Mehfil Indian Cuisine

One of the best lunch deals in FiDi hands down.
I’ve only had their lunch takeout so this review is only for takeout.
$ 5−6/ veg or meat combo with rice — naan is $ 1 – 2 extra? Can’t beat that.
Note: the lunch takeout deal is cash only or I think you can use your cc for an extra $ 1 charge — something like that.
They give you a huge serving of food and there’s a rotating menu daily of curries and veggies. Chicken tikka malasa is always on the menu — the flavors are good though the chicken cubes were kinda dry the times I’ve had.
I usually go with a combo of 2 veggies. I like that they serve up non-​mainstream choices as well — one of the best dishes I had was curried radish and peas? I haven’t seen this dish again but it was excellent.

Good alternative — but Mehfil gets a 1-​star for ambiance and warmth for a dining establishment. I walk down 2^nd street every morning and most mornings as I pass by their window at 6:50 AM, the front booth by the sidewalk window is full of dirty plates, silverware, napkins and glasses from either the evening before — or the evening before that! Sorry, but if the management cannot clean up after themselves, so the restaurant looks presentable as hundreds and hundreds of people pass by early in the AM, I wonder what the kitchen or back area looks like? Is it clean? I will post a picture next time I see…

Naan pretty good. Saag paneer okay. Lamb vindaloo was alright. Was busy during lunch hour near financial district. Service was fine and food came quickly.

Desperately looking for cheap tasty (un)healthy indian food in FiDI? Look no more. 6 dollars, fast lines, and already in a takeout box. I recommend any of their chicken curries. You do NOT want to spend extra money on a side of naan, it is stale and bland! Head on to the back of the restaurant during lunch hours and they’ll hook you up.

Mehfil is great if you’re looking to grab a quick lunch. They have a lunch box menu which comes with white rice and a choice of curry. They have 5 curries to choose from. The chicken tikka masala or the lamb curry are both decent options. You can also get a combination of two curries.
The food isn’t bad but nothing thats really ever been exciting. It would nice if both the rice and curry were kept warm. Although for $ 6 it’s a steal. You can add on a naan for $ 2 at the cashier.
The lines move really quick so you can be in and out within 5 minutes. Wish they accepted credit cards (cash only).

I wish there were separate reviews for different concerns. *sigh*
Anyways for a $ 6 lunch, speedy lines, and great tasting food – this place deserves a 5 star rating. This has nothing to do with delivery or anything outside of my experience here. I went in ordered, got the food, paid the cashier, and I was in and out within 5 mins.
Oh, make sure you get the Mango Lassi. It goes well with your $ 6 meal. =D

Great customer service!!! Aman there is always polite and very courteous. Their naan is always fresh & when I get it delivered, it always come really warm! Their chicken biryani is also good, the chicken is always fresh. I’ve never had a meal from there where I’ve been disappointed. Can’t wait to try more food items here!

I well like to say that they have very good food had the chicken tikka and the kabob and naan chicken was fresh and the food was really good need to go back in and try more food oh the sweets are good after you had a good meal I tell all my friends go try the food you’ll wana go back for more…

Took over two hours to get delivery.
Last time I ordered they forgot something. Should have learned from their first mistake.

Such a disappointing delivery order last Friday, May 13^th. Our office ordered a bunch of lunch boxes for delivery along with naan, etc.
Unfortunately, they forgot one person’s order and messed mine up completely. I ordered a lunch box, NO RICE. Mine arrived with… guess what?! Rice! I couldn’t eat it as I don’t like white rice. I also placed an order for Samosas, but those never arrived. The only thing that did was my garlic naan I wanted. But what am I going to eat with the garlic naan?! I didn’t get any curry! Basically, I didn’t get a lunch at all which was disappointing as I was starving!
Hopefully, my company wasn’t charged by Mehfil for the two items they forgot and they refunded the messed up box as that wasn’t what we ordered. I write this with some frustration as I really wanted Indian food that day. Mehfil was a complete FAIL!

I was going to get something basic and cheap BUT their sign outside captured my eyes. Ordered a Chicken Tikka Masala and man it does not disappoint! Soooo good! The person who was serving the portions was helpful as it was my first time. Order in the back, walk to the bar area to pay. They charge you a dollar if you use a card but whatever. Its worth it! The food is delicious! I will be back for more!

A bead of sweat runs down my forehead. I cannot help myself. Rich deep flavors I will never be able to reproduce or fully comprehend. Wheelchair accessible with on-​grade entry and dining area and a wheelchair lift to the bar. The Amritsari naan was so simple yet the profound impact of combining sesame seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds and poppy seeds on a perfect naan has left me floored and utterly devoted.

Been here a few times for lunch, busy in general. I enjoy their lamb dish very much, any lamb. Good lunch!

I think this restaurant needs diamonds rather then stars. DELICIOUS !! One of my favorite resturant in the SAN FRANCISCO will be «MEHFIL INDIAN CUISINE «.Because the food quality and quantity Is delicious. Especially my favorite dish is Chicken tikka masala and coming to the staff is very attentive and friendly. They will make you feel very welcome. The inside is always perfectly clean and immaculate with lovely décor. if you live in San Francisco and haven’t tried… you must

I got m’fill at Mehfil! But really… they’re good portions for the price.
Go to the back and get in the line that is somewhat reminiscent of the soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld, and pay at the bar. Quick, cheap, and delicious.

Good place, always order for delivery, but they always forget utensils! How’re we suppose to eat without them?! Also, do not order rice with any of the dishes, they always just bring one, even if you’ve ordered two or three.

Had their PUNJABI GOAT CURRY! ⁵⁄₅. LOVED IT!!! It was on their daily special today. Sad to learn that it wont be available any day that one wishes to have it. I think its just once a week special or so. Also had their Chicken Tikka Masala.4.5/5. Loved it too! I prefer food to be spicy so ordered the spicy version of both curries. Of all the Indian food I have tried in the past one year this is the one I liked best till now! Will definitely be visiting this place again!

I have this at least once a month. A bit pricey, but pretty darn good so you don’t mind paying the extra few dollars.

I am starting to eat here almost every day. I love the daily take out lunch for $ 5. Aside from being a low cost lunch option, it is truly delicious, authentic and flavorful every single day. Very nice people too.

The lamb curry is one of my favorite. I love this plate. They make it once a week only and when is time for lunch, you are lucky if you get to have some Lamb Curry.
I go there probably 4 times per week. Their chicken Tikka Masala is another of my favorite.
The staff are very friendly and Manjid is always welcoming you with a smille. The serving staff they are all pretty cool, friendly.
The prices for the location is very inexpensive. They have so many different veggie plate. I like the spinach plate and the potatoes. The good thing is that you can try both in the same combo. But This is it. you want delicious Indian food in the Financial District, this will be the only place that serve lunches for a very affortable prices.

Mehfil is a very convenient to-​go lunch spot in the FiDi area. I like their bento boxes which are usually $ 5 – 6, depending on their specials of the day. My favorites are the VEGETABLE BIRYANI and GARLIC CHICKEN in tomato sauce. I like how customers have the option mix/​match the veggie and meat dishes for the bento boxes. You may also get a side of mint chutney and tamarind sauce for no extra charge. The portions are pretty decent for the price.
I personally prefer North India’s lunch bento boxes, but I will add Mehfil to my lunch rotation as a cheaper option.
They also offer a lunch buffet and I’ll come back sometime soon to try eating inside the restaurant.

***Warning: Only based on Lunch Rush Menu***
Passing by this place to work a couple of times, I noticed that they have a $ 5 – 6 menu during lunch hours. I especially wanted to try them out after seeing one of my coworkers eating it. Forgetting lunch in my car one day, I decided to check them out.
Located like a block away from the Montgomery Bart Station, you can find this restaurant. Like I said, this review is only based on the Lunch Rush Menu. Instead of sitting down and ordering, if you ask for the Lunch choices, they’ll send you to the back of the restaurant at a Cafeteria style counter.
There are like 5 or so different items to choose from. All times I’ve went, I’ve only had the Chicken Tikka Masala. They fill the bottom of the to-​go plastic tupperware with rice and smother the top with a couple of pieces of chicken and the Tikka Masala sauce. This alone is only $ 6, and you can add Naan bread for an extra $ 1.50/$ 2.00 depending on your choice of plain or garlic perspectively.
***Note: There is a sur charge if you pay with card***
The chicken is cooked well and the sauce is sooooo good. It’s got some spice, but it’s not overwhelming. You get a good amount for the value. It’s definitely good if you’re in the area. Forewarning, this price is only during lunch, which I think is only until about 5:00pm (not too sure on the end time)

I also have a love hate relationship with Mehfil.
I’ve eaten the $ 5 lunch special at least once a week for over two years. It is delicious, but recently they started shorting people on portion sizes. Most of my coworkers eat here weekly as well and we all agree — the short guy (who took over serving responsibilities from the tall guy) does not dish out enough. It’s to the point where I have to buy two lunches.
The only other good $ 5 lunch that I’m aware of is at the Gold Club.

If you’re ready to stand in lines out the door and waste half your lunch hour waiting around for a salad, there are plenty of other options during the noontime weekday hour surrounding the Financial District. If you’re over the rush and just want to be in & out in literally a minute without much hassle or fanfare, do the Mehfil lunch option (take-​out only).
The restaurant is still crowded with people, but if you head to the back they have the trays of that days selected menu. They literally just pour into a to-​go container, you head up to the counter, and you’re out in a minute. Plus it’s only $ 5 if you pay cash. Employees are definitely indifferent to the customers, clearly focused on getting you through the line as fast as possible. Eh, I want to be out of there quick anyways …
Today I had the chicken cranberry. Chicken was tender and it had some flavor to it, nothing out of this world but still enjoyable for the amount I spent on it. There was way too much rice compared to the actual chicken/​cranberry. Even eating rice with every bite and some in between I was left with at least half a container of rice when I finished the main part of the meal, which was slightly disappointing. Flavor, good. Portions could use some evening out.
It’s not a place you would go if you had time to go anywhere else, but if you’re in a rush for the price/​location/​speed it’ll do the trick.

It’s a love hate type of thing.
I love Mehfil. Part of me screams 5 stars every time I see it. That’s my impatient part, which loves the fact that you can be in and out of Mehfil in legit *one minute*.
But I also hate Mehfil for being so sporadic in its menu. I’m sure its great for people who like meat, but for me, what I crave is the paneer bhurji. Unfortunately, they’ve only ever served it once :(. Just kidding, they probably served it more than once, but the lunch menu is mostly different every day (mostly because they always always always have chicken tikka masala), and paneer bhurji is just never there when I check.
Mehfil is certainly an experience to try out. The food is pretty delish if they happen to have what you like. Today I checked the menu for paneer bhurji, but found bengan bhartha instead. So today it’s a 3 star.

They run a few specials a day and you go to the back and order from an assembly line style. My CTM box was about $ 9 with garlic naan. Good flavor and meal on the quick and cheap! Try to bring cash as they charge $ 1 for credit cards.

I’ve worked in the FiDi for over two years now and can confidently say that the $ 5 lunch special is the best value for lunch downtown. I eat a lot, and many places that cost twice the price do not fill me up (looking at you salads!). To be able to be relatively full (not too too full) for $ 5 is cheaper than I can make at home and bring in.
It is pretty basic with just rice and a topping, but the quality is pretty high and the spices/​tastes are spot on.
One tip– ask for a combo of two options that you like and you usually can get a bit more variety. I will be back many times.

This is a decent lunch place, I’d say. They give you a lot of food and the prices aren’t outrageous. It should also be said that finding a place to sit and eat in a work lunch timeframe can be a tall order in this neighborhood.
We had Samosas, which were great, and two kinds of naan. All of that was pretty fantastic. But the curry is bland.
That’s just not okay.

I’ve had better Indian food, but for a quick lunch spot, this place is pretty solid. Good flavors overall, but the meat isn’t consistently cooked well. Lunch takeout is super cheap — only $ 5 – 6! — which is pretty much nothing compared to a lot of the lunch options around FiDi. Their takeout menu rotates daily
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*** RECOMMEND ***
–CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA — 3.5÷5
Yummy! The curry is delicious, but the chicken is a little inconsistent — sometimes super tender, sometimes a little dry and sometimes very dry.
–LAMB CURRY — ⁴⁄₅
Pretty good, though the lamb is also inconsistent. Some pieces are tender and others are too dry and overcooked.
–MEHFIL-​E-​MIX /​MIX VEGETABLES — ⁵⁄₅
Veggies are well cooked and the sauce is very flavorful with a hint of heat
–SAAG PANEER — ⁴⁄₅
Pretty good and flavorful. This would be so much better if there was good naan to dip with!
–SAMOSA — ⁴⁄₅
Their samosas are pretty big. Nice and crispy on the outside without being super greasy, and full of potatoes, spices and a little heat on the inside. I wish there were more peas though to balance out all the potatoes.
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*** PASS ***
–NAAN — ²⁄₅
Not that good. I love naan, but their naan is doughy and undercooked. Too chewy for my liking. Honestly, the Costco naan tastes better
–GARLIC NAAN — 2.5÷5
Plain naan garnished with some fresh garlic. Same as the plain naan — too doughy. The garlic at least gives it some more flavor, but I’ve had much, much better.
–PANEER PAKORA — ¹⁄₅
[Cottage cheese marinated in chickpea batter, spices, and herbs]
Not really a fan of the texture. It’s basically like fried cottage cheese.
–CHICKEN TIKKA– ²⁄₅
Not that good. Chicken is too dry and lacked flavor. The chicken tikka masala is much much better
–CHICKEN LACHNA — 1.5÷5
[Fried chicken strips]
Meh. Dry strips of fried chicken. Lacking flavor.
–RAITA — ¹⁄₅
[Yogurt mixed with cucumber, mint leaves]
Has a hint of heat in it, but way too sour

Delicious traditional Indian food in DT SF! Great garlic bread.
FOOD: My friend and I shared the korma lamb ($ 13) and Achaari Chicken ($ 11) over rice and garlic bread ($ 2.50). The korma lamb was delicious — I really liked the different aromatics in the curry sauce, and there were giant pieces of lamb meat, so it very satisfying to eat. We asked achaari chicken to be moderately spicy, which was a bit too spicy for me. The garlic bread was really good — very doughy. We also ordered mango juice ($ 2.50), which had almost a milkshake texture and tasted very good.
PRICE: With tips & tax, we each paid $ 20, which is more expensive than what I would usually pay. But it was a very balanced meal and I really liked everything we ordered.
SETTING: The restaurant is conveniently located in Union Square. There are 20 – 25 tables inside and lots of space to move around. We came here when the Warriors were playing and good thing they have TVs! (not that I really watch sports…)
SERVICE: We came on a Sunday night and we were sat down immediately. Our order came by very quickly also. The waiter was very nice and gave us very sincere recommendations.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I liked it! Even though it’s a little expensive, I really enjoyed everything I ordered and the restaurant setup/​location.

This review is only for the to-​go lunch boxes. Here’s a breakdown of my 3-​star rating:
5 stars for price — you can’t beat a $ 6 lunch box for chicken tikka malasa
3 stars for chicken: rice ratio — i got 3 pieces of chicken and enough rice to feed a village. it’s a ton of food but could use more chicken and less rice.
1 star for cleanliness — i found 2 eyelashes and a piece of hair in my box. super gross.
Overall, you get what you pay for. apparently i paid for rice with a side of human hair.

A hangover for me typically means Indian food that day. My coworker had told me about Mehfil and a lunch special they offer. This sounded perfect as I really wanted Chicken Tikka Masala and some naan.
I came by on Thursday, April 23^rd around 1:30pm. The set up of the restaurant during lunch is slightly confusing. You have to walk all the way to the back place your order for food. Almost everyone is there for the lunch box special. You can pick from a list of curries they offer for the day. This is served in a take out container over rice. The special is for take out and cash only.
I got the chicken tikka masala: tandoori baked breast chicken cubes cooked in a nutty curry ($ 6). Since I’m not a huge fan of rice, I asked for the special without rice. This is a huge portion as its basically the size of a normal order of curry which typically runs around $ 10. The curry was just what the doctor ordered. Creamy, savory and so comforting.
Everyone in line ordered lunch boxes only, but being the pig I am, I had to have samosas as well. I just told the guys behind the counter and then waited for my order at the bar by the cash register.
*Samosa: a crispy flour pastry stuffed with potatoes, peas & coriander seed
These are huge! Fried nicely and soft on the inside. I liked the mint dipping sauce as it had a slight kick to it.
*Garlic naan: white flour bread garnished with freshly chopped garlic baked in tandoor
If you’re ordering just the lunch box, they have pre-​made orders of naan by the register. Since I ordered samosas, they gave me a fresh order of naan. Could have used more garlic, but this was soft and had a nice chew.
For lunch, Mehfil is a great deal! For around $ 12.50, I was able to feed myself two lunches! Yum!

Really flavorful Indian food. The staff is friendly and the food is delicious. Prices are reasonable.
The sauces and seasonings are very nice. We went for dinner, ordered 2 dishes, 2 naans, and 2 drinks and it was plenty with leftovers. The sweet lassi was very good.
I have not tried their discounted lunch menu yet but look forward to it.

I don’t know why, but I’ve been on a curry splurge the last week or so. Even though it’s right across from where I work, I never really considered coming here for lunch.
Pretty simple concept if you’re doing takeout. Go all the way to the back of the restaurant and they have a takeout menu; veggie options are just $ 5 (cheaper than Subway!) and any takeout item with chicken or lamb is $ 6. CASH ONLY! You’ll be in and out within 5 minutes pretty much.
The chicken tikki masala is probably my favorite, but the chicken is questionable. I’ve gotten it twice now and the first time the chicken was too dry and overcooked, the second time it was cooked pretty well. If you’re looking to get some naan, it’ll also set you back another $ 3.
Not a bad place if you want food to go!

I came to Mehfil so many times so i felt im obligated to write a review.
Came here mostly for the lunch specials. CASH and super quick if you want a hearty and filling meal.
My favorite dish is saag paneer. Their chicken tikka masala was actually alright.
I’ve also sit down and ate here once for a team lunch. Got lunch special tandoori shrimp and it was pretty good. Came with a small soup and salad (with very spicy dressing), those jumbo shrimps were heavily marinated and flavored. Came with a tomato-​based dipping sauce which tastes like butter chicken sauce.

When it’s this wet and miserable out, I’m glad that there is a convenient place to get some curry takeout around the corner from work. And it’s a steal too.
The $ 5 and up lunchbox keeps office workers coming during the week. You can dine-​in (lunchbox n/​a for dine-​in) but it seems most folks head right to the back and get in line for the lunchbox. Chicken tikka masala is a daily staple but I do love the fact that they rotate the rest of the menu every day for variety. Of those daily specials I like the Soia Murg — cubed chicken cooked in a dill herb curry sauce, and the self explanatory chicken asparagus curry. I often ask for more curry gravy to soak up the basmati rice.
It does feel like they’ve practiced some restraint on the level of heat and spice but for a quick and cheap curry lunch, especially on a rainy day, I’m glad I can run over to Mehfil between meetings.