Indian in Dallas

18101 Preston Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-381-0003

Indian, Pakistani, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu, Slideshow

This versatile North Dallas eatery seemingly does it all, from killer chaat — street snacks — to Desi-style pizzas topped with curry spices and paneer. The chaat is some of the area’s best, and probably the finest within Dallas city limits, but it’s the crisp-bottomed, warmly spiced pizza that has won our hearts and occasionally sends our minds wondering why this inspired fusion of cultures isn’t served at more local restaurants.

4 articles

8 Cloves

920 S. Harwood St. Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-272-7311

Indian

1 article

Akbar Indian Restaurant

301 W. Parker Rd., Ste. 115 Plano

972-422-4398

Indian, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

No-fuss Indian food seems to do the trick when it comes to pleasing the masses, but Akbar does much more with its Mughal (North Indian) cuisine. Specialty dishes include Barra Akbari (skewered lamb marinated with yogurt and spices and grilled over charcoal fire). And don't fret about the apparent absence of curry on the menu at first glance -- a closer look reveals the Murg Curry Shahajani, a chicken dish from the time of the Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal, or perhaps the Murg Goblwala with cauliflower. Samosas also make an appearance, as does the omnipresent lunch buffet. Thankfully, the Mughal food (otherwise know as royal cuisine) doesn't come with a hefty price tag. Plus, the BYOB policy doesn't hurt.

Al Markaz

1205 W. Trinity Mills Rd. #112 Carrollton/Farmers Branch

972-245-9525

Pakistani, Indian, Critics' Pick, Essentials

For more than two decades years, Al Markaz has been an institution in the Dallas-area Indian and Pakistani communities. Some of the original employees are still here, and the lunch combo is still an outrageously good deal. That long history, and those low prices, are still a big part of the restaurant’s appeal, but there are plenty of good dishes coming out of the kitchen, including lentil stews and probably the best butter chicken within a dozen miles. It’s especially fun to visit in the evening during Ramadan and watch dozens of families arrive simultaneously to order mountainous, fast-breaking meals.

Top pick: The lunch combo includes a piece of naan and appetizer portions of three different main courses. You choose the mains; we recommend the nihari and dal palak (spinach and lentils).

Fun fact: The attached grocery store is excellent, with a wide range of South Asian foods, teas, sodas and English biscuits.

2 articles

Ame

418 N Bishop Ave. Oak Cliff/South Dallas

214-782-9696

Indian

Ame in the Bishop Arts District offers an upscale setting for Indian dishes backed classic French cooking. Think masala baked eggplant with a turmeric béchamel sauce. Lamb chops are cloaked in pistachios and herbs of a perfect mound of pistachio potatoes. Samosas have a surprising pop of heat. The wine menu is extensive and the cocktail menu interesting; try the Massala sour made with Old Forester bourbon. This is a white tablecloth and linen napkins spot in the heart of the Bishop Arts District. The space is bookended by bars; one at the entrance to Ame and another speakeasy style at the back of the restaurant designed to be European-like escape.

3 articles

Basera Indian Cuisine Biryani and Grill

8232 Preston Road No. 125 Plano

972-666-8266

Indian, Menu

Bombay Chowpatty

825 W. Royal Lane Irving/Las Colinas

972-677-7658

Indian, Slideshow

One of Irving’s top places for chaat is Bombay Chowpatty, named after a beach lined with street food vendors. The dining room showcases some of that airy atmosphere, with seats arranged food-hall style around a central open kitchen and many of the walls plastered with beach photos and Bollywood posters. Pav bhaji is a superb order here, as are the bit-of-everything lunch combos. If you just need a snack, go for sabudana vada, deep-fried patties of sago pearls, whole-seed spices and chives; they have the crisp bubbly texture of good tater tots. The fusion items, like a pizza dosa and pineapple-chocolate-cheese sandwich, are just as wild as they sound, so order with caution.

Top pick: If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, skip the European-style sandwiches on white bread and order a frankie, a rolled-up paratha filled with chopped veggies and spices. The paneer frankie here is a reliable and filling vegetarian lunch.

Fun fact: Bombay Chowpatty is one of the few restaurants in the Dallas area with a Jain menu. Because Jain people believe in total nonviolence to all living creatures, their vegetarianism excludes foods grown underground, like onions, to avoid harming small insects by harvesting roots or tubers.

2 articles

Carrollton Town Center

2540 Old Denton Rd Carrollton/Farmers Branch

832-768-3722

Chennai Cafe

3301 Preston Rd. #8 Frisco

972-378-1300

Indian, Vegetarian, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

Chennai breaks the mold of the stereotypical suburban Indian restaurant with clean, modern décor, and thali options instead of buffets. Every meal must be ordered off a sprawling menu that may contain significantly more dishes you don't recognize than ones you do. This is a good thing. The more obscure preparations are the most robust, and many blow the standard curries you’re used to out of the water. Try the vindaloo if you like. But you’re better off with one of the chicken curries cooked on the bone, with so much flavor you’ll have problems with Indian buffets for a while. Don’t skip lunch when the dining room is filled with hungry office workers looking for a quick meal to go. Try the masala dosa, which takes a standard preparation and adds extra spices, cashews and lentils to an already delicious curry. The thalis are fun too, and present a large plate with several different curries in small bowl. Finish with the sweet custard and you’re stuffed.

5 articles

Clay Pit Grill & Curry House

4460 Belt Line Rd. Addison

972-233-0111

Indian, Restaurants, Recommended

If you're new to Indian cuisine and still a bit intimidated by all the unfamiliar dishes out there, Clay Pit is a great place to start. You can ease your taste buds' journey into the unknown by sampling foods with a hint of familiarity, such as the deliciously gooey cream cheese naan or the tangy mango cheesecake. While you're at it, try the kebabs-choose from beef, malai (with chicken) or boti (with lamb). And if you're already a fan of Indian cuisine, fear not: Clay Pit's capable chefs handle all your favorites with care-the curries, daal and channa masala are all up to snuff.

5 articles

Cosmic Café

2912 Oak Lawn Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-521-6157

Indian, Pakistani, Vegetarian, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Cosmic Cafe specializes in first wave vegetarian cuisine, which surely comes as no surprise to passers-by who've taken note of the Tibetan prayer flags lining the front porch or peace-seekers who show up to use the mediation center on the second floor. The food here is plain and artless. There aren't any newfangled vegetables or exotic seasonings on the menu. Instead, Cosmic serves the same bohemian comfort dishes that most co-op members and hostel dwellers have mastered. Tofu, broccoli, bell peppers, ginger, curry, basmati rice and garbanzo beans come together in all the expected ways; a homely "cosmic stir" featuring most of the above is an edible relic of whole earth optimism.

16 articles

Crystal Banquet Hall

6300 Independence Parkway Plano

972-491-6880

Adult, Halal, Indian, Pakistani

rystal Banquet Hall is an elegant event venue in Dallas, TX. We can accommodate corporate events, weddings, rehearsals, birthdays, conferences, fundraisers, Quinceañeras and more! With a touch of modern flair and luxurious atmosphere, Crystal Banquet is perfect for any special occasion. We are a full service event facility in Plano offering you a customized package for your special events.

CurryUp Now

5752 Grandscape Blvd. #310, The Colony Far North Suburbs

972-410-4010

Indian

One thing’s clear: you won’t find your typical rice and curry dishes here. California-based CurryUp Now is an Indian fusion restaurant that serves American-ified renditions of classic Indian dishes. Start your order with sweet potato fries slathered in tikka masala sauce or naan bread garnished with pizza toppings. For mains, fill yourself with a tikka masala rice bowl or perhaps a good old-school burrito filled with chicken tikka. It’s a weird mix between traditional flavors and modern presentation. But when it tastes that good, it’s hard to complain.

1 article

Desi District

6451 Riverside Dr. Irving/Las Colinas

972-913-4730

Indian, Critics' Pick, Best Of

Desi District was already a Las Colinas gem, but has expanded into five locations across Dallas suburbs. Sometimes, expansion means a slip in what we used to love, but the vegetable bhajis, dosas and chaat at Desi District are just as good as ever. The restaurant flourishes from a large industrial-chic dining room with a second-floor banquet space.

Top Pick: Kati rolls like the achari paneer (paneer cubes battered, fried and coated in a gently spicy sauce) make for a wonderfully filling lunch, and they come with a refreshing salad of chickpeas, red beans, corn, red onions and lime juice.

3 articles

EggHolic

7750 N. MacArthur Blvd, Suite 135 Irving/Las Colinas

972-685-7999

Indian

One word: eggs. Eggholic in Irving is any egg lover’s dream, with almost its entire menu featuring some kind of egg protein. Starters include an Indian French toast — fried in a fluffy egg batter — or cheese katori, which features hard-boiled egg halves filled with Indian spices and cheese. The main menu contains egg-filled sandwiches, grated egg curry, and even Indian versions of scrambled eggs and omelets. If you’re craving Indian food, eggs, or even just a high-protein meal, this one’s for you.

Hot Pizza

17194 Preston Rd. North Dallas

469-399-1461

Indian, Pizza

Hot Pizza Dallas opened in Dallas in early 2021, infusing Indian flavors into the world of Italian pizza. Even though it's a curious combination, it's surprisingly good. Since opening, the small spot has gained quite a large fan base of pizza lovers, Indian food enthusiasts and just plain curious foodies. The menu at this low-key pizza spot in Preston Trail Village along Preston Road has an almost daunting number of options. There are 37 different varieties, to be exact. Menu items are separated into sections for vegetarian, paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and chicken pizzas. Pizzas come in 10-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch portions. The large easily feeds three to four people and seems like the best value. Just make some space in the refrigerator for leftovers the next day. For sides, order a box of cheesy Achari Bread, a crispy garlic bread that comes with a powdered Indian pickle (achari) on top. The portion size is on the smaller side but still packs rich flavors of the Indian subcontinent. The Smacking Pesto Bread is made with a similar bread but comes with a spread of pesto and onions, sauteed Indian style.

2 articles

India Haat

4145 Belt Line Road, Suite 218 Addison

Indian

India Palace Restaurant & Bar

12817 Preston Rd. #105 North Dallas

972-392-0190

Indian, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

One of the most – if not the most – highly praised Indian restaurants in Dallas, this Preston Valley eatery has been going strong since 1985. Owner Pardeep Sharma hasn't let popularity, accolades or history diminish the quality of the food here, say diners and critics alike. Of course, there is a lunch buffet offering a selection as varied as the cuisines of the Subcontinent. The buffet doesn't prevent customers from ordering off the regular menu of chicken, lamb and beef presented in curries, roasted or grilled. There is a vegetarian menu, but what may distinguish India Palace from the sea of similar establishments in the area is its service. A special vegetarian Jain menu is available upon request. Moreover, Indo-Chinese, South Indian and Gujarati menus are available for private parties.

1 event 14 articles

Kalachandji's Palace & Restaurant

5430 Gurley Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-821-1048

Indian, Vegetarian, Health, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Kalachandji’s, inside a Hare Krishna temple in East Dallas, lets its employees decide the day’s buffet menu. Whatever they’re serving, it will probably be recognizably Indian or Indian-influenced, it will definitely be vegetarian, and you will be able to eat it in a dining room where the line between indoor and outdoor seating is charmingly blurred. Come by for lunch or dinner every day except Monday and enjoy probably the best buffet in Dallas, and certainly the most memorable. On Thursday nights, there are also come-as-you-are cooking classes, which teach paneer making and other vegetarian techniques.

Fun fact: Only one restaurant on this list, Royal China, has been serving food for longer than Kalachandji’s, which is 37 years old. (Jimmy’s Food Store has been around longer, too, but for its first few decades it was more focused on being a grocery.)

16 articles

Kati Roll Company

1322 Elm St. Northeast Dallas

214-643-6436

Indian, Fusion

Dallas is a hotspot for international spinoffs and Kati Roll Company falls in that bucket. This Indian street food spot by way of New York City opened downtown in early April. Kati rolls are skewered meats coddled in warm paratha flatbread and served with a lime-cilantro chutney made daily. Meats are halal, and mango lassis are made with organic yogurt. Kati Roll Company appears to be in the early opening phase, so check the website before heading over.

Kitchen of Kuchipudi

1102 W. Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway Irving/Las Colinas

972-514-7526

Indian, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu

At Kitchen of Kuchipudi, look for a lunchtime bhojanam, with the choice of vegetarian or “non-veg.” This Irving restaurant specializes in Telugu cuisine from Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, India, and the bhojanam is a massive sample portion, much like a thali, allowing you to try tiny portions of eight or nine excellent curries, stews, chutneys and dips. Refills are allowed, so don’t hesitate to ask for more bread to soak up the richly spiced sauce hugging the stewed mutton. Oh, and there’s a full bar.

Fun fact: “Kuchipudi Indian Kitchen” is the same place. Confusingly, the restaurant uses both names.

1 article

Kumar's

3305 Central Expressway, #275 Plano

469-666-0682

Indian, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Essentials

Kumar’s uses savvy, “small plates” marketing to appeal to a non-Indian audience, but the restaurant is usually buzzing with south Indian guests who know the kitchen is turning out some of the best food in Plano. The menu highlights specialties like thalapakatti biryani, with big, tender pieces of goat mixed into the rice. Kumar’s offers a lot of goat, but vegetarian options abound, too — go for the delightfully spicy cauliflower that’s marinated in seasonings and then fried, roasted eggplant or a masala dosa.

Top pick: The “Breads, But Not The Usual Though” menu section lives up to its promise with some fabulous stuffed breads, parathas, pancakes and kottu, the dish of flaky bread pieces stir-fried with your choice of protein.

1 article

Madras Pavilion

101 S. Coit Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-671-3672

Health, Indian, Vegetarian, Recommended, Menu

This South Indian vegetarian kosher restaurant offers an extensive menu of vegetable dishes and even Indian pizza. But novices can get a sampler with the lunch buffet, which is two-sided and so long it takes up the width of the spacious dining room. Favorites included the naan stuffed with vegetables and spices, curried vegetables, chickpeas with peppers, a coconut/vegetable mixture and vada (fried doughnuts made from lentils and herbs). Along with a buffet comes dosai, a platter-sized crepe filled with a generous scoop of potatoes and peas offered in spicy and non-spicy versions.

2 articles

Manchale

420 Parker Square Rd., Flower Mound Grapevine

Indian

Masala Wok

1310 W. Campbell Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-644-9000

Indian, Restaurants, Menu

This is where South Asian meets the rest of the East, resulting in Indo-Chinese hybrid dishes like the rice n noodles, a combination of masala noodles and fried rice with a choice of chicken, paneer or shrimp. For those who prefer to keep their cuisines geographically separated by, say, the Himalayas, three expected options are available. These include chicken tikka masala and vindaloo as well as kung pao and basil fried rice. For those in the PETA crowd, there is a separate vegan menu that includes options such as veggie Manchuria (vegetable balls made with cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and beans cooked in Masala Wok's Manchurian sauce) and chole masala (chickpeas cooked in curry and topped with fresh cilantro).

1 article

Namak

1700 Pacific Ave. Downtown/Deep Ellum

Indian

The four-paged menu here is both a blessing and a curse. Appetizers range from the chicken manchow soup, a spicy chicken broth crowned with crunchy noodles, to the gobi Manchurian, fried cauliflower bathed in sweet-and-spicy sauce.

If navigating the starters seemed like a formidable task, try perusing through a menu of over 40 different curries, tandoori kebabs and rice-based dishes. Namak’s signature Malai gravy is a cream-based sauce scented with cardamom and clove topped with paneer, chicken or even kofta (deep-fried balls of vegetables and cheese). For those seeking a spicier alternative, go for the dark orange tikka sauce tossed with chicken, paneer or fish. Korma, vindaloo and butter masala curries are all options as well.

Freshly made masala chai is a must-try, served steaming hot and spiced with cinnamon, cloves and dates.

1 article

Peak Restaurant and Bar

3401 W. Airport Freeway #110 Irving/Las Colinas

469-647-5500

Nepalese, Indian, Critics' Pick, Essentials

Irving’s first Nepalese sports bar was worth the wait, and it’s making the rest of the North Texas cities jealous. Only at Peak Restaurant can you watch a football game with a pint of Dos Equis while devouring spiral-topped dumplings filled with chicken and slathered with spicy chile sauce, or a vegetarian thali based on the Himalayan spice mixes used in Nepal’s small Thakali culture. If this is your first time trying Nepalese food, go for badel sadeko: thin, crisp slices of fried pork belly mixed with green and white onions and tossed in a gently spicy sauce.

Top pick: The Thakali thali is a huge mixed platter of stews, pickles, rice and a bowl of super-comforting stewed black lentils.

Fun fact: This is the only place in town to order a round of mango lassi vodka shots.

1 article

Rajwadi Vegetarian Indian Fast Food

9400 N. MacArthur Blvd. Irving/Las Colinas

972-444-0033

Indian, Recommended, Slideshow

It looks like an ordinary veggie burger. The bun is an ordinary bun, gently toasted and glistening with grease. Served on paper, this bun pulls strongly on childhood fast-food memories. The patty doesn’t look like meat, of course, but it doesn’t look too crazy on the outside, either. Maybe the lack of lettuce, tomato or onion is a giveaway that truly transporting flavors are about to hit your tongue. This is dabeli, a chaat from Gujarat that has become one of Rajwadi’s two signature sandwiches. That veggie burger patty is, in fact, mashed sweet potatoes dosed with a brace of curry seasonings. It contains pomegranate seeds for sweet-tart balance, roasted peanuts for crunch and red onions because everything is better with red onions. Fiery-hot, refreshing, crunchy, soft, sinful and vegetarian all at the same time, dabeli is an ingenious snack like nothing else in the world. And, for $5, it is very filling. Rajwadi’s other iconic sandwich is the samosa sandwich ($4.49), a samosa smashed flat and placed on another toasted bun. Hey, it tastes better than it sounds. This is a classic chaat because it adds a little texture and a lot of portability to the samosa. Rajwadi is tucked inside an Indian supermarket with a small but excellent selection of groceries. The sweets are worth trying, and you shouldn’t leave without exploring the frozen meals section, in which $2.50 for a dinner counts as expensive. You also shouldn’t leave the restaurant area without trying sabudana vada ($4.49), crisply fried fritters made with mashed potatoes, tapioca pearls and cilantro. They’re an outstanding snack, and they come with two chutneys, one sweet, the other hot.

1 article

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

8549 Gaylord Parkway, #109 Frisco

469-362-6555

Indian

Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s deep red interiors provide an intimate setting for the fusion of Chinese flavors and Indian classics. The Frisco favorite serves dishes like curry noodles, which combine Chinese rice noodles with Indian curry spices. Another customer favorite is the Indo-Chino chicken, which features chicken marinated in Indian spices and then dunked in Chinese black bean gravy. If you thought you had already experienced everything that lies in the intersection between Indian and Chinese cuisine, this restaurant will make you think again.

1 article

Roti Grill

4438 McKinney Ave. #100 Park Cities

214-521-3655

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

Leave visions of typical, high-quantity, low-quality lunch buffets at the door. Sure, the menu includes Subcontinental standards like tandoori, biryani and curries. But then diners can order from the "Two Step" section, one with the option of upsizing to the Texas portion. Step 1 is a selection of meats, cheese or vegetables. Step 2 allows patrons to choose a sauce, such as green curry, vindaloo or jalfarezi (bell peppers, onions and tomatoes). The heat of the entrées is customizable, ranging from the pedestrian medium to phall ("extra extra hot" à la a summer day in Kerala) for those with an adventurous streak. The best means of cooling your palate is to drink a mango lassi and scarf some of the namesake roti.

5 articles

Roti Grill

6509 W. Park Blvd., Ste. 420 Plano

972-403-7600

Asian, Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

Fast food has sped to a higher life form: Indian. Imagine takeout ventilating from the sack with clove, cumin and coriander on its breath. Imagine a plastic clamshell steaming with lamb balti, tandoori chicken and vegetable masala with a side of vegetable samosas or exotic hot wings. Now groom your lip with a cool mango lassi in a clear plastic cup through a straw. Gripping.

5 articles

Sanjh Restaurant

5250 N. O'Connor Blvd., No. 146 Irving/Las Colinas

972-239-1800

Indian

2 articles

Saravana Bhavan

8604 N. MacArthur Blvd. Irving/Las Colinas

972-506-7755

Indian, Recommended

Saravana Bhavan is a South Indian restaurant in a strip mall in Irving with a strictly vegetarian menu. But don’t get vegetarian food mixed up with the beansprout cookery of a vegan restaurant. There is no texturized bean curd or tofu masquerading as some other animal protein. Every dish is vegetarian because that’s how it was created from the start. The food here is rich, satisfying and highly in demand. In fact, Saravana Bhavan is so popular that a wait in the evenings is the norm. Don’t miss the paper dosa, which is so big it eclipses the plate beneath it, or the chili mushrooms that are breaded and fried before they’re sautéed in an intensely spicy curry. Almost everything here is hot, and the dining room is filled with Indian families who aren’t complaining.

2 articles

Indian in Dallas

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