Indo-Pak Restaurant

Lunch buffet is small, but think quality over quantity. Staff is polite and more than happy to tell you about the different dishes.

It was a sad day when I returned from a contract to find my favourite indian restaurant was closed for good!
I want to thank one of the reviewers for mentioning this place otherwise I may not have known it existed. Jacob a young energetic man, runs, cleans, caters to the patrons with enthusiasm and attention. it is always very busy and quite frankly the place is nothing short of a little hole in the wall but extremely appealing to those who love indian food. Jacob takes pride in his own personal touches and creates fun delicious sauces and puts his own flare into the lunchtime meals.
The appearance of the place is a bit off putting but every few weeks when I am home I see improvement. Not just with the buffet but the store itself. I have to agree with some of the reviewers this place is small enough and busy enough that home made items such as paneer, samosas naan and the like really need to be made from scratch. I spent time working with a gentleman in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, build his indian restaurant into a fabulous place where little home made a huge difference.
Thank you Kay for your review, thank you Jacob for your true entrepreneurial flare and thank you Indo-​Pak for the space to create this little hole in the wall treat and treasure. Listen to Jacob when he offers the little changes… trust me I am vary happy to shop there and get all my spices and ingredients for my own use… from your store…
Happy Eatting!
Dee

The only place in the entire valley to hold you down for Indian food. It’s a pretty shabby set up but it does the trick. You come here for the flavor and not the environment. It reminds me of something those roadside Indian joints in Agra. Proportions are big.

I’ve been eating here for about 4 – 5 years and have always liked the food. The service has varied over the years but the current waiter named Jacob is very attentive. The chef is from Bangladesh and does a great job. The only thing I’d change is the kitchen’s reliance on frozen vegetables. This restaurant is part of a grocery story and I expect they would use only fresh produce, not frozen. Also, I was surprised to find (previously frozen) broccoli in some of their curries – that is not exactly traditional.
Since there is no longer an evening buffet, dinner seems to be more expensive because most dishes are offered a la carte. Typical vegetarian dishes (our preference) cost about $ 10 and come with rice. The serving size of the curry and the rice is generous. Large samosas (order of 3) and naan cost extra. The naan is truly fresh and so delicious. I suggest that budget-​conscious couples share 1 order, rather than order 2; the serving size is generous enough.
I miss the days when Bollywood movies would play on the wall-​mounted TV. I don’t know what is playing there now but without audio and good sight lines, I don’t really see the point of having it there.

Since my original review they have improved on the temperature of their food.
On our last visit everything was hot and fresh and the waitress was better than the previous waiter.
I like to get there right at 11:30 when they open to get fresh hot food. My favorites are the samosas and chicken tikka masala and spinach paneer.
Price is very reasonable at 9.99 a person and their water is very good. I don’t like it when water is icky!
Best Indian food in the valley.

Went to the lunch buffet, and I experienced a wonderful taste explosion of any dish I tried. Everyone at the table was very pleased with the food and friendly service. We were the first ones there and waited for the buffet as each great smelling dish came out.

I was very upset when I found out that Taste of India had closed, so when I went up to the door to see if they had relocated, there was a sign that said «Lost our Lease» and I was so sad for them.
Then, underneath that (handwritten) was a note that said:
«Oh well! Come see us instead! with the name and address of this place (Indo-​Pak Restaurant) signed by someone named Jacob.
I have never tried this place (and never will!) because of the callousness and classlessness of the employees (or owners?) who would do something like that. SO low!

Love this place, they went thru a couple of chefs, and a renovation but they are still good. I try to eat her at least once a month.

Sooo good!!! Their lunch buffet cost 9.99 includes naan. Everything tasted so delicious!!!

The food is just outstanding! Delicate, devine & flavorful. Fresh Ingridients. Very friendly service!

Ordered dinner to go a la carte. Food was delicious and staff was friendly and kind. Food portions were good.

The service here has always been poor, but this tune it went from poor to awful. We ordered sprite and they brought us water. Why? They were out of sprite, didn’t bother giving us another option. Didn’t bring us the naan bread we ordered.
What was worse though was the food. The food at least had usually been OK, and this time some of of it still was.
But the cream spinach was strange, and the rice pudding dessert was in solid chunks rather than liquidy like it usually is. It was terrible and a little frightening.
I will never come back

It’s sort of dumpy but the food is good and you get to eat buffet later in the day. If you’re like me, a buffet means seconds, and most buffet hours make you eat too early for that. The grocery store is top notch for unexoected items.

Serving food at unsafe temperatures is dangerous. Only the Butter Chicken was almost hot. Maybe a new buffet food stand should be purchased. Serving old food at 11:30 am for lunch buffet is rude. Epic Christmas Eve lunch fail. Never again.

I ate there again this week and it was Grrrrr-​8. Wish the price was a little lower, ($ 9.99 lunch), but it is specialty food and the buffet options are perfect.

The choices for Indian food are a bit limited in McAllen, but I found this restaurant to be an excellent option. This is a small yet pleasant place attached to a middle-​eastern market. They feature lunch and dinner buffets (both of which are $ 9.99) as well as a la carte service and catering.
The buffet is small and a bit pricey for lunch, but everything I tried was scrumptious. I’m kind of a newbie to Indian cuisine and sometimes find the unfamiliar spices to be almost overwhelming, but everything here was seasoned perfectly. The dal fry was savory, the chicken biryani was tasty (not greasy like at other places), the Bhaji onion was delicately crisp and flavored just right, the chana masala had a pleasant spiciness (cinnamon maybe?), and the palak paneer was good too. However, my favorite was the butter chicken. It was exquisite. I could have made a meal off of that alone. Well, that and the biryani. Well, and the onion too. Oh gosh, It was ALL so good!!! Gulab Juman, dumplings in syrup, were served for dessert. The tender dumplings had a nice, springy texture yet were completely saturated through and through with syrup. Amazing.
The service was pretty good too. The young man working the cash register and dining room was super nice and obviously very passionate about the food that he was serving. He circulated through the dining room refilling drinks and bringing hot nan, but was busy with the cash register too so he kind of had his hands full.
Unfortunately the drink machine was broken on the day I was there and the iced tea was not available. Alas, I had to settle for water. I can’t wait to return for the dinner buffet and try the tea so I can update my review and give it the 5 stars that it deserves!!!

Great authentic food, excellent service, fun Bollywood on TV. Very casual but tasty food; exactly like what I remember from living in India. The market next store is a great stop for mangoes, tamarind candy, and pistachio fudge! I am a vegetarian and have trouble eating in Texas but this place was very accommodating and even walked me through all the vegetarian options, which were excellent. Definitely recommend!

Another option for Indian food in the Valley? Shut up! Almost too good to believe, but it’s true. Indo-​Pak is adjoined to a Middle Eastern market next door and the food is great! The buffet is small but everything I ate was delicious and fresh.
The place is tiny, and has the alley-​style thing going on. It is also very busy and popular. This posed a bit of a problem, as the service was lacking. We got our drinks and naan at the end of the meal (they bring fresh naan to your table). The place seems to be under-​staffed and the young man taking care of all the tables could use an extra hand. I was too busy enjoying my food to take too much notice.
When we were paying, the young man (the one taking care of all the tables) was very friendly and asked for our feedback about the spice levels of the food. He mentioned some people complained that the dishes were too spicy and wanted to know what our thoughts were. I love that they want customer feedback.
I left very satisfied and I anticipate Indo-​Pak becoming one of those place I just have to visit when I’m in the Valley!

Since being disappointed in previous Indian food experiences in the McAllen area,(My old favorite Naan & Curry’s was taken over by Taste of India) I discovered this restaurant.
I cannot say enough good things about the food. It’s always varied every time I’ve come, with the yummy chicken tikka masala always on the buffet. The flavors are mouth-​watering. The paneer cheese is so soft and perfectly cooked, I’m in love with this food.
I would give 5 stars if the buffet were a little larger, but that’s hardly a complaint in my mind. The quality of the food is among the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had Indian food in the bigger cities (Dallas/​Houston).
You won’t be disappointed in the food. Since discovering the restaurant 3 weeks ago, we have already been back 6 more times.

It appears the location recently opened. It is connected to the Universal Market grocery which is right next door. I visited the place for lunch and tried the buffet. I saw a sign which had a price of $ 5.99 and it enticed me. The buffet was slightly small and included the following: chana masala, butter chicken, palak paneer, tandori chicken, naan, rice, and one more dish I don’t recall. Altogether I believe there were 8 items. There was also a salad bar across from it with rasmali and gulab jamun (served cold, I prefer hot).
The food was excellent and authentic. These are the same dishes which are served at the Taste of India, but taste very different. The seating is a little cramped, but adequate. The cook brought out fresh bread from the kitchen and made the rounds through the dining room handing it out before putting it on the buffet. Nice touch and shows they care about their customers.
When I went to pay (you pay at the register) I had a couple in front of me who were charged and they were confused with the buffet price of $ 9.99. They gestured toward the sign with prices and it listed $ 7.99 for take-​out. I failed to see what the $ 5.99 was actually for, but the sign was difficult to read. The cashier seemed inexperienced (but polite) and she had to go get change twice.
Overall the food was the highpoint of this experience. Also, they have a vegetarian only buffet on Mondays.
Suggestions to the owner:
1. Lower the price. $ 10 for a buffet with 8 items (including bread and two types of rice) is a little steep. Taste of India charges more, but they have more variety and a larger dining room. If you lowered it to $ 7 you would get a lot more customers. Additionally, these customers would learn of your grocery which could generate more business (since it is connected).
2. State the prices clearer on the white board. It was messy and confusing.
3. Keep bringing out the fresh bread. This personal touch shows you care about your food and your customers. This is uncommon for the area will go a long way.