India Kitchen

We had all but totally given up on trying to find GOOD (not necessarily even AUTHENTIC) Indian food in Austin… but with a 4 star Unilocal rating thought this place might be worth a shot.
Everything was bland. They obviously put forth the minimum of effort in the kitchen to produce dishes that are just barely passable. Dunno about the rest of you but if not one thing on the menu is crave-​able I don’t consider it worth my money.
Really blown away by the number of positive reviews! Avoid at all costs.

The 8.99 lunch buffet is a pretty good deal. Friendly cashier and clean interior.
Among the entrée’s nothing really stands out, but they give you really big piping hot basket of nan, and that alone makes this place worth going to. Sooo good with paneer.

Glad i finally tried this place because its pretty damn amazing!
Buffet is definitely your best choice.
Service is great, place is great, food is great!
Can’t wait to go back :)

It’s Indian food, and you’re eating in the restaurant… ya gotta get a buffet.
Cover your nose to walk through the thick, oily aroma of Joy East and enter India Kitchen, an inexpensive way to tackle your Indian food cravings. Naan is brought to the table fresh and is buttery, crispy and chewy. Moderate selection for a mom and pop joint, and their Paneer was excellent, as were the Lamb Meatballs, Curried Goat and Tandori Chicken.
Although the lentil dishes seemed to be a tad undercooked, there was enough on the menu to keep me perfectly satisfied. Food was kept fresh, hot and filled. Service was attentive as well. As there isn’t a lot to choose from in the way of Indian cuisine in this neighborhood, it’s nice to have a place to enjoy a meal and not feel like you’re going to shit ya drawers ten minutes later. Come to where the flavor is… come to India Kitchen.

You know when you discover something new everyone else has known about since birth? That enthusiastic elation, the absolute prerogative to tell everyone you like about it, the belief that all’s right in the world?
& then the crushing realization that, not only do all your friends know & follow this musician/​film/​news station, but they didn’t tell YOU about it?
This is not India Kitchen, for me. However, this was my lamb saag experience as it occurred at India Kitchen.
Having not tried lamb saag before, I can’t estimate its comparative worth. I can say with a napkin to my lips & a tear in my eye that it is heavenly. Their garlic naan delights, & the service was almost too good; I’d barely sipped my water before it was refilled. Consistently. They offer mild, medium & hot, & be forewarned: they mean it. Medium is not the pansy store-​bought salsa-​medium we’ve learned to expect when evaluating spice levels; it’s still robust, just not tear-​jerking, hair-​tearing, water-​gulping fire.
Tired of the usual Mexican spice inherent in Texas living? Give India Kitchen a taste test. They’re worth it.

The only reason I’m giving this place three stars is because there seems to be a huge lack of Indian food to begin with in Austin. If I was somewhere else that had an abundance of Indian places to choose from (like where I used to live), I’d definitely rate it lower.
That being said, the food itself is good, I really liked the samosas. I mean, everything was ok.
However, it’s definitely not the best Indian food I’ve had. It’s lacking spices and flavor and their «spicy» food isn’t that spicy. I was craving Indian food, and I was still craving it when I was done because it’s not as good as I’m used to.
So if you’re used to awesome Indian food, you probably won’t like this. If you’re not, it’s not that bad. However, if you eat in the restaurant, I definitely would bring a fan or something because there was no AC whatsoever when I dropped by.

Oh India Kitchen. What happened? Everything on the buffet looked like it had been sitting there all day and had never been changed out. The naan was the only thing that looked fresh. Please… I know you can do better.

«Regulars». A term we’ve been waiting to hear for years. Post 5^th trip to India Kitchen, we have made it so.
India Kitchen rules– plain and simple. Had I known their was Indian food South of BFE (that would be North Austin) and gasp… blocks from our home– we would have been curried-​nailed and happy 2 ½ years ago. At least, this is when the owner claims to have opened.
On to the pleasant surprise known as India Kitchen. They have an extensive menu of South and North Indian cuisine for those who want to forgo the guy-​busting buffet. But why? This buffet is TOPS both in the tummy and on your wallet $ 10−11/person depending on the day. (Note to readers– this is avg for Indian food as the spices are mucho expensive). *They also have domestic and Indian beer and wine*
Back to the grub. Veggies: Aloo Gobi is PERFECT (Oil and Spice base– not CREAM like a majority of the crappy «Indian» food I’ve had in Austin.) Palek Paneer is creamy and dreamy. They also have a mixed veggie dish that is kind-​of a cross between Masala and Korma in base– it’s spicy and delicious!
Meat: Mystery reviewer says the Tandori Chicken is «fall off the bone tender and perfectly spiced.» Chicken and Goat curries use primo meats and are both tender and creamy (that from a newly-​proclaimed «goat» lover). Chicken Byrani is also always on the buffet (along with regular rice) — which is very rare.
A personal note to the owner: «Stay strong… one day you will rule over the florescent, big-​haired, CRAPTASTIC neighbor known as the Joy East Buffet. And we, ‘the regulars’, have your back!»

LIKE WHOA… Is probably what you’ll be thinking when I temporarily lose control of my inside voice describing how I’d like to fill a bathtub full of their palak paneer and roll around in it for a while.
Yeaaaa… that just happened. I just typed that.
Of the limited indian buffet options here in town, I’d have to say India Kitchen packs one helluva bang for your buck. All 10 of your bucks, to be precise. It’s tasty enough, and very accommodating for both vegetarians and meatatarians alike.
Really, the food is not particularly amazing. Come to think of it, I’m not sure this town actually offers ANY amazing restaurants in this category, but it’s a super way to get your indian rocks off on the cheap.
Get in. Get your fix. Get out. For under $ 10.

The buffet is really good for it’s price. The food is hot, tasty, with enough supply, and with enough varieties. The killer there is the chai! They serve chai in a buffet! I just went crazy there coz I love chai so much. The only thing I don’t like about them is that the food is not spicy enough. I talked to the owner and he said they do that intentionally because they want the buffet to suit the American taste.
I am a big fan of Indian food. And I think the food here is reasonably authentic — except for the spiciness, but that’s understandable. Service is good too. They brought a little too much naan to the table, too much for two people at least. Generous, but I really don’t eat that much naan. They are really good though, generous with the butter on the naan too.

For the price you really can’t get any better than a $ 10 Indian Buffet at dinner.
So I’m not the big lover of Indian food but the other night my friend and I had a tickle for something warm.
I Unilocal’d this place and took off fast. I loved it and for me and Indian food that’s saying a lot.
It wasn’t too spicy and the selection was good. I did get there just before closing time so I’ll give them the burnt rice since I was late.
If you’re a 1^st timer or just want to try some good Indian buffet without breaking your bank definitely go here.

Let me begin this review by saying that I have never had more trouble pinning down the star rating I want to give. I usually know what I want to give going into it, but today, I do not. So let’s try to be calculating with each part of the experience, shall we?
My first impressions were that the location is a little seedy; it did not inspire a lot of confidence on first glance. Inside, the place was really empty, which I like (I go at non-​peak hours on purpose), and strikingly clean. It’s also a buffet, which is generally a little off-​putting for me. But the staff was very friendly, personable, quick and efficient… yet also laid-​back, so as not to make you feel rushed. Nice.
Upon a closer look, I was happy to see that the buffet seemed to be painstakingly kept at the proper temperature, so nothing was crusty, overly-​soupy, burnt or separating. Everything hot and as it should be! Big bonus, there. There was a good amount of selection (15 or so dishes), fresh naan and chai for the taking. Awesome. Things were off to a great start.
I liked most everything I had well enough. It’s really tough to be reasonable about what’s good for Indian food in Texas when you’re used to Bay Area Indian food. But it was pretty good. The tandoori chicken was a little understated for my tastes, and I also found that some of the chicken dishes were a bit dry. I wasn’t super impressed with the veggie dishes — the saag paneer, in particular, seemed pretty average — but the naan was perfect, and I really enjoyed the lamb and goat dishes. All in all, I think the food was pretty good for Texas. This place is the closest Indian restaurant to my house, though, so I haven’t had anything else in town yet. My opinion may change as I sample the other Indian places around town, but so far, it seems solid.
Then there’s price. One thing I’ve noticed about Indian food wherever I go is that a decent place knows it can get away with setting prices a little higher than the food probably merits. This place is no exception, though I also didn’t find it unreasonable.
All in all, I’m inclined to give the place a good score, though I must say that I preferred the food at a chain Indian restaurant in Japan to this place. So, as much as I’m trying to remember that I’m eating Indian food in Texas, I’m still not sure that this place is considerably better than average. It deserves four stars for now, but we’ll see how the other places in town stack up.

When my husband and I pulled up for Sunday lunch we were scared that this place was going to be packed. The parking lot was full. We figured out once we entered India Kitchen that it was all traffic for the Chinese Buffet. I couldn’t figure out why those fools wanted to eat at that Chinese Buffet that didn’t smell very good and not jump in this place.
This is a really good place for Indian food… especially if you want to try alot of different plates. They have great variety on their buffet, and it all tastes good. I also enjoyed the fresh yogurt and mint chutney they had for the naan. The basmati rice was fantastic. The goat curry was delish and so was everything else.
Lots of Naan, fresh food kept at the right temperatures, and friendly staff. You can’t ask for anything more! We will be back.

Have you ever heard of a 5 star hole in the wall? Well now you have.
India Kitchen has one hell of a buffet, a great price, and friendly service. Just ask for Reddi.
The buffet has a great selection, featuring goat, chicken and vegetarian options. The naan is out of the world!
Do not go here expecting anything fancy, just a good time and great food.

For years, I have been bemoaning the fact that there were no options for Indian food in South East Austin, but now I have finally discovered India Kitchen. The food was really good, the prices were right & the service was prompt. The décor isn’t much to talk about, but that’s not why I am going there. I ordered Lamb Vindaloo and was really happy with my dish. It was flavorful with just enough bite and the lamb was great without being gamey. My partner ordered Chicken Tika Masala and was really happy with her dish too. The garlic naan was exceptionally good, so be sure to order some! I still think Sarovaar is my favorite Indian restaurant in Austin, but Indian Kitchen is a great choice when I don’t want to drive way north. Enjoy!
PS…we ordered off the menu, but they did offer a dinner buffet.

Look, I like Indian food as much as the next person. What i don’t like is when there are big buckets of greasy, non identified substances that look like they could have emerged from a baby’s ass.
That’s totally not here (It’s Shalimar).
Food was delicious, fresh. The nan i wanted to smuggle home in my purse. The flavors were intense and delicious and my palate (generally silent due to years of abuse by franzia and 40s) was singing glory glory hallelujah.
India Kitchen: I salute you and your curried goodness. Just, maybe bring the $ 11 price tag down… it IS a buffet.

The curry chicken and fresh naan here seriously do not mess around. There must be crack rocks simmering in the curry, cuz every time I eat the buffet, I cannot stop myself from stuffing my face till it hurts. HURTS SO GOOD.
The eating environment leaves a bit to be desired. The first time I went here, it sounded like they turned all the treble on their speakers off, so all you could hear was a hilariously loud subwoofer playing Hindi pop. Just added to the mood, dude.

Shh… did you hear that??? I think… I think that was my stomach growling. SHHH, I said! You’ll frighten it off!
I had my first taste (make that multiple tastes) of India Kitchen last night. The place was damn near deserted when myself and the lady entered, and while this is usually a bad sign, the delightful scent of fresh Indian food beckoned us forward. I have, for a long time, had a very strict «No Buffet» policy. They’re usually fetid pools of disease and horror festering with bacteria brought on by the unwashed masses and their spawn putting their grubby paws all over the food. But for India Kitchen, I dropped that ban. And would do so again in a heartbeat, no doubt.
My only minor complaint was that the Tandoori chicken was a bit bland. Good flavor, but bland. Everything else I sampled… and I do mean everything… was absolutely delicious. Spinach curry with peas… mushroom-something-something…goat meatball something… something. I lost track of the names as easily as I lost track of how much I’d wolfed down. The naan was fresh and tasty and went exceedingly well with the tomato coconut curry soup concoction.
I have had some delicious Indian food in my time… fancy restaurants proclaiming their food pedigrees and authenticity. I’ll give you an example… it rhythm’s with Hay Spit. India Kitchen left all of them in the dust, after beating them senseless and taking their lunch money.
Go here. If this place disappears I will blame each and every one of you! *points accusingly*

We ate the dinner buffet here on a Wednesday evening. The food tasted good and looked fresh. The variety left a little to be desired, but everything available was delicious. The service was great – frequent, fast, and polite. The dinner buffet is among the cheapest I’ve seen at only $ 9 – it’s a great deal for Austin restaurants!
This restaurant is located in a big shopping center immediately to the left (west) of the HEB at the southwest intersection of Riverside and Pleasant Valley. It’s to the right of the colorful Joy East restaurant.
Some may find the shopping center a little ghetto, but I thought the sirens wailing in the background, beaten up old cars parked haphazardly in the parking lot spaces, very-​young women carrying their babies in their arms instead of in strollers, and gangsta rap blaring from cars in the parking lot added to the charm of the area.

Finally! An Indian restaurant in East South Austin! You would think that somebody would have capitalized on the large Indian working populations of AMD & Spansion in the area earlier. Since I’ve moved to South Austin, I’ve been amazed at the lack of Indian cuisine in the area.
Located just next to Joy East on Riverside, India Kitchen is going to be one of my new favorite places to go to lunch. $ 6.99 gets you an all-​you-​can-​eat buffet which includes soups, nan, curries, rice, an assortment of chutney’s and dessert. They have a pretty good vegetarian selection, although my friends complained that the meat curries had a bit too many bones in them for their liking.
The atmosphere is a bit dull, but I expect as they establish themselves the decorations will get more plentiful. At least it doesn’t feel like dining in a bank like Madra’s Pavilion.
There are two reasons they didn’t get 5-​stars. For one, the soups were really watery. The lentil soup could have used a lot more lentils. Also, the curries could use a little more spice. I guess since its a buffet for lunch, they try to play it safe. Come on, this is Texas though, people should be able to handle some spice.
I’d pick here over Clay Pit (of despair and sweet fake food) any day.