Dera Restaurant

Having a different experience in New York. It’s best for Pakistani, Indian, Bangladesh and Nepali people and the food is also not bad. I will recommend that must visit once to explore the area and enjoy Asian cuisine

I’m writing this from my bathroom floor, praying for the sweet release of death—or at least for the Pepto-Bismol to kick in. If you value your intestinal lining, run far away from this place.<br><br>It started going downhill the second we walked in. The "aroma" that hit us wasn't food; it was a damp, musty rag smell mixed with bleach trying (and failing) to cover up something sour. We should have turned around when we saw the sticky menus. They had a film on them that actually made the paper napkin stick to the surface.<br><br>I ordered the special, and that’s when the nightmare began. The chicken arrived with a texture I can only describe as "tragic." It had that wet, squeaky feeling against my teeth—you know, the kind that tells you it's been sitting under a heat lamp since the previous administration was in office. I took a bite, and it was somehow both dry and slimy. The accompanying gravy had a skin on top that wobbled like a horror movie prop.<br><br>The real kicker was the side salad. I found a long, black hair coiled up in the ranch dressing like a sleeping snake. When I pointed it out to the server, she didn't apologize. She just sighed, looked at it, and said, "Oh, that's not mine, my hair is brown," before snatching the plate away with her thumb in the new dressing.<br><br>I watched her walk to the back and saw the cook through the pass—a guy with a sweat-soaked grey t-shirt, scratching his bare arm (the one not holding the tongs) right over the prep station.<br><br>To top it off, the bathroom was a biohazard. The hand dryer smelled like burning dust and the handle to get out was slick with the essence of every person who didn't wash their hands. I honestly think I got food poisoning just from touching the door.<br><br>If you enjoy living life on the edge, maybe this is the place for you. But if you don't want to spend the night in a cold sweat questioning every life choice that led you to this moment, go somewhere else. Anywhere else. A gas station hot dog would have been safer.

I have been coming to Dera Restaurant in Jackson Heights for many years. It is one of the most well-known South Asian restaurants in the neighborhood, serving Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi food. It has been around for a long time and is a familiar name in the community.<br><br>Over the years, I do feel the overall quality has declined compared to how it used to be. The service is decent but not as attentive or warm as it once was. It is not bad, but it does not feel as consistent as before.<br><br>The last time I visited, I ordered goat paya only. The paya itself was good, but what truly stood out was the naan. That naan honestly reminded me of how amazing this place used to be. It was perfectly made. The size was just right. There was no extra flour on it. The texture was soft with a slight crisp on the edges. The sesame seeds were evenly placed and added great flavor. It was fresh, well cooked, and very satisfying. Easily one of the best naans I have had in a while.<br><br>They offer plenty of variety overall, including curries, grilled items, rice dishes, and sweets displayed at the counter. Vegetarian options are available, though it is not ideal for strict vegetarians. If you ask the staff, they will guide you on what can be ordered without meat.<br><br>Parking remains one of the biggest challenges. There is no dedicated lot anymore. Street parking in that area is extremely difficult, and most options are paid. It can take time and patience to find a spot.<br><br>Overall, it is still an okay place with some strong dishes and good variety. It just does not feel like the same restaurant it once was, though that naan was definitely a highlight.

No frills icon in Jackson Heights, Queens. Pulled up here on a whim and it did not disappoint.<br><br>We ordered the aloo baingan (potato + eggplant), beef nihari, chicken tikka (not pictured) and plain naan. All dishes were cooked to perfection and spice level was very tolerable, didn’t light your mouth on fire. Complimentary raita (yogurt) and salad were a nice touch.<br><br>For dessert we tried their falooda (ice cream + noodles + basil seeds + rose syrup). Ice cream portion was good, the rest was not. Would not get again. Chai was also pretty mediocre. Skip dessert and tea and focus on the food.<br><br>Overall: 7/10

Great place for some Indian/Pakistani food. The staff was very hardworking & attentive. Our waitress explained the menu to us & what was or wasn't available at the time of our visit.<br><br>Nice & clean atmosphere. The restaurant is pretty big & open so you're not squished to the table next to you. We got a variety of dishes & they were all delicious.<br><br>We had samosa chaat, shami kabab, bhindi masala, chicken malai boti, chicken seekh kabab, chicken tikka masala, plain naan & muli paratha. Everything was hot & tasty. We also had their milk chai which was also pretty good. I highly recommend this restaurant.

OMG Rated, Asli desee Palistani food !<br>It is Not just the amazing food here<br>but I do want to mention is the desee restaurant Mahole / pakistani style restaueant experience.<br>The desee ambiance add a lovely value to the meal.<br>When you eat here, the sights, the sounds, desee food aroma and the whole experience.<br>All together it is simply amazing.<br>I ordered goat paya and haleem.<br>Paya was mine favorite. Simply sticky juicy and delicious with just perfect mix of spices.<br>Highly Highly Highly Recimended !!!

The lamb chop was very old, extremely crispy, and dry, so it was not good. We were disappointed with that dish. However, everything else was good, and the rest of the food and service were fine. Overall, we were not happy with the lamb chop, but everything else was okay.

If I could give Dera more than 5 stars, I would. We first fell in love with the place when having their chicken karahi and the reshmi kebab (our kids loved them so much too).<br><br>Next, I put in a large catering order with Touqeer Sahib (who is a pleasure to work with!). We ordered haleem, goat pula'o, samosas, reshimi kebab, chicken kebab, naans, mithai, etc. and the experience could not have been better. The taste (esp the haleem) was outstanding and the food was packaged so professionally. It was easy to transport. I had asked Touqeer Sahib for less spice, and the level was just perfect. Our desi and non desi friends alike were raving about the food.<br><br>Thank you guys for a wonderful meal and service! We will be back again.

This would be my best spot just to eat food, absolutely real food served with reasonable price everything. Much larger place to dine in. 🥗 🔥

Dera is my go-to spot in Jackson Heights for me. Their Bihari kabab is an absolute must-try—the beef is incredibly soft, flavorful, and truly delicious.<br>While the paya was okay, the Bihari kabab is the star of the show. It takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare, but it's well worth the wait. You can tell they take their time with the marination and cooking, which makes all the difference. I hope they never change their recipe; it’s perfect just the way it is. If you’re looking for a genuinely great Bihari kabab, this is the place to get it.

We kept the menu simple: paya, daal mash, and naan, since we had already eaten earlier in the evening. The food was tasty—especially the paya, which was full of flavor. But the cleanliness was disappointing. The place was crowded, hot, and felt suffocating. The restroom was for customers only, but even then, it wasn’t clean—which really shouldn’t be the case.<br><br>⭐ Food: 8/10<br>🧼 Cleanliness: 3/10<br>📍 Crowded, hot atmosphere<br>💭 Great taste, but hygiene needs serious improvement.

Very tasty food, ok ambience, helpful staff. It does get pretty busy during weekends/evenings but there's plenty of seating.<br><br>The food was served promptly and was really delicious.<br><br>I recommend you get the chicken, palak, channa masala dishes. Naans are pretty big. Raita was pretty good too.<br><br>We did not like the bhindi masala and chicken kebab that much but they were ok.<br><br>Most of the dishes and naan are pretty oily.

This is an old school OG Pakistani restaurant in NY. Been going here for years, HUGE selection of authentic and good Pakistani food. They have anything you can think of, curries, kebabs, rices, Nihari, piya, daals, biryani, pulao, keema, haleem, all types of naans, rotis & paratha and every type of sweets you can think of. Large seating area. Prices have gone up over the years but still worth it.

First of all I ordered garlic naan but looks like I got regular naan no garlic and no cilantro at all. Secondly inside atmosphere wasn’t good at all . They left the outside door open all time inside got really cold because of that. Customer service not good at all . And finally my butter chicken there wasn’t enough chicken at all just curry 👎

Everything looks and tastes like it has been sitting out all day and had been reheated (and not even reheated well because it’s still semi-cold). None of the food tastes fresh, it’s all stale, dry, and cold.<br><br>The Aloo Tikka and Beef Shami Kebab both visually look like they were frozen and reheated and they taste that way as well.<br><br>The Vegetable Samosa and Chapli Kabab were hard and dry.<br><br>The Chicken Seekh Kabab tasted okay, it was just too oily.<br><br>And the Chicken Biryani and Pulao was also okay, but the chicken was dry (though a large portion of chicken).<br><br>Maybe the food is better if you dine in, but as a delivery option, I wouldn’t recommend it.