Tamarind Indian Cuisine
1241 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33612
Tamarind Indian Cuisine Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Tampa for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Tampa for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Tampa for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
1241 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL, 33612 - Phone (813) 341-8100
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- 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 : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
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.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Jerry A.
Omggggg this is definitely a hidden treasure in Tampa! They have an upscale look and of you are looking for a trendy dining experience they are your place!
(5)Leslie D.
The food is old they do not make anything fresh for their buffet they use the same food for week. Only good place to eat Indian food is Bombay masala I would say they have the best dinner and they make it fresh and healthy
(1)Jasmine R.
This use to be a great spot. It still gets a star for being centrally located and very nice interior and staff. In other news...not sure what happened but the quality of food has gone way down and i'm not even sure if they are using the same recipes as before. This use to be my go to spot for Butter Chicken and Lentil soup and I was excited to bring a friend there who was jonesing for some curry. Big mistake. My soup barely had any lentils and his curry was just a bowl of grease. I was so embarrassed that I had recommend Tamarind for dinner.
(1)H L.
We went here for the second time this past weekend. The last time we were here was 2 months ago. We had the same waiter both times and he actually not only remembered us, but remembered what we ordered!?! He knew we were going to ask to split a large Taj Majal beer, and he knew my boyfriend was going to order chicken butter masala. Very impressive! We are obviously very pleased with the service. The food is delicious. The garlic naan is amazing. My boyfriend loves his chicken butter masala, I very much enjoyed the paneer butter masala I ordered. The prices are good. And the decor is nice. The only thing I would knock them on is that they need to finish remodeling. They haven't finished the small details inside yet and they don't have a new sign out at the street (it still has the previous name, I think it's Taste of India?). They DO have a nice neon sign on top of the building though. It can be a little confusing walking in as well as the main entrance is on the side of the building. The front of the door still has an even older restaurant name on it (Hip Hop Cafe). I'm assuming there must obviously be a reason they haven't been able to finish these details. I do hope that they thrive and remain in business. Any time we find ourselves in that part of town (they are right next to the Indian market, Patel Brothers, so that is another bonus), we will be stopping in for dinner.
(4)Robin K.
Yeap 3 stars! Lunch buffet costs $9.99/person. The buffet offers couple of appetizers, 4 vegetarian curries, 3 non vegetarian curries, rice, naan, 3 different chutneys and 2 desserts. My faves: * Onion pakoras: battered pieces of onion, deep fried (Appetizer). * Chicken tikka masala: amazing, best I've had in a while. Use naan to scoop up all the curry goodness. * Goat curry: I love goat, the curry is thick. Beware of the bones, takes little time to detach the meat from them bones lol. * Vegetable korma: mixed veggies in coconut curry. Slightly sweet but so damn good. Very South Indian. * desserts are ok, nothing major to mention. People always fuss over the service but most Indian restaurants have little or no service. The food is just too damn good to miss, keeps me coming back for more.
(3)Liz M.
The decor sets the bar really high as you take your seat with white linens and folded napkins. We were served chilled water from a glass bottle, which tasted clean. The buffet had a pleasant set up, but I was missing small bowls for the sauces. There seemed to be many servers who were ready to take away our plates at any moment. As far as the food goes, the naan was very tasty. I enjoyed the saag paneer, pea biriyani, and the tandoori chicken. But everything else was under spiced and watered down. The yellow dahl was too heavy with the garlic. The dessert was terrible. The music was the worst we have heard. It sounded like a keyboard playing indian inspired music. At the end, the owner, I'm assuming, came by to ask us how it was and we told him everything was fine. He told us that they have a bigger buffet on the weekends. It is located right next to a church, so we think that the spices are toned down to accommodate Americans.
(2)Jenny C.
It's a Monday and my usual Indian spots- Cilantro and Saffron are both closed. I was craving Indian food so I decided to take a chance on Tamarind on Fowler Avenue. There is plenty of parking and the decor of the restaurant is modern Indian classic. Since it's Monday, the restaurant wasn't really packed. I did notice several Indian diners which is a good sign for authenticity. I ordered two dishes for myself (to save as leftovers for lunch)- the chicken kali mirch and the chicken biryani. I also had an order of garlic naan. Sadly, they did not have any dosa today. I had glanced at the menu beforehand and was looking forward to the chicken dosa. The servers were very attentive and friendly. Definitely a good place for Indian food beginners if you need help with the menu. The chicken kali mirch is a curry dish that has yogurt, spices and black pepper. Lots of chicken chunks in this dish. The server told me it was the first level of Indian hot but it wasn't hot at all for me. Still a very pleasant sauce. It had a hint of sweetness. I loved pouring it over the basmati rice. The chicken biryani was actually the most fragrant and complex biryani I've ever had. There were large chunks of chicken and even a hard boiled egg. A side of raita (cucumber yogurt sauce) came with the biryani. I ended up dipping my garlic naan in the sauce! Garlic naan was of course garlicky and yummy as naan goes. A perfect vessel for your sauces. I ended up taking a lot of the food home since the portions were sharing size. I would definitely come back to Tamarind, especially on a Monday! It's one of the better Indian options on Fowler.
(4)Elizabeth R.
If your looking for quality Indian food in Tampa, this is the spot. So pleasantly surprised! After driving to numerous rundown or closed Indian spots we stumbled into Tamarind for a much needed Indian fix. All I have to say is, delish! By far the best Palak Paneer I've had in Tampa. The newly renovated space was clean, the service was friendly and the food came out hot and fast. I only had the one dish so I can't speak for the entirety of the menu, but I will certainly be back.
(4)Ishrain H.
Horrible service, terrible manager....hate this place. It should be banned for the kind of owner they have!
(1)Lakan D.
The food is outstanding! So why 3 stars you ask? Well, the food is four star quality. But the service experience....two stars. They don't seem to be well-trained for handling big parties of 20. We ate here for a graduation dinner, older sister's friend reserved for 20+ and they had it for 19 people. One of the employees was either new or just didnt't know what he was doing because he walked around with my order of samosas, and gave it to a table that never ordered it. Then when he nearly gave the second plate, the "replacement" to wrong person again. Okay....so the food. The samosas were great, flavorful. The garlic naan was spot on. The spicy lamb and spicy goat were superb, juicy and full of flavor. Their veggie tandoor was also good, and sizzling. Their mango lassi is great and refreshing.
(3)Brittany L.
I've had better, but this was fine. So far I'm extremely underwhelmed by the Indian food available in Tampa. This makes me sad. From the outside, Tamarind looks huge, but half of it is banquet hall. Inside the decor is nice...classy and understated. Multiple round booths, square tables for 2 and 4, big round tables, and even a private room with a big rectangular table for maybe 12-14 people. Plenty of parking. Hostess was friendly and our wait wasn't long, but there was confusion in that she seated us and then a different employee tried to seat someone else at our table while we were at the buffet. Our tablecloth hadn't been changed from the diners before us and there were marks on it from the curry. It took a good 10 minutes to receive water once we'd been seated. The food was fine, good flavors, everything was hot or cold as it should've been, however the buffet was not being replenished in a timely manner. We were there at 1pm, the buffet goes until 3:30. Kheer was out when we arrived and remained out for the entire time we were there. As we were walking out the door (40+ minutes later) I saw someone refill it. Same with the chickpea appetizer. It's supposed to have little round bread things with it. There was one when we arrived and no more showed up. Selection was fine, but not great. The worst part was that I actually bit into a ROCK while I was eating. This means the lentils were not well-cleaned. I kept it because there's a good chance my tooth is damaged, as the rock actually cracked in my mouth when I chewed it. The ice cream cake dessert is really good. Kheer is my favorite though and I was super excited to have some since it's been months. This spot does do a good job with veg offerings, but there were only a few meat offerings (chicken biryani, goat curry, chicken tikka masala, chicken tikka)...pretty typical. The weekend buffet is $12.99 so I expected a bit more. I've never had a rock in my food before (even when eating lentils or beans!) and with the other issues I can't say I'll be rushing back. However, considering the other options in town this may be our best shot because it was clean and the decor was nice. Prices were reasonable and staff wasn't openly hostile (all things I've experienced at other Indo-Pak restaurants in Tampa). If this restaurant was anywhere else it would be a 2-star rating but since it's Tampa it gets 3.
(3)Catherine W.
The garlic naan was ON POINT. As a lover of Indian food, I honestly can't remember having a garlic naan this good in a while. I also ordered aloo gobi and lamb rogan josh. The aloo gobi's flavor is very different from what I'm used to but it wasn't bad at all and the lamb rogan josh was quite good but I wish there was more lamb and less sauce, to the point where I have to dig for the non-sauce items. The inside of the restaurant is very cozy and the lighting is almost romantic. This unsuspecting spot is very intimate and even though it's windowless for the most part, the outside area would probably discount from how nice inside is...to be honest. I would give them 5/5 stars on customer service though! I had a long day and everyone in the restaurant made me feel super welcome, definitely lightening up my mood. I would for sure come back and try their lunch buffet they were talking to me about.
(4)Jsri M.
By far the worst Indian food I have had. The table we were seated at had rice all over the floor. The bar menu had mold on the back. Never going back!
(1)Tim J.
Just got turned away and told I had to leave 30 minutes before closing. Love their food, but that only counts when you eat it. Fix your hours or your attitude, then get back to me
(2)Bhawana P.
This was the first time my husband and I ate at this restaurant; actually, my husband did come in by himself once for an order to go, saw their prices, and left. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try this evening, about 3 or 4 months later. Let me start by saying that the entire restaurant was empty save for two couples, one at a booth and the other at a two-person table near the kitchen. The Waiter / Manager (turquoise shirt) seated us literally right next to the couple near the kitchen. We were at a two-person table right next to them, and again, the restaurant was completely empty. The couple was very sweet, but this utter lack of etiquette on the Waiter / Manager's part meant that neither party got any privacy. Next, the Waiter / Manager asks us what parts of India we are from, and upon stating where I was from, he proceeded to tell me to my face that the people from my region generally end up in the slums of Mumbai. May The Lord Bless all of those who are in slums across the world, and help them grow. However, is it at all appropriate for a Waiter / Manager to engage in controversial socio-political opinions with their customers? Before the Waiter / Manager began his unsubstantiated and offensive rantings on the peoples of India, my husband had commented on the price of their Vegetable Samosas (2 for $4.50, which is ridiculous!). However, minutes after he left to put in our order, his staff brings out two samosas which he did charge us for. My husband felt like saying that we didn't order this, but then thought of Shree Shree Annapoorna Mataji, and then reconciled that we ought not send it back. No doubt they tasted great, but the lack of listening skills, or selective thereof, certainly did cost us. Moving forward, while we questioned whether or not to do order, we did so anyway to try and give the establishment a chance, In that process, we emphatically stated that my husband does not eat butter, and wouldn't you know that in the rice, they put butter. When my husband asked, the same Waiter / Manager said "you don't eat butter at all?". My husband replied "you were aware of that", and then the Waiter / Manager tried back-pedaling by saying that the rest of the food he brought did not have butter. In the end, he asked "is it ok?", to which my husband replied, "no, but there's nothing we can do about it now"; the Waiter / Manager said "thank you", and left. Finally, a vegetarian dinner for two with no drinks except water ended up costing about $35! For those of you looking for a great Indian Restaurant, go to either of the two Southern Spice (previously called Jai Ho) restaurants, both on Fowler; one is next to Tamarind in the Patel Brothers Grocery plaza, while the other is next to an Amscot and Malani Jewelers. Thank The Lord, He's allowed us to eat at both, and both were nearly half the price for caring, non-demeaning service. All in all, I will end by saying that like many independent reviews from other patrons, neither do we plan on returning to Tamarind, nor will we recommend it to anyone; on the other hand, we will be sure to warn others about this restaurant. Case and point, consider that in spite of at least 75 reviews, many poorly rated ones, what kind of Manager would sit idly and read such remarks without any regard? Now knowing this, would you actually want to finance such apathy?
(1)Pranam P.
Upon walking in, it was very eye appealing and not trashy looking like most Indian places. I was impressed. I was already excited and once you got a whiff of the food it was sensory overload. So, I've always wanted to go to an Indian buffet where all the food is great and whaddaya know, I got what I wanted! All the food here is great, especially the chicken tikki masala. The food tasted fresh, was hot, and just overall savory. Price was $8.99 for the lunch buffet, so you don't break the bank for great food. It was also very quiet inside despite the many people that were in there. Please try if you are in the mood to fill your tummy to the brim! Also sorry, no pictures today ... (Was busy filling my bellaayy)!
(5)Pankaj O.
Best of all Indian Restaurants in tampa for indian vegetarian food. Have tried multiple times for weekend buffet. The staff is not that great and attentive but food is. The new decor makes you feel in any big indian restaurant back home.
(5)Todd F.
Very tasty and great service. The chicken tikka dosa was a bit sweet for my liking but still very good. The palak paneer was the best I've ever had. The pricing was very mostest and I look forward to visiting again.
(4)David C.
This was our first trip to Tamarind since they completed their remodel. We were a little nervous due to some of the recent negative reviews, but had always been happy here on previous trips so, we decided to give it a try for my son's 11th birthday. The new entrance is around the side and walking in, the restaurant's new decor is elegant, understated, and above all else CLEAN. We were greeted and seated immediately and received menus, waters, etc. from their team of waiters. A quick note on the service at Tamarind: they appear to use a British style of service which involves multiple waiters, all of whom are responsible for all tables in the restaurant. Also, the waiters typically hang to the edge do the restaurant and wait to be called over. I think this distinction may have led to some of the negative reviews on service. We ordered two appetizers from the menu and ordered chili paneer (off menu) which they were happy to oblige. Everything was served quickly, spiced to order, and delicious, within 10 minutes. The onion bhajia were crispier than I've had other places but were really flavorful. For our entrees, we each ordered a different curry. For each one, we were asked for our preferred level of heat. The curries arrived quickly with excellent garlic naan. And again, everything spiced as ordered. A casual mention to my wife regarding my son's birthday was overheard, and following dinner, what looked like a Roman candle appeared from the kitchen sticking out of a plate of three flavors of kulfi without request or additional charge. Our party of four each ate our fill and left with lunch for the next day all for under $100. Tamarind has found its place as my go-to indian restaurant in the greater Tampa Bay Area. The only drawback was their being out of Haywood's 5000 (my favorite Indian beer), but I can't really knock them for that.
(5)Nikhil D.
The food quality was ordinary. They mixed up the order.. the manager tried to convince to go ahead with it and to make it up have some pieces of fried paneer as we had ordered for a paneeer dish.. More over, which indian restaurant doesn't have papadam in stock... Small eatery will have papad..
(1)Kosha A.
Absolutely love the place .!! After the renovation to the place , this is the best indian dining experience in tampa .! Love their malai kofta , dal tadka , garlic naans and occasionally enjoy their lunch buffets .!
(5)Pete S.
As a white dude, this place is awesome for lunch time with their buffet. I don't really know what the hell I'm eating for if I'm eating anything in the right order with the right other foods, but it is delicious. I love the fact I can just try out anything and see what I like best. Staff is nice enough and they don't pester you too much. Quiet place and beautiful interior decorations, much improved when I last remembered it a few years back. One could argue it is both casual but also upscale, depending on how you want to view it. As a pretty casual person, I go in casual but I could see this being a classy place to bring friends and family.
(5)Michael B.
a hidden gem in broad daylight. if it weren't for yelp, i would not have known about it, as the building looks like it is shut down from the outside. outer decor aside, the food was FANTASTIC. I am looking forward to coming back for the weekend buffet. This will definitely be my go to indian place in the tampa area.
(4)William C.
Superb food and outstanding staff!
(4)Mollyana W.
We came with a woman married to an Indian man. The food, according to her, and to me, was mediocre at best. I can't be specific with names because I can't remember them, but trust me, it was just "ok". The ambiance was very nice. By the way, we went to the lunch buffet.
(2)Ashish V.
Before ordering I asked about dum biriyani. Sounded like authentic preparation. So I thought I would give it a try. Was nothing like authentic. Clearly trying to fool the customers. There were clear discrepancies in the bill. Instead of being apologetic about it they were defensive-a very bad indian mentality of "if you want you take it or else leave"! People who seemed to be the owner and manager were around there and didn't even bothered to come ask how the food/service was. Though the ambient is bright I doubt the hygiene and cleanliness. In the hospitality/food industry the mantra of customer service are two words "thank" you and "sorry." Unfortunately, I didn't here both of them.
(1)Sunny G.
I will start by saying that the restaurant and it's food are good. That is to say that if you manage to avoid the drama, you'll be okay. However, the service is hit or miss. During one of our visits, the manager on duty got an attitude when we asked for more water. The last time we went, the manager on duty made a big fuss about splitting our checks. Its a good place, but their service has tainted their name, in my eyes.
(3)Phuong N.
This is the best Indian restaurant in Tampa. It's been newly renovated with modern decor, giving it a different feeling compared to other Indian restaurants. The linens are white and the seats are fresh shades of tan and brown. My favorites are the paneer khurchan and the garlic naan.
(5)Mel R.
Good Indian food. Our waiter was very attentive and polite. Why three stars? Because it was good not great. Look! if you are hungry and you happen to be in the area I say try it. The food was authentic but certain things were better than others. My wife raved about tandoori chicken I thought it was ok. Skip the potato salad, too much mayo for my taste. The fish had that fishy smell, not very good. They have a decent selection of food and they are mostly good, just don't expect any to blow you away.
(3)James T.
I went here a year ago when it was under another name and it was awesome, I was the only non Indian person in there. That tells you a little something. But then I read some reviews from a lady that had a wedding dinner here and had a horrible time. But I decided to try it out for the Sunday Buffet. And I was glad I did. The buffet was impressive. The largest I have ever seen and very good presentation. Tasted great too. When I got up I knocked over my water, I told one of the waiters and they were on it immediately. Very impressed.
(5)Jason C.
I went there the other night. They have lots of different Indian dishes, some of which I hadn't had in the past. I loved my spinach dosa. It was flavorful and fresh. Not sure why it was so quiet when I was there.
(4)Krish K.
So far its the worst place for Indian food. I went to buffet with my sister. There was some fish dish being served in the buffet. We had that item on plate and after eating we realized that the fish is not a fresh one. The product quality in tamrind is so far the worst. Compared to jaiho and mayuri. I do t mind giving zero but for the ambience they deserve 1*!
(1)Abhi J.
It is a OK restaurant. The ambience and service is good but the food taste is on the lower end. The gravy they use are same for almost most of the dishes. The appetizers are very mediocre .all in all to can go eat at this place if its on your way.
(3)Rebecca E.
Lovely atmosphere. Excellent variety in the lunch buffet. Many types of meat and veggie dishes. Would prefer it spicier, but always enjoy the Tamarind experience. Great chicken tikka masala!
(4)Stephanie D.
We've been coming here for a few years now and always thought it was an okay place. Good food, but with not so great service. However, it has recently come under new ownership (renamed Tamarind Cuisine) and has gotten significantly better. - The new dining room is beautiful, with added conference and banquet areas. - Service has gotten MUCH better. We never lacked for drink refills or extra rice. - And the food. SO delicious. I couldn't decide between a lamb dish or palak paneer and they were happy to give me both together! I crave the food from this place at least once or twice a week.
(4)Mateo H.
From the outside, it looks bleak. But as soon as you step inside, it is a very high-class lunch buffet experience. The service and food were also excellent. I wish there had been garlic naan, but generally buffets only have one kind of nan, so we'll have to come back at night for that.
(5)Biven P.
Finding descent Indian restaurant in Tampa is heck of a task, especially for an Indian. After an average dinner with my girlfriend, I decided to go with group of friends for brunch the following weekend. The quality of the food dramatically went from average to worst. The food was greasy and blend, the palak paneer hardly had two pieces of paneer, the chicken smelled like fish in chicken biryani, tandoori chicken was dry and butter chicken masala was nowhere close to appetizing. The only thing was descent was daal makhni and the naan. The appetizers( pani puri, pav bhaji, chaat, etc) were pretty descent, but thats not what we went for. Service: the restaurant really needs to step up in their service to the customers.The manager is an arse and tries to talk over his customers. At first we were delighted with the hospitality of the waiters and the manager. But tell them the food is not good, in our instance, we told them the chicken smells like fish. The waiter was clueless and went to get the manager. The manager didnt show up. My friend approached him and told him about the chicken, his instant reply was "Everyone else is eating, why cant you!" (Never heard of such idiotic response from a manager in my life.) Then my other friend found a hair in chicken butter masala, he went to the manager and asked to change the pan and his response was "It must be your hair". This restaurant is surely off from my list.
(1)Sandi M.
I love going here! The food is succulent, the atmosphere and ambiance refreshing & very inviting, the waiters are so respectful, attentive and always provides excellent customer service! If you haven't tried the Channa Masala with a side of garlic naan, you must! The Taj Mahal beer is tasty and goes perfectly with any entree. We arrive happy and we leave happy. ..every time :)
(5)Thomas A.
Dinner Experience review (non buffet) - overall not bad, but not great. Great ambience, decent service, and interesting food! Samosas - Bland to the point of tasteless, but when we used the little chutney tray that came with the pappadom to season them, they were perfect. The shell of the samosa was more doughy (like bread) rather than "pastry like" in a normal samosa. Garlic naan - ON POINT...superb! Chicken Korma - really unlike any korma I have eaten before. Thick like a pudding, but tasty. The chicken was a bit overdone (tough). I could eat this all day. A highlight of the meal despite the tough chicken. Kerala Fish Curry - ODD. When one orders fish curry one expects whitefish of some sort. The description said "fish chunks in curry sauce"...it was salmon! Very large chunks of salmon with the skin still on. Salmon is a very curious choice for this dish and I felt the chef just had some leftover in the fridge. If I wanted salmon curry, then I'd get salmon curry! Chai - solid and well brewed. Dessert - we wanted Kheer (rice pudding). It's on the menu. The waiter said "we don't serve it normally, just on certain occasions". Menu fail. Restrooms - YEESH! The women's restroom was dirty and all the lights were out above the stalls (only lighted by the sinks). If they were going for the Mumbai Slum Experience, they succeeded. I'd love to come back and try the buffet...I would probably not eat off the menu again.
(3)Rachel H.
I came in after church on a Sunday for the buffet and it wasn't crowded. I have no idea why. This place should be packed with people lining up to try this incredible array of Indian food. Maybe it is too pricey for an area that caters to college students? The weekend buffet was $12.99 but I assure you it is worth every penny. There are three different buffet line ups, the salad, the main courses, and the dessert buffet. The salad line is not a typical salad buffet and is made unique with different Indian salads, I had the pleasure of trying a chick pea potato salad, a vinegar based vegetable salad, and a spicy coconut chili paste like condiment that was out of this world. So delicious. There was a table set up with pappadom (sp?) and their accompaniments. Everything was great. The main buffet has so many options, it was borderline insane. While there was plenty of goat and chicken options to be had, I stuck to vegetables. The eggplant and chana masala were too good. Spicy but not unbearable, just spicy enough to remind yourself you are eating delicious Indian food. The naan was fresh, chewy and crispy all at the same time, exactly how I like my naan. The rice was aromatic, they were making their samosas fresh on the grill and even brought them to my table. For dessert they had rice pudding, and the cake ball things that were great here. Sorry I don't have a more advanced knowledge of Indian food. They were sweet and tasty so who really cares. The service was great, honestly, this may replace Cilantro as my "favorite Indian" place in Tampa. So great, an awesome meal.
(5)Andrea B.
My mother is the main reason I am a bit of a foodie, having raised me on ethnic cuisine from around the world and instilled a love of "hole in the wall" places with amazing food. She was in Wesley Chapel for a conference and it seemed like a great time to check out a new place together as she made her way from Orlando. We met up at Taste of India early on a Sunday afternoon, ready to check out the buffet. I was glad to have my Mom there because, while everything was well labeled - I am not as familiar with Indian food as she is. She gave great guidance and we chattered happily about our choices as we perused the options. I am developing quite a taste for veggie curries and Taste of India blew me away with their Mushroom Mutter Masala. It was rich and creamy with a deep, earthy flavor from the mushrooms. The tandoori offerings were very nice and the veg korma was solid. We both enjoyed what we tried, though the spice level was a solid medium to medium-hot meaning this would be WAY too spicy for my husband. Service was a bit spotty. We were seated fairly quickly and provided water and iced tea. Refills were a little slow and it took a while to get our check. However, it was PACKED while we were there (even at 2 pm) so I am not too upset at the delays. Lots of large families with children, but luckily I found the little ones crawling around cute, not annoying. We ended up leaving faster than we intended because of the noise level. The restaurant had several large TVs playing songs from Bollywood movies and while these were very entertaining (and sometimes baffling), the volume was VERY loud. My mom and I ended up going elsewhere for coffee/dessert as we found it very hard to even visit with each other at Taste of India.
(3)Abhi G.
Ate there in July 2013 when I was visiting Tampa for the first time. It was a lunch buffet. Though I am not a big fan of indian buffets in the US, this one did not disappoint me. Came back here after almost an year. The decor was changed, which was better than other typical indian restaurants here in the US. This time food was nothing compared to what I ate here last year; chaats and desserts were good. This meal made me realize that you shouldn't eat indian food before a long journey, lol.
(3)Salil J.
Positives: Decor: Clean, Bright- not dark and creepy like the usual Indian restaurant. Didn't get to check out the restrooms, though. So- So: The food. Went for the buffet. The chicken tikka was good. Naan was thin and dry. Chicken biriyani was bland. Rest of the usual meat/ veggie dishes were nothing great. Negatives: Slow, Confused servers. Manager barking out orders in a loud voice and seemed rather unfriendly.
(3)Lori V.
I love me an Indian lunch buffet. This place didn't disappoint. I had been there before and during the remodel. It is gorgeous now. We had fresh, warm selections of many different varieties. Tons of sauces to try. Two dessert choices. Very good service. Will continue to go back.
(4)Hina D.
Wonderful customer service! Staff were friendly and so attentive. They were very respectful of dietary restrictions. Food was delicious. Try the Paan Ice Cream. Ambiance is beautiful. Great place to have a party or celebrate a special occasion.
(5)Dinesh P.
We had reserved the main private room and had a great time. Starting from the appetizers, main course etc was out of this world. They also have a another big room for parties. Excellent again. Please go and visit but right now there is some road works near the place.
(5)Ann F.
Wow, we just had the Sunday lunch buffet today and we were amazed! The food was spectacular, tasty and fresh. My husband and I moved down here from New Jersey and have been looking for a good Indian restaurant. We have been to several which were from bad to mediocre. Today Tamarind surprised us. The food was better than we have had in New Jersey or New York and the place is beautiful and spotless. The help was friendly and attentive. I didn't want to leave! My favorite dishes were the onion bhujia and the dal and malai kofta. All wonderfully spiced. My husband enjoyed the chicken tandoori as well. They also have an extensive dinner menu which we have yet to try. If you like Indian food, you have to try this place out, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Denelle S.
The food here is really great. The decor is not typical, cheesy Indian. The service, however is really terrible. Friendly, but not attentive AT ALL. Despite requesting them, drinks were not refilled, wrong spiciness levels given to the wrong customers.
(4)Saya G.
Worst service, event space and staff I've ever experienced at a sit-down restaurant. Note: This restaurant is now called Tamarind Cuisine. We dealt with both the old and new owner in this process, and it's only gotten worse under new management. I've never been treated so unprofessionally. The fact is, this is one of the few, maybe only, Indian restaurants in the Tampa Bay area with space to accommodate 100+ people. So even though it was disorganized from our first meeting (a year ago), we risked it for my pre-wedding Sangeet party, because we had few other options and the food was decent. As details came together and we decided to finalize an agreement, we learned the restaurant was under new management. All details were discussed by email, because the restaurant does not have contracts, even for big events. 3 weeks before our event date, we were told the email was not contractually valid, they would no longer have space for our 150-person group, they would no longer provide the sound system necessary for our music/dance program, they would provide "poor service" because the rate (which they offered and agreed to) was not worth their time, the space would no longer be decorated (Quote from their email: "As we told you so many time as well as your daughter and wife we arent in flower bussiness."), The patio reserved for our henna artist would now be a $400 upcharge, and they wanted 75% of payment upfront. And if we didn't like it, they'd give us our deposit and cancel the event. The way they spoke to us made me (the bride) and my mom cry. With no way of canceling this close to the event, we had to make it work but it was still a disaster. We had to pay for a DJ last minute as they would not hook up their sound system, we had to send guests outside as there weren't enough tables, dinner was served an hour late and buffet wasn't replenished, they didn't provide the bartender they promised so warm beer and wine had to be self-served off a table, the room had white walls with no decor, the bathrooms were disgusting, and the dance floor was not big enough for our planned dances. I am confident that this restaurant and party room will not be successful. The management has already contacted me asking me to take the review down "or else" instead of apologizing. It was easily the most terrible planning experience of my life (and I've planned a lot of events). Stay far away!
(1)LARRY k.
We were here recently for a party. Overall their catering was poor. They packed too many people in a small room, did not serve any type of Indian bread with their buffet offerings, did not even serve the beer chilled. They just put it on a table with no ice or refrigeration. The food was just ok and the tandoori chicken was very dry. We live in the Chicago area with a huge number of Indian restaurants in Chicago proper and the burbs. If Tamarind was here I think they would have to shape up in a hurry or it would be out of business in a hurry.
(1)Shyamala J.
I really didn't understand why employees were very busy.They seemed to be busy but customers were still waiting in queue.We literally could see seats but no one was available to offer us one.Poor and ridiculous organizers.Employees were rude too.They didn't have courtesy to say sorry to customers those who are waiting. Poor ambience.I won't recommend this restaurant to any of my parents who wants to spend pleasant lunch. Terrible service.
(1)Rohan G.
Typical India food. Great ambience.
(3)Devanshi H.
I love this restaurant, I really do. I go there often, but recently the past couple times that I have been there, I have had absolutely the worst experience, which is the reason for the two stairs. I honestly believe they have good service, until they hired a couple new people in the past couple months. One of the new servers is so unprofessional at her job. I went there yesterday, and I had ordered take-out. I was waiting for my food for about 30 minutes, probably more (and I had called in for it 15 minutes prior to my arrival), and this entire time she was gossiping about the customers and complaining and just over-all unprofessional (even her attire was unprofessional - she had put no effort into her hair as it was so messy, and her attire was not appropriate for a staff member). Apparently my food had been ready and sitting there for at least 20 minutes, but she was too busy talking to her friends to pay attention or serve other customers. So finally after about 40 minutes of waiting, I went to ask when my food was arriving. She was like, "oh, you only came in 20 mins ago, it should be ready soon, let me go check." So I said looked at her in disbelief, but said okay, and went back to my seat. She just turned around and resumed talking to her friends. Then a few minutes later, a bag came in, so she called me asking if it was mine, but it was the wrong items, so it wasn't my bag. Then I noticed the bag that had been sitting there for a while, and it was what I had ordered. So I told her, and she was like, "oh, I think this just came in, here you go"..... really? No, it didn't just come in, it had been sitting there for a while and she didn't do anything about it. I was already unhappy with the way she was behaving, but I contained myself, took my food an walked out. I got home, was talking the food out, I noticed that the container that had my malai kofta was barely filled.... maybe only quarter of it, or less. So I had just paid a lot of money for a few tea spoons of curry? At this point, I was boiling. I went back to the restaurant, and asked to speck to the manager. Thankfully, this kind man apologized for the inconvenience and fixed the problem. This still does not excuse the waitress's behavior, as this wasn't her first time. When I came in prior to yesterday, I was dining in with a friend. She was our server, but she was unprofessional then, as well. A few younger gentlemen had come in after us, and it seemed that she spent most of her time talking to them and flirting then waiting her other customers. I didn't get any re-fills, or get asked if my meal was okay, or any customary questions that are asked usually. I had to walk up to the front deal in order to have someone help me. The place was doing great before she got hired. I refuse to go there for dinner now because I am so fed up with the way I am treated.
(2)Lisa M.
Love this place, the food was AMAZING and the service was really good as well. Nice atmosphere especially for an Indian restaurant. Highly recommend!
(5)Richard F.
I ate dinner here with my family. We ordered three different dishes including Chicken Hara Masala, Chicken Tiki Masala, and a Pistachio dish. All dishes were really good and obviously fresh. I particularly liked the Pistachio dish which may have been a special for the day. We also order the cheese and garlic Naan breads. Garlic was our favorite. The server even showed the kids the Naan oven. Really tasty. I absolutely recommend this place and will go again soon for the lunch buffet.
(5)Harvinder D.
The service here is extremely poor. The first two things we ordered on the menu were "not available" due to new management though it took two separate workers here to explain that. Then we asked which things on the menu were not available so we would know what to order. They stumbled as they tried to remember and sputtered off two more things. Then after a couple seconds they added one more. We asked another minute so we could decide. We waited at least 10 minutes and finally flagged someone down who said they would send someone. A couple minutes later someone came and said "everyone thought you were taken care of by someone else." We have not even seen our food and already know that we are never coming here again. Also the "West Indian colada" drink was supposed to be "very strong" and it was almost a kids' drink, whereas the mango margarita which was supposed to be "very light" was tantamount to Klingon blood wine. The one saving grace is the server Achu who actually showed concern for us
(1)Roshni P.
I have been here about 3 times so far and the staff is super friendly and nice and always ensuring that we enjoy the food. Each time I come - I'm in awe of the setting and the way they treat customers along with it's presentation. I always look for presentation which is the key to selling me a dish. It's amazing and the Kofta is one of my favorites - the decor is what makes you feel like you are in India. I enjoyed it very much!
(4)Dolores C.
Had the buffet and liked it. I love Indian food and have tried many Indian Restaurants in the Tampa Bay area. I will go back.
(3)Eileen S.
The younger manager in this restaurant always post a poker face and make you feel very unwelcome. He never smiled and he never say thank you. He acted like very cold and arrogant and he don't need your business. I suggest the owner reading this post should give this guy basic manner training. Will not go back again!!
(1)Varsha K.
The worst lamb I have ever eaten, I had to literally rip the pieces apart.
(1)Tammy O.
EXCELLENT INDIAN FOOD, very nice staff and clean environment. Very deep and savory Indian food. You will not be disappointed. The people are kind and attentive. Try the lunch buffet for a taste, you will love it. The large building makes for good place to host large events.
(5)Kim L.
I wish there was a 4.5 option! This place just changed ownership from Taste of India. It's southern Indian cuisine. The food was rich, flavorful, and fresh. My husband said his lamb rogan josh was the best he has ever had. I have to agree:) We highly recommend you check out this place especially if you like Indian food.
(4)Ray P.
Not an expert on Indian food, but was very impressed with the place. Could tell they went through a recent renovation. Place was clean and nicely decorated. Food was fresh and very, very tasty. My wife and I split Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori chicken, vegetable hara masala with garlic and chili naan. Service was very good, although we got there right when they reopened for dinner at 5pm. So wasn't crowded yet. But would definitely go back.
(4)Jessica S.
This has always been my favorite Indian restaurant and well worth the drive from South Tampa! They've recently updated the decor and wow! Beautiful setting! The restaurant was dark and dingy, now it's bright, clean, beautifully decorated with great service! Huge improvements in service, decor and atmosphere. Food was great as always!
(5)Clayton L.
If you are looking for good Indian food then this place is as good as Tampa gets. The selection and quality of food is great and the prices are pretty reasonable. Two people typically cost around $50.00 for dinner, and that's with a drink and an appetizer. Or you can try the lunch buffet on the weekends and save yourself a few $$. Service is generally a little on the slow side, but it's not horrible. This is the only Indian restaurant in town that seems to have peshwari naan, which is seriously awesome. Here you will also find all the usual suspects like tandoori chicken, chicken tikki masala and lamb vindaloo. So, why 4-stars? Well, it's a combination of the service and the value. I think it could be priced a little lower and if I have to flag down a waiter then they are not getting 5-stars unless that's part of their thing.
(4)Ryan K.
I changed my review to 3 stars because the take out was absolutely deplorable. Horrible service.
(3)Shobha S.
It is not often that I walk into an Indian restaurant and have a satisfying meal with prompt and courteous service to boot. Tamarind Restaurant on Fowler Avenue in Tampa, has all the above going for them. I first went there for their buffet and loved every dish! Their corn and spinach dish as well as the okra were delicious and the chicken with gravy was tender and not greasy. The next evening we were there for dinner and were charmed by the manager who spoke several languages and brought us medium spicy " gobi manchurian "- an Indian- Chinese dish quite popular in India with cauliflower-as an appetizer. For the main course we ordered a grilled salmon dish for our guest who loved every piece. My husband and I had naan( popular Indian bread) and Kashmiri dum aloo ( potatoes in a creamy sauce ),a feast for the eyes and the palate. I could go on and on but let me end by saying that Tamarind is a great place for fabulous Indian food!
(5)Grace C.
We came here for the weekend lunch buffet which was $12.99 per person. Service wise, they had a bunch of servers walking around but it was so confusing who was in charge of our table. The food impressed me at first glance because of the number of options. I am a fan of the dosas being made fresh and placed on the counter for people to take! What wasn't as good was the overly sweet dessert table. I appreciated the southern indian food also featured in this buffet because so many only focus on north indian food! I would have liked it better if things were clearly labeled. It was strange because some things would have labels on it and others wouldn't so it was a guessing game for most of it! I think most of the food lacks the spice that I was looking for but overall it was decent. The venue is very big and spacious.
(4)Jay Y.
This was my first time there and I was kind of confused how to get into the restaurant as there's an entrance in the front (facing the road) and then there's a side entrance that also has some outdoor seating. I wasn't sure if they were the same place or not. The front entrance was a fairly small restaurant but it had an area that led to the side restaurant where people were partying, dancing. Not sure if it required a secret handshake or password to get into that side.... The food was good, I don't have much experience eating Indian food. I think they should not just put the name of the dish but also some major ingredients. The food is served buffet style and the service was overall good.
(2)April Z.
Those who gave 4 and 5 star reviews must have never had high quality Indian cuisine. I had their lunch buffet and the food was pretty bad. It tasted like leftovers from 2 days before. It was either that or it was overcooked. The naan was stale and the veg dishes didn't taste fresh at all, except the salad bar. The dishes that included gravy had way too much of it. Plus there was a gnat and a fly that kept flying around my table. If it weren't for the two nice guys serving I would have given this place only 1 star.
(2)Florence G.
Food was ok but service was TERRIBLE! 2 different waiters took out order because the first one was new and didn't know what he was doing. Water was provided but they never asked for our drinks order. We were there during happy hour but were never offered 2nd drink. Our appetizer didn't come until our dinner was served and we were never give dinner plates! We ate our dinner on our appetizer plates! Not enough servers, This place was struggling the night we were there. The one in Brandon is so much better!
(1)Georges G.
I have been here for dinner before. The place is clean and wait staff very friendly. The food is always great. Not eating beef is an issue and trying to find restaurants that offer a good variety of vegetarian options is challenging at times. This place is always a safe bet. The food is always temperature hot and they can make it as spicy as like, since they are from the south of India which hi have visited and loved it. Totally recommend this place. If you have to been there in a while, the restaurant actually faces Flower, the side entrance is for large parties.
(5)Mark R.
Hey there yelpers, im here to do a honest cut down the middle real review. Here it goes :) So when I walk in the staff asks me what my purpose there was. So I sit down and then the waiter pours the water. I went to the buffet table and I saw many assorted dishes. On to the food lol. So my first plate grabbed paneer masala, i think a veg korma, dal tadka, idly manchurian, nan, rice and uttapham. So when I sit down and look at my plate my dal was green colored, i was a bit hesitant to eat green colored dal but it was just like regular dal. The veggie korma was unlike any ive had reminded me of some kinda gravy ive had, I could be wrong with the dish but that is what it reminded me. Now although some might say that the paneer masala had too much tamarind, I love how it challenged my tastebuds. It definately stands out alot. the idly manchurian reminded me of chinese food, like sweet and sour but thats indo-chinese for ya. The first time I ate the uttapham i will say it was between cold and warm no lie. Nan was very fried unlike any nan I had before, it was not really the way im used to my nan thats whatever. Rice was a ok. Second round a grabbed more paneer masala yum, idly, and hot uttapham(this time) rice, and some butter aloo dish. It was actually not bad the aloo that is. Lastly I tried the desserts. Well I had the rice pudding and plenty of rose water. But I like rosewater it was very sweet. Also I tried the carrot halwa, something about it i didnt really like as much compared to all the other ones I had. I know im being hard on this review but i've been to many indian restaurants. I am going to be very honest, I originally was going to go to either indian grill kennedy or bombay masala because of nothing but great reviews but due to convenience i tried taste of india and also an indian dude recommened it. The main reason I am giving this place a 3 stars because of the service. All of the staff were VERY polite and worked hard to make all the food come together. So I can respect that. And when you see indian people go to an indian restaurant and eat that is usually an indicator that its ok. Now I didnt try too many things there so I cannot really speak for all of the dishes. In retrospect, alright food, and great service, it was an ok experience.
(3)Katy S.
Legit. Went here with a bunch of friends on a Sunday night and had a great experience. The food and service were really good. It was not crowded so we got the full attention of the servers. I've been thinking about going back ever since.
(4)Sharone D.
I took my husband here for his bday and we were very disappointed with the quality of food. We were really excited to eat at this establishment but the food looked and tasted sloppy. For a buffet its quite small so we assumed the taste and presentation would be of higher standards but it wasn't. The rice was overcooked and meat dishes tasted old. Even the naan was burnt. This wasn't the best representation of Indian cuisine.
(1)Nick N.
Utterly disgusting, wouldn't feed this to my dogs
(1)Minjoo K.
A girlfriend of mine and I had been talking about wanting to get some Indian food for forever, but we were both hesitant to try just any Indian restaurant in our area (getting the runs after a meal is not sexy). So she took the time to read some reviews here and told me Taste of India sounded like a good place for us to try. And it was wonderful! For a Friday lunch hour (~1pm), the place wasn't packed or anything, yet the service was a little bit on the slower side. It wasn't bad by any means, but it took a while to get our orders in with a server. But no big deal. We're just hungry, impatient gals. Very hungry. So my friend ordered Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan. Holy garlic. It was garlic-y to the max but it was sooooo good. Her chicken dish was savory and went well with her garlic bomb, I mean, naan. I recommend smooching your beau after that, smother him/her with your garlic breath. Hot. I ordered Chicken Dhansak (chicken with lentils in curry) and Chicken Tikka Naan. They were both very interesting. It was my first time trying lentil, and I'm happy to report that it was great! Dhansak's texture is a little weird, but once you get past that, the aroma and the taste are absolutely delightful. My naan was yummy as well. I want to go back to try other dishes soon. Yummm.
(4)Lyn J.
After having been craving real Indian food for months, and having had a rather disappointing curry at the Asian Festival yesterday, I couldn't wait to get here. So today, Sunday, we decided to go somewhere. The Taste of India website doesn't state anywhere that it is opened on Sundays. But they are 12pm to 330 pm. So we actually were on our way to Jai Ho, when we saw that Taste of India was opened and turned around. I have to say that first impressions were not very nice. The gentleman behind the reception area didn't even look at me when we arrived. It took ten minutes for one of the servers to sit us down in a booth. He was nice and brought us a high chair for our seventeen months old boy without us asking. He then left so the waitress could come and get our order. My eldest and I ordered a Mango Lassi and I asked for a glass of milk for the baby and she left, without asking my husband what he wanted for a drink. He actually stayed without a drink for the duration of the meal, since she didn't come back to ask, and then the other server that came by our table forgot the drink I had requested for my husband. Aside from that, the Mango Lassi was absolutely perfect and the buffet was wonderful. I think for people who aren't that familiarized with the gorgeous Indian food would be hard to pick since most dishes aren't labeled. We had the Dahl (lentil and spinach one), the chicken tikka masala (which was excellent) and the chicken curry, which was a bit too oily for my husband's taste. That was accompanied by white rice or vegetable rice. The naan bread was simply delicious and the lemon pickle though nice, was too lemony and not enough heat in it for my taste. I think they should add another pickle to the buffet, something like hot mango pickle :) After the meal I ordered a Masala tea, which was very good. I will recommend this restaurant to my friends and family and we'll definitely go back again. I just wish the reception staff will be nicer towards the patrons, like the servers are.
(3)John T.
The actual property that the Taste of India occupies is huge. It looks like the restaurant takes up only about a 1/3 of the building. I had the lunch buffet and I usually don't love buffets, but this one was decent. The quality of the food at a Taste of India is pretty good. There are plenty of vegetarian friendly options as a well as Chicken and Goat. I tried the Butter Chicken, the Saag Paneer and the Vegetable Korma. For dessert I had both Rice Pudding and Gulab Jamun. Taste of India is a solid Indian restaurant. One thing that I didn't like was the actual temperature of the restaurant. It felt like 80 degrees and when you are eating hot, spicy food you can sweat pretty easily at that temperature.
(3)Illiana A.
This is the best Indian food I've had in Tampa. Found this place by accident was driving to Jai Ho,another Indian restaurant, and stopped here. I love finding good food on accident. I had eggplant, tofu with a spicy veggie sauce and spices. The basatami rice was so aromatic I inhaled deeply upon each bite. Nan bread was fresh and soft with crispy edges. They had a large dining room, outdoor seating and a tv that played the Indian equivalent to The Box. ( for those in my generation ) I will be returning to taste more goodies. And ill make to Jai Ho too.
(5)Saravanakumar G.
Came here on a Sunday night and it was a disappointing experience . The appetizer (chilly paneer) was good but the Briyani was the worst. It looked like they weren't expecting any customers, they mixed white rice with grilled onions and cooked chicken and gave us. The lunch buffet was decent.
(3)Thuy H.
My first time eating out Indian and this place gave me a descent introduction. Had the lunch buffet ($12.99) and there is a decent variety. The food was very good and powerfully tasty. I came late in the buffet, so there wasn't a lot left. I enjoyed everything I tasted. I was happy to see that it isn't strictly vegetarian. I saw chicken, goat, fish... The one drawback was that the rice dishes has large chunks of cinnamon sticks in it. I bit into a cardamon pod and it was very unpleasant. I am new to Indian cuisine and maybe this is customary, but some people who don't chew their food well may choke on this.
(3)David J.
This joint is my JAM! :) Such a great, diverse selection of food from all over India. I still find things I've never tried/are hard to find elsewhere (drumstick, tindora ...) Friendly, clean ... I honestly have nothing bad to say about this place. Weekend lunch buffet is more pricey, but includes so much more stuff. Still a great value. There's always Bollywood videos or Cricket games on the TVs. :)
(5)Ryry R.
Everything was very fresh . The service was great.This is one of the best East Indian I have visited ....yum.
(4)William P.
Have been to Indian places around the US and this was the worst by far! The wait staffed argued with me about my order, which is never acceptable. Also the place does not look authentic. It's clearly a converted restaurant with bad TVs.
(2)Jeremy B.
While vegetarian cuisine isn't hard to find at most Indian restaurants, it's generally not very well labeled and you're left to ask or guess. Taste of India makes this much easier by putting both the vegetarian appetizers and entrees into their own sections. They also thoroughly explain what is in each entree which can be a problem at some other places. I have to agree with one of the other reviewers that this is some of the best Indian I've had in Tampa. The potato naan was extraordinary and went well with every dish we had. The mulligatawny (a lentil soup) was awesome and I would've been happy with that as a meal. My wife had a coconut curry eggplant dish that I can't remember the name of, but the eggplant was perfectly cooked and the yogurt sauce complimented all of the vegetables well. The menu is very extensive and there is a wide selection of both Northern and Southern Indian entrees. Our waiter was extremely friendly and was very accommodating when there was some miscommunication with a coupon. I do agree that the ambiance isn't very typical of other Indian restaurants, but I personally like it. It's very sleek and contemporary and manages to be both cozy and spacious at the same time. It wasn't very crowded when we were there though, so I don't know how loud it gets. I'm really excited to go back to Taste of India again soon. There are a lot of dishes that look like they'll be good to try next!
(5)Johnny C.
Those who know me realize that a week without a little spice does not exist in my little biosphere so when anywhere near Fowler Ave (Tampa's own Curry Mile) I always try to stop at one of the Indian or Pakistani Restaurants. Yes the entrance is a little confusing and I found myself wanting to try the door on the right, though worrying it might be like the next floor of a certain Pagoda and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would be waiting to kick my behind. So I entered the door on the left and decided the Chicken Phal would be doing the damage. I nearly went for the Vindaloo as the young waiter looked a little frightened at my initial order. Choose from this menu with the same gusto you would muster for any restaurant on Oxford Road and if you have the same experience I had you will be more than impressed. The Gobi Manchurian was excellent; the Phal had heat but was still very flavorful, I was a little disappointed with the Baghare Baigan but I know for next time :-) At the end of the meal I was looking forward to visiting again....
(5)N S.
After the disappointment of India grill, dined at taste of India and was blown away by their weekend buffet. There were so many choices for vegetarians. You just cant even taste everything on the buffet before becoming full. The food was authentic. Both south and north Indian dishes were awesome. Drumstick sambar was the bomb. Chili pakora and gobi manchurian were also very good. Naan was so soft. They had two deserts and I liked the rice pudding the most. Our daughter fell in love with the Mango lassi (not included in the buffet). The service was excellent, for an Indian resturant. Highly recommended. Disclaimer: I'm an Indian born vegetarian. YMMV if you are neither.
(5)Nicolette V.
I've been going here for a couple years because the food is adequate. Every so often the service was too. On average it is terrible. The servers are rude and not attentive, almost as if your business is an imposition or inconvenience. I have since given up on this establishment entirely.
(1)Steve L.
This place is great. Naan was perfect, the lamb vindaloo was perfectly cooked. Very upscale yet casual building. Would highly recommend. Service was a little slow, considering there were only a few tables occupied. All and all I would recommend this restaurant.
(4)Michael C.
I had the lunch buffet today. Food was good. Lots of curry. The lemon rice was superb as was the rice pudding. I would definitely go here again. Price was good as well. Service was great.
(4)Steve L.
Probably the best or second best Indian food in Tampa. Second restaurant for this family, other is in Brandon. I don't get the other reviews. The food is great the service is good, ambiance needs work, but I don't go there for the ambiance. I go for fire hot delicious punjabi food and they deliver.
(5)J A.
Lunch buffet has an amazing variety, though a little pricey.
(4)Stephanie H.
I went to taste of India today with a group of friends and had the amazing lunch buffet. It is $12.99 and well worth it! It was the best buffet I have had anywhere and certainly the best Indian buffet-especially in terms of variety. I admit I do not know a great deal about Indian food but everything I tried was excellent! Freshly made Nan and other kinds of bread, many foods I have never seen or tried before and it was well stocked. The only complaint as someone else mentioned is that that they need to make sure everything is labeled better with a description of each dish so that those unfamiliar with some of the items know what they are eating. A large percentage of the customers there were Indian so we had a feeling the food would be great as soon as we entered the restaurant. It is large and clean. I can tell you the Butter chicken was amazing and there were many other dishes you could have over rice at one section of the buffet. There was a place of tandoori chicken and another with cubes of boneless chicken breast marinated in 3 different types of seasoning-all of them delicious. One of the marinates made the chicken green which was strange to see but it tasted great-a hint of mint along with other spices. They had a fantastic rice pudding that tasted as if it were sweetened with the essence of some kind of flower. Another dessert made with carrots was too sweet for me. Anyway I highly recommend going for the buffet so that you can have a large sample of what this restaurant has to offer!
(5)S Yeng C.
I came for dinner last week. Great service, everyone was very attentive and nice. We ordered a spinach dosa, about 18" long. We had Chicken Jal Frazi. That was really tasty though the chicken was a bit dry. We also had a lamb dish (forgot the name of it) and it was super spicy. I would definitely come back to try more dishes.
(4)James A.
good location, good- authentic indian food. they even have a good selection of south indian food, yay! love their masala dosa- if you like spicey, try their mysore masala, chicken 69, and malabar goat curry.
(4)Sam B.
This review is only based on the lunch buffet. First impressions: smelled great inside, lots of people who appeared to be south Asian in descent and large tv's showing Bollywood style music videos. Was seated fairly quickly (1 person, solo lunch today) and started with the sambal soup. Good spice level, though a bit salty. Had some pickled vegetables next, quite nice and not soggy. Delicious. Had the pakora veggie pancake and the "Chilly chicken" (as listed on the card) not too spicy and surprisingly crispy for a buffet. Very good. Lastly, butter chicken, the yellow lentil dal and a piece of naan, all of which were very tasty except for the naan which was rubbery, as expected in a buffet nonetheless. I will be back because I am a freak for Chole, as in aloo chole and chole masala. I love the chickpea, what can I say? By the way, someone else said it, but it's totally true: best unsweet tea I have ever had. All in all, very good I will be back and will put another review in after that visit.
(4)