Roti Boti Shaheen In Jackson

I am a Pakistani from Karachi! Considering Karachi is the center of the finest Pakistani food in the world that would make me some what of an expert at what is good when it comes to Pakistani food. So let me state that I would be crazy to even draw comparisons to Pakistani food in the US to Pakistani food back in Pakistan.
So that brings me to Shaheen Roti Boti… after seeing rave reviews here on Unilocal and from hearing from folks (who’s judgement I now seriously question) I took my mother in law to eat here for a Saturday lunch.
The things I really liked about this place was excellent service, good nan (bread), good Kheer (rice pudding) and very good tea.
The things I didn’t like about this place include the dried out Behari Kabab (which this place is mistakenly recommended for), bland curries filled with fatty meat, and really bad Chaat. The food didn’t taste fresh and frankly was quite a let down. My mother-​in-​law (from India) swore she would never come back here again.
I would like to conclude that there are multiple places to eat Pakistani food in Jackson Heights, I believe first impressions matter and this place failed miserably. I for one will continue to go to my reliable favorite in the area, Kabab King.

i LOVE the food here! Hands down… the BEST Pakistani food I have ever had in the US! the place doesnt look ‘nice’ or trendy by any means… but lets face it… the highlight of paki restaurants is not the look, its the AMAZING FOOD!
living in DC, i’ve heard a lot about paki/​indian food in nyc… but i didnt much of the hype. But when I tried this Shaheen Roti Boti… it rocked!!! reminds me exactly of food back home… which is not an easy find here in the US.
(*note…there’s another ‘Roti Boti’ directly across the street too… i’ve heard it’s not as good, but never tried it. I love the Shaheen R.B. so i would recommend you try this one first).
if you can handle spicy, you MUST try the Bihari Kababs! it was sooo spicy… my tongue was burning… but i refused to stop eating it! Lol. (im sure u can ask them to make it less spicy though). Another must try… Chicken Tikka. it’s the best with some chutney. Also, the fluffy, fresh-​out-​of-​the-​oven Naans are to die for. They’re soft and fluffy just like they’re made back home. I grew accustomed to the regular ‘US naan’ that are still good… but usually more flat and oily… but the ones Shaheen makes is wat REAL NAAN is and should be! sooo yummy! Any of this will taste delicious with some naan and Raita (yougurt based condiment or ‘sauce/​dressing’ thats mixed with some spices and mint chutney. some ppl like to add cucumbers etc as well :)
If you’re anything like me… you’ll want to try Seekh Kababs everywhere you go. But at this Roti Boti it wasn’t all that great. It was still nice… i still had a plateful happily. But after dinner, we went across the street to… i believe it’s called King Kabobs (or something similar)…and my friend ordered a plate of their Kababs to take home for me. I must admit, King Kabobs’ were better but spicier than Shaheen’s. So if you really want seekh kababs go there instead… but everything else at Shaheen is absolutely amazing.
this restaurant is also the ONLY place that i eat Kheer (rice pudding). I have no clue how they make it (i’d love the recipe), but its rich and thick with pistachios! not the usual liquidy stuff that most places have. in fact, right before i left nyc to drive home, i came here again just to get a hugggggeeee thing of Kheer for takeout and my friends were kind of stunned. lol.
the only thing i havent tried much of is the Mithai (the veryyy sweet ethnic desserts) but i’ve heard they’re good too. i did try the Ras-​Malai, Ladoos and Falooda and those were very delicious. I typically dont like Falooda either, but Shaheen’s is good. i would love to try more mithai and desserts, but by the time im done with dinner, i’m stuffed to the max so no room for mithai. :(
And for you Chai lovers… theirs is supposedly veryyyy good. I hate tea in general (im probably the only Pakistani I know of that does… lol) but some of my friends go crazy over their tea so im sure its good.
the staff is very friendly (mostly Nepali women) and they’re fast with their service (except when there’s a huge waiting line obviously). it’s also very good but cheap food. the staff speak/​understand urdu and hindi so they can cater to the local desis that regularly flock there.
the only thing i hated was their restroom… typical dirty, horrendously filthy Pakistani restroom. i didnt have the guts to use it. i think they need to clean it every half hour or hour… they gets tonz of ‘cheap crowds’ who dont keep up on their hygeine obviously… even in public places (not to be racist, but very typical in pakistan/​india if u’ve ever been to either). it’s absolutely disgusting!
but go for the food… definitely. you wont find any entertainment (except a tv that usually plays sport or islamic channels) and there’s definitely NO GLAMOUR (this isnt a romantic night out kind of place)…but it’s cheap, quick, and GREAT food that will leave you licking your fingers and wishing you had 3 stomachs to eat everything u wanted! :)
so if u were thinking about whether or not, u should try this place… i hope my somewhat detailed descriptions helped. :) go try it… happy eating!
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p. s. i was supposed to come to nyc this weekend but someone bailed out last second and screwed up the plan. im missing a very important work event b/​c of that too… but the thing im MOST UPSET ABOUT… is not being able to go to Shaheen Roti Boti~!!! seriously… my bihari kababs, naan and the kheer is wat i was really looking forward to in nyc. Now… THAT should tell you how good this food is! :D

I came here with my girlfriend looking for a good, cheap, late-​night meal, and we were not disappointed. We ordered the vegetable rice, a chickpea dish (not chana masala), and naan at the counter, and found ourselves a table. The rice and chickpea dishes were $ 5 each, and the naan was $ 1 or so. All were quite good, and the serving sizes were generous.
After we finished, we sat around for another 45 minutes or so, waiting for a friend to arrive, and watched the other patrons enter and dine. It was pretty busy even at midnight (closing time is 5am), and the waitstaff were surprisingly swift and friendly. As we left, I bought a little dessert: a yellowish cube, from behind the counter, which tasted like a cross between halva and a Butterfinger. I think it’s called barfi:
. Not bad, but I preferred the main course.
Recommended. I’ll gladly go back next time I’m in the neighborhood.

I went here with some friends. We ordered the beef biryani, and the chicken makhani with some naan. The biryani was bland, I definitely wouldn’t order it again. BUT, the chicken was delicious. Dipping the naan in it was very rich and filling. I’d definitely go back again just for that dish …

I just started going here due to a recommendation. I have never ventured into eating this style of food but boy do I wish I had before. Amazing prices for such an amazing amount of food. Like mentioned before, The Nan is outstanding and always lava hot out of the oven. You cant touch it for minutes. The boneless chicken kebab is my favorite and the spinach with chicken is a little oily for most Im sure but I think thats how its made. Its great for dipping the nan I didnt care for the beef kebab which was a little too spicy for me and very dry. I also had the lamb chops which were seasoned to perfection and ate them like a dog would chew their bone it was so good. I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars due to the fact that the shaheen, which is the bakery part of the place. I didn’t care for anything there at all. Everything is way too sweet and all taste the same. I know thats the culture and the style and Im sure its great but I just can’t eat the stuff.

I can’t believe no one has written a review about this place! To afraid to go in? I have eaten here at least once a week for the last 8 years or so (at their original location on 21 st in Queens, which is still there) and then this one In Jackson Heights.
It has some of the best and cheapest Indian/​Pakistani food in Jackson Heights. Nothing fancy and not catering to the American palate in any way. It caters to the large Indian/​Pakistani community in NYC and surrounding areas. I know the atmosphere is lacking but the food is full of flavor. A must is the Nan of coarse. for $ 1.00. Hot and yummy. another winner is the boneless chicken kabob and the ground Chicken kabob (seik kabob) So delicious and all cooked in the Tandoor oven and not too spicy. They are famous for their cholay (chickpea curry) and their spinach w/​aloo or chicken is always good although may be a little oily for some (even though that is the proper way to serve it) Their lamb curry is usually very good as well. Make sure to have some milk tea before leaving. The staff is really very nice… push your way past all the patrons standing at the counter, and order from there. Pick your seat and they will bring everything to the table… you can pay at the counter or ask the food runner to bring the check. Pay when you are finished.
If you are into real Indian/​Pakistani food, you should go. You will be happy about the prices, the portions and the delicious Kabobs. I should also mention the spicy beef Kabob (Bihari) for people that like it hot… They also have good samosas (although i would order that last and go for the tandoor items. there are few Indian restaurants that serve bad samosa’s) and amazing Chicken Kofta curry (ground chicken meatball curry) You will wonder why you didn’t venture in sooner! Trust me on this one all you lovers of Indian food.
I should note that at the time of this review, the owners had a falling out and split. the 2^nd owner opened up a Roti Boti directly across the street. so there are 2 roti boti restaurants on Broadway. You want the Shaheen Roti Boti on your right side (next to Bank parking lot) as you are heading away from the Indian Shopping area. It is a white building and only one level. The other Roti Boti has 2 levels. The owners are fighting over the name so for now, there are 2 Roti Boti’s directly across from each other.
¹¹⁄₀₇ update… I tried the 2 story Roti Boti. and although, i did see the other owner and he was happy to see us in his Roti Boti, I have to say the service was terrible, the food undercooked and I will not be back. When in Jackson Heights, I will stick w/​the Shaheen Roti Boti that I wrote the review on.