Kabana

We did not see any indication of being halal on the menus. The restaurant itself is pretty, but we didn't see halal signs anywhere and the menu had pictures of an idol on it. The restaurant staff did say it was halal, though. I have changed the record to reflect this. We did not eat at this restaurant.

Yuck! Hair in the bread. I brought it to the waiter\'s attention. It didn\'t seem to be a big deal. He offered another bread. No way would I want to risk it with another bread likely from the same batch of dough that someone did not bother to wear a hairnet while kneading. There are plenty of other places on University Avenue. Do not risk your health at this place. The food was average. Health concern is more important when it comes to Kabana.

I visit berkeley twice a year, and this is the place where i eat the most. Nice food, reasonable prices. Recommended.

This restaurant has now relocated itself to 1025 University Ave.

I came to Kabana by accident since i was there for the Afghan place, which was close. Since i was in a hurry, i wanted to grab something over here. I was in for a surprise. I ordered their Tandoori fish, naan and chai. It was probably the best desi fish i had for ages. It was fresh and tasted really good. Th naan and the chai were good as well. I will be back for sure. The restaurant itself is ok and service was good.

Perfect fix for some authentic Pakistani food!

I have to say I was not expecting this place to be as good as it was when I walked it. The menu has a pretty decent size variety to choose from. Their chai and mango lassi are my favorite. They get pretty busy so sometimes the food takes a little longer than usual. The service is your typical Paki/Indian service you would expect. They have good chicken tikka masala and chicken tandoor.

Average food. Been coming here for years. Not the biggest, or cleanest joint in the bay, but the food is pretty consistent. The naan and chutneys good be better. Overall average.

Finally after several disappointments with Pakistani restaurants in San Francisco, I got some redemption at Kabana. The place was small but clean, we ordered Chicken Biryani, Chicken Boti and Karhai. I will not say that the food was out of this World but way better than the most renowned and famous Pakistani restaurants in Downtown San Francisco. The owners were nice and polite and knew how to handle customers. It was an enjoyable dinner at Kabana with my family. I will go there again when I get a chance and will also recommend this place to others.

Best Pakistani food in Berkeley. If you dig spice this place is twice as nice.

Great place. We've been eating there for years.

The open kitchen will make your clothes smell like food. Aside from that, the place is solid. It's known for its fish, which is pretty good. I've enjoyed all the tandoori and karahi I had here.

This place is better for take-out and there is no ambiance, the seating is limited, and the place is not clean. The food is okay. They have nice fish dishes. Service was also good and prices were reasonable.

Well known Pakistani restaurant which is known for it's fish. Pretty good food here. Very small area for seating (it's literally a hole in the wall). If you are looking for fine dining in a clean space, then don't come here, but definitely has good food.

good tasty food however the place is very dirty and they dont wash their hands when preparing your salads the owner has a bad attitude and you dont dare ask if the meat is halal

I love the food, I absolutely do. I've eaten there over 10 times already. Their food is really really good and it is worth sitting in that crowded place. But in recent times, I noticed too many flies around the windows. The owners are not too friendly. If they were to be located in Sacramento, they would have been shut down by the county already.

I walked into the restaraunt and noticed that there was no halal sign, like the overwhelming majority of halal restaraunts all across the bay area. I asked the man if the food was halal, since I was new to the area. The man was extremely rude! He requested that I go look for his supplier and ask them. What a ridiculous answer. They were very defensive about the subject. It has to make you wonder. There is nothing wrong with asking an establishment for a halal verification, if such information is not visibly stated or implied.

Food is just alright. The place is pretty unhygienic, tables are crammed together, and service is not good.

The food is tasty. Especially love the tandoori fish. Wish it was a bit brighter and much cleaner.

Kabana is your stereo typical paki restaurant. The food is amazing.! It's not the cleanest place in the world, and it's not the dirtiest place in the world.....you be the judge.

The food is great! Especially the fish tandoori. Hygiene is a bit of a problem. Very small if you are thinking of going in a large group. Parking is also a problem. However, owner is very friendly and nice.

I think this is the place desi restaurant in the berkeley/oakland area. Their parathas melt in your mouth. The fish and chicken dishes are very good. This restaurant is not the cleanest but which desi restaurant really is?

I am writing my review REALLY late, so things may have changed since. Food was OK. Place was dirty, and they were hosing the place down around us while we were eating. Another thing that turned me off was that the owner doesn't use beef for seekh kababs, only lamb...upon asking why he commented that Hindus will stop coming to his restaurant....Well, my friend you need to stop being insecure and focus on improving quality of your food (By the way, Shalimar uses beef for many dishes and Hindus still crowd that place)...

I parked outside, and just by looking through the window, the place was so dirty that I changed my mind and drove away. Be careful eating there, it does NOT look clean at all.

The most authentic Pakistani restaurant in the Bay Area - lamb curry is absolutely fantastic as are the tandoori dishes. Goat curry on weekends is also a big plus!

Great place. Fish! One of the best pakistani I've seen.

the chicken curry is tops -- cooked in a giant pot with a very thick and spicy sauce. similar to shalimar gardens in s.f. the naan (or is it tandori roti?) is usually excellent too, though the rice can be clumpy.

the food is fantastic; the cleanliness is fine; these people do not know what they are talking about; long live spiciness; long live green chili

Shahed Amanullah

Sep 29, 2003•214 reviews

5

Yeah, Kabana is a greasy spoon kind of place, but that's part of its charm. There's a reason why it's standing room only (aside from the small seating area) - the food is burn-your-digestive-tract good. If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen! Leaves more seating area for the rest of us!

I ate food there once and got food posioning. The place is really unhygenic and wonder it is allowed to sell food.

Food is pretty good. But I agree that resturaunt needs a good cleanup. Also he needs to expand the place.. its always packed with people and theres only like 5 tables!

Their speciality is Tandoori chicken and it is fantastic, alhamdulillah. I have never been by the restaurant on an evening when it wasn't packed; albeit the place is small enough that it packs quickly! They've made a name for themselves in the local community so much so that the patronage is evenly split between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Tandoori fish is best. Rest of the food is okay.

Pakistani restaurant serving kebabs and meat and vegetable curries and biryanis, and excellent tandoori rotis. Watch out: food is spicy. Very eclectic decor includes magenta, green and mirrors, as well as videos of Indian movies. Owner Saleem likes to socialize with customers, and has been known to give discounts for catering Islamic events. He used to make a fabulous ras malai but no longer does because he says there isn't enough demand. Maybe if enough people request it...

Anonymous

Yelp

Oct 2, 2024

5

I went here on a recommendation from a Pakistani person. I was not disappointed. The food was top notch. The smell when you walk in the door would have your mouth watering with anticipation.

Anonymous

Google

Sep 25, 2024

5

It's a " Simple Family Run Indo-Pakistani Eatery on the ' Main Drag ' / University Ave. Telegraph Avenue being the ' Main Campus Drag ' !!!! The Cuisine is AUTHENTIC to the " PUNJAB REGION " !!! Lovely Curries , Biryanis & Naan Breads. SADLY NO WHEAT ROTIS mais C'est " Passable " 4 Homestyle FARE !!! Was a ' Mom n Pop ' across the St. East of SP Ave. on University Ave. - ' Back in the Day !!! His Daughter helps him near the WFBank Branch these days .... She is polite with good English Language Skills. Chai Tea is Excellent Homenade if U like Caffeine. It's ' Full Service ' with Waitstaff. & Family Oriented. Enjoy !!! ❤... of BERKELEY INDIAN GULCH very near to BOMBAY SPICE HOUSE with Excellent Stainless Steel Housewares, Snack Foods, Sweet Meats & AYURVEDIC INDIAN HERBAL Remedies !!!! When they say ' Cheese ' for PANEER ...It's Generally " Homemade Cottage Cheese Cubed '- Not as Heavy as Traditional American Cheeses .....!!!! Do Enjoy your Meal !!!!! """ ROTI WHEAT BREAD , NO OIL BADLY NEEDED HERE """ !!! Quite " IMPRACTICAL to HIKE over to H.O.C. , SOLANO and B y.o. b. ( Bread i.e. ). Charming ! How the Fly. ' pull 2gether ' to Run this Joint ' !! Sheer ' Commitment & Devotion ' !!!! Just saw their ' LAMB CHOPS ' pictured on MENU - Look " DELECTABLE " !!!! The Wait time is " NOT LONG " @ ALL !!! VERY AUTHENTIC FARE !!! KADAK CHAI !!! Lol !!!! Literally Means " STIFF /or CRISPY HOT CHAI TEA !!! Loved the " Curry Sauce " on their " Karahi Goat ". Mango Lassi was " On Point " - Not Overly Sweet !!! A small business that " Made It through Covid- 19 " we wanna keep 4 Good in Berkeley !!!!

Anonymous

Yelp

Sep 12, 2024

5

Great food, no nonsense service, no alcohol, no frills decor. The tandoori chicken and tandoori lamb chops are so good, we’ve been coming here ever since our Cal student son brought us here in 2008! Family owned and very authentic.

Anonymous

Google

Aug 9, 2024

5

This place is a hidden gem for desi food. Looks very unassuming from the outside. Food tasted like it was home cooked. Tried the chicken handi, goat karahi, aloo ghost, chana chicken, paya, and biryani. Best was the handi and chana chicken.

Anonymous

Google

Aug 7, 2024

5

The only restaurant in Berkeley serving authentic Indian / Pakistani food. I went to different restaurants in Berkeley but all serving, fake, substandard and unauthentic food. Some were serving rice with chat masala and calling it Biryani. Only this place served tasty food with service like eating in home.

Anonymous

Yelp

Apr 5, 2024

5

This place has the best Pakistani/Indian food in the whole city of Berkeley. I’ve tried this type of food in different cities, states, and countries and this is accurate on how it should taste. Amazing!

Anonymous

Yelp

Oct 10, 2023

5

5 ⭐ for everything for this restaurant. Food is amazing, authentic flavor for biryani, all the curries and we just love their homemade almond ice cream, not too sweet and perfect for dessert. The atmosphere and service is great. Two of their tables are set in a sunny spot which I always love to get because it's perfect for lunch especially in winters. ☀️ All dishes are relatively inexpensive but the flavor and quality of food is actually better than other restaurants. I know this because we never got a tummy ache or felt uneasy after eating here. My daughter loves their gulab jamun.

Anonymous

Yelp

Aug 31, 2023

5

Grabbed a quick pickup order online, pickup and payment was very easy. Food tastes great, as I hoped! Would definitely be happy to sit down and dine-in for future!

Anonymous

Yelp

Jul 9, 2023

5

I’ve gone to this place before but of recently the food had an upgrade in taste and quality :) the food was extremely authentic . The service was extremely kind and they very patient despite us staying past closing. One of the best places in Berkeley ! Highly recommend.

Anonymous

Yelp

Nov 28, 2022

2

So the Karachi chicken is supposed to be white meat but they slip in the dark meat with it to make it more and it just don't taste the same what a waste the food used to be really good now it's just no good o they slip in the dark meat on their tikka masala too it's supposed to be all white meat but it's not they slip in the dark meat because I guess they just too cheap to give you all breast meat but they charging you breast meat prices. What a sad way to treat your customers especially customers like me that been going there for over 15 years no more I'm done so sad the food that is.

Anonymous

Yelp

Apr 11, 2022

5

This place is sooooooo delicious! So many flavors and options. And love that we can eat it family style so that all those flavors are shared. Thank you to the very kind folks who run the place too, made our kids so happy ?