (shrimp poori) and it was scrumptios! It was probably the best appetizer I've had in my entire time in Atlanta (3 years). It had 4 large shrimp and sauteed vegetables and you wrap it in their special poofy bread. It had such great flavors. Then we shared beef Dhaan-shaag ($11) and chicken Shaag Maang-sho ($10). They Dhaan-shaag was my favorite. I loved the flavors. It was a recommendation of our waiter and I was sketchy about it since it doesn't have any vegetables in it and it's described as sweet and sour and spicy, but it was really tasty. And the fact that you can BRING YOUR OWN ALCOHOL and there's no corkage fee is so nice on the wallet. We brought a bottle of wine, and the people next to us brought beer, which they put in a cold fridge in the back for them and brought it out as needed. I do have to agree with some of the previous reviews that the service is slow, but it's slow like it is in Europe - a really nice, relaxing atmosphere where you get to enjoy the time with the people you're with, drink your wine, and let your food settle before the next course comes. This definitely wouldn't be the place to go if you're in a hurry. Although I would imagine their takeout is quick. We will be going back for sure. This is one of our favorite finds in Atlanta!

Pros: Excellent Food, Parking, Really nice owner & staff

Cons: None!

09/26/2007 Posted by luciamom

My husband and I found Panahar's on City Search and were not disappointed! The service is warm and friendly and the food is delicious. What a plus that we can bring in our own favorite wine! We have always gone during dinner time but today I took a friend to the lunch buffet. The prices are extremely fair and the food was well seasoned, hot(temperature), and there was a good selection for the money. We will definitely continue eating at this outstanding establishment and we will bring our friends.

Pros: Excellent Food

Cons: Weekends sometimes there will be a wait, but it's worth the wait!