The Indian Garden

I got the worst food poisoning at this spot.
The Chicken Vindaloo did me dirty.
The sad part about this place is that I used to somewhat enjoy it, but now I can’t. It isn’t a big deal though. It might have been my childhood Indian spot, but other Indian restaurants have eclipsed them.

Updating my prior review. The taste is great with the right amount of spiciness and all your Indian favorites. My issue with this place is the amount of protein they add to the dish. The paneer only had a couple of cubes of cheese, the lamb was hard to come by in the baryani and the chick sparse in the Morgh curry. Great food just give me a little more.

We were walking along on our way to a pizza place and smelt the amazing Indian spices coming from this restaurant and turned around to eat here instead. Great choice! Everyone was friendly. It was clean and cool inside. We had the lunch buffet. Everything was delicious!

Definitely has décor reminiscent of an Indian traditional style. Food is good despite often being hit too spicy (can fluctuate depending on chef). Murgh makhni always goes down well and the pepper lamb curry is a great find. Like this place as always feel satisfied at the end of a meal. The only downside is the two flights of stairs to get there! Lol

I have been here twice once for Alacarte and second time for buffet. Had great experience both the time. Had veggies for Alacarte and more non veg for buffet. Food is fresh and delicious. Chicken fish veggies they all are good. Go for it if you get a chance. they could use some work at entrance door so plain and seems like it’s closed.

Please excuse me as I’m catching up on some older reviews.
This place is such a treat in such a large city. On a weekend getaway with some friends, we craved some Indian cuisine. Lucky us, this place had a lunch special we could not refuse. After walking all morning and visiting touristy attractions, we certainly worked up an appetite.
This location is a bit tricky as it’s not storefront and could easily be missed. You’ll walk through a set of doors and enter a plain white environment. You’ll then turn to a stairwell and walk up a flight of stairs since this restaurant is on a second floor of another building. But once you enter the doors of The Indian Garden you’re immediately taken into another culture. The place is decorated top down. Walls are painted and cracked to give you that clay-​like mural look. Accents of gold and red hues left and right. The entire room is basically one big rectangle, but the space is used perfectly. Buffet style containers line the wall with names of each dish. It’s really well done.
While there were more than 15 different dishes to choose from, I sampled the ones I was not familiar with. Each plate I loaded 4 different variations with Basmati rice in the middle. Each bite is amazingly flavorful and to be honest, once you start eating so many different dishes on one plate, they started mending together on taste. Indian food is very flavorful and potent. Out of all the ones I tried, the best would have to be the Chili Mushroom. It had such a savory kick to it. The mushrooms were fresh and the spice level was perfect. Just to the point of «makeyousweatbutnotreallyimfineitsnotthathothahaha.» My advice for future guests, try having two items on a plate with rice separating them. Give yourself time to really try and taste every flavor. Oh and the Na’an bread. They do an AWESOME job bringing our fresh bread. Don’t be afraid to gobble that up and ask for more. It’s the perfect thing to have to clean your plate!
This was a perfect lunch spot. You’re able to try so many different kinds of dishes you’re not accustomed to. If you’re weary on trying Indian cuisine, this place will have you hooked.
EDIT: For some reason my food photos are linking to my review, but they are in there if you’re wondering.

The buffet was okay to begin with. Naan was extremely good, I’m a vegetarian and I enjoyed the paneer and the green gravy. The starters had a lot of salt the salt in them. I have a sweet tooth so if a restaurant lacks in dessert, I would say it is average. The service and the ambience is really nice.
My friend who is a non vegetarian however enjoyed the chicken tandoor. The vegetable rice/​biryani had coriander seeds to it which to me was a bad choice of spice to add.

To me there is something off-​putting about this restaurant. You start with a long climb up three flights of stairs. Then deal with the hard to find greeter and the long narrow space. But none of this would matter if the food was top notch. It’s a few notches below that. I’m mainly familiar with the buffet. Some (I say some) of the dishes are above average but most are not. There is a table of vegetarian options and another with meats. You can put together a decent lunch. I would never order goat, but at the buffet I tried it twice — some was tender, some was not, so I still don’t know if I like it. They should rotate the rice more frequently so it doesn’t dry out. The desserts are COMPLETELY forgettable. Everything is labeled – that’s helpful. Staff is sometimes friendly, but not always. I like the décor here, big plate glass windows, lots of light and lots of Indian accents. Points for that.
Choose wisely at the lunch buffet and you’ll be OK much of the time. Vegetarians welcome. This is not a ringing endorsement. I wish it were. I would come here more often.

Best indian food I’ve had in Chicago.
First things first though, to get here, you gotta climb what seems like endless stairs — works up your appetite real good!
I came for a brunch (all you can eat). I briefly toyed with the idea of a la carte ordering, but one round at the buffet and I tossed that idea.
Literally the best chicken tandoori I’ve had, ever. So juicy, and just good. The veggie dishes were good but definitely a little spicy.
The weird thing when I went though was that the ceiling was very obviously leaking in the middle of the dining area (luckily not over a table), but people kept walking by with their plates and I swear I saw some drops of crapwater fall into plates. The leak was just that, a leak — happens. What kind of was a turn off to me was the fact that no management and no waiters even bothered deterring people from it!
Despite the leak, the food was so overwhelmingly good that I can’t justify any lower a rating!

Another trip, food was good but service was a bit off. Lack of communication was the issue, lots of waiting but no clarification or apologies for the wait (would have been tolerable otherwise).
Got a lot of the same food, murg tikka masala (still delicious), garlic naan (great), mango lassi (so simple yet elegant). Tried the assorted appetizer, but it didn’t compare to the rest of the food — Sheekh-​Kabob good, samosa not flavorful, chicken tikka very dry without any sauce, vegetable fritters just fried, would skip.

I definitely enjoyed the food! We tried chicken tikka masala and Bhuna Lamb, which were both flavorful and good!
Service on the other hand is not great. Servers never smiled and spoke minimum. It’s almost like having customers is inconvinient for them. But hey I’d rather have no smile from the waiters and just enjoy food, than have bad food with lots of smiles. Definitely coming back.

This place was so cool! I loved the décor and ambiance. It’s hidden in a second floor location on Ontario. I would totally go here again just based on the atmosphere. I saw in a booth against the window with all of these cozy and beautiful pillows. I was so comfortable and relaxed. I felt like I was in an Indian palace with all the colors and low lighting. I love the hard naan wafers they put out right away with the different dipping sauces. I had a glass of wine and this vegetarian eggplant dish with basmati rice and naan bread. Loved the food and loved the ambiance, it would be perfect for a date night.

Came by here for Sunday brunch /​lunch buffet. I really enjoyed the paneer, chicken tandoori, and the chicken curry (maybe it was masala?). Those were my top three, but overall I thought the buffet dishes in general we’re very good. Even the veggie dishes were good, but definitely on the spicy side of the spectrum. SO BEWARE!
Anyways, Sunday brunch cost us $ 16 per person which isn’t bad in my opinion for all you can eat. The one thing that really bothered me during my visit though was the fact there was a water leak from the ceiling, and they didn’t bother to put out a bucket to catch it or rope off the affected area. Someone could’ve easily walked right under it after grabbing a full plate of food and gotten water onto their plate. =(I only mention this because it almost happened to me.
Aside from that, a very good place to grab traditional Indian food IMO. ‘Til next time, cheers!

We loved the food — Biriyani was absolutely amazing. One of the best I have had in quite a while. Yum!
Tandoori chicken was very dry and not tasty but this was the only negative in the entire lunch buffet menu.
Our waiter was very sweet and very attentive.
I am giving a rating of 3 only because of the surly fellow that greeted us. The management seriously needs to change the person welcoming customers in. What is the use of the amazing food and good service staff if customers get put off walking in and meeting the unfriendliest person behind the desk!!!
That said, if you are in Chicago, you must visit this restaurant for a truly scrumptious Indian meal!

My recommendation would be to visit the lunch buffet. Great price, great options and great food. You can get all the classics and try new dishes.
With both vegetarian and meat dishes, it’s perfect for all kinds of crowds and they’re able to accommodate large groups.
Service is always friendly — one of my favorite spots.

Worst Indian restaurant. Service is terrible.
Food doesn’t taste authentic. I would never go back.

I came to eat here because it was a central location for a number of friends coming from different points in the city.
In that respect the place is great.
As far as the food?
Run-​of-​the-​mill Indian. Nothin’ Special.
Expensive, too.
didn’t outright suck, but…

Korma is bone in and brown with no sweet or nutty taste. Nothing like I have ever tasted. Waiter said they had been doing it this way for 10 years. I have been eating Kormas since the 80’s and this is the first one I have ever tasted like this. I try a korma at every new Indian restaurant !!!

This place has the best indian in chicago. I rate its all vegetarian dishes superb as i dont eat non veg stuff, i would recommend its cold coffee in drinks and for main course malai kofta, punjabi chilli paneer, chana masala, IG dhaniya paneer is their specialty and there are more to taste from, ans lastly i forgot to name their veg biryani which is appropriately made and served in the haandi

2.5 stars. The lunch buffet is good, but if you’re spoiled by Diwan street, you will feel that the meal leaves something to be desired. I was disappointed in their buffet lunch dessert options.

Overall: Great lunch buffet that tastes great and is easy and quick
The good: Great tasting food that was hot on the buffet line. Plenty of options for both veggies and non-​veggies. Everything tasted authentic and delicious. The service was quick with the plates for seconds and fast on the water and naan.
The bad: Pricey, 20 bucks is a little steep for lunch. It’s a buffet, but I’ve had cheaper Indian buffet nearby.
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Food: ⁸⁄₁₀

Having lived in India, I am a snob when it comes to good indian food. Indian food is usually a bottom pick for me when going out to eat primarily because I don’t like Indian restaurants in downtown Chicago. That changed with my visit to Indian Garden when I visited with 5 friends.
We tried a number of different dishes — tandoori chicken, Bombay tikki chaat, Bhindi masala, dhania paneer, Chana masala, chicken biryani, bread basket, ras malai, warm gulab jamun and kulfi.
Items I wouldn’t repeat — tikki chaat, biryani (too wet for my liking), ras malai
Items I would definitely repeat — tandoori chicken (amazing!!), Bhindi masala, gulab jamun and kulfi
This place is really a 3.5 since I waited 30 minutes with a reservation however that tandoori chicken helped bump it up to a ⁴⁄₅! Also it is quite reasonably priced at $ 20 pp.

Indian Garden provides a great dining experience for dates, families, and groups of friends. My group of three and I made a reservation online prior to coming on a Saturday night. We were seated Immediately, and due to how crowded this place gets on a Saturday night, I would strongly suggest making a reservation. Due to the restaurant being on the second floor of the building, it actually has a nice little view of Ontario street, which is cool.
The menu is very large and there is a good amount of meat and vegetarian options. We started with their appetizer sampler platter, and that was both tasty and a good value. I had a tough time deciding on a main dish. The waiter ended up recommending one of the lamb dishes. The dish was pretty good, but it wasn’t quite spicy enough for me unfortunately. It was too toned down, but now I know to ask for more heat next time. Please note that rice is a extra cost, but the order of rice is enough for two people.
Food, service, and atmosphere make this place a good option in the Streeterville neighborhood

It has been said by others, average food and very expensive. 15 $ for a dish and I had to order rice separate.
Another thing that irked me is that I ordered the Chicken Korma and the chicken came with the bones in. This lead to me having to dig around bones and accidentally chomp down on one. This is seriously the only time that I have seen Korma made by this and it just feels lazy.

Delicious indian food with good portions. The crab curry was my favorite but the eggplant and paneer, along with all the different breaks and briyani rice were all very well done. No complaints except the slightly slow waiter service.

I got take out so can’t comment on the service. All I have to say about this place is average Indian food, inflated prices. Entrée didn’t even come with a side of rice. Will not order their food again.

My date spilled some of her food and sighed, «at least that’s one less bite I’ll have to eat.» She wasn’t impressed with our meal. Neither was I. The Paneer Makhani she ordered didn’t taste like Paneer Makhani. Both it and the Rogan Josh I chose were quite flavorless. The portions were also small for the price.
The service was attentive and our water glasses were promptly refilled. The restaurant was tastefully decorated with artwork from India. Though the service and décor may have been A-​OK, I can’t, in all good conscience, give this place three stars. The food left too much to be desired.

The food here is decent. I came here for lunch and they have lunch buffet. There were a variety of selections: lamb, chicken, spinach paneer, potato, beans, lentils, and salad. They taste pretty good for me as a Chinese however I can’t tell if they are authentic or not. Most curries/​dishes are spicy, which led me to eat lots of desserts to compensate. They have donut in syrup (hot) and fruit cream (cold) for desserts. I’m kinda disappointed for not finding kheer and mango ice cream for desserts which are offered at Gaylord on oak street. The lunch buffet is around $ 15-​ish/​person. Northwestern student can get a 10% off discount:))
The place is large and bright, which is better than Gaylord. However I do gave Gaylord a higher rating for the food.

Tasty food, great atmosphere, location on River North but feels like you aren’t, all at a reasonable price. What’s not to love? The restaurant’s on the 2^nd floor, and that combined with the festive décor inside it doesn’t feel like you are in downtown Chicago. At the end of the meal you do pay River North prices, but since the food and atmosphere are both better than average it’s definitely worth it in my opinion.
Chicken tikka masala was the star of the meal. Delicious on it’s own and also excellent when paired with the garlic naan (I can’t get enough of this stuff). The mango lassi was great, and seemed simple enough I’ve tried it at home (although not as good as made at the Garden). The gulab jamun and papdi chaat were both average. Since I was there at the same time as brunch I checked out the buffet, but wasn’t feeling their offering at the time. I am interested to try the lunch buffet, as I’ve heard some good things about it.

Best indian food i tried so far
Lamb biryani is amazing
A little bit pricey but it worth it

Last two weeks I have been focusing on Indian food.
Large, generic Indian restaurant.
Food: OK. A bit Americanized. Too mild.
Naan: good.
Service. Nice. But i had to push them to get a larger table for six in a better part of the restaurant for us (4 people). They worried they would be full. Sure enough the restaurant remained more than half empty (or should i say «half full»)
Valet: good and $ 12 cheap for the location. $ 8 extra tip made it fair.