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| - I lean more toward 3.5/5, but that's not an option.
The food is very tasty here. I have been three times and had a goat curry, a lamb entree, and the chicken tikka masala. The first two were excellent but the chicken masala was a bit dry. The meats are lean and tasty and the sauces seem to be composed with particular care. They feel somehow authentic rather than generic.
Both the rice and the naan are also very good, and rice in particular is generously portioned.
Prices are about $2 less than than is standard for Indian food of this quality. (I'm comparing Shalimar only to Indian rather than to Pakistani restaurants because I have little experience of the latter).
The big downside here is the decor, which is terrible. It starts on the outside, with the most inelegant marquee-style sign I can remember seeing outside a good restaurant. The interior is uniformly dull, cheap tables, plastic tablecloths, bland Western landscape art on the walls that has no relation to the ethnicity of the cuisine. It reminded me of a dentist's office, and not an upscale one. Another reviewer compared it to a laundromat. The lack of style even extends to the menus themselves.
The restaurant is operated by a family and they seem quite appreciative and friendly toward their customers, unlike most Indian restaurants where the service is rather chilly.
I think with a thorough interior remodel Shalimar would be equivalent to a fairly upscale Indian restaurant.
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