Brought my mom here even though she was very reluctant after previous bad experience with Indian food. The server was patient and helped us navigate the menu and we enjoyed our dishes greatly. Hooray--another ethnic cuisine down!
(4)
Irene K.
Delicious. Nice atmosphere too.
(5)
Martha W.
After 2 months, we went back to Flavors of India. The waitress that I was very unimpressed with was there, but I figured we would put up with her because my son and husband wanted Indian food. Either she's read my review and wanted to prove me wrong or she was having a very off day because this time she was very good. the food, as always, was excellent!
(4)
Caitlin C.
Really good Indian food for bumble-foo Ohio. Highly recommend if you're in Oberlin--it's closer and better than the place across from Crocker Park.
(4)
Sarah C.
Such a wonderful place! They have a great, comprehensive buffet, and the owners are so nice and helpful - read about their story in the other reviews. It's delicious Indian/Nepalese food not just for Ohio, but in general. And their naan bread is amazing. I support this restaurant so much!
The Nepali selections are wonderful. All were nicely seasoned and very tasty. The staff were friendly and attentive. This is a nice change from the traditional Indian fare. I highly recommend it.
(5)
Jessica M.
This was by far the weirdest/most awkward dining experience I have ever had. My boyfriend and I decided to go on a date and chose this place because he had eaten there years ago and said it was good. We walked into the hostess area and were sort of greeted by a disheveled teenager that didn't really say "hello" but instead grinned in such a way that we felt like we were intruding on some secret meeting. The place was nearly empty on a Saturday night at 8:00. There were a few tables spread throughout and instead of seating us at a nice table along the far wall, she chose to seat us directly next to the kitchen, the worst table in the joint. The mood in the dining room was surreal and jarring. The art hanging a million feet above us were "squangels" from Pat Catan's and the tiniest Tibetan prayer flag hung near our table. The wall that caressed my left shoulder was by far the filthiest wall I had ever seen. Paint chipping, smears of who knows what all staring me right in the face. I wanted to leave, but my boyfriend picked the place and I didn't want to make him feel bad plus, maybe the food would blow my socks off. When we opened the menus, they were so sticky that the sound of tearing actually embarrassed me. My bf 's had smears on it, mine were just covered in grease. When our disheveled friend came back to our table she asked us what appetizers we wanted before pouring waters or asking us if we would like a drink. When we said we needed a minute, she disappeared and returning was another teenager who was a little more put together, but completely annoyed that she had to be there. To be honest, I don't blame her. We ordered vegetable pakora to start as well as a mango lassi and a Coke. The pakora arrived before our drinks on a bed of wilted iceburg lettuce that was extremely shiny. The tiny pakoras were stabbed with toothpicks. They were crappy hushpuppies at best. These were the worst, for real, all dramatics aside. The dipping sauces they gave us, chutney and tamarind would have been good if the plate they were served on were not covered in tiny hairs. The wall at this point was bumming me out so bad that I began focusing on the grease spots that covered the table cloth. At least that was covered with plastic. My mango lassi was served with the LONGEST straw known to man. I barely had to lift it from the table to enter it into my mouth. Not to mention it tasted straight nasty and spoiled. At this point I looked up at my boyfriend to see if he was feeling the same high strangeness I was experiencing and the feeling was mutual, THANK GOD! I could finally openly start complaining about how bogus this place was. Now we realized our date was doomed, but at least we were laughing hysterically. That's when our server came out and made this comment, "Oh, this is a weird table she sat you at. Right by the kitchen, you can hear everything back there." We instantly became paranoid as hell. Was she hearing us? DId she realize that the wall was filthy? Either way, it was weird and I didn't know what to say so I awkwardly giggled like my hostess friend. I felt sweaty and weird and kinda creeped out. After we had been sitting a while after finishing our pakoras, we had to reluctantly ask if we could order because for some reason, she wasn't all that worried about it. When I asked a few questions about the menu, she seemed pretty clueless as to what some of the sauces were. I just asked for the chicken tikka masala, because she said that's what everyone liked. Fine by me, please something that other people like. Cool. My bf ordered chana masala extra, extra hot and garlic naan and that Coke he never got. Our food came out and actually looked tasty. We atet our entrees which were good, but my tikka masala was extremely sweet and not at all spicy and my bf's chana masala was not extra extra spicy as he had ordered. The naan was flimsy and soggy. So what though, I was just glad it was digestible at all. I just wanted to get the hell out of there ASAP. Ok, this next part is the greatest thing ever. Server A, came out and I asked for a box. She brought one out and instead of clearing the plates or handing it to me, she just held the box in front of my bf's face until finally he grabbed it, then she looked at me and started laughing. It was HILARIOUS and SO WEIRD! We paid WAY TOO MUCH for bad food and dipped out. When we were pulling out of the lot, server B stuck her head out of the door and watched us pull away!!! If you want a terrible, unappetizing date night eat at Flavors of India!
(1)
Peter W.
I have enjoyed the occasion curry for several years now, but not with enough regularity to have a favorite dish. Enter the Indian buffet. Previously my favorite in Cleveland was the dearly departed Indigo downtown, and Kashmir Palace was a lesser (but decent) substitute. When KP changed to Flavors of India, I made a dinner visit and was pretty impressed with the new menu. Most of the changes were subtle (new menus, monogrammed napkins), but they did seem to class up the joint a little. Dinner was good, and upon learning of their lunch buffet, I have made several more visits on both weekdays and weekends and have been very satisfied each time. The number of offerings is small (8-10) and nothing out of the ordinary (tandoori chicken, saag paneer, etc.) but they are all very well prepared. Though a bit more expensive, I prefer to go on the weekends, as their Chicken Tikka Masala seems to be regularly offered then, and it is superb. Also, the naan is freshly made and frequently replenished, another very good thing.
(4)
Jessica I.
Gave this another try because it was close to a friend's house and she chose it for her birthday. Surprise! A "new" batch of Nepalese selections greeted me as soon as I opened my menu. Very exciting. I chose the vegetable thukpa, a simmered noodle dish with assorted veggies. The noodles were al dente and the whole dish was really flavorful. Definitely a nice departure from their Indian menu. Their garlic naan was outstanding again, and I tried and liked the paneer pakora as well.
(4)
Samuel W.
Excellent Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan. I'll be honest, I don't venture too far out of my comfort Zone with Indian Food, the above I had is great and I could eat every day. The Staff is polite, the place is clean, and the prices and portion sizes are perfect. You get more for what you paid for. This is now my resident take out place for Indian Food.
(4)
jeff D.
My wife and I had a great meal (as always) and great service from Tekendra!!
(4)
Vishal P.
I went for the Sunday buffet ($10.95), and, as much as I want to support my Indian brethren in NE Ohio, I was not pleased with the food here. Pros first: naan is buttered and crispy; they had a goat curry (a pleasant surprise) and a decent baingan bharta; and, best of all, they had a do-it-yourself chaat bar (which is Indian street food). Chaat is not always on the menu of restaurants, but it's the food that my girlfriend and I crave the most. Look up instructions on how to put together a chaat dish, or ask the waiter, before you dig in. Cons: though they had 2 chicken curries and 1 goat curry, they were all too watery. Meaning that not only did they lack flavor, but they didn't give my crispy naan much to grab on to. In addition, their chicken was dry and tasteless, with the red flavor-color just coating the surface, leaving the inside barren. The three vegetable dishes also lacked enough flavor to salvage the experience. Finally - perhaps worst of all - their gulab jamun was kept on ice :( How hard would it be to keep those little balls warm? Unfortunate. So, while the chaat bar is unique, I was not impressed by the buffet. (Given that the other reviewers seem to have ordered off the menu, I might have to revise my review once I try something else)
(2)
C.J. S.
Update: Still going to Flavors of India. The food is still very consistent, and it's really good Indian food. I've had the chance to travel a little to parts of Chicago, IL, and nearby Indiana recently, and I have tried their local Indian restaurants, which people raved about. I can honestly say Flavors of India surpasses those restaurants! And btw, Gulab Jamun can be served warm or cool. I prefer cool.
(5)
Keri G.
I love this place. The owners are so very nice. I've been here a few times, quite frequently when I was pregnant, loved the spices. We come here more often for dinner because during lunch they mostly do buffet and I prefer ordering off the menu. Last week we went with a party of about 14 for some family birthdays. All of the food came out hot, together and delicious! My parents who never eat this style of food really enjoyed themselves and the food. I have a 9 month old daughter and the hostess was so sweet she asked if I wanted her to hold her while we ate and my daughter just loved her. I don't see that happening at an Applebees:) Sometimes I'll admit I have no idea what I am ordering such as this particular evening but it was the Himalayan Chicken dinner for 2 and it was incredible tasty. Mostly it was lentils, chicken deep fried, fermented beans, rices and and Indian version of pot stickers which were my fav. They have Taj mahal beer which washes away the spice with ease. You can order any spice level you prefer. The Naan is wonderful as well, the best around! If you like Indian/Nepali this place is a must try but go for dinner first because I think the buffet is good however one gets a fuller experience with dinner. Enjoy!
(5)
Janan A.
The take out biryani was good! The lunch buffet was AWFUL! AWFUL! Dry chicken. Bland sauce. Everything was lukewarm. No paratha until we were almost done. Very difficult to get service, although the server was very nice. Would NOT go again for the buffet, but WOULD order the take out.
(3)
Christopher M.
Good solid Indian food. Nice flavors. The space seems a little run down and could use some sprucing up, but the food is good. I've done both dinner and the lunch buffet. I found the dinner much better quality and freshness of ingredients than the buffet.
(3)
Debra S.
Good and aweful! Several dishes were fabulous. They special made a vegetable manchurian for my daughter, the lamb korma, chicken vindaloo and nan were all delicious. The noodle dish with chicken was terrible. Salty Raman noodles with some Indian spices. We had several other mediocre dishes, but I can remember what they were. Paneer was scorched and inedible. No onion chutney! The worst part is their customer service. We called in the order and it took them 45 additional minutes from the pick up time they gave us, to get the order out. My son complained as we had babies at home to feed and get to bed, and the server was flat out RUDE. No apology, no cutesy. He just kept repeating... "Come on Dude". Won't be back. Plenty of other Indian Restaurants to check out!
(3)
Joyce H.
SUPPORT THIS RESTAURANT! Like many of the reviews have mentioned, Flavors of India has been under new ownership since Jan 2011. Turns out, the restaurant is owned by some friends who are new immigrants to Ohio from the refugee campus of Nepal. As Joe F mentions, they talk about this on their facebook page and their story is quite powerful. After coming to Ohio, they have been able to open up this place and it's my hope that they are able to sustain their business! They include a delicious Indian menu as well as Nepali cuisine. My bf and I ordered wayyy too much food for 2, but we were happy to take home leftovers. Here's what we ate, family style: -Vegetable momo - plate of 10-12 vegetable dumplings with a sauce -Chicken chow chow - thin noodles with chicken and a south asian flavor -Himalayan set meal (lamb) - the lamb was cooked perfectly and the spice was very flavorful and good. we asked for medium spicy and it definitely had heat! I loved the potato dish and the cooked veggies. I'm also a huge fan of lentils, and that was really good. The set meal is definitely enough for 2! It came with chai at the end. The naan was delicious!!! The owners are very friendly, always checking in with how we were doing. I'm very happy with the place and hope to come back again soon. For next time: apparently, there's a dish that looks like Taiwanese beef noodle soup, but it's with lamb! My friends have also said that the Indian food is really, really good too.
(5)
P W.
I tried Flavors of India at the Asian Festival this summer and was impressed by the lamb and vegetable curries. I was out in North Olmsted this weekend and decided to try their weekend buffet for $10.95. The server was a charismatic young fellow and was quite funny. Their credit card machine broke and he handled the situation very well without getting flustered. My favorite dish from the buffet was the veggie curry. There was a decent heat level even though it was buffet. If you ever find yourself out shopping at Great Northern Mall and want some decent food, check Flavors of India.
(4)
D N.
Visited 4/12/13: Terrible service and even worse food! I went for a dinner for 2 on a Friday night. The decor was ok but that was it. We decided to try the Thakali Thali which is listed as a "set meal". The waitress didn't know anything about what the set meal was, what our specific meal consisted of, how much food there would be, or anything. She had to go to the back room THREE TIMES to get help, and even then she didn't have answers to our questions. She didn't know how many drinks came with the meals, and if it was enough for two people. The diet coke didn't come out until the meal did, and it was warm. The food was bland, flavorless (bad for a place called Flavors of India). The daal was BURNED. It smelled burned and tasted worse. When we told the waitress, she didn't understand what we meant. The manager offered to get us another dish. It took 10-15 mins and it came back watered down and JUST AS BURNED. The goat was terrible. The chicken shahi korma was flavorless, like they just boiled chicken and plopped it in sauce. To make matters worse, TWO other tables there at the same time either got bad food or were ignored. One guy and his kid waited over 30 mins to get served, and they were clearly on a time crunch. I am Indian and I know Indian food. This was horrible food. I can handle poor service as long as the food is good. This food sucked. I left them a ZERO tip and wrote on the back of the bill how I felt. Hopefully they can fix this because they are giving Indian food a TERRIBLE name. I will NEVER go to this place again, and I will actively tell my friends NOT to go here.
(1)
Dan K.
This restaurant has changed owners and chefs multiple times in the last year or 2. It used to be wonderful, but recently it has gone down hill. Now I refuse to eat there after being told by the giant sign in the window as well as the host that all of the meat is halal. No thank you. Time to find a new Indian restaurant .
(1)
Melissa H.
Palak paneer was tasteless, garlic nan & chicken tikki masala were okay. Ordered a diet coke and could hear her opening the can to put it in my glass. Needless to say, no refills.
(2)
Joseph F.
I was glad when I had heard that this place was opening up under new ownership. Cleveland's got a ton of great Indian restaurants, but we didn't have a restaurant that offered Nepali cuisine...until now! I had a fantastic experience at this place...by far, it was one of the best meals that I've had in Cleveland in quite some time. First of all, the owners' story of how they wound up in America is really remarkable. Rather than paraphrase it, I'll just repost what they said on their Facebook page: "We are new immigrants to Northeast Ohio, having resettled here in 2008 from the refugee camps of Nepal. For 18 years we were unable to return to our homeland of Bhutan." We heard their story in person too--their courage and persistence in the face of so much difficulty is amazing and inspiring to me. I went with a group of friends, and we ordered family style and shared everything. We got one of the Nepali combination meals--I think it was the third one on the list--and it was absolutely fantastic. We had plenty of food and we even took home a sizable amount of leftovers as well. The desserts were the highlight of the meal--we had one dessert with ground carrots and spices (maybe parents should serve this dessert to their kids to get them to eat their vegetables?) and another dessert that was like a rice pudding. I think I enjoyed the fragrant scent of the rice pudding just as much as the taste of it! I also appreciated the fact that they brought bread and delicious sauces without us first having to ask for it. These days, lots of restaurants are waiting until people ask for bread before they bring it to the table...not here! In my opinion, little touches like this can really make a great meal into an excellent meal. We did get one Indian main dish--Sheila F.'s favorite is the Lamb Korma, so we ordered a serving of that as well. I loved that as well! We dipped some of our naan in the delicious sauce so nothing went to waste--everything was so delicious, it would have been a shame to waste any of it! We also had an order of the samosas. My great experience made me want to try to more of their Indian dishes in the future. I have a very flexible schedule these days, and I can't wait to try the lunch buffet! The service was stellar. The ownership and staff are extremely friendly. We had everything we needed and we were checked up on very regularly--which is key when one needs constant streams of water to quench the fire in one's mouth from spicy food--yet the service was provided in a way that wasn't annoying or intrusive. It's a shame that this place doesn't get the recognition that it deserves. I know for a fact that if this place was located in Tremont, Ohio City, East 4th, Detroit-Shoreway, etc, it would get a ton of publicity. Unfortunately, it's located in a bit of an out-of-the-way place, but as word spreads about this place, hopefully it will get the attention that it deserves! I know for a fact that I'll be back, and I hope to see you there.
(5)
Dan S.
Very good Indian food in North Olmsted. Nothing fancy, but they do the basics really well. I suggest the lamb vindaloo.
(4)
Tam V.
Great place for Indian/Nepalese food. Definitely recommend the naan, probably one of the best naan I've had in NE Ohio. The one thing I love about this place is how spicy the food was. I've been to many places in Ohio that claims that their food is spicy when in reality is not for me and this place was spot on. Staff and service was great, clean. Location isn't the best for them as it prevents them from getting a lot of the visibility but I'm not going to complain if they remain open and continue serving delicious food.
(4)
Wayne W.
Flavors of India transferred ownership around January 2011. Prior to this, the food was usually good, but was sometimes inconsistent. A group of us often go for the lunch buffet which isn't huge, but has the essentials. The new owners have since added a few items to the buffet menu including a couple Nepal dishes. They do a good job with my favorite Indian dish, Chicken Makhani - a flavorful buttery, tangy, sweet and spicy curry. The buffet usually also has rice, naan (delicious flat bread for dipping), Tandori Chicken along with an assortment of other curries and dishes such as Palak Paneer (spinach with cubed cheese - tasty). They often have a couple sweet items that are suitable as a dessert, I usually go for two plates loaded with Makhai, rice, naan, etc. which is more than enough for lunch and I have no room for dessert. For anyone not familiar with Indian food, the buffet is a good way to sample items and then go back for items you like. The restaurant is clean and the servers are attentive, often bringing out plates of fresh warm naan. Besides the buffet, I have gotten carry-out which has always been tasty, well packed, and met expectations. The prices are about typical, although the buffet is a better value than ordering off the menu. Thumbs Up! Oh, and great Photos from Katie M. Makes me want some Flavors' food now. :) 2/23/11 Update: Got carryout of my usual favorites and decided that instead of getting the typical Samosa appetizer, to order the chicken Momo-Cha instead. These are Nepali dumplings that come with separate sauces. They were very tasty. Also, while I waited, they offered me water. Twice!
(5)
Samantha F.
Located in an unassuming strip plaza and apparently under a new name, (previously known as Kashmir Palace), Flavors of India Restaurant is fantastic. All was quiet on a Friday evening with a few regulars but the place seemed steady with business between diners and takeout orders. Prices are fair, food is good quality, an the portions are good. The services was attentive, but not overly so. The staff continued to check on us, even after we had paid our bill. They made excellent recommendations, and asked pertinent questions concerning our tastes and the spice level. The menu is nice and has something to please carnivore and vegetarians alike. I would love to go back during lunch to try the buffet; I always have a hard time choosing my meal and love the idea of trying lots of things! I would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a good Indian meal!
(4)
Michael C.
Love this place- went again today and found out they have a goat curry! How very unique- I enjoyed it, though it probably could have been braised a little bit longer. Love the buffet and its a good value. You'd never find it except for Yelp- great find guys. Hope they do well- they deserve it. Nice to get cultural food in North Olmsted.
(5)
Arun M.
Flavors of India is a good small business in westside for himalayan indian food. At the first glance in the hall, I was impressed to see all locals (not indians) in an ethnic food place. This is usually not a very sign if I am looking for a traditional indian place, most of these places later their recipes to suit the local taste. The server informed us that the chef is from Bhutan, a small himalayan country north east of India. I was excited to have a chance to eat some of the Bhutanese food now. Ambiance is quite nice. One thing I admire about this place is that no loud bollywood music in the background, instead nice soothing classical indian music. Server was a very nice man who was extremely polite and helpful with menu. We orderd one of the vegetarian fixed place which was enough for two people and costs only 11$, good deal. Food was different but good tasting. We could not finish the whole thing and had enough left over for next day. The only negative thing was the dessert, it was bad and most likely out of the box. Overall a nice Himlalayan place for good food!
(4)
Pushpraj S.
Had lunch buffet while travelling on I-80/90. The quality of food was incredibly bad. They had very limited options and also mismatched dishes. Didn't even like the ambiance of the restaurant.
(2)
Muh K.
If I can put -5 I will give it to this rest. They have an open buffet which is bad and old food ,everything even the salad is old in the buffet, if u want to enjoy don't go there because u will leave the rest. And you're hating yourself because u paid for them
(1)
Patrick T.
"A whole in the wall" would be a good way to describe this place. Mostly because the restaurant environment wasn't that nice, which is why I am not giving it five stars in my review. However, they make some great food here and I don't think many people have heard of the place, but after you get through the cheap/rundown exterior, the food inside was actually very delicious. I ordered the Neelgiri Korma with a side of garlic naan (extra charge), and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. One of the waitresses' first questions was how spicy I wanted my Korma, and I usually don't like/get spicy food, but I got medium and felt like it was cooked to the perfect level of spiciness for my taste. The sauce on the chicken was very creamy and they brought us 2 plates of rice that they freshly cooked. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for good Indian food.
(4)
Olwen C.
I could say that this was the worst meal I have ever eaten at a Restuarant, definitely the worst indian food I have ever had. If there was an option for zero stars, I wouldn't even give it one. I came here for the lunch buffet, and was thoroughly scared for my health after eating a few bites. In fact, if I hadn't been in the company of two others, I may have gotten up and left after getting my plate of food. The food must have been sitting out for a long time because the raita was spoiled. It was sour and bubbly. The mint chutney was also bubbly and sour tasting as if it were fermenting. None of the food on the buffet was hot. It was barely luke-warm and the tandoori chicken was like a rock. I am appalled at the quality of the food here. I LOVE indian food and was hoping to find a good place in this area, this is not it. If you notice, all the photos on yelp are 3-4 years old. Must have been ok at one time, not anymore. There was NO ONE else here at 12:30pm - prime lunch time - and I can see why.
(1)
Gregory P.
I actually used to eat here when it was Kashmir Palace. Seeing it under new ownership I had to give it a try. I ate buffet and I will always acknowledge that buffet isn't the best example of the made-to-order food from the menu. Having said that, the previous ownership had an awesome buffet. This buffet now isn't necessarily bad, but it's not great. It's just kind of good. What really ruined it for me is the dirty water glasses. I tend to discredit the entire establishment when they can't serve clean water. Makes me wonder about the conditions in the kitchen if the best glass you can give a customer has stuff floating in it. I would not recommend this place.
(2)
Grant W.
First impressions aren't everything, but ours was certainly not positive when entering this completely empty restaurant around 6:30 on a Friday night. The host station was abandoned, and the lights weren't even turned on in the foyer. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a very shy teenage boy in baggy jeans and tennis shoes who seated us, gave us water... and then proceeded to stand in the kitchen door and look at us while we sat. Very, very loud dubstep music was blaring from a boom box hidden under a pink plastic tablecloth at the buffet. Speaking of the buffet, we opted for the that, as it looked serviceable, but also because we wanted our time in the place to be as brief as possible. The mood was definitely not positive for us. As for the food... some was not bad, and some was, shall we say, edible. The non-meat options fared the best. Chicken tended to be touch in each of the buffet entrees we sampled, and the naan was very dense and doughy with no discernible flavor at all -- nothing like the puffy, crispy naan we've had at most Indian restaurants. Two other parties came in, but the place was still dead for a Friday night. Throughout it all, the dubstep music kept blaring away, and the young waiter stood in the kitchen door and stared. It almost felt like an SNL skit at times. Bonus points for refusal of our restaurant.com gift certificate. I was told that, even though it didn't have an expiration date, I couldn't use it because it was purchased in 2014. Okay.
(2)
Jasveet O.
Poor service cold food not worth at all worse place to eat, They have no idea about indian food and flavors
(1)
Cori N.
I was really looking forward to a good night out with some great Indian food. I haven't had any for almost a year (mostly because the places are too far from where I live), but yesterday I decided to splurge and take the 40 minute drive to Flavors of India. I wish I could say that I had a great time, and that it was well worth the trip--it was not. My first impressions were not good, as I walked into the place and it didn't smell at all. Now, I know that you might be thinking that that's a good thing--but with Indian restaurants it's generally an indication that something is 'off'. I then noticed that it was very dim, there was almost no one there, there was literally NO music, and all the tables and chairs were wonky. As if no one had put them back correctly after vacuuming. I decided not to be fooled by appearances, as I've eaten at some great holes in the wall that looked less then stellar. So I decided to stay. The waiter (who was actually very, very nice and I feel sort of bad for posting this review given how nice he was) placed me two tables away from the only other party in the restaurant. Ugh. Without music there was literally no buffer between them and me. The whole thing was just terribly awkward. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been across the room, but we were basically next door neighbors. The menu I received was very old, worn and covered with stickers. Instead of reprinting the menu they just used a price gun to write over all of their prices. It felt very tacky (literally--the materials felt tacky). But everything I had was clean so I didn't leave (if it had been sticky I would have). I ordered two dishes, the Chicken Tikka Masala and Chana Masala (chickpeas in spices), along with an order of garlic naan. When the Tikka Masala came out I became nervous because the color was totally wrong. It was bright red instead of being a creamy orange. It tasted just fine, and the chicken was of excellent quality, but that was NOT Chicken Tikka Masala. I had also ordered it medium, and it would be generous to even call it mild. The Chana Masala was very good, but again I ordered it medium and I could taste no hint of heat. The garlic naan on the other hand was a HUGE disappointment. The texture was wrong, the consistency was wrong, the flavor was wrong. It felt more like a bake-at-home thin pizza crust that someone had popped in the microwave to heat up. It wasn't light or fluffy at all, and the garlic was burnt to hell and flavorless (clearly not fresh, perhaps from a jar). It wasn't even like a roti, or any other Indian bread I've ever had. It was terrible. I'm seriously so disappointed at this place. However, I think they might know that something is wrong (or they should) as I was literally there on a Friday night during the regular dinner rush time and there were only two parties (me, and the group of three) in the restaurant for the whole time I was there.
(2)
Joe K.
Flavors of India proves my old adage, "the best joints for ethnic food are little holes in the wall". From the outside, the restaurant doesn't look like much, just another business in the middle of a strip-mall on suburban side road, but don't let appearances deter you. My review is for their lunch buffet only, so take that as a caveat as I've never ordered off the menu. But also, don't let the term 'lunch buffet' deter you either, this isn't some huge Chinese buffet with fried rice sitting around for hours under a heat lamp. Their lunch buffet is small but freshly prepared from the kitchen and has all the standards you'd expect from an Indian restaurant; curries, rices, and noodles. I did my due diligence, or was just really hungry and loving Indian food- you decide, and tried every dish that was available. Everything I had was great, fresh tasting, and flavorful. If you have Indian food and it's bland, then they're a poor imitation - Flavors of India does not have this problem and adheres to it's name. My surprise favorite every time? Their Indian Curried Lo Mein - absolutely fantastic and a nice spin on the staple. If you're in the area during and want a quick lunch (or in my case, off work for the day and near my fiancèe's office) you'll get a good Indian fix with this joint.
(4)
Bill S.
Yum! Best Rogan Josh I have ever tasted! Came here on a Friday evening and the place was empty which is a shame because the food was fantastic. I you love good Indian food you should check this place out.
(5)
Fatima A.
I always come here to eat! It's really good food espically the buffet menue! Inlaws always cater here ! Prices are awsome too !
(5)
Jeff H.
Ugh, had to change my rating of this place... sorry to say. I've eaten here several times over the last few months. Over the last few months and several visits, I've experienced the following: - No or little heat. It's been fricking cold in this place. - No music. I know not a big deal, but still it's very weird being in the restaurant with an awkward silence, sitting there with my coat still on trying to stay warm. - Non-friendly service. They aren't rude or inattentive, they just seem fairly robotic. - Lukewarm buffet items. I sampled the noodles, the pakora, the rice and a few other dishes. Not cold, but defenitally not anywhere near hot. - The lentils had obviously been sitting a long time because their was a congealed film on top... - Rice was not fresh and all clumped together. - Ugh, bathroom is not cleaned very well. - Overall compared to other Indian buffets I've been to, food is overly salted. It doesn't taste 'bad' per se, but I am incredibly thirsty after. On a good note, their dessert (rice pudding and fruit pudding) was simply amazing. After my lackluster meal, I did quite enjoy the rice. So I'm being nice, giving them an extra star for this.
(2)
Grant W.
First impressions aren't everything, but ours was certainly not positive when entering this completely empty restaurant around 6:30 on a Friday night. The host station was abandoned, and the lights weren't even turned on in the foyer. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a very shy teenage boy in baggy jeans and tennis shoes who seated us, gave us water... and then proceeded to stand in the kitchen door and look at us while we sat. Very, very loud dubstep music was blaring from a boom box hidden under a pink plastic tablecloth at the buffet. Speaking of the buffet, we opted for the that, as it looked serviceable, but also because we wanted our time in the place to be as brief as possible. The mood was definitely not positive for us. As for the food... some was not bad, and some was, shall we say, edible. The non-meat options fared the best. Chicken tended to be touch in each of the buffet entrees we sampled, and the naan was very dense and doughy with no discernible flavor at all -- nothing like the puffy, crispy naan we've had at most Indian restaurants. Two other parties came in, but the place was still dead for a Friday night. Throughout it all, the dubstep music kept blaring away, and the young waiter stood in the kitchen door and stared. It almost felt like an SNL skit at times. Bonus points for refusal of our restaurant.com gift certificate. I was told that, even though it didn't have an expiration date, I couldn't use it because it was purchased in 2014. Okay.
(2)
Jasveet O.
Poor service cold food not worth at all worse place to eat, They have no idea about indian food and flavors
(1)
Pushpraj S.
Had lunch buffet while travelling on I-80/90. The quality of food was incredibly bad. They had very limited options and also mismatched dishes. Didn't even like the ambiance of the restaurant.
(2)
Muh K.
If I can put -5 I will give it to this rest. They have an open buffet which is bad and old food ,everything even the salad is old in the buffet, if u want to enjoy don't go there because u will leave the rest. And you're hating yourself because u paid for them
(1)
Janan A.
The take out biryani was good! The lunch buffet was AWFUL! AWFUL! Dry chicken. Bland sauce. Everything was lukewarm. No paratha until we were almost done. Very difficult to get service, although the server was very nice. Would NOT go again for the buffet, but WOULD order the take out.
(3)
Christopher M.
Good solid Indian food. Nice flavors. The space seems a little run down and could use some sprucing up, but the food is good. I've done both dinner and the lunch buffet. I found the dinner much better quality and freshness of ingredients than the buffet.
(3)
Joe K.
Flavors of India proves my old adage, "the best joints for ethnic food are little holes in the wall". From the outside, the restaurant doesn't look like much, just another business in the middle of a strip-mall on suburban side road, but don't let appearances deter you. My review is for their lunch buffet only, so take that as a caveat as I've never ordered off the menu. But also, don't let the term 'lunch buffet' deter you either, this isn't some huge Chinese buffet with fried rice sitting around for hours under a heat lamp. Their lunch buffet is small but freshly prepared from the kitchen and has all the standards you'd expect from an Indian restaurant; curries, rices, and noodles. I did my due diligence, or was just really hungry and loving Indian food- you decide, and tried every dish that was available. Everything I had was great, fresh tasting, and flavorful. If you have Indian food and it's bland, then they're a poor imitation - Flavors of India does not have this problem and adheres to it's name. My surprise favorite every time? Their Indian Curried Lo Mein - absolutely fantastic and a nice spin on the staple. If you're in the area during and want a quick lunch (or in my case, off work for the day and near my fiancèe's office) you'll get a good Indian fix with this joint.
(4)
Bill S.
Yum! Best Rogan Josh I have ever tasted! Came here on a Friday evening and the place was empty which is a shame because the food was fantastic. I you love good Indian food you should check this place out.
(5)
Fatima A.
I always come here to eat! It's really good food espically the buffet menue! Inlaws always cater here ! Prices are awsome too !
(5)
Cori N.
I was really looking forward to a good night out with some great Indian food. I haven't had any for almost a year (mostly because the places are too far from where I live), but yesterday I decided to splurge and take the 40 minute drive to Flavors of India. I wish I could say that I had a great time, and that it was well worth the trip--it was not. My first impressions were not good, as I walked into the place and it didn't smell at all. Now, I know that you might be thinking that that's a good thing--but with Indian restaurants it's generally an indication that something is 'off'. I then noticed that it was very dim, there was almost no one there, there was literally NO music, and all the tables and chairs were wonky. As if no one had put them back correctly after vacuuming. I decided not to be fooled by appearances, as I've eaten at some great holes in the wall that looked less then stellar. So I decided to stay. The waiter (who was actually very, very nice and I feel sort of bad for posting this review given how nice he was) placed me two tables away from the only other party in the restaurant. Ugh. Without music there was literally no buffer between them and me. The whole thing was just terribly awkward. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been across the room, but we were basically next door neighbors. The menu I received was very old, worn and covered with stickers. Instead of reprinting the menu they just used a price gun to write over all of their prices. It felt very tacky (literally--the materials felt tacky). But everything I had was clean so I didn't leave (if it had been sticky I would have). I ordered two dishes, the Chicken Tikka Masala and Chana Masala (chickpeas in spices), along with an order of garlic naan. When the Tikka Masala came out I became nervous because the color was totally wrong. It was bright red instead of being a creamy orange. It tasted just fine, and the chicken was of excellent quality, but that was NOT Chicken Tikka Masala. I had also ordered it medium, and it would be generous to even call it mild. The Chana Masala was very good, but again I ordered it medium and I could taste no hint of heat. The garlic naan on the other hand was a HUGE disappointment. The texture was wrong, the consistency was wrong, the flavor was wrong. It felt more like a bake-at-home thin pizza crust that someone had popped in the microwave to heat up. It wasn't light or fluffy at all, and the garlic was burnt to hell and flavorless (clearly not fresh, perhaps from a jar). It wasn't even like a roti, or any other Indian bread I've ever had. It was terrible. I'm seriously so disappointed at this place. However, I think they might know that something is wrong (or they should) as I was literally there on a Friday night during the regular dinner rush time and there were only two parties (me, and the group of three) in the restaurant for the whole time I was there.
(2)
Gregory P.
I actually used to eat here when it was Kashmir Palace. Seeing it under new ownership I had to give it a try. I ate buffet and I will always acknowledge that buffet isn't the best example of the made-to-order food from the menu. Having said that, the previous ownership had an awesome buffet. This buffet now isn't necessarily bad, but it's not great. It's just kind of good. What really ruined it for me is the dirty water glasses. I tend to discredit the entire establishment when they can't serve clean water. Makes me wonder about the conditions in the kitchen if the best glass you can give a customer has stuff floating in it. I would not recommend this place.
(2)
Jeff H.
Ugh, had to change my rating of this place... sorry to say. I've eaten here several times over the last few months. Over the last few months and several visits, I've experienced the following: - No or little heat. It's been fricking cold in this place. - No music. I know not a big deal, but still it's very weird being in the restaurant with an awkward silence, sitting there with my coat still on trying to stay warm. - Non-friendly service. They aren't rude or inattentive, they just seem fairly robotic. - Lukewarm buffet items. I sampled the noodles, the pakora, the rice and a few other dishes. Not cold, but defenitally not anywhere near hot. - The lentils had obviously been sitting a long time because their was a congealed film on top... - Rice was not fresh and all clumped together. - Ugh, bathroom is not cleaned very well. - Overall compared to other Indian buffets I've been to, food is overly salted. It doesn't taste 'bad' per se, but I am incredibly thirsty after. On a good note, their dessert (rice pudding and fruit pudding) was simply amazing. After my lackluster meal, I did quite enjoy the rice. So I'm being nice, giving them an extra star for this.
(2)
Debra S.
Good and aweful! Several dishes were fabulous. They special made a vegetable manchurian for my daughter, the lamb korma, chicken vindaloo and nan were all delicious. The noodle dish with chicken was terrible. Salty Raman noodles with some Indian spices. We had several other mediocre dishes, but I can remember what they were. Paneer was scorched and inedible. No onion chutney! The worst part is their customer service. We called in the order and it took them 45 additional minutes from the pick up time they gave us, to get the order out. My son complained as we had babies at home to feed and get to bed, and the server was flat out RUDE. No apology, no cutesy. He just kept repeating... "Come on Dude". Won't be back. Plenty of other Indian Restaurants to check out!
Gave this another try because it was close to a friend's house and she chose it for her birthday. Surprise! A "new" batch of Nepalese selections greeted me as soon as I opened my menu. Very exciting. I chose the vegetable thukpa, a simmered noodle dish with assorted veggies. The noodles were al dente and the whole dish was really flavorful. Definitely a nice departure from their Indian menu. Their garlic naan was outstanding again, and I tried and liked the paneer pakora as well.
(4)
Patrick T.
"A whole in the wall" would be a good way to describe this place. Mostly because the restaurant environment wasn't that nice, which is why I am not giving it five stars in my review. However, they make some great food here and I don't think many people have heard of the place, but after you get through the cheap/rundown exterior, the food inside was actually very delicious. I ordered the Neelgiri Korma with a side of garlic naan (extra charge), and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. One of the waitresses' first questions was how spicy I wanted my Korma, and I usually don't like/get spicy food, but I got medium and felt like it was cooked to the perfect level of spiciness for my taste. The sauce on the chicken was very creamy and they brought us 2 plates of rice that they freshly cooked. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for good Indian food.
(4)
Joyce H.
SUPPORT THIS RESTAURANT! Like many of the reviews have mentioned, Flavors of India has been under new ownership since Jan 2011. Turns out, the restaurant is owned by some friends who are new immigrants to Ohio from the refugee campus of Nepal. As Joe F mentions, they talk about this on their facebook page and their story is quite powerful. After coming to Ohio, they have been able to open up this place and it's my hope that they are able to sustain their business! They include a delicious Indian menu as well as Nepali cuisine. My bf and I ordered wayyy too much food for 2, but we were happy to take home leftovers. Here's what we ate, family style: -Vegetable momo - plate of 10-12 vegetable dumplings with a sauce -Chicken chow chow - thin noodles with chicken and a south asian flavor -Himalayan set meal (lamb) - the lamb was cooked perfectly and the spice was very flavorful and good. we asked for medium spicy and it definitely had heat! I loved the potato dish and the cooked veggies. I'm also a huge fan of lentils, and that was really good. The set meal is definitely enough for 2! It came with chai at the end. The naan was delicious!!! The owners are very friendly, always checking in with how we were doing. I'm very happy with the place and hope to come back again soon. For next time: apparently, there's a dish that looks like Taiwanese beef noodle soup, but it's with lamb! My friends have also said that the Indian food is really, really good too.
(5)
Vishal P.
I went for the Sunday buffet ($10.95), and, as much as I want to support my Indian brethren in NE Ohio, I was not pleased with the food here. Pros first: naan is buttered and crispy; they had a goat curry (a pleasant surprise) and a decent baingan bharta; and, best of all, they had a do-it-yourself chaat bar (which is Indian street food). Chaat is not always on the menu of restaurants, but it's the food that my girlfriend and I crave the most. Look up instructions on how to put together a chaat dish, or ask the waiter, before you dig in. Cons: though they had 2 chicken curries and 1 goat curry, they were all too watery. Meaning that not only did they lack flavor, but they didn't give my crispy naan much to grab on to. In addition, their chicken was dry and tasteless, with the red flavor-color just coating the surface, leaving the inside barren. The three vegetable dishes also lacked enough flavor to salvage the experience. Finally - perhaps worst of all - their gulab jamun was kept on ice :( How hard would it be to keep those little balls warm? Unfortunate. So, while the chaat bar is unique, I was not impressed by the buffet. (Given that the other reviewers seem to have ordered off the menu, I might have to revise my review once I try something else)
(2)
P W.
I tried Flavors of India at the Asian Festival this summer and was impressed by the lamb and vegetable curries. I was out in North Olmsted this weekend and decided to try their weekend buffet for $10.95. The server was a charismatic young fellow and was quite funny. Their credit card machine broke and he handled the situation very well without getting flustered. My favorite dish from the buffet was the veggie curry. There was a decent heat level even though it was buffet. If you ever find yourself out shopping at Great Northern Mall and want some decent food, check Flavors of India.
(4)
Olwen C.
I could say that this was the worst meal I have ever eaten at a Restuarant, definitely the worst indian food I have ever had. If there was an option for zero stars, I wouldn't even give it one. I came here for the lunch buffet, and was thoroughly scared for my health after eating a few bites. In fact, if I hadn't been in the company of two others, I may have gotten up and left after getting my plate of food. The food must have been sitting out for a long time because the raita was spoiled. It was sour and bubbly. The mint chutney was also bubbly and sour tasting as if it were fermenting. None of the food on the buffet was hot. It was barely luke-warm and the tandoori chicken was like a rock. I am appalled at the quality of the food here. I LOVE indian food and was hoping to find a good place in this area, this is not it. If you notice, all the photos on yelp are 3-4 years old. Must have been ok at one time, not anymore. There was NO ONE else here at 12:30pm - prime lunch time - and I can see why.
(1)
Sarah C.
Such a wonderful place! They have a great, comprehensive buffet, and the owners are so nice and helpful - read about their story in the other reviews. It's delicious Indian/Nepalese food not just for Ohio, but in general. And their naan bread is amazing. I support this restaurant so much!
(5)
D N.
Visited 4/12/13: Terrible service and even worse food! I went for a dinner for 2 on a Friday night. The decor was ok but that was it. We decided to try the Thakali Thali which is listed as a "set meal". The waitress didn't know anything about what the set meal was, what our specific meal consisted of, how much food there would be, or anything. She had to go to the back room THREE TIMES to get help, and even then she didn't have answers to our questions. She didn't know how many drinks came with the meals, and if it was enough for two people. The diet coke didn't come out until the meal did, and it was warm. The food was bland, flavorless (bad for a place called Flavors of India). The daal was BURNED. It smelled burned and tasted worse. When we told the waitress, she didn't understand what we meant. The manager offered to get us another dish. It took 10-15 mins and it came back watered down and JUST AS BURNED. The goat was terrible. The chicken shahi korma was flavorless, like they just boiled chicken and plopped it in sauce. To make matters worse, TWO other tables there at the same time either got bad food or were ignored. One guy and his kid waited over 30 mins to get served, and they were clearly on a time crunch. I am Indian and I know Indian food. This was horrible food. I can handle poor service as long as the food is good. This food sucked. I left them a ZERO tip and wrote on the back of the bill how I felt. Hopefully they can fix this because they are giving Indian food a TERRIBLE name. I will NEVER go to this place again, and I will actively tell my friends NOT to go here.
(1)
Samuel W.
Excellent Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan. I'll be honest, I don't venture too far out of my comfort Zone with Indian Food, the above I had is great and I could eat every day. The Staff is polite, the place is clean, and the prices and portion sizes are perfect. You get more for what you paid for. This is now my resident take out place for Indian Food.
(4)
jeff D.
My wife and I had a great meal (as always) and great service from Tekendra!!
(4)
Dan K.
This restaurant has changed owners and chefs multiple times in the last year or 2. It used to be wonderful, but recently it has gone down hill. Now I refuse to eat there after being told by the giant sign in the window as well as the host that all of the meat is halal. No thank you. Time to find a new Indian restaurant .
(1)
Joseph F.
I was glad when I had heard that this place was opening up under new ownership. Cleveland's got a ton of great Indian restaurants, but we didn't have a restaurant that offered Nepali cuisine...until now! I had a fantastic experience at this place...by far, it was one of the best meals that I've had in Cleveland in quite some time. First of all, the owners' story of how they wound up in America is really remarkable. Rather than paraphrase it, I'll just repost what they said on their Facebook page: "We are new immigrants to Northeast Ohio, having resettled here in 2008 from the refugee camps of Nepal. For 18 years we were unable to return to our homeland of Bhutan." We heard their story in person too--their courage and persistence in the face of so much difficulty is amazing and inspiring to me. I went with a group of friends, and we ordered family style and shared everything. We got one of the Nepali combination meals--I think it was the third one on the list--and it was absolutely fantastic. We had plenty of food and we even took home a sizable amount of leftovers as well. The desserts were the highlight of the meal--we had one dessert with ground carrots and spices (maybe parents should serve this dessert to their kids to get them to eat their vegetables?) and another dessert that was like a rice pudding. I think I enjoyed the fragrant scent of the rice pudding just as much as the taste of it! I also appreciated the fact that they brought bread and delicious sauces without us first having to ask for it. These days, lots of restaurants are waiting until people ask for bread before they bring it to the table...not here! In my opinion, little touches like this can really make a great meal into an excellent meal. We did get one Indian main dish--Sheila F.'s favorite is the Lamb Korma, so we ordered a serving of that as well. I loved that as well! We dipped some of our naan in the delicious sauce so nothing went to waste--everything was so delicious, it would have been a shame to waste any of it! We also had an order of the samosas. My great experience made me want to try to more of their Indian dishes in the future. I have a very flexible schedule these days, and I can't wait to try the lunch buffet! The service was stellar. The ownership and staff are extremely friendly. We had everything we needed and we were checked up on very regularly--which is key when one needs constant streams of water to quench the fire in one's mouth from spicy food--yet the service was provided in a way that wasn't annoying or intrusive. It's a shame that this place doesn't get the recognition that it deserves. I know for a fact that if this place was located in Tremont, Ohio City, East 4th, Detroit-Shoreway, etc, it would get a ton of publicity. Unfortunately, it's located in a bit of an out-of-the-way place, but as word spreads about this place, hopefully it will get the attention that it deserves! I know for a fact that I'll be back, and I hope to see you there.
(5)
Dan S.
Very good Indian food in North Olmsted. Nothing fancy, but they do the basics really well. I suggest the lamb vindaloo.
(4)
Wayne W.
Flavors of India transferred ownership around January 2011. Prior to this, the food was usually good, but was sometimes inconsistent. A group of us often go for the lunch buffet which isn't huge, but has the essentials. The new owners have since added a few items to the buffet menu including a couple Nepal dishes. They do a good job with my favorite Indian dish, Chicken Makhani - a flavorful buttery, tangy, sweet and spicy curry. The buffet usually also has rice, naan (delicious flat bread for dipping), Tandori Chicken along with an assortment of other curries and dishes such as Palak Paneer (spinach with cubed cheese - tasty). They often have a couple sweet items that are suitable as a dessert, I usually go for two plates loaded with Makhai, rice, naan, etc. which is more than enough for lunch and I have no room for dessert. For anyone not familiar with Indian food, the buffet is a good way to sample items and then go back for items you like. The restaurant is clean and the servers are attentive, often bringing out plates of fresh warm naan. Besides the buffet, I have gotten carry-out which has always been tasty, well packed, and met expectations. The prices are about typical, although the buffet is a better value than ordering off the menu. Thumbs Up! Oh, and great Photos from Katie M. Makes me want some Flavors' food now. :) 2/23/11 Update: Got carryout of my usual favorites and decided that instead of getting the typical Samosa appetizer, to order the chicken Momo-Cha instead. These are Nepali dumplings that come with separate sauces. They were very tasty. Also, while I waited, they offered me water. Twice!
(5)
Samantha F.
Located in an unassuming strip plaza and apparently under a new name, (previously known as Kashmir Palace), Flavors of India Restaurant is fantastic. All was quiet on a Friday evening with a few regulars but the place seemed steady with business between diners and takeout orders. Prices are fair, food is good quality, an the portions are good. The services was attentive, but not overly so. The staff continued to check on us, even after we had paid our bill. They made excellent recommendations, and asked pertinent questions concerning our tastes and the spice level. The menu is nice and has something to please carnivore and vegetarians alike. I would love to go back during lunch to try the buffet; I always have a hard time choosing my meal and love the idea of trying lots of things! I would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a good Indian meal!
(4)
Michael C.
Love this place- went again today and found out they have a goat curry! How very unique- I enjoyed it, though it probably could have been braised a little bit longer. Love the buffet and its a good value. You'd never find it except for Yelp- great find guys. Hope they do well- they deserve it. Nice to get cultural food in North Olmsted.
(5)
Sarah B.
Brought my mom here even though she was very reluctant after previous bad experience with Indian food. The server was patient and helped us navigate the menu and we enjoyed our dishes greatly. Hooray--another ethnic cuisine down!
(4)
Irene K.
Delicious. Nice atmosphere too.
(5)
Peter W.
I have enjoyed the occasion curry for several years now, but not with enough regularity to have a favorite dish. Enter the Indian buffet. Previously my favorite in Cleveland was the dearly departed Indigo downtown, and Kashmir Palace was a lesser (but decent) substitute. When KP changed to Flavors of India, I made a dinner visit and was pretty impressed with the new menu. Most of the changes were subtle (new menus, monogrammed napkins), but they did seem to class up the joint a little. Dinner was good, and upon learning of their lunch buffet, I have made several more visits on both weekdays and weekends and have been very satisfied each time. The number of offerings is small (8-10) and nothing out of the ordinary (tandoori chicken, saag paneer, etc.) but they are all very well prepared. Though a bit more expensive, I prefer to go on the weekends, as their Chicken Tikka Masala seems to be regularly offered then, and it is superb. Also, the naan is freshly made and frequently replenished, another very good thing.
(4)
Melissa H.
Palak paneer was tasteless, garlic nan & chicken tikki masala were okay. Ordered a diet coke and could hear her opening the can to put it in my glass. Needless to say, no refills.
(2)
Arun M.
Flavors of India is a good small business in westside for himalayan indian food. At the first glance in the hall, I was impressed to see all locals (not indians) in an ethnic food place. This is usually not a very sign if I am looking for a traditional indian place, most of these places later their recipes to suit the local taste. The server informed us that the chef is from Bhutan, a small himalayan country north east of India. I was excited to have a chance to eat some of the Bhutanese food now. Ambiance is quite nice. One thing I admire about this place is that no loud bollywood music in the background, instead nice soothing classical indian music. Server was a very nice man who was extremely polite and helpful with menu. We orderd one of the vegetarian fixed place which was enough for two people and costs only 11$, good deal. Food was different but good tasting. We could not finish the whole thing and had enough left over for next day. The only negative thing was the dessert, it was bad and most likely out of the box. Overall a nice Himlalayan place for good food!
(4)
C.J. S.
Update: Still going to Flavors of India. The food is still very consistent, and it's really good Indian food. I've had the chance to travel a little to parts of Chicago, IL, and nearby Indiana recently, and I have tried their local Indian restaurants, which people raved about. I can honestly say Flavors of India surpasses those restaurants! And btw, Gulab Jamun can be served warm or cool. I prefer cool.
(5)
Keri G.
I love this place. The owners are so very nice. I've been here a few times, quite frequently when I was pregnant, loved the spices. We come here more often for dinner because during lunch they mostly do buffet and I prefer ordering off the menu. Last week we went with a party of about 14 for some family birthdays. All of the food came out hot, together and delicious! My parents who never eat this style of food really enjoyed themselves and the food. I have a 9 month old daughter and the hostess was so sweet she asked if I wanted her to hold her while we ate and my daughter just loved her. I don't see that happening at an Applebees:) Sometimes I'll admit I have no idea what I am ordering such as this particular evening but it was the Himalayan Chicken dinner for 2 and it was incredible tasty. Mostly it was lentils, chicken deep fried, fermented beans, rices and and Indian version of pot stickers which were my fav. They have Taj mahal beer which washes away the spice with ease. You can order any spice level you prefer. The Naan is wonderful as well, the best around! If you like Indian/Nepali this place is a must try but go for dinner first because I think the buffet is good however one gets a fuller experience with dinner. Enjoy!
(5)
Martha W.
After 2 months, we went back to Flavors of India. The waitress that I was very unimpressed with was there, but I figured we would put up with her because my son and husband wanted Indian food. Either she's read my review and wanted to prove me wrong or she was having a very off day because this time she was very good. the food, as always, was excellent!
(4)
Caitlin C.
Really good Indian food for bumble-foo Ohio. Highly recommend if you're in Oberlin--it's closer and better than the place across from Crocker Park.
(4)
Tam V.
Great place for Indian/Nepalese food. Definitely recommend the naan, probably one of the best naan I've had in NE Ohio. The one thing I love about this place is how spicy the food was. I've been to many places in Ohio that claims that their food is spicy when in reality is not for me and this place was spot on. Staff and service was great, clean. Location isn't the best for them as it prevents them from getting a lot of the visibility but I'm not going to complain if they remain open and continue serving delicious food.
The Nepali selections are wonderful. All were nicely seasoned and very tasty. The staff were friendly and attentive. This is a nice change from the traditional Indian fare. I highly recommend it.
(5)
Jessica M.
This was by far the weirdest/most awkward dining experience I have ever had. My boyfriend and I decided to go on a date and chose this place because he had eaten there years ago and said it was good. We walked into the hostess area and were sort of greeted by a disheveled teenager that didn't really say "hello" but instead grinned in such a way that we felt like we were intruding on some secret meeting. The place was nearly empty on a Saturday night at 8:00. There were a few tables spread throughout and instead of seating us at a nice table along the far wall, she chose to seat us directly next to the kitchen, the worst table in the joint. The mood in the dining room was surreal and jarring. The art hanging a million feet above us were "squangels" from Pat Catan's and the tiniest Tibetan prayer flag hung near our table. The wall that caressed my left shoulder was by far the filthiest wall I had ever seen. Paint chipping, smears of who knows what all staring me right in the face. I wanted to leave, but my boyfriend picked the place and I didn't want to make him feel bad plus, maybe the food would blow my socks off. When we opened the menus, they were so sticky that the sound of tearing actually embarrassed me. My bf 's had smears on it, mine were just covered in grease. When our disheveled friend came back to our table she asked us what appetizers we wanted before pouring waters or asking us if we would like a drink. When we said we needed a minute, she disappeared and returning was another teenager who was a little more put together, but completely annoyed that she had to be there. To be honest, I don't blame her. We ordered vegetable pakora to start as well as a mango lassi and a Coke. The pakora arrived before our drinks on a bed of wilted iceburg lettuce that was extremely shiny. The tiny pakoras were stabbed with toothpicks. They were crappy hushpuppies at best. These were the worst, for real, all dramatics aside. The dipping sauces they gave us, chutney and tamarind would have been good if the plate they were served on were not covered in tiny hairs. The wall at this point was bumming me out so bad that I began focusing on the grease spots that covered the table cloth. At least that was covered with plastic. My mango lassi was served with the LONGEST straw known to man. I barely had to lift it from the table to enter it into my mouth. Not to mention it tasted straight nasty and spoiled. At this point I looked up at my boyfriend to see if he was feeling the same high strangeness I was experiencing and the feeling was mutual, THANK GOD! I could finally openly start complaining about how bogus this place was. Now we realized our date was doomed, but at least we were laughing hysterically. That's when our server came out and made this comment, "Oh, this is a weird table she sat you at. Right by the kitchen, you can hear everything back there." We instantly became paranoid as hell. Was she hearing us? DId she realize that the wall was filthy? Either way, it was weird and I didn't know what to say so I awkwardly giggled like my hostess friend. I felt sweaty and weird and kinda creeped out. After we had been sitting a while after finishing our pakoras, we had to reluctantly ask if we could order because for some reason, she wasn't all that worried about it. When I asked a few questions about the menu, she seemed pretty clueless as to what some of the sauces were. I just asked for the chicken tikka masala, because she said that's what everyone liked. Fine by me, please something that other people like. Cool. My bf ordered chana masala extra, extra hot and garlic naan and that Coke he never got. Our food came out and actually looked tasty. We atet our entrees which were good, but my tikka masala was extremely sweet and not at all spicy and my bf's chana masala was not extra extra spicy as he had ordered. The naan was flimsy and soggy. So what though, I was just glad it was digestible at all. I just wanted to get the hell out of there ASAP. Ok, this next part is the greatest thing ever. Server A, came out and I asked for a box. She brought one out and instead of clearing the plates or handing it to me, she just held the box in front of my bf's face until finally he grabbed it, then she looked at me and started laughing. It was HILARIOUS and SO WEIRD! We paid WAY TOO MUCH for bad food and dipped out. When we were pulling out of the lot, server B stuck her head out of the door and watched us pull away!!! If you want a terrible, unappetizing date night eat at Flavors of India!
(1)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :26703 Brookpark Extension
North Olmsted, OH, 44070
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet 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.
Mark L.
A sampling of their food at this year's Asian Festival plus the high ratings on yelp have convinced me to step out of my comfort zone once again to try another Indian restaurant. It should be noted that I know little about Indian cuisine. I know I love the safe flavors of Saffron Patch in Beachwood, and when I'm in the mood to be kicked in the mouth, I know I love the extremely potent flavors of Taste of Kerala in Mayfield Heights. Two restaurants that took different approaches to Indian cuisine, but both very successful in their endeavors. Enter Flavors of India, which in my experience attempted to go the "safe" route and ultimately came up short. Let's start from the top, though. It is a quaint spot with good space and very simple décor. We opted for the lunch buffet, which had a smaller selection than I expected. There were 6 different stews, including 3 meat (chicken curry, goat curry, and chicken tikka masala) and 3 vegetarian. Other offerings included rice pulao, tandoori chicken, pakora, naan, vegetarian lo mein (wat?), and lentil soup. There was also a DIY station for "papdi chaat" (fried crackers topped with veggies and sauces) and "panipuri" (thin flaky puffs filled with various toppings). For desserts, they had gulab jamun and rice pudding. They also had some salad offerings and fresh fruits for those of you that want to waste valuable stomach space with generic food. Unfortunately, samosas were not on the buffet menu. Much of the food I tried was bland. All of the stews were pretty disappointing in that they lacked flavor and heat. The tandoori chicken was okay but that's pretty much the ceiling for tandoori chicken anyway. The naan was good and the pakora decent. The papdi chaat and panipuri were a little confusing to put together and ultimately didn't really stand out to me, but I thought it was a cool idea and at least fared better than the curry dishes. I'd say the high point of the meal was the delicious and refreshing rice pudding and the gulab jamun, which I tried for the first time and reminded me of Little Debbie's donut sticks (not a knock). Unexpected cake-like texture, very sweet, with an unobtrusive hint of a sweet spice (I guessed cinnamon, my girlfriend said ginger. She's probably right.). Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5. Maybe I need to order off the menu next time.
(3)Sarah B.
Brought my mom here even though she was very reluctant after previous bad experience with Indian food. The server was patient and helped us navigate the menu and we enjoyed our dishes greatly. Hooray--another ethnic cuisine down!
(4)Irene K.
Delicious. Nice atmosphere too.
(5)Martha W.
After 2 months, we went back to Flavors of India. The waitress that I was very unimpressed with was there, but I figured we would put up with her because my son and husband wanted Indian food. Either she's read my review and wanted to prove me wrong or she was having a very off day because this time she was very good. the food, as always, was excellent!
(4)Caitlin C.
Really good Indian food for bumble-foo Ohio. Highly recommend if you're in Oberlin--it's closer and better than the place across from Crocker Park.
(4)Sarah C.
Such a wonderful place! They have a great, comprehensive buffet, and the owners are so nice and helpful - read about their story in the other reviews. It's delicious Indian/Nepalese food not just for Ohio, but in general. And their naan bread is amazing. I support this restaurant so much!
(5)Catherine D.
Best South Asian food I have ever had outside the time I ate homemade at a Sikh temple. We had the Himalayan meal with three courses and beer for $19. Tip: one is enough for two. The Nepalese fried potatoes are buttery-tasting, spicy, and slightly sweet. We knee from there we were in for a great ride, but were astonished by the variety and delicacy of the currie vegetables and salad that came our way in the second course, served with buttery naan. The sautéed greens (chard?) were my favorite. Capped off with a sweet carrot pudding-type dessert and creamy rice pudding. And after all that we still got chai. The wait staff were friendly and knowledgeable as well. This would easily be a five-plus star review if I could have ha a beer other than Bud lite with the dinner.
(4)Hank B.
The Nepali selections are wonderful. All were nicely seasoned and very tasty. The staff were friendly and attentive. This is a nice change from the traditional Indian fare. I highly recommend it.
(5)Jessica M.
This was by far the weirdest/most awkward dining experience I have ever had. My boyfriend and I decided to go on a date and chose this place because he had eaten there years ago and said it was good. We walked into the hostess area and were sort of greeted by a disheveled teenager that didn't really say "hello" but instead grinned in such a way that we felt like we were intruding on some secret meeting. The place was nearly empty on a Saturday night at 8:00. There were a few tables spread throughout and instead of seating us at a nice table along the far wall, she chose to seat us directly next to the kitchen, the worst table in the joint. The mood in the dining room was surreal and jarring. The art hanging a million feet above us were "squangels" from Pat Catan's and the tiniest Tibetan prayer flag hung near our table. The wall that caressed my left shoulder was by far the filthiest wall I had ever seen. Paint chipping, smears of who knows what all staring me right in the face. I wanted to leave, but my boyfriend picked the place and I didn't want to make him feel bad plus, maybe the food would blow my socks off. When we opened the menus, they were so sticky that the sound of tearing actually embarrassed me. My bf 's had smears on it, mine were just covered in grease. When our disheveled friend came back to our table she asked us what appetizers we wanted before pouring waters or asking us if we would like a drink. When we said we needed a minute, she disappeared and returning was another teenager who was a little more put together, but completely annoyed that she had to be there. To be honest, I don't blame her. We ordered vegetable pakora to start as well as a mango lassi and a Coke. The pakora arrived before our drinks on a bed of wilted iceburg lettuce that was extremely shiny. The tiny pakoras were stabbed with toothpicks. They were crappy hushpuppies at best. These were the worst, for real, all dramatics aside. The dipping sauces they gave us, chutney and tamarind would have been good if the plate they were served on were not covered in tiny hairs. The wall at this point was bumming me out so bad that I began focusing on the grease spots that covered the table cloth. At least that was covered with plastic. My mango lassi was served with the LONGEST straw known to man. I barely had to lift it from the table to enter it into my mouth. Not to mention it tasted straight nasty and spoiled. At this point I looked up at my boyfriend to see if he was feeling the same high strangeness I was experiencing and the feeling was mutual, THANK GOD! I could finally openly start complaining about how bogus this place was. Now we realized our date was doomed, but at least we were laughing hysterically. That's when our server came out and made this comment, "Oh, this is a weird table she sat you at. Right by the kitchen, you can hear everything back there." We instantly became paranoid as hell. Was she hearing us? DId she realize that the wall was filthy? Either way, it was weird and I didn't know what to say so I awkwardly giggled like my hostess friend. I felt sweaty and weird and kinda creeped out. After we had been sitting a while after finishing our pakoras, we had to reluctantly ask if we could order because for some reason, she wasn't all that worried about it. When I asked a few questions about the menu, she seemed pretty clueless as to what some of the sauces were. I just asked for the chicken tikka masala, because she said that's what everyone liked. Fine by me, please something that other people like. Cool. My bf ordered chana masala extra, extra hot and garlic naan and that Coke he never got. Our food came out and actually looked tasty. We atet our entrees which were good, but my tikka masala was extremely sweet and not at all spicy and my bf's chana masala was not extra extra spicy as he had ordered. The naan was flimsy and soggy. So what though, I was just glad it was digestible at all. I just wanted to get the hell out of there ASAP. Ok, this next part is the greatest thing ever. Server A, came out and I asked for a box. She brought one out and instead of clearing the plates or handing it to me, she just held the box in front of my bf's face until finally he grabbed it, then she looked at me and started laughing. It was HILARIOUS and SO WEIRD! We paid WAY TOO MUCH for bad food and dipped out. When we were pulling out of the lot, server B stuck her head out of the door and watched us pull away!!! If you want a terrible, unappetizing date night eat at Flavors of India!
(1)Peter W.
I have enjoyed the occasion curry for several years now, but not with enough regularity to have a favorite dish. Enter the Indian buffet. Previously my favorite in Cleveland was the dearly departed Indigo downtown, and Kashmir Palace was a lesser (but decent) substitute. When KP changed to Flavors of India, I made a dinner visit and was pretty impressed with the new menu. Most of the changes were subtle (new menus, monogrammed napkins), but they did seem to class up the joint a little. Dinner was good, and upon learning of their lunch buffet, I have made several more visits on both weekdays and weekends and have been very satisfied each time. The number of offerings is small (8-10) and nothing out of the ordinary (tandoori chicken, saag paneer, etc.) but they are all very well prepared. Though a bit more expensive, I prefer to go on the weekends, as their Chicken Tikka Masala seems to be regularly offered then, and it is superb. Also, the naan is freshly made and frequently replenished, another very good thing.
(4)Jessica I.
Gave this another try because it was close to a friend's house and she chose it for her birthday. Surprise! A "new" batch of Nepalese selections greeted me as soon as I opened my menu. Very exciting. I chose the vegetable thukpa, a simmered noodle dish with assorted veggies. The noodles were al dente and the whole dish was really flavorful. Definitely a nice departure from their Indian menu. Their garlic naan was outstanding again, and I tried and liked the paneer pakora as well.
(4)Samuel W.
Excellent Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan. I'll be honest, I don't venture too far out of my comfort Zone with Indian Food, the above I had is great and I could eat every day. The Staff is polite, the place is clean, and the prices and portion sizes are perfect. You get more for what you paid for. This is now my resident take out place for Indian Food.
(4)jeff D.
My wife and I had a great meal (as always) and great service from Tekendra!!
(4)Vishal P.
I went for the Sunday buffet ($10.95), and, as much as I want to support my Indian brethren in NE Ohio, I was not pleased with the food here. Pros first: naan is buttered and crispy; they had a goat curry (a pleasant surprise) and a decent baingan bharta; and, best of all, they had a do-it-yourself chaat bar (which is Indian street food). Chaat is not always on the menu of restaurants, but it's the food that my girlfriend and I crave the most. Look up instructions on how to put together a chaat dish, or ask the waiter, before you dig in. Cons: though they had 2 chicken curries and 1 goat curry, they were all too watery. Meaning that not only did they lack flavor, but they didn't give my crispy naan much to grab on to. In addition, their chicken was dry and tasteless, with the red flavor-color just coating the surface, leaving the inside barren. The three vegetable dishes also lacked enough flavor to salvage the experience. Finally - perhaps worst of all - their gulab jamun was kept on ice :( How hard would it be to keep those little balls warm? Unfortunate. So, while the chaat bar is unique, I was not impressed by the buffet. (Given that the other reviewers seem to have ordered off the menu, I might have to revise my review once I try something else)
(2)C.J. S.
Update: Still going to Flavors of India. The food is still very consistent, and it's really good Indian food. I've had the chance to travel a little to parts of Chicago, IL, and nearby Indiana recently, and I have tried their local Indian restaurants, which people raved about. I can honestly say Flavors of India surpasses those restaurants! And btw, Gulab Jamun can be served warm or cool. I prefer cool.
(5)Keri G.
I love this place. The owners are so very nice. I've been here a few times, quite frequently when I was pregnant, loved the spices. We come here more often for dinner because during lunch they mostly do buffet and I prefer ordering off the menu. Last week we went with a party of about 14 for some family birthdays. All of the food came out hot, together and delicious! My parents who never eat this style of food really enjoyed themselves and the food. I have a 9 month old daughter and the hostess was so sweet she asked if I wanted her to hold her while we ate and my daughter just loved her. I don't see that happening at an Applebees:) Sometimes I'll admit I have no idea what I am ordering such as this particular evening but it was the Himalayan Chicken dinner for 2 and it was incredible tasty. Mostly it was lentils, chicken deep fried, fermented beans, rices and and Indian version of pot stickers which were my fav. They have Taj mahal beer which washes away the spice with ease. You can order any spice level you prefer. The Naan is wonderful as well, the best around! If you like Indian/Nepali this place is a must try but go for dinner first because I think the buffet is good however one gets a fuller experience with dinner. Enjoy!
(5)Janan A.
The take out biryani was good! The lunch buffet was AWFUL! AWFUL! Dry chicken. Bland sauce. Everything was lukewarm. No paratha until we were almost done. Very difficult to get service, although the server was very nice. Would NOT go again for the buffet, but WOULD order the take out.
(3)Christopher M.
Good solid Indian food. Nice flavors. The space seems a little run down and could use some sprucing up, but the food is good. I've done both dinner and the lunch buffet. I found the dinner much better quality and freshness of ingredients than the buffet.
(3)Debra S.
Good and aweful! Several dishes were fabulous. They special made a vegetable manchurian for my daughter, the lamb korma, chicken vindaloo and nan were all delicious. The noodle dish with chicken was terrible. Salty Raman noodles with some Indian spices. We had several other mediocre dishes, but I can remember what they were. Paneer was scorched and inedible. No onion chutney! The worst part is their customer service. We called in the order and it took them 45 additional minutes from the pick up time they gave us, to get the order out. My son complained as we had babies at home to feed and get to bed, and the server was flat out RUDE. No apology, no cutesy. He just kept repeating... "Come on Dude". Won't be back. Plenty of other Indian Restaurants to check out!
(3)Joyce H.
SUPPORT THIS RESTAURANT! Like many of the reviews have mentioned, Flavors of India has been under new ownership since Jan 2011. Turns out, the restaurant is owned by some friends who are new immigrants to Ohio from the refugee campus of Nepal. As Joe F mentions, they talk about this on their facebook page and their story is quite powerful. After coming to Ohio, they have been able to open up this place and it's my hope that they are able to sustain their business! They include a delicious Indian menu as well as Nepali cuisine. My bf and I ordered wayyy too much food for 2, but we were happy to take home leftovers. Here's what we ate, family style: -Vegetable momo - plate of 10-12 vegetable dumplings with a sauce -Chicken chow chow - thin noodles with chicken and a south asian flavor -Himalayan set meal (lamb) - the lamb was cooked perfectly and the spice was very flavorful and good. we asked for medium spicy and it definitely had heat! I loved the potato dish and the cooked veggies. I'm also a huge fan of lentils, and that was really good. The set meal is definitely enough for 2! It came with chai at the end. The naan was delicious!!! The owners are very friendly, always checking in with how we were doing. I'm very happy with the place and hope to come back again soon. For next time: apparently, there's a dish that looks like Taiwanese beef noodle soup, but it's with lamb! My friends have also said that the Indian food is really, really good too.
(5)P W.
I tried Flavors of India at the Asian Festival this summer and was impressed by the lamb and vegetable curries. I was out in North Olmsted this weekend and decided to try their weekend buffet for $10.95. The server was a charismatic young fellow and was quite funny. Their credit card machine broke and he handled the situation very well without getting flustered. My favorite dish from the buffet was the veggie curry. There was a decent heat level even though it was buffet. If you ever find yourself out shopping at Great Northern Mall and want some decent food, check Flavors of India.
(4)D N.
Visited 4/12/13: Terrible service and even worse food! I went for a dinner for 2 on a Friday night. The decor was ok but that was it. We decided to try the Thakali Thali which is listed as a "set meal". The waitress didn't know anything about what the set meal was, what our specific meal consisted of, how much food there would be, or anything. She had to go to the back room THREE TIMES to get help, and even then she didn't have answers to our questions. She didn't know how many drinks came with the meals, and if it was enough for two people. The diet coke didn't come out until the meal did, and it was warm. The food was bland, flavorless (bad for a place called Flavors of India). The daal was BURNED. It smelled burned and tasted worse. When we told the waitress, she didn't understand what we meant. The manager offered to get us another dish. It took 10-15 mins and it came back watered down and JUST AS BURNED. The goat was terrible. The chicken shahi korma was flavorless, like they just boiled chicken and plopped it in sauce. To make matters worse, TWO other tables there at the same time either got bad food or were ignored. One guy and his kid waited over 30 mins to get served, and they were clearly on a time crunch. I am Indian and I know Indian food. This was horrible food. I can handle poor service as long as the food is good. This food sucked. I left them a ZERO tip and wrote on the back of the bill how I felt. Hopefully they can fix this because they are giving Indian food a TERRIBLE name. I will NEVER go to this place again, and I will actively tell my friends NOT to go here.
(1)Dan K.
This restaurant has changed owners and chefs multiple times in the last year or 2. It used to be wonderful, but recently it has gone down hill. Now I refuse to eat there after being told by the giant sign in the window as well as the host that all of the meat is halal. No thank you. Time to find a new Indian restaurant .
(1)Melissa H.
Palak paneer was tasteless, garlic nan & chicken tikki masala were okay. Ordered a diet coke and could hear her opening the can to put it in my glass. Needless to say, no refills.
(2)Joseph F.
I was glad when I had heard that this place was opening up under new ownership. Cleveland's got a ton of great Indian restaurants, but we didn't have a restaurant that offered Nepali cuisine...until now! I had a fantastic experience at this place...by far, it was one of the best meals that I've had in Cleveland in quite some time. First of all, the owners' story of how they wound up in America is really remarkable. Rather than paraphrase it, I'll just repost what they said on their Facebook page: "We are new immigrants to Northeast Ohio, having resettled here in 2008 from the refugee camps of Nepal. For 18 years we were unable to return to our homeland of Bhutan." We heard their story in person too--their courage and persistence in the face of so much difficulty is amazing and inspiring to me. I went with a group of friends, and we ordered family style and shared everything. We got one of the Nepali combination meals--I think it was the third one on the list--and it was absolutely fantastic. We had plenty of food and we even took home a sizable amount of leftovers as well. The desserts were the highlight of the meal--we had one dessert with ground carrots and spices (maybe parents should serve this dessert to their kids to get them to eat their vegetables?) and another dessert that was like a rice pudding. I think I enjoyed the fragrant scent of the rice pudding just as much as the taste of it! I also appreciated the fact that they brought bread and delicious sauces without us first having to ask for it. These days, lots of restaurants are waiting until people ask for bread before they bring it to the table...not here! In my opinion, little touches like this can really make a great meal into an excellent meal. We did get one Indian main dish--Sheila F.'s favorite is the Lamb Korma, so we ordered a serving of that as well. I loved that as well! We dipped some of our naan in the delicious sauce so nothing went to waste--everything was so delicious, it would have been a shame to waste any of it! We also had an order of the samosas. My great experience made me want to try to more of their Indian dishes in the future. I have a very flexible schedule these days, and I can't wait to try the lunch buffet! The service was stellar. The ownership and staff are extremely friendly. We had everything we needed and we were checked up on very regularly--which is key when one needs constant streams of water to quench the fire in one's mouth from spicy food--yet the service was provided in a way that wasn't annoying or intrusive. It's a shame that this place doesn't get the recognition that it deserves. I know for a fact that if this place was located in Tremont, Ohio City, East 4th, Detroit-Shoreway, etc, it would get a ton of publicity. Unfortunately, it's located in a bit of an out-of-the-way place, but as word spreads about this place, hopefully it will get the attention that it deserves! I know for a fact that I'll be back, and I hope to see you there.
(5)Dan S.
Very good Indian food in North Olmsted. Nothing fancy, but they do the basics really well. I suggest the lamb vindaloo.
(4)Tam V.
Great place for Indian/Nepalese food. Definitely recommend the naan, probably one of the best naan I've had in NE Ohio. The one thing I love about this place is how spicy the food was. I've been to many places in Ohio that claims that their food is spicy when in reality is not for me and this place was spot on. Staff and service was great, clean. Location isn't the best for them as it prevents them from getting a lot of the visibility but I'm not going to complain if they remain open and continue serving delicious food.
(4)Wayne W.
Flavors of India transferred ownership around January 2011. Prior to this, the food was usually good, but was sometimes inconsistent. A group of us often go for the lunch buffet which isn't huge, but has the essentials. The new owners have since added a few items to the buffet menu including a couple Nepal dishes. They do a good job with my favorite Indian dish, Chicken Makhani - a flavorful buttery, tangy, sweet and spicy curry. The buffet usually also has rice, naan (delicious flat bread for dipping), Tandori Chicken along with an assortment of other curries and dishes such as Palak Paneer (spinach with cubed cheese - tasty). They often have a couple sweet items that are suitable as a dessert, I usually go for two plates loaded with Makhai, rice, naan, etc. which is more than enough for lunch and I have no room for dessert. For anyone not familiar with Indian food, the buffet is a good way to sample items and then go back for items you like. The restaurant is clean and the servers are attentive, often bringing out plates of fresh warm naan. Besides the buffet, I have gotten carry-out which has always been tasty, well packed, and met expectations. The prices are about typical, although the buffet is a better value than ordering off the menu. Thumbs Up! Oh, and great Photos from Katie M. Makes me want some Flavors' food now. :) 2/23/11 Update: Got carryout of my usual favorites and decided that instead of getting the typical Samosa appetizer, to order the chicken Momo-Cha instead. These are Nepali dumplings that come with separate sauces. They were very tasty. Also, while I waited, they offered me water. Twice!
(5)Samantha F.
Located in an unassuming strip plaza and apparently under a new name, (previously known as Kashmir Palace), Flavors of India Restaurant is fantastic. All was quiet on a Friday evening with a few regulars but the place seemed steady with business between diners and takeout orders. Prices are fair, food is good quality, an the portions are good. The services was attentive, but not overly so. The staff continued to check on us, even after we had paid our bill. They made excellent recommendations, and asked pertinent questions concerning our tastes and the spice level. The menu is nice and has something to please carnivore and vegetarians alike. I would love to go back during lunch to try the buffet; I always have a hard time choosing my meal and love the idea of trying lots of things! I would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a good Indian meal!
(4)Michael C.
Love this place- went again today and found out they have a goat curry! How very unique- I enjoyed it, though it probably could have been braised a little bit longer. Love the buffet and its a good value. You'd never find it except for Yelp- great find guys. Hope they do well- they deserve it. Nice to get cultural food in North Olmsted.
(5)Arun M.
Flavors of India is a good small business in westside for himalayan indian food. At the first glance in the hall, I was impressed to see all locals (not indians) in an ethnic food place. This is usually not a very sign if I am looking for a traditional indian place, most of these places later their recipes to suit the local taste. The server informed us that the chef is from Bhutan, a small himalayan country north east of India. I was excited to have a chance to eat some of the Bhutanese food now. Ambiance is quite nice. One thing I admire about this place is that no loud bollywood music in the background, instead nice soothing classical indian music. Server was a very nice man who was extremely polite and helpful with menu. We orderd one of the vegetarian fixed place which was enough for two people and costs only 11$, good deal. Food was different but good tasting. We could not finish the whole thing and had enough left over for next day. The only negative thing was the dessert, it was bad and most likely out of the box. Overall a nice Himlalayan place for good food!
(4)Pushpraj S.
Had lunch buffet while travelling on I-80/90. The quality of food was incredibly bad. They had very limited options and also mismatched dishes. Didn't even like the ambiance of the restaurant.
(2)Muh K.
If I can put -5 I will give it to this rest. They have an open buffet which is bad and old food ,everything even the salad is old in the buffet, if u want to enjoy don't go there because u will leave the rest. And you're hating yourself because u paid for them
(1)Patrick T.
"A whole in the wall" would be a good way to describe this place. Mostly because the restaurant environment wasn't that nice, which is why I am not giving it five stars in my review. However, they make some great food here and I don't think many people have heard of the place, but after you get through the cheap/rundown exterior, the food inside was actually very delicious. I ordered the Neelgiri Korma with a side of garlic naan (extra charge), and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. One of the waitresses' first questions was how spicy I wanted my Korma, and I usually don't like/get spicy food, but I got medium and felt like it was cooked to the perfect level of spiciness for my taste. The sauce on the chicken was very creamy and they brought us 2 plates of rice that they freshly cooked. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for good Indian food.
(4)Olwen C.
I could say that this was the worst meal I have ever eaten at a Restuarant, definitely the worst indian food I have ever had. If there was an option for zero stars, I wouldn't even give it one. I came here for the lunch buffet, and was thoroughly scared for my health after eating a few bites. In fact, if I hadn't been in the company of two others, I may have gotten up and left after getting my plate of food. The food must have been sitting out for a long time because the raita was spoiled. It was sour and bubbly. The mint chutney was also bubbly and sour tasting as if it were fermenting. None of the food on the buffet was hot. It was barely luke-warm and the tandoori chicken was like a rock. I am appalled at the quality of the food here. I LOVE indian food and was hoping to find a good place in this area, this is not it. If you notice, all the photos on yelp are 3-4 years old. Must have been ok at one time, not anymore. There was NO ONE else here at 12:30pm - prime lunch time - and I can see why.
(1)Gregory P.
I actually used to eat here when it was Kashmir Palace. Seeing it under new ownership I had to give it a try. I ate buffet and I will always acknowledge that buffet isn't the best example of the made-to-order food from the menu. Having said that, the previous ownership had an awesome buffet. This buffet now isn't necessarily bad, but it's not great. It's just kind of good. What really ruined it for me is the dirty water glasses. I tend to discredit the entire establishment when they can't serve clean water. Makes me wonder about the conditions in the kitchen if the best glass you can give a customer has stuff floating in it. I would not recommend this place.
(2)Grant W.
First impressions aren't everything, but ours was certainly not positive when entering this completely empty restaurant around 6:30 on a Friday night. The host station was abandoned, and the lights weren't even turned on in the foyer. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a very shy teenage boy in baggy jeans and tennis shoes who seated us, gave us water... and then proceeded to stand in the kitchen door and look at us while we sat. Very, very loud dubstep music was blaring from a boom box hidden under a pink plastic tablecloth at the buffet. Speaking of the buffet, we opted for the that, as it looked serviceable, but also because we wanted our time in the place to be as brief as possible. The mood was definitely not positive for us. As for the food... some was not bad, and some was, shall we say, edible. The non-meat options fared the best. Chicken tended to be touch in each of the buffet entrees we sampled, and the naan was very dense and doughy with no discernible flavor at all -- nothing like the puffy, crispy naan we've had at most Indian restaurants. Two other parties came in, but the place was still dead for a Friday night. Throughout it all, the dubstep music kept blaring away, and the young waiter stood in the kitchen door and stared. It almost felt like an SNL skit at times. Bonus points for refusal of our restaurant.com gift certificate. I was told that, even though it didn't have an expiration date, I couldn't use it because it was purchased in 2014. Okay.
(2)Jasveet O.
Poor service cold food not worth at all worse place to eat, They have no idea about indian food and flavors
(1)Cori N.
I was really looking forward to a good night out with some great Indian food. I haven't had any for almost a year (mostly because the places are too far from where I live), but yesterday I decided to splurge and take the 40 minute drive to Flavors of India. I wish I could say that I had a great time, and that it was well worth the trip--it was not. My first impressions were not good, as I walked into the place and it didn't smell at all. Now, I know that you might be thinking that that's a good thing--but with Indian restaurants it's generally an indication that something is 'off'. I then noticed that it was very dim, there was almost no one there, there was literally NO music, and all the tables and chairs were wonky. As if no one had put them back correctly after vacuuming. I decided not to be fooled by appearances, as I've eaten at some great holes in the wall that looked less then stellar. So I decided to stay. The waiter (who was actually very, very nice and I feel sort of bad for posting this review given how nice he was) placed me two tables away from the only other party in the restaurant. Ugh. Without music there was literally no buffer between them and me. The whole thing was just terribly awkward. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been across the room, but we were basically next door neighbors. The menu I received was very old, worn and covered with stickers. Instead of reprinting the menu they just used a price gun to write over all of their prices. It felt very tacky (literally--the materials felt tacky). But everything I had was clean so I didn't leave (if it had been sticky I would have). I ordered two dishes, the Chicken Tikka Masala and Chana Masala (chickpeas in spices), along with an order of garlic naan. When the Tikka Masala came out I became nervous because the color was totally wrong. It was bright red instead of being a creamy orange. It tasted just fine, and the chicken was of excellent quality, but that was NOT Chicken Tikka Masala. I had also ordered it medium, and it would be generous to even call it mild. The Chana Masala was very good, but again I ordered it medium and I could taste no hint of heat. The garlic naan on the other hand was a HUGE disappointment. The texture was wrong, the consistency was wrong, the flavor was wrong. It felt more like a bake-at-home thin pizza crust that someone had popped in the microwave to heat up. It wasn't light or fluffy at all, and the garlic was burnt to hell and flavorless (clearly not fresh, perhaps from a jar). It wasn't even like a roti, or any other Indian bread I've ever had. It was terrible. I'm seriously so disappointed at this place. However, I think they might know that something is wrong (or they should) as I was literally there on a Friday night during the regular dinner rush time and there were only two parties (me, and the group of three) in the restaurant for the whole time I was there.
(2)Joe K.
Flavors of India proves my old adage, "the best joints for ethnic food are little holes in the wall". From the outside, the restaurant doesn't look like much, just another business in the middle of a strip-mall on suburban side road, but don't let appearances deter you. My review is for their lunch buffet only, so take that as a caveat as I've never ordered off the menu. But also, don't let the term 'lunch buffet' deter you either, this isn't some huge Chinese buffet with fried rice sitting around for hours under a heat lamp. Their lunch buffet is small but freshly prepared from the kitchen and has all the standards you'd expect from an Indian restaurant; curries, rices, and noodles. I did my due diligence, or was just really hungry and loving Indian food- you decide, and tried every dish that was available. Everything I had was great, fresh tasting, and flavorful. If you have Indian food and it's bland, then they're a poor imitation - Flavors of India does not have this problem and adheres to it's name. My surprise favorite every time? Their Indian Curried Lo Mein - absolutely fantastic and a nice spin on the staple. If you're in the area during and want a quick lunch (or in my case, off work for the day and near my fiancèe's office) you'll get a good Indian fix with this joint.
(4)Bill S.
Yum! Best Rogan Josh I have ever tasted! Came here on a Friday evening and the place was empty which is a shame because the food was fantastic. I you love good Indian food you should check this place out.
(5)Fatima A.
I always come here to eat! It's really good food espically the buffet menue! Inlaws always cater here ! Prices are awsome too !
(5)Jeff H.
Ugh, had to change my rating of this place... sorry to say. I've eaten here several times over the last few months. Over the last few months and several visits, I've experienced the following: - No or little heat. It's been fricking cold in this place. - No music. I know not a big deal, but still it's very weird being in the restaurant with an awkward silence, sitting there with my coat still on trying to stay warm. - Non-friendly service. They aren't rude or inattentive, they just seem fairly robotic. - Lukewarm buffet items. I sampled the noodles, the pakora, the rice and a few other dishes. Not cold, but defenitally not anywhere near hot. - The lentils had obviously been sitting a long time because their was a congealed film on top... - Rice was not fresh and all clumped together. - Ugh, bathroom is not cleaned very well. - Overall compared to other Indian buffets I've been to, food is overly salted. It doesn't taste 'bad' per se, but I am incredibly thirsty after. On a good note, their dessert (rice pudding and fruit pudding) was simply amazing. After my lackluster meal, I did quite enjoy the rice. So I'm being nice, giving them an extra star for this.
(2)Grant W.
First impressions aren't everything, but ours was certainly not positive when entering this completely empty restaurant around 6:30 on a Friday night. The host station was abandoned, and the lights weren't even turned on in the foyer. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a very shy teenage boy in baggy jeans and tennis shoes who seated us, gave us water... and then proceeded to stand in the kitchen door and look at us while we sat. Very, very loud dubstep music was blaring from a boom box hidden under a pink plastic tablecloth at the buffet. Speaking of the buffet, we opted for the that, as it looked serviceable, but also because we wanted our time in the place to be as brief as possible. The mood was definitely not positive for us. As for the food... some was not bad, and some was, shall we say, edible. The non-meat options fared the best. Chicken tended to be touch in each of the buffet entrees we sampled, and the naan was very dense and doughy with no discernible flavor at all -- nothing like the puffy, crispy naan we've had at most Indian restaurants. Two other parties came in, but the place was still dead for a Friday night. Throughout it all, the dubstep music kept blaring away, and the young waiter stood in the kitchen door and stared. It almost felt like an SNL skit at times. Bonus points for refusal of our restaurant.com gift certificate. I was told that, even though it didn't have an expiration date, I couldn't use it because it was purchased in 2014. Okay.
(2)Jasveet O.
Poor service cold food not worth at all worse place to eat, They have no idea about indian food and flavors
(1)Pushpraj S.
Had lunch buffet while travelling on I-80/90. The quality of food was incredibly bad. They had very limited options and also mismatched dishes. Didn't even like the ambiance of the restaurant.
(2)Muh K.
If I can put -5 I will give it to this rest. They have an open buffet which is bad and old food ,everything even the salad is old in the buffet, if u want to enjoy don't go there because u will leave the rest. And you're hating yourself because u paid for them
(1)Janan A.
The take out biryani was good! The lunch buffet was AWFUL! AWFUL! Dry chicken. Bland sauce. Everything was lukewarm. No paratha until we were almost done. Very difficult to get service, although the server was very nice. Would NOT go again for the buffet, but WOULD order the take out.
(3)Christopher M.
Good solid Indian food. Nice flavors. The space seems a little run down and could use some sprucing up, but the food is good. I've done both dinner and the lunch buffet. I found the dinner much better quality and freshness of ingredients than the buffet.
(3)Joe K.
Flavors of India proves my old adage, "the best joints for ethnic food are little holes in the wall". From the outside, the restaurant doesn't look like much, just another business in the middle of a strip-mall on suburban side road, but don't let appearances deter you. My review is for their lunch buffet only, so take that as a caveat as I've never ordered off the menu. But also, don't let the term 'lunch buffet' deter you either, this isn't some huge Chinese buffet with fried rice sitting around for hours under a heat lamp. Their lunch buffet is small but freshly prepared from the kitchen and has all the standards you'd expect from an Indian restaurant; curries, rices, and noodles. I did my due diligence, or was just really hungry and loving Indian food- you decide, and tried every dish that was available. Everything I had was great, fresh tasting, and flavorful. If you have Indian food and it's bland, then they're a poor imitation - Flavors of India does not have this problem and adheres to it's name. My surprise favorite every time? Their Indian Curried Lo Mein - absolutely fantastic and a nice spin on the staple. If you're in the area during and want a quick lunch (or in my case, off work for the day and near my fiancèe's office) you'll get a good Indian fix with this joint.
(4)Bill S.
Yum! Best Rogan Josh I have ever tasted! Came here on a Friday evening and the place was empty which is a shame because the food was fantastic. I you love good Indian food you should check this place out.
(5)Fatima A.
I always come here to eat! It's really good food espically the buffet menue! Inlaws always cater here ! Prices are awsome too !
(5)Cori N.
I was really looking forward to a good night out with some great Indian food. I haven't had any for almost a year (mostly because the places are too far from where I live), but yesterday I decided to splurge and take the 40 minute drive to Flavors of India. I wish I could say that I had a great time, and that it was well worth the trip--it was not. My first impressions were not good, as I walked into the place and it didn't smell at all. Now, I know that you might be thinking that that's a good thing--but with Indian restaurants it's generally an indication that something is 'off'. I then noticed that it was very dim, there was almost no one there, there was literally NO music, and all the tables and chairs were wonky. As if no one had put them back correctly after vacuuming. I decided not to be fooled by appearances, as I've eaten at some great holes in the wall that looked less then stellar. So I decided to stay. The waiter (who was actually very, very nice and I feel sort of bad for posting this review given how nice he was) placed me two tables away from the only other party in the restaurant. Ugh. Without music there was literally no buffer between them and me. The whole thing was just terribly awkward. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been across the room, but we were basically next door neighbors. The menu I received was very old, worn and covered with stickers. Instead of reprinting the menu they just used a price gun to write over all of their prices. It felt very tacky (literally--the materials felt tacky). But everything I had was clean so I didn't leave (if it had been sticky I would have). I ordered two dishes, the Chicken Tikka Masala and Chana Masala (chickpeas in spices), along with an order of garlic naan. When the Tikka Masala came out I became nervous because the color was totally wrong. It was bright red instead of being a creamy orange. It tasted just fine, and the chicken was of excellent quality, but that was NOT Chicken Tikka Masala. I had also ordered it medium, and it would be generous to even call it mild. The Chana Masala was very good, but again I ordered it medium and I could taste no hint of heat. The garlic naan on the other hand was a HUGE disappointment. The texture was wrong, the consistency was wrong, the flavor was wrong. It felt more like a bake-at-home thin pizza crust that someone had popped in the microwave to heat up. It wasn't light or fluffy at all, and the garlic was burnt to hell and flavorless (clearly not fresh, perhaps from a jar). It wasn't even like a roti, or any other Indian bread I've ever had. It was terrible. I'm seriously so disappointed at this place. However, I think they might know that something is wrong (or they should) as I was literally there on a Friday night during the regular dinner rush time and there were only two parties (me, and the group of three) in the restaurant for the whole time I was there.
(2)Gregory P.
I actually used to eat here when it was Kashmir Palace. Seeing it under new ownership I had to give it a try. I ate buffet and I will always acknowledge that buffet isn't the best example of the made-to-order food from the menu. Having said that, the previous ownership had an awesome buffet. This buffet now isn't necessarily bad, but it's not great. It's just kind of good. What really ruined it for me is the dirty water glasses. I tend to discredit the entire establishment when they can't serve clean water. Makes me wonder about the conditions in the kitchen if the best glass you can give a customer has stuff floating in it. I would not recommend this place.
(2)Jeff H.
Ugh, had to change my rating of this place... sorry to say. I've eaten here several times over the last few months. Over the last few months and several visits, I've experienced the following: - No or little heat. It's been fricking cold in this place. - No music. I know not a big deal, but still it's very weird being in the restaurant with an awkward silence, sitting there with my coat still on trying to stay warm. - Non-friendly service. They aren't rude or inattentive, they just seem fairly robotic. - Lukewarm buffet items. I sampled the noodles, the pakora, the rice and a few other dishes. Not cold, but defenitally not anywhere near hot. - The lentils had obviously been sitting a long time because their was a congealed film on top... - Rice was not fresh and all clumped together. - Ugh, bathroom is not cleaned very well. - Overall compared to other Indian buffets I've been to, food is overly salted. It doesn't taste 'bad' per se, but I am incredibly thirsty after. On a good note, their dessert (rice pudding and fruit pudding) was simply amazing. After my lackluster meal, I did quite enjoy the rice. So I'm being nice, giving them an extra star for this.
(2)Debra S.
Good and aweful! Several dishes were fabulous. They special made a vegetable manchurian for my daughter, the lamb korma, chicken vindaloo and nan were all delicious. The noodle dish with chicken was terrible. Salty Raman noodles with some Indian spices. We had several other mediocre dishes, but I can remember what they were. Paneer was scorched and inedible. No onion chutney! The worst part is their customer service. We called in the order and it took them 45 additional minutes from the pick up time they gave us, to get the order out. My son complained as we had babies at home to feed and get to bed, and the server was flat out RUDE. No apology, no cutesy. He just kept repeating... "Come on Dude". Won't be back. Plenty of other Indian Restaurants to check out!
(3)Mark L.
A sampling of their food at this year's Asian Festival plus the high ratings on yelp have convinced me to step out of my comfort zone once again to try another Indian restaurant. It should be noted that I know little about Indian cuisine. I know I love the safe flavors of Saffron Patch in Beachwood, and when I'm in the mood to be kicked in the mouth, I know I love the extremely potent flavors of Taste of Kerala in Mayfield Heights. Two restaurants that took different approaches to Indian cuisine, but both very successful in their endeavors. Enter Flavors of India, which in my experience attempted to go the "safe" route and ultimately came up short. Let's start from the top, though. It is a quaint spot with good space and very simple décor. We opted for the lunch buffet, which had a smaller selection than I expected. There were 6 different stews, including 3 meat (chicken curry, goat curry, and chicken tikka masala) and 3 vegetarian. Other offerings included rice pulao, tandoori chicken, pakora, naan, vegetarian lo mein (wat?), and lentil soup. There was also a DIY station for "papdi chaat" (fried crackers topped with veggies and sauces) and "panipuri" (thin flaky puffs filled with various toppings). For desserts, they had gulab jamun and rice pudding. They also had some salad offerings and fresh fruits for those of you that want to waste valuable stomach space with generic food. Unfortunately, samosas were not on the buffet menu. Much of the food I tried was bland. All of the stews were pretty disappointing in that they lacked flavor and heat. The tandoori chicken was okay but that's pretty much the ceiling for tandoori chicken anyway. The naan was good and the pakora decent. The papdi chaat and panipuri were a little confusing to put together and ultimately didn't really stand out to me, but I thought it was a cool idea and at least fared better than the curry dishes. I'd say the high point of the meal was the delicious and refreshing rice pudding and the gulab jamun, which I tried for the first time and reminded me of Little Debbie's donut sticks (not a knock). Unexpected cake-like texture, very sweet, with an unobtrusive hint of a sweet spice (I guessed cinnamon, my girlfriend said ginger. She's probably right.). Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5. Maybe I need to order off the menu next time.
(3)Jessica I.
Gave this another try because it was close to a friend's house and she chose it for her birthday. Surprise! A "new" batch of Nepalese selections greeted me as soon as I opened my menu. Very exciting. I chose the vegetable thukpa, a simmered noodle dish with assorted veggies. The noodles were al dente and the whole dish was really flavorful. Definitely a nice departure from their Indian menu. Their garlic naan was outstanding again, and I tried and liked the paneer pakora as well.
(4)Patrick T.
"A whole in the wall" would be a good way to describe this place. Mostly because the restaurant environment wasn't that nice, which is why I am not giving it five stars in my review. However, they make some great food here and I don't think many people have heard of the place, but after you get through the cheap/rundown exterior, the food inside was actually very delicious. I ordered the Neelgiri Korma with a side of garlic naan (extra charge), and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. One of the waitresses' first questions was how spicy I wanted my Korma, and I usually don't like/get spicy food, but I got medium and felt like it was cooked to the perfect level of spiciness for my taste. The sauce on the chicken was very creamy and they brought us 2 plates of rice that they freshly cooked. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for good Indian food.
(4)Joyce H.
SUPPORT THIS RESTAURANT! Like many of the reviews have mentioned, Flavors of India has been under new ownership since Jan 2011. Turns out, the restaurant is owned by some friends who are new immigrants to Ohio from the refugee campus of Nepal. As Joe F mentions, they talk about this on their facebook page and their story is quite powerful. After coming to Ohio, they have been able to open up this place and it's my hope that they are able to sustain their business! They include a delicious Indian menu as well as Nepali cuisine. My bf and I ordered wayyy too much food for 2, but we were happy to take home leftovers. Here's what we ate, family style: -Vegetable momo - plate of 10-12 vegetable dumplings with a sauce -Chicken chow chow - thin noodles with chicken and a south asian flavor -Himalayan set meal (lamb) - the lamb was cooked perfectly and the spice was very flavorful and good. we asked for medium spicy and it definitely had heat! I loved the potato dish and the cooked veggies. I'm also a huge fan of lentils, and that was really good. The set meal is definitely enough for 2! It came with chai at the end. The naan was delicious!!! The owners are very friendly, always checking in with how we were doing. I'm very happy with the place and hope to come back again soon. For next time: apparently, there's a dish that looks like Taiwanese beef noodle soup, but it's with lamb! My friends have also said that the Indian food is really, really good too.
(5)Vishal P.
I went for the Sunday buffet ($10.95), and, as much as I want to support my Indian brethren in NE Ohio, I was not pleased with the food here. Pros first: naan is buttered and crispy; they had a goat curry (a pleasant surprise) and a decent baingan bharta; and, best of all, they had a do-it-yourself chaat bar (which is Indian street food). Chaat is not always on the menu of restaurants, but it's the food that my girlfriend and I crave the most. Look up instructions on how to put together a chaat dish, or ask the waiter, before you dig in. Cons: though they had 2 chicken curries and 1 goat curry, they were all too watery. Meaning that not only did they lack flavor, but they didn't give my crispy naan much to grab on to. In addition, their chicken was dry and tasteless, with the red flavor-color just coating the surface, leaving the inside barren. The three vegetable dishes also lacked enough flavor to salvage the experience. Finally - perhaps worst of all - their gulab jamun was kept on ice :( How hard would it be to keep those little balls warm? Unfortunate. So, while the chaat bar is unique, I was not impressed by the buffet. (Given that the other reviewers seem to have ordered off the menu, I might have to revise my review once I try something else)
(2)P W.
I tried Flavors of India at the Asian Festival this summer and was impressed by the lamb and vegetable curries. I was out in North Olmsted this weekend and decided to try their weekend buffet for $10.95. The server was a charismatic young fellow and was quite funny. Their credit card machine broke and he handled the situation very well without getting flustered. My favorite dish from the buffet was the veggie curry. There was a decent heat level even though it was buffet. If you ever find yourself out shopping at Great Northern Mall and want some decent food, check Flavors of India.
(4)Olwen C.
I could say that this was the worst meal I have ever eaten at a Restuarant, definitely the worst indian food I have ever had. If there was an option for zero stars, I wouldn't even give it one. I came here for the lunch buffet, and was thoroughly scared for my health after eating a few bites. In fact, if I hadn't been in the company of two others, I may have gotten up and left after getting my plate of food. The food must have been sitting out for a long time because the raita was spoiled. It was sour and bubbly. The mint chutney was also bubbly and sour tasting as if it were fermenting. None of the food on the buffet was hot. It was barely luke-warm and the tandoori chicken was like a rock. I am appalled at the quality of the food here. I LOVE indian food and was hoping to find a good place in this area, this is not it. If you notice, all the photos on yelp are 3-4 years old. Must have been ok at one time, not anymore. There was NO ONE else here at 12:30pm - prime lunch time - and I can see why.
(1)Sarah C.
Such a wonderful place! They have a great, comprehensive buffet, and the owners are so nice and helpful - read about their story in the other reviews. It's delicious Indian/Nepalese food not just for Ohio, but in general. And their naan bread is amazing. I support this restaurant so much!
(5)D N.
Visited 4/12/13: Terrible service and even worse food! I went for a dinner for 2 on a Friday night. The decor was ok but that was it. We decided to try the Thakali Thali which is listed as a "set meal". The waitress didn't know anything about what the set meal was, what our specific meal consisted of, how much food there would be, or anything. She had to go to the back room THREE TIMES to get help, and even then she didn't have answers to our questions. She didn't know how many drinks came with the meals, and if it was enough for two people. The diet coke didn't come out until the meal did, and it was warm. The food was bland, flavorless (bad for a place called Flavors of India). The daal was BURNED. It smelled burned and tasted worse. When we told the waitress, she didn't understand what we meant. The manager offered to get us another dish. It took 10-15 mins and it came back watered down and JUST AS BURNED. The goat was terrible. The chicken shahi korma was flavorless, like they just boiled chicken and plopped it in sauce. To make matters worse, TWO other tables there at the same time either got bad food or were ignored. One guy and his kid waited over 30 mins to get served, and they were clearly on a time crunch. I am Indian and I know Indian food. This was horrible food. I can handle poor service as long as the food is good. This food sucked. I left them a ZERO tip and wrote on the back of the bill how I felt. Hopefully they can fix this because they are giving Indian food a TERRIBLE name. I will NEVER go to this place again, and I will actively tell my friends NOT to go here.
(1)Samuel W.
Excellent Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan. I'll be honest, I don't venture too far out of my comfort Zone with Indian Food, the above I had is great and I could eat every day. The Staff is polite, the place is clean, and the prices and portion sizes are perfect. You get more for what you paid for. This is now my resident take out place for Indian Food.
(4)jeff D.
My wife and I had a great meal (as always) and great service from Tekendra!!
(4)Dan K.
This restaurant has changed owners and chefs multiple times in the last year or 2. It used to be wonderful, but recently it has gone down hill. Now I refuse to eat there after being told by the giant sign in the window as well as the host that all of the meat is halal. No thank you. Time to find a new Indian restaurant .
(1)Joseph F.
I was glad when I had heard that this place was opening up under new ownership. Cleveland's got a ton of great Indian restaurants, but we didn't have a restaurant that offered Nepali cuisine...until now! I had a fantastic experience at this place...by far, it was one of the best meals that I've had in Cleveland in quite some time. First of all, the owners' story of how they wound up in America is really remarkable. Rather than paraphrase it, I'll just repost what they said on their Facebook page: "We are new immigrants to Northeast Ohio, having resettled here in 2008 from the refugee camps of Nepal. For 18 years we were unable to return to our homeland of Bhutan." We heard their story in person too--their courage and persistence in the face of so much difficulty is amazing and inspiring to me. I went with a group of friends, and we ordered family style and shared everything. We got one of the Nepali combination meals--I think it was the third one on the list--and it was absolutely fantastic. We had plenty of food and we even took home a sizable amount of leftovers as well. The desserts were the highlight of the meal--we had one dessert with ground carrots and spices (maybe parents should serve this dessert to their kids to get them to eat their vegetables?) and another dessert that was like a rice pudding. I think I enjoyed the fragrant scent of the rice pudding just as much as the taste of it! I also appreciated the fact that they brought bread and delicious sauces without us first having to ask for it. These days, lots of restaurants are waiting until people ask for bread before they bring it to the table...not here! In my opinion, little touches like this can really make a great meal into an excellent meal. We did get one Indian main dish--Sheila F.'s favorite is the Lamb Korma, so we ordered a serving of that as well. I loved that as well! We dipped some of our naan in the delicious sauce so nothing went to waste--everything was so delicious, it would have been a shame to waste any of it! We also had an order of the samosas. My great experience made me want to try to more of their Indian dishes in the future. I have a very flexible schedule these days, and I can't wait to try the lunch buffet! The service was stellar. The ownership and staff are extremely friendly. We had everything we needed and we were checked up on very regularly--which is key when one needs constant streams of water to quench the fire in one's mouth from spicy food--yet the service was provided in a way that wasn't annoying or intrusive. It's a shame that this place doesn't get the recognition that it deserves. I know for a fact that if this place was located in Tremont, Ohio City, East 4th, Detroit-Shoreway, etc, it would get a ton of publicity. Unfortunately, it's located in a bit of an out-of-the-way place, but as word spreads about this place, hopefully it will get the attention that it deserves! I know for a fact that I'll be back, and I hope to see you there.
(5)Dan S.
Very good Indian food in North Olmsted. Nothing fancy, but they do the basics really well. I suggest the lamb vindaloo.
(4)Wayne W.
Flavors of India transferred ownership around January 2011. Prior to this, the food was usually good, but was sometimes inconsistent. A group of us often go for the lunch buffet which isn't huge, but has the essentials. The new owners have since added a few items to the buffet menu including a couple Nepal dishes. They do a good job with my favorite Indian dish, Chicken Makhani - a flavorful buttery, tangy, sweet and spicy curry. The buffet usually also has rice, naan (delicious flat bread for dipping), Tandori Chicken along with an assortment of other curries and dishes such as Palak Paneer (spinach with cubed cheese - tasty). They often have a couple sweet items that are suitable as a dessert, I usually go for two plates loaded with Makhai, rice, naan, etc. which is more than enough for lunch and I have no room for dessert. For anyone not familiar with Indian food, the buffet is a good way to sample items and then go back for items you like. The restaurant is clean and the servers are attentive, often bringing out plates of fresh warm naan. Besides the buffet, I have gotten carry-out which has always been tasty, well packed, and met expectations. The prices are about typical, although the buffet is a better value than ordering off the menu. Thumbs Up! Oh, and great Photos from Katie M. Makes me want some Flavors' food now. :) 2/23/11 Update: Got carryout of my usual favorites and decided that instead of getting the typical Samosa appetizer, to order the chicken Momo-Cha instead. These are Nepali dumplings that come with separate sauces. They were very tasty. Also, while I waited, they offered me water. Twice!
(5)Samantha F.
Located in an unassuming strip plaza and apparently under a new name, (previously known as Kashmir Palace), Flavors of India Restaurant is fantastic. All was quiet on a Friday evening with a few regulars but the place seemed steady with business between diners and takeout orders. Prices are fair, food is good quality, an the portions are good. The services was attentive, but not overly so. The staff continued to check on us, even after we had paid our bill. They made excellent recommendations, and asked pertinent questions concerning our tastes and the spice level. The menu is nice and has something to please carnivore and vegetarians alike. I would love to go back during lunch to try the buffet; I always have a hard time choosing my meal and love the idea of trying lots of things! I would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a good Indian meal!
(4)Michael C.
Love this place- went again today and found out they have a goat curry! How very unique- I enjoyed it, though it probably could have been braised a little bit longer. Love the buffet and its a good value. You'd never find it except for Yelp- great find guys. Hope they do well- they deserve it. Nice to get cultural food in North Olmsted.
(5)Sarah B.
Brought my mom here even though she was very reluctant after previous bad experience with Indian food. The server was patient and helped us navigate the menu and we enjoyed our dishes greatly. Hooray--another ethnic cuisine down!
(4)Irene K.
Delicious. Nice atmosphere too.
(5)Peter W.
I have enjoyed the occasion curry for several years now, but not with enough regularity to have a favorite dish. Enter the Indian buffet. Previously my favorite in Cleveland was the dearly departed Indigo downtown, and Kashmir Palace was a lesser (but decent) substitute. When KP changed to Flavors of India, I made a dinner visit and was pretty impressed with the new menu. Most of the changes were subtle (new menus, monogrammed napkins), but they did seem to class up the joint a little. Dinner was good, and upon learning of their lunch buffet, I have made several more visits on both weekdays and weekends and have been very satisfied each time. The number of offerings is small (8-10) and nothing out of the ordinary (tandoori chicken, saag paneer, etc.) but they are all very well prepared. Though a bit more expensive, I prefer to go on the weekends, as their Chicken Tikka Masala seems to be regularly offered then, and it is superb. Also, the naan is freshly made and frequently replenished, another very good thing.
(4)Melissa H.
Palak paneer was tasteless, garlic nan & chicken tikki masala were okay. Ordered a diet coke and could hear her opening the can to put it in my glass. Needless to say, no refills.
(2)Arun M.
Flavors of India is a good small business in westside for himalayan indian food. At the first glance in the hall, I was impressed to see all locals (not indians) in an ethnic food place. This is usually not a very sign if I am looking for a traditional indian place, most of these places later their recipes to suit the local taste. The server informed us that the chef is from Bhutan, a small himalayan country north east of India. I was excited to have a chance to eat some of the Bhutanese food now. Ambiance is quite nice. One thing I admire about this place is that no loud bollywood music in the background, instead nice soothing classical indian music. Server was a very nice man who was extremely polite and helpful with menu. We orderd one of the vegetarian fixed place which was enough for two people and costs only 11$, good deal. Food was different but good tasting. We could not finish the whole thing and had enough left over for next day. The only negative thing was the dessert, it was bad and most likely out of the box. Overall a nice Himlalayan place for good food!
(4)C.J. S.
Update: Still going to Flavors of India. The food is still very consistent, and it's really good Indian food. I've had the chance to travel a little to parts of Chicago, IL, and nearby Indiana recently, and I have tried their local Indian restaurants, which people raved about. I can honestly say Flavors of India surpasses those restaurants! And btw, Gulab Jamun can be served warm or cool. I prefer cool.
(5)Keri G.
I love this place. The owners are so very nice. I've been here a few times, quite frequently when I was pregnant, loved the spices. We come here more often for dinner because during lunch they mostly do buffet and I prefer ordering off the menu. Last week we went with a party of about 14 for some family birthdays. All of the food came out hot, together and delicious! My parents who never eat this style of food really enjoyed themselves and the food. I have a 9 month old daughter and the hostess was so sweet she asked if I wanted her to hold her while we ate and my daughter just loved her. I don't see that happening at an Applebees:) Sometimes I'll admit I have no idea what I am ordering such as this particular evening but it was the Himalayan Chicken dinner for 2 and it was incredible tasty. Mostly it was lentils, chicken deep fried, fermented beans, rices and and Indian version of pot stickers which were my fav. They have Taj mahal beer which washes away the spice with ease. You can order any spice level you prefer. The Naan is wonderful as well, the best around! If you like Indian/Nepali this place is a must try but go for dinner first because I think the buffet is good however one gets a fuller experience with dinner. Enjoy!
(5)Martha W.
After 2 months, we went back to Flavors of India. The waitress that I was very unimpressed with was there, but I figured we would put up with her because my son and husband wanted Indian food. Either she's read my review and wanted to prove me wrong or she was having a very off day because this time she was very good. the food, as always, was excellent!
(4)Caitlin C.
Really good Indian food for bumble-foo Ohio. Highly recommend if you're in Oberlin--it's closer and better than the place across from Crocker Park.
(4)Tam V.
Great place for Indian/Nepalese food. Definitely recommend the naan, probably one of the best naan I've had in NE Ohio. The one thing I love about this place is how spicy the food was. I've been to many places in Ohio that claims that their food is spicy when in reality is not for me and this place was spot on. Staff and service was great, clean. Location isn't the best for them as it prevents them from getting a lot of the visibility but I'm not going to complain if they remain open and continue serving delicious food.
(4)Catherine D.
Best South Asian food I have ever had outside the time I ate homemade at a Sikh temple. We had the Himalayan meal with three courses and beer for $19. Tip: one is enough for two. The Nepalese fried potatoes are buttery-tasting, spicy, and slightly sweet. We knee from there we were in for a great ride, but were astonished by the variety and delicacy of the currie vegetables and salad that came our way in the second course, served with buttery naan. The sautéed greens (chard?) were my favorite. Capped off with a sweet carrot pudding-type dessert and creamy rice pudding. And after all that we still got chai. The wait staff were friendly and knowledgeable as well. This would easily be a five-plus star review if I could have ha a beer other than Bud lite with the dinner.
(4)Hank B.
The Nepali selections are wonderful. All were nicely seasoned and very tasty. The staff were friendly and attentive. This is a nice change from the traditional Indian fare. I highly recommend it.
(5)Jessica M.
This was by far the weirdest/most awkward dining experience I have ever had. My boyfriend and I decided to go on a date and chose this place because he had eaten there years ago and said it was good. We walked into the hostess area and were sort of greeted by a disheveled teenager that didn't really say "hello" but instead grinned in such a way that we felt like we were intruding on some secret meeting. The place was nearly empty on a Saturday night at 8:00. There were a few tables spread throughout and instead of seating us at a nice table along the far wall, she chose to seat us directly next to the kitchen, the worst table in the joint. The mood in the dining room was surreal and jarring. The art hanging a million feet above us were "squangels" from Pat Catan's and the tiniest Tibetan prayer flag hung near our table. The wall that caressed my left shoulder was by far the filthiest wall I had ever seen. Paint chipping, smears of who knows what all staring me right in the face. I wanted to leave, but my boyfriend picked the place and I didn't want to make him feel bad plus, maybe the food would blow my socks off. When we opened the menus, they were so sticky that the sound of tearing actually embarrassed me. My bf 's had smears on it, mine were just covered in grease. When our disheveled friend came back to our table she asked us what appetizers we wanted before pouring waters or asking us if we would like a drink. When we said we needed a minute, she disappeared and returning was another teenager who was a little more put together, but completely annoyed that she had to be there. To be honest, I don't blame her. We ordered vegetable pakora to start as well as a mango lassi and a Coke. The pakora arrived before our drinks on a bed of wilted iceburg lettuce that was extremely shiny. The tiny pakoras were stabbed with toothpicks. They were crappy hushpuppies at best. These were the worst, for real, all dramatics aside. The dipping sauces they gave us, chutney and tamarind would have been good if the plate they were served on were not covered in tiny hairs. The wall at this point was bumming me out so bad that I began focusing on the grease spots that covered the table cloth. At least that was covered with plastic. My mango lassi was served with the LONGEST straw known to man. I barely had to lift it from the table to enter it into my mouth. Not to mention it tasted straight nasty and spoiled. At this point I looked up at my boyfriend to see if he was feeling the same high strangeness I was experiencing and the feeling was mutual, THANK GOD! I could finally openly start complaining about how bogus this place was. Now we realized our date was doomed, but at least we were laughing hysterically. That's when our server came out and made this comment, "Oh, this is a weird table she sat you at. Right by the kitchen, you can hear everything back there." We instantly became paranoid as hell. Was she hearing us? DId she realize that the wall was filthy? Either way, it was weird and I didn't know what to say so I awkwardly giggled like my hostess friend. I felt sweaty and weird and kinda creeped out. After we had been sitting a while after finishing our pakoras, we had to reluctantly ask if we could order because for some reason, she wasn't all that worried about it. When I asked a few questions about the menu, she seemed pretty clueless as to what some of the sauces were. I just asked for the chicken tikka masala, because she said that's what everyone liked. Fine by me, please something that other people like. Cool. My bf ordered chana masala extra, extra hot and garlic naan and that Coke he never got. Our food came out and actually looked tasty. We atet our entrees which were good, but my tikka masala was extremely sweet and not at all spicy and my bf's chana masala was not extra extra spicy as he had ordered. The naan was flimsy and soggy. So what though, I was just glad it was digestible at all. I just wanted to get the hell out of there ASAP. Ok, this next part is the greatest thing ever. Server A, came out and I asked for a box. She brought one out and instead of clearing the plates or handing it to me, she just held the box in front of my bf's face until finally he grabbed it, then she looked at me and started laughing. It was HILARIOUS and SO WEIRD! We paid WAY TOO MUCH for bad food and dipped out. When we were pulling out of the lot, server B stuck her head out of the door and watched us pull away!!! If you want a terrible, unappetizing date night eat at Flavors of India!
(1)