Sitar Indian Cuisine

I hate to write a negative review since we were here for a family gathering, BUT, the place was not a favorite of mine to say the least.
We were in the «great room» since we had a large gathering, so the food was buffet style. Let’s start with décor. The place needs a renovation asap. The carpet was a horrible color, the «dance floor» was sticky and dirty (and we were the first ones there so either the only person in the room splashed what felt like fruit punch all over the floor, or they didn’t clean it after the last party. The tables were round with a (pinkish orange?) tablecloth, and pink napkins. Although they must have run out because one table had some random blue ones. There were three couches pushed against the mirror wall, and some fake plants.
The food–
I am not Indian myself, but I know Indian food. And what we had was not indian food. It was so bland! Indian food is known for flavor, and spices, and different varieties of Curry, chicken, etc. It was very very disappointing. The buffet had a «garden salad», basmati rice, chicken curry, chutney, samosas, lamb, and a few other things. I LOVE chicken curry, it is my favorite food, so i was really excited to dig in, but it had zero flavor! No flavor in any of the dishes. We also only had water, or champagne, (which they ran out of in 30 minutes and had to run to the store to buy more). You knew there were going to be over 30 people coming for brunch, why would you only have 4 bottles?
The owner–
now maybe I’m wrong, but usually when you have a large gathering, you pre-​pay for the room/​services, and get to enjoy your time. He kept coming into the room over and over and over again, asking what time we were going to be done. Um the room was rented for a specific time slot, don’t you know that? He seemed very unprofessional.
I personally did not witness any roaches or bugs, thank goodness, BUT the plates were filthy, and so was the silverware. (employees seemed so sad too, almost afraid of the owner)
It was nice only because of why we were there, and who we were there with, and the location. I personally will not be coming back.

This dish is supposed to be Gajar ka halwa. I spitted the food moment I tasted it, Pathetic food. Fish pakoda is really salty. Goat curry is soggy looks like left over. I have been to this place many times. Food was really bad. Never gonna visit this place

There’s really good food here and friendly service!
We ordered the lamb curry, tikka masala, and chicken coconut curry with the sampler and the chicken samosas. Everything was really delicious, especially the chicken coconut curry! Make sure you get a side of garlic naan, because it’s freshly made and compliments everything. :)

Never been incase you wonder why it closed a few days read San Gabriel tribune it was infested with ROCHES not once but twice GROSS…

Yeah. Don’t even think about it unless you don’t mind cockroach infestation and vermin…
It has just been closed by Health Department… For the 2^nd time this year.

The place is now closed because of a cockroach infestation but my review is based on past visits. While the lunch buffet used to be a great deal at $ 9 with great service, lately its quality had gone way down. I doubt if this place will reopen soon, without an upgrade.

My experience here was strange, to say the least.
I walk into their restaurant which by the way was empty and ask if I can sit at the bar, owner/​manager gestures yes. From the moment I walked in he was a bit impolite, but lucky for his business, I was craving Indian food and I didn’t think his unwelcoming behavior would get any worse (let’s give him the benefit of the doubt). I was SO wrong. He made me feel very uncomfortable! I literally had to look around and make sure I walked into a restaurant and not some strangers house because he treated me as if I were an intruder (funny but true).
So I order naan to start off with and let him know I was waiting for a friend to join me. He comes back only a minute later to ask if I’m ONLY ordering bread (asking me in a snarky manner). I tell him naan for now & that I will order when my friend comes… I still never got a menu or water. (This guy hates me) At this point I’m shocked! I was polite regardless, but his attitude kept getting worse… I just HAD to video what I was witnessing. (If I’m able to I will post video below)
When I get my naan it’s wrapped in foil, I ask a server for a dipping sauce and the manager yells at him to get a packet sauce togo. I tell the manager no I plan to dine in. He ends up telling me bar seating is only for drinks. I asked if I should move to a table because I planned to dine in. his reply was «no take your naan that you requested». Confused, I ask if I can order, He replies quickly with NO and picks up the phone. Once he gets off the phone he tells me it’s fine that I’m able to sit at the bar and eat there… Thank you, but no thank you!
Keep your food bud!
Maybe get help you shouldn’t take personal issues out on your guest and employees.

If i could i would give this place 0 stars. but unfortunately Unilocal does not allow that. i’m not even from southern california I am from Northern California & was on vacation decided to check this place out it is a clean place, but let me tell you I didn’t even get to try the food because i walked out i had to the manager was SO VERY RUDE & unprofessional in every way shape or form. i was very disappointed he had no customer service skills what so ever. I felt very uncomfortable there. One thing when i walk into a restaurant is I notice the vibes and the atmosphere & that was one place that gave me no good vibe at all. this place should get a new manager quick becuase he is not even manager material. Did not feel welcome at all.
So here is the story i go in and I am eating by myself just wanting to enjoy some good indian food (because it’s one of my favorites) i order my one item & he was very rude wrapped it in a TO GO foil and said i had to go. I said «Huh, I’m eating here I’m probably going to be ordering a few other things» he said no you leave. I was very very affended. i asked if i could get some salsa & he gave me that in a little cup to go I said so i can’t eat here he said «NO» and started talking on his cell phone. i could not believe the behavior this man had.. I told one of his staff i wasn’t going to eat the food and didnt appreciate the way his manager was speaking to me it’s very unprofessional” & the employee just gave me a look on his face like he didn’t even know what to say. There for i left.

Interesting set of reviews. you either love it or hate it. We went for 1^st time couple of Fridays ago. We used a Groupon and used it on a phone and we had no issue.
The food was about as good as it gets considering it’s Pasadena. I have had better and I have had worse. Good portion. The restaurant was about empty… odd considering it’s Friday evening, but it is away from the main Pasadena drag. The service was fine. The servers were very attentive and very nice. I had their butter chicken… yummy!!! it’s really good.
I put 3 stars since I can’t be a fan yet… I will go again and see how it is.

One of the best Indian restaurants I’ve found in Southern California.
The service was very good! Received polite waiters who came at appropriate times and asked how our meal was.
The food was definitely delicious and satisfying! Had chicken tikka masala, very creamy. Mixed grilled tendori was also very delicious! Lamb was chewy, but aside from that the flavor of the shrimp chicken was good!
Definitely recommend this place for a well balanced meal with excellent service!

Amazing lunch buffet!
I stopped by late Saturday afternoon, just 30 minutes before they were to close. The staff and owner greeted me and were very welcoming. The buffet had an amazing variety of choices. Generally I do not even eat lamb but it melted in your mouth. The salad, soup and fresh naan were amazing as well.
The food is to tasteful that you want to keep chewing to keep the flavor. The atmosphere was also very warm and comfortable. I had to keep looking around thinking «oh no this buffet I did not look at the price its probably higher, but was still only $ 10.99. Its the best food ever!
Seriously, I have eaten at many Indian buffet restaurants but Sitar Indian Cuisine is by far the best! I wish I could give it more stars. Please try Sitar Indian Cuisine and put it on your favorite list. Especially the buffet!
Thank you Sitar, I cannot wait to go back!

Great Indian Cuisine in Pasadena! Great service too! Love the tandoori chicken and Naan bread the most! The dessert is also a must!

This is what happens when I cheat on my favorite Indian restaurant… I ordered from here because I had to work late for dinner and this was closer than my regular Indian place. I’ve had the buffet before, so I figured it’d be okay…
Let’s just say, I was SO disappointed in the general meal.
Chicken Tiki Marsala — this was SO salty. Usually marsala is rich and has a spicy texture. but this was very watery and salty. I added some water to dilute the saltiness.
Garlic Naan — pretty good.
Saffron rice — This was completely tasteless. The menu said it has peas in it… NO peas. I don’t usually eat rice but the saffron rice at my usual Indian place is AMAZING. So I figured every Saffron Rice would be great… NOPE. And mine had a SEED in it.
I think a person should stick with the buffett and not order the individual plates because I’m really disappointed in my meal.
Delivery — They came within 45 min. So that was good. The delivery guy was nice.

Good lunch buffet. The naan is perfect – so soft and chewy. I try not to scoop rice just because of how good the naan is. The curries are really yummy and there’s a good variety of them.
I’m not sure what the deal is with all the negative reviews of the service. It’s always busy during lunch and the service is still awesome!

We’re very happy with our dining experience @ Sitar. The interior of the restaurant is cozy & comfortable. Enough dishes to keep you interested & the taste of foods range from mild to robust in flavours. The staff is very efficient & courtesies. Sitar offers good value. tasty
foods & friendly atmosphere. Say hello to the gracious host, Anil (see picture)

Lazy staff. We reached the restaurant at 9:26pm and there were just two tables full. However, the waiter looked at us with annoyance, and then said «we just closed!». The closing time on the door is 10pm!
Avoid at all costs.

So, where do I start.
The EAT24 order that I issued against this place stated that the food would be here within 45 minutes. At 50 minutes, I called Sitar Indian Cuisine to confirm my order. The manager was rude, aggressive, and stated that I shouldn’t have used EAT24 and I should called him directly and that it was EAT24’s fault that it was going to take ANOTHER 20 minutes for my food to arrive.
The food arrived 25 minutes later, and was pretty cold. Not to mention that the food also didn’t include our two mango lassi’s we ordered. Now, get this. I ordered this food the Super Bowl. I understand that people are busy during the Super Bowl. I wasn’t even angry that the food took longer to get here that stated. However, if you are not interested in providing good service, don’t state that you can provide delivery and that you are open during the Super Bowl and that you fulfill orders during that time.
I called back within 5 minutes after the delivery person left and stated that the Mango Lassi’s were missing. Not to mention that they didn’t include nary a napkin as part of the delivery as well. I was greeted on the phone by what sounded like a teenage kid, stating that the restaurant was closed and would open again at 5pm PT (in about 1 hr from when I called). I told him what had happened and my concerns very calmly and then asked to talk to the manager. He responded by telling me the manager wasn’t available. So I asked for his name. He hung up.
So, fast forward to past 5pm PT, let’s say 5:45pm PT. I took a quick break during the Super Bowl to call this place. The young kid answered again. Told me that the manager was busy and to call back. I said no, the last time I called you hung up, I want to speak to the manager now. So the kid puts the manager on the phone, and he gets on the phone, I explain to him the situation and then (you guys are going to love this part) he claims he IS NOT THE MANAGER and that the manager has stepped out and will be back. Note people this was the same guy I talked to earlier that I mentioned in the beginning of this review. So I press him on this and he responds by hanging up on me.
OK, I warned them. So, I called back one more time, told them that I’m pretty tired of them hanging up on me, but they did give me the motivation to write this review. So here it is people. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE. Shady. Just shady. If you want your food in like 3 hours, this is your type of place. The food was decent (we ordered Chicken Tikka Massala, Alo Ghobi, bastmati rice, garlic naan, note, I’ve eaten Indian all over the world, so I know this type of food) but the service reminded me of what I would get at the nasty Arco down the street where the service person doesn’t like me.

I was very hesitant to visit this establishment due to all the negative reviews. After my visit, I found this place to be a very nice location. It was the first time I had tried Indian food, It was delicious.
It is a family owned establishment. Having a similar upbringing I realized that the owner is not being rude, he is just being himself and treating everyone like family.
I would definately return to this location with more friends.

This is my second visit, and sadly, the last.
I enjoyed the food each time and would give it 5 stars. The chicken tikka masala with saffron rice and garlic naan are a wonderfully delicious combination.
Unfortunately, the service is horrible — mainly with the manager/​owner. He tries too hard to run the show and comes off as a jackass. He has no respect for his employees and tries to up-​sell you (rather than make recommendations).
In addition, if you have a Groupon, be advised it is a bait-​and-​switch. Although there is no fine print excluding you from using it, the owner will make up restrictions of his own so that you will not be able to use the full value of your voucher. I’m sure Groupon has received several complaints for this establishment because I was able to get a refund from them fairly easily.
I would normally give two thumbs up, but because of the owner, I give naan (sorry couldn’t resist).
If ownership changes, I may, nay, will come back. So owner, please do your business a favor and fire yourself. =)

Despite having lived so close by to this restaurant when I lived in Pasadena, I never bothered to try eating here.
I didn’t miss much.
I tried it for the first time since it was advertised on Groupon.
There were only 4 customers (including my party) for dinner on Tuesday night.
I noticed a sign that the business was up for change of ownership. Wonder if that’s the reason for the rather lackluster service.
The food was decent, but the overall atmosphere could have been better. I wish the current and possible future owner more success.