I was very disappointed in this restaurant. I placed an order for delivery and I was told a half an hour. When an hour went by, I called in and the lady explained to me that she had forgotten to send my order out with the driver the last time, but that she would send it soon. Another half an hour went by before I heard from the driver. He was awesome. I really liked him, but the lady on the phone did not offer me ANY kind of discount or coupon or anything for having to wait for AN HOUR AND A HALF for delivery. I will not be ordering from them again. I was very disappointed that she simply "forgot" my order and then did not want to make up for it in any way. That is very bad business and we will not use this restaurant again. They may be great for eat in, I don't know. But the delivery option sucks. It's not worth the $30 for a one-person meal.
(1)
Hanna B.
I'd like to start by saying I'm pretty new to the whole Indian food thing... so I don't have much to compare this to! BUT! I have tried at least four of the vegetarian dishes here and they were all really good... My favorite so far is shahi paneer, but I also liked the channa masala and malai kofta a lot. The samosas are really yummy. A friend who is more familiar than I am with Indian found the food to be "pretty good" but not amazing. And she said the portion sizes were on the small side for the price, based on her experience. But overall, yum. I crave this on a regular basis!
(4)
Tom P.
We order take-out from Hi Bombay quite often and they are always consistently good. The restaurant itself is nothing special, but I would imagine that a majority of their business is take-out. We usually order the chicken saag and chicken labedar along with the naan. If you like it hot, give them a level and they will spice it as you like it. Definitely some of the best Indian food in Portland!
(4)
Johnny G.
I fully agree with Tom P. This was by far one of the worst experiences in Indian dining ever. How can you mess up samosas? Easy, serve them still frozen in the center. Serious. Bland food...didn't matter what we ordered. slightly different shades of earth tones all the same taste. To top it off we had a groupon and the non-Indian waitress gave us a hard time when we wanted to use it. Save your money. Go to the frozen food section and get a few Indian meals and heat em up at home.
(1)
Rajbir C.
This place has the most amazing indian food that I have had in like ages. I Tried the chicken tikka masala and the keema naan while my friend had the curry chicken with a tandoori roti. The bread was well baked and was perfect. The chicken was tender with all the right flavors in the curry! If you are in Portland ME and looking for Indian food, this is the place.
(5)
Jerry K.
Hi Bombay had a good ambience and great customer service. Food here is fantastic. As recommended by others had the Chana Saag and it was def. out of this world. The nizam appetizer was excellent as well. The mango lassi was decent but I've had better. for the deserts, i thought the Kheer was again superb but din't have the same feeling about the Gulab jamun Overall a food destination for some good Indian cuisine in Portland ME. Do try this place out
(4)
Jon W.
The food was very good and the staff did a good job
(4)
Miss M.
After reading the reviews here, I was looking forward to trying out this restaurant. My boyfriend and I arrived at the restaurant on a Friday evening around 19:00 and were promptly seated by a seemingly nice girl....and that, was the last time we experienced someone nice. Pondering over the menu, we were happy to see some of our favorite foods on the menu. Having picked out multiple dishes, we waited for our waitress to come by and take our drink orders. We waited for 5 minutes and no one bothered to come by and take our drink order. 10 minutes go by and still no waitress. We did notice, however, that she took other people's orders, but not ours. 15 minutes...nothing, 20 minutes...nothing. We got up, put on our jackets while the waitress glanced our direction, and left the restaurant. No one bothered to see why we were leaving! The straw that broke this camel's back is when the waitress seated an Indian family, took their drink order, and came back with whatever they ordered...as me and my boyfriend patiently waited. It is very apparent that this was a case of discrimination against caucasians. What this waitress failed to realize is that my boyfriend is a phenomenal tipper, usually orders at least 3 or 4 main course items, and we will return if the food and service are good. I will NEVER go here again. There are better restaurants in Portland that cater to the customer. That fantastic Indian restaurant in the Old Port is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than this joke of a place. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE...THESE PEOPLE DON'T CARE!
(1)
Rory I.
The best Indian food in Portland, maybe some of the best in New England. This is the restaurant where I first tried Indian food, actually. At first, all you could get me to eat were the fried veggie appetizers, but gradually, I learned to love it all! Likewise, I've used it to christen others. There is always adorable Bollywood on TV to fascinate the uninitiated. My spice-crazed friends have found this to be the only place that could appease them, but those desiring mild fare will also find this suitable. After not going here for years and becoming a vegan, I was delighted to come back and see that vegan options are now clearly labeled on the menu. And, even more importantly, they are absolutely delicious -- the daal saag can't be beat! I think that you do have to specify that you want it made vegan? But I could just be playing the overbearing vegan jerk. No one's taken offense to it, at least. I figure it's better safe than sorry. Though only occasionally, wait time can be unexpectedly long; if you're in a big hurry, consider ordering takeout. But if you've got time - and especially with a large, boisterous, and gastronomically curious group - this is the place for you! (Once, when I came by at three in the afternoon, rather than the usual Bollywood musical accompaniment, they were straight up watching Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ. It was very surreal and one of my all-time favorite dining experiences.)
(4)
Maya S.
Had lunch here...and was probably one of the worst Indian meals I have ever eaten. If I could give 0 stars, I would. The waiter was super confused and the service was just plain bad! Seriously AVOID this place!
(1)
Michelle D.
dinner at Hi Bombay was super tasty. they will (gladly and competently) make most of their veggie stuff vegan on request. i just had veggie dishes... the food was flavorful, warm, and served pretty quickly. plus i couldn't get enough of the sauce trio! i'm sure i'll be back when i'm craving Indian - what a bonus that they can work around dietary restrictions!
(4)
Angela S.
Best Indian (Ive found) in the Portland area! Get your fix of delicious Indian food.... and.... heyo! BOLLYWOOD! Has great Vegan/Vegetarian options. Yum, Channa Baji... and make sure you get the Nizam's Choice appetizer.
(4)
Samantha L.
Was it tasty for the most part? Yeah it was. Nicely spiced, i wish they would crank the bollywood music a little bit louder though. I like to dance in my seat while eating yummies. My only thing? I wish portions were a little bigger. $11.95 shrimp dipiasa for only 6-7 medium sized shrimp in a tasty gravy? That bothers me a little. $2.50 for one tandoori roti? These prices remind me of NY.. but we're not in NY.
(3)
Bud P.
I just said "I'm stuffed but it's so good, I'd eat more". That pretty much. Sums it up. Great Naan bread, great spice and good service. Don't forget about Indian for your next meal out and This place is awesome!
(5)
Suz L.
My craving for Indian food knows no bounds and why I ended up at an Indian restaurant instead of stuff my face with lobster and Haddock, no one will know. Food was better than expected for no offense small town in ME.
(4)
Cory M.
The food was actually pretty good and I'm not the Indian food type. That being said, our waitress knew nothing and ended up just leaving halfway through and no one took her place. We sat around for 30 minutes when we were done eating AND DRINKING wine, but no one came to us. Not happy with Hi Bombay! all in all.
(2)
Frank B.
This used to be a favorite restaurant of ours in Portland when we were looking for a good meal at a reasonable price. After many years of coming here, I am afraid that we will not be returning. The restaurant has gotten dirty without much upkeep, the staff has changed and is not as helpful, and the food is simply not as good as it was in the past. If you are looking for good Indian food near the mall, try TAJ. If you find a good place downtown in Portland let me know, because I need a new one.
(1)
David S.
The big secret is the parking lot around the corner to the right (when facing the restaurant). It is available to customers at night or on Sunday, when the businesses using it are closed. Otherwise, parking is impossible at night, metered during the day. Generally good North Indian food. Excellent servers. Adequate seating and atmosphere. TV runs Bollywood junk in the background. Prices are moderate.
(4)
Jenn F.
The food was good. The service was tough. Long time before our order was taken. No check ins. Had to get their attention to get what was needed. Had Mobile deal that was not taken off correctly but after waiting 15 mins for the bill, I was not going to try to argue. 3 stars for food only. Likely will not come back.
(3)
Kamron H.
We ordered delivery from Hi Bombay tonight and I felt obliged to write a quick review. They do their delivery service through a third party, but it was quite simple. We called in and they took the order at the restaurant and then they took care of calling out to the delivery service for us. The food came within 30 minutes and was excellent! I had Chicken Curry and my boyfriend had Chicken Labedar and we would recommend both. The Nan and coconut soup were also great. Good job Hi Bombay!
(5)
priya r.
My boyfriend and I drove around tonight, Thanksgiving, to have a great meal somewhere. We see that Hi Bombay is open so we decide to have Thanksgiving dinner here. The food was fantastic. I know Indian food, and the spices and authenticity was impressive. We got shrimp masala, seekh kebab, chana saag, poori and roti. Two Taj Mahals to wash it down. Dahl and rice came with the meal. Spices were complex, everything was just yummy. We were happy.
(5)
Dejia B.
YUM! The garlic nan is delicious, the chutneys perfectly spicy. Both curries were well seasoned (although a bit on the skimpy side, not much leftovers). This is the first really good Indian that I've had since i left Seattle. I'll definitely be back, but probably for take out as the service was rather slow and the restaurant was FREEEEEEZING.
(4)
Liem L.
a bit pricey but i found the food spicy and delicious. not a fan or the samosa but liked the curry
(4)
Justin H.
Perfect Indian food. I'm not an expert on this cuisine, but I know what I like and their vegetarian dishes are to die for. Yum.
(5)
Kate J.
I wish I could have tried this food based on the other reviews. We stood in the doorway for at least 10-15 minutes, with multiple waiters and the hostess looking at us and passing us by to attend to who knows what without so much as a smile or greeting, let alone asking us if we needed to be seated, even with open tables around. So we left. There was another party in front of us who had the same experience and also left.
(1)
Bob R.
Ate here with my wife on a Monday. Place empty which steered us away from any seafood. Two other couples came in during the hour long meal. Place needs a deep cleaning. Artwork and TV need to be straightened - the little things that make it seem like they care. The naan was the highlight. Otherwise the food was very forgettable. My dish was dry. Wife's was OK. Beer and wine are cheep price wise which is good. Service was borderline non-existent. To be fair, I don't think the guy ever waited tables before. Maybe it's better on a busier weekend night. Fairly disappointed.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
Corissa P.
I was very disappointed in this restaurant. I placed an order for delivery and I was told a half an hour. When an hour went by, I called in and the lady explained to me that she had forgotten to send my order out with the driver the last time, but that she would send it soon. Another half an hour went by before I heard from the driver. He was awesome. I really liked him, but the lady on the phone did not offer me ANY kind of discount or coupon or anything for having to wait for AN HOUR AND A HALF for delivery. I will not be ordering from them again. I was very disappointed that she simply "forgot" my order and then did not want to make up for it in any way. That is very bad business and we will not use this restaurant again. They may be great for eat in, I don't know. But the delivery option sucks. It's not worth the $30 for a one-person meal.
(1)Hanna B.
I'd like to start by saying I'm pretty new to the whole Indian food thing... so I don't have much to compare this to! BUT! I have tried at least four of the vegetarian dishes here and they were all really good... My favorite so far is shahi paneer, but I also liked the channa masala and malai kofta a lot. The samosas are really yummy. A friend who is more familiar than I am with Indian found the food to be "pretty good" but not amazing. And she said the portion sizes were on the small side for the price, based on her experience. But overall, yum. I crave this on a regular basis!
(4)Tom P.
We order take-out from Hi Bombay quite often and they are always consistently good. The restaurant itself is nothing special, but I would imagine that a majority of their business is take-out. We usually order the chicken saag and chicken labedar along with the naan. If you like it hot, give them a level and they will spice it as you like it. Definitely some of the best Indian food in Portland!
(4)Johnny G.
I fully agree with Tom P. This was by far one of the worst experiences in Indian dining ever. How can you mess up samosas? Easy, serve them still frozen in the center. Serious. Bland food...didn't matter what we ordered. slightly different shades of earth tones all the same taste. To top it off we had a groupon and the non-Indian waitress gave us a hard time when we wanted to use it. Save your money. Go to the frozen food section and get a few Indian meals and heat em up at home.
(1)Rajbir C.
This place has the most amazing indian food that I have had in like ages. I Tried the chicken tikka masala and the keema naan while my friend had the curry chicken with a tandoori roti. The bread was well baked and was perfect. The chicken was tender with all the right flavors in the curry! If you are in Portland ME and looking for Indian food, this is the place.
(5)Jerry K.
Hi Bombay had a good ambience and great customer service. Food here is fantastic. As recommended by others had the Chana Saag and it was def. out of this world. The nizam appetizer was excellent as well. The mango lassi was decent but I've had better. for the deserts, i thought the Kheer was again superb but din't have the same feeling about the Gulab jamun Overall a food destination for some good Indian cuisine in Portland ME. Do try this place out
(4)Jon W.
The food was very good and the staff did a good job
(4)Miss M.
After reading the reviews here, I was looking forward to trying out this restaurant. My boyfriend and I arrived at the restaurant on a Friday evening around 19:00 and were promptly seated by a seemingly nice girl....and that, was the last time we experienced someone nice. Pondering over the menu, we were happy to see some of our favorite foods on the menu. Having picked out multiple dishes, we waited for our waitress to come by and take our drink orders. We waited for 5 minutes and no one bothered to come by and take our drink order. 10 minutes go by and still no waitress. We did notice, however, that she took other people's orders, but not ours. 15 minutes...nothing, 20 minutes...nothing. We got up, put on our jackets while the waitress glanced our direction, and left the restaurant. No one bothered to see why we were leaving! The straw that broke this camel's back is when the waitress seated an Indian family, took their drink order, and came back with whatever they ordered...as me and my boyfriend patiently waited. It is very apparent that this was a case of discrimination against caucasians. What this waitress failed to realize is that my boyfriend is a phenomenal tipper, usually orders at least 3 or 4 main course items, and we will return if the food and service are good. I will NEVER go here again. There are better restaurants in Portland that cater to the customer. That fantastic Indian restaurant in the Old Port is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than this joke of a place. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE...THESE PEOPLE DON'T CARE!
(1)Rory I.
The best Indian food in Portland, maybe some of the best in New England. This is the restaurant where I first tried Indian food, actually. At first, all you could get me to eat were the fried veggie appetizers, but gradually, I learned to love it all! Likewise, I've used it to christen others. There is always adorable Bollywood on TV to fascinate the uninitiated. My spice-crazed friends have found this to be the only place that could appease them, but those desiring mild fare will also find this suitable. After not going here for years and becoming a vegan, I was delighted to come back and see that vegan options are now clearly labeled on the menu. And, even more importantly, they are absolutely delicious -- the daal saag can't be beat! I think that you do have to specify that you want it made vegan? But I could just be playing the overbearing vegan jerk. No one's taken offense to it, at least. I figure it's better safe than sorry. Though only occasionally, wait time can be unexpectedly long; if you're in a big hurry, consider ordering takeout. But if you've got time - and especially with a large, boisterous, and gastronomically curious group - this is the place for you! (Once, when I came by at three in the afternoon, rather than the usual Bollywood musical accompaniment, they were straight up watching Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ. It was very surreal and one of my all-time favorite dining experiences.)
(4)Maya S.
Had lunch here...and was probably one of the worst Indian meals I have ever eaten. If I could give 0 stars, I would. The waiter was super confused and the service was just plain bad! Seriously AVOID this place!
(1)Michelle D.
dinner at Hi Bombay was super tasty. they will (gladly and competently) make most of their veggie stuff vegan on request. i just had veggie dishes... the food was flavorful, warm, and served pretty quickly. plus i couldn't get enough of the sauce trio! i'm sure i'll be back when i'm craving Indian - what a bonus that they can work around dietary restrictions!
(4)Angela S.
Best Indian (Ive found) in the Portland area! Get your fix of delicious Indian food.... and.... heyo! BOLLYWOOD! Has great Vegan/Vegetarian options. Yum, Channa Baji... and make sure you get the Nizam's Choice appetizer.
(4)Samantha L.
Was it tasty for the most part? Yeah it was. Nicely spiced, i wish they would crank the bollywood music a little bit louder though. I like to dance in my seat while eating yummies. My only thing? I wish portions were a little bigger. $11.95 shrimp dipiasa for only 6-7 medium sized shrimp in a tasty gravy? That bothers me a little. $2.50 for one tandoori roti? These prices remind me of NY.. but we're not in NY.
(3)Bud P.
I just said "I'm stuffed but it's so good, I'd eat more". That pretty much. Sums it up. Great Naan bread, great spice and good service. Don't forget about Indian for your next meal out and This place is awesome!
(5)Suz L.
My craving for Indian food knows no bounds and why I ended up at an Indian restaurant instead of stuff my face with lobster and Haddock, no one will know. Food was better than expected for no offense small town in ME.
(4)Cory M.
The food was actually pretty good and I'm not the Indian food type. That being said, our waitress knew nothing and ended up just leaving halfway through and no one took her place. We sat around for 30 minutes when we were done eating AND DRINKING wine, but no one came to us. Not happy with Hi Bombay! all in all.
(2)Frank B.
This used to be a favorite restaurant of ours in Portland when we were looking for a good meal at a reasonable price. After many years of coming here, I am afraid that we will not be returning. The restaurant has gotten dirty without much upkeep, the staff has changed and is not as helpful, and the food is simply not as good as it was in the past. If you are looking for good Indian food near the mall, try TAJ. If you find a good place downtown in Portland let me know, because I need a new one.
(1)David S.
The big secret is the parking lot around the corner to the right (when facing the restaurant). It is available to customers at night or on Sunday, when the businesses using it are closed. Otherwise, parking is impossible at night, metered during the day. Generally good North Indian food. Excellent servers. Adequate seating and atmosphere. TV runs Bollywood junk in the background. Prices are moderate.
(4)Jenn F.
The food was good. The service was tough. Long time before our order was taken. No check ins. Had to get their attention to get what was needed. Had Mobile deal that was not taken off correctly but after waiting 15 mins for the bill, I was not going to try to argue. 3 stars for food only. Likely will not come back.
(3)Kamron H.
We ordered delivery from Hi Bombay tonight and I felt obliged to write a quick review. They do their delivery service through a third party, but it was quite simple. We called in and they took the order at the restaurant and then they took care of calling out to the delivery service for us. The food came within 30 minutes and was excellent! I had Chicken Curry and my boyfriend had Chicken Labedar and we would recommend both. The Nan and coconut soup were also great. Good job Hi Bombay!
(5)priya r.
My boyfriend and I drove around tonight, Thanksgiving, to have a great meal somewhere. We see that Hi Bombay is open so we decide to have Thanksgiving dinner here. The food was fantastic. I know Indian food, and the spices and authenticity was impressive. We got shrimp masala, seekh kebab, chana saag, poori and roti. Two Taj Mahals to wash it down. Dahl and rice came with the meal. Spices were complex, everything was just yummy. We were happy.
(5)Dejia B.
YUM! The garlic nan is delicious, the chutneys perfectly spicy. Both curries were well seasoned (although a bit on the skimpy side, not much leftovers). This is the first really good Indian that I've had since i left Seattle. I'll definitely be back, but probably for take out as the service was rather slow and the restaurant was FREEEEEEZING.
(4)Liem L.
a bit pricey but i found the food spicy and delicious. not a fan or the samosa but liked the curry
(4)Justin H.
Perfect Indian food. I'm not an expert on this cuisine, but I know what I like and their vegetarian dishes are to die for. Yum.
(5)Kate J.
I wish I could have tried this food based on the other reviews. We stood in the doorway for at least 10-15 minutes, with multiple waiters and the hostess looking at us and passing us by to attend to who knows what without so much as a smile or greeting, let alone asking us if we needed to be seated, even with open tables around. So we left. There was another party in front of us who had the same experience and also left.
(1)Bob R.
Ate here with my wife on a Monday. Place empty which steered us away from any seafood. Two other couples came in during the hour long meal. Place needs a deep cleaning. Artwork and TV need to be straightened - the little things that make it seem like they care. The naan was the highlight. Otherwise the food was very forgettable. My dish was dry. Wife's was OK. Beer and wine are cheep price wise which is good. Service was borderline non-existent. To be fair, I don't think the guy ever waited tables before. Maybe it's better on a busier weekend night. Fairly disappointed.
(2)