Authentic flavours
Customers describe the food as fresh, rich and authentically Pakistani or Punjabi, with biryani and curries among the reliable choices.
Pak Punjab Restaurant
Al Barsha
Pak Punjab Restaurant is a Pakistani and Indian restaurant in Al Barsha, with a menu that customers return to for dishes such as nihari and parathas. Reviews describe authentic Punjabi flavours, generous portions and affordable everyday meals, though service and dining conditions can vary.
Reputation Score
4.1
★★★★☆
450 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Nihari standout
Nihari is repeatedly praised, including one review mentioning tender meat and rich flavour.
Breakfast favourite
Paratha, tea and achar with nihari are described as satisfying choices for regular breakfast or daily dining.
Quick service
Several diners report fast food delivery and short serving times when service runs smoothly.
Family section
A group of friends noted that the small restaurant has a separate family section.
Reasonable prices
Some customers consider the desi food economical and the prices reasonable for Dubai.
What to Eat at Pak Punjab Restaurant How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Pak Punjab Restaurant, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at Pak Punjab Restaurant got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 1
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Nihari Net +3
“Amazing Nihari with incredibly tender meat and rich flavor.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Amazing Nihari with incredibly tender meat and rich flavor.”May 2026
“Had the Nihari here, it was amazing must have especially if you’re a fan of Abdul Tayubs service”May 2026
Honorable mentions (11)
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Achar Net +1
“Pak Punjab, in my opinion, is a very good restaurant for daily dining. I mostly enjoy their paratha, tea, and achar with nihari, which are always satisfying. The staff is also very humble and polite, which makes the experience even better.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Pak Punjab, in my opinion, is a very good restaurant for daily dining. I mostly enjoy their paratha, tea, and achar with nihari, which are always satisfying. The staff is also very humble and polite, which makes the experience even better.”May 2026
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Beef paya Net +1
“I was trying there beef paya and sada paratha it was so ymmy and fresh the whole staff was so good and so kind love it all talabatrider I will suggest you this restaurant for breakfast thnku...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I was trying there beef paya and sada paratha it was so ymmy and fresh the whole staff was so good and so kind love it all talabatrider I will suggest you this restaurant for breakfast thnku...”April 2026
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Biryani Net +1
“Tried many dishes and all are delicious and fresh pure authentic Pakistani taste specially biryani only sitting area needs to be upgraded”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Tried many dishes and all are delicious and fresh pure authentic Pakistani taste specially biryani only sitting area needs to be upgraded”April 2026
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Chana Net +1
“Pak Punjab Restaurant serves truly delicious food! Their chana is full of flavor and the kheer is super creamy and satisfying. Highly recommend for anyone craving authentic Punjabi taste—definitely a must-try spot! 😋”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Pak Punjab Restaurant serves truly delicious food! Their chana is full of flavor and the kheer is super creamy and satisfying. Highly recommend for anyone craving authentic Punjabi taste—definitely a must-try spot! 😋”June 2025
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Chicken peshawari Net +1
“Authentic Pakistani/indian food and properly made with rich taste.prices are very reasonable. Must try their chicken Peshawari freshly cooked. They improved alot in recent months.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Authentic Pakistani/indian food and properly made with rich taste.prices are very reasonable. Must try their chicken Peshawari freshly cooked. They improved alot in recent months.”April 2026
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Chicken tikka biryani Net +1
“I had a great experience at Pak Punjab Restaurant. The chicken tikka biryani was amazing—full of flavor and perfectly spiced. Service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable. Definitely recommend it if you’re craving authentic Pakistani food.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had a great experience at Pak Punjab Restaurant. The chicken tikka biryani was amazing—full of flavor and perfectly spiced. Service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable. Definitely recommend it if you’re craving authentic Pakistani food.”January 2025
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Karahi Net +1
“Amir bhai, we had an amazing experience at Pak Punjab Restaurant! The keema was full of flavor, the karahi was perfectly cooked and rich in taste, and the sweets were absolutely delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Amir bhai, we had an amazing experience at Pak Punjab Restaurant! The keema was full of flavor, the karahi was perfectly cooked and rich in taste, and the sweets were absolutely delicious.”May 2026
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Keema Net +1
“Amir bhai, we had an amazing experience at Pak Punjab Restaurant! The keema was full of flavor, the karahi was perfectly cooked and rich in taste, and the sweets were absolutely delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Amir bhai, we had an amazing experience at Pak Punjab Restaurant! The keema was full of flavor, the karahi was perfectly cooked and rich in taste, and the sweets were absolutely delicious.”May 2026
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Kheer Net +1
“Pak Punjab Restaurant serves truly delicious food! Their chana is full of flavor and the kheer is super creamy and satisfying. Highly recommend for anyone craving authentic Punjabi taste—definitely a must-try spot! 😋”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Pak Punjab Restaurant serves truly delicious food! Their chana is full of flavor and the kheer is super creamy and satisfying. Highly recommend for anyone craving authentic Punjabi taste—definitely a must-try spot! 😋”June 2025
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Paratha Net +1
“Pak Punjab, in my opinion, is a very good restaurant for daily dining. I mostly enjoy their paratha, tea, and achar with nihari, which are always satisfying. The staff is also very humble and polite, which makes the experience even better.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Pak Punjab, in my opinion, is a very good restaurant for daily dining. I mostly enjoy their paratha, tea, and achar with nihari, which are always satisfying. The staff is also very humble and polite, which makes the experience even better.”May 2026
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Sada paratha Net +1
“I was trying there beef paya and sada paratha it was so ymmy and fresh the whole staff was so good and so kind love it all talabatrider I will suggest you this restaurant for breakfast thnku...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I was trying there beef paya and sada paratha it was so ymmy and fresh the whole staff was so good and so kind love it all talabatrider I will suggest you this restaurant for breakfast thnku...”April 2026
Drinks 1
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Tea Net +1
“Pak Punjab, in my opinion, is a very good restaurant for daily dining. I mostly enjoy their paratha, tea, and achar with nihari, which are always satisfying. The staff is also very humble and polite, which makes the experience even better.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Pak Punjab, in my opinion, is a very good restaurant for daily dining. I mostly enjoy their paratha, tea, and achar with nihari, which are always satisfying. The staff is also very humble and polite, which makes the experience even better.”May 2026
What to Avoid (4)
Food 4
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Chicken handi Net −1
“I purchased chicken handi and they filled the parcel with 2 pieces of chicken and the remaining was oil in it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I purchased chicken handi and they filled the parcel with 2 pieces of chicken and the remaining was oil in it.”June 2024
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Egg parata Net −1
“I had ordered Egg Parata for breakfast for my Daughter and they had delivered Spicy with hot sauce!”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I had ordered Egg Parata for breakfast for my Daughter and they had delivered Spicy with hot sauce!”March 2026
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Mutton paya Net −1
“Today I tried Mutton Paya, the worst paya of my life, I have eaten it for the first time today, I am a regular customer, there was no taste at all, it seemed as if it was not fully prepared and was given to me.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Today I tried Mutton Paya, the worst paya of my life, I have eaten it for the first time today, I am a regular customer, there was no taste at all, it seemed as if it was not fully prepared and was given to me.”July 2026
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Roti Net −1
“Highly disappointing experience. Late delivery, undercooked roti, and insufficient quantity. What made it worse was the staff’s rude attitude. This is not how customers should be treated.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Highly disappointing experience. Late delivery, undercooked roti, and insufficient quantity. What made it worse was the staff’s rude attitude. This is not how customers should be treated.”April 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Confirm spice. When ordering breakfast or delivery, state the spice level clearly and check it before accepting the food; one egg paratha arrived spicy with hot sauce.
Check deliveries. Inspect takeaway orders on arrival, especially larger ones, because one customer reported four missing main dishes and another item being incorrect.
Allow time. For dine-in, allow extra time during busy periods: one visitor waited 20 minutes before anyone took the order.
Consider takeaway. If you are sensitive to cooking smells, takeaway may be more comfortable than eating inside, where one review reported oil and smoke lingering on clothes.
Request family seating. If visiting with relatives, ask for the family section, while keeping in mind that one family still reported feeling uncomfortable during a visit.
Plan the visit
Practical details
14 Al Barsha 1 - opposite hessa building
Al Barsha First - Al Barsha, Dubai
| Mon | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Tue | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Wed | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Thu | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Fri | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Sat | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Sun | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Order errors
Delivery reviews report missing dishes, wrong substitutions and repeated incorrect orders, including four missing main dishes in one case.
Rude service
Several customers describe dismissive or argumentative responses when raising problems with orders, quantities or extra charges.
Slow seating
One dine-in visit involved a 20-minute wait to place the order, with used dishes left on the table beforehand.
Oil smell
The indoor seating area has been criticised for a strong kitchen-oil and smoke smell that lingers on clothes and the body.
Family discomfort
One family said a staff member stared at them, particularly the women, making them leave sooner than planned.
DXB
LOCAL
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The Bottom Line
Pak Punjab Restaurant in Al Barsha focuses on Pakistani and Indian food, with reviews most enthusiastic about its traditional flavours. Nihari is a strong pick: one diner described the meat as incredibly tender with a rich flavour. Paratha with tea, achar and nihari also gets a mention as a satisfying everyday breakfast, while chicken tikka biryani, keema and karahi are other dishes customers have enjoyed.
The restaurant is small but has a family section, and several reviews describe friendly, attentive service and quick food delivery. Prices are often called reasonable or economical, making it appealing for regular desi meals rather than a formal night out. Some diners also found the food fresh, generous and well prepared.
There are meaningful inconsistencies. Delivery customers report missing or substituted dishes, repeated wrong orders and food arriving too spicy despite requests. Dine-in feedback includes a 20-minute wait to order, tables left with used dishes and a strong oil-and-smoke smell that can cling to clothes.
One family also reported feeling watched by a staff member. Confirm spice preferences, check delivery bags carefully and allow extra time if eating in.