Samosa Garden Restaurant

Worst Indian restaurant that I have been to. maybe because I only dined at fancier Indian restaurants in the past, but these guys’ food didn’t meet my standard for Indian food. Dried chicken, greasy curry weren’t really appealing to me.

I used to go to Samosa Garden a long time ago with my friend Ramon, for some good tandoori chicken and naan bread. Now, I go to Samosa garden for my 6 year old daughter who loves the butter chicken and naan bread.
My favorites now are the lamb curry, the lentil soup, and the eggplant dish. I rarely have the naan bread, just becuz i don’t eat much bread anymore. I love spicy food so i find the food a little mild, which makes it pretty good for most people.
The renovations look good, my daughter likes it but wishes they kept the old chairs which she found more comfortable. I think the new ones are fine.
The food has gotten better pretty recently, but I’ll let you know next time i go if that is a consistent thing.

Kinda a tough one, between this and a 4star. If you’re in the mood for value, it’s a bit closer to a 4, one can’t beat the value of a $ 9.95 lunch buffet in such a upper-​end casual resto… does have a white table cloth tables, a private room, quite spacious all around and nicer than most Indian restos.
Parking can be atrocious here, small plaza but there is underground, a bit dodgy. I rather park on ground level or right on Kingsway.
A good place to be loud with some good friends and a long time.
Butter chicken hits the right spot, and while it aint no Sitar, it fulfills the need.

Really enjoyed the buffet. They had a good selection of items (10 – 15) both vegetarian and meats with lots of sauce options, endless high quality naan bread and massive amounts of rice pudding for dessert. It may also interest folks to know that they had a private room, just off the main dining room, that can accommodate a large group function or meeting. My friend mentioned having been there the week before for a big Somalian wedding reception. Tonight they had a BC political group using it with a head table and podium. One of the nicest parts of the experience was that all the food was labelled so you could learn the name of what you were eating. The BEST was the bottomless chai tea!

I want to dislike Samosa Garden, but I’ve been a couple of times and just can’t really stay angry at it. It offers an alright buffet at a decent price so I like to try a little of everything until I’m a sodium stuffed roly poly shell of a human being.
They are in the middle of some much needed renovations, so it’s kind of messy inside, but seems like it’ll be quite nice once they’re finished.

Loved the food. Had the lamb mushkaki. Abundant naan bread, flavorful meat. Service was excellent too.

The last time I was here was 4 years ago for an anniversary dinner with the ex boyfriend (seems to be a trend this weekend). At the time it was a consistently busy place and considered somewhat of a 4 star Indian restaurant. I don’t know what has happened since the years past, however, there was an aura of decline the minute I walked in. For a Saturday night, it wasn’t as busy and happening as it once was. I didn’t have a chance to pick directly from the menu as the family party I was with opted for the buffet, which to be honest was meh. I have yet to still to find the best Indian buffet in the city. For $ 15 per person, the buffet seemed more of curries of various varieties made with left over meats that weren’t good enough for the menu picks. I am not sure if this was intentional or just a way to keep overhead reasonable considering the possibly consistent turn out, or lack there of. The service wasn’t that great either. I remember this place being classy that they had one of the best services in the city and even were at one time noted in the Georgia Straight. If it wasn’t for the company, the family that I love, this review would’ve gone from 3 stars to 2. Giving it 3 stars is very generous all things considering.

I love buffets! especially Indian buffets! A place where you pay one price and u eat till my fat ass is content. ! well… i should really stay away from those kinds of places but i just can’t help it! don’ judge me :(
I remember this place used to really good and it was busy almost every night… mind you that was freakin 20 years ago!
Fast forward to now! I came in for lunch hoping not much has changed… well, it changed a lot! the prices are a lot higher, and the food… well… i don’t want to be rude but ive had better butter chicken at food courts!.. the food was really lacking flavor.(believe me. i work and cook with Indians) Oh man that was a total miss for us.
good eats?: not really
would you go back? what do you think…
you don’t have to take my word for it. try it out! ;) k im done.

*all names have changed been to protect the innocent
Friend: we’re going to celebrate Danny’s lunch at Samosa Garden tomorrow at lunch
Me: really, Samosa Garden? seriously?! Is this a contest for the crappiest restaurant at the highest cost?
Friend: you think it’s that bad, I like it better than Saffron’s
Me: you’re crazy, it’s a dressed up cafeteria
Friend: it’s only like a dollar more and I think the décor is fine
Me: I can suggest much better places in the same area — let’s start with Subway!
Friend: LOL, you’re being a d*ck. Just give it another try, I bet it’s been years.
Me: haha fine, it has been a long time, for good reason but I’ll give it another try, THEN Unilocal ABOUT IT
— — -
Now, back from the restaurant…
The Naan is excellent. The price was actually less than expected and the selection for the buffet was not bad.
However, the décor is just how i remember it, very outdated. You can tell from the mismatched cushions and faded brass accents on the railings. There was a TV anchor in the middle of the room, but no TV.
They offered a goat curry that I was anxious to get back to my table and try but it turned out to be luke-​warm, and there were bones, sharp ones, in it which didn’t go too well with the tasteless pilaf.
In my opinion, a good bar of measure for a restaurant of this genre is the butter chicken — it’s like the shrimp dumpling of a dim sum restaurant or the pepperoni slice at any pizza joint. The sauce here was decent but the chicken chunks were dry and sturdier than an old piece of double bubble gum.
I would have given 1 star had I not come visit again, so it’s gotten better but it’s not «there».

Food is wayyyy to oily and I could make better butter chicken than these guys. I love their kheer and their naan. They need to lower their price as its really not worth it in my opinion. I would only go here if I was really desperate like REALLY hungry and dont have dinner made as they are only 2 minutes from where I live.

The best Indian buffet I ever enjoyed. All very fresh and tasty with great service. I went for my work Christmas party.

I like my cousin, but his restaurant recommendations are really hit and miss. I needed a butter chicken fix so he told me this place was good. When I got there I was feeling pretty confident as there was a bunch of award stickers on their window so we walked in.
Took a quick look at the menu and the prices were a little high so we decided to go for their dinner buffet which was I think $ 15 – 17 bucks. The selection wasn’t great and the butter chicken was pretty bland. The chicken didn’t really absorb the flavour from the sauce and the other selections weren’t anything to Tweet about at the table.
If you’re looking for a decent Indian place on Kingsway, definitely head over to Saffron which is near Bubble world.

When I came here years ago this place was decent but I went back her in February and it no longer is what it was. I read one reviewer said there was a change in owner and so this is the reason most likely for their poor quality.

Ok, so I’ve been going to this place for YEARS. But no longer…
When the original owners were there, it was amazing! Me and my mom would eat there like, 3 times a month.
But then things changed… Here come the new owners and there goes the yummy food. Seriously…
The last dish I got there was completely flavourless and very watery. I threw it out. I wish I lived closer to S.G., cuz I would have driven back and asked for my money back.
I’ve found hair in my take-​out twice. When I arrive for my take-​out, I usually have to wait at least 10 minutes longer than they had told me. The place is usually pretty dirt, ie the floors and the window sills. It’s just not pleasant to look at and makes you think what it looks like behind the scenes…
The decoration could be improved… alot… The plastic greenery around the room doesnt do anything for me. Maybe it’s the whiteness in me that expects bright colors and gold mehndi style decorations everywhere…
I’d say their Naan bread is the only good thing left on their menu…
The staff are really friendly…
That’s about the only plus side, lol…
I would recommend going to Saffron’s…

I would give it a 5 star if I had not returned 2 years ago and was pretty disappointed with their NAAN BREAD. They brought out THIN & BURNT bread… it used to be moist, chewy & doughy :(

This place is good, it doesnt open until lunch, which is a pain, however if you want to get a group in you can call ahead and they will let you in a few minutes early so that you dont get in at the same time as they open, when there is a surge of hungry people. Parking is terrible, its true. It is worth it though, if you like this type of food. Some out of the group I went with were disappointed, as there were little choices in the buffet for those who dont enjoy spicy food. If you dont like spicy food I really dont think this is the place fore you. Its not that spicy, I could handle it. I think it would be better to go for the evening when its not a buffet setting, you would have more choices and you would recieve better service, but the food and service was not too bad concidering.

Samosa Garden has a pretty large space in a crowded mini strip mall which means parking is typically a complete hassle.
However the food is pretty decent and they have on more than one occasion accompanied a large group.
Food pricing is a bit on the higher end for what they serve. At lunch this is typically of the grade of food you’d expect from a buffet.
It improves at dinner time with the dishes better prepared and the service being equally improved.
Going at lunch sometimes means waiting lengthy times to get the attention of a server for more water and any other necessities.