Zahra Restaurant

I enjoyed this place, but it was very dark inside. You grab a table and a waiter comes with menus. I ordered the Chana masala which wasn’t too flavorful and runny not like I’m used to which turned me off. The chicken tikka masala on the other hand was incredible! The food comes with naan and rice which makes this type of food affordable for dinner. They also have a buffet for lunch.

I’ve been coming here for years and I’d really love to give 4.5, not a whole 5. The lack of atmosphere in the restaurant is the main reason it deserves a less than perfect rating. Also, not a fan of the self-​serve soda situation. I tend to be generous in my ratings, so 5 it is…
In addition to eating at the buffet a while back, I’ve sampled or ordered all of the appetizers, nearly all of the chicken dishes, chicken/​falafel sandwich, and another dish the not on the menu. One time I came in, the owner suggested I try this creation of spicy beef in a rich, thick, dark sauce. I wish I remember the name of that… anyway, it was AWESOME! Every time I’ve been in since then, it was so busy, there was no time to chat and get the info, let alone order it.
Speaking of busy: this place gets very busy at times and service can be excruciatingly slow. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the result of high demand for a high quality product. The food really is great, and you might wait for it whether eating-​in or taking out.
My last visit I received the wrong dish and didn’t really even realize until I took a bite. My correct order came out only a few minutes later and they packed the other dish for me to-​go FOR FREE. I insisted on paying half-​price since it was kinda my fault I tried it and I was taking the whole thing home, so we settled on that. 2 meals for the price of 1 ½ and both were excellent. It was nice to have my lunch ready the next day, too!

The spicy Chicken Bihari Wrap was absolutely phenomenal. My review is four out of five because the service failed to refill my glass for over ten minutes. The gentlemen at the counter did however go our of his way to ensure the food I was taking to go was secure in its wrap, which was great. As a student living in Mechanicsburg, I am surprised and excited to find Indian food of this quality and I will definitely be back!

Definitely a mixed review. My husband and I were there last weekend. It was after 2pm in the afternoon, and we were surprised surprised to find the buffet still operating. My husband had the buffet, and I ordered the chicken falafel. My husband loved everything he tried. I thought my chicken falafel was the tastiest thing I’ve had in a long time! Here’s the problem: after we left, my husband became sick… very sick. He spent the rest of the day in pain, and in the bathroom. I was fine, so it had to be something he ate from the buffet, because it was the only thing he’s eaten all day. My food was so good, but after what I saw my hubby go through, I’m not sure if I’d go back.

Food is nice service is good and I went on a Saturday so there was buffet Not a lot of options but it was nice

An amazing find while passing through Mechanicsburg. Excellent food in a minimalist setting. We visit Indian restaurants in cities all over the world. This Pakistani food had the same names and was reminiscent, but it was definitely distinct in flavors. We tried lamb curry and chicken biryani for dinner. Both delicious and well presented, and in generous portions. They are not afraid to use the spice if you request it. Service was especially friendly and welcoming. Prices were reasonable. Highly recommended.

Amazing food. Have to come here and try yourself. Biryani is super delicious and yummy

Great Indian restaurant! Food and service were outstanding! We were served by the owner, who was very attentive and pleasant. Loved the chicken korma, naan, masala chai, and lamb biryani. Highly recommended!

Yes I travel frequently, no I am not new to traveling. If my review hurt your business you should assess your business ethics. Clearly you already made a bad chocie to argue with a customer and then pass judgement on my character.
All of my reviews are based off of my honest experiences and it is no fault of mine that many places are lacking or were lacking at the time of my visit. I will always be honest without apology. People need to learn that every customer matters. Also, do not tell me what or what not to post on Unilocal.This is what Unilocal is for. Don’t like it? I humbly suggest you go from a public restaurant to a private establishment.
Good luck with your restaurant.
Salaam i guess…

The falafel wasn’t that spicy. Took them like 30 mins to get us our food, at least we had ordered hummus until then to munch on. The owner acts like he doesn’t want you there or something. Service was shite !

Amazing food but stick to tandoori foods and rice. Very authentic biryani, chicken tandoori and kebabs. The goat platter we got wasn’t all of that it was runny with a weird yellow sauce on it but everything else was perfect. The service was amazing especially for a Pakistani place all the indian restaurants in the area cannot compete with the food and service! Seriously the best.

My wife and I went here for the first time the other night. Loved our food and the staff was very friendly. Can’t wait to go back. Might be this week!

I really want to give Zahra a 4-​star review, but the foodie in me won’t allow it. The things that I liked about this place were REALLY good, but I also experienced some of the things that other Unilocalers mentioned in their reviews that take away from the experience.
The thing that I liked most about my visit was the ambiance. It just perfectly suited the mood I was in today. I was still a little groggy from sleeping late after a long Saturday night, I was not in a hurry, and I just wanted a quiet little sit-​down casual eatery where I could nurse my hangover. Zahra was perfect. The walls were painted in warm, dark colors that matched the tables and chairs. The paintings on the walls were beautiful and elicited images of Pakistan. One painting of a woman was so striking, it felt as if she was staring out of the canvas. The place was spotless; no dirty tables or trash of any kind anywhere.
When I walked into the restaurant, there was a whole herd (I counted eight) of young children, none older than 10 and each one utterly adorable. Ordinarily, I hate it when owners have their small children running around in family restaurants, but these kids were all very well-​behaved and were being supervised by two women dressed in traditional garb, who were clearly not working in the restaurant. The kids stayed to the front of the room, didn’t run about, and didn’t make inappropriately loud noises. The women escorted them out before I was served, but their presence added an extra layer of warmth to my visit. I was touched.
Other reviewers have mentioned slow service but that was not my experience. I was greeted immediately, and my server brought my drink right after she took my order. The owner refilled my soda promptly, and my food was brought to me piping hot, yet with cool, crisp lettuce. My service was not slow by any means — but my food did take some time to cook and they tell you that, in large print, right in the menu. Good food takes time to prepare, and I was not in any hurry today. Zahra is probably not a good choice for a workday lunch (unless you have working lunch privileges and can log on through their free wi-​fi), or for a meal before an event that begins at a specific time.
Although admittedly a novice to Pakistani food, I have sampled many of the items on their menu at Indian restaurants, so I feel I have at least a vague idea of what my Chicken Seekh Kabab Wrap should have tasted like. I love spicy food but I’m afraid to order extra spicy at a new place. Some Indian places have served me food that I literally couldn’t eat, so I asked for my kabob to be prepared medium-​hot. My sandwich was tasty, but nowhere near as spicy as I was hoping. The vegetables on it were fresh and crispy, but iceberg lettuce adds very little to the flavor. There was so little yogurt sauce that I could only taste it in a few bites. The flatbread got soggy so quickly that the sandwich was pretty much falling apart in my hands. Perhaps I should have paid the extra dollar for fresh naan.
The thing I did not like about Zahra is that you are not presented with a bill for inspection before paying. When you’re done, you go up to the counter and pay. I do not believe that the prices the server punched into the cash register were the same as what was printed in the menu. Because my memory is certainly not infallible I just paid the tab. I grabbed a take-​out menu as I left, and those prices don’t match what I paid either. I noticed Amy G.‘s review mentioned price increases too, so I recommend that you be alert at the checkout counter.

Best Indian Food I’ve Ever Had!
I have visited many Indian restaurants, even some on the west coast, and this one is by far my favorite. Easily the best one when it comes to flavor in the Harrisburg area. This has only been my second visit, but that is all that it took. The Curry Goat is amazing, the meat is tender, and the sauce is to die for. The Chicken Korma is out of this world. The Chicken was also very tender, and the sauce is so delicious that I had to use my naan to clean my bowls. Couldn’t get enough of it! I gotta try out the buffet when I come back. I’ve had Unilocal on my phone for years, and never have I had the urge to write a review for any place, until now. Definitely come check this place out!

Come in a group and order different things then share amongst each other. Or just do the buffet.
The food here is really good and you get plenty. If you have a taste for spice, they have that too. And what would middle eastern food be without naan break? Gotta love it.

Went here with a friend on a Friday night, around 7:15. We were the only ones there, so it was kind of nice to have the place to ourselves. During our visit, I did notice a lot of people coming in for take-​out.
We started off with the hummus and pita, and a mango lassi since I had heard about how good it was! The hummus was, to my standards, better tasting than any other hummus in this area. The two layer hummus had a nice topping of fava bean hummus which more than complimented the typical chickpea base layer. A great combination of nutty olive oil with a perfected consistency of hummus. The pita had some nice char marks, puffy and tearable for scooping intentions.
My friend ordered the lamb tandoori, which was then notified that the restaurant only had half an order’s worth of the lamb, but offered to also bring out the lamb curry dish. Yay… we got to try two lamb dishes! His was quite plentiful, nice chunks of lamb (not too chewy) with lots of green peppers and onions in a creamy spicy sauce over rice. There was a vampirish heap of garlic sauce on the side which was delicious for dipping. The lamb tandoori… was DELICIOUS. Chargrilled with a crust of spices and seasoning which melted in your mouth. I wasn’t not expecting the explosion of flavor by the look, but was completely taken by surprised at the taste!
I had ordered the chicken seekh kabab, which was not the platter, so it was only the chicken kababs and yogurt sauce. For $ 4.99, it was a perfect smaller meal since I was already mostly full from the hummus. The kababs were excellent, full of flavor and spice, with a little kick. I like spicy foods, so I appreciated the slight heat to these kababs with the coolness of the yogurt sauce. The mango lassi was delicious too… perfect for toning done any of the spicy food. Service was excellent, the young girl frequented our table and answered all of our questions. I left feeling so full… I had a nice Pakistani food baby… groan. I’m so happy to have finally tried this place… and it’s oh so conveniently located next to my gym. Guess I’ll be bringing hummus home more often! Go try this place, support the local business owners!!!

Been here a few times to try some different dishes. people give the guy a chance! Small family restaurants like this are incredibly difficult to manage and grow, most are out of business in a year or two and I for one would like to see this one make it.
I personally really enjoy the curry dishes here, and the biryani is also good as well. One really nice thing about this place is that they don’t nickel and dime you, when ordering naan prepare to receive an avalanche of bread! All homemade of course.
Check out their buffet Fri and Sat afternoons too!

Checked out Zahra for the first time this evening with a group of friends. We were bummed to learn we couldn’t byob, but fortunately the food and service made up for that disappointment. Vegetable samosas, goat and chicken zaharia, chicken tika, kofta, onion Naan… It was all delicious. The owner recommended a great assortment of dishes for our group to share and brought us dessert on the house. When the bill came I couldn’t believe how affordable it was. Will definitely stop in next time I’m in the area.
I have been back to Zharas twice recently and I have to report that they are a favorite now. Its not fancy but the curries are delicious and the owner often comes by to ask about your experience and it is obvious he takes pride in the food he serves. I have to warn that the service can be slow. If time is an issue, call your order in ahead of you. We did this last time and it worked out great. It was ready when we got there and we ate in the restaraunt.

One star, why?
Yes the food was edible, but it was bland — and it took OVER AN HOUR to get the food. My table was the only one occupied, so you can’t blame the place for being busy. I should’ve known — if the place is empty at dinner on a saturday night — steer clear.
Such a sad plate of food, I love good spicy Indian food and this was meh.
never again.

Got take out again tonight. It was awesome! The chana masala is really, really good. I wish they served a half portion rather than buying the large side, but it was worth it. Got the Goat Karahi tonight — first time having goat. I found it similar to lamb, but in general some of the pieces are slightly tougher. I really liked it though, and they served a ton of it with the meal. Came with meat still around the bones in that meal, and it rocked.
Also got the butter chicken. It was every bit as good as butter chicken other places (chicken Mahkani) and they definitely put their own spin on it. Really good sauce with the rice. I would say it was noticably spicier than most butter chicken meals I’ve had before, so if you don’t like spicy food make sure you ask them to hold all of the spice. I love spice though and it was perfect for me.
They are busier each time I go, so that is a very good sign!