My wife and I were on our way from Orlando to ATL. Yelp had good reviews about this place, so decided to stop by. It appears that the good reviews were done by people who are of non-indian origin, no pun intended. Being an Indian myself, I can rate this only a 1 or 2 star. We tried the lunch buffet at 9.99. The place was crowded which is good for them. We were the only south Asians at the time, rest were white and Asians. From seeing the crowd and tasting the food, I can say that the food is cooked to appeal their palette. I will not suggest anyone with appetite for hot and spicy food to eat at this place. The only food items that I liked were the fluffy naan and the fried zucchini. Chilly chicken was too sweet, similar to Asian food, not Indian for sure. Chicken curry was so-so. Aloo mutter, aloo chole, veg curry and tandoori chicken were just okay. Gulab jamun was the only dessert, which was okay. My final verdict - this place can be appealing for ppl with soft palette and those who don't want to try spicy and authentic Indian food. Lunch buffet was not authentic Indian food. I suggest Indians, south Asians and others craving for spicy food to try elsewhere. Giving 2 star cos of fluffy naan and the fried zucchini.
(2)
leah s.
My food photos (on foodspotting.com ) taken here, look a lot better than the actual food I ate... unfortunate, but true. Sad Indian food, but sometimes You just gotta have some and Gainesville is limited on options. I'll go back, since I went with my friends from Iran, they like it because it's "close" to their regional food from Tehran, and we enjoy each other's company more than the food. Somebody open a good Indian place in this college town!
(2)
Peter M.
First let me say I loved the food. The mixed Tandoori platter had excellent flavor and enough for two, although I did not get any shrimp as was listed on the menu. Just a heads up if you are going to take the food to go. I had to go there to order since I did not have a menu. There is no hostess stand and the place was so busy that I could not get a waiter to stop to take my order, so I went to my car and called in my order and was told it would be 30 - 45 minutes so I went and ran errands and had to go back. Live and learn on a Friday night! I did see many Indian people eating there so it must be good, right?
(4)
April O.
They're finally open! I came with two friends who weren't familiar with Indian food (at all). One is a pesco-ovo-vegetarian and the other friend doesn't care for the taste or smell of grilled lamb. And yet Indian Cuisine managed us all beautifully. We ate their fluffy naan and ordered Sultani Biryani and Kashmiri Pulao, which made everyone happy. (Except me, because those bums ate all of the shrimp and didn't bother to mention it to me.) Even the mild versions of the food are savory, aromatic and full of tingling, subtle flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed the looks on my guests' faces when my mango lassi came out (radioactive oranges, anyone?), and I got to try ras malai, which I can only describe as a "floral milk dessert." Word to the wise: if your guests don't explicitly ask to try this, don't offer to share. Prices can be expensive, but portions are very large, and two dinner entrees should be more than enough food for 3-4 people. One final note--the restaurant's door is closed and locked promptly at closing time (9 during the week and 10 on weekends), and the kitchen closes 15 minutes before they lock the front door. This is not the place for stragglers.
(4)
Sara B.
I ate here for the first time yesterday and I can't stop talking about it! My boyfriend and I went in and were pleasantly greeted and seated. The staff was very nice and had great suggestions from the menu. We ordered and our food was out very quickly. I was please to see that it wasn't reheated food, either. First bite = heaven. This was the best meal I have had in a LONG time in Gainesville. I got the chicken roganjosh. Ate the leftovers for lunch today and it was just as good, if not better. The entrees are about $14 each but are good portions. Everything was good here. I will definitely be back.
(5)
Emilie Z.
I haven't gone there for dinner so this is just for their lunch buffet. One of my favorite places, I love good Indian food and they really nail it. Wonderful, buttery, fluffy naan, and they always have vegetarian options. I love their lentil soups, very rich and full of flavor. I always leave stuffed and contempt. Wonderful place.
(5)
Kelly R.
5 stars for lunch 3 stars for dinner Lunch buffet is always amazingly clean and delicious. There are clearly labeled signs under the wide variety of food that they keep well stocked. When they run out of naan they bring it around to all the tables and offer it to everyone. The price is reasonable and although i've had to wait for the check for a little bit, it wasn't bad considering there was only 1 waiter doing an excellent job for the whole place Dinner was delicious but very expensive. Lunch has more bang for your buck but both were tasty. If money doesn't matter then i'd go for both :)
(4)
Diana O.
I have loyally followed this place since their humble beginings in the other plaza. They moved to a larger nicer location which only adds to the overall experience. They rock on the Lunch Buffet. If they did a nicer one for dinner I bet you would have to wait to get a table. This is a family place the waiter always remembers what we usually order to drink. It is consistently good. No off days like some places. By far my favorite Indian joint in Gville.
(5)
Amy M.
Now that the Green Mango has opened up, Indian Cuisine cannot keep its position as the best Indian food in Gainesville. That being said, mediocre Indian is yummier to me than the most delicious of other foods, so three stars it is! I found the food to be somewhat salty, a disappointment when the cuisine has so many other amazing spices to offer (cardamom! coriander!). The price was a little high as well. Also, I am partial to South Indian fare and if I remember, this was a strictly Northern menu.
(3)
Alex E.
Straight up awesome Indian food. Very extensive menu, decent service, and the food never dissapoints. Definitely try some stuffed naan or a samosa to start your meal, many times I've considered just ordering two of them and calling it a night :) The atmosphere is lacking, but when you've got great food, who cares?
(4)
Tracey W.
Prices are high for what you get. I've been coming here for years it has always been superb. It has been a year since I was last here so last night we decided to eat here and we were very disappointed. It was busy so service was extremely slow our food was served in segments I ordered a lamb dish it was a plate of rice with 5 pieces of lamb for 15.00 I waited 15 minutes for the yogurt sauce that comes with the dish. The garlic naan was fresh but missing the garlic, the lentil soup was very salty. I am wondering if this is under new ownership...
(2)
Mindy M.
The lunch buffet is surprisingly wonderful -- go early so that you don't have to wait for naan, because after the little restaurant fills up, the kitchen can barely keep up with the insatiable demand for their excellent naan! All the curry dishes I have tried from the regular menu are really first-rate, and I'm a big fan of saag and saag paneer; these are very good here. Everything cooked in the tandoor is awesome. There is great talent in this kitchen! If you don't know anything about Indian food, you should go with a friend who can help you around the big, generous menu. I saw some students eating here once who clearly did not appreciate new flavors very much. They didn't even eat their rice -- outrageous! I love the rice here! Even the plain rice is very good.
(5)
Mark Y.
In Gainesville when you want Indian food there is only one place to go. Indian Cuisine has good food and good service. If your not able to wait till dinner check out there lunch buffet - all you can eat for one low price. While the food can be spicy for some, it is authentic and well worth the price. I have never left feeling I did not get my money's worth. Their chicken tikka and tandoori chicken are my favorites. For vegetarian eaters don't fear there are a variety of choices you you as well. definitely a must try
(4)
-B- -.
Went to this place for lunch again today with a large party (9). We all went with the lunch buffet, which is always spot on. Their aloo was fantastic as was the tandoori and curried chicken dishes. Unlimited naan bread and a mango lhassi just made me happy =).
(4)
lisa d.
The lunch buffet is unbeatable. $7.99 for curries, naan, rice, dessert, raita, chutneys, samosas, various veggie dishes, Tandoori chicken, etc. And the mango lassi, yum!
(5)
Connie C.
I love this place! Food consistency is very important to me and every time I come here I am never disappointed. Start your meal off with a chicken or lamb samosa, YUM! and wash it down with a deliciously cool mango lassi. For entrees I love the tandoori platter (it is a little sampler of all the tandoori items) and also the butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. I also love to order the Naan (chicken is my favorite, but garlic is a close second). I am not that big a fan of the buffet but I think that is because I have a few favorites and I must have those when I go. So if you haven't tried this place yet, please do, you won't regret it!
(5)
Heather S.
Ron K is right, this is the best Indian food in Gainesville, which is not saying much considering we only have two options to choose from in town. The atmosphere could use some work but the buffet makes up for it. There is an Indian market in the same plaza you definitely do not want to miss while you are in the area.
(4)
Ron K.
The best Indian food in Gainesville. Start off with some chicken or lamb somosas. The biriyani (chicken or lamb) is great. Ask for it indian hot if you are not afraid to test the senses a bit. The chicken naan is a personal fav of ours. In terms of entrees, try the chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, vindaloo or for those that like grilled food, get the mixed grill platter from the tandoor. It has lamb shish kabob, lamb sheesh kabob, chicken tikka and tandoori chicken. They bring it sizzling to your table. Now that you mouth is on fire, finish off the night with some kulfi or a sweet mango lassi. What a great meal it will be
(5)
Jonny G.
This place was amazing. I love curry dishes and this place does a great job. They serve everything family style and they serve basmati rice on the side also. We had Goat Curry and Butter Chicken. But don't forget the Naan, cilantro stuffed naan was incredible along with garlic naan. The food was amazing. The people running the front of the house all seem to be from India, and seeing into the kitchen a few times the cooks I saw also looked like they were from India. Everything had a very authentic feel to it. The waiters were all very friendly, attentive, and informative If you want to try Indian food, go here! You will love it
(5)
Mrignayani C.
I am yet to try their lunch buffet but the masala biryaani they serve as a-la-carte is on point! I like the mild version of their masala chicken biryani. Their chicken lollipop is also quite a treat to your pallet! I have seen my friends fight over sips of their Mango Lassi, so I'd suggest you definitely try it once. Disclaimer : it's extremely sweet but totally worth it. It reminds me of Mango candy. None of my friends would trade their mango lassi for any other beverage, but i personally love their regular sweet lassi as well. It has a beautiful cardamom flavor that I'd definitely recommend. The reason a generous reviewer like me is taking away one star from them is because their butter chicken did not live up to our expectations. The chicken pieces were hard and chewy and the gravy was mediocre. The naan although, was soft and perfectly home like.
(4)
Nan T.
The lunch buffet is wonderful...hot and fresh every time! The establishment appears very clean, & the owners are always professional and friendly. Water glasses are refilled timely. Be prepared to be tired after eating; most of the dishes are heavily cream-based. Lots of natives of India visit this restaurant, which is usually quite telling.
(4)
Isabel S.
I came here for the lunch buffet with a group of friends. The food was absolutely delicious. The butter chicken was smooth and spicy, the goat vindaloo was very tender, and the vegetable shahi korma was wonderful. We also had the naan, cabbage pakora and aloo tikki. We had the sweet rice pudding and mixed fruits with a mango sauce for dessert. There was a lot of food (including vegetarian options) and friendly service for a great price ($10.99 on weekdays, $11.99 on weekends). We all left extremely satisfied!
(5)
Brandon A.
And I didn't even like Indian food all that much. So I came here on a whim; I was quite hungry and my options were to either brave a trip down archer road again or to try something new. Boy am I glad I did. The building is sparsely decorated but clean, so no complaints. The wait staff is attentive and competent. But the best part, the real reason I think so highly of this place is the food. The lunch buffet is simply fantastic. Everything pops with flavor. The naan is good, as is the butter chicken and the saag paneer. Those are my absolute favorites. Word of advice though, the lunch buffet menu is differs based on the day. I came in on a Sunday and they didn't have saag paneer or butter chicken and that was sort of upsetting to me. The food in its place was still good, but not my favorite. Overall a great little place. Well worth the price. The only complaint I have is that they don't have unlimited refills on soda, but hey most small places don't so I won't dock a star for that.
(5)
Raquelle R.
Indian food is my favorite along with Thai food so I was very disappointed that the local indian restaurant isn't even decent. They add something strange to the chicken korma that makes it kind of jelly-like rather than creamy. It was lacking in flavor as well. The samosa chaat which is supposed to be exploding with flavor was a bland mess instead. I don't know how a restaurant can even mess samosa chaat up. Not sure why it's getting such great reviews but maybe the bar has been set too low in town. I'll have to keep going to orlando for great Indian food.
(2)
James O.
I feel kind of awkward writing this review, as I'm not overly fond of Indian food to begin with. Mostly because I spent a period of time in Sri Lanka where we would eat a 'fish' curry of sorts for breakfast/lunch and dinner. Every day. I ordered the Lama Korma (see above reason for why), it was fine, just very oily and bland. The meat had a chewy nature, that suggested it hadn't been slow cooked. All in all, it was a mediocre experience, and to be honest if the prices had been more reasonable, I would have probably minded less. I haven't tried many other Indian restaurants in Gainesville, so we will see if this review gets changed from 2 stars or not. But as it stands this would not make it onto my repeat list.
(2)
Isabella F.
This place is a gem in this little town called Gainesville. You would never think this restaurant is so nice just by driving by it. An Indian guy recommended me to go, so that's why I ended up going. This place is really neat; very clean, the decoration is really nice, and the music and lighting are very pleasant. The food is very tasty and not that expensive. Compared to so many Indian restaurants that I've tried, this one has been by far one of the best. Too bad it is so far away from Miami, otherwise I would come here every week for sure. Totally recommended and if you love either the mango lassi or just the plain lassi, you should definitely have it. Delicious!
(5)
Kristie L.
Naan... Amazing! I think I ate 5 pieces alone. I've been to a few Indian restaurants and this one can be added to my list of favorites!!! The lunch buffet had various options and our waiter was awesome! The food very flavorful and fresh. I'd recommend trying this place if your in Gainesville.
(5)
Amanda T.
This place was delicious! We took my father in law here for Father's Day. He's been to India so he compares all Indian restaurants to his time in India. He said it was very delicious. I'd love to come for the lunch buffet because it looked huge. We came for dinner and I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and ate everything that was designated as mine and some more that wasn't. My husbands little brother ordered the Mango Juice and as we all cringed at what it was going to taste like we passed around the cup for another sip. It was delicious and I was enthralled that the walls were the same color as the Mango Juice! Great place!
(4)
Josian L.
This is one of the best restaurants in Gainesville and my personal favorite. The food is bursting with flavor and always fresh. We specially like their Saturday buffet, but their regular dinning is excellent too. Their staff is attentive and always very amicable.
(5)
Powder W.
Good Heavens, stopped in here on a whim - DELICIOUS! Although be warned the Madras Med is an average Hot! Start with med the first time and you won't go wrong. We will be back.
(5)
Chlo L.
Not coming back... Especially with Aandaz close by. The quality and flavors were disappointing. I'm really surprised that this place has better ratings than Aandaz.
(2)
Michael R.
Went to this place years ago and wasn't too impressed. Recently went with a friend to try the lunch buffet and was very surprised at how much better it had gotten. There's a decent spread of food without spreading it too thin (stuff is clearly out fresh) and they do a good job of keeping the naan tray full. But the reason I give this 5 stars is for their dinner, which I tried for the first time last night. I had the lamb korma and thought it was just fantastic. Creamy and nutty with a little heat (medium probably wasn't enough for me), very good and actually worth the price. If you want to eat a nice dinner and don't mind paying a bit (well, regular Indian food prices, which are a bit much imo) then this place is great.
(5)
Maris D.
The Paneer was very good as was the naan and the tandoori but my curry chicken was lacking flavor, the rice pudding was probably the worst I've had. The staff was very friendly. It's a shame. I was really hoping for more.
(3)
Sanyogita R.
I have been to this place multiple times, mostly had buffet. Overall good food. Their Saag Paneer is ultimate. Do not go for their Masala Biryanis, they put so much masala that it spoils the actual taste. Instead, have medium spicy biryanis. Ambiance is good even for special occasion treats.
(3)
Marina M.
My favorite restaurant in Gainesville! The butter chicken is amazing every time and the naan is equally as good! The prices are a little on the higher end but completely worth it, and by no means "expensive." Plus, the portions are generous and I always have leftovers for the next day. I definitely recommend!
(5)
Sara K.
I was really excited to find a good Indian restaurant in Gainesville after reading previous Yelp reviews, but I left Indian Cuisine pretty disappointed. I had garlic naan, vegetable samosas, and chicken tikka masala. Everything was bland and not at all exciting. Service was good and attentive but sadly that will not bring me back here.
(2)
Darshan P.
Actually really good for indian food! I recommend the buffet which offer reasonable prices and is pretty popular in Gainesville. They offer enough vegetarian and meat options. They also have a glass countertop on the tables - HUGE because indian food can get messy and with white table cloths, it gets unappetizing to continue eating while your staring at the destruction you have made.
(4)
Adrienne W.
Another night in Gainesville, and my friends and I decided to hit up this Indian restaurant, because we had found a nice one in Ocala last time. We had an eggplant curry of some sort, which was DELICIOUS, a paneer dumpling dish and a paneer makhanala. The paneer dumpling dish had a great butter tomato sauce but I felt that it was maybe too filling (thank goodness we shared everything!). It was, however, quite delicious. The paneer makhanala was okay but it wasn't anything special. I think I'd probably get another paneer dish next time - maybe stick to a saag paneer or something or a paneer tikka masala. Service was overall good and the server was polite and made sure we always had enough water and made sure our food was okay. I'd like to give this place another chance to see if they can earn my full 4 stars. Will be back a while later.
(3)
Felipe L.
Horrible restaurant. I've been there multiple times in the hopes of liking it, but the food is just horrible, plus they don't enough vegetarian options in the buffet,
(2)
Samantha F.
*NOTE* I wish we had ratings for overall and ratings for "for the area." Gainesville has a serious lack of Indian food. We go here when we simply can't take the Indian-emptiness in our stomachs, but we don't go because we crave their food in particular. So, while it fulfills the need for Indian, it definitely leaves something to be desired. The spice level is grand. I have to say that they do a pretty good job of their mild-medium-hot scale, whereas other Indian places won't serve their food hot because they must be sick of patrons asking for hot when they really mean mild. It's refreshing to actually go somewhere where they trust (sort of) that you know what you're going to get when you ask for Indian hot. The food itself--I have had the palak paneer and the bhindi masala--has the right flavors, but they're simply not strong enough. It's almost like they're just not balanced right, or there's not enough there. So while you can tell how complex the dishes should be, you're not getting the flavor explosion that should come with a dish like bhindi masala. The naan is more akin to pizza crust, which is forgivable, but the tandori roti in particular is disappointing, dry, and (I suspect, but won't say for sure) reheated. I say so because tandori roti should be baked in a tandor, but ours came out crispy with a slight film of oil, as if it was baked, set aside, and reheated upon our order. It also just could be that their dough is not good. As for service, we never had a problem here and we have gone a few times. Our water glasses were never empty, and the waitstaff noticed that we hadn't gotten to one dish yet and asked if it was okay. They are nice, welcoming, and helpful with their menu. Overall, I miss Boston's Indian scene, but the food here is definitely okay. Just don't expect to be blown away. Get a sweet lassi, though. That they have nailed.
(3)
Suman G.
I'm indian descent and my wife is British descent. We both love indian food. We both disliked "Indian Cuisine." We orderd the chicken tikka masala, pallak paneer, rice and nan. Pretty standard stuff. The nan was the only good thing and even that was doughy. Chicken tikka masala was chopped up bits of chicken breast in a fenugreek rich tomato based sauce that was not flavorful at all and the chicken was very bland. The pallak paneer also went overboard with the fenugreek and was like eating hospital style blended spinach with clumps of paneer just thrown in from the fridge. This is NOT good "Indian Cuisine" and a total RIP OFF for what they charge for each dish.
(1)
Kevin M.
Absolutely amazing food, service, and prices. Had the chicken pops and the chicken vindaloo, plus some naan on the side. Everything was a 10/10. This is one of my new favorite places in Gainesville. BTW - in addition to the aforementioned perfection, they've also got the cleanest bathrooms of any restaurant in Gainesville, with the exception of Embers maybe.
(5)
Dmachop C.
Undoubtedly the best Indian restaurant in town. Buffet or a-la carte, it is good. The dessert wasn't that impressive; was a mango paste-like sweet. Didn't like that, but overall the service was good, ambience was cool and it is North-Indian oriented. Go for it if you're at the town.
(4)
Jessica K.
So good. Korma was amazing. Paneer naan was amazing. Spicy paneer (forget which one) was damn spicy but also very good and had a really lovely grilled flavor to it, which is something you don't usually get with vegetarian dishes. Boyfriend's lamb something was anihilated. It was really, really good Indian food. I was super happy with it all. And the service was super friendly- he said thank you at least four times in three minutes. Not 5 stars, based on their regular menu, just because of prices. A vegetable, sauce and rice should not be $13. It's just so much for so little, relatively. We got three dishes and one naan and our bill was $48. No eat-in tipping or spontaneous purchases, though. I can't say it wasn't worth it, but I think it's good to note that this will be a seriously expensive takeout dinner. It's also a little hard to digest the prices when the buffet is talked up so much and so much less expensive. Really looking forward to going back for the buffet. And I'm sure we'll order take away again, it was good enough and one day it's going to be the perfect thing.
(4)
Joshua B.
Stopped in on a whim after hitting swamp head brewery. Place was pretty dead at 4 on a Saturday. Sat quickly and ordered. We did order appetizers which slowed the rest of out meal. Everything we had had amazing flavor. I had the butter chicken. Quite tasty, beyond anything I have had previously. We were all very happy with our meal. Only thing that was not on point was how long it took to get our food given how busy they were. Only 3 tables in the place, but still took quite some time to get our meals. Other than that, very impressed.
(4)
Aleksandra C.
First time here and I loved it. We tried several appetizers and naam and each had diff meat with rice. Everything was delicious. The service is a bit slow but the food makes up for it!!
(4)
Mini J.
Awful food and awful service. This review is by an Indian foodie, some one who eats, cooks and lives on Indian food- the food at this restaurant is Indian-American and not true Indian. Everything was bland. The quality was pathetic- no mutton in mutton biryani, no paneer in matar-paneer, etc,etc. The dishes also ran out! The management simply did not care, even after being told politely multiple times. It was a horrible experience.
(1)
Liang M.
If you love spicy food, this is the restaurant you must try. I like their lunch buffet and the goat stewed with red curry. The environment is pretty quite and clean.I think this is the best indian food in gainesville.
(4)
Cong S.
I want to give this place 6 star if yelp let me. My husband and I have been to this place for hundreds of times in the past 2 years and we both love it! They offer the best lunch buffet with a good variety of dishes and salads. The butter chicken is to die for. The dinner is the best Indian food I've ever had. The lamb and chicken are both amazing. We love Indian food, Thai food, and any other food with curry in it, and this place is the best we have ever been to. Strongly recommend!
(5)
Chris K.
Within the last six months or so, Indian Cuisine moved from their original location down to the opposite end of the same plaza. They now have much more room and a slightly larger buffet. Unlike their old location, I've never had to wait to get a seat. I did feel that their old space was a little more inviting. The new place lacks some personality. The prices have also gone up with the move, which has kept me from coming here as much as I used to. When they first started operating the big buffet, I had a couple bad experiences. My guess was that they were adapting to managing the larger buffet. I typically avoid buffets, unless they're small and I can tell the establishment is focusing on the quality and freshness of the few dishes available. So seeing the new larger buffet raised some concerns, which aren't completely unfounded. I do feel like the overall quality and freshness of the food has slipped some. I'd like to see them go back to a smaller buffet. Despite some of the changes for the worst, I still feel the overall quality of the food is above average for a buffet. Like Mike W., I tend to gravitate towards their chili chicken, but usually try a little bit of everything. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, step out of your comfort zone and try some of their vegetarian dishes. The flavor is so good you might forget you're eating veggies ^_^. Speaking of flavor, I do think they hold back on their seasoning compared to other Indian restaurants. I have a feeling this is done on purpose to help appeal to customers who might be put off by really flavorful dishes. So depending on how much flavor you like packed into your Indian food, you may or may not like the food they serve here. The service was good at the old location, and that hasn't changed at all with the move. They don't have too many additional waiters from what I can tell, but the staff has no problem keeping up with all the new tables.
(4)
Stormy C.
Excellent food. They were very accommodating preparing the food according to my (wimpy) spice level. I wish this restaurant was closer to my home!
(5)
J N.
It was awful!! It an hour and a half to get the food and the customer service was horrible! They never told us why it was taking so long and kept saying it would be right out...never going again,ever.
(1)
Lin Z.
Highly recommend. I came here a lot. All the servers knew me and my usually dish-lamb curry. The food in here let me want to go to India and live in there hah
(5)
Tracy M.
Only been here for the lunch buffet. I can't ask for much more in an Indian lunch. Lots of options (veggie and meat). Very flavorful and clean with friendly staff. Reasonably priced, we come here frequently.
(5)
Bhavika P.
We were driving back from Tampa to Atlanta and made a dinner stop. Convenient location, however food not so much. Got an appetizer....it was cold...I totally ignored it thinking I'm only passing by. Main course arrived and we had two items missing, which at this point I'm aggrevated. So deciding to ignore it again....we figured we should start eating, one of the dishes (baigan bharta) was super spicy....we ordered medium and this was a "throat burning" level of spice. The waiter came and he stood there arguing with us that this is medium and we have five levels of spice. So medium is level 2...thats not even half way down the levels. After arguing for five minutes he finally said you want another one....of course we do. Ten minutes later it comes out and its a mixture of the baigan (smashed) with a tomato garnished on it. No salt no taste. And its cold. Great! Waiter comes by again and asked if it was ok. I said no, this has nothing in it and he said whatever and walked off. No sorry no manager (even when requested)...funny how he came to get the credit card the second we put it in the filopad. Hope you have a better experience than us and nicer service. Disappointed! :(
(1)
Christina C.
The BEST indian food in Gainesville. The only thing I don't like about this place is that it's a little too quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Everyone is whispering and if one table doesn't care about how quiet it is, the whole restaurant can't help but eavesdrop the whole time. I'm hoping the music they play will be louder the next time I come back. Fingers crossed.
(4)
Ali A.
This was the first Indian food experience I've had. It was great. I went for the lunch buffet, which has a nice variety of dishes. It's a little spicy, but for someone who can't really handle much spice, just drink lots of water and feast on pita bread. On weekdays they have Samosas. They have three different Buffet menus: m-th, Friday-Saturday, then Sunday. Each selection is incredible. The service was great. The staff is always available, and ready to help with anything asked of them. I've been here twice (now 20+ times), and will continue to enjoy the lunch buffet.
(5)
Jacqueline W.
Order take out from here on a regular basis. I'm a big fan of their Matar Paneer even though quality, quantity(peas and paneer) and color varies greatly from order to order. I always order medium spicy which will also vary each order. Even though the food it not consistent, it is still very very delicious.
(4)
Tiffany A.
I love this place! Other than having a sentimental attachment to this place (a very great first date), it has delicious food! I always have to have naan with my meal. Although plain and garlic naan are my faves, I recently tried the cheese naan which was pleasantly surprising. I always get the Chicken Roganjosh because I've tried it at so many Indian restaurants, and none are up to par with Indian Cuisine's. Their meat is always so savory and tender, the sauce is on point, and the basmati rice is a perfect canvas for all of the wonderful sauces and spices to sit. The staff is attentive and friendly. It has a very quiet and intimate atmosphere. Although I am not very keen on spicy food, I have tasted several other dishes and can appreciate their spicy flavor. The buffet has plenty of meat to offer. It could maybe use more variety in desserts, but I'm not really gonna complain about something like that. 5 stars :)
(5)
Elizabeth R.
We got takeout from here and it was great! We got the garlic naan with cilantro chutney which were both really yummy. My husband liked the chicken tikka. We also tried the vegetable samosa and the dal tadka on top of their basmati rice, both were excellent. We didn't like the vegetable curry, there was a spice in it that I really didn't like, I wish I knew what it was called so I could avoid it! The atmosphere is a little "meh" so I think it's best to just get takeout. We definitely plan on getting takeout again the near future!! Update: We just got takeout again and tried the mixed tanduri platter which wasn't as good as the chicken tikka. The other meat on it was pretty dry and not as flavorful. We also ordered the veggie korma which was awesome!! It's pretty heavy since it's a cream sauce, but it was delightful over rice. The onion bhaji fritters were really good. The raita sooo delicious! Mango chutney...a little weird. Vegetable jalfrezi was weird as well, it had a flavor that I didn't like. It's a heavy cream based sauce and similar to the korma, but has a spice in it that I don't like! The aloo tikki was a waste of calories, kinda boring.
(4)
Sandra B.
The buffet was ok. The dishes and sauces seemed a little thin. There was not much meat in the dishes. They charge $1.50 for a can of soda.
(2)
Genetico J.
So far I have been here for weekend lunch buffet. It was $12 bucks. The selection was very good with a nice mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. The dessert selection could be better, but not a big drawback. They had goat biryani and goat curry, a chicken curry and tandoori chicken. Three different veg curries, naan, rice, daal and chutneys. All food was spicy, as Indian food should be, but not killer spicy that makes you want to eat yogurt after every bite. The bar was constantly replenished as it was emptying out. The service was attentive and fast. The diner crowd was interesting, noisy, young and experienced in Indian cuisine it seems. Certainly not the bored gluttons that inhabit other Asian buffets here in Gainesville. The Indian grocery store next door is also a nice attraction. Will go again!
(4)
Matt A.
Did not even bother to stay for the lunch buffet. When I stopped for the first time, I saw $10.99 and as a vegan I could eat rice, naan, dal (lentils), pokora, cauliflower stir fry and mutter (peas) in tomato cream. That's a $7.99 meal tops. Why not start charging a veg and non-veg rate for buffet?
(2)
Robyn A.
The buffet is the best, especially the Palak Paneer! It is the bomb with the cabbage pakora and plenty of naan!
(5)
Gator R.
I am a fan of this place from the very first year they opened. That was the time where they use styro plates. They always have good food and good service. Dinner is sumptuous but you get more value during lunch buffet.
(5)
David B.
Dinner: Both my wife and would say we had a decent time here. The service was great and well balanced, especially since they were really busy. The atmosphere was not anything romantic or special. It was a bit load, but it got the job done. The food did taste good, however I was not at all impressed with chicken protion sizes. I counted 5 very small pieces of chicken in my curry (masala) dish; my wife also had a very small chicken portion.I would say that this was my biggest dislike. Buffet: Great price, great selection, fresh food. I came here with 5 of my friends. I would def check this place out for buffet as opposed to dinner. You'll def get good food and your money's worth.
(4)
Eve P.
Always good. Consistent quality and service. We usually go for the weekend buffet, but have ordered off the menu for dinner, too. I think the buffet is better because you get to try different things, and have unlimited access to the chutneys and raita (no extra charge like for dinner). We live on the other side of town, so it's always a treat to make the trip over. We look forward to it every time.
(5)
Kimberly V.
Delicious! Absolutely my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. The staff is polite and the Korma (my favorite dish) is awesome. I'm not a fan of super spicy food and when I order my dish mild, it is actually mild. The lunch buffet dishes do tend to have quite a kick but they're so good, it's worth the burn.
(5)
Michael W.
I always wondered about this place every time that I passed by. So Last Saturday, some friends and I finally decided to try to it. We decided to go there for dinner. Service: The service was very helpful, they gave us advices on what we should try and etc. Quick with their food, and very attentive. Food: We ended up ordering alot samosas, lamb, chicken makhala,. 4 types of naan. Everything came out to be nicely presented and tasteful... I don't want to go into too much detail to talk about each item of food.. I am being lazy today :-/ Anyhow , I am going to go back for brunch to see what they serve and to see if it is really worth $10. Atmosphere: it is decently decorative, a bit dim in the inside. They could use more decorative to make it more Indian culture style. Anyhow, I will have to come back to this place when it is busy and packed. Because it seems like this place fills up easily due to the lack of tables. they probably can sit down like 30 ppl at most at once. They have so much more space to make it more efficient.
(4)
Chris H.
This place blows. Lazy employees whose sign says 9:00 pm close and would even allow me to order a meal to go at 8:43pm. How can anyone recommend?
(1)
Landon E.
The food was actually pretty good. The flavours were all there and everything was hot and exactly as spicy as you'd want it to be. The reason this gets 3 stars is because though the servers were nice and accommodating (we had a 7 person group) the food took a VERY long time to come out. I think it took about 20 minutes to get drinks and another 45+ minutes after that to get our food. The place wasn't even full, there were two other tables full at the restaurant when we got there. Regardless we enjoyed ourselves and the food helped keep us in a good mood.
(3)
Stephanie R.
Hmmmm 3.5 stars My boyfriend and I tried this place for lunch and I'd have to say it was a pretty good experience. We walked in and were quicky greeted and seated by the waiter. He filled our water glasses right, asked if we'd like anything else to drink, and told us to help ourselves to the buffet (buffet only for lunch). The buffet was clean and orderly with labels above each item saying what it was (and what was in it). There was a good selection on entrees along with naan, rice, and sauce/topping bar. The sauce bar had several chutneys, a yogurt sauce, and some other goodies. Overall the food is very decent; nice flavors; doesn't knock your socks off but for the prices it's a good meal for a great deal. I'll definitely be back
(3)
Diana D.
So I've only been here once, but it was my first experience with Indian food. I just was never exposed growing up! My husband and I split the cheese naan and chicken tikka masala. It was very, very good. Every dish has custom heat level - we got mild because we didn't know how hot medium would be...I'd probably try the medium next time though I enjoyed not having to sweat while eating! The cheese naan was AMAZING - will probably become a craving once in a while. For the "newbie" the chicken tikka masala was recommended and it definitely was a good introduction. Upscale place and upscale prices, at least for what I'd expect, but it was delish. Since we were able to split an entree and the naan, it was like $20 for a great meal that filled us up. I can say with confidence we will return!
(4)
Brad K.
They have now been open for a few years. Food quality has been maintained high Service is always very good and attentive Love the cilantro chutney, naan, and yogurt sauce along with their new pineapple chicken dish Highly recommend the lunch Buffett
(4)
Johnny L.
3.5 Stars but I enjoyed it enough to round up. I've been here for both lunch and dinner and I've been happy with it everytime. The dinner is kinda pricey but the food quality is higher than that of the lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is great though for what you pay ($7.99) The lunch buffet has about 12 items which include chicken curry, goat rice, tandoori chicken, naan, etc. The curries are a little watered down but still taste pretty good. The naan is amazing. Unlimited naan is almost worth the $7. I always eat everything with the naan. They have different chutneys to try also. The chutneys can come in handy for the tandoori chicken which always seems to be dry. The dinner is a more intimate environment. It's dim enough and the place looks real clean. It looked nice enough inside. The food can be a little pricey though. I got the tandoori platter (for myself....i know...) It was a lot of food. But I have to say most of it was kind of dry. The tandoori chicken especially. However, the seasonings and taste made up for it. It was around $21 though, so not really worth it. The lunch buffet is definitely what makes this place worth coming to. It's always packed for lunch so be sure to get there a little earlier if you have other plans. Good food.
(4)
Lauren O.
Indian Cuisine has great takeout; I love the beghan bharta (spicy eggplant). I recently went and tried their lunch buffet and found it to be clean and well attended and to have a great selection of all my favorites. Though I'm not a vegetarian I tend to gravitate towards the vegetarian choices which I found make up a good 50-60% of this buffet, so that is sure to please any vegetarians out there looking for a buffet with plenty of selections for them. Waitstaff are always nice and welcoming, even when I show up in my scrubs after work to pick up. I don't love the way they pack their to-go orders; I've had the whole thing topple over on me as I was leaving the parking lot more than once and they stuff so much rice in one flimsy takeout container that it always go all over when this happens. It's bound to cause an accident one of these days because I tend to be so terrified of losing out on my beloved spicy eggplant and rice and naan that I put myself and others in danger trying to save the food. I haven't tried dessert. The mango lassi is tasty if you like that sort of thing. If you are like me and easily bewildered by a large selection of ethnic food, go try the buffet. You get a sampling of many different traditional dishes so you can see what you really like.
(4)
Charlie P.
The buffet is a little more expensive but it is well worth it. Wonderful food. Fresh nan. A nice selection of chutneys. I also enjoy the chai.
(4)
Meg I.
I can't rave about this place enough. I've only ever been for dinner, but I have heard that the lunch buffet isn't very great. They have a great menu (lots of veg selections), and when you ask for spicy they actually give you spicy - without giving you 10 warnings and assuming you've never eaten Indian food before. The service can be slow on busier nights - and you may or may not die waiting for a water refill - but the food is usually out quick and they are very friendly. The naan is the best in town, everything is priced reasonably, and the portions are large.
(5)
Steve P.
I love this place, both for the lunch buffet and a sit down dinner. The buffet gives a good experience of what Indian food is. I like how welcoming the staff is and how careful they are about checking on your tolerance for spice. I definitely recommend a mango lasse if you order medium or hot. The yogurt is needed to help cool the burn and enhance the flavor. This place is authentic. Totally what one would want for an Indian experience.
(5)
Rob M.
We shared the tandoori mixed platter. There was more than enough & had take home box. The shared chicken & vegetable naan-YUM! Best I Indian we've eaten in Gainesville (1/3!) We'll come back but just have lamb & chicken kabobs that was the best of platter.
(4)
Claudia M.
lovely food, nice family biz and great price I have been coming here for lunch meetings. The ambiance is not suit-like, so it is a nice ice breaker when meeting with new contacts. I always like to go where folks from the same culture go, and this place fills up quick with UF types, grad students, staff, profs, and professionals in the area. I am suffering from various food allergies and have found this is a place where I do not go hungry. There used to be a very friendly and considerate server who is not longer part of the team. The remaining ones, while nice, are sometimes a bit stiff and trying too hard. A smile, and some flexibility, will often do fine.
(5)
Dorie N.
Great food, very relaxing environment. Love the buffet!
(4)
Rob Z.
Thank you Yelp. Was looking for an ethnic restaurant for early dinner on a trip south from Tally. Liked the reviews for Indian Cuisine. Not high-end but nice enough for date. In a strip mall but very clean; bathrooms too. Wait staff well-dressed and attentive. My wife and i shared the veggie mix platter for appetizer and then plain Naan and Vegetable Korma for dinner. $29 with tax and big tip for excellent service and enough leftovers for a snack on the road later. Will be back next trip.
(5)
Laura B.
Had dinner here on Friday. Thought it was really good. I see some reviews are not very positive, so maybe we were there on a good night. I consider myself a reasonably well-versed Indian food eater and thought the things we had were just as good as our recent experience at Amrit Palace in Ocala where the food was more expensive. Veggie samosa was great - everyone at our table scarfed these down - sauces on the side were both good. We had cilantro naan and aloo paratha which I really enjoyed. Veggie korma and matar paneer were both also good and came with a large plate of good basmati rice. Restaurant is a little plain decor-wise but our table was nice. The service was good. Will be going back.
(4)
Chelsea B.
I've definitely experienced better Indian food. Maybe this is too much information, but I threw up after the last time I ate here. I've been here twice, and the first time wasn't half bad, but after my last experience I will definitely not be back. My Indian friend recommended me this restaurant and promised it was "the best Indian food in Gainesville," but maybe she was playing a trick on me because she's able to make much, much better Indian food than is at this restaurant. The service is ok, and the restaurant is always full, but maybe Gainesville residents and UF college students just have low expectations.
(2)
Erica B.
I never knew I loved Indian food until I discovered this place. Now I seek out Indian restaurants wherever I travel and compare all to Indian Cuisine. This one is still my favorite of all. I love trying new dishes but my absolute favorites are the chicken tikka masala and the cheese naan. They are outstanding. I also recently attended the lunch buffet for the first time and am excited to return very soon! I highly recommend trying it out! I have also always been pleased with the service I receive there. The gentlemen are friendly and very accommodating. I had no prior knowledge of Indian food before I found this restaurant and they often help me when deciding how to order. I have not been disappointed.
(5)
Marci M.
So delicious! We have been coming here for years and have never had a bad experience. The meet or exceed our expectations every time. We cannot say enough good things. The portions are huge so keep that in mind when ordering and you'd be crazy not to try the naan! Love love love.
(5)
Apara W.
The customer service is wonderful. I have had buffet here a few times, food is very mediocre, 2 stars off. Tons of options though at the buffet- but I have had much better Indian buffets. It is busy during lunch hour, so plan on going early. This is probably as good as it can get for Gainesville area.
(3)
Stevie D.
Probably the best Indian in the area! On par with what I've had in restaurants in larger cities. Staff is very friendly and the buffet is full of a large yummy variety; vegetarian, and not (including goat). Great food, great service. I would definitely recommend
(5)
Shivangi M.
So myself and my fiance' went there for dinner at 8:30pm, first of all I was so surprised to know they close at 9pm, Are you kidding me? Huh!! Which restaurant closes that early on a normal weekday! We sat there and the waiter came instantly asking us to order, we said can you give us 5mins and he said we are about to close to can you please make it asap, I didn't like that..Anyways we then ordered samosa chat, paneer tikka masala, and daal fry, It wasn't long enough they got our order, the samosa chat was yuk! Samosa's were stale, Paneer tikka masala was ok but they added tons of color n it that our fingers caught them up until we washed our hands the next day, the whole time, Waiter kept staring at us as to when wuld we finish our dinner and leave, that was disgusting! We finished our dinner in 10mins and took the rest for take out!, We got boxes for take out and while I was boxing, he waiter started to pick the table and clean stuff while we were still sitting, It was not even 9pm then. Worst experience I have ever had to an Indian Restaurant!! I am an Indian and have been to many restaurants, this doesn't do any justice, I would recommend to try ANDAZ restaurant in gainesville which is far better than this place, nice food, very good staff and ambience is good too and hey they even have a Bar! :)
(1)
Mike W.
I had their lunch buffet here today and it was very fairly-priced at around $8 per person and the buffet contained a variety of dishes' none bad and some quite good. I highly recommend their chili chicken, which was on the buffet and the goat byrani. The other dishes were alright though a couple of the vegetable dishes were too runny/soupy. Overall, a good value--certainly a better value than their overpriced and still rather small dinner portions. For lunch, they're ok if you're on this side of town.
(3)
Coty S.
The lunch buffet curries are very watered down here. So there is not much flavor and the food just runs all over your plate, like a curry soup. You can see this from the photos, so you might as well put all of your food items in a bowl to keep them separated. Their dinner menu items are of the normal consistency. However, the cooks are very inconsistent. One time I came here and their Vegetable Korma was excellent, the following time it was runny and had no flavor. However, since there are not many places to choose from on this side of town it can get quite crowded and I have seen a line out the door before. If we are in Gainesville and want good Indian food, we have been known to drive all the way to Amrit Palace in Ocala for the real stuff.
(3)
Rachel L.
I don't know how there could possibly be any stars less than 4 for this restaurant. The ambiance is perfect, for a family, friends or a couple. The food is absolutely delish. The servers are attentive, prompt and nice. I'm normally greeted when I come in. I must say, this one of the best restaurants Gainesville has to offer.
(5)
Wylma R.
A five-decade connoisseur of Indian cuisine in every nook and cranny of the world, I finally came face to face with a dish that was inedible: extra hot Shrimp Vindaloo. (The server informed the dish would be very hot but, given my Sinhala heritage and my life-long exposure to very hot dishes, I shrugged this off.) But this dish was not extra hot. It was beyond hot--as if raw chili power had been stirred in to make the gravy appear bloody red and to leave the diner with a taste that was nauseating! All it took was one shrimp and a spoonful of gravy for me to know this dish was indigestible. I immediately ordered a bowl of Raita in the hopes that the yogurt would help reduce the unsavory aftertaste in my mouth. No amount of Raita could have salvaged this unpleasant experience. {Separately, I had ordered Poori. Server showed up with two Pooris on a plate, accidentally dropped one on the table, returned with two more Pooris on a plate, had us assuming an order must come with two pieces, only to later discover we were charged for a double order of Pooris--an annoying side experience). To add insult to injury, the restaurant took no action on the dissatisfaction we verbally expressed about the inedible and indigestible Shrimp Vindaloo dish that remained uneaten. The restaurant opted instead to simply extract the pound of flesh for a Vindaloo we couldn't eat, a Raita we didn't need, and a Poori we did not order. What I hoped would be a five-star experience turned out to be a one-star evening. But I've decided to be generous. I will give Indian Cuisine two stars!
(2)
Tiffany C.
I come here mainly for lunch and I have tried their dinner one time. The only reason I have tried their dinner once is because I didn't think it was worth it to come for dinner. The service I got was great, the waiter was always very attentive and nice. They should get a 3.5 star and points were taken out because their dinner wasn't good at all. When I came for dinner I got the chicken tika masala, it was mainly a bowl of sauce and only a couple small pieces of chicken breast for $15. If you want naan bread you have to order it separately for $2.49. Lunch was pretty good most of the tables were full compared to dinner. Weekday lunch is about $8 with a wide variety of dishes. I believe there are 3 chicken dishes, and everything else is vegetables and beans, for dinner they had the different chutney sauces that you have to pay, while for the lunch buffet they are all there for you to try including the naan bread at no extra cost. I feel that it is more worth it to come during lunch rather than dinner.
(3)
Gordon M.
Do not go if you are Indian or British or are experienced in Indian food. I am sure it is fine for the usual American eater. Very bland and flavorless usual offerings. Much fewer choices than the usual Indian Buffet. It ruined my afternoon, I would not go back
(2)
Chris T.
Best in town. Lunch buffet is the bomb, and my friend from India says it's authentic.
(5)
Paul D.
My dinner experience here was not very good. Super slow service, bad food, and overpriced to boot. I'll update after trying the lunch buffet.
(2)
Jared And Daisy T.
We went with a large party to Indian Cuisine on 34th Street and were really wowed by our meals. Because we had such a large party, we had called ahead a few days to make reservations. When we showed up, they had our table completely set up and awaiting us. They brought water quickly, gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu, and waited for the rest of our party to show. A bit too much time, as we waited quite a bit before the waiter finally came back to take our order. To be fair though, Indian Cuisine is not a large establishment and every table was filled. It's definitely not like the wait at Satchel's on a Friday night. We ordered a few different dishes, to sample betwixt us. The naan was heavenly, the sweet lassa was a bit tart but still quite tasty. It would have been better to have it come out with the meals, as it wasn't as cold as preferred by the time the entrees arrived. We tried vegetarian samosas, as well as their lamb counterparts. Both were quite delicious and were served with various sauces. The mixed tandoori was wonderful, but had a few too many onions. The shrimp vindaloo was gloriously spicy and paired perfectly with the fragrant basmati. The goat biryani was the best of the three main dishes we tried; full of flavor, very tender, and the rice that it was served with was bursting with flavor. We ordered some chai as well and that was fabulous -- except that the waiter nearly spilled it on our child's head and didn't bother to clean up the spill around the saucer, leaving only 1/2 of the tea in the cup. It was yummy and had just the right amount of cardamon, so mishap forgiven, it was great. The owner was wonderfully nice and extremely attentive. We would have given five stars, but the amount of time spent waiting brought it down a bit. We actually cannot wait to go back for lunch sometime to try the buffet, which friends of ours have told us is fantastic and filling. So since we can't give 4.5, we'll stick with 4 and hopefully get it up to 5 where it belongs.
(4)
Eddie B.
Great lunch. $8 for all you could eat last time I was there. Serves meat. This could be to your favor or not. I do wish they would highlight the vegetarian a little more.
(4)
Heather H.
The first time I came here I wasn't all that impressed. I had the lunch buffet and it was alright but I've had better. Their curry was a bit bland but the naan was really good. However, I decided to come back for dinner tonight and it was a whole different story. I had chicken tikka masala and chicken naan and it was AMAZING. The masala was really spicy too, I asked for medium and it was still incredibly hot (not a bad thing though!). It came with basamati rice as well and it was cooked perfectly. Sevice was really quick and the two guys who waited on me were very nice. Overall I would recommend going there for dinner, that's when they really seem to shine. The lunch buffet is still ok and worth it's price though.
(4)
markie o.
Best at dinner though a little pricey... Good Indian food in Gainesville. I've eaten at Indian Cuisine since they first opened in their original location and had el cheapo picnic benches and only served food in styrofoam. In the past, when they originally transitioned to only serving the lunch buffet during lunchtime, there was a slight dip and inconsistency in the quality of food. However, in the last year or so they've really upped their game. As mentioned above, at lunchtime, they only serve the buffet and do not take orders for the kitchen. Some people have mentioned that the curries were quite watery and tasteless which was true a while ago, but nowadays they are quite decent. There are usually a number of fixtures on the buffet table: basmati rice, plain naan (clay oven baked flatbread), onion fritters or potatoes, lentil soup, veggie curry, spicy chickpeas, creamy peas and potatoes, chicken curry, tandoori chicken, and a few dishes that change from day to day. The lunch buffet food typically ranges from acceptable to good, and is a decent deal at $8 on weekdays for all-you-can-eat. However, if you've only eaten the lunch buffet here, you are missing out. Come back at dinner time and order a la carte! The quality of food you get from individual orders from the kitchen at dinner is MUCH better than what is served at the lunch buffet. Most all the dishes I have tried have been good. The fresh naan cooked to order is quite good, much better than what is served on the lunch buffet. If you like your food very spicy hot, then make sure you emphasize that. Like one of the other reviewers, I asked my vindaloo to be "hot" but it wasn't close to being as hot as I would've expected. For non-Indians, I assume they tend to be conservative on the heat in their dishes, so you need to let them know you are a hot food connoisseur or masochist to get them to up the heat index on your food! The waiters are friendly and attentive, but maybe part of that is that I've been there enough that they remember me. The a la carte prices in the evening are a bit pricey, but in Gainesville, you don't have many choices as far as Indian food goes. Still, the portions are good enough to fill up most people with a good appetite. I prefer the food at Amrit Palace down in Ocala but am not disappointed when I eat at Indian Cuisine. It is quite good, and I like to support the local business.
(4)
Kat S.
Best Indian food in Gainesville. I have been told it is more Southern Indian cuisine (more milk based items on the menu) but regardless, it is delicious!!
(5)
A P.
We moved from a big city and so have had our share of great Indian food and we love this place. Their prices are reasonable and the food is always fresh and tasty. Lunch buffet is a great deal and dinner options are also really flavorful and delicious. Don't know why their rating isn't higher, they have great food, great service, and a brand new updated restaurant!
(5)
Mathumitha N.
Good for Non-Vegetarians than for vegans..... Improved a lot after renovation.....
(4)
Misty R.
We ate here on our first trip to Gainesville. The Chicken Tikka masala is TO DIE FOR!! Try the chai as its very tasty as well. The Naan is fabulous and the service was excellent. We will DEFINITELY come again!!!
(5)
Danielle B.
My husband and I had our first meal at Indian Cuisine at 5:15pm Thrusday July 29th. I am currently writing this review while eating lunch leftovers from yesterday's experience while these events are still fresh in my mind. We must have come to dine early for dinner because we were the only patrons in the restaurant. There were two waiters present and they promptly greeted us and told us to sit anywhere we liked. We chose a table and the waiter instantly brought us menus. They had a surprisingly large selection of choices. I'm by no means super experienced with Indian Cuisine (as the name boasts) but it seemed that there were lots of dishes I've tried but just as many I've never experienced. I love new choices so this was a real treat for me! We ordered Chicken Samosa and Chai for an appetizer. The chai was creamy, thick, and flavorful - they didn't add any sugar to the cups but brought us packets instead. I appreciate this since my husband is diabetic. The chicken samosa looked just like the samosa in the business photos section on yelp and had a sweet barbecue type sauce that I thought went with them very nicely - a little sweet, a little smokey. The waiter cleared our plates away quickly and asked to take our main dish order. My husband ordered a curried goat dish that I will not comment on since I didn't try very much of. I will say that when it arrived it was a pleasant creamy green color and he seemed to enjoy it mightily. They also served us a plate of basmati rice with our main dish that I believe was flavored with cloves since I found one on the plate. I thought that was a nice touch. I asked the waiter the difference between Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala and he was quick to explain. The Chicken Tikka is simply the dry flavored chicken and the Chicken Tikka Masala takes the dry Chicken Tikka and places it in a Masala sauce. I decided on the Chicken Tikka with the Masala because I'm a fan of sauces and I'm glad I did. The dish they brought out was orange colored sauce with little orange colored bites of chicken. I mean it was safety cone orange! I loved it for the color alone. It is not often I get the chance to eat such a brightly colored dish and I had fun swirling the sauce over my rice on my plate making everything turn a fun orange color. I wanted to order the garlic naan and told the waiter that I would except that I hate cilantro. He was quick to offer that they would be happy to make the garlic naan without cilantro for me. The naan tasted fresh and garlicky sans cilantro as promised when it arrived. A little more than halfway though our main dish the waiter asked if we needed more rice. We declined since we thought we had enough to finish our meals with but we ended up not being able to eat all of our dishes. The waiter asked if we'd like boxes to take the rest of the meal home in and I said yes. When he returned with the boxes I started putting my Chicken Tikka Masala in it and he asked again if I'd like additional rice. Realizing this was a good idea I said yes and he brought us a new plate of rice to finish off our to-go boxes with. I was very pleased that he asked if we wanted the rice a second time. Even though we were pretty full at this point I wanted to have a full experience at this place so I ordered dessert. I cannot remember the name but since there are only three desert choices and two of them are ice cream I think you should be able to narrow it down pretty easily. I've had this specific dessert on three different occasions (sweet syrup with fried doughnut like balls floating in it) and I will say that it was not the best I've ever had. Fortunately it was not the worst I've ever had either. Though I didn't hate the dessert I probably won't order it again. I think the doughnuts were a bit too dense for my preference. Overall this experience was impressive. The only negatives I can give at all were my specific preferences for the dessert and the fact that the waiters stand at the back of the room almost the entire time staring straight ahead. I understand that they are there to be ready for any requests we may have but I felt a little too watched while I was eating. Curries are a bit messy and I wanted a bit more privacy while I was trying not to drip sauce on my white shirt! I don't even feel that this is that big of a complaint but I do think its worth mentioning it. Next time I'll sit facing the door or on the opposite side of the room that has a little less of a direct view to the back. Hope this review helps!
(5)
Isabel S.
I came here for the lunch buffet with a group of friends. The food was absolutely delicious. The butter chicken was smooth and spicy, the goat vindaloo was very tender, and the vegetable shahi korma was wonderful. We also had the naan, cabbage pakora and aloo tikki. We had the sweet rice pudding and mixed fruits with a mango sauce for dessert. There was a lot of food (including vegetarian options) and friendly service for a great price ($10.99 on weekdays, $11.99 on weekends). We all left extremely satisfied!
(5)
Josian L.
This is one of the best restaurants in Gainesville and my personal favorite. The food is bursting with flavor and always fresh. We specially like their Saturday buffet, but their regular dinning is excellent too. Their staff is attentive and always very amicable.
(5)
Powder W.
Good Heavens, stopped in here on a whim - DELICIOUS! Although be warned the Madras Med is an average Hot! Start with med the first time and you won't go wrong. We will be back.
(5)
Chlo L.
Not coming back... Especially with Aandaz close by. The quality and flavors were disappointing. I'm really surprised that this place has better ratings than Aandaz.
(2)
Jonny G.
This place was amazing. I love curry dishes and this place does a great job. They serve everything family style and they serve basmati rice on the side also. We had Goat Curry and Butter Chicken. But don't forget the Naan, cilantro stuffed naan was incredible along with garlic naan. The food was amazing. The people running the front of the house all seem to be from India, and seeing into the kitchen a few times the cooks I saw also looked like they were from India. Everything had a very authentic feel to it. The waiters were all very friendly, attentive, and informative If you want to try Indian food, go here! You will love it
(5)
Mrignayani C.
I am yet to try their lunch buffet but the masala biryaani they serve as a-la-carte is on point! I like the mild version of their masala chicken biryani. Their chicken lollipop is also quite a treat to your pallet! I have seen my friends fight over sips of their Mango Lassi, so I'd suggest you definitely try it once. Disclaimer : it's extremely sweet but totally worth it. It reminds me of Mango candy. None of my friends would trade their mango lassi for any other beverage, but i personally love their regular sweet lassi as well. It has a beautiful cardamom flavor that I'd definitely recommend. The reason a generous reviewer like me is taking away one star from them is because their butter chicken did not live up to our expectations. The chicken pieces were hard and chewy and the gravy was mediocre. The naan although, was soft and perfectly home like.
(4)
Nan T.
The lunch buffet is wonderful...hot and fresh every time! The establishment appears very clean, & the owners are always professional and friendly. Water glasses are refilled timely. Be prepared to be tired after eating; most of the dishes are heavily cream-based. Lots of natives of India visit this restaurant, which is usually quite telling.
(4)
Brandon A.
And I didn't even like Indian food all that much. So I came here on a whim; I was quite hungry and my options were to either brave a trip down archer road again or to try something new. Boy am I glad I did. The building is sparsely decorated but clean, so no complaints. The wait staff is attentive and competent. But the best part, the real reason I think so highly of this place is the food. The lunch buffet is simply fantastic. Everything pops with flavor. The naan is good, as is the butter chicken and the saag paneer. Those are my absolute favorites. Word of advice though, the lunch buffet menu is differs based on the day. I came in on a Sunday and they didn't have saag paneer or butter chicken and that was sort of upsetting to me. The food in its place was still good, but not my favorite. Overall a great little place. Well worth the price. The only complaint I have is that they don't have unlimited refills on soda, but hey most small places don't so I won't dock a star for that.
(5)
James O.
I feel kind of awkward writing this review, as I'm not overly fond of Indian food to begin with. Mostly because I spent a period of time in Sri Lanka where we would eat a 'fish' curry of sorts for breakfast/lunch and dinner. Every day. I ordered the Lama Korma (see above reason for why), it was fine, just very oily and bland. The meat had a chewy nature, that suggested it hadn't been slow cooked. All in all, it was a mediocre experience, and to be honest if the prices had been more reasonable, I would have probably minded less. I haven't tried many other Indian restaurants in Gainesville, so we will see if this review gets changed from 2 stars or not. But as it stands this would not make it onto my repeat list.
(2)
Isabella F.
This place is a gem in this little town called Gainesville. You would never think this restaurant is so nice just by driving by it. An Indian guy recommended me to go, so that's why I ended up going. This place is really neat; very clean, the decoration is really nice, and the music and lighting are very pleasant. The food is very tasty and not that expensive. Compared to so many Indian restaurants that I've tried, this one has been by far one of the best. Too bad it is so far away from Miami, otherwise I would come here every week for sure. Totally recommended and if you love either the mango lassi or just the plain lassi, you should definitely have it. Delicious!
(5)
Kristie L.
Naan... Amazing! I think I ate 5 pieces alone. I've been to a few Indian restaurants and this one can be added to my list of favorites!!! The lunch buffet had various options and our waiter was awesome! The food very flavorful and fresh. I'd recommend trying this place if your in Gainesville.
(5)
Amanda T.
This place was delicious! We took my father in law here for Father's Day. He's been to India so he compares all Indian restaurants to his time in India. He said it was very delicious. I'd love to come for the lunch buffet because it looked huge. We came for dinner and I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and ate everything that was designated as mine and some more that wasn't. My husbands little brother ordered the Mango Juice and as we all cringed at what it was going to taste like we passed around the cup for another sip. It was delicious and I was enthralled that the walls were the same color as the Mango Juice! Great place!
(4)
Michael R.
Went to this place years ago and wasn't too impressed. Recently went with a friend to try the lunch buffet and was very surprised at how much better it had gotten. There's a decent spread of food without spreading it too thin (stuff is clearly out fresh) and they do a good job of keeping the naan tray full. But the reason I give this 5 stars is for their dinner, which I tried for the first time last night. I had the lamb korma and thought it was just fantastic. Creamy and nutty with a little heat (medium probably wasn't enough for me), very good and actually worth the price. If you want to eat a nice dinner and don't mind paying a bit (well, regular Indian food prices, which are a bit much imo) then this place is great.
(5)
Maris D.
The Paneer was very good as was the naan and the tandoori but my curry chicken was lacking flavor, the rice pudding was probably the worst I've had. The staff was very friendly. It's a shame. I was really hoping for more.
(3)
Sanyogita R.
I have been to this place multiple times, mostly had buffet. Overall good food. Their Saag Paneer is ultimate. Do not go for their Masala Biryanis, they put so much masala that it spoils the actual taste. Instead, have medium spicy biryanis. Ambiance is good even for special occasion treats.
(3)
Marina M.
My favorite restaurant in Gainesville! The butter chicken is amazing every time and the naan is equally as good! The prices are a little on the higher end but completely worth it, and by no means "expensive." Plus, the portions are generous and I always have leftovers for the next day. I definitely recommend!
(5)
Sara K.
I was really excited to find a good Indian restaurant in Gainesville after reading previous Yelp reviews, but I left Indian Cuisine pretty disappointed. I had garlic naan, vegetable samosas, and chicken tikka masala. Everything was bland and not at all exciting. Service was good and attentive but sadly that will not bring me back here.
(2)
Darshan P.
Actually really good for indian food! I recommend the buffet which offer reasonable prices and is pretty popular in Gainesville. They offer enough vegetarian and meat options. They also have a glass countertop on the tables - HUGE because indian food can get messy and with white table cloths, it gets unappetizing to continue eating while your staring at the destruction you have made.
(4)
Adrienne W.
Another night in Gainesville, and my friends and I decided to hit up this Indian restaurant, because we had found a nice one in Ocala last time. We had an eggplant curry of some sort, which was DELICIOUS, a paneer dumpling dish and a paneer makhanala. The paneer dumpling dish had a great butter tomato sauce but I felt that it was maybe too filling (thank goodness we shared everything!). It was, however, quite delicious. The paneer makhanala was okay but it wasn't anything special. I think I'd probably get another paneer dish next time - maybe stick to a saag paneer or something or a paneer tikka masala. Service was overall good and the server was polite and made sure we always had enough water and made sure our food was okay. I'd like to give this place another chance to see if they can earn my full 4 stars. Will be back a while later.
(3)
Joshua B.
Stopped in on a whim after hitting swamp head brewery. Place was pretty dead at 4 on a Saturday. Sat quickly and ordered. We did order appetizers which slowed the rest of out meal. Everything we had had amazing flavor. I had the butter chicken. Quite tasty, beyond anything I have had previously. We were all very happy with our meal. Only thing that was not on point was how long it took to get our food given how busy they were. Only 3 tables in the place, but still took quite some time to get our meals. Other than that, very impressed.
(4)
Aleksandra C.
First time here and I loved it. We tried several appetizers and naam and each had diff meat with rice. Everything was delicious. The service is a bit slow but the food makes up for it!!
(4)
Samantha F.
*NOTE* I wish we had ratings for overall and ratings for "for the area." Gainesville has a serious lack of Indian food. We go here when we simply can't take the Indian-emptiness in our stomachs, but we don't go because we crave their food in particular. So, while it fulfills the need for Indian, it definitely leaves something to be desired. The spice level is grand. I have to say that they do a pretty good job of their mild-medium-hot scale, whereas other Indian places won't serve their food hot because they must be sick of patrons asking for hot when they really mean mild. It's refreshing to actually go somewhere where they trust (sort of) that you know what you're going to get when you ask for Indian hot. The food itself--I have had the palak paneer and the bhindi masala--has the right flavors, but they're simply not strong enough. It's almost like they're just not balanced right, or there's not enough there. So while you can tell how complex the dishes should be, you're not getting the flavor explosion that should come with a dish like bhindi masala. The naan is more akin to pizza crust, which is forgivable, but the tandori roti in particular is disappointing, dry, and (I suspect, but won't say for sure) reheated. I say so because tandori roti should be baked in a tandor, but ours came out crispy with a slight film of oil, as if it was baked, set aside, and reheated upon our order. It also just could be that their dough is not good. As for service, we never had a problem here and we have gone a few times. Our water glasses were never empty, and the waitstaff noticed that we hadn't gotten to one dish yet and asked if it was okay. They are nice, welcoming, and helpful with their menu. Overall, I miss Boston's Indian scene, but the food here is definitely okay. Just don't expect to be blown away. Get a sweet lassi, though. That they have nailed.
(3)
Suman G.
I'm indian descent and my wife is British descent. We both love indian food. We both disliked "Indian Cuisine." We orderd the chicken tikka masala, pallak paneer, rice and nan. Pretty standard stuff. The nan was the only good thing and even that was doughy. Chicken tikka masala was chopped up bits of chicken breast in a fenugreek rich tomato based sauce that was not flavorful at all and the chicken was very bland. The pallak paneer also went overboard with the fenugreek and was like eating hospital style blended spinach with clumps of paneer just thrown in from the fridge. This is NOT good "Indian Cuisine" and a total RIP OFF for what they charge for each dish.
(1)
Jessica K.
So good. Korma was amazing. Paneer naan was amazing. Spicy paneer (forget which one) was damn spicy but also very good and had a really lovely grilled flavor to it, which is something you don't usually get with vegetarian dishes. Boyfriend's lamb something was anihilated. It was really, really good Indian food. I was super happy with it all. And the service was super friendly- he said thank you at least four times in three minutes. Not 5 stars, based on their regular menu, just because of prices. A vegetable, sauce and rice should not be $13. It's just so much for so little, relatively. We got three dishes and one naan and our bill was $48. No eat-in tipping or spontaneous purchases, though. I can't say it wasn't worth it, but I think it's good to note that this will be a seriously expensive takeout dinner. It's also a little hard to digest the prices when the buffet is talked up so much and so much less expensive. Really looking forward to going back for the buffet. And I'm sure we'll order take away again, it was good enough and one day it's going to be the perfect thing.
(4)
Kevin M.
Absolutely amazing food, service, and prices. Had the chicken pops and the chicken vindaloo, plus some naan on the side. Everything was a 10/10. This is one of my new favorite places in Gainesville. BTW - in addition to the aforementioned perfection, they've also got the cleanest bathrooms of any restaurant in Gainesville, with the exception of Embers maybe.
(5)
Dmachop C.
Undoubtedly the best Indian restaurant in town. Buffet or a-la carte, it is good. The dessert wasn't that impressive; was a mango paste-like sweet. Didn't like that, but overall the service was good, ambience was cool and it is North-Indian oriented. Go for it if you're at the town.
(4)
Bhavika P.
We were driving back from Tampa to Atlanta and made a dinner stop. Convenient location, however food not so much. Got an appetizer....it was cold...I totally ignored it thinking I'm only passing by. Main course arrived and we had two items missing, which at this point I'm aggrevated. So deciding to ignore it again....we figured we should start eating, one of the dishes (baigan bharta) was super spicy....we ordered medium and this was a "throat burning" level of spice. The waiter came and he stood there arguing with us that this is medium and we have five levels of spice. So medium is level 2...thats not even half way down the levels. After arguing for five minutes he finally said you want another one....of course we do. Ten minutes later it comes out and its a mixture of the baigan (smashed) with a tomato garnished on it. No salt no taste. And its cold. Great! Waiter comes by again and asked if it was ok. I said no, this has nothing in it and he said whatever and walked off. No sorry no manager (even when requested)...funny how he came to get the credit card the second we put it in the filopad. Hope you have a better experience than us and nicer service. Disappointed! :(
(1)
Christina C.
The BEST indian food in Gainesville. The only thing I don't like about this place is that it's a little too quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Everyone is whispering and if one table doesn't care about how quiet it is, the whole restaurant can't help but eavesdrop the whole time. I'm hoping the music they play will be louder the next time I come back. Fingers crossed.
(4)
Ali A.
This was the first Indian food experience I've had. It was great. I went for the lunch buffet, which has a nice variety of dishes. It's a little spicy, but for someone who can't really handle much spice, just drink lots of water and feast on pita bread. On weekdays they have Samosas. They have three different Buffet menus: m-th, Friday-Saturday, then Sunday. Each selection is incredible. The service was great. The staff is always available, and ready to help with anything asked of them. I've been here twice (now 20+ times), and will continue to enjoy the lunch buffet.
(5)
Jacqueline W.
Order take out from here on a regular basis. I'm a big fan of their Matar Paneer even though quality, quantity(peas and paneer) and color varies greatly from order to order. I always order medium spicy which will also vary each order. Even though the food it not consistent, it is still very very delicious.
(4)
Tiffany A.
I love this place! Other than having a sentimental attachment to this place (a very great first date), it has delicious food! I always have to have naan with my meal. Although plain and garlic naan are my faves, I recently tried the cheese naan which was pleasantly surprising. I always get the Chicken Roganjosh because I've tried it at so many Indian restaurants, and none are up to par with Indian Cuisine's. Their meat is always so savory and tender, the sauce is on point, and the basmati rice is a perfect canvas for all of the wonderful sauces and spices to sit. The staff is attentive and friendly. It has a very quiet and intimate atmosphere. Although I am not very keen on spicy food, I have tasted several other dishes and can appreciate their spicy flavor. The buffet has plenty of meat to offer. It could maybe use more variety in desserts, but I'm not really gonna complain about something like that. 5 stars :)
(5)
Liang M.
If you love spicy food, this is the restaurant you must try. I like their lunch buffet and the goat stewed with red curry. The environment is pretty quite and clean.I think this is the best indian food in gainesville.
(4)
Elizabeth R.
We got takeout from here and it was great! We got the garlic naan with cilantro chutney which were both really yummy. My husband liked the chicken tikka. We also tried the vegetable samosa and the dal tadka on top of their basmati rice, both were excellent. We didn't like the vegetable curry, there was a spice in it that I really didn't like, I wish I knew what it was called so I could avoid it! The atmosphere is a little "meh" so I think it's best to just get takeout. We definitely plan on getting takeout again the near future!! Update: We just got takeout again and tried the mixed tanduri platter which wasn't as good as the chicken tikka. The other meat on it was pretty dry and not as flavorful. We also ordered the veggie korma which was awesome!! It's pretty heavy since it's a cream sauce, but it was delightful over rice. The onion bhaji fritters were really good. The raita sooo delicious! Mango chutney...a little weird. Vegetable jalfrezi was weird as well, it had a flavor that I didn't like. It's a heavy cream based sauce and similar to the korma, but has a spice in it that I don't like! The aloo tikki was a waste of calories, kinda boring.
(4)
Sandra B.
The buffet was ok. The dishes and sauces seemed a little thin. There was not much meat in the dishes. They charge $1.50 for a can of soda.
(2)
Genetico J.
So far I have been here for weekend lunch buffet. It was $12 bucks. The selection was very good with a nice mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. The dessert selection could be better, but not a big drawback. They had goat biryani and goat curry, a chicken curry and tandoori chicken. Three different veg curries, naan, rice, daal and chutneys. All food was spicy, as Indian food should be, but not killer spicy that makes you want to eat yogurt after every bite. The bar was constantly replenished as it was emptying out. The service was attentive and fast. The diner crowd was interesting, noisy, young and experienced in Indian cuisine it seems. Certainly not the bored gluttons that inhabit other Asian buffets here in Gainesville. The Indian grocery store next door is also a nice attraction. Will go again!
(4)
Matt A.
Did not even bother to stay for the lunch buffet. When I stopped for the first time, I saw $10.99 and as a vegan I could eat rice, naan, dal (lentils), pokora, cauliflower stir fry and mutter (peas) in tomato cream. That's a $7.99 meal tops. Why not start charging a veg and non-veg rate for buffet?
(2)
Robyn A.
The buffet is the best, especially the Palak Paneer! It is the bomb with the cabbage pakora and plenty of naan!
(5)
Gator R.
I am a fan of this place from the very first year they opened. That was the time where they use styro plates. They always have good food and good service. Dinner is sumptuous but you get more value during lunch buffet.
(5)
Cong S.
I want to give this place 6 star if yelp let me. My husband and I have been to this place for hundreds of times in the past 2 years and we both love it! They offer the best lunch buffet with a good variety of dishes and salads. The butter chicken is to die for. The dinner is the best Indian food I've ever had. The lamb and chicken are both amazing. We love Indian food, Thai food, and any other food with curry in it, and this place is the best we have ever been to. Strongly recommend!
(5)
Meg I.
I can't rave about this place enough. I've only ever been for dinner, but I have heard that the lunch buffet isn't very great. They have a great menu (lots of veg selections), and when you ask for spicy they actually give you spicy - without giving you 10 warnings and assuming you've never eaten Indian food before. The service can be slow on busier nights - and you may or may not die waiting for a water refill - but the food is usually out quick and they are very friendly. The naan is the best in town, everything is priced reasonably, and the portions are large.
(5)
Mini J.
Awful food and awful service. This review is by an Indian foodie, some one who eats, cooks and lives on Indian food- the food at this restaurant is Indian-American and not true Indian. Everything was bland. The quality was pathetic- no mutton in mutton biryani, no paneer in matar-paneer, etc,etc. The dishes also ran out! The management simply did not care, even after being told politely multiple times. It was a horrible experience.
(1)
David B.
Dinner: Both my wife and would say we had a decent time here. The service was great and well balanced, especially since they were really busy. The atmosphere was not anything romantic or special. It was a bit load, but it got the job done. The food did taste good, however I was not at all impressed with chicken protion sizes. I counted 5 very small pieces of chicken in my curry (masala) dish; my wife also had a very small chicken portion.I would say that this was my biggest dislike. Buffet: Great price, great selection, fresh food. I came here with 5 of my friends. I would def check this place out for buffet as opposed to dinner. You'll def get good food and your money's worth.
(4)
Eve P.
Always good. Consistent quality and service. We usually go for the weekend buffet, but have ordered off the menu for dinner, too. I think the buffet is better because you get to try different things, and have unlimited access to the chutneys and raita (no extra charge like for dinner). We live on the other side of town, so it's always a treat to make the trip over. We look forward to it every time.
(5)
Kimberly V.
Delicious! Absolutely my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. The staff is polite and the Korma (my favorite dish) is awesome. I'm not a fan of super spicy food and when I order my dish mild, it is actually mild. The lunch buffet dishes do tend to have quite a kick but they're so good, it's worth the burn.
(5)
Michael W.
I always wondered about this place every time that I passed by. So Last Saturday, some friends and I finally decided to try to it. We decided to go there for dinner. Service: The service was very helpful, they gave us advices on what we should try and etc. Quick with their food, and very attentive. Food: We ended up ordering alot samosas, lamb, chicken makhala,. 4 types of naan. Everything came out to be nicely presented and tasteful... I don't want to go into too much detail to talk about each item of food.. I am being lazy today :-/ Anyhow , I am going to go back for brunch to see what they serve and to see if it is really worth $10. Atmosphere: it is decently decorative, a bit dim in the inside. They could use more decorative to make it more Indian culture style. Anyhow, I will have to come back to this place when it is busy and packed. Because it seems like this place fills up easily due to the lack of tables. they probably can sit down like 30 ppl at most at once. They have so much more space to make it more efficient.
(4)
Chris H.
This place blows. Lazy employees whose sign says 9:00 pm close and would even allow me to order a meal to go at 8:43pm. How can anyone recommend?
(1)
Landon E.
The food was actually pretty good. The flavours were all there and everything was hot and exactly as spicy as you'd want it to be. The reason this gets 3 stars is because though the servers were nice and accommodating (we had a 7 person group) the food took a VERY long time to come out. I think it took about 20 minutes to get drinks and another 45+ minutes after that to get our food. The place wasn't even full, there were two other tables full at the restaurant when we got there. Regardless we enjoyed ourselves and the food helped keep us in a good mood.
(3)
Steve P.
I love this place, both for the lunch buffet and a sit down dinner. The buffet gives a good experience of what Indian food is. I like how welcoming the staff is and how careful they are about checking on your tolerance for spice. I definitely recommend a mango lasse if you order medium or hot. The yogurt is needed to help cool the burn and enhance the flavor. This place is authentic. Totally what one would want for an Indian experience.
(5)
Stephanie R.
Hmmmm 3.5 stars My boyfriend and I tried this place for lunch and I'd have to say it was a pretty good experience. We walked in and were quicky greeted and seated by the waiter. He filled our water glasses right, asked if we'd like anything else to drink, and told us to help ourselves to the buffet (buffet only for lunch). The buffet was clean and orderly with labels above each item saying what it was (and what was in it). There was a good selection on entrees along with naan, rice, and sauce/topping bar. The sauce bar had several chutneys, a yogurt sauce, and some other goodies. Overall the food is very decent; nice flavors; doesn't knock your socks off but for the prices it's a good meal for a great deal. I'll definitely be back
(3)
Diana D.
So I've only been here once, but it was my first experience with Indian food. I just was never exposed growing up! My husband and I split the cheese naan and chicken tikka masala. It was very, very good. Every dish has custom heat level - we got mild because we didn't know how hot medium would be...I'd probably try the medium next time though I enjoyed not having to sweat while eating! The cheese naan was AMAZING - will probably become a craving once in a while. For the "newbie" the chicken tikka masala was recommended and it definitely was a good introduction. Upscale place and upscale prices, at least for what I'd expect, but it was delish. Since we were able to split an entree and the naan, it was like $20 for a great meal that filled us up. I can say with confidence we will return!
(4)
Brad K.
They have now been open for a few years. Food quality has been maintained high Service is always very good and attentive Love the cilantro chutney, naan, and yogurt sauce along with their new pineapple chicken dish Highly recommend the lunch Buffett
(4)
Johnny L.
3.5 Stars but I enjoyed it enough to round up. I've been here for both lunch and dinner and I've been happy with it everytime. The dinner is kinda pricey but the food quality is higher than that of the lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is great though for what you pay ($7.99) The lunch buffet has about 12 items which include chicken curry, goat rice, tandoori chicken, naan, etc. The curries are a little watered down but still taste pretty good. The naan is amazing. Unlimited naan is almost worth the $7. I always eat everything with the naan. They have different chutneys to try also. The chutneys can come in handy for the tandoori chicken which always seems to be dry. The dinner is a more intimate environment. It's dim enough and the place looks real clean. It looked nice enough inside. The food can be a little pricey though. I got the tandoori platter (for myself....i know...) It was a lot of food. But I have to say most of it was kind of dry. The tandoori chicken especially. However, the seasonings and taste made up for it. It was around $21 though, so not really worth it. The lunch buffet is definitely what makes this place worth coming to. It's always packed for lunch so be sure to get there a little earlier if you have other plans. Good food.
(4)
Laura B.
Had dinner here on Friday. Thought it was really good. I see some reviews are not very positive, so maybe we were there on a good night. I consider myself a reasonably well-versed Indian food eater and thought the things we had were just as good as our recent experience at Amrit Palace in Ocala where the food was more expensive. Veggie samosa was great - everyone at our table scarfed these down - sauces on the side were both good. We had cilantro naan and aloo paratha which I really enjoyed. Veggie korma and matar paneer were both also good and came with a large plate of good basmati rice. Restaurant is a little plain decor-wise but our table was nice. The service was good. Will be going back.
(4)
Lauren O.
Indian Cuisine has great takeout; I love the beghan bharta (spicy eggplant). I recently went and tried their lunch buffet and found it to be clean and well attended and to have a great selection of all my favorites. Though I'm not a vegetarian I tend to gravitate towards the vegetarian choices which I found make up a good 50-60% of this buffet, so that is sure to please any vegetarians out there looking for a buffet with plenty of selections for them. Waitstaff are always nice and welcoming, even when I show up in my scrubs after work to pick up. I don't love the way they pack their to-go orders; I've had the whole thing topple over on me as I was leaving the parking lot more than once and they stuff so much rice in one flimsy takeout container that it always go all over when this happens. It's bound to cause an accident one of these days because I tend to be so terrified of losing out on my beloved spicy eggplant and rice and naan that I put myself and others in danger trying to save the food. I haven't tried dessert. The mango lassi is tasty if you like that sort of thing. If you are like me and easily bewildered by a large selection of ethnic food, go try the buffet. You get a sampling of many different traditional dishes so you can see what you really like.
(4)
Charlie P.
The buffet is a little more expensive but it is well worth it. Wonderful food. Fresh nan. A nice selection of chutneys. I also enjoy the chai.
(4)
Rob M.
We shared the tandoori mixed platter. There was more than enough & had take home box. The shared chicken & vegetable naan-YUM! Best I Indian we've eaten in Gainesville (1/3!) We'll come back but just have lamb & chicken kabobs that was the best of platter.
(4)
Claudia M.
lovely food, nice family biz and great price I have been coming here for lunch meetings. The ambiance is not suit-like, so it is a nice ice breaker when meeting with new contacts. I always like to go where folks from the same culture go, and this place fills up quick with UF types, grad students, staff, profs, and professionals in the area. I am suffering from various food allergies and have found this is a place where I do not go hungry. There used to be a very friendly and considerate server who is not longer part of the team. The remaining ones, while nice, are sometimes a bit stiff and trying too hard. A smile, and some flexibility, will often do fine.
(5)
Dorie N.
Great food, very relaxing environment. Love the buffet!
(4)
Rob Z.
Thank you Yelp. Was looking for an ethnic restaurant for early dinner on a trip south from Tally. Liked the reviews for Indian Cuisine. Not high-end but nice enough for date. In a strip mall but very clean; bathrooms too. Wait staff well-dressed and attentive. My wife and i shared the veggie mix platter for appetizer and then plain Naan and Vegetable Korma for dinner. $29 with tax and big tip for excellent service and enough leftovers for a snack on the road later. Will be back next trip.
(5)
Chelsea B.
I've definitely experienced better Indian food. Maybe this is too much information, but I threw up after the last time I ate here. I've been here twice, and the first time wasn't half bad, but after my last experience I will definitely not be back. My Indian friend recommended me this restaurant and promised it was "the best Indian food in Gainesville," but maybe she was playing a trick on me because she's able to make much, much better Indian food than is at this restaurant. The service is ok, and the restaurant is always full, but maybe Gainesville residents and UF college students just have low expectations.
(2)
Erica B.
I never knew I loved Indian food until I discovered this place. Now I seek out Indian restaurants wherever I travel and compare all to Indian Cuisine. This one is still my favorite of all. I love trying new dishes but my absolute favorites are the chicken tikka masala and the cheese naan. They are outstanding. I also recently attended the lunch buffet for the first time and am excited to return very soon! I highly recommend trying it out! I have also always been pleased with the service I receive there. The gentlemen are friendly and very accommodating. I had no prior knowledge of Indian food before I found this restaurant and they often help me when deciding how to order. I have not been disappointed.
(5)
Marci M.
So delicious! We have been coming here for years and have never had a bad experience. The meet or exceed our expectations every time. We cannot say enough good things. The portions are huge so keep that in mind when ordering and you'd be crazy not to try the naan! Love love love.
(5)
Rachel L.
I don't know how there could possibly be any stars less than 4 for this restaurant. The ambiance is perfect, for a family, friends or a couple. The food is absolutely delish. The servers are attentive, prompt and nice. I'm normally greeted when I come in. I must say, this one of the best restaurants Gainesville has to offer.
(5)
Shivangi M.
So myself and my fiance' went there for dinner at 8:30pm, first of all I was so surprised to know they close at 9pm, Are you kidding me? Huh!! Which restaurant closes that early on a normal weekday! We sat there and the waiter came instantly asking us to order, we said can you give us 5mins and he said we are about to close to can you please make it asap, I didn't like that..Anyways we then ordered samosa chat, paneer tikka masala, and daal fry, It wasn't long enough they got our order, the samosa chat was yuk! Samosa's were stale, Paneer tikka masala was ok but they added tons of color n it that our fingers caught them up until we washed our hands the next day, the whole time, Waiter kept staring at us as to when wuld we finish our dinner and leave, that was disgusting! We finished our dinner in 10mins and took the rest for take out!, We got boxes for take out and while I was boxing, he waiter started to pick the table and clean stuff while we were still sitting, It was not even 9pm then. Worst experience I have ever had to an Indian Restaurant!! I am an Indian and have been to many restaurants, this doesn't do any justice, I would recommend to try ANDAZ restaurant in gainesville which is far better than this place, nice food, very good staff and ambience is good too and hey they even have a Bar! :)
(1)
Mike W.
I had their lunch buffet here today and it was very fairly-priced at around $8 per person and the buffet contained a variety of dishes' none bad and some quite good. I highly recommend their chili chicken, which was on the buffet and the goat byrani. The other dishes were alright though a couple of the vegetable dishes were too runny/soupy. Overall, a good value--certainly a better value than their overpriced and still rather small dinner portions. For lunch, they're ok if you're on this side of town.
(3)
Coty S.
The lunch buffet curries are very watered down here. So there is not much flavor and the food just runs all over your plate, like a curry soup. You can see this from the photos, so you might as well put all of your food items in a bowl to keep them separated. Their dinner menu items are of the normal consistency. However, the cooks are very inconsistent. One time I came here and their Vegetable Korma was excellent, the following time it was runny and had no flavor. However, since there are not many places to choose from on this side of town it can get quite crowded and I have seen a line out the door before. If we are in Gainesville and want good Indian food, we have been known to drive all the way to Amrit Palace in Ocala for the real stuff.
(3)
Apara W.
The customer service is wonderful. I have had buffet here a few times, food is very mediocre, 2 stars off. Tons of options though at the buffet- but I have had much better Indian buffets. It is busy during lunch hour, so plan on going early. This is probably as good as it can get for Gainesville area.
(3)
Stevie D.
Probably the best Indian in the area! On par with what I've had in restaurants in larger cities. Staff is very friendly and the buffet is full of a large yummy variety; vegetarian, and not (including goat). Great food, great service. I would definitely recommend
(5)
Emilie Z.
I haven't gone there for dinner so this is just for their lunch buffet. One of my favorite places, I love good Indian food and they really nail it. Wonderful, buttery, fluffy naan, and they always have vegetarian options. I love their lentil soups, very rich and full of flavor. I always leave stuffed and contempt. Wonderful place.
(5)
Kelly R.
5 stars for lunch 3 stars for dinner Lunch buffet is always amazingly clean and delicious. There are clearly labeled signs under the wide variety of food that they keep well stocked. When they run out of naan they bring it around to all the tables and offer it to everyone. The price is reasonable and although i've had to wait for the check for a little bit, it wasn't bad considering there was only 1 waiter doing an excellent job for the whole place Dinner was delicious but very expensive. Lunch has more bang for your buck but both were tasty. If money doesn't matter then i'd go for both :)
(4)
Wylma R.
A five-decade connoisseur of Indian cuisine in every nook and cranny of the world, I finally came face to face with a dish that was inedible: extra hot Shrimp Vindaloo. (The server informed the dish would be very hot but, given my Sinhala heritage and my life-long exposure to very hot dishes, I shrugged this off.) But this dish was not extra hot. It was beyond hot--as if raw chili power had been stirred in to make the gravy appear bloody red and to leave the diner with a taste that was nauseating! All it took was one shrimp and a spoonful of gravy for me to know this dish was indigestible. I immediately ordered a bowl of Raita in the hopes that the yogurt would help reduce the unsavory aftertaste in my mouth. No amount of Raita could have salvaged this unpleasant experience. {Separately, I had ordered Poori. Server showed up with two Pooris on a plate, accidentally dropped one on the table, returned with two more Pooris on a plate, had us assuming an order must come with two pieces, only to later discover we were charged for a double order of Pooris--an annoying side experience). To add insult to injury, the restaurant took no action on the dissatisfaction we verbally expressed about the inedible and indigestible Shrimp Vindaloo dish that remained uneaten. The restaurant opted instead to simply extract the pound of flesh for a Vindaloo we couldn't eat, a Raita we didn't need, and a Poori we did not order. What I hoped would be a five-star experience turned out to be a one-star evening. But I've decided to be generous. I will give Indian Cuisine two stars!
(2)
Tiffany C.
I come here mainly for lunch and I have tried their dinner one time. The only reason I have tried their dinner once is because I didn't think it was worth it to come for dinner. The service I got was great, the waiter was always very attentive and nice. They should get a 3.5 star and points were taken out because their dinner wasn't good at all. When I came for dinner I got the chicken tika masala, it was mainly a bowl of sauce and only a couple small pieces of chicken breast for $15. If you want naan bread you have to order it separately for $2.49. Lunch was pretty good most of the tables were full compared to dinner. Weekday lunch is about $8 with a wide variety of dishes. I believe there are 3 chicken dishes, and everything else is vegetables and beans, for dinner they had the different chutney sauces that you have to pay, while for the lunch buffet they are all there for you to try including the naan bread at no extra cost. I feel that it is more worth it to come during lunch rather than dinner.
(3)
Gordon M.
Do not go if you are Indian or British or are experienced in Indian food. I am sure it is fine for the usual American eater. Very bland and flavorless usual offerings. Much fewer choices than the usual Indian Buffet. It ruined my afternoon, I would not go back
(2)
Chris T.
Best in town. Lunch buffet is the bomb, and my friend from India says it's authentic.
(5)
Paul D.
My dinner experience here was not very good. Super slow service, bad food, and overpriced to boot. I'll update after trying the lunch buffet.
(2)
Jared And Daisy T.
We went with a large party to Indian Cuisine on 34th Street and were really wowed by our meals. Because we had such a large party, we had called ahead a few days to make reservations. When we showed up, they had our table completely set up and awaiting us. They brought water quickly, gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu, and waited for the rest of our party to show. A bit too much time, as we waited quite a bit before the waiter finally came back to take our order. To be fair though, Indian Cuisine is not a large establishment and every table was filled. It's definitely not like the wait at Satchel's on a Friday night. We ordered a few different dishes, to sample betwixt us. The naan was heavenly, the sweet lassa was a bit tart but still quite tasty. It would have been better to have it come out with the meals, as it wasn't as cold as preferred by the time the entrees arrived. We tried vegetarian samosas, as well as their lamb counterparts. Both were quite delicious and were served with various sauces. The mixed tandoori was wonderful, but had a few too many onions. The shrimp vindaloo was gloriously spicy and paired perfectly with the fragrant basmati. The goat biryani was the best of the three main dishes we tried; full of flavor, very tender, and the rice that it was served with was bursting with flavor. We ordered some chai as well and that was fabulous -- except that the waiter nearly spilled it on our child's head and didn't bother to clean up the spill around the saucer, leaving only 1/2 of the tea in the cup. It was yummy and had just the right amount of cardamon, so mishap forgiven, it was great. The owner was wonderfully nice and extremely attentive. We would have given five stars, but the amount of time spent waiting brought it down a bit. We actually cannot wait to go back for lunch sometime to try the buffet, which friends of ours have told us is fantastic and filling. So since we can't give 4.5, we'll stick with 4 and hopefully get it up to 5 where it belongs.
(4)
Eddie B.
Great lunch. $8 for all you could eat last time I was there. Serves meat. This could be to your favor or not. I do wish they would highlight the vegetarian a little more.
(4)
Heather H.
The first time I came here I wasn't all that impressed. I had the lunch buffet and it was alright but I've had better. Their curry was a bit bland but the naan was really good. However, I decided to come back for dinner tonight and it was a whole different story. I had chicken tikka masala and chicken naan and it was AMAZING. The masala was really spicy too, I asked for medium and it was still incredibly hot (not a bad thing though!). It came with basamati rice as well and it was cooked perfectly. Sevice was really quick and the two guys who waited on me were very nice. Overall I would recommend going there for dinner, that's when they really seem to shine. The lunch buffet is still ok and worth it's price though.
(4)
markie o.
Best at dinner though a little pricey... Good Indian food in Gainesville. I've eaten at Indian Cuisine since they first opened in their original location and had el cheapo picnic benches and only served food in styrofoam. In the past, when they originally transitioned to only serving the lunch buffet during lunchtime, there was a slight dip and inconsistency in the quality of food. However, in the last year or so they've really upped their game. As mentioned above, at lunchtime, they only serve the buffet and do not take orders for the kitchen. Some people have mentioned that the curries were quite watery and tasteless which was true a while ago, but nowadays they are quite decent. There are usually a number of fixtures on the buffet table: basmati rice, plain naan (clay oven baked flatbread), onion fritters or potatoes, lentil soup, veggie curry, spicy chickpeas, creamy peas and potatoes, chicken curry, tandoori chicken, and a few dishes that change from day to day. The lunch buffet food typically ranges from acceptable to good, and is a decent deal at $8 on weekdays for all-you-can-eat. However, if you've only eaten the lunch buffet here, you are missing out. Come back at dinner time and order a la carte! The quality of food you get from individual orders from the kitchen at dinner is MUCH better than what is served at the lunch buffet. Most all the dishes I have tried have been good. The fresh naan cooked to order is quite good, much better than what is served on the lunch buffet. If you like your food very spicy hot, then make sure you emphasize that. Like one of the other reviewers, I asked my vindaloo to be "hot" but it wasn't close to being as hot as I would've expected. For non-Indians, I assume they tend to be conservative on the heat in their dishes, so you need to let them know you are a hot food connoisseur or masochist to get them to up the heat index on your food! The waiters are friendly and attentive, but maybe part of that is that I've been there enough that they remember me. The a la carte prices in the evening are a bit pricey, but in Gainesville, you don't have many choices as far as Indian food goes. Still, the portions are good enough to fill up most people with a good appetite. I prefer the food at Amrit Palace down in Ocala but am not disappointed when I eat at Indian Cuisine. It is quite good, and I like to support the local business.
(4)
Kat S.
Best Indian food in Gainesville. I have been told it is more Southern Indian cuisine (more milk based items on the menu) but regardless, it is delicious!!
(5)
A P.
We moved from a big city and so have had our share of great Indian food and we love this place. Their prices are reasonable and the food is always fresh and tasty. Lunch buffet is a great deal and dinner options are also really flavorful and delicious. Don't know why their rating isn't higher, they have great food, great service, and a brand new updated restaurant!
(5)
Mathumitha N.
Good for Non-Vegetarians than for vegans..... Improved a lot after renovation.....
(4)
Misty R.
We ate here on our first trip to Gainesville. The Chicken Tikka masala is TO DIE FOR!! Try the chai as its very tasty as well. The Naan is fabulous and the service was excellent. We will DEFINITELY come again!!!
(5)
Danielle B.
My husband and I had our first meal at Indian Cuisine at 5:15pm Thrusday July 29th. I am currently writing this review while eating lunch leftovers from yesterday's experience while these events are still fresh in my mind. We must have come to dine early for dinner because we were the only patrons in the restaurant. There were two waiters present and they promptly greeted us and told us to sit anywhere we liked. We chose a table and the waiter instantly brought us menus. They had a surprisingly large selection of choices. I'm by no means super experienced with Indian Cuisine (as the name boasts) but it seemed that there were lots of dishes I've tried but just as many I've never experienced. I love new choices so this was a real treat for me! We ordered Chicken Samosa and Chai for an appetizer. The chai was creamy, thick, and flavorful - they didn't add any sugar to the cups but brought us packets instead. I appreciate this since my husband is diabetic. The chicken samosa looked just like the samosa in the business photos section on yelp and had a sweet barbecue type sauce that I thought went with them very nicely - a little sweet, a little smokey. The waiter cleared our plates away quickly and asked to take our main dish order. My husband ordered a curried goat dish that I will not comment on since I didn't try very much of. I will say that when it arrived it was a pleasant creamy green color and he seemed to enjoy it mightily. They also served us a plate of basmati rice with our main dish that I believe was flavored with cloves since I found one on the plate. I thought that was a nice touch. I asked the waiter the difference between Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala and he was quick to explain. The Chicken Tikka is simply the dry flavored chicken and the Chicken Tikka Masala takes the dry Chicken Tikka and places it in a Masala sauce. I decided on the Chicken Tikka with the Masala because I'm a fan of sauces and I'm glad I did. The dish they brought out was orange colored sauce with little orange colored bites of chicken. I mean it was safety cone orange! I loved it for the color alone. It is not often I get the chance to eat such a brightly colored dish and I had fun swirling the sauce over my rice on my plate making everything turn a fun orange color. I wanted to order the garlic naan and told the waiter that I would except that I hate cilantro. He was quick to offer that they would be happy to make the garlic naan without cilantro for me. The naan tasted fresh and garlicky sans cilantro as promised when it arrived. A little more than halfway though our main dish the waiter asked if we needed more rice. We declined since we thought we had enough to finish our meals with but we ended up not being able to eat all of our dishes. The waiter asked if we'd like boxes to take the rest of the meal home in and I said yes. When he returned with the boxes I started putting my Chicken Tikka Masala in it and he asked again if I'd like additional rice. Realizing this was a good idea I said yes and he brought us a new plate of rice to finish off our to-go boxes with. I was very pleased that he asked if we wanted the rice a second time. Even though we were pretty full at this point I wanted to have a full experience at this place so I ordered dessert. I cannot remember the name but since there are only three desert choices and two of them are ice cream I think you should be able to narrow it down pretty easily. I've had this specific dessert on three different occasions (sweet syrup with fried doughnut like balls floating in it) and I will say that it was not the best I've ever had. Fortunately it was not the worst I've ever had either. Though I didn't hate the dessert I probably won't order it again. I think the doughnuts were a bit too dense for my preference. Overall this experience was impressive. The only negatives I can give at all were my specific preferences for the dessert and the fact that the waiters stand at the back of the room almost the entire time staring straight ahead. I understand that they are there to be ready for any requests we may have but I felt a little too watched while I was eating. Curries are a bit messy and I wanted a bit more privacy while I was trying not to drip sauce on my white shirt! I don't even feel that this is that big of a complaint but I do think its worth mentioning it. Next time I'll sit facing the door or on the opposite side of the room that has a little less of a direct view to the back. Hope this review helps!
(5)
Raj Y.
My wife and I were on our way from Orlando to ATL. Yelp had good reviews about this place, so decided to stop by. It appears that the good reviews were done by people who are of non-indian origin, no pun intended. Being an Indian myself, I can rate this only a 1 or 2 star. We tried the lunch buffet at 9.99. The place was crowded which is good for them. We were the only south Asians at the time, rest were white and Asians. From seeing the crowd and tasting the food, I can say that the food is cooked to appeal their palette. I will not suggest anyone with appetite for hot and spicy food to eat at this place. The only food items that I liked were the fluffy naan and the fried zucchini. Chilly chicken was too sweet, similar to Asian food, not Indian for sure. Chicken curry was so-so. Aloo mutter, aloo chole, veg curry and tandoori chicken were just okay. Gulab jamun was the only dessert, which was okay. My final verdict - this place can be appealing for ppl with soft palette and those who don't want to try spicy and authentic Indian food. Lunch buffet was not authentic Indian food. I suggest Indians, south Asians and others craving for spicy food to try elsewhere. Giving 2 star cos of fluffy naan and the fried zucchini.
(2)
leah s.
My food photos (on foodspotting.com ) taken here, look a lot better than the actual food I ate... unfortunate, but true. Sad Indian food, but sometimes You just gotta have some and Gainesville is limited on options. I'll go back, since I went with my friends from Iran, they like it because it's "close" to their regional food from Tehran, and we enjoy each other's company more than the food. Somebody open a good Indian place in this college town!
(2)
Peter M.
First let me say I loved the food. The mixed Tandoori platter had excellent flavor and enough for two, although I did not get any shrimp as was listed on the menu. Just a heads up if you are going to take the food to go. I had to go there to order since I did not have a menu. There is no hostess stand and the place was so busy that I could not get a waiter to stop to take my order, so I went to my car and called in my order and was told it would be 30 - 45 minutes so I went and ran errands and had to go back. Live and learn on a Friday night! I did see many Indian people eating there so it must be good, right?
(4)
April O.
They're finally open! I came with two friends who weren't familiar with Indian food (at all). One is a pesco-ovo-vegetarian and the other friend doesn't care for the taste or smell of grilled lamb. And yet Indian Cuisine managed us all beautifully. We ate their fluffy naan and ordered Sultani Biryani and Kashmiri Pulao, which made everyone happy. (Except me, because those bums ate all of the shrimp and didn't bother to mention it to me.) Even the mild versions of the food are savory, aromatic and full of tingling, subtle flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed the looks on my guests' faces when my mango lassi came out (radioactive oranges, anyone?), and I got to try ras malai, which I can only describe as a "floral milk dessert." Word to the wise: if your guests don't explicitly ask to try this, don't offer to share. Prices can be expensive, but portions are very large, and two dinner entrees should be more than enough food for 3-4 people. One final note--the restaurant's door is closed and locked promptly at closing time (9 during the week and 10 on weekends), and the kitchen closes 15 minutes before they lock the front door. This is not the place for stragglers.
(4)
Diana O.
I have loyally followed this place since their humble beginings in the other plaza. They moved to a larger nicer location which only adds to the overall experience. They rock on the Lunch Buffet. If they did a nicer one for dinner I bet you would have to wait to get a table. This is a family place the waiter always remembers what we usually order to drink. It is consistently good. No off days like some places. By far my favorite Indian joint in Gville.
(5)
Amy M.
Now that the Green Mango has opened up, Indian Cuisine cannot keep its position as the best Indian food in Gainesville. That being said, mediocre Indian is yummier to me than the most delicious of other foods, so three stars it is! I found the food to be somewhat salty, a disappointment when the cuisine has so many other amazing spices to offer (cardamom! coriander!). The price was a little high as well. Also, I am partial to South Indian fare and if I remember, this was a strictly Northern menu.
(3)
Alex E.
Straight up awesome Indian food. Very extensive menu, decent service, and the food never dissapoints. Definitely try some stuffed naan or a samosa to start your meal, many times I've considered just ordering two of them and calling it a night :) The atmosphere is lacking, but when you've got great food, who cares?
(4)
Tracey W.
Prices are high for what you get. I've been coming here for years it has always been superb. It has been a year since I was last here so last night we decided to eat here and we were very disappointed. It was busy so service was extremely slow our food was served in segments I ordered a lamb dish it was a plate of rice with 5 pieces of lamb for 15.00 I waited 15 minutes for the yogurt sauce that comes with the dish. The garlic naan was fresh but missing the garlic, the lentil soup was very salty. I am wondering if this is under new ownership...
(2)
Mindy M.
The lunch buffet is surprisingly wonderful -- go early so that you don't have to wait for naan, because after the little restaurant fills up, the kitchen can barely keep up with the insatiable demand for their excellent naan! All the curry dishes I have tried from the regular menu are really first-rate, and I'm a big fan of saag and saag paneer; these are very good here. Everything cooked in the tandoor is awesome. There is great talent in this kitchen! If you don't know anything about Indian food, you should go with a friend who can help you around the big, generous menu. I saw some students eating here once who clearly did not appreciate new flavors very much. They didn't even eat their rice -- outrageous! I love the rice here! Even the plain rice is very good.
(5)
Mark Y.
In Gainesville when you want Indian food there is only one place to go. Indian Cuisine has good food and good service. If your not able to wait till dinner check out there lunch buffet - all you can eat for one low price. While the food can be spicy for some, it is authentic and well worth the price. I have never left feeling I did not get my money's worth. Their chicken tikka and tandoori chicken are my favorites. For vegetarian eaters don't fear there are a variety of choices you you as well. definitely a must try
(4)
-B- -.
Went to this place for lunch again today with a large party (9). We all went with the lunch buffet, which is always spot on. Their aloo was fantastic as was the tandoori and curried chicken dishes. Unlimited naan bread and a mango lhassi just made me happy =).
(4)
lisa d.
The lunch buffet is unbeatable. $7.99 for curries, naan, rice, dessert, raita, chutneys, samosas, various veggie dishes, Tandoori chicken, etc. And the mango lassi, yum!
(5)
Connie C.
I love this place! Food consistency is very important to me and every time I come here I am never disappointed. Start your meal off with a chicken or lamb samosa, YUM! and wash it down with a deliciously cool mango lassi. For entrees I love the tandoori platter (it is a little sampler of all the tandoori items) and also the butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. I also love to order the Naan (chicken is my favorite, but garlic is a close second). I am not that big a fan of the buffet but I think that is because I have a few favorites and I must have those when I go. So if you haven't tried this place yet, please do, you won't regret it!
(5)
Heather S.
Ron K is right, this is the best Indian food in Gainesville, which is not saying much considering we only have two options to choose from in town. The atmosphere could use some work but the buffet makes up for it. There is an Indian market in the same plaza you definitely do not want to miss while you are in the area.
(4)
Ron K.
The best Indian food in Gainesville. Start off with some chicken or lamb somosas. The biriyani (chicken or lamb) is great. Ask for it indian hot if you are not afraid to test the senses a bit. The chicken naan is a personal fav of ours. In terms of entrees, try the chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, vindaloo or for those that like grilled food, get the mixed grill platter from the tandoor. It has lamb shish kabob, lamb sheesh kabob, chicken tikka and tandoori chicken. They bring it sizzling to your table. Now that you mouth is on fire, finish off the night with some kulfi or a sweet mango lassi. What a great meal it will be
(5)
Raquelle R.
Indian food is my favorite along with Thai food so I was very disappointed that the local indian restaurant isn't even decent. They add something strange to the chicken korma that makes it kind of jelly-like rather than creamy. It was lacking in flavor as well. The samosa chaat which is supposed to be exploding with flavor was a bland mess instead. I don't know how a restaurant can even mess samosa chaat up. Not sure why it's getting such great reviews but maybe the bar has been set too low in town. I'll have to keep going to orlando for great Indian food.
(2)
Felipe L.
Horrible restaurant. I've been there multiple times in the hopes of liking it, but the food is just horrible, plus they don't enough vegetarian options in the buffet,
(2)
Chris K.
Within the last six months or so, Indian Cuisine moved from their original location down to the opposite end of the same plaza. They now have much more room and a slightly larger buffet. Unlike their old location, I've never had to wait to get a seat. I did feel that their old space was a little more inviting. The new place lacks some personality. The prices have also gone up with the move, which has kept me from coming here as much as I used to. When they first started operating the big buffet, I had a couple bad experiences. My guess was that they were adapting to managing the larger buffet. I typically avoid buffets, unless they're small and I can tell the establishment is focusing on the quality and freshness of the few dishes available. So seeing the new larger buffet raised some concerns, which aren't completely unfounded. I do feel like the overall quality and freshness of the food has slipped some. I'd like to see them go back to a smaller buffet. Despite some of the changes for the worst, I still feel the overall quality of the food is above average for a buffet. Like Mike W., I tend to gravitate towards their chili chicken, but usually try a little bit of everything. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, step out of your comfort zone and try some of their vegetarian dishes. The flavor is so good you might forget you're eating veggies ^_^. Speaking of flavor, I do think they hold back on their seasoning compared to other Indian restaurants. I have a feeling this is done on purpose to help appeal to customers who might be put off by really flavorful dishes. So depending on how much flavor you like packed into your Indian food, you may or may not like the food they serve here. The service was good at the old location, and that hasn't changed at all with the move. They don't have too many additional waiters from what I can tell, but the staff has no problem keeping up with all the new tables.
(4)
Stormy C.
Excellent food. They were very accommodating preparing the food according to my (wimpy) spice level. I wish this restaurant was closer to my home!
(5)
J N.
It was awful!! It an hour and a half to get the food and the customer service was horrible! They never told us why it was taking so long and kept saying it would be right out...never going again,ever.
(1)
Lin Z.
Highly recommend. I came here a lot. All the servers knew me and my usually dish-lamb curry. The food in here let me want to go to India and live in there hah
(5)
Tracy M.
Only been here for the lunch buffet. I can't ask for much more in an Indian lunch. Lots of options (veggie and meat). Very flavorful and clean with friendly staff. Reasonably priced, we come here frequently.
(5)
Sara B.
I ate here for the first time yesterday and I can't stop talking about it! My boyfriend and I went in and were pleasantly greeted and seated. The staff was very nice and had great suggestions from the menu. We ordered and our food was out very quickly. I was please to see that it wasn't reheated food, either. First bite = heaven. This was the best meal I have had in a LONG time in Gainesville. I got the chicken roganjosh. Ate the leftovers for lunch today and it was just as good, if not better. The entrees are about $14 each but are good portions. Everything was good here. I will definitely be back.
(5)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :3550 SW 34th St,Ste A
Gainesville, FL, 32608
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
Raj Y.
My wife and I were on our way from Orlando to ATL. Yelp had good reviews about this place, so decided to stop by. It appears that the good reviews were done by people who are of non-indian origin, no pun intended. Being an Indian myself, I can rate this only a 1 or 2 star. We tried the lunch buffet at 9.99. The place was crowded which is good for them. We were the only south Asians at the time, rest were white and Asians. From seeing the crowd and tasting the food, I can say that the food is cooked to appeal their palette. I will not suggest anyone with appetite for hot and spicy food to eat at this place. The only food items that I liked were the fluffy naan and the fried zucchini. Chilly chicken was too sweet, similar to Asian food, not Indian for sure. Chicken curry was so-so. Aloo mutter, aloo chole, veg curry and tandoori chicken were just okay. Gulab jamun was the only dessert, which was okay. My final verdict - this place can be appealing for ppl with soft palette and those who don't want to try spicy and authentic Indian food. Lunch buffet was not authentic Indian food. I suggest Indians, south Asians and others craving for spicy food to try elsewhere. Giving 2 star cos of fluffy naan and the fried zucchini.
(2)leah s.
My food photos (on foodspotting.com ) taken here, look a lot better than the actual food I ate... unfortunate, but true. Sad Indian food, but sometimes You just gotta have some and Gainesville is limited on options. I'll go back, since I went with my friends from Iran, they like it because it's "close" to their regional food from Tehran, and we enjoy each other's company more than the food. Somebody open a good Indian place in this college town!
(2)Peter M.
First let me say I loved the food. The mixed Tandoori platter had excellent flavor and enough for two, although I did not get any shrimp as was listed on the menu. Just a heads up if you are going to take the food to go. I had to go there to order since I did not have a menu. There is no hostess stand and the place was so busy that I could not get a waiter to stop to take my order, so I went to my car and called in my order and was told it would be 30 - 45 minutes so I went and ran errands and had to go back. Live and learn on a Friday night! I did see many Indian people eating there so it must be good, right?
(4)April O.
They're finally open! I came with two friends who weren't familiar with Indian food (at all). One is a pesco-ovo-vegetarian and the other friend doesn't care for the taste or smell of grilled lamb. And yet Indian Cuisine managed us all beautifully. We ate their fluffy naan and ordered Sultani Biryani and Kashmiri Pulao, which made everyone happy. (Except me, because those bums ate all of the shrimp and didn't bother to mention it to me.) Even the mild versions of the food are savory, aromatic and full of tingling, subtle flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed the looks on my guests' faces when my mango lassi came out (radioactive oranges, anyone?), and I got to try ras malai, which I can only describe as a "floral milk dessert." Word to the wise: if your guests don't explicitly ask to try this, don't offer to share. Prices can be expensive, but portions are very large, and two dinner entrees should be more than enough food for 3-4 people. One final note--the restaurant's door is closed and locked promptly at closing time (9 during the week and 10 on weekends), and the kitchen closes 15 minutes before they lock the front door. This is not the place for stragglers.
(4)Sara B.
I ate here for the first time yesterday and I can't stop talking about it! My boyfriend and I went in and were pleasantly greeted and seated. The staff was very nice and had great suggestions from the menu. We ordered and our food was out very quickly. I was please to see that it wasn't reheated food, either. First bite = heaven. This was the best meal I have had in a LONG time in Gainesville. I got the chicken roganjosh. Ate the leftovers for lunch today and it was just as good, if not better. The entrees are about $14 each but are good portions. Everything was good here. I will definitely be back.
(5)Emilie Z.
I haven't gone there for dinner so this is just for their lunch buffet. One of my favorite places, I love good Indian food and they really nail it. Wonderful, buttery, fluffy naan, and they always have vegetarian options. I love their lentil soups, very rich and full of flavor. I always leave stuffed and contempt. Wonderful place.
(5)Kelly R.
5 stars for lunch 3 stars for dinner Lunch buffet is always amazingly clean and delicious. There are clearly labeled signs under the wide variety of food that they keep well stocked. When they run out of naan they bring it around to all the tables and offer it to everyone. The price is reasonable and although i've had to wait for the check for a little bit, it wasn't bad considering there was only 1 waiter doing an excellent job for the whole place Dinner was delicious but very expensive. Lunch has more bang for your buck but both were tasty. If money doesn't matter then i'd go for both :)
(4)Diana O.
I have loyally followed this place since their humble beginings in the other plaza. They moved to a larger nicer location which only adds to the overall experience. They rock on the Lunch Buffet. If they did a nicer one for dinner I bet you would have to wait to get a table. This is a family place the waiter always remembers what we usually order to drink. It is consistently good. No off days like some places. By far my favorite Indian joint in Gville.
(5)Amy M.
Now that the Green Mango has opened up, Indian Cuisine cannot keep its position as the best Indian food in Gainesville. That being said, mediocre Indian is yummier to me than the most delicious of other foods, so three stars it is! I found the food to be somewhat salty, a disappointment when the cuisine has so many other amazing spices to offer (cardamom! coriander!). The price was a little high as well. Also, I am partial to South Indian fare and if I remember, this was a strictly Northern menu.
(3)Alex E.
Straight up awesome Indian food. Very extensive menu, decent service, and the food never dissapoints. Definitely try some stuffed naan or a samosa to start your meal, many times I've considered just ordering two of them and calling it a night :) The atmosphere is lacking, but when you've got great food, who cares?
(4)Tracey W.
Prices are high for what you get. I've been coming here for years it has always been superb. It has been a year since I was last here so last night we decided to eat here and we were very disappointed. It was busy so service was extremely slow our food was served in segments I ordered a lamb dish it was a plate of rice with 5 pieces of lamb for 15.00 I waited 15 minutes for the yogurt sauce that comes with the dish. The garlic naan was fresh but missing the garlic, the lentil soup was very salty. I am wondering if this is under new ownership...
(2)Mindy M.
The lunch buffet is surprisingly wonderful -- go early so that you don't have to wait for naan, because after the little restaurant fills up, the kitchen can barely keep up with the insatiable demand for their excellent naan! All the curry dishes I have tried from the regular menu are really first-rate, and I'm a big fan of saag and saag paneer; these are very good here. Everything cooked in the tandoor is awesome. There is great talent in this kitchen! If you don't know anything about Indian food, you should go with a friend who can help you around the big, generous menu. I saw some students eating here once who clearly did not appreciate new flavors very much. They didn't even eat their rice -- outrageous! I love the rice here! Even the plain rice is very good.
(5)Mark Y.
In Gainesville when you want Indian food there is only one place to go. Indian Cuisine has good food and good service. If your not able to wait till dinner check out there lunch buffet - all you can eat for one low price. While the food can be spicy for some, it is authentic and well worth the price. I have never left feeling I did not get my money's worth. Their chicken tikka and tandoori chicken are my favorites. For vegetarian eaters don't fear there are a variety of choices you you as well. definitely a must try
(4)-B- -.
Went to this place for lunch again today with a large party (9). We all went with the lunch buffet, which is always spot on. Their aloo was fantastic as was the tandoori and curried chicken dishes. Unlimited naan bread and a mango lhassi just made me happy =).
(4)lisa d.
The lunch buffet is unbeatable. $7.99 for curries, naan, rice, dessert, raita, chutneys, samosas, various veggie dishes, Tandoori chicken, etc. And the mango lassi, yum!
(5)Connie C.
I love this place! Food consistency is very important to me and every time I come here I am never disappointed. Start your meal off with a chicken or lamb samosa, YUM! and wash it down with a deliciously cool mango lassi. For entrees I love the tandoori platter (it is a little sampler of all the tandoori items) and also the butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. I also love to order the Naan (chicken is my favorite, but garlic is a close second). I am not that big a fan of the buffet but I think that is because I have a few favorites and I must have those when I go. So if you haven't tried this place yet, please do, you won't regret it!
(5)Heather S.
Ron K is right, this is the best Indian food in Gainesville, which is not saying much considering we only have two options to choose from in town. The atmosphere could use some work but the buffet makes up for it. There is an Indian market in the same plaza you definitely do not want to miss while you are in the area.
(4)Ron K.
The best Indian food in Gainesville. Start off with some chicken or lamb somosas. The biriyani (chicken or lamb) is great. Ask for it indian hot if you are not afraid to test the senses a bit. The chicken naan is a personal fav of ours. In terms of entrees, try the chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, vindaloo or for those that like grilled food, get the mixed grill platter from the tandoor. It has lamb shish kabob, lamb sheesh kabob, chicken tikka and tandoori chicken. They bring it sizzling to your table. Now that you mouth is on fire, finish off the night with some kulfi or a sweet mango lassi. What a great meal it will be
(5)Jonny G.
This place was amazing. I love curry dishes and this place does a great job. They serve everything family style and they serve basmati rice on the side also. We had Goat Curry and Butter Chicken. But don't forget the Naan, cilantro stuffed naan was incredible along with garlic naan. The food was amazing. The people running the front of the house all seem to be from India, and seeing into the kitchen a few times the cooks I saw also looked like they were from India. Everything had a very authentic feel to it. The waiters were all very friendly, attentive, and informative If you want to try Indian food, go here! You will love it
(5)Mrignayani C.
I am yet to try their lunch buffet but the masala biryaani they serve as a-la-carte is on point! I like the mild version of their masala chicken biryani. Their chicken lollipop is also quite a treat to your pallet! I have seen my friends fight over sips of their Mango Lassi, so I'd suggest you definitely try it once. Disclaimer : it's extremely sweet but totally worth it. It reminds me of Mango candy. None of my friends would trade their mango lassi for any other beverage, but i personally love their regular sweet lassi as well. It has a beautiful cardamom flavor that I'd definitely recommend. The reason a generous reviewer like me is taking away one star from them is because their butter chicken did not live up to our expectations. The chicken pieces were hard and chewy and the gravy was mediocre. The naan although, was soft and perfectly home like.
(4)Nan T.
The lunch buffet is wonderful...hot and fresh every time! The establishment appears very clean, & the owners are always professional and friendly. Water glasses are refilled timely. Be prepared to be tired after eating; most of the dishes are heavily cream-based. Lots of natives of India visit this restaurant, which is usually quite telling.
(4)Isabel S.
I came here for the lunch buffet with a group of friends. The food was absolutely delicious. The butter chicken was smooth and spicy, the goat vindaloo was very tender, and the vegetable shahi korma was wonderful. We also had the naan, cabbage pakora and aloo tikki. We had the sweet rice pudding and mixed fruits with a mango sauce for dessert. There was a lot of food (including vegetarian options) and friendly service for a great price ($10.99 on weekdays, $11.99 on weekends). We all left extremely satisfied!
(5)Brandon A.
And I didn't even like Indian food all that much. So I came here on a whim; I was quite hungry and my options were to either brave a trip down archer road again or to try something new. Boy am I glad I did. The building is sparsely decorated but clean, so no complaints. The wait staff is attentive and competent. But the best part, the real reason I think so highly of this place is the food. The lunch buffet is simply fantastic. Everything pops with flavor. The naan is good, as is the butter chicken and the saag paneer. Those are my absolute favorites. Word of advice though, the lunch buffet menu is differs based on the day. I came in on a Sunday and they didn't have saag paneer or butter chicken and that was sort of upsetting to me. The food in its place was still good, but not my favorite. Overall a great little place. Well worth the price. The only complaint I have is that they don't have unlimited refills on soda, but hey most small places don't so I won't dock a star for that.
(5)Raquelle R.
Indian food is my favorite along with Thai food so I was very disappointed that the local indian restaurant isn't even decent. They add something strange to the chicken korma that makes it kind of jelly-like rather than creamy. It was lacking in flavor as well. The samosa chaat which is supposed to be exploding with flavor was a bland mess instead. I don't know how a restaurant can even mess samosa chaat up. Not sure why it's getting such great reviews but maybe the bar has been set too low in town. I'll have to keep going to orlando for great Indian food.
(2)James O.
I feel kind of awkward writing this review, as I'm not overly fond of Indian food to begin with. Mostly because I spent a period of time in Sri Lanka where we would eat a 'fish' curry of sorts for breakfast/lunch and dinner. Every day. I ordered the Lama Korma (see above reason for why), it was fine, just very oily and bland. The meat had a chewy nature, that suggested it hadn't been slow cooked. All in all, it was a mediocre experience, and to be honest if the prices had been more reasonable, I would have probably minded less. I haven't tried many other Indian restaurants in Gainesville, so we will see if this review gets changed from 2 stars or not. But as it stands this would not make it onto my repeat list.
(2)Isabella F.
This place is a gem in this little town called Gainesville. You would never think this restaurant is so nice just by driving by it. An Indian guy recommended me to go, so that's why I ended up going. This place is really neat; very clean, the decoration is really nice, and the music and lighting are very pleasant. The food is very tasty and not that expensive. Compared to so many Indian restaurants that I've tried, this one has been by far one of the best. Too bad it is so far away from Miami, otherwise I would come here every week for sure. Totally recommended and if you love either the mango lassi or just the plain lassi, you should definitely have it. Delicious!
(5)Kristie L.
Naan... Amazing! I think I ate 5 pieces alone. I've been to a few Indian restaurants and this one can be added to my list of favorites!!! The lunch buffet had various options and our waiter was awesome! The food very flavorful and fresh. I'd recommend trying this place if your in Gainesville.
(5)Amanda T.
This place was delicious! We took my father in law here for Father's Day. He's been to India so he compares all Indian restaurants to his time in India. He said it was very delicious. I'd love to come for the lunch buffet because it looked huge. We came for dinner and I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and ate everything that was designated as mine and some more that wasn't. My husbands little brother ordered the Mango Juice and as we all cringed at what it was going to taste like we passed around the cup for another sip. It was delicious and I was enthralled that the walls were the same color as the Mango Juice! Great place!
(4)Josian L.
This is one of the best restaurants in Gainesville and my personal favorite. The food is bursting with flavor and always fresh. We specially like their Saturday buffet, but their regular dinning is excellent too. Their staff is attentive and always very amicable.
(5)Powder W.
Good Heavens, stopped in here on a whim - DELICIOUS! Although be warned the Madras Med is an average Hot! Start with med the first time and you won't go wrong. We will be back.
(5)Chlo L.
Not coming back... Especially with Aandaz close by. The quality and flavors were disappointing. I'm really surprised that this place has better ratings than Aandaz.
(2)Michael R.
Went to this place years ago and wasn't too impressed. Recently went with a friend to try the lunch buffet and was very surprised at how much better it had gotten. There's a decent spread of food without spreading it too thin (stuff is clearly out fresh) and they do a good job of keeping the naan tray full. But the reason I give this 5 stars is for their dinner, which I tried for the first time last night. I had the lamb korma and thought it was just fantastic. Creamy and nutty with a little heat (medium probably wasn't enough for me), very good and actually worth the price. If you want to eat a nice dinner and don't mind paying a bit (well, regular Indian food prices, which are a bit much imo) then this place is great.
(5)Maris D.
The Paneer was very good as was the naan and the tandoori but my curry chicken was lacking flavor, the rice pudding was probably the worst I've had. The staff was very friendly. It's a shame. I was really hoping for more.
(3)Sanyogita R.
I have been to this place multiple times, mostly had buffet. Overall good food. Their Saag Paneer is ultimate. Do not go for their Masala Biryanis, they put so much masala that it spoils the actual taste. Instead, have medium spicy biryanis. Ambiance is good even for special occasion treats.
(3)Marina M.
My favorite restaurant in Gainesville! The butter chicken is amazing every time and the naan is equally as good! The prices are a little on the higher end but completely worth it, and by no means "expensive." Plus, the portions are generous and I always have leftovers for the next day. I definitely recommend!
(5)Sara K.
I was really excited to find a good Indian restaurant in Gainesville after reading previous Yelp reviews, but I left Indian Cuisine pretty disappointed. I had garlic naan, vegetable samosas, and chicken tikka masala. Everything was bland and not at all exciting. Service was good and attentive but sadly that will not bring me back here.
(2)Darshan P.
Actually really good for indian food! I recommend the buffet which offer reasonable prices and is pretty popular in Gainesville. They offer enough vegetarian and meat options. They also have a glass countertop on the tables - HUGE because indian food can get messy and with white table cloths, it gets unappetizing to continue eating while your staring at the destruction you have made.
(4)Adrienne W.
Another night in Gainesville, and my friends and I decided to hit up this Indian restaurant, because we had found a nice one in Ocala last time. We had an eggplant curry of some sort, which was DELICIOUS, a paneer dumpling dish and a paneer makhanala. The paneer dumpling dish had a great butter tomato sauce but I felt that it was maybe too filling (thank goodness we shared everything!). It was, however, quite delicious. The paneer makhanala was okay but it wasn't anything special. I think I'd probably get another paneer dish next time - maybe stick to a saag paneer or something or a paneer tikka masala. Service was overall good and the server was polite and made sure we always had enough water and made sure our food was okay. I'd like to give this place another chance to see if they can earn my full 4 stars. Will be back a while later.
(3)Felipe L.
Horrible restaurant. I've been there multiple times in the hopes of liking it, but the food is just horrible, plus they don't enough vegetarian options in the buffet,
(2)Samantha F.
*NOTE* I wish we had ratings for overall and ratings for "for the area." Gainesville has a serious lack of Indian food. We go here when we simply can't take the Indian-emptiness in our stomachs, but we don't go because we crave their food in particular. So, while it fulfills the need for Indian, it definitely leaves something to be desired. The spice level is grand. I have to say that they do a pretty good job of their mild-medium-hot scale, whereas other Indian places won't serve their food hot because they must be sick of patrons asking for hot when they really mean mild. It's refreshing to actually go somewhere where they trust (sort of) that you know what you're going to get when you ask for Indian hot. The food itself--I have had the palak paneer and the bhindi masala--has the right flavors, but they're simply not strong enough. It's almost like they're just not balanced right, or there's not enough there. So while you can tell how complex the dishes should be, you're not getting the flavor explosion that should come with a dish like bhindi masala. The naan is more akin to pizza crust, which is forgivable, but the tandori roti in particular is disappointing, dry, and (I suspect, but won't say for sure) reheated. I say so because tandori roti should be baked in a tandor, but ours came out crispy with a slight film of oil, as if it was baked, set aside, and reheated upon our order. It also just could be that their dough is not good. As for service, we never had a problem here and we have gone a few times. Our water glasses were never empty, and the waitstaff noticed that we hadn't gotten to one dish yet and asked if it was okay. They are nice, welcoming, and helpful with their menu. Overall, I miss Boston's Indian scene, but the food here is definitely okay. Just don't expect to be blown away. Get a sweet lassi, though. That they have nailed.
(3)Suman G.
I'm indian descent and my wife is British descent. We both love indian food. We both disliked "Indian Cuisine." We orderd the chicken tikka masala, pallak paneer, rice and nan. Pretty standard stuff. The nan was the only good thing and even that was doughy. Chicken tikka masala was chopped up bits of chicken breast in a fenugreek rich tomato based sauce that was not flavorful at all and the chicken was very bland. The pallak paneer also went overboard with the fenugreek and was like eating hospital style blended spinach with clumps of paneer just thrown in from the fridge. This is NOT good "Indian Cuisine" and a total RIP OFF for what they charge for each dish.
(1)Kevin M.
Absolutely amazing food, service, and prices. Had the chicken pops and the chicken vindaloo, plus some naan on the side. Everything was a 10/10. This is one of my new favorite places in Gainesville. BTW - in addition to the aforementioned perfection, they've also got the cleanest bathrooms of any restaurant in Gainesville, with the exception of Embers maybe.
(5)Dmachop C.
Undoubtedly the best Indian restaurant in town. Buffet or a-la carte, it is good. The dessert wasn't that impressive; was a mango paste-like sweet. Didn't like that, but overall the service was good, ambience was cool and it is North-Indian oriented. Go for it if you're at the town.
(4)Jessica K.
So good. Korma was amazing. Paneer naan was amazing. Spicy paneer (forget which one) was damn spicy but also very good and had a really lovely grilled flavor to it, which is something you don't usually get with vegetarian dishes. Boyfriend's lamb something was anihilated. It was really, really good Indian food. I was super happy with it all. And the service was super friendly- he said thank you at least four times in three minutes. Not 5 stars, based on their regular menu, just because of prices. A vegetable, sauce and rice should not be $13. It's just so much for so little, relatively. We got three dishes and one naan and our bill was $48. No eat-in tipping or spontaneous purchases, though. I can't say it wasn't worth it, but I think it's good to note that this will be a seriously expensive takeout dinner. It's also a little hard to digest the prices when the buffet is talked up so much and so much less expensive. Really looking forward to going back for the buffet. And I'm sure we'll order take away again, it was good enough and one day it's going to be the perfect thing.
(4)Joshua B.
Stopped in on a whim after hitting swamp head brewery. Place was pretty dead at 4 on a Saturday. Sat quickly and ordered. We did order appetizers which slowed the rest of out meal. Everything we had had amazing flavor. I had the butter chicken. Quite tasty, beyond anything I have had previously. We were all very happy with our meal. Only thing that was not on point was how long it took to get our food given how busy they were. Only 3 tables in the place, but still took quite some time to get our meals. Other than that, very impressed.
(4)Aleksandra C.
First time here and I loved it. We tried several appetizers and naam and each had diff meat with rice. Everything was delicious. The service is a bit slow but the food makes up for it!!
(4)Mini J.
Awful food and awful service. This review is by an Indian foodie, some one who eats, cooks and lives on Indian food- the food at this restaurant is Indian-American and not true Indian. Everything was bland. The quality was pathetic- no mutton in mutton biryani, no paneer in matar-paneer, etc,etc. The dishes also ran out! The management simply did not care, even after being told politely multiple times. It was a horrible experience.
(1)Liang M.
If you love spicy food, this is the restaurant you must try. I like their lunch buffet and the goat stewed with red curry. The environment is pretty quite and clean.I think this is the best indian food in gainesville.
(4)Cong S.
I want to give this place 6 star if yelp let me. My husband and I have been to this place for hundreds of times in the past 2 years and we both love it! They offer the best lunch buffet with a good variety of dishes and salads. The butter chicken is to die for. The dinner is the best Indian food I've ever had. The lamb and chicken are both amazing. We love Indian food, Thai food, and any other food with curry in it, and this place is the best we have ever been to. Strongly recommend!
(5)Chris K.
Within the last six months or so, Indian Cuisine moved from their original location down to the opposite end of the same plaza. They now have much more room and a slightly larger buffet. Unlike their old location, I've never had to wait to get a seat. I did feel that their old space was a little more inviting. The new place lacks some personality. The prices have also gone up with the move, which has kept me from coming here as much as I used to. When they first started operating the big buffet, I had a couple bad experiences. My guess was that they were adapting to managing the larger buffet. I typically avoid buffets, unless they're small and I can tell the establishment is focusing on the quality and freshness of the few dishes available. So seeing the new larger buffet raised some concerns, which aren't completely unfounded. I do feel like the overall quality and freshness of the food has slipped some. I'd like to see them go back to a smaller buffet. Despite some of the changes for the worst, I still feel the overall quality of the food is above average for a buffet. Like Mike W., I tend to gravitate towards their chili chicken, but usually try a little bit of everything. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, step out of your comfort zone and try some of their vegetarian dishes. The flavor is so good you might forget you're eating veggies ^_^. Speaking of flavor, I do think they hold back on their seasoning compared to other Indian restaurants. I have a feeling this is done on purpose to help appeal to customers who might be put off by really flavorful dishes. So depending on how much flavor you like packed into your Indian food, you may or may not like the food they serve here. The service was good at the old location, and that hasn't changed at all with the move. They don't have too many additional waiters from what I can tell, but the staff has no problem keeping up with all the new tables.
(4)Stormy C.
Excellent food. They were very accommodating preparing the food according to my (wimpy) spice level. I wish this restaurant was closer to my home!
(5)J N.
It was awful!! It an hour and a half to get the food and the customer service was horrible! They never told us why it was taking so long and kept saying it would be right out...never going again,ever.
(1)Lin Z.
Highly recommend. I came here a lot. All the servers knew me and my usually dish-lamb curry. The food in here let me want to go to India and live in there hah
(5)Tracy M.
Only been here for the lunch buffet. I can't ask for much more in an Indian lunch. Lots of options (veggie and meat). Very flavorful and clean with friendly staff. Reasonably priced, we come here frequently.
(5)Bhavika P.
We were driving back from Tampa to Atlanta and made a dinner stop. Convenient location, however food not so much. Got an appetizer....it was cold...I totally ignored it thinking I'm only passing by. Main course arrived and we had two items missing, which at this point I'm aggrevated. So deciding to ignore it again....we figured we should start eating, one of the dishes (baigan bharta) was super spicy....we ordered medium and this was a "throat burning" level of spice. The waiter came and he stood there arguing with us that this is medium and we have five levels of spice. So medium is level 2...thats not even half way down the levels. After arguing for five minutes he finally said you want another one....of course we do. Ten minutes later it comes out and its a mixture of the baigan (smashed) with a tomato garnished on it. No salt no taste. And its cold. Great! Waiter comes by again and asked if it was ok. I said no, this has nothing in it and he said whatever and walked off. No sorry no manager (even when requested)...funny how he came to get the credit card the second we put it in the filopad. Hope you have a better experience than us and nicer service. Disappointed! :(
(1)Christina C.
The BEST indian food in Gainesville. The only thing I don't like about this place is that it's a little too quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Everyone is whispering and if one table doesn't care about how quiet it is, the whole restaurant can't help but eavesdrop the whole time. I'm hoping the music they play will be louder the next time I come back. Fingers crossed.
(4)Ali A.
This was the first Indian food experience I've had. It was great. I went for the lunch buffet, which has a nice variety of dishes. It's a little spicy, but for someone who can't really handle much spice, just drink lots of water and feast on pita bread. On weekdays they have Samosas. They have three different Buffet menus: m-th, Friday-Saturday, then Sunday. Each selection is incredible. The service was great. The staff is always available, and ready to help with anything asked of them. I've been here twice (now 20+ times), and will continue to enjoy the lunch buffet.
(5)Jacqueline W.
Order take out from here on a regular basis. I'm a big fan of their Matar Paneer even though quality, quantity(peas and paneer) and color varies greatly from order to order. I always order medium spicy which will also vary each order. Even though the food it not consistent, it is still very very delicious.
(4)Tiffany A.
I love this place! Other than having a sentimental attachment to this place (a very great first date), it has delicious food! I always have to have naan with my meal. Although plain and garlic naan are my faves, I recently tried the cheese naan which was pleasantly surprising. I always get the Chicken Roganjosh because I've tried it at so many Indian restaurants, and none are up to par with Indian Cuisine's. Their meat is always so savory and tender, the sauce is on point, and the basmati rice is a perfect canvas for all of the wonderful sauces and spices to sit. The staff is attentive and friendly. It has a very quiet and intimate atmosphere. Although I am not very keen on spicy food, I have tasted several other dishes and can appreciate their spicy flavor. The buffet has plenty of meat to offer. It could maybe use more variety in desserts, but I'm not really gonna complain about something like that. 5 stars :)
(5)Elizabeth R.
We got takeout from here and it was great! We got the garlic naan with cilantro chutney which were both really yummy. My husband liked the chicken tikka. We also tried the vegetable samosa and the dal tadka on top of their basmati rice, both were excellent. We didn't like the vegetable curry, there was a spice in it that I really didn't like, I wish I knew what it was called so I could avoid it! The atmosphere is a little "meh" so I think it's best to just get takeout. We definitely plan on getting takeout again the near future!! Update: We just got takeout again and tried the mixed tanduri platter which wasn't as good as the chicken tikka. The other meat on it was pretty dry and not as flavorful. We also ordered the veggie korma which was awesome!! It's pretty heavy since it's a cream sauce, but it was delightful over rice. The onion bhaji fritters were really good. The raita sooo delicious! Mango chutney...a little weird. Vegetable jalfrezi was weird as well, it had a flavor that I didn't like. It's a heavy cream based sauce and similar to the korma, but has a spice in it that I don't like! The aloo tikki was a waste of calories, kinda boring.
(4)Sandra B.
The buffet was ok. The dishes and sauces seemed a little thin. There was not much meat in the dishes. They charge $1.50 for a can of soda.
(2)Genetico J.
So far I have been here for weekend lunch buffet. It was $12 bucks. The selection was very good with a nice mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. The dessert selection could be better, but not a big drawback. They had goat biryani and goat curry, a chicken curry and tandoori chicken. Three different veg curries, naan, rice, daal and chutneys. All food was spicy, as Indian food should be, but not killer spicy that makes you want to eat yogurt after every bite. The bar was constantly replenished as it was emptying out. The service was attentive and fast. The diner crowd was interesting, noisy, young and experienced in Indian cuisine it seems. Certainly not the bored gluttons that inhabit other Asian buffets here in Gainesville. The Indian grocery store next door is also a nice attraction. Will go again!
(4)Matt A.
Did not even bother to stay for the lunch buffet. When I stopped for the first time, I saw $10.99 and as a vegan I could eat rice, naan, dal (lentils), pokora, cauliflower stir fry and mutter (peas) in tomato cream. That's a $7.99 meal tops. Why not start charging a veg and non-veg rate for buffet?
(2)Robyn A.
The buffet is the best, especially the Palak Paneer! It is the bomb with the cabbage pakora and plenty of naan!
(5)Gator R.
I am a fan of this place from the very first year they opened. That was the time where they use styro plates. They always have good food and good service. Dinner is sumptuous but you get more value during lunch buffet.
(5)David B.
Dinner: Both my wife and would say we had a decent time here. The service was great and well balanced, especially since they were really busy. The atmosphere was not anything romantic or special. It was a bit load, but it got the job done. The food did taste good, however I was not at all impressed with chicken protion sizes. I counted 5 very small pieces of chicken in my curry (masala) dish; my wife also had a very small chicken portion.I would say that this was my biggest dislike. Buffet: Great price, great selection, fresh food. I came here with 5 of my friends. I would def check this place out for buffet as opposed to dinner. You'll def get good food and your money's worth.
(4)Eve P.
Always good. Consistent quality and service. We usually go for the weekend buffet, but have ordered off the menu for dinner, too. I think the buffet is better because you get to try different things, and have unlimited access to the chutneys and raita (no extra charge like for dinner). We live on the other side of town, so it's always a treat to make the trip over. We look forward to it every time.
(5)Kimberly V.
Delicious! Absolutely my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. The staff is polite and the Korma (my favorite dish) is awesome. I'm not a fan of super spicy food and when I order my dish mild, it is actually mild. The lunch buffet dishes do tend to have quite a kick but they're so good, it's worth the burn.
(5)Michael W.
I always wondered about this place every time that I passed by. So Last Saturday, some friends and I finally decided to try to it. We decided to go there for dinner. Service: The service was very helpful, they gave us advices on what we should try and etc. Quick with their food, and very attentive. Food: We ended up ordering alot samosas, lamb, chicken makhala,. 4 types of naan. Everything came out to be nicely presented and tasteful... I don't want to go into too much detail to talk about each item of food.. I am being lazy today :-/ Anyhow , I am going to go back for brunch to see what they serve and to see if it is really worth $10. Atmosphere: it is decently decorative, a bit dim in the inside. They could use more decorative to make it more Indian culture style. Anyhow, I will have to come back to this place when it is busy and packed. Because it seems like this place fills up easily due to the lack of tables. they probably can sit down like 30 ppl at most at once. They have so much more space to make it more efficient.
(4)Chris H.
This place blows. Lazy employees whose sign says 9:00 pm close and would even allow me to order a meal to go at 8:43pm. How can anyone recommend?
(1)Landon E.
The food was actually pretty good. The flavours were all there and everything was hot and exactly as spicy as you'd want it to be. The reason this gets 3 stars is because though the servers were nice and accommodating (we had a 7 person group) the food took a VERY long time to come out. I think it took about 20 minutes to get drinks and another 45+ minutes after that to get our food. The place wasn't even full, there were two other tables full at the restaurant when we got there. Regardless we enjoyed ourselves and the food helped keep us in a good mood.
(3)Stephanie R.
Hmmmm 3.5 stars My boyfriend and I tried this place for lunch and I'd have to say it was a pretty good experience. We walked in and were quicky greeted and seated by the waiter. He filled our water glasses right, asked if we'd like anything else to drink, and told us to help ourselves to the buffet (buffet only for lunch). The buffet was clean and orderly with labels above each item saying what it was (and what was in it). There was a good selection on entrees along with naan, rice, and sauce/topping bar. The sauce bar had several chutneys, a yogurt sauce, and some other goodies. Overall the food is very decent; nice flavors; doesn't knock your socks off but for the prices it's a good meal for a great deal. I'll definitely be back
(3)Diana D.
So I've only been here once, but it was my first experience with Indian food. I just was never exposed growing up! My husband and I split the cheese naan and chicken tikka masala. It was very, very good. Every dish has custom heat level - we got mild because we didn't know how hot medium would be...I'd probably try the medium next time though I enjoyed not having to sweat while eating! The cheese naan was AMAZING - will probably become a craving once in a while. For the "newbie" the chicken tikka masala was recommended and it definitely was a good introduction. Upscale place and upscale prices, at least for what I'd expect, but it was delish. Since we were able to split an entree and the naan, it was like $20 for a great meal that filled us up. I can say with confidence we will return!
(4)Brad K.
They have now been open for a few years. Food quality has been maintained high Service is always very good and attentive Love the cilantro chutney, naan, and yogurt sauce along with their new pineapple chicken dish Highly recommend the lunch Buffett
(4)Johnny L.
3.5 Stars but I enjoyed it enough to round up. I've been here for both lunch and dinner and I've been happy with it everytime. The dinner is kinda pricey but the food quality is higher than that of the lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is great though for what you pay ($7.99) The lunch buffet has about 12 items which include chicken curry, goat rice, tandoori chicken, naan, etc. The curries are a little watered down but still taste pretty good. The naan is amazing. Unlimited naan is almost worth the $7. I always eat everything with the naan. They have different chutneys to try also. The chutneys can come in handy for the tandoori chicken which always seems to be dry. The dinner is a more intimate environment. It's dim enough and the place looks real clean. It looked nice enough inside. The food can be a little pricey though. I got the tandoori platter (for myself....i know...) It was a lot of food. But I have to say most of it was kind of dry. The tandoori chicken especially. However, the seasonings and taste made up for it. It was around $21 though, so not really worth it. The lunch buffet is definitely what makes this place worth coming to. It's always packed for lunch so be sure to get there a little earlier if you have other plans. Good food.
(4)Lauren O.
Indian Cuisine has great takeout; I love the beghan bharta (spicy eggplant). I recently went and tried their lunch buffet and found it to be clean and well attended and to have a great selection of all my favorites. Though I'm not a vegetarian I tend to gravitate towards the vegetarian choices which I found make up a good 50-60% of this buffet, so that is sure to please any vegetarians out there looking for a buffet with plenty of selections for them. Waitstaff are always nice and welcoming, even when I show up in my scrubs after work to pick up. I don't love the way they pack their to-go orders; I've had the whole thing topple over on me as I was leaving the parking lot more than once and they stuff so much rice in one flimsy takeout container that it always go all over when this happens. It's bound to cause an accident one of these days because I tend to be so terrified of losing out on my beloved spicy eggplant and rice and naan that I put myself and others in danger trying to save the food. I haven't tried dessert. The mango lassi is tasty if you like that sort of thing. If you are like me and easily bewildered by a large selection of ethnic food, go try the buffet. You get a sampling of many different traditional dishes so you can see what you really like.
(4)Charlie P.
The buffet is a little more expensive but it is well worth it. Wonderful food. Fresh nan. A nice selection of chutneys. I also enjoy the chai.
(4)Meg I.
I can't rave about this place enough. I've only ever been for dinner, but I have heard that the lunch buffet isn't very great. They have a great menu (lots of veg selections), and when you ask for spicy they actually give you spicy - without giving you 10 warnings and assuming you've never eaten Indian food before. The service can be slow on busier nights - and you may or may not die waiting for a water refill - but the food is usually out quick and they are very friendly. The naan is the best in town, everything is priced reasonably, and the portions are large.
(5)Steve P.
I love this place, both for the lunch buffet and a sit down dinner. The buffet gives a good experience of what Indian food is. I like how welcoming the staff is and how careful they are about checking on your tolerance for spice. I definitely recommend a mango lasse if you order medium or hot. The yogurt is needed to help cool the burn and enhance the flavor. This place is authentic. Totally what one would want for an Indian experience.
(5)Rob M.
We shared the tandoori mixed platter. There was more than enough & had take home box. The shared chicken & vegetable naan-YUM! Best I Indian we've eaten in Gainesville (1/3!) We'll come back but just have lamb & chicken kabobs that was the best of platter.
(4)Claudia M.
lovely food, nice family biz and great price I have been coming here for lunch meetings. The ambiance is not suit-like, so it is a nice ice breaker when meeting with new contacts. I always like to go where folks from the same culture go, and this place fills up quick with UF types, grad students, staff, profs, and professionals in the area. I am suffering from various food allergies and have found this is a place where I do not go hungry. There used to be a very friendly and considerate server who is not longer part of the team. The remaining ones, while nice, are sometimes a bit stiff and trying too hard. A smile, and some flexibility, will often do fine.
(5)Dorie N.
Great food, very relaxing environment. Love the buffet!
(4)Rob Z.
Thank you Yelp. Was looking for an ethnic restaurant for early dinner on a trip south from Tally. Liked the reviews for Indian Cuisine. Not high-end but nice enough for date. In a strip mall but very clean; bathrooms too. Wait staff well-dressed and attentive. My wife and i shared the veggie mix platter for appetizer and then plain Naan and Vegetable Korma for dinner. $29 with tax and big tip for excellent service and enough leftovers for a snack on the road later. Will be back next trip.
(5)Laura B.
Had dinner here on Friday. Thought it was really good. I see some reviews are not very positive, so maybe we were there on a good night. I consider myself a reasonably well-versed Indian food eater and thought the things we had were just as good as our recent experience at Amrit Palace in Ocala where the food was more expensive. Veggie samosa was great - everyone at our table scarfed these down - sauces on the side were both good. We had cilantro naan and aloo paratha which I really enjoyed. Veggie korma and matar paneer were both also good and came with a large plate of good basmati rice. Restaurant is a little plain decor-wise but our table was nice. The service was good. Will be going back.
(4)Chelsea B.
I've definitely experienced better Indian food. Maybe this is too much information, but I threw up after the last time I ate here. I've been here twice, and the first time wasn't half bad, but after my last experience I will definitely not be back. My Indian friend recommended me this restaurant and promised it was "the best Indian food in Gainesville," but maybe she was playing a trick on me because she's able to make much, much better Indian food than is at this restaurant. The service is ok, and the restaurant is always full, but maybe Gainesville residents and UF college students just have low expectations.
(2)Erica B.
I never knew I loved Indian food until I discovered this place. Now I seek out Indian restaurants wherever I travel and compare all to Indian Cuisine. This one is still my favorite of all. I love trying new dishes but my absolute favorites are the chicken tikka masala and the cheese naan. They are outstanding. I also recently attended the lunch buffet for the first time and am excited to return very soon! I highly recommend trying it out! I have also always been pleased with the service I receive there. The gentlemen are friendly and very accommodating. I had no prior knowledge of Indian food before I found this restaurant and they often help me when deciding how to order. I have not been disappointed.
(5)Marci M.
So delicious! We have been coming here for years and have never had a bad experience. The meet or exceed our expectations every time. We cannot say enough good things. The portions are huge so keep that in mind when ordering and you'd be crazy not to try the naan! Love love love.
(5)Apara W.
The customer service is wonderful. I have had buffet here a few times, food is very mediocre, 2 stars off. Tons of options though at the buffet- but I have had much better Indian buffets. It is busy during lunch hour, so plan on going early. This is probably as good as it can get for Gainesville area.
(3)Stevie D.
Probably the best Indian in the area! On par with what I've had in restaurants in larger cities. Staff is very friendly and the buffet is full of a large yummy variety; vegetarian, and not (including goat). Great food, great service. I would definitely recommend
(5)Shivangi M.
So myself and my fiance' went there for dinner at 8:30pm, first of all I was so surprised to know they close at 9pm, Are you kidding me? Huh!! Which restaurant closes that early on a normal weekday! We sat there and the waiter came instantly asking us to order, we said can you give us 5mins and he said we are about to close to can you please make it asap, I didn't like that..Anyways we then ordered samosa chat, paneer tikka masala, and daal fry, It wasn't long enough they got our order, the samosa chat was yuk! Samosa's were stale, Paneer tikka masala was ok but they added tons of color n it that our fingers caught them up until we washed our hands the next day, the whole time, Waiter kept staring at us as to when wuld we finish our dinner and leave, that was disgusting! We finished our dinner in 10mins and took the rest for take out!, We got boxes for take out and while I was boxing, he waiter started to pick the table and clean stuff while we were still sitting, It was not even 9pm then. Worst experience I have ever had to an Indian Restaurant!! I am an Indian and have been to many restaurants, this doesn't do any justice, I would recommend to try ANDAZ restaurant in gainesville which is far better than this place, nice food, very good staff and ambience is good too and hey they even have a Bar! :)
(1)Mike W.
I had their lunch buffet here today and it was very fairly-priced at around $8 per person and the buffet contained a variety of dishes' none bad and some quite good. I highly recommend their chili chicken, which was on the buffet and the goat byrani. The other dishes were alright though a couple of the vegetable dishes were too runny/soupy. Overall, a good value--certainly a better value than their overpriced and still rather small dinner portions. For lunch, they're ok if you're on this side of town.
(3)Coty S.
The lunch buffet curries are very watered down here. So there is not much flavor and the food just runs all over your plate, like a curry soup. You can see this from the photos, so you might as well put all of your food items in a bowl to keep them separated. Their dinner menu items are of the normal consistency. However, the cooks are very inconsistent. One time I came here and their Vegetable Korma was excellent, the following time it was runny and had no flavor. However, since there are not many places to choose from on this side of town it can get quite crowded and I have seen a line out the door before. If we are in Gainesville and want good Indian food, we have been known to drive all the way to Amrit Palace in Ocala for the real stuff.
(3)Rachel L.
I don't know how there could possibly be any stars less than 4 for this restaurant. The ambiance is perfect, for a family, friends or a couple. The food is absolutely delish. The servers are attentive, prompt and nice. I'm normally greeted when I come in. I must say, this one of the best restaurants Gainesville has to offer.
(5)Wylma R.
A five-decade connoisseur of Indian cuisine in every nook and cranny of the world, I finally came face to face with a dish that was inedible: extra hot Shrimp Vindaloo. (The server informed the dish would be very hot but, given my Sinhala heritage and my life-long exposure to very hot dishes, I shrugged this off.) But this dish was not extra hot. It was beyond hot--as if raw chili power had been stirred in to make the gravy appear bloody red and to leave the diner with a taste that was nauseating! All it took was one shrimp and a spoonful of gravy for me to know this dish was indigestible. I immediately ordered a bowl of Raita in the hopes that the yogurt would help reduce the unsavory aftertaste in my mouth. No amount of Raita could have salvaged this unpleasant experience. {Separately, I had ordered Poori. Server showed up with two Pooris on a plate, accidentally dropped one on the table, returned with two more Pooris on a plate, had us assuming an order must come with two pieces, only to later discover we were charged for a double order of Pooris--an annoying side experience). To add insult to injury, the restaurant took no action on the dissatisfaction we verbally expressed about the inedible and indigestible Shrimp Vindaloo dish that remained uneaten. The restaurant opted instead to simply extract the pound of flesh for a Vindaloo we couldn't eat, a Raita we didn't need, and a Poori we did not order. What I hoped would be a five-star experience turned out to be a one-star evening. But I've decided to be generous. I will give Indian Cuisine two stars!
(2)Tiffany C.
I come here mainly for lunch and I have tried their dinner one time. The only reason I have tried their dinner once is because I didn't think it was worth it to come for dinner. The service I got was great, the waiter was always very attentive and nice. They should get a 3.5 star and points were taken out because their dinner wasn't good at all. When I came for dinner I got the chicken tika masala, it was mainly a bowl of sauce and only a couple small pieces of chicken breast for $15. If you want naan bread you have to order it separately for $2.49. Lunch was pretty good most of the tables were full compared to dinner. Weekday lunch is about $8 with a wide variety of dishes. I believe there are 3 chicken dishes, and everything else is vegetables and beans, for dinner they had the different chutney sauces that you have to pay, while for the lunch buffet they are all there for you to try including the naan bread at no extra cost. I feel that it is more worth it to come during lunch rather than dinner.
(3)Gordon M.
Do not go if you are Indian or British or are experienced in Indian food. I am sure it is fine for the usual American eater. Very bland and flavorless usual offerings. Much fewer choices than the usual Indian Buffet. It ruined my afternoon, I would not go back
(2)Chris T.
Best in town. Lunch buffet is the bomb, and my friend from India says it's authentic.
(5)Paul D.
My dinner experience here was not very good. Super slow service, bad food, and overpriced to boot. I'll update after trying the lunch buffet.
(2)Jared And Daisy T.
We went with a large party to Indian Cuisine on 34th Street and were really wowed by our meals. Because we had such a large party, we had called ahead a few days to make reservations. When we showed up, they had our table completely set up and awaiting us. They brought water quickly, gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu, and waited for the rest of our party to show. A bit too much time, as we waited quite a bit before the waiter finally came back to take our order. To be fair though, Indian Cuisine is not a large establishment and every table was filled. It's definitely not like the wait at Satchel's on a Friday night. We ordered a few different dishes, to sample betwixt us. The naan was heavenly, the sweet lassa was a bit tart but still quite tasty. It would have been better to have it come out with the meals, as it wasn't as cold as preferred by the time the entrees arrived. We tried vegetarian samosas, as well as their lamb counterparts. Both were quite delicious and were served with various sauces. The mixed tandoori was wonderful, but had a few too many onions. The shrimp vindaloo was gloriously spicy and paired perfectly with the fragrant basmati. The goat biryani was the best of the three main dishes we tried; full of flavor, very tender, and the rice that it was served with was bursting with flavor. We ordered some chai as well and that was fabulous -- except that the waiter nearly spilled it on our child's head and didn't bother to clean up the spill around the saucer, leaving only 1/2 of the tea in the cup. It was yummy and had just the right amount of cardamon, so mishap forgiven, it was great. The owner was wonderfully nice and extremely attentive. We would have given five stars, but the amount of time spent waiting brought it down a bit. We actually cannot wait to go back for lunch sometime to try the buffet, which friends of ours have told us is fantastic and filling. So since we can't give 4.5, we'll stick with 4 and hopefully get it up to 5 where it belongs.
(4)Eddie B.
Great lunch. $8 for all you could eat last time I was there. Serves meat. This could be to your favor or not. I do wish they would highlight the vegetarian a little more.
(4)Heather H.
The first time I came here I wasn't all that impressed. I had the lunch buffet and it was alright but I've had better. Their curry was a bit bland but the naan was really good. However, I decided to come back for dinner tonight and it was a whole different story. I had chicken tikka masala and chicken naan and it was AMAZING. The masala was really spicy too, I asked for medium and it was still incredibly hot (not a bad thing though!). It came with basamati rice as well and it was cooked perfectly. Sevice was really quick and the two guys who waited on me were very nice. Overall I would recommend going there for dinner, that's when they really seem to shine. The lunch buffet is still ok and worth it's price though.
(4)markie o.
Best at dinner though a little pricey... Good Indian food in Gainesville. I've eaten at Indian Cuisine since they first opened in their original location and had el cheapo picnic benches and only served food in styrofoam. In the past, when they originally transitioned to only serving the lunch buffet during lunchtime, there was a slight dip and inconsistency in the quality of food. However, in the last year or so they've really upped their game. As mentioned above, at lunchtime, they only serve the buffet and do not take orders for the kitchen. Some people have mentioned that the curries were quite watery and tasteless which was true a while ago, but nowadays they are quite decent. There are usually a number of fixtures on the buffet table: basmati rice, plain naan (clay oven baked flatbread), onion fritters or potatoes, lentil soup, veggie curry, spicy chickpeas, creamy peas and potatoes, chicken curry, tandoori chicken, and a few dishes that change from day to day. The lunch buffet food typically ranges from acceptable to good, and is a decent deal at $8 on weekdays for all-you-can-eat. However, if you've only eaten the lunch buffet here, you are missing out. Come back at dinner time and order a la carte! The quality of food you get from individual orders from the kitchen at dinner is MUCH better than what is served at the lunch buffet. Most all the dishes I have tried have been good. The fresh naan cooked to order is quite good, much better than what is served on the lunch buffet. If you like your food very spicy hot, then make sure you emphasize that. Like one of the other reviewers, I asked my vindaloo to be "hot" but it wasn't close to being as hot as I would've expected. For non-Indians, I assume they tend to be conservative on the heat in their dishes, so you need to let them know you are a hot food connoisseur or masochist to get them to up the heat index on your food! The waiters are friendly and attentive, but maybe part of that is that I've been there enough that they remember me. The a la carte prices in the evening are a bit pricey, but in Gainesville, you don't have many choices as far as Indian food goes. Still, the portions are good enough to fill up most people with a good appetite. I prefer the food at Amrit Palace down in Ocala but am not disappointed when I eat at Indian Cuisine. It is quite good, and I like to support the local business.
(4)Kat S.
Best Indian food in Gainesville. I have been told it is more Southern Indian cuisine (more milk based items on the menu) but regardless, it is delicious!!
(5)A P.
We moved from a big city and so have had our share of great Indian food and we love this place. Their prices are reasonable and the food is always fresh and tasty. Lunch buffet is a great deal and dinner options are also really flavorful and delicious. Don't know why their rating isn't higher, they have great food, great service, and a brand new updated restaurant!
(5)Mathumitha N.
Good for Non-Vegetarians than for vegans..... Improved a lot after renovation.....
(4)Misty R.
We ate here on our first trip to Gainesville. The Chicken Tikka masala is TO DIE FOR!! Try the chai as its very tasty as well. The Naan is fabulous and the service was excellent. We will DEFINITELY come again!!!
(5)Danielle B.
My husband and I had our first meal at Indian Cuisine at 5:15pm Thrusday July 29th. I am currently writing this review while eating lunch leftovers from yesterday's experience while these events are still fresh in my mind. We must have come to dine early for dinner because we were the only patrons in the restaurant. There were two waiters present and they promptly greeted us and told us to sit anywhere we liked. We chose a table and the waiter instantly brought us menus. They had a surprisingly large selection of choices. I'm by no means super experienced with Indian Cuisine (as the name boasts) but it seemed that there were lots of dishes I've tried but just as many I've never experienced. I love new choices so this was a real treat for me! We ordered Chicken Samosa and Chai for an appetizer. The chai was creamy, thick, and flavorful - they didn't add any sugar to the cups but brought us packets instead. I appreciate this since my husband is diabetic. The chicken samosa looked just like the samosa in the business photos section on yelp and had a sweet barbecue type sauce that I thought went with them very nicely - a little sweet, a little smokey. The waiter cleared our plates away quickly and asked to take our main dish order. My husband ordered a curried goat dish that I will not comment on since I didn't try very much of. I will say that when it arrived it was a pleasant creamy green color and he seemed to enjoy it mightily. They also served us a plate of basmati rice with our main dish that I believe was flavored with cloves since I found one on the plate. I thought that was a nice touch. I asked the waiter the difference between Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala and he was quick to explain. The Chicken Tikka is simply the dry flavored chicken and the Chicken Tikka Masala takes the dry Chicken Tikka and places it in a Masala sauce. I decided on the Chicken Tikka with the Masala because I'm a fan of sauces and I'm glad I did. The dish they brought out was orange colored sauce with little orange colored bites of chicken. I mean it was safety cone orange! I loved it for the color alone. It is not often I get the chance to eat such a brightly colored dish and I had fun swirling the sauce over my rice on my plate making everything turn a fun orange color. I wanted to order the garlic naan and told the waiter that I would except that I hate cilantro. He was quick to offer that they would be happy to make the garlic naan without cilantro for me. The naan tasted fresh and garlicky sans cilantro as promised when it arrived. A little more than halfway though our main dish the waiter asked if we needed more rice. We declined since we thought we had enough to finish our meals with but we ended up not being able to eat all of our dishes. The waiter asked if we'd like boxes to take the rest of the meal home in and I said yes. When he returned with the boxes I started putting my Chicken Tikka Masala in it and he asked again if I'd like additional rice. Realizing this was a good idea I said yes and he brought us a new plate of rice to finish off our to-go boxes with. I was very pleased that he asked if we wanted the rice a second time. Even though we were pretty full at this point I wanted to have a full experience at this place so I ordered dessert. I cannot remember the name but since there are only three desert choices and two of them are ice cream I think you should be able to narrow it down pretty easily. I've had this specific dessert on three different occasions (sweet syrup with fried doughnut like balls floating in it) and I will say that it was not the best I've ever had. Fortunately it was not the worst I've ever had either. Though I didn't hate the dessert I probably won't order it again. I think the doughnuts were a bit too dense for my preference. Overall this experience was impressive. The only negatives I can give at all were my specific preferences for the dessert and the fact that the waiters stand at the back of the room almost the entire time staring straight ahead. I understand that they are there to be ready for any requests we may have but I felt a little too watched while I was eating. Curries are a bit messy and I wanted a bit more privacy while I was trying not to drip sauce on my white shirt! I don't even feel that this is that big of a complaint but I do think its worth mentioning it. Next time I'll sit facing the door or on the opposite side of the room that has a little less of a direct view to the back. Hope this review helps!
(5)Isabel S.
I came here for the lunch buffet with a group of friends. The food was absolutely delicious. The butter chicken was smooth and spicy, the goat vindaloo was very tender, and the vegetable shahi korma was wonderful. We also had the naan, cabbage pakora and aloo tikki. We had the sweet rice pudding and mixed fruits with a mango sauce for dessert. There was a lot of food (including vegetarian options) and friendly service for a great price ($10.99 on weekdays, $11.99 on weekends). We all left extremely satisfied!
(5)Josian L.
This is one of the best restaurants in Gainesville and my personal favorite. The food is bursting with flavor and always fresh. We specially like their Saturday buffet, but their regular dinning is excellent too. Their staff is attentive and always very amicable.
(5)Powder W.
Good Heavens, stopped in here on a whim - DELICIOUS! Although be warned the Madras Med is an average Hot! Start with med the first time and you won't go wrong. We will be back.
(5)Chlo L.
Not coming back... Especially with Aandaz close by. The quality and flavors were disappointing. I'm really surprised that this place has better ratings than Aandaz.
(2)Jonny G.
This place was amazing. I love curry dishes and this place does a great job. They serve everything family style and they serve basmati rice on the side also. We had Goat Curry and Butter Chicken. But don't forget the Naan, cilantro stuffed naan was incredible along with garlic naan. The food was amazing. The people running the front of the house all seem to be from India, and seeing into the kitchen a few times the cooks I saw also looked like they were from India. Everything had a very authentic feel to it. The waiters were all very friendly, attentive, and informative If you want to try Indian food, go here! You will love it
(5)Mrignayani C.
I am yet to try their lunch buffet but the masala biryaani they serve as a-la-carte is on point! I like the mild version of their masala chicken biryani. Their chicken lollipop is also quite a treat to your pallet! I have seen my friends fight over sips of their Mango Lassi, so I'd suggest you definitely try it once. Disclaimer : it's extremely sweet but totally worth it. It reminds me of Mango candy. None of my friends would trade their mango lassi for any other beverage, but i personally love their regular sweet lassi as well. It has a beautiful cardamom flavor that I'd definitely recommend. The reason a generous reviewer like me is taking away one star from them is because their butter chicken did not live up to our expectations. The chicken pieces were hard and chewy and the gravy was mediocre. The naan although, was soft and perfectly home like.
(4)Nan T.
The lunch buffet is wonderful...hot and fresh every time! The establishment appears very clean, & the owners are always professional and friendly. Water glasses are refilled timely. Be prepared to be tired after eating; most of the dishes are heavily cream-based. Lots of natives of India visit this restaurant, which is usually quite telling.
(4)Brandon A.
And I didn't even like Indian food all that much. So I came here on a whim; I was quite hungry and my options were to either brave a trip down archer road again or to try something new. Boy am I glad I did. The building is sparsely decorated but clean, so no complaints. The wait staff is attentive and competent. But the best part, the real reason I think so highly of this place is the food. The lunch buffet is simply fantastic. Everything pops with flavor. The naan is good, as is the butter chicken and the saag paneer. Those are my absolute favorites. Word of advice though, the lunch buffet menu is differs based on the day. I came in on a Sunday and they didn't have saag paneer or butter chicken and that was sort of upsetting to me. The food in its place was still good, but not my favorite. Overall a great little place. Well worth the price. The only complaint I have is that they don't have unlimited refills on soda, but hey most small places don't so I won't dock a star for that.
(5)James O.
I feel kind of awkward writing this review, as I'm not overly fond of Indian food to begin with. Mostly because I spent a period of time in Sri Lanka where we would eat a 'fish' curry of sorts for breakfast/lunch and dinner. Every day. I ordered the Lama Korma (see above reason for why), it was fine, just very oily and bland. The meat had a chewy nature, that suggested it hadn't been slow cooked. All in all, it was a mediocre experience, and to be honest if the prices had been more reasonable, I would have probably minded less. I haven't tried many other Indian restaurants in Gainesville, so we will see if this review gets changed from 2 stars or not. But as it stands this would not make it onto my repeat list.
(2)Isabella F.
This place is a gem in this little town called Gainesville. You would never think this restaurant is so nice just by driving by it. An Indian guy recommended me to go, so that's why I ended up going. This place is really neat; very clean, the decoration is really nice, and the music and lighting are very pleasant. The food is very tasty and not that expensive. Compared to so many Indian restaurants that I've tried, this one has been by far one of the best. Too bad it is so far away from Miami, otherwise I would come here every week for sure. Totally recommended and if you love either the mango lassi or just the plain lassi, you should definitely have it. Delicious!
(5)Kristie L.
Naan... Amazing! I think I ate 5 pieces alone. I've been to a few Indian restaurants and this one can be added to my list of favorites!!! The lunch buffet had various options and our waiter was awesome! The food very flavorful and fresh. I'd recommend trying this place if your in Gainesville.
(5)Amanda T.
This place was delicious! We took my father in law here for Father's Day. He's been to India so he compares all Indian restaurants to his time in India. He said it was very delicious. I'd love to come for the lunch buffet because it looked huge. We came for dinner and I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and ate everything that was designated as mine and some more that wasn't. My husbands little brother ordered the Mango Juice and as we all cringed at what it was going to taste like we passed around the cup for another sip. It was delicious and I was enthralled that the walls were the same color as the Mango Juice! Great place!
(4)Michael R.
Went to this place years ago and wasn't too impressed. Recently went with a friend to try the lunch buffet and was very surprised at how much better it had gotten. There's a decent spread of food without spreading it too thin (stuff is clearly out fresh) and they do a good job of keeping the naan tray full. But the reason I give this 5 stars is for their dinner, which I tried for the first time last night. I had the lamb korma and thought it was just fantastic. Creamy and nutty with a little heat (medium probably wasn't enough for me), very good and actually worth the price. If you want to eat a nice dinner and don't mind paying a bit (well, regular Indian food prices, which are a bit much imo) then this place is great.
(5)Maris D.
The Paneer was very good as was the naan and the tandoori but my curry chicken was lacking flavor, the rice pudding was probably the worst I've had. The staff was very friendly. It's a shame. I was really hoping for more.
(3)Sanyogita R.
I have been to this place multiple times, mostly had buffet. Overall good food. Their Saag Paneer is ultimate. Do not go for their Masala Biryanis, they put so much masala that it spoils the actual taste. Instead, have medium spicy biryanis. Ambiance is good even for special occasion treats.
(3)Marina M.
My favorite restaurant in Gainesville! The butter chicken is amazing every time and the naan is equally as good! The prices are a little on the higher end but completely worth it, and by no means "expensive." Plus, the portions are generous and I always have leftovers for the next day. I definitely recommend!
(5)Sara K.
I was really excited to find a good Indian restaurant in Gainesville after reading previous Yelp reviews, but I left Indian Cuisine pretty disappointed. I had garlic naan, vegetable samosas, and chicken tikka masala. Everything was bland and not at all exciting. Service was good and attentive but sadly that will not bring me back here.
(2)Darshan P.
Actually really good for indian food! I recommend the buffet which offer reasonable prices and is pretty popular in Gainesville. They offer enough vegetarian and meat options. They also have a glass countertop on the tables - HUGE because indian food can get messy and with white table cloths, it gets unappetizing to continue eating while your staring at the destruction you have made.
(4)Adrienne W.
Another night in Gainesville, and my friends and I decided to hit up this Indian restaurant, because we had found a nice one in Ocala last time. We had an eggplant curry of some sort, which was DELICIOUS, a paneer dumpling dish and a paneer makhanala. The paneer dumpling dish had a great butter tomato sauce but I felt that it was maybe too filling (thank goodness we shared everything!). It was, however, quite delicious. The paneer makhanala was okay but it wasn't anything special. I think I'd probably get another paneer dish next time - maybe stick to a saag paneer or something or a paneer tikka masala. Service was overall good and the server was polite and made sure we always had enough water and made sure our food was okay. I'd like to give this place another chance to see if they can earn my full 4 stars. Will be back a while later.
(3)Joshua B.
Stopped in on a whim after hitting swamp head brewery. Place was pretty dead at 4 on a Saturday. Sat quickly and ordered. We did order appetizers which slowed the rest of out meal. Everything we had had amazing flavor. I had the butter chicken. Quite tasty, beyond anything I have had previously. We were all very happy with our meal. Only thing that was not on point was how long it took to get our food given how busy they were. Only 3 tables in the place, but still took quite some time to get our meals. Other than that, very impressed.
(4)Aleksandra C.
First time here and I loved it. We tried several appetizers and naam and each had diff meat with rice. Everything was delicious. The service is a bit slow but the food makes up for it!!
(4)Samantha F.
*NOTE* I wish we had ratings for overall and ratings for "for the area." Gainesville has a serious lack of Indian food. We go here when we simply can't take the Indian-emptiness in our stomachs, but we don't go because we crave their food in particular. So, while it fulfills the need for Indian, it definitely leaves something to be desired. The spice level is grand. I have to say that they do a pretty good job of their mild-medium-hot scale, whereas other Indian places won't serve their food hot because they must be sick of patrons asking for hot when they really mean mild. It's refreshing to actually go somewhere where they trust (sort of) that you know what you're going to get when you ask for Indian hot. The food itself--I have had the palak paneer and the bhindi masala--has the right flavors, but they're simply not strong enough. It's almost like they're just not balanced right, or there's not enough there. So while you can tell how complex the dishes should be, you're not getting the flavor explosion that should come with a dish like bhindi masala. The naan is more akin to pizza crust, which is forgivable, but the tandori roti in particular is disappointing, dry, and (I suspect, but won't say for sure) reheated. I say so because tandori roti should be baked in a tandor, but ours came out crispy with a slight film of oil, as if it was baked, set aside, and reheated upon our order. It also just could be that their dough is not good. As for service, we never had a problem here and we have gone a few times. Our water glasses were never empty, and the waitstaff noticed that we hadn't gotten to one dish yet and asked if it was okay. They are nice, welcoming, and helpful with their menu. Overall, I miss Boston's Indian scene, but the food here is definitely okay. Just don't expect to be blown away. Get a sweet lassi, though. That they have nailed.
(3)Suman G.
I'm indian descent and my wife is British descent. We both love indian food. We both disliked "Indian Cuisine." We orderd the chicken tikka masala, pallak paneer, rice and nan. Pretty standard stuff. The nan was the only good thing and even that was doughy. Chicken tikka masala was chopped up bits of chicken breast in a fenugreek rich tomato based sauce that was not flavorful at all and the chicken was very bland. The pallak paneer also went overboard with the fenugreek and was like eating hospital style blended spinach with clumps of paneer just thrown in from the fridge. This is NOT good "Indian Cuisine" and a total RIP OFF for what they charge for each dish.
(1)Jessica K.
So good. Korma was amazing. Paneer naan was amazing. Spicy paneer (forget which one) was damn spicy but also very good and had a really lovely grilled flavor to it, which is something you don't usually get with vegetarian dishes. Boyfriend's lamb something was anihilated. It was really, really good Indian food. I was super happy with it all. And the service was super friendly- he said thank you at least four times in three minutes. Not 5 stars, based on their regular menu, just because of prices. A vegetable, sauce and rice should not be $13. It's just so much for so little, relatively. We got three dishes and one naan and our bill was $48. No eat-in tipping or spontaneous purchases, though. I can't say it wasn't worth it, but I think it's good to note that this will be a seriously expensive takeout dinner. It's also a little hard to digest the prices when the buffet is talked up so much and so much less expensive. Really looking forward to going back for the buffet. And I'm sure we'll order take away again, it was good enough and one day it's going to be the perfect thing.
(4)Kevin M.
Absolutely amazing food, service, and prices. Had the chicken pops and the chicken vindaloo, plus some naan on the side. Everything was a 10/10. This is one of my new favorite places in Gainesville. BTW - in addition to the aforementioned perfection, they've also got the cleanest bathrooms of any restaurant in Gainesville, with the exception of Embers maybe.
(5)Dmachop C.
Undoubtedly the best Indian restaurant in town. Buffet or a-la carte, it is good. The dessert wasn't that impressive; was a mango paste-like sweet. Didn't like that, but overall the service was good, ambience was cool and it is North-Indian oriented. Go for it if you're at the town.
(4)Bhavika P.
We were driving back from Tampa to Atlanta and made a dinner stop. Convenient location, however food not so much. Got an appetizer....it was cold...I totally ignored it thinking I'm only passing by. Main course arrived and we had two items missing, which at this point I'm aggrevated. So deciding to ignore it again....we figured we should start eating, one of the dishes (baigan bharta) was super spicy....we ordered medium and this was a "throat burning" level of spice. The waiter came and he stood there arguing with us that this is medium and we have five levels of spice. So medium is level 2...thats not even half way down the levels. After arguing for five minutes he finally said you want another one....of course we do. Ten minutes later it comes out and its a mixture of the baigan (smashed) with a tomato garnished on it. No salt no taste. And its cold. Great! Waiter comes by again and asked if it was ok. I said no, this has nothing in it and he said whatever and walked off. No sorry no manager (even when requested)...funny how he came to get the credit card the second we put it in the filopad. Hope you have a better experience than us and nicer service. Disappointed! :(
(1)Christina C.
The BEST indian food in Gainesville. The only thing I don't like about this place is that it's a little too quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Everyone is whispering and if one table doesn't care about how quiet it is, the whole restaurant can't help but eavesdrop the whole time. I'm hoping the music they play will be louder the next time I come back. Fingers crossed.
(4)Ali A.
This was the first Indian food experience I've had. It was great. I went for the lunch buffet, which has a nice variety of dishes. It's a little spicy, but for someone who can't really handle much spice, just drink lots of water and feast on pita bread. On weekdays they have Samosas. They have three different Buffet menus: m-th, Friday-Saturday, then Sunday. Each selection is incredible. The service was great. The staff is always available, and ready to help with anything asked of them. I've been here twice (now 20+ times), and will continue to enjoy the lunch buffet.
(5)Jacqueline W.
Order take out from here on a regular basis. I'm a big fan of their Matar Paneer even though quality, quantity(peas and paneer) and color varies greatly from order to order. I always order medium spicy which will also vary each order. Even though the food it not consistent, it is still very very delicious.
(4)Tiffany A.
I love this place! Other than having a sentimental attachment to this place (a very great first date), it has delicious food! I always have to have naan with my meal. Although plain and garlic naan are my faves, I recently tried the cheese naan which was pleasantly surprising. I always get the Chicken Roganjosh because I've tried it at so many Indian restaurants, and none are up to par with Indian Cuisine's. Their meat is always so savory and tender, the sauce is on point, and the basmati rice is a perfect canvas for all of the wonderful sauces and spices to sit. The staff is attentive and friendly. It has a very quiet and intimate atmosphere. Although I am not very keen on spicy food, I have tasted several other dishes and can appreciate their spicy flavor. The buffet has plenty of meat to offer. It could maybe use more variety in desserts, but I'm not really gonna complain about something like that. 5 stars :)
(5)Liang M.
If you love spicy food, this is the restaurant you must try. I like their lunch buffet and the goat stewed with red curry. The environment is pretty quite and clean.I think this is the best indian food in gainesville.
(4)Elizabeth R.
We got takeout from here and it was great! We got the garlic naan with cilantro chutney which were both really yummy. My husband liked the chicken tikka. We also tried the vegetable samosa and the dal tadka on top of their basmati rice, both were excellent. We didn't like the vegetable curry, there was a spice in it that I really didn't like, I wish I knew what it was called so I could avoid it! The atmosphere is a little "meh" so I think it's best to just get takeout. We definitely plan on getting takeout again the near future!! Update: We just got takeout again and tried the mixed tanduri platter which wasn't as good as the chicken tikka. The other meat on it was pretty dry and not as flavorful. We also ordered the veggie korma which was awesome!! It's pretty heavy since it's a cream sauce, but it was delightful over rice. The onion bhaji fritters were really good. The raita sooo delicious! Mango chutney...a little weird. Vegetable jalfrezi was weird as well, it had a flavor that I didn't like. It's a heavy cream based sauce and similar to the korma, but has a spice in it that I don't like! The aloo tikki was a waste of calories, kinda boring.
(4)Sandra B.
The buffet was ok. The dishes and sauces seemed a little thin. There was not much meat in the dishes. They charge $1.50 for a can of soda.
(2)Genetico J.
So far I have been here for weekend lunch buffet. It was $12 bucks. The selection was very good with a nice mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. The dessert selection could be better, but not a big drawback. They had goat biryani and goat curry, a chicken curry and tandoori chicken. Three different veg curries, naan, rice, daal and chutneys. All food was spicy, as Indian food should be, but not killer spicy that makes you want to eat yogurt after every bite. The bar was constantly replenished as it was emptying out. The service was attentive and fast. The diner crowd was interesting, noisy, young and experienced in Indian cuisine it seems. Certainly not the bored gluttons that inhabit other Asian buffets here in Gainesville. The Indian grocery store next door is also a nice attraction. Will go again!
(4)Matt A.
Did not even bother to stay for the lunch buffet. When I stopped for the first time, I saw $10.99 and as a vegan I could eat rice, naan, dal (lentils), pokora, cauliflower stir fry and mutter (peas) in tomato cream. That's a $7.99 meal tops. Why not start charging a veg and non-veg rate for buffet?
(2)Robyn A.
The buffet is the best, especially the Palak Paneer! It is the bomb with the cabbage pakora and plenty of naan!
(5)Gator R.
I am a fan of this place from the very first year they opened. That was the time where they use styro plates. They always have good food and good service. Dinner is sumptuous but you get more value during lunch buffet.
(5)Cong S.
I want to give this place 6 star if yelp let me. My husband and I have been to this place for hundreds of times in the past 2 years and we both love it! They offer the best lunch buffet with a good variety of dishes and salads. The butter chicken is to die for. The dinner is the best Indian food I've ever had. The lamb and chicken are both amazing. We love Indian food, Thai food, and any other food with curry in it, and this place is the best we have ever been to. Strongly recommend!
(5)Meg I.
I can't rave about this place enough. I've only ever been for dinner, but I have heard that the lunch buffet isn't very great. They have a great menu (lots of veg selections), and when you ask for spicy they actually give you spicy - without giving you 10 warnings and assuming you've never eaten Indian food before. The service can be slow on busier nights - and you may or may not die waiting for a water refill - but the food is usually out quick and they are very friendly. The naan is the best in town, everything is priced reasonably, and the portions are large.
(5)Mini J.
Awful food and awful service. This review is by an Indian foodie, some one who eats, cooks and lives on Indian food- the food at this restaurant is Indian-American and not true Indian. Everything was bland. The quality was pathetic- no mutton in mutton biryani, no paneer in matar-paneer, etc,etc. The dishes also ran out! The management simply did not care, even after being told politely multiple times. It was a horrible experience.
(1)David B.
Dinner: Both my wife and would say we had a decent time here. The service was great and well balanced, especially since they were really busy. The atmosphere was not anything romantic or special. It was a bit load, but it got the job done. The food did taste good, however I was not at all impressed with chicken protion sizes. I counted 5 very small pieces of chicken in my curry (masala) dish; my wife also had a very small chicken portion.I would say that this was my biggest dislike. Buffet: Great price, great selection, fresh food. I came here with 5 of my friends. I would def check this place out for buffet as opposed to dinner. You'll def get good food and your money's worth.
(4)Eve P.
Always good. Consistent quality and service. We usually go for the weekend buffet, but have ordered off the menu for dinner, too. I think the buffet is better because you get to try different things, and have unlimited access to the chutneys and raita (no extra charge like for dinner). We live on the other side of town, so it's always a treat to make the trip over. We look forward to it every time.
(5)Kimberly V.
Delicious! Absolutely my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. The staff is polite and the Korma (my favorite dish) is awesome. I'm not a fan of super spicy food and when I order my dish mild, it is actually mild. The lunch buffet dishes do tend to have quite a kick but they're so good, it's worth the burn.
(5)Michael W.
I always wondered about this place every time that I passed by. So Last Saturday, some friends and I finally decided to try to it. We decided to go there for dinner. Service: The service was very helpful, they gave us advices on what we should try and etc. Quick with their food, and very attentive. Food: We ended up ordering alot samosas, lamb, chicken makhala,. 4 types of naan. Everything came out to be nicely presented and tasteful... I don't want to go into too much detail to talk about each item of food.. I am being lazy today :-/ Anyhow , I am going to go back for brunch to see what they serve and to see if it is really worth $10. Atmosphere: it is decently decorative, a bit dim in the inside. They could use more decorative to make it more Indian culture style. Anyhow, I will have to come back to this place when it is busy and packed. Because it seems like this place fills up easily due to the lack of tables. they probably can sit down like 30 ppl at most at once. They have so much more space to make it more efficient.
(4)Chris H.
This place blows. Lazy employees whose sign says 9:00 pm close and would even allow me to order a meal to go at 8:43pm. How can anyone recommend?
(1)Landon E.
The food was actually pretty good. The flavours were all there and everything was hot and exactly as spicy as you'd want it to be. The reason this gets 3 stars is because though the servers were nice and accommodating (we had a 7 person group) the food took a VERY long time to come out. I think it took about 20 minutes to get drinks and another 45+ minutes after that to get our food. The place wasn't even full, there were two other tables full at the restaurant when we got there. Regardless we enjoyed ourselves and the food helped keep us in a good mood.
(3)Steve P.
I love this place, both for the lunch buffet and a sit down dinner. The buffet gives a good experience of what Indian food is. I like how welcoming the staff is and how careful they are about checking on your tolerance for spice. I definitely recommend a mango lasse if you order medium or hot. The yogurt is needed to help cool the burn and enhance the flavor. This place is authentic. Totally what one would want for an Indian experience.
(5)Stephanie R.
Hmmmm 3.5 stars My boyfriend and I tried this place for lunch and I'd have to say it was a pretty good experience. We walked in and were quicky greeted and seated by the waiter. He filled our water glasses right, asked if we'd like anything else to drink, and told us to help ourselves to the buffet (buffet only for lunch). The buffet was clean and orderly with labels above each item saying what it was (and what was in it). There was a good selection on entrees along with naan, rice, and sauce/topping bar. The sauce bar had several chutneys, a yogurt sauce, and some other goodies. Overall the food is very decent; nice flavors; doesn't knock your socks off but for the prices it's a good meal for a great deal. I'll definitely be back
(3)Diana D.
So I've only been here once, but it was my first experience with Indian food. I just was never exposed growing up! My husband and I split the cheese naan and chicken tikka masala. It was very, very good. Every dish has custom heat level - we got mild because we didn't know how hot medium would be...I'd probably try the medium next time though I enjoyed not having to sweat while eating! The cheese naan was AMAZING - will probably become a craving once in a while. For the "newbie" the chicken tikka masala was recommended and it definitely was a good introduction. Upscale place and upscale prices, at least for what I'd expect, but it was delish. Since we were able to split an entree and the naan, it was like $20 for a great meal that filled us up. I can say with confidence we will return!
(4)Brad K.
They have now been open for a few years. Food quality has been maintained high Service is always very good and attentive Love the cilantro chutney, naan, and yogurt sauce along with their new pineapple chicken dish Highly recommend the lunch Buffett
(4)Johnny L.
3.5 Stars but I enjoyed it enough to round up. I've been here for both lunch and dinner and I've been happy with it everytime. The dinner is kinda pricey but the food quality is higher than that of the lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is great though for what you pay ($7.99) The lunch buffet has about 12 items which include chicken curry, goat rice, tandoori chicken, naan, etc. The curries are a little watered down but still taste pretty good. The naan is amazing. Unlimited naan is almost worth the $7. I always eat everything with the naan. They have different chutneys to try also. The chutneys can come in handy for the tandoori chicken which always seems to be dry. The dinner is a more intimate environment. It's dim enough and the place looks real clean. It looked nice enough inside. The food can be a little pricey though. I got the tandoori platter (for myself....i know...) It was a lot of food. But I have to say most of it was kind of dry. The tandoori chicken especially. However, the seasonings and taste made up for it. It was around $21 though, so not really worth it. The lunch buffet is definitely what makes this place worth coming to. It's always packed for lunch so be sure to get there a little earlier if you have other plans. Good food.
(4)Laura B.
Had dinner here on Friday. Thought it was really good. I see some reviews are not very positive, so maybe we were there on a good night. I consider myself a reasonably well-versed Indian food eater and thought the things we had were just as good as our recent experience at Amrit Palace in Ocala where the food was more expensive. Veggie samosa was great - everyone at our table scarfed these down - sauces on the side were both good. We had cilantro naan and aloo paratha which I really enjoyed. Veggie korma and matar paneer were both also good and came with a large plate of good basmati rice. Restaurant is a little plain decor-wise but our table was nice. The service was good. Will be going back.
(4)Lauren O.
Indian Cuisine has great takeout; I love the beghan bharta (spicy eggplant). I recently went and tried their lunch buffet and found it to be clean and well attended and to have a great selection of all my favorites. Though I'm not a vegetarian I tend to gravitate towards the vegetarian choices which I found make up a good 50-60% of this buffet, so that is sure to please any vegetarians out there looking for a buffet with plenty of selections for them. Waitstaff are always nice and welcoming, even when I show up in my scrubs after work to pick up. I don't love the way they pack their to-go orders; I've had the whole thing topple over on me as I was leaving the parking lot more than once and they stuff so much rice in one flimsy takeout container that it always go all over when this happens. It's bound to cause an accident one of these days because I tend to be so terrified of losing out on my beloved spicy eggplant and rice and naan that I put myself and others in danger trying to save the food. I haven't tried dessert. The mango lassi is tasty if you like that sort of thing. If you are like me and easily bewildered by a large selection of ethnic food, go try the buffet. You get a sampling of many different traditional dishes so you can see what you really like.
(4)Charlie P.
The buffet is a little more expensive but it is well worth it. Wonderful food. Fresh nan. A nice selection of chutneys. I also enjoy the chai.
(4)Rob M.
We shared the tandoori mixed platter. There was more than enough & had take home box. The shared chicken & vegetable naan-YUM! Best I Indian we've eaten in Gainesville (1/3!) We'll come back but just have lamb & chicken kabobs that was the best of platter.
(4)Claudia M.
lovely food, nice family biz and great price I have been coming here for lunch meetings. The ambiance is not suit-like, so it is a nice ice breaker when meeting with new contacts. I always like to go where folks from the same culture go, and this place fills up quick with UF types, grad students, staff, profs, and professionals in the area. I am suffering from various food allergies and have found this is a place where I do not go hungry. There used to be a very friendly and considerate server who is not longer part of the team. The remaining ones, while nice, are sometimes a bit stiff and trying too hard. A smile, and some flexibility, will often do fine.
(5)Dorie N.
Great food, very relaxing environment. Love the buffet!
(4)Rob Z.
Thank you Yelp. Was looking for an ethnic restaurant for early dinner on a trip south from Tally. Liked the reviews for Indian Cuisine. Not high-end but nice enough for date. In a strip mall but very clean; bathrooms too. Wait staff well-dressed and attentive. My wife and i shared the veggie mix platter for appetizer and then plain Naan and Vegetable Korma for dinner. $29 with tax and big tip for excellent service and enough leftovers for a snack on the road later. Will be back next trip.
(5)Chelsea B.
I've definitely experienced better Indian food. Maybe this is too much information, but I threw up after the last time I ate here. I've been here twice, and the first time wasn't half bad, but after my last experience I will definitely not be back. My Indian friend recommended me this restaurant and promised it was "the best Indian food in Gainesville," but maybe she was playing a trick on me because she's able to make much, much better Indian food than is at this restaurant. The service is ok, and the restaurant is always full, but maybe Gainesville residents and UF college students just have low expectations.
(2)Erica B.
I never knew I loved Indian food until I discovered this place. Now I seek out Indian restaurants wherever I travel and compare all to Indian Cuisine. This one is still my favorite of all. I love trying new dishes but my absolute favorites are the chicken tikka masala and the cheese naan. They are outstanding. I also recently attended the lunch buffet for the first time and am excited to return very soon! I highly recommend trying it out! I have also always been pleased with the service I receive there. The gentlemen are friendly and very accommodating. I had no prior knowledge of Indian food before I found this restaurant and they often help me when deciding how to order. I have not been disappointed.
(5)Marci M.
So delicious! We have been coming here for years and have never had a bad experience. The meet or exceed our expectations every time. We cannot say enough good things. The portions are huge so keep that in mind when ordering and you'd be crazy not to try the naan! Love love love.
(5)Rachel L.
I don't know how there could possibly be any stars less than 4 for this restaurant. The ambiance is perfect, for a family, friends or a couple. The food is absolutely delish. The servers are attentive, prompt and nice. I'm normally greeted when I come in. I must say, this one of the best restaurants Gainesville has to offer.
(5)Shivangi M.
So myself and my fiance' went there for dinner at 8:30pm, first of all I was so surprised to know they close at 9pm, Are you kidding me? Huh!! Which restaurant closes that early on a normal weekday! We sat there and the waiter came instantly asking us to order, we said can you give us 5mins and he said we are about to close to can you please make it asap, I didn't like that..Anyways we then ordered samosa chat, paneer tikka masala, and daal fry, It wasn't long enough they got our order, the samosa chat was yuk! Samosa's were stale, Paneer tikka masala was ok but they added tons of color n it that our fingers caught them up until we washed our hands the next day, the whole time, Waiter kept staring at us as to when wuld we finish our dinner and leave, that was disgusting! We finished our dinner in 10mins and took the rest for take out!, We got boxes for take out and while I was boxing, he waiter started to pick the table and clean stuff while we were still sitting, It was not even 9pm then. Worst experience I have ever had to an Indian Restaurant!! I am an Indian and have been to many restaurants, this doesn't do any justice, I would recommend to try ANDAZ restaurant in gainesville which is far better than this place, nice food, very good staff and ambience is good too and hey they even have a Bar! :)
(1)Mike W.
I had their lunch buffet here today and it was very fairly-priced at around $8 per person and the buffet contained a variety of dishes' none bad and some quite good. I highly recommend their chili chicken, which was on the buffet and the goat byrani. The other dishes were alright though a couple of the vegetable dishes were too runny/soupy. Overall, a good value--certainly a better value than their overpriced and still rather small dinner portions. For lunch, they're ok if you're on this side of town.
(3)Coty S.
The lunch buffet curries are very watered down here. So there is not much flavor and the food just runs all over your plate, like a curry soup. You can see this from the photos, so you might as well put all of your food items in a bowl to keep them separated. Their dinner menu items are of the normal consistency. However, the cooks are very inconsistent. One time I came here and their Vegetable Korma was excellent, the following time it was runny and had no flavor. However, since there are not many places to choose from on this side of town it can get quite crowded and I have seen a line out the door before. If we are in Gainesville and want good Indian food, we have been known to drive all the way to Amrit Palace in Ocala for the real stuff.
(3)Apara W.
The customer service is wonderful. I have had buffet here a few times, food is very mediocre, 2 stars off. Tons of options though at the buffet- but I have had much better Indian buffets. It is busy during lunch hour, so plan on going early. This is probably as good as it can get for Gainesville area.
(3)Stevie D.
Probably the best Indian in the area! On par with what I've had in restaurants in larger cities. Staff is very friendly and the buffet is full of a large yummy variety; vegetarian, and not (including goat). Great food, great service. I would definitely recommend
(5)Emilie Z.
I haven't gone there for dinner so this is just for their lunch buffet. One of my favorite places, I love good Indian food and they really nail it. Wonderful, buttery, fluffy naan, and they always have vegetarian options. I love their lentil soups, very rich and full of flavor. I always leave stuffed and contempt. Wonderful place.
(5)Kelly R.
5 stars for lunch 3 stars for dinner Lunch buffet is always amazingly clean and delicious. There are clearly labeled signs under the wide variety of food that they keep well stocked. When they run out of naan they bring it around to all the tables and offer it to everyone. The price is reasonable and although i've had to wait for the check for a little bit, it wasn't bad considering there was only 1 waiter doing an excellent job for the whole place Dinner was delicious but very expensive. Lunch has more bang for your buck but both were tasty. If money doesn't matter then i'd go for both :)
(4)Wylma R.
A five-decade connoisseur of Indian cuisine in every nook and cranny of the world, I finally came face to face with a dish that was inedible: extra hot Shrimp Vindaloo. (The server informed the dish would be very hot but, given my Sinhala heritage and my life-long exposure to very hot dishes, I shrugged this off.) But this dish was not extra hot. It was beyond hot--as if raw chili power had been stirred in to make the gravy appear bloody red and to leave the diner with a taste that was nauseating! All it took was one shrimp and a spoonful of gravy for me to know this dish was indigestible. I immediately ordered a bowl of Raita in the hopes that the yogurt would help reduce the unsavory aftertaste in my mouth. No amount of Raita could have salvaged this unpleasant experience. {Separately, I had ordered Poori. Server showed up with two Pooris on a plate, accidentally dropped one on the table, returned with two more Pooris on a plate, had us assuming an order must come with two pieces, only to later discover we were charged for a double order of Pooris--an annoying side experience). To add insult to injury, the restaurant took no action on the dissatisfaction we verbally expressed about the inedible and indigestible Shrimp Vindaloo dish that remained uneaten. The restaurant opted instead to simply extract the pound of flesh for a Vindaloo we couldn't eat, a Raita we didn't need, and a Poori we did not order. What I hoped would be a five-star experience turned out to be a one-star evening. But I've decided to be generous. I will give Indian Cuisine two stars!
(2)Tiffany C.
I come here mainly for lunch and I have tried their dinner one time. The only reason I have tried their dinner once is because I didn't think it was worth it to come for dinner. The service I got was great, the waiter was always very attentive and nice. They should get a 3.5 star and points were taken out because their dinner wasn't good at all. When I came for dinner I got the chicken tika masala, it was mainly a bowl of sauce and only a couple small pieces of chicken breast for $15. If you want naan bread you have to order it separately for $2.49. Lunch was pretty good most of the tables were full compared to dinner. Weekday lunch is about $8 with a wide variety of dishes. I believe there are 3 chicken dishes, and everything else is vegetables and beans, for dinner they had the different chutney sauces that you have to pay, while for the lunch buffet they are all there for you to try including the naan bread at no extra cost. I feel that it is more worth it to come during lunch rather than dinner.
(3)Gordon M.
Do not go if you are Indian or British or are experienced in Indian food. I am sure it is fine for the usual American eater. Very bland and flavorless usual offerings. Much fewer choices than the usual Indian Buffet. It ruined my afternoon, I would not go back
(2)Chris T.
Best in town. Lunch buffet is the bomb, and my friend from India says it's authentic.
(5)Paul D.
My dinner experience here was not very good. Super slow service, bad food, and overpriced to boot. I'll update after trying the lunch buffet.
(2)Jared And Daisy T.
We went with a large party to Indian Cuisine on 34th Street and were really wowed by our meals. Because we had such a large party, we had called ahead a few days to make reservations. When we showed up, they had our table completely set up and awaiting us. They brought water quickly, gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu, and waited for the rest of our party to show. A bit too much time, as we waited quite a bit before the waiter finally came back to take our order. To be fair though, Indian Cuisine is not a large establishment and every table was filled. It's definitely not like the wait at Satchel's on a Friday night. We ordered a few different dishes, to sample betwixt us. The naan was heavenly, the sweet lassa was a bit tart but still quite tasty. It would have been better to have it come out with the meals, as it wasn't as cold as preferred by the time the entrees arrived. We tried vegetarian samosas, as well as their lamb counterparts. Both were quite delicious and were served with various sauces. The mixed tandoori was wonderful, but had a few too many onions. The shrimp vindaloo was gloriously spicy and paired perfectly with the fragrant basmati. The goat biryani was the best of the three main dishes we tried; full of flavor, very tender, and the rice that it was served with was bursting with flavor. We ordered some chai as well and that was fabulous -- except that the waiter nearly spilled it on our child's head and didn't bother to clean up the spill around the saucer, leaving only 1/2 of the tea in the cup. It was yummy and had just the right amount of cardamon, so mishap forgiven, it was great. The owner was wonderfully nice and extremely attentive. We would have given five stars, but the amount of time spent waiting brought it down a bit. We actually cannot wait to go back for lunch sometime to try the buffet, which friends of ours have told us is fantastic and filling. So since we can't give 4.5, we'll stick with 4 and hopefully get it up to 5 where it belongs.
(4)Eddie B.
Great lunch. $8 for all you could eat last time I was there. Serves meat. This could be to your favor or not. I do wish they would highlight the vegetarian a little more.
(4)Heather H.
The first time I came here I wasn't all that impressed. I had the lunch buffet and it was alright but I've had better. Their curry was a bit bland but the naan was really good. However, I decided to come back for dinner tonight and it was a whole different story. I had chicken tikka masala and chicken naan and it was AMAZING. The masala was really spicy too, I asked for medium and it was still incredibly hot (not a bad thing though!). It came with basamati rice as well and it was cooked perfectly. Sevice was really quick and the two guys who waited on me were very nice. Overall I would recommend going there for dinner, that's when they really seem to shine. The lunch buffet is still ok and worth it's price though.
(4)markie o.
Best at dinner though a little pricey... Good Indian food in Gainesville. I've eaten at Indian Cuisine since they first opened in their original location and had el cheapo picnic benches and only served food in styrofoam. In the past, when they originally transitioned to only serving the lunch buffet during lunchtime, there was a slight dip and inconsistency in the quality of food. However, in the last year or so they've really upped their game. As mentioned above, at lunchtime, they only serve the buffet and do not take orders for the kitchen. Some people have mentioned that the curries were quite watery and tasteless which was true a while ago, but nowadays they are quite decent. There are usually a number of fixtures on the buffet table: basmati rice, plain naan (clay oven baked flatbread), onion fritters or potatoes, lentil soup, veggie curry, spicy chickpeas, creamy peas and potatoes, chicken curry, tandoori chicken, and a few dishes that change from day to day. The lunch buffet food typically ranges from acceptable to good, and is a decent deal at $8 on weekdays for all-you-can-eat. However, if you've only eaten the lunch buffet here, you are missing out. Come back at dinner time and order a la carte! The quality of food you get from individual orders from the kitchen at dinner is MUCH better than what is served at the lunch buffet. Most all the dishes I have tried have been good. The fresh naan cooked to order is quite good, much better than what is served on the lunch buffet. If you like your food very spicy hot, then make sure you emphasize that. Like one of the other reviewers, I asked my vindaloo to be "hot" but it wasn't close to being as hot as I would've expected. For non-Indians, I assume they tend to be conservative on the heat in their dishes, so you need to let them know you are a hot food connoisseur or masochist to get them to up the heat index on your food! The waiters are friendly and attentive, but maybe part of that is that I've been there enough that they remember me. The a la carte prices in the evening are a bit pricey, but in Gainesville, you don't have many choices as far as Indian food goes. Still, the portions are good enough to fill up most people with a good appetite. I prefer the food at Amrit Palace down in Ocala but am not disappointed when I eat at Indian Cuisine. It is quite good, and I like to support the local business.
(4)Kat S.
Best Indian food in Gainesville. I have been told it is more Southern Indian cuisine (more milk based items on the menu) but regardless, it is delicious!!
(5)A P.
We moved from a big city and so have had our share of great Indian food and we love this place. Their prices are reasonable and the food is always fresh and tasty. Lunch buffet is a great deal and dinner options are also really flavorful and delicious. Don't know why their rating isn't higher, they have great food, great service, and a brand new updated restaurant!
(5)Mathumitha N.
Good for Non-Vegetarians than for vegans..... Improved a lot after renovation.....
(4)Misty R.
We ate here on our first trip to Gainesville. The Chicken Tikka masala is TO DIE FOR!! Try the chai as its very tasty as well. The Naan is fabulous and the service was excellent. We will DEFINITELY come again!!!
(5)Danielle B.
My husband and I had our first meal at Indian Cuisine at 5:15pm Thrusday July 29th. I am currently writing this review while eating lunch leftovers from yesterday's experience while these events are still fresh in my mind. We must have come to dine early for dinner because we were the only patrons in the restaurant. There were two waiters present and they promptly greeted us and told us to sit anywhere we liked. We chose a table and the waiter instantly brought us menus. They had a surprisingly large selection of choices. I'm by no means super experienced with Indian Cuisine (as the name boasts) but it seemed that there were lots of dishes I've tried but just as many I've never experienced. I love new choices so this was a real treat for me! We ordered Chicken Samosa and Chai for an appetizer. The chai was creamy, thick, and flavorful - they didn't add any sugar to the cups but brought us packets instead. I appreciate this since my husband is diabetic. The chicken samosa looked just like the samosa in the business photos section on yelp and had a sweet barbecue type sauce that I thought went with them very nicely - a little sweet, a little smokey. The waiter cleared our plates away quickly and asked to take our main dish order. My husband ordered a curried goat dish that I will not comment on since I didn't try very much of. I will say that when it arrived it was a pleasant creamy green color and he seemed to enjoy it mightily. They also served us a plate of basmati rice with our main dish that I believe was flavored with cloves since I found one on the plate. I thought that was a nice touch. I asked the waiter the difference between Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala and he was quick to explain. The Chicken Tikka is simply the dry flavored chicken and the Chicken Tikka Masala takes the dry Chicken Tikka and places it in a Masala sauce. I decided on the Chicken Tikka with the Masala because I'm a fan of sauces and I'm glad I did. The dish they brought out was orange colored sauce with little orange colored bites of chicken. I mean it was safety cone orange! I loved it for the color alone. It is not often I get the chance to eat such a brightly colored dish and I had fun swirling the sauce over my rice on my plate making everything turn a fun orange color. I wanted to order the garlic naan and told the waiter that I would except that I hate cilantro. He was quick to offer that they would be happy to make the garlic naan without cilantro for me. The naan tasted fresh and garlicky sans cilantro as promised when it arrived. A little more than halfway though our main dish the waiter asked if we needed more rice. We declined since we thought we had enough to finish our meals with but we ended up not being able to eat all of our dishes. The waiter asked if we'd like boxes to take the rest of the meal home in and I said yes. When he returned with the boxes I started putting my Chicken Tikka Masala in it and he asked again if I'd like additional rice. Realizing this was a good idea I said yes and he brought us a new plate of rice to finish off our to-go boxes with. I was very pleased that he asked if we wanted the rice a second time. Even though we were pretty full at this point I wanted to have a full experience at this place so I ordered dessert. I cannot remember the name but since there are only three desert choices and two of them are ice cream I think you should be able to narrow it down pretty easily. I've had this specific dessert on three different occasions (sweet syrup with fried doughnut like balls floating in it) and I will say that it was not the best I've ever had. Fortunately it was not the worst I've ever had either. Though I didn't hate the dessert I probably won't order it again. I think the doughnuts were a bit too dense for my preference. Overall this experience was impressive. The only negatives I can give at all were my specific preferences for the dessert and the fact that the waiters stand at the back of the room almost the entire time staring straight ahead. I understand that they are there to be ready for any requests we may have but I felt a little too watched while I was eating. Curries are a bit messy and I wanted a bit more privacy while I was trying not to drip sauce on my white shirt! I don't even feel that this is that big of a complaint but I do think its worth mentioning it. Next time I'll sit facing the door or on the opposite side of the room that has a little less of a direct view to the back. Hope this review helps!
(5)Raj Y.
My wife and I were on our way from Orlando to ATL. Yelp had good reviews about this place, so decided to stop by. It appears that the good reviews were done by people who are of non-indian origin, no pun intended. Being an Indian myself, I can rate this only a 1 or 2 star. We tried the lunch buffet at 9.99. The place was crowded which is good for them. We were the only south Asians at the time, rest were white and Asians. From seeing the crowd and tasting the food, I can say that the food is cooked to appeal their palette. I will not suggest anyone with appetite for hot and spicy food to eat at this place. The only food items that I liked were the fluffy naan and the fried zucchini. Chilly chicken was too sweet, similar to Asian food, not Indian for sure. Chicken curry was so-so. Aloo mutter, aloo chole, veg curry and tandoori chicken were just okay. Gulab jamun was the only dessert, which was okay. My final verdict - this place can be appealing for ppl with soft palette and those who don't want to try spicy and authentic Indian food. Lunch buffet was not authentic Indian food. I suggest Indians, south Asians and others craving for spicy food to try elsewhere. Giving 2 star cos of fluffy naan and the fried zucchini.
(2)leah s.
My food photos (on foodspotting.com ) taken here, look a lot better than the actual food I ate... unfortunate, but true. Sad Indian food, but sometimes You just gotta have some and Gainesville is limited on options. I'll go back, since I went with my friends from Iran, they like it because it's "close" to their regional food from Tehran, and we enjoy each other's company more than the food. Somebody open a good Indian place in this college town!
(2)Peter M.
First let me say I loved the food. The mixed Tandoori platter had excellent flavor and enough for two, although I did not get any shrimp as was listed on the menu. Just a heads up if you are going to take the food to go. I had to go there to order since I did not have a menu. There is no hostess stand and the place was so busy that I could not get a waiter to stop to take my order, so I went to my car and called in my order and was told it would be 30 - 45 minutes so I went and ran errands and had to go back. Live and learn on a Friday night! I did see many Indian people eating there so it must be good, right?
(4)April O.
They're finally open! I came with two friends who weren't familiar with Indian food (at all). One is a pesco-ovo-vegetarian and the other friend doesn't care for the taste or smell of grilled lamb. And yet Indian Cuisine managed us all beautifully. We ate their fluffy naan and ordered Sultani Biryani and Kashmiri Pulao, which made everyone happy. (Except me, because those bums ate all of the shrimp and didn't bother to mention it to me.) Even the mild versions of the food are savory, aromatic and full of tingling, subtle flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed the looks on my guests' faces when my mango lassi came out (radioactive oranges, anyone?), and I got to try ras malai, which I can only describe as a "floral milk dessert." Word to the wise: if your guests don't explicitly ask to try this, don't offer to share. Prices can be expensive, but portions are very large, and two dinner entrees should be more than enough food for 3-4 people. One final note--the restaurant's door is closed and locked promptly at closing time (9 during the week and 10 on weekends), and the kitchen closes 15 minutes before they lock the front door. This is not the place for stragglers.
(4)Diana O.
I have loyally followed this place since their humble beginings in the other plaza. They moved to a larger nicer location which only adds to the overall experience. They rock on the Lunch Buffet. If they did a nicer one for dinner I bet you would have to wait to get a table. This is a family place the waiter always remembers what we usually order to drink. It is consistently good. No off days like some places. By far my favorite Indian joint in Gville.
(5)Amy M.
Now that the Green Mango has opened up, Indian Cuisine cannot keep its position as the best Indian food in Gainesville. That being said, mediocre Indian is yummier to me than the most delicious of other foods, so three stars it is! I found the food to be somewhat salty, a disappointment when the cuisine has so many other amazing spices to offer (cardamom! coriander!). The price was a little high as well. Also, I am partial to South Indian fare and if I remember, this was a strictly Northern menu.
(3)Alex E.
Straight up awesome Indian food. Very extensive menu, decent service, and the food never dissapoints. Definitely try some stuffed naan or a samosa to start your meal, many times I've considered just ordering two of them and calling it a night :) The atmosphere is lacking, but when you've got great food, who cares?
(4)Tracey W.
Prices are high for what you get. I've been coming here for years it has always been superb. It has been a year since I was last here so last night we decided to eat here and we were very disappointed. It was busy so service was extremely slow our food was served in segments I ordered a lamb dish it was a plate of rice with 5 pieces of lamb for 15.00 I waited 15 minutes for the yogurt sauce that comes with the dish. The garlic naan was fresh but missing the garlic, the lentil soup was very salty. I am wondering if this is under new ownership...
(2)Mindy M.
The lunch buffet is surprisingly wonderful -- go early so that you don't have to wait for naan, because after the little restaurant fills up, the kitchen can barely keep up with the insatiable demand for their excellent naan! All the curry dishes I have tried from the regular menu are really first-rate, and I'm a big fan of saag and saag paneer; these are very good here. Everything cooked in the tandoor is awesome. There is great talent in this kitchen! If you don't know anything about Indian food, you should go with a friend who can help you around the big, generous menu. I saw some students eating here once who clearly did not appreciate new flavors very much. They didn't even eat their rice -- outrageous! I love the rice here! Even the plain rice is very good.
(5)Mark Y.
In Gainesville when you want Indian food there is only one place to go. Indian Cuisine has good food and good service. If your not able to wait till dinner check out there lunch buffet - all you can eat for one low price. While the food can be spicy for some, it is authentic and well worth the price. I have never left feeling I did not get my money's worth. Their chicken tikka and tandoori chicken are my favorites. For vegetarian eaters don't fear there are a variety of choices you you as well. definitely a must try
(4)-B- -.
Went to this place for lunch again today with a large party (9). We all went with the lunch buffet, which is always spot on. Their aloo was fantastic as was the tandoori and curried chicken dishes. Unlimited naan bread and a mango lhassi just made me happy =).
(4)lisa d.
The lunch buffet is unbeatable. $7.99 for curries, naan, rice, dessert, raita, chutneys, samosas, various veggie dishes, Tandoori chicken, etc. And the mango lassi, yum!
(5)Connie C.
I love this place! Food consistency is very important to me and every time I come here I am never disappointed. Start your meal off with a chicken or lamb samosa, YUM! and wash it down with a deliciously cool mango lassi. For entrees I love the tandoori platter (it is a little sampler of all the tandoori items) and also the butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. I also love to order the Naan (chicken is my favorite, but garlic is a close second). I am not that big a fan of the buffet but I think that is because I have a few favorites and I must have those when I go. So if you haven't tried this place yet, please do, you won't regret it!
(5)Heather S.
Ron K is right, this is the best Indian food in Gainesville, which is not saying much considering we only have two options to choose from in town. The atmosphere could use some work but the buffet makes up for it. There is an Indian market in the same plaza you definitely do not want to miss while you are in the area.
(4)Ron K.
The best Indian food in Gainesville. Start off with some chicken or lamb somosas. The biriyani (chicken or lamb) is great. Ask for it indian hot if you are not afraid to test the senses a bit. The chicken naan is a personal fav of ours. In terms of entrees, try the chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, vindaloo or for those that like grilled food, get the mixed grill platter from the tandoor. It has lamb shish kabob, lamb sheesh kabob, chicken tikka and tandoori chicken. They bring it sizzling to your table. Now that you mouth is on fire, finish off the night with some kulfi or a sweet mango lassi. What a great meal it will be
(5)Raquelle R.
Indian food is my favorite along with Thai food so I was very disappointed that the local indian restaurant isn't even decent. They add something strange to the chicken korma that makes it kind of jelly-like rather than creamy. It was lacking in flavor as well. The samosa chaat which is supposed to be exploding with flavor was a bland mess instead. I don't know how a restaurant can even mess samosa chaat up. Not sure why it's getting such great reviews but maybe the bar has been set too low in town. I'll have to keep going to orlando for great Indian food.
(2)Felipe L.
Horrible restaurant. I've been there multiple times in the hopes of liking it, but the food is just horrible, plus they don't enough vegetarian options in the buffet,
(2)Chris K.
Within the last six months or so, Indian Cuisine moved from their original location down to the opposite end of the same plaza. They now have much more room and a slightly larger buffet. Unlike their old location, I've never had to wait to get a seat. I did feel that their old space was a little more inviting. The new place lacks some personality. The prices have also gone up with the move, which has kept me from coming here as much as I used to. When they first started operating the big buffet, I had a couple bad experiences. My guess was that they were adapting to managing the larger buffet. I typically avoid buffets, unless they're small and I can tell the establishment is focusing on the quality and freshness of the few dishes available. So seeing the new larger buffet raised some concerns, which aren't completely unfounded. I do feel like the overall quality and freshness of the food has slipped some. I'd like to see them go back to a smaller buffet. Despite some of the changes for the worst, I still feel the overall quality of the food is above average for a buffet. Like Mike W., I tend to gravitate towards their chili chicken, but usually try a little bit of everything. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, step out of your comfort zone and try some of their vegetarian dishes. The flavor is so good you might forget you're eating veggies ^_^. Speaking of flavor, I do think they hold back on their seasoning compared to other Indian restaurants. I have a feeling this is done on purpose to help appeal to customers who might be put off by really flavorful dishes. So depending on how much flavor you like packed into your Indian food, you may or may not like the food they serve here. The service was good at the old location, and that hasn't changed at all with the move. They don't have too many additional waiters from what I can tell, but the staff has no problem keeping up with all the new tables.
(4)Stormy C.
Excellent food. They were very accommodating preparing the food according to my (wimpy) spice level. I wish this restaurant was closer to my home!
(5)J N.
It was awful!! It an hour and a half to get the food and the customer service was horrible! They never told us why it was taking so long and kept saying it would be right out...never going again,ever.
(1)Lin Z.
Highly recommend. I came here a lot. All the servers knew me and my usually dish-lamb curry. The food in here let me want to go to India and live in there hah
(5)Tracy M.
Only been here for the lunch buffet. I can't ask for much more in an Indian lunch. Lots of options (veggie and meat). Very flavorful and clean with friendly staff. Reasonably priced, we come here frequently.
(5)Sara B.
I ate here for the first time yesterday and I can't stop talking about it! My boyfriend and I went in and were pleasantly greeted and seated. The staff was very nice and had great suggestions from the menu. We ordered and our food was out very quickly. I was please to see that it wasn't reheated food, either. First bite = heaven. This was the best meal I have had in a LONG time in Gainesville. I got the chicken roganjosh. Ate the leftovers for lunch today and it was just as good, if not better. The entrees are about $14 each but are good portions. Everything was good here. I will definitely be back.
(5)