Zara's Restaurant

4.0

7 Reviews

$31 to $50

Pakistani

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 1 time today

About this restaurant

Vegetarian-friendly
Charming
Neighborhood gem

Zara’s Restaurant has been a dream of mine since I moved to the United States in 1983 with my husband. As a Pakistani who married into a Kashmiri family, my passion for cooking has always been rooted in quality, community, and tradition. After working in the restaurant business for over 30 years, I decided to pursue my dream of bringing a taste of home to the U.S.

Zara’s Restaurant is an authentic and unique Pakistani cuisine in an elegant setting that offers rich savory flavors, clay oven cooking, and a colorful assortment of spices. Our barbecued chicken, kabobs, and lamb are delicately marinated and cooked over a flame, creating a taste that cannot be found in an ordinary kitchen.

I named Zara’s Restaurant after my first granddaughter, and you can trust that we serve our food with love and pride. We invite you to join us for a memorable dining experience.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Pakistani, Barbecue, Indian
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri–Sun 11:00 am–11:00 pm
Phone number
(609) 689-9272
Website
http://www.zarasus.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Catering
We can cater weddings, parties, and any other event. Please provide us at least 2 weeks notice, but if you need something right away, please let us know and we'll do our best.
Private party facilities
Birthdays, Meetings, Weddings, Eid, and any other special event. We have 1 private dining room for up to 30 guests and our semi private dining room for up to 80 guests. You can rent the entire restaurant for 230 guests.

Location
540 Lawrence Square Blvd S, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648-2674
Neighborhood
Princeton
Cross street
Quakerbridge rd and Lawrence Square Blvd
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Banquet, BYO Liquor, BYO Wine, Delivery, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access

Gol Gapay or Dahee Puree$7.00
Hollow, crispy-fried puffed ball that is filled with potato, chickpeas, onions, spices, and flavored water or yogurt.
Vegetable Pakora$7.00
Deep fried fritters made with graham flour, spices, onion and potatoes.
2 Vegetable Samosas$6.00
Deep-fried pastry with spiced potatoes, onions, and peas.
2 Chicken Samosas$8.00
Lahori Fish$15.00
Deep-fried spiced and breaded fish fingers that bring the authentic street food that started in Lahore to your plate.
Aloo Papri Chaat$7.00
Chickpeas, potatoes, chutney, yogurt with coriander.
6 Crazy Wings$10.00
6 spiced chicken wings fried to perfection.
12 Crazy Wings$19.00
Samosa Chaat$7.00
Vegetable samosa with chickpea curry, spices and chutneys.
Dahee Bhalay$7.00
Lentil fritter in yogurt, topped with some sweet and spicy chutney and spice.
Masala Fries$7.00
French Fries with a Pakistani twist that adds garlic, chili and chaat masala.
Paneer Tikka$10.00
Cheese Cubes cooked in Tikka spices.

Bread and Naan

Plain Naan$3.00
A soft flatbread baked in a clay oven.
Onion or Garlic Naan$4.00
Naan baked with Onion or Garlic.
Tandoori Roti$3.00
Soft wheat flatbread baked in clay oven.
Tawa Roti$2.00
Crispy thin flatbread.
Chicken Keema Naan$5.00
Naan stuffed w/ chicken and spices.
Beef Keema Naan$5.00
Naan stuffed w/ beef and spices.
Sesame Kulcha$4.00
Sesame seed flatbread made with refined white flour baked in clay oven.

Salad

Garden Salad$8.00
Cucumber, onion, tomatoes, lettuce and carrot ribbons.
Channa Salad$8.00
Lettuce tossed with special dressing and chick peas, diced onions and diced tomatoes.
Grilled Chicken Salad$10.00
Sliced grilled chicken with a blend of fresh lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes.

Rice

Basmati Rice$6.00
Traditionally cooked white basmati rice.
Muttor (Green Pea) Rice$9.00
Vegetable Biryani$13.00
Basmati rice cooked with stir fried vegetables in a tomato sauce curry.
Chicken Biryani$20.00
Biryani with marinated spicy chicken.
Goat Biryani$25.00
Biryani with marinated spicy goat.

Land and Sea

Chicken Karahi$35.00
Lahore style chicken in herbs, spices, onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
1/2 Chicken Karahi$20.00
Chicken Shinwari Karahi$35.00
Peshawari style chicken fried in ghee with salt, black pepper and tomatoes.
Chicken Charsi Karahi$35.00
Chicken karahi with dry masala.
Mutton Karahi$40.00
1/2 Mutton Karahi$25.00
Butter Chicken$20.00
Tikka masala chicken in a rich buttery and creamy tomato sauce.
Grilled Fish$17.00
Herb and spiced grilled fish.
Fish Fry$15.00
Fried Swai fillets with herbs and spices.
Shrimp Fry$20.00
Shrimp Tandoori$20.00
Grilled tandoori spiced shrimp.
Goat Paya$20.00
Spicy curry stew with goat trotters.
Beef Paya$20.00

Handi

Chicken Haleem$18.00
Slow cooked chicken stew with seven lentils and spices.
Beef Haleem$20.00
Chicken Korma$20.00
Traditional mughlai bone-in chicken curry seasoned blend of spices.
Aloo Gosht$20.00
Punjabi style mutton cooked with potatoes and a blend of aromatic spices.
Palak Gosht$24.00
Punjabi style mutton cooked with spinach and a blend of aromatic spices.
Chicken Tikka Masala$20.00
Rosted chicken in spicy tikka sauce.
Chicken Achari$20.00
Chicken breast cubes marinated in pickled spices.
Goat Achari$24.00
Goat marinated in pickled spices and covered in curry.
Goat Korma$22.00
Goat marinated in spices and cooked in curry.

Vegetarian

Paneer Masala$14.00
Roasted paneer in spicy curry.
Bhindi Masala$15.00
Okra in spicy curry.
Palak or Muttar Paneer$15.00
Spinach or Green Peas with paneer in curry seasoned blend of spices.
Lahori Chana$13.00
Chickpeas in a special spiced sauce.
Daal Makhani$14.00
Well cooked curry in creamy sauce.
Yellow Daal$13.00
Daal cooked with cumin and peppers.
Kardi Pakora$14.00
Pakora, cooked in a spiced hater with onions.
Mixed Vegetables$14.00
Potatoes and Cauliflower with spices.
Chole Bathure$16.00
Fried bread w/ chana masala and puri.
Baingan Bharta$15.00
Roasted eggplant.
Gajar Salbi$13.00

Paratha

Aloo or Gobi Paratha$7.00
Potato or cauliflower stuffed bread.
Lachha Paratha$5.00
Thick layered flatbread.
Chicken Keema Paratha$7.00
Beef Keema Paratha$7.00
Nutella Paratha$5.00

Rolls

Beef Bihari Roll$10.00
Naan or paratha with vegetables.
Chicken Tikka Roll$10.00
Naan or paratha with vegetables.
Chicken Tikka Cheese$10.00
Naan or paratha w/ vegetables and cheese.
Chicken Tikka Chutney$10.00
Naan or paratha w/ vegetables and chutney.
Chicken Seekh Kebab$10.00
Chicken seekh in naan with vegetables.
Extra Kebab or Bread$3.00

BBQ & Grill

Chicken Cheese Kababs$25.00
Chicken kababs mildly spiced roasted on skewers with a layer of cheese.
Chicken Seekh Kababs$20.00
Roasted with herbs and spices.
Chicken Chapli Kababs$20.00
Grilled chicken patties over charcoal.
Chicken Bihari Kababs$25.00
Grilled chicken thigh marinated in yogurt and spices.
Beef Bihari$25.00
Chicken Malai Kababs$20.00
Chicken marinated in a juicy mixture of curd, cream, cashew nuts, and spices.
Beef Seekh Kababs$22.00
Roasted with herbs and spices.
Beef Chapali Kababs$22.00
Grilled beef patties over charcoal.
Shami Kabab$20.00
Meat and lentil kabab patty.
Chicken Tikka$20.00
Boneless chicken marinated and cooked over charcoal.
Bone-in Chicken Tikka$24.00
Lamb Seekh Kababs$25.00
Roasted with herbs and spices.
Beef Chapali Kababs$22.00
Grilled beef patties over charcoal.
Lamb Chapali Kababs$25.00
Lamb Chops$30.00
Grilled lamb chops mildly spiced.

Zara's Specials

Zara's Mix Grill$100.00
4 beef kababs, 6 chicken kababs, 8 tandoor shrimp, 4 lamb chops, 1 fish fry
Chicken - Small$30.00
2 chapali kababs, 2 seekh kababs, 4 chicken boti and 6 malai kababs
Chicken - Medium$45.00
2 chapali kababs, 2 chicken kababs, 6 chicken boti and 8 malai kababs
Chicken - Large$80.00
3 chapali kababs, 4 chicken kababs, 8 chicken boti and 12 malai kababs
Beef - Small$35.00
2 beef kababs, 2 beef chapali, 4 beef bihari kababs
Beef - Medium$50.00
3 beef kababs, 5 beef chapali, 6 beef bihari kababs
Beef - Large$90.00
6 beef kababs, 6 beef chapali, 8 beef bihari kababs
Zara's Lahori Charga$30.00
Whole roasted chicken served with spicy rice.
Lamb - Small$35.00
2 lamb kababs, 2 lamb chapali, 4 lamb boti, 2 lamb chops.
Lamb - Medium$50.00
3 lamb kababs, 5 lamb chapli, 6 lamb boti, 3 lamb chops.
Lamb - Large$100.00
3 lamb kababs, 8 lamb chapli, 8 lamb boti, 4 lamb chops.

Drinks

Lassi$5.00
Yogurt based smoothie beverage
Mango Lassi$6.50
Mint Margarita$5.00
Margarita with lime, mint and sprite.
Murree Brewery Malt$3.50
Your choice pomegranate, lychee and peach flavored malt beverage
Pina Colada$5.00
Bottled Water$2.00
Pepsi$2.00
Diet Pepsi$2.00
Sierra Mist$2.00
Mountain Dew$2.00
Soda cans$2.50
Lemonade$2.00

Chai and Coffee

Coffee$3.00
Coffee black or with cream and sugar.
Masala Chai$4.00
Black tea brewed in milk and sweetened with sugar and spices.
Karak Chai$3.00
Less spiced than Masala Chai.
Kashmiri Chai$4.00
Green tea mixed with milk, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to make it pink.
Doodh Pati Chai$3.00
Tea steeped in milk.

Everyday Specials

Chicken Nihari$18.00
Spicy flour-based chicken stew made with onion, yogurt, ginger, garlic.
Beef Nihari$20.00
Bun Kabob$5.00
Chicken Corn Soup$6.00
Halwa Puree$15.00
Puree$3.00

Dessert

Kheer$6.50
Basmati rice pudding with sugar, milk and cardamom.
Ras Malai$6.00
Cottage cheese balls soaked in cream, topped with cardamom.
Gulab Jaman$5.00
Fried milk and flour dough coated in syrup.
Sooji Halwa$5.00
Pudding made from semolina, ghee, and sugar.
Gajar Halwa$5.00
Pudding made from nuts, milk, sugar and ghee with grated carrots.
Falooda$10.00
Ice cream dessert made with vermicelli, jelly, rose syrup, sabja seeds and milk.
Kulfi$3.00
Dense and creamy ice cream on a popsicle stick.
Paan$2.50
Assorted jams, fruits or topping rolled in a betel leaf.

Kids Menu

Chicken Sandwich$9.00
Chicken Nuggets$6.00
French Fries$5.00
Bun Kabab$5.00

What 7 people are saying

Zara's Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0

4 based on all time ratings

4.2Food
3.9Service
4.5Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

7 Reviews

K
Karen
Maine3 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Zara’s exceeds expectations. This spacious, welcoming neighborhood restaurant delivers every excellence every time. Our dinner with another couple who tried Zara’s for the first time was simply delicious. Our friends took seconds and even thirds it was all so good. The menu options are many and they can adjust the degree of space to taste. We look forward to our return.
Is this helpful?
I
Irum
New Jersey1 review
5.0
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing service and welcome. Very delicious food. Ambiance is very attractive. The owners takes an extra step to make sure all her guests are happy. The servers are very attentive and friendly. We went for dinner with 11 people on Saturday and it was a very pleasant experience. We returned for Brunch on Sunday!! Will be our “GO TO PLACE” from now on :)
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R
Randolph VIP
Philadelphia37 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 7, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was delicious. The service was excellent. A lot of the interior decorations was left over from the previous restaurant (Palace of Asia). All in all, a very enjoyable dinner.
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P
Party11
Philadelphia1 review
3.0
Dined on March 9, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
We enjoyed the food. But it took 3.5 hours for dinner which is way too long. They need more hired help. Food was ala carte and pricey. With some improvements as suggested would be great.
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SA
SavoryAl VIP
Philadelphia55 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 14, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
The ambiance is eclectic, the food was full of flavor and it was delicious.
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NA
NinaA
New York City3 reviews
2.0
Dined on May 14, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
Service was turtle pace. The owner was pleasant and tried to rectify an issue we had with a dish. Food was very mediocre. The ambience was probably the nicest Pakistani restaurant in NJ. Not worth going again.
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WD
WineandDine
New York City1248 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 29, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I had a very good meal here of a couple of vegetarian courses with the tandoori roti. I asked for medium spicy which I believe brought out the wonderful flavours of the food. The owners, Zara’s grandparents, told me they had been opened only 3 weeks at this point. I shall look forward to experiencing some of their other recipes in the future.
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FAQs

Zara's Restaurant offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Zara's Restaurant also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (609) 689-9272.

Zara's Restaurant is rated 4 stars by 7 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 1 time today

Order delivery or takeout

540 Lawrence Square Blvd S, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648-2674

Additional information

Cross street
Quakerbridge rd and Lawrence Square Blvd
Neighborhood
Princeton
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri–Sun 11:00 am–11:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Pakistani, Barbecue, Indian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, BYO Liquor, BYO Wine, Delivery, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access

Website
http://www.zarasus.com/
Phone number
(609) 689-9272
Catering
We can cater weddings, parties, and any other event. Please provide us at least 2 weeks notice, but if you need something right away, please let us know and we'll do our best.
Private party facilities
Birthdays, Meetings, Weddings, Eid, and any other special event. We have 1 private dining room for up to 30 guests and our semi private dining room for up to 80 guests. You can rent the entire restaurant for 230 guests.

Zara's Restaurant

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Appetizers

Gol Gapay or Dahee Puree$7.00

Vegetable Pakora$7.00

2 Vegetable Samosas$6.00

2 Chicken Samosas$8.00

Lahori Fish$15.00

Aloo Papri Chaat$7.00

6 Crazy Wings$10.00

12 Crazy Wings$19.00

Samosa Chaat$7.00

Dahee Bhalay$7.00

Masala Fries$7.00

Paneer Tikka$10.00

Bread and Naan

Plain Naan$3.00

Onion or Garlic Naan$4.00

Tandoori Roti$3.00

Tawa Roti$2.00

Chicken Keema Naan$5.00

Beef Keema Naan$5.00

Sesame Kulcha$4.00

Salad

Garden Salad$8.00

Channa Salad$8.00

Grilled Chicken Salad$10.00

Rice

Basmati Rice$6.00

Muttor (Green Pea) Rice$9.00

Vegetable Biryani$13.00

Chicken Biryani$20.00

Goat Biryani$25.00

Land and Sea

Chicken Karahi$35.00

1/2 Chicken Karahi$20.00

Chicken Shinwari Karahi$35.00

Chicken Charsi Karahi$35.00

Mutton Karahi$40.00

1/2 Mutton Karahi$25.00

Butter Chicken$20.00

Grilled Fish$17.00

Fish Fry$15.00

Shrimp Fry$20.00

Shrimp Tandoori$20.00

Goat Paya$20.00

Beef Paya$20.00

Handi

Chicken Haleem$18.00

Beef Haleem$20.00

Chicken Korma$20.00

Aloo Gosht$20.00

Palak Gosht$24.00

Chicken Tikka Masala$20.00

Chicken Achari$20.00

Goat Achari$24.00

Goat Korma$22.00

Vegetarian

Paneer Masala$14.00

Bhindi Masala$15.00

Palak or Muttar Paneer$15.00

Lahori Chana$13.00

Daal Makhani$14.00

Yellow Daal$13.00

Kardi Pakora$14.00

Mixed Vegetables$14.00

Chole Bathure$16.00

Baingan Bharta$15.00

Gajar Salbi$13.00

Paratha

Aloo or Gobi Paratha$7.00

Lachha Paratha$5.00

Chicken Keema Paratha$7.00

Beef Keema Paratha$7.00

Nutella Paratha$5.00

Rolls

Beef Bihari Roll$10.00