Spice-n-Grill

Adore this place! Loved the service and the food was on point! I walked a mile to eat here because the place in the loop was closed on Wednesdays. Upon walking up to the restaurant it looks a little sketchy but wow, oh wow, did this place blow me out of the water. I ordered the goat korma and my boyfriend got the chicken tikka. The naan bread was fresh and delicious. I have nothing but great things to say about this place other than I wish they were in my town!

Pretty solid family-​owned desi restaurant. The location is a little sketchy and there isn’t a lot of seating inside, but the service and food makes up for it. The chicken tikka masala and lamb tikka masala were delicious. The only negative thing about the food was that the naan isn’t fresh. If you’re craving desi food this place is a good option!

It only took one visit for me to declare this as my new go-​to/​favorite Indian/​Pakistani restaurant. First off, the owner was super friendly and accommodating, given that it was our first time there and we had questions about the menu. Secondly, we were there at 4 pm during Memorial Day Weekend, and the tables were already full by the time we got our food to go. That should tell you something.
We ordered the beef nihari and chicken tikka masala — they were both delicious, well cooked, and well portioned. The beef in the beef nihari was plentiful and very tender, and the sauce was wonderful. The chicken tikka masala actually impressed me more — the sauce is not just creamy, but it’s actually a little chunky, with bits of tomatoes/​other veggies (?) pureed into the sauce. Both these dishes were refreshing and cemented Spice n Grill’s identity for me right then and there — that their dishes certainly could not be replicated anywhere else. Because the tikka masala is a popular/​common crowd pleaser dish, I found it impressive that for once an Indian restaurant didn’t take shortcuts to just give the people a boatload of sauce and skimp on ingredients and quality. There’s no way I could go anywhere else for these dishes after our visit here.
The only downside was that the garlic naan did not taste fresh as the dough’s texture was too chewy/​hard. That’s something we were willing to overlook because the entrees were too good.
They have a weekend special from 11 am — 2:30 pm that includes chana masala, two other dishes, and fried bread.

The owner was friendly, attentive, and funny. We got samosas, palak paneer, chicken tikka masala, and garlic naan. It was all awesome! It was all made fresh and came out hot.

Best Indian food we have found in St. Louis.
It is very small and therefore the food may take awhile if there are many orders.
We will be back regularly.

If I could give zero stars I would. I have never been treated with such disrespect and this coming from someone who has spent close to 10 years in the industry.
I’ll start off that I have been to here twice. Once 6+ months ago and then again today. The first time the food was average but I preferred other places over so I hadn’t been back. I decided to give them another try today because of the snowy weather and they are located close by.
I ordered takeout that consisted of paneer tikka masala and naan bread. When I got home I realized they had given me Palak Paneer. I immediately call them to correct the order, the owner reluctantly says if I bring it back untouched he will give me what I actually ordered after much attitude.
When I show up 25 minutes later with the order untouched he then tells me I owe him one dollar for the price difference. I couldn’t believe it, I just had to drive here twice because of his mistake in the crap weather and he really is asking for a dollar. So I hand him my debt card, he looks at me and says cash only. Mind you I had JUST paid with my debt card for the order the first time. I tell him I don’t have cash on me and even open my wallet to show him. He then takes the new dish and slams/​slides it across the counter with out any words I walked out.
In short: service was inexcusable and the food is mediocre at best. I’d recommend Taj Mahal if looking for great food and service in the area.

I used to come here all the time when I worked in U City back in 2012. I revisited here after a few years and the quality is still fantastic. I love the chicken curry, garlic naan and the rice. The kheer is lightly sweet and is a great cool desert after an entrée of intense spice. I missed coming here and will have to visit here more often for authentic Indian and Pakastani food.

Carry out– Lamb Curry.
Ok…I’ll admit the flavor of the Lamb curry was really really good. And the meat incredibly tender (although at least one of the chunks tasted like beef… which seems to be a common practice at some lower end Indian joints even when you order what you think is 100% lamb). Probably the biggest shocker was that I don’t think any actual“cooking” happened. The woman in back pulled a large vat from a cooler. Nowwhere was there the sound or smell of cooking. Yes… I think they just heated up some premade curry in the microwave. Again… incredible tasty. And the naan… I literally think it was the same stuff you buy in the freezer or in the bread aisle at some grocery stores. You know… that sort of longish triangle with rounded corners? Sure it was warm but not at all crispy… again, I think it was just microwaved. I do a better job at home with the store bought in my toaster oven.
Lastly… not a lot of food for $ 15. I had to buy the one lame piece of naan. And he said he put some rice in the bag as if it didn’t come with that. Lol.
So… again, it was some very very good lamb curry. (I just finished it. Too bad there wasn’t a lot more). And I guess curry gets better after a few days in the fridge like chili… but I won’t be going back. Not the least of which reason was the general weird «non restaurant» feel of the place and that they were cutting up raw chicken right behind the counter… practically right next to the cash register. So one minute he’s cutting up chicken, then taking my order, then cutting up chicken again, then putting my order in a bag and ringing me out. Maybe there was a sink right there and some hand washing? I don’t know. Just odd. Again… good, albeit small amount of food. But im just hoping to god I don’t come down with salmonella.

It pains me to report the following since it is said of an establishment run by two very kind people. Despite the owners’ charms, our meal at Spice N Grill was subpar.
Our party of four dined-​in at one of the three tables available within this diminutive restaurant. The miscommunications began as soon as our inquiries. The owner was evasive about unlisted prices and could not keep track of the number of items ordered (although this coincided with the number of occupied seats at the table.)
My friend’s wife and I both ordered the weekend special. Inexplicably, we were brought out one set of bowls containing the various parts of the special. At first, we assumed another set would be coming. After a few minutes, we decided the cook must have combined our portions to mitigate the dirty dishes. In hindsight, we should have asked, but our checkered past interactions discouraged us from doing so. Alas, the shallow servings were inadequate to satiate two less-​than-​ravenous patrons.
The restaurant appeared to be cutting corners elsewhere, too. The garlic naan was neither hot nor fresh and, I suspect, not homemade. As a disappointing finale, the owner was either unwilling or unable to split the bill between the couples.
What food there was-​naan not withstanding-​met our expectations. The chai was unremarkable beyond its extremely high temperature. I want to re-​iterate that the owners smiled frequently at us, cracked a joke, and mirthfully explained the unidentified dessert that came with the special was Cream of Wheat that had been dyed with food coloring. Perhaps this was an off-​day. (The other positive reviews suggest this is the case.) Perhaps if their revenues revive, patrons will be amply fed. While I wanted a little establishment like this to become our default Indian food place, we will not be returning.

Delightful chicken tikka masala and vegetarian samosas. Owner was very friendly! I’ll be back.

We stopped by Spice-​n-​Grill last night. I had this place bookmarked for some time but didn’t really know that they focus more on carry-​out orders than dine in. You can eat there, but the space is pretty sparse. There are a handful of tables. We arrived at 8 and the kind man said that he would be closing early due to take care of something with his family. He said he can whip something up for us to take to-​go which was fine with us.
We chose samosas, chicken tikka masala, beef nihari, and alu gobi. He asked how spicy we wanted the dishes. The wife isn’t keen to heat so we said mild. All the dishes still had a good kick to them. So much that she didn’t eat the beef or cauliflower. The food was good, and I really liked the flavors. The samosas were hand-​made but the naan was straight out of a bag. In fact, it was a little hard in a few spots where it must have dried out.
All in all, I’d revisit this place, and loved that the couple working inside were clearly the owners. But I don’t think it beats places closer to my home.

Great Indian restaurant! I arrived just before closing and was able to order chicken saag with garlic naan. The food is delicious! The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife — the husband was working the front counter and the wife was in the kitchen cooking. Great spot for carry out or a quick bite. It’s about the food and not the décor.

I literally live 7 minutes away from here and it took me 2 years to come. King Doc came before I moved to the area and said his portion was really small for the price so i stayed away. But soOOOO glad i finally stopped in.
First Mr. Spice-​n-​Grill was a breath of fresh air, super nice and funny. I got the Chicken Biryani, i choose a medium spice which was perfect, i choose the garlic naan because i was really hungry at the time.
The Goat Though. Now you will get to know I am a huge fan and boy did they deliver. I don’t know what happened when King Doc went but i had sooo much food I ate it for 2 days and shared some with him and Chef Veto.
Yes I will be back. Keep in Mind I do not eat in because I live nearby but there are a couple of tables if you want to eat in.

Spice-​N-​Grill has become one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the St. Louis area.
Run by a friendly husband and wife team a couple miles from the loop, this place consistently delivers some of the most flavorful Indian food around.
Food is made to order, and you can also customize the spiciness of your dish. I opt for medium which is fairly spicy, so if you don’t like a lot of heat you may want to let them know.
I highly recommend the insanely delicious Chicken Tikka Masala and the unique Goat Pishwari. The Aloo Gobi is an excellent vegetarian option, and the chapati bread is a nice alternative to naan.
I should disclose, however, that this place is small, brightly lit, and lacks the ambiance of some of the larger Indian restaurants in town. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for incredible food with bold flavors I’d strongly suggest giving Spice-​N-​Grill a try.

The owners of Spice-​n-​Grill used to own an Indian joint down the street near the Olive/​I170 intersection called simply «Indian Food». I was terribly heartbroken when it decided to close up and subsequently elated when they decided to open up a primarily take-​out operation north of the Loop area (right next to Schnucks).
This place caters more towards a «native» palate than other Indian restaurants in STL. For one, they don’t use as much cream in their sauces as other places and offer spicier options. The real difference between this place and other is their selection of unique dishes. They have unique dishes like the Beef Nihari, Lamb Nihari, and Goat Pishwari. These dishes are not often found in other Indian joints in STL. I’d suggest going for one of these. It’s their specialty. I would also recommend their plain roti/​chappati. These are Indian bread items that resemble Mexican tortillas than naan. I find them to be a better vessel to scoop up curries than naan, since they’re not as filling.
Go forth and explore this really cool mom and pop place in U City!

Fantastic service from the owners at lunch, great prices, large portions.
My chicken tikka masala was phenomenal, as I was able to customize the spiciness (many places around here don’t ask). This was more proof of fresh food made to order.
I will definitely be coming back, but bring cash if you’re spending less than $ 15!

Just went for the first time, had Lentil Daal and Alu Gobi. Both were excellent, well-​seasoned and spicy enough to sweat a bit (great on this hot day). The owner and his wife we very hospitable, when we told him we were comfortable with spice, we did get our own ice water pitcher, which was never empty, but was put to good use.
Recommend for both take out and dine in, want to do lunch specials on the weekends for hangover fixers as well.

We arrived in town at that least fortunate time of day — when some restaurants close up between lunch and dinner. We had intended to go to a different Indian restaurant closer to The Loop (if that is what it is called) but it was closed. However, we had cultivated a serious yen for Indian food — and living in Rolla, where there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of Indian students, but not a single Indian *restaurant,* we needed a back-​up plan. We pulled up Unilocal as we stood outside in the freezing cold (this was back in February 2015) and found this place. We walked in that direction — it was not the most scenic of routes, but Missouri in winter is not that picturesque to begin with.
We ended up ordering I think we got chicken Makhani, lamb palak and a biriani. And shared a mango lassi too — we had worked up an appetite both while deciding what to do and walking over! The food was really excellent — the meat was all very tender, and the spices were spot-​on. I would definitely eat here again, although it seems like they mostly do take-​out: the restaurant has maybe 4 tables, and is in a weird parking lot they share with a barbershop full of unfriendly-​looking youths. The owner, like everyone has said, was personable and attentive — although I have NEVER had a server at a restaurant — owner or not — demand that we «finish that last bit» of a dish. It was just weird to be scolded like a child because we were full. He also insisted that we write a Unilocal review for the place — I guess it worked in the end, but again was just kind of weird for an owner to say.
But, when the food is really good, one can overlook a lot. Give it a try!

My friends like their Indian and Pakistani food spicy, and this place delivers. One calls it the closest to British Indian curry he’s found, and they go here regularly.
I can’t handle the spicy, but I did love the chappati bread and the chicken tikka masala. Better prices, serving sizes, and service that most other Indian restaurants I’ve been to.
See the pictures of the food and the current menus. The place is small, but the service and food make you feel like these people have welcomed you into their home for a homecooked Indian meal. High recommendation — soo good!

Always love coming here and the owner is a nice, friendly, guy. The chicken tikka masala is better than any other I’ve ever had. Reminds me a little bit of butter chicken but better! Beef nihari is excellent also and the beef is super tender. Naan could be improved however we always get the chapatti which is a nice change of pace and very excellent.
My favorite Indian food in STL!