Shalimar (I)

Deep in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin district, you can find dozens of Halal restaurants within a few blocks radius. Each one of these looks to Shalimar as the one that started it all. It's the reason they refer to this area as the "Tandoor-loin". But despite the proliferation of higher-quality restaurants and their varied styles (everything from Thai to Brazilian and everything in between, this institution keeps packing them in. It's still the favorite of Muslim cabbies everywhere, and intrepid lunchers from Market Street drag their work colleagues here to see how much heat they can stand. Fresh tandoori chicken & naan is doled out by the bagful (most people carry out rather than find a seat in this crowded place), and despite the volume the food still carries high marks.