Al-Karam Pakistani Cuisine - Riverside, California

Ahmed El Sayed

Authentic Pakistani Cuisine in a Spotless Setting

This restaurant offers delicious, home-cooked Pakistani food in a clean and friendly environment.
The staff is welcoming, and the restrooms are impeccably maintained.

Be aware that the prices are a bit on the higher side, but it's a great choice for those seeking authentic Halal cuisine.

Overall, a highly recommended spot!
I hope they maintain their consistency and momentum!

Dacy Nottingham

The food was great. It took way too long to receive. We were one couple out of 5 small groups (2 or 3) but waited 47 minutes from the time we sat down to getting our food. Several to go orders in that time. It appeared they took priority. They were nice, it was just slow.

JOnas

Tasty food. Service is good. Nice place. Although the prices are a bit high, the portions are good. I had a hard time finishing everything. I suggested that they grill jalapeño peppers and tomatoes that would go perfect with the food and a lot of people enjoy spicy with their food. Will definitely go back to try other dishes.

AliAsghar Shamsuddin

This is a typical Pakistani restaurant. The food was delicious, but the service and atmosphere was mediocre.

M A (Ma)

The cuisine was delectable, the service was excellent, and the ingredients were fresh. The taste resembled homemade fare, offering a light and healthy option. Furthermore, the establishment was impeccably clean. I would certainly be delighted to dine there again.

Lisa Lee

Lucky enough to come with six other people and ordered a variety of Pakistani specialities. First, Sonya and her husband Aldi (I hope I spelled their names correctly) are incredibly hospitable and gracious. My local friend, highly recommended this place so I had studied the menu prior to coming. I also asked for Sonya's recommendation and she was generous with her time and knowledge. So you are intimidated by Pakistani food and are in the inland Empire, drop in to Al-Karam for a wonderful meal and an education at the same time.

Sonya walked me through the menu so we are sure to order the right balance of variety of taste, texture, and flavors. We started with the Aloo Samosa because they are freshly made and beautifully crafted. What was unexpected was it was paired with yogurt chutney. The yogurt chutney was a revelation, because it was a light avocado green, mixed with yogurt, cilantro, serrano peppers, and garlic. The tangy and spicy with the samosa created nuance and enhanced the samosa, in most other places would have been pedestrian.

And since all the Tandoori dishes sounded fantastic and we didn't want to leave any out, we had the Mix Tandoori Grill (Tandoori Chicken, Chicken boti, Chicken Seekh Kabob and Beef Seekh Kabob). If you like tandoori and kebab, this a well-rounded grilled extravaganza. I was surprised by the tandoori chicken as it was not the typical "red" clay style grill, but more festooned with herbal fragrance and light on the tandoori smoke. We also all enjoyed Pakistani tea that is mixed with cardamom, other spices, and milk.

What followed were the curries, naan, and rice. Chicken Tikka Masala, Dal Gosht (lamb), Achar Gosht (lamb), Bhindi Masala (okra), Bhangan Bharta (egg plant), Aloo Matar (potato). The stand out dishes for me are the Dal Gosht, Achar Gosht, and Bhangan Bharta. Reducing lamb meat with dal is real contrast in flavor and how it reduces down the meat down differently than acid (Achar Gosht). It had a richness that is wholly different. The eggplant was smoky, fragrant, creamy. When you take a bit you taste the 24 hour it takes to makes that dish. The dish stays with you even after the meal because it's keep playing with your palette.

I can't recommend the mango lassi. I don't know why I ordered i since I and others in party had to be rolled out, but it's too sweet and watery for me. I prefer my lassi creamy tangy.

Rida Khan

Thank God for Pakistani food!! There aren’t many options in this area, unfortunately But this is a GREAT one. My husband said the tadka daal would be his death row meal.. mine would probably include this mango shake (not lassi ?) the naan was perfection, and I couldn’t stop eating the nihari. Biryani was also good. It’s a family run place, and the service was excellent as well.

Pmonkery 1

Everything was delicious and we had amazing service. We went at about 330 and ordered the Veggie Roll and the Seekh Kabob and Chicken Tikka Combo as well as the Aloo Palak and Chana Masala. Everything was hot and fresh. Its my birthday month and I love food. We were so happy with everything. Blessings to this establishment.