Shalimar is the most famous of the Tenderloin's cheap Pakistani-Indian restaurants, a no-frills, cash-friendly canteen on Jones Street where the food vastly outclasses the surroundings. The tandoor turns out smoky chicken tikka, seekh kebabs, and fresh naan; the curries and biryanis are rich and generous, and the bill is tiny. It is the kind of place taxi drivers and in-the-know locals have eaten at for years, and it stays open late.
Do not come for the décor or the service — order at the counter, find a plastic chair, and expect bright lights and a queue at peak times. The reward is some of the best-value cooking in San Francisco. It is the standard-bearer for a small cluster of similar halal kitchens on these blocks, and a genuine Tenderloin institution.