Charkha Exotic Indian Cuisine

Place is serious, no doubt I will visit again. Chicken curry and Naan was perfection. Ritesh picked a winner, my friend, we will eat again. Ritesh we will create technology architectures together. Ravi Shankar rest in peace, I love music.
I enjoy the food and the food refreshes me. Clears my sinus. Chicken chilli next time and also Tandoori. A special feeling. I will hold back on five stars because restaurant is new and I don’t want for them to begin to feel 2 big for their bridges.

I came to this place with some friends to celebrate a birthday and it was really great! The food was really authentic, and I got a somosa, garlic naan as well as chicken tikka masala.
The service was kind rough though because they just wouldn’t come over and were slow to bring out the food which knocked it down the star.
It is a very tiny restaurant and very cute though, so I think that it is worth going if you are okay with being pateint.

I really wanted to leave a review for this place because they were so good to me and my family. I had just graduated college and we needed to get lunch before my family headed out. Charkha was about to close but when we called them and explained they told us to come on in. They kept the place open for us!
Apart from that, the food was great and reasonable prices. We had the lamb saag, tandoori chicken, samosas, paneer pakoras, tandoori platter, garlic naan, paratha, and some other dishes I can’t remember. We also had an Indian beer and a few Chai teas. Everything was delicious and came out fast. And the waiter was very nice, attentive without hovering, and corteous. Plus, the place is clean and has a nice look inside – nothing crazy or original, but nice.
Would definitely come here again.

Visited Saturday around noon for the lunch buffet. We almost missed it because one of the doors was locked and the open sign wasn’t lit, but it was indeed open, just empty. Another 5 or so people had come in by the time we left, but it was still pretty dead.
The service was good. We never had to ask for more water, as our cups were always being refilled. They brought fresh naan to the table (a little burned). There were about 12 – 15 items on the buffet (2 chicken dishes, several hot vegetable dishes, 2 desserts, rice, salad, chutneys, raita, samosas, etc.), and we were pleased with the food. My husband said the tandori chicken was better than average, and I thought the saag paneer was better than most restaurants as well.
The only negative part of our experience were the bathrooms. The stairwell to get downstairs was absolutely filthy. The walls are painted white and there is food or something splattered all over them. The bathrooms themselves also are not very welcoming or particularly clean. I was glad that I didn’t go down the stairs until after we finished because it probably would have enjoyed my food less having seen the state of the stairs/​bathroom.
Overall the food was good, and even if the basement could use some attention, we didn’t get sick, so the hygeine in the kitchen must be better. I would go back.

Aloo Gobi was undercooked.
Samosa Chaat was pretty good, large portion.
Paratha was bad, undercooked and poorly layered.
Mango Lassi was fine.

Charkha, thank you for serving great food and being so close to where I live!
Fun fact: if you look at Charkha on Google Maps and do street view, you can actually look INSIDE the restaurant! Try it — you can go «inside.» Thought this was pretty cool.
I walked into Charkha one afternoon, desperate for some Indian food and a place to study for the GMATs. This was sometime between lunch and dinner, so the place was pretty empty. The servers were really nice — I told them I was trying to get some work done, so they gave me a larger table even though I was by myself.
I was a bit boring and ordered the Tikka Masala, but it was extremely delicious as well as filling — it came with rice, and I ordered some naan to scoop up the excess sauce. The meal came out really quickly, so I didn’t actually get much work done, but it was super delicious and perfectly spicy (they ask you what level you want). My waiter frequently checked on me and refilled my water (very necessary), and was exceptionally polite.
I’m going to be back — I’d like to see how their lunch buffet is.

Very nice, tasty and fresh tasting naan! We were extremely happy with every thing from service to simple ambience to food .
We tried mostly vegetarian. Started with the chicken soup, then we ordered Paneer Pakora, garlic and peshawari naan, paneer chilly and bhindi masala.
Loved Naan
Loved chicken soup (tasted very indian)
Paneer Pakora was very good
Curries were okay but with two suggestions :
Paneer chilly had too much tomato ketchup taste but it was crispy and nice. Bhindi masala didn’t have enough «okra» in it.
Over all, it was not really the best I ever had but its better than Saffron Pinch we tried earlier. May be, relatively it is best for Indian cuisine in Cleveland since I have not found one yet.
The tip would be to stick to authentic Indian cuisine for chefs rather than solely trying to modify to suit the audience. Although, by far, this was close to authentic.

Chicken soup was amazing and I should have ordered 6 bowls of this for dinner. I bet the lentil soup is great too and I will try it next time.
I had a Lamb Korma as my entrée. Surprisingly it came with rice! The sauce was great and the raisins and nuts toppings complimented the dish. The only downside was the lamb was a bit overcooked and dry. I’ll definitely be back and look forward to trying other dishes.

As promised, I returned to Charkha, and unfortunately, was not met with anything that led me to want to update my review back to it’s initial 4 star status.
Charkha delivered an extreme mix of an experience. Went at 12:30 pm during Saturday Lunch for the buffet. Great naan, but not very good Daal or Palak Paneer. Great gravy for the chicken, but dry tandoori chicken. Limited selection for the price (no pakoras or samosas or anything). Not very good idli sambar.
What started out with the potential to be a truly great Indian restaurant, even without the qualifier «for Cleveland» unfortunately is now at a point where it is an OK restaurant for Cleveland.
*sigh*

Came here for lunch on a snowy New Year’s Eve Monday. My sweetheart discovered this place through a local Unilocal event and suggested I give it a shot. A regular patron of another traditional, homestyle Indian restaurant down in Georgia, I thought I should try out the buffet-​style Indian meal for lunch that is prevalent with many of these food establishments. The décor was simple yet elegant. The place was dead; somebody ran to the back to grab the hostess to have my family seated and so there was this odd moment of waiting. However the water was brought out immediately, and I ordered a sweet lassi drink. It was rather delicious; cold, creamy, and not full of ice.
I had to try everything. Mind you, I went back to the buffet line twice after just to make sure what I grabbed wasn’t a bad batch or to verify that the food was indeed that good. Mixed results. All the food being served was uncovered, so the heat retention wasn’t there and the Sterno cans could not maintain proper heat distribution. Scary thought of food-​borne illness. I dove in anyway; trying to get the pieces closer to the bottom of the pan whilst crossing my fingers.
The basmati rice was great and I grabbed small portions of each entrée to sample and stir up the taste buds. Lets narrow down to what I like and didn’t like. Here are my personal downs: the salad was slightly browning and the cucumbers were sliced rather thick than I would have preferred, nor did the raita yoghurt dressing helped much with flavor in a bland salad. The daal makahni (black lentils with herbs and spices) I couldn’t care for much, though others may find it to their liking. I can’t remember how the aloo saag (spinach and potatoes) tasted, but it’s another one of those dishes I can pass on since the mushy texture of spinach didn’t jibe with my appetite.
The naan flatbread was a little more than crispy for me, however the tender baked portions were just fantastic! I fancied the onion pakora (onion fritters), chana masala (garbanzo beans with herbs and spices), navaratan korma (mixed vegetables in a cheesy cream sauce), chicken chilli (sautéed chicken with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes)… not a fan of spicy foods, but this didn’t make me break a sweat and was one of my favorite dishes, malai wings — I want the recipe for this, mint chutney (!), and tamarind chutney (!). The chutneys were not overbearing in flavor and I couldn’t help but to swipe the tasty wings in them with every bite. Had a small helping of the gulab jamun (milk balls in sugar syrup) which tasted like doughnut holes bathed in diabetes. The kheer was a delightful sweet rice pudding to end the meal with.
Cheap eats, great variety of food, local, ambient music, clean interior. The basement bathroom could use a little spiffying and it ran ice cold water. Service was excellent, and as it should be since there were only two other tables by the time we finished our meal. I will have to come back for dinner next time when I’m back in town. Oh, and that gentleman in the back corner staring at my table: please don’t; it is rude and downright creepy. Would I come back? Yes.

3 stars for my first visit. I think I’ll have to come back and try a few more things… I keep seeing these 5 star ratings and they have me curious.
Arrived the evening of hurricane Sandy. There were a few booths full but most of the restaurant was empty. We grabbed a booth and were promptly served papad (yum — only gave us 3 pieces though) and water.
We ordered the vegetarian indo-​chinese chili (cauliflower) and the lamb curry. We also got the vegetable pakora (fried vegetable fritters) and the garlic naan. The naan was really good, and so was the pakora. The lamb curry had good flavor, but it wasn’t as spicy as we thought it would be (though we ordered medium). It was also the first time I had indo-​chinese chili, and I thought there was a little bit too saucy. The flavor was sweet and sour, which was good, but too overwhelming with all the sauce. Maybe someone who has had a lot of indo-​chinese flavors can tell me more.
The service was pretty good, quick, and attentive. I think we’ll be coming back to try more, and we’ll definitely be back for the $ 9 lunch buffet.

Tried Charkha for the first time this week based on Unilocal reviews. I have to say: some of the best Indian food I’ve had in the US so far. Service is super friendly and attentive. After some appetizers (Tandoori) we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Dhansak and a vegetarian dish. The Tikka Masala had a slightly different taste than I’m used to — more tomato-​taste… VERY good. Never had the Lamb Dhansak before anywhere but I loved it, esp the chickpeas.
All in all a great and affordable dinner, I will definitely be back when I’m in Cleveland!

I’ve been sitting on this for too long– but this is easily the best Indian restaurant I’ve found in Cleveland. I’ve been here 3 times so far and each time its been great, from the food to the service.
At this point I’ve tried all the appetizers, my favorites are the samosas and the vegetable pakoras.
The Pashwary Naan and Onion Naan were delicious, and as for entrees, I always go back to the Chicken Vindaloo or Makhani. I always say I’ll try others, but can’t pull myself away, they’re both so good. Maybe next time.

I was looking for an Indian cuisine near downtown and this place popped up with very good reviews on Unilocal.
I was there for Sunday afternoon lunch buffet at 11:30 AM. There were only two people in the hall and lunch was served fresh and hot, just like it should be served! This was menu for lunch buffet: salad, raita, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, tandoori chicken, lamb biryani, dum aloo, chole, tadka daal, basmati rice, rice pudding and gulab jamun. Naan was served fresh on the table, which was very very nice!
Ambiance is good in this place with high ceiling and a large hall, most likely from the previous establishment, with a large bar. Parking is easy to find on the street or in nearby lots.
Food is very good. I really liked it a lot actually. I was particularly impressed by the taste of daal. I enjoyed everything on the menu. Unlike some indian places in Cleveland metro area, it is not extra spicy and reasonably priced. I had a chat with the chef and he seemed to be very open to criticism and suggestions !!
I have a feeling I will be a regular here.

Just tried their $ 8.99 lunch buffet, and it was great. Also surprisingly cheap! A nice selection, with all but two items being vegetarian. I went late in the lunch hour and the food wasn’t the freshest by then, but still very good. Nice casual atmosphere too, and friendly service. I’ll be back!
As best I can recall, they had in the lunch buffet (on a Monday):
Naan (brought in a basket, and not stale as can happen when places keep it on the buffet)
Pakoras
Rice with cilantro… lots of cilantto!
Dahl (various beans, not just dahl)
Palak paneer
Chana masala
A potato dish
Two chicken dishes
Two desserts (including warm gulab jamun, my favorite)
Raita, tamarind, and mint chutney (the mint chutney was unusual to me – kind of yellow but good)
Salad
Crunchy bread squares (don’t know the name) for the salad
(No pickle or hot chutney that I noticed – which would have been nice to have in the buffet)
It looked like they had some interesting drinks, lassees etc. – I’ll try those next time.
I do have one quibble: the rest rooms. Reasonably clean at least, but to be avoided at all costs! They are down in the basement (no wheelchair access I guess) and very dark and cramped. Remember the basement in the Blair Witch Project? So, you know what I’m talking about. The lone toilet stall is so tiny (and with no coat hooks) that you pretty much have to stand on the toilet to get the door closed. And then you can’t see a thing because almost no light gets into the stall. The toilet paper is on a weird stick that falls on the floor and lands in… whatever it is that ends up on mens’ room floors next to a toilet. So do yourself a favor, don’t use the toilet paper. All of which might be tolerable except the light is on a very short timer, with a sensor that doesn’t reach into the stall. So you WILL be left in the dark. And no gesture or flailing above/​below the divider will trigger the light. So you’ve got to try to get yourself out of this micro-​stall completely blind. A job for Houdini.
I’m not docking a star, because I avoid all restaurant bathrooms anyway, and I’m really more interested in the incoming food, not the outgoing. (Maybe they’ll upgrade the rest room, if the staff gets tired of the total darkness in there.)
So enjoy the food, but hold it ’til you get home!

Came here with a groupon deal — 2 appetizers, bread, 2 meals and 2 desserts for $ 25…great way to taste a lot on the menu of a new place!
The vegetable platter was really filling and tasty. The garlic naan is SUPER garlicky! (but you can easily scrape some of that off). I got the eggplant, mild spice, and it was sweeter than spicer. My boyfriend got the mutter cashew medium spicy and it was just enough spice I think. Traditional indian desserts aren’t my thing I guess, but, oh well.
Really attentive service, not crowded but steady stream of people at dinner time… curious what the lunch buffet it like!

Saw this pop up on my Unilocal page and decided I wanted to try it, even if it only had 5 reviews. There isn’t much selection in indian food in this city, so I thought giving it a shot wouldn’t hurt.
And boy, it hurt in a good way. We got a side of the garlic naan to go with our dishes– lamb curry and chicken vindaloo. We went with medium spice for the curry and hot fotr the vindaloo– the burn starts off real slow, as if to trick you into thinking it’s not that hot. But as you keep eating, the burn is more and more apparent– in a good way!
The flavor and quality of the food are excellent. Wonderful and spicy, just what I needed. The garlic naan was fresh, soft, and garlickity-​licious!
Customer service was excellent as well. The staff were nothing but friendly and attentive.
Only thing that was missing was an ice cold beer to accompany my meal, since they’re working on getting their liquor license still.
Great food, great service, and great prices too. I will definitely return!

Damn fine indian food. I’ve eaten my fair share around the globe and i was impressed. spicy lamb vindallo and a goat curry (#1 meat eaten in the world) with the best garlic naan i’ve ever had. parathas and puri were good too along with the raita, mint chutney, tamarind and pickles. oh, and we had some tandoori as well. delicious.
go support these folks. they’re doing a fabulous job. nothing worse than bad indian food and these guys are a far cry from that insipid confused stuff you tend to find on 6^th street in nyc. the food at charkha is really nuanced and stays true to the art of indian cooking.
super nice owners. great service.
just do it.

I live right across the street from Charkha and I was ecstatic when it opened up. I’ve eaten there three times now and I was very impressed every time. Their vindaloo is excellent (and very spicy!), their Daal is very authentic, and they make amazing Samosas. I was a little disappointed in the Pakoras, but everything else has been spot-​on. The food is quick, the service is great, and it’s nice and spacious inside. Absolutely worth a try if you’re in the warehouse district. I recommend it!
The service is good, too; we ordered some appetizers to put out at a party we were having and they gave us free rice pudding.
As a note, it is still getting put together, empty TV brackets in a few spots, and there is a bar but they haven’t worked out the liquor license yet as of this writing.

This place opened in — no time flat! Yes, the décor is still in «flux» — but who cares. The food is good!
I tried the Chana Masala w/​the Roti — and it was great! I ordered it in Medium and kind of wish I’d gone for the «Medium — hot» option. It wasn’t quite spicy enough. I could have used more kick, but other establishments have made me scared to even mention the word «hot.»
The wait staff is still figuring things out, but they are extremely friendly! There were frequent visits to the table, but hey — i don’t mind. That means we didn’t go thirsty! As for our drinks, they suggested we try the Indian Spiced Iced Tea. It was amazing! I’m craving more of it right now. It is very flavorful and a great summer treat.
The price for the portions is great. Dinner prices has most dinner prices at $ 9 — $ 13.