India Cafe
227 E Washington St, Iowa City, IA, 52240
India Cafe Menu
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Address :
227 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA, 52240 - Phone (319) 354-2775
- Website https://www.indiacafeiowa.com/
- 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 : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
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.
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Doug W.
Went here for a Sunday lunch buffet over Masala because we were in the mood for some meaty Indian food. Maybe it was because we arrived 45 minutes before the end, but there wasn't much of a selection. Only one meat dish, the rest were veg. This would not be a problem if the food has seemed a little fresher, but most were down to the dregs and tasted a little bland. But it was a buffet, I guess, so what can you expect?
(3)Juli W.
My husband have been a fan of The India Cafe location in Fairfield, IA and had high hopes for the Iowa City locale but let me tell you the food here is much much spicier. If you aren't a fire eater go for the medium or mild options. Even though we tried the medium we were in dear need of a quick drink and then a piece of bread. But all and all the flavors were great. The service was fantastic and the selection very good. The Naan is the best I have ever had!!
(4)Chaos M.
One indian friend bring me here, it has the great price and my favorite is the chicken (Sorry I cannot remember the name). If they supply more kinds of food, it would be even better.
(4)chad a.
I have never made a physical pilgrimage to Anantapur, India rather a tasty trek courtesy India Café. Hot pink arches lacking any sort of trampe-l'aeil affect are the cherry atop this tacky palace off. What the place lacks in décor is made up ten fold in service and food. I would frequent this restaurant even if the dining room were housed in an old refrigerator box in an alley. The spices were perfectly balanced, the naan was delicate and the dessert was spectacular. I highly recommend this gem.
(4)Carol C.
i absolutely love indian food, and india cafe definitely one of the best places to go for indian food around IC. the food is consistently good and fresh. i would go for the buffet over the dinner service any day. i find the dinner prices to be a little jacked up.
(4)Tim M.
How the heck is this place not rated higher? Admittedly, in all the times I went to India Cafe, I never did the buffet. Maybe that's the difference. Anyway, sadly my wife moved back to Boston and we have no reason to visit Iowa City, but I still think about India Cafe all the time... their benghan bharta...mmm, so very very good. I really can't say enough about it. I know my wife was crazy for the veggie pakora. Oddly enough I never had any problem getting spicy food, every time I went I asked for the benghan bharta extra spicy, and it was pretty reliably very spicy. Admittedly once it was so hot I could barely eat it, but I was quite happy to get just what I asked for, and managed to devour it all. One more comment before I stop with the gushing... when my wife graduated from med school we had a party at India Cafe, and the whole thing was really awesome. We still daydream about being able to stop in for dinner...
(5)Kathryn H.
Pretty good lunch buffet. There are a ton of vegetarian options, and they are all very tasty. This is the go-to spot for my father in law and husband for a quick work-week lunch.
(4)Anna H.
For lunch do the buffet food is good.
(3)Rae C.
Being from Chicago (famous for the Indian joints on Devon Ave.) I was a little skeptical about trying Indian food in Iowa City. However, I really enjoyed India Cafe. There was a lot of food for a good price. The service is adequate at best, but it doesn't really matter once you're scarfing down their delicious Tandoori Chicken. I highly suggest that and their Vindaloos, in case you're in the mood for spice. For dessert, they have Gulab Jamun, served cold but definitely tasty. The atmosphere is a little dingy and the place looks like a hole in the wall, but the food makes up for it. Overall, it's good Indian food in a town where you'd least expect it. I'll definitely be going back.
(4)Cam T.
India Cafe has the best Indian food buffet in town. Most of their buffet offerings are vegetarian, and usually they have tandoori chicken and another meat dish. They aren't afraid to make the food a bit spicy, unlike Masala where the buffet is bland. (Though I went to Masala for dinner once and ordered off the menu and was pleased to find the food spicy and much more interesting). They have many dishes to choose from and I've never been disappointed in the food. The atmosphere at lunch time is usually bustling, but for dinner I find it too empty and kinda sad. Also, there's often a bad smell (like some sort of floor cleaning fluid smell) that is too strong and off-putting. Otherwise, a great place for lunch and yummy food.
(4)Stephen A.
The best Indian in Iowa City. The buffet could be called uneven, but it only varies from good to excellent--never had a bad meal here. The Chicken Tikka is outstanding. On one of my visits they had some completely delicious Malai Kofta (vegetarian meatballs) that were meatier than meat itself. The nan bread is good, too. Service is friendly. Yes, I've had better--I used to live at Devon and Western in Chicago and could walk two blocks to a wide assortment of Indian buffets. But India Cafe is a good choice and the best in the area.
(5)Omar E.
Above average lunch buffet
(4)Mundy S.
Excellent lunch buffet ! Yum !
(5)Shumin W.
It is fair for the price we pay
(4)Gardar S.
Be prepared to suffer over eating. The food is so good that I will typically have a hard time stopping when I am full. I never have an expectation of staying awake half an hour after leaving the place. This is not a place for people on a diet. Love all the items on the menu and servers are accommodating. If you are sensitive to strong food you can ask for less heat. Enjoy!
(5)Gypsy B.
Their malai kofta is as good as any I've tasted - and you can order it hot, if you want to cry while you're eating it (I made that mistake once and now order it medium - and I like it hot). Anyway, The samosas unfortunately are inconsistent. I wonder if they sometimes freeze them and then throw them in old oil? When they're fresh they're awesome though - wish they'd throw out the old ones cuz it was a bummer tonight when I bit into one that had an off flavor...Anyway, overall - great though - and the lunch buffet on Fridays features their malai kofta (the only day of the week they serve it in their buffet).
(5)Michael K.
I have been or currently am a regular at every Indian buffet in town. They each do a few things really well which keeps us all coming back for more. India Cafe has great naan on the buffet. It's light and fluffy but rigid enough to pile on plenty of deliciousness. The pakoras are crispy and ever-changing. My favorite has to be the spinach pakoras. Their Mattar Paneer (Peas and cheese) is amazing. I have dreams about it. Why didn't I go here for lunch today? Such regret.
(5)Alex R.
I'm new to the area and have been craving Indian food since I arrived. I tried another restaurant first, but I was sadly disappointed. The India Cafe, however, did not let me down. I've ate here several times within the last few months. With each visit I had different specials, all of which pleased my pallet.
(4)Ted B.
The weather here in Iowa City has been pretty brutal this last week, only slightly warmer than the vacuum of deep space. So, when we went out for dinner the other night, we decided that something hot and spicy might afford us a brief but welcome respite from the cold. As you can see from my previous review, I haven't eaten at India Café for some time because it is a bit dirty, run-down and depressing. Instead, I've limited myself to carry-out orders. I'm sorry to report then, that nothing at all has changed. At 6.30pm on a Friday evening, the place was literally empty. You might imagine that, given the shocking cold, a lot of people had decided to stay home; but when we moved on to a next restaurant (I'll get to that in a minute), we had a twenty minute wait for a table, so that theory doesn't seem to hold much water. Within five minutes of being seated at India Café, we had sighted two roaches, one on the wall and one on the adjacent table. Time to leave. The waiter was baffled; he tried to move us to a different table as if the roaches were limited to only one part of the restaurant. I felt a bit sorry for him actually. His English was very spotty, and it was hard for him to convey anything meaningful. In the end he just offered a "very sorry," and we took off. He watched us from the window as we headed west up Washington Street, and he looked quite melancholy. Oh dear! At this point, after nearly two decades of patronage, I'm pretty much done with India Café.
(1)R S.
Gave it 2 stars on Travel Advisor, but my spouse reported her impressions from the restroom and quick glance into the kitchen perspective......glad I didn't hear her details prior to driving the next 300 miles. Poor excuse period, let alone in a University town. Don't use the Cleaver on Chicken! and then bury it in Saag?!? Choking on Bone Splinters thinking back. No charm, Zombie staff. Good luck Hawkeye Engineering Dept if this is the Staff of Life !
(1)Chilly R.
Very solid option for lunch. The okra is bomb, the tandoori is tender, the tikki masala was proper. Type of spot you like a lot more on Saturday afternoon when you had a long Friday night. Decor and ambiance downright abject. But Iowa City is low on consistent, solid, affordable eateries, and you know what you're getting here each time you go.
(3)Jon T.
This is one of my favorite local restaurants. They have a buffet every day at lunch, which is nice for experimenting with different types of Indian food. I never leave hungry.
(3)Traffic S.
I went to India Cafe this week for the lunch buffet. The food was very good, the service was what I expected. Its kind of a cross between a restaurant and a buffet. I think the general business they do is with students, and down town workers, as a quick place to get a tasty bite. The Nan seemed fresh, and the buffet was nicely manicured. The wait staff was attentive, but at one point when collecting plates, they placed another half eaten plate on our table. While disturbing, it was momentary and I think even the server thought they had made a mistake. The rice was fluffy and light, not oily in any way. the sauces all seemed to be fresh and as expected. I wouldn't say its the best indian food I have ever had, but I think I could pass through every few weeks for lunch and be quite satisfied with my investment. As the prices were quite reasonable.
(3)John P.
maybe it's because i haven't had Indian for a long time, but this joint hit the spot. it isn't on the top of my list as far as indian food is concerned but it is a $8/person bill. they offer quite a bit of vegetarian platters but none come with a enough heat for me (so you have to bring on the mint sauce). the chicken curry was quite good, the lintel & the saffron rice also. the chicken tandoori i thought was the best, but i think its a hit-or-miss depending on when you hit the buffet, because it didn't look that good when i went for dessert. note: starting with the Naan is probably not a good way to get an impression of the what the food will be like. for dessert, they've got your typical rice pudding and also have this indian cheesecake they labeled as Farti, which despite its name is real good.
(4)Chris V.
I love this place- in spite of it being a little on the grimy side. I only go there for the buffet- Fridays are best. Saag Paneer, Butter Chicken, and Molai Kofta (or Creamy Balls as me and my friend call them)- yum! I can't remember which day they have it but they also make a great dish with okra (not something I normally go for). Also good, crisp, chewy naan.
(4)Sandra A.
I am blown away that people think this is good Indian food or even a good Indian lunch buffet. A good Indian lunch buffet is a beast of a completely different character, and this city does not have one (Masala comes somewhat closer). If another joint opened up in town that knew something about spicing Indian cuisine, this joint would sink quick. The bottom line: their food is bland, oversalted, uncared for. I love Indian food. I would weep if there were a good Indian restaurant in this city, and eat lunch there every day.
(1)Ida n.
Dark, dirty and dull.
(2)Chris S.
Some of the best Indian food in the area comes out of this restaurant. The few times I've been there it was for the very decently priced lunch buffet. They have a wide selection of food and the staff is usually very friendly. I've heard some people say that it's not as amazing as the Indian food they've had in X (where X is their city of origin), but none of them have ever said that the food here isn't good.
(4)Christopher M.
This place has the best Indian food in Iowa city. Ok, so its not at nice as some places on Devon St in Chicago, but for Iowa City it's great. They have a buffet with a wide variety of foods. I even think they have special student discounts. I saw a sign in the door one time. You may just have to show your ID. I'd like to see more of these places in Iowa City. Iowa City lacks foreign food joints.
(4)Rich F.
Just could not get into this place. The furnishings are late '90s diner and they used the wrong compact florescent lights in the fixtures. They gave off a harsh white tone that did nothing to enhance the food or the ambiance. I don't recall any music being played, so it was like a library. The staff was largely indifferent, so when the food came out, it was hard to be enthusiastic about it. I had the lamb rogan josh, and while I ordered medium heat, it was spicier than that. The garlic naan wasn't very garlicky. In all, it's decent, and cheap. But I'd have a hard time believing that this is the best Indian in town.
(2)Travis O.
They have a pretty decent buffet that is fresh and tasty. And for the price, it's a good place to go.
(3)Patrick T.
Holy smokes! I have been eating at Masala in Iowa City for years! But last night we decided to try out India Cafe! We wanted to be close to the Englert Theater cause, we were going to see Nick Offerman for our wedding anniversary but wanted to get a nice meal before the show! Ashley was craving Indian food, and I'm always craving it so we hit up India Cafe! And dang I'm glad we did! And Im about ready to start an 8 year love affair with this restaurant! They had a ton of Vegan options and they were all listed very well on the menu! I choose to get something I have never ever tried Vegetable Jalfrazi which is Fresh mixed vegetables cooked with spices fresh onion, green peppers and garlic with herbs and spices. I got it 7 out of 10 spicy and it was maybe the best Indian food I have ever tasted in my life! It was amazing and perfect flavor! We also ordered a couple samosas, and ROTI vegan bread! Both meals came with rice and were very filling! The service was top notch and for awhile we were the only ones in the place! Our whole meal, two samosas, 2 meals, and roti bread came to 26 bucks! How amazing is that! Some of the best food I have ever ate and a great price! Great way to top off a great day! I'm jealous that Iowa City has two great Indian places whithin 4 blocks of each other!
(5)David J.
India Cafe was my first real experience with Indian food about 15 years ago. It established Indian as my favorite food. Since then I have had better, but most Indian buffets I've been to (20+ around the country) are not as good as India Cafe. I wish they'd offer makhani or tikka masala more often, but their everyday standards are enough to ensure a satisfying experience.
(4)Nick B.
India Cafe may be my favorite lunch destination in Iowa City. I've never been a huge eater, so I'm normally not into buffets, but this place makes me happy every time. A good amount of vegetarian and meat options will please a large number of diners. I often find myself struggling to decide where to go to lunch around here as I haven't been a lot of places that I have found very good or interesting, but some good Indian food will do it for me any time. My only complaint would be that some days the offerings on the buffet are better than others, but in my experience, an off day at the India Cafe is still preferable to an on day at many of the other shops downtown.
(5)Ethan D.
India Cafe was (past tense) my favorite Indian restaurant in Iowa City. That was until I found a hair in my Tandoori Shrimp Masala. I've worked in the food industry. Hairs occasionally find their way onto food. It sucks, but it's not intentional. While gross, this single hair in my food didn't make me change my view of eating here. However, when we complained about the hair, the following happened. 1. The waiter was aghast and apologized 2. He went back to the kitchen. 3. A woman with long hair (owner?) came out of the kitchen and looked at us. 4. Woman went back into the kitchen. 5. Waiter walks out of the kitchen, and back to our table and says "No one in the kitchen has long hair". Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. No customer finding hair in their food wants to have their intelligence insulted, on top of getting bad food. The hair had to come from SOMEWHERE. Note: I'm bald. I'm sure that they wanted to avoid having to comp the meal. I can afford to eat here. I don't need food comped. I do, however, find this restaurant's response incredibly rude and obtuse. I won't be eating here again.
(2)Emily M.
My favorite place to eat Indian food between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Always clean, service and staff is quick and friendly. Never a long wait. Always happy with the buffet options. Overall a great place to eat a quick and delicious lunch.
(5)Ultra V.
What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said? Oh yea: they have the BEST sag paneer in town. Beyond that, I have never, ever had a bad meal here. The closest I came to that would be this one time I went in there to eat and the basmati rice was a wee bit dry. Rather than blaming the establishment, I blame my own untimely arrival to the buffet 10 minutes before they shut it down. What can I say? A girl's gotta have her tandoori chicken fix, she's gotta be prepared to make certain sacrifices. Speaking of sacrifices, naan gluttons must be prepared to pay for extra naan during dinner hours.
(5)Rohan K.
Good ambience with a relatively large seating capacity for Indian restaurants in the area. The buffet was well priced and they had a decent range of options. The food is fine but there is nothing really special about it.
(3)